#get loved idiot. get cherished and adored loser.

[eclectus]

Frogtallo squimsh—

Credit to @charger-lens for the archive of pout screenshots.

[yamag00ps]

Tsukishima: 6, You: 5

pairing: tsukishima x reader

genre: friends to lovers, work relationship

contains: fluff

word count: 2.4k

summary: Being friends with Tsukishima Kei was essentially just a competition of who could get the last word.

a/n: this was really fun to write!!!! now where are my bitches who love the i hate everyone but you trope <3<3<3 enjoy :-)

"This idea was yours, you know?"

A voice spoke up behind you as you looked into the updated exhibit. You couldn't quite read his tone. You looked over your shoulder to see Tsukishima Kei standing behind you, playing with the cuffs of his button-up. You turned back to the exhibit before answering.

"Ah. You see, I was starting to think I just manifested it into existence."

"Yeah, I kept hearing this nagging voice in the back of my head for the past two weeks. Funny, you sound just like it."

The offended look on your face disappeared as he walked up next to you with a small smile on his face.

A month ago, you started your new job as a new tour guide at the local history museum. Tsukishima was one of the exhibit designers. Although you were only a tour guide, you were always vocal about your opinions on the displays and layouts of the different exhibits to your co-workers, hoping to work your way up to his position. Tsukishima would overhear these conversations and initially be irritated until he realized that your critiques were actually quite useful. You began to notice your own suggestions coming to life in the exhibits. On this particularly slow day at the museum, Tsukishima surprisingly sparked a conversation with you first.

"Tsukishima Kei. Exhibit designer." He held a hand out to you with a glint in his eyes. You bit back a smile and shook his hand.

"L/N, F/N. Tour guide. Future exhibit designer." His eyebrows raised in amusement.

Tsukishima Kei: 0, You: 1

This was only the start of your unique friendship with Tsukishima Kei.

The next six months consisted of many exchanges of ideas, lingering gazes across exhibits, late nights at the museum, and constant banter. It was always a competition of who could get the last word.

Despite your love-hate relationship, you were very supportive of one another. Tsukishima would honestly ask for your input when drafting layouts and frequently joined visitors on your tours. During the tours, he pretended to hate whenever you would call him out in the crowd for designing a certain exhibit (he would never tell you, but he appreciated it every time).

"This particular exhibit was actually designed by that tall, handsome man in the back, Mr. Tsukishima Kei! If you have any questions I'm sure he'd love to answer them." You winked at him every time.

Tsukishima Kei: 0, You: 2

He stated that he only joined your tours because he wanted to hear what visitors had to say about his work, which was partly true. But, even more than that, he enjoyed adored watching you in action. He found your passion and enthusiasm endearing and calming, especially on stressful days. The two of you grew close as you worked—always taking breaks at the same time and staying after to leave together. Despite the teasing and the banter, both of you cherished this unique friendship dearly.

As the time passed, it seemed that your hard work and ideas did not go unnoticed, as you were finally offered an exhibit designer position! The director called you in early that morning to meet with you and formally offer you the promotion. As you walked out of her office, your hands were already fumbling to call the only person that came to mind.

"Hello?"

“Morning! You’re late.”

“My train was delayed. Wait, don’t you have the night shift?”  

"I, uh, lost my tour guide position.” Tsukishima stopped in his tracks.

“..What?”

“Yeah, kinda bummed. I was pretty good at it, don’t you think?”

He couldn’t understand your tone. He wouldn’t admit it, but he hoped you’d be at least a little more upset that you wouldn’t be working together anymore.

“Y-yeah. Wait. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Time for me to move on to better things, you know?” Ouch.

“But-”

“Hey, Kei? Exhibit designer to exhibit designer, are we supposed to be rivals now?" He could practically hear the smile on your face.

Tsukishima Kei: 0, You: 3

At that exact moment, Tsukishima walked through the entrance of the building. Your eyes met and he hoped you didn’t notice the wave of relief washing over him.

“You’re an idiot,” he stood at the entrance, still talking to you on the phone.

“I believe the correct term is exhibit designer,” you mused.

"Oh god, no.." he groaned, slowly walking up to you with a smirk on his face. “Oh, yes,” you fired back. Unable to contain your excitement any longer, you hung up the phone and ran to him, stopping in front of him abruptly. He cocked a brow, waiting for you to explain as you held your hands behind your back.

"Sooooo.. I guess the director liked my ideas and..um, you know. Thought I’d be a fantastic fit or something," you shrugged nonchalantly, "You know, no biggie, it's whatever." Your efforts to hide the giddy smile on your face were useless. His smile mirrored yours, growing bigger and bigger with every word you spoke. You raised your eyebrows, awaiting his reaction.

He shook his head and marveled at you. I always want to see you this happy, he thought.

Tsukishima Kei: 0, You: 4

He stayed silent, wanting to see how long it would take for you to start pouting. He lived to drag reactions out of you. But this time, the look on his face ratted him out. His eyes softened as he took you in. Ever since the day you met, he found that this happened often. The walls he built to shut people out were no match for the sound of your voice, the feel of your head on his shoulder, or the endearing smile on your face whenever your eyes met his from across the room. He was putty in your hands and you didn’t even know it.

"Well?" You poked his chest, becoming impatient. He chuckled and grabbed your hands, pulling you in for a hug. You wrapped your arms around his waist as he buried you into his chest.

"You loser. You're amazing,” he sighed and rested his chin on the top of your head. “I mean, I’m not surprised. But I'm really proud of you.” He paused. “But don’t scare me like that,” he mumbled. Your heart warmed at his sincerity.

"Aw, Kei, you're hugging me,” you cooed and held him tighter. You tried to move back to look up at him only for him to push your head back into his chest.

"Yeah, I just don't want to see your face when I'm saying nice things to you.”

"Tsk," you swatted at his arm but snuggled into him anyway. “You know what? I’ll take it. Thank you, Kei.” He kept an arm hooked around you and used his free hand to lightly flick the top of your head.

"Alright, get to work you two! Y/N, congrats on the promotion." The museum director passed by, giving both of you a knowing smile. You quickly stepped away from each other as you thanked her with a pink tint on your cheeks. You began to turn away from Tsukishima until he grabbed your hand.

"We're getting dinner later."

"Oh, we don't have t—"

"I want to. Now, come on. Can't have my co-exhibit designer slacking off on their first day," his tone attempted to be stern as he pulled you towards the staff room.

"You really are so sweet," you teased but happily followed anyway.

"Shut up."

Tsukishima Kei: 0, You: 5

Now, you were sitting across the same man you love to hate at your favorite restaurant.

"I have an idea." The dumb smirk you've grown to love appeared on Tsukishima's face. You loved when he was like this. His playful demeanor was a stark contrast to his usual stoic expression. You had the two glasses of wine to thank for that.

You raised an eyebrow telling him to go on.

"I think this celebration calls for some free dessert," he leaned in to tell you this as if he was letting you in on a secret.

"What do you mean free?"

He grabbed your hand resting on the table.

"I'm going to borrow this." He started pulling off one of your rings.

"Wh—"

"Shhh, just go with it." Keeping your hand in his, he moved off of his seat and knelt down in front of you. Your eyes almost popped out of their sockets as you started whisper yelling at him to get up. This worked to his advantage as your shock only made it look more real.

