#go buy a sandwich and sit in a park i promise you the world is so much bigger than online fandom

[dreamofbecoming]

damn

[quicksilverownsmysoul]

Mother’s Day

Summary: How the Evans and their kids treat you on Mother’s Day. These were so much fun to write and I may have gone a little over board. Anyway I hope y’all like them!

Also may have some typos since I didn’t have time to proof read it took much! (Cause ya know Mother’s Day)

Peter

-Would forget

-The kids would come and quietly walk over to his side of the bed to wake him up. (You guys have a daughter who’s 7 and a boy who’s 4). He’ll look and them with bleary eyes and they’d be like “Dad come help us.”

-And he’s like “with what?” Already tucking himself back in

-“Breakfast for mama, it’s Mother’s Day”

-“Oh shi-“ He’s ripping the sheets off and speeding out of bed with them under his arms.

- The fridge would be empty and he’d try and convince the kids to let him just buy you McDonalds breakfast but they’d start to cry cause they really wanted to make you breakfast. So he hushes them and dashes to the store picking up an instant box of pancake mix, a carton of eggs and bacon. Also gets you come flowers and a box of candy. (He paid).

- Him and the kids get started on breakfast and they are better at it then he is. Your daughter knows how to flip the pancakes perfectly while his come out all misshapen and runny.

-They honestly don’t get breakfast done till like 10. You had already woken up and walked in on them trying to pick the egg shells out of the eggs that your son cracked. And your just smile at how hard they’re working. You’d go back to bed and let them bring it to you in bed like they want and your act surprised.

- Peter pretends like he didn’t totally forget and promises to to take you and the kids out for a funny day. (It’s probably going to be the arcade.)

-But you don’t mind. You guys have fun playing all the games together. He’ll pull you aside later and tells you how much he loves you. And he thanks you for giving him the world, and tells you how much of an amazing mother you are. He also bashfully gives you this locket he bought you a while back. It’s has all of you in it.

Charles

- Your baby was only about 2 years old so Charles took care of all the Mother’s Day festivities.

- He had been taking pictures of you and y’all’s baby ever since they were born. Has a whole collection of them. So he decides to put them together into a scrapbook for you.

- He spends weeks in advance adding the pictures and writing little notes and memories alongside them. Paints his hand and his daughters and the cover is their handprints onto of one another.

- He makes you a really good southern breakfast, real hearty. (Charles is a really good cook and you can’t fight me on it).

- He walks in holding your daughters hand and treats you to breakfast in bed and tell you all about how he plans to spoil you. He bought you a real pretty sun dress and tells you he planned a picnic for you guys. He made sandwiches and cut them in the shapes of hearts.

-He takes you to the beach and your daughter has so much fun playing in the sand and laughing as the waves tickle her feet.

-As the sun starts setting he gives you your gift. It’s wrapped up all pretty like and the minute you open it you start bawling. And first he thinks you don’t like it but then he sees the loving look in your eyes and you look at all the picture and run your fingers gently over the little messages.

- You pull him close and press kisses all over his face. He sets up his camera and runs back as it snaps a picture of all of you. Once it’s developed you add it to your scrapbook.

Warren

- Wakes you up by jumping up and down on your bed with y’all’s son. Screaming at the top of their lungs Happy Mother’s Day!!!

-Drags you to the kitchen and makes a grand gesture of showing you the breakfast him and your son made. They put a table cloth on the table and they have flowers in the vase. Everything is set up really fancy.

- You try to ignore the mess of dishes in the sink and the stains that litter your counters. How did they get eggs on the ceiling? And is that blood??? You hope not.

- Warren pulls out your chair for you and you thank him. You look down at the breakfast, the toast is all burnt and the eggs have shells in them. You smile and eat what you can hoping you don’t die of food poisoning.

- He planned a self care day for you. He bought you a million different kinds of skin care products and bath products. Let’s you give him and your son skin care treatments and you guys wear them while binge watching your favorite movies. Eating popcorn and all kinds of junk food in the fort him and his son made for you. Warren pretends he hates those cheesy rom coms you like but you can see him sniffling out of the corner of your eye when the wedding scene comes on.

- After you out your son to bed you take a bath with Warren and he washes your hair, whispering sweet nothings into your ear. Has music playing in the background but was too cheap to pay for spodify premium so in the middle of you guys making out you hear click here for 30 minutes-

Luke Cooper

- You would think he would forget but he didn’t. Couldn’t cook to save his life so he went out and got you donuts from your favorite place, also buys some takeout breakfast.

- You have twins they were five and they made you cards in school. They are colored all messy but you don’t care. You kiss them both on the cheek and thank them. Luke was nervous to give you his gift, he was scared you wouldn’t like it.

- He opens up his laptop and places it down on your lap. Gets into bed and sits behind you burying his face in your neck. You press the play button the screen and a video starts playing. It starts with a shaky shot of you after you had given birth to your twins. Crying happy tears and you can hear Luke sniffling behind the camera. You laugh at the memory.

- He had made you a Mother’s Day video filled with all the videos he had taken of you and your kids over the years. Your twins has started school this year so you were still sad about them growing up.

- His video let you relive all those memories of them growing up and raising them with him. When it’s done he shyly asks if you like it.

- You turn around and there are tears streaming down your face. You say it’s the best gift you’ve ever gotten. You kiss and and your kids let out echos of ewwwww.

-Luke smiles and makes a bigger show of kissing you causing the kids to giggle and run away. He pulls away and looks at you. “Do you know how much I love you?” He asks

-Not more than I love you you answer and you guys spent the rest of the morning trying to say who loves who more.

Colin Zabel

- Spoils you the most out of all of them.

- It’s y’all’s first Mother’s Day and he wants it to be perfect. Spends all week running a round town trying to get everything and make sure everything is absolutely perfect.

- You wake up the smell of something heavenly coming from the kitchen. You see him cooking in the kitchen holding your daughter in his arms. He dances with her as he cooks, singing to her in a soft voice.

- He whines when he sees you, he wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed

- You guys finish making breakfast together, singing along to the songs on the radio. He asks you to dance with him and you do. You guys sway with one another your daughter squished between you two giggling.

- The whole house is filled with flowers, every table has a bouquet, you’re pretty sure he bought all the flowers in Easttown.

- Has a whole day planned. Filled with the sweetest activities, like a carriage ride through the park and a cake making class.

- You make the cutest little Mother’s Day cake decorated with flowers and all these little details. And you glance over at him and his cake is all lopsided and the icing is smeared all over his cake. His has icing on his nose and leans over to swipe some on your cheek. You guys get kicked out for making a mess but you don’t care.

- You guys spend all day walking around town hand in hand, Colin has your daughter in one of those baby carriers strapped to his chest. He bought you and her matching dresses for the occasion.

- He finishes the day with taking you the the station claiming he has work to finish. You guys go up the stairs and it’s decorated head to toe with balloons and streamers and pictures of you and him and your daughter. You start crying right then and there wondering how a man could be that sweet.

- Mare offers to take your baby for the night so you guys can spend some time alone. Being new parents you haven’t had much of it. He spends all night dancing with you and just talking as you eat the dinner he cooked.

- He gives you a necklace he had made that had your daughters fingerprint on it. It also has a message and his and her name inscribed on the back. He puts it on you and you guys just sit in one another’s arms. Looking at the setting sun, wondering how you guys were lucky enough to have gotten everything you could have ever wanted.

[natromanxoff]

22 - Cars & Queenie Days

Hi there Queenie people.

What a strange little weekend this one turned out to be. Let me start by saying that most of my stories seem to have something to do with alcohol, but we were all a hell of a lot younger then, and I for one cannot do that anymore, well not all the time. Although a few days ago an old friend made a guest appearance, the Kurgen was let loose on the streets of Bondi which seemed to start a string of Queen type events. It all started about midday on Saturday when a friend of mine phoned and suggested lunch, what a fantastic idea as it was a lovely hot sunny day, so we met in a nice place with a garden and ordered the first bottle of wine, and it was the Linda Lovelace of vino, it went down very quickly and easily. During the course of the afternoon I phoned my mate Steve and said he should join us, which he did at about 8pm, and we finally moved indoors to have dinner, after sitting in the sun and guzzling wine for the last six hours, and needless to say I'm pissed so we ordered some more food and what turned out to be the last bottle of plonk for the evening.

Half way through dinner Rebecca decided she was to out of it to continue, and wisely went home, leaving the Kurgen and his mate, who has decided he's gonna catch up with me, what a good friend eh, but him getting drunk means me becoming a complete gibbering idiot. After dining we moved next door to the bar where the whisky was flowing very rapidly and the idiot telling one barmaid she looked like a cheap hooker, while swearing his undying love to another. Oh, get me another drink Steve, I think I need one. It finally gets to 1am and time to head home, it's been a long day, and while trying to negotiate the 10min walk I was complaining that my right leg wouldn't work, usual drunken crap.

What has this got to do with Queen I hear you ask, well, apart from the fact that a million years ago I worked for them for a while, not very much. Steve and myself eventually got back to my place and I got phoneitis and I had the need to speak with everyone from my dodgey past, so, phone book out and lets go. Pride of place went to Mr Deacon who was lucky to be speaking on the phone so the Kurgen, after two tries, couldn't get through. Time up for you pal, next. Broughie. He always calls me when he's legless, now it's his turn to try and decipher what I'm on about. When I got through to Trip I can remember saying, "Where the f*** are you?" And do you know what, I have no idea what the answer was, though he did say they cancelled a couple of shows, and everyone was having a great time. This is fun, lets spend some more money. The next call started with, "Mr Taylor, it's Mr Taylor here." Sorry Rog, but you did pick up the phone. I did tell him I'd listened to his new stuff on his website and it's the best stuff he'd done in years, and I have an awful feeling I said that I didn't like 'Happiness,' but he did say that he reads my memoirs, so if you get to see this Mr T. I'll try and be a bit more sober next time I call.

Jacky followed, phone was busy (No it wasn't, we were out, you left a message!!) , gotta move on, I'm on a roll now. A new game, lets try and track down my ex in LA, no luck, thank god, and with that my new accountant Steve took the phone away from me, thanks dear boy. He clears off around 3 and I hit the sack and descend into a coma. Ring ring.....ring ring. Its 9am, who the f*** is phoning in the middle of the night, so, with head pounding I track the phone down and had to raise a bit of a giggle, it's Broughie and now he's pissed and he told me that in nearly twenty years of knowing me, that is the worst he's ever heard me try and talk, to which I reply that this is the worst I've ever felt.

Spandau's Tony Hadley was the next person I speak to, what a diamond geezer, always nice to chat with him. Sunday was a non-existent day with a phone that had no sympathy for me and kept ringing, amazingly it's still in one piece. A wet Monday and I'm still feeling a bit iffy, but come afternoon I receive a package in the post, I like little surprises, so when I walk in and turn the radio on Bo Rap is playing, and when I open my pressie it's from the ever gorgeous Jacky who has very kindly sent me RT's Electric Fire. You know what I mean, his new CD not the electric fire out of his bedroom. I'm glad I told him it was great, cause it is, in my humble opinion, possibly the best thing he's done. That was a hell of a lot of words just to say " go and buy Electric fire and put it in the charts, you won't be disappointed".

I was chatting with Greg Fryer, the fireplace restorer, and we're both looking forward to the Australian convention in a few weeks, although I might be drinking lemonade as I made the idiot promise that "I'm never drinking again". Some time ago somebody asked me a question which went something like, "When you were in the studio with just Roger or the Cross, was it a bit of an anti climax after working with Queen as they were such brilliant musicians." I don't know if I'm missing something here, but as Roger was a solo artist, a member of the Cross and also in Queen, surely that must make him brilliant. Well, whatever your name was, no it wasn't boring it was mostly fun. When he was producing other acts I must admit that I did a lot of sitting around doing bugger all, and I every act were ok as people, though once Jimmy Nail had a hit he did get a rather large ego and changed into a real prat.

Virginia Wolf had two old buddies of mine in the band, Joe Burt and Jason Bonham, so when we went to Ibiza to record it was party time from start to finish, though Jason did go overboard a bit, so to protect us more than him we sent him back to England. I was only involved in one Cross album, Shove It, and that was just going to be another RT solo album so he played all the instruments himself.

I think I've mentioned before that we drove the Bentley to Montreux, well this was the time. The plan was to spend three or four days in Montreux recording then go to Gstaad to write some more songs. That was the excuse because we had a huge chalet there and the idea was to do a lot of skiing and a bit of writing, which is exactly what we did. It was in Gstaad that Roger came up with the idea of forming a band, and after a hard day on the slopes we would sit around at night working out a plan on putting a band together. On the subject of Bentleys and Gstaad I feel obliged to tell you just how much bad luck RT has with his cars.

When he bought his first Range Rover he claimed "You can park them on a sixpence." We had to tow him out of a ditch. His Ferrari burst into flames on his way to the south of France, and his Aston Martin also burst into flames. He hardly ever drove the Bentley, it was my baby and I loved it and never had any problems. Dominique decided she was going to join our little ski trip and was coming to Gstaad, now don't get me wrong, I love Dom, a fine lady, still is, it's just that I didn't fancy the hour drive down the mountain and then the hour along the motorway to the airport. On the day of her arrival RT surprised me by saying he was going to pick her up, that'll do me, drop me off at the chair lift and have a nice drive. A very pleasant afternoon was spent on the piste so when I get back to the house I'm ready for some mindless computer games, and while in the middle of shooting some aliens the phone rings and it's Dominique asking where Roger was as he's not at the airport to pick her up.

The only thing I can say is for her to hang on because he left in plenty of time so he should be there, and I'm back to saving the world. Hours later the door flies open with Roger ranting and raving and saying something about F-in-cars. What's his problem? I look out the window and in the driveway is a VW Golf, so the obvious question is, "Where's the Bentley?" When his lordship finally calmed down he explained that when he got to the motorway there was a blizzard, so he had to have the windscreen wipers on full, but the one on the drivers side came off, so he stopped the car and was groping around in the snow looking for it, and he found it and put it back on. So far so good, except a couple of miles further on it came off again, and this time it was nowhere to be seen. Now try and picture the situation. Swiss motorway, lots of snow falling, very expensive black Bentley and a very famous pop star hanging out the window while driving so he can wipe the snow off the screen so he can see. Not a very good look at all.

On arrival at Geneva he took the car to the Rolls Royce dealer to get fixed, and it wasn't long after this that I said my final goodbye to a trusty friend. Roger on the other hand said Good F***ing Riddance. I have an equally pathetic driving story when we were in Rio, this time it was the two of us, a convertible and one hell of a lot of rain. Next time might be right to tell you how we put the Cross together from the first ad. onwards. Before I go I have a question for Jacky. Do you remember all those bacon sandwiches we had at the auditions? That's it for now Bye

Crystal

[stay-mon-army]

Lazy Day In

Warnings: None

Word count: 1,362 words

Pairing: Hyungwon x gender neutral!reader

Even before Covid-19, you were no stranger to locking yourself away in your apartment for extended periods of time— ignoring the world outside except to order takeout. Having a boyfriend like Hyungwon kept you well-acquainted with that lifestyle. Hyungwon wasn't lazy, he just preferred simpler comforts when his life was usually so hectic. You couldn't blame him, really. After a long week of work and chores and errands, curling up in bed with good food, a nice drama, and a snuggly boyfriend (or plushie, if former is unavailable) sounded like absolute heaven. However sometimes you liked to plan real dates with Hyungwon when you both had time. You had planned this nice long day out— with shopping and a picnic in the park and a nice dinner at a quiet family run restaurant you had been dying to try.

That didn't seem like it was going to happen, however. Hyungwon had come over after his practice last night, utterly exhausted and quickly ushering you to your bed for cuddles. He'd fallen asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, his arms still tight around you while his face went totally slack. You would've snapped a sneaky, cringey picture of his agape mouth, but you were so comfortable and you didn't want to risk stirring his clearly comfortable slumber— plus, you had a million such photos (he was sleeping often at your place). Instead you simply closed your eyes, snuggling closer, and fell asleep.

You had set an alarm for 10am, not wanting to get up too early since you both deserved the rest, but you also wanted the day to go well so you couldn't sleep in too late. As your alarm screamed at you, Hyungwon groaned loud, not happy with the disruption of his sleep. If you weren't also utterly exhausted, you might have laughed at his overreaction as he twists away from the sound, pulling his pillow over his head.

You turned off the alarm and started to slide out of bed, but Hyungwon wasn't having that. His arm shot out from under the comforter to circle your waist, tugging you back against him.

"Wonnie, we have to get up. I have plans for us today." He shakes his head into the pillow before turning to curl his long body around you. A soft laugh falls from your lips as his face presses into your neck, him releasing puffs of air that tickles your skin. "I'm serious, Hyungwon. We can't stay in bed all day."

You weren't mad, and in all honesty, you didn't sound serious because your voice was light with the smile gracing your lips. Yes, you wanted to have this day out on your mutual day off, but when Hyungwon for clingy, you also wanted to simply stay in his arms all day long. Regardless, he released you and rolled over, rubbing at his face with the heels of his hands. His hair was wild a top his head, no doubt from him tossing around so much this morning.

You finally manage to slip from between the warm comforter and pad over to your closet to begin picking out your outfit. As you pick out something nice and comfortable for the warm spring day the weather forecasters promised you, you could hear Hyungwon rustling himself out of bed as well. You felt comfortable enough with Hyungwon to begin to get changed in the room. As you tug off your sleep clothes, you can sense Hyungwon behind you. Just before you can turn to face him, he rests his head on your shoulder, his hands softly grazing your hips.

"You're so gorgeous." He presses a kiss to your shoulder before releasing you, reaching around you to grab a shirt and pair of pants. Your cheeks flush as you glance back to watch him disappear into the bathroom. You hear him rustling around and quickly finish dressing yourself.

Once you're finished getting ready, which didn't take long because you were too tired to put too much effort into your look today, you wander into the kitchen. You shuffle around grabbing various items you'd need for your picnic. You put them all into a small picnic basket you had gotten from a family member for your last birthday— you finally had an opportunity to use it. You only packed away foods you knew wouldn't go bad in the time it would take you to get Hyungwon out of the house and to the Han river, where you knew the perfect place to picnic away from prying eyes.

As you placed the last sandwich and ice pack into the basket and shut the top, you heard Hyungwon shuffle his feet into the living room-kitchen doorway.

"Are you ready for a wonderful day out?" You smile, turning to face him, until your smile drops. "What's wrong?" He had a sad look on his face, obviously disappointed about whatever he was about to tell you.

"I just texted my manager to let him know I was going out today with you, and he said that I shouldn't go out. I guess someone got into some scandal and news people are gonna be all over the city all day trying to get their hands on more information, or another scandal to boost their company. I know how excited you were about your plans today and I'm so so sorry that I have to ruin them." He runs a hand through his still messy hair, a pout on his lips as your face drops. You put your hand on the counter, looking away from him towards the picnic basket, all packed and ready to go. "However..."

You glance back at him, head tilting slightly at the sly grin that's slid onto his face.

"How about we do all of those plans here, inside? We can picnic in the living room, and I'll buy you some adorable outfits online, and then we can order food from wherever you want and we can eat it in bed and binge that new drama you were telling me about last week." He slowly enters the kitchen, slipping his arms around your waist as he pulls you against him. "I may not be able to give you that perfect date day, but I can try to recreate your masterpiece indoors." He presses a kiss to your forehead before meeting your eyes with the softest gaze.

"I like that idea a lot, Wonnie. I'm a little sad we can't do my original plan, but it's not your fault. We had no way of knowing some scandal was going to come out today of all days. We can still make the most of it." You smile up at him as he visibly relaxes, obviously happy that you weren't too mad or disappointed in the sudden change of plans. "Help me set up a picnic blanket in the living room?"

"Anything for you, darling." He mumbles as he pecks you on the lips, reaching around you for the picnic blanket before stepping towards the living room.

You grab the basket and follow him, placing it on the coffee table before you grab the other half of the picnic blanket, helping him spread it across the floor as best as you could around the furniture. You place the basket on the blanket before sitting down besides Hyungwon.

"What did you pack us today?" He asks, rubbing his hands together as you laugh at his actions.

While you didn't have the "perfect" date you had planned that day, you wouldn't have complained about a single thing. You enjoyed the day with Hyungwon, getting to joke and enjoy good food with the man you loved. In public, you didn't often get to be your complete quirky selves because you were always aware of the fact that fans or reporters could be around any corner, but in the comfort of your own home, you both could be yourselves with each other. It wasn't as nice as having a day out of course, because it was always nice to explore and change your surroundings, but you were happy anywhere when you had Hyungwon by your side.

