#golf 4 life shirts

[giuliettagaltieri]

Obsessive Little Thing

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Lovesick!Reader

Chapter Synopsis: A jerk, a bitch, and the sidekicks

Warning: Angst, swearing, one sided pining, shallow/light writing, you and Rafe are equally stupid in your own ways.

Word Count: 1598

1 of 4

You can clearly remember the day you first started liking Rafe Cameron.

It was midsummer five years ago.  He was older than you and he only hung out with boys.  You were on the sidelines, afraid to talk to other girls like the popular Sarah Cameron and not interested in the conversation that the adults are having.

There was nothing interesting happening until Rafe Cameron decided to talk to you.  Well, it was just pleasantries being passed between you as you were standing by the cocktail table, sipping on your nonalcoholic juice as your mother insisted, and he was just needing a drink for himself.  One thing led to another and he was keeping you company the entire night, you did see how his stepmother was exchanging glances with him.  Whatever kindness Rafe Cameron showed you, it was not voluntary.

But you are grateful for it.

You started slotting yourself in his life, little by little, and he let you.

It was summer again and you had nothing else to do but bother him.

Dressed up in your polo shirt tucked in a light figure hugging shorts, your tennis shoes crunch over the pebbles of your driveway as you make your way to your car to head to the country club. 

In the mornings, you know that he likes to hit the gym with Topper and Kelce, you’d join them but they all stink of sweat and you’d rather pass.  Around this time, you know they will be at the Country Club, drinking or playing golf.

Smiling widely, you check your compact for anything out of place and smile even wider when you are content with how you look, sending a wink to your own reflection.

Rafe begrudgingly taught you how to drive a couple of years ago and you feel giddy with the memory.  You park carefully once you arrive at the Country Club and you spritz your favorite perfume behind your ears.  Rafe mentioned it smelled nice before and you have been using it ever since.  All the other perfume bottles that you are gifted on your birthdays and Christmas were left to collect dust in your closet.

You pinch your high socks to make sure that they fit snuggly, you can’t appear unkempt in front of Rafe and his friends.  With a practiced smile, you hop out of your car and saunter over to Rafe’s usual table, and just as you expected, he’s right there, having beer with Topper and Kelce.

“Hi!”  You greet them enthusiastically.  Topper and Kelce smile upon seeing you.  Rafe glances behind his shoulder to look at you before he turns back to his beer.

“Hi, Rafe.”  You say as you reach him, you place a hand on his arm to further get his attention and he squints up at you, making you giggle.  You sit down next to him, with a smile still on your face.  “I said…Hi, Rafe.”

He glances at Topper and Kelce, smiling briefly before it drops and he leans closer to you, his hard eyes staring deep into yours.  “Hi, Y/N.”

Your cheeks warm upon the soft gravel of his voice and you try to hide your proud smirk.  You like it when he actually acknowledges you, despite how rude he might act, you know he’s nice deep down.  Rafe has quite a temper and you have seen his outburst multiple times but he is always gentle with you.

Mindless conversation rolls over you until a soft chime in your bag has you pulling out your phone.  “Ugh, sorry.”  You smile sheepishly as you put your phone on silent mode.  “My mom has been trying to convince me to shift to business management courses.”

“Oh yeah, you took up fashion design, right?”  Kelce nods as he sip his beer and you beam at him.

“I did, Kelce.  Would you like to see my recent designs?”  You ask excitedly as you open your gallery and place your phone so Topper and Kelce can look at your sketch.

But Rafe chuckles humorlessly.  “Sweetheart, I don’t think Kelce came here to look at your drawings.”

“Oh.”  Your smile drops, your shoulders sagging just a bit.  “I’m sorry.”  You press home and Kelce and Topper both see how Rafe was your screensaver.  You don’t look embarrassed by it though.

“That’s fine.”  Kelce smiled at you.  “They’re uhm, they’re good.  Right, Top?”  He slaps Topper’s chest who quickly nods at you, even sending a frown to Rafe.

“They’re really nice, Y/N.  Perhaps you can make a suit for me for midsummer next year?”  He smiles and you gasp.

“Really, Top?”  You stand from your chair to grab his hand and he chuckles at your excitement.

“Yeah.”  Topper nods, grinning widely at your enthusiasm.

You sit back down and glance at Rafe triumphantly.  “See?  They’re not just drawings.”

Rafe rolls his eyes and grabs his beer.  “Sure.”

You drink your cherry cola, which was put under Rafe’s tab, swinging your feet as you sit closer to him, your smile not leaving your face. 

“Do you need sunglasses?”  You ask Rafe quietly as he squints under the sunlight.  “I have one in my car.”  He ignores you to listen to Topper talk.  “Or do you wanna switch seats with me, at least you won’t be facing the sun directly.”  You giggle lightly as you lean even closer to him.

Rafe shakes his head, eyeing you briefly.  “I’m good.”

You sigh but then you get a brilliant idea.  “At least wear sunscreen.”  You fish out a bottle of sunscreen from your pouch.  Rafe clicks his tongue when you spread the cream evenly on your palm and just as your hands were about to touch his face, his hands caught your wrist to stop you.

The sudden movement caught the server passing by off guard and the cocktail she was carrying came spilling onto Rafe’s polo.

“Oh no!”  You gasp, quickly wiping your hand on your thighs and dabbing a napkin on Rafe’s stained top.

The server apologizes profusely, she was even pressing her own napkin on Rafe’s clothes, but your eyes immediately lock on how her hands are pressed up on Rafe’s chest.

Before you can stop yourself, you are prying her hands off of Rafe, his shirt crumpled by your hands as you pull him close, your eyes glaring daggers at her.

“Don’t touch him!”  You scream angrily at her.  Her chest is heaving as her short hair is in disarray.  You glance at her nametag.  “Sofia.”  You say bitterly.  “Watch where you’re going next time!  If you can’t even serve drinks properly without pouring them all over your patrons, perhaps you shouldn’t be working here!”  You yell at her but before she can respond, Rafe’s arms wrap around your midriff and he lifts you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. 

“Put me down, now!”  You scream as you kick your feet but Rafe enclosed your thighs in a secure hold.

“Not until you calm down!”  He bellows, making you swallow the insult you were about to throw at Sofia.

You gulp.  You pissed him off.

You bite your lip as you let Rafe carry you to your car.  He puts you down roughly on your hood, you immediately squirm at the impact and at the heat of the metal under your thighs.

“Put me down!”  You squeal in pain but Rafe holds your thighs in each hand, you stop all movement when you see his tendons popping out, his eyes glaring at you.  “Rafe, I’m sor-”

“You’re fucking impossible, you know that?”  He angrily spits through gritted teeth.  His grip on your thighs tightening with every word he spoke, making you flinch and shrink back, your eyes glossy with tears.  “You just embarrassed me!”

You blanch at his tone.  “Rafe, I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean to.”  You hiccup as you touch his jaw but he turns his head to the opposite direction, away from your touch.  His nose flared as his anger nearly boiled over.  His face was turning red and you see a vein bulge in his temple.

“She only spilled the drink on me because you were being insufferable.  That girl didn’t deserve to be yelled at.  You were a fucking bitch!”  He drilled a finger on your chest, making tears stream down your cheeks.  “God!  I can’t stand you.”  He shakes his head as he glares at you before storming off.

You called his name but he was already marching back inside the Country Club.  You watch him march away, his shoulders squared as he runs a hand down his mouth.  Your entire body was shaking as you looked at him desperately. 

Kelce comes and helps you down the hood.  You were clinging to his arms as you looked in the direction where Rafe disappeared.  “I said I was sorry.”  You look at Kelce with tears pouring out of your desperate eyes.  “Kelce, I said I was sorry.”

Topper shakes his head as he snatches a handkerchief from his pocket and hands it to you.  Your stuff already in his other hand

“Come on, Y/N.”  Topper calls.  “I’ll drive you home.”

Reluctantly, you step away from Kelce.  You glance at the Country Club one last time to see if Rafe came back and you wish you hadn’t, there he was with that server, Sofia.  Rafe was smiling down at her, she had a hand on her chest as she too smiled at him.  They are clearly talking about you.

Topper gently puts an arm on your shoulders to get you to tear your eyes away from them.

Lovesick Little Thing

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - In Which None of You Should be Surprised by a MAJOR Upset in the Standings

Sorry this is so late. I had a pretty epic series of delays landing me at NRT for like 18 hours or something ridiculous. To be fair there are much worse airports to be stranded at.

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

June 2024 Week 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

The Rebound (Weds Gaga) ep 1 of 12 - Fuck all ya'all if you thought I had taste. MeenPing are topping this damn list because... have you any idea how LONG I have been waiting for a real sports centered BL starring at least one boy who actually played the flipping sport? My whole damn life. You ready for me to go into euphoric splooges all over your screens? I don't think you are. SUFFER! And now some splooging:

It’s off to a great start. Thank you, Rebound, for being exactly what I wanted. By which I mean Meen has his shirt off literally in the first two minutes of the show. Also it’s a bit of a childhood sweethearts reunion romance. There’s nothing wrong with this beginning. Fantastic. For a change, I even enjoy the intro music. Golf is directing MeenPing this time, so maybe something magical will happen. Frank is aging so pretty!!! How nice for all of us. Even the bb play is good. It’s a proper sports BL. I’m so damn happy right now. 

Wandee Goodday (Sat YT) ep 9 of 12 - I’m so tired of Ter, but everything else was lovely. Also they are SUCH boyfriends. 

Sunset X Vibes (Sat iQIYI) ep 3 of 12 - They are so cute in these roles. I don’t know why, I just like their vibe better here than in the previous show. (And I really enjoyed Big Dragon at the start.) This show is a lot more classic romance and kind of pat because of that. I do hope the ingénue character gets some kind of additional development and talent. But even if it stays mundane, these two have the chemistry to carry it. So I suspect I’ll keep enjoying it regardless. I am mildly intrigued by the spice of the PNR element, so I hope they run with that a bit more. I suspect they will have to, to extend the plot for 12 eps.

My Stand-In (Fri iQIYI) ep 10 of 12 - Ah Ming... famous last words. This one just makes me sigh a lot and whimper sadly. I don’t know where they’re going with this plot or how they’re gonna resolve it. Joe finally being the asshole Ming deserves is a lot of fun though (double entendre intended). I’m scared but it did make me cry... a lot. (That's fine, I'm a sap.)  

Imma say this because no one else has. Wardrobe is unilaterally terrible in this show. I mean Thailand is notoriously bad in general but this show, nash.

We Are Cute (Weds iQIYI) ep 13 of 16 - They are so fucking adorable. And so flirty! Also a crying kiss? My favorite! Chain’s little moment of "Cupid shoot thyself" was epic. ("Physician heal thyself" but for the BL world?) Honestly, I could watch a whole show about these two...

The Trainee (Sun YouTube) ep 1 of 12 - How does Gun still look like he’s just out of high school? Madness. Does the set for the print shop that he’s working in at the beginning remind anybody else of Mork’s dad’s place in ‘Cause He’s My Boy? I swear GMMTV has about 3 sets they rotate through.

To be brutally honest, I was not looking forward to the show at all. No idea why. OffGun aren’t my most favorite OG pair, but I respect them for their longevity, optics, acting shops, and enduring brand. Maybe I just needed more of a gap from Cooking Crush?

Whatever, I was absolutely riveted by this first episode. I’m enjoying The Trainee a lot. Like, a lot a lot.

My Love Mix-Up Th (Fri YT) ep 4 of 12 - This version did the "clear up of the inciting miscommunication" in such a sweet achey way. Frankly that "ache of first love" really plays to G4's strengths as a pair. This was a good ep and I’m now starting to enjoy this one for its own sake and get some distance from the JBL version. It's just there is A LOT of good stuff coming out of Thailand right now.

Love Sea (Sun iQIYI) ep 3 of 10 - I was inspired to write a Shakespearean style sonnet in this week's trash watch. Mame seems to believe that no character can have depth without suffering. And I found this episode both boring and rushed at the same time. Trash watch here. (This week's trash watch also VERY delayed.)

Knock Knock Boys (Thurs Gaga) ep 6 of 12 - It’s eminently missable... so I missed it this week in order to get this weekly update out. Next week will be a two in one. 

Only Boo! (Sun YT) ep 12fin - Okay, that’s it, I guess?

Summary:

An idol romance about a sunshine boy who dances good and wants to be a star and a reserved food stand vendor. Other side of the tracks, grumpy/sunshine pair who fall in love but, of course, to be an idol baby boy can't date. It wasn’t particularly bad, it wasn’t particularly good either. 7/10

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

I Hear the Sunspot AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru (Japan Weds Gaga) Ep 1 of 10 - A new series adaptation of beloved yaoi I Hear the Sunspot (first adaptation was feature film Silhouette of Your Voice 2017).

I expected the soundscapes in this one to be fantastic, but I didn’t expect the filming to be something special too. But it really is. I’m not gonna lie, I'm nervous about this show because I love the manga and was disappointed by the film, but we were off to a really good start. First names already? So cute. I love them.

Takara's Treasure AKA Takara No Vidro (Japan Mon Gaga) ep 1 of 10 - Shy awkward Taishin goes to a Tokyo university in order to reunite with Takara, a stranger who consoled him over the loss of a parrot the year prior. He finally gets a chance to express his gratitude but is given the cold shoulder. (My thoughts this weekend's round up)

I can't believe Japan is holding it down for the non Thai BL. I mean to say.... JAPAN!!! What alt reality are we living in? It being Japan, I'm scared of the ending.

It's airing but...

Blue Boys is still going on and I'm still enjoying it (despite the cheating) but I don't know when it drops or where it's going, so I will report in at the end. When they tell me it's ended.

The Last Time (Thai Fri YT?) - Convoluted story of loss and possible reincarnation or something. Can't find it.

OMG Vampire (Thai Sun ???) 10 eps - I've put the search on hold for and y'all can let me know if it's worth tracking down once it ends?

