#eric has met his match

[samonroegf]

⠀ dealer!sam monroe x cheerleader!reader

⠀　　⠀　　　　back to school

⠀　　⠀　　⠀　series masterlist

monday morning, the kind that every teenage girl regrets. the kind where you have to worry about seeing a man you're upset with. your parents are back in town, and you have to plant a happy smile on your face.

you bound down the stairs, heading for the kitchen and getting some breakfast. you sit on the bar next to your father, he's drinking coffee and staring angrily at the wall. it's always something better left unsaid, because once he starts there's no coming back from the screaming match that's bound to happen.

as soon as you're done eating, you give each of your parents a kiss on the cheek and walk to your car. they barely acknowledge you, as per usual. little nods and hums when you speak, the only things they care for were reputations. how people see their lovely daughter, such bullshit.

once in your car, you just sigh, and start it mumbling to yourself about how this day better go half-way decent or it would be your last. it was an empty promise, but it made you chuckle dryly. you put on a playlist to try and lighten your spirits, it doesn't really work.

the drive takes entirely too long and not long enough at the same time. fifteen minutes will never be enough.

you're greeted by your friends as you exit your car, bright smiles and asking how your weekend went. lying, you tell them that it was a quiet weekend, not doing too much.

“well, you know what i heard?” the brunette spoke up, kylee, she giggled as she spoke, holding a hand over her mouth. after spending so much time with sam, you realize you don't really like your friends. losing some kind of sparkle after your deep talks, cheap gossip seems so futile.

“what?” your eyebrows raised, and worry set deep in your chest. the last thing you need is the most back-stabbing girls you ever met to know about your weekend adventures.

another one finishes for her, this time a redhead with olive skin. lila, with a bit more of an accusatory tone, “eric and sam monroe got into a fight, some people are saying it's about you.”

your world pauses around you for a moment, sam's injuries weren't from a deal gone bad, but because he was probably standing up for you. eric was always one to have to run his mouth, serves him right.

“yeah, eric had to go to the hospital. he's fine. sam is insane.” the third girl from your close-knit group spoke up, bethany. she spit sam’s name like it was a curse, and while you were deeply upset with him, you wanted to rip her head off. you swallow hard and just hum, “oh, that's odd.” it was spoke in a dejected tone. you wanted to yell at sam and thank him, maybe cry in his arms too. you felt so conflicted.

the loudspeaker garbles out, “sam monroe, y/n y/l/n, and eric taylor report to the principal’s office at once.” and naturally of course, you wouldn't be let off that easy.

you cursed under your breath, and made the walk, the girls you call your friends whispering about you as you do.

you find sam already sat inside, his eyes are puffy and he's looking right at you, but you refuse to make eye contact. eric is also there, sitting in the chair farthest from sam. this puts you between the pair. his face is different colors of reds, blues and purples, yet he still has a smug look planted on his face.

as he turns his head to give you a disgusted look, there's a very obvious print of sam's ring. you almost want to laugh. it's exactly what he deserves.

you want to look at sam, stare into his soul, hope it'll tell you something. how could he beat up eric for something that has to do with you, and then continue to abandon you. confusion floods your senses.

“i’m sure we're all aware of why we're here,” the principal finally talks, he sounds tired.

“i’m not.” you speak up, your voice firm. you'd be damned if you're getting dragged to the depths of hell because of teenage boys.

“mr. monroe, please inform, ms. y/l/n, why we're here.” the principal has a warning tone, obvious this might be the final straw for sam. and with all things considered, you're not gonna let that happen.

“i uh,” sam's hand comes to scratch the back of his neck, he shakes his head defeated. he doesn't want to tell you, you can see it in his body language. the usually confident boy is curling into himself.

you finally look at him, since he has to talk to you. your eyebrows are furrowed and he can see it, you're disappointed. or hurt, he can't exactly tell. now that you can see him, you can tell life hasn't been exactly peaches for him either. his face is splotchy, eyes red and swollen, hair messier than normal. there's even skin missing from his lips from picking and biting them. you were still hurt, still angry, still upset. however, everything in you is telling you to pull this boy into your arms.

you have to protect yourself, you can't let him hurt you. but could you let him hurt himself in the meantime? you didn't know.

after sam finally recalls the fight, leaving out the parts of weed, which you were well aware of. your heart leaped once again, this man played your heartstrings like a bass.

you gave a dirty look to eric, and a soft one to sam. you can't just hurt him when he's looking at you like a puppy that's been kicked one too many times.

“i could be wrong, but isn't anything that happens off school property not the school's business? isn't that what the school board says when a kid gets cyber bullied and they kill themself? it's not the school's fault, cause it happened at home?”

the principal sighs, putting his head in his hands. it was obvious this was being pushed by eric, or perhaps his parents. probably to get sam kicked out of school, but this wouldn't be the first time you argued with school officials.

eventually argument leads to silence and the principal waves you all out, despite eric’s disdain. you step out of the office, now a scowl on your face.

the hallway’s empty, and since you and sam have classes in the same block, you and him walk away from eric. you wait until you're not in earshot, and pull sam into the girl's bathroom by the collar of his shirt.

you can tell he wants to talk to you, to explain something away. you'd rather rip the fucking bandaid off.

“quit with the puppy eyes and talk," your voice is cold and angry all at once. sam has never even heard you use a tone close to this before. especially not with him, it made anxiety creep up his back. he hated that you were mad at him, he almost wanted to leave.

“i’m sorry, cheer, i-i,” he chews on his lip again, and you want to roll your eyes. your arms come to cross over your chest, and it reminds sam of the beginning, of how it all started.

“you, what? you're stupid? i know that. you're an ass? i know that, too. gonna tell me anything I don't know?” you're spitting venom at him, and he flinches at it. you cringe at the look on his face, you just want to shake him and tell him to make a choice.

he laughs, it's cold and dry, and sounds a bit like he might cry again, you try to keep up a harsh exterior but your resolve is slowly crumbling.

“i am, i am all of those things, and you, you're perfect and i, i, you don't, you shouldn't have to put up with me, my bullshit, i,” his voice is breaking, it's shaky, and he's shaking his head.

you scoff, eyebrows furrowing together, “really? that's what this whole disappearing act is about? because you feel bad for yourself? god, sam, this is bullshit. this is shitty, you're being shitty to me. you're right, I don't deserve this. be a fucking grown up for once in your life and take responsibility.” you're laughing, cold, like steel. your laugh comes out angry, while his was so sad.

“we had sex and when i woke up, you were gone, fucking ghost, and all because your ego is a fucking mess? you acting like some fuckboy who just learned empathy. stay the fuck away from me until you can act mature and be serious about this. i am not some goddamn plaything you can just put down when you feel like it, okay? all or nothing, I'm done doing this shit. i love you, and it's killing me." you were crying now, your tears match the ones spilling from his eyes, as you tear him apart.

you wipe harshly at the fast falling tears, “goodbye sam.” and you storm from the bathroom, out of the side door of the building. you leave the school, you don't know where you're going but you can't be here. the day's just started and you're already done.

[yuttikkele]

please tell me more about gen z lotf au 🙏🙏

OFCCC!! i wrote a lot more about this than i thought i could, and i feel like i could keep going but i do wish to go to sleep! ty for the ask! (there was also an anon ask with this question, idk if it was you, but i'm just gonna answer this one lol)

the choir boys all know each other irl (obvi they still have choir together). everyone lives roughly in the same vicinity, but no one knows that.

they all met online during the pandemic. possibly through video games, twitter, or tiktok

how did this ragtag group of people all become friends? idk fortnite probably

i don't know much about fortnite, but it seems like it would start some friendships and/or rivalries. maybe minecraft or roblox too.

how they met and became friends is hazy, like how the beta kids became friends in homestuck. point is: they're all friends. pretty much.

some boys are closer friends than others, but they're all mutuals. they're all in like the same community. what community? that is a good question i should probably think of an answer

piggy uses the nickname people bullied him with as his online name. he gets cyberbullied and has ended up on many a cringe account, but it doesn't really bother him anymore. he likes to spread information, but he was a little self-righteous about it before he quit twitter. now he argues with people on instagram. piggy's also a redditor.

ralph usually just watches other people's content, but sometimes he'll post something and it'll get pretty popular because he's ralph and being well-liked is an innate part of his character. ralph does prefer to go out and do stuff than being online all the time.

simon is chronically online. being shy, he gravitated towards the internet. he's definitely a fandom girlie and has a tumblr (hi tumblr). he spreads positivity on the internet all the time. he's one of the good ones fr. i do hc simon as a Christian, so he does spread the Word a lot as an lgbtq affirming Christian dude

jack doesn't spend too much time on the internet. he also isn't allowed a lot of these medias by his parents, so that may have something to do with it. he does get upset when his posts don't get as many likes as ralph's

roger ragebaits and leaves hate comments all the time, but he has moments where he's nice. maurice memer obviously. sam and eric are the voros twins. i don't have too many thoughts about these guys just yet

they voice chat and sometimes video call

meeting each other irl for the first time led to the utter disgust at ralph's blindness in the fashion department

ok onto them reading lord of the flies cause i think this is such a funny concept

they all miraculously start reading lord of the flies as a class assignment at the same time

they all tell each other this and they're all like "loooool that's crazy we're all reading the same book at the same time"

i saw someone on my last post ab this say exactly what im about to say. it is truly the only way to go with this.

everyone's all "oh haha ralph's got the name of the first character AND he's blonde!" "piggy has the same name as peter's online name! haha how sill-" "WHY IS MY FULL LEGAL NAME IN THIS BOOK???"

the last person is jack btw if you couldn't tell

the exact names and character descriptions matching up a little too well with the boys startles them, but they still joke about it A LOT.

i mean, think about it, if you were forced to read this book in class and you find out you and your friends are basically the main characters, you would NOT stop cracking jokes about it.

"'ugly without silliness.' wow jack, william golding really DID put you in his story!"

they do start to get a little more freaked out when, yk, stuff starts going down in the book and they have to analyze it.

piggy's eventually like "OK we, or at least i, have got to figure this out." and he goes and does some research.

aaaaand that is all i can tell you for now :))

i do headcanon a lot of the boys as queer, but my hcs of them as gen z-ers do differ a little from my hcs of them as gen silencers.

piggy is a strict ally, his aunt is an ally, allies all around, until he realizes he is not so straight as he seems and is not really just an ally. bisexual

ralph knows nothing about the sexuality and gender biz he just does what feels right. he's pretty much demisexual/romantic tho.

simon is a gay dude. he is gnc and on the trans spectrum somewhere

jack is the only one using queer slurs, everyone gets onto him for it. he's gay, but he doesn't know it/won't accept it (because everyone in his life is HOMOPHOBIC!!!). when he does finally accept it, he is still using those slurs as slurs he is not reclaiming them.

[pensat-i-fet]

Shoot your shot 🏀 (Pedri x Reader)

**This one was requested by myself to myself 🤗🤭 to any man that might be reading, please take notes. An NBA match is the way to my heart 😅 any events that are the same for you? Let me know. And enjoy reading this!! ❤️**

Word count: 3070

Masterlist

Wattpad

"What are you doing during this break?", you asked Gavi while you were treating his injury.

"Just spending time with my family".

"That's nice. But please be mindful of the injury. Don't forget about your exercise routine, ok?"

"I won't. Don't worry. What are you going to do? You get a break too, right?"

"I do, but I'm not doing anything special either. I'll just catch on sleep probably", you laughed.

Not far from where you two were chatting, Eric and Pedri were sitting, waiting for a physio to attend to them...and listening to your conversation.

"Tell her to come with us", said Eric.

"What are you talking about?"

"Come on, it's the perfect excuse to spend some time together outside of work".

"And why would I want to do that? She's just our physio".

"Sure, Pedri", he said, rolling his eyes. "Everyone can see how you two act around each other".

Once you were done doing Gavi's treatment, you moved to join his teammates.

"Alright. Who needs some help?"

"Pedri", said Eric.

"Just say you don't like how I do my job, García. No need to throw me at someone else", you joked.

"Joan has a fitness plan for me, I have to wait for him".

The explanation made sense to you, but Pedri knew what was behind that request.

"Any plans for the break?", asked you Pedri, wondering if he should invite you to join theirs like Eric had suggested.

"Not really, what about you?"

"Eric and I are going to San Francisco". "Oh wow, that's fancy. What for?"

"We're watching an NBA match", said Eric, staring at your reaction and trying not to laugh.

You were the biggest basketball fan they had ever met. Once, they saw you at a Barça match and ever since, you've been having long chats about the Spanish League, the Superleague, the NBA, ...all of it. They often joked about how you were going to leave them to work with the basketball team.

"That's...you know? I'm not usually jealous of your lifestyle but I am now. I wish I had the money to do that".

It was now or never, thought Pedri. "Come with us".

Eric actually couldn't believe he had done it.

"What do you mean?"

"To the match. Come with us. We have a spare ticket so why not give it to you".

"That's too much. It's too much money and...", you kept babbling. Shocked by his offer.

"I think you should come too", said Eric.

"When are you leaving?"

"Wednesday. I could give you the details. I...I don't have your number, but...".

"I mean, if we are travelling together, I'd have to give you my number anyway", you laughed. "For any emergencies".

Seeing you and Pedri just nervously staring at each other, Eric took his friend's phone and gave it to you.

"Add your contact, then".

You bit your lip and took the phone, doing as Eric asked. It just felt...too much. Like you were overstepping. This wasn't professional but you couldn't lie and say you weren't excited about the idea of traveling to watch an NBA game. And also about the idea of spending time with Pedri. And with Eric too, of course.

"Done", you said, feeling shy all of a sudden and just trying to concentrate on your job.

"We are going to have the best time!", said Eric, winking at you and leaving you confused. And making Pedri blush.

                                     **

"Hey, Eric!"

He looked up from his phone to look at you. "Hi. You're early".

"Not as early as you".

"I actually got the time wrong and I've been here for a while".

You laughed, shaking your head and sitting down next to him.

"First time on a private jet?"

"Me? Nah, it's how I always travel".

"Well, you never know", he shrugged.

"It is the first time, yes. Also first time in the US and at an NBA match. Little trip full of firsts".

Eric was itching to ask if it would be your first time with a football player, because he was sure something would happen between you and Pedri, but that was crossing a line and he didn't want to make you run away and cause Pedri to kill him.

"There he is".

You looked where he pointed and saw Pedri and another guy approaching you.

"Hi, this is my brother".

"Nice meeting you".

"Let's go inside so we can get comfortable", said Eric, leading the way.

You felt so out of place all of a sudden. There were people you didn't know and the two you knew were coworkers. Sort of. Not really friends. The only player you could probably call a friend was Gavi and he wasn't there.

Also, flying wasn't something you were scared of per se, but the idea of such a long flight wasn't the most exciting to you. Worth it, of course. But still.

"Do you need a blanket?", offered Pedri's brother while everyone was getting ready for a nap to make the flight go by faster and get some rest for the trip.

"Sure. Thanks".

But you knew you weren't going to be able to sleep knowing how high up in the sky you were. So when everyone was resting, you got your book out of the bag and started to read.

Slight turbulences distracted you sometimes and your eyes always went to the same person. Pedri. He looked so peaceful while sleeping. So...handsome. But you didn't allow yourself to go there often.

A lot of the players you worked with were handsome. Eric himself was but what you liked about Pedri was something else. Not just looks. The little glimpses of his real personality you got to see were always hard to ignore for you because you liked what you saw. A lot.