[loveume]

# 1 to 10 🔗

one.

you're a nobody here. a mere plus one to your friend who was forced into coming to this fundraiser by her business world old money parents. your nicest black dress on and one of her many red bottoms, they pinch a little but you pretend like they don't. just like you pretend not to notice the sage green eyes that follow you as the attractive man they belong to sips on what you assume is bourbon, his gold rolex (that easily costs more than the house your family lives in) gleaming on his wrist.

two.

you look over your friend's shoulder from where the two of you lay, sprawled out on a gingham blanket in her massive yard. she's mindlessly scrolling through instagram and just as you're about to turn you catch a glimpse of those eyes. "wait!" she flinches at your exclamation. "go back up." you say offering no explanation. her lithe fingers drag down her screen and those eyes stare back at you once again. it's a candid of the guy from the event, his tongue stuck out. one hand flips the camera off while the other is resting against his lower abdomen which in turns raises his shirt just enough to catch a glimpse of the metal at his bellybutton. his handle reads suna.rin. your friend looks up at you with a confused look but it soon turns to one of disapproval. "don't even think about it." your eyes catch hers and you reply defensively, "i wasn't thinking of anything. i just recognize him from that fundraiser, he kept staring at me." she clucks her tongue. "suna rintaro is bad news with a capital BAD. seriously, don't think about getting near the freak, he's really no good."

three.

really no good makes his way into your dms a few weeks later. you admit it. you were combing through this man's insta like it was your job. but your butter fingers decided to double tap on a month old photo, causing you to lock your phone with a quickness and toss it away from you in humiliation. while you have your face buried in your hands contemplating which bridge would be best to jump from your phone vibrates once, and then once more. –found u angel– –or looks like u found me–

four.

you kick your legs, air force ones swinging in the air as you wait for him. the two of you had decided to meet "officially" in person after taking for a month and a half, suna rintaro was a busy man it would seem. you glance up at the clock above your head, he was late. tapping away at your phone gives you something to do while you wait. a black air force nudging your white one grabs your attention and you look up only to meet sage green. "hi pretty, you match shoes with me on purpose?" his teasing smirk is practically clench worthy. "you're late." is what you reply, standing and slinging your purse over your shoulder. "no, im rintaro. suna rintaro." he holds his hand out to you. you slip yours into his replying with your own name. "i hope we can be good friends," he murmurs with that smirk again.

five.

you don't know if parading around the city with him count as dates, but if they do you've been on a lot of them. he'd called you earlier wondering if you wanted to window shop, his old man was giving him a hard time. that's all you seem to know about his dad, that he's strict on rintaro. he says his mom and younger sister are much easier to get along with. "this one?" he points to a silver chain, thick and chunky. you tilt your head before shaking it, "wouldn't suit you." you point out a thin gold one. "layering a few of these would be better." he contemplates in silence before humming in agreement. "you're so hot." rintaro says before leaning in to you and taking your lips with his.

six.

you'd had to curry favor with rin to make him agree to having a picnic, he got to pick the spot though. he'd said the park you wanted to go to was "too stifling" whatever that meant. the place he'd brought you to was rather secluded but incredibly beautiful. "c'mon pretty, we don't have all day. feed me some of those finger sandwiches you made or whatever it is that gets served at a picnic." he was sprawled out on the blanket, his shirt riding up to show that awful sexy piercing of his, you wanted to kiss him. you tuck the skirt of your dress under you as you sit and unpack the basket. "ah, rin the drinks! please don't tell me u forgot them." "as if, got em right here angel," he holds up a bottle of rosé. "did you seriously bring a 20,000 yen bottle of rosé?" "man if the rosé bothers you, you're gonna hate the necklace i bought you." your eye practically twitches, "rin, what necklace?" he pulls out a cute red velvet box from his pocket and opens it. inside sits a dainty gold chain with a small gold cherry hanging from it. "how much did yo– actually don't tell me i feel like i'll pass out." he merely chuckles before moving to put the jewelry on you. "get used to this pretty, i'm gonna spoil you stupid."

seven.

you're lounging on the ridiculously fancy black couch in rin's equally as fancy and equally as black-accented apartment. he'd run off earlier to in his words to "take care of business", but he'd been out for about four hours at this point. you glance at the clock mounted to his wall, which reads 2:17 am. you drag yourself to get ready to bed, he'd probably be home soon. a loud crash and an equally loud exclamation of "fuck!" startles you awake. you quickly tie your robe around you as you carefully pad into the hallway, peeking around the corner to see what the commotion was about. rintaro stood in the kitchen, his back to you. you're about to call to him when he yells another obscenity which pulls a squeak from you. he whips around to face you, and you can see his anger through the blood traili– blood? you brain finally registers the blood on his face and soaking his shirt. "rin?!" you rush towards him hands cupping his face, "who did this? why do you have blood–" he cuts you off by grabbing your shoulders with a bit more force than necessary, "it's not mine." "what do you mean it's not yours? rintaro what's goin–" he cuts you off again. "go back to sleep." he brushes past you to lock himself in the bathroom.

eight.

everything has seemingly gone back to normal. you and rin never did talk about that night he came home covered in blood. your questions eat at you but you don't want to push the issue. you think back to your friend's words briefly. how rintaro was really bad news. too late to heed her advice it would seem. he kisses you like normal, buys you things like normal, and teases you like normal. you wonder if this game of charades is more for his benefit than your own.

nine.

you sit at his waist, eyeliner pen in hand. "promise i'll make you look real pretty rin." you'd persuaded him with your sweet words and a few sweet kisses and he happily agreed to let you practice your eyeliner on him. he thinks you're so pretty above him, biting your lip in concentration, he wants you badly. "all done!" "great work, pretty." a few beats of silence pass between you as you stare at one another, finally rin speaks up. "listen, i'll understand if you never wanna see me again after i tell you this." he starts. he explains that night to you finally. his family isn't in the cleanest of businesses, and sometimes that means taking care of things in "less than conventional" ways. unsure what to say you press your lips against his, hoping to convey your dedication to him. he slips a ring on your finger when you pull apart, pointing out his initials engraved into the metal. "here's mine." he tells you, reaching into his shirt to hold up a matching ring that dangles from a chain, this one with your initials. "you and me, baby."

ten.

his hand on your neck is cold but the barrel of the gun he presses to your jaw is even colder. you blink up at him, those gorgeous green eyes staring back at you. he leans in, lips ghosting the shell of your ear. click. "nobody loves you, more than me baby."

[anissanightyoung]

Of kisses and Roman traditions

[SUMMARY] Where Seungkwan enjoys kissing you and blames it on the Romans.

Idk what this is. Fluff? Flirty!Seungkwan definitely. Oh and noona!reader😁

3,087 words

HAPPY 6 YEARS TO MY BOYS💖💎

masterlist

You and Seungkwan have already kissed on three occasions. You didn't want to put too much thought into it, and you never mentioned it anyway. But sometimes it's hard to stop thinking about what those kisses mean.

The first kiss was at Seungkwan's house. All your friends were already asleep, tired of playing all his board games, and drunk innumerable bottles of liquor. You had finished cleaning up when Seungkwan came towards you. "Yah, why did you clean? This is my apartment.” You laughed at his half-asleep state, you could see just how tired he was trying to beat Soonyoung with one drunk. He did his best, but Soonyoung kept giving him +2s and +4s of tequila or vodka and mixing alcohol in Seungkwan's system ended badly. He threw up twice overnight.

"Look at you, hangover's gonna bite your ass in the morning. And you know I can't sleep when this place is trashed." You can hear him laughing lazily, trying to stay awake. "Come on, let's get you to bed." Seungkwan grins, "Starving. Creamy cheese bagels. Feed me?" You laughed at his antiques. You met him a year ago, and you know drunk Seungkwan needs to eat before he goes to bed. "This is a way of waking up hangover-free, noona. You should try it." But you know that Seungkwan will still have a headache the following day, with an Americano as a telling sign.

"You're too cute for your own good, do you know that?" You joked to him, shaking your head. You were warming up the bagel when he took your hand. "Happy anniversary, noona."

"What?"

"Do you think I wouldn't remember? It's the anniversary of the first time we met.”

"What a sappy, sappy man you are." You laugh while finishing his sandwich. You turned around to face him and said "ah" so he could take a bite out of the bagel. When he did, it was as if he had tasted food for the first time. When he had already swallowed his first bite, he suddenly threw his arms into your waist, swallowing you in a cuddle. That surprised you because he's not usually that sweet, and now he's very touchy.

"What are you doing?" You asked him when he set his bagel down on the counter and tugged the ends of your shirt pulling you closer to him. This is the only time you have noticed how he is a few inches taller than you, and that he has long eyelashes a bit like those of a baby. You were that close to notice that. He slowly bent over your face, staring directly at your lips, waiting for you to stop him. When you didn't, he closed the gap between the two of you and kissed you softly.

When he retired, he laid his head upon the counter and slept his intoxication away. You figured he’s too wasted to have done so. When you asked about the kiss the next day, he brushed it off, saying,  “Sorry, got wasted trying to beat that tiger hyung.”  

“Just don’t do it again okay? Friends don’t do that.”

“Yepp,” popping the last letter, “I’ll take you to your favorite burger place to make it up to you.” He drags you to his car while holding your hand. When he was driving, he held your hand still. “Hey, it's not okay to kiss, but it's okay to hold hands?” There was complete silence.

“Friends can hold hands, sure. When did friends start kissing on the lips?

“Friends with benefits do.”

“Ya are you asking me to? Cause you know I’m not into that kind of shit!”

Seungkwan laughed at your outburst. “Joking noona, sheesh. You’re getting old.”

“Shut it, I’m barely a year older than you.”

Throughout the ride, he didn't let go of your hand. However, you didn't seem to mind the extra warmth.

The second kiss took place around a campfire.

Soonyoung told the three of you that he wanted to go for a drive, and you were shocked when he suddenly parked by a beach. You never asked how Soonyoung got all of your clothes and other belongings, but he seemed to need the view of a peaceful ocean at night, so you all decided. You were already there, and the semester had just ended.

While you and Seungkwan were eating dinner you bought near the store, Seokmin began jamming to a guitar and singing his heart out. Soonyoung was on the lookout for the beach's caretaker to inquire about some wood for a campfire.

“I swear, I know Soonyoung oppa is the most spontaneous of us all, but I never expected him to be this bad. Is it really because of the finals?” 

“He may look carefree, but hyung goes through a lot,” Seokmin chuckled. You understand; everybody has their own way of dealing with their baggage, and Soonyoung's are to be daring and laugh his problems away.

“Minnie, can you play the song you submitted for your music class as a group project?” Campfire?” You believe it is appropriate for the atmosphere of the evening. While Seokmin was singing, you glanced over at Soonyoung to see how he was doing. His smile is beaming, and his eyes are glassy as he takes in the stunning scenery in front of him. You were relieved to see that his plan worked.

You looked at Seungkwan, realizing that this was his first time hearing the track. “Kwannie, pay attention to the next line. It's comforting.” You sang with Seokmin when the part came up. It reminds you of how Seungkwan made getting out of bed easier every day. Your anxiety held you awake at night or made you fearful of what might happen the next day. But Seungkwan, he unintentionally shone on you at a difficult period. Slowly but steadily, you began to anticipate waking up knowing that he would face the day with you.

Soonyoung accompanied Seokmin to the market to buy some food after he finished jamming due to his hunger. It was time for you to jam. Of course, you'd choose Taylor Swift's The Way I Loved You, in honor of her Fearless cover. You've always admired Taylor Swift's music, especially the older songs because you identify with the words she wrote. You were grateful for how her music got you through your childish heartbreaks.

You were so engrossed in Seungkwan's angelic voice that you didn't know he was already squatting in front of you. Both of you were grinning at each other when the last chord was struck, and you kissed him as though it were nothing out of the ordinary. The kiss felt right; it felt like it was what completed the song you were singing; it felt like the happy ending the song promised. To keep your balance, you clutched his arm. When you jerked away from him when you awoke from your daydream, he immediately drew you back in and kissed you again, squeezing your hand three times.

The four of you had agreed to spend Christmas Day at Seokmin's. Your mother didn't let you hear the end of it when you told them you couldn't come home because your family has always been conventional. Your mother guilt-tripping you to come home, saying, "We're family, we're supposed to spend time together." “Ah, well, families are supposed to support one another, not nag each other to death when one fails to meet one's expectations.” After that, you hang up, assuming that if you don't agree, your mother will say something else that you don't want or need to hear.

Seungkwan was supposed to pick you up, so while you were waiting for him, you double-checked everything you'd packed to make sure you hadn't forgotten anything. Seungkwan's introduction of Soonyoung and Seokmin is one of the things for which you are grateful. You've outgrown your crappy friends from high school, so the trio is a breath of fresh air for you.

You place your bags in the trunk as soon as you see his car, like a little kid heading to Disney World. “Thanks for picking me up, Kwannie,” she said, beaming. You excitedly slid down to the passenger seat. He immediately hugged you once you were sitting, saying, "Ah noona, you're in a good mood?" You can see his smile doesn't reach his eyes when you've broken free from the embrace. He's giving you a fake one.

“This is my first trip away from my home. I already know it'll be a lot of fun.”

“Really? At Seokmin Hyung's house, you'll feel right at home. His mother prepares the most delicious Christmas dinner. My mother's cooking pales in comparison.” Seungkwan once gave you a dish made by her mother, and one bite was enough to make you feel like you'd died and gone peacefully to heaven. The fact that Seokmin's mother cooks better piqued your curiosity. “Ah really? Then I'd really have to give it a taste.” He smiled again, the false smile, and you're starting to get bothered by it.

“What are you doing, Kwannie?” You're giving me this strange grin.”

“What do you mean strange?”

“Fake smile. It's the first time you've feigned a smile at me. What’s up?”

“You can see right through me, can't you?”

“Yes, I do. Would you like to talk about it?”

“Nope. But I'd like to take your hand.”

Seungkwan is holding your hand and exhaling contentedly. He kept it until you arrived at Seokmin's house.

Seokmin's house is warm and inviting. They live in a house on a corner with a vibrant garden surrounding it. The living room has an L-shaped couch that can comfortably seat all four of you, with additional seating available. Seokmin and his sister have a wall full of family photos and accomplishments. You can tell Seokmin's parents are a laid-back, loving family, as shown by his kindness and good humor. You don't know if it was the long ride, but you fell asleep as soon as you sat on their couch after the house tour.

When you first awoke, you chose to visit their garden, which you recall has a swing set. Seungkwan is seated by himself.

You teased, "Where are your twins?"

“They went grocery shopping with Mrs. Lee.”

“What kept you from going?”

“Too exhausted from driving.”

“Then you should've just slept with me.”

Seungkwan swung his head in your direction right away. “I-uh, what?”

Then it dawned on you what you'd said. This is so humiliating. “Sleep!” you exclaimed, “Sleeping, with eyes closed and resting-“

“I never expected you to finally ask me-”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY "FINALLY" YOU LITTLE SHIT?”

He laughed out loud at your reaction while you chased him around the backyard. He quit running around after you told him that you wouldn't smack him in the head.

“I hate you.”

That made Seungkwan stop laughing.

“Do you regret meeting me?”

You were surprised at his sudden change of tone, no longer joking. “Is this what it’s all about?”

“Well. Yeah.”

“I'm not sure what got you to think like that. You said, “But you know our first meeting was a flop.” When people meet for the first time, they usually ask for each other's names, go through some more tedious formalities, and then seal the deal with a handshake. You had an early class with him, and you didn't mind sharing a seat with him almost every time because you thought he was one of the quiet ones. The year was difficult for you because things didn't go your way, you had a lot of misfortunes, and you had a lot of work piling up that was affecting your mental health.

As you sat down in your chair one fateful morning, you put your cup of coffee on your side of the table. This is where Seungkwan got his drink mixed up with yours because you both have the same coffee taste.

“- flop is an exaggeration for that noona-”

“-you drank my coffee in our 8 a.m. class thinking it was yours, I'll never forgive you.” Reliving that moment made you roll your eyes. “But you know what? You wouldn't have replaced it if you hadn't, and I wouldn't have had the best year of my life.” It may seem to be an exaggeration, but it is true. You were grateful for Seungkwan's carefree and playful personality, which helped you get through your lowest point. He had no idea what you were going through, but you were relieved that someone was taking care of you.

He can be seen chewing his mouth, attempting to conceal his smile. “Ah dumb main character in a drama,” air quotes the phrase, ‘I wish I hadn't met you.' “I instantly thought of you.”

“Huh, that's strange.”

“What is?”

“That. As I previously said, this has been the best year I've had in, what, three years? And it's all thanks to you. I might be harsh with you all of the time, cursing at you whenever I get the chance, but that's just how I am. I'm glad I got you as one of my most reliable friends, my rock, and my go-to person. Even Seokmin and Soonyoung oppa were introduced to me by you. Seungkwan, I'd rather live in a world with you in it. Don’t think otherwise.”

Seungkwan stared at you and felt a combination of emotions. He kissed you when he understood what he felt.  At first, you thought it’ll be quick like the last time, a peck. But he deepened the kiss, and when his tongue touched yours, you hear him groan. He tugged you closer, afraid you’ll get away. He reassuringly held your hands, squeezing them three times just like the second time. I can get used to this. You thought. You focused on his soft lips, how you’ve always felt content while kissing him.

He pulled away, his chest heaving for breath. “Holy shit,” Seungkwan said. You nodded in agreement, apparently unable to concentrate because of your heart beating so loudly.

“I-, uh, I--”

“I thought we’ve talked this through?-”

He sighed deeply before adding, “I-I got cold. Sorry, noona.”

“You dumb shit, if you were cold, I would have made you hot chocolate. I’m nice sometimes you know.”

“I don't mind,” he smirked, “you're hotter anyway.”

“What the heck is wrong with you? I swear to god, you've been flirting with me since that drunk uno shit.”

“It's a Roman thing to kiss under the mistletoe,” he said, pointing to the mistletoe he was carrying.

You both laughed it off, thinking about how ridiculous it sounded. “Roman tradition my ass.”

You and Seungkwan are both in the hospital on New Year's Eve.

“Ah, what a dumb plan you had there,” you exclaimed, staring at him in disbelief.

“Well, I've always wanted to go out of my comfort zone...”

You give him a light smack on the head. “Shut up. Now I'm trapped in a hospital over New Year's because of your dumb plan.”

It's never a good idea to combine Seungkwan with hiking. Sure, he's fit, but when was the last time he went hiking?

“Then have Seokmin hyung or Soonyoung hyung accompany me.”

“They're still at Seokmin's.” You and Seungkwan both arrived at your dorms earlier than anticipated. After all, you didn't want to overstay your welcome; it was your first time. You were worried that Seokmin's mother would think you were too at ease in their home.

“Well, if you want to go home, you can.”

“Who will look after you if I go home?”

For a moment, Seungkwan didn't dare add a sarcastic comment on that question. So, instead, “Come on y/n, don't be so mad...”

“Where are your manners, I'm your noona?”

“three kisses in and I still can't call you by your name?”

You blushed when you remembered all of the times Boo SeungKwan kissed you and how sweet his soft lips were.

“Noona is blushing, wah.”

“I hope your ankle doesn’t heal you little shit.”

Raising his eyebrows at you. "You don't mean that. You love me."

"Of course I do. I love all three of you."

He reached for your hand. "I bet you love me more." There it was again, Seungkwan surprising you with his sudden seriousness. He was staring straight into your eyes, waiting for your response. Luckily, a nurse came in to check his vitals.

 A few minutes after the nurse came out, both of you were ignoring each other due to that sudden tension. To ease the situation, both of you just watched television until you fell asleep.

"Y/n wake up." Nudging you by your shoulders. "We're nearing the countdown. Cmon," and urged you to stand by the window, waiting for the fireworks.

Seungkwan then leaned in to put an earphone in, with a song already playing in the background. You realized it was a song written by Soonyoung's classmate, Woozi, for a songwriting class. You were bopping your head to the music when the ten-second countdown started. 

You and Seungkwan alternately sang along.

10

9

"I promise myself, while drinking a glass of water in the morning, to tell you"

새벽에 물을 마시면서 혼자 다짐해 나는 너에게

8

7

"Beautiful words like the lines in a movie"

영화처럼 달콤하고 예쁜 그 말

6

5

"The words I've prepared overnight for days"

몇 날 며칠 밤새 연습했던 그 말

4

3

"I want to say them to you tomorrow with clenched fists"

내일은 꼭 두 주먹을 꽉 쥐고 말해주고 싶어

2

1

Seungkwan turned to face you just in time for the next line.

"You are pretty." 