"Oh my god. Kei, no," you tried to say sternly as you leaned down to him, but the alcohol in your system threw you into a fit of nervous giggles. You looked around the restaurant in a panic, hiding your face in your hands until he pulled one down and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

The pure amusement on his face contrasted with the sincere look in his eyes. The blush on your face boosted his ego more than he cared to admit.

You attempted to scold him again. “Tsukishima Kei, if you don’t get up right n—“

To your dismay, your waitress came over to your table and gasped at the scene unfolding in front of her. One by one, everyone’s attention turned to the blonde-haired man down on one knee. Tsukishima dropped his head and laughed, trying to hide the blush on his face. He cursed under his breath. Fuck. Suddenly the alcohol was wearing off. What has he done?

You lifted his chin up with your free hand, forcing him to look up at you again.

“You better put on a show for them,” you challenged him, knowing he hated this kind of attention. He noted the proximity between your faces and the way you squeezed his hand as a form of reassurance. The sparkle in your eyes was all it took for him to collect himself again. The people near you began shushing everyone else around them.

Well. Now or never, he thought. This will be easy.

He took a deep breath as you looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to chicken out.

“L/N, F/N. I fell for you the moment we met.”

Oh.

Tsukishima Kei: 1, You: 5

Your heart clenched at his words, but you quickly shook the feeling. This was just for a free dessert, right?

“Oh, really now?” You thought back to that moment and snickered under your breath, only for him to hear. He squeezed your hand, silently telling you to shut up. This only made you giggle more.

“You are my light. My life only works with you in it,” he announced.

Your breath hitched. Now that shut you up.

Tsukishima Kei: 2, You: 5

“I want to spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me."

Tsukishima Kei: 3, You: 5

“I love you. Your wit, your humor, your passion, your drive.. your kindness. All of it.”

Tsukishima Kei: 4, You: 5

“That’s enough,” you whispered and started shaking your head. You knew this was just for show, but why did hearing his words set a fire in you? Why was your heart aching?

“I fall in love with you more and more everyday. I’ll fall harder tomorrow and even harder the day after that. Please give me all of your tomorrows. Please marry me.”

Damn, he was good.

Tsukishima Kei: 5, You: 5

Your eyes began to water. Where was this coming from? Is he actually that good of an actor? Your expression was a mixture of confusion, shock, and a hint of irritation. Unable to comprehend any of your feelings, you shook your head and remembered that you had to play along for that goddamn dessert.

“Yes,” you breathed. “Yes!” you nodded, trying not to look too enthusiastic about this fake proposal. Everyone around you erupted into cheers, the flash of numerous phones and cameras blinding you. Tsukishima put the ring on your finger and chuckled as he stood up and pulled you in for a hug, leaving a kiss on your forehead. You laughed into his chest at the insanity of it all.

“I’m sorry if that was t—“ Whatever he was saying was cut short by the crowd around you.

“Oh come on, give her a real kiss!” “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” “Kiss her!”

You groaned and felt his laughter erupt through his chest. Pulling back to look at him, you shook your head in disbelief. He lightly held onto your waist and pulled you close, his forehead resting onto yours.

“We really don’t have to, not if it makes you uncomfortable,” he assured you.

“Pft, you’re not the only one who can put on a show,” you quipped. Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was the alcohol—whatever it was, you surrendered to it as you pulled him down by his collar and crashed your lips into his. You tasted the wine on his lips, savoring every second in case you would never get the opportunity again. After a few seconds, you began to pull away only for him to attach his lips onto yours again. One of his hands cupped your face while the other gripped your waist, not wanting you to pull away just yet. You matched his fervor, losing yourself in him.

The cheers in the restaurant quickly brought you back down to earth as you pulled away and hid your face in his chest again. He chuckled and rubbed the sides of your arms, soothing you. You pulled back to look at him with a small smile on your face.

“So you do know how to be nice to me,” you gushed, breaking the tension.

“I am nice to you!” He scoffed.

“Yeah but not that nice,” you teased, pulling him down to you again. Tsukishima shook his head and left a kiss on your cheek.

“You kissed me first,” he reminded you, mumbling against your cheek.

“Hm.. Guess you’ll just have to kiss me first next time,” you gave him a quick peck. Before he could pull you in again, your waitress arrived with two pieces of chocolate cake with the words Congrats! drizzled on the plate next to a heart. You pulled away from him to thank the waitress and the people around you, allowing them to go back to their meals. He pulled your chair out for you, ignoring the smug look on your face.

Before taking his seat, he leaned down and murmured against your ear, “There better be a next time,” leaving you a blushing mess.

“Next time” ended up being an hour later against the front door of your apartment. From then on, there were a lot of “next times.”

Tsukishima Kei: 6, You: 5

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

a/n: wait and then in the future after you two actually get married, you end up have two “wedding” anniversaries hehe and he always makes sure to celebrate both but he’ll never admit that he highkey loves celebrating the fake one more than the real one because it was such a sweet memory :p AW tsukki

[reddiess]

Take this flower

this fic was written for the IT 2 Fic Exchange! @it2ficexchange 

this is for @midnightmillie - i’m sorry for the slight delay hun, i hope you enjoy this fic! i went for a fluffy, feelgood Stanlon story, i really hope you’ll like it ^^

this is a No Pennywise AU because how else would it be 100% fluff amirite

(also, this was over 3k words but after having it beta-read, i edited some things out so it was clearer and more readable. so in the end it became a little short of 3k. i hope that’s okay)

also available on AO3

TAKE THIS FLOWER

Voices of a couple hundred students can be heard from outside, the shut bathroom window filtering the noise to a background hum. Only the stall on the far right is occupied, the only one where you can actually shut the door without holding on to it. The boy inside is sitting with his feet propped up against the door, phone in hand; hiding. He is just about to finish a chapter in his book when the door swings open and bangs against the wall, loud footsteps marching into the boys’ bathroom.

“Mike Hanlon, are you in here?” an all too familiar voice bellows, followed by a laugh.

“Damn it!” Mike’s book smashes into the tile floor. “Scream a little louder will ya, I don’t think the principal outside heard you,” he says. Some days he is still startled by the volume his friend is capable of reaching. There are no signs of damage on his book, thank God, because if there were he would honestly think about choking Richie Tozier.

He pushes the door open to reveal said friend, hands in his pockets and a grin on his face.

“Were you taking a dump?”

“No you idiot, I needed some peace and quiet, and to be away from you” he answers without missing a beat. That’s not really the case but Richie doesn’t need to know that. Thankfully, he leaves the topic alone, punching Mike in the shoulder instead.

“Alright, ready to graduate?”

A deep sigh leaves him as they turn to the door. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

*

 In fact, graduating is not the problem. No, the problem itself is that however fast and strong Mike gets, Henry Bowers will always be faster and stronger, due to the fact that Henry is a psychopath and doesn’t hold back once he gets a hold of you. He’s been after Mike for weeks now and Mike… he doesn’t want a problem. He doesn’t want to have a confrontation – that’s why he bolted to the bathroom once he caught sight of Henry on the bleachers.

“He shouldn’t even be here,” Bill comments once they take their spots in the school gym, glaring at Henry from the corner of his eye. “He doesn’t go here anymore.”

Mike hangs his head. “He’ll never leave me alone.”

Richie plops down next to them, adjusting his glasses with a grin. “It’s okay, there’s seven of us and only one of him. I wonder where those dumb friends of him went.”

“Let’s get this over with and not talk about them, okay?” Stan interrupts. He squeezes Mike’s arm with a reassuring smile. “He won’t even get close to you. We’ll meet you at yours tonight and forget about all of this, okay?”

