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avacoleman · 8 months

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when the lights go out || a firstprince fic

summary: Henry Fox’s career is in crisis and his dating life isn’t faring much better either. After a chance encounter with a charming man becomes memorable for all the wrong reasons, Henry throws himself into his next assignment: writing the memoir of a beloved C-list actor. Henry, however, knows Alex best for the role he played as his random, awkward one-night stand. Henry enters their professional partnership keen on keeping their relationship just that. But after Henry confesses that their hookup was less than spectacular, Alex concots an arrangement that Henry is unable to resist. In addition to ghostwriting Alex’s life story, Henry will teach him a thing or two about satisfying a man. As they spend months out on the road together, they must decide if the connection between them is yet another story worth telling.

chapter 3/8 || rated e || read on ao3 *updates every tues. and fri. *

Minneapolis, MN Twin Cities Con Day 1 Henry sits front row at the Crescent Valley panel. Today, the announcement will go live and Alex and his castmates will reunite on this very stage to deliver the news fans have been waiting for. Henry has seen all the hashtags and petitions that have been created online since the show went off the air five years ago. Viewers made passionate pleas, conducted letter writing campaigns, and made countless videos demanding, at the very least, one special to give them a glimpse into the lives of their beloved characters and to see the cast together again. It’s interesting sitting among them now knowing full-well what’s in store. The energy in the room is off the charts as the Crescent Valley theme song starts to play and the cast files onto stage. Seeing them all in the flesh is a bit disorienting. Henry’s gotten so used to seeing them on his laptop screen, yet here they are all now right before his eyes. Henry’s gaze slides to Alex and at once he feels centered, but he’s quickly thrown off again seeing Alex and Nora putting their heads together, laughing about something as the moderator reads out everyone’s names. Henry figures it shouldn’t be surprising given their history. All the same, it makes an unnameable emotion swell in Henry’s chest.

He quickly pushes the feeling aside and allows the sheer pandemonium around him to consume him. He finds himself joining the masses and cheering on the cast as they smile and wave at the audience before taking their seats.

The panel goes along much like any other until the end during the Q&A portion. A man steps up to the mic for the final question and though Henry personally has no clue who he is, the audience collectively gasps. From overheard whispers, he learns the man is none other than the creator of Crescent Valley.

Henry looks up at the stage, his eyes landing immediately on Alex. He sees the excitement in his eyes like a kid on Christmas morning.

The show’s creator waits for silence to fall before he speaks.

“Now, I have just one question for you guys,” he says looking at the actors on stage. “Are you ready to step into the world of Crescent Valley one last time?”

“Yes!” the cast says together into their mics as the monitors on the sides of the stage flash with the news.

Crescent Valley returns for a two-hour special this winter!

The eruption from the audience is unlike anything Henry has ever seen or heard before. People are jumping out of their seats, crying, screaming, hugging each other. Through it all, Henry can’t take his eyes off Alex and the cast as they drink it all in, the Crescent Valley theme song playing once more as the perfect soundtrack for the reverent fans losing their ever-loving minds in the room.

There are so many questions Henry wants to ask Alex about this moment, but he knows any hopes for talking about the book or literally anything else today are completely dashed now that the news is out in the world.

~*~*~

Henry’s suspicions were right. Alex's phone had gone off all afternoon with calls and texts from Zahra with interview requests that have been streaming in. On every platform imaginable, #CrescentValleySpecial is trending and Alex’s mentions are in complete disarray. Henry had expected things to get crazy, but this was outright insanity.

He was able to get introduced to the cast after the panel when he went backstage. All his inexplicable nervousness in meeting Nora turned out to be for nothing.

The way she and Alex interacted with one another was more like brother and sister. Whatever romantic feelings they held over five years ago was clearly ancient history.

He left Alex to spend the evening with his castmates though he had been welcomed to join them. It was a sweet offer, but Henry figured blocking out a few hours to work on his notes and configuring the preliminary skeleton of the book would be a wiser use of his time. He checked in with Pez, making sure their apartment was still in one piece and gave his friend an update from the road.

Pez was freaking out about the special just like everyone else online. He wouldn’t let Henry go without him promising to fill Pez in if he caught wind of any spoilers over the next few weeks.

Looking at his document, Henry feels satisfied with the work he’s done this evening.

It’s eleven o'clock now and according to the tour itinerary, Alex has a signing in the morning followed by a cast reunion photoshoot. He mentally prepares for another day where they won’t get to see much of each other or truly be alone together.

Henry brushes his teeth, studying his reflection in the mirror when he hears his phone vibrate on the counter. He looks down, turning his head to read the text message that appears on his lock screen.

Alex cant sleep. up for another lesson?

Henry spits out his toothpaste and rinses out his mouth before picking up his phone and answering.

Henry Ready when you are.

Five minutes later, there’s a knock at Henry’s door.

“Hey,” Alex says.

He stands before Henry in his glasses, wearing checkered navy blue pajama pants and a gray t-shirt. It’s a bit ridiculous how good he looks even when severely underdressed like this.

“Sorry for the late night message. My head’s been buzzing all day and I still feel completely wired. Also, I missed you today. And now I’m realizing I’ve literally sent a godforsaken ‘u up’ text. You would’ve been well within your rights to tell me to fuck all the way off.”

Henry laughs at how quickly Alex gets all these words out.

“I’m a bit of an insomniac anyway so you’re hardly disturbing me. And besides, I sorta missed you too.”