너 예쁘다

As soon as the clock struck twelve and the fireworks went off, Seungkwan kissed you. What astonished you was how you knew he was about to kiss you and how you returned the kiss with fervor as he deepened it. You can't help but compare this man to fireworks; how dark it was before him, and how awestruck you were when he came into your life.

Seungkwan was the first to back away, touching his forehead to yours and giggling like a joyful little kid. “Did you know that it’s a Roman tradition to kiss on the first minute of the new year?”

“Blaming the Romans again, I see?” playfully raising your eyebrows at him.

He laughed at that, giving you no excuse. "I love you, Y/n."

You grinned as you silently thank the Romans for their weird traditions.

[ladyblogger-margie]

Motel Adventure - Chapter 1

Pairings: Will “Ironhead” Miller x F!Reader, Frankie “Catfish” Morales x F!Reader, Santiago “Pope” Garcias x F!Reader, Benny Miller x F!Reader

Summary: A “Choose Your Own Smutty Adventure” story. Chapter 1 follows F!Reader and the Triple Frontier boys (post-movie) on a roadtrip where you’re forced to pull over for the night unexpectedly, and there aren’t enough beds. Who will you choose to bunk with? Or will you sleep alone? (hint, all decisions end in sex). Your choice will determine Chapter 2. 

Word Count: 1343

Warnings: 18+ ONLY because this is a setup for PURE SMUT to come in the multiple Chapter 2s. 

a/n: I love the “Only One Bed” trope, and I love ALL the TF Boys (not Tom) and wanted to practice writing smut for all of them, so I had an idea for this little concept. I hope you have as much fun with it as I did. 

MY MASTERLIST

You had known the guys for years, but in the time since Tom’s death, you’d become especially close with them. You had noticed them struggling after whatever the hell happened in South America, and while you never learned the exact details, you knew enough to know they needed each other. So you took it upon yourself to hold them together. And in turn, they kept you happy, kept you whole. They had all become your closest and dearest friends. 

That’s how you found yourself on this weekend away road trip with the guys, all piled into Frankie’s truck. Benny had a fight tournament out of state so you all decided to make a weekend out of it. Benny had won his Saturday night Championship fight and the celebrations ran all night. While fun, it set you way behind schedule for your Sunday return home. 

And then the rain started. The sky was a dangerous, threatening grey all day and when the sun went down, the sky fell hard. The rain was torrential and Frankie was white knuckling the steering wheel while everyone else was silent. 

You were in the back sandwiched between Will and Pope as you gripped the back of Benny’s passenger seat nervously. You trusted that Frankie was an excellent driver, but you’ve never seen conditions like this. 

You didn’t want anything to happen to any of these guys. They were your family and you loved them. But you also were in love with one of them, and none of them had any idea. You hadn’t wanted anything to change in your group, you didn’t want to ruin this stable dynamic all of you were so dependent on these days. Admitting your feelings could jeopardize everything. 

You had realized your feelings a few months back when you were all out at the bar one night. You had all taken Frankie out for a drink when his divorce finalized. The divorce had been civil and Frankie was a proper co-parent, it’s just that sometimes people don’t end up together. Despite the fact that Frankie said he was totally fine with it all, you and the boys insisted he needed to blow off some steam at your favourite dive bar. 

“I really am fine,” Frankie said, “But it is nice to get out with you all.” And he clinked his glass to all of yours. 

You all hooted and hollered for him in response. Then you took turns sharing your worst breakup stories. 

“Well I’ve never been one for relationships,” Pope said, “But that shit in Australia hurt.”

“At least you tried,” Will said, “I never tried to make it work with my girl when she ran out.”

“To be fair,” Benny interrupted,” She was a bitch.”

Will shook his head but didn’t fight his smile, “Still, trying’s got to count for something.”

“Well I still think I win,” Benny said.

“You haven’t heard mine though,” you pointed out. 

Benny scoffed, “Mine ended with half my closet being set on fire.”

“I ended up homeless sleeping on my cousin Molly’s couch,” you explained, “Don’t you remember I was living with her and Tom when I met you guys?”

Benny thought about it, “Yeah but then you got to meet us, so I’d call that a win.”

Everyone laughed and you noticed the pitcher was empty at the center of the table.

“Next round’s on me,” you said standing and heading to the bar. 

While you waited your turn, you looked back at the table with your boys and smiled. 

A large frat boy looking guy stepped in front of your view of your table. 

“Hey, sexy, can I buy you a drink?” He asked.

“I’m good,” you said as the bartender passed over your pitcher. 

“That all for you?” The frat boy asked

“Nope, me and my friends,” you pointed behind him and when he turned to look you saw the boys watching you carefully. You pulled a “save me” face in their direction, hoping they saw it before the frat guy blocked your view again. 

“Ditch them,” he slurred at you, “I’ll give you a night to remember.”

You forced a smile, “No thanks.”

“Come on, you’re hot and I’m sure I could rock your world,” he offered as he backed you up against the bar, leaving you without an escape. 

“Please let me go back to my friends,” you asked, bracing yourself. 

“Why are you being a bitch?” his voice was threatening. 

“There a problem here?” Benny asked from behind the guy. He was flanked by Pope, Frankie, and Will.

“I think it’s time to go,” Will suggested, his arms crossed and jaw locked. 

“I was just talking to her,” the guy said, his arms up.

“Do you want to keep talking to him,” Pope asked you, but his eyes were locked on the frat guy. 

“Nope,” you said, your voice stronger now with the arrival of your backup.

Frankie took the pitcher from you in one hand and grasped your wrist with his other hand, “Come on, let’s go sit down,” and he led you away. 

“I think you should call it a night,” Will told the guy.

The guy went to argue when Benny stopped him by saying, “That wasn’t a suggestion.”

“I’d listen to him,” Pope finished and the guy sulked away out of the bar. 

You sat with Frankie at the table smiling when the other three rejoined you. 

Pope touched your arm gently, “You okay?”

Will and Benny watched you so softly, and Frankie still held your wrist. It was all so sincere, so genuine. 

You laughed. You laughed and they were stunned so you explained, “You guys are like my own personal security detail. Never has it been easier to give a creep the slip.”

They all smiled themselves, just glad you were alright. 

“I was really fine, that happens all the time,” you explained, pouring the next round for the table from the fresh pitcher. 

“You shouldn’t have to deal with that,” Will said.

“It’s life,” you shrugged. 

“Not with us,” Frankie promised. 

The guys nodded and you felt the skin of your face grow warm. 

“Okay, this is getting sappy,” you joked, “Who wants to play quarters?

Later that night alone in your apartment you replayed the evening and realized while you were touched they all had your back, you had a different feeling about one of your defenders. You lulled yourself to sleep imagining that he felt about you the way you felt about him. 

The memory of that night flashed in your mind in time with a vibrant bolt of lightning that lit up the whole front window of the truck. 

“Maybe we should pull over and find a motel for the night,” you suggested.

“She might be right,” Will said. 

“How are you feeling, Frankie?” Pope asked. 

“I’d be okay with a motel,” Frankie answered with his eyes glued to the road. 

“I think there’s one at the next exit,” Benny said, pointing at the exit sign ahead. 

Frankie carefully exited the highway and the motel appeared not far down the road. It wasn’t anything flashy but it would do the trick so Frankie parked the truck in the parking lot. 

“I have to call work and leave a message I won’t be in tomorrow,” you explained, “I’ll catch up.”

The boys nodded and promised to get you a room as you pulled out your cell under the protection of the front awning. 

When you hung up, you headed back inside to see the four men standing there, a little sheepish, each holding a room key. 

“What’s up?” you asked. 

“Apparently lots of people decided to get off the road for the night,” Frankie started. 

“So there aren’t many rooms left,” Will continued. 

“We got the last four vacancies,” Pope said. 

“You’ll have to share with one of us,” finished Benny. 

Your breath hitched and you realized you could spend the night, alone, with the man you were in love with. You just had to have the courage to choose. 

Choose Will “Ironhead” Miller*

Choose Santiago “Pope” Garcias*

Choose Frankie “Catfish” Morales*

Choose Benny Miller*

Choose Alone*

[fishmongeringstudies]

twenty three: after the end of the song the singer's voice travels down the hallway into the room at the other end, where god is braiding a skein of light into your hair

it's a five minute walk from the apartment in singapore to the subway station. after exiting the building, take a right, wait for the red light to turn, then keep walking until you see a sleek gray building rising out of the pavement at the end of the path. the station is underneath. take the escalator, elevator, or the stairs. all three of them will dispense you in the same wide underground space with the polished marble floor. buy a ticket or three. walk through the gantry. head down another flight of stairs, and then another, until you arrive, at last, at the promised place.

i'm told america is a country of cars. since the invention of the gas-powered vehicle in 1886 it has been unable to rid itself of this idea, this dream of flying, faster than light being chased out of the sunset, through suburbs, cities, and towns, and so to prove its ephemeral strength to an audience which wasn't looking, the distance between each grew wider. the average american spends nearly an hour behind the steering wheel each day. in the spring my friend told me, while picking a grilled cheese sandwich apart with a fork, that he drove eight hours to get to college.

it takes less than an hour to drive from one end of singapore to the other. if the traffic is good and you don't get lost in the central business district, staring down week-old acai joints and cafes full of shimmering mass-produced wall decor, it could take less. it took me an hour and a half to crawl from the west coast to the east on a weekday morning. i went by train, bus, and foot.

motion proves existence. if i can bring this body to five different points on a map then i have left a mark on all the places in between, in each footprint pressed into the soft dirt of each route. to exist in confinement is to be visible from one place only. and that place is hell.

this morning the elevator smelled like someone threw up in it. when i stepped inside with my laundry hamper slung over my shoulder i didn't notice the smell because i was too busy making brief but awkward eye contact with the other person who had been waiting for the elevator, who whispered once the door slid shut in a voice like ginger ale poured over a bed of pearls, 'first floor?' then pressed the button with a manicured nail. the elevator dumped us on the first floor and we walked off in opposite directions. after dumping a week's worth of sticky summer heat in the wash, i came back. and so did the smell of vomit.

today is saturday, which means last night things happened in this building that i don't know about and have no desire to look into. at about midnight i heard someone screaming from some distance away and looked outside to see a skinny figure tearing down the sidewalk that led up to our dorm, pinwheeling their arms like a madman or a pigeon with a bad case of flight anxiety. they sounded like someone had put the rosetta stone through a voice distortion program. behind them, out of sight, came the echo of high-pitched, shrieking laughter. after a moment, they stopped swinging their arms and turned to stare back down the empty, moonlit path. WHAT'RE YOU LOOKING AT, HUH? they bellowed, like a god. i looked away from my window.

they say college is about trying things you will regret and doing them with a brand of stupid fearless pride unique to the peculiar creature that we call the college student anyway, because nineteen year olds don't know what fear looks, sounds, or tastes like. the logic behind this is as follows. the corporate workplace doesn't tolerate individuality on principle, so if every kid's going to have an obligatory three hour long soul-searching indie film shot about their life then they might as well do it in a controlled setting along with a thousand other kids who are going through the same thing. some of them may be film majors. in which case, your indie film will be very good. some of them may be engineering majors. in which case your indie film will be very bad. regardless, you're guaranteed to come out of your choice of higher education money-making machine with something to tell your parents that'll make them bawl their eyes out and send you, cherub-cheeked and smiling, to your room.

they say college will change your life. i know because i said it. i wrote a poem about it. when i was eighteen i said i was going to take a bottle and a bottle-opener and then i was going to hop on a plane to america and then- fireworks and stars. the disneyland effect. step through these gates and all your anxieties will go away. everyone will live forever. your grandfather doesn't wish you were dead. and magic, oh, magic lives right here, under the skin of the clavicle, where all wishes are made. mouth on neck. a resuscitation activity.

but someone needs to cut the grass. each morning at eight a man in a green vest takes a lawnmower and drives it up and down the football field across from this building. the lawnmower is loud. it reverberates in my head and makes it hard to concentrate on pretty much anything, so i get out my earplugs and i sit there in the static and resign myself to half an hour of nothing. i can only begin to imagine what it must be like to be the person sitting there, at the heart of all the commotion, making eight am on a saturday morning sound like a symphony orchestra. and then i stop trying. because imagining pain is nearly the same thing as feeling it. because our brains know how to do more than they're worth. we could replace the imagination with a photograph and a virtual-reality headset and it wouldn't live up to half the stuff that goes on behind the eyelids, to the cinematic masterpiece that we wake up to each morning. this is why we tell such good stories. this is also why we struggle to finish them.

this morning i woke up with a turquoise ocean on my tongue. in my sleep i walked to the end of the world, where a single island stood guard over a sliver of sea so bright it hurt my eyes to look at it. the island was populated with ferns and palm trees and flowers in shades of pink and silver, brimming with a vitality that stood frozen in a motif of life itself, the ferns not swaying, the flowers empty of bees. it looked like a place you went to die. we stood there staring at this snapshot of death until my mother and sister got up and began to run back towards the center of the world, to its beating red heart, and i scrambled to catch up to them but everything in my backpack had fallen out somewhere in between reaching this raft of terror and stopping to look up at the gray sky and i began to panic. i bent over to pick up notebooks, pencils, a crumpled water bottle, all the while begging the others to wait for me. just give me a minute. just give me a little more time.

under the assumption that people can and always will hurt other people, every relationship becomes a matter of discerning who will make the first cut and who will be the one left standing on stage, clutching a bloody arm and calling out for a friend who cannot reply. even the other half of your soul, narrated as such by the poets, can seek to end you. after all, self-destruction is in vogue again. it is the ultimate act of defiance against a state obsessed with keeping its citizens alive in the most horrible ways possible. it is also, always, unexpected.

under the assumption that life is a three hour long indie film about self-discovery, everything you do cannot and will not be held against you when you are twenty-eight and your boss digs up the old paper trail of who you were in college, unless you buried a body in the backyard with your best friend, freshman year. people change people change people. change. people change. people fall into rabbit holes and emerge with new hands, new eyes, new teeth. people do things. every day, we wake up and we make the decision to do things. sometimes the thing is going to the park. sometimes the thing is making breakfast.

either way, we are performing miracles. because motion is about dislocating yourself from the socket, about cutting the person out of the painting; even if you put them back in the same painting, the act of returning tips the scales significantly in favor of the heart. which beats, through all of this strange, repetitive violence, down the elevator, down the path that leads to the subway that you haven't been on since the start of february, when you believed in no one but yourself. little has changed since then. but you understand now. you are not heading for the promised place. you are the promised place; you are a promised person. you promised yourself when you were born that you would live to see the grass grow out after a long, dry winter. and now here you are, ready to live it all.

06.12.21

[shouta-aizawow]

So... It's my birthday, so i will write you a hc. Every day in his birthday Katsuki takes the exact same picture but in different locations. For his 18 birthday all of 1A decide to go to those loctions (some were out of Japan, so they started doing it since the his 17 birthday, and they found a person who could space travel) and take pictures in those places, and also buy a little something.

And then they give it to him with a letter to open after the day was over. It's sure to say that there were tears in both ends.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! 🎉🎂🎁🎊🎈

I hope you’re having a great day!!!!!!

(Lolol let’s just ignore the fact that I haven’t responded to your asks for months, please...I promise I’ve read and loved all of them!! I’m usually just too tired to do much else ;~;)

ANYWAY!!! I’ve planned this response in my notes cause I’m rusty XDDD

Okay!

Katsuki’s never been one for celebrating his birthday with others. His parents were always too busy to pay his special day any mind, not to mention how much he detests crowds and loud parties.

So, yeah. Katsuki was always alone on his birthday, and that’s exactly how he likes it.

But that doesn’t mean he treats it as just another day.

No matter what, on April 20th, Bakugou Katsuki would go on an adventure.

———

It first started with a camera, a sandwich, and bone-deep determination. Katsuki set out to lands unknown (the forest near the park), battled the fearsome beasts (rabbits that ran away at the sound of his footsteps) and finally found his rightful treasure (a clearing filled with flowers).

He took a picture to immortalize his discovery before sitting down and having his lunch, relaxing underneath the sun, surrounded by the sounds of wildlife.

And at 8 years old, Katsuki realized that this is the best birthday that anyone could ever have.

And after that day, Katsuki made it a tradition.

Throughout the year, he’d make note of new places he’d like to visit, mysterious forests he’d like to explore, monstrous mountains he’d like to conquer.

And on April 20th, he’d set out.

———

Time skip to UA. Dorms have been in place for almost 3 years, Class 1-A is now Class 3-A, and Katsuki gets ready to go, early enough so even the insomniacs wouldn’t be downstairs.

He has his camera, a sandwich (the same one he had at 8. Sue him, it’s been 10 years and he’s feeling sentimental), and bone-deep determination that had never wavered, and Katsuki opens the door, ready to take on the world.

———

It’d been a great day.

The weather was perfect, Katsuki was left alone, and he has a new photo on his camera.

Katsuki hums to himself, small smile on his face with a skip in his step as he reaches the front door, ready to take a shower and go to sleep.

Only to freeze as he sees every one of classmates waiting for him.

Uh... okay...he’ll just head upsta-

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

Goddammit...

But wait...

There aren’t any decorations, no food spread out on tables. No one is rushing at him and he’s not feeling crowded at all.

Katsuki let’s himself relax.

He’s still confused, though. Really confused.

Before he can voice his bewilderment, however, Kirishima approaches him, large grin and even larger book in his hand. He offers it to Katsuki.

Katsuki’s confusion makes way for compliance as he takes the book, cracks it open and...

Oh... it’s a scrapbook.

He looks closer, sees selfies and clearings with flowers and trees and mountains and sandwiches and-

Oh... he knows those places. Did they—

A box enters his vision, scarred hands holding it out.

Katsuki takes it, opens it.

There are brochures and keychains and items from gift shops that he’s passed by but never entered.

And that’s when Katsuki realizes.

And that’s when Katsuki starts to cry.

“Eh?! Kacchan?!”

“Bro, what’s wrong?!”

“Bakugou?!”

“Do you hate it?!”

Classmates scramble over themselves trying to fix perceived wrongs, making a ruckus as they try to console a hunched over Katsuki.

“You idiots!”

They freeze, the sound of oh-so-sweet but oh-so-rare laughter filling the common room.

And Katsuki looks up with a grin and says: “Thanks.”

And now Class 3-A is crying.

(Wait I forgot the letter... just pretend Katsuki finds it on his desk when he goes to his room and starts to cry again and all the heartfelt messages <333)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN!!!! I hope you enjoyed this!!!! XDDD I might respond to your other asks today, but I can’t promise anything ;~; 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

[kiras-sunshine]

Beside you in a blinding bliss

Tarlos. 4.4k

For: 911 couple’s retreat  (@911CouplesRetreat) day 1 “you have never looked more beautiful” + hurt/comfort

Summary:

He places it on the floor, near his shin. The fake flame flickers a little, but it is dim, and it certainly doesn’t illuminate the bathroom.

“Now it’s an anniversary,” TK remarks, softly, with a tiny sigh.

ao3

or

**

author’s note: this includes slight descriptions of puking

***

The room spins as Carlos attempts to move and he has to grab the edge of the bathtub to steady himself. He is already sitting on the floor, but even the smallest movement makes spots appear in the corner of his vision and he has to take a couple of deep breaths to get rid of them.

He feels ridiculously weak, and the bathroom smells awful. He cannot get rid of the reeking, even though he has flushed the toilet multiple times since puking his insides out, and he just wants to curl up in a ball and forget the whole day.

The nausea still wallows threateningly in the pit of his stomach, but he isn’t convinced that the guilt wouldn’t be overpowering the waves of nausea.

TK didn’t seem angry or disappointed when he found him puking in the bathroom. If anything, he was just concerned and worried about him. Carlos cannot really blame him, he would probably have the same reaction if it was the other way around, but Carlos cannot help but feel like he has let him down.

It’s their first anniversary, and they actually had plans. Nothing too fancy, but they had a dinner reservation to a place they have meant to try for ages, and he had done the reservation months ago. Sure, it is only a dinner, but it is more about the meaning the date holds rather than about the food.

TK deserves the world, he knows that much and it’s ridiculous and slightly stupid, but he just wanted to give him a nice, stress-free evening and celebrate their love, but apparently even that proved to be too difficult.  

Work was plain terrible. They were understaffed and the whole shift was filled with a call after a call, and he didn’t really have a time to sit down and eat lunch, so he grabbed a sandwich from a food truck and he knew it tasted funny, but he didn’t have time to dwell on the thought too long because the dispatch sent them to another scene.

With his luck, he ended up with a food poisoning.

At least, that is his best guess. He felt a little off when he left the precinct and by the time he got home, the nausea was too strong to keep bottled up inside, and since that he has spent most of the afternoon camping out at the bathroom floor.