Mike looks up at him and hopes the adoration in his eyes can be mistaken for gratefulness. Stanley looks handsome today, even more so than he normally does, now that he’s all dressed up. 

“Okay,” Mike agrees, feeling his cheeks heat up under Stan’s gaze. The hint of a smile creeps onto his face at the sight of all his friends. He’s grateful to have them.

 *

 “Dude, what’s up with all the flowers?” is the first thing Richie booms when they arrive at Mike’s place for the first time in, well, years. They usually hang out at Bill’s or Ben’s, since their parents are… normal. As in, more normal than all the others’ folks. It’s been standard for years now that if they’re not out anywhere they can be found at either Ben’s or Bill’s - however, the Hanlon’s property is pretty big and is great for starting a campfire and sleeping in tents.

Mike feels himself blushing, but answers honestly. “I like flowers.”

As they’re setting up the tents, Richie is still going on about them, as if it’s weird that he has so many but Mike… well, he really does like flowers. Should he be ashamed?

It hasn’t always been this way at all, by the way. When he found lilies growing in the yard he didn’t think anything of them but there were more and more of them every time he walked by, so he started tending to them. Before he knew it, he was buying all kinds of different flower seeds on the market and planting them, watering them every day, watching them grow into beautiful, colorful flowers.

He likes that each of them is unique and he likes that they all have different meanings to them. They have a language entirely of their own which is fascinating to Mike. He remembers spending night after night buried in his (well, his late mother’s) book learning about the things each flower represents and feeling like he has a special bond to them. They’re little, and maybe they’re just flowers, but they’re important to him.

Stan steps beside him when he finishes up with one of the tents. “I like the flowers. They’re very pretty.”

At that moment, Mike’s heart feels almost as soft as Stanley’s voice.

“The carnations,” he points to them. “They’re my favorite.”

“You have them in pretty much every color, don’t you?” Beverly calls from behind them. Her hair is getting longer again. It’s pretty.

“Striped ones, even,” Stanley answers. His hair is also getting quite long. It’s even prettier than Beverly’s.

Mike steps forward and picks two of the carnations - he hands a white one to Beverly and a red one to Stanley.

“Thanks for not making fun of them,” he says, smiling.

Beverly gazes at the flowers, and the knowing look in her eyes is more comforting than anything else.

  *

 Red carnations may be Mike’s favorite flower, but he has a lot more which remind him of his friends.

The irises remind him of Bill and the friendship they have - it’s a unique bond he doesn’t share with any of the other losers.

In his head, he associates the yellow roses with Ben’s always cheerful face. The boy is too nice for his own good; an honest friend.

Richie is a dandelion as he is - always happy. Always faithful.

The most fitting flower for Beverly is amaryllis. She is the most beautiful woman Mike has ever seen, and even if he’s not attracted to women, he can still appreciate beauty.

When Mike thinks of Eddie, he thinks of an aster flower, patient if needed, caring and sensitive. Elegant, even, if he needs to be.

And Stan is… well. Stan is a red carnation. He used to be something else, something that Mike can’t even remember anymore, ever since he admitted to himself that the feelings he gets when he looks at Stanley are not purely affection, not a crush, but something more.

Something deeper.

He won’t lie, it does hurt sometimes to know that Stanley will never return his feelings. Sometimes he takes all of the withered flowers from the yard and mourns a love that never bloomed.

 *

 When he finds pink camellias in his mailbox a week or so later, he doesn’t know what to make of it. The summer Sun is beating down on him, beads of sweat forming on his temples, and he can’t remember if he put those flowers there or if they’re there by accident. There is no card or anything, just the flowers, tied together with an ordinary piece of yarn.

Maybe they weren’t meant for him. Surely they weren’t.

He still puts them in water and takes care of them until they wither away because they’re pretty and they’re flowers and they deserve to be appreciated like any other.

Over the next couple of weeks, Mike receives various kinds of flowers in his mailbox. A single lavender rose which makes his heart beat faster. He knows what it means and maybe that’s why he refuses to believe it was intended for him; still, whenever he catches sight of it he can’t help but think about what-ifs and could-it-bes.

A couple of yellow tulips that shouldn’t even be blooming this month, as far as Mike knows. He has no idea where this mystery person could have gotten them from. They’re as delicate as they are cheerful. Mike cherishes them as long as he can.

Then one time, just after his friends leave after spending a day in the Sun, he discovers sweet pea flowers tucked away in the mailbox - there is a piece of paper attached this time.

“Open your heart and I shall open mine.” It reads.

Mike shakes his head in confusion. Who could it be from? Does he have a secret admirer? Is it someone from school?

Or maybe Richie is messing with him since he found the flowers so funny in the first place.

He takes the flowers up to his room, puts them in water as he always does. As he goes over the single sentence on the card again, he realizes there is something on the other side as well.

An address; one that Mike knows well. It’s a café he frequents in Derry, normally when he is studying or is out with the losers. And something else:

Meet me here at 1 PM on Tuesday?

Mike’s heart starts beating faster. For the first time since he started receiving the flowers, he thinks of Henry Bowers. Could he be behind all of this? Mike wouldn’t put it past Henry to observe him and use his interests against him. Could it be that Henry planned this so he can humiliate Mike?

Maybe it wouldn’t be such a wise choice to show up – just in case it does turn out to be a prank.

Still, he decides to go.

 *

 The café is pretty busy for a Tuesday, but considering that it is the summer it is understandable that so many locals would indulge in an iced coffee or a slice of cheesecake. As Mike steps inside, his eyes scan the tables – there is no one he knows, save for the old ladies in the corner who work in the library. He doubts they are the ones who asked to meet him here.

He looks up at the clock – it is 12:54. Maybe he has a bit of time left before his secret admirer, or potential tormenter in the case of Henry Bowers, arrives. He stands in line and asks for a plain iced latte, dropping some change in the tip jar while the server busies himself with his order.

He takes a seat at one of the only empty booths and sips on his coffee, feeling like he might be stood up since it is 10 past one now.

Then the bell chimes and a boy with a red carnation walks in.

Mike’s breath catches in his throat.

“…Stanley?” he breathes, suddenly lightheaded. He feels excited and he feels like he might pass out, all at the same time.

Stan walks over quickly, but to Mike it feels like the world has entered a slow-motion state. He looks nervous, albeit still handsome. He offers the flower to Mike hesitantly, as if he’s afraid he will get rejected (which is just ridiculous – who would ever think to reject Stanley Uris?, Mike thinks).

He takes the flower with a shaking hand.

“I brought this for you,” Stanley explains, taking a seat opposite from Mike. “You gave me one, and I didn’t get it at first but Beverly… helped me understand, what a red carnation means. And what it must have meant to you, to hand me one but another color to her,” he rambles. “Unless this is a misunderstanding, and you were just being nice. And a good friend. Because in that case we can forget any of this ever happened—”

“Stan.” Mike interrupts him before he can go on any longer. “I gave you that flower because I was afraid to tell you how I feel. I didn’t think you’d find out what it meant… and I never meant to make you uncomfortable or anything… I didn’t actually want you to find out.”

An uncomfortable silence stretches between them. Mike fears he has said too much; he’s still partly convinced this is only a prank, that Richie is going to jump out from behind the booth any moment now, and he will be banished from the Loser’s club. Stan looks like he’d rather be anywhere else than here, and Mike feels sorry for him; of course he’d rather be anywhere else.