Alex smiles a little and sways in place.

“Oh, do come in,” Henry says belatedly, stepping aside. He closes the door and locks it behind him.

“What’s next on your syllabus? We’re still on touch, right?” Henry asks.

“Yes, getting to know thy cock.”

A laugh rips out of Henry. “You’re the worst.”

Alex winks and takes a seat on Henry’s bed.

“Okay, so touch and getting more acquainted with what your partner likes,” Henry says.

He thinks on it for a moment.

“As I’ve mentioned before, this really will be trial and error each time you’re intimate with someone. It’s not unlike when you’ve been with past partners. I’m sure you’ve found that what one person may love, another isn’t too fond of.”

Henry pauses again.

“I wonder if this might not be better for me to show you rather than explain,” Henry says.

Alex looks confused, his brows furrowed.

“Like…you give me a handjob or…I give you a proper one this time?”

“Or, option C, I get myself off and you watch,” Henry says plainly.

Alex blanches and Henry takes a bit of pride in being able to shock Alex like this.

“You said you wanted to know what I liked, right? Feels like this could be the best way to do just that.”

“Well, I am a visual learner,” Alex says quietly.

Henry crosses the room and goes into his suitcase, starting to dig around.

“I think people have a tendency to get wrapped up in the idea of penetration being the only ‘real’ kind of sex,” Henry says thoughtfully. “If you ask me, that’s a very limited scope. There are so many different ways to intimately connect with your partner. Manually is one of them.”

He takes out a small bottle of lube and turns back to face Alex.

“Whether it’s you getting your partner off or watching them and vice versa, this is another way you can, for a lack of a better term, come together when intimate.”

Alex laughs. “Yes, I have the humor of a middle schooler. Sue me.”

Henry rolls his eyes and steps closer to Alex.

“Can I kiss you? It helps,” he says, not explaining further.

If Alex is confused, he hides it well. He simply parts his legs where he’s seated on the length of the bed and Henry steps between them. He frames Alex’s face, leans in and kisses him straight away.

The man is a pro at this and after a few moments, Henry can feel that familiar stirring in the pit of his stomach. Alex kisses him hungrily, deepening it and Henry feels his body respond immediately. He kisses Alex for a little while longer before forcing himself to pull away.

Rather than sit beside Alex on the edge, he gets in and lays back against the pillows.

Alex shifts to look at him. Henry tugs off his sweats and boxer briefs. It’s ridiculously easy to feel comfortable being naked in front of Alex and the fact that there’s still more weeks ahead should not thrill him in the way that it does.

He squeezes a small drop of lube in the palm of his hand. He coats his cock, shivering a little at the feel of the substance against his sensitive skin.

Alex’s eyes are wide and unblinking as he watches Henry’s movements.

“It’s the same principle you might have for when you get yourself off. Sometimes you might want it quick and rough, but more often than not, for me anyway, I really like the buildup. I enjoy getting myself worked up and close to the edge before letting myself let go completely. When I’m with a guy, I like it the same way. With teasing too. I can’t get enough of that, if I’m being honest. It drives me wild.”

He demonstrates, slowly stroking himself and circling the tip of his cock. Precome glistens on the head and he smears it with the pad of his thumb.

Henry shivers and practically purrs.

Alex doesn’t even look like he’s breathing as he watches.

“That first night, you were overthinking it. It made you second guess yourself rather than follow your instincts. If there are moves or techniques that you enjoy, chances are that your partner might like them too. But you’ve got to give them the opportunity to really experience it before jumping so quickly onto the next thing.”

Henry squeezes himself and pumps his hand again slowly along his shaft.

“I actually really like this and you had the basic thought of it when we hooked up, but it felt sort of mechanical. I could feel your hesitancy and it took me out of the moment,” he says gently.

Alex frowns. “Sorry about that.”

Henry shakes his head. “Nothing to be sorry about. Now you know for next time.”

Something flickers in Alex’s eyes and it makes a pleasant chill run down Henry’s spine. The promise of next time. Henry has no clue when their next hookup will be, but the idea of Alex’s hand on him makes him even harder.

His eyes roll shut and Henry lets his imagination run with the fantasy. He pictures this moment now, only it’s Alex’s hand between his legs, pleasuring him, teasing him. He thinks back to that night in Arizona, their first foray into the touch component.

Alex’s movements in his room were far better than their initial night. It seemed he had really taken Henry’s preliminary feedback into consideration. Since that night in Arizona, Henry had been wondering how things might have gone if they hadn’t stopped at strictly over the clothes, if he pushed their lesson a bit further.

A soft sound falls from his parted lips as his head tips back against the plush pillows as he envisions it. He spreads his legs wider and teases the slit of his cock. Distantly he hears Alex hiss. Henry does too. He’s so aroused and sensitive, even the air in the room makes the sensations more acute.

He bites back on his lower lip as he continues to stroke himself, his freehand massaging his balls. He feels the bed shift and he opens his eyes to find Alex on the bed in earnest, settled on his knees, studying him with rapt attention, his hands balled into fists against his lap.

Henry’s back arches as he stares at Alex, his heart pounding steadily. He gives his cock another firm squeeze on a downstroke and moans. It’s intoxicating knowing he has Alex locked into him like this. Alex’s cheeks are flushed, his eyes hungry and curious.

“Are you hard too?” Henry asks, his breath catching in his throat.

Alex scoffs. “How could I not be? Fucking hell, Henry, look at you.”