Carlos sincerely hopes it is a food poisoning because it could mean he would feel better quicker and the last thing he wants to do is to pass on some stomach bug to TK. It would be a terrible gift as far as anniversary gifts go.

Carlos tries to suppress a yawn and for a moment, he ponders whether he could just lie down and fall asleep on the floor. It feels like every ounce of energy would have been drained out of him, and somehow, even sitting up seems to require too much currently.

His mind definitely feels a little hazy and he knows exhaustion is taking over, but he is almost sure he hears the front door open and close. Despite everything, it makes him smile. It helps to know that he isn’t alone.

A few moments pass before he hears the bathroom door crack open, and TK appears to the bathroom. He is carrying a grocery store plastic bag and Carlos is happy to see him again, but his stomach lurches with guilt as he sees the concern shining in his eyes.

“Your beloved car survived without a scratch,” TK tells him, in apparent form of greeting, as he sits right next to him on the floor without any hesitation. He leans against the bathtub and glances at him, but he presses a kiss on his temple.

Carlos flashes him a lopsided and quick smile.

TK’s driving skills are infamous among the 126, even if they let him drive the ambulance nowadays. Judd sent him a lot of pictures of the destroyed traffic cones when he tried to teach TK to drive the ladder truck. TK himself sent him pictures of the battered rear end of the truck.

Despite all of that, Carlos has always let him drive the Camaro when he has needed it, but still TK immediately took it as some sort of highest form of trust. Carlos does trust him, with everything and anything, so it is not unwarranted of him to think that way, but TK has developed the habit of declaring, after every time he has driven, that his car still remains un-crashed.

“And you?” Carlos asks, hoarsely.

“What?”

“I care a lot more if you survived without a scratch,” Carlos points out, kindly. It feels like an obvious thing to say, but he likes to remind him of it, anyway. He has to close his eyes for a moment because the room spins a little.

Any reluctance he might have towards letting him drive is because he only worries that TK will get himself hurt. But he has seen him drive, he isn’t that bad at it. He just has an unorthodox way of reversing.

“I did,” TK confirms with warm laughter, “I mean I only visited pharmacy and the supermarket.”

Carlos had every intention of texting TK that he wasn’t feeling well when he first got home, but he never got around to do it, and when TK arrived back to the apartment from his own shift, he gave him a full check-up before darting to buy some medicine that would make him feel better and stomach-friendly foods.

“You once got kidnapped from a parking lot,” he mumbles. Moving feels awful, but he rests his head against TK’s shoulder because holding his head up on his own feels impossibly tiring.

“True,” TK says, but his voice softens as he continues, “how are you feeling?”

“Like dying.”

It feels like an honest answer. It is only maybe a tiny bit of exaggeration, but he feels miserable. His stomach aches and cramps, and it is hard to focus on anything else except the nausea. Carlos lifts his hand a little, but as soon as he moves it, it starts to shake.

TK’s fingers immediately curl around his shaking hand and it almost makes it stop. He holds it firmly, but still gently and places their intertwined hands at Carlos’ lap.

Logically, he knows that handholding cannot cure nausea, but it almost feels like it. Feeling the touch of his skin helps him to focus on something else. His touch is almost like a concrete proof that he is not alone and that whatever he is feeling will pass, sooner or later.

TK lets out a sympathetic hum, and his hand feels almost too warm against his. “No dying on my watch, but you do look like crap.”

Carlos snorts. “I guess we’re officially out of the honeymoon stage.”

He means it as a joke, even though his voice comes out a little meek. In all honesty, he has no idea where the end or beginning of their honeymoon stage would lie. He still gets goddamn butterflies in his stomach when TK even as much as smiles at him, and he is probably more in love than ever.

“You’ve never looked more beautiful,” TK replies, and his voice is light and teasing, but it doesn’t sound like a complete joke to his ears, even though it must be.  

Carlos can imagine the way he is looking. He looked pale already in the locker room of the precinct and he knows he is drenched in sweat. Generally, he feels gross. It still feels like a small miracle that TK is willing to sit pressed next to him, kissing his head and holding his hand, without any complaints.

“That’s the spirit,” he manages to crook out before his stomach lurches and he has to puke again.

The sudden movement makes him dizzy and the taste in his mouth is bitter and awful. It sort of feels like he couldn’t breath properly and he is gasping for air, but TK is rubbing his shoulders in a soothing manner and it helps a little to keep the panic at the bay.

“It’s okay,” he whispers, “just breath. You’ll feel better soon. I promise.”

He isn’t sure if he loathes more the feeling of sickness or the fact that TK has to be there to witness it. If there is ever anyone in front of whom he has allowed himself to feel weak, it is TK, but he still cannot shake the uneasiness of being so helpless and small in front of him. He is also willing to bet that TK sees a lot grosser things at work on weekly basis, but that doesn’t mean he should witness it from him.

Carlos doesn’t really trust his voice to answer, so he just nods. He wants to believe that and as he catches his breath, he, at least temporarily, feels slightly better.

TK is still stroking his back.  “Have you drunk anything?”

“No.”

He didn’t even manage to drink a gulp of water when he ate that damn sandwich before they were sent to another scene.

Carlos turns around again, placing himself back to the familiar spot against the bathtub. TK studies him with his gaze for a moment before he pulls a bottle of water out of the plastic bag. He hands it to him, and the bottle feels lukewarm in his hands.

“Try to drink a little bit, okay? If it feels bad or you cannot keep it down, I can hook you into an IV bag of saline. If you want to.”  

His voice is soft and sincere, and full of concern, and Carlos cannot tell exactly how serious he is with his offer. All he knows that his first-aid kit has gone through a proper upgrade since TK started at his new job and he wouldn’t be that surprised if they had the equipment for simple infusion, too.

“I don’t think a food poisoning requires a paramedic,” he replies, slightly tentatively because he doesn’t want him to take it the wrong way. He opens the water bottle with shaky hands and takes a small sip out of it.

“Too bad that you’re dating one,” he remarks, but he watches him like a hawk as he keeps slowly drinking the water. “If the water’s fine, then you can take some electrolyte pills with it. They should help too.”

He lets out a non-committal grunt. Carlos doesn’t exactly mind that he is taking care of him. He rather likes it, and it makes him feel loved, but he doesn’t want to burden him after the twenty-hour shift he has just pulled off. “No need to bring work to home.”

TK stares at him for a moment. He squints his eyes a little as he tilts his head to the side. He opens his mouth but abruptly closes it again. “You--,” he starts, but he ends up shaking his head. “I’m not taking care of you ‘cause of some oath I’ve taken at work. I want to take care of you ‘cause I love you, and that’s really not work.”

Carlos looks down on his own hands, a little abashedly. It’s nothing he wouldn’t know already, but it is still a different thing to hear him say it. He knows TK loves him, he tells him it often enough and he shows it, too. It is almost a tangible thing that he can feel, and his love surrounds him every day, and he had no real doubts he would be doing any of this out of anything else except love. But he has lived most of his adult life alone, and it is difficult to accept help when he is used to managing on his own. He wants to accept it, but he cannot silence the part of his mind that keeps insisting that he is asking for too much.

He bites his bottom lip as he looks back up to TK. “Yeah, okay. I know. I’m glad you’re here.”

TK gives him a small smile, but it is definitely genuine one. It makes a different kind of warmth to spread in his stomach.

“Are we in the realm of possibility of leaving the bathroom?”

“Not really,” Carlos breathes out. He wants to leave the hard and cold floor, and possibly crash into the bed, but all of that feels like a distant wish. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s fine,” TK reassures, sitting back right next to him. “Nothing wrong with a bathroom.”

“You don’t have to stay here,” he points out, softly. He is a grown adult, and he isn’t in any sort of mortal danger. There is no reason why he couldn’t deal with a food poisoning on his own. Knowing that TK is at home would be more than enough.  “This isn’t really how I imagined our anniversary to be.”

“There’s no way I’d leave you alone when you’re feeling this terrible,” he says, without missing a beat, and he sounds determined, “and I brought something.”

TK rummages through the plastic bag and pulls out something small that looks like plastic. He presses something at the bottom of it and orange light appears in the middle of it. Carlos wants to blame his exhausted and dehydrated brain for taking it so long to realise that TK is holding a led candle in the middle of his palm.

He places it on the floor, near his shin. The fake flame flickers a little, but it is dim, and it certainly doesn’t illuminate the bathroom.

“Now it’s an anniversary,” TK remarks, softly, with a tiny sigh.

Carlos is pretty sure his heart clenches with the love he is feeling. The candle itself is a pathetic sight, but it is the thought of it behind it that makes his heart feel too small for all the love it tries to contain.

“That’s—nice,” he says, little lamely, but he appreciates more than he can tell. His mind is still too foggy to form any more coherent sentences and his head suddenly feels a lot heavier than before.

“I had to improvise,” TK laughs, but he stops quickly when he looks at him. “You want to lay down?”

Carlos manages to nod, and suddenly TK’s hands are on his shoulders and he gently and slowly steers him into lying position, but he places his head on his lap. As soon as he settles there, TK’s fingers are already in his hair and he runs them along his scalp.

“You know, I don’t mind that much that our plans got cancelled,” TK says, softly, breaking the silence after a couple of quiet moments.

“You don’t have to try and make me feel better.”

He already feels miserable enough lying curled up on the bathroom floor and using his boyfriend’s thighs as a pillow. His self-pity is already covering all the pity he needs, and he knows he brought this on himself by eating the sandwich even when his instincts told there was something odd about it.

“I’m not just saying it to make you feel better,” TK huffs, almost amusedly, “of course I hope you’d be able to stand on your feet and not to puke everything out, but we can have dinner some other time.”

Carlos knows he is right. It is already a small miracle that both of them have the evening off, and he guesses the meaning and idea of the anniversary is more important than celebrating it on the actual day.

“Yeah.”

“It’s just a day,” TK says, almost casually.

It is ridiculous, but it breaks Carlos’ heart a little. He knows it is not TK’s fault if he isn’t bothered by the cancellation or if he doesn’t see their anniversary the same way as he does, but he cannot control the pang of hurt it creates.

Carlos knows he might come off as a reserved person, but he has always liked to make a big deal of any sort of celebrations he has shared with his loved ones. His sisters’ and friends’ birthdays. Their high school graduations. All the holidays. His parents’ anniversaries. TK’s one year of sobriety.

He likes making his loved ones happy and sharing happy moments with them and showing by that how much he loves and appreciates them, and just how proud he is of them. TK has always appreciated everything he has planned for him, and he had gone out and the above with Carlos’ birthday and with that horrendous tumour cake for his dad.

And it had been nice, that he had finally met someone who appreciated that side of him, and matched with him and made the similar effort for him, but he should have guessed that at some point, eventually, he and TK would clash on it, too.

He knows TK loves him, and it is not like he would be second-guessing his feelings or commitment, but it feels stupid and selfish to hope that the day that is supposed to be about the two of them would hold more significance for him.

That it wouldn’t be just a day among the rest of them.

If there is a silver lining, it is that his nonchalant reaction is easier to deal with than plain disappointment of their plans being cancelled.

“It is,” he lies, quietly.

TK lets out a heavy sigh. “That came out wrong.”

“It’s fine,” he rushes to murmur.

It is the truth. It feels worse than it actually is because he is already wallowing self-pity, and he knows it will be fine once he manages to sleep through the night and when he doesn’t feel like his stomach is plotting to kill him.

“It’s not fine,” TK insists, accompanied by another sigh, but it is a lot softer this time. “The anniversary, it’s a big deal. Of course it is and I want it to be a big deal. And I don’t want you thinking that it wouldn’t mean a lot to me, because it does.”

Carlos quietly hums as a response because it sounds like TK has something more to say.

“You mean a lot to me, and I’ve been so—happy during this year and so obviously I want to go all out on the celebrations, but just—all I wanted, really, was to spend the day with you, and while this,” he continues softly and vaguely gestures towards the bathroom “wasn’t the plan, I’m still not disappointed. I get to be with you, and I love you as much here as I’d in some fancy restaurant.”

Carlos is certain he is so dehydrated that there is no possible way for him to tear up, but still, as he listens to his quiet rambling, his eyes start to sting. It definitely awakes a whole another twirl of emotions inside of his heart, but this time it is just raw happiness, love and plain affection.

A tiny bit of embarrassment mixes in with it all, because he misinterpreted his words and demeanour, but he wants to blame that on his own insecurities and the food poisoning clouding his mind. But he is still a little bit of in awe because somehow TK knew exactly what he needed to hear, and all of it is just overwhelming.

“The restaurant would probably smell better,” Carlos ends up deadpanning, because he is still a little speechless.

A surprised laughter escapes from TK’s mouth and he shakes his head, but he scrunches his nose. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“And it means a lot to me, too,” he adds with more serious tone.

Carlos has known since the beginning that they share a connection that is special and profound, somehow, and he has wanted him since he saw him, but he is still a little bit in awe that they have made it so far despite their rocky start.

He wants him to know it, too, even if his mind cannot come up with anything too eloquent.

“I know,” TK replies, simply, “and you’re in no shape to go to work tomorrow, so I took a day off too.”

He sounds almost delighted as he declares it.

“You didn’t really have to do that.”

It feels just a bit unfair that TK has to use one of his day offs to take care of him, and only because he ate something that had gone stale.

TK brushes his thumb across his forehead gently. “The twenty-minute trip to the store was nerve-wracking enough, I’m not going to leave you alone for twenty-something hours. And it hardly is your fault that you got food poisoning, babe. It’s just bad luck.”

“I’m not complaining if I get to have you all for myself,” he murmurs as he shifts a little on the floor. He closes his eyes for a moment, but surprisingly the wave of nausea never comes. “I don’t know about the fault, but I cannot have that bad luck, I still ended up with you.”

TK laughs, and he is pleased because that is what he was aiming for. His laughter is beautiful, and he always wants to hear it, but right now it is the most soothing sound he could imagine.

“This has nothing do with luck,” TK says, gently, “but I sure feel lucky.”

Carlos just smiles at him.

“We could do new plans tomorrow,” he continues, running his fingertip along his collarbone. “I think we both have next Thursday off?”

Carlos knows that they have been together for a year and that it shouldn’t be too big of a surprise that TK knows his shifts by heart, but it still fills him with particularly fond warmth because they both have irregular shifts, so he has to learn his rooster, on top of his own, every week, and he does it every time.

“I guess we can celebrate our 371 days together too,” Carlos caves in, and through the exhaustion, he can feel the corner of his mouth twitching into a gradual but affectionate smile.

Carlos was never too caught up on the idea of celebrating the anniversary on the exact day, but it could have been nice. He guesses the anniversary is more about what they make it out to be, because after all, it is theirs. And knowing that TK is at least as much into the idea of it, warms his heart a lot.

“Exactly,” TK chuckles, “it will be the best 371-day anniversary you’ve ever had. And we can have dinner today, too, once you’re ready to depart the toilet. I’ll come up with something.”

“Trying to give me a double food poisoning? That’s cold.”

He tries his best not to smile, but it is impossible, and a grin breaks out on his face quickly. TK pretends to be shocked and offended, but his smile persistently stays visible, too, and the softness of his gaze never fades. He nudges him gently with his elbow.

“Hey, you’re on a strict stomach-friendly diet and just for that, I’ll mix the applesauce with the rice.”

Carlos frowns at the mere thought of that.

“The other option is bananas and toast. Mint tea is supposed to help, too.”

His stomach is wallowing still, but he is rather sure that all of that would sound unappetizing, even if he was feeling perfectly fine. He is also aware that he will at least try to eat whatever monstrosity TK comes up with because it is still made by him.

“Sounds—bland.”

“It’s supposed to be,” he remarks, “it won’t be a mind-blowing culinary experience, but when anything I’ve cooked for you would’ve been. The difference is that this time it’s going to help and make you feel better.”

“Thank you,” Carlos whispers, more seriously and sincerely than the situation probably calls for, especially when TK is cracking jokes about his own cooking skills, but he wants him to know he is grateful. More than those two little words can convey.

“It’s okay,” he mumbles, “are you feeling any better?”

“Yeah, a little,” he lets out a sound that only half-resembles a chuckle. “I’m still sorry I ruined tonight.”

TK might not blame him, and maybe, despite his own thinking that this would have been preventable, it is one of those uncontrollable things. Yet, he thinks he deserves an apology.

“Nothing’s ruined, really,” TK starts, “and this isn’t a terrible anniversary. Little unconventional for sure, but we’re together, in love and there’s candlelight, so I think we could’ve done a lot worse.”

“I know,” Carlos breathes out, “the candle really saved this.”

It sends TK laughing again. “And if we’re being completely honest, we have a tendency to mess up dinner plans. Especially the big ones.”

“True.”

“I’m willing to bet that if we ever get married, a natural disaster will strike,” TK jokes.

As soon as the words are out of his mouth, Carlos feels how TK’s muscles tense up, and he goes a little still. His fingers stop moving in his hair, but at least he isn’t pulling his hand away.

Marriage isn’t something they have ever outright discussed. Obviously, they are both in it for the long haul, and he has always assumed that marriage is something they are slowly heading towards to. He knows TK has his own baggage about his failed proposal, but it makes him happier than he could say that TK can make jokes about marriage already.

Because Carlos can definitely imagine himself marrying him. He can more than imagine it, he wants to do it. He knows there is no rush, and that taking their time is a good thing, but he would marry him in a heartbeat or in ten years. Either way, he knows it would be something that will bring immense joy to him.

“Bold of you to assume it would be only one natural disaster,” he comments, a brilliant grin spreading on his face, “it will probably be at least two.”

TK immediately relaxes. He lets out a breath and continues to run his fingers through his hair. “There should be a safety manual for the whole thing.”

“Oh, definitely,” Carlos laughs, still little weakly, “evacuation plans and everything.”

After the active volcano, it feels like nothing that the universe throws at their way would surprise him anymore, and he knows they have had their fair share of weird and ridiculous calls, and that they have survived all of that so far, but a wedding would definitely be the biggest dinner possible, and it seems like tempting fate.

“We’ll send it with the invitations.”

He still feels weak and sick, but the feeling of pure happiness is starting to overpower both of them.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Carlos admits, quietly.

“Yeah, me neither.”  

[writers-hes]

Fucking Harry | Summer Feeling Challenge

Hi, guys! How are you? I’m finally back with an all new fic called ‘Fucking Harry’. This is an entry to @helladirections​ ‘s Summer Feeling Challenge. I hope you enjoy!

word count: 2884  masterlist + if you love me come clean masterlist  be a part of my taglist!  SUMMER FEELING MASTERLIST (over 40+ fics about summer. angst, fluff, and smut!!!) SUMMARY: You were back in the same place where you last fell in love, alone again. You prayed to God that he was here. Chanting his name multiple times under your breath until he appears right beside you—but you knew that no magic in the universe will do that for you. You were born unlucky, after all.  Story Theme: Theme Parks unedited

---

It’s that time of the year again. You knew, because suddenly, the upcoming summer started to be gloomy. You hated summer more than you hated anything. Everybody was off to go to their country clubs, get summer jobs, go on trips with friends, fall in love…ick. Summer love? That doesn’t last anyway. Once summer is over, the person you fell in love with leaves you alone and gives you nothing else. Even if they were your friend at first. You agreed that you’ll be friends first and then lovers. Who could blame you two anyway? You were both lonely that summer. All your friends were away while you were stuck in Italy.

Fucking Italy.

You both agreed that there was something about Italy. It’s romantic. He kissed you just like how the sun kissed your skin. He made love to you in the private confines of his home there…and in the beach, in the yacht, well, he basically made love to you everywhere. You hung onto him like a necklace. Love marks littered his body and he showed it off to everyone—wearing polos with the buttons intentionally stopping right under his swallows or not wearing anything at all. You believed his words like a gospel and everything he said seemed like a prayer. That was him for you and perhaps all of the boys and the girls adoring him in everything that he did.

Now, you were back in the same place where you last fell in love, alone again. You prayed to God that he was here. Chanting his name multiple times under your breath until he appears right beside you—but you knew that no magic in the universe will do that for you. You were born unlucky, after all.

“Harry, Harry, Harry…fucking Harry,” you groaned, annoyed. Italy is just associated with Harry and it was fucking annoying. Why did you come to Italy in the first place? It’s unlike you to go back to a place associated with bad memories—the reason why you never went back to your hometown. But then again, you saw that there was a seat sale on some airline and that your boss told you to go take a break because you’ve been working non-stop since that wretched summer happened. You shook your head, an attempt to get rid of the guy inside your mind. So you walk, head on, in the streets of Florence where you fantasised the tow of you roaming around Cinque Terre, a city that overlooked the ocean. You remembered that Cinque Terre was a sight in itself. The city was adorned with hues of blue, yellow, red, and pink buildings. It had five towns and it was secluded from other cities. It was a nice life where you can buy pastries and greet the baker. Everybody knew everyone and Harry Styles was very well-known.

