#he's most self conscious about his BO all things considered

[its-monster-mash]

Sinclair Brothers Headcanons - Angst

I’m fresh off of a House of Wax rewatch and I come bearing headcanons

Bo

• Self-Appointed Eldest Brother

• Suffers migraines as a result of the separation surgery, but no one ever considered the side effects Bo may have faced since he wasn’t the twin who was left visibly scarred. This is why he had the meltdowns he did as a kid.

• Taught by his mother that the migraines are a punishment from God for being an awful child.

• Since he grew up being told how awful he was, he has a skewed moral compass because he feels like if he’s Bad no matter what he does he may as well do whatever he wants. In a strange way, he feels good when he does bad things because he feels like he’s doing what’s always been expected of him.

• Fights fights fights. His dad being a “Disgraced Doctor” and his mom going insane(and also having a strange job before that) kids made fun of his family a lot. This, of course, extended to Vincent.

• Beat other kids bloody for picking on Vincent—when he finally got caught, it was the first time he was ever treated like he did something GOOD by his parents; so he learned that being violent was A Good Thing™️ as long as it was to protect the family.

• Didn’t like Vincent going anywhere without him because how could he protect him if he wasn’t there?

• Especially after their parents died and the town started falling apart, Bo felt like it was HIS job to protect his brothers.

• Hurt that Lester doesn’t want to live with them full time; he feels like it’s something personal against him.

• He doesn’t mention Lester when he gives his speeches about ‘The Sinclair Family’ not because he’s got anything against him, but because deep down he knows that someday they’re going to get caught. He knows there’ll be no getting out of it for him and Vincent, but he hopes that the less he implicates Lester the more likely his baby brother is to be spared The Chair.

• Always used to feel like it would be any day that they’d get caught, and he used to want it. Years ago he used to feel like getting caught and having Ambrose make Headlines would be the culmination of their mother’s dream. Now, he’s just tired of it all—it’s a chore—it’s Vincent’s whole life’s work. Bo no longer wants to be caught, he just wants to hold on to what he’s got left.

• Bo is Autistic, but he’s had to do so much masking because nobody cared about his needs. He’s got a lot of rituals he does every day, involving counting all the Wax Sculptures in town, and making sure all the air conditioning is running several times a day for fear that the wax will melt. He thinks he doesn’t have a talent like Vincent does, but he’s actually an incredibly skilled mechanic who can fix just about anything with the barest of supplies. He just never got any praise for it, so it felt like it didn’t count.

• He attends his mother’s Funeral Service every Sunday.

• So much religious trauma. Fervently believes that God is real and he hates him personally for some crime of his birth. This man believes everything his mother ever said. Christian in the “I will fistfight God in the Parking Lot” sense, the “When I die I hope I get the chance to scream at God for being a shitty Father before he sends me to Hell” sense.

• “Why would you make me this way?” Religious Trauma.

Vincent

• “A Pleasure to Have in Class”

• He actually CAN talk, he just doesn’t prefer to because he’s self-conscious about the way he sounds due to his deformity, and also as a result of the childhood trauma of watching Bo be abused—it was safer to be the Quiet Son.

• He’s Autistic, but flew under the radar because most people assume he’s non-verbal due to his deformity. He’s EXTREMELY specific about the kind of material he puts on his body, and he actually prefers the way his clothes feel if they’ve got a film of wax on them.

• Wax is as much a special interest for him as it is a lifeline. His art made his mother “love” him, so he poured his all into it. She made him feel like that was all there was to life for him—now it’s just about all he knows.

• He’s EXTREMELY pretentious about his art and his process—it has to be absolutely PERFECT or he hates it. If he’s interrupted during a bought of creative mania he will sulk for a week. If he’s not good at a new skill IMMEDIATELY he hates it—which is why he cannot cook.

• Very much a “You Wouldn’t Understand” artist. “Nobody gets me.”

• The reason he doesn’t put as much care into HIS mask as he does his sculptures, is because his body heat coupled with the heat from his workshop makes the wax too malleable to hold the fine details well, so he’d just rather not bother. He made a detailed mask based on Bo’s face exactly ONCE, and it pissed him off so badly when he kept losing detail that he destroyed it himself just to have a little peace.

• The detailed mask actually hurt his feelings more than seeing his bare face, because when he first made it it looked “Like he should have”, but it was never perfect because of the way his body heat would soften it.

• Absolutely furious whenever anything happens to his art—doesn’t check as often as Bo does because he once saw a rat crawl out of a hole it chewed in the eye of one of the sculptures, and the resultant smell of the open rot made him vomit on the spot.

• Enjoys killing more than Bo does. He doesn’t really care about hurting people—that part isn’t a thrill for him, but he does prefer strangers to be dead. He’s so used to working with dead bodies that it’s much more peaceful for him if people who AREN’T family just die. Sculpting on a living body is a special Hell reserved for “tourists” who vandalize his art.

• He is well aware of how over-protective Bo is of him. Sometimes it annoys him, but he also knows it’s one of the few ways Bo knows how to show that he cares. Since Bo has always protected him, and survived everything their parents did to him, Vincent sort of sees Bo as indestructible, untouchable, so it’s alarming to see him injured.

• Vincent is genuinely afraid of what would happen if Bo weren’t around—he doesn’t know how to take care of any of the myriad of technical things Bo does, and Vincent knows that without the air conditioning, every creation he’s ever made will melt in the Louisiana heat.

• Vincent is an atheist. He tolerates Bo’s God Talk because he’s aware that God was a weapon used against Bo as a child for being the “Bad Son”. He knows Bo is trying to be comforting when he quotes their mother, so he doesn’t throw it in his face. Can’t believe in a God who would allow them to do the things they do to people. “The only God in Ambrose is Me”.

Lester

• The Forgotten Youngest Child.

• Being the brother who isn’t a twin—having no deformity and lacking Bo’s behavioral issues, Lester was forgotten and neglected a lot as a child—to the point where he’d just go wander off into the woods alone so at least he wouldn’t have to watch his parents ignore him. With the added benefit of not having to hear Bo’s outbursts.

• Really good at building traps, and ate a lot of squirrels when he was growing up, because Trudy and Vincent would sometimes forget to feed him. Really kind of raised himself.

• Came to terms with the abuse and neglect he and his brothers suffered much more fully after their parents passed—he never really felt very attached to his parents, so he didn’t feel the need to carry out Trudy’s dream.

• The most Aware™️ that the killing his family does is wrong, hence his speech about how easy it is to “Get Used To” all kinds of things. It’s just the life Trudy raised them into. He thinks it’s sad that his brothers are still perpetuating her goals, but what can ya do? They’re his brothers.

• He doesn’t spend a lot of time in the Sinclair home—preferring his little place in the woods—because there’s a lot of bad memories in that house and he doesn’t believe in letting himself fester in the past.

• Still visits every couple of weeks when he does his laundry—usually Bo gets takeout when he knows Lester’s coming up so they can have a family meal. Lester actually prefers his own hunted/foraged cooking, but he enjoys getting to actually have some family time with his brothers, so he chokes down what’s usually fast food, because he knows Bo’s trying.

• He doesn’t actually participate in the killings, but he is the one that rigged the animatronics in Ambrose—he’s actually a hell of an engineer, though he’s never been to school for it.

• The animatronic puppies are his favorite, and he modeled them after Jonesy.

• He’s actually pretty well adjusted, all things considered. He’s just happily living his life in the woods—he does wish things were different for his brothers, but he knows they’re in too deep now, so he just looks out for them as best he can.

• He guts the cellphones of his brothers’ victims both to disable any tracking functions and to use the parts for his animatronics.

[plain-as-pandemonium]

What do you think was going through Bedelia's head during the Antipasto bathtub scene? Just curious how you interpret it!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE I WANT TO KISS YOU ON THE MOUTH FOR SENDING THIS! I've been turning this ask over in my mind for several happy days because it fills me with GLEE, I tell you.

What is going through Bedelia's mind in this moment: What a glorious puzzle-box of a question! The short answer is SO MUCH OMG. Rewatching this scene, and the surrounding scenes, so as to gather my thoughts for this ask, I am truly astonished at how much emotion and conflict and strategy they managed to convey in a few short cuts. Gillian Anderson is genuinely a master of her craft, her portrayal of Bedelia is so nuanced.

The thing is, that bathtub scene in Antipasto has to be placed into context with what happens immediately before it, and what we learn immediately after. Let me talk this through:

i. immediately before

We see Bedelia preparing for her bath, beginning when she asks Hannibal to unzip her dress. She's inviting this intimacy as she a) takes him to task for showing off at his office gala, b) as the two of them discuss the murder he committed in order to get hired for his current job and c) as she coolly asks whether he plans to kill another of his colleagues.

The last thing she says before wordlessly dismissing Hanners is,

"I still believe I am in conscious control of my actions. Given your history, that's a good day."

It's key that she does not seem at all distressed during this discussion. She is willing to undress in front of Hannibal, but she also wants to be alone with her thoughts, and he respects that. That's important context for what's on her mind as she has her bath.

ii. the bath itself

As she sits in the bath, her expression is serious but not anxious, not frightened. We see her open her eyes, watch the steady drip of the faucet while someone is murdering a violin and banging a piano in the background. The shot from above makes it seem like she dropped a goth-ass bath bomb in that water because it is B L A C K. Then she slips beneath the surface and sinks into that blackness, dropping slowly into a fathomless ocean as a riot of bubbles obscures her figure from above.

Then she pops out of the water gasping, as if she's held her breath as long as possible, as if something has startled her. This is the first crack we see in her composure, and it is self-induced. Interesting, right?

iii. immediately after

The first thing we see following the bathtub scene, we see Bedelia (in flashback) sitting in an interrogation room with Jack Crawford telling him,

"If you think you're about to catch Hannibal, it's because he wants you to think that. Don't fool yourself into thinking he's not in control of what's happening."

iv. my thoughts

I've spent way too much time considering Bedelia's mental state during her time in Florence, for uh, various fic-writing purposes. The main thing on her mind during that particular bath scene, I think, is ... conflict.

She has gone to Europe with Hanners willingly. (Though, let's be honest, what were her options, realistically?) Unlike most other characters on this show throughout Seasons 1 and 2, Bedelia knows exactly who she is dealing with and what he is capable of, and the first 20 mins of Antipasto show that pretty clearly.

S3 shows us that Bedelia--who is otherwise so careful, so measured in her actions, so tightly controlled--has a history of taking absolutely batshit insane risks. In that context, her choosing to go with Hannibal makes more sense. Does that mean she feels 100% comfortable and confident in her decision?

FUCK NO

In going to Italy with Hannibal, Bedelia is performing a high-wire act with no safety net. No one knows where she is, by design. No one else is coming to save her if things go sideways. She knows she is in danger. A degree of trust exists between her and Hannibal, a willing vulnerability in the way they behave towards each other (for instance, they're both surprisingly comfortable being physically naked around each other), and yet Bedelia--better than anyone--knows Hannibal, knows his quirks, knows how very unpredictable he can be.

And yet she is very much in control of herself around him. Whatever she's got herself into, she knows she can navigate her way out of it.

That bath, to me, represents a moment of doubt. An "oh shit, can I really pull this off?" moment. It's important that she has this moment when she is alone. She doesn't let him see it.

But the doubt is what makes the venture worthwhile for Bedelia. She likes putting herself in dangerous situations to see if she can handle it, to see if she can come out on top. It's a thrill for her, and something I absolutely LOVE about her character. She is there to learn all she can, for her own edification, and to see how far she can push her own (and Hannibal's) boundaries.

If there were no risk, there would be no reward.

[hnnyoongs]

akai shuichi headcanons

shuichi wears a beanie all the time because he's self conscious about hir hairline .... and I mean who can blame him? id be too

shuichi saw gin when he was visiting Japan in the 10 years ago flashback and was like ooh long hair is cool AND it'll piss ka-san off flash forward 5 years later when shuichi infiltrates the BO and is like fUck cool long hair dude is a psycho

shuichi cut his hair off when he heard akemi was killed by gin he kinda went into the whole mental breakdown mode and was like fuck this shit because he started growing his hair out cuz of gin and also akemi really liked his long hair

shuichi used to be a band kid when he lived in England and wanted to pursue a career in music (much to the chagrin of Mary) but after tsutomu disappeared he was like fuck that and stopped playing until he entered the BO

shuichi has a really bad memory about things that dont have to do anything with his job kinda like BBC's Sherlock but not as bad

shuichi used to find dead bodies when he was a kid just like shinichi but it wasn't as often maybe like a dead body once a year or something

shuichi named himself dai because that's what Mary actually wanted to name him when she was giving birth she was screaming die die die and tsutomu wasn't there yet so she was like aight die sounds like the japanese name dai the only reason shuichi wasn't named that was that tsutomu burst in and was like FUCK NO

shuichi was picked on when training for the FBI since compared to 6 foot jock white men shuichi was a 5 foot 7 asian with long hair and dressed like a teenage girl who frequented Starbucks in the toxic environment of the FBI for anyone who doesnt fit the mold shuichi had it cut out for him

shuichi showed signs of multiple mental illnesses but they were all difficult to pin down so he was never diagnosed with anything since he refused to talk at the FBI mandated therapy sessions

shuichi's type is someone who is kind but could wield a gun

he used to dislike kids but being around them as okiya has made SOME kids special in his heart

before tsutomu's disspeareance he taught shuichi how to hunt with a shotgun

shuichi lived off of sports drinks and bars whenever he was single since he couldn't rely on take out due to it being unhealthy which wouldn't help his FBI styled life

shuichi taught akemi simple self defense techniques but refuses to teach her how to shoot a gun saying he didn't want her hands to get dirty

shuichi and shukichi blackmail each other for favors by using the "ill tell ka-san you did that one thing that you blamed dad for when we were kids if u dont help me out"

scotch once told him that bourbon's type was a white milf (in reference to Elena who was white and was a mother) so shuichi was scared as fuck when rei met Mary's adult self for the first time

shuichi hates being compared to his mother but the truth is they're the most similar and they both started mimicking tsutomu after his disappearance

the only thing shuichi knew how to cook before meeting yukiko was plain white rice as that was the only thing tsutomu was able to teach him

shuichi mimics an American accent while talking in America or talking in English unless he's talking to his family or he's mentally shook up and his British accent slips out

he thinks in British accented English as well (idc if the animanga shows him thinking in japanese it makes no sense that western raised people like Jodie and camel think in japanese) but he does use some japanese like ka-san and when he's trying to get deep into his okiya persona

he tries very hard to keep the polite speech patterns of okiya Subaru since as akai shuichi he's very .. rude

shuichi's sniper skills were so good the fbi was willing to overlook his disrespect of authority and his tendency to do everything by himself without consulting everyone

shuichi slips into a British accent around James if he's feeling really comfortable

he felt bad about using shiho since she was only a year older than masumi and she hadn't done anything wrong so he vowed to get her and akemi out of the BO

he had a plan to get akemi and shiho out by convincing the higher ups to grant them immunity if they testified but akemi's death derailed the entire thing

he hates to admit it but his family is the most important thing to him he may not contact them that often but he's going to such lengths to bring his father back because he cares for his family so much

shuichi didnt really know what he wanted to do with his life once he took down his father's pursuers but after akemi and scotch he decided that if he solved his father's disappearance first he'd hunt down the BO next tho once learning that Haneda Koji’s death had something to do with the BO he's back at the thing where he doesn't know what to do with his life without revenge

he promised shukichi that he'd be the one to solve shukichi's death if what happened to Haneda kohji also happens to shukichi

he isn't a fan of dates in amusement parks but if it makes his partner happy and smile he'll have fun

dating Jodie was a quiet thing most likely from an attachment maybe due to a bad case or a loss of a mutual friend depending on the agency they might have been legally allowed to date each other but it is usually looked down upon I dont think they went out together often probably spending time together at home ... doing stuff

he identifies as bisexual it was normal to him in childhood since both Mary and tsutomu talked about their past relationships to their children he never told anyone due to the fact it would affect his FBI status since it was illegal in America shukichi and Mary know he's bi but shuichi has no idea Mary knows

akemi and shuichi would take strolls in parks go shopping and go to cafes

he's very self conscious about his height and whenever he goes to Japan it makes him feel good about himself since he's relatively tall there

Mary was the one who drilled japanese into his head not tsutomu

the last time shuichi talked to Mary was when he called her up to tell her to take masumi and leave Japan for Britain after masumi cornered him and scotch him and Mary had a whole argument and after that they stopped talking to each other, not that they talked to each other much in the first place

shuichi learned jee kun do by watching training videos from vhs tapes/cds/YouTube depending on when you consider detco taking place I personally believe conan shrinks in 2018 meaning that tsutomu disappeared in 2001 and shuichi used a mixture of tapes and cds to learn

shuichi can read people really well but has a hard time manipulating people by being nice he can use people by being a jackass very well but trying to be a normal person is hard for him

Yukiko and yusaku remind shuichi of his parents before tsutomu disappeared but like more upbeat

shuichi dislikes full body hugs

akemi and shiho were both anime and romance drama fans so he knows random things about the shows and uses that info to connect with the DB and especially haibara

he considered himself British first and foremost but when asked about whether he considers himself white or asian he'll always go with asian

he started smoking soon after his father disappeared since his father used to smoke and he needed to cope but didn't wanna fall into drugs like cocaine

smoking is heavily looked down upon in America and is seen as unprofessional which helped shuichi go undercover a bunch due to him being a heavy smoker

akemi would make him stop smoking around her and shiho saying that second hand smoking was dangerous and that shuichi who was smoking constantly was going to get lung cancer but he would tell her that he just couldn't stop smoking he did stop smoking around shiho and akemi tho going outside to do it instead

as okiya it makes him go wild because he desperately needs to smoke to cope but okiya cant smoke it doesnt fit his image so he smokes a shit ton at night during his nightly drives

shuichi forced himself not to smoke during his time visiting Japan when he met masumi because he knew Mary would get even more upset with him

shuichi was terrible driving American styled cars and he got so upset that he perfected his drive-in techiuque over the years just to spite the instructor that said he was barely passing

he likes to go on late night drives and speed on the high way because he's a thrill seeking idiot

he has no social media but he created on as okiya Subaru to keep an eye on haibara's higo stan account

he takes offense to the idea that he's stalking haibara he's just p r o t e c t i n g her

he wants shiho to be happy more than anything so he's an avid coai shipper and is exhausted in Conan's obliviousness

shuichi didnt tell shukichi he wasn't actually dead shukichi just walked up to okiya Subaru one day and was like shuuichi-ni-san right? shuichi has long stopped questioning shukichi's weird ways of knowing shit he shouldn't know

shuichi is a sherlockian but he's not like shinichi or hakuba in that he does not hate BBC's Sherlock and actually enjoys it a bit

one upside to shuichi living in America is that he gets to hoard guns because he's obsessed with them he thinks they're really cool it's like conan with Sherlock he starts yapping his mouth of about them

bourbon once dangled a gun on in front of a sleeping shuichi cuz he didnt believe scotch when he said that rye was obsessed with guns and started saying incorrect shit about the type of gun he was holding and shuichi just shot up and started berating him

shuichi hates that chianti is a killer because she's the only person who's as much as a gun fanatic as he is

he tends to steal Jodie's car a lot

he likes fucking with peoples heads it's very fun to him to watch them get all worked up

shuichi hasn't mourned his father yet because he doesnt believe his father’s dead

deep down he blames his father for his mother going slightly bonkers

he didnt want masumi to be a detective at first but now hes proud of her

he drinks a lot as okiya Subaru since he cant smoke as much

he's willing to go to hell if it means he can rip gin from limp to limp

he really hates gin yall I dont think I can convey how much he hates gin

[remmushound]

If you are still taking requests, I would love to see something about the 2012 boys finding out about Donnie's soft shell. Like why he wears a battle shell. Why his brothers are a little more protective of him. Maybe Donnie is a little self conscious about it. Just an idea that I would love to see explored! I really enjoy your writing and just want to see more of it!