In case you missed it

The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer released to Korean theaters 5/25. HoTae & DongHee, side couple from Unintentional Love Story are back! Same actors, same character names. I love them. Devastated this hasn't had international distribution. I demand you tell me the moment you find it!

Next Week Looks Like This:

NO IMG - we half way through this week already - sorry.

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

July Releases to Come

7/5 This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (Thai iQIYI) - trailer here, The PittBabe team behind a new restaurant set BL full of hidden agendas and starring my new favorites SailubPon. Delightful!

7/10 Century of Love (Thai Gaga) 10 eps - trailer here, DaouOffroad are back, this time as fated mates in a quasi historical paranormal moment. San has spent many lifetimes waiting for his lost beloved, to reincarnate from her death a century ago. But if he fails to find her within this century's time window, he will succumb to a tragic death. And this time she's a boy. Very much Director Who Buys Me Dinner meets First Love Again, hopefully better than both. I love this pair and think they can handle the premise, it's whether the storytelling is up to the challenge. I'm curious to see but I have reservations.

7/26 4 Minutes (Thai Netflix or iQIYI?) - Great is a university student from Faculty of Business and the son of a wealthy business owner. Out of the blue, he gains the supernatural power to see four minutes into the future.

7/29 Battle of the Writers (Thai ????) - trailer here, TutorYim return and while I adore them, I really hope this is better than Middleman's Love. Won't be hard. However: that premise! Ugh. Something something authors fighting - save me. Why don't writers understand that nothing is more boring than writers?

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Defining @heretherebedork 's favorite endearment of "tiny idiot."

I love him. I also love what a class act they both were about this turn down. Thailand shows Korea how to handle a love triangle by NOT HAVING ONE.

Both We Are.

We stand a lap sit on this blog, but I think this is my first lap spin! I adored it! (Sunset X Vibes)

It's fun to watch them follow the original narrative but with these cute little Thai twists. Sometimes these are shifted for language reasons, sometimes for cultural, and sometimes I think just to draw a clear distinction from the JBL. I'm not mad about any of it. (My Love Mix Up)

Not just for you, honey. Truer words were never spoken. Yak is the biggest green flag ever to walk BL's verdant earth.

Linguistic corner!

I love this way of putting the translation. Usually, in Thai, the phrase used means "he's my happiness" (sounds like: kwamsook). To use sabai is different. Sabai more ubiquitous (sabai is one of the most commonly used phrases in Thailand) but also so different from the usual phrase we hear in ThBL at this moment. Thus, this execution is special, particularly from a doctor. I'm not quite sure how to put it but sabai can also be translated as feeling well, as in, not ill. So there is a way of looking at Wandee saying Yak is both his peace of mind and good for his health and well being.

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in it's infinite wisdom doesn't like too many tags.

There's these tricks, remember.

[copperbadge]

Lying in bed this morning, working on a bit in the novel about defining "shoulder season" for the reader, I realized what my personal aesthetic is currently: Tourist Gothic.

Tourist Gothic as a fashion statement is based on the following precepts.

1. Comfort. Comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing is rarely glamorous, but I'm not here to win Drag Race. I'm on vacation and wearing what best combines 'I like how I look in this so you don't have to' with 'I can wander around a strange place for hours.' If everyone you meet is someone you'll never see again, their opinion of you is irrelevant.

2. Loudness. My traveling companions need to be able to spot me easily. A bright floral print or a weird hat is just the thing. (Protip if you like me are prone to wandering away from the group, a really weird hat is the best way to make sure they can find you. I have a newsboy cap with wings sewn onto it for just such a purpose.)

3. Delight. Where else but on vacation can I wear my Costco Hot Dog t-shirt? On vacation it's appropriate whether I'm at a sausage sizzle, a football match, or an art museum.

4. Utility. If I have to, I can wash my entire wardrobe in a hotel room sink. The socks can be soaked and frozen in a plastic bag to use as an ice pack. Everything has pockets and nothing hurts.

5. Sincerity. Nothing a tourist wears is worn ironically. Commitment to the bit must be total.

The central precept of the look is that one is too concerned with both comfort and adventure to conform to dress code. I don't want to blend in, I want you to take me to the best local cuisine you have and overcharge me for it. I am here to admire your architecture and support your economy. Now just apply all that to everyday life, and boom. Tourist Gothic.

If you're wondering how this differs from everyday Dad Wear, your average Tourist Goth has slightly higher emotional investment in sandals and sunscreen and a lower commitment to belts overall.

Thank you for coming to my TEDtalk, so glad to see so many of you are wearing golf shorts.

[joelslawyer]

dad's best friend!joel miller x fem!reader

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!reader

Word count: 4.7k

Series summary: fresh on the heels of the worst breakup of your life, you find an unexpected kindred spirit (and maybe a little more) in family friend joel miller, who's agreed to tag along for seven days to a tropical resort with you and your parents.

General series warnings etc: soft!joel, age difference , alcohol, food, sexual tension, smut, fluff, anxiety, mentions of infidelity, mentions of divorce, forbidden relationship.

"You remember Joel, right, sweet pea?" your dad says. 

It's 4:30 in the morning on a Saturday and you're standing in an airport parking lot. 

"Um, yeah," you lie. You do and you don't. You can vaguely recall a slightly younger Joel Miller at some backyard gathering your parents had hosted a few years ago. You'd been younger too, maybe already dating your ex, Chris. Perhaps that's why you don't remember him. You tended not to notice other men when Chris was around, particularly not the ones nearly twenty years your senior.

Bleary-eyed and sleep deprived, you take him in now.

Salt-and-pepper-haired and tan skinned, thighs straining against the shorts he clearly hasn't broken out in years, it's almost hard to believe the guy's fifty. As you size him up in his worn out Longhorns t-shirt, you suddenly are able to dredge up some distant memories of thinking he'd been sweet, proudly bragging about his adult daughter (Sarah?) and all her successes at grad school.

He looks a bit haggard at the moment, his own lack of sleep evident under his brown eyes, curls tousled messily around his head. You probably don't look much better in your big t-shirt and bike shorts, clinging for dear life to the iced coffee you'd picked up on the way.

"S'okay, know it's been a while," Joel says gruffly, reaching out to shake your hand. You give him your best smile, or at least the biggest one you can manage. His returning smile is brief and tight, more to the pavement than you. God, this is going to be awkward.

"Only a couple of years!" your mother protests, far more alert and chipper than the two of you.

"Geeze, has it really been that long?" your dad chimes in, disbelieving. He rounds on you, pointing accusingly in your direction with a boarding pass in his hand. "See, this is why you gotta come around the house more, sweet pea. Joel and I still go golfing together almost every weekend."

Not your dad with the guilt trip. You've been out of the house for years now and in your opinion, stop in a perfectly acceptable amount for someone nearly thirty. Plus, your full-time job is demanding enough; you're lucky you even got time off for this.

"Don't know why he keeps invitin' me," Joel admits with a grin. "All I do is lose."

"Boost his ego, I guess," you offer with a shrug. Joel's grin widens.

"Everyone got their passports?" your dad chimes in, quickly steering the conversation away from any jokes at his expense. He's far more keyed-up than you and Joel, you notice. In fact, it's his idea to be at the airport approximately four hours before take-off "just in case there's trouble at security." You don't think he's slept all week in the lead-up to today.

Neither have you, but you have your own reasons.

Mainly the fact that you hate flying. The thought of it makes your palms sweat and your heart rate soar, at times a debilitating phobia that's held you back all your life, no matter how many times you've had to face it.

All that pre-flight anxiety is really starting to mount now, only increases as the four of you make your way through check-in and security. Gearing up for the crammed seating, the noisy airplane din and the whole being-up-in-the-fucking-air thing is already enough to make your skin crawl. On top of that, you're painfully aware that you'll be sitting next to Joel, an uncomfortable prospect that's only adding to your nerves.

You should have taken an extra Klonopin. 

The nerves really hit home when you settle in at the gate, the sight of aircrafts taking off through the wall of windows beside making you recoil in on yourself, arms wrapped protectively around your knees as you try your best to breathe. 

You're finally forced to make conversation with Joel once your parents become engrossed in private discussions about itineraries and dinner plans. And while he's not the miserable killjoy you'd thought he'd be, he is…quiet.

"You ever been to Costa Rica before?" he asks, his eyes moving between you and the gate around him, like he's not sure of exactly where to land them.

"No," you shake your head, running your hands nervously up and down your legs when you catch a 767 taking off out of the corner of your eye. That'll be you soon. Fuck. 

Joel doesn't say anything else, just nods and stares at his sneakers. 

"What about you?" you inquire, too late, unable to hold back the shake in your voice as your heart pangs with stress. Why are the plane engines so loud? Why can you hear them in here? You have to fight the urge to cover your ears like a child to block out the incessant noise.

"Nope," Joel admits. "Never left the US."

"Oh."

And that's the end of that conversation. 

Silence befalls the both of you as your dread properly sets in then. You put your headphones in your ears and let your music take you away, while Joel sighs and slumps back into the hard, plastic seating. You keep the headphones in all throughout boarding, breathing deeply and counting backwards from one hundred five separate times in an effort to calm your anxiety.

Joel's forced to tap your shoulder to get your attention when you arrive at your row.

"What?" you mumble distractedly when you yank one headphone out of your ear.

"I'll take the middle, f'you want."

"Oh, okay. Sure."

You toss your carry-on into the overhead compartment as Joel takes his seat, some stranger to his left already settled in the window spot. You pop your headphone back in and sit down beside him. 

It's around then that you notice how…broad Joel is. His knees invade your already cramped space, legs splayed out like he can't help it, shoulders brushing yours between the seats. You can't remember if he's always been that way. Can't remember if you'd ever really noticed. 

Your parents take their seats in the row ahead of you and then there's nothing left to do but wait.

Take-off is blissfully uneventful, fairly smooth and not enough to truly send you into panic-mode. You turn your music up to its highest volume and squeeze your eyes shut, balling your hands into fists until the aircraft levels out, thousands of feet above the earth. You wait until the seatbelt light turns off to finally take a proper breath in and try to relax. You let your head fall back into the headrest, pulling your knees into your chest and concentrating especially hard on every minute detail in every second of every song, anything to keep you distracted from the fact that you're currently flying in the fucking sky.

It's all going fine, until the turbulence starts. 

Now, you grip the edges of your armrests for dear life as the unpredictable bumps and shudders jostle you in your seat. You try to breathe but you can't get a proper one in–just short, shallow gasps, the sounds of which are swallowed by the continuous droning of the aircraft's engines.

Then a particularly aggressive tremor has you jumping in your seat and you stare around wildly, panic painted all over your face. Surely that hadn't been normal?

You're aware then of Joel's hand on your arm but you don't hear his quiet, "Hey," till you've pulled the damn headphone out of your ear again to find him glancing down at you with concern.

"You okay?" he asks, looking concerned in a sort of paternal way. His hand is still on your arm.

You swallow harshly, trying to reign it in. To not seem like a total fucking coward.

"Don't like flying," you choke.

"Everything alright here?” another voice is asking then, to your right. A flight attendant, you realize, apparently having noticed your distress. Great. She stares down at you with condescending eyes that eventually settle on Joel, who finally releases your arm. You don't miss the way her gaze changes when she looks at him, her eyes raking over his broad form as a smile spreads across her face.

Interesting. The guy has an effect on women, clearly.

Joel smiles back at her, a lop-sided thing that makes his eyes crinkle. "Maybe you could tell us that," he says.

The flight attendant practically melts at his voice, her cheeks burning red as she directs her answer very much just to Joel, while you continue to cower between them.

"Just some standard turbulence, nothing to be worried about," she assures the both of you (Joel).

"Never been on a plane," Joel tells her. "S'all new to me."

"Really?" She sounds way too interested. Lots of people have never been on planes. Lots of very, very lucky people. "Never?"

"First time," he smirks. "Don't mind it so much. And f'you say there's nothin' to worry about, I believe ya."

The flight attendant beams.

Has Joel always been this...charming? It's been so long since you've seen him. You're sure you must have thought so, must have seen what the flight attendant is seeing, perhaps never noticing it in any sort of…concrete way. You definitely don't remember noticing his thick, honey-sweet drawl or the amount of space his massive hands take up on the armrest. The flight attendant does though. 

"I love that accent," she comments (flirts). "You know, my family's from the South."

"That so?" Joel grins but their little moment is interrupted when the aircraft shakes violently and you gasp, your arms wrapping around your middle protectively. The turbulence continues, hard and jarring and fuck fuck fuck–you can't breathe. 

Joel catches the reaction, concern taking over his features once more.

"I'd love to hear more, but I think our friend here might need a soda or somethin'," he says.

Oh, has he finally decided to acknowledge your presence again?

The flight attendant makes a face, glancing over her shoulder uncertainly.

"We don't really offer drinks while the seatbelt sign is on…"

"Maybe you could make an exception?" Joel suggests and you catch the way his eyes flick over to you, sunken into your seat with your arms over your knees, probably looking exactly how you feel–fear-stricken and on the verge of passing out. 

The flight attendant takes one look down at you and nods quickly (probably more than happy to make an exception for Joel) before darting off down the aisle and returning seconds later, expertly managing to stay balanced as the plane rocks and rolls. You, meanwhile, have to fight to keep your morning iced coffee down. Your hand shakes when you reach out for the can.

"I got it," Joel intervenes, reaching over you to take it from the flight attendant, brushing your trembling hand away with ease. 

"Thanks, darlin'," he dismisses the stewardess with one last grin which she returns in spades before sauntering off.

Darlin'? Okay, Joel Miller. 

"Here," he offers the little green can to you once she's gone. The plane jolts and you hiss through your teeth, working impossibly hard to stay level as you take the soda from him and bring it to your lips.

"Thanks," you murmur when the cool, syrupy liquid assaults your tongue, a surprisingly distracting sensation that does seem to breathe some life back into you. You can feel Joel's eyes on you as you take a few more calming sips and few more steadying breaths. A moment later and the bumpy turbulence seems to cease. A moment after that and the seatbelt light turns off. 