"You can't sleep?", his voice took you out of the story you were then so immersed in.

"No, it's fine. I'll sleep when we get there".

"I could ask for a sleeping tablet or something. It's too many hours awake and the jet lag...".

"I'll be fine, Pedri", you said, smiling at his worry. "But thank you".

"Do you want to watch a movie with me while they are sleeping?"

You nodded, book now forgotten.

It was so weird to be sitting next to him. Arms almost touching. But it was also weird to feel weirded out by that since your job meant you were touching him all the time. Yet it was different. This wasn't you treating an injury.

Still, his presence relaxed you and soon you ended up falling asleep. Pedri noticed after a couple of minutes, when your head started to get closer to his shoulder.

He couldn't wake you up, he reasoned. You needed the sleep. So he just continued watching the movie, enjoying the weight of your head on his shoulder and the scent of your shampoo. He was never going to move on from this crush now.

Hearing movement behind you made you wake up and realize the position you were in. How embarrassing.

"Sorry".

"It's fine, you didn't bother me at all".

Eric walked past you two on his way to the bathroom and smirked at Pedri when he saw you sitting together. Now he only needed to get you alone at some point during the trip. And he had an idea of what to do.

                                    **

"We are going to lose her", said Eric and you could barely hear him because seeing the outside of the basketball stadium had hypnotized you.

When you felt a hand grabbing your arm, you turned to see it was Eric who stopped you from walking further so you wouldn't separate from the group.

"Sorry. This is just so unbelievable. How am I even here?"

"All thanks to Pedri", said Eric, putting his right arm around his friend's shoulders to bring him close while he used his other arm to do the same to you.

Before you knew it, he had moved back and now you were standing next to Pedri, who was trying not to shake his head at his friend's actions. He was being too obvious.

"Is this a bad time to say I'm a Lakers fan?", you asked, not knowing what else to say.

"Well, you're going to lose then".

"We'll see".

While you were finding your seats, a journalist asked Pedri and Eric if they had a few minutes to do a quick interview and they said yes. So you waited until they were done to sit and seeing they were both sitting together, you just moved to sit next to Eric.

"Why are you sitting here?"

"So Pedri can sit next to his brother", wasn't it the obvious thing to do?

You noticed Eric frowning but didn't stop to think why he was doing it. He was thinking about how he should have thought of a plan so you two were sitting together. But thankfully, he came up with a simple idea quickly.

"I need to pee before the game starts", he said, standing up and leaving.

You took a quick look at the seat Eric left empty and saw Pedri picking up his phone out of the corner of your eye. That reminded you about yours and so you started to take photos and videos of the place.

Pedri was surprised to see a text from Eric but when he read it, he let out a little chuckle. He'd have to repay the favour if his friend ever crushed on a girl like he was crushing on you.

"Sorry! Sorry! ...I didn't mean to step on your foot, sorry", you turned to see Eric returning to your seats, and struggling. "Guys! Move so I don't have to step on more feet".

"Smooth!", said Pedri under his breath.

"What was that?", you asked.

"Nothing".

But he did move and now he was sitting next to you.

The match was pretty entertaining and you kept chatting with Pedri about it, despite how loud it was.

"Popcorn?", he offered, moving the bag in your direction.

"Thank you".

And he kept offering you more, just by moving the bag so you could reach it easily, until he just decided to put it between your seats.

"Cute", said his brother, and Pedri slapped his leg so he would shut up but only made him laugh.

At half-time, only you and Pedri stayed in your seats thanks to another one of Eric's interventions.

"Are you having a good time?"

"Yes, this is even better than I expected. And I had high expectations", you laughed.

"Same".

Pedri moved away from you a little so he could take his hoodie off. It was warmer than he expected.

"Do you always wear that same hoodie? I think you can afford to buy a few more".

Pedri rolled his eyes and pretended he was leaving offended, so you grabbed his arm and made him sit down again. You've touched him so many times at work, but that felt different again.

"I mean, it does look good on you. But I was wondering if it was like a lucky charm or something too".

He tried not to stay on the thought of you thinking he looked good for too long. "No, I just like it and I'm boring, I guess".

By the time the match ended, you didn't even care about Lakers losing. Just being there had been so amazing, the result was secondary.

And also, you were all really tired, so it was time to go to the hotel and rest. Another long day awaited you tomorrow.

                                        **

Everyone fell silent when you got to the table where the boys were having breakfast.

"Were you talking about me?", you joked. But they actually had been.

"No, just about today".

"What are the plans?"

"We'll go meet a couple of players we met before when we were here", explained Eric. "And then we are going to a baseball match".

"Baseball?", that didn't sound very appealing but you guessed it made sense to go to all the American sports.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to. Pedri isn't coming. You could go see the city with him while Fer and I are at the match".

Pedri tried not to react to Eric's kick but kicked him back.

"You sure you don't want to go to that match?", you asked him and he nodded. "Then I guess we could go play tourist. I don't mind going alone but it's good to have company".

"And it'd be good to have the two English translators with the people who don't speak English".

"Eric, stop pretending you're bilingual. She speaks English so much better than you", said Pedri, making you blush.

Plans were made while food was being eaten and then it was time to go meet some basketball players. You couldn't deny how excited you were about that. You had met the whole Barça squad, of course. But these were NBA players.

You felt like you looked so out of place there but everyone was being nice to you so far. Even if they had no clue who you were and what you were doing there.

"Which one do you belong to?", asked one of the players, pointing at the men you were with and making you raise an eyebrow.

"I belong to myself. But since you mean which one is my boyfriend, the answer is none of them. We are just friends".

Eric noticed the one you looked at when saying that was Pedri. But Pedri didn't know what was going on because Eric was right when he pointed out he barely spoke English.

What he did know was that some of the players were flirting with you. No need to understand what they said when he could see the way they looked at you when they talked. But you weren't interested, at all.

"Ask her out. She'll say yes and then you won't have to be jealous all the time".

"Eric, I'm not jealous".

"Right...just do something while you two are alone. It's exhausting for me to just see you being so stupid".

And Eric wasn't wrong. He had to do something.

                                     **

Yourusername 🔒

Pretty San Francisco 🇺🇸

-pablogavi: looks good! But watch out because Pedri and Eric are there too.

   -yourusername: I know.

   -pedri: she knows.

   -ericgm3: we're literally with her. Keep up, Pablito.

   -pablogavi: how was I supposed to know?

   -pablogavi: wait, why wasn't I invited? 🥺

"Gavi is so silly", you said to Pedri, looking at your phone.

"But he's your favourite", he joked. But it was something that bothered him a bit. Even if you two acted more like siblings than two people who liked each other in a romantic way but...Gavi got too much of your attention. And that was attention Pedri didn't get.

"I'm not allowed to have favourites, Pedro".

"And yet...".

Being alone with him for a couple of hours had made you a bit more confident. Also noticing how Eric was always trying to push you to be with Pedri. Perhaps he felt the same way about you as you felt about him.

"No need to be jealous".

He laughed at being called jealous a second time in just one day. But both times, it was true.

"I'm just wondering what he has that I don't, you know?"

"He's more reckless on the pitch so recovery takes longer".

"I get kicked a lot".

You looked at him and...was he pouting?

"And it's also easier to spend more time with him than with you", you confessed, but he didn't understand what you were saying and you noticed it straight away. "I don't mean it in the way you think, but the opposite".

"Spell it for me then", he said and your heart sunk seeing his hurt look.

"Gavi is my friend. Just that. You are...you".

"That's not really explaining much", he added, but his look had changed from hurt to curious.

"I don't have a crush on Gavi".

There it was. No way back now after that confession.

"That's not a line I hear often", he joked, making you laugh. "And...the feeling is mutual. About the crush, I mean".

"You don't have a crush on Gavi either? He'll be devastated".

Pedri chuckled before walking in front of you so you stopped moving.

"Can I kiss you?", he asked, and you nodded.

Yes, that wasn't very professional. You didn't even know if it was allowed but you'd worry about it when the time came. First, it was time to enjoy the kiss you had been dreaming about for months.

                                        **

One of the first things Eric did when he got back to the hotel was call Pedri to see how your date had gone.

"Nothing happened".

"You've got to be kidding me! Do you want me to go on the dates with you to tell you what to do?"

"Just leave it. Let's enjoy our last day here tomorrow. It's fine".

"So stupid...the both of you!"

Pedri couldn't help but laugh seeing how annoyed his friend looked. And he laughed again after telling you about the conversation.

The next day, your final day there, was a repeat of the first one. Eric trying to get you alone with Pedri all the time. But what he didn't know was that whenever that happened, you really made the best of that alone time. And when Eric and Fer were back, it was back to pretending for the both of you. You were having a great time teasing them like that.

But all good things come to an end and soon you found yourself on the jet, on the way back to Barcelona. Same as on the first flight, the boys decided to go take a nap. And same as on that other flight, you couldn't sleep.

This time, however, Pedri didn't want a nap either. So he invited you to watch another movie with him. He brought you closer to him so you could cuddle and his warmth made you fall asleep almost immediately.

He wanted to remain awake to both fully enjoy the feeling of having you in his arms and to make sure no one saw you like that. But he was very tired too and soon his eyes started to close.

It was when Pedri wasn't still fully asleep that he noticed a presence near him. Eric.

"Nothing happened, right?"

[etaindelaserna]

Random ask, who are your favorite romantic relationship's couples in any media, like anime/manga, tv series, books, etc (can be canon or non-canon)? Feel free if you want to write the reasons or not of why you love them....

I mean…how much time do you have?😏✨ In no particular order:

1) Zoro x Nami (One Piece)

I‘ve been in love with their dynamics from the very beginning: the navigator and the one with no orientation skills whatsoever. Orange and green. They bicker like an old married couple, but respect and trust each other blindly. It started out with Zoro protecting Nami from Buggy’s crew, her helping him out during fights but I fell head over heels for them once the Arlong Arc came around: he read her like a book and trusted her enough to make a point. That sealed the deal. Then he watched over her while she was ill and from there one I noticed how he always looks out for here, making sure she is safe🥺🧡 Just ✨They just make sense to me.

2) Damon x Elena (TVD)

I actually don’t recall when I started to ship them. It must have been slowly, just before the „fake“ kiss happened when Katherine came back, somewhere between their banter and low key flirting. I think I fell for this ship because of the factor Damon. Him being fiercely loyal and desperate to get Katherine back, only to realize she never loved him and then falling in love with his brother‘s girl. AGAIN. The tragedy and the tension whether Elena would fall for him too, made this so fun to watch. The final nail in the coffin was when he told her, he loved her but compelled her to forget. Oh, and of course the dance…

3) Sookie x Eric (Sookie Stackhouse Novels)

The moment Sookie laid eyes on Eric for the first time and him shamelessly flirting with her in front of Bill, I was a goner. Bill always gave me an ick feeling. I just never understood why Sookie was interested in him apart from the fact that she couldn’t hear his thoughts. In the books there was always a spark whenever Sookie and Eric met. I liked that Eric was down for anything as long as it involved Sookie (going undercover to an orgy for example), that he was always (brutally at times) honest with her, that he protected and cared for her no matter what. He respected her decisions. There were no silly games between them. As far as vampire feelings for humans go in this universe, I do think he loved her deeply. As for her: she loved him too but also knew that it would never end well. Such a sassy, sexy ship.

4) Captain Jack Sparrow x Elizabeth

One if my original all-time favourite ships. The sparrow and the swan. I liked their dynamics in CotBP but grew obsessed with them during DMC. Her being restricted by society’s expectations of her and him being the adventurous, clever pirate she had already read about. I mean pleeeeeaaase: the themes alone! She longs for freedom. He and his lifestyle are the definition of freedom. She has a fierce and untamed nature just like the sea. He is in love with the sea. I think Jack brings out her true self just like she brings out his. She matches his scheming talent but I always thought Elizabeth to be more ruthless than Jack. I don’t know what I expected but her ending up alone on an island, married and back in the corset was not it.

5) Hermione x Draco (Harry Potter)

Another one of my original ships. The muggle born and the son of an old wizard family, who hate muggle borns and are/were loyal to the Dark Lord. The drama, tension and potential storylines with this setup is off the charts. I think I fell for them once the 3rd movie came around. That slap and Hermione urging Hagrid to take Draco to the Madam Pomfrey was pure gold for my shipper heart. I started to get obsessed with them when I read the 4th book as they stumbled upon him during the world cup. I always and forever will read this scene as Draco warning them about the dangers of the Deatheaters disguised as his typical insults. There were both lines in the movies as well as in the books that always made be believe that Draco might have had a crush on Hermione at some point. I was waiting for a redemption arc in the last book which never happened. I also always thought that Hermione needed a partner who matched her intellect to be truly fulfilled and who appreciated her Slytherin traits (cunning, ambition).

6) Sakura x Kakashi (Naruto)

So, this is a complicated one. He is 14 years her senior and her sensei. That is problematic. I didn’t ship them when she was a child. BUT: I liked the idea of them, if the circumstances were different (same age or time travel AU). Kakashi seemed to appreciate her intelligence and her talent for chakra control. He never made her feel weak and he always protected her the best he could. During Shippuden his reaction was always shown when Sakura suffered because of Sasuke. And Kakashi looked rather heart broken and sad for her. He watched over her and cared for her during the last battle. The incredulous (at times murdering) look he gave Sasuke when he mistreated Sakura was glorious. His whole mission was to make sure she survived. So, yeah, if the circumstances were different…also the hand on the cheek is canon🥺 Sakura deserved someone who appreciated her love and loyalty.

7) Claire x Jamie (Outlander)

What I liked about this couple right away (in stark contrast to Frank to whom Claire is married to) was their back and forth, the easiness with which they held conversations with each other and the pure fun they had while doing so. They played off each other without any hassle. Just two people with the same intellect, temper and the same humour hitting it of. This combined with the twist that Claire is the experienced one in all sexual and romantic matters while Jamie is the virgin was absolutely addictive. They just matched. Their chemistry was off of everything that is considered holy.

6) Hannibal x Will Graham (Hannibal)

At first I enjoyed their strange friendship, which quickly turned into mutual respect. May it be due to the actors or how the scenes between them were written but the chemistry was wild right from the beginning. The classical seduction to the dark side trope with a twist: Will is actually just like Hannibal and fights against the urge to kill but actually understands killing. To him just like to Hannibal it makes sense to kill. It even is beautiful. That dynamic hooked me from day one. The back and forth of their ideals. I think Hannibal was rather quickly aware of his feelings for Will. The fact that Will at first rejected him and his whole being but in the end fell for him as well, was fascinating to watch. Just pure and raw.

8) Jaime x Brienne (A Song of Ice and Fire)

I love the tropes surrounding this couple: him, beautiful on the outside but ugly inside and her, ugly on the outside but the heart of a true knight inside. Beauty and the best. Their banter and clash of ideals is what attracted me to them (as well Jaime trying to get a reaction out of Brienne with his constant insults and borderline teasing). The way Jaime unknowingly started to grow a soft spot for the wench and slowly opened up to her, losing his hand (his identity as one of the best swordsmen) to protect her virtue all led to the best scene between them: the bath in Harrenhal. I fully shipped them afterwards. It‘s hard to imagine that Jaime had ever been this vulnerable with anyone but his brother before. He keeps on protecting her and she reminds him of his oaths. Just beautiful ✨

9) Buffy x Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

I was so obsessed with them at some point in my life — it wasn’t healthy anymore. First because of the ridiculous sexy way Spike played around with Buffy as his next slayer to kill. He was cunning and dangerous. Later because of how loyal, funny and good he was even without a soul. Him being a hopeless, awkward romantic while Buffy was straight to the point was a fun dynamic. In the later seasons I felt sorry for him because of how he was used and treated by Buffy but at least he got to go out like a true hero.