“Hey other Donnie?” Mikey asked suddenly through his mouthful of pizza, “Can I ask you something?”

“You just did.” Donatello answered calmly.

“Oh. Then can I ask another question?”

Donatello raised a brow.

“Oh! Dang! Can I…”

Donatello raised both brows, as if daring Mikey to do it again.

“...ask you two questions?” Mikey piped finally.

“You got one left.” Donatello waved with a smile, “Make it count.”

“Why do you wear your outside stuff inside?”

Donatello was silent a moment before waving a hand. “Elaborate, my dear Michael.”

Mikey finished off his crust before answering. “You know. That stuff on your back. The armor—”

“Mikey.” Leo tried to correct, “that’s impolite.”

“It is fine, Nardo—“

“Nardo?”

“— I shall indulge the curiosity so it may flourish into the blossoms of knowledge!”

“What?” Leo tilted his head.

“I’m gonna answer his question so he doesn’t ask again.”

“Ah.”

Donatello stood up, placing his pizza safely in one of his metal claws while holding a hand out to Mikey. Donatello pulled Mikey to his feet and wrapped an arm around him to guide the smaller turtle away into his lab.

“To answer your question, dear Michael, we first must address the Wall of Babies!”

“Wall of what?” Mikey echoed, looking Donatello up and down.

“It’s not nearly as weird as it sounds, trust me.” Donatello ressured, clapping his hands to turn on the lights and reveal the beauty of his wall to the box turtle. “BEHOLD!”

Lined along the wall in perfect symmetry were small storage pods with see-through containers, the lowest row filled with several duplicates of Donatello’s goggles. The top row was filled with extensions and additions to his bo staff— a drill, a shovel, among many other tools— as well as extra arm screens like the one one Donatello usually wore on his right forearm. In the middle were featured five pods, one of them empty and the other four showing off various, similarly-shaped armors all different in their own right. One was soft and cushioned while another was bulky and thick and another looking almost furry. The last one seemed by far the most advanced, the one Mikey usually saw Donatello wearing— the one he was wearing currently was more simplistic, but of equal grandeur.

“WOAH!” Mikey’s eyes shimmered like stars. “You have loads of them!”

“Want to try one on?” Donatello offered.

Mikey gasped and turned to the softshell. “Really? Aren’t you scared I’ll break it..?”

Donatello shrugged. “If you do, I’ll just make a new one.”

“Can I try on that one?!” Mikey pressed his face to the glass as he pointed at the furry one, “It looks soft!”

“Great eyes, Michael. If you’ll please step away from the glass?” Donatello gave a patient bow and motioned Mikey away so he could open the pod by punching in a key code. The case opened with a hiss and Donatello pulled the battle shell gently off of its hooks, turning to Mikey and immediately starting to fit it over the boxturtle’s shell. “Might fit a bit weird, considering anatomical differences, but shouldn’t be too bad.”

He loosened the straps so they could fit on Mikey’s bulky frame and adjusted the armor itself accordingly. Mikey excitedly stroked the outside texture and practically churred with the lovely, furry feeling.

“You like that huh?” Donatello smirked. “Then you’ll like this even more~”

Donatello adjusted some settings by a control panel on the shoulder latch. For a moment nothing happened, but when it did the pleasure hit Mikey immediately as a warmth centered in his carapace and spread quickly through to the rest of his body.

“Ohhh…” The turtle melted, his shoulders drooping in the induced relaxation. “That’s nice…”

Donatello smiled proudly. “I wear that one whenever the temperature gets too low—I’m a summer turtle at heart you know, and I like to keep warm. That, mixed with my normal winter wear, keeps me all toasty while my idiot brothers freeze.”

“Mm… my Donnie would never let me wear any of his things. Or touch any of his things…”

“What’s the point of being smarter than everyone if you can’t sHOW OFF YOUR GENIUS TO THOSE BELOW YOU IN EVERY REGARD!” Donatello’s voice went deep and menacing like a supervillain, leading into a devilish and dramatic laugh. He cleared his throat and recovered smoothly while Mikey was still in shock. “You can admire my genius any time, but uh. Don’t touch anything unless you ask me first. Some of the stuff in my lab is highly dangerous. And flammable.”

“Really?”

“But of course! Remember: curiosity killed the cat, but Donatello brought him back because he can do anything he puts his mind to.”

“I… don’t know how that applies, but… okay!”

“Now, onto your question Michael!”

Donatello turned so his back was away from Mikey as he unlatched his battle shell with skill acquired from doing it every day for the past several years. He carefully replaced it in the proper pod without turning around so he wouldn’t ruin the reveal, typing in another passcode to seal it.

“Riddle me this, Hamato Michalangelo Di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni! What species… am I?” He motioned to himself.

“Uh. Turtle?”

“Don’t sell yourself short— give me details!”

“Um… softshell?”

“Apalone Spinifera, to be precise!” Donatello replied, “Good answer, though. Mostly a water dwelling creature, we are flexible, fast, and highly endangered due to overhunting. The main weakness of a spiny softshell is…?” Donatello encouraged Mikey to speak with a wave of his hand. “Come onnnn~ it’s in the name~”

“Your… soft shell?”

“Correct!” Donatello swiveled to reveal his vulnerability to the other mutant. Donatello’s shell was almost completely flat, similar to a human’s back if not for the width, and the only protruding parts were several, rubbery spines going down along the middle of his carapace. The shell was several shades darker than the rest of Donatello and speckled with light tan freckles. Mikey raised a hesitant hand forward to touch it, both he and Donatello flinching at the first contact before both settled into the other’s touch.

“Duuuuude. I feel like I’m petting like, a dolphin or something!”

“Well, I tend to lotion.” Donatello joked to help with his own anxiety at the touch.

Mikey started to trace his fingers along some scarring that criss-crossed the carapace, but Donatello winced once more and spun around quickly to grab Mikey by the wrist.

“DON’T DO THAT!”

Mikey recoiled and naturally flinched away waiting for a hit, but he opened his eyes with a slight confusion when Donatello let go of him and took a few deep breaths instead.

“Sorry— ah.” Donatello rubbed his hand along his back as if the gentle touch of Mikey had brought him pain, “Just sensitive there.”

He quickly took the cushioned battle shell from its pod and put it on himself, and once it was on securely he seemed to regain much of his confidence.

“Now then!” He walked forward and spun Mikey around, grabbing him by the shoulders and pushing him deeper into the lab, “Allow me to brag about even more of my brillance!”

[sokkas-honour]

An unexpected but welcomed visitor - Mako x kyoshi!reader

summary: for the lovely @biqherosix ‘s makyoshi writing challenge and the prompt used was Grandma Yin

word count: 2k

taglist (always open): @biqherosix @draqondance

notes: no tw here i believe, just a girl not knowing what the hell to name a fic and it’s unedited so my apologies

You stared out of Mako’s apartment window, watching the clouds slowly move across the sky above Republic city. You sat on the couch wondering when your boyfriend would return from his little rendez-vous with Kai on Air Temple Island. He’d promised the young boy that he’d help him set up a picnic for Jinora which was an absolutely adorable idea. Mako being close with the airbending monster, considering all the time they spend together arguing about obscure subjects. In theory, he did seem like the perfect choice to help him, you would have disagreed though considering he has a horrible track record with his romantic attempts going smoothly, which added to his charm in your opinion, but you hoped that he’d prove useful to Kai.

You had let yourself into the apartment what seemed like an hour ago. Bolin was visiting Zaofu with Opal which meant that his place was free for a date night hosted by the firebender, well more like a date afternoon but he still hadn’t shown up. He had promised to cook dinner for you and then you’d both play a game of pai sho with lots of cuddling and relaxing in between. You’d both had pretty busy schedules in the last couple of days with his job keeping the streets safe and your Kyoshi duties so a whole afternoon of just pure escape sounded amazing.

The sound of the door to the apartment slowly opening scared you at first but you quickly jumped out of your spot on the couch in excitement. 

“You’re finally here!” You exclaimed as you quickly ran to the bathroom to make sure you looked presentable. You called out to who you thought was your boyfriend from the washroom. “What took you so long Mako? Is Kai ready to absolutely blow Jinora’s socks off without airbending?”

When no one answered but you heard footsteps advancing into the apartment you closed the door to the bathroom and went to grab the closest thing to you to use as a weapon. You looked at the counter but only found someone’s toothbrush and since Bolin wasn’t in the city it meant it belonged to the firebender. As disgusting as it felt to use your boyfriend’s toothbrush as a weapon, you needed something fast. Before getting ready to exit the room to face whoever was outside you spotted someone’s comb and planned to use it as some sort of boomerang. With the toothbrush in close proximity, the comb in one hand, you went to open the door when an elderly voice emerged from the other side.

“Mako? Is that you? I hope I’m not too early. You might want to rethink the idea of leaving your door unlocked, stupid Mako, you take that after your dad.”

Your eyes widened as you opened the door, guard down at the voice that belonged to someone’s grandma. You still kept the comb in a tight grip as you opened the door. The newcomer made a sound that made you jump and throw the comb as you intended too. The now empty hand quickly went back to grab the toothbrush and you emerged from the bathroom when you heard a little yelp.

“My, my, Mako, where are your manners?” And then it hit you, you knew that voice, it belonged to Mako’s grandma, Yin. She looked at you with wide eyes and a shocked expression. “You’re not my Mako are you?”

You shook your head, surprised that she didn't recognize you. You had met when she was staying at the Sato estate and Wu had to hide during the whole Kuvira problem.

“No, I’m his girlfriend, we’ve met before.” You smiled slightly, cheeks turning a bit red when her gaze landed on the toothbrush that was in your hand. You shyly put it on a nearby shelf. “I was one of Wu’s bodyguards, we met when he was staying with you for a short period of time?”

She frowned, analysing you from your head to your toes, making you feel very on the spot and somewhat self conscious. She had a very puzzled look on her face as she just stared at your face in confusion.

“His majesty, prince Wu, only had Mako and some beautiful girl in a warrior’s uniform as a bodyguard. You don’t look like you’d be a bodyguard.”

“I am that warrior girl though, I’m a kyoshi warrior, I’m just out of my uniform.” Now it was your turn to be slightly confused at her words, you remembered not wearing makeup the one time you met so wouldn't she be able to recognise you?

“Oh, that’s very possible though you are very muscular for a woman.” She stated very bluntly and you suddenly regretted just wearing a simple tank top and casual pants for your date, not that you expected to see your boyfriend’s grandmother before even seeing him for the day.

“Uh, thanks?” Your thanks sounded more like a question, unsure how to respond to what you thought was a compliment from the elderly woman. You watched as she slowly made her way back to where you were sitting just a couple of minutes ago.

“Come, sit.” She looked at you with a smile and patted the spot next to her on the couch, inviting you to sit down. You made your way to your previous resting spot and took your place next to her.

“Please, tell me about my Mako. I haven’t seen him in a while and didn’t know he had a girlfriend, I’d love to hear about you two’s relationship.” Her warm, inviting smile made you relax which made you realise your shoulders were a bit tense from wondering what she’d say.

“Oh, well Mako and I met working for prince Wu-” You had barely started before she interrupted you, taking you aback.

“I don't want to know about how you two met, that's just boring. Tell me about a moment that makes you smile whenever you think about it, tell me how he makes you feel.” She stated as if it was the most obvious thing ever and made you feel a tad bit stupid for wanting to start at the beginning.

“Oh well, there’s this one time a couple of weeks ago that I’ll never forget.” You started with a smile on your face as the memory of the story you were about to tell came to you. You continued, a slight euphoric feeling was laced with your words which Grandma Yin most likely picked up on. “I’m sure you know that Mako and Bolin used to be a part of a pro bending team, their whole lives revolve around it for a while. I didn't meet the brothers till long after their pro bending careers had met but they’ve always told me stories about how exhilarating their matches were. I’ve only ever heard them through radio and they never really interested me until I found out the guy I loved the most used to be a part of a pretty reputable team before traveling the world with the avatar. So, Mako decided that as a surprise, he’d take me to see a pro bending match, it was the Laogai Lion Vultures versus the Ember Island Eel Hounds.”

You paused for a second to see if she seemed at all interested and to your surprise, she looked as if she was listening intently so you proceeded to continue your story. 

“Mako knew this guy from the Laogai Lion Vultures, their earthbender Ruohar, and managed to get him to let us see the match from the best seats in the house, the last spot where players go before being brought to the main platform. We had a direct view on the game. Before the match started, Mako told me a couple of stories of Bo and him, what they’d do before a game, a time they both messed up that they found hilarious, their old member Hasook. It was just so nice to see Mako smiling fondly at memories and just opening up about his past. Neither of us are great at that but seeing him just being nostalgic and saying absolutely everything that went through his mind just made my heart warm. Anyway, the game started and I could barely hear what the commentator was saying because of how much Mako was yelling at both teams. You couldn't go two seconds without him screaming ‘You had that!’ or ‘I could beat them in my sleep!’ and everything in between. Every once in a while hed realise what he was doing and would turn to ask me if it was bothering me and of course it wasn't, seeing Mako being passionate about something just brings me so much joy, he’d even show me how’d he do a play differently when he was really mad at the Lion Vulture’s execution. When the match was finally over and we’d congratulated the Lion Vultures on their win, he gave me a tour of the arena, showed me where he used to train, where he used to live and just let every single one of his memories come back. I’ve probably already said this but just seeing Mako be so open and just so giddy about his stories and anecdotes really made it a date to remember.” You finished, a pleased and content grin graced your features as you still felt stuck in your memory, finding it hard to get yourself out of that moment.

“That sounds absolutely delightful my dear, it makes me happy to see that my Mako is making you so happy.” She looked at you with a soft gaze.

“I have another fun story if you’d like?” You volunteered to tell another story, maybe even multiple if she wanted to because of how much you enjoyed just being able to gush about your partner and to your luck, she nodded eagerly.

You told stories that jumped to your mind from when Mako and you first went on a date, your last date together and everything in between. Before long, you heard the door open again as the sun was slowly setting out the window but you were both so engrossed in the story that you were telling that you failed to notice whoever entered the apartment.

“Y/n? Grandma?” The newcomer just so happened to be the subject of your tales and he seemed very confused as to why his grandmother and his girlfriend were in his home.

“Oh Mako! It’s so good to see you! I came by to tell you something but it seems like I’ve forgotten. I won’t keep you two lovebirds for too long.” Yin was the first to greet him as she stood up to hug her grandson who returned the gesture happily.

“Y/n, it was lovely to meet you, hopefully we can do this over tea sometime?” She suggested and you eagerly nodded, excited to share more stories of your stupid boyfriend and hopefully you’d learn a thing or two about his father if you stuck at it long enough.

You bid each other goodbye and watched as she closed the door behind her before turning back to your boyfriend.

“I’m just going to assume that something went wrong with Jinora and Kai. You can tell me all about it while you make that dinner you promised.” You said smugly, giving him a hug as he groaned, realising he’d forgotten all about your date.

“Shit y/n, I’m so sorry, I completely forgot about tonight. I was gushing about Jinora and Kai with Pema and got caught up, I’m so sorry.” You simply smiled, having forgiven him as soon as his grandmother and you started talking. 

“What happened between my grandmother and you? You both seem extremely happy.” He asked, suspicious of what embarrassing things you might’ve told her but you simply shook your head and teased. “What happens with Grandma Yin, stays with Grandma Yin my dear.”

He rolled his eyes, setting his head on your forehead as you both stayed in each other’s embrace as his eyes trailed around the room and found some misplaced toileterry.

“Hey, why is my comb on the ground and why the hell is my toothbrush on the bookshelf?”  

[halo-jpeg]

What would Sinclairs, Norman, Brahms,Jason, Michael, Bubba and Thomas do if they saw their s/o acting really close a boy hugging him, petting his hair, hold his cheeks and they thought their s/o is cheating on them but learns that the boy they jealous is s/o's little brother who came to see her from his university in Italy.

Sure!

Vincent Sinclair

The random boy showed up one day without any warning, and Vincent almost thought he was a tourist.

When you had run up to him, wrapping him in a hug, Vincent could only describe his emotions as jealousy.

As days passed, you didn’t stop acting close to this random boy, and Vincent didn’t like it. He couldn’t confront you, not unless you came down into the basement alone, because he couldn’t be seen by this guy.

The idea that you were cheating crossed his mind once or twice, but he tried to shove it away until he couldn’t anymore.

At last he snapped and dragged you away, in the one moment the boy was out of the room.

He demanded to know what was up. When he heard it was your brother, he felt horrible. You noticed how worried he had been, and promise to spend more time with him.

He’s never sceptical again, at least not up front. He’s worried to make a mistake like that once more, and tries to have more faith in you, battling away his insecurities.

Bo Sinclair

Bo, as always, puts on his friendly face for this guy who came stumbling into town. That entire facade is smashed to bits when he asks for you.

It’s smashed even further when you run up to him, and hug him. Bo is confused and infuriated.

“I’ll leave you two be.” He says in a flat tone. He’s completely misunderstood the situation.

When days pass and you still don’t leave this guy alone, Bo grows defensive and competitive, always holding your hand and kissing you right in front of him.

The boy doesn’t bat much of an eye and that pisses Bo off even more. Why won’t he react?

You notice how odd Bo is acting and give an explanation a shot. Bo is reluctant to listen. He’s angry at you, and angry at the boy, and angry that he isn’t good enough-

Oh, he’s your brother?? Bo is instantly humiliated. He’ll apologize millions of times, a rare thing for him, and it’ll take a lot of reassuring for him to forgive himself.

Lester Sinclair

When this boy shows up, having his hair pet and being hugged constantly, Lester is very very hurt.

Those are the things you do to him, your boyfriend, so is this... cheating??

At first he’ll try to act confident, to show that you’re his S/O and thst this guy needs to back off. The boy doesn’t even notice his efforts.

Lester begins to lose hope, and starts to close in on himself, readying for a break up, readying for you to leave with this other boy.

He’ll act happy and okay in front of you and anyone else, but he’ll have to bite his tongue to stop himself from crying.

You notice something is up and pull him aside to speak to him. He can’t hold it in, and confesses his fears.

When he finds out he’s just your brother he’s more relieved than he’s ever been, and he can’t help but collapse into your arms.

Norman Bates

Norman is used to visitors, he runs a motel after all- but when someone shows up asking for you, he’s confused and already nervous.

The way you greet him, with a tight hug and a delighted squeal, Norman is even more nervous.

The hair petting and cheek-pinching send him over the edge. He’s terrified. Are you tired of him?? Ready to move on? What’s going on?

He’ll consult his mother and she’ll warn him of the worst. She won’t help with his anxiety, talking onto him softly and saying that you leaving us a possibility.

Norman will close in on himself, showing you less affection in case you don’t want it. He’s usually always cuddly but now he’s a recluse.