You exhale for what feels like the first time in hours. 

"Feelin' alright?" Joel asks eventually. 

You nod stiffly, downing the rest of your drink and leaning back into your seat. You sigh. The last time you'd been on a plane, it had been Chris comforting you through your stupid fear of flying. Not well, mind you; he had never been the best at calming you down–certainly not the type to order you a ginger ale because he'd noticed you were about to be sick, but still. You can remember the feeling of his hand on your knee, his voice reminding that it would all be over soon.

God-fucking-damnit. You're not supposed to be thinking about him. You need a distraction. You're just about to pop in your other headphone when Joel starts talking again. 

"S'weird, flyin'," he muses. He glances to his left, where the wing of the plane is just visible through the open window, backdropped by miles of clouds and empty skies that make your stomach turn. "Thought it'd be scarier, but it's not."

"Speak for yourself," you retort with a scowl.

"Looked it up, you know," he says, turning back to face you with a gentle smirk. God, his voice is low–almost sultry and he doesn't even seem like he's trying. It's strangely lulling. "Way more likely to die in a car than a plane."

You roll your eyes. "Thanks, never heard that one before."

"Just sayin', there's a good chance we all make it outta this alive."

"Well, here's hoping, I guess," you say offhandedly, making to reinsert your earbud when Joel, once again, stops you.

"Whatcha listenin' to?"

"What? Oh…Fleetwood Mac."

"Nice. Rumours?"

"Peter Green's. Their first album."

Joel shakes his head. "Don't think I've heard it."

"Yeah, I hadn't either. I was planning to listen to their whole discography on this trip."

"Not a bad idea," Joel nods, looking impressed. "Maybe I oughta do the same."

Your brows furrow–what's with this guy? You'd expected him to be a total grouch this whole time but so far, you seem vastly more miserable than he does. Which is strange considering he's apparently in the exact same situation as you right now. Is everyone in the world just better at coping with breakups than you?

"Yeah, maybe," you shrug.

Your confusion only grows when he holds out a big palm, glancing at the white wire of your headphones expectantly.

Oh. He means...? Okay.

Uncertainly, you deposit the free bud into his palm and watch him clumsily insert it into his ear. You wait a moment, just to be sure he's not pulling some kind of weird prank on you, eventually deciding he's not when he lays his head back into his headrest and shuts his eyes. You hit play, and then do the same.

You're shocked to find that the rest of the flight passes by quickly and without much incident after that. The turbulence doesn't return and you actually manage to almost relax, something about Joel's unbothered demeanor and the way he's tapping his foot beside you bringing about an odd sense of calm. You still tense up during the landing, holding your breath until the wheels of the aircraft hit the tarmac, finally exhaling a relieved sigh when you're back on solid ground. 

"That was pretty good," Joel comments, removing his earbud and handing it back to you as the passengers in first class begin to off-board.

"It was alright. Missing some Christine McVie, though."

"I agree," he smiles. 

You shuffle out of your seats into the crowded aisle, straining to reach your suitcase in the overhead compartment. Just like with the can of soda, Joel suddenly intervenes, two thick arms reaching over you to help.

"This one you?" he asks, gesturing to the suitcase you'd been fruitlessly grabbing at.

"Uh, yeah, thanks."

You watch the way the muscles in his arms flex when he hoists the suitcase down into your waiting hands. His biceps strain against the fabric of his orange t-shirt; the bag is heavy–you hadn't packed light–but the exertion doesn't seem to affect him at all. 

Fuck, but he's tan, you notice. The fabric of his sleeves pull up his arms when he reaches for his own bag, and you catch a glimpse of his farmer's tan, just the tiniest peak of paleness contrasting the sun-kissed glow of his arms. You wonder how much darker he'll get in the tropical sun, how much colour his already glowing skin will attract after a few days on the beach.

Why the fuck are you thinking about that?

Fuck. You're staring, you realize too late. You hastily avert your eyes to find your parents already up from their seats and raring to go.

"How'd you hold up this time, kiddo?" your dad asks, well aware of your stupid phobia. "Turbulence was a bit rough, eh?"

"I think she did great," Joel tells him and you frown. Does he think he needs to lie to protect your dignity or something? That's...kind of nice of him, if a little unnecessary, you think.

"We made it, that's all that matters," your mom says before you can add anything more.

True enough. You're here now. Time to make the most of it.

-

It's not just on the plane that Joel's taken your ex's place. Despite the fact that you'd been dating for three years–and the fact that you're a fully grown adult–your parents had refused to book you a single room together, opting instead for one of those conjoined suites with a shared door between them. It was supposed to be your boyfriend on the other side of that door, now it's Joel.

The door locks, thankfully, a fact your father had taken extra care to remind you and Joel of when he'd popped in from his suite across the hall to check out your rooms, sizing them up in typical dad-fashion as though he hadn't put months of research and credit-card points into booking the best bang-for-your-buck resort package he could find.

"Walls are a bit thin," he comments, tapping the off-white drywall that separates your room from Joel's.

You shrug. "It all seems fine to me."

And it does, truly. Your room overlooks the resort, glass sliding doors leading out to a balcony that offers a pristine view of the pools and beaches below. You face west–perfect for catching sunsets. Clean white sheets and a fluffy duvet line the queen size bed in the middle of the room and the ensuite bathroom gleams with a porcelain bathtub and standing shower–the latter of which has one of those massive shower heads that makes the water fall like rain.

You wish it was enough to ease your dejection. But all you can think about is the person you're supposed to be sharing it with.

You remind yourself, again, that you're not supposed to be thinking of him.

If only it were that easy.

-

You spend the afternoon getting settled, reading for a while on your balcony before taking a stroll around the resort to get a lay of the land. You do your best to enjoy being alone, letting the sounds of Fleetwood Mac's second album soundtrack your exploring as you breathe in the warm, salty air.

You wonder if you should have asked Joel to join you, almost feeling guilty that you hadn't. Your parents have each other, but Joel's just as alone as you are. Maybe he doesn't want to be.

Ultimately, you decide, he's not your responsibility, even if it almost feels that way. Maybe it's just because he'd been so...there for you on that stupid flight. No one's been that kind to you in a while. You don't know what to do with it.

You put it out of your mind and eventually find yourself sitting on the sandy beach, watching the blue waves come and go, allowing their steady swells to distract your restless mind. You're not sure how long you stay there, working to think of anything other than the reason you're so alone here, but when the sky starts to turn from blue to orange, the sun fading over the horizon, you decide it's probably time to go dress for dinner.

-

It's at dinner that you're forced to confront a rather upsetting truth:

Joel Miller is kind of fucking gorgeous.

You'd been avoiding thinking it during the flight, on the shuttle to the resort or during room check-ins. Had tried with all your might not to admit it to yourself even when you'd overheard him turning on that seemingly natural charm for every busboy and server who so much as greeted him with a smile.

But now, making his way towards your table in his patterned linen button-down and dark wash jeans, curls fluffy after clearly having taken a shower, tan skin glowing under the fairy lights that line the restaurant's patio as he respectfully shakes the hand of the host, you can't fight reality.

Joel Miller is beautiful.

Even in the nice dress you'd thrown on, you feel somewhat meager in comparison.

He seems genuinely delighted to be there, your fears of him turning out to be a buzzkill clearly in vain. He's grinning as he approaches you and your parents, his wide brown eyes constantly taking in the views around him. The patio overlooks the ocean, its clear water black under the night's sky. The sound of rushing waves backdrops the gentle music playing through the sound system as Joel takes his seat, the one beside you. You're shocked to find your heart flutters as he does.

Your parents had opted to skip the buffet for The First Dinner, opting for the restaurant option instead. Better food, sure, but way more opportunities for awkward conversation.

"Real nice spot," Joel comments reverently to your father. "I mean, seriously, real nice."

"It's not too bad," your dad agrees with a thoughtful nod. You can hear the "but" coming. "Pool's a bit small. And you two have a much nicer view than us. We should've all splurged on the ocean-view."

"You wanna switch?" Joel offers without hesitance.

The guy's too polite for his own good.

"Oh, goodness, no!" your mother insists, to your relief. She places a hand on your father's shoulder. "Our room's great. He just wants something to complain about."

You smirk, sipping at your water knowingly. It's so typical of your dad to nitpick every little thing; he's been like that as long as you can remember. Every time you moved houses or stayed at a motel, every time you so much as ate a restaurant. Always something to comment on, always something that could be improved. Your mom's always been there to reign him in, even if you think she probably agrees with his assessments. She just knows better when to grin and bear it.

They compliment each other pretty well, which is probably how they've managed to last so long.

"We're just so thrilled you could make it, Joel," your mom adds.

"M'just glad I got the invite, ma'am," Joel says sincerely.

"Better you than that extra room goin' to waste," your dad grumbles.

Joel just smiles. You can feel his eyes on you as you wring your hands together, all too aware of why that particular room had been up for grabs. You wonder how much Joel knows. You're grateful he hasn't asked you about it yet.

The server appears to take your drink orders then. You don't have to think too hard about it; you're on vacation at an all-inclusive resort and you have every intention of getting drunk at every possible opportunity, even if you are with your parents.

You order some fruity cocktail and your mom orders a bottle of pinot grigio for the table.

"I'll get the same as her," Joel says to your surprise, nodding in your direction. The server doesn't question it, just smiles and flits off to the bar.

"You want the Blue Lagoon?" you ask him with a skeptical chuckle.

"I'm tryna get in the spirit," he grins. His voice is low, just for you, his gravelly timbre drowned out to anyone else by the sounds of crashing waves.

"What would you normally get?" you ask, genuinely curious.

"Whiskey, maybe a beer," he shrugs.

"Shit, well, if you hate this, don't blame me."

"Oh, I'll definitely be blamin' you." But he says it with a playful smirk that has you smiling back at him, once again utterly charmed. Maybe you are starting to see what the flight attendant had seen.

The drinks come fast, the bar clearly a well-oiled machine despite the restaurant now steadily filling up with hungry vacationers. The Blue Lagoon is about exactly what'd you expected, obnoxiously colourful and muddled with flecks of fresh fruit, tied together with a ridiculous twisty straw. You and Joel share a small grin when the server places the glasses in front of the two of you.

"Here's to a great week," your dad toasts the table as you all raise your drinks accordingly. "To having fun–" He directs that comment at you and Joel specifically– "and focusing on ourselves."

"Cheers," your mom and Joel say in unison.

You, meanwhile, just smile tightly and avert your gaze to the white tablecloth, unappreciative of the subtle reminder that you're here without Chris.

You take a cautious sip of your drink, finding it tastes more like sugar than anything else. You catch Joel's eye as he takes his first sip, watching as his face contorts in mild disgust.

"No good?" you press him.

"It's uh..." he starts, unsure of how to go on, like maybe he doesn't want to hurt your feelings.

"It's okay, you can say it, it's fucking disgusting," you admit with a laugh, taking another sip just to be sure.

"Cheers to that," Joel grits, tapping his glass against yours and taking another reluctant gulp. You do the same, both of your grimacing against the sickly flavour.

"It'll get the job done, anyway," you remark and you're sure Joel knows what you mean, that it'll be enough to get you tipsy enough to forget your dour circumstances.

"Fuckin' right," he grunts with a knowing cock of his eyebrows.

He doesn't smile when he says it and you think it might be the first sign he's given that he's interested in the same kind of escape as you while he's here.

He gives you another cheers and downs his drink in one go. You mimic him instinctively, more to get rid of the nasty thing than anything else.

"Take it easy, you crazy animals," your dad laughs but it's all in good fun.

You stick to wine after that while Joel switches to beer.

Dinner is nice, big portions and fresh produce. The day of travelling seemingly had everyone starved and you're pleased to find that the time passes faster and easier than you would have expected. Conversation flows lightly, mostly discussions of amenities and how each of you plans to use the one free "luxury" activity you have included in your resort package.

"I'm thinking couples massages for us," your mom suggests with a hand on your father's forearm.

"No thanks," you respond grumpily. Anything but that. Maybe paragliding or something. Something to actually get your blood pumping. You go in and out of considering the possibilities until the server clears your plates.

Of course, it takes until dessert and a second bottle of wine for your mom to bring up the one thing you don't want to discuss.

"Well, Chris sure missed out, huh, honey?" she jokes, all too casually.

You instantly tense just at the mention of his name.

"Mom."

"I'm just saying!" Her voice is several octaves too high as she gestures around the restaurant and out towards the open sea. "Look at all this! The views, the food. You two would've had a great time."

You burn in your chair, catching the way Joel awkwardly takes a sip of his beer and looks away, visibly uncomfortable with the turn the conversation has taken. Not as uncomfortable as you, though.

"Can we please not talk about this?" you say through your teeth, seething. Three glasses of wine and she's already shattering your plans to avoid thinking about him.

"Aren't I allowed to be a little angry?" she pushes back. "He was such a nice boy. I mean, before..."

"Honey..." your dad warns her. Finally.

You roll your eyes. Yeah, real fucking nice, he was. "You can be angry all you want, mom, I just don't need to hear about it."

She shrugs, raising two hands innocently like she can't see the harm in her words. Joel glances at you as you cross your arms over your chest and shake your head, annoyed. That same concern he'd shown you on the plane is clear on his face now.

Your dad breaks the sudden tension with a question directed at Joel.

"Hey, how's your brother? Staying out of trouble?"

Joel clears his throat, seeming grateful for the change of topic. So are you. You sip your wine and stare out into the dark night, fuming, only half-listening to Joel talk about his brother Tommy's new wife and the baby they have on the way.

-

After dinner, your parents decide to take a walk along the beach while you and Joel opt to head straight back to your rooms, both of you exhausted.

It's quiet as you make your way back through the resort, your brain a bit foggy from alcohol and lack of sleep. Not to mention the sting of frustration and sadness still brewing under your skin from your mom's mentioning of Chris. The buzz you have on only seems to make you more emotional and you find yourself fighting to keep it together as you shuffle into the elevator, up to the ninth floor with Joel.

You're just about to tap your key cards to enter your respective rooms when Joel speaks up.