Henry smirks as he continues jerking himself off, teasing his leaking slit, his eyes never leaving Alex.

“Touch yourself with me then?” he hiccups. “If you’d be okay with—,”

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence. Alex is already racing to get his pants off. He settles beside Henry, occupying the space on the other side of the mattress. His cock is slick already and Henry whimpers quietly at the sight.

“Think we can get you to come with me?” he asks, turning his head towards Alex.

“After watching you like this? I’m shocked I haven’t lost it already.”

Maybe it’s just easy banter but Alex makes him feel so desirable, wanted.

There’s a soft sheen of sweat at Alex’s temple and Henry’s eyes track a bead of it slowly racing down the side of his face. Knowing that Alex is this riled up because of him just arouses Henry more.

He watches the muscles flex in Alex’s arm, studies the way his fingers wrap around his own cock and work over the shaft. It’s unbelievably erotic and Henry feels his cock swell as he studies Alex. Alex’s breath is shaky as he watches him in turn.

“See? This can be just as hot. Maybe even hotter,” Henry notes. “Mutual masturbation can really do the trick too. It’s a different way of thinking about touch.”

Alex nods in agreement or understanding as he leans over, lips already searching. Henry kisses him at once. It’s heated and messy and only spurs them both on. The bed shakes as they both work to get themselves off feverishly, the two whimpering and moaning as they go.

Alex’s tongue toys with Henry’s so expertly it makes Henry’s toes curl. It’s too much all at once and Henry’s resolve slips. He comes hard into his fist, gasping into Alex’s mouth.

He rests his forehead against Alex’s as the man reaches his end a few beats later. Henry’s eyes are glued on the sight, his throat dry watching Alex’s release spill onto his hand and stomach. The urge to taste him is overwhelming. It takes every bit of restraint he has not to lick him clean.

Alex’s breaths are shaky as they fan across Henry’s face.

“How’d I do?” Alex asks, voice strained. He pulls back enough to look Henry fully in the face. His eyes are bright and wild and Henry would bet every dollar he has that he looks exactly like this too.

He outstretches a hand, tucking it under Alex’s chin.

“Top marks, Mr. Claremont-Diaz. Ten out of bloody ten.”

~*~*~

Minneapolis, MN Day 2

The excitement for the Crescent Valley special seems to have taken on new life the following day. At the convention center this morning, it felt as if every other person Henry walked past was speculating about the show, shooting off their headcanons and best guesses at what the writers had planned. Much like yesterday, Henry felt like a fly on the wall, a spy behind enemy lines getting intel on the ground.

The cast has been privy to it all. After their signing, they all sat around backstage talking about all the messages they’ve been receiving from fans all over the world. Henry couldn’t wrap his mind around that, a life in the public eye where people from all corners of the earth knew his name and cared so deeply about the work he was doing that they’d invest so much of their time and energy into it.

Henry tagged along with Alex to the cast photoshoot downtown. Once more he was struck by just how different his life was from Alex’s and the way even Alex himself seemed to be two people in one. When the cameras were on him, he could bring forth a version of himself that fit the celebrity bill to a tee. But the second he was off on the sides, away from the spotlight, he was his down to earth self, making jokes and keeping things fun for everyone around him.

Upon their return to their hotel, they head to their respective rooms with promises to see each other again soon.

In his room alone, Henry feels antsy for reasons he can’t explain. He watches a few episodes of Crescent Valley which is quickly (and still secretly) becoming his biggest guilty pleasure before he decides watching Alex on screen is no substitute for the real thing. He grabs his laptop and leaves his room, marching down the hall to Alex’s.

He knocks twice and stands back, running a hand through his hair, his brows lifting as Alex answers the door, a towel wrapped low on his hips, body glistening with water.

“Sorry, did you text me? I must have missed it.”

Henry shakes his head, mouth suddenly very dry.

“No, I thought I’d swing by, but I definitely should have reached out first. I didn’t mean to catch you at a bad time.”

“Don’t be ridiculous; come in.”

Henry tears his eyes away from Alex’s damp torso, in particular the water droplet that makes its way down from his chest to the towel at his hips.

He steps inside of Alex’s room.

“What brings you by? Missed me already?” he teases, unknowingly hitting right on the truth.

Alex slips on a shirt, the fabric quickly blooming wet spots from Alex’s fresh-out-the-shower skin.

Henry turns away, letting him get dressed with some modicum of privacy.

“I wanted to share the preliminary draft pages I worked on yesterday. I know I could have emailed them and you could make edits in the doc, but I thought it might be more helpful to go over it together in person so we could talk through any suggestions or changes you might have.”

Alex comes into view from behind him and takes a seat on one of the two single seater armchairs in the room. He’s fully clothed now which is both a relief and a disappointment. Henry switches off the side of his brain that feels the latter.

Rule number one of this arrangement could not be any clearer. The book will always be their top priority.

Henry sits in the chair opposite Alex and sets his laptop down on the round table between them, opening up the document.

Alex pulls the laptop forward and Henry anxiously watches as Alex starts to read. Henry kicks himself then. Maybe he really should have simply shot Alex an email. Watching his reaction in real time is nerve-wracking even though Alex seems to be enjoying it.

“We’ve really been spending a lot of time together, haven’t we?” Alex says, looking over the top of the laptop at Henry when he’s done. “You’ve got my voice down so well. This is actually kind of scary. You see, this is why we wanted you. You’re incredible at what you do.”

Henry laughs and waves him off. “It’s nothing.”