To be completely honest, you didn’t know how Harry Styles managed to stay in your mind for two years. You can still remember the rasps and the moans when you had sex—an ear-worm that haunted you to this very day. Still, you couldn’t help but smile when you took a trip to the theme park. A place where you and him considered solacing. It was loud in there, the mechanics of the rides replaying inside your head, little Italian children and international tourists asking their mothers to get them a toy.

Perhaps you could visit the theme park alone this time. You knew that it was open at this season. Everyone’s there and it’s summer. You stopped a small bakery to get some bread for lunch. You and Harry went to this place, around noon, to get a croissant sandwich that Harry raved about. You also remembered how much he liked their focaccia flowers. You entered, the smell of coffee and freshly baked bread enveloping your senses. You were giddy—they served the best bread in the world. You walked to the counter, smiling at the same baker that greeted you two years ago.

“Ciao, bella!” the man greeted.

“Hi. May I get a ham and cheese croissant sandwich and Caffe Latte?” you asked him, remembering your order from the last time you went here.

“Cosa certa,” he said, listing your orders on a notepad. “For who?”

“Y/N,” you replied, opening your wallet to retrieve your card. The barista nodded as you paid for the food.

“Grazie,” he said. “My boy will call your name and you can get your food,”

“Grazie,” you replied, walking away from the man and his cheeriness. You sat down on a chair where you can view the busy streets outside. You sighed sadly. The last time, you were the couple sitting a couple of tables from you—enveloped in each other’s hands, unaware of the prying eyes.

———

“Ah, fuck!” you exclaimed once you were inside your hotel room, exhausted from the wishful thinking and the walking. You walked towards the balcony and sighed, opting to open a bottle of wine from the mini bar. Getting wine drunk in Florence, Italy doesn’t seem like a bad idea.

Or maybe it was because the next day, you opened your emails. Hungover, you looked to see that you had an e-ticket to the theme park. Then, you remembered that in a courageous rush, you bought one in hopes of seeing the man with green eyes again. So in a haste, you were up and dressed, a plastic cup of coffee in your hands, in a cab to the amusement park. You watched the panoramic view outside your video and you wondered how a love like yours and Harry’s ended like it did. It was sad, really. He just left and in harsher terms, he ghosted you once you landed back in America. Fucking Harry.

You sighed, for the nth time—ready to just combust and call Harry. But you can’t, so you just chanted his name again, until it was time for you to enter the gates of the theme park. You looked at it, it was all the same. All the fucking same and you were reliving everything alone. You walked around the theme park and it was gigantic. There were trees that shaded the walkways and families taking photos of their children. You smiled at the sight, love and joy radiating the place but for some reason, you can’t be bothered. You were alone in a sea of people bonding and it just sucked. You sat inside one of the cafes in the theme park and got yourself his favourite Americano. What else is there anyway? He made you a godforsaken mess—an idiotic fool. You were busy looking through your phone, chanting his name under your breath when a pair of black Old Skool Vans appeared on your line of sight. You looked up and there he was, looking at you, his mouth agape. He seemed to be alone too and you were there too, speechless how he found his way to you. Perhaps all your chanting was true and the universe wanted you to meet again.

“Y/N?” he breathed, pulling the chair in front of you, a Caffe Latte in his hand. “How have you been? What brings you to Italy? Why are you here?”

“Hold on,” you replied, still in shock at the wonder in front of you. Harry was here. He was here and he was real because the way that he was looking at you right now was the same way he looked at you before. “Harry…how are you here?”

“I asked first,” he said, seeing the Americano in your hand and how you were still in sync with him because he got you your favourite.

“I took a break from work and saw that there was a seat sale going here so I decided to stay here. Yeah,” you nodded, awkward.

“I drove here from London. I stopped by France and I decided to go to Italy too,” he replied, clearing his throat. “How have you been?”

“Been better,” you admitted. “I mean, it’s Italy,”

“Yeah, I feel the same,” he replied. “Y/N, love. We’re here in Italy, in an amusement park. Do you want to try out some rides and just forget for a little while?”

“What do we do?” you asked.

“Just…relive Italy together even just for this day,” he said. “I do need a hand to hold onto in the roller coaster,” he said, extending his hand. It was true. He was a little bit of a scaredy cat in some rides and you were the hand that he held onto when he needed reassurance that everything will be okay. You thought about it. It would be nice to spend Italy with someone.

“Alright but we're not talking about what happened last time, okay?,” you nodded and he beamed.

“Alright,”

———

“Are you sure you want to ride the roller coaster?” you asked him. You were in a queue and were close to the entry gates. Harry was shaking like a flower.

“Relive it, right?” he said, forcing a smile. “I want to, Y/N,” I want to hold your hand again, he thought. There was absolutely no way for him to ride on this goddamn roller coaster but  you liked how free it made you feel. The ups, and downs, and the spikes made you feel liberated. It made you feel something and you liked how your hair flew everywhere. He didn’t want to ride the death trap but if it meant seeing you smile genuinely and holding your hand when he’s scared, then he wouldn’t mind a little sacrifice. You smiled at him, excited.

“I promise, after we finish the ride, you can lean on me if your legs wobble,” you teased and Harry laughed. He might take you up on that offer.

“You’re so mean to me,” he pouted but smiling anyway as he saw you chuckle. “Will you treat me to a nice scoop of gelato after? I was thinking...pistachio or cherry,”

“Alright,” you said, nodding. The queue to the rollercoaster became shorter and shorter and you were bouncing on your feet in anticipation while Harry bounced for the opposite reason. Soon, you were inside the little carts, waiting for the operator to finish setting up everybody.

“You want me to hold your hand, Harry?” you asked, opening your palm for him to squeeze.

“Yes, please,” he nodded, gulping thickly. “You know how queasy I get sometimes,” he chuckled nervously, wiping his sweaty hand on his blue denim before encasing your hand with his. “I’m sorry if my hands get sweaty,”

“It’s alright. Thank you for coming with me to ride it anyway,” feeling nauseous at the familiarity of the scene unfolding before you. Harry’s leg bouncing, his hand and yours, the sweat on your forehead from the heat, and the love that you felt for him. You wanted to scream at him, push him, and ask him what the fuck happened between the two of you. The way that he’s looking at you right now, through the facade of his anxiety, was love and you knew that.

“May we please remind you to keep your seatbelts on, be seated, and most of all, enjoy the ride,” a woman spoke, triggering the machine to pull back slightly and slowly riding up the small bump, before speeding down to the ground.

Harry was hysterical beside you, screaming while closing his eyes in fear. His grip on your palm became tighter and you smiled, screaming at the top of your lungs. The frustration, anger, sadness, and hurt all coming out and nobody cared. This was freedom. You screamed some more until your lungs gave out.

“Fuck!” you heard the man beside you. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,”

“It’s okay, Harry!” you screamed in return. “We’re about to land,” you added, seeing that you were about to enter the station again. The coaster slowed down, stopping at its designated spot. You looked at Harry, who was red. You were pretty sure that there were tear stains on his cheeks but you ignored them.

“Thank you for riding our famous roller coaster. We hope to see you again,”

“Hope my ass. You will never see me set foot on this shit again,” Harry muttered under his breath, making you laugh. The safety locks on your chairs are lifted and you lead him to the exit. He was heaving, and had wobbly legs.

“You okay?” you asked. “I’m sorry if I had to make you go through that. We can try on other rides if you want to,” you offered.

“No, no more rides, please. Just wanna sit and play carnival games later. With the big toys, you know?” Harry said, rushing on the first bench that he sees. It actually takes a while before Harry calms down again. He laid on the bench for what seemed like an hour, bottles of water on his stomach that it makes you wonder if it was alright to just tell him to go home and leave things at that. You were about to speak when Harry interrupted you.

“Y/N,” he called. “Do you...maybe want to leave this place and have dinner with me?”

“Harry...I don’t think that’s a good idea,” you replied. “Only here, remember? After this, I have to go back to my hotel and you back to where you’re from,”

“Please, Y/N...I have so many things to tell you,” he said, sitting up so you could sit beside him. You didn’t, opting to stay on the bench beside where he was. The distance was frustrating Harry but he respected your boundaries. “Well, I’ll say it here then,”

You nodded, uneasy. Harry sounded serious and solemn in what’s supposed to be a happy place.

“I’m sorry I left,” he started, making you gasp at his bluntness. “I really am. Look, the last time I went here was with you and it was the best trip that I have ever had. I knew that it was something that I would cherish for the rest of my life but--”

“Why did you leave me?” you asked, facing him. “Do you know how I felt when you left? When we landed back, you changed.  You just left and I couldn’t call or text you. I received text messages from you thrice a month and that was you being generous,” you told him, newfound courage surging through your bloodstream.

“I was scared,” he admitted, making you chuckle pathetically.

“What about me? Wasn’t I scared too? It’s been two years. You can’t just decide to pop in anytime you want and leave when it’s convenient. Did you even mean it when you said that you loved me?” you asked, defeated. People started to notice the fight that broke out with you two and they started to recognise who Harry was. You noticed too so you stood up. Harry trailed behind you until you stopped at a more private part of the park.

“You know I love you, petal,” he replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I told you to never doubt that, right? I love you still, Y/N and I’m sorry,”

“Harry--why are you here? Why did you insist on reliving what we had two years ago?” you asked, desperately trying. He was hiding and you were sure of it but he didn’t budge, shrugging.

“I’m sorry. I don’t--don’t know why I did what I did and then doing what I’m doing now. You know I’m not a man of regrets but I’ve been feeling so alone and lonely and I miss you.I love you I really do but that night, when we landed...I realised how Italy can only happen in Italy.There’s so many people prying on my business and I don’t know how they’ll react,”

“You’re ashamed of me,” you concluded, nodding at his confession. Harry was rendered speechless. It wasn’t as if he was ashamed. He was scared of how the public will react when you’re revealed to the world. “You’re fucking ashamed of me because I’m not like you?” you ask him, and Harry could feel the venom dripping from your words. “I--I can’t do this,” you exclaimed, tears on your cheeks. You laughed pathetically at yourself, straightening your back and walking. Harry was Harry so he grabbed you by the arm, ready to apologise and admit his mistake but you snatched your arm away from his grasp.

“Don’t,” you seethed. “Don’t fucking touch me. Don’t talk to me, don’t think of me. Leave me the fuck alone, Harry. I swear to God,” you warned, walking away from the boy who broke your heart for the second time. Harry was slumped over, his figure becoming smaller and smaller in the Italian sunset and you sobbed, leaving your heart with the man who took it.

You were hoping for a change but now, you were back in the same place where you last fell in love, alone again. You prayed to God that he was following you. Calling out your name multiple times above the crowd that was starting to appear until he appears right beside you—but you knew that no magic in the universe will do that for you. You were born unlucky, after all.

“Harry, Harry....fucking Harry,”

-- sorry if you thought it was smut... :) 

TAGLIST: taglist:@lizzyclifford13-blog @tpwkwrites @floral-suits -suits @bree082 @dezzym17 @bouncebackbyers @lolapuffs @belleamore @demolition-lovers-blog @gorgeouslygrace @styledharry @nervousshoeghostmoney @drowninherperfume @spideys-wife @for-harryseyesonly @littlewolfieposts @fangirl-moment-x x @ughhhitsfan @perfectlywrong @gucciboots @harrys-stan @nibabyy​ @alanasthoughts​ @thatcielitochickk @kacey-yyyyy​ @goldensweetcreatureh @devilinbetweensheets @sumo-john @theshortmuffin07 @harrymfingstyless​ @shawnlietome @youremycompass1318 @mylifeofbeatrizromera​

[boizandgurlzinthehouse]

♡ 𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡é𝐞 ♡

-usually, he needs help in history, and you from chemistry

-at first, timothée and you too squirm in silence when it’s not about the subjects, don’t know what to say or do

-but then you two began to tell jokes for each others between two , even about your lifer, even about the given school-work

-and slowly, you two slip in a comfy, sweet friendship

-don’t forget the meeting at 3pm in the library! 

-you two can talk and have fun even to 10pm (sadly the librarian always breaks the crap )):)

-when timothée gets a good grade, he buys you a cup of your favourite drink, you promise him that you gonna make a little cake, you end up with buying one

-but when he feels bad, you buy him a cup and try to cheer him up, picking out motivating quotes and funny scenes from your most fancied book

-holding each other’s hand while explaining some conceptions, timothée brushing your hand with the pad of his thumb, smiling to himself because you are so smart and understanding 

-”timmy, i can’t understand, i’m too dumb!” “you can do anything, love, you are everything but dumb? don’t make yourself ridiculous, y/n.” 

-always supporting each other, sharing tips with the other

-in summer, you two sit out in the park nearby, two ice teas between you two, knees and elbows softly brushing against each other 

-timothée lays his head into your lap, his curly locks tickling your exposed skin

-he reads you from his favourite book, you write down the lines and sentences

-giving him pretty outliners, pencils and pens if he misses during class - he asks them for the whole day, even if he have his owns, beacuse it’s just like he carries a little piece from you with himself at the day

-his friends tease him about it

-”i have to tips: you have a crush, or even more, a girlfriend, or you are just gay.” 

-timothée shakes his head, gush he want to tell that you're his girlfriend so bad 

-if you are cold or just want some comfort on the end of the day, he gives you his sweater - often pulls the hoodie on your head and pulls the strings by teasing, making you look funny and extra adorable 

-drawing on your arm when he gets bored, placing his pouty face on the high book-mountains, giving you puppy eyes, you blush when he look into your eyes for too long

-”don’t do this, mr. chalamet” “and why, little teacher? does this embarrass you?” he whispers, leaning closer and closer to you and your lips, but when he begins to tickle you; you die inside a little bit because of your too big platonic crush on him

-but little did you know that timothée crushes you at least that big as you

-in autumn and winter, you two sit in one of his favorite coffee shops, the workers there begin to talk about you like a couple, smiling when you chuckle or yelp about one of his jokes

-at one night, you came over to timmy’s house, but he was so exhausted, slept in when you went into the bathroom. you didn’t wanted to wake him up, so you wrote down all of his curriculum, decorated with highlighted titles, bottom-notes, post-its and symbols; quietly go home 

-on the other morning, timothée hugs you so tightly that all of your blood floods into your cheeks, making you look like a tomato. he don’t care about it, tenderly caging your face with his big, delicate hands and kisses you, his lips carefully touching yours, giving you time to repay his blissful caress

-”you are the coolest girl in the world, y/n, thank you, for everything. you are all i need” he whispers, giving your forehead a smooch

-”am i only good for the homework, or-” “don’t be silly babe, i like you from the day when you told me that sentence from that book is one of your favourite” you giggle and shake your head, running your fingers through his hair

-from now on, timothée hides and sneaks little letters in your pocket, between the pages of your notes and books, into your pockets, even in the packing of your sandwich if he gets a chance

-if you feel tired, he always have a shoulder or lap to sleep on, his fingers intertwined with yours

-sometimes timothée sleeps in too, but mostly he adores your pretty and intelligent insides and outsides, repays you your whole-night work from that day, organize your writings, hugging you tight while reading your cute handwrighting 

-and he’s just satisfied with the feeling that you’re with him <3

[cascades-fiction]

Multiverse Imagines

Just Like The Old Days

co-creator : @QuinniexC in (wattpad)

It was an early day for the Jacksons. They were already up before the first light. Apollo has not even mounted his own sun chariot to bring light above the world.

But that was not the case, the young family decided to pay someone a small visit after not being able to see each other for five years.

Little Serena Jackson sat in the back seat. Still fast asleep with a slight pout, her mother Annabeth watching over her through the rear view mirror, a little smile playing her lips.

Percy had one hand on the steering wheel while the other one held Annabeth's. His gaze was pleasant and at peace.

They drove through the streets of Stamford, overlooking different sets of building apartments and several townhomes. Cars were parked beside the sidewalk and in front of shops.

Elderly women chatted happily in a nearby bench with their husbands who weren't much interested in their conversation.

He drove his BMW for about 47 minutes until arriving at New Haven. The young family decided to stop by and have some breakfast at Atticus Bookstore Cafe.

Percy looked around for a parking space and his eyes immediately fell on a blank spot in front of the store. "You wanna go in first? You and Serena?" He asked

She looked at him and shook her head " No it's okay, we'll all go in together"

He nodded and started to park the car. After he did, the two of them took off their seat belts and looked behind. They were met by Serena gazing at them with sleepy eyes. In unison, they chuckled.

"Where are we?" She asked quietly, rubbing her eyes awake. A yawn letting out her small lips, her hair in two low pigtails. She says it's her new favorite hairstyle.

"We're in New Haven sweetie,"Annabeth said softly, tickling her daughter's feet, earning a sweet giggle. "We are gonna eat breakfast okay? Then we'll go straight to Boston to meet your uncle Magnus!"

"Uncle Magnus?" She tilted her head, frowning. She was clearly not familiar with the name her mother mentioned.

"Yeah baby.. it's mommy's cousin" Percy answered.

"Hmm... Momma's cousin? Okay then!" She smiled, making her parents smile as well. Annabeth and Percy got out of the vehicle. She opened the back door, unbuckling her daughter and lifting her up in her arms while Percy locked up the car. Altogether they entered the cafe.

Once they had gone in, Serena perked up seeing all the stacked books the cafe had to offer. She wiggled out of her mother's hold and immediately started jumping up and down, pointing at the bookshelves, a wide grin plastered on her face. "Momma! I want to see the books!"

Annabeth smiled at her "Later we'll check them out huh?"

"Why later?" Serena pouted

She knelt down to her daughter's level "Because we have to order our breakfast first okay? And then after we find a table, we could go check out the books—"

"Uh uh." Percy intervened, getting a hold of Serena's hand " I could take her there now, it's alright"

"Are you sure?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah definitely." He kissed his wife's cheek "we'll meet you over there" he said, pointing at the farthest table near the window.

"Yeah sure." She looked at Serena, who grinned from ear to ear "Behave with daddy okay?"

She nodded cutely, before dragging Percy with her tiny fingers wrapped around his big ones toward the bookshelves. Annabeth smiled thinking how much her daughter was like her when she was younger and up until now. She lined up from a trail of customers, awaiting her turn.

As soon as she was first in line, smiling, the cashier asked for her order "Hi good morning, what would you like today?"

Annabeth returned the simple gesture "Good morning um, I would like 2 Croque Monsieur with 2 Espressos and 1 breakfast sandwich. Also 1 hot chocolate please"

The cashier nodded, typing down her order on the monitor. "Is that all?"

"Yes that's all" Annabeth confirmed

The cashier nodded once more. She looked up saying, "That would be $37. "

Annabeth took out her wallet and paid. The cashier thanked her and told her to wait. As she made her way towards the table they had agreed on, A little body collided with her leg, wrapping her little arms around her lower limb. She looked down and saw a sight that made her heart melt all the way.

"Momma!" The little girl chirped happily.

Annabeth grinned, hoisting her up in her arms "Baby!" Serena giggled, placing a wet kiss on her mom's cheek. "Where's daddy?"

Serena pointed toward the end of the cafe where they could see Percy carrying handfuls of various books.

Annabeth let out a laugh when she saw Percy's face. He looked so flustered and rapt at the same time. He was never interested in books because of his ADHD and dyslexia but he was always willing to go to a library just for his wife and his daughter. He loves seeing their reactions whenever they see a wide selection of books in a library or whenever they spot a beautiful architecture. They'd always beg to stop the car and he'd be more glad to do so just to see their faces.

"Aren't you a sweet daddy.." Annabeth cooed, putting her arms behind his neck. She brushed the hair away from his eyes and leaned in to give a quick kiss before pulling away and assisting him with the books. "Are we buying all of this?"

"Serena said she'd pick from all of these. Only two or three, okay honey?" He said to his daughter

"Okay!" She answered, flopping down onto one of the chairs, re-scanning all of the books she took whilst her parents settled down to the seats in front of her, watching her adoringly.

"She's a lot like you, you know" Percy whispered, beaming in happiness

She stared at him with affection.

"Yeah she is... though she's got so much of your sass and your blue food addiction it's crazy. She's as sweet as you too"

He chuckled, remarking "That's our girl"

"That's our girl…" she agreed, nodding with a small smile.

"Momma! Daddy!" The little girl looked up at them, "These!" She lifted up two books and kinda shoved them in their faces, her look overjoyed. It was Geronimo Stilton and the lost treasure of the emerald eye. And another, Geronimo Stilton and the curse of the cheese pyramid.