It’s hard not to notice something is wrong with Norman, so a quick talk is all it takes for him to crack and tell you what’s wrong.

He’ll cry, lots, and he’ll need some tight hugs to calm him, along with plenty of reassurance and explaining.

Sooner or later his mother will take control and give you one hell of a scolding for scaring Norman like you did.

Norman and Norma will never be fond of your brother because of this whole ordeal, but he’ll tolerate him, knowing that he’s just a brother and not a boyfriend.

Brahms Heelshire

Brahms retreated into the walls the moment there was a knock on the door, just like he always does.

He watches a boy enter the house, and immediately his jealousy flares through the roof. He didn’t like boys. They were competition.

He didn’t want to be angry with you, but rage flared in his chest the moment you hugged this random guy.

Brahms would wait, watching from the walls as you give the boy a tour, fix a snack, and sit on the couch to catch up. He hardly hears what you say to one another, too intent on fighting back the urge to kill him right then and there.

The moment you leave the boy for eve a second, Brahms strikes, confronting you with an iron fist and demanding to know what this b out was doing in his house.

He’s not happy with your explanation, and he’s still insanely jealous whenever the boy gets too close to you.

He continues to hide in the walls but he never takes his eyes off of you. He’ll always be sceptical.

The moment your brother leaves Brahms is all over you, cuddling and kissing and asking you to read him a book.

He doesn’t like your brother.

Jason Voorhees

Jason is confused by this man showing up at your cabin. You have to tell him to wait in your room, because otherwise you know he’ll stick this trespasser with his machete for getting so close to you.

Everything you do together, the way you talk, the way you look at each other makes Jason’s mother cry for this boys blood.

For your sake Jason tries to control himself, keeping a close eye on the two of you from the shadows.

Every passing minute makes him more and more anxsious that this man is someone here to steal you away, and at some point he feels the burning urge to find someone to slaughter, but he can’t leave you alone.

At last you go to find Jason, to check up on him, and you’re confused when he wraps you in a tight hug with no warning.

The pieces click together; Hes jealous! You hurry to explain, patting his back and reassuring him that this man is just your brother.

Now, Jason wants to meet him!! All his worries evaporate and he wants to see how similar this boy is to you.

Michael Myers

Nope, nope, nope. Not happening. You won’t be alone with this guy. Michael will take off his mask in front of a stranger to make sure he stays the fuck away.

When you’re the one who won’t leave this boy alone Michael is pissed. He’ll hold you in his lap and he won’t let you get up to sit with this guy. Not on his watch.

As frustrated as you might get with him, Michael is doing this his way. This guy can be here, but he can’t touch you or talk to you or look at you or- jeez, tone it down, Michael!

Michael even considers going for his mask once or twice, letting the Shape take full control. The Shape wants this guy dead too.

When you finally get Michael to listen to you, and you say he’s your brother, Michael doesn’t believe you. Birth certificates, please. ID works too. He needs proof.

Michael realizes you’re telling the truth. Reluctantly, he lets you go, and you even manage to force out a half-assed apology.

Bubba Sawyer

When your brother shows up at the Sawyer house, Bubba almost whacks him with his sledge. You got there just in time, greeting the boy with a hug that made Bubba tense up.

Nubbins and ChopTop have to excercise a whole new kind of restraint not to kill him right away. Especially when you start being all cuddly and lovey-dovey.

Bubba is super self conscious as it is, so seeing this is devastating. He’ll hide away in his room, pacing back and forth nervously for hours on end.

Sooner or later Drayton will pull you out of the room, leaving your brother with Nub and Chop, intimidated, most likely. He’ll ask you what the hell you think you’re doing.

“What’s gotten into you? Y’know Bubba’s cryin’ in his room thanks ta that boy!”

Bubba is startled when you come crashing into the room, and wrapping him in a big hug.

The moment you explained the situation he’s no longer scared. He’s understanding, and he races to your brother to wrap him in a hug and welcome him to the family.

ChopTop and Nubbins are no longer playing threatening. They’re asking your brother about himself, trying to learn more about Italy and how cool it is.

Thomas Hewitt

Thomas is sceptical the moment this boy walks in. Something about him is off. Luda Mae senses it too.

When you hug him, Thomas and his mother both think it’s a cheating scenario. Luda Mae won’t have any of that, her boy doesn’t deserve it!

Thomas will watch the day unfold with a careful eye, noting down every thing you do to him. It never goes too far, but it’s a little too friendly for Thomas’ liking.

He talks to his mother about it, venting his feelings and asking what he should do.

She takes matters into her own hands, grabbing you by the ear and dragging you to Thomas to explain yourself.

She’s more than happy with your explanation, but Thomas is still sceptical. It’ll take some getting used to, and he’ll need extra attention for him to tolerate your brothers existence.

[theggning]

What are your opinions on Nick/Sole/Danse poly ships? (Also, I adore your Watchtower fic, so much!)

Thank you! I have definitely thought a lot about this ship too, though perhaps not in the way some readers might have been hoping I did. I don’t think they work at all as a romantic poly, at least not in AATW!verse. 

Disclaimer: It’s fanworks, nothing is impossible. I think any ship is viable if you have the right setup or put in the legwork to make it convincing and in-character (you could also be out-of-character, I suppose, but honestly those kind of fanworks don’t interest me at all. I’m here for characterization.) There could ABSOLUTELY be a version of Nick/Sole/Danse that works out. Maybe your Sole is different than mine, or you could put in the development to get over some of the hurdles I’ll mention and pull it off just fine. I’d love to see somebody try it!

But I’ll be coming at this from the direction I did in AATW, with my setup and with Nora Carter as the Sole Survivor. And here are the Thoughts I had about Nick/Sole/Danse as a romantic triad in my own ‘verse: 

- The main hurdle, really, is that Nick and Danse are barely becoming friends over the course of AATW. They’ve only just begun to find anything admirable about the other person. Danse is learning about Nick’s good heart and exceptional empathy, and Nick has only just started to see Danse for the selfless, loyal good dude he is without the BoS brainwashing and bigotry poisoning him. I think it’s a massive stretch to find anything romantically attractive between them at this point. So if this ship were to happen in AATW, it would be less a poly-triad and more a V-shaped relationship with Nora at the center.

- Which leads to most of the rest of the problems. Neither Nick nor Danse are really in a place where they’d be comfortable with a poly arrangement focused on a third person like that. Danse especially is bouncing back from the absolute nadir point of his life, having his self-identity and confidence completely destroyed. He’s uneasy with himself and who he is, still mired with self-loathing about being a synth. I think he’d be very sensitive to the idea that he’s not “good enough” for Nora on his own. If she expressed the idea that she wanted to open up their relationship, he would assume this was her way of informing him gently that he’s not doing it for her, and he would instantly take it in the worst possible way-- that it’s because he’s a synth and she’s not happy with him. 

- Everything I just said about Danse being sensitive and self-conscious? Triple it for Nick. He’s far more internal with his struggles about his synthhood and has had a lot more time to cope with it, but there is very much a part of him that feels inadequate because he does not have a human body. Quite honestly, I’m kind of uncomfortable with any ship that casually sticks Nick as the third person in a triad where the other member has the body of a human man. Especially if he is not romantically involved with the other partner. Done too casually or without any development, this can feel to me like having a Nick as a “sidepiece” alongside a man who can take care of her sexually (implying that Nick cannot) and I just... find this extremely cruel to Nick. 

- I feel like both of them are pretty much “all or nothing” guys. They are both independent and used to being alone, career/goal-driven men who are happy enough being single, and frankly do not suffer headaches and drama. Nick especially would not be interested in dabbling in a ship where it even seems like drama might become a factor, and isn’t willing to waste his time if he feels like he’s going to have to struggle or fight to be involved. He would want to give all of himself to a romantic partner, and expect that in return. Otherwise, why bother? He’s doing fine on his own. 

- Same with Danse. Post-BB, he doesn’t necessarily need a romantic relationship to keep him steady. He needs a strong relationship of any sort: friendship, brotherhood, allies, or just someone who cares at all what happens to him. He has a fairly traditional outlook on things and is not about to try to expand his mind about his ideas on monogamy at a time like this. If you want to be with him, then do so. But if you’d be happier with someone else, then he wishes you well. 

- Yeah on that note, both Nick and Danse are extremely selfless (to the point of it being a character flaw.) So selfless that they both care more about the happiness of Nora over their own. If it even looked like there was going to be a conflict over her, it would be a race to see who would duck out of the way first. In AATW, it was Nick. And I genuinely believe they are both mature and thoughtful enough to not create any drama over this, and talk it out like adults. Neither are interested in a “love triangle” and neither think highly enough of themselves to want to fight over Nora’s affections. 

- I don’t consider friendship as “lesser” than romance. Friendship isn’t “runner-up” to romance, and ending up friends with someone you had romantic interest in doesn’t mean you “lost.” Nick feels exactly the same way. Nick and Nora have a deep and powerful relationship, and she considers him the best friend she’s ever had. He is genuinely happy with this, and genuinely wants Nora to make whatever choices she wants that make her happy. He has a crush on her, but as he states in ch 10, it’s “[his] problem, not hers.” Those feelings are his to deal with on his own, and not her responsibility to soothe or make better. Could he confess to her at some point and see how she feels about it? Of course-- but to what end? At best, Nick thinks, he’d start drama with her current relationship. At worst, she has to reject him, feels uncomfortable, and he screws up their friendship. It’s just not worth it to him, and as long as he has Nora’s friendship, he is absolutely happy with that.

- Though Nora is romantically interested in Danse, I think their relationship is nowhere near as strong as her friendship with Nick. Their romance is still very tender and tentative and new, and both are being very cautious and slow with it. Meanwhile, Nick and Nora are very comfortable with each other, laugh a lot, spend a lot of time together, and have intimate emotional conversations very easily. She is much tighter with Nick than with Danse at this point, even if the relationship dynamics are different/different types of love. I didn’t have the chance to say so in the fic anywhere, but Danse is very much aware of this. He knows Nick and Nora are close. He knows that if he acted like a jerk or tried to push the issue or laid out some kind of ultimatum like “it’s me or him-” Nora would dump Danse’s ass in the garbage immediately. For good reason! Jealousy is extremely unattractive, and she would never put up with him trying to police her friendships. Danse is also immediately eager to step aside if Nick decided he wanted to pursue her-- but as Nick pointed out, Nora is romantically interested in Danse, and that is her choice. Both of them are mature enough to respect her choice, and respect how Nora feels about the other. 

So yeah, tl;dr: AATW!verse Nick and Danse are nowhere near friendly enough to consider a romance with each other, both have buckets of self-worth issues that make a V-shaped relationship a disaster in the making where somebody gets their heart broken, and Nick is 100% content with being friends with Nora despite his crush on her. 

Once again, could Nick/Sole/Danse have any possibility of working? Sure! If you put in the legwork and thought, you could make an argument for just about any pairing you want. I’d love to see someone do it! But I don’t really see it happening in this particular case, in this ‘verse, with this Sole Survivor and this setup of Nick and Danse even consenting to speak to one another. 

(Am I in the business of expounding my Thoughts on Pairings now? I just might be.) 

[shhhlikeme]

Nin’s Matchup!

(SFW + NSFW)

Matchup Profile: Sfw+nsfw matchup pretty pls! (1/5) Name: Nin>Female>5’4>Film & sfx/theatrical makeup freelancer>V athletic in MS-HS: ballet, was in volley ball, soccer &Basketball teams>Miss my prime days>Scared to start workout again b/c I’ll get lightheaded>If sum1 helps push me through initial fear, I’ll keep growing from there> Likes chilling in ballet stretch poses>paints, photographs&draws as hobby>draws a pic a day (mostly portraits)>writing a comic atm >Always plan contingencies.🦄

(2/5) >embarrassed of my loud laugh(it’s like Kuroo’s)>introvert>not afraid to lead a team tho> V shy & quiet most times>8/10 times, feels awk in public,like idk what i’m saying, but others told me I seem social>Once I’m comfy w/ u, i joke a lot(occasional mum jokes 2 annoy+Sassy dirty ones w/ S/O)>hides behind ppl who likes 2 talk, but not when they’re 2 loud>laughs @ mistakes/when embarrassed>Will stop mistreatment, even if I get in trouble>values communication&genuine discussions🦄

(3/5) Sings when home alone>competes @ Street Fighter tournaments, trains everyday 4 it>Sings “Hit Me W/ Your Best Shot” when fighting bosses in game&swears melodically when i lose>eats chips w/ chopsticks >make hats out of my cat fur when bored>Workahokic night🦉>likes 2 teach >full convos w/ my 🐱>LIVES in oversized hoodies & flip flops, regardless of weather>no pants@home!>Feels incompetent sometimes, but keep practicing 2 improve>Analytical fast learner>idk why ppl think i look innocent🦄

(4/5)>Forgets 2 speak eng when tired (Thai 1st lang.)>Headrubs 4 s/o every night b4 bed>will miss u but is bad@texting>yelps like puppy when I’m surprised>Unconventionally resourceful: Wire hangers’s fixes everything! >stress bakes & will gets pouty if it didn’t turn out well.>overwhelmed to water my 50+ 🌱 >Doodles on smt (always have a pen on me)when i feel socially anxious> 2 dance sober @ clubs> Wants a stable relationship where we work tgt like a team to bring out the best in one another🦄

(5/5) I like a s/o who is lovable, kind, genuine, mature, independent and caring, but can also joke & be silly with like best friends. NSFW: open 2 try new things>❤️restraints, blindfolds & sensual tickle sex (as lee+ler) but had always been too shy to share it with any1>occasionally self conscious of food baby+stretchmarks>🥰edging/teasing >has a thing 4 height differences (likes to feel smol lol!) & primal play.>Is a switch. I’m so sorry if it’s too much info! Thank you for doing this!🦄

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A/N: HI LOVE @crushzone !!!! I SMILE WHEN I SEE YOU IN MY NOTIFS GIRL I WORKED HARD ON YOURS OF COURSE💖 But no matter whaaaat I’m going to be very authentic in my matchups bc they’re based on compatibility and therefore, without further ado, lemme introduce you to your NEW BAE:

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KŌTARŌ BOKUTO 🦉

SFW:

so you’re a theatrical makeup artist.

Aight.

Mind if I offer you a word of advice? :

RUN

“DUDE THAT’S AMAZING IT LOOKS SO SICK!”

Startled by someone’s loud booming voice, you smudged the eyeliner you were applying to your actor’s face all over their forehead. Whipping around to see who had disrupted your work you were faced with a beautiful black and grey haired owl. A rather tall... and very attractive ‘beautiful black and grey haired owl.’

He started walking around the dressing room like he owned the place, touching everything.

“Excuse me, you don’t have a badge. You can’t be backstage—!”

“Pretty obvious don’t you think, Miss ________?”

You didn’t take his bait, refusing to give this stranger your name. Bokuto shrugged.

“Well since I don’t know your name I shall label thee—Miss HOT GIRL of the 9 Kingdoms!” He nudged the knight actor who was sitting in your makeup chair with his elbow. “Did I sound 15th century ish or what??” The owl turned to you expecting to be praised. “I had to meet the person who made the medieval vampire look so scary in the last act. But that guy with the lights didn’t tell me anything about you being so hot.”

You were speechless because he was hot too

But he shouldn’t be back here so you tried to shoo him out anyway

He allowed you to try to shove him out but he was way bigger than you so nice try sis

When he yawned while you panted because you weren’t able to budge him an inch....

Bokuto wagered that he would leave if you agreed to make him look like the Hulk with your makeup skills for a Halloween party he had to go to

You didn’t really want to because you were a professional and you had no idea who this owl was but because you had 15 minutes until the second act and you needed peace and quiet if you were going to finish your job!!! ....

( This boy was not peace NOR quiet )

You agreed.... but because you answered so fast Bokuto kicked it up one notch

Prince of pushing his luck (king is reserved for Shōyo‘s extra ass)

He pretended to allow you to push him out of the makeup room a few steps but before you closed the door he stuck his foot between the door so it couldn’t close.

Smiling, he peered back in, looking down at you:

“AND...... you have to agree to go on a date with me. Tomorrow night?”

“Ugh FINE!”

Bo removed his foot and let himself out with a bounce in his step.

SERIOUSLY WHO LET THIS MAN BACKSTAGE......

Needless to say, after a few dates, mans won you over like he wins EVERYONE over

It surprised you how comfortable you became with him but he just has that affect on people

***

In terms of your athletic relationship Bokuto does many things:

He pushes you to go to the gym with him for one

He signs the two of you up for impromptu Beginner 30-day challenges that you both must stick to

So every morning for 30-days straight he jumps on you in bed to wake you up:

“NIN BABY TIME TO HIT THE GYM. BABY NIN TIME TO GET IN SOME SEXY GYM SHORTS. MON BÉBÉ NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNN—“

“Kōtarō, please shut up.”

he doesn’t

He drags you there and eventually you get back into the swing of things.. killing it in the weight room with your supportive man cheering on your every rep!

You don’t even need him to wake you up during the second challenge!

Your volleyball player boyfriend also signs you up (without permission) for the neighborhood soccer team that Akaashi’s girlfriend is already on

You hated it at first because it was uncomfortable going back after not playing for so long but you soon realized that all the girls there were ex-athletes too and not stars

You formed amazing new girl friendships (especially with Akaashi’s gf) and double dates with them were one of your favourite nights of the week!

You owed that happiness in your life all to your Owl 🦉🥰

He and Akaashi came to every soccer game y’all had and you and the three of you went to all of Bokuto’s games, obviously

Btw you all were FITTTTTT OML

***

In addition...

You already know that your man finds your artistic talents insanely fascinating

On your first anniversary together Bokuto gifted you with a new paint set and new French stand:

Because he admires you Bokuto also tries to draw and paint seriously just like you

You stand over his shoulder and give him corrections and baby owl learns so fast it’s amazing

You two make ‘paint night’ a thing when you move in together and it’s always the most fun event!!!!

Bokuto CONSTANTLY and I mean CONSTANTLY asks for you to add him to the comic you’re writing but you say no because he wouldn’t fit in

He sulks but one day you surprise him by showing him that you drew a cute soaring black and gray owl in the background of almost every outdoor scene in your comic,

you pointed out that it was him

BOKUTOOOO WAS SOOOOO HAPPY

HE WAS SHOUTING FROM THE ROOFTOPS

He called Akaashi right away and almost cried tears of joy hahahahaha

***

Your contingent based lifestyle has saved your reckless boyfriend’s life and career many-a-times

It’s one of the things he loves most about you.

Also, it is important to mention that he is in LOVE with your laugh

Bby owl does anything to hear it and showers your face with kisses when you laugh to draw it out

He loves you so freaking much

When you don’t make sense and speak gibberish in public because your awkward side randomly comes out......your boyfriend loves to make fun of you:

“Huh? Nin, that wasn’t Japanese, that wasn’t Thai and that definitely wasn’t English. What planet is my adorable baby girl from, again? And how do I return her in exchange for a floating space car instead?!”

suh cute

All of Bokuto’s teammates really like you because you work in conjunction with Akaashi which means you actually have the magic ability to get Bokuto out of emo mode even faster than his best friend 🤯🤯🤯

When he’s at an away game in emo mode his teammates will literally FaceTime you and point their phone in his general direction

“Hey, Kōtarō!!!! Look, Nin’s on the phoneeee!”