Alex shakes his head. “It’s a gift, Henry. You’re like a shapeshifter. You forget, I’ve seen the samples from your previous works. Each piece is so singular. It’s wild to know you’re behind them all.”

Henry blushes a bit at the compliment. “That means a lot, thank you.”

Alex sets the computer aside.

“You’re always asking questions about me, let’s switch it up.”

Henry laughs. “I’m not the one with a memoir due out, now am I?”

“Hmm, no. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to learn more about you. So, tell me. Do you think you’d ever write a book of your own?”

Henry rubs the back of his neck. It’s strange being the one under the spotlight, even in a harmless moment like this where it’s just the two of them.

“I’ve thought about it before. More than that, I’ve made attempts, but I don’t know. I think I’ve gotten so used to losing myself in other people, I’m not sure there’s much of me left.”

Alex searches his eyes.

“You clearly have a voice, Henry. People already pay good money for it. Just imagine when it’s your own stories on those pages.”

Henry smiles. “I’ve started quite a few stories. But ghostwriting, it’s been steady, sure work.”

“But are you passionate about it?” Alex asks and Henry is a bit taken aback by how effortlessly Alex seems to see right through to the heart of the matter.

“That book you had with you that night in New York, the gamer guy. You didn’t look happy at all sitting there with it.”

Henry shrugs. “I was having a bit of doubt around my career when we met, yes. I’m sure these aren’t words you want to hear from the man currently working on your book.”

Alex waves him off. “At least it’s the truth. You should be excited about what you do. Writing is clearly what you’re good at. The way you’re able to voice all these different people, I can only imagine the characters you dream up. I’d hate for you to get a bad association with writing if you keep cranking out books that don’t motivate you.”

Henry frowns.

“I am excited about working on this one with you,” he says.

Alex smirks. “Well, yeah, that’s because I’m awesome and who wouldn’t want to spend every waking moment with me? I’m a goddamn delight,” he jokes before growing serious again, leaning forward a little and holding Henry’s gaze.

“Can you promise me something, Hen? After you’re done with our book, can you get back to one of yours?”

“Your book,” Henry corrects. Alex jokingly snarls. “But fine, yes. I’ll try with it again.”

“Good because I really think you should go for it for real this time. You’ve got far too much talent to let your words just sit on your laptop or for your characters to only live in your head. The world needs to hear you and know your name.”

“You know, if acting ever stops working for you, you’d make a killing as a motivational speaker,” Henry says.

Alex laughs and closes the laptop.

“We’ll call that plan B. I like keeping my options open.”

He gets up and stretches out on his bed, propping his head up on his hand and looking at Henry.

“It’s much comfier over here,” he says.

Henry laughs softly at the not so subtle invitation, but he gets up and lays beside Alex, staring up at the ceiling. He can feel Alex’s eyes on him, feel the warmth of the man’s body so close to his. Most of all, he can feel the growing tension between them, born out of nothing more than simply being next to each other and sharing space.

Some distant part of Henry’s brain cautions him against this, telling him to somehow scale back this very obvious attraction he feels towards Alex, but at this point, it’s as natural as breathing. He couldn’t help it if he tried.

He turns his head and Alex is right there, bright eyes already fixed on him.

“Since we’re doing things a little differently tonight,” Henry says, “how about we apply that to today’s lesson as well?”

Alex’s brows furrow.

“How so?”

“It’s important to know what your partner is into, how they like to be touched and handled. You’ve been doing really well with that, but I realize, it’s been a bit one-sided.”

Alex shifts slightly, still looking perplexed.

“I like how things have been going.”

“That might be so, but I want you to enjoy this too. These lessons have been about teaching you how best to work with your partner, but you should be able to know how to advocate for what you want as well.”

“Again, for the record, I have in fact been enjoying the hell out of myself. But I get what you mean and I appreciate it.”

Henry nods. “So, with that in mind, if you’re up for it, I’d like for us to focus solely on your pleasure and your needs tonight.”

In the quiet of the room, Henry can perfectly hear the breath that falls from Alex’s lips. To his credit, Alex quickly composes himself and nods.

“Yeah, I’d be alright with that.”

Henry smiles and leans forward slowly, watching Alex’s lips part in anticipation for him before he presses their mouths together. Alex all but melts into him and Henry is right there with his arms circling his waist at once.

They take their time, hands wandering along the slopes of each other's bodies, their tongues savoring each other’s taste. Henry can’t imagine he could ever grow tired of kissing Alex and, distantly, he thinks of the fact that one day very soon, this will all come to an end.

He pushes the thought from mind, opting instead to focus on this present moment where Alex is his alone.

Henry breaks the kiss first, but his lips don’t go far. He peppers a trail of kisses along Alex’s jaw as the man tangles his fingers in his hair.

Henry lets out a soft sound as Alex tugs and presses their bodies closer, rolling his hips forward, rutting up against him. Henry grinds back, stifling a groan at how half hard Alex is already.

“Tell me what you want most right now.”

Alex sighs, tightening his grip on Henry’s strands. Henry can hear the sharp inhale he takes.

“I want you to go down on me,” Alex rasps, breath catching as Henry continues dropping kisses on his skin.

“With pleasure,” Henry whispers against the shell of Alex’s ear, nipping gently on the man’s earlobe. He earns a deep moan in response.

Alex sinks back down against the bed, reaching for his jeans but Henry shakes his head and takes a hold of his hands.

“Allow me.”