10) Beth x Daryl (The Walking Dead)

This was an unexpected one. I liked Daryl as a character but Beth was just a girl in the background who cut her arms. They were pushed together for a few episodes and because their views on life and their experiences were so different, it created this interesting dynamic. Somehow they worked. Daryl helped her get stronger and Beth helped him to deal with his emotions. She was innocent. He was rugged and beaten down by life. There was something delicate between them that was never allowed to grow.

13) Rae x Finn (My Mad Fat Diary)

Just two nerds obsessed with Oasis and each other. Typical teenager drama. Because of her seize and her body and mental issues Rae doesn’t think she deserves Finn or that he is even interested in her. She convinces herself to the point that she gives her v-card to another guy around her body seize. Finn on the other hand has already decided that he likes Rae and is all cute and touchy with her. The cuteness of their relationship and Finn‘s straight forward „Idk what your problem is but I like you just the way you are“ endeared me to this couple. Also Rae is hilarious.

14) Asoka x Rex (The Clone Wars Series)

Another problematic ship due to her being his superior and him being (at least) physically older when they were first introduced to each other. I think it‘s the fact that Order 66 looms on the horizon and all the drama and heartbreak that comes with it, what got me into this ship. Asoka transforms from an insecure padawan who gets her squad killed into a formidable force user and along the way she earned Rex‘ respect. Plus I‘m a sucker for how fierce she gets every time Rex is in trouble/attacked. They protect and care for each other and if they weren’t Jedi and Clone I could totally see them as a power couple.

[bloogers-boogers]

Kyle Broflovski/Eric Cartman

"Cartman, your girlfriend's a freak!"

Part 1 >

Summary:

Kyle discovers Cartman's new partner is into feedism and he has all reason to get involved.

Eventually:

"why can't you listen?! Why don't you care?! Why is it always me who has to fix your problems!"

"No one is asking you to fix me, Kahl!"

"You are! You are by acting dismissive over it when you DO care!"

"I don't! She's all I have! She's the best thing I could ever get."

"What about me?!!"

Warning ⚠️: this is a sp fic you could either expect the worse or the best! So beware if you proceed to read the following content 🙏

Author’s note: the narration of the story would be mimicking the way Cartman was storytelling in that one Christmas creatures story he wrote. So if you guys wonder why it’s kinda wacky that’s why! C:

------———————

It was a Monday morning, the sun rising and the light blooming each corner of the trees, streets and buildings. As four boys walked pass the streets heading straight to school. It would've been a normal day if they had met in the bus stop as usual however Randy took Stan that same night for a weed business trip in middle of a sleepover so they also had tagged along. Free employees! for Randy so he said.

What a annoying night for the teens, but not much to complain besides groan and act bitter to their raven friend instead. Regretting not just taking their usual hangout spot which was always at Cartman's place.

"Main bitch out your league too, ah

Side bitch out of your league too, ah~" the brunette sang out shamelessly, a slight smile while moving his hands with the mumbling beat of his own voice.

"Can you stop singing, fatass? I have a fucking headache from last night." Complained the only redhead of the group.

Ever wonder why they all have conveniently diffrent hair colors to difference each other and yet, matched color palettes for clothing that go well with one another? Nah, who thinks about that. They look good together, so the group remains the same! Just switch the coats for hoodies and the pants for jeans. If you want extra, the raven boy has updated for no hat and the ginger for a pair of sneakers instead of boots.

Heights from the tallest to smallest, redhead to raven, blonde and lastly brunette. For the misfortune of the last one ofcourse.

Constant teasing and for what? For a couple of inches extra? Nope. Because he's an ass. That's the reason, and because it's funny.

"For your information I don't care," replied, Cartman as he continued to sway his body from side to side.

Aka shortest, drastically fattest, "you think life is hard? I'm wearing size 13 Nikes", only motherfucker that could kill and would; just for funsies. A loser. But a dangerous one, THE Eric Theodore Cartman a fatherless boy with a crack whore of a mom, "I'm tying to put you in the worst mood, ah-!" he hummed out loud, even louder then before to annoy his friends.

With a long and dragged groan, "way to go, Kyle. You made it worse," Stan complained as he pinched his nose in frustration.

Aka the second tallest, Mr. "I'm part of the football team but never the captain", average weight, depressed homie who would get bailed on the moment he stops acting chill about it. Deadbeat singer. A lover boy and hippie. Stoner without the weed. The "leader" of his gang of friends, Stan (Stanley) Marsh.

"What did I do?!" Kyle exclaimed offended but not really. Too tired to care or actually make a big deal about it.

Aka tallest, average weight with a little tone of muscle in his arms, jewish (apparently important enough to mention for the fat one), "temper bitch with no chicks", looks like a nerd is actually a high graded student but would bail school for his friends. Would beat your ass if you cross his ground or brake his ego. Seriously. He would. Ask Cartman. Wait, don't, he'll lie about it. Anyways, this is Kyle Broflovski.

"Mhmp! Mhmp mhmp," muffled Kenny under his hoodie.

Aka third tallest atleast he's not the shortest!, slightly underweight, "what's that miles away? A arrow? Lighting? Bullet? Nope, it's Michael Myers about to hunt him down", hard worker but slacks from time to time, a stoner with very high grades but no effort. Wise for his age but cries at nights. Fatalities over 100! Kenny (Kenneth) McCormick.

"Nuh-Uh!," Cartman denied with a skeptical frown, "that's not possible poor boy," a slight pause before leaning his head closer to his other friends, "...right?"

Stan and Kyle just shrugged not caring much.

Cartman remained silent as a car swoop there blonde friend off the ground and dragged him to the nearest gasoline station where it comically explodes as he landed just inches apart from the actual gas.

Well there goes Kenny for the day.

They continued their pace as they finally arrived school. Doing their usual thing as changing their books and closing their lockers before entering class.

First period went smoothly while second period in comparison had multiple shootings heard from the hallways, the teens remained unfazed while they were lectured about historical facts they genuinely didn't care about, some listened, some acted like they did and others just slept through class.

Ofcourse Cartman was one of those who slept in. He felt a couple of pokes on his side. He frowned annoyed while swaying his hand in the air for whoever is pestering him to stop. He didn't bother to look up.

"Fatass stop slacking in class," Kyle hissed in a whisper.

Cartman smiled devilish as he recognized that well familiar voice.

"Meh meh meh meh," he mocked still eyes shut and had no plans on moving from his comfortable position.

As expected, Kyle punched him hard on the arm.

"OWE!" Cartman whined out loud, rubbing his arm that was now aching in pain.

"Mr. Cartman care to explain why you interrupted my class?," The teacher scold. Now attention all on him.

"It was Kahl!" Cartman cried out loud while glaring at his redheaded friend.

"I would never," Kyle commented sarcastically as he rolled his eyes looking at the ceiling innocently.

They all knew who the teacher favored.

Something they all first noticed in their first year of highschool. Was how their history teacher put her immediate attention on Broflovski. At first, Kyle denied it but then he got curious and intentionally wrote wrong all his answers and yet STILL A's a exam. He was shocked but actually felt proud that he can pull a whole grown woman to pine for him with out even trying. Creepy, but cool because he can get away with a lot of shit in her class.

"Eric, I beg you to keep quiet while I lecture, do you understand?"

Cartman roll his eyes knowing Kyle's so call "charm" on their teacher. So there was no point on manipulating the situation to his favor.

"Yes, Ms. Thrust ontitts," he replied bashing his eyelashes innocently.

"Very well, let's continue."

He grips his hand on to the side of his chair, and jumps closer to Kyle's side as he moves, "way to use your jew scooties on crib jumper."

Kyle rolled his eyes, still, he leans his head closer to Cartman's, "better than not having anyone pay attention to you, lardass."

Cartman scoffed but arched a brow as he tried thinking of a better combat. He smiled before saying the first thing that came in mind, "rather have no one than someone that's nearly applying for a elderly home."

"Atleast she's pension."

"Atleast I won't be wiping ass."

"Atleast I'm touching ass."

"Atleast changing diapers won't be a routine."

Kyle gripped his fingers on to his desk, biting his lip trying to come up with something else but failed.

"Fuck you."

"Just try," Cartman teased as he stuck his tongue out childishly. Moving back to his place triumphantly.

Kyle cheeks heated by just his stupidity, then because the image actually popped up inside his head.

"Agh. Gross," Kyle let out as he shaked his head trying to get the image out of his brain.

Embarrassingly turned on by it too.

Cartman snickered, side eyeing his friend. Pleased by the reaction. Oblivious of the other's repressed thoughts.

During lunch period Kyle remained defeated as he slumped his head on to the table. Frustrated that he couldn't get the image of Cartman on fours out of his head.

Yeah, that's his life now. So desperate to find love, so touched starve for physical attention that he is now delusional enough to imagine his rival remotely attractive while positioned under him.

What else could go wrong for him?

He dragged his hands on to his face sliding them down to the sides of his chin still not believing how betrayed he feels by his own perturbed mind.

The thing is, he managed to effortlessly pull a grown ass woman he has zero attention on, to like him. But any girl his age doesn't even bat a eye when crossing paths. It's like a damn curse he can't get rid of.

He's tried but no luck. He always thought his looks were average. He has a great personality. What else do they want?

He scratched his scalp while processing whatever shit load his brain is dumping on him as Stan just eyes him while eating a burger.

You'd think his only concerns would be the fact that he's literally picturing indecent shit about Cartman. But no, that's far from it. To be honest this is mild compare to what he has to endure with his sexually frustrated brain.

Hormones has been his worst enemy these past years. And yet, unlike his other friends he hasn't score anything.

He's not sure if it's the thought that all his friends has done it, and when he means by "it" he means the big S word. Sex.

Well, if you include Cartman he's technically not alone but c'mon that's basically expected from that fat bastard.

So he's technically screwed if he's on his level on not being good enough to be fucked.

He scratched his head in desperation as he sighed.

Stan patted his back in understanding. He has already told Stan a year prior about feeling insecure with it. However, the other only told him the most basic, corny ass shit he could think of "only time will define and just don't feel pressure about it. It's not a big deal", then backtrack it all after scoring with Wendy a week after.

"Dude you're missing out big time, you HAVE to try it," those words echoed his head, and been echoing his head since their middle grade years.

He scratched again angrily before finally deciding to eat his almost forgotten food.

He eyes Cartman basically undressing him. Spiteful. In his defense he started it for just even suggesting that possibility. So he deserves to be ridiculed in this way. Technically this is harmless because it's a internal thought but it feels vengeful in a way. A way he can tolerate and accept he is fact being turned on by his rival.

Another thing he's been questioning in a battle.

His sexuality.

He's not sure if he's into women or men. There's only been a few exceptions when it comes to feeling remotely attracted to both those genders and he doesn't know why.

They're always specific and never spontaneous. He can't simply fall attracted to someone he just met or eyes as pretty. He REALLY has to know what he's dealing with first, and then attraction hits.

But nooooooo Mr. Broflovski here is also picky.

His perfect suit is smart, courageous feisty women. That's basically his personal pick. But at this point he'd go for anything.

Not Cartman though. He doesn't know why his brain in bugging right now.

But Cartman does seem to go for...

He stands up abruptly, startling his friends as he picks up his tray and went to place it in its bin before heading out of the cafeteria. Stan already following behind.

That's enough with thinking.

"Kyle, you okay dude?" Stan asked concerned, hands inside his pockets walking alongside him.

"Yeah, it's been just one of those weird days y'know?" He tried dismissing his thoughts away, focusing on his best friend.

"Yeah, I get that.. like-"

"Oh brother not this shit again," Kyle thought, fighting the urge to not roll his eyes. Isolating himself from the conversation while Stan finishes ranting about his break up with Wendy which was like three months ago and how he misses her.

He eyes the posters plastered on the walls as they walked pass them. Holes everywhere as the previous shooting had already ended but had left drastic but not too drastic damage.

He sighed, crossing his arms as he had stopped waiting for Stan to drink some water from the water fountain before continuously walking the hallways aimlessly as he ranted wanting to get back with her.

His concerns were not suppose to be a big deal, but he made them a big deal. And for what?

Unnecessary stress? They're other more important things to think about and here he was just worrying about being a virgin after graduating.

He never felt so unwanted. Pathetic, definitely pathetic and disappointed.

Maybe if his friends didn't rushed themselves to pass that huge step. Maybe he wouldn't be so worried about it. Maybe if they didn't push him into doing it he wouldn't think about it so much.

Maybe he wouldn't care so much if they all just didn't grow up so soon.

The day already has ceased to it's end, as Kyle dramatically lays on his bed in a position people would normally find funny. His head rested on his pillow while his left arm was folded to his side next to his head, fist against his forehead. His legs spread apart while his other arm was extended to the edge of the bed. His belly exposed as his shirt was slightly lifted to the side of his abdomen.

But Kyle was devastated, exhausted and annoyed mostly.

He huffed before falling asleep.

[ohmyeyesmyeyes]

love your writing ♥ can you write on when You and Ben Chilwell are friends with benefits, but after a while he wants you to be little more and you not sure this is what you want because you do not think you can ever trust him...

< i went with this idea and then somehow it changed towards the end :/ ALSO: this is combined with the bela/eric inspired request from slocg! >

i would never piss in your cereal

warnings: swearing, 18+ themes, fluff, maybe some angst idk, unedited because i want to get this out

word count: 5.5k

he looks so bf in this i can't explain it

A fluffy head of hair made itself a home on your shoulder as your fingers clacked away on the keyboard of your laptop, seemingly completely oblivious to his advances. Your back rested against the headboard in your bedroom, and the duvet was tucked up under your chin, preserving your dignity (though not much remained) and shielding you from the chill that had seeped into the room after the haste of the previous activities left all the inside doors open, leaving a trail of cold air to migrate through your flat, your heating proving defenceless against the December chill.

Even after a stream of hot air puffed from his nose, and you felt his eyelashes brush your arm, you refused to break your concentration, eyes remaining fixed on the too-bright screen in front of you. You still had a couple of days before the assignment was really due in, but in reality, you were just trying to clear your mind because Ben was really starting to get under your skin. 

Everything he did was irritating nowadays. It was as though a switch had been flicked in your brain and you were suddenly noticing every little quirk or idiosyncrasy he possessed, and it annoyed you to no extent. It felt like someone had taken a magnifying glass and placed it directly over him, so you became more attuned to his habitual behaviours and found yourself being able to decode what the sharp rise of an eyebrow meant, or that when one side of his mouth tilted up in a smile, it was just for the cameras.

But mostly it annoyed you how he had seemed to do the same thing for you.

Like now, for instance. 

The post-training aftermath never ended with you picking up a laptop to start your schoolwork, nor did it end with you ignoring his little huffs of annoyance when he wasn’t getting the attention he wanted.

The head on your arm pulled away, and you cursed internally. He sat up against the headboard, mirroring your position, and you caught the inquisitive glance he threw your way out of the corner of your eye.

“What are you doing?” He asked softly, rubbing a hand down his arms as goosebumps arose on his skin – he was always awfully cold.