Bby owl turns around slowly when he was sulking in the corner and when he sees you on the screen he’s running and jumping on whoever is holding your phone.”

“Kōtarō baby. You’re going to stop this emo mode right now. If not I won’t let you paint me nude like we discussed.”

mans was like: 😨😨😨😨🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

YEP the next second you see him hitting his best practice spikes and his teammate thanks you profusely

You do this several times until Kōtarō just knows to not go into emo mode anymore because you won’t be happy

A year into his professional volleyball career The Black Jackal’s coach sent a surprise fruit bouquet to your work one time:

With a note that read:

To Nin,

Thanks.

Thanks a lot.

Love,

The Team

***

I know you don’t really like people who are considered “too loud” and Bokuto is like...... “MEGA LOUD 🎙 “ but you and Akaashi work together to quiet your boy down as he gets older

He’s perfect

And you love him

***

OKAY THIS IS THE FUNNIEST day THING:

You know how you like standing up for people (even strangers) and stuff?

Well one day, you and Bokuto get caught on a show called WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Where the two of you cussed out this cat-abusing actor on the show in a convincing scenario!

It was PRICELESS

Bokuto literally tells everyone that y’all are movie stars because of it 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

***

More in the relationship:

Bo is always singing with you 💞 when y’all make breakfast it becomes a national sport to sing at the top of your lungs!!

And when he sees you eat chips with chopsticks he’s pulling a Hinata “🤩🤩🤩” face .

He begs you to teach him how

So you try

......and try

..................and try

He can’t do it bruv 😞

You see bby Owl’s emo mode return for the first time in like a year when the chip shatters between his sticks again

This time, you have to enlist Akaashi as the FaceTime saviour and Keiji just tells him:

“Bokuto. You should prefer eating chips with your hands anyway. It gets to your mouth faster.”

cue Bo’s 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 face

........And all is well again

There’s more:

So you’re a workaholic?

Bokuto is fine with that. He just makes you promise that he gets to take you out on your lunch breaks a few times a week or whenever he can

He’s so sweet and your coworkers are BIG jealous of your relationship

Your man BEGSSSSS you to teach him Thai but you find it too hard so when he’s travelling on a long flight he spends the time learning the language on YouTube (and actually get decent at it) so that he can understand you when you’re sleepy😴🥺💕

When Bokuto surprises you by wishing you goodnight in Thai before he falls asleep (while you’re giving him head rubs), your heart explodes BECAUSE why is he the cutest thing in the world ?!?!?!

RELATIONSHIP COMMUNICATION:

You don’t text/you’re bad at texting? That’s fine, mainly because bby owl is so busy with volleyball anyway, but if you don’t text him back when he is feeling needy the boy will call you 20 times in a row

When you finally pick up, your heart is beating like thinking it’s an emergency

But he will answer saying:

“Oh, no emergency. I just want booty pics. Please, Nin babyyyyy?”

you’re like: 😑

ANOTHER CUTE THING YOUR MAN DOES?????

AIGHT:

It’s cringey but.......

When you’re at work all day doing makeup and he’s home he will send you pics throughout the day of him taking care of your plants like they are y’alls newborn children:

His text:

Baby look!!! Ollie the Orchid grew to 7 inches today!!! Yesterday he was 6.8 inches!!!!! They grow up so fast 😭😭😭”

Your reply:

Not quite as long as your dick, Bo

His reply:

I hate when you get me horny when I’m trying to take care of the kiiiids 😭😭😭😭

Dkm

Of all the factors you look for in a man, Bokuto has all of them

Like I said he becomes much more mature when you and Akaashi are his closest compadres

What people don’t know is that Kōtarō is actually very mature he is just a hardcore optomist (besides emo mode lmao) so people often mistake him as immature or dumb

But He’s far from it and you see that everyday

It’s why you fell for him

When dealing with serious issues that life has to handle, you see a different side of Bokuto, a real side, the side he shows in every tough volleyball game when he makes you metaphorically step behind him so he can deal with any problem that comes your way

He would literally withstand all your battles if that meant you’d remain happy forever

We stan a relationship like yours💞

NSFW:

okay so you know how you chill in ballet 🩰 stretches sometimes?

THAT DRIVES KŌTARŌ WILD.

It turns him on so much and he is constantly testing how flexible you are in the bedroom

When you keep meeting his expectations he is POUNDING you cause he is so turned on

He fucking loves it

It also turns him on when you’ll be acting shy and stuff but then randomly you’ll lead your neighbourhood soccer team like a BAD BITCH

When he sees that he’s already asking Akaashi how long until the game ends because he’s horny:

Akaashi deadpans. “Too much information. And the game just started 3 minutes ago. Get a water and calm yourself.”

Bo is sad but it makes for one hell of a I’m-proud-of-you sexscape when you get home from your game!!

Your dirty jokes also turn Bokuto on.

A lot.

A lot a lot:

“Bo.....I was joking.”

“I know but if I hear the word ‘dick’ coming out of your mouth I automatically think of you blowing me so now I want us to go home.” He whines.

You sigh. He’s lucky he’s so fucking hot.

When you’re playing street fighter every night this boy will not leave you alone until you cockwarm him

“Nin can you pleaseeeeee warm my cock while you train? I miss you.”

Your concentration turns him on so he has to ask nicely 😊

You love his dick so of course you oblige

Bby owl is so happy just sitting there being in your company and in your warmth but sometimes or every time he ends up thrusting into you

Sometimes while he’s giving you deep slow thrusts he orders you to keep playing or he won’t get you off

Damn 🤤

Let’s not forget also that you drive your man wild by walking around the house in hoodies all the time and nothing else

Every day, another hoodie will be found in various RANDOM places in the house because Bo flings it off you before he makes love to you wherever, and they go missing

Finally, when you get all sad and pouty because one of your baker trials goes to shit (ruined chocolate brownies this time, boo 💔), your boyfriend is taking your hand gently in an instant, leading you to the bedroom:

“Don’t be sad my beautiful girl, you know how much I hate seeing you sad. It makes me sad.! Here, come in the room and sit on my face—I promise I’ll make you feel better.”

WELL DAMN—😳💦

Maybe you should screw up brownie recipes more often.

————————————

A/N: do you know the show what would you do??? Watch it on YouTube if you haven’t haha I couldn’t stop thinking about you and Bokuto being on it after reading your matchup profile!!!! I hope you liked it bb! Give me all your reactions, I want all the smoke 💞💞💞

[kenneth-omega]

Sink or Swim **Ben Hardy**

Prompt was from here

“I need to make my ex jealous.” Fake dating trope.

Warnings: Swearing, Ben being too cute for his own good, and also hot af, mentions of body issues.

Word count: +8.7k

A/N: I’ve had some major heart eyes for Ben since I first saw him in X-Men: Apocalypse (ooF)

□■□■□■□■□

The invite on Facebook that went around to the majority of your old classmates made you want to curse. You stared at the event on your laptop screen, sat at your dining table in your pyjamas, legs curled up as you rested your chin on your knee.

A dinner party hosted by one of the girls who you shared English with at your high school. She had been popular, naturally, and her looks hadn't faded over time, despite it being almost 12 years since you had all graduated. She'd gone on to work at a modelling agency, whereas you'd decided to work behind the scenes as a hair stylist.

However you could hardly complain about your job, as it had allowed you to work many amazing opportunities. The most recent one being on the set of Bohemian Rhapsody, the new biopic that had recently hit the cinemas.

You'd been assistant to the head stylist who was in charge of all the wigs. This meant you had fixed and removed wig after wig, morning and evening, for a few months. It had been a brilliant experience, and one that you'd not taken for granted.

It also meant you had gotten a lot of time with the actors and actresses in the film, specifically Ben, who had portrayed Roger Taylor in the film. You'd gotten on well with him, however it had never progressed into anything more, certainly not into anything romantic.

Sure, Ben was easy on the eyes, but you were professional and so was he.

You'd swapped numbers after filming wrapped, but mainly because Ben found you a real laugh to be around. You were around the same age and so it was nice to be able to talk about similar topics, such as TV shows you'd both grown up with, how your school life had been, etc.

After the filming was done, Ben had invited you out a couple of times for pizza or a drink, since you lived a half hour drive from his area, it was easy to drop by and catch up.

Looking through the invited guests of the dinner party, you read many names you recognised, and some that you didn't. Already there was 30 responses from people confirming that they were going. They looked to be mainly people who hadn't settled down, with little responsibilities such as kids or serious jobs, meaning they had little in their schedules.

You clicked the 'Interested' button, not wanting to seem rude or ignorant. But then you saw a name that caught your eye, having RSVP'd that they would be attending, and it filled you with anxiety.

It was your high school boyfriend. Or ex for that matter.

He'd dumped you before prom, telling you that he didn't want to go with a girl like you, and that he had been asked by someone far better.

Looks like they hadn't worked out either, as they weren't in each other's friend lists when you had a cheeky sneak through. A little stalking never hurt anyone.

However this new revelation made you consider changing your answer to 'Not Going'.

You really didn't want to face that ass after 12 years, with no boyfriend or much else to show for it. If you were going to be reunited with him, you wanted to be able to rub it in his face about how successful your life had become after he ditched you.

Unable to ponder on it any more, you slammed the laptop shut and ran upstairs to get dressed, checking the time on your phone. A missed call.

From Ben.

You rang him back, having him pick up after the third dial. By the sound of it, he seemed to be in a car.

"Ben?" You asked down the phone, to which he laughed.

"Why do you sound so confused?" He responded with a question of his own, obviously humoured by your quizzical tone.

"Because I don't know why you're calling me?" You suggested, opening your wardrobe and trying to pick out an outfit for the day. You hadn't got anything really planned, so it didn't need to be anything special.

A pause on his end.

"Please don't tell me you forgot our plans." He whined, a little annoyed as he huffed down the phone.

You frowned, trying to recall making any plans with him. Then it suddenly hit you like a freight train.

Swimming!

"Shit! Ben, I'm so sorry, it completely slipped my mind." You stammered, now beginning to rifle through your drawers for your swimming costumes.

That was also something you and Ben had discovered you both enjoyed whilst on the Bo Rhap set. Your love for water.

He'd suggested you both go swimming one day, and that day had finally come around. He'd asked you last week when he'd popped over for a cup of tea, although you had been a little occupied with not burning your house down whilst he spoke to you. You'd been baking, or attempting to, a cake for your mother's birthday, and had agreed to go, only half-concentrating on what he was saying.

There was a laugh on his end, and it filled you with a little bit of relief, glad to know he wasn't too annoyed.

"Well it's a good job I called you then!" He pointed out, much to your chagrin. "I'll be there in 10, okay?" And with that he hung up, leaving you the chance to run around like a headless chicken, trying to gather up a bag to take with you to the swimming centre. It was the local one near you, about five minutes away from your house, making it easy for you to walk there whenever you felt like it, as you couldn't drive.

You chucked in a clean towel, along with some underwear and a bra, and some toiletries for after you were finished. You didn't fancy reeking like chlorine around Ben, despite the fact you rather enjoyed the way the swimming pools smelled. You'd opted to put your swimming costume on under your clothes to save you time in the changing room. You'd only had two choices to decide between when it came to which swimming costume you could wear.

Either you picked a really old, grey one-piece suit that was practically threadbare, or you put on the red, polka-dot bikini that you'd bought for a weekend away with your girlfriends. You'd gone up to celebrate one of their 30th birthdays at a spa centre with a pool and jacuzzi, and so you'd treated yourself to a new costume.

Aside from that, it hadn't been worn again, and was in practically mint condition. The only downside was that it was a bikini, and you didn't really fancy showing off a load of skin around Ben. He was a good-looking bloke, and very chiselled too. You didn't want him to find your body repulsive or have someone else at the pool laugh at you and Ben and the obvious fact that you didn't really belong around him.

Perhaps you could take a t-shirt?

You chucked in an old shirt that you didn't mind getting all chlorinated, and then went to brush your teeth in the bathroom. You tied your hair back from your face, putting it onto a simple ponytail so that it wouldn't hopefully get entirely wet.

It was starting to stress you out a little, as you realised Ben would be here any second, and you felt rather crappy in regard to your appearance, knowing that it was stupid to wear makeup to a pool, but not liking the idea of going bare-faced.

But then you had no more time to think about it, as your front doorbell rang, signalling that Ben was here. Cursing under your breath as you gave yourself one last look over, you grabbed your little bag of stuff and ran downstairs. You could see his shadow through the frosted glass of the front door as you picked up your keys to let him in.

Opening the door revealed him stood with his back to you, as he looked down the street whilst he waited for you. Upon hearing the door click, he turned around and saw you standing in the doorway, which made a smile spread upon his perfectly pink lips.

His hair had been shaved at the sides and the back, the top remaining relatively long, although he'd pushed it back and fixed it with some product. He was sporting a thin, grey jumper as the air was relatively crisp still at this time of year, along with some blue jeans and basic white trainers.

"Ready?" He asked, nibbling on his bottom lip with one of his canines as you grabbed some flat shoes and pushed them on. You nodded at him, feeling a little conscious of your clothes and your bare face, stepping out the house and locking it behind you.

Ben's car was gorgeous, a beautiful matte green, similar to the colour of moss, with tinted windows and leather interior. He treasured this car like it was his baby, obviously having spent a fair bit of money on it.

He opened the passenger door for you, so you could climb in easily, having to use the little built in step to get in. It was a real beast of a car.

Once Ben had gotten in the driver's seat and gotten you both off your little street, he looked over at you, noticing the tense way you were sat and how you were nibbling on your nails.

"You alright?" He asked, trying to keep his eyes on the road but also look at you occasionally. You nodded and made a humming noise.

"Just thinking." You told him, feeling a little bad that you weren't acting your usual self today. You didn't want to ruin the mood or your day that you had planned.

Ben laughed to himself. "That can sometimes be a dangerous thing to do. Care to indulge me as to what's on your mind?" He enquired, pulling his car into the car park for the swimming pool centre. It was hardly bound to be busy on a weekday, but there were a few cars parked up. When he stopped the car you shook your head, putting on a smile.

"It's nothing Ben, really. Let's just go and enjoy ourselves." You told him, hopefully making it clear that you didn't want to speak any more on the subject. He got the hint and just nodded, getting his bag out the back of the car and following you into the building.

The faint smell of chlorine and cleaning fluid hit your nose instantly as you walked in, and you couldn't help but inhale deeply. Ben shot you a funny look, but you just giggled, feeling the heat in your cheeks inflame.

"I like the smell." You told him sheepishly, to which he couldn't help but smile, placing a hand on your back and guiding the two of you to the front desk. The receptionist seemed a little surprised to see you with someone, recognising you from the many previous visits, however none of them having a partner beside you. You wondered if she would recognise Ben, as she kept glancing back and forth between the two of you but said nothing. You paid for your time in the pool and then walked off to the changing rooms.

A little bit of dread crept up into your throat as you neared the door with the female sign on it, realising you were going to have to get undressed and meet Ben on the other side, no doubt feeling like a fool.

Ben squeezed your bicep, grabbing your attention away from the door. You turned to him and found him stood by the gent's changing room.

He shot you a playful grin raising an eyebrow, and you couldn't deny how it made your heart flutter a little.

"See you on the other side?" He asked, pushing the door open. You nodded, giving him an uneasy smile, but he didn't pick up on your slight discomfort.

He headed inside, and you dashed into the women's, finding an empty cubicle and shutting the door, locking it so no one walked in on you. Plonking your bag on the seat, not wanting to put it on the wet tiles, you slipped off your shoes, glad you didn't have socks on that would get soaked by the water that people trailed through from the pool and showers.

Inside the tiny cubicle, you managed to shimmy off your jeans and the nice shirt you had on, folding them neatly in your bag, taking out the old, scruffy one that you planned to wear over your costume.

It was such a nice bikini, you felt it was a shame to cover it up, but you kept having the same thought of how Ben would react to seeing your body that was nowhere near as perfect as his was.

With a sigh, you unlocked the cubicle and chucked your bag and shoes into a locker, taking the little key that was attached to a plastic bracelet and locking it up, tying it around your wrist. There was a floor-length mirror on the wall before you headed past the showers and towards the pool entrance. You stood in front of it, inspecting how the bikini looked, wondering if somehow it had become too tight or loose in the short drive from your house to here. It hadn't, it looked the same.

You looked down at the shirt clenched in your fists and eventually caved, throwing it on over your head.

It came down to your upper thigh, covering as much as you needed it to, much to your relief. Sighing, you walked towards the changing room exit that lead out into the pool area, ignoring the funny look that one woman gave you as you passed her in the shower area.

You dodged the cold little puddle of water that was always in public swimming pool areas, hating how you had to walk through it to go back and forth between the pool and changing rooms. Stepping out into the huge leisure room, you could see the glistening water, the orange glow from the lights bouncing off its surface. It was so calming to see, instantly putting you at some form of ease, making you momentarily forget about the intrusive worries and doubts in your head.

That is, until you heard your name being called from your right and you looked to see Ben walked towards you. It was painfully unfair to see how brilliant he looked in his swimming shorts, his toned and very muscular torso on display for everyone to see. You could see the muscles under the skin shift as he got closer to you, the way they tensed when he ran his hand through his hair.

You knew then that it had been a good idea to put the t-shirt on, knowing that you would look ridiculous stood next to him.

"Hey! You look a little lost, is everything alright? What's with the t-shirt?" Ben asked when he finally had gotten to your side, giving you the once over as he spotted the t-shirt you donned over your costume. You shifted from foot to foot, toying with the hem of the shirt as you tried to find a better excuse than simply the fact that you felt rather crappy compared to him. You knew that people were looking at him, more specifically the women that were in the pool. Even the young lifeguard that sat up on her tall chair couldn't help but give him a very satisfied look down. Ben seemed oblivious to it all.

"Just, feel a little bloated?" You guessed, not entirely convincing him. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing more.

"No worries. Well, let's get in then!" He pushed you playfully, teasing at throwing you in the pool, making you squeal.

"Ben!" You snapped, although you had a huge grin on your face. He backed away before you could grab at him, diving in head fist, with the grace of an Olympic athlete. You watched him disappear under the surface, before popping back up with a splash, flicking his head to shake the wet hair out of his eyes. Rubbing it with his hand caused it to stick out at weird angles, and you couldn't help but laugh at how funny he looked.

"Coming in?" He asked, swimming back towards the edge of the pool. You nodded, sitting down onto the cold tiles and slipping your legs into the water first, opting to sit on the edge for a little bit first.

Ben swam up to your side, resting his arms on the side so he could tread water easily.

"So, why the t-shirt? And be honest with me this time." Ben asked you, his face deadly serious, catching you a little off guard. So he hadn't believed your poorly put together lie. You felt your face go extremely hot at having been caught out.

"It's just..." You trailed off, hating the fact that you were going to have to tell him the truth. You didn't want to sound like an ass.

Ben waited patiently, careful to not pressure you into speaking. He rest his chin on his hands, continuing to tread the water as he watched you fumble over your words.

"It's you, Ben." You admitted, wincing at the way his eyebrows furrowed together.

"Me?" He responded, and you quickly tried to explain.

"NO, well yes. It's complicated." You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose as you tried to keep back the tears. Ben stayed silent. "You're hot..." You began, earning a laugh from him.

"Thanks love." He replied with a shit-eating grin. You swatted his arm.