Alex mutters a curse under his breath, his brown eyes growing darker still as he nods. Henry lets go of Alex’s hands and the man settles more, his arms folding behind his head as Henry begins to undo his jeans.

“Enjoying the view, are we?” Henry teases.

Alex grins shamelessly and shrugs.

“A guy could get used to this.”

Henry laughs and places a kiss against his hip before removing the rest of his clothes. He’s hardly a stranger to Alex’s body but still, being faced with it like this makes him a bit speechless.

He runs his hands up the length of Alex’s thighs which the man spreads, a silent invitation to all of him.

Henry curses. Alex merely smirks.

How could it be that one person can be both his salvation and damnation?

Henry lays on his stomach and skims his fingers along Alex’s inner thighs and feels the instant tremor in the man’s legs, watching how much his cock stiffens almost instantly. A pearl of precome gathers at this tip. Henry’s eager to taste it.

He decides to take mercy on them both and takes a hold of Alex’s cock, giving him a few steady strokes before taking him slowly into his mouth.

“Thank God, I was about to start begging,” Alex huffs.

Henry smiles to himself.

“Damn, should have held out a moment longer,” he teases before sucking softly on the tip of Alex’s cock, still taking his time but giving Alex enough to know he’s not being toyed with.

“Henry.” The name falls from his tongue in a fierce growl.

When those rich brown eyes land on him, Henry hardly recognizes them. Gone is the humor, the teasing.

In its place is something so carnal and exact it pierces right through Henry and leaves him aching for more. He opens his mouth further and takes more of Alex. He closes his eyes and moans, letting his tongue swirl on the underside of the man’s cock. He massages his balls, squeezing them here and there as he goes.

Alex’s hips tip upwards and Henry pays close attention to what techniques get the biggest reactions from Alex.

The man is never shy or unresponsive in the bedroom and now more than ever, Henry appreciates how vocal Alex can be.

He repeats his ministrations, all too pleased to hear every sound his actions coax out of Alex.

He takes him down deeper, his jaw slackening to accommodate. Henry feels his eyes water a little, but he keeps going, a deep moan emitting from him as Alex’s cock hits the back of his throat.

Alex trembles like never before. Henry half expects him to be levitating, suspended in some other plane of existence entirely. It only makes Henry double down. He can taste Alex on his tongue, feel the early traces of his release. Alex is right there teetering on the edge.

Henry keeps his touches deliberate, the tips of his fingers gently skimming across Alex’s inner thighs once more.

“Fuck,” the man hisses from above. Henry looks at him, feeling himself harden at the sight of Alex covering his mouth with the back of his hand, his fingers curling into a fist.

Noted, Henry thinks to himself, pleased to discover one of Alex’s weaknesses.

“Wait,” Alex chokes out.

Henry pulls away immediately and takes the time to catch his breath.

“I want…,” Alex rasps. “Fuck, I don’t want to you to stop, but I don’t want to come like this. I want…I don’t know.”

“More?” Henry asks. Alex nods heavily, his legs trembling.

Henry places a kiss on each of Alex’s thighs before getting up on his knees.

“I need you to be specific then. More could mean anything.”

Heat rushes to Alex’s already flushed face.

“Well, if we’re keeping with the theme of doing things a bit different…I, uh, I kinda want to try something new. I didn’t put it on the syllabus because we didn’t do it that night and, well, I don’t even know if it’s something you’d be into.”

Alex sighs, picking absentmindedly at the bedding.

“This would completely blow past other steps we should probably take first, but it’d be so…it would be everything. God, this is embarrassing as hell.”

Henry places a reassuring hand on Alex’s knee.

“It’s okay. We can talk about it. What’s going on?”

Alex licks his lips and looks away, still picking away at the bedspread before catching Henry’s eye again.

“Since you’re down there, I mean, I wouldn’t exactly be opposed to feeling your mouth elsewhere…or your tongue. God, don’t make me say it. Is that specific enough?”

Henry quirks a brow. “I think so,” he says, gently slipping a hand under Alex’s ass, his thumb ghosting over his entrance. Henry stares at him, silently asking.

Alex shivers, eyes fluttering for a moment as a look of relief washes over his face.

“Yeah, I wanna feel you there,” he says as he settles back, taking a breath. “I want to know what it’s like. I've seen videos and I’ve…always wondered.”

Henry brushes his thumb against him again as he nods.

“Let’s not keep you waiting then, love.”

Alex’s eyes go comically wide.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously,” Henry echoes.

This may indeed be more advanced than where they are in Alex’s outline, but Henry reasons it’s a worthy exception. It’d be a different case if the roles were reversed. He knows what he’s doing here and Henry is a man of his word. This is something Alex has been curious about and he’ll provide a safe space for him to explore it.

Henry grabs a pillow and descends again. He positions the pillow under Alex right on his lower back, giving himself better access. Alex takes a deep breath and swallows hard.

“Doing okay?” Henry asks, lightly stroking Alex’s cock.

Alex nods twice. “Yeah, keep going. I’m ready,” he assures.

Henry smiles at him before turning his attention to Alex’s entrance. He maintains his hold on Alex’s cock and licks experimentally at his rim.

Alex cries out sharply, his cock twitching, a telltale sign of his arousal at this new development.

“Holy shit. That’s it. Again, sweetheart, please,” Alex sputters.

Henry doesn’t hesitate. He licks again, slower this time before swirling his tongue. Alex huffs out a rough breath. Henry repeats the move over and over, taking his time and letting Alex truly experience these new sensations.