You shrugged, turning your head to look at him, your gaze flicking from his face to the golden necklace that hung almost deliciously against his chest. He looked tired, there were slight bags under his eyes, and his hair had lost its characteristic flounce – though you suspected that might have had something to do with your previous activities. And despite the cold and goosebumps, there was still a slight sheen of sweat still sparkling against his chest.

“Just an assignment. I got an idea for it that I just needed to write down.”

He nodded, eagerly pulling the sheets further up to his chin as he cast his gaze to your screen. “What’s it about?”

“I have to create my own part of a script for any film of my choice. It has to match what the characters would say, do and act, as well as mirror the director’s choice and style of filming as well.” 

His mouth parted with interest, and he shuffled closer to you, sinking down into the bed to get comfier. The entirety of his side was pressed up against yours, and you felt your cheeks heat up at the velvety sensation of bare skin on bare skin. 

“What film did you pick?”

“La La Land.” You couldn’t help the timid smile that had taken over your face at the mention of the film. “I added a scene where Mia meets Sebastian’s sister after the breakup. It’s only minor, but in the film she never met Laura – I mean, I like to imagine she did, but, yeah…” You trailed off, swallowing your nerves.

You’d never truly ventured the boundary between work and school in your respective and individual lives. There was the odd comment and excuse, because sorry, I can’t, I have an urgent deadline, or, I’m taking the team coach a day earlier this time, I can’t. 

And you knew Ben had never watched the film anyway, but the questions he asked about your assignment and what you were going to include melted your heart. And you hated him a little for it.

But you sat with him for the next twenty minutes, writing notes of his oblivious wisdom because he’d never seen the film and didn’t particularly know the characters, but his ideas were shockingly beautiful. And you tried not to pay attention to the way he seemed to light up as ideas popped into his head, and tried not to focus on the way his hands talked as he talked, trying to pick up on a train of thought.

It wasn’t until you caught yourself smiling softly and looking at him with nothing but adoration that you snapped out of the haze.

He isn’t yours. 

He seemed to pick up on the way you subtly shifted your body so you weren’t practically leant on his shoulder, and he removed his arm from your shoulder, his hand untangling itself from your hair in the process.

You missed the flash of hurt flicker across his face as the smile on his face diminished and he seemed to sober up a little.

“Speaking of futures…”

Your heart started pounding in your chest, almost painful against your sternum. He said it so casually, so you knew it wasn’t anything serious, but you couldn’t help imagining the worst or best of scenarios.

“Are you going to Marcus’s party tonight?”

“Yeah, you?” 

He nodded, “You going with anyone?” 

You nodded, “Yeah. I asked someone from uni; he does biochem - it’s kind of cool actually.” You bit the inside of your cheek momentarily, something akin to hypocritical dread creeping up your spine and tingling in the base of your skull. It felt like pain, and it radiated to your chest, “What about you?”

Ben shut his mouth, cheeks tinting a light pink, and he ran a hand through his hair - an anxious habit, you found yourself acknowledging. Anxious about what?

“Yeah, yeah. Mason forwarded on one of his friends’ numbers - we met the other day but didn’t have time to exchange that sort of thing.” He laughed awkwardly, the hand that had run through his hair now resting completely on top of his head.

Something bitter swirled in your mouth, and you didn’t have time to register the meaning of it before words were tumbling from your mouth, “She cute?”

“Very.” Then there was an awkward silence, and you pressed your lips together, offering a polite smile as his eyes flickered nervously to yours, “Would it be okay if I got a shower?”

“Sure, there’s a spare towel on the rack and your clothes are in the second drawer.” 

“Thanks.”

He lifted the covers up, letting in a gust of icy air, and audibly groaning at the cold sensation on more sensitive areas. You unashamedly watched him cross your room, each step taken flexing the prominent muscles in his back, the gap between the windowsill and the end of your blinds casting a sliver of silver light against his bronze skin.

As soon as he was out of sight and the sound of the bathroom door locking shut was heard, you slammed the lid of your laptop shut in frustration and pushed yourself into your bed, hands over your face as you screamed into your palms silently.

He was going to be the absolute death of you.

***

The party at Marcus’s house was already in full swing by the time you’d arrived with your date, and you could only begin to hear the pounding music and laughing of people inside by the time you’d begun to walk up the drive. The front door was closed, but a wreath of holly and berries hung from the door handle, and before you went to knock, you paused, turning to Luc.

He’d been one of the first friends you’d made at uni in your first year - the first person you actually met in your flat, and you’d both used each other as fake dates for parties many times before. So when you told Ben earlier that morning that you’d had a date already planned, it may have been a little fib to see if he’d react to anything at all, but when he’d replied and said he’d also got a date, you didn’t feel so guilty about it in the end.

But Luc was - for lack of better explanation - a pretty man. He was Polish, with dark blonde hair and the most startling hazel eyes you’d ever seen on a man before. In other words, he was the complete opposite to Ben.

And part of your fake date deal was that the other person would be allowed to dress their date, and this time (because it was your party invite), you’d dressed him in smart trousers with a Christmassy dark-red shirt - open at the top, leaving his collar bones exposed - and paired that with a thick hunters jacket you’d found hidden at the bottom of his wardrobe. 

You turned around, inspecting his outfit once more, and before you’d even opened his mouth to say anything, he was repeating your words from earlier, “Yes, you have my consent to use my body and my face to make another man jealous.”

You nodded, smiling as the air in front of him steamed up, “And you can do whatever you want after I’ve introduced you, you don’t have to stick around with me if you don’t want.”

Another pro of asking Luc to this party was that he pretty much thrived off of attention from others, and had zero qualms about socialising with new people in new groups. He always seemed to seamlessly fit in wherever he went.

“I’ll stick around and have a couple of drinks because I’m kind of mad about the fact that you didn’t tell me that your childhood friend, Marcus, is Marcus Rashford. The Marcus Rashford–” then he broke off, eyes flashing with urgency as he took a step closer, taking a deep breath to calm himself, “Wait – who am I making jealous?”

You widened your eyes at his outburst, “Ben Chilwell.”

Luc gulped nodding his head, “Fuck. Let’s just get this over with, then.”

“You sure? You don’t have to–”

“I do, one of these people might have Lewandowski’s number.”

“Okay.”

You knocked on the door, smiling in thanks when someone you didn’t recognise opened the door, and stepped into the foyer, basking in the heat of the house, and you almost jumped when someone asked to take your coat to a backroom.

You shared a giddy glance with Luc, who looked equally as shocked as you did by the display. You hadn’t been to any of Marcus’s parties where that had ever happened before, but catching the security guard standing at the bottom of the stairs, you figured he’d gone all out this year.

It was Luc who took the lead, grabbing your hand and dragging you through the double doors, towards the sound of music and thumps of bass, and you had no choice but to follow him blindly. 

The party room itself was a sight to see. Where the foyer had had a massive Christmas tree, decked out in decorations and was relatively quiet, this room was the complete opposite. The curtains were shut, but there were strobe lights and Christmas lights hung up across the ceiling and winding around the wooden beams. Somehow, without even using the main lighting system, Marcus had managed to light the entire place up nicely. There was a DJ deck blasting Christmas mash-ups in the corner, and there must have been about a hundred people milling about and dancing. 

Luc gasped and placed a hand over his chest when he clamped eyes on Matty Cash.

“Are you okay?” You laughed softly, and Luc’s response was to simply drag you towards the drink station, his face drained of colour.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I think.” He let go of our hand, cracking open two bottles of beer as he passed one to you, taking a large gulp of his own.

Your eyes roamed the maze of people, spotting familiar faces and smiling at a couple who looked in your direction. Through the dense crowd on the dancefloor, you could vaguely make out Ben through the flailing limbs. He was sitting on one of the benches around the edge of the room, and you could see the legs of his date - she was hidden completely behind a group of gossipers, but you grabbed Luc’s arm anyway, pointing him in their direction.

“Let’s go now.” 

You barely had time to react or pretest before Luc was expertly weaving you through the crowd, his hand keeping a tight grip on yours, and you didn’t know what his plan was, but your heart was hammering and you downed a couple of gulps of the beer to try to lose the edge, but it didn’t do much to help.

It was only when you were about ten metres in front - amidst the dancers - that you looked up at Luc, only to find that his eyes were trained on something slightly to the right, almost as though he had no intention of ever going directly over to Ben and his date, and it wasn’t until you heard your name being called over the music that you realised Luc had been playing an intelligent game.

You both stopped, Luc displaying fake and utter shock at your name having been called, and the two of you made your way to the quiet nook that the other two had found, yours and Luc’s hands still tightly clasped.

You flashed both Ben and his date a smile - polite and genuine - and couldn’t help but linger your eyes on the figure-hugging material of Ben’s collared jumper. It accentuated his arms rather nicely, and you had to tear your attention away from them when he lifted his own glass up to take a sip from, directly making eye contact with you.

You swallowed, turning to his date and introducing yourself to somewhat reduced the humiliation received from having been caught in the act.

When Ben had said that she was cute, he wasn’t doing her any justice, because the woman standing in front of you in a sparkly black blazer-dress was nothing short of absolutely breathtaking, and your heart stuttered in your chest at the observation. It was more of a devastating melancholy that ruptured and bloomed, icing your veins out, because imagining Ben spending the rest of the night with her was torturous.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Zoey.” She introduced herself, a dazzling smile on her face, and you reciprocated the action, clinking both your glasses together.

Then Zoey turned to Luc, and you nudged his arm to spur him out of his reverie. It was pretty obvious that he was taken with her, and you doubted that his previous promise that some of the night would be spent in your company no longer stood.

He cleared his throat, a blush decorating his cheeks, “Luc. I have to say, you look spectacular…” Then his eyes drifted to Ben, “Both of you. Truly.”

“Thank you.” Zoey smiled at him, and it was clear that both plus one dates had been immediately more enamoured in each other than either yourself or Ben, so despite only just having arrived on scene, you drank the last dregs of your beer, holding it up.

“I’m just going to go get another, I’ll be right back.” You left before anyone could protest, and headed back to the bar.

Though his back was to you, you could easily make out the familiar hair of one of your favourite people leant up against the bar, waiting to order something from the bar. His hair was slightly ruffled up, as though he’d either purposefully styled it that way, or already had a couple of drinks and let loose a little.

You sidled up to him at the bar, nudging his shoulder in a friendly manner, and when he turned to you, his entire face lit up in excitement.

“Ah, my best friend!” He exclaimed, placing his hand on his chest in mock relief, and immediately then you knew he’d had more drinks than you’d originally thought. “I didn’t know if you were coming because Ben said he was bringing some other girl–”

You held up your hand, eyes widening at what he’d just admitted. “What? He told me she was your friend, that you gave him her number.”

Mason stilled, “Oh. Yes, I did.”

You arched a brow, “What’s her name?”

Mason stood on his tiptoes, eyeing Zoey from across the room, “Erm…Lola?”

You rolled your eyes, not even bothering to hide your amusement as he turned back to you, a defeated gleam in his eyes.

“Her name’s Zoey, and she’s gorgeous and lovely.” You replied, smiling bitterly and feeling a little lost. You didn’t really know what to do with yourself now Luc was flirting with Zoey and Ben was talking to them both, and Mason was clearly quite drunk. 

Mason nudged your arm with his elbow, and you turned to him, surprised to find a genuine smile on his face, “Don’t lose hope.”

“Hope for what?”

“Ben.” He furrowed his brows, incredulous, “What did you think I meant? Santa or some shit?”

You sighed, breathing out of your nose, “No. I…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m not looking at you like anything.” He said, but the large grin on his face contradicted his words, and you couldn’t help but be suspicious at his odd behaviour. It was only when he wiggled his eyebrows at something behind you and the smile melted off his face within seconds that you spun around, you’re eyes immediately landing on the familiar jumper Ben had been sporting - heading right in the direction of the bathroom with one hand clutching his eye and his face held in a wince. 

When you faced Mason again, he was staring, shocked at the door Ben had just left through, and though you were concerned – incredibly concerned – you held it in. Zoey was probably right on his heels anyway, and you didn’t want to intrude.

“Mate,” Mason caught your attention, “I don’t think Zara’s following him. She's still talking to your date.”

At this, you stood on your tiptoes, eyes scanning for Luc’s blonde hair across the sea of people, and you frowned upon realising they weren’t where you last left them. In fact, Luc was dragging Zoey by the hand and heading straight for you, his eyes flickering behind him at Zoey, then to the door that led to the bathroom and back to you again, something urgent flashing in his eyes.

“What happened? Why did–” You started, but stopped word vomiting upon seeing Zoey’s guilty facial expression and Luc’s breathless state.

Mason had turned back to the bar to give you three some privacy, but his shoulder was still touching yours, and you knew for a fact he was listening in discreetly. Or trying to.

“He stood up so quickly, and I didn’t see him – the straw in my drink—”

“He was looking for you.” Luc cut over Zoey, a clear message written all over his face.

It shouldn’t have been a question, really, as to whether or not you were going to immediately follow after him. It shouldn’t have, at all. But you hesitated. You stood there with a mildly disturbed expression on your face, your heart pounding in your chest, both anxious at the extent of his injury and the fact that the one person stopping you from going after him was standing right in front of you.

“You should go.” Zoey said, and Mason nudged your arm.

“But you–”

“The only reason I’m here tonight is because he told me he needed help making someone jealous. It doesn’t take an idiot to figure out that someone was you, so go.”

You swallowed, head spinning slightly at the revelation, and blindly pushed your way through the crowd, elbows sticking into ribs, muttering faint apologies to people you collided with. The door to the corridor was almost like a sigh of relief, because as soon as you’d toppled through the door, the music had faded away, leaving you with nothing but the scream of your own thoughts. In a way, the quiet offered you a place to organise everything swimming in your mind, but your body seemed to plough on. You knew these toilets would be quiet in comparison to the ones in the lobby, because only the people that had been to Marcus’s house in the first place knew about the more strategically placed ones. 

The door to the bathroom was hidden at the end of the corridor, and if you hadn't known any better, you’d have just assumed that it was an airing cupboard of some sort. 

You knocked, taking a deep breath to calm your nerves and silence the pounding of your heart.

“Find somewhere else, this is occupied!” His voice was unmistakable,and laced with an undercurrent of frustration, but it didn’t deter you in any way. If anything, it spurred you on.

“Ben, please can you let me in?”

There wasn’t a reply, and you briefly wondered if he was going to leave you hanging outside, but then the lock clicked, and you were pulled inside.

The downside of Marcus placing a bathroom in this part of the house was that it was an incredibly small space. Almost as though he’d placed it here as an afterthought, a just-in-case-all-else-fails.

Which was why, when you were pulled into the toilet, there wasn’t much manoeuvring space available, leaving you with your back pressed against the sink, and your front pressed tightly against Ben’s as he leant over your shoulder to peer in the mirror, both his hands going for his eye. You couldn’t see anything from your angle, so you twisted around, your hands holding onto the sink as you leant back enough to look at his face. 

There was blood. A small gash just under his eye, but there seemed to be a lot of blood pouring from it. You didn’t know how long it had taken for him to realise it was bleeding, but there was the beginnings of a faint purple bruise starting to bloom under his eye. By tomorrow, he’d have a black eye, that much you were certain of.

What astounded you the most, was the fact that he hadn’t got any tissue dabbing up the small cut; his fingers seemed to be pulling at the skin, trying to identify exactly how big it was, but in neglecting cleaning it up, blood had trailed down his cheek like tears. It was one slow, trickling stream, but it was enough to make you sigh and duck to reach around him and rip off some toilet paper.