"Hey...uh, you alright?" he asks quietly. Just like he had on the plane. He's looking down at you with concern again, eyes raking over your face like he can see the emotion stirring there.

Joel Miller, you realize, is an observant man.

You shake your head. "I'm fine."

It's a lie but he doesn't call you out on it, thankfully. Doesn't pry at all, in fact. Just gives you that smirk of his that's already starting to feel familiar and unlocks his door.

"Night," he says, voice low.

"Goodnight, Joel," you say shyly, your hand around the doorknob as you take in one last sight of him. His skin is dewy from the alcohol and tropical heat, eyes alight in a way that inexplicably has your spine tingling. His shirt is unbuttoned just enough to reveal a peek of his tan chest, the skin of his thick neck gleaming in the hotel hallway lighting.

You could be wrong, but while you look him up and down, you're sure you can catch him do the same to you. Your breath catches and you quickly duck into your room.

Another truth becomes clear in that moment:

You like Joel. You're not sure in what capacity yet. You're definitely attracted to him, an unexpected and potentially problematic fact you're still coming to terms with. But there's something about him. You like that he seems...kind. Sweet and patient with you in spite of all your anxiety and general gloom. That he doesn't ask many questions but somehow never seems disinterested in you. It has you feeling almost warm in spite of yourself, the tears that had been threatening to spill over just a moment before drying in your eyes as you crash into the big, cushy bed.

Maybe this vacation won't be a total loss after all.

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

posting part 2 sunday teehee

[asgoodeasgold]

Hackett SS24 campaign with Matthew Goode - Part 7 (Final!!) GIFs

I am finally completing the series 6 months after the ad dropped 😆 (and now hoping for an appearance in AW24 🍀🍀).

Matthew is looking stupendous in Sky Blue (thank you Hackett 💙) and is in his happy place surrounded by, playing with, and wearing hats!

And that smile is 🫠

📷 GIFs and 1st two pics are my edits from Hackett SS24 campaign ad. Last 2 pics are by Tom Craig.

Part 6 GIFs

Part 5 GIFs

Part 4 GIFs

Part 3 GIFs

Part 2 GIFs

Part 1 GIFs

Ad

[melanieph321]

Ruben Dias x Reader - Top Spies Part 4/8

This chapter is hot 🔥

Ruben and Reader are super spies, who have to pretend to be a married couple on vacation as a co-signed mission. A enemies to lovers fic, very sweet and funny!

Enjoy!

"It's strange right, him being here on the island?"

Back at the villa. You had your suitcase ready on the bed, clothes scattered all around you. An outfit was needed for tonights dinner.

"So it was him asking you out and not the other way around?"

You paused to look at Ruben who observed you from where he stood arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe.

"Why would I ask another man out for dinner?" You frowned. "I'm married to you, remember?"

"I dunno, you seem very excited to go on a date with a world known criminal. Are you sure your marrige to me was brought up?"

"Have you never heard of keeping your enemies close? I'm excited that the guy our mission revolves around is here on the island. This means we have a chance to bust him by catching him in the act."

"This guy is dangerous Y/N. We're only here to assess the situation and report back to the agency."

Ruben pushed of the door frame and began going through his own suitcase. He had agreed to go out for dinner but only because declining an invitation from your host would raise too much suspicion.

"Not that shirt." You protested.

Ruben raised his head, eyebrows furrowed.

The shirt he pick for tonight, you didn't like it. "The black one fits you better." You shrugged.

He chuckled, but did as you wished, refolding the shirt, grabbing the black one instead.

You decided to walk to the marina. Surley alcohol would be served during dinner so it was better for you and Ruben to be on the safe side getting back home.

You and Ruben arrived early. Looking around the restaurant there was a sea of empty tables, not a single person occupying them.

"What are you doing?" Ruben asked, as he watched you switch to sit next to him instead of across from him.

"He said he was bringing his whole family." You replayed. It was better to sit next to Ruben than a stranger.

"Well, here they come." Ruben sighed.

Surely it was Alejandro Martinez and his whole family. People of all ages, young and old. You recognized some of them from you first night at the resort, the boy that Ruben saved from choking and the old woman that had complemented your dress.

"Quick, put your arm around me."

"What?" Ruben frowned. "Why would I do that?"

Alejandro and his family were coming your way. It seemed like the whole restaurant was booked for only them. Whilst the children occupied their own tables, Alejandro and his relatives approached yours.

"Fuck Ruben. Do somthing, anything that indicates that you love me."

There hadn't been need for that on the mission so far. You and Ruben had mostly gone your separate ways during the day and during the night you had been lurking in the shadows, focusing only on your mission. There was no need for you to act like a madly in love couple if no one was looking. However,  tonight, both you and Ruben had to step your game up.

Ruben draped an arm around you as you stood to greet your host.

"Y/N!" Alejandro exclaimed, greeting you as if you were his long lost friend. "Pleasure to finally see you off the golf course."

"I agree." You said, hiding the slight heat that had rose to your face.

"This must be your husband." He said, greeting Ruben with a firm shake of the hand. "Your wife speaks highly of you and so does my nephew."

Alejandro pointed to the table where his nephew sat, and surley the boy looked to watch Ruben with an admirable gaze.

"It was nothing." Ruben grunted.

"If you call savings somebody's life as nothing, than I would like to see what you call doing somthing."

Alejandro was a joker and clearly as charming as they come. He had brought a date for the evening. He introduced her as Nia, an international super model from Namibia. You all went on to have a lovely evening. The restaurant had a wonderful view overlooking the ocean, a view that Ruben often caught you admiring.

"What are you thinking about?" He leaned in and whispered.

You didn't turn to look at him, which to other people made it look like the two of you were whispering sweet nothings to each other.

"It feels like I'm on vacation." You smiled. Truthfully, with you salary and the renovation going on in your apartment, you wouldn't be able to afford a vacation like this in a couple of years time.

"That's because you are." Ruben chuckled, again, surprising you by grabbing your hand underneath the table, his thumb stroking your skin.

You turned to look at him, eyebrows furrowed. But that's when you noticed that all eyes were on you. Everyone at the table were glancing you and Ruben's way, a similar pleasant expression on their faces.

"Where did you two meet?"

The starteling question came from Alejandro's date, Nia, who was also looking at you and Ruben with a smile on her face.

"Um...we...we..."

Of course you and Ruben had talked about the details of your fake identies, however, not those kinds of details.

"At work." Ruben said, clearing his throat, wrapping his arm around your shoulder.

"Was it love at first sight?" A young woman asked. You had come to know her as Alejandro's sister. Apparently he had five older sister, he was the youngest of them all and the only male.

"I wouldn't really call it..."

"Yes." Ruben said, interrupted you.

"Really? Do tell the story."

Agreeing murmurs came from the people seated around the table. All but Alejandro, who was too busy watching you. Perhaps Ruben had noticed this. His arm was now clenched around your shoulders, pressing you against his torso.

"I know it sounds cheesy," he said with a fixed smile, "but the moment I saw her, I knew she was the one. It was her first days at our office and I was so captivated by her beauty that I couldn't bare being in the same room as her, afraid that I'd say somthing stupid."

A pleasant laughter erupted around the table. You however, were a bit confused. The story of you and Ruben was true. He barley spoke a word to you during your first days at the agency, but that was just who he was right? Uptight and arrogant?

"I knew that I eventually had to talk to her not to come off as a complete asshole. You can say that the rest is history."

Alejandro's family exchanged knowing glances with their loved ones. All of them cherershing the heartfelt words that Ruben had just spoken.

"To love and family!" Alejandro said, initiating a toast.

Everyone raised their glasses in a toast to love, and the night continued on with laughter and stories of blissful adventures.

A bit tipsy from all the wine, Ruben, who had managed his intake better than yours, held your hand, making sure to guide you as you walked down the marina, the cool breeze blowing your way.

"So how much of your little story was true?" You asked, curious to know.

Ruben shook his head. "I have no idea what you are talking about?"

"Oh come on." You altered your steps. "The part where you ignored me during my first days at the agency was true, no? I never knew it was because you..." You looked to Ruben. His expression was unreadable.

"You could have told me." You muttered.

You picked up your steps, letting go of his hand. Ruben was soon by your side though, matching your pace.

"Even if I did tell you, we don't have the kind of jobs that encourage you to become too attcahed to your partners." He said, in a very diplomatic matter.

"Partners?" You frowned. You looked to Ruben and he to you.

He nodded his head.

"We're partners now. We work well together. I wouldn't be suprised if Captain Harlow pair us up in another missions from now on."

"Right." You said, but it still didn't make sense to you.

Ruben grabbed your hand, forcing you to turn around and meet his eyes. They were big, big and kind.

"I got attched to one of my partners once. It didn't end well."

You nodded. "I get it. I just..."

"Ssshh!" Ruben hissed, his body shuffling you to the side of the road.

Your feet stumbled in the sand but Ruben made sure to hold you up, guiding you towards a near by palm tree. You hid behind it.

"What is it?" You whispered.

Ruben put a silencing finger to his lips, pointing his other hand in the direction of the ocean. There, not too far from where you hid, was the silhouette of two men, men you recognized.

"Alejandro and...?"

"Andrés Fierro." Ruben said, his gaze focused.

"The swindler?"

The two men looked to be arguing. It was hard to hear them with the ocean breeze, however Alejandro was shouting compared to his companion.

"It was supposed to arrive today!"

"The shipment will arrive on time boss, don't worry."

"Oh I am not worried Fierro. If the shipment doesn't arrive anytime soon you'll be the one to worry."

"Shit!" You cursed. Alejandro stormed off, the only problem was that he was coming right towards you and Ruben.

"Ruben we have to..."

He tackled your body to the ground before you had a chance to protest, wrestling you in the sand. Your heart raised with the groping of his hands. He was pulling at the hem of your dress, his hand slipping beneath.

"Ruben please..."

"Trust me..." He mumbled, his head burried in the crease of your neck. His lips latched onto you like two blood sucking leaches, kissing and licking your skin.

You heard emerging footsteps, but that's when Ruben covered your mouth with his, your lips soft against one another. To anyone watching the two of you looked like two eager lovers getting it on in the sand, with the moon lighting up the sky above your heads. It was exactly what Ruben wanted. Alejandro's emerging footsteps altered near you but changed directions. Ruben however, did not stop kissing you until he knew that the coast was really clear, by then the damage was already done.

He helped you back up on your feet, his hands brushing sand off your dress. A part of it had ripped at the bottom.

Ruben looked to your exposed thigh with slight guilt. "I'm sorry I..."

"It's okay." You assured." You did what you had to do." Matter of fact Ruben had done so well that at one point you were afraid that his creeping hand would find its way to the wet pool between your trembeling legs.

A part of you wished it would have.

[samiwife]

Hi again can you do Headcanons and Preferences for Julian Casablancas ? I never found nothing about him, I would really love + the way you think and write it's perfect!

Of course! I love doing these. By far my favorite things to write! Also thanks for the support and request!!!! <3

Headcanon and Preferences 𓆩⟡𓆪 (Ft: Julian Casablancas)

𓆩♡𓆪= Smut

ੈ✩‧₊˚= Fluff

⋆ ★= Angst

𓆩⟡𓆪 = Headcanons

Always sings for you

Tries to take you on tour but you always say no

Playing with his hair is a constant

You wear his leather jackets

He always wraps his arms around you

He's unbelievably funny

He's also very wise and mindful

You could talk to him for HOURS

Sleeps face down like a corpse (haha, I'M SORRY)

He's insecure about his lips (thinks they're too thin)

He always snuggles his head in your chest

You make fun of his style a lot

Gets jealous easily

Pouts when he's jealous

He doesn't know it but he has MUSCLES

Radiates gentlemen vibes

HE IS VERY CHIVALROUS

Does everything for you like opening car doors, carrying you to bed, etc

He makes funny faces when alone with him

LEAVES HICKEYS EVERYWHERE ON YOUR BODY

Speaks so many languages

Loves touring

Eats so little (it concerns you)

He drinks and smokes (which you hate)

Wears nice black boots with tank tops

When he wears belts, it kills you

Chugs energy drinks

Draws a lot but also writes song lyrics a lot

His smile is everything

Flirts with his fans

Has the funniest stares when he looks at you

You sometimes help dye his hair

Very medium-sounding moans during sex

HOWEVER, he is very good at doing oral

His tongue is a skill

Him fingering you drives you crazy ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

He sings when he's alone

Gets slightly embarrassed when you hear him sing

Has a lot of vintage music stuff like a CD player and records

Would wear fake mustaches to make you laugh

He loves to make you smile or laugh

Holds your hand when you're scared

Piggyback rides are common

He may be insecure about his lips but he is a good kisser

Loves eating dessert

Would choose sweets rather than an actual meal

Loves comedy films and watches them with you all the time

Hates studying and books (thinks they're for nerds)

Also hates going shopping but does it for you

He can be very mean sometimes

He makes fun of you like how you make fun of him

Playfully pushes you and hits you

Always fake cry when you slightly hit him

He always wears funny T-shirts

Also loves Disney movies

Has an undying love for Mickey Mouse (LMAO)

Makes his own loom bracelets

You mock him for having a shirt that looks like a mechanic would wear

His morning voice is so hot

Rides his bike but he sometimes falls off it

Great with babies but terrible with kids

He tries to act like an older brother in front of kids

He acts like a father with babies

Overpacks while traveling

His nails are always clean and neat

Has crooked teeth but it's okay

For some odd reason, he loves playing golf

Hates cold weather

Always looks like a grandma when the weather is cold

He gets sick easily

You steal his necklaces and bracelets

His favorite vacation spot is NYC

Speaks fluent French

Speaks French to confuse you

He's kinda dumb but you always teach him

He loves music class

Has strong political views

Loves learning about philosophy

Loves learning about space and planets

Has glow in the dark stars around his bedroom

Has the weirdest decorations in his room like a rocksalt lamp and stalker-like pictures of you

His favorite animals are lizards

He tries to skateboard but he keeps falling

Lastly, he kisses you a lot on the lips, cheek, chest, and much more. He also tries his best to make a better life for you. He talks about marriage a lot with you.