Alex opens beautifully for him. Henry’s own cock feels heavy between his legs but he ignores it, so focused and devoted to the task of pleasuring Alex as he wants.

His tongue delves in deeper, gently probing now, and greedily searching. Alex’s whole body twitches. He gets a hand in Henry’s hair and tugs.

“Oh, my fucking god,” Alex chokes out, his legs instinctively trying to squeeze shut. But with Henry so firmly in place, the move merely traps Henry further.

He lets out a moan, knowing the vibrations will only heighten the sensations coursing through Alex. He gets his confirmation as Alex lets loose another curse, his breaths raspy and uneven.

Henry’s hand continues to pump Alex’s shaft. He can feel Alex’s resolve slipping in the way his cock drips and his walls tighten. But Henry doesn’t let up; he takes these cues as motivation to keep going, to dive deeper inside of Alex, leaving every bit of Alex explored. He can feel Alex’s walls clenching more as he gets more vocal. Alex fucks into his fist, back arching a bit before he thrashes against the bed.

A flurry of curses and moans fall from Alex’s lips. Henry’s thumb encircles the head of Alex’s leaking cock as he rolls his tongue inside him once more. He nibbles softly, smirking as Alex cries out again. Henry could spend hours like this, but from Alex’s sharp reactions, he knows it’s only a matter of time before he breaks.

Henry rolls his tongue faster, squeezing Alex just under the head of his cock. Alex shudders hard and grabs a fist full of Henry’s hair, panting and riding his tongue, begging Henry not to stop.

It’s a pointless request as Henry has absolutely no intentions of slowing down, let alone cutting things short all together. He strokes Alex again, getting lost inside Alex and sending another moan through him.

Alex slams his other hand down against the bed and makes a choked sound before crying out as he reaches his end. His release coats Henry’s fist, makes a mess of his fingers but Henry doesn’t stop. He carries Alex through his orgasm, delighting in the soft broken sounds that escape his mouth as he rides out the wave.

It’s only when Alex falls back against the bed and stills that Henry resurfaces.

He finds Alex still catching his breath, his fixed to one spot on the ceiling, eyelashes and cheeks wet. Henry settles into the spot beside Alex and kisses his shoulder lightly.

“I’m starting to think you aren’t actually real. Or maybe you're like, some kind of sex god that got put in that bar that night to completely wreck me,” Alex muses, turning his head to face him.

Henry laughs. “I’m going to hold you personally responsible when I inevitably turn into a raging egomaniac.”

Alex shakes his head. “You’d deserve to gloat. Fuck, you’re really a pro at all this stuff.”

A smile works its way onto Henry’s face as he props his head up on his clean hand.

He sucks his index finger into his mouth, eyes fixed on Alex’s as he tastes him. Alex stares in stunned silence for a moment before he curses.

“Years at all-boys boarding schools will do that to a person,” Henry says, picking back up the conversation as if nothing has happened. “I’m glad I could make you feel good.”

Alex shakes his head as if to clear it.

“We can safely add that to the list of things I like,” Alex says. “Shit, that’s officially in first place actually.”

Henry laughs. “Welcome to the exciting world of rimming.”

“I really like it here. I’m moving in as we speak.”

Alex laughs breathlessly and searches Henry’s eyes for a moment, a bit of uncertainty in his gaze the longer he stares. He reaches out a hand and traces the curve of Henry’s bottom lip with his knuckles.

Henry wonders if Alex even realizes how intimate his little touches can be.

“We’re still doing what I want, right?” Alex asks, lowering his hand.

Henry can still feel his touch like a phantom sensation on his lip.

He nods slowly, curious what Alex has in mind.

“The night is completely yours, yes.”

Alex looks down between Henry’s legs where his sweatpants do absolutely nothing to hide his arousal.

Alex clenches his jaw, the muscle flexing. He looks away again, back at Henry’s face. His fingertips ghost along Henry’s inner arm instead now.

Henry can feel goosebumps rise in their wake. Truly, did Alex not know how much he was making him come undone with these subtleties?

“In that case, I want to watch you get yourself off and when you do, I want it to be on me.”

Henry’s brows shoot up to his hairline.

“Is that too much?” Alex asks.

Henry quickly shakes his head to dispel his worries.

“Not at all. I’m just surprised. I didn’t see that request coming.”

Alex laughs deeply.

“Hey, man. I haven’t stopped thinking about you touching yourself since that one magical night. You can’t give me an experience like that and not expect me to want a repeat.”

Henry laughs. “I never said I had any objections,” he counters smoothly, already reaching for his waistband and slipping out of his sweats and boxer briefs in one fell swoop.

“In fact, I’d be all too happy and willing to oblige.”

He switches his position and straddles Alex’s waist, settling on top of him, his messy right hand already on his own slick cock. It’s filthy, but Henry hardly cares and judging by how hard Alex swallows and stares up at him, the other man doesn’t mind either.

Henry doesn’t bat an eyelash as he sets a slow rhythm on himself and stares back, anchoring his free hand to the center of Alex’s abdomen.

“This is so fucking hot,” Alex murmurs, rubbing circles against Henry’s thighs at once.

Henry laughs softly before growing serious again, keeping his eyes trained on Alex’s face. He rolls his hips over him, moaning at the feel of Alex’s spent cock against his ass.

The way Alex looks at him, so intent with sheer wonder, it makes it easy to slip up and forget that this isn’t something Henry gets to keep.