Annabeth grinned from ear to ear, "These are wonderful, honey!"

"Yeah they are! All of the books I have at home are too much for kids." She shook her disapprovingly, her pigtails bouncing along.

"But baby, you are a kid" Percy said

"Yeah I am but I'm smarter than most!" She declared proudly, placing both of her hands on her hips with a look of pride on her face.

"Yeah you are…" Annabeth smirked

"Gods she gets that from you—" Percy told her, shaking his head in disbelief

"Does she?" She asked innocently, tilting her head sideways "Oh well."

Percy snorted, gathering the books in his hands "I'll be paying for this," he said, standing up. "Don't have too much fun while I'm gone" he told them, with a playful smile.

"Don't you worry Mr. Jackson," Annabeth assured him "we won't. right Rena baby?"

"Yeah!" She replied almost immediately "Books! Books! Books!" She started chanting

Percy and Annabeth met each other's gaze, her mouthing 'You heard her'

'yes ma'am' he mouthed back and left.

***

Thereafter he had paid for the books she chose, he walked back to the table at the same moment the waitress came with their orders. Serena already returned the excess books with any help from her mother. (Annabeth was very proud)

"2 Croque Monsieurs, 2 Espressos, 1 breakfast sandwich and 1 hot chocolate!" The waitress beamed, tucking a piece of hair strand behind her ear the minute she met eyes with Percy. "Anything else I can get you?" She asked, amorously advancing, not even acknowledging his wife in front of her.

Annabeth noticed this behavior and as fast as lighting, a flash of irritation crossed her eyes. She pursed her lips, clearly not wanting this woman to be in her husband's presence. But Percy being Percy was completely oblivious to the fact that the woman in front has taken a liking to him. He smiled, "3 glasses of water please"

"On the way" the woman winked, swaying her hips as she left. Percy shrugged nonchalantly, sitting down next to Annabeth who stared at him sternly. He suddenly was aware of this. "Wise girl? Is there something wrong?"

She blinked hard. Pointing a crooked finger toward the woman, her other hand formed in fists. "Her."

He looked at the figure she pointed, his eyebrows furrowed. "Her? What do you mean by her?"

"She has eyes on you! Can you not see that?"

He was taken aback. "What? I didn't even notice"

She rolled her eyes, "of course you didn't. You're as oblivious as you can be Percy."

"Wise girl it's not my fault—"

"I know it's not! It's that dam girl!" She half yelled, completely vexed. Serena looked at them with both confusion and concern, still munching on her sandwich happily.

"Wise girl it's nothing okay? She doesn't mean anything to me. Just don't mind her." He tried

"How can I not mind her when she's coming back this way, with your tray of water. Just great" she exclaimed sarcastically. When the woman came, Serena did the most mind-boggling thing in the universe. "Stay away from my daddy!"

Percy's jaw dropped. Annabeth's irritated face turned complacent, feeling a swell of pride coarse through her veins. The woman was gobsmacked, unable to reply to the little girl, Annabeth intruded. "You heard her. Leave the drinking glasses here and walk away. Otherwise you'd find yourself lifeless in a second." She said in a dangerously calm voice, gesturing for her to go and get out.

The woman looked down in shame. Embarrassed. She turned toward the opposite direction and rushed for the door.

Annabeth gave her daughter a discreet thumbs up, clearly proud. Percy got over his shock and looked at his daughter and wife. "Okay, look. I'm really proud of you for being sassy but that was not very nice. Both of you" he stated

"Percy—"

"That was very wrong. She likes me so what? That won't give me a reason to stop loving you. Or leave you. Whatever this world throws at us, I can promise you, I'll always be by your side. You and Serena's. I love you Wise girl"

Annabeth said nothing at first. Her stormy grey eyes were shone with intense light. She looked into his eyes for a long moment as though searching for something of importance. Then, all of a sudden, she smiled and it occurred to Percy that she found what she was looking for, even if he did not know what it was.

Without further warning, she leaned into his tall frame, gently placing her lips on his. To Percy, he did not know if she really had any physical and emotional power over him or if it's only his own spirit but he swore, he felt fireworks explode the moment he felt his lips touch hers.

Truth be told, they only stopped when a voice said "I'm still here you know…" pulling apart, they were met face to face with a glare from Serena.

"Sorry baby, are you already finished?" Percy asked shyly

"Yup! Only drinking my hot chocolate. Also waiting for you two!" Her glare evaporated and was replaced by a delighted grin.

"Oh right! Wait for me and mommy and then we're going straight to Boston"

***

As soon as they had finished their breakfast, the time said it was only 9:00 am and they still had many hours to go before arriving at Boston. They hauled all of their belongings, Serena gripping her brown paper bag with books. She took both Annabeth and Percy's hand, trying her best to reach it and all together they went back to the car.

Percy buckled Serena's seat belt, earning a soft thank you from his daughter. He went back to his place in the driver's seat, starting the vehicle. With that, he placed the key inside the ignition and the car roared to life.

They drove for about 42 minutes through a vast over-lit city, a wide set of buildings towering over them as they crossed an intersection. The streets of Hartford were clean, polished and newly painted. Tall trees were planted near a sidewalk beside poles. Cars were parked on the side of the road and the wind blew a gentle breeze out. Serena looked outside of her car window, completely mesmerized by the scenery as the family passed each building one by one, driving at 55 miles per hour. Annabeth gave Percy her hand and just like earlier, he gladly laced it with hers. Giving her his classic troublemaker smile.

Once they were out of Hartford, the family drove for about 54 minutes, before arriving at Old Sturbridge Village, Massachusetts. As they traveled, they caught sight of a wild field of meadows, overlooking several tobacco barns and modern farm houses. People wore rural New England 1700s clothing, as If it was the day of Halloween. White historical buildings were spotted behind wooden fences. Trees the color of red and gold swayed by. Leaves fell down from the trees, rustling on the pavement.

They arrived at Lexington, Massachusetts at 10:21 am. Lexington is a suburban town in Middlesex county. Only 10 miles from Downtown Boston. They passed through several storefronts and monuments. Teenagers at 14 leisurely strolled by. Orange leaves covered the grass and the asphalt. Tiny American flags were affixed on the grass. Percy turned around the corner and they passed through a sign that said, 'LEFT LANE. MUST TURN LEFT.' When Serena suddenly spoke,

"Momma, Daddy… How come Uncle Magnus only wants to meet me now? Was he busy?"

Annabeth looked at her lovingly, "Yes honey, he was. But now that he's got his work done, we can finally meet him!"

Serena smiled a toothy grin then slowly asked "what does he look like?"

It was her father's turn to smile. "Anyone who would've seen them might assume they'd be siblings, baby" he said

She tilted her head "How come?"

"Well.. he's got the very same blonde hair and the identical stormy grey eyes. Though Uncle Magnus' eyes are more friendly than your mom's" he told her, earning a playful slap from Annabeth and a high giggle from Serena.

"What's he like?" She asked once more

"He's a goofy butt" Annabeth smirked then continued "even so he's amazing. He's only a butt because he made everyone think he was dead"

"So he's not dead?"

"Oh he is but still very much alive" she answered simply. Serena looked confused, locking eyes with her father who only laughed.

They made their way out of Lexington Massachusetts. Passing through numerous skyscrapers and other tall buildings, stores and houses. After 20 minutes of driving through towns they finally arrived at Boston. Percy made his way to the food court in the Transportation center in downtown Boston. When Magnus called the day before, he told them to meet at Fadlan's Falafel.

Serena was wide awake and very cheerful. Hugging her stuffed seal tight to her chest.

Annabeth and Percy always made sure she had a toy inside the car, If not she'd cry all day like the time they went to the grocery store.

Once they arrived at Fadlan's Falafel, Percy parked the car as easy as pie. Then in unison, he and Annabeth looked behind to see their daughter better.

"Are you excited baby?" Annabeth asked, a smile playing on her lips.

Serena clapped her hands giggling, kicking her legs against the car seat. "Yeah! Yeah!" She cheered

The couple shared a look of amusement, unbuckling both of their seatbelts. Both of them got out of the car on each side, Serena waiting her turn.

Annabeth opened her car door and helped her with the seatbelt. Hoisting her up in her arms, Serena reached for her books.

"Mama books!" She said

Annabeth looked back at the car, "You could read that back home baby okay? Right now we are gonna meet your uncle Magnus. Interaction is the key" her mother explained

She pouted cutely but immediately brightened up when she thought about another thing. "Can I atleast bring my seal?"

Her father laughed beside her mom. "Of course baby girl" He tickled her nose, earning a sweet giggle from his little girl.

"I'll go get it right now"

"Sure thing"

Percy walked back to his BMW, unlocking it with his car keys. He went to the back seat, grabbing the white plush seal. Locking the car again, he made his way back to his wife and daughter.

He handed Serena her toy and she gladly took it with a small giggle. "Let's go?" He gestured towards the doors.

"Yup" Annabeth agreed and all together they walked right inside the entryway of Fadlan's Falafel. As they entered, Annabeth and Percy caught a sight of three familiar faces. Magnus, Alex, and Samirah. They seemed to be talking about dying in the fields of Valhalla.

"Magnus I came around at 10:00am and that was still early?" Samirah asked, a tone of disbelief in her voice. The three of them were seated in front of Fadlan's Falafel. "First of all, I was tired and sleeping is my way of relaxation. Besides, 14 hours of sleep isn't even enough! Second of all, yesterday I got burned from head to toe then got smashed by a boulder! Dying can really knock me off." He said and Alex snickered. "Sure does Maggie—" from behind them a voice said

"You could say that again Chase." Percy's deep voice called out from across the place.

On the table, Magnus smirked."Near death ordeals don't count Jackson" he and his friends stood up to greet them, turning around and he stopped short. The sight in front of him made his heart skip a beat. There beside Percy, was Annabeth. Holding a beautiful baby girl with long dark curls and stormy grey eyes. The girl clutched a white plush seal on her left arm while the other arm was wrapped around her mother's neck.

"Hey… I—uh— is this baby—?" He fumbled for words, a feeling of wide happiness spreading inside him. Annabeth nodded, a warm smile on her face.

"Meet our daughter, Magnus."

He and his friends slowly walked towards them, not wanting to scare the little baby who started hiding her face in her mother's neck. "It's okay sweetheart" Annabeth assured her daughter. "Can you say hi to Uncle Magnus, Aunt Alex and Aunt Samirah?"

Serena did a little wave. "Hi"

"Aren't you adorable…" Magnus tickled her small knee with a merry expression, earning a sweet giggle. "What's her name?" Asked Samirah softly from Magnus' side. She looked at the little girl fondly, perhaps wanting to have her own with Amir when she's older.

"Serena Angeline," Percy answered this time. Giving his daughter a loving look.

When the baby looked at Alex, she had to be honest. She felt herself go a little too soft inside. "She's so cute" Alex whispered, trying to go unheard but Magnus was the first to overhear. He snickered, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend (she's a she today), obviously taking the risk of Alex cutting his whole arm "Didn't know you went soft Fierro…"

She slapped him, hissing "Shut up Maggie!"

"Language Alex" Samirah scolded, gesturing there's a baby.

Alex mouthed a soft sorry and then smiled at the baby who returned the action.

"So… are we just gonna stand here? Or what?" Percy pointed out, sharing an amused look with Magnus. "Yeah yeah let's go sit down" he agreed

All 6 of them walked back to where Magnus, Alex and Sam were sitting. The Jackson's sat from across them. Serena in between her parents. "Who'd order the food?" Alex asked

"Me" Percy volunteered

"Me too" Magnus said and the boys left the table. Leaving the girls. "Okay so…let me be honest Annabeth but it is hard for me to believe you're a mom. I see you as a badass greek warrior not a gentle mother. " Alex told the young mom in amusement. Annabeth replied with a breezy laugh before saying, "I'm still a badass greek warrior just not when I'm with Serena"

"Does… does she know about—your world?" Samirah asked carefully

Annabeth nodded sadly "Yes she does...she was attacked by a clutter of spiders when she was sick one time. It scared her and Percy and I decided it was for the best. She deserves the truth after that experience."

Samirah and Alex nodded, sorry for the little girl but then laughed when Serena said proudly "I'm a legacy!"

Alex smirked, holding out her fist "Yeah you are" Serena obliged, bumping her fist with Alex. In a second, Magnus and Percy came back holding trays filled with food. Amir trailing right behind them, dragging a chair.

"You guys have fun without us?" Percy smiled, settling down beside Serena who clapped her hands in excitement. (She was excited to eat the food) "Not too much fun" Serena said to her dad. Amir positioned the chair in front of the table, sitting down. He gave a little wave to the little girl and soft smile playing on his lips "Hi.." he whispered

"Hello" she waved back cutely

"What's her name? She's adorable" he exclaimed

"Thank you.." Serena beamed, her dark curls bouncing. "I'm Serena"

"Hi Serena… you keeping mommy and daddy in check?" He patted her head and she giggled in response. "I'll take that as a yes"

"How are you, Magnus? Annabeth asked in all seriousness. "Many adventures going on, I suppose?"

Magnus nodded "yeah just came back from another one actually" he casually told her

"Oh really? That's cool… nothing too dangerous?"

"Nope" he smiled at her

"Okay.. just making sure"

"Annabeth, your maternal instincts are showing" Alex observed.

She laughed "It's quite natural nowadays"

Samirah nodded thrilled, perhaps excited at the thought she was going to have her own children someday. A young family like theirs with Amir. She would never admit it but she already thought of possible names. For a girl she would name her daughter Amira Ayesha. Meaning princess and the name Ayesha because of her mother. For a boy she would name her son Abdul Hakeem. Meaning a servant of Allah who helps people and is a pious servant of God. She must've been preoccupied because Alex needed to shake her out of her thoughts.

"Yo you alright?" Her sister asked, concerned.

She nodded, saying "never better" Then little Serena spoke all of a sudden. Speaking through a full mouth, she said

"Mommy says daddy has a lot of seaweed in his brain"

Percy choked on his Sandwich. Annabeth almost spit her diet coke but held herself for that would be a bad influence to her daughter. Amir and Sam were surprised, amused smiles on their faces while Alex and Magnus roared with laughter.

"Heck damn she is right! Seaweed brain"

"Annabeth!" Percy pouted

"What?" She said nonchalantly "I ain't lying" Then they all laughed as well.

***

"Goodbye Magnus! It was great to see you!" Annabeth smiles at him, carrying Serena with her right arm while she does her best to hug her cousin with her left. Percy shook his hand, giving him and Amir a man hug. Alex and Samirah bid their farewell to Serena who did not want to leave anymore.

"Momma I don't wanna leave…" she said, playing with her mom's hair

"We'll visit again baby. Okay? No need to get all sad…" she cooed softly

"Yeah that's right honey" Percy gently patted his daughter's back, calming her more "I think we'd be able to meet them again next month if Momma and Daddy isn't busy and Of course we need to consider Uncle Magnus' schedule" he explained to her. Serena stretched her small arms for Percy, wanting him to carry her. He gladly took her from Annabeth, who did not look too happy but nevertheless she smiled and turned toward Magnus. "You. Behave. Alex, Samirah?" she looked at them "Keep him in control would ya? This dork needs some discipline"

Alex saluted "You gotcha!"

Annabeth nodded, calm "Good bye now. Take care of yourselves"

"We will," Magnus smiled, waving farewell. The last he saw the Jacksons, their black BMW Ix turning the corner on North street, Percy singing along with One direction on the radio, Annabeth laughing at his bad voice, loud giggles of Serena heard from a mile away.

"As I said before, They'd cause a nuclear explosion of cuteness." Alex stated, crossing her arms.

"So what now…" Sam asked

"Last one back at Valhalla's a rotten egg" Magnus said hurriedly sprinting off to Forever 21's dressing room.

"Oh no you don't!" Alex yelled after him, trailing behind closely.

Samirah shook her head, crossing her arms "I work with children...Oh why..."

[madamewriterofwrongs]

oooh for the i love you prompts can you do buddie + 12 ?

So sorry this is late, love <3 This was...well, I hope you like it.

I Love You Prompt List

12. Brings an extra coat/scarf because they know you never check the temperature before going out

When We’re Old and Grey

Admittedly, their morning routine had already been a little disrupted when it came time to kiss his boyfriend goodbye. A power outage had killed their alarm, and Christopher had to wake them up with his most innocent ‘If we sleep past the first bell, do I have to go to school today?’; which had both of them bolting out of bed with the speed that came from years of emergency responses.

There was no time for breakfast – thank god for the ability to preorder drive thru (one day of egg sandwiches and apple juice eaten in the car, would not be the end of the world. Probably) – let alone double check that Christopher had actually packed his bag last night like he promised.

“It’s your fault we didn’t get to bed until 3am.” Eddie grumbled, shoving off the pants around his ankles so he could toss them to their rightful owner.

“I think it’s the apartment fire’s fault.” Buck caught the offending cotton, and pulled Eddie’s shirt from the pile on the floor to throw in his face. “We can go back to sleep once Christopher’s at school” he promised.

Eddie rolled his eyes. “You wanted to go for a run today. So we’re going for a run after we drop him off.”

If Buck’s grumble made him smile, it was a testament to their years of familiarity – not because he thought his boyfriend was cute when he was grumpy and bedraggled. Not that they were given much of an opportunity to comment further, as the object of their affection was calling down the hallway that he would be late for school.

Eddie pulled the nearest pants over his hips (definitely still Buck’s, but now was not the time for caring about things like property) pushing his sock-less partner out the door.

“You don’t need socks to sit in the passenger seat” he informed him, poking his head into his son’s room to do one final check before they headed towards the door.

“Alright everyone, did we pack our homework?” Eddie clapped his hands while Christopher pulled on his shoes.

“Yes, dad.”

“Did we brush our teeth?”

“Yes, dad.”

“No.” Buck swiped his tongue with a grumble, but a look from Eddie had him ducking his head.

“Did we remember our free reading book on the night stand?”

Christopher bolted up in a panic, steadied by an instinctual hand from Buck. Eddie shook his head at the pair, producing the book from behind his back for the boy to put into his bag.

“Did we pack a sweater for going to Abuela’s tonight?”

“Yes, dad.”

With Christopher packed and ready to go, Eddie shot one last look at his boyfriend as he slipped on his sandals.

“Did we remember our wallet and phone on the dresser?”

“Yes, dad.”

Buck froze. The only way his eyes could grow wider would be if they fell out of their sockets – and they nearly did, for the panic that settled on his face. Though Christopher was still preoccupied with zipping his bag, he clearly heard Buck’s misstep because he giggled wildly while opening the front door. Eddie still hadn’t said anything (which, even Eddie knew, was a bad sign).

His initial reaction at Buck’s words was to tangle the squeezing hand around his heart that reminded him that he was old, and demeaning his boyfriend and eventually, Buck would get sick of him. His second reaction was to laugh at the man’s exhausted mind that had just parroted whatever Christopher was saying. His third reaction, was the startling realization that none of this mattered at the moment.

With a long sigh, Eddie shooed his two favourite people out the door and unlocked the truck for them while he closed up.

He could deal with their little slipup later – when he actually had the mental capacity to process what had happened and how he felt about it.

See, Eddie knew he was older than Buck (some would say more mature – including Eddie), though five years wasn’t a significant difference. They’d learned quickly to intensely avoid talking about significant moments in their childhood, but other than that, age didn’t matter to them. Considering Buck’s last serious relationship... well, Eddie had never put much thought into their slight difference in age.

Until Buck had decided to call him ‘dad’. And then a few thoughts swirled around his mind as they made their way towards the school. He knew that the moment Christopher was out the door, Buck would bring it up – trying to apologize profusely – and Eddie would have to decide how to react to it.

He had a big decision to make.

True to form, Buck waved the kid goodbye and as soon as they’d pulled out of the parking lot, he turned to his boyfriend with nervous panic.

“Eddie, about this morning: I am so sorry.”

His boyfriend looked so genuinely apologetic, he almost felt bad.

“What was that, sonny?” He croaked, leaning his ear closer to the man. “I didn’t hear yo-” Eddie dissolved into laughter before he could even finish his sentence, doubling over the steering wheel in amusement.

Buck joined in a moment later, though decidedly less enthusiastically. “Okay, okay, I get it. I called you old.” He slid his had over Eddie’s, resting on the gearshift. “I am sorry though.”

“It’s fine, Buck.” He smiled at him once they reached the stoplight. “I know I kind of went into ‘dad mode’ this morning. It was a slip of the tongue.”

“I’ll show you a slip of the tongue” Buck muttered – though loud enough for Eddie to hear (as was always his way when he was flirting), prompting a flush to cover his chest even as he rolled his eyes.