“Please don’t feel like I’m pressuring you,” Mike speaks up when he can’t take it anymore. “Thank you for the flower, I appreciate it, I really do. But don’t feel like you need to pity me just because I’m… just because I have a crush on you.”

Stan still looks confused, and his silence is more than enough as an answer for Mike.

“I guess…” he stands up. “I guess I’m leaving then.”

He all but bolts out the door, desperate to run from this conversation, run away from Stanley’s confused face, from the look in his eyes. He doesn’t get far before Stan catches up to him, still holding the carnation in one hand, the other grabbing onto Mike’s arm.

“Stop,” he wheezes. “Mike, stop.”

Stanley holds out the flower again.

“I like you too. Mike, I’ve had a crush on you since, like— since I found out what a crush even was.”

Mike would find that hard to believe but Stan… he knows Stan. He knows the man standing in front of him would never deceive him. Never lie to him. They’ve been there for each other ever since they were children, way before Mike started having feelings for Stanley, way before he first thought of him as attractive or beautiful.

But boy, is he beautiful.

As they stand under the rays of the Sun beating down, Stan looks even more gorgeous than normal. Ethereal. His hair is golden and his sun-kissed skin is flushed pink, reminding Mike of all kinds of flowers and none at the same time.

Because at that moment, Stanley Uris is a thousand times more beautiful than any flower.

Mike takes the carnation with a smile.

And he takes a lot more than that.

Days later, he takes Stan’s hand in his own and smiles behind his blush.

Weeks later, he takes Richie’s teasing comments when he finds out his two friends are a couple, and he takes them with pride. He cherishes all the reassurance and acceptance all of their friends offer them – even Richie, in his own weird way.

Months later, he takes Stan on a trip he’s been saving for even before he started working. They go sightseeing and visit restaurants that offer food Mike has never heard of, and at night when they are back in their hotel room, happy and sated and in love, Mike takes everything Stanley offers to him, their bodies and souls united for the first time.

Years later, he takes Stan to an evening out, just like any other date they would normally go on these days. The world is much different now than it was back then – some things changed for the worse and a lot of them for the better. People accept love as it is, for the most part, no matter who your love might be. Gay people have rights now.

Mike’s life has definitely been changed for the better, not only because of the growing acceptance but also because he’s had Stanley at his side the whole time.

They’ve built a life together Mike never wants to let go of, so he plans on taking the step he has been dwelling on for months now. As the main course arrives, he takes Stan’s hand, caressing the back of it with a thumb, and no one around them even bats an eyelash. If they do, well, Mike is too in love to notice them. They carry on their conversation as they normally would throughout the course of the meal, and Stan has no idea there is a box with a ring inside, tucked away securely in Mike’s pocket.

When the time comes to take Stanley Uris as his lawfully wedded husband, he hands Mike a red carnation, just like he did in that café all those years ago, just like Mike did in his backyard even before that. He can hear Beverly crying in the front row, and he can see all his friends’ smiles from the corner of his eye. Even Richie Tozier has found it in himself to shut his mouth for once.

Mike takes the flower with a teary smile and a full heart, and tries not to cry when he says yes.

[peerless-soshi]

A, T, W, X please :)

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed

Listen, I’m a very soft potato who falls in characters’ love easily, so listing all my favourite relationships is close to impossible, hahaha. Let’s see… BakuDeku remains my emotional support ship, in every possible version, and I don’t take constructive criticism. Maybe I don’t show it often enough, but TodoMomo is my second fav.  Even if they don’t have many moments together, I cherish every little one. They’re precious. From platonic relationships, All Might and Deku are always number one Hero Dad and Son. 

I might be boring but I love WangXian with all my heart, and BingQiu with my other heart. I’m also a big big big BeefLeaf fan. Now it’s time to throw rocks at me - be gentle - because it’s probably my most beloved HOB couple. Sorry. But I’m certain that I love every relationship in MXTX works? Recently I’m more and more found of FengQing. Don’t you think that Mu Qing and Bakugou have very different temperaments and yet very similar characters? As you can see, I have a pattern. BNHA and MXTX are my current fandoms, so I think I’ll stick to them but believe me. I have more. Much more. 

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending?

I have more than many headcanons, but choosing from all my fandoms is quite difficult. Hm. One of the ideas I’d shield with my own body is ‘Deku and Kacchan become partners as professional heros’. Shipping aside, I think we’re at this point where it was mentioned enough how they complement each other, learn from each other and can be better heros together. If it’s not going towards working side by side - and I think it does - I’m gonna be very disappointed. For a long time I was in the ‘If Deku is Midoriya’s hero name, Kacchan should be Bakugou’s hero name’ team, but recently I saw a very good commentary on how those two nicknames have different weight and though I still support this idea, I can also agree with other versions.

In this life, you can take away ‘He Xuan and Shi Qing Xuan work on their past and one day they’re happy together’ only from my cold dead hands. I’m not kidding, I have a very detailed story about them growing, mourning and living a happy family life. Oh, I know one more! Considering HuaLian are gods/demons and cultivators can be immortal, I adore the idea of the three main pairs living past their lifetimes and enjoying comfort of the modern society, where they meet the couple from the upcoming fourth novel. 

W - A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom.

Ok, this is a very hard question because for me, tropes are nothing more than material and every trope can be done both good and bad? It depends on your author’s craft. MXTX gave me a lesson; there’s a bunch of tropes I usually dislike and yet I loved them in her writing. She portrays certain topics in way that is really enjoyable and believable. 

I have some tropes which are, in my humble opinion, usually done bad. One of them is jealousy shown as a sign of love. I get it, everyone gets a little jealous when they care, but morbid jealousy and making a scene because of any word said to somebody else is not cute or romantic. I can accept it only as a recognized issue and a character flaw. I dislike ‘strong and independent female characters’ - usually they have personality of a fly hitting a closed window. Give them a weapon, tell to attack glass and call it progressive. A sword is not interesting. A well-developed character is interesting. Double points if said independent woman criticizes feminine girls… don’t do it or I’ll bite you. I’m not the biggest fan of miscommunication creating conflict, or ‘opposites attracts’ as it usually comes down to ‘we have nothing in common but we spent some time together and apparently it’s enough to fall in love’. But look, WangXian was able to use both these tropes perfectly! So it’s really not about the topic, but about execution. I have mixed feelings about good character/bad character ships; it’s one of my favourite tropes (look: BeefLeaf) but usually it’s either a masochistic relationship where one side is treated like shit, or it makes the bad character look like a loser/idiot. This trope has potential, why does nobody use it right? 

X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.

Again, I’m the type who can love almost any trope but you already know it ;)

He Xuan is my favourite trope: a) a good betrayal with solid forshadowing, this is when angst hits the most, b) negative characters with human feelings who care about some people, yet in the end stay evil. What else… I absolutely love parallels. Give me history repeating itself, characters following up their parents’ mistakes, a hero and a villain portrayed as a crooked mirror. Any kind of hidden parallelism fires up my soul. I have also a soft spot for… give me a minute, it’s 1 am and I don’t know how to describe this trope. Characters who are very proud and ambitious but at the same time suffer from low self-esteem. Characters knowing that they’re talented, but never being good enough. I’m fine with zeros to heros, but I’m much more affected with characters who are almost there but who can never reach for the highest spot. 

[what-inthe-goddamn]

Companions react to Sole being noticeably jealous?