You waved it in his face, but in his concentration, he seemed to ignore the help, which left you with no other alternative but to press the tissue straight onto his face. His eyes never left the wound, but his hands immediately went to press over yours.

“Thanks.” He murmured, and this time his gaze travelled down to you. “What are you doing here anyway? Were you worried or something?”

“You could say that, yeah.” You said in disbelief.

“Didn’t know you cared about me like that, if I’m being honest. I can’t say I’m not flattered.”

You furrowed your brows, “Why are you talking like that?”

“Like what? I’m simply expressing my surprise for your care towards me.”

“Oh, you’re suddenly so good at articulating your feelings now?” You laughed bitterly, unable to help rolling your eyes at his sarcasm.

“And you are? You best be getting back to your date before he gets suspicious that there might be something going on between us.” He flashed you a flat smile, turning his attention back to the tissue as he gently peeled it away from his face, inspecting the damage.

“Who pissed in your cereal this morning?” You asked, absentmindedly moving his hand out of the way to get a better look at the cut. He let you, not even thinking much of it when he placed a soft hand on your cheek.

“Unless someone else was in your house, you’re the only culprit for having done such a thing.” He answered without hesitation, raising an eyebrow.

It felt like you were having two conversations at once. One with words and the other with contradictory gentle and caring touches. It seemed a perfect metaphor for the conflict in your mind.

“Well, I would never piss in your cereal.”

“That’s comforting to know.” 

There was a silence, and almost as if he’d suddenly registered what he was doing, Ben removed his hand slowly, as though he’d thought that if he’d have done it any faster you might notice the action.

His eye was pretty much fine now. It had stopped bleeding, and after wiping the dried blood off his cheek with damp paper, he looked fine. The only issue was the bruise.

He needed ice on it if he didn’t want it to swell up, and the bathroom was not going to store that anywhere.

Which was why you made the move to duck under his arm and reach the door handle. And also why when he took your hand away from the door you turned to face him in shock.

“What’s the matter now?”

“What’s got your knickers in a twist?”

“You. You’re confusing me.”

“It’s always nice to know I have an effect on your knickers, love.” He smirked triumphantly, and you scowled, smacking him half-heartedly in the chest. Then he changed: his smirk dropped and his eyes narrowed, “And I’m not as confusing as you, I can guarantee that.” He said, breathing a disbelieving laugh.

“Really?” You shot back, folding your arms across your chest, effectively placing a barrier between the two of you as he remained plastered to you. “Who talks constantly about someone called Olivia; has a completely neutral reaction to me saying I was bringing a date to this party, and then acts all offended when I show some compassion and concern for you when you hurt yourself?” 

He stuttered, mouth falling open in a gape. “First of all, I stopped seeing Olivia the day after we met. That was a conscious decision. And who the fuck says they’ve got a date just to get someone’s reaction, and then gets offended when I get confused because I thought you brought that date because you liked him or some shit, huh?”

You smiled, unable to help laughing. You weren’t sure if he knew what exactly he’d just spilled to you, but his frustration was somewhat adorable in your eyes. It eased the worry eating you up. He wasn’t as taken with anyone else as you thought he was.

“Why are you laughing like a crazy person?” He asked breathlessly, his brows knitted together. His hands came up to your face as thought to shake you out of it, but thought against it when you suddenly opened your mouth to speak.

“Because you’re jealous of Luc. And you like me.” 

He blinked, “Yes?” 

Then you straightened, “How does Mason know Zoey?”

Ben flushed, right from the tips of his ears to the skin on his neck, the red disappearing under the v-neck. He sensed your gaze, and looked down, rolling his eyes.

“You could at least act like you don’t like me too, you know?”

You flicked your eyes back up to him, “How does Mason know Zoey?”

“She’s a family friend.”

You waited a second to see if he’d retract his statement. He didn’t. “That’s really funny actually, because Mason thinks Zoey’s called Zara and when I asked him about her, he told me she was called Lola and then tried to make it out like he knew her.”

Ben was smiling now, a soft one, and you had half the mind to turn around just to make sure he was looking at you like that, because you’d never seen it on anyone’s face before. “What?”

“You were jealous.”

“So were you.”

“And you like me.”

“You like me too.”

“I do.” He answered, and something occurred to him, because he recoiled slightly to the point where you could no longer feel his breath on your face, “Who is Luc?”

“Luc does Biochemistry at uni, and he was also my best friend when we lived together in the first year. We strictly use each other for dates at parties if we don’t want to go by ourselves.”

“So you’re not…”

“No. Never have been.”

“And you don’t want to…”

“He’s cute and all, but I’ve never and will never have any intention of ever going there. He’s not my type, no offence to him.”

Ben nodded, folding his own arms and rocking forward on his heels, so your arms were touching. His face was barely centimetres from yours and you blinked, not really knowing where to look. It was like he’d just single handedly consumed every part of you by one small motion. It was pleasantly unnerving. 

“I think there’s only one thing left to do.” He whispered, eyes going straight to your lips.

You stifled a smile, “Get you some ice?”

He bobbed forward, pressing a light kiss on your lips before pulling away, eyes cloudy with adoration. He shook his head, “I was going to say–” a kiss, “that maybe we should just–” another kiss, “be exclusive–wait.” He pulled back even further, out of your reach.

“What?” You could feel your cheeks heat up under his gaze.

“You’re not seeing anyone else, are you?” It wasn’t a question of accusatory nature, but one borne mostly of curiosity.

“You’re the only person I’ve been seeing since we met.”

“Oh.” 

“I couldn’t really stand anyone else after that.”

“Oh. So you like like me, then?”

You sighed, “I guess so.” 

You didn’t give him time to reply before you were using the loops in his trousers to pull him closer. His arms automatically unfolded, hands coming to rest on your cheeks as neither of you wasted any time in eagerly drawing each other in, lips colliding thoroughly. His hands only rested momentarily on your cheeks before trailing down your back, leaving a trail of blazing skin in its wake. The need to touch every part of him seemed all-consuming and it seemed that desire was reciprocated because hands were everywhere - a practised art at this point. You knew that if you weren’t pressed so tightly against the sink with Ben wedging you close, that your knees would have given up underneath you at the intensity, and although it was in no sense romantic, there was something thrilling about kissing each other in a separate room, isolated from an entire crowd of people that had no idea what was happening.

Ironic, really, because you were both interrupted by a knock at the door.

Ben responded by bashing his fist twice as hard back on the wood, but the person on the other side seemed equally as intent and determined, as the response of five hard knocks on the wood left you pulling apart breathless, cheeks so red you were unable to look at each other without breaking into huge grins. 

“Just a second.” Ben shouted through the door, and you had to look over your shoulder to check your appearance was suitable and appropriate enough to face the outside world. You took the opportunity to slide the bobble from your wrist and tie up your hair, not being bothered to sort out the mess.

Then you turned to Ben, who was standing awkwardly and seemed intent on not looking at you.

You didn't need to ask what the issue was.

“Look, if you walk outside behind me and carry the bloodied tissue up to your face, you should get away with it and then we can wait in the kitchen until it sorts itself out, does that sound like a plan?” You handed him the bloodied tissue as he nodded.

Then you unlocked the door, swinging it open and almost immediately halting upon seeing who it was waiting. There were three people standing on the other side, looking severely amused at the sight of your caught expressions. 

“We had to interrupt before you christened Marcus’s bathroom.” Mason replied, purposefully looking straight into both your eyes as Ben remained securely behind you even after you’d both left the bathroom.

“Did you hear–”

“Everything.” Luc replied. 

There was an awkward silence.

“We need ice for his face.” You said, wanting to break the tension. 

Then Ben slipped his hand into yours, and you bit back a smile.

[poppywright]

the loss of @sirensought in her childhood was something poppy wright never quite got over. just when she felt like they were going somewhere, where she might have been brave enough to make it through middle school, there eric went. she shouldn't be holding a grudge. it's not like it was his fault his family had to move. but she is, or rather, she has been for the last decade. because one day they were best friends and maybe even more, and the next she was completely alone; back to being the weird girl, a loser in so many words. which the kids in her grade and outside of it loved to used. and she was miserable despite trying her best not to be.

in high school she forced herself to try again. it was a new school with new opportunities, and now she was objectively prettier. that would be the start she needed. her blonde hair had the perfect wave to it, her boobs developed in the way most teenage girls literally prayed for. and eventually, people noticed. the colors she wore brought out her beauty. they matched her personality in a way that was appealing to teenagers. she was fun. she was sweet. but all it took was one rumor to crash and burn all over again. and in poppy's mind, everything could have been avoided if eric had still lived in linfield.

which is why, when she sees him at a party during her first few weeks of college, she has to fight the urge to rip her hair out and scream in his face. but college poppy would never. college poppy was who she had wanted to be her whole life: easy-going, charming to the point that no one who met her didn't want to be friends with her, and cool.

"oh my god, you guys know each other? that's so crazy!" their mutual friend exclaims, standing between eric and poppy like it was the wildest thing she's ever heard. but the air between them is tense to the point that their friend dismisses herself, awkwardly. once they were alone though, poppy can't help but push. "why are you looking at me like that?"

[writtenjewels]

Dress Uniform

[Happy Veterans Day and thank you to all who served in the military]

Jason only wore his dress uniform one time in his entire military career: the day he officially earned his commission. All those days he spent making his brain nearly leak out of his ears brought him to that moment. He swelled with pride as they pinned the stripes on his uniform.

And now he was pulling it out of the closet again. The thing was wrapped to keep it in good condition despite being shoved in a closet for years. He put it on one piece at a time, remembering how everything was supposed to fit even after all this time. He got a look at himself in the mirror.

Jason was a different person from the guy who wore this uniform the last time. He was so lost before—desperate to get away from his shitty life, not even caring if his military career ended with a folded up American flag sent to his family. He repeated lies that grew into a shield around his real self. He was the overzealous patriot, the guy on the fast track with his career.

On the outside, he hadn't changed that much. He sported a few more lines around the eyes and mouth, but he still had the physique of a soldier. Jason wore his hair in the same style, though that was because he saw no reason to mess with it. And there were his tattoos. Whatever his motivation for getting them, Jason kept them on his skin.

“Jason?” He turned at the voice and smiled at Salim. The older man was in his dress uniform, too. Jason had never seen him in it before.

“We match,” Jason noted with a little smile. The colors were a little different but the style looked pretty similar. He reached out to smooth the collar of Salim's top. His fingers ran along the shoulder to Salim's medals. “Look at you. Pretty decorated.”

“Yours are pretty impressive, too,” Salim answered with a light brush over Jason's chest. “Are you ready to go? Penny has the car running.”

“Yeah, just about. You sure we don't gotta say anything?”

“No, Eric will be the one doing all the talking. All we need to do is stand there and look pretty.”

“Guess I can do that,” Jason nodded, chuckling. His fingers tightened a little on Salim's collar and he pulled the man toward him. “Hey, Salim. Thank you for your service. I know you didn't have a choice, but... you know.” He wet his lip and heaved a sigh. “This is why Eric's doin' talking.”

“It's all right, direi,” Salim assured him gently. “There is a saying that actions speak louder than words, and you are the loudest person I've ever know.”

“Can't really tell if that's a compliment or not,” Jason snorted.

“I understand what you mean to say,” Salim said. His hand cradled Jason's cheek as he leaned in closer. Jason swallowed the lump in his throat. Yeah, Salim always understood him from the first moment they met.

And that was the biggest difference between who he was now and the man he used to be. He hadn't lowered his shield so much as thrown it away, and he stopped telling so many lies.

“Thank you for your service, Jason,” Salim rumbled. The words carried such a wide range of emotions when Jason heard them. Sometimes he was proud, others embarrassed. Hearing them from Salim made him feel humble.

“I love you,” he confessed, and pressed his lips to Salim's. He heard Salim echo the words against his mouth before their lips sealed again. A sudden bang interrupted the moment. Jason extracted himself slowly—he wasn't going to be ashamed of kissing the love of his life.

“Hey!” Jason's sister Penny stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips. “Y'all can do that shit later! We got an honorary ceremony to get to!”

“Yes, ma'am,” Jason replied as Salim chuckled beside him. The two moved to follow but Salim stopped them.

“I almost forgot to give you this,” he mentioned, holding out a hat. Jason's heart jumped a little in surprise recognizing the gray color. But of course it wasn't his old hat; he threw that thing away a long time ago. This one was new, and on the front someone drew in two symbols: a sword and a shield.

“Salim.” Jason swallowed the emotion welling in his throat. “This don't go with the uniform.”

“Maybe not,” Salim allowed, placing the hat on Jason's head, “but you wouldn't be you without it.”

[ksiondzkanexkiii]

MAYBE YOU'RE NOT A BAD PERSON

Chapter twenty-five

Next chapter (26)

chapter twenty-four

find a story on wattpad/tumblr/Neobook

 

Since the conversation on the rooftop, the Captain and Jinx have almost grown closer. In the morning Jinx woke up in her bed lying in the clothes she wore yesterday, but she had no idea how she found herself in bed, the only rational thought that came to her mind was about the following

She sleepwalked

At least the ground has landed her back in bed and not somewhere on the other side of London

Then she'd be screwed

And then she would cry

Does anything

She herself does not know

And who cares? She contorted her face as this thought possessed her mind like a naughty demon. She slid off the bed and dragged her feet toward the closet door to pull out loose sweatpants, it was Saturday or Sunday so she didn't even have to bother to go to school

Well

School

I wonder when the captain will tell her to go to school claiming that her grief has come to an end. If she felt it at all of course she was sorry that she would no longer be able to talk to Ava

 won't be able to kiss Eric

won't be able to play pranks on siblings

won't be able to help making pranks

will not hear their laughter

Her knees softened as she suddenly sank to the ground making a quiet , "of" her body became weaker as she thought about all this, this devilish fire. She wondered what would have happened if she had checked the house when she smelled the smoke and not listened to Ava, who said it was the house machine that was giving off such a stench. She was foolish to believe her in the end the Rodriguez siblings were drunk

they didn't think soberly in their heads just had alcohol that overshadowed their common sense that Jinx had, she should be the one to lead them and save them from the fire, but she didn't. How stupid she was to believe on the words of drunken teenagers.

She snorted under her breath through her thoughts she might have been mad at herself for not overhearing, but she can't turn back time. Even if she really wanted to.