“You’re so goddamn gorgeous like this, Henry. Seriously. Shit. So, so beautiful and good for me.”

Henry shivers at that, basking in the praise. He grinds once more against Alex’s cock, biting back on his lower lip.

Alex reaches a hand forward and tugs Henry’s lip free with his thumb.

“I want to hear you when you lose it. Don’t get quiet on me. I want to know how badly this gets to you, sweetheart.”

“Christ, Alex,” he mutters, feeling the command squarely between his legs.

Henry teases his slit, hissing at how sensitive the flesh is. He lets out a moan unabashedly as he trembles.

“Good. Just like that,” Alex whispers and Henry has no clue how the power dynamic has shifted, but he feels so desperate to keep hearing Alex talk to him like this.

He can see the moment it fully clicks too in Alex’s eyes. That wicked smirk Henry has been obsessed with since day one makes its way onto Alex’s lips.

“You like that, don’t you? Being good for me? Putting on a show only I can see?”

Henry gasps, his hand moving faster along his shaft. His throat feels dry, his heart racing, but he doesn’t let up for even a second. He nods obediently and whimpers in response.

“Yeah, I can tell you do,” Alex continues, rubbing Henry’s thighs again.

A keening noise slips from Henry’s lips.

“You like being all mine. Having me watch you. It drives you crazy, doesn’t it? I bet you want me to touch you. But I know you can continue being good for me. I know you can get yourself there. Go ahead. Show me how good you can be, sweetheart.”

Alex’s hands find their way to his ass and grip Henry tightly. Henry arches his back and cries out, his hips rolling once more, cock leaking. He encircles his tip with his thumb, staring into Alex’s hungry eyes as his palm slides up and down his throbbing shaft.

“I’m so close,” Henry pants.

“I know. Let it out. You’ve been so good. You’ve earned this. Come for me. Nice and hard, baby, right on me.”

It’s the pet name most of all that sends Henry careening off the edge. He moans Alex’s name as he comes, his body shaking with the sheer force of it.

His release paints streaks across Alex’s stomach and chest. Henry can feel his face flush seeing just how hard his orgasm hits, the rivulets of his finish thick against Alex's skin. But Alex’s darkened eyes eliminate any fear or concern that this is all too much.

Alex sits up just enough to kiss him. It’s heated and sloppy and Henry can’t get enough of it. He strokes Alex’s cheek as they kiss, moaning into the man’s mouth. It takes every bit of his willpower to pull away.

“Maybe we should add that to the syllabus?” Alex says. “We kinda slipped into new territory there with dirty talk at the end. Are you okay? I’m sorry if I went too far.”

Henry leans in and kisses Alex twice. “Not in the least,” he assures.

“We’ll call that extra credit, but yes. We can cover that down the line if you want, but I’m telling you right now, you don’t actually need instruction there. As you saw firsthand, it’s another thing I enjoy and you’re damn good at it. Scary good. Don’t be afraid to lean into that with me. It's fully encouraged.”

He smiles at Alex who looks relieved. Henry kisses his cheek. He looks down at the complete mess of their bodies, perhaps more aroused than he ought to be at the sight.

“Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

“Let’s get us cleaned up. Shower with me? I wouldn’t say no to round two in there,” Alex says, wiggling his brows.

Henry shakes his head in disbelief.

“It’s going to be a long night, isn’t it?”

Alex searches his eyes, his head tipping to the side, his curls falling over his eyes. It’s far more adorable than a scenario like this should be, but it makes Henry weak; he knows he can’t resist Alex when the man looks like this. He suspects Alex is aware too as his perfect mouth curls into a smirk and he replies.

“Yeah, but I promise, you’re going to love every second of it.”

~*~*~

Memphis, TN Comic and Fantasy Convention Day 1

“How far are you into the show?” Alex as he sits cross-legged on his hotel bed.

Henry sits at the desk in Alex’s room with his laptop out, taking advantage of the fact that they’re still wired from traveling. They arrived in Memphis a mere four hours ago ahead of tomorrow’s convention. It only gave them enough time to grab a bite and scrub the smell and germs of the airport and Uber off themselves before checking in.

The pace at which Alex hops on flights and gets settled into new cities is mind-boggling, but Henry is grateful that at least this time around, they’re actually in the same time zone from the last city they were in.

He has to admit, it is exciting. But he can’t help but to wonder what it would be like doing this alone like Alex ordinarily does.

He makes a note to himself in his document to ask Alex about that at some point.

“Just started series three,” Henry says. “I’ve been live texting Pez. Rather, he’s been ambushing me with messages, asking after my progress. He still can’t believe I’m touring with you. Crescent Valley was so major to him when we were at school. He’d beg me to watch, but I never did and somehow I managed to miss one of the greatest cultural phenomenons of our generation.”

Alex smiles. “You ever think about how differently that night in New York would have gone had you known who I was?”

Henry pauses and considers how to answer. After getting the shock of his life in going to that lunch and finding himself seated with none other than the man he’d slept with the night before who, on top of that, turned out to be a celebrity was (and still remained) hard to fully wrap his mind around.

Henry’s simply glad for the fact that he and Alex have been able to make the most of it, to actually become friends despite the rocky start.

“I have. But I think I prefer the course it actually took. Makes for a more compelling story,” he says.

Henry falters for a moment.

“If I had recognized you though, do you think you would have still gone through with it all?”

Alex smiles thoughtfully. “It wouldn’t have changed how I felt…or what I wanted with you. I wouldn’t have been able to resist.”