"Shush, I wasn't done." You chided him, only he simply waggled his eyebrows, biting his bottom lip. You tried to ignore how that little action made you feel. "Well, as I said, you're hot..and I'm, well I'm not, basically." You explained to him, hoping he would understand what you were trying to say.

Ben silently pulled himself out of the water, his bicep muscles tensing and flexing as he did so, so that he was sat next to you, your shoulders bumping slightly. You kept your eyes focused on the shimmering surface of the pool. It was too much of a distraction having Ben sat next to you with beads of water sliding down over his abs and dripping off the ends of his hair.

"You know that is a load of shit, right?" He laughed, wrapping an arm around you and pulling you closer to him, his hand resting on your waist. "Listen to me, you're beautiful. Now I don't say that often, except as a joke occasionally on one of Joe's Instagram posts."

You couldn't help but laugh, having seen said Instagram comments for yourself.

"But on a serious note, you do not have to feel like you're worth any less because you're with me. I hate that you feel so insecure around me, because I always want you to be comfortable." Ben confessed, tugging on your ponytail jokingly so that you'd turn to look at him.

"It's just so difficult." You sighed, wrapping the t-shirt fabric around your finger.

Ben nodded. "You can keep the t-shirt on if you like, that's entirely your choice. But I just want you to know that I think everything about you is perfect. You're very hot, if you don't mind me saying." Ben nudged you at that last part, making a giggle erupt from your lips. It was a sound that Ben loved to hear and was glad that he was the one who could make it happen.

You began to pull your legs out of the water, and Ben frowned up at you as you got to your feet.

"I'll be right back." You mumbled, turning on your heel and going back into the changing rooms, forgetting about the cold puddle and stepping through it with a shiver and a grumble.

You stood outside the locker that was yours and opened it. With a long, slow exhale, you tugged the t-shirt up over your head, screwing it up and locking the door in a hurry, not wanting to change your mind if you lingered for too long.

Tugging at the bra part of the bikini, you repositioned it, hoping that it covered your breasts up well. You really didn't want a slip up to happen in front of Ben.

Perhaps you should have just wore the old swimsuit, you thought.

It was far too late now though, and you tried not to look in the mirror as you walked past it, failing miserably.

Ben's words echoed around your head as you tried not to look at all the imperfections you saw instantaneously.

I think everything about you is perfect.

You managed to pull your gaze away from the mirror and head back to the pool, forcing your arms to remain at their sides and not wrap around your midriff like you so wanted to do. You dodged the puddle and poked your head out to look around the big pool room. Ben was floating in the pool, not paying any attention to anyone as he gently floated on his back. Grumbling, you forced your feet to walk, one in front of the other, so that you were now well and truly exposed.

Nowhere to hide now.

"Fuck it." You whispered to yourself as you stepped up to the side of the pool.

It was at this same moment that Ben happened to look over, obviously wondering where you had gotten to, and spotted you stood on the edge with your hands balled into fists. You couldn't help but groan, as you'd been hoping you would be able to get in the pool without him seeing.

The smile however, that graced Ben's lips was one of pure happiness and...admiration?

He swum over to you until he was a metre from the edge, looking up at you.

"You took it off." He pointed out, his voice soft. It made your heart melt a little.

"Yeah." You admitted sheepishly, clearing your throat as you felt yourself grow more awkward by the second.

Ben quickly looked you up and down, but it didn't go unnoticed by you.

"You're even more beautiful than I first thought." Ben told you, making a warm heat pool in your stomach that spread all the way up to your cheeks.

"Thanks, Ben." You replied, sitting down and quickly lowering yourself into the pool, wanting to at least cover yourself up partially, plus it was getting rather chilly just standing on the edge like a lemon. The water was relatively warm, and it felt so natural to slip into it, you couldn't help but smile as you felt the warmth wrap around your body, in between your fingers and toes. Ben pushed away, and you swum after him, heading towards the shallower part of the pool.

It was here that you could eventually stand up, the water just reaching your collarbones whilst it only just made it up to Ben's pectorals.

"Feeling okay?" Ben asked you, moving his hands in the water, feeling the way it swirled around him, creating little currents. You nodded, bouncing on your tiptoes.

Ben stepped a little closer to you, and your heartbeat went a little funny when he nibbled on his lower lip, now flushing a deep red colour by how often he seemed to bite on it. You wondered if it was a habit or something to do with nerves, although you couldn't fathom why he'd be nervous around you.

"Is that everything you had on your mind?" He asked you, a drop of water slipping down his cheek and eventually dripping off his jawline. It was a pretty sharp jawline.

You shrugged. "There was this other thing, a dinner party, but it's alright, I've decided not to go." You told him nonchalantly. Ben pulled a face, his bottom lip sticking out a little in a pout.

"Why not?" He asked, splashing you playfully with a little water. You giggled, splashing him back, the water simply hitting his chest and running over his rock-hard muscles. You swore mentally at yourself to stop looking at his body.

"Because it's a high school reunion, hosted by a really popular girl who's now a model, and my ex who dumped me before prom has RSVP'd that he's going. I don't fancy turning up single and having to deal with him the entire night." You grimaced. Ben nodded, understanding your reasoning for not wanting to go.

"Just get a date for the evening." He told you, splashing a little harder, a few droplets of water hitting your cheek. You shook your head, partially due to the fact that Ben was going to get drowned if he kept pushing his luck.

"It's too short notice." You sighed, chucking a rather large amount of water at him. Ben wiped the water off his face with a grin.

"I'll go with you then." He offered, slapping his hand on the surface of the water, creating a huge spray of water that drenched your face and your hair. You gasped in shock, jumping on Ben and trying to push him under the water, but with little luck as he was far stronger than you and had anticipated your move.

His strong hands gripped onto your hips, holding you still as you burst into a fit of giggles at your pathetic attempt of shoving his head underwater. You didn't even register how close you now had gotten to Ben, hands resting on his shoulders as his toned abs were pressed against your stomach. The heat that radiated off the two of you as you stayed pressed together was intense, Ben's eyes flicking down to your lips on more than one occasion.

"So?" Ben practically whispered, unable to stop himself from letting his hand slip a little higher up to rest on your waist. The sensation of his hand on your bare skin made you shiver. But you remembered he had asked you a question, so you tried to remain focused on the conversation rather than how you enjoyed his hands on your body.

"Erm...So what?" You asked, having a momentary lapse of memory loss.

Ben chuckled, with you being able to feel the rumble of his chest under your hands. "Want me to go to this dinner party with you? I'll pose as your boyfriend or something, and make your ex see what he missed out on." Ben offered, explaining the little plan he had concocted. Your eyes widened in surprise.

"You mean, be my...fake boyfriend?" You laughed, unable to believe what you had just heard.

"Well, I never said fake, but sure." Ben joked, but you didn't miss his quick glance at your lips again.

Could Ben be interested in you?

You shook off the thought quickly, scolding yourself for how ridiculous you sounded.

But still, the offer of having Ben as your boyfriend was inviting, even if it was just for one night. Plus, you could rub it in your ex's face.

How wonderful that sounded.

With a mischievous smile, you agreed to Ben's plan.

□■□■□■□■□

It was two days after your trip to the swimming pool with Ben, and you were finishing up your makeup in the bathroom mirror, knowing Ben was coming to pick you up in the next few minutes. You hadn't forgotten about this night however, but you had been a little late in getting ready, as you had been on the phone to your mother about the dinner party.

When she'd asked if you were going alone, you had mentioned Ben, but stated firmly that it was simply as friends. Your mother hadn't sounded very convinced.

Now the evening was upon you, you had butterflies in your stomach. It was silly, but it almost felt like a date to you, even though you had told yourself countless times today that it wasn't, if anything it was an operation.

Operation: Jealous Asshole Ex.

You'd put a lot of effort into your appearance tonight as well, but you didn't know if it was because you were doing it to pile on the jealousy, or if it was because you were going to be with Ben.

Either way, you scrubbed up pretty well.

It was a black dress that your mother had bought for you. You'd had a bonding day together and went to a huge shopping centre where you'd had lunch and treated yourselves. You'd been rather resistant to let your mum get you something, especially a dress that you'd had no idea when you would ever wear. But now you were grateful.

The dress zipped up your back to your shoulder blades and had a halter neck front but with a cut out that showed off a little bit of cleavage. It had built in breast support and boy; did it support alright. You'd never known your boobs to look so bouncy and voluptuous.

It was pretty modest in length as it came down to the top of your knee, but it was devilishly tight, hugging every single part of your body, hiding nothing. Had it not been so figure-hugging you would have considered wearing something over the top, but due to its tight form, it seemed to make everything look slimmer and curvy.

Whilst you detested heels, you had nothing flat to wear that matched, so you begrudgingly borrowed a pair of black stilettos from one of your friends. You'd curled your hair instead of tying it up and let it hang loose, framing your now dolled-up face.

You liked this style. It made you look confident and sexy.

Something you often struggled to feel.

The doorbell rang downstairs and your heart began to thump heavily in your chest.

Ben was here.

You grabbed your phone and carefully got down the stairs without any injuries. You were certain that you'd trip and twist your ankle by the end of the night.

There was no hesitation this time as you opened your door, eager to find out what Ben would think of how you looked.

You didn't have to wait long to find out, as his mouth physically dropped open when he laid his eyes on you. But you were no better as you gaped at how handsome he looked.

He was sporting a black blazer with shiny black lapels, alongside some tight black dress trousers. What made your jaw drop was the shirt. You recognised it as one he'd worn at a premiere for Bohemian Rhapsody, having seen photos online, but in person you couldn't stop staring. It was made of a mesh kind of material, slightly opaque, just enough to be able to see how defined and toned he was under his clothes.

"Ben.." You trailed off. You couldn't deny how good he looked, and it was impossible for you to tear your eyes away from him.

Ben was quick to speak up in your silence.

"You look stunning. Absolutely gorgeous." He complimented you, extending a hand out to you. You took it without hesitation as he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to your cheek. You could smell the cologne he'd put on, the intoxicating scent drawing you in closer. He was so magnetic to you, attracting you like a moth to a flame.

"And you don't look half bad yourself." You joked when he pulled back from you. Ben rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"What, this old thing?" He waved it off, feigning disinterest. You bit your lower lip just at the sight of him laughing, looking so ravishing in his suit. His hair was slicked to one side, with a couple of blond strands falling over his forehead.

"I don't doubt that tonight will be a success with you looking like that." You told him, as you headed towards his car. He opened the door, just like he had done a couple of days ago, only he stayed and helped you into the car, keeping a hand firmly on your back for support. When you were in, he gave you one last smile before shutting the door and returning to the driver's side.

He was treating you so nicely, it made your heart swell.

This felt a lot like a date to you.

But you knew that it wasn't really. So you pushed the thought out of your mind and waited patiently for him to begin to drive to the dinner party. But before he did, Ben remembered something and slipped his hand inside his blazer. You watched quizzically, wondering whether he'd forgotten something, until he pulled out a singular, red rose.

It wasn't real, and Ben explained it was to make sure that you never had to get rid of it, that it would be forever permanent. You just about fainted at his sweet gesture, fingers trembling slightly as you took the rose from him, stroking the petals that were made of velvet.

"You're such a charmer." You giggled, leaning over and kissing his cheek quickly, pulling back before he could react. Although it was dark as he drove you both towards the party, you could swear that in the glow of the street lights, his cheeks had gone a faint red.

Had you made him all flustered?

It humoured you to think so, but how likely was it to be that you'd managed to make him blush?

You didn't think about it anymore as you sat in silence for the rest of the journey, albeit a comfortable silence.

It wasn't until you arrived at the house that you started to feel some jitters. There were cars parked along the street, lots of guests having already arrived. You dreaded to think how many you would remember, and how many might remember you. But you were only here for one thing, and you intended to carry out the plan you and Ben had devised.

Once Ben had parked up, you both hopped out and crossed the road towards the house. Although it was more of an estate really.

"Jesus, this place isn't half posh." Ben muttered under his breath, shoving his hands in his pockets as you both walked down the fully-packed driveway. You hummed in agreement, but in reality you were trying to calm the nerves coursing through you, straightening your dress and fixing your hair.

You'd like to think you'd changed considerably since high school, but who knew?

Ben noticed your nerves and brought one of his hands out of his pocket to grab yours. You startled at the sudden contact and the unusual action, something that neither of you had done before.

"What are you-"

"Come on." Ben interrupted, throwing you a playful wink as he noticed your confusion. He pulled you along towards the front door. He was the one to push the doorbell button, hearing the little chime from inside. The entire door was made of frosted glass, so you could see a dark shape getting closer as the person on the other side approached.

Gripping Ben's hand a little tighter, you let out a deep breath before the door was opened.

And there she was.

Amelia Hargreeves.

The host of the evening, who hadn't seemed to of changed a bit, save for her chest being a lot bigger than it was, and her curves having gotten even more curvier than when she was 16. Although she had dark brunette hair, it was a little lighter at the tips, hinting that she'd gotten a balayage recently. The dress she wore was beautiful, obviously made specifically for her by some clothing brand.

But she wore a smile as she greeted you and Ben. You noticed the big engagement ring on her left hand and sighed a little, glad that you wouldn't have to worry about her possibly trying to get on with Ben. Not that it should really matter to you.

"Oh my god, hi!" She pulled you in, giving you an air kiss on either side of your cheeks, before doing the same with Ben. "I'm so glad you made it, please come in. Geoffrey and I were just talking about you!" Amelia ushered you both inside.

You put on a big smile, perhaps a little too forced, but still believable. "I hope we aren't late." You replied, stepping into the spacious, open hallway. You could hear soft music and chatter down the hall, knowing that everyone must be through there.

Amelia shut the door, beaming at the two of you. "Not at all! Please, come through and meet everyone else. God, you look so beautiful tonight, I love the dress." Amelia lead you down the hall, passing numerous pieces of art, pictures and decor.

You couldn't help but feel a little sense of pride in yourself. Amelia, whilst she had never been cruel to you in school, hadn't exactly been the best person ever, often a little self-centred and egotistical. But she was being especially nice to you tonight, and you had to wonder if perhaps she'd changed her tune.

"Thank you, and I love yours as well." You complimented her back, to which she laughed, a little, tinkling laugh.

"Thanks, it's Louis Vuitton." She giggled.

You had to refrain from rolling your eyes just a little.

She looked over her shoulder at Ben, giving him a warm smile.

"You're an unfamiliar face though, how do you two know each other?" She asked, looking back and forth between you both, waiting for one of you to answer. You clammed up, hoping Ben would take the lead in spinning this web of lies.

"We met on set actually, we're currently seeing each other." Ben smiled proudly, to which Amelia cooed.

"How sweet! Geoffrey and I met in Milan, I was over there, and he was doing a shoot with me in it. We're engaged." She waggled her hand, as if we hadn't seen the boulder of a stone on her finger.

Ben smiled. "That's lovely."

He was far better at this small talk business than you were, and for that you were so grateful.

The chatter of voices had gotten louder now as you reached the big open space, a giant living room with ceiling-to-floor windows overlooking the garden. The ceiling was tall and had a large, modern-looking chandelier in the middle, casting a golden light over the entire room. People were sat around, and many were stood in little groups, all talking amongst themselves. Some were in deep conversation, whilst others were laughing at whatever one person had said. It was a calm and relaxed atmosphere.

A few pairs of eyes spotted you instantly, and many people turned to the sound of heels clicking on the wooden floor. Ben let go of your hand, much to your distress, until he slipped his arm around your waist, pulling you a little closer into him. You were grateful for the support.

Amelia introduced the two of you, which had your face turning a deep red as many watched on, Ben smiling at anyone who happened to be looking your way. When Amelia had moved on, a couple of people came up to you instantly. You recognised them both.

Keerah and Jonathan. Both of them had been in your maths class.

Keerah's thick, black hair was tied in a braid that trailed down the length of her back, with little beads and rings woven in, and she wore a deep blue gown with a white sash around the middle. Jonathan's curly red hair was now cut short, so that the curls stayed close to his head instead of the wild mop he had sported in high school. He was wearing a white, short-sleeved shirt and skinny black tie. He'd actually been rather nice in school, often mucking around in class to entertain the students, much to the teacher's chagrin.

"I thought that was you!" Keerah laughed, giving you a quick hug and shaking Ben's hand. "You barely look like yourself anymore! Wow, 12 years makes a difference, huh?"

She was sweet to you and Ben, and Jonathan piped up, a bottle of beer in his hand.

"You haven't got drinks? Come on, let's get you something." He led the two of you over to the built-in bar at one side of the room. There was even a man in uniform stood behind it, waiting to serve whoever came up. You ordered a glass of white wine, but only a small, whereas Ben went with a bottle of beer, the same as Jonathan.

"I thought you were driving?" You asked Ben, brows knitting together as he took a swig from the bottle. He gives you a smile.

"I'll just have one, and if I end up having more we can get a taxi. Don't worry, baby." He smirked. You almost keeled over at the little nickname he had decided on adopting for you. You hadn't expected any names to be brought into play, but you sure as hell weren't complaining. You just took a sip of your wine, listening as Jonathan asked Ben about what he did for a job.

Ben wound an arm around you, pulling you into his side.

"I'm an actor, I just starred in a film that came out in the back end of last year." Ben sipped his bottle, watching Jonathan's eyes grow wide.

"Blimey mate, what was it?" Jonathan asked, fully interested.

"Bohemian Rhapsody."

Keerah gasped. "Oh shit, you're the drummer!" She laughed, covering her mouth. Ben nodded, to which Jonathan shakes his hand.

"Bloody hell, good on you mate." He replied, still in awe. Keerah tapped your shoulder, drawing your attention away from Ben, who you had been watching, no doubt with a stupid smile on your face.

"Did you know Jacob was coming?" She asked. You grimaced at the name, recognising it all too well. Ben's ears must have pricked up as his head also turns to look at Keerah.

"Jacob?" Ben echoes, to which Keerah laughs nervously.

"Sorry, didn't mean to bring up your old flame, but I remember how it ended with you two and I didn't want you to get a nasty surprise if you saw him." Keerah apologised to you and Ben, but you waved it off with a laugh.

"Don't apologise, it was 12 years ago. How petty would I be to still hold a grudge against the bloke?" You joked, earning laughs from Jonathan and Keerah, even a chuckle from Ben, but that was more because of the fact that he knew the reason why you were both here.

Jonathan took a long gulp from his bottle before spotting something out the corner of his eye.

"Well shit, it's a good job you don't have a grudge, because he's coming over now." Jonathan put a hand on Keerah's elbow, mentioning that perhaps they should give you and Jacob some space. Keerah agreed and they left, promising to speak to you and Ben later.

You turned to Ben, panic set in your eyes as you stared into his perfectly calm ones. He noticed your worry and set his drink down on the bar, placing both his hands on your shoulders.

"You feeling okay?" He asked, worry laced into his words. You couldn't help but feel a little happy at how he fretted over you and the genuine concern he seemed to show.

"Yeah, with you here I'll be fine." You assured him, placing a hand on the lapel of his jacket. Ben pressed his hand over yours, curling his fingers around yours and bringing your hand to his lips, kissing it softly as he continued to look at you. You could feel him smiling against your skin, and the simple gesture had your head reeling, wishing he would stop being so charming. But that was his whole point of being here tonight.