There was nothing she could do

She dressed in black sweatpants that matched a black strapless shirt on her shoulders also threw on a Hawaiian shirt that she stole from the captain's closet she liked it and the captain did not wear it so she took the opportunity, she got up in a good mood she was even willing to ask the captain to leave the house outside to breathe fresh air

She left the room improving the collar of her shirt with Hawaiian patterns she didn't bother with buttoning up the buttons outside it was warm and she wanted to take advantage of that. She didn't bother with the bandages on her left side today was their last day

The doctor would recommend pulling them off today and letting the wound , "breathe" she could not wait for the moment of pulling them off

- Hey," greeted the captain putting the cups on the table in the living room, when he raised his eyes met the sight of his shirt pointed his finger at it, "is this my shirt? - he asked raising an eyebrow

- Maybe - Jinx shrugged her shoulders still wrestling with the collar of her shirt which stubbornly did not want to go up but kept turning to the left side, the captain approached the teenager and corrected her collar

- We'll talk about it later," he muttered standing over her, when she raised her eyes she met two men sitting on the couch and watching her closely and next to them on the armchair sat Annalise, Jinx furrowed her eyebrows wondering what was going on

Both men sat and looked at her appraisingly which stressed the teenager one of them was older maybe even older than the captain he had brown hair however the graying was immense to the point that only brown patches remained. The man was most likely from Germany or Australia it was hard to tell, but he had a distinctive accent, the mysterious men wore a perfectly pressed shirt tucked behind Jean pants held up by a black belt with a funny buckle, he had his hands on his knees however, when the captain placed the cups on the table the stranger leaned over to grab his drink

He had wrinkles on his forehead and crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, the wrinkles appeared from old age or stress, the captain had the same problem, but he was thirty-one or thirty-five years old she couldn't even remember exactly how many

- My name is Tim Rockford - The older man introduced himself - And this is my partner Seeley Booth - Tim introduced his younger colleague, their age difference may have been as much as twenty years. The elder teaches the young, the master teaches the student. At least, that's what Anoana thought when evaluating the younger man

He was black-skinned his black hair was cut short, but without an interesting pattern on the side of his head. Pity. He was dressed quite elegantly at the same time more casually than Tim, they were partners but with different views, their style of speaking, dressing and walking spoke volumes.

She had not yet seen them take the steps, but she was sure that Tim would walk like a lady in a straight line and Seeley would walk like a real , "tough guy" if you can call him one

- I'm a detective from the police department," Tim continued his monologue, showing his badge, "And Booth is a sergeant from the fire department," Rockford explained, taking a small sip of the drink that Price had prepared earlier Jinx didn't know what was inside the mug, but she could suspect that it was tea, which hadn't even cooled yet, as the detective furrowed his brow as the boiling water burned the inside of his mouth

It probably hurt, but he didn't say anything - Mrs. Riverstream you probably already know - for the first time Seeley spoke up sending the teenager a brief smile to try to calm her nerves with poor results, as the teenager still felt lost in the situation - Why don't you sit down? - he offered as if the Captain's house was his office or interrogation room

However, it made sense at least according to John, he put his hand on the teen's shoulder gently squeezing it. Jinx finally took her blue eyes off the two detectives to look inquiringly at the captain, who gently nodded to tell her that he was next to her, Anoana hesitated for a moment more, but finally hesitantly walked over to the chair where Price had just been sitting

She sat down slowly, unsure of what awaited her and what it was all about. And what the hell should she do?

- You probably have a lot of questions," began Seeley, he had a good approach to difficult youth or just children. He had two young children himself, so he had gained experience - But first we also have questions - he said slowly each word he spoke devilishly slowly

- It's about the fire at the Rodriguez house," Tim interjected to his partner, "We're trying to figure out what happened there," he said as he pulled a small notebook and pen from his pants pocket to write down the words the teenager would say, the teenager looked at the notebook with a raised eyebrow, "If you tell us something we don't already know write it down and then we'll check it," Rockford explained with his accent

- Do you understand that? - finally Annalise spoke with her well-known dryness never believed a teenager would change. Even more so after what she had done and who she had become refusing to know anything other than the person who uses the nickname , "Jinx" Riverstream had never met the real , "Jinx" or experienced the softness of Anoana who is hidden under the nickname , "Jinx"

Defense system

Jinx nodded - Yes, I understand," she muttered not sure whether to say anything further or not, she looked over her shoulder to see if the captain was still in the room or had gone. But he was standing there leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest his gaze studied the two detectives and the social worker finally his gaze fell on Jinx, he nodded again giving her a sign that he wasn't going anywhere

- I thought the hearings were held more... - she fell silent, not knowing what word to use to appear smarter than she looks

- Ustronomical? Private? - prompted Seeley, still looking appraisingly at Anoana who nodded - Well you're right, but your situation is -.

- Complicated - interjected Tim apparently already wanted to start the interrogation, Tim sent a glance in the direction of his partner with a silent command, as Seeley after a moment from his pocket pulled out a small recorder - The conversation will be recorded as long as you do not mind? - asked Rockford rhetorically

- What if he's in the way? - asked Jinx - Yes hypothetically," she added after a moment causing a small snort behind her back, the captain smiled hearing her question and had even more trouble holding in a giggle at Tim's answer

- Then we will record anyway," Tim smiled sarcastically, "Have you known Eric Rodriguez and Ava Rodriguez for a long time? - He asked already moving on to the actual questioning without wasting time with introductions or explanations of unnecessary things

- I got to know them since I went to school for the first time - Jinx leaned forward and her elbows rested on her knees as she played with her hands, everyone might have thought she had already gone through her grief, but that was not the case she still felt the burden of never seeing them again - A few months -.

- Were you close? - asked Seeley still with a calm voice however Jinx heard a note of nervousness in his voice

- We were best friends with Erick constantly playing pranks on his sister and vice versa," Jinx smiled gently as she recalled those moments, "There was not a day when one of the siblings did not play a prank on the other one.

Tim wrote down the information in a notebook - Since you were friends then maybe they told you about their enemies? Maybe someone threatened them? - Asked Rockford, the teenager only shook her head

- No one threatened them and even less had enemies," she shrugged her shoulders, "Or they didn't tell me which I doubt, everyone liked them more or less. They were the reason for smiles in some people," she explained

- Have they had any problems? Financial, with a boyfriend or girlfriend? - asked Booth, Jinx raised her eyes to look at the younger man - Maybe they told you about their exes who have a problem about them breaking up? Or about their crushes whom they rejected," he summarized his question seeing the question written on Jinx's face

Jinx let out a quiet , "Oh" but shrugged her shoulders trying to remember - I was closer to Eric than with Ava, but he told me about Iris - she confessed after a moment of silence, when she finally remembered - I had the impression that he still had feelings for her, because he kept looking at her, but she didn't pay attention to him - she explained, Tim vigorously wrote down this message and would note later to go to Iris

- Iris? - queried Booth they needed a name

- Iris Graves," she replied, "However, he looked at Iris with puppy dog eyes at the same time he looked the same way at Herrera," she added after a moment of thoughtfulness, recalling the last time Eric mounted the

- Victoria Herrera? - inquired Rockford noting down Herrera's name again they had already questioned her once, but she never mentioned that Eric might have had feelings for her and that could have given them motive

Jealous boyfriend gets rid of competition

Stalker who defends his victim whom he stalks

These were two of the few motives that appeared in the minds of the detectives when they looked at each other with the same ideas and words in their heads - Yes, Vic," confirmed Jinx, "The relationship between him and Iris was a touchy one for him as was the relationship with Herrera, when I wanted to find out more to tease him he started to be unkind to me," she explained without knowing the connection to this

The detectives nodded their heads in agreement - Did you know Ava was using drugs? - asked the arson detective looking at Jinx turning her head slightly to the side to get a better look at her, Jinx raised her eyebrows thinking they were joking she was more inclined to say it was Eric who was taking, but she left it to herself

A wave of shock and then confusion passed across her face this was enough for Seeley to understand that she did not know even if she did not manage to utter a word - N-No, I did not know - Jinx almost whispered it her courage in her voice was lost somewhere

- You have an interesting and heavy file," Seeley muttered, "You're probably not proud of it, but we have to ask if you were the one who brought drugs into Ava's life? - He asked raising his eyebrows while watching Anoana's reaction closely

Anoana at first did not know what to answer another accusation in her direction? She would not have the strength to defend that she had been brought to the right path, at least she tried to be good. The influence of the captainodź a small one made her herself crave for changeodź her mind was still trying to return to her old habits. At least she returned to one, which she is not proud of either

But smoking cigarettes gave her some inner peace

- Jinx does not take drugs or smoke," he spoke up behind the teenager's back, "She watches this," the captain defended the teenager from this question, knowing that the teenager decided to change of her own free will, not much he had to fight to do. Some factor made her want to do it on her own, however, he had yet to find the answer to this question that was simmering in his head

What factor made Anoana herself want to change and why she trusted him enough to tell him her real name and briefly tell her story

- I see," said Tim, "Let's move on to the day of the fire," he sighed, not liking to explain teenage murder cases much less children, "What time did you show up at the party? - he asked

- I don't remember," muttered the teenager remembered little of the entrance to the party perhaps due to the stress that was then swimming through the teenager's veins, Jinx looked over her shoulder seeking help from the captain, who did not refuse to give her a helpful word

- I was supposed to take her around 8 pm to Rodriguez, but we were about two hours late," he explained, saving the teenager from this question, Tim nodded his head as a sign of understanding

- Why are you late? - This time it was Seeley who took the baton of asking questions again, Tim and Booth exchanged the baton that asked the questions

- I didn't know what to wear," she explained calmly, "The captain had the idea to go to the store and see for new clothes," she smiled gently at this memory she was grateful to the captain for paying for her dress even if it had suffered in the fire

- So you showed up at the Rodriguez house around two o'clock? - Tim inquired, Jinx muttered

- I think so, but I'm not sure I didn't check the time on my watch with Price agreed that I would be there by midnight at the latest," she explained, the two detectives looked at the captain looking for confirmation, which followed a nod confirming the teenager's words

- And the fire didn't happen after twenty-four by any chance? - asked Annalise skeptically for the second time after the start of the meeting - Were you not supposed to be there then? - she asked again, looking for some loophole in which she could again put Jinx in the reformatory with a note of , "not repairable" or , "lost cause"

The detectives looked at each other - Actually," muttered Rockford, skipping back a few pages in his notebook to check the information, "The fire broke out at twenty-four forty," he said and his fingers deftly returned again to the page on which he had been jotting down notes, "If you could have been there by twenty-four, what were you doing there at almost one in the morning? - he inquired

John could have explained it, but before he did he wanted the teenager to tell her version - I had agreed with the captain that when he was going to honk," she explained, "That's why when the agreed time was approaching I sat in the kitchen, because there it was relatively quieter and I would have heard the car honking, by the way there was the only free window to the street - she continued her explanation

- I extended my mission, we raided one of the cartel outposts. A drug raid," the captain added, explaining his tardiness, "When we finished I just got a call from the fire department that Rodriguez's house was on fire and Jinx was unconscious, then I arrived as soon as I could. My sergeant can confirm this," he added after a while, giving a full picture of the situation while not saying too much because he couldn't tell most of it because it was a secret military operation.

Tim nodded understanding - You say you were in the kitchen there was someone with you to be able to confirm this? - He finally asked looking at the teenager taking his eyes off his notebook, still loosely holding the pen in his hand

- A lot of people would go in to pour themselves alcohol or there to get groped before settling into their bedrooms," she squirmed at the memory, "I didn't talk to people at that party, I don't even know if they noticed I was there," she shrugged her shoulders as she leaned her back to rest it against the back of the soft chair

- You must have talked to someone if you sat there for so many hours," Seeley said, hoping that she would answer and not hide behind the words "I don't remember" or "I don't know." He understood that many victims don't remember much about the attack they suffered, but he hoped that the teenager would remember more than a normal civilian because she herself was a witness to the crime and has a large criminal record.

So she knew how to deal with the stress of the attacks however, she was never as a victim, but was as an attacker

- I was alone in the kitchen drinking raspberry juice, soon Eric joined me and then Ava. We were talking," she explained shrugging her shoulders as if it was no big deal just a simple conversation with best friends

 - And then you went to the living room to dance? - Booth asked, glancing at Tim's notes. Jinx furrowed her brow and shook her head at this statement

- I was talking to them in the kitchen they asked how I liked the party, I was still in the kitchen when I smelled smoke - she paused to take a breath, she felt the weight of guilt on her shoulders, even though she had done nothing - Ava said that it was probably the smoke machine broke down again and smells from it, but nothing threatens us - she continued to explain, but the memories of this blurred and whitened

When she continued to tell the story she felt like she was making up a story because nothing was sticking and she couldn't remember if she went to the living room dancing, but she was sure she didn't, "In the end I started getting weak and passed out," she explained.

Tim and Seeley looked at each other with furrowed brows, Jinx began to get restless she looked over her shoulder at the captain looking for an explanation of what was going on.

And what the hell is going on?

The teenager didn't understand this, the captain didn't know what was going through the detectives' heads something didn't seem right to them, but they hadn't said it out loud yet. Price took a few steps closer to the teenager to put his hand on her shoulder he knew that the trauma of the fire might be in her head maybe not showing itself too much, but he knew that there it was hidden in the darkest corner just waiting to explode

- Is something wrong? - inquired the teenager furrowed her eyebrows, which almost merged into one line and her forehead was furrowed

- The firefighters found you in the living room," they explained after a moment of the nervous atmosphere they had brought on after carrying on the dialogue with their eyes not saying a word, Jinx almost mocked their remark

- The whole time I was in the kitchen with Ava and Eric," she said, "I saw them fall unconscious next to me," she said these words more aggressively than she intended, "Besides, what is this all about? You are interrogating me almost two weeks after the fire - she became indignant, irritated a little more and veins would pop out on her forehead

- We had to question others at the party there were at least two hundred people inside as well as in the garden of the Rodriguez house," explained Seeley and Tim sent him a chastising look saying , "Don't tell her" because Rockford feared that Booth would reveal why they had started investigating

- And I was the last one because I have the blackest past? - She asked raising an eyebrow, Tim unscrupulously nodded his head confirming her claim

- We need to determine how the fire started and from what," explained Tim, "The criminal division joined this investigation for the fact that Eric and Ava died during the fire," explained Rockford explaining as much as he could, some words and facts had to be kept secret for the sake of the case.