“I am driving young man,” he scolded, a twinkle in his eye. “Just wait until I get you home.”

Buck finally relaxed against his seat, never looking away from his adoring boyfriend. “I thought we were going for a run.”

“Oh, I’ll get your heart racing alright.”

What? Eddie loved a little obviously flirting as much as the next man – especially when they were both still in that giddy phase of their relationship after living together for seven months. Besides, it would be an excellent opportunity to show Buck just how young and enthusiastic he still was.

And that should have been the end of it. The two of them would go home for a little mid-morning romp (‘romp, Eddie? Now you’re just begging me to mock you’) before heading out on their run and continuing on in semi-domestic bliss – one of them was bound to propose sooner or later, they just hadn’t decided who. Buck’s little one-off remark would be totally forgotten.

Until Eddie lay in bed a few nights later, and he got a horrible, ridiculous, completely juvenile idea. Buck would be so proud of him.

-

It started out innocently enough.

Buck ran out of toothpaste – he really should have been paying attention more – but he definitely had a spare bottle underneath the sink. Probably. He squatted down to inspect the shared storage space and did, indeed, find a small travel tube of toothpaste.

That didn’t matter, however, because he found something much more interesting.

“Eddie, why is there a box of grey coverup hair dye under the sink?” He had a sneaking suspicion, but he also had no recollection of Eddie mentioning or buying it.

There was his boyfriend – his lovely, oblivious boyfriend – sitting on the couch, reading the latest science fiction novel that Buck had finally convinced him to read, all wide-eyed and curious.

“I have no idea why anyone in this house would need to cover up their grey hairs, Buck.”

Really? So he was just going to pretend as if he didn’t know anything? Fine.

“Is it Christopher’s, then? I knew that kid’s colour wasn’t natural.” He shook his head when he caught sight of the smallest hint of a smile. But then, he paused to watch Eddie refocus on the book in his hands. Maybe he was starting to go a little grey on top; his life hadn’t exactly been stress-free. It could be that he just wasn’t ready to talk about it, though. That was fine. He’d love Eddie if his hair fell out overnight. It would be a huge adjustment, considering how much he liked to run his fingers through those delicious locks, but he’d figure it out. If his boyfriend was feeling insecure about something, there really was only one solution.

Eddie lifted the book when Buck plopped into his lap but didn’t take his eyes off the page, letting him scratch his nails through Eddie’s scalp. He really was so giving; anything Buck wanted to do to him (cuddle, or talk for hours about his latest interest, or just sit in his lap in the middle of the day), Eddie would accept within reason. Just as Buck did the same (holding Eddie in the middle of the night, listening to him rant about one of the PTA moms harassing him, or carrying him across the room when Eddie decided he wanted to cling to him like a koala bear instead of walk his tired-ass to the bedroom). It was a mutual bothering, which worked for both of them.

Which is why Eddie let Buck sit in his lap and massage his scalp for a minute or two before Buck mutter soft and low: “I kind of like the bits of grey, it makes you look distinguished.”

“What bits of grey?” Eddie shot up so fast, Buck nearly toppled off the couch but he caught himself on the back cushion. Just as quickly, Eddie settled back into his place, taking a deep breath. “Oh, right. Yeah. Thanks.” When he blushed, Buck had no choice but to kiss it away. It was mandatory.

-

Buck was ashamed to admit that he didn’t notice it at first. He spent so long memorizing ever feature on Eddie’s face and it took him nearly an hour to realize that something was different. And then when he realized, he couldn’t stop realizing and frankly, it was kind of hot.

He only wore them when they were in the bedroom – likely a little hesitant to admit that he needed them, but Buck liked to think of it as a secret he chose to share with Buck because of how much he trusted him. It was nice.

And did he mention hot?

It took him less than a week to finally break (what? He was only human).

Buck stopped in the doorway, glass of water gripped tightly in his hand lest he drop it at the mere sight of his boyfriend. Eddie never looked up from his book – and why should he? Tonight was just like any other night.

Except this was the fifth night in a row that Buck had walked into their bedroom and found Eddie, shirtless in bed with a pair of black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

How was he not supposed to pounce on that?

Pounce wasn’t the right word, exactly, more of a slither. Buck was about as graceful as Bambi on Ice, but when it came to slowly crossing a room to climb on top of his boyfriend, he was Johnny Weir (yes, he knew about figure skating – Bobby’s reveal had prompted a little research spiral).

“Hello.” Eddie smiled in surprise, dropping the book to his chest so his arms were free to stroke up Buck’s arms. “Is there something I can help you with?”

Without losing eye contact, Buck gently tucked the bookmark into the appropriate page and placed the book on the nightstand, out of harm’s way. No matter what, there was a great respect for books in their house (plus, if Buck tossed the thing across the room like he wanted to, Eddie’s mind wouldn’t be focused on the task at hand).

“I think you can help me” he whispered without a hint of suspense. Eddie knew exactly what he wanted.

He reached for the glasses, no doubt thinking they would get in the way, but Buck grabbed his wrist before he could even get close.

“Leave the glasses on.”

Eddie mumbled in surprise but didn’t deny his request, reaching for the lamp as Buck dove in for a kiss.

-

Okay, even if it was a little strange, it was still a really thoughtful gift.

Buck hated admitting when he was in pain. Yes, he’d learned his lesson after the whole ‘pulmonary embolism’ fiasco and was starting to speak up whenever things got too bad (especially with his leg); that didn’t mean he enjoyed it.

So, taking Bobby aside to tell him that his leg was cramping so badly, he thought it best to be ‘man behind’ for the rest of the shift, made him nearly cry with frustration. But he did it; and he spent the rest of the shift doing choirs, and icing his leg and generally doing what was best for his overall health.

The problem was, his leg almost always hurt just a little. Yes, he was back to full strength – and fitter than ever, thank you very much – but sometimes, he’d wake up in the middle of the night and need to walk a few laps around the living room before he could settle back into bed. Or, Eddie would catch him limping a little and a tub of Tiger Balm would suspiciously find its way into his work bag.

One day, he came home and found a cane next to the door. It was simple, brown with a curled handle, but it was the perfect height to help him walk around the house. Even if every iota of his being was screaming that using a cane was a sign of weakness, he saw the gift from Eddie as a show of love and concern, and so used it as an aide while he moved around the kitchen, waiting for Eddie to come home with Christopher.

That little boy was the most adorable mix of excited and concerned when he walked through the door and saw what Buck was doing.

“You remember when my leg got hurt? Well sometimes, it hurts again and it’s hard to move around without a little help. My cane is not nearly as cool as your crutches, though; it doesn’t even have an arm holder.”

The discussion had been a little longer, but the explanation seemed to satisfy him enough to drop the subject while he started on his homework.

Eddie had been suspiciously silent. Not suspicious, per se, but he hadn’t looked Buck in the eye through his entire interaction with Christopher.

As soon as the boy was seated at the dinner table, Buck pulled him in for a gentle kiss.

“Thank you” he pressed into his mouth again, gratefully. “I didn’t realize I needed this until you gave it to me. I appreciate you taking care of me.”

Eddie still hadn’t said a word, his eyes darting to the cane every few seconds as if deciding whether or not it actually existed. When he spoke, his voice was far away.

“I didn’t” he cleared his throat. “You’re welcome.”

Satisfied, Buck turned away in time to hear Eddie mutter “unbelievable” under his breath.

-

“Eddie, and I don’t want to offend you, but” Buck carefully entered the bedroom at the end of their nighttime routine. “Are your teeth real?”

Eddie should have looked more offended (Eddie, with his sexy librarian glasses and no shirt because ‘it’s too damn hot for clothing’) but instead, he tried to brush it off.

“Why would you ask me that?”

“Because I found denture cream in place of toothpaste.” He held up the small yellow tube as evidence. “Did you misread the label or something?”

Again, Eddie simply shrugged rather than engage in their conversation. “Nope.”

What did that mean? He’d meant to buy denture cream? Buck rolled the bottle in his hands, standing lost in the middle of the room – another thing for which Eddie usually teased him, but still nothing. Something had been going on with him lately. First the hair dye, and then the reading glasses, and now the denture cream…it was like he was preparing for old age or something.

Oh.

Maybe Eddie had taken to heart the little joke Buck had made about him getting old. He hadn’t even called him old, he’d called him ‘dad’ – he was a dad – but then Eddie had followed up with his little ‘old geezer’ routine. Could it be, that Buck had actually hurt his feels or sent him down some spiral? It wouldn’t be the first time (they still had the small collection of Beanie Babies in the hall closet from the time Eddie got drunkenly nostalgic), but this time he wondered if he could do something to help (instead of drunkenly encouraging him to get same-day shipping).

“Eddie” Buck cautiously approached the bed, tube still in hand. “Are you okay?”

The man looked up at him through his glasses as Buck took a seat beside him, staring at him with genuine confusion – not the façade he’d been putting on lately. “I’m fine, Buck” he promised. “What’s up?”

“Did I mess up when I called you ‘dad’ the other day?”

Even when he was taking his glasses off slowly, with concern and love in his eyes, Buck had a hard time not feeling attracted to his boyfriend. The way he cared…it was a lot.

“You didn’t mess up; I thought it as funny. What’s this about?”

Reluctantly, Buck revealed the tube still clutched in his fist as if that would explain everything. The way Eddie threw his head back in laughter, eventually flopping onto his pillow, told him that it must have.

“You ruin all my fun, you know that?”

Well that was…not what he was expecting Eddie to say.

“All I wanted was a little laugh at your expense and you have been nothing but sweet and supportive” he grumbled against the pillow. “It’s been very annoying, you know that?”

Ignoring the bit of hurt that rose in his chest, Buck pulled apart Eddie’s words, trying to decipher some semblance of meaning from them. The more he stared in confusion and horror, the more Eddie seemed to laugh in his face.

Before he could think to pout and beg for an explanation, Eddie reached out to grab his face and pull him down to his level. Buck just barely caught himself on the edge of the bed as Eddie muttered fondly “you are a good man, Evan Buckley, but you can be so…” don’t say dumb, please don’t say dumb “innocent, sometimes.”

It was Buck’s turn to fall forward with the force of his incredulous laughter, trapping Eddie between himself and the bunched up pillows, leaving the tube of denture cream lost to the chaos of their floor. Even as the laughter subsided, Buck rested his chin against his boyfriend’s chest as he spoke.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Eddie rolled his eyes, arms resting under his head like he had nowhere he’d rather be in that moment. “I thought I was being so clever hiding everything around the house. First the hair dye – I thought it might be a little subtle but you were so nice about reassuring me. And then the reading glasses…” he smirked at the memory of the last time he’d worn them. “That was an unexpected bonus. And then the cane”

“What about the cane?”

His expression softened. “It was meant as a joke but you seemed to really need it so I wasn’t about to take it away from you.”

Buck recoiled but didn’t leave his favourite position, curled on top of his – very perplexing – boyfriend. “You were making fun of me by giving me that cane?” It had never occurred to him that it would be anything more than a well-meaning gift; but Eddie had been mocking him? That didn’t make any sense.

“No!” Eddie sighed. “The cane was for me.”

He was up and straddling Eddie’s knees before he’d even finished his sentence, carefully inspecting every inch of the man he loved for signs of trauma. “What? Why? What happened? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“See, this is what I mean; you’re so nice, I can’t pull a prank on you” Eddie exclaimed, rising to his elbows.

Wait, what?

Buck slowly turned to meet Eddie’s eyes – playful and patient. “A prank?”

“A prank” he confirmed with a smile.

“What was the prank?”

Eddie snorted, eyes falling to the floor. “Grey hair remover, reading glasses, a cane, and denture cream – plus I got, like, four other things.”

He left Buck to connect the dots, which produced a groan from the man, falling back over top. “You weren’t mad about me calling you old, you were being a dick about it” he concluded.

“Not a dick” Eddie protested, “a well-crafted prank that apparently flew over your head.”

“Well what now? Do you want the cane back?” He’d been an idiot, just picking up the thing and assuming it was for him. It seemed like something Eddie would do – and maybe he would have if his mind weren’t on other matters – but Buck should have asked. Idiot.

“I meant it: if it helps you, it’s yours to keep. The rest of it, though…” Eddie’s eyes wandered back to the tube on the floor. “I have no idea what to do with it all now that the prank is sufficiently ruined.”

“It’s not my fault that you were too subtle.” Buck squawked when Eddie threw him to his own side of the bed.

Standing, the man looked over his shoulder on his way to the bedroom closet. “Not all of us can be as subtle as ‘Eddie, if someone you were friends with wanted to ask you out, what would you say?’”

Admittedly, not his most sophisticated moment. “It worked, didn’t?” Over a year later and they were happier than ever.

“True.” Eddie retrieved a plastic grocery bag from the back of the closet, returning to sit on the bed. “But that might be more an indictment on my weakness for puppies.”

In response, Buck licked up the side of his jaw, planting a kiss behind his ear as he snuggled in close for show and tell.

“Gross” Eddie half-heartedly batted him away. “Want to see what I had planned next?”

“Yes please.” Buck bounced beside him, surreptitiously peaking over his shoulder to look into the bag. The very first item had him snorting and ducking under Eddie’s shoulder blade.

“Aren’t Medical Alert Buttons, super expensive?”

Eddie showed off the bright red plastic attached to a black string, hanging it off his finger. “Not the discount one from Wal-Mart. It’s not registered or anything – I wouldn’t go that far. Probably.”

Buck caught the object when Eddie tossed it to him, shaking his head. “I probably would have taken it as a joke about how many times I get injured.”

“It can have multiple uses” he conceded, already looking into the bag for the next gift. “We can keep that one if you want.”

“I’ll think about it.” Buck had no intention of using it, but it might be a cute little thing to hang on his jeep mirror as a reminder of the man he loved. He really did love Eddie. Who else would go through all this for a stupid prank and kiss him when he missed the joke? He imagined smiling fondly at the red button on his way to work during those rare shifts they wouldn’t spend together. He tucked it under his pillow for safe keeping.

“This one was kind of a two-fold.”

Buck stared down at the square packaging in his hands. “A deck of cards isn’t exactly an ‘elderly’ thing.”

“But Bridge with my Abuela and her card shark friends is definitely a thing. I was going to drag you out on a Saturday to hang out with friends and make you sit and watch us play.”

He rolled his eyes. “Jokes on you, then, because I love playing Bridge.”

Eddie raised a dubious eyebrow. “Since when?”

“Since my grandmother taught me to play when I was eight.” He didn’t add that the only reason she had time to teach him was because he spent every weeknight at her house from age 6-15 while his parents worked or otherwise went out. The second he got his license, he got out of that routine; but there were still some fond memories attached to Nana’s house. “I would have kicked your ass.”

“Now we may never know.” Eddie grabbed the deck out of his hand and shoved it in the bedside drawer. “The last one would hopefully have been obvious.”

Buck nearly woke Christopher with his laughter – silenced quickly by Eddie throwing a pillow in his face – as he held the bag of adult diapers.

He loved Eddie so damn much, it hurt to breathe (although the wheezing laughter couldn’t have been helping his cause much). Once he was confident enough to remove the pillow, he examined the product with tears in his eyes.

“You got the overnight protection, that’s very astute. I might have eventually clued in that something was wrong.” He tossed the bag back to Eddie who was smiling at him with an odd look of pride. “This is a lot of effort for a one-off comment, Eddie.”

The man shrugged, reaching down to put the denture cream and diapers back into the bag to take to the donation bin later. “I don’t think it was.”

“What was the last one?” he asked, a lightness filling his voice from the sheer giddiness of being together.

In lieu of an answer, Eddie blushed and looked away. “Nothing.” That definitely meant it was something, Buck decided. There really was only one way to get Eddie to talk when he didn’t want to. Long, calloused fingers found his ribs and danced over his skin, leaving him curled over top of Buck, squirming and laughing. The day he’d discovered that Eddie was ticklish was probably one of the best days of his entire life. It meant he now how a surefire way to get his boyfriend to laugh whenever he wanted. It was a power he used sparingly, but he loved having a switch to turn on his favourite sound at will.

“Alright, stop, stop, I’ll tell you.”

Even as Buck released him, Eddie didn’t move from his place against Buck’s stomach, both breathing heavily and smiling at each other, wide and bright. The air grew still between them as Eddie regained his senses, the grin falling from his face – though his eyes were still warm and loving.

“I booked us a tour” he whispered his confession.

“A tour for where?” As funny as it would have been, they couldn’t exactly try to take advantage of a senior’s discount anywhere.

Eddie licked his lips, his earnest heart pulling the last of the humor away. “At a retirement village.”

The realization came a moment later. “You wanted to look at a retirement home together?” Saying the words out loud felt strange on his tongue. Stringing those syllables together in that order was not a possibility he ever thought to consider for himself.

Suddenly it was all he wanted.

“It was for the prank” Eddie gave a half-hearted shrug, still not releasing his breath entirely. “But I figured we could put our name on the waiting list if we liked it anyways.”

Buck joined him in his breathlessness, unable to think beyond the buzzing in his ears screaming ‘I love you, I love you, I love you.’ The world around him seemed fuzzy but Eddie’s face was crystal clear in his eyes.

“You’re planning your retirement with me?” Knowing them, that time wouldn’t come for another forty or fifty years, and yet Eddie wanted to put their names on a waiting list together. Like they were a sure thing.

“I did it as a joke” Eddie mumbled his concession, breath warming his skin. Buck watched his muscles dance underneath him, shivering with hope and excitement. “but it felt right to write down Mr. and Mr. Diaz.”

“I love you.” Those were the only words Buck could think to express every emotion in his being. There was too much at once to process and it swirled through his body, igniting every nerve ending on its way down to his toes. His mouth opened of its own accord and completely ran away from him. “I’ll love you when we’re old a grey, and you need all of those things you spent too much money on.” Eddie opened his mouth to protest but he continued. “I’ll love you when we fight – and when we think it’s the end for us, I’ll keep loving you. I want to hold your hand and die peacefully in our sleep in a retirement home we picked out when we were in our thirties. I want all of that, Eddie.”

He hadn’t thought seriously about marriage but the second it left his mouth…Eddie was right.

It just felt right.

The scariest request he’d ever made, didn’t seem so terrifying when he was staring down at the man he wanted to spend his life with, who kissed his stomach and smiled up at him with shining eyes.

“Our appointment is next Sunday.”

It was as close to an acceptance as they could muster in the moment, but the least he could do was pull Eddie up to kiss him properly. Buck released him for just a moment, smiling up at his fiancé to whisper:

“Good prank.”

Before diving in for another kiss.

[wwhbtsjin]

Perfect Blind Date

Pairing: Jimin x Reader

Genre: Fluffy...FLUFFYYYY

Word Count: 3.6k 

A/N: I’m also a major Starlight so peep the Ravi cameo

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

“It’ll be fun! I promise!” 

You were currently sitting in a cafe sipping a nice warm mug of coffee with your best friend Wonsik. You guys have been best friends since the age of twelve and have done everything together. You guys are even going to the same college together. You treasured your best friend but right now you were genuinely annoyed with him.

Wonsik was currently trying to get you to go on a blind date. All you knew about the mystery man was that Wonsik was trying to set you up with someone in his friend group. You two had your own separate groups in college but stayed loyal to each other as best friends.

“Oppa…” you pouted and glared at him. If looks could kill, you hoped your glare was sharp enough to send daggers right through his head, “What makes you think I would be interested in this blind date? For all I know you could be setting me up with Kai Oppa, Taemin Oppa, Taehyung Oppa or even Jimin Oppa! But like...WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I WOULD WANT TO GO ON A DATE RIGHT NOW?”

“(Y/N),” Wonsik placed a hand on his heart, “As your best friend, I want you to be with someone I trust. Someone I know will take care of you.”

“I’m under the assumption that whoever you’re trying to set me up with already has feelings for me? Oppa! The only one I know in your friend group is Taemin Oppa, and I know that man has not seen me in that way,” you looked down at your reflection in your coffee, “How do I know you’re not doing this just to be able to say, ‘I Ravi, have set up two of my best friends and now they’re madly in love!” Ravi was his nickname in his friend group. How did it come about? Well you had no idea. To you, he was Wonsikie Oppa.

“I will say this,” he laughed, “Actually I won’t. Can you please just trust me on this?” He gave you the puppy dog eyes that made you always say yes to whatever he proposed.

“Can I ask you a couple of questions first?”

His eyes lit up. Whenever you did this, it was an indication that he was getting closer to winning what he wanted. “Yes! I will answer anything! I won’t skip out on anything!”