There was a gentle pressure on your back, the cold hand against your bare skin making your blood freeze. The sound of your name on his tongue made you want to turn around and punch him in the face. Ben lowered your hand, but kept a firm grip on it, his eyes instantly going from twinkling to dark and threatening as he looks behind you.

Turning around, you were met with the very man you had come to see tonight, but now wished you were a million miles away from. Jacob.

His brunette hair was still wavy and long, the ends brushing the collar of his black shirt that was unbuttoned at the top. He wore no tie, but instead he donned a smooth, arrogant smirk on his lips. He no doubt still thought he was the shit, as it was blatantly obvious by the way he looked past you at Ben, raising a single eyebrow silently.

You could feel Ben tense behind you, and you wondered if he might actually punch Jacob.

Part of you secretly prayed for it.

Jacob was the first to speak. "Well, I'll have to admit I didn't expect you to be looking so foxy tonight, so colour me impressed." He joked, sticking his hands in his pocket and letting his head fall slightly to one side, letting his gaze travel up and down your body at an excruciatingly slow pace.

Ben cleared his throat, causing Jacob's eyes to snap back up and look at the intimidating blond behind you.

"Hello mate, loved the film." Jacob stuck his hand out for Ben to shake, which he did. Very firmly.

Jacob couldn't completely hide the wince as Ben squeezed his hand to death. You had to admit it was a little hot seeing Ben so worked up, using his body to appear more intimidating to Jacob.

"Thanks, bud." Ben replied with a smile, although his eyes remained cold.

Jacob shifted his gaze back to you, giving you a lazy smile. "So, how have you been?"

You braved a smile as you spoke to him, remaining civil but uninterested. "Good, made some good friends and worked on some big films, such as the one I met Ben on." You leaned into Ben, feeling his hands go to your waist and pull you against his chest. Jacob nodded.

"Yes, you seem very happy together. How long have you been dating?" He asked, the tone in his voice dripping with sarcasm. You felt the itching urge in your hand to slap him cross the face. Ben hummed, turning you to face him and leaning down to look at you, his face inches away from yours.

"It's been a few months hasn't it, baby?" He asked, one hand slipping up your back to rest at the nape of your neck. Ben looks at you through heavy, almost lust-filled eyes, that bottom lip being caught in between his teeth as he gazed down at you. You knew it was just an act, but you liked having this opportunity to have fun. So you slipped your hands up to link around his neck, pulling him a little further in, giving him an award-winning smile of your own.

Ben showed no surprise at your sudden change in mood, instead he seemed to lap it up.

"That sounds about right..." You purred. "Baby."

The name he had now affectionately called you twice came as shock to him when it came from your mouth. Ben knew he shouldn't be finding it hot, the way you spoke to him and how you looked at him. But he had initially been acting at the start of the night, only now it didn't seem like it was pretend anymore.

He'd never seen you like this before, and he couldn't help but wonder if you were actually flirting with him out of your own interest.

Remembering that Jacob, the self-righteous asshole, was still stood in front of them, Ben devised a smart, little plan to get them away from him. And to also make Jacob regret ever deciding to dump you, and to even think he could try to speak to you again.

Leaning down to your ear, he whispered, "Follow me."

You looked over at Jacob who was stood there, looking rather irritated at how little you seemed to care about this presence, before looking back at Ben. Nodding your head, Ben turned to Jacob with a shit-eating grin.

"Excuse us, we have some business to take care of."

The numerous suggestions that statement left hanging in the air made you want to blush, and Jacob seemed unable to hide his scowl at the two of you as Ben pushed you away from the bloke. You daren't look over your shoulder, but out the corner of your eye you saw Ben wink at Jacob from over his shoulder, before walking alongside you.

The two of you were walking back towards the hallway that you'd arrived from, the slightly darker corridor leading away from the room. You weren't out of the room just yet, but that must have been Ben's plan, as he stopped you just before the corner where you two would vanish out of Jacob's sight.

"Sorry about this." Ben muttered to you, and before you could ask what he meant, he pulled you in and smashed his lips to yours in a hungry kiss. You couldn't help the moan that escaped you as he slipped a hand to the back of your head, running his fingers through your hair and pulling slightly, the other one trailing down to playfully grab a handful of your ass.

Although you were supposed to just be acting, you knew that everything you did in retaliation to Ben was 100% of your own accord and your own attraction to the man that was currently making out with you. He pulled away, bringing your lips apart for just a few seconds so he could whisper to you.

"Walk back a little." He commanded you, before bringing his lips back to yours and slowly pushing you backwards. You did as he asked, making little steps back until you felt the cold plaster of the wall behind you, meaning that you were pinned against Ben.

With his body pressed against yours, you couldn't help but get a little more desperate in your kissing. You parted your lips a little and Ben knew instantly what you wanted, his tongue slipping into your mouth as you deepened the kiss.

"Ben-" You gasped, as his kisses began to trail down from your mouth, travelling along your jawline and down your neck. He hummed in response but didn't stop. You moaned, but then quickly bit down on your lip to stifle it, not wanting anyone to come along and find you both.

"Ben...Baby, please." You whined, accidentally letting the nickname slip from your mouth. He stopped the kisses on your neck, bringing his face up to look at you again. His lips were slightly swollen and red, and was a little laboured in his breathing, but you found it all extremely hot.

"Baby?" He teased. You fidgeted, looking away from him in embarrassment.

"Sorry, it just slipped." You mumbled. Ben rolled his eyes, hooking a finger under your chin and bringing your face up so that you would look at him.

"Yes, and that intense make out session we just had was definitely me just acting." He told you, the sarcasm dripping off his tongue as he looked back and forth from your eyes to your lips that were no doubt swollen like his.

"When did you stop acting?" You asked, biting your lower lip as you toyed with the lapels of his jacket. Ben laughed quietly.

"When I picked you up to go swimming, two days ago."

You blink in surprise, casting your mind back to the day in question. Those kind things he said, the way he admired you and seemed so pleased when you joined him in the pool. When he had offered to be your boyfriend.

"At least we don't have to lie to these people anymore." You giggled, leaning forward and standing up onto your tiptoes to kiss him gently on his soft, pink lips. Ben didn't back away from the kiss when you did, instead leaning in again to stop your lips from breaking contact.

After one more long and passionate kiss, he finally reigned it in enough to pull away. He held out his hand for you, visibly happy when you took it without hesitation, before you began to walk back into the party together.

"Let's knock 'em dead, baby."

[girlafraidinacoma]

IN THE LAP OF THE GODS: 

Chapter One - Freddie

Summary: What do you get when you mix a tight-knit art community, young, hot-blooded twenty-something university students and good old-fashioned British Rock & Roll? Probably the next best hope for art and music that generation has to offer. With her friends' band skyrocketing to fame, what exactly does a girl do when she suddenly finds herself sitting in the lap of the gods? The answer: do the only thing she can do, rise to the occasion of course!

Pairing: Gwilym Lee!Brian May x Original Female Character [chill guys, this WILL be a Bri fic...eventually]. 

Warnings: ummm mentions alcohol??? That’s it.

Words: 971

Author’s Note: Okay, so I haven’t written in a while and haven’t published on tumblr in years, so this is one HUGE shout out and also a thank you to my pal, @wombat-pop cos they really got my creative juices flowing.

Contains both elements from real life and the Bo Rhap universe, so imagine whoever you prefer whether they be the real thing or the Bo Rhap Boys--be free. **Someone please tell me who I can give credit to for the gif use and also maybe how since I’m not used to posting stuff through tumblr. HELP**.

Link to the Ao3 fic!

Chapter Playlist:

This Will Be Our Year - The Zombies

I Can’t Let Go - The Hollies

Ealing, 1969.

She first knew him as Fred Bulsara, a new face she had met during a small social thrown at Ealing Art College.

She was at a lively sort of gathering, just as expected in a room full of art students, drinks were being passed to and fro while the newest album by The Zombies was being played on the record player. The upbeat melody of a piano opened a new track as Rod Argent dulcetly crooned:

The warmth of your love

Is like the warmth of the sun

And this will be our year

Took a long time to come

For a quarter of an hour now she had been drinking an unknown concoction handed to her by one of the girls that greeted her when she arrived at the function room. It was tart but potent in its alcoholic glory, and she could only force herself to sip at the damn thing. Truly, it was a horrible excuse for punch.

It was then that he had sauntered up to her, cool as anything, taking the drink from her hand and placing it down on the ground and against the wall. “Oh, darling you shouldn’t drink that rubbish, I know the girl who mixed those and her taste buds must be dead or dying if she’s serving this monstrosity.” In his hand he had two dark bottles, one he handed to her and the other had begun to drink out of.

“Cider?” she asked.

“Strawberry.”

“Ooh, thank you. It’s good.” She commented after a cursory taste.

“And more importantly, stronger than you’d think,” her new friend said with a grin. “Now tell me, how come a pretty girl like you is all by her lonesome this Friday night?”

“It’s a mixer, isn’t it? The purpose is for lonely people like me to meet some new friends.” She felt a bit self-conscious, fiddling with a loose thread at the end of her long sleeve. Her companion considered her outfit for a moment and silently approved; she was in a white off-shoulder peasant blouse embroidered with flowers that she paired with high-waisted flares and tan boots. She wore several rings on her slim fingers and she twisted one or two of them almost unconsciously as they talked.

He chuckled, “And how’s that going for you, darling?”

“Woefully. Until now,” she admitted, pushing her chocolate hair away from her face, “Wyn Clemens.” she said holding out her right hand.

“Fred Bulsara,” he introduced  himself, “but everyone calls me Freddie since they can’t pronounce my last name for shite!” Chuckling, he shook her hand and took another swig from his drink.

Fred had an exotic look about him, all glossy black hair, gleeful almond eyes, and large prominent teeth that completed that million-watt smile of his. His laughter was infectious, and he had a way of speaking that was vulnerable and disarming, and entirely captivating all the while. He was lovely, and Wyn was soon eager to get to know him.

“Are you in first year as well, Freddie?”

“Oh no, darling. I’m sad to say I’ll be graduating this year and leaving you lot.” He said as he smoothed out the fabric of his dagger-collar shirt.

“Friday night and you’ve crashed a social for new students?”

“I would hardly call it crashing dear, I’m the most exciting person here.” He joked, “But I can’t deny that free booze is a great incentive.”

“Wise words.”

“So what are you then, painter, musician, writer, fashion designer?”

“I like to dabble in a couple of things, painting and drawing mostly, but I’ve been trying to get a handle of photography recently.”

“Any good?”

“Art is subjective,” she supplied coyly as if to remind him.

“Oh haven’t you heard?” Fred asked with fake surprise, “Modesty is totally overrated.”

“Of course, how could I forget!” Wyn exclaimed with equal false passion before breaking into a laugh.

“If you’ve got talent, I say flaunt it.”

“Tell me then, what does the great Freddie Bulsara get up to at Ealing?”

“I’m in graphic design. But music, music I think is my purpose. My purpose for being, my greatest love.”

Wyn sighed at the dreamy look in his eye, “A musician? Should have known, though I would have pegged you for a thespian.”

“Who, little old me on film? I don’t think anyone would be prepared for the magnitude of my handsomeness.”

“Yes, I’m surprised we’re not yet blinded by your radiance.”

“Oh, I do like you! You’re just my speed.” Fred said nodding appreciatively.

“Right, so music, what instruments do you play?”

“I was taught piano as a child you know, but I love to sing.”

“I’d love to hear you some time.”

“I’ll make sure that everyone and their mother would have heard me, or of me before I’m done!”

“Is that what you want? Fame, glory, your name in lights? Spelt correctly, of course. ”

“I want to give the people a voice darling, to all the little boys -- and girls -- who thought that they’d never be anyone or anything, ever. I want them to hear me and know that I’m singing for them and they’re singing through me.” He said rather earnestly, “And if I get famous and filthy stinking rich along the way, then it will be a happy consequence.”

There was a conviction in Freddie she saw just now, and she couldn’t help but marvel at him. For even in the dim tungsten light that bathed the party in an orange haze, Freddie seemed to shine on his own as if he were lit from within.

It was another moment before she remembered her train of thought. “Fred Bulsara,” she began, her voice just above a whisper, a profound smile on her face, “Freddie. It’s such a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

[askfixitferris]

Task 002: About the Mun

Name/Alias: Caspian but I’m good with being called Cas, bowsie, or junior

Pronouns: He/Him but I’m cool with They/Them

Which characters do you write currently?: Ferris Calhoun-Fixowitz, Willie Pride-Peep, Cillian Frollo and CJ Hook

What got you into Descendants?: I’ve always liked the idea of continuing fairytale legacies? Before Descendants I was very into Ever After High and Regal Academy.

Favorite color: Baby blue forever babeyyyyy

Favorite food: I’d have to saw I love peaches A LOT.

Favorite book(s) and character(s) from it: I had fun reading the Great Gatsby, and Daisy was my favorite character, but trust me I don’t approve of some of her actions.

Favorite movie(s) and character(s) from it: I love love LOVE Mamma Mia so hard, and I love everyone in those movies. Except Sam.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever done?: Uhhh I really don’t know? I really like cosplaying and getting into character and I have fun with that so yeah.

Fill one of these out for each character!

Character Name: Ferris Calhoun-Fixowitz

Parent(s)/Movie:  Sgt. Calhoun and Fix-it Felix Jr, from Wreck It Ralph

What makes this character special?: 

Well Ferris seems to stand out from others through his dynamics as a game character. He also is one of the extremely positive characters of the group and always has people’s backs, the same way characters like Reed might.

How are you and this character similar? Dissimilar?: 

Ferris and I are very different people, He’s almost always perky, patient, extroverted and extremely forgiving, while I’m more introverted, and bitter. I will say though we both share a love for baking and are extremely protective of friends.

What’s the hardest part about writing this character?:

Sometimes I struggle with trying to figure out how to write with characters who are more of  “Glass half-empty” type of people, but I’m working on that slowly.

What do you see this character doing in the future?: 

Ferris aspires to go into mechanics and engineering, and he wants to bring that all back to Sugar Rush.

Character Name: Willie Pride-Peep

Parent(s)/Movie: Woody Pride and Bonnie “Bo” Peep from Toy Story

What makes this character special?:

 I really wanted to embody a sense of child-like wonder in Willie, without going too overboard with it. He’s fun to write for.

How are you and this character similar? Dissimilar?: 

Willie and I are a lot a like. We’re both sassy, childish and self conscious. Other than that, in terms of likes and dislikes, we’re different other than the whole vinyl collecting thing.

What’s the hardest part about writing this character?:

I have a hard time writing Willie’s accent in a semi-serious way. Like I’m not sure if he just sounds silly or not.

What do you see this character doing in the future?: 

Willie really doesn’t know what he wants to do when he’s older. He’s considered lots of options. He’s most likely going into something with education.

Character Name: Cillian Angelo Frollo

Parent(s)/Movie: Claude Frollo from the Hunchback of Notre Dame

What makes this character special?:

Cillian is one of my more deeper characters to write for, and there’s just something about of him that stand out to me, he’s refreshing to write for.

How are you and this character similar? Dissimilar?:

The only way Cillian and I are similar is through how studious and passionate we can both be. We don’t share many of the same traits.

What’s the hardest part about writing this character?:

With Cillian it’s a lot easier to write more serious topics which are kinda new to me, I’m getting used to them but some times the responses I get can through me for a loop.

What do you see this character doing in the future?:

I can see Cillian going into medical studies and becoming a doctor. Nothing religiously based though, he’d be a bit more of a science man once he’s older and has more access to education that isn’t based in faith.

Character Name: CJ Hook

Parent(s)/Movie: Captain Hook from Peter Pan

What makes this character special?:

I tend not to write for more femme characters because it can get me dysphoric, but there was something about CJ that stood out to me since I first saw her in Wicked World.

How are you and this character similar? Dissimilar?:

CJ has a lot of confidence and determination, which I tend to have sometimes. On the other hand, she’s manipulative and conniving which I don’t think I am. 

What’s the hardest part about writing this character?:

Since CJ is relatively new to write for, I think the hardest part is just getting things rolling smoothly, but that’s something that comes with every new character at least for me.

What do you see this character doing in the future?:

CJ desperately wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a successful pirate. Dependent on if she gets to Auradon when she’s older, she might end up being a regular sailor.

[lalinbri111]

Valentine's Exchange!!!

Here's my gift for @doggonneit for the @hqvalentineexchange !!! It's a KurooTsukki & BokuAka Soulmate Au!!! I hope you enjoy it! This is Chapter 1, and Chapter 2 will be added on late today!!! Enjoy!

They had first met at a festival.

If Kuroo would've known that he was about to meet his soulmate he would've gone about things entirely differently.

You see, Kuroo wasn't really here or there when it came to soulmates. He wasn't against the whole concept, but he wasn't gonna spend all his time looking just for one person who could be anyone in the world. If he found his soulmate cool, if he didn't that was cool too. All he wanted was to find someone who he could love and who loved him, gravity defying hair and all.

When he had explained this to his best friend Bokuto, he had laughed and laughed and laughed. "But you're such a sap, bro." Bokuto told him still trying to catch his breath.

Kuroo rubbed the back of his neck now, feeling slightly self-conscious. "It's different Bo."

Bokuto opened his mouth to retort but Kuroo cut him off and changed the subject.

There really wasn't much else to add and he figured Bokuto would be more understanding than most people considering the position he was in. Bokuto had found his soulmate, years ago and they found out they weren't compatible. His soulmate didn't handle Bokuto's moods very well and it turned into a really toxic relationship so they decided to split.

Bokuto had never really been the same since then but that was where his current boyfriend, one Akaashi Keiji, who was a boy that was so beautiful he was in a league all his own, came into play. (Seriously. Literally everyone, their parents, and their second cousins had a crush on Akaashi).

Bokuto and Akaashi had met when Bokuto was second year at Fukurodani and Akaashi was starting off as a first year. They had first interacted during volleyball club but hadn't really gotten to know each other much until one day Akaashi had stayed a little later than everyone else.

He had been hearing rumors that Bokuto Koutarou (who, at this point Akaashi thought was very loud and slightly annoying) would stay late to practice and if you valued your life you wouldn't want to hang around.

He saw what they meant, having stood just outside the gym one day, watching his senpai work on his spikes. As a lover of volleyball, it warmed his heart to see that the boy was trying so hard. No one else had stayed for extra practice and that spoke volumes. He walked inside at one point and put down his bag on the bench before he stepped onto the court.

Many people would look at Akaashi and think he didn't care about volleyball because he had "resting bitch face". He often used that to his advantage observing everything he could while everyone dismissed him for not looking enthusiastic enough.

"Bokuto-san?" He started walking towards the older boy.

(Akaashi would never admit it but he had been staring shamelessly. Bokuto was nothing but muscle and that was an understatement. He looked good in those shorts, his thighs making them look almost illegal. )

Bokuto had gotten startled as he was so focused on his spikes he hadn't realized someone had come in. His head whipped around looking for who had called him. "Huh?!"

The ball he had tossed, hit him on the head. Bokuto fell to the ground, hands over his head as he hissed in pain.

"Bokuto-san!" Akaashi hurried over to the boy kneeling down beside him. "Are you okay?" Akashi was looking for any signs of blood, or of injury but he didn't see anything. Suddenly, two big yellow eyes were blinking at him.

"Akaashi?" Bokuto moved his hands away from his head now, head tilted to the side questioningly.

Akaashi hummed in response, moving his senpai's hands further, making sure that he was really okay.