The matter began to get complicated and Jinx did not know what to think about it - So you suspect me? - she raised an eyebrow knowing the answer to this question, but she wanted to hear it from their lips

- Of course you are suspicious - Annalise almost mocked the teenager's reaction - You were the only one there with such a rich file, I don't even know how Mr. Price agreed to party and leave you there unattended - she added after a while looking sternly at the captain - He shouldn't have let you maybe if you hadn't shown up there maybe Eric and Ava would be alive they were good kids - she sighed sadly, at the same time she sighed to get a fresh breath of air after speaking on one exhale in her squeaky tone

Anoana furrowed her brow considering what Annalise had said, was it even true? The truth was that Riverstream must have had a big dick, since she said her accusations out loud in front of the detectives, who could have easily cuffed her for it but they didn't comment anything. Jinx did nothing during the event and she was the only one who knew about it

Because she was the only one at the event

Annalise, Tim, Seeley and John were not at the party at the time they were working alone or relaxing after their work maybe even playing with their children or mumbling to their wives or husbands how much they missed them during their shift and how much they thought about them at the time a real horror story was happening in Anoana's life

Booth sighed heavily - We can't rule you out, anyone who was at the party is a suspect," explained Seeley without spurning or straightening out what the social worker said it was as if it suited him. What offended Jinx immeasurably from all this anger her already red cheeks became even redder spreading the blush even to her ears and forehead and her freckles hid under the red cloak of blush

- Well, you must be mocking me," muttered the teenager and the captain gently snapped her in the back of the head to watch her words sent her a communicative look

- Don't you remember how you got into the living room? - questioned Rockford - Or maybe you set the fire in the kitchen, but Eric and Ava covered you so you hit them in the back of the head to make them unconscious and you could have escaped only to be poisoned by the smoke - Rockford speculated which irritated the teenager even more

She did nothing, nothing! She just sat in the kitchen and sipped stupid raspberry juice or orange juice she no longer remembered herself. But she was in the kitchen going nowhere she couldn't talk to her peers at the party

Either they talked about the drugs they ineptly took or the guys wanted to , "pick her up" and in fact just drag her to bed for one night to later brag to a friend that they slept with another chick, which they added to the collection called , "overgrown chicks" or , "whores" however brutally they would call it

- Eric and Ava were my friends I wouldn't kill them - Jinx almost growled offended by what Tim accused, the detectives were testing her for the time being the teenager failed the test - Besides, I've never killed a human being and never will," she said almost in a whisper after a moment of silence in which she had to rethink her words

Seeley sighed heavily, knowing that they had annoyed the teenager too much to continue asking her about the details of the fire, so he decided to let the subject go, "That's all," he muttered finally, too nothing new was learned, "Thank you for your answers," he confessed after a moment, slowly getting up from the couch and his bones shot up

- Oh, the old age of joy," giggled Tim as he heard his partner's bones skip to the right place and Seeley giggled, after a moment Rockford took a small card from his pocket and handed it to the teenager, "If you are reminded of anything call this number," he explained handing Jinx his business card and handing the other to Captain

- I'll walk you out - Offered the captain as a decent housekeeper always had to escort guests to the door of his apartment, he followed a group of people consisting of Riverstream, Booth, Rockford. When he was sure that they had moved far enough away from Jinx so that the teenager did not hear - Do not be offended by Jinx's words - he muttered quietly

Even if he knew that the teenager was not eavesdropping he preferred to remain discreet - She has not yet experienced mourning," he whispered, looking at Tim the chief investigator of this case of arson of the Rodriguez house

- We know how it is, Captain," said Tim raising his hand to calm the captain's nerves which were already calm for the situation that had just happened, "We've handled a lot of cases, we're used to civilians not trusting us or shouting at us," he confessed, putting the notebook in his pocket, "Jinx somehow behaved differently after the fire? Any signs of aggressiveness or anything else? - he asked after a moment of silence everyone wondered what to say

The captain only shook his head - She only shut down more for two maybe four days she didn't leave the room - he explained shrugging his shoulders and tucked his thumbs behind his belt - She would go to the toilet or get food or drink, she avoided me - Price continued, recalling the first week after the death of the Rodriguez siblings

- She became more secretive," he shrugged his shoulders shaking his head, "But she got back on track actually yesterday, she opened up," he explained tilting his head as he spoke scratching his chin with one hand, not much he could say to help the detectives not because he couldn't by the government or anything else just not much was going on

- I see," muttered Rockford wrinkling his eyebrows, the brunette stood beside him and looked at the captain with her hazel eyes. Her eyes had a silent wariness in them as she opened her mouth to voice the question

- Does the captain say that she opened up? - She asked, but did not wait for his answer - Did she say something specific? Maybe something that will land her in a reformatory or her story? - she asked

- Why do you care that she should go to a reformatory? - asked the captain raising an eyebrow at Riverstream's questions, he didn't understand this sick passion to put Anoana in a reformatory. Annalise merely shrugged her shoulders like an innocent child who does not understand her mistake and this woman was twenty-nine years old

- Because it's a lost cause," she whispered, "She can't be changed," her voice was quiet she looked behind the captain to see if Jinx was eavesdropping but the teenager was still sitting in her chair she didn't want to get up until everyone left

Price only rolled his eyes at Annalise's words not having the strength to argue about it, the teenage girl was a debatable matter the captain no longer had the strength for - She only said her real name and her story in brief," he explained after a heavy sigh through his nose

- Really? Did she tell you the name? - Annalise almost mocked not believing the captain, her fingers tightened on the handle of the briefcase she had in her hand - Let me guess Lisa, Anna? - said Annalise guessing Jinx's real name

However, she wasn't close, the captain looked over his shoulder at the corridor where Anoana was sitting at the other end waiting for him to maybe have breakfast or whatever else to do, The captain slowly straightened up looked at the ground and shook his head. He wasn't going to tell Riverstream the teenager's real name, unless the teenager would let him

But no such permission was given

- No. none of those names," he muttered, "I won't tell you, even if you give me a million dollars or whatever," he looked at the younger woman while tilting his head and his voice was more hoarse than usual. For God's sake he felt like smoking a cigar to relieve himself

Riverstream merely snorted under her breath and left the captain's apartment like a storm abandoning the subject. The brunette knew very well that the captain would not tell her anyway and she was not going to ask Annalise had one important rule

She never asks

Tim and Seeley merely nodded goodbye and followed the younger woman out without trying to catch up with her simply headed to their car, which was a black Ford Fiesta.

Everyone dispersed in their own direction The captain quietly closed the front door by turning the lock on the door and returned to the living room to find the teenage girl who had not moved even an inch or millimeter, she was deep in thought trying to remember something at least that's what the captain deduced from the way her eyebrows crinkled. It was missing that her vein would pop out

The captain with quiet trained steps headed to the couch where the detectives were sitting a moment ago, sat down on the couch spreading his arms to the sides spreading out as comfortable as possible and taking up as much space as possible, he closely watched the teenager watching her thoughts churning - As far as I can see from here how the cogs of your head are working," croaked the captain's voice breaking the silence

The teenager looked at him pulled out of her thoughts, "It's just," she started to say, but did not think her words through so she closed her mouth to think about what to say, "I never thought I would be accused of murdering my friends," she muttered already more quietly

The captain pressed his lips together in a narrow line which caused his lips to be hidden behind a thick brown beard - Hmm - muttered the captain understanding the teenager or at least trying to understand - No one likes to be accused of something - he muttered - even more so when you know you didn't do anything -.

The teenager looked at the wall next to her as if it was the most interesting thing in the world or maybe she lacked the courage to look at the captain - I'm used to being accused of stealing or setting something on fire or whatever - the teenager whispered so John had to strain his hearing to understand what she was whispering under her breath

- But murder is something else," finished the captain knowing what he wanted to say, "I believe you did not do it," he added after a moment of tense silence, Jinx only snorted under her breath gently smiling she looked at the captain tilting her head

- Are you saying that so that I would believe you? So that I would continue to trust you," she said as if she wanted to sniff out his plan, which could have been made to tell him about what was going on in the Rodriguez house at the time and not the detective or the social worker, "I haven't killed anyone and never will," she reported her promise

 - I believe you," the captain smiled relaxing even more, "But let's change the subject," he muttered, "We've suffered enough already," he added tilting his head, he pointed to the loose unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt the teenager was wearing, "That's my shirt right? - he asked rhetorically knowing the answer to this question

- Perhaps, you didn't dress her so now she is mine," Jinx smiled innocently and Price laughed

- So be it," he muttered rolling his eyes, however, the smile did not disappear from his face, "Come on it's too big for you," he complained, of course he could have bought the teenager the same shirts, but in her size so that she would detach from his shirts however, he did not feel like getting up and going to the store to look for the same shirts

Both fell silent, however, the silence in the room was not nervous or awkward it was calm without any major demands Jinx and John locked themselves in their worlds. Thinking about what they might have said differently or what they might do later

- Since you trust me enough to know that I didn't do it," Jinx began to say dragging out the last words, "How can you be so sure? - she asked suddenly rejecting the idea of saying more than necessary

John moved his gaze from the ceiling to her looking piercingly at the teenager gently squinting his eyes and then looked at the ground shrugging his shoulders - Because I know you are not willing to kill a person - he confessed after a moment of silence - You may have had a shitty life, but you would never kill anyone - he muttered

- Why do you think so? - she asked curious - You know me a few months maybe even already a year, I don't even remember when I appeared here and you trust me so much? - she expanded her questions further doubting the captain and maybe also because she was curious about his view of the world

He again looked at her - I do not know the answer to this question Anoana - he whispered - However I would answer you most likely it would be a lie, I have not yet found the answer to this question - he answered honestly, he interrupted his monologue for a moment to take in air with his nose hard

- Of course, I could tell you that I see the good in you, but that's probably something you've heard many times before suppose from Laswell," he shrugged his shoulders looking at the ceiling again and the teenager quietly giggled nodding her head which the captain couldn't see but he sensed her answer

The teenage girl only muttered under her breath unintelligible words to the captain - Don't mumble under your breath - he rebuked and Anoana rolled her eyes but muttered a silent , "sorry" Silence again met them still calm without any tension however in the teenage girl it was still boiling in her head

- I was all the way in the kitchen how come I ended up in the living room? - she muttered to herself, the captain's head darted toward Anoana, as he looked at her miraculously without breaking his neck in the process

- Maybe due to stress you forgot? You know adrenaline you saw the fire and started to run away, but you lost consciousness," John suggested, scratching the back of his head, Jinx only shook her head

- I would have remembered that," she denied the captain's theory, "I was still in the kitchen when I lost consciousness I saw that Eric and Ava were still standing, but moments later they were lying down," she muttered, but she herself wasn't sure if it was true, "And after that I don't remember anything," she confessed even more quietly, her voice didn't resemble a whisper she was moving her lips more than making a sound

- I don't know how you ended up in the living room," confessed the captain, getting up hard from the couch, "But I don't know how you are, I'm hungry," he confessed, heading for the kitchen. At the mention of food, the teenager's stomach rumbled loudly, letting her know it, the teenager quickly got up from her seat from this sudden movement, her head spun slightly, but with quick steps she headed for the kitchen following Price 

[rose-and-thorn-fanfics]

Eric Draven x Plus Size Latina Reader Headcanons

• He met you when you were trying to get revenge on your rapist. He helped you murder that man and also showed you a good route to escape and place to hide when the police sirens sounded too close for comfort.

• Once you become really close with him you call him endearing names like “Tesoro/Mi Tesoro” and “Luz de mi vida” and comment on his “Ojos de ángel” (Angel eyes). He finds you speaking Spanish adorable and asks you to teach him a few words.

• He totally pampers you and he has fun doing your makeup and he finds you pretty things while he’s out killing scumbags. Sometimes his crow flies to your window and taps on the glass with a small present for you.

• He loves your curves and every part of you. And yes, the sex is incredible. He’s extremely sensitive to your needs and always respects what you want and how you want it.

• He loves your cooking, especially the tres leches cake you made for his birthday. He tries his best to help out in the kitchen but is definitely better at just watching.

• You get him fresh clothes and stitch his ripped ones and use stain remover and hydrogen peroxide to get the blood out. He always apologizes for the shape his shirts are in, but you’re just happy it’s an excuse for him to take his shirt off. ;)

• Eric has moments of madness and crazed vengefulness but you can always calm him down. He loves you infinitely, and would never hurt you. He eventually opens up to you about how strange it is to hear voices in his head and be somewhat alive again.

• He’s memorized your favorite snacks and always reminds you to take care of yourself because you’re so worried about him sometimes you forget.

• You introduce him to your abuela, and she loves Eric and thinks he’s quite the gentleman and a perfect match for you.

• Eric will beat the crap out of anyone who calls you any racial slurs or anything degrading, whether it be about your Hispanic heritage or your weight.

• He writes you songs on his guitar and plays them for you when you’re feeling down.

[kestalsblog]

What are your thoughts on Eric x Wendy?

Could be together as a couple, as enemies, frenemies, frenemies with benefits, friends, project partners, anything.

Do you like them in canon, fanon, AUs, have you ever thought writing about them, and anything that comes to mind?

Wendy rocks! She's smart, cute, and tough as nails 😤

I don't really ship her with Eric, though. Maybe it's because I can't see her putting up with his bullshit for long. I can't remember episode names ever, but the cancer one where she beats the crap out of him is SUCH a good episode. One of my favorites. Put him in his place, girl!

I also love the one where she starts crushing on him because she's so relatable in that ep. At some point, we all fall for someone toxic despite thinking to ourselves, "What the hell am I thinking??" I don't think that infatuation (like canon proves) would last from her end, though. If there was going to be anything between them, I'd see it more as one-sided from Cartman. She does have that intelligent, feisty spirit we know he likes.

All that being said - I haven't really thought about writing them together, but I think the way I picture them best is frenemies! (I do wish I could figure out some women-centric fics though 😭)

(Also, now that I'm trying to picture this ship from a more romantic/sexual angle, this is a case where I can't figure out who would be the more dominant one in their relationship LOL. I just can't imagine Wendy submitting to Eric. Maybe the master dominator has met his match?)

[royaltysimblr]

The Princess Mary’s Love Life - Update #1

The Princess Mary has had a chaotic love life since we last saw her. At her debutante ball she was heartbroken over the end of her three month relationship with Crown Prince Maximillian of Monaca. Princess Mary was not seen publicly with anyone until she was 20 when she was seen with a mystery man many have believed to be Brandon Shellstrop, a wealthy business mogul who was 27 at the time. It wasn’t until Princess Mary was 22 when she started dating again, her first boyfriend since the Crown Prince being Neal Hays, a famous singer who has won numerous awards and has achieved worldwide acclaim. Princess Mary was spotted at his concert in October and a month later they were seen walking in San Myshuno together. The relationship caused quite a scandal as Neal was 33 years old while the Princess was 22. The relationship ended after only 4 months together, there has been much speculation about why their relationship ended but a rockstar and a future queen would not make a great match!

Princess Mary stayed single for the next year but was often seen in the company of Oliver Montgomery, her ex-boyfriend, the Crown Prince of Monaca’s cousin. It seemed as if the two were friends as there was no PDA between them unlike a few other men she was seen with.

When Mary was 24 she started dating WAFTA winning actor Patrick Dunn. Patrick was invited to the annual San Myshuno Palace Garden Party where he met Mary and the King and Queen. Mary was smitten and started dating him a few weeks later. They were seen shopping and getting coffee in San Myshuno. They also were seen vacationing together in Sulani two months later. The pair dated for a year, and they even attended the 85th WAFTA Awards together, with the Princess wearing a custom dress by Valerie Le Croix. Patrick won Best Actor in a Television Drama and gave a nod toward his girlfriend in his speech. However, 3 months later the pair ended their relationship amicably. 

Mary started dating Eric Ellington, 6th Duke of Wells 6 months after her relationship with Patrick ended. Mary and Eric were set up by the princess’s cousin, Princess Margaret of Gardania. Eric and Mary had known each other for years and they ran in the same social circle, with Eric escorting her best friend Lady Mikaela Hastings at her debutante ball years prior. Eric was seen as the perfect husband for Mary, he was intelligent, charitable, kind, and was a member of nobility. Mary and Eric dated for almost 2 years. Eric started appearing at important functions at the palace such as the Brichester State Dinner and Princess Mary’s Investiture as Princess of the Isle. It was clear the couple were destined for marriage. Two weeks after the Princess’s investiture a story leaked that Eric had proposed to Mary and she rejected him. A source close to the couple claimed that Mary was not ready to become a “bride” and wanted to focus on her duty as the Princess of the Isle. 

For the next two years Mary was not seen publicly with any boyfriend, her relationship with Eric ended and it seemed as if she was going to remain single for the rest of her twenties. However, at the Princess’s 29th birthday party Oliver Montgomery was spotted at the Palace. The next day Oliver and Mary were seen holding hands in San Myshuno while getting coffee together. In the next few weeks Oliver started renting an apartment in San Myshuno near Princess Mary’s residence, Honey House. Oliver and Mary dated for around 5 months before the palace announced their engagement.

[fairy-writes]

Congrats on 800!!!!!!

Could you write Sean Renard with I’ll Be Good by Jaymes Young?

I’LL BE GOOD

Reblogs and Comments are greatly appreciated!!