“Who’s planning the date?” If you were being forced on a date, you wanted it to either be a complete surprise, or something that both of you would enjoy. You didn’t want to spend money on something you wouldn’t enjoy.

“I will!” Wonsik pat his chest triumphantly, “I know both of you very well, so I will make the date for you! I know how you are, you won’t have to spend money. He’s been wanting to take you out anyways so he’ll treat.”

“Is that okay with him?” It’s true you didn’t want to spend money, but you still feel guilty if your mystery man was going to pay for everything. When it came to dates and relationships, you wanted to be fair and equal.

“Of course it is! Like I said, he’s been wanting to take you out. Is that all your questions? Can I tell him you said yes?” Already, this man was fishing for his phone in his pocket but you reached across the table and slapped his arm, spilling some of your coffee in the process from when you shook the table. 

“I’m not done! When will this date be?” 

“Send me your schedule for next week and I’ll look at his. I’ll find a time and day, then I’ll work my magic from there. Trust me, you won’t have to worry about anything! I promise. All you have to do is show up. Please tell me that’s your last question…” he brought the pouty lip back out.

“No,” you were not going to let that pouty face get the best of you, “How will I know what to wear? Where to go?”

“Like.I.Said.” Wonsik chuckled, “I will plan everything out, with his help, but you won’t have to do anything except show up. I will text you the details before you sleep! I have to meet him in an hour anyways.”

You sighed in defeat, “Alright fine. BUT, I’m hungry, can you buy me food before you drop me back off at my apartment?”

He smiled widely, “Of course! Anything you want! But let me send this text first,” he took out his phone and smiled widely as he typed, “What do you want to eat?”

“Tteokbokki!” You jumped up and put your jacket on.

He laughed and put his arm on your shoulder, “What am I gonna do with my pig best friend?”

“Oh hush, you know you love meeeee.”

~

That night, you were sitting in your apartment, music playing in the background, dressed in your comfy clothes, and just studying on your coffee table. As you scrolled through a study guide, a notification popped up in your messages, of course, it's from Wonsik.

7:45 P.M. Wonsik- Everything is planned!

7:47 P.M. (Y/N)-  🤨

7:50 P.M. Wonsik- Trust me. Okay so are you ready for the details now?

7:51 P.M. (Y/N)- Do I have a choice?

7:55 P.M. Wonsik- Not really. Okay, so on Saturday you’re going to meet him at Han River Park at 11 A.M. Dress cute and casually cause you guys will be doing quite a bit. Be there on time! He will take care of the rest! Have fun! Be safe! He has a condom if needed.

7:57 P.M. (Y/N)- 😐

7:58 P.M. Wonsik- What?

7:59 P.M. (Y/N)-  I hate you sometimes.

~

So now you were standing at Han River park. You got there 5 minutes before the arranged meeting, but you didn’t see anyone who looked like they would be your mystery man, “I don’t think they’re someone who’s early, so let’s see if they’re prompt.”

You took a seat on a bench and decided to people watch. There were people who were running alongside the river. Kids jumping around, riding bikes, playing with bubbles. Elderly couples on a stroll. The day was just too nice for everyone to pass up.

“(Y/N)?” Someone called your name from behind you.

You turned around to see the source of the voice. It was Park Jimin. Out of all the boys in Wonsik’s friend group, he actually was your favorite. He was always super sweet, caring, and fun to be around. On top of that, you guys were actually friends too.

“Jimin Oppa?” Even though you two were the same year, he was 5 months older than you.

“H-hi,” he cheekily smiled and held out a bouquet of flowers to you, “I made this myself, they’re for you.”

“So you’re my mystery man?” You smiled and took the flowers from him, “Windflowers and pansies, they’re my favorite. How did you know?” You held them up to your nose, “They smell amazing.”

“I asked Ravi Hyung for some help. He told me your favorites but I made this myself. But surprise, I am your mystery man.” His cheeks had a slight pink tint to them. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair before taking a seat on the bench next to you, “I’m not sure what Ravi Hyung has told you about all of this? Care to fill me in? Let’s see how accurate he is?”

You giggled at his questions, “Well… Wonsikie Oppa told me you really wanted to take me out.”

“He’s not wrong there.”

“That’s really it. He left everything else a mystery for today.” You looked at Jimin and noticed he had a twinkle in his eyes. The way he smiled at you sent a light chill down your spine and you could feel your cheeks heating up.

“Well then, should we get going with our date?” He stood up and held his arm out for you to take.

You took his arm and he led you back to his car. Jimin opened the door for you and helped you in. He placed your flowers in the back seat then ran to the driver seat.

He turned on the car, “You can connect your phone if you want,” He smiled and put the music onto bluetooth pairing mode, “Ravi hyung told me you have a really diverse taste in music.”

“I mean…” you connected your phone, “We have a music theory class together, on that one project you and I worked on together, you asked me this question.”

“I-” he blushed furiously, “I’m just really nervous right now. I don’t want to screw this up.”

You smiled and placed your hand on his, “Be yourself Oppa. Do that and I promise you won’t.”

His face lit up like a little kid in a candy store, and to you, that was the cutest thing in the world, “Okay! Well then, let’s get going shall we?” He started the car and opened up the GPS, “Ravi hyung gave me this address, I have no idea where it is, but he also said we can’t look it up.”

“That turd…” you mumbled under your breath, “Well we just gotta wait and see!”

Jimin began heading the way the GPS told him to go. The two of you were able to keep the conversation going during the car ride. You learned a lot about Jimin in a matter of twenty minutes. You learned that he loves to drink hot chocolate when he’s sad, his friends apparently think his sandwiches are great and he would love to be able to talk to animals one day.

“You’re a very interesting person Oppa,” you giggled, “I wish you told me these things earlier! I like it!”

“Well, you and I may have been friends before this but we only really talked about school stuff.” He pulled into a parking lot full of cars, but your eyes lit up seeing where you were at.

“Lotte World!” You squealed.

“Wow Hyung…” Jimin chuckled and parked the car, “Are you fine with coming here?”

“I am more than fine! I’m excited! How about you Jimin Oppa?” You put your phone in your purse and hopped out of the car excitedly.

Jimin followed you out, “This is definitely something,” you saw him gulp nervously, “It’s gonna be an interesting time that’s for sure. But let’s get going? Ravi Hyung already paid for our tickets.”

You held onto Jimin’s arm, “Did he really? Well, I’ll have to thank him for that! My favorite place with a really cute boy as my da-”, you realized where you were going and you stopped yourself, feeling your cheeks heat up furiously, “I-, let’s get going Oppa!” You tried dragging him to the entrance but he pulled you back and wrapped his arms around your waist, leaving only centimeters between your faces.

“Where were you going with that statement?” he raised an eyebrow at you, “I’m not letting you go until I hear what you had wanted to say.”

“Oppa people are staring…” you looked around, cheeks flushed with a rosy tint.

“Let them look, they’ll just see how into you I am,” he gave you one of his award winning smiles, “Now come on...tell me!”

“I-,” you took a deep breath and hid your face in his chest as you hugged him, “I said my favorite place with a really cute date can we go now please?” 

He chuckled and put your hand back on his arm, “You’re really cute too.”

You just stayed quiet, blushing like crazy while Jimin took care of the tickets. When you guys entered the park your eyes lit up, “I’m so excited, Oppa let’s take a picture first!” You held up your phone. He wrapped his arm around your waist and brought his head close to yours. You guys both flashed a smile at the camera.

“Send me that right now please?” He gave you puppy dog eyes.

You nodded and sent it to him right away. When he got it on his phone, you saw his eyes light up. He saved the image right away and then to your surprise, he put it as his screensaver, “Isn’t it cute. I don’t want to forget this day.”

‘Maybe Wonsikie Oppa did something good for once…’ you smiled to yourself and held onto Jimin’s arm, “What should we do first Oppa?”

“You pick!”

“The pirate ship ride!” You cheered and dragged him in the direction of that ride. There was no response from him, but no protest so you assumed it was okay.

You guys hopped into the line and you turned toward him, “This has always been one of my favorites Oppa!”

But there was no response from him. Instead he just stood staring up at the ride. His mouth was dropped slightly and his eyes were wide. “So high…” he murmured to himself.

“Are you okay?” You tugged on his sleeve.

He shook his head and then smiled down at you, “I- I’m fine! I’ll be fine!” But his eyes said differently. They were big and shaky and he didn’t know that you were aware. He was scared. And you could tell. But you wanted to see if he would be fine doing this with you.

Finally it was your turn to get on the ride. You dragged him to the very end of the boat, “Let’s do this!” But Jimin’s face was blank. Instead he held your hand, which caught you by surprise, “Are you ready Oppa?”

The ride began to swing you and began to cheer each time it got higher. When the ride hit its peak height you heard Jimin scream, “OH MY GOSH.” He wrapped his arms around your waist and hid his face in the crook of your neck, screaming his head off.  “ARE WE ALMOST DONE YET?” He screamed, his grip getting tighter around your waist.

“Almost Oppa! Woohoo!” You screamed and wrapped your arms around him.

By the time the ride was over, you were skipping happily while Jimin just followed behind you blankly.

“That...what...I’m okay!” He held onto you, “I am okay...that was so high oh my gosh…”

“I knew from the line that you were afraid of this ride Oppa,” you giggle and pat his head, “But major brownie points to you for wanting to ride this with me!” 

His eyes lit up again and the color was brought back to his face, “Brownie points? What do I get? I must be doing good then!” He bounced up and down like a little kid, “Do I get something?”

His cuteness was literally going to be the death of you. You just wanted to hug him and cuddle him, “Will this suffice for now Oppa?” You locked your fingers with his and held it up for him to see.

He nodded, “If I get this for the rest of the day, yes.”

“Then it shall suffice,” you smiled at him warmly, “What should we do next? Something more calming I suppose?”

“How about the merry-go-round?” He suggested and pointed in the direction of it, “It definitely is calmer. I won’t scream my head off. I promise.”

He led you in that direction, refusing to let go of your hand. When you guys got there, you didn’t even have to wait in line, it just went straight through. Jimin helped you up onto the horse and then hopped on the one right next to you. 

“Can I take your picture? You just...look really cute right now.” He blushed as he fiddled with his phone in his hands.

“Sure, if I can take yours in exchange.” You wiggled your phone back at him.

“That’s a deal.”

You guys both posed cutely for each other on your trusty steed. You flashed a peace sign while winking at Jimin’s camera while he did buing buing, which made your heart melt. The ride began shortly after and Jimin reached for your hand, “I’m not letting this go, you said I could hold it for the whole day!” He kissed your hand softly, making you blush like crazy, “So I’ll definitely keep it for the whole day!”

The rest of the day at Lotte World was filled with adventure with Jimin. You guys took so many pictures together, played games, rode more rides and Jimin even bought you a stuffed penguin to commemorate the day.

“Ravi Hyung only had this planned for us,” Jimin pouted as you two currently sat on a bench right by the exit of Lotte World, “But if you would like to call it a day, I understand completely and I can take you home. If you’re okay with it though, I would like to take you somewhere else before we end the day.”

“Where would that somewhere else be?”

“It’s a surprise.” He smiled.

“I’ll trust you, take me to your surprise Oppa!” You smiled and let Jimin lead you back to the car.

The second you got back in, you yawned, “Amusement parks are so much fun, but they make me so sleepy.”

“Go ahead and sleep,” Jimin turned on the car, “We may hit traffic.”

“But I don’t want to miss out on anything during our date.” You pouted and turned to him reaching out for his hand.

“It’s okay, I promise.” Jimin’s smile was more than reassuring, it was comforting. So before you even got out of the parking lot, you already fell asleep. 

“So cute…” Jimin smiled and kissed your forehead before pulling out of the parking lot to drive to your final destination of the day, Namsan Tower. He had wanted to watch the sunset with you.

Soon enough Jimin pulled up to Namsan Tower. He gently shook you awake and smiled seeing you yawn. You opened your eyes and they immediately lit up when you saw where you were at.

“Namsan Tower!” you squealed, “It’s always so pretty here!”

“I took you here because I really wanted to watch the sunset with you…” he helped you out of the car and held your hand as you two made your way to the gondola. 

It was fairly empty so you two had the gondola to yourselves. You held his hand as you looked out the window. The cityscape of Seoul continued to grow smaller as you ascended higher towards the tower. “Isn’t our city beautiful Oppa?”

“Not as beautiful as you…” he sighed, “If I cross the line at any moment please let me know?”

You turned around to look him in the eyes, “Cross the line? You haven’t yet. But the same goes for me, if I cross the line, let me know okay?”

Soon enough you two got to the top and you hopped out of the gondola. You ran to the edge and was awestruck by the beauty of the scenery in front of you. But then you noticed Jimin wasn’t with you. You quickly scanned around and saw Jimin buying something. He hid whatever he bought in his pocket before making his way to you.

You cocked your head to the side and looked up at him as you grabbed his hand, “What did you buy?”

“It’s a surprise. I’ll show you before we go. But let’s go watch the sunset now.” He led you over to the railing and as you placed your hands on it, he stood behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist and rested his head on your shoulder, “This is why I asked that question earlier. You’re okay with this right?”

“More than okay.” You smiled and admired the view in front of you. Being in Jimin’s arms made you feel safe, relaxed and comfortable. You honestly didn’t want to leave them. And you were more than grateful now to Wonsikie Oppa for setting this whole date up for the two of you.

Soon the sun had disappeared and the sky was lit up by the night lights of Seoul. Jimin fished in his pocket and pulled out a lock and a marker, “I’ve always wanted to do this with someone special...and I thought you were the special someone I was waiting for to do this with.”

You blushed at his words, “What should we put on it Oppa? Our first date? Then our names and today’s date?”

Jimin scratched his head and cleared his throat, “What about this?” He began writing on the lock and then he handed it to you.

It read, ‘Will you be my girlfriend?’

You looked up at him and smiled, “Oppa…” 

“I know this is technically our first date (Y/N), but for the whole time I’ve known you, I fell hard for you. You’re absolutely amazing, beautiful, caring and kind. You are everything I’ve been wanting. I want to care for you and give you the love you deserve. So what do you say? Will you be my girlfriend?” His eyes were filled with warmth.

“My Boyfriend…” you smiled and kissed his cheek, “I can call you my boyfriend now!”

Jimin cheered and wrapped you up in his arms. He took the pen back out and flipped the lock around, “Let’s write this then.’

Jimin and (Y/N) officially became a couple today!

[courtofjurdan]

One Chance part 16

Jurdan college AU - previous chapter

masterlist

a/n: I'm sorry this is really short. I had my surgery about 4 weeks ago and it went great, unfortunately, recovery has been a lengthy process but I'm now feeling well enough to write again. Thank you guys for waiting. I don't know if you can tell, but I struggled writing this so bad but it has been forever and I wanted to give you something. BTW the end is coming upon us. I hope you enjoy!

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

Cardan wakes up early and starts getting the decorations for the gender reveal/ birthday party. Jude is sleeping in, which she probably needed. 

They rented a little picnic spot at the park that people rent out. Jude wanted to do something outside, she wanted to be out of the dorms. 

After he got the decorations, he went back to his dorm, picked up Jude, and headed to the park to decorate with Taryn, Garret, Liliver and Van. 

As Jude and Cardan were walking up to the tables that were set out, Taryn screamed, “I’m so excited!” Taryn ran up to hug Jude. 

Jude was wearing a blue t-shirt dress that showed off her bump while Cardan was wearing black jeans with a pink button-up shirt. 

Cardan believes it is a girl while Jude is positive that it is a boy. She says it’s mother's intuition so don’t argue about it. 

While the girls started to decorate, the boys got sent off to pick up food. Cardan’s job was the cake, the birthday cake and the gender reveal cake. He promised Jude with all his being he wouldn’t attempt to look on the inside. 

The gender reveal cake is either supposed to be blue or pink on the inside when you cut it. Jude wanted to do something easy. She couldn’t care less how unoriginal it is. 

About an hour later the boys are back with drinks, chips, mini sandwiches, and the best part, the cakes. Jude loved what it looked like. It was more than she could have ever expected. 

They set up the food and drinks. After that, people start coming. Because Taryn is also celebrating her birthday, some of her college friends are also here. 

What Jude least expected was that Cardan’s dad and sisters actually came. They did not expect them at all. What Jude was dreading most was Madoc. He came but at least Oriana was there to make him mind. Vivi and Oak came too which she was happy about. 

“Happy Birthday, Jude and Taryn.” Vivi came up and greeted them both. Patting Jude’s stomach in the process.

Oak came up behind her. “Hi Jude. Hi Taryn.” He paused, eyes going a bit wide. “Woah, Jude, your stomach got bigger.” 

Cardan came up beside Jude laughing quietly at what Oak said. Vivi explained to Oak, “It got bigger because a baby is growing in there.”

“How did the baby get in there?”

Everyone suddenly became very quiet. Vivi murmured, “Science lesson for another time buddy.” 

Madoc came up to Jude next. “Well I hope everything is going good for you, Jude.” 

“It is.” 

And that was that. Short. Clipped. End of their conversation. 

Next Jude and Cardan went to go greet his family. “Hello Mr. Greenbriar, I’m glad you were able to make it.” 

“Hello Ms. Jude, hello son, I’m glad to be here. I’m quite excited to know what my first grandchild is going to be.” 

Cardan’s sisters clipped in, “Yes I’m so excited to know if I’m going to have a niece or nephew.”

“I hope you guys enjoy,” Cardan looked at his dad, “thanks for coming.” His dad nodded his head at him. 

Cardan couldn’t express what him coming here meant to him. He has been absent most of his life. And for him to be here for his own child, it meant a lot.

People came and then they started to eat. After talking a lot and eating, they decided to put candles on the birthday cake and sing happy birthday. 

After singing happy birthday, they set the birthday cake aside and decided it was time to cut the cake that everybody was waiting to see. 

Taryn hugged Jude and went back to sit, while Jude called Cardan to come and stand up there beside her. 

Cardan called out, “Okay people, we are going to cut the cake that most of you guys have been waiting for.” 

Jude grinned up at him nervously, “Cut it together?” 

He nodded. 

Cardan put his hand over Jude’s that was on the knife. They made two slices and pulled the cake out and the color that was in there was….

Cardan looked down at Jude with the biggest smile, “We’re having a girl!” 

“Oh my gosh, it’s a girl.” 

Cardan kissed her than her bump and then back up to her lips. A girl. They were having a baby girl.

“I knew I was right.” That earned Cardan a scowl.

————

After cleaning up after the party, they went back to Cardan’s dorm. They got in their comfiest pair of pajamas and decided to watch some movies. 

After their second movie, Cardan spoke up, “Hey Jude, I want to talk to you about something.” 

“Cardan, please tell me it’s not bad. I’ve had a really good day and I don’t want anything to ruin it.” 

Cardan let out a low laugh, “Well I’m not quite sure how you will look at it. I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all but I can’t say you will say the same thing.” 

“Okay?” Jude’s curiosity is getting the better of her. 

Cardan cleared his throat. Jude could tell how nervous he was. “My dad pulled me away before he left to talk to me. He said he is very excited to have a granddaughter and he would like to give us a gift.” He paused. “Jude, he wants to buy us a house.” He quickly adds when Jude doesn’t say anything, “I understand if you’re not ready, it’s a lot to take in in a short amount-”

Jude looked up at him and interrupted, “Are you asking me to move in with you? To buy a house and move in with you?” 

Cardan gave a sheepish look and said, “Yeah I guess I am.” 

“You really want to be a family with me? This isn’t just some game you can ditch. Once I’m in, I’m never leaving.” 

“Of course babe, I want to be a family. I want to raise our daughter with the same roof over both our heads. I want you and me in the same house watching our little girl grow up. I want to give you everything you could possibly desire.”

A silver lining came over Jude’s eyes, “Yes, Cardan, if your being real about all that then yes. I’ll move in with you.”

“Well I’m glad I’m being real.” 

Cardan leaned down, putting one hand on Jude’s belly and giving her an excited kiss. His little girl must have felt his happiness too because she kicked wildly at his hand.

They broke off the kiss and looked down at the little boxer growing safely in her stomach. Cardan got down on his knees and rested his forehead on the bump, saying, “My baby girl, I promise to love and protect you with all that I am, I promise to give you your little heart's desire, I promise to be the dad my dad wasn’t. I promise to give you the world little one, I love you.” He sealed his words with a kiss to the bump. 

Jude grabbed his chin to make him look up at her, “Cardan, you're not going to be your father. I promise she is going to love you so much. In fact, she already does.” Cardan gave her the widest smile.

They couldn’t wait for their future. Their baby girl. This is a life they both would never believe they would have, a life they didn’t even know they wanted, but this is the best thing that had ever happened to them. All thanks to their little girl. 

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