THANKS 4 READING <3

[beautouslysandy]

Dirty Kisses

Chapter 4

By- Sandy

Rafe Cameron x F!Reader

Warnings: Language, not proofread, love-sick Rafe scenes, and is intimate

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

You were on your patio blasting Eminem from the the outside speakers and dancing around with a fresh cool glass of pink lemonade in your hand. You had a hot pink bikini on and your hair was dripping wet. You haven’t hung out with anyone in a while, it really hasn’t occurred to you that some of them might be worried, most importantly Rafe. Rafe was beginning to think you were avoiding him, he wanted to see you so badly. Wrap his arms around you, pull you into him, and never let go. Your phone broke at the party so it was in the shop, you had no idea your phone was blowing up. 

Lulu starting jumping up and down with you, you threw your head back laughing. You were so happy with your life and yourself, you were having the time of your life. Rafe not so much. 

The front door of your house, was getting knocked on, each knock getting louder and louder. Jamie opened it having to pause his Transformers movie. 

Rafe was behind the door, “Jamie.” he said looking around in the house as Jamie let him in. 

“She’s out in the back having a dance party with Lulu.” Jamie said bluntly returning to his movie. 

Rafe nodded, he tried to figure out the way around your house. He stumbled upon a family portrait and separate photos.  In the family photo was your dad in a white collar shirt with cargo pants his arm wrapped around the waist of your mom he was looking at her with a wide smile his other hand on your shoulder. Your mom who was wearing a bright yellow flowy dress, she had that same true and inviting smile. Her hand placed on Jamie’s shoulder and her other hand on your dad’s cheek who she was looking at. You were in front of your dad wearing a white sundress, the same one you had worn when you met Rafe, he gulped, you looked so gorgeous with your hair down and your bright smile and he loved that sundress on you, you your arms wrapped around a puppy golden lab who he could only assume was Lulu. Jamie was next to you, he was laughing, a true laugh, he was wearing a blue collar shirt with white cargo pants. He held a Transformer in his hand he was holding it up to Lulu who was licking it. 

Under the photos was a coffee table and there was a photo of you when you were younger, he picked it up and chuckled. You were in a swimsuit with floaties and your googles were upside down. You were holding a butterfly, you looked in awe and had this sparkle in your eyes. There was another, he put the baby photo down and picked up the more recent one. You were wearing a tennis skirt and a white tight fit top, you had your hair up and you had a visor on. You were playing golf, you had this face that you get when you get concentrated, you had a sparkle in your eyes as well. Rafe’s heart melted, he had a soft smile. 

He quickly put them back when he heard a screen door opening. He ran into you, he was ready for the worst. You smiled and pulled him into a kiss. He was shocked at first then put his hands in your soaking hair. You pulled away, you looked into his eyes. You had that sparkle in eyes, the same one you had in your baby photo and golf one. He put his forehead to yours, his hand placed on your cheeks. You smiling, your smile always lit up the room. He kissed you again, then you brought him out into your backyard. Eminem was still loudly playing,  pink lemonade filled cups scattered around various tables. Lulu sleeping a top a sun like yellow sectional couch with white and a range of colors of blue pillows. 

“You having a party without me?” Rafe teased, intertwining his hand with yours. He finally noticed you were in a bikini, “You look good, sunshine”.

You looked at him with a smirk your face had the faintest hints of coloration from the compliment, “ I try my best” you teased as he pulled you into a kiss. One of his hands rubbing up and down your back while the other is placed softly but securely on your waist, your hands in his blond hair, surely messing it up. He picked you up still in the kiss. You giggled, he sat on the yellow sectional couch with you in his lap. 

Your lips parted ways, yet still wanting more. You looked into each others eyes. 

“Your so gorgeous.” He said, he sounded like looking at you was taking his breath away. A smirk creeped up on his lips, as he was getting a reaction out of you.

You had looked away, rubbing the back of your neck, your face was completely flushed. You looked back to see him still looking at you with that smirk of his. His hands traveled up your thighs to your waist then back to your thighs. You hit him teasingly as you weren’t used to this kind of attention. 

“What? Can I not touch you?” He said whispering in your ear.

You pressed your lips together trying to push down a smile, he made you so unbelievably flustered even when he wasn’t even trying.

“Huh?” He whispered again in your ear, his hands traveling up your body passionately but softly. 

This time you couldn’t hide your smile, you looked at him. Shoot. Now you were full all smiling, teeth and all.

“God dammit, Y/n….” Rafe said muttered incoherently looking away with his red and heat invaded cheeks.

You took your hand and forced him to look at you. His eyebrows arched and a small grin appeared on his lips. You kissed him, well more so a french kiss. Rafe caught on quickly, you could feel his smiling against your lips. His hands traveling to your bikini top, he almost unclipped it, but you pulled away with a gasp. 

“Rafe!” You said with a playful scoff

“What?” 

“You were about to unclip my bikini top!”

“Well you can’t kiss me like that, and not expect something.” He said with a playful smirk

You rolled your eyes, he began to kiss your neck. You covered your face with your hands. He stopped almost instantly.

He put his hands on your uncovering your practically tomato red face. “Are you okay, am I making you uncomfortable?” He asked trying to find your eyes. Once he found your eyes, you shook your head with sheepish smile. He kissed your hand, and your nose. Putting his hand on your cheek, he said “I know this might be rushing but I love you, like I love you a lot. More than probably humanly possible.” He did not breaking eye contact, his eyes were sparkling yet looked completely serious. Your stomach awaked the butterflies, you covered your face agian, your not typically this shy and easily flustered but somehow when your with Rafe you are

He chuckled slightly at your antics, he attempted to kiss your forehead but ended up kissing your fingers. He whispered, “It’s okay if your not ready to say it, I understand. It’s a big feeling to have for someone.” he sounded so patience and understanding. You separated your index finger and middle finger enough to see Rafe looking at you with pure awe and he looked so very love-sick it made your face only more pink. 

“You’ve infected me, Rafe Cameron.” You whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

“What?” He said, he sounded a little worried.

“You’re making me so flustered, what did you do?” 

He chuckled and pulled you to his chest, you moved your hands off your face, “Does me loving you make you blush?” 

You felt heat rise on your cheeks, he looked down and smiled, this was going to bump up his ego you thought in the back of your mind. “Good, it should.” He said but his voice sounded almost relieved.

“Wanna stay the night?” You asked, then regret your words, please say yes is all you could think. 

“I was hoping you would ask.” He said, kissing your hair. 

You hummed and kissed his neck. You closed your eyes, nothing could make you happier at this very moment.

••••

Rafe woke up before you, he has never really seen your room.  He looked at you, he smiled softly and pushed a loss strand of hair away from your face. He kissed your forehead ever so gently as he wanted you to get your rest. There was a scrapbook on the left side nightstand. Ever so quietly he grabbed it with a grin.

On the front it read “Its Summertime, Bitches!” in big white yellow letters. It was a bulky filled yellow photo album. He looked through it, it had photos of your old friends and you. One photo caught his eye in particular, it was you in a tight yellow dress and heels, an arm wrapped around your waist which belonged to a tall brunette with a nice smile and as much as Rafe hated to admit it was not terrible looking. Before he could investigate any further, he heard your groggy voice say “That’s Lincoln, my ex, he cheated on my that night.” Rafe looked up to see you, your face completely unfazed. Rafe kissed you on the lips, then looked back at the photo he wanted to punch that guy in the face so bad, for hurting you.

“We dated for three years and he cheated on me my best friend of eight years.” You said snuggling into Rafe, he wrapped his free arm around you whilst the other held your homemade scrapbook.

“Dick.” He muttered, glaring into the brunette’s eye even though it was just a photo.

“That’s one word. Any ways, I am making one for this summer! Wanna see it?” You said trying to change the topic.

“I would never do to you…” He muttered but not loud enough for you to hear.

Rafe was still trying to get used to the fact you have dated other people (boy thinks he is your first and last lover). 

“Yeah.” He said placing the old scrapbook on the nightstand. 

You pulled a pink photo album out, it was almost half way filled. It read, “Best Summer Of My Life!” it had a photo of you and Rafe eating each others ice creams, and another of you, Sarah, and Kiara. He smiled at the photo of you and him. You handed it to him, he looked through it but stopping at two full pages of just you and Rafe, there were words written on the pages. You gasped and then hid under the covers, you cursed under your breath. You forgot about those pages and that there were more, mentally slapping yourself.

Rafe’s curiosity rose, looking back at the scrapbook, he traced his finger on the first photo cut into a heart, it was a photo you had taken on him and Lulu when you took her on a walk one night. You took the photo without him knowing, next to the photo it read “This man is killing me!” 

He smirked, he found this adorable. The next one was of him and you, you guys were at the park on the swings. You both were cackling at something someone said. Next to the photo said “My eight year old self finally has a swing partner and he’s cute, not her squealing inside…”

He looked at each photo and read each and every word you wrote more then once. He loved this, you looked from under the covers to see Rafe looking at the pages with a grin on his face. 

“Sunshine?” He asked not taking his eyes off the photos.

“Yeah?” 

“This is…the sweetest thing.” He said making eye contact with you.

You let a breath out you hadn’t realized you kept in, Rafe wrapped you into a big hug, he kissed your hair on repeat for a good solid minute. Then when you looked up he kissed you for six whole minutes. 

You drive him crazy. He is so in love with everything about you, he is going to go mad.

••••

You and Lily were at the country club with the boys, you were wearing the same outfit that you were wearing photo on the coffee table. Rafe couldn’t stop staring at you, especially your ass, that skirt was almost showing it and as much as Rafe liked it, guys were looking at you in a way that he only can. 

“Rafe? Earth to Rafe?” Topper called waving his hands in the air.

“He’s staring at Y/n he’s long gone.” Kielce commented staring at Rafe in “disgust”. 

Topper groaned, “Dude! She isn’t going anywhere!” Topper yelled. 

Rafe ignored him as you were laughing at something a waiter said. You took the appetizer on the tray , the waiter, was holding. He walked away, looking back at you but you’re attention was back to a conversation with Lily. Rafe felt a fury in his chest, his heart was hurting. All he could think was that you were flirting with someone who wasn’t him and he wasn’t the only one who noticed. 

“Lily, the waiter wasn’t flirting with me…” You said taking a bite into some fancy appetizer that looked good.

“Yes he was, and you might have not meant to but you flirted back.” Lily said staring at you with faintly sad smile.

“What…I didn’t.” You said baffled

Lily nodded, looking at the boys, you looked in that direction. Rafe was standing there, looking at you in disbelief and hurt. When he caught your eyes, he went back to focusing on the game. You bit your tongue, you didn’t mean to. You looked back at Lily who was waving her hand at Rafe trying to signal for you to go and talk to him. You nodded and headed in that direction, you bumped into that waiter, he handed you a piece of paper, you felt Rafe’s eyes on you. Without hesitation you shook your head and walked over to Rafe who was still looking at you. 

“Rafe…” You said, looking at him with apologetic eyes.

He kissed you, not soft and sweet but rough and passionately like it was the last time his lips would ever meet yours. You moaned quietly once Rafe heard it and he only kissed harder. His hands wrapped around your waist and yours wrapped around his head pulling him into you. You pulled away to meet a grinning yet hurt Rafe until you said those words, “I love you so much, Rafe Cameron.” 

His face lit up and he was smiling like there was no tomorrow. Completely unworried about the audience you guys have already caught, he dropped his golf club and picked you up bridal style and ran to his car. You were laughing and your face was yet again flushed. He put you in the passenger sit and went into the drivers. He sped and went over the speed limit multiple times as he pulled up to his house, he brought you to his room and closed the door. He wrapped his arms around you and you put your hands on his head running your fingers through his hair. 

“Say it again.” He said putting his forehead on yours, his smile hadn’t broken.

“Say what?” You asked playful now smiling

“Should I say it first,” he said waiting for a response but before you could get a word out, “I love you so fucking, Y/n, that I think my heart is gonna explode.” he said kissing you then pulling away so you could say something.

You looked at him, “I love you so so much, Rafe Cameron, that I get butterflies just hearing your name” you kissed his forehead. 

He began to play with your hair, his index finger wrapped around a piece of hair. “You sound so sexy  saying it, like I want to rip your clothes off you right this very mintune, and kiss you everywhere you can imagine.”

You pushed Rafe playfully, you felt like your face was a furnace. 

Rafe did just as he said, kissing everywhere you could imagine.

Note- writing up what might be the last chapter

[yonpote]

Dan and Phil Appreciation Week Part 2: Electric Boogaloo

aka i forgot to participate in DNPAW again but also now my arm is fucked up so im just gonna type my responses instead of drawing them YAYYY shout out as always to @dpgdaily for creating this lil week event :3

Day 1: Favourite baking video

honestly probably slime and sadness cinnamon rolls, but monster pops has such a special place in my heart for being the sorta the tipping point of dnp's descent into truly unfiltered horniness, conjoined baking and pumpkin carving if that counts are also great (i just like halloween lmao)

Day 2: Favourite DanAndPhilCRAFTS video

EASILY slime. like cmon it blew every other dapc out of the water, while at the same time fully connecting them all so it's like you HAVE to watch them all together to grasp at the final picture presented. god im obsessed with it come join the crafts theory server

Day 3: Favourite What Dan and Phil Text Each Other

wdapteo 2 forever, but 4 is super super close. yon? pote. sent at 4:32 am! WHAT IS WRONG WITH US??