Cait: She’d laugh it off and tell Sole to stop being so sensitive; they should know better and that she wouldn’t leave them for some sleazy drifter or scavenger. Sole was good as gold to her, and while it was kind of silly, she found it sweet that someone loved her enough to be willing to fight over her. She’d do the same if someone was getting flirty with them.

Curie: Sole was everything to Curie; and she told them multiple times how grateful she was for them, so she couldn’t quite understand why they would still be so jealous over her. Not that their protectiveness offended her, she actually was content with how much Sole cherished her, and would never get tired of telling them they had no need to be so envious of others attention towards her; Curie only cared about Sole.

Danse: Had it been before he was exiled form the Brotherhood, Danse would’ve scolded Sole for letting feelings interfere with their duty. But it was different now, Sole was the most important thing to him, and Danse thought it was obvious to them. Still, he wouldn’t let them actually engage the person who was the target of Sole’s jealousy; Danse would just pull them aside and tell them it wasn’t necessary to confront them.

Deacon: Deacon couldn’t believe it that Sole was even remotely interested in him, nonetheless even get jealous over him. Even if he didn’t understand why, he’d take them away from whatever poor soul made the choice to get on their bad side and tell them he’d more likely  fall in love with his reflection then some loser that wasn’t Sole, hopefully cheering them up.

Gage: Gage didn’t like to think he belonged to anybody, but Sole was the obvious exception in that case. He always loved it when someone stupid enough tried to woo him over when Sole was around. Either the idiot didn’t know that Sole already claimed him or that they thought they were tough enough to pry Gage from the Overboss themselves. If there was anything Gage loved more than Sole, it was seeing them show said idiot not to take things that was the Overboss’s.

Hancock: The mayor of Goodneighbor may have been around the block in the past, but since he got with Sole he expected everyone to know that he was off the market. Still the occasional drifter would get out of line or too handsy when they wanted a “tour of the town”. While Hancock was more than capable of making those people fuck off, he couldn’t help but let an obviously jealous Sole scare them away. He loved the attention he was getting from them when they were jealous, and Sole shouldn’t doubt that he would do the same for them.

Macready: While Macready has told Sole countless times that they were all he cared about (besides Duncan), Sole couldn’t seem to help it and get jealous anytime someone got a little chummy with him. Macready would honestly not have to get Sole out of a bar fight over some flirt making them snap; but he knew that they get like this because they love him, so he never really complains. Macready himself was pretty defensive over Sole, even if it he had to go head-to-head with someone over them.

Nick Valentine: It bewildered Nick that Sole had expressed an interest in him before they got together, so imagine his surprise when somebody else wanted to charm the old synth. Nick preferred to resolve matters with wit and words, but seeing that Sole had another idea for dealing with a flirty client, he cut the questioning short and politely sent them on their way before Sole could get their hands on them. He’d wanted to reprimand Sole for getting too hot under the collar during work over something as trivial as that, but he couldn’t roll help roll his eyes and chuckle softly. He knew he wouldn’t appreciate someone trying to woo Sole in front of him, so Nick would let them off easy this time.

Piper: She willing to give this creep who wanted a “one-on-one personal interview” a piece of her mind, but was more than relieved to see Sole walk up to them and do it for her. A hard shove and an ice-cold glare from Sole and the creep scampered off. Sole would immediately be awarded a kiss and a nice new headliner about how grateful she was for them already forming in her mind for her next issue. Piper was more than able to scare off those kind of pests herself, but she couldn’t help but gush to herself how much she loved Sole and let them knew she was able to do the same for them.

Preston: The minuteman lieutenant was more than happy to have Sole be so defensive over him when an occasional settler or recruit showed interest in him, but he always tried to politely tell said person that he was happily taken. Preston loved Sole and their adoration for him, but didn’t want them to get into a fight over him when they should know that they’re the only one for him. He knew Sole could get out of hands sometimes when it came this kind of scenario. Don’t get him wrong; he’d do the same if someone tried to take Sole away from him.

X6-88: 8 out of 10 times someone got a little too close to him, X6 was able to scare them off with a look. But for those who remained too close and tried to flirt with him? Sole was there in an instant to tell them that X6 was already taken and to move on. Once the person had shrugged off X6 would smile to himself momentarily. He wasn’t ever willing to be the Institute’s property ever again, but he had no problem belonging to Sole and Sole letting other people know. He knew that Sole belonged to him too, and that he was also willing to do the same for those that tried anything.

That was my longest reaction yet! Sorry for the wait and let me know if any of you want other companions or npcs added on!

[namjinsanswer]

The Try Guys Crash Test A New Roller Coaster

they all dressed up in suits to ride the rollercoaster. snazzy bois.

they’re at Knott’s Berry Farm ... cries in berry boys

they’ll be riding the steepest and the first and only dive rollercoaster in california ... “HANGTIME.” 150 ft tall, 5 inversions, 57 mph, and a 96 degree drop

Keith rolls out the first “berry” pun @ 0:52

Ned: “today, it’s daddy’s big day out.”

Zach hated and avoided rollercoasters all his life until beautiful Keith forced him to ride one 2 years ago. now he’s addicted.

Eugene admits he has an irrational fear of rollercoasters

Eugene: “it’s one of those rare moments when the other try guys go ‘hey, Eugene’s the loser right now’.”

Keith is normally a scaredy cat but feels comfortable in physics’ never-failing hands

Eugene is not scared, just irrationally concerned

Zach’s goal for today is to get a fucking hawt pic while on the rollercoaster. i love my zaddy

RIDE 1

Ned and Zach on the ends, Keith and Eugene in the middle

everyone’s freaking out

Eugene glares in ‘i told you fuckers so’

Ned just wants to be with his baby

cut to Eugene monologuing over his fear of things he doesn’t have control over, Ned holds up a ‘good grief!’ thought bubble

back to the coaster, they’re all preparing for the worst during the vertical lift

the ride pauses just before the 96 degree drop.

Eugene is screaming in terror

FUCKIGN KEITH HIS FACE IM CRYNIG WAHHHHH

Zach is cursing

Ned regrets this decision

and THEN ... it DROPS

they’re all screaming. Keith’s tie and Eugene’s hair are flying

Keith is undergoing some kind of exorcism now

Eugene is praying to Jesus

Ned and Zach are having the time of their lives

Eugene continues to scream as the rollercoaster slows down

Ned is crying

‘THAT WAS SCARY” COUNT: 11

the doctor doesn’t know what would happen to someone if they rode a rollercoaster 10 times in a row. she predicts she’ll have to call the emts

Zach is excited to partake in this new scientific investigation 

Eugene got Zach ready for his bar mitzvah with the vomit bag

by ride 3 Zach and Eugene have their hands in the air. Keith and Ned don’t look too good

Zach doesn’t know how much more his little heart can take. adorable

by ride 4 Eugene cherishes that 96 degree drop

Eugene’s motto: “the front gets the view, but the back gets the action.”

Zach had to poop before getting on the ride, now he doesn’t have to. concerning.

after ride 5, Ned is close to vomiting/can’t stop burping, Keith’s had enough, Zach is dead on Gene’s shoulder, and Eugene is just laughing

Keith feels drunk

Ned is getting his blood pressure taken

Eugene wants to go again. i think someone is starting to like rollercoasters...