"What are you doing here?" Bokuto pulled away suddenly and stood. Akaashi found himself looking up at him. "Everyone’s already gone!" he said as he went to pick up the volleyball that had committed a felony charge of assault.

Akaashi hadn't thought about it and just said the first thing that came to his mind. "Would you like for me to toss for you?"

Akaashi wished he could frame Bokuto's reaction in that moment forever. His face lit up so brightly and he had all but run over to Akaashi like an excited puppy.

"Would you?!" he exclaimed bouncing around.

Akaashi nodded and stood up, taking the ball from Bokuto. Their hands touched briefly and for a second Akaashi had half thought he would feel a shock. Getting into position, He tossed the ball up and watched as Bokuto spiked it, hitting one of the water bottles he had set up.

Bokuto cheered, throwing his arms up and letting out a loud hoot.

 (It warmed Akaashi's heart more than he would like to admit)

------------------------------------ This had turned into their daily routine and they grew closer and closer. Now, Akaashi almost a certified expert in the study of Bokuto Koutarou. In a way he enjoyed the new found bond he and Bokuto had made but at the same time he craved more.

He had distanced himself slightly after the other day when he had seen Bokuto with his soulmate. They had been at a training camp when he had met the boy. It had been after practice when Bokuto, Akashi and pain-in-the-ass Kuroo-san had been playing a bit.

Without warning someone had come in. He seemed slightly winded and solely focused on Bokuto. He went over and without hesitation hugged the boy. Both jumped slightly and that was when Akaashi just knew.

He had adverted his eyes and said something about going to the bathroom but he never went back instead opting to call it an early night.

Bokuto had called him a few times and upon returning to the room Fukurodani was in whispered his name softly but Akaashi pretended to be asleep. He heard a soft sigh, felt a soft touch against his forehead and then the soft patter of footsteps.

 Tears pooled in his eyes.

 (It wasn't the first time he wished that he felt the shock when Bokuto touched him)

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

He had successfully avoided Bokuto for two weeks, even avoiding practice.

The few times he had seen Bokuto he seemed so heartbroken. Akaashi had thought Bokuto would've been bugging him or trying to contact him non-stop but that had not been the case at all.

Everyone else may consider Bokuto an idiot but Akaashi knew better.

Bokuto knew Akaashi didn't like to be badgered and when he wanted some time to think he wanted to be alone. Bokuto had recognized that and respected Akaashi's boundaries, though he was probably worried.

(He didn't think he could fall more in love while suffering from a heartbreak, yet here he was)

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

Akaashi eventually confronted Bokuto during that second week. He hadn't been sure what to do at first and had contacted Kuroo-san for some help. Getting to meet Kuroo-san was odd because he had never really thought there would be someone out there who knew Bokuto better than he did.

Don't get him wrong, he knew that a few months isn't long to know someone but while mostly everyone liked Bokuto, nobody seemed to be really close to him. Akaashi had kind of filled that role and it wasn't a role he had planned on leaving, not any time soon at least.

(He wouldn't admit he had started imagining what it would be like to still be with Bokuto beyond high school)

He and Kuroo had settled on meeting just outside Fukurodani and then they would head out to a cafe.

What he hadn't expect was that Bokuto would see Kuroo.

He felt his heart drop when he was headed towards the front gate and in plain sight was a slightly anxious looking Kuroo and Bokuto who looked livelier in those moment than he had all week.

Akaashi had stopped in his tracks and made eye contact with Kuroo who looked nervous now. Bokuto followed his line of sight and immediately his smile dropped. His eyebrows furrowed and his lips were set in a thin line. He looked back at Kuroo, back at Akaashi, then gripped his bag a little tighter and whispered something before turning and walking away.

From the look on Kuroo's face what he said wasn't anything nice.

Akaashi walked over to the raven head feet and heart feeling heavy.

"Hey," Kuroo greeted not quite a smile on his face, but not quite a frown either. It was more a look of concern. "You ready to go?"

Akaashi nodded mutely and walked along with Kuroo who talked to Akashi about his week. Akaashi appreciated his attempts to go on as if everything was okay. Despite being an expert at provocation, Kuroo was also good at reading the mood and that was another thing Akaashi appreciated.

One they arrived to the cafe Akaashi grabs a table while Kuroo gets their drinks. Once Kuroo returned they took a second to settle in before Akaashi moved his drink aside.

"Thank you for coming out here to talk to me Kuroo-san. I contacted you because I believe you're the person who knows Bokuto best."

Kuroo took this all in, darks eye on Akaashi the entire time. It was a little intimidating how focused the older boy looked.

"Well, you're not wrong." Kuroo sighed and put his drink to the side at this point too. "Akaashi, what's going on? Forgive me, but it's only been two weeks since I last saw the both of you and you both look like shit right now"

Akaashi exhaled deeply. He took his time but he explained what he thought and how his feelings for Bokuto had been changing. It was thrilling in its own right because even though it was embarrassing, it made the feelings feel more valid by saying them out loud. Like he was not only admitting to Kuroo he was falling for his dual haired, loud yet dorky senpai but he was also admitting it to himself.

Kuroo listened and asked questions but he never once interrupted Akaashi only asking when Akaashi fell silent. Once he finished they both sat there quietly for a second before Kuroo began speaking.

"That guy was his soulmate,"

Akaashi's hands tighter around his cup. Though He had known it, having someone verify that it really was Bokuto's soulmate stung more than he thought it would.

"But they aren't together. They dated for a while back when Bokuto was a first year but it didn't work out."

Akaashi's heart stopped for a second. They weren't together?! He looked up at Kuroo in disbelief.

"They're not together?"

"Nope," Kuroo was looking outside the window they sat by now. He almost looked as if he was looking into the past, eyes somewhat serene. "To be honest, I'm glad to know you care about Koutarou. When he first started taking about you I was worried you'd be someone who'd just hang around until you got to really know him then run away like everyone else."

He looked over at Akaashi now. "Do you know how happy he was that you hadn't left him when you first saw his 'emo mode'? He called me that afternoon in tears worried he'd scared you off. When he called me the next day he was crying again, but this time because he was happy. You make him happy Akaashi. Thank you for that."

Akaashi was trying hard not to cry. He made Bokuto happy and he had never known.

"Thank you Kuroo-san," his reply was soft but heartfelt entirely.

"You should talk to him," was the only reply Kuroo gave. He patted Akaashi on the back before he stood. "You have my number, so, if you need anything again feel free to talk to me. I'll see you later Akaashi."

As he walked out Akaashi felt a little flutter in his heart.

(It was hope)

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

So that was what led Akaashi to this moment. He had waited outside the gym one afternoon until everyone had all but gone home it was around the usual time that he and Bokuto would be practicing by themselves.

It felt nostalgic, just like the first time he had ever really spoken to Bokuto.

When he walked in this time it was an entirely different scene than lay before him though. Instead of Bokuto being his usual happy self, he saw a boy who looked utterly broken.

(It was all his fault. His heart throbbed, another crack added to the many that had come over time.)

There were bags under his eyes and his shoulders sagged. It hurt Akaashi to see what had become of the boy he loved. Almost hesitantly, he made his way into the gym, dropping his bag on the bench.

Inhaling softly, he took a chance. "Koutarou."

Bokuto, looked up startled his hands gripped the ball in his hands tightly. He looked confused for a second before his eyes widened in recognition. "A-Akaashi. Um, I'm leaving so-"

"Please don't,” Akaashi didn't think his heart could beat any faster than it was right now. He slowly made his way over to where Bokuto stood, wrapping his hands around Bokuto's. “I’m sorry Koutarou."

Bokuto tilted his head, eyebrows furrowed and full on pouting. "What for? I'm the one that scared you away."

Akaashi was in disbelief. "Don't say that. You didn't scare me, I scared myself away. I'm sorry for avoiding you. You were probably wondering why and just... I...I love you. I love you so much and, just," his voice broke off, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. "I didn't want to lose you. At camp, when that one guy hugged you, just, I knew he was your soulmate and I was afraid. It wasn't your fault."

He couldn't hold his tears back and they rolled down his face freely. Bokuto stared at him, as if in disbelief, before he pulled his hands out from under Akaashi's.

 Akaashi felt his heart drop. He had messed up again. He felt numb, his hands releasing the volleyball. The thwack it made echoing throughout the gym loudly.

 Suddenly, he was pressed against something warm, the smell of sweat and earth overtaking him. Bokuto had always given the best hugs. Hand shaking, he wrapped them around Bokuto as well.

 After a second, Bokuto pulled back hesitantly, Akaashi pulling back a bit too so he could look at Bokuto. Bokuto wasn't quite smiling but he wasn't frowning either. Her brought his hand up and wiped Akaashi's cheeks before he cupped them gently.

"Can I kiss you?" he whispered softly, thumbs still stroking Akaashi's face.

Akaashi let out a breathy "Yes," before he leaned up and kissed Bokuto, arms wrapping around him again.

(It was the wettest and best kiss he had ever had)

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

Later when they laid on the gym floor together, fingers intertwined Bokuto explained everything about his soulmate and what had happened between them.

Akaashi listened carefully, squeezing Bokuto's palm for encouragement whenever he could tell the boy was struggling. Once he finished Bokuto turned to face Akaashi.

"I don't care if you're not my soulmate. Would you be my boyfriend Keiji?"

Deciding he liked the way his name sounded on Bokuto's lips he smiled a bit and leaned up to kiss him. "Yes, Koutarou I'll be your boyfriend."

Now was the best kiss he had had. It wasn't as wet as the last one, but it had more impact on Akaashi.

(His heart was soaring.)

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

Needless to say, Bokuto wasn't anyone to be calling Kuroo out on his situation. After all, he himself had decided to be with someone he loved over his soulmate. But if there was one thing Kuroo believed it was that there was someone out there for everyone. His own soulmate had turned out to be tall, blonde and salty pretty much everything he had hoped for and then some. So, like he was saying before, they had met at a festival. It had pretty much been a chance meeting in many aspects.

Kuroo was halfway way through his third year at university and had just suffered through the hell week of finals. His roommate Daichi Sawamura had insisted that in order to celebrate Kuroo had to go out with him and the other third years. 'Party animal' that Kuroo was (if you called staying at home and binge watching shows on Netflix a party animal) he couldn't say no.

What had originally been something the third years were doing grew into the first years and second years tagging along as well. They had all decided on going to the festival happening at a nearby temple.

Kuroo had gone ahead of Daichi who was still at work. He had plugged in his head phones and went on his way. He hadn't decided on anything fancy, wearing just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt (which he'd later regret) figuring they probably weren't gonna be there long.

He'd been about to turn into the temple grounds about 15 minutes later when he had heard someone call his name. Turning to his left he spotted who it was immediately. The bouncing ball of orange sunshine was hard to miss.

Shoyou Hinata was the literal embodiment of sunshine and one of Daichi's kohai. Kuroo had met him on several occasions and wasn't surprised to find him here. He was also dating Kenma who was Kuroo’s best friend, so he had gotten to know the boy fairly well by now.

He made his way over to where Hinata was. Kenma himself wasn't here, but it did look like Hinata was with a group of friends.

"This is Kuroo," Hinata told the others who had stopped their own conversations to see who the newcomer was. Kuroo looked at each of them, trying to see if he knew anyone.

There was Yamaguchi who Kuroo had met before and his lovely girlfriend Yachi. Yamaguchi was unforgettable with his bashful smile and multitudes of freckles, both restoring some faith in humanity if you got to see them.

Beside the couple was none other than Kageyama whom Kuroo knew from volleyball practice, especially because he tried his hardest to get Oikawa to help him. Kuroo respected the dedication the taller half of the freak duo had and didn't mind teaching him a few things about receiving balls better.

(Even if Oikawa would pout at him with a "No fair Tetsu-chan! You're not supposed to be helping him!")

The last person in their group was someone he had never seen before. This boy in particular was tall, blonde with slight curls at the end of his hair and honey brown eyes. Kuroo was smitten already.

(It didn't help that his yukata was a dark blue which made his features more prominent. The fact that it was also form hugging didn't help either)

"Yo," Kuroo said lifting a hand in greeting, eyes never leaving the blonde cutie.

"Hello Kuroo-san!" Yamaguchi smiled at him. Kuroo almost cried, he felt so blessed! Bless Yamaguchi and his pure heart.

"Hi Kuroo-senpai!" Kageyama looked excited, a blush high on his cheeks.

"H-hello Kuroo-san," Yachi smiled slightly. She was still somewhat nervous around the upperclassmen, and he also figured his hair scared her as well.

Each member of the group was wearing yukatas which made Kuroo feel under dressed just a bit.

He turned to blondie full on now. "Nice to meet you I'm Kuroo Tetsurou." He extended his hand. The blonde stared at it for a second before reaching out to shake it. "Tsukishima Kei." Kuroo never heard his name. He was too surprised and had recoiled a bit when Tsukishima's hand touched his.

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

Soulmates were said to feel a shocking sensation when they touched. Everyone Kuroo had ever asked described differently. Of course, none of them ever said the shock hurt, just that it was a tingle or a warm feeling. He was nervous but also wondered what it would feel like.

Sometimes he wondered if it was truly as magical as everyone made it out to be. Especially when he saw how Kenma and Hinata would link fingers at every chance, or find smeway to always be touching.

(Well, he guessed now he knew)

[gwynne-fics]

Pictures

the math of parties

Bo-Na hated working on things that weren’t parties. She had three financial reports in front of her and while her parents required her to take business classes in college, she still did not understand what they meant. She kept trying to look up the columns and totals online to get some explanation but nothing seemed to help her.

“Omma is not stupid,” she said to the small bulge of her stomach. “Omma doesn’t like numbers. Omma likes parties. Omma likes Appa. Omma wants to be home and not here.”

She didn’t know why she was working so hard to please her father. She told him that she wouldn’t be able to make sense of this report or explain the financials of her division. Bo-Na knew she had the ability to look at big pictures and understand summary reports but Dad was pushing her to be better.

She growled at the numbers swirling in front of her when her phone rang but she happily answered it when she saw it was Chan-Young. “Are you working late again?”

“I have to,” she said unhappily. “This isn’t a job I want to do but Hyun-Jin can’t do it so I have to step up and be a good daughter. I have to unspoil myself.”

“Yeobo.” She smiled at the endearment. “It’s nearly eight. Come home and go back to it fresh tomorrow. Or, just bring it home with you. I’ll make dinner for you.”

“Have you already eaten?” She didn’t want to eat without him at home. She felt too self-conscious. “If you’ve eaten, I can order something. This is important enough that I won’t sleep if it isn’t done.”

“I’ll eat again. I miss you.”

“Give me an hour and then I’ll come home. I’ll pick up chicken and fizzy juice to indulge on.”

She heard him quietly hesitate before he said. “Alright. I will see you in an hour with chicken and fizzy juice. I love you.”

Bo-Na smiled even though his sentence sounded weird. She’d noticed he mostly told her he loved her over the phone. It wasn’t that he didn’t say it other times or when they were together but that it felt more genuine over the phone because he believed in it.

“One hour,” she promised and they hung up. She looked down at her belly and took a deep breath. “I don’t like beer anyway. Fizzy juice is the best. I will show you when you’re old enough.”

Bo-Na did her best to focus. She felt very close to having a short paragraph together to explain what the first report of numbers meant when the smell of fried chicken smothered in a spicy garlic sauce wafted into her office. She jerked her head up and blinked when she saw her Chan-Young holding a bag with two boxes and several fizzy drinks. He smiled at her and came to sit down on the other side of her desk. He moved with pain and she immediately intended to dash to the floor thermostat and turn it up enough his leg would relax.

Chan-Young caught her hand and pulled her into his lap. He sat her on his good leg and buried his face in her neck as he breathed in deeply. His shoulders immediately relaxed and she watched the pain ebb away from his face.

Bo-Na felt a chill. She hadn’t considered he was telling her the truth about her beauty healing him enough to ignore his pain. She swallowed and ran her fingers through his hair. Her love wasn’t spilling out of her skin. She wasn’t hurting him. She couldn’t be. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m impatient.” Her Chan-Young kissed her neck and she shivered delightedly. He put his hand against her baby bump and kissed her cheek. “I knew you would lose track of time so I just came anyway. This way, you will come home before midnight. You need to eat. Our baby needs you to take care of yourself. I’m only saying that because I know you want to be reminded. You say it all the time.”

That was why she was doing yoga with Rachel and Eun-Sang three times a week.

Bo-Na bowed her head to his and started crying. She felt so loved right now. She felt that her baby was so loved. After Chan-Young initial desire to wait before she told him about their baby, she was worried he would withhold his feelings. She started crying.

Chan-Young took her hand and wiped at her face. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m beautiful. I don’t need to understand numbers.”

His eyes briefly widened and before his expression softened. “I thought you majored in business.”

She looked away, ashamed. In college, she hadn’t been above letting her love convince her professors to pass her. All she had to do is smile or pout and it would be done. “Passing classes doesn’t mean I learned anything. My grades…I passed.”

“Then let’s simplify it. Here, you eat one of those boxes and I will go over your reports and the task your father gave you. I own my forge and have to go through similar things. We’ll call Se-Na if we need more help.” Chan-Young encouraged her go sit in her seat, put on a glove, and start on the first box of spicy garlic chicken.

He took her reports and she munched her way through dinner as she watched him read through everything. He took notes and then surprised her by getting extra pieces of paper, writing something in her notebook, and rearranging the reports. He didn’t look up until she’d eaten nearly all of both boxes.

She sheepishly looked down at the empty dinner boxes as she took off the little plastic glove and finished her second bottle of juice. “I wanted you to eat both. Come here, I think I might be able to help.”

“How?” she asked miserably but was happy to sit in his lap again. She liked his gloved hand against her hip as he used his good hand to point to what he’d done.

“I broke down what your father asked for into separate steps. We’ll go through it one by one. I think, because you’ve looked at these for so long, you may be able to tell me the answers right away. Here’s the first question.”

Bo-Na looked at it and without having to open the report, wrote down the answer. Every time she answered a question, she felt more confident, and by the time she finished going through Chan-Young’s questions, she was astounded. Now she had an outline she could stick her answers into and not disappoint her father tomorrow morning.

She nearly collapsed against him. “You just worked magic. How did you do that?”

“I was class president in high school. It was my job to tutor the kids falling behind. I found, most of the time, they were just overwhelmed. Once they broke down the pieces into their smallest parts, they could put it all together. You are very beautiful, Lee Bo-Na, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t smart. Let’s go home and you can finish this on time tomorrow.”

Bo-Na kissed him and loved his little surprised sound before he kissed her back. She bowed her head to his uninjured shoulder and wished she could tell him how much this small kindness meant to her.

“I just want to throw parties,” she whispered. “Why does my father insist on doing this to me? Hyun-Jin isn’t that bad at business.”

Chan-Young took her hand as they walked out to the elevator. He pressed his lips against her temple while they waited. “Your father sees the truth—you are the best and brightest choice because you throw excellent parties.”

That made her smile. “Thank you,” she whispered, “for coming to bring me home. I like being chased.”