Day 4: Favourite Day in the Life

oof probably ditl manchester... the vibes are so so special... australia is really good too very comfy!!! (im actually a tiny bit of a ditl hater lmao mainly just the parts that are strong on the weeb / weird about asian stuff energy but like the vibes are still nice fhdhdh)

Day 5: favourite Phil is not on fire

pinof 9!!!! its special to me as the first one i watched while being like. In The Phandom, at least somewhat. and also it being dnp's fav really made me realize why i liked it so much like i KNEW it wasnt just cuz it was my first as a Full On Phannie, it had an energy to it that was so authentically chaotic and fun and just goofing off with each other and giggling like moreso than the previous like 5 pinofs, it had pinof 1 energy but with 8 more years worth of love in it

Day 6: Favourite Dan vs Phil

prob the first golf with friends LOL i love the shitty grass turf hats, i love the stupid golf bants and the creepy golf ball print they used for the board, dan's curls were in peak form, phil's bluey green shirt made his eyes even bluer, phil squishy dan's face >w<~~~~~

Day 7: Your overall favourite Dan and Phil Series

HMMMM. undertale is my go-to when im particularly sad, the sims s1 is always good to put on in the background, but i think dapwepinof... the pinof reaction mini-series they did in gamingmas is prob my top fav right now. it's everything i love, it's nostalgic, it has some behind the scenes reveals, openly gay dan and phil reacting to closet dan and phil being extremely gay, and REFLECTION!!!! and like, the fact that in the silliest lil annual video series in the world there ended up being a lot of thought and care put into it in wanting to keep it as a sacred tradition for ten whole years, it went from whimsical by nature to whimsical with Purpose and finally whimsical with Love and that means so much to me, as a proponent of queer joy above all else.

[telomeke]

GMMTV PRODUCER/DIRECTOR CAMEOS – IT'S NOT JUST FOR KICKS AND GIGGLES

So viewers who are familiar with the progenitors of My School President all had a collective chortle when its producer Aof Noppharnach Chaiwimol appeared in the persona of supertutor Kruu P'Nop (ครูพี่ณพ) in Episode 10:

(above) My School President Ep.10 [2/4] 1.05

This was just the latest instance of a GMMTV director or producer popping up onscreen in their own show. 😍 In A Tale of a Thousand Stars (that he directed), Khun Noppharnach also appeared briefly as a tourist who bought Osmanthus fragrans from a blind man (in turn played by his Assistant Director Phyungsak Naruepai, also nicknamed Aof):

(above) A Tale of a Thousand Stars Ep.5 [1I4] 10.22 – Director Aof is on the left, Assistant Director Aof is on the right and main actor Mix Sahaphap is in the middle (American singer Cassie also has a cameo on Director Aof's t-shirt 😊)

In The Eclipse, Director Golf Tanwarin Sukkhapisit also had their own cameo as the proprietor/manager of the Café for All:

(above) The Eclipse – Ep.4 [3‌/4] 4.31

However, it was really in Bad Buddy that this trend of having production team cameos got deployed in a big way (possibly because the pandemic simply made it more expedient to use members of the crew as extras and for minor roles – see this blogpost here for more info).

Most notable in BBS was Director Aof's cameo as a pharmacist:

(above) Bad Buddy Ep.1 [4/4] 4.24

Additionally, BBS Assistant Director Au Kornprom also took on a supporting role as Toto, Pran's senior and director of the Kwan-Riam musical, who changed the cishet period drama into a BL production:

(above) Bad Buddy Ep.7 [1I4] 9.39

However, recalling the meticulously clever seed-planting and subsequent plot reveals orchestrated within Bad Buddy itself, we can now tell that this was yet another Aha! moment that they sowed in there – but it was done with the intention for the seed to burst into bloom only later, well after BBS.

For Khun Kornprom's minor role in Bad Buddy as the director of a fictitious BL musical (the story of Kwan and Riam) truly was also foretelling his future role in real life – as the director of an actual BL musical (My School President). 🌼😊👍

So when MSP Producer Aof appeared onscreen in My School President as Tutor Nop, I found myself rooting even harder for MSP Director Au to pop up in a cameo as well, since MSP is in many ways (in its stylings, themes and characterizations) the nong to BBS's phi (and as the younger sibling it also pushes its message out there with a considerably lighter touch, since its target audience is much less mature than BBS's).

With this in mind, for the past 10 episodes I've been on edge awaiting Director Au Kornprom Niyomsil's cameo in MSP – until it hit me that it's already happened:

(top) My School President Ep.2 [3I4] 7.07 – "Suksa" means "education, study or knowledge", while "Niyomsil" refers to the arts, in addition to being Director Au's surname; (bottom) My School President Ep.2 [1I4] 7.18

With the boys' school sharing Director Au's surname ("Niyomsil") this MSP cameo is veiled, rather than openly face-to-face.

But at this point I think the director/producer appearances are not just random anymore – it's possible to read some meaning into them beyond the feel-good giggles each one provokes:

In Bad Buddy, Director Aof's turn as a pharmacist (who provides Pat and Pran with ointment for their injuries) highlights his role in delivering BBS's message of healing, especially the healing of relationships (see this write-up here for more info). This theme of healing is everywhere in BBS – between Pat and Pran (whose relationship was forcefully ruptured by Dissaya in high school), between Pran and Dissaya (after their rift in Ep.10), between Pran and his musical soul (see this write-up here), between Korn and Wai (see this write-up here), between Wai and the world (see this write-up here) and yes even between Ming and Dissaya (see these write-ups here and here – although their process of healing was only tentatively begun and might not ever be complete, like the relationship between the Archi and Engine faculties as well).

In The Eclipse, Director Golf's cameo as proprietor/manager of a café that is open to all, highlighted the role of that series as a safe, non-judgmental space to confront and discuss some hard truths and painful realities with regard to LGBTQ+ issues, especially the experience of growing into your authentic queer self while embedded within an often-oppressive environment.

And in My School President, Director Au and Producer Aof cast themselves in the roles of a school and tutor respectively – they're positioning themselves as educators of the younger set, imparting from phi to nong some heartfelt but no less important lessons on positivity and self-esteem for those just embarking on their LGBTQ+ journey in life (and indeed for their straight allies as well). 💖

I'm less sure of the meaning behind Director Aof's cameo in ATOTS – it was possibly just for fun, since it seems like the first time (or one of the first times anyway) that they did it in a GMMTV series.

But just as Tian in ATOTS helped the villagers sell their tea by perfuming it with Osmanthus fragrans (and in doing so also helped them bypass the mercenary and controlling middlemen), Director Aof may also have been signaling that the soft, sweet-scented mantle of the BL genre could in turn help productions that are supportive of LGBTQ+ equality get their message more directly out to a wider audience. (And if this is indeed the case, I'm not sure he's wrong. 🥰)

It's cool that GMMTV's director/producer cameos can be imbued with significance beyond just the sly wink and chuckle. I'll certainly be watching out for more of them in other shows! 🤩

[thebirdandthebee]

Imagine Me & You

A Jake “Hangman” Seresin fic.

First time writing TGM fanfic - please be gentle.

Jake stumbles across a woman on base that seems to enjoy the finer things in life... just like the future he’d like to build - with her in it.

Chapter 2: French 75

A week had passed and now, the base had really picked up. Mia was driving past more and more cars, and seeing more bodies out and about. It was easily the busiest she’d ever seen it since moving to Fightertown nearly eight months ago.

“And what’s the word on the Randall case?” Lt. Gen. Bozek asked, popping his head into her office.

“It’s already off to the notary,” Mia replied, happy to help on the extra project as she worked through processing for several new recruits. The paperwork was tedious but simple once she figured out the reporting structure and approvals process.

“You’re the best, Mia,” He replied before returning to his desk.

Mia slid her phone out of her desk drawer, pulling up the score of her brother’s baseball game.

Indiana 4

Iowa 1

With only two innings left, she’d hold onto hope for a win.

“Hey Mia, would you mind running an errand across base?” Bozek called from his office. Lt. Gen. Bozek was not usually the type to ask for footwork favors, so she didn’t think much of it as she strode over to his office. “Rear Admiral Lorne needs a hard copy of this affidavit and refuses to learn how to fax.”

“Sure,” Mia shrugged, but spared a glance down at her four-inch heels.

“You can take the cart,” He offered.

“Deal.”

Armed with a manila envelope and the keys to the nicest golf cart she’d ever seen, she had instructions and a crudely drawn map of the base and how to get to building 16. As well as the code for an elevator she’d need to use.

Lt. Gen. Bozek had given her a starting knowledge of things around the Miramar base. Pilots were there because they were the best of the best – and while that was still true, there were so many extra bodies on base recently as the station picked up increased operations and catered to even more Navy needs.

It was evident as Mia drove her cart along the appropriate path. There were small groups of pilots going about their business, others going for a run, and the occasional, additional cart zipping by.

She was feeling rather pleased with herself as she drove along, her sunglasses allowing her the freedom to watch it all unfold in front of her. It did feel odd to be one of the few women on base, which had never felt more apparent than it did now.

“So you graduated from a pushcart to this?” Her head snapped to the left to see the Lieutenant from the commissary jogging alongside her cart. “This one you actually do have to be careful with – you could do some damage at 5 miles per hour.”

“Lieutenant Seresin,” she recalled.

“Lieutenant Commander,” he corrected. “Mia.” At least he remembered her name, which was more than she could say.

She couldn’t help but notice the way his Navy shirt stretched just right across his chest and biceps as he jogged alongside her.

“This your boat or should I put out an alert?” He asked, not even metering his breath. She missed the way his eyes lingered on her white blouse and where the short silk scarf tied around her neck teased the curve of her collarbone.

“Lt. Gen. Bozek is letting me borrow it for a special mission,” she joked.

“Where is this special mission taking you?” He asked, following her path as she made a gradual right, Building 16 coming within view.

“To visit Rear Admiral Lorne,” she replied. She really didn’t know if she should have been sharing that information, but they were on the same team, right?

“Interesting,” He commented back, joining as she pulled her cart into a designated space outside of the building. He immediately made his hand available to help her down from the cart in yet a different pair of tall, shiny heels that he admired. Her hand was small and warm in his, and his gaze lingered on her carefully manicured nails.

“Thank you,” she smiled, using the next few moments to unabashedly adjust her outfit, making sure her blouse was still dutifully tucked in all the way around her navy pencil skirt and that her ascot hadn’t blown out of disarray before running a hand through her blonde tresses.

“Perfect,” he commented, though it went unnoticed as she sifted through her envelope to retrieve her map.

“Fourth floor, left elevator,” she told herself. “8212.”

All the while, Jake was picking out the notes of her perfume. Vanilla, musk, sandalwood. Feminine but not frilly.

“It would be my duty to escort you to the Rear Admiral,” He commented, assuming parade rest. The action made her smile.

“You’re kind, but I’m a big girl,” she replied. “I can get there on my own.”

The chink in his ego was small, but there. Had he applied enough deodorant today?

“Well, then I hope the rest of your mission is successful,” He smoothly rebutted.

“Thank you, Lieutenant Commander,” She smiled, taking a few steps, the clicks from which sent a shiver up Jake’s spine.

“Please, call me Jake,” he said, holding the door for her. She smiled, grateful for the reminder, before stepping in.

The only thing he had to figure out now was who she was and what she did on base. That, and if the gold band on her finger meant anything.

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

Mia changed her mind. It did seem as if she was doing a lot of favors for Lt. Gen. Bozek recently. Tonight included.

Though, the opportunity to make a new friend was welcome and she felt like she had unlocked a new chapter in her book. New location, new characters, new plot.

The Hard Deck had a comforting vibe in the same way a bar back home in Nebraska would. Locals knew you and newcomers were welcome as long as they didn’t ruffle any feathers.

Lt. Gen. Bozek asked if she’d be willing to meet his niece for a drink – she worked ridiculous hours and was “about the same age” as Mia. Mia wondered if Lt. Gen. Bozek knew how old she was.

On a particularly warm day in May, she opted for a pair of denim jean shorts – artfully distressed – and a pink blouse that flared beneath her bust with small cap sleeves. A French braid of sun kissed blonde left a few face-framing wisps near her temples as she tucked an errant lock behind her ear.

“Mia?” She turned, setting down her Blue Moon to meet who she assumed to be Bozek’s niece.

“Bobbi, hi.” She smiled warmly, sticking out her hand.

“Hi, so sorry I’m late,” Bobbi gushed, taking the seat across from Mia and dropping her purse strap across the back of her chair. “Family court ran long today and my client was nearly a no-show.” She sighed. Bozek mentioned that Bobbi was a family and child welfare attorney and often worked late.

“No problem, if there’s anyone that understands, it’s me.” Mia reassured. That, and she was glad for a change of scenery.

“Have you been here before?” Bobbi asked, checking her phone quickly before setting it down on the tabletop between them.

“First time!” Mia said, “to be honest I don’t get out much aside from the beach.” She confessed. “I’ve been here about eight – almost nine months and work keeps me pretty busy. I fly out to Indiana when I can to visit my brother or head to Del Mar for the weekend.” She explained.

“Well I’ve been coming here since before I could walk,” Bobbi laughed. “That being said, let me grab a drink quick – I’ll be right back.”

Mia liked Bobbi – she seemed pretty normal and was certainly kind enough. She went on to explain that the bar owner was like a second mother to her – a woman named Penny -  as she grew up on base under the watchful eye of her Uncle that raised her.

“So you mentioned going to Indiana – does your brother go to school there?” Bobbi asked, now on her second beer.

“Yes, my brother Jack plays baseball for the Hoosiers,” Mia replied proudly, pulling out her phone.

“Wow, handsome!” Bobbi smiled. Mia happily swiped through a handful of photos of Jack. She really was beaming with pride. “Tall,” she added.

“He’s eight inches taller than me,” Mia laughed. “Sometimes I think he doesn’t take me seriously because of it.”

“I always wanted siblings,” Bobbi smiled. “Will you get to see him soon?” She asked.

“He’s coming out to visit in about four weeks,” Mia explained. “He has an off week from baseball and will be done with summer semester classes.”

“That’s so sweet,” Bobbi took another drink of her beer before one of the male bar hands could set down two fresh drinks at their tall top.

“Courtesy of the service khakis,” he tilted his head back to the back wall of the bar, closest to the beach. Mia and Bobbi looked back to see a small group of aviators by the pool and darts, who raised their drinks in a toast. Mia held up her fresh beer and toasted them back.