Eugene goes on ride 6 all by himself, wishes his friends were with him, declares himself the master of hangtime

Korndaddy got the sexiest rollercoaster pic ever

after riding hangtime 6 times, Eugene has gone from ‘good grief!’ to ‘AAUGH!’

them at the end: I LOVE FOUR (4) IDIOTS

[winwinsmiles]

nct dream as hogwarts students (part 1)

part two here

mark

• probably a gryffindor

• an awkward gryffindor

• strong ron weasley/neville longbottom vibes

• has a heart of gold

• fits the gryffindor stereotype

• OR DOES HE??????

• he’s quite jumpy and jittery

• brave?? oh no, not mark lee

• chenle and jisung pulled a prank on him once during herbology and he screamed so loud that the mandrakes shut up

• that’s right

• he got detention afterwards though but chenle and jisung gave him chocolate frogs so he forgave them

• his slytherin best friend haechan thinks he looks like a lion though

• ‘mark lee, my favourite lion cub, how are you doing today!!!’

• he loves and cherishes his friends, although he may not show it

• butterbeer fanatic

• ‘hey chenle, how fast can you chug this glass of butterbeer?’ ‘mark, for the LAST TIME, i’m not going to be sick all over the table and have madame rosmerta kick us out’

• bertie bott’s every flavour beans enthusiast

• but he always gets the rotten flavours

• one time he thought it was green apple and it turned out to be booger flavoured

• haechan just laughed in his face, chewing with delight on his cherry flavoured jelly bean

• seeker on the quidditch team and has all the supporters (fangirls) screaming his name

• secretly loves the attention and after parties every time gryffindor wins

renjun

• he’s a slytherin don’t fight me on this one

• loves to read

• he sits by the fireplace late into the night stuck in a good book

• a lowkey nerd, has study sessions with his best friends jeno and jaemin

• jeno, being the ravenclaw, gives him tips and advice for his exams, whereas jaemin sits and doodles in his notebook, sucking on his acid pop

• also a lowkey softie, has a pet tabby cat called mr whiskers

• holds his friends in chokeholds when they annoy him

• but his slytherin tendencies shine through when he pulls pranks on people

• when he was a first year he gave haechan, an extremely obnoxious fellow first year, some puking pastilles

• you can only guess what happened after that after haechan stopped throwing up, he smiled at renjun and said ‘good one’

• and that was the start of their friendship, which mainly consisted of pulling pranks on the annoying seventh years

• excels at potions and all his friends come to him for help

• all except haechan because that little shit thinks he knows everything

• but one day when he was practising his love potion, he came screaming to renjun, who was sitting under a large oak tree trying to revise, complaining that his love potion went wrong

• ‘mark won’t stop kissing me!’

• renjun couldn’t stop laughing, tears streaming down his face, ‘you idiot, it worked’

• ‘.......oh’

• all the teachers love him

jeno

• a ravenclaw, probably

• has the sweetest soul

• is good at EVERYTHING, including quidditch

• ‘how do you do it?’ -an infatuated na jaemin, staring at jeno who scribbles away on a piece of parchment which is already four feet long

• loves care of magical creatures

• hippogriffs are his favourite

• always demonstrates for the class, gets exceeds expectations in everything

• loves painting

• he painted jaemin once and the poor boy couldn’t stop crying

• ‘IT’S BEAUTIFUL MISTER LEE JENO YOU’VE OUTDONE YOURSELF THIS TIME I’M ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE I-‘ ‘nana, can you please get off my robes, you’re making them all wet’

• owns a black cat called bongo, even though he’s allergic he absolutely adores him

• bongo and mr whiskers always disappear together

• ‘jeno and renjun’s cats are in loooove!’ ‘chenle, they’re both male cats’ ‘well maybe they’re GAY, na jaemin!’

• wears glasses when he studies

• LOOKS ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE IN THEM

• rejun always takes them off him and tries them on

• ‘jeno, you’re practically blind’

• whenever there’s group work jeno basically does everything

• he doesn’t even mean to

• ‘it’s in his nature’ says jisung, laid back, feet up on the table, chewing away on some jelly slugs

• they end up doing amazingly anyway of course it’s jeno what do you expect

haechan

• slytherin

• the cutest slytherin on the block

• sometimes thinks he should be in hufflepuff ‘i’m cuter than you, chenle’ ‘FIGHT ME’

• the biggest flirt

• likes to make mark lee flustered more like annoyed

• ‘i’m gonna kick your ass in quidditch today, haechan’ ‘aww the baby lion talks!’

• super clingy and loves giving kisses to his friends

• the other slytherins lowkey hate him how can you even hate this precious ball of sunshine?!

• mark overheard some fourth years talking about him one day on the way to the great hall for breakfast, ‘haechan’s so weird, he doesn’t even act like a slytherin’ ‘right, the sorting hat really messed up with that one’ ‘he’s a disgrace to the purebloods’

• next thing you know mark’s doing a bat bogey hex on them

• gets a detention but doesn’t care because it was worth it poor mark and his detentions

• slytherin seeker

• likes a bit of friendly competition

• is a sore loser when they lose though, ‘it’s all mark’s fault, he was distracting me!’ ‘with his beautiful eyes and curly hair-‘ ‘shut UP, renjun!’

• defence against the dark arts is his favourite

• ‘mark lee’s boggart is a CLOWN? how can you be afraid of yourself?’

• his essays on werewolves are five feet long whereas his charms essays barely reach two feet in length

• loves makeup and practises it in his own time

• once renjun walked in on him mixing up some colours to make lipstick

• ‘what are you doing?’ ‘uhhh,,,,,,nothing’ ‘i can see that list of makeup right there’ ‘oh,,,,,haha’ ‘here, let me help you’

• with renjun’s excellent potions ability he helped haechan create the perfect shade for his makeup and now he goes around hogwarts slaying

• sassy™️

• loses slytherin about 50 points a day

[bloojayoolie]