[haltandcatchfiretothemax]

Halt and Catch Fire Soundtrack Appreciation 4/??: The Breeders and “Cannonball”

So, Back In The '90s, corporate interest in 'underground', 'alternative', and 'grunge' rock seemed to have this weird effect on how we categorize 'cool' versus 'uncool', and 'popular' versus 'unpopular', and how we value those categories -- suddenly, 'popular' was broadly considered unfashionable? it was a bizarre but important cultural moment where literally mentally ill, working class, former foster care kids like Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain, and a lot of other talented but generally socially invisible people began to achieve the kind of celebrity reserved for movie stars, pop stars and athletes, and were suddenly seen by certain outlets as cooler, smarter, more interesting Hollywood's beautiful people. By the time I got to middle school, the weirdos I knew were already listening to grunge, and the preppy kids I knew followed suit, and suddenly started to be nice ('nice')  to som4 of the weird loner types.

The cool outcast misfit types listened to grunge, but who were the cool kids' fave bands' fave bands? Well, they listened to early/first gen punk, 'real' underground, 'indie' and college rock. I remember reading interviews where Courtney and Kurt would talk about their devotion to (now relatively well-known) bands like R.E.M., Big Black, The Replacements, Sonic Youth, Hüsker Dü -- and especially Pixies and The Breeders.

"Cannonball" is the first single from the Breeders' 1993 second album, Last Splash. It is an incredibly deceptive alternative pop rock jam whose feel and lyrics make it sound like it's about a crush or a fling ("want you/cuckoo/cannonball"; "I'll be your whatever you want") when it's actually a musical eye roll at men (and/or male bandmates?) who like to bully the people around them. Musically and sonically lighter and sillier and more upbeat than a lot of grunge and other alternative rock, "Cannonball" and the rest of the Breeders' catalogue is also still really loud, percussive, and electric guitar/distortion-oriented (as evidenced by the album's opener, which might be my favorite song by them, volume UP, my friends).

The Breeders are fronted by twin sisters Kim and Kelley Deal, a pair of women who really just aren't about being image-conscious in the way that even platinum selling women musicians are expected to be. There is nothing conventionally ~feminine~ about their affect or behavior, nothing about them feels managed or like it's wearing Spanx, you feel me? (I'm not shaming or shading anyone who does wear Spanx or performs conventional femininity, I'm just saying.) They don't look 'bad' when they're on-stage or onscreen, but they also don't seem to bother themselves with making any special effort to look any particular way, forget particularly alluring. In interviews, they're thoughtful but a little kooky, a little rambly, very funny, but they're assertive. Nothing about either of them comes off as shy, self-deprecating, or self-conscious.

The Breeders' buzz initially came from Kim Deal's work with another huge 'indie' band of the era. She was a founding member of Pixies, who are still one of Those Bands that obnoxious music snob bros will cross-examine you about if they get the chance. Those bros all revere Pixies' frontman as a genius and never seem to have anything to say about Kim, or her and frontman’s reportedly poor professional relationship. It happens that Kim Deal is largely responsible for what is arguably Pixies' most beloved and recognizable song, "Gigantic", from their 1988 debut album. It is definitely the most gorgeous and energetic of their songs that people actually know.

Which might really be the source of the tension that always existed between Kim & Pixies' frontman. He thought of Pixies as his project, for his artistic ~voice~ or what have you, and despite the success of "Gigantic" he refused to record and release any of her songs on their later albums. It's difficult to understand that as anything more than run-of-the-mill insecurity, and possibly jealousy. A talented, creative woman, trapped in a project with an obstinate, intractable, possessive male 'genius' -- does that sound like any characters we know? -- Kim did the only thing she really could do: she used Pixies' hiatus to go off and start a new project of her own, which would become The Breeders.

Which brings us, finally, to Cameron and her Airstream. (Spoilers for Halt and Catch Fire 4x04 below.)

We hear "Cannonball" over a montage of Cameron driving her new trailer out to a parcel of land she's just bought and setting up her temporary campsite. It's easy to take this scene for granted -- honestly, who would say no to any montage where Mack is wearing that sleeveless crop top, overalls, and boots??? -- but inadvertent lesbian eye candy aside, why does the show want us to see this? It's not really necessary; we would have guessed that Cameron did that work without seeing it.

The work that she's doing is important though. Cameron is slowly starting to build her own life, by herself. In a way she's rebuilding, but on some level, this is the first time she's embracing her autonomy, as opposed to her prior attempts to build a life and maintain a marriage by ceding her autonomy to a man. Cameron literally owns everything in that scene, and she bought it herself, with money from her financially successful game design career.

Not unlike Kim Deal forming the Breeders, Cameron is in kind of a strange if mostly good spot here. She's ten years into her career, and she's not a kid anymore, but she's a young adult whose life and career are from settled or over. She's worked hard, and had some successes, and she's also faced some real setbacks, and she's learning to work through these sort of first real grown up life/work challenges. In this scene, we see that she's okay, and that she's starting to figure what needs to be done, and she's doing that work. When she sits down by her new fire pit at the end of the scene, she seems content, in contrast to the later scene where she sits by herself after Gordon and Bos leave, and she looks like she might cry. Staying busy and doing necessary work is good and helpful for Cameron, but clearly, hoping that the people in her life will solve her loneliness and other personal issues doesn't work. (Life hint: other people never solve anyone's loneliness, and the sooner you learn that, the better for your emotional health and stability.)

Learning to fully assume responsibility for and take control of your life is a luxury that doesn't feel luxurious. It's daunting, it's expensive, and no matter how hard you work or how positive you think, you realize that there is so much over which you have no control, and that you really don't know how it's going to work out, or what's going to happen. After childhood trauma and years of rootlessness, Cameron is particularly prone to real anxiety about The Future, and where she'll end up.

As for Kim Deal: the Breeders were massively successful. Pixies broke up (also in 1993, hmm), Kim was allegedly notified by their frontman via fax (…lmao), and then the Breeders went on hiatus for a while, and then came back, and then Pixies reunited and Kim wound up finally leaving the band. The point is, none of it stopped her from working or becoming a well-known and respected songwriter, or from spending the last 20 years making the Breeders a hugely influential and inspiring band.

None of us know where we'll end up, or where this show is going with all of this, and we're all worried about what these showrunners are gonna do to Donna and Cam. But the invocation of "Cannonball" and the sound of Kim Deal's wise, irreverent, irrepressible voice bodes well, or to me, at least.

[jollykittenbanana]

Hiya @volleyowlets, its your hq valentine!! i'm not sure this is the best work i've ever done but i hope you enjoy this little fic of sick Bo and sweet Kuroo!

“Kuroo, I’m dying,” comes a small voice from the living room, muffled by the multiple blankets that Bokuto had found to wrap himself up in. Kuroo ignores the voice and continues stirring the soup that he’s almost finished making.

Kuroo did have big plans for the day, since it’s the first valentines that he and Bokuto have spent together as a couple, but when he came to pick up his usually boisterous boyfriend from his apartment, it was to find the boy still asleep in bed. After being woken up, Bokuto had claimed he was so sick it was life threatening. After telling Kuroo his symptoms, the mysterious illness about to kill off his boyfriend was determined to be a common cold, but Kuroo decided it was best to cancel his plans anyway, since it was quite clear Bokuto was not up for a trip to the ice skating rink, nor the park for a picnic.

It’s only a few moments later that the sad little voice comes again: “Kurooooooo!”

Sighing, Kuroo calls back “What is it, Bo?”

“Come give me some attention,” the response is followed by a cough and a whine, so Kuroo decided he better hurry with that soup before Bokuto died of self-wallowing.

Pacing into the longue room where the curtains were still drawn closed, Kuroo sighed again and sat the bowl of fresh soup on the table next to Bokuto, who was currently taking up the entire couch. Lifting his legs and then sliding around them into the seat, Kuroo had just laid the legs over his lap when Bokuto spoke up again. “Kuroo,” he whined, “put on a movie or I’ll die of boredom.”

“You’re such a drama queen,” Kuroo rolled his eyes as he got up again, “Any requests, your majesty?”

“Something romantic… Oh, oh, Princess and the Frog!” He sat up now and wiggled around, suddenly not quite so dying.

“That’s what you consider romantic?” Kuroo teased but really all he was thinking was how cute Bokuto was when he was excited.

After finding the right DVD from Bokuto’s pile, he made his way back over the couch to see Bokuto mostly detangled from his blankets, holding his arms out wide to pull one of the blankets open, making a space for Kuroo. He smiled as he squashed in next to Bokuto and was enveloped by the warmth of his boyfriend’s arms. Pulling a few more of the blankets into better positions, he thought that maybe these plans were better than his after all.

“Bo, eat your soup,” Kuroo directed a few minutes into the movie, and Bokuto grabbed the bowl and held it close, but mostly he was too distracted by the movie to actually eat it. Kuroo grabbed the spoon from him and blew on every mouthful before bringing it to Bokuto’s lips.

Once the soup was finished off, Kuroo set the bowl back on the table and Bokuto used the action of Kuroo reaching past him to snuggle deeper into Kuroo’s side. He nuzzled his face into Kuroo’s neck and wrapped his arms around the taller boy, his eyes never leaving the screen.

“Mm, I’m so spoiled by you,” he sighed contentedly, but at that moment, Kuroo felt like he was the one getting the best treatment. This was definitely better than an afternoon trying not to act too couple-y.

After a good hour and a half of pure snuggling, the movie had finished, and Bokuto was back to complaining about being on his deathbed.

“Kuroo, distract me,” he demanded.

“Usually when you say that you mean making out, but I am not catching your cold,” Kuroo argued.

“Kuroo, please,” he drew out every syllable and looked up into Kuroo’s eyes, trying to guilt him into it, “I’m dying, this could be my final day and you’ll miss your chance for a last kiss!”

Ignoring that, Kuroo thought up a new plan, “Oh, I have an idea for a distraction,” he said as he went back to the entrance where he’d left his backpack full of picnic supplies on the way in. Bokuto called out something about not abandoning him in his time of need, but Kuroo ignored that too.

When he got back the lounge room, Kuroo pulled out the picnic blanket and laid it on the floor, then started pulling out all the food he’d spent the majority of the night before preparing. Onigiri, sandwiches, juice and lots of sweets (since they were Bokuto’s favourites but he usually stopped himself from eating too many) were soon covering the blanket, and Bokuto looked on in awe.

“You made all this?” He asked softly.

“Well, yeah. It was supposed to be super romantic, hah,” he rubbed at the back of his neck and kept his eyes down, suddenly self-conscious of how much effort he’d put into it.

He didn’t have long to worry though, as a second later he had one very happy Bokuto tackling him beside the blanket.

“This is the most romantic thing anyone’s ever done!” Bokuto exclaimed and put his hands on either side of Kuroo’s face, pulling back from a kiss at the last second.

“Oh, right, sorry, I’m sick,” he explained as he pulled himself away from Kuroo’s face. Kuroo didn’t let him get too far before he leaned up, giving Bokuto a quick peck on the lips.

“Worth it,” he decided, and wrapped his arms around Bokuto’s back.

A few more minutes of being smothered in kisses to his cheeks, lips, and forehead later, Kuroo finally pulled away to bring Bokuto’s attention back to his very romantic picnic. He was happy enough to be sitting instead of laying, but Bokuto wasn’t going to settle for anything less than sitting in-between Kuroo’s legs, close enough that they could easily feed each other the treats that were laid in front of them.

After getting through a good amount of the food that Kuroo had brought, all the excitement and eating had taken its toll on Bokuto’s sick body, and leaning his back flat against Kuroo’s chest, his head on Kuroo’s shoulder, Bokuto fell asleep.

 “Happy Valentines, Bo.” Kuroo whispered into his boyfriend’s hair.

[potionruneroarsfelton]

Rhink Fanfiction

This is the first writing that I’m posting. Based on a prompt.

12-01-17 Closed eyes enveloped him in a crimson void. It was early February, the remnants of the winter chill surrendering to the oncoming season and vanishing slowly. But the mountaintop was covered in snow and the temperature in the cabin was less than comfortable. He could hear the ambiguous sounds of nature, pushed to the background by his overworked brain. Located deep within the forest, their cabin gave the illusion of living in the middle of nowhere, which was precisely what he had asked for. This project had a lot riding on it. He had assumed it would bloom productivity. Productivity. He gave an internal scoff. 2 days in the cabin had yielded nothing. Not a single arc in the story line, not a single supporting character, not even part of a song. Absolute squat. His creativity seemed to have hit a wall while his “partner” was constantly distracted by his disrupted routines and irregularities in the workplace. I was at least trying. All Link has done is arrange, rearrange, complain, rest, yell and complain some more.  He was lying on his bed, dressed in nothing but his underwear, ignoring the goose bumps rising on his skin whenever a breeze blew too close, too cold. It was one of those days. There was nothing playful about the arguments they had been having, no hint of humour when insults were thrown. It was one of those days when the frustration wasn’t on his skin; it was deep within his bones. Anger and dissatisfaction weren’t pricking at his nerves, they had lit a fire in his gut, making his vision bright red. How many times do I have to go through this shit? In the 39 years that he had put up with life, he had felt like this a few times. When he and link were on the verge of breaking bones, when his family had almost become broke, when Jessie had considered breaking up, his mind had painted itself red. It had gotten worse every time and always left him with a nagging knowledge that someday, it might be unbearable. In his younger days, he had tried different ways to cope. The alcohol buzz was a downer and would pull his spirits even lower, not to mention the hangover. He couldn’t talk to link- he had already spat a lot of venom he would regret later. By isolating himself in the mountains, he had effectively cut off anyone else who could have helped. He recalled his college strategies- hooking up, getting violent, all that weed- which had made his life, and the throbbing in his head, a lot worse. Why am I still here? He opened his eyes, hoping to escape the scarlet haze of slowly boiling bitterness. He stared at the wooden beams on the ceiling, lying motionless under the weight of all his responsibilities. He felt paralysed under the people relying on him. He felt helpless against the barrage of thoughts flooding every crevice of his mind. He felt like he had perfect recall- he could almost hear the stinging, spiteful words from every fight he’d had with Link over the past 33 years. When he tried to shift his focus, he could see the cake splattered on the floor, shattered glasses of wine. He could feel the heat on his face from having screamed unthinkable things at Jessie, who looked at him with tear stained cheeks as she ripped her dress, if only to release some of her anger. That dress was red. Her lips were red. His eyes were red later that night, knowing that neither his wife nor he was going to forgive him for ruining her 30th birthday. Do I even know what I’m doing? What I’m living for? Was this all a mistake? The love of his life was taking care of his family for him while he voluntarily dragged himself away. A friendship that began with innocence, grew with care, toughened with brutal honesty was beginning to feel manufactured. The rawness with which he used to interact with Link had now become a carefully fashioned, partly scripted entertainment program. All of this to pander to an audience who were more interested in unearthing their insecurities and commenting on their looks than the content they created. The content he poured his heart into. The content that birthed most of the fights, awkwardness and accusations. The content that might cost him his best friend. Everything is nasty. He was becoming acutely aware of his body. It startled him how much he was repulsed by it. He is not an exhibitionist. The thought of millions of people staring at their screen, eyes unblinking, following his muscles when he was shirtless on the internet, made him feel nasty. A random comment echoed in his brain. “You aren’t entertainers. You target depressed teens with painted smiles and fake intimacy. You’re pimping yourself out to pander to lusty girls who are half your age. You may not be traditional sell outs but you’re a lot more dangerous”. Nasty.

Rhett closed his eyes. The troubles of the day had taken a deeper turn, becoming a darker, burgundy hue. Or maybe it was maroon. He always had trouble with those two shades.

The bedroom windows rattled as the wind picked up. He could hear the howling, from outside and within. He noticed the long shadows, barely discernible in the descending darkness. This negativity was flowing through his bloodstream, poisoning him as he just laid there, a passive onlooker. The passion in him to do something about this, to change what ate away at him had fizzled out. Just as he was about to succumb to the darkness and maybe catch some troubled sleep, the door creaked open. He didn’t bother to look- he could sense the scene unfolding in front of him with his eyes shut tight. He knew the man walking in. He had unwittingly memorized Link’s features because they had dominated his thoughts all his life. He had unabashedly grasped Link’s soul through his countless observations and all their conversations. He had irrevocably trusted Link, sometimes on instinct alone. He knew the man; he didn’t need to look. Is he gonna talk? Maybe the turmoil was dying down- he heard every soft footfall echo on the wooden floor with impressive clarity. Thud thud thud… In rhythm with his heartbeat. But he wasn’t in the mood to acknowledge it. Link walked right up to the bed and for a moment, everything was quiet. His thoughts vanished as his whole being tensed, waiting for the next blow to fall. “Turn over”. What? Annoyance flared in him. Why was he being ordered, and a peculiar one at that? When was this man-child going to learn to communicate, to behave the way that Rhett would prefer? He had half a mind to ignore him completely, but he didn’t have the grit to have another fight today. Wordlessly, he flipped onto his stomach, heartbeat slightly erratic, thoughts a relentless blur. I feel exposed. The first touch was a mild surprise. Soft, wide palms pressed into his shoulder. They moved an inch or so apart and pressed again. And again. He was self conscious about the knots, the tightened muscles and the very obvious stress in his upper body that was giving away his exact state of mind. The hands were warm, confident and familiar as they moved downwards, working on his upper back. The heels of Link’s palm dug into the spots which were predominantly affected by his frequent back pains, which Link had witnessed firsthand since they had begun. The balls of his thumb traced soothing patterns on his flesh. I don’t need you to take care of me. A part of his mind remained indignant, though his body was quickly surrendering to the serenity of the massage. It felt like his hands were physically removing the negativity from within him. It felt like Link was casting a spell to repair the wear and tear of simply existing. Most of all, it felt like love. This man had had a long day, maybe longer than Rhett’s. Yet here he was, battling through his exhaustion, knees on either side of Rhett’s waist, trying to make Rhett feel better. It was Link’s way of saying “I love you”, and “I’m sorry”. He turned around, abruptly stopping the massage, overcome with the urge to see Link’s face. Sad blue eyes were filled to the brim with everything he was feeling, easily understood by Rhett. He could see the same weight, frustration, anxiety and guilt that had plagued him just a few minutes before. Something he had said before flitted by, “things in our lives that are not just parallel but we experience them together”. Emotions surged through him as he realized exactly what that meant. What it means to have someone who not only understands but also lives through everything he feels. What it really means to not be alone. But in those naked, vulnerable eyes, he saw something far more disturbing. He saw fear. I wish I could take care of you. There was a lump in his throat. Suddenly, none of his doubts mattered. His past mistakes, their changing dynamic, constraints and disappointments and confusion just didn’t matter, because he knew why he was doing it. He had known when he had first decided to write a comic with Link in grade school. He had known when they had taken the blood oath. He had known when he had decided to quit his decent paying job to attempt a career in an industry that couldn’t even support itself at the time. He had known when they had put their earnings into this new project. He was following his heart and Link was the best man to do it with. Nothing else mattered. He looked calmly at the face that looked so troubled, the face of the man who always knew how to give Rhett a breath of air when he was threatening to drown in his personal red sea. His expression was gentle and his voice sweet when he said with full conviction, “We’ll be okay, bo”. And maybe he knew how to save Link too because he could have sworn, his eyes got a little bluer. We will be okay. I won’t have it any other way. Link plopped down on his stomach beside him, head turned to look at his face. “I know”, he said, in a tired but steady voice, and Rhett knew he meant it. He looked back, nothing but kindness on his face. His brain was moving on to Buddy System, making a mental note to start working on the script when he said, “I think I might be maroon-burgundy colour blind.” All he got in return was an exasperated smile and a “Goodnight Rhett.”