“Lord, here we go,” Bobbi laughed.

“I feel too old to be getting drinks from these guys,” Mia winced.

“First of all, you’re not.” Bobbi stared, “because I think we’re the same age and if you’re old, I’m old, and I am not old.” She took a long pull of her beer. “There’s just a lot of horny young guns on this base who have been told for the past three months they’re the best in the world at what they do – full of ego and adrenaline.”

“A simple way of putting that,” Mia laughed.

“Ma’am,” her attention was pulled over her shoulder, where a young man in service khakis appeared. Blue eyes, brown hair and a uniform you could bounce a quarter off of.

“Thank you for the drink,” Mia smiled politely.

“It’s my pleasure, Ma’am,” He replied. “I’m Gene,” he introduced.

“Mia,” She replied, placing her hand in his.

“Bobbi,” Bobbi said, sticking her hand out, “Bobbi Bozek.” She elaborated. The pilot’s eyes flickered in recognition.

“Nice to meet you, Ma’am,” he gulped. “Would either of you be interested in joining my team and I for some pool?”

“That’s really kind of you, but we’re just chatting,” Mia said softly. The young pilot was no match for her honey-golden eyes.

“I was thinking, maybe, if you were up to it – ”

“Lieutenant West,” Mia placed the voice.

“Hangman,” the brunette stiffened, eyes tracking as his superior’s arm came around the backside of Mia’s high top chair.

“Everyone having responsible fun?” He asked, a toothpick sitting carefully between his textbook perfect teeth.

“As much as we can,” Gene responded.

“Thank you for the drink,” Bobbi gave a big smile, tilting her head to the side and tapping her beer glass against his. The pilot took the hint and retreated back to his team.

“Ladies,” Jake smiled, coming around to stand aside their table.

“Hi Lieutenant Commander,” Mia replied.

“Mia, Bobbi,” he greeted. “You don’t strike me much as a beer drinker,” Jake commented. “And what do I strike you as?” Mia asked, taking a small sip of her brew.

“I’d err on the side of… a French 75.” He countered. Mia’s brow raised.

“You are astute.” She grinned.

“Some would say it’s my job,” the corner of his mouth pulled up into an attractive grin.

“Jake, can you go spray some cold water on your ducklings over there?” Bobbi asked, crossing her legs. “Are they being bothersome?” Jake asked, pulling up his own chair to the table.

“Like dogs in heat,” Bobbi replied, wiping a smear of foam from the corner of her mouth.

“You ladies just tell me if anyone steps out of line,” he commented.

“Was last week like back-to-school weekend?” Mia asked, tucking one foot behind her other ankle below the table. Another pair of heels for the blonde. Jake’s eyes took in the lines of her clothing and the simple elegance of her French braid and the diamond studs in her ears. The skin on the back of his neck prickled at the sight of the small gold ‘J’ in the hollow of her throat.

“Something like that,” Bobbi said, “it feels like they’re coming droves these days.” Her attention turned to their guest. “Jake, how do you know Mia?” She asked.

“I nearly ran him over at the grocery store.” Mia replied.

“Commissary,” Jake corrected.

“Commissary,” Mia agreed. “You two know each other?” Mia asked.

“For years,” Bobbi nodded. “Dated one his buddies for five years, actually,” She pursed her lips as she took another drink. Mia’s eyes cut to Jake, who was already looking at her.

“Buddy is putting it generously,” Jake replied. “Mia you’re not from here,” he said, turning his attention back to the blonde and watching as her eyes trailed across his features.

“Nebraska,” she replied. “Omaha specifically.”

“Flyover state.” Jake commented.

“I think to a pilot every state is flyover, no?” She asked, gently raising one brow as she sipped her beer. Jake grinned. “Jake’s a cowboy,” Bobbi commented. Mia’s eyes shifted back toward the blonde. He was wondering what her lip-gloss tasted like. If they’d have two kids or three – and what kind of wallpaper would hang in the nursery.

“Yeehaw,” Mia said, raising her glass to him before draining her drink. She took one look outside to see the darkness looming. It was coming up close to nine and she had a good twenty-five minute drive back to her apartment. “I hate to cut the night short, but I’ve got to start my hike back.”

“Let me get your number so we can do this again,” Bobbi insisted. Jake felt shafted, he had just arrived, but he did get to gather more intel, and that felt worth it.

Mia rattled off her cell, which Jake committed to memory.

“Jake, walk her out.” Bobbi insisted, “I’m going to go bother Pen.” Jake gladly offered his hand as Mia climbed down from her high top in those heels. He wanted to sink his teeth into her calves.

“Thank you,” she smiled gently, grabbing her saddle brown designer clutch from the table. Jake held the door as she walked through, sifting through her bag to grab her keys.

“Now this…” Jake whistled lowly, taking in the sight of her vintage Jag. “This is art.”

“Thank you, I quite like it myself.” She smiled, using a key to unlock the driver’s side of the red convertible.

“A woman of refined taste,” he replied, though that was evident in every other aspect of her that he had witnessed already. As a person of particular taste himself, it was stimulating to see a woman who carefully curated her presence as well.

“Thank you again for the escort, Lieutenant Commander.” She said, the engine of the convertible purring to life.

“It’s Jake.” He reminded.

[ageless-aislynn]

Click pictures to make bigger 😎

1. Classic pinstripe suit, bald with sunglasses - The look of a dapper businessman who also slaughters evil in his spare time.

2. All black suit, no tie, bald with sunglasses - The Angel of Death has no tie. The Angel of Death NEEDS no tie.

3. White dress shirt with tie, black dress pants and glasses - Could it be... Clark Kent? No, friends, it is just Frank West, photojournalist.

4. Pink dress shirt with tie, white dress pants and hat - There might be a zombie apocalypse but that's no excuse to stop working on your golf swing while looking like a fine gentleman at the same time.

5. Classic little black dress with deep v-neck and white shirt - It's classic for a reason. Also, please note the sensible shoes, suitable for stomping zombies and running for your life.

6. No shirt, dual ammo bandoliers, camo pants, bald with sunglasses - Rambo? Never heard of him. I bet he's a fine fellow, though. Frank probably wouldn't mind having him at his back while they're handling this pesky zombie horde problem.

7. Orange prison jumpsuit - The biggest crime of all is not being able to profess his love for Leah. 💘

8. No shirt, boxers, and police hat - For your next party, call 1-888-HOT-OFFICER-WEST for all of your exotic dancer needs! 😇

9. Yellow suit and hockey mask - No, the giant gun isn't compensating for anything. I'm not sure why you'd even ask that...? 🤔😜 An appropriately chaotic look for a chaotic time.

10. Wrestler trunks - Brand loyalty. Frank has it. Also, cake? Frank has that, too. 😇 I ❤️ one (1) photojournalist who was built to be a brawler. 😍😍😍

Brad looks like he spends a LOT of time questioning Frank's common sense fashion sense, doesn't he? 😂😂😂

Yes, friends, I've decided to tackle one of THE most time-consuming video game achievements out there: Dead Rising's 7 Day Survivor. It requires 14 uninterrupted hours to complete. You cannot save. You cannot quit and come back later to pick up where you left off. Frank's health constantly depletes so you have to scavenge for food (which does NOT respawn) or he can starve to death every 20 minutes. The survivors have turned on you and will kill you on sight. The psychopaths are no longer in their usual spawn locations. The zombies will munch you relentlessly. You die, your run is done. Your power goes off, your PC/console crashes, you fall asleep, you get distracted, you're done.

So why do I want to do it? 🤔

Because it's the only achievement I don't have (technically, there's also 5 Day Survivor in there as well, but if you get 7 Day, you'll have gotten 5 Day along the way). Because I love this game so much. It brings me so much silly joy. Because I want to see if my strategy will work.

Because I want to know that I can.

So! Help me pick from some of my favorite looks for Frank. We want to look strong, ready to kick zombie butt and to survive for a week under very hostile conditions in the Willamette Mall.

I'm currently writing up my strategy, including food locations, survivor and psychopath spawn times, and an optimal path to take through the mall with the best places (aka that have doors you can shut) for Frank to stay safe with his stashes of food. Then I'm going to print it because I'm just That Way™️and want a physical copy to refer to once I start this. I'm not chancing minimizing the game to open a file or to watch a tutorial video. Georgette and I are FOCUSED on success!

Me and Georgette, our hands joined in a solemn pact to keep Frank alive for 14 hours. (O hai, Eobard, wish us luck, hm, buddy? 😉)

14 hours, girl, we can do it! I've got the support of my family, just got to let them know when I start. I can pause the game to eat and things like that but I don't want to leave it paused any longer than necessary. The in-game clock stops at the same time so you're just adding more overall hours by pausing.

Wish me luck, friends! I'm not sure what day I'll be doing this but it'll be soon! 🤞😣🤞

[mynameismckenziemae]

The way certain (tone deaf) actors are promoting ‘It Ends with Us’ makes me sick to my stomach.

I don’t care for Colleen Hoover’s writing so I had no idea what the book/movie was about. I started seeing interviews/promos on TikTok and thought it looked like a cutesy romcom type movie.

Then I saw the scene where she’s in the hospital with teeth marks and realized it’s about domestic abuse. There was a comment stating, “are those bite marks? 🤔” like it’s unheard of.

A Little Bit Stronger is “dedicated” to my sister, and I think it’s time to tell her story (with her permission).

TW: physical/sexual/domestic abuse below.

In March of 2012, my sister left her husband seemingly out of the blue. Sure, they squabbled and fought, but most married couples do. She didn’t give much of a reason, other than she didn’t love him anymore.

Things got ugly fast. He accused her of cheating, he would tell their kids all kinds of terrible things about her when he had them, etc.

I married my husband in June of 2012 and when my sister got home that night from the reception, her ex was waiting for her. She had been keeping “evidence” (printed texts, emails, receipts, etc.) in her vehicle because she knew he still had keys to the house. He ripped the keys from her, took her records and got into his car. She leaned in through the open car window and he took off with her hanging out of it.

He hit her several times before biting her arm to get her to let go, leaving a baseball-sized, dark purple bruise. She had to tell her kids she got hit by a golf club (she worked at a country club at the time).

I found out about this incident a week later when I got back from my honeymoon. I also found out that he had been beating her for several months and that’s why she originally left him, but was too embarrassed to tell anyone.

She went to court to get a restraining order but the judge did not grant one, saying each party was in the wrong.

Things continued to escalate (not physically but the police were called several times) and she was finally granted a no contact/restraining order.

6 weeks after my wedding, I got a call from my mom at 7 in the morning that my sister was in the hospital.

Her ex (who was drunk) had broken into her house through the basement window (where her bedroom was) and proceeded to beat the living shit out of her, choked her and ripped off her sleep shorts and sexually assaulted her.

My nephew (7 years old at the time) heard the commotion and came downstairs. Her ex yelled at him to get a knife. Being 7, he brought down a butter knife, not knowing what the reason was.

Her ex followed my nephew upstairs to get a different knife and my sister was able to make it outside to the neighbors house. She pounded on the door, naked except her tee shirt.

Her neighbor let her in and called the police. She was inconsolable as her kids were still inside.

The police arrived shortly after and there was blood and shattered glass everywhere-he had smashed a mirror over his head in a rage.

After a 4-hour long standoff with the police, he finally surrendered. One of the officers told my sister if the children hadn’t been upstairs with him, they would’ve shot and killed him.

He was found guilty of: strangulation, battery, and false imprisonment.

He was found NOT guilty of: second degree sexual assault (because none of his DNA was found in/on her genitalia or her ripped shorts), criminal damage to property (a specialized cleaning coming had to come in and clean due to it being biohazardous with the amount of blood. Her homeowners insurance covered it but it cost over $5,000).

He wasn’t even charged with attempted murder when he had every intention of killing her.

He served only 9 years in prison.

She’ll sleep with one eye open for the rest of her life.

So hearing the leading actress say, “grab your girlfriends, wear your florals” to watch a movie about domestic violence is beyond insensitive.

I don’t know where I was going with this but yeah.

[bengiyo]

Step By Step Ep 4 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Jaab and Jen took a whole section of the show to themselves and crushed the ad. Meanwhile, the rest of us lusted after Jeng in his black suit and shirt, as well as his oversized sweater. Pat's review rocked Jeng to his core, and he spent much of the episode reconciling with the fact that his subordinates don't trust him or believe him in; they see him as an antagonistic force in his life. He committed to being better, and started by formally reprimanding the coworker that touched Pat inappropriately. I'm in love with Jeng and this show.

So badminton isn't the first outing. They also sent golfing?

I see Bruce!!

Nothing will fuck up your relationship more than doubles tennis, or, in this case, badminton.

The boy guarding the showers is cute, even though I think he's lying about the showers.

Was Jeng whistling Jeff's song Goodbye is Not Goodbye??

Work Life Integration? HELL NAW. TO THE NO NO NO NAW. HELL TO THE NAW HELL TO THE NO!

Damn, Jeng, you ain't have to be that obvious about seeing Pat in a tuxedo.

I love Bruce so much.

I think Pat is misreading that meeting, because I think Jeng is mostly beefing with another division.

I think Jeng was trying to tease Pat, but that came off super harsh.

I know this is supposed to be cute, but don't put pens near people's faces.

Not keen on Put forcing Ae to give him Pat's number.

I'm curious about this pregnancy plotline. I like that Pat has more than just male friends, and that his female friend is having problems that we wouldn't get in most BL.

Chot is the only person smart enough to check the stalls before having a conversation in the bathroom.

I love this sweater Pat is wearing to Jeng's condo.

Pat was so offended at being called uncle! I lol'd.

All this snooping just for Pat to learn that Jeng is a doting uncle.

Aw, I would probably reject my boss on socials too.

I'm glad Jeng is finally working directly with Pat to give feedback. Pat clearly thrives on praise.

The joy I feel that Chot has a boyfriend who's clearly enamored.

The abject horror of gossiping on your boss in the wrong chat.