Adam Sandler, Alive, and Animals: Johnny Boy 'limbo', Marston Arthur More Organ Holland Hoseas Before Broseas swagalicious crunchy outside, self-deprecating chewy center - "how many licks does it take the squad's favorite disaster scrappy damsel squares up at a moment's notice can never seem to get their shit together to get to the center of my depression" goth jock dropout just wants to settle down - - dumbest smart person alive - denies being moe - "wanna know how I got these scars- wait where are you going" - makes 50+ post twitter threads nobody reads just needs a break - "Actually, correlation is not causation" - thinks they're charming, is actually charming - constantly forgets their age - "back in my day - only one who knows what the fuck they're talking about incredible artist, thinks their stuff is 'okay' still needs to shut the fuck up - one shot, one kill - "once I go viral it's over for you hoes" - has a 'Home Is Where The Heart Is' welcome mat-liked by practically everybody - productive procrastinator can never hold down a relationship - Instant Uncle, Just Add Baby suffers from chronic pushover syndrome "no questions, dammit, no questions" - jokes hit too close to home - Good bad influence - weed friend Make It Work Guy Fieri Will Billiamson Bad Santa -always knows what to play at a party - adopts everyone on sight - great with kids, great with animals, wants to hold your baby - scientific evidence good girls want bad boys - tsundere - burns salads - "have you eaten today" - owns etsy account, too busy to make anything - punches self for fun - professional alcoholic - always needs to borrow money - terrible drunk, never remembers what happened that night walks around the house in their underwear gives great hugs needs seven showers group's unexpected therapist patronus is secondhand embarrassment just wants to be part of the family "MCDONALD'S! MCDONALD'S! MCDONALD'S!"* is the party cultured, well-traveled and stylish; made for Instagram - *gestures to all of you* "we need to do something about this" - always starts drama, yet always seems to avoid it bad taste in literally everything, banned from recommending outings - will always have squad's back iron constitution, never gets sick - "say that to my fucking face" - may seem Mad, is actually Sad petty *pulls up in drive-thru, orders single starts the day with horoscope readings - Chaotic Loyal black coffee, leaves t" FUCKS.EXE STOPPED WORKING 'mSorry Ms. Jackson tOh) Bastard Millennial Green Hat McGuy "join team chat" - fashionable at all times, even when going to the grocery store can't do crime if you ain't cute -only dates fictional men won't leave the house for days need lives on cow tales and TVTropes says they can hold their liquor regularly tells squad to hydrate can't actually hold their liquor too nice for own good living boke and tsukkomi routine to shut up yesterday social interaction, naps for ten years it's basic hygiene and laying beneath the stars -"please stop talking" exhausted after two minutes of maybe they're born with it, maybe soft spot for animals, slow dancing cooler than you . living proof the scariest people frat brotryhard nerd gem fusion come in the nicest packages graceful loser, even more graceful winner - "what day is it again" nobody sees clapbacks coming until it's never learned how to drive every day is roast session day - "I'll roast you, I'll roast them, I'll roast me fuckin' self" - Has never completed No Nut November sings in the shower - adores Linkin Park late - "are you ready yet" "almost" - allergic to idiots Adam Sandler Regina O'George Let Me Speak To Your Manager - retired mom friend, back from retirement ages every time someone references a vine instead of responding normally - smokes sixty packs a day Goof Troop social norms are for dweebs just wants to play videogames - No Drama? No ProblemTM -"Local Mean Girl Refuses To Be Toppled From Throne" - loses shit over small things -THIS close to cutting someone and snack in peace shoves people in lockers to show affection forgets not to swear in front of other never forgets a birthday shaped like a friend only one in squad who can cook only one in squad who can drive people's children the queen of throwing down "fuck, sorry about that" given up on romance savwy businessowner resident gossip big problems are Whatever - needs therapy - Favorite Songs Are 'Find Me Somebody- smells amazing To Love' And 'Before He Cheats' common sense frequently left on read - hasn't seen most popular movies - a matryoshka of pain - wishes you didn't look like a dump truck knows Wicked by heart - only one in squad who does taxes Songs Are unforgiveable weeb - villain origin story is that stubborn chin hair that keeps growing back - always says 'gg' after every game incredible skin care regimen - "just drink more water" award winning sailor mouth - Big Hair, Don't Care "What's My Age Again" by Blink 182 World's Saddest Violin Bullshit Magician Expletive Noises Looks like a million dollars, is probably worth a million dollars - family person, loves everybody keeps Twitter on private - meows back at their cat - extroverted introvert -feels guilty for not logging into Animal Crossing for nine months thinks existence is kind of funny invented the word 'dapper - the living embodiment of when you try your best but you don't succeed' - just wants to be loved and cherished -great with animals, never scratched the life of the party, when they're not launching into drunken diatribes -smartest smart person alive -stays up until three in the morning thinking about the meaning of life - an essential addition to any squad - reads at 10,000 miles per hour wants to stab Banksy hates stan culture hoards comfort food beneath their desk gets sentimental over their Neopets used to hoard Beanie Babies - hates answering the phone - silently lurks in Twitch chatrooms - needs more friends - stylish drunk with two hollow legs - never fails to speak their mind great at impressions -not-so-secretly depressed - regularly confuses main for private "just forget I said that haha" preserves their right hook for justice - stared into the void, got bored quotes movies when provoked - "That's just, like, your opinion, man." the most perfect teeth Baby Boy...Baby Talk Shit, Get Hit Mr. Krabs A Dog - soft outside, softer inside - never ashamed to cry - weak spot for pups, needs to pet every dog they see -only one of the squad that's been punched squad's resident cheapskate needs to seriously reconsider things trolling game out of control A dog - never seems to accumulate debt, also never tips the waiter took college prep in high school - can't fight to save their life - surprisingly terrifying comebacks - multilingual gg ez clap" oves Bon Iver, Death Grips and Beyonce equally - Kappa Kappa KappaRoss CoolStoryBob workplace's local kissass likes to give gifts to sad friends living embodiment of a flower crown talks during movies home life is a mess - needs a vacation, too self-conscious - doesn't flush toilets in public bathrooms to take one - adopted by everybody - "Oh, I won't report you...yet" believes they were born in the wrong era - has never yelled once - in love with the smell of old books - wishes on stars when no one's looking leaves breadcrumbs in butter a well-rounded tool - nobody knows why they keep getting invited"Poverty is a state of mind." champagnesuperhoeva: red dead redemption 2 tag yourself masterpost now all in one spot for your convenient bullshit needs tag your chronic pain, tag your panic attacks, tag your existential crisis  I am all of these yet none of them at the same time

[nolongerapileofashprobably]

Peaceful, maybe. But it was also lonely.

Dying, well, was a lot of things. It was peaceful, serene, a calming feeling settling into one’s soul that was rarely experienced during life. It was beautiful to reflect on one’s life and entertaining to remember the moments that had made it so special.

Moving to New York when she was ten was the first big memory that Michelle cherished. It was the beginning of a decent life, if she was being honest. Finding her corner in a local library and being on a first name basis with the barista in the library’s cafe. Or starting over at an age so sensitive and making herself invisible to others. No one knew her, not really.

The biggest interaction she had for her first year besides introductions on the first day was when her books were knocked over by some klutz and they had apologized profusely and stammered their way through the momentary conversation. When she got older she interested herself more into school, becoming a constant presence in the background of most student’s lives. She was always there and she was content to be an observer, never becoming truly close to anyone. For a while, that was all she needed.

But as she entered high school, being an observer didn’t hold over to well. She wasn’t moving again. She didn’t have anywhere to go for four more years. She began to want to be friends with other kids. Most weren’t worth her time and no one caught her eye.

That was until Peter Parker was absent for a week straight and then when his uncle died two weeks later. The days he was at school were when she noticed how distracted he was. At first he was just in his own head most of the day but most people gave him a break because of everything that had happened in his life. Then, he left for a weekend and came back with news that he had gotten a Stark internship. At first, Michelle would have called him out on it but the more Michelle thought about it, the more it seemed plausible.

Peter was a genius, really. There was no way she could deny that. And his uncle’s death put him and his aunt on the front page of the newspapers. It was more then likely that Tony Stark saw a bit of himself in a bright kid with no parents and only an aunt to look after him as someone else close to him had died. He probably took a chance and reached out to him.

Michelle honestly thought that was what happened for about four days, until Spider-Man showed up in the newspapers with Tony Stark almost a week later. It was revealed he had tried to convince Captain America and his team mates to accept the Accords along with Tony Stark. The same weekend Peter was absent.

Michelle was not dumb. She was almost positive it was Peter Parker under that suit catching buses and stopping robberies. From a klutzy kid to a web-slinging superhero. Peter’s big secret seemed like a brilliant thing to observe, especially his behavior whenever the hero was brought up or his internship.

Before Michelle knew it, she knew almost everything about Peter Parker, or at least the version of his school self. She didn’t mean to have all this knowledge on him, honestly. All she wanted to do is see if he would slip up and say anything about him being Spider-Man. And she was right to look for it. A few weeks into sophomore year, the idiot was talking about it with Ned Leeds whenever they were together. She guessed his best friend finally found out the news about their very own Peter Parker.