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Fandom(s): Grimm (NBC)

Pairing(s): Sean Renard x Gender Neutral!Reader

Song: I’ll Be Good by Jaymes Young

Notes: MY FIRST GRIMM ASK, I’M SO PUMPED

Also, the reader is frequently described wearing suits, heels (once or twice), and masks. Such things (I think at least) are gender-neutral items of clothing. 

Tags: possessive behavior (by Eric), use of Y/N (twice), 

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He met you at a gala the city had roped him into. It took place in Portland, something hosted by the city that he had to attend. He was the Portland PD’s police captain, after all. 

You were dressed in an all-white suit and trousers, the only pops of color being the blood-red rose pinned to your lapel and the glass of wine in your hand. The interesting part about you was that you wore an elaborate white mask decorated with rhinestones and silver accents. You were easily the most well-dressed person at the gala. 

But initially, Sean paid you no mind. 

There was no reason to, after all. 

I thought I saw the devil, this morning

Looking in the mirror, drop of rum on my tongue

With the warning to help me see myself clearer

I never meant to start a fire

I never meant to make you bleed

I'll be a better man today

“Ah, my dearest brother.” Came a familiar voice, and Sean tensed. He knew that voice. Turning, he smiled that fake smile he reserved for his family at the sight of Eric. You were on his arm, hand holding onto his elbow delicately. 

“Eric.” He said, forcing a pleasant tone into his voice. Best pretend he didn’t want his brother dead by his own hands. 

“You haven’t met my Y/N, have you?” Eric continued, oblivious to Sean’s murderous intent. 

Sean raised an eyebrow. 

“Your?” He inquired, and Eric grinned that serpent grin of his. 

“Of course. I own them, a gift from their family, really.” He said, and Sean noticed how you tensed. Eric saw as well,

“Oh, don’t get upset, pet. You know it’s true.”

I'll be good, I'll be good

And I'll love the world, like I should

Yeah, I'll be good, I'll be good

For all of the times that I never could

He saw you again in his office the day after the gala. He had been in the middle of paperwork when there was a knock on the door. Sergeant Drew Wu peeked his head in. 

“Sir? There’s a Y/N L/N here to see you. They didn’t say what it was about, only that they wanted to see you.” He said, and Sean looked up from his papers. What did you want?

“Send them in.” He found himself saying, and Sergeant Wu nodded. 

You were shown in a moment later. Again, you were dressed in a suit and mask. This time, it was a dark brown tweed suit with black shoes with a modest heel. Your mask was elaborate. This time, it was brown, with a matching maple leaf covering one eye. 

“What can I help you with?” He asked, keeping it strictly business. It was best that way—no need to get things messier by interacting with the royal family any more than he had to. 

“I want you to kill Eric.” You said, closing the office door behind you so you wouldn’t be interrupted. 

So much for keeping things clean. 

“And why should I do that?” He asked, though he really didn’t need a reason to consider it. He already had some sort of plan. Anything to keep him away from Nick Burkhardt. He couldn’t have him kidnapping the Grimm and messing up his plans. 

“Because I can’t be trapped by him anymore.” You said, a note of desperation bleeding into your voice. 

“I’ll consider it.” He said and felt his heart twang when you smiled.

My past has tasted bitter for years now

So I wield an iron fist

Grace is just weakness

Or so I've been told

I've been cold, I've been merciless

But the blood on my hands scares me to death

Maybe I'm waking up today

The next time he saw you, he met with Eric for dinner. It was more for diplomacy and to keep up appearances than anything. You were dressed in a black suit with gold butterfly designs and a beautiful golden mask with butterfly wings on either side of your eyes. 

“Glad you could join us!” Eric grasped Sean’s arms and grinned. Always with that serpent grin of his. Like he knew something, others didn’t. You stood uncomfortably behind him, clasping your hands together as you nodded in greeting to Sean.

Dinner was awkward, to say the least. You ate silently, and Sean noticed that Eric had his hand on your knee the entire meal. Whether it was to keep you from speaking or not, he didn’t know. But he had a suspicion that you weren’t quiet of your own free will.

I'll be good, I'll be good

And I'll love the world, like I should

I'll be good, I'll be good

I'll be good, I'll be good

Sean managed to get you alone after Eric passed out on the couch from too much wine. You were in the kitchen, washing the dishes when Sean approached from behind. Perhaps it had been a mistake because you whirled the second you heard his footsteps and attempted to stab him with a kitchen knife. 

When you realized it was him, your face twisted with remorse,

“I thought you were Eric.” You whispered, and he felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t killed Eric yet, he needed more time, but it was clearly messing with you. 

“He’ll be out of your way soon. I promise.” He said in return and again felt that twang in his heart as you smiled a sad sort of smile. 

For all of the light that I shut out

For all of the innocent things that I doubt

For all of the bruises I've caused and the tears

For all of the things that I've done all these years

Yeah, for all of the sparks that I've stomped out

For all of the perfect things that I doubt

It wasn’t long before your relationship crossed the line between professional and personal, especially after Eric’s subsequent death. The moment you heard about the explosion that took Eric’s life, you wept tears of joy. 

That was the first time you kissed him—in his office with the blinds drawn and the door shut. 

When you realized what you had done, you attempted to flee, but Sean pulled you back in and kissed you again. 

I'll be good, I'll be good

And I'll love the world, like I should

Yeah, I'll be good, I'll be good

For all of the times I never could

When Diana came into the picture, he thought for sure that you would leave him. Who would want a bastard prince that was half Zauberbiest? But instead, you drew him and Diana in closer, becoming something of a second (or third?) parent to the growing child. 

You loved him, and that was more than he could ask for. 

Ooh oh oh

Ooh oh oh

Ooh oh oh

For all of the times I never could

It was no secret that Sean Renard wasn’t a good man. 

He manipulated people. He had people killed. He killed people himself. 

It was no secret that Sean Renard wasn’t a good man. 

But he was trying for you.

[ahungeringknife]

Happy STS! Please tell me more about your evil Jeff lol. Who is he? What's his role in the story? What's his deal? Why is he like this?

Jeff's role in the story is literally just for me to punch down.

He's in Entropy and is just Savant's incredibly toxic ex boyfriend. Eric took that personally :) So now every time she sees Jeff out of the Tower she makes a point to shoot him in the head (they come back to life, it's fine). She also tells all her friends, and all of Savant's friends, that Jefferson sucks. So there's just a not small amount of Guardians who know Jeff on sight who hate him despite never having met him before. Because Eric has like... standing and authority as a member of a well known and upstanding clan people take her side over Jeff's. Also Eric is just a good person. Jeff is not. He doesn't have a friend group himself to back him up either.

Not even specifically bc of Eric. He already was an ego maniac, a real super controlling asshole, before he started dating Savant. But he's pretty. Gosh he's so pretty. Entropy is far enough into the future that humans using CRISPR shit to make their babies was more common place and Jeff's mortal body was designed. So he's just nice to look at but underneath it's all garbage and pig shit. So he might make friends but unless he can manipulate them or they're an equally bad person they quickly distance themself from him.

Every time he interacts with the main cast it's JUST to punch down on him. Because he also sucks. He's bad at being a Guardian, he's got no prospects as a Warlock, got no friends, got no clan, any time he tries to participate in Tower activities he just gets shit on. Because Savant is a sweet guy who makes friends with everyone (and maybe slept with them too) so the Tower activity handlers all like him. And if Jeff 'randomly' gets matched against Savant's friends who wanna beat Jeff into atoms??? Well that's just rng baby :)))

He doesn't come up very often. Mostly just when I wanna be mean to someone. Why's he like this? Funny. Love tormenting and abuser and since Jeff is, effectively, immortal, I get to let Eric do it basically forever. Bc girl would rather forgive and forget but Jeff messed up her qp boyfriend SO bad she's not gonna be doing either for a few more decades, or century.

And some very important fanart featuring Savant and Eric (she's the baldy on the left)

@acel1en

[fundielicious-simblr]

(Valentina's pov)

We've definitely been enjoying our summer here in Brindleton Bay! We try and spend most of our day outside, now that the girls are toddlers we have a lot more freedom as to what we can do. Aria and Ansel have been going with their dad to fish in a nearby lake almost every day since summer started, and whilst they don't come back with a fish everyday, they come back with stories about their fishing adventures that I'm sure they'll look back on with fondness. Whilst we aren't actively doing schoolwork in the summer, we're still learning when we're outside. The kids research the kinds of fish that are local to our area, so they know how to identify anything they might catch. Ever since we got our chickens, we've been learning all the things about them like the differences between the eggs that are laid for us to eat versus the fertilised eggs that hatch into chicks. We've also been learning about the fruits and vegetables that we've been growing, as well as the local plants and animals in the area. We've been debating whether to move to a property that has more land to have more animals, but that's a big undertaking so we're definitely praying on it.

These four are proving to be thick as thieves, there's a year between them and they're determined to put me through my paces. I don't mind it though, I'm taking my time and cherishing all these memories while they're still young. Before I know it they'll be in school, then maybe even college, then getting married and moving out. I'm so thankful for the Lord choosing me to be the mama of these rambunctious kids.

(AN: The kid should really be a toddler cause he's 2 weeks younger then valentina's youngest 2, but lets pretend these are old pictures. Also, I hate that the infant blanket has to appear when they're being posed)

My sister Sabrina and her husband Tucker live further out in the country from us, but we still see them at church and manage to plan to see each other when our schedules align. Though Tucker's family still does their touring music ministry for parts of the year, Tucker and Sabrina have chosen to focus on maintaining the farm and being at home. They've even bought their own home close to the farm, as they wanted their own place for their growing family. Sabrina announced that they're expecting another baby by early next year!

My little brother Zachary is courting! He met Kelsey Parnell (19) last year when he was in Brindleton Bay to visit us, Kelsey lives in a town an hour away from Brindleton Bay but has the same social circles as our aunt Danielle. I guess my aunt is determined to have her nieces and nephews have ties to Brindleton Bay so that there will always be a way to see her, because this is now the 3rd couple she's used her match making skills on (the first being Me and Eric, the second being Sabrina and Tucker). Kelsey spends her time helping her mother at home, or working with the same ministry my aunt sometimes works with. They first met at a christmas bake sale to support an pro-life ministry, and would see each other everytime Zach would visit Brindleton Bay either for work or to see us. My parents were able to meet her parents as well and our families got along great, they agreed that it was okay for the two to get to know each other better in order for a courtship to happen, and recently Zach got the greenlight to ask her to start a courtship. Kelsey is a great girl, we've known her and her family for a few years and I think they'll make a great couple.

Celeste is also courting! She's in a courtship with a delightful young man named Reid Robbins (25) from Northbury, a town a few hours outside Britechester. They met through mutual friends when she was at a young women's retreat that was a ministry run by his church. She met one of his sisters and they became fast friends, and she later introduced the girls to her family and the rest of the church congregation. These two met and there was a group chat formed where they all got to know each other and challenged each other daily to keep up in their walk with the Lord. Between a few visits to Newcrest, a few visits to Northbury, and some group trips added into the mix, Reid had started to pray to the Lord about Celeste (what he didn't know is that she'd also started praying about him!). After discussing the fact with his parents, they contacted our parents and after both sides approved, he made his way to my parents house in Newcrest and officially asked her! Though she was excited, Celeste was slightly apprehensive at the beginning because she is slightly older than him (her being 27 and him being 25), but my sisters and I reassured her that if she felt the Lord leading her in that direction - then to follow where she's being led. Now she's happier than ever before, she's already started dreaming about what their wedding will look like!

[fritextramole]

Bombshell

a gossip girl musical episode

late season 2 Early college acceptances are coming in and Serena’s been accepted at Yale, where she plans to attend with Dan. Blair and Chuck decidedly aren’t a couple, but she’s still upset that Dan and Serena will be together for the next 4 years... at her dream school Jenny’s back at school after leaving her job at Eleanor’s and the minions seem to have nothing better to do than torment her while they coast towards graduation Lily and Rufus have recently started dating, and Lily is forced to confront her parenting style

tracklist under the cut

Let Me Be Your Star

the fire and drive that make dreams come alive they fill her soul she's in control

Characters: Blair & Serena (+Dan, minions)

Early admissions decisions are coming in, and everyone is eager to see where they got accepted. Serena got Constance’s Yale slot.

Dig Deep

i'll finally get to use my mind's interior and not only just my bust and my posterior

Character: Serena

Serena’s glad to feel like she’s being taken seriously for once.

Let's Be Bad

tonight the (whoo!) will hit the fan!

Characters: Penelope, Hazel, Iz, Nelly Yuki

The minions didn't get the early acceptance slots they wanted, and make that everyone else's problems to cheer themselves up.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

people who use their kitchen each night who'd never been in toots shor

Characters: Dan & Serena; Rufus & Lily

Rufus and Lily are getting more serious. Dan’s excited that he and Serena can go away to Yale together. We cut back and forth between both couples to drive the point home.

At Your Feet

it's showtime, let the dream begin!

Character: Lily

Lily finds out that Serena got into Yale and is excited her daughter is amounting to something. Serena isn’t actually sure if she wants to go to Yale but feels pushed out the door.

History Is Made At Night

no one here to disapprove as we review the lessons you've been missing

Characters: Chuck & Blair

Chuck crawls in Blair’s ear about how Serena got the Yale spot. He pushes her to scheme against Serena. They consider crawling into bed

Never Give All The Heart

as the wise men once wrote never give all the heart

Character: Eric

Eric giving advice to Jenny after a run in with the mean girls. Overhead by Lily.

Public Relations

"any advice for a girl in the city?" if you're two-faced, at least make one of them pretty

Characters: Serena (+ Blair)

Blair’s using gossip girl to scheme against Serena (unsuccessfully.) Blair’s up to her usual slut shaming.

Don't Say Yes Until I Finish Talking

she thinks she's queen and calls the shots as she sits on a throne she needs to learn she's only skin the next girl's waiting for a spin

Characters: Blair, minions

Blair is in full scheming mode against Dan and Serena (and Jenny, just for fun.)

I Never Met A Wolf Who Didn't Love To Howl

a wealthy wolf likes to buy his toys but he really is just one of the boys

Character: Serena

Serena leans into her charisma and sex appeal to thwart Blair’s scheming attempts.

They Just Keep Moving The Line

i handled every corner each bump along the track and when I saw the ribbon, well there was no turning back i won the photo finish i posed for all the men but before I got my trophy well, the race began again

Character: Jenny

After a run in with the minions. Frustrated about how her year has gone.

On Lexington and 52nd Street

hurry all you faceless men, and catch the end of a match of the century, you're just in time for the final round, 'cause i know when i'm beat

Character: Dan

Dan when Serena has gotten pulled into scheming against Blair. “I thought you were better than this! I thought we both wanted to get away from this world.”

Second Hand White Baby Grand

oh, the words are still unspoken now that mama's not around but that secondhand white baby grand still has something beautiful to give

Character: Dan & Jenny

Both in a low point, Dan and Jenny come together to reminisce about their childhood and comfort each other.

The Right Regrets

where he can find the strength to say what those he loves should hear and just erase mistakes she's made then make them disappear

Characters: Dan & Serena

They talk about the future of their relationship. She was acting out because she doesn’t want to go to Yale. He lashed out instead of hearing her out.

Hang the Moon

you'd reach out and there'd be my hand

Character: Lily

A sit down with Serena and Eric after Rufus has given her some perspective on her parenting.

(Let's Start) Tomorrow Tonight

let's climb together to reach that peak then baby, we'll shoot the moon

Characters: Blair & Serena

The girls agree to let Yale decide who attends, and go out to celebrate making peace.