Henry searches his eyes and feels his heart beat a little faster at Alex’s candor as he tries not to think too heavily on the implications of Alex’s words. Whatever the risk might have been, Alex deemed him worth it.

He licks his lips and forces himself to look away, to break the spell of Alex’s eyes.

“Let’s talk about the early days of your career,” Henry says, grabbing his phone and opening the voice app to record.

“According to your Wiki page, you got your start doing commercials as a child in Austin. Is that true?” Henry asks.

“As you can imagine after looking at me now, I was freaking adorable as a kid. I think I had too much personality and energy to contain inside the house without driving my family crazy. I’ve always felt comfortable in front of people and playing pretend. It seemed like a natural fit. I could lose myself in a role. During the times my parents’ fights got to be too loud, I’d just go into the backyard and dream up another life for myself time and time again.”

Alex shifts on the bed, grabbing a pillow and dropping it into his lap.

“I booked a few local spots and moved on to theater. That opened up a whole new avenue and I think that’s when I fully realized just how much I loved inhabiting a character and getting to work off other people’s energy. With commercials, it was a few lines here and there. You’d film that one day, maybe two depending on the situation and then you’d move on. But with the stage, I got to live and breathe those characters on a daily basis. It was straight up magic.”

Henry smiles.

“What prompted you to then find a bigger stage? A life in California doing television and film?”

Alex mulls it over for a moment.

“I started to feel like a big fish in a little pond. And I don’t mean to sound like an asshole, like theater was somehow beneath me or something. I’ll always love stagework and honestly, I’d love to return to it someday. I just…felt a calling elsewhere at that time as I got older. I felt myself being pulled out there.”

Alex grows quiet for a moment as he travels back in his memories.

“It was an open call for Crescent Valley,” Alex says. “Looking back on it, I honestly still can’t believe that from the thousands of guys who auditioned, they saw something unique in me to say, ‘yeah, that’s who this show needs in this role’. I’ve never been one to believe in fate and all that stuff, but when something life-changing like this happens to you, it’s kinda hard to rule it out completely.”

Henry smiles to himself. The action must not go unnoticed.

“What?” Alex asks.

Henry looks at him and shrugs.

“Nothing. It’s interesting hearing you talk sometimes. You’re a bit of a romantic.”

Alex seems to consider this for a moment.

“Certain things bring it out of me.”

Henry wonders if the same could be said about people.

Henry gets them back on track and he digs further into asking questions about Alex’s career, his foray into film as well. Alex is such a great conversationalist, his stories always laced with humor and interesting asides. It makes Henry all the more excited about working deeper on the preliminary pages and delving further with his voice for these segments.

They talk for another hour but it hardly feels laborious or tiring. It hardly even feels like work at all. Ultimately Henry puts a pin in their talk when he notes the hour. It’s creeping close to midnight and Alex has an early morning phone interview ahead of the con and Henry wants to work on transcribing this conversation.

“Calling it a night so soon?” Alex says, as if he doesn’t have a busy day ahead of himself.

Henry laughs and swivels around to look at him. Alex is still seated on the bed, but his arms are outstretched behind him. It’s a casual pose, though something in his eyes betrays the effect.

“Do I sense the next item on the syllabus coming to the forefront with mere minutes to spare before a brand new day?”

Henry has the document cemented in his mind. He knows exactly what lesson is next.

Oral.

Alex shrugs. “I’m not tired. Are you?”

Henry can’t resist taking the bait. He can pull an all-nighter after this.

“I’ll defer to you. How would you like the practical to go?”

Alex smiles, his expression a bit thoughtful.

“In Minnesota, you were incredible. Bold even,” he continues. “I’ve been wanting to put into practice the things you did to me and I’d love to figure out what makes you tick too.”

Henry is certain his face is red. He can feel warmth flood his cheeks, curious as to how often Alex allows himself to picture it.

“If that’s what you want, then yes.”

Alex looks at him, shaking his head slightly.

“Is it something you’d want?” Alex counters, moving the pillow off of himself.

Henry mirrors his stare.

“Of course,” he says, seeing little use in pretending otherwise.

“Then let me hear you say it plainly. I won’t lay a single finger on you unless I know you want it too.”

Henry’s heart races, beats right up to his throat. He keeps his face as neutral as he can as he speaks though, inside, his mind is a riot.

“I want you on your knees for me, Alex. I want you to taste me.”

Alex breathes a little heavier but he doesn’t say a word as he gets up and crosses the small space between them to where Henry sits at the desk. He settles on Henry’s lap and immediately Henry feels his own cock stiffen in response. Alex’s confidence is extremely attractive. His body can’t help but to react to it.

“I know how much you like the buildup,” Alex says quietly, running a hand slowly up under Henry’s shirt, his palm skimming his bare skin.

Henry shivers. Alex merely smirks.

“I’ll give you what you want. I’ll take my time with you.”

He leans in and kisses Henry, his mouth inviting and all too familiar. Henry feels his body relax further as they kiss. Alex’s thumb rubs against his nipple and Henry trembles in response. He can feel Alex smiling once more against his lips before doing it again on the other side. Henry can feel the delicate skin grow harder, among other things.

From his position on his lap, Henry knows Alex can feel it too.

Alex’s touch is feather-light as his hand brushes Henry between his legs for the briefest of seconds. It’s downright tortuous, but Henry wouldn’t have it any other way. He kisses Alex with renewed