At this point, Michelle at least made attempts for conversation, or at least her version of it. She’s made a comment or two but then dismissed the conversation when she saw Peter only responding with a stare. Honestly, the kid made no attempt to actually say anything. Just sort of stared at her like she was an alien. Ned was nice enough to respond, making him her only debateable friend.

This, of course, made her more interested in how Peter Parker’s mind works. And as sophomore year went by with Spider-Man saving the decathlon team right after she had won them Nationals and Homecoming ending with Liz’s father being arrested Michelle got busier. As the newly named captain for the team, Michelle was forced to actually interact with her peers. And it was definitely for the better. Her teammates weren’t all idiots like Flash and they were decent people to get to know. Somehow, Michelle found herself grouped with Peter and Ned.

She just naturally gravitated toward them, probably because of Ned’s happiness over her calling them her friends and definitely not this weird sensation Michelle got whenever she looked at Peter.

And after a year of getting to know the two boys and hanging out with them on a regular basis (even showing Peter her hidden corner in the library and Ned the secret menu at the café) Peter finally told her he was Spider-Man. And after another six achingly long months, the two had revealed their feelings to each other in a much more dramatic way then she would have liked. It all happened after Peter was freaking out about a rumor that The Vulture revealed his identity (which he hadn’t surprisingly). He was going on about how awful he would feel if anything happened to Aunt May, Ned, or MJ herself.

MJ tried to convince him that he didn’t have to worry about her, because she was stubborn and was bound to put up a pretty good fight when her time came (she still had hundreds of books to read, if not thousands). That was when Peter had another mini-freak out about how she doesn’t understand how worried he gets over her. Which resulted in her snapping back that his worry was something everyone close to him felt every night when he put his mask on.

And somewhere in the midsts of all that, they had admitted their feelings and they had become an official couple.

So when Ned texted her that Peter jumped out of the bus and toward the flying donut, she was a bit worried. And when that donut went back to space and Peter’s cell was unavailable?

Boy did she freak out.

When Aunt May began to question whether or not Peter would come back, MJ and Ned assured her that they would see him again.

And now as she looked around her surroundings, never ending and endlessly bright without a light source, she cursed herself for believing in hope rather then facts. Instead of thinking about Peter’s fate, she should have considered why his life was in danger in the first place. Whatever happened up in space or whatever thing was happening around the borders of Wakanda, effected everyone.

When Michelle began to feel numb, she began to panic. She called out for Ned and Aunt May, but all they probably saw was her book in a pile of dust. She knew she was gone, dead. She knew her physical body was nothing but a memory and a bit of dirt now.

As for her soul?

Well those current whereabouts were up for debate. It was a never ending surrounding of nothingness. There was no one in sight, no big gate or tormenting fires around. It was as though she was a speck of dirt on an otherwise stainless surface.

No matter where she was, she knew it had something to do with what was happening on earth and in space. As she looked around, MJ wondered if this was how being a star in space felt like. Sure, looking up at them from Earth made them seem relatively close but MJ knew the reality was they were hundreds of light years away from each other. She wondered if that’s how it was. Millions of souls spread across the fabric of existence, wandering but never able to see anyone essentially because they were just so far away.

It was peaceful really. There was only one time she felt this untroubled.

It was the night after MJ found out the Decathlon team had advanced to Internationals for the upcoming summer. She had been so happy walking to Peter’s that night. Truthfully, MJ was just estatic to share the news with the two morons she adored immensely. On the same day she found out she was going to be given a full ride to Cambridge College if she committed before the upcoming November.

MJ was just brimming with good news that day and going over to watch nerdy movies with Peter and Ned seemed like the cherry on top of it all. She lasted a whole two minutes before Peter questioned her whole happy attitude, which although she found slightly insulting knew it was a perfectly normal response. Upon sharing the news, the trio ended up realizing they would be within walking distance of each other for the four years after high school.

Things just seemed to get better and better.

So when they all fell asleep, things slowed and MJ realized how lucky she was. Her arm was loosely wrapped around Peter’s chest, their legs entangled underneath the thin blanket. Ned’s soft snores filled the air and Peter’s grip on her would tightened every so often just so he remembered that she was right there in his arms and no where else.

Everything seemed to be in place and her entire being seemed to slip into a undisturbed state. A feeling she cherished as it lasted the night before MJ remember the amount of flash cards she would have to prepare for Internationals. Peter and Ned were there to give her moral support and throw candy at her when she got too focused.

And then, a few weeks later, this shit happens. First she wasn’t even on the bus Peter jumped out of, meaning the last thing she had said to him was ‘Have fun, losers,” which caused Peter to retailiste by sticking out his tongue at her.

That was their last interaction. At least May’s was they exchanging their usual, ‘Bye, love you, see you when I come home,” and Ned’s was him fulfilling his duty as ‘guy in the chair’.

MJ still had so much she wanted to say to Peter. To Ned. To Aunt May. Hell, maybe even her parents.

But where was she? In a borderless plane with nothing to distract her but her thoughts. At least, she thought it was entirely unrestricted since no matter how far she walked, she never seemed to go anywhere. Wandering to the left for some reason (who knows, maybe a change of scenery, one shade of blankness to a slightly duller one).

It seemed like forever from when she started walking. Yeah, she admitted, it was peaceful and an experience she only felt in the arms of Peter, but without anyone around her, it was lonely.

Just when she began to think of all the times she stopped herself from speaking her mind (which wasn’t a lot but even MJ had some things she had never spoken despite wanting to) she saw a silhouette in the distance. If she wasn’t already dead, she’d worry about it being a hallucination from walking so long without water.

She began to run, calling out a ‘Hey!’ That made them look up. The person got up, still a bit too far to actually see them but when they shouted back, MJ stopped cold.

There was only one person with a voice that high and squeaky.

Once the shock overcame her, she saw him, still over a hundred yards away, but she saw him. Peter Parker, wearing a new Spidey suit, was sprinting towards her calling out her name. Considering how long she walked before, Peter running towards her as she stood frozen seemed to take no time at all. Soon, he barreled into her, making her come out of her momentary stupor.

She hugged him back, her arms tightening around his neck as Peter lifted her slightly. He was mumbling something into her skin but she couldn’t make out any coherent words. All she could think about was how Peter Parker was in her arms.

And not in space.

“Peter, what the hell?” MJ asked, pulling away slightly. Her hands rested in his shoulders, which tensed as he thought about something other then MJ.

His fingers dig into his waist as he pulled her closer anyway, closing his eyes for a moment before focusing on her again. “It’s a really long story, MJ. Maybe you should sit down.”

MJ frowned, rolling her eyes as her expression changed. “On what?” She responded dully. “Peter, we’re already dead. I know how the story ends, just fill me in on the middle part. Staring with why the hell you thought it was a good idea to go into space on that floating donut?”

At that he laughed, a hand reaching up to cup MJ’s face, to which she unconditionally leaned into.

“Of course you already figured out we were dead, or a variation of it.” He grinned, sadness tingeing the smile. “I knew I liked you for a reason.”

“And here I thought it was the witty one liners and constant presence in your life.” She responded playfully.

“Yeah well, it was a lot of things now that I think about it.”

“Do tell, we have a lot of time in the afterlife.”

He scratched the back of his neck, causing MJ to put a hold on any remarks she would normally spit out.

“Yeah, now that I think about it, I’m not sure this is exactly the afterlife.”

“Excuse me?”