Jeng having a frank conversation with Pat was so necessary. Pat has been struggling with so much duplicitousness at this office that he needed this.

Oh no, Jeng is totally tanking at karaoke. This is probably good for him, though. They need to see him be bad at something.

Really love the foundation Jeng and Pat are building.

Goddamn Poppy looks good.

Kanun may have messed up things for Jarb, but I am amused that the straights are having a fun time in bed.

Hair continuity is a mess in this show, but I'll let it slide.

Jeng said, "Just so you know, I'm SINGLE."

Oh no, Pat is about to mistake Jarb for Jeng's boyfriend.

Ben has an incredible face.

Love Up getting to okay the embodiment of, "I should call him."

This show is so good. Tuesday is becoming one of my favorite days right now! I love the foundation Jeng and Pat are building. I like that a workplace romance is going to grow out of respect and admiration for each other in a professional process and collaboration. I like that growing and improving is a big part of their dynamic, and learning to be more honest with each other.

[asgoodeasgold]

Hackett SS24 campaign with Matthew Goode - Part 5 GIFs

A lil' goode swagger followed by Goodey enjoying tapas (without vino, what the hell Hackett?) and demurely presenting his companion with some olives. The way he holds that olive dish makes me laugh, such reverence lol. Also, I spot my favourite tapa, Pimientos de Padrón, yummy.

Here are some close ups. Including that look straight at the camera (photo by Tom Craig). Gulp 🫠

📷 My edits from Hackett SS24 video advert. The pic of Matthew looking at the camera is by Tom Craig.

GIFs Part 1:

GIFs Part 2:

GIFs Part 3:

GIFs Part 4:

Ad:

[sio-writes]

Blood and Bourbon - Chapter 1

<<Prologue

Summary: Elliot finally feels like he's ready for a new chapter in his life, he's moved in with his immortal partner and runs a successful vampire aid clinic, it finally feel like life is giving him a break. But not all good things stay, as Elliot's past catches up to him and threatens to destroy everything he's worked for in a shower of blood.

Tags: discussion of (fantasy) medical practices including the consumption of blood (They are vampires after all!) and

Read it here, or on AO3!

Lifeline Specialized Vampire Clinic is a two-story stone building in the Medical District of downtown Braedon. It only opened for business a few years ago, but specialized vampiric clinics are hard to come by, even in the most progressive of cities, so the center is full nearly every hour of every day. It specializes in early- and late-term transitions and post-transformation lifestyle management, with several group therapies staggered throughout the day to help patients find a sense of community.

So the sight of a young woman being wheeled in on a gurney from the hospital is a common occurrence, even at two in the morning. Elliot is used to it, and he filled the sight into his brain for later. At the moment he has a list of things to do once he's finished his rounds in the inpatient wing upstairs. There's group therapy at 4:30, another set of rounds, and once that's over he has to chip away at the mountain of paperwork on his desk.

He's finishing the rounds upstairs, thankfully everything went on schedule, when he's stopped by Head Nurse Marcy. She pulls him aside in the stairway down to the outpatient division. "I know you have group, but I need you to see our new patient. She's just started to turn, and her parents are very adamant about speaking to an 'actual doctor'."

Marcy slaps a manila folder on his chest, and Elliot hums, thinking. "Is Dr. Henrickson not available?"

She shakes her head of fiery red curls. "He's running the other group session, and Deb isn't in until seven."

Elliot curses under his breath, causing Marcy to smile. She likes seeing him break professionalism.

Elliot skims the patient's profile, taking note of her age: 17. Elliot supresses a groan. He hates talking to parents of young vampires. It's always tears and angry accusations and, if he's lucky, something will get thrown at him. He still needs to make sure both the parents and their child have the information they need, but it's his least favorite part of running the clinic.

"You run the 4:30 group then," he says to Marcy.

"Yes sir," she gives him a lazy salute before walking off. "She's in 114!"

***

Elliot's barely in the door before the father inside scoffs and crosses his arms. "Are you an actual doctor?" he asks. He's got combed-back, dirty blonde hair, and he's wearing a pressed bowling shirt and golf shorts. Next to him is, presumably, his wife, with bleached blonde hair and a bright, patterned dress that ends at the knees. She's sniffing into a napkin that looks like it's seen better days. On the bed is a young woman with short brown hair, wearing torn cargo shorts and an equally torn tank top. She's so young, and Elliot's heart breaks. Her chart had said she was a minor, but Elliot will never get used to seeing someone so young here.

When humans are turned into vampires, the body stops aging. Elliot's always going to be 32, Marcy will always be 25, and this young woman, Margaret MacKenzie, will forever be 17. Those born with vampiric blood age slower depending on the ratio, too. Vampiric births are rare, they're difficult to bring to term, but for the few that happen each year, the aging rate can vary wildly. Elliot saw by Margaret's chart that she was born human, not a drop of vampire blood in her lineage.

Elliot nods at the father, maintaining his professionalism. "Yes, I'm the head doctor as well as the owner of the clinic. Your daughter Margaret--"

"Maggie," the wife says, her voice thick with emotion. "Her name is Maggie."

"Maggie," he corrects. "Is in the final stages of vampiric transformation. She'll need to be admitted to the clinic for a few weeks until she stabilizes." He checks his chart. "There doesn't seem to be any pressing issues like injury, thankfully."

"Thankfully?!" the father snaps. "She's turning into a monster!"

Mrs. MacKenzie chokes back a niose before bursting into tears. Mr. MacKenzie frowns at Elliot like it was he who bit his daughter. "Will she even survive?"

"Her vitals are stabilizing and her readouts look good," Elliot says. "She's made it through the worst of the change, and the longer she rests, the higher her chances are." He skims the report again, taking notice of a specific note in the margins. "She was a runaway?"

Mrs. MacKenzie sniffs like she's trying to collect herself, but she falls into tears again, and Mr. MacKenzie speaks for her. "She ran away about three months ago. Cops told us she probably got picked up by a trafficking scheme."

Elliot checks the notes of the report. Nothing else about that. "Was there a reason she left?"

"What're you implying, you--"

"Mr. MacKenzie, I'm only trying to get the facts--"

Mrs. MacKenzie clears her throat. "She's been seeing this…asshole. A creep, and a bad influence for my daughter. He was into some kind of cult and we tried to tell her that he was a lost cause, but she didn't listen, she didn't want anything to do with us. She left on a Saturday, and came back sick and with a mark on her back."

Elliot frowns. That wasn't on the report, either. "A mark?"

"On her shoulder," Mr. MacKenzie says. "Three triangles interlocked. We thought it was a tattoo at first, but it's a brand." He spits out the word with disgust, and Elliot is inclined to agree.

Vampiric cults are a dangerous problem. There's as many organizations as there are vampires in the world, and they all have their own calling card, a symbol of the house their leader hails from. They steal humans right off the street and indoctrinate them, churn them through the cult's system until they're obedient enough to take the transformation without complaint. Elliot has a brand on his inner arm that itches whenever he talks about matters like these.

Three triangles, though, he's not familiar with. Anxiety sparks underneath Elliot's skin. He should know. It's part of his job, protecting those who call for his help.

"I don't know the exact group, but I'll look into it." He makes a note on Maggie's chart to check the symbol once she's moved to her room. Elliot flips the pages on his clipboard until he sees the pamphlets stored in the back and hands them to Mr. MacKenzie. "For now, I'll give you the information I do have. Maggie's vampirism will be unique to her, but there are some ground rules. She can't have solid foods, only liquids from now on. She'll likely be craving blood frequently once she wakes up, and it's completely normal. You'll see in that second pamphlet-- yes that one, the amount of blood she'll need to sustain her every day, and I'll tell you now that these are just the minimum values, there's no maximum. Direct sunlight is out, as is indirect sunlight, such as through a tinted window or shade, until she hits the one year mark."

"Oh god!" Mrs. MacKenzie cries out. Mr. MacKenzie rests a gentle hand on her shoulder, comforting her as she cries. "She loved the sun, she loved the beach so much. She won't be able to go ever again?" And before Elliot can answer, she breaks down into sobs again.

"After a year," he continues as gently as possible, "Maggie will be able to handle indirect sunlight, including shaded areas. So, after a year, she'll still be able to go, just cover up and bring an umbrella."

His words seem to calm Mrs.MacKenzie, at least, they stop the tears. Elliot continues, "Blood management is the most crucial at this point time. The banks have a program to provide you with your first year's supply. She'll need to stay away from any pets for at least the next four weeks, which won't be a problem if you decide to admit her here."

Mr. MacKenzie cuts in, "Will the cult come after her?"

"Once I find out which group is associated with that symbol, I'll tell you everything I know." Hopefully this cult is a smaller one, and Elliot's only seen their sigil as graffiti somewhere in the city. "We have security protocols in place as well, the upper floor where she'll be staying is under 24/7 surveillance, and only approved guests are allowed, such as you two and anyone you approve."

Elliot goes through the rest of the pamphlets with the MacKenzies, including the paperwork to admit Maggie to the clinic. He tells them her eyes will change color, and her body will be slow to react at first. Elliot answers their questions as best he can, but Mrs. MacKenzie breaks back down into tears after he reiterated Maggie can only drink liquids. By the time Elliot gets Maggie upstairs, the nurses get her IV hooked up, and he answers many, many more questions, it's nearly 8am.

The MacKenzies are yawning by the time Elliot shuts the door, and he doesn't blame them. It's nearly seven the morning, he's supposed to be home. Mathias should be waking up right about now, he should be there to greet him.

He walks into the covered garage and starts up his beat-up Ford sedan, anxiety thrumming behind his eyelids, making his fingers twitch. He's anxious all the way home, wondering how such a young girl escaped this mystery cult, and who was coming after her.

***

Elliot nearly drives to his old apartment, swerving away from the exit at the last minute and scattering his thoughts like loose playing cards. He'd been so distracted by that symbol and it's origins he nearly forgot to take the right exit.

No, he's living with Mathias now, in his fixer-upper two story that Mathias has owned since 1982. It doesn't feel real, like it's too good to be true. It's been a little fast, but Elliot's trying to take it all in stride.

Mathias is in the kitchen cooking breakfast when Elliot opens the door. "Hi-i-i! Welcome home!"

Elliot's home. It's strange to think of the house he's only been in for a few weeks as home. Strange, but not unwelcome, especially with Mathias to come home to each morning. He's seen Mathias off to work nearly every morning since he moved in, it's a nice ritual that Elliot is glad he didn't miss. He can't eat, but the house smells of waffles and syrup and it makes his mouth water. "Smells good. Long day?"

Mathias usually just grabs his coffee and rushes out to make his nine o'clock class time, only taking the time to cook when he anticipates a day without snacks. Immortals have a higher daily calorie requirement than the average human.

"Midterms today," Mathias replies. Elliot walks through the kitchen and into the breakfast nook. Mathias has laid out more than waffles, he's also got bacon, eggs, and sliced strawberries set out on the dining table.

"You've got quite the spread, here," Elliot comments, sipping from a dangerously full glass of orange juice. No pulp, perfect. Mathias comes up behind him holding a plate of pancakes that smell divine. The flour and sugar and mountain of dishes tell Elliot that Mathias made them from scratch, too. He kisses Elliot gently on the cheek as steps around into the nook. Elliot takes his place opposite Mathias and watches as he eats.

Mathias' eyes are solid gold, bright like the sun, irises marked with a pale brown ring, and if Elliot were to shut off all the lights, that set would be glowing at him like a cat. The eyes of an Immortal. It's an intense stare, to say the least. Mathias catches glances from him, and his flirtatious stare makes Elliot smile behind his hand.

After a few minutes, Mathias says around a mouth full of pancakes and strawberries, "You were late this morning. Everything okay? Busy day?"

Elliot rests his chin in one hand and tries to summarize his night. "A girl came in from the hospital today with two very concerned parents. Which makes sense! She was a runaway, and appeared in the middle of turning. She was out cold."

"Yeesh," Mathias says sympathetically. "The parents didn't let you get any work done?"

"After about a thousand questions, which again make sense when your only child is turning into a vampire."

"Mm, I see." Mathias hums around another bite of pancakes. "Do you think they'll try to reverse it?"

"It was too late in the change." In truth, Elliot would have liked if they'd come in a day earlier, that would've been the last possible second to reverse her turning. But he's not a magician, as he'd told Mr. MacKenzie outside his daughter's room.

In the time it took Elliot to drive home and speak to Mathias, his feelings have changed from anxious to something else. He feels melancholy about the whole thing. Not quite sad, not quite angry, but both, diluted within the slurry of other things that weigh down on his conscious. He tries to keep work away from home, but when cases like Maggie become personal, it's hard to let things go.

The feeling of deja vu hadn't left him since speaking to the MacKenzies. He's seen that symbol somewhere, somewhere important. It has to be in Mathias' books. If it's not, he can try and wrangle his ancient laptop to scour the internet.

After Mathias kisses him goodbye, Elliot decides to spend the next few hours going through boxes of books piled nearly to the ceiling of the library. It's a smaller room, probably meant to be used as a den that the two of them built in-wall bookshelves. Some books are his, but most belong to Mathias and he has even more in his office at the university.

They'd moved in together only a few weeks ago, and there's so much left to unpack. But Elliot is on a mission to find that symbol, and Mathias was briefly interested in occult histories and bought several tomes on the subject. If any books have that symbol, it'll be those.

First he finds a large textbook on the history of the occult in modern society. There's a lot on tarot readings, crystals, and Elliot reads Mathias' tiny, slanting script about the trip he'd taken in 1907 to the French Quarter and had his palm read. There's no interlocking triangles in the first book. The next two are unmarked, Mathias must not have gotten to them yet, and also offer no help by way of the symbol.

The other books he pulls seem promising. He finds a series of ancient organizations, modern reiterations, and speculation on future activities. It's another hour of rooting through books, finding nothing, then putting them on the shelves. Elliot goes from sitting to laying on his back, and his eyelids grow heavy. Another hour of fruitless searching, and Elliot is fighting sleep with every paragraph and soon, he falls asleep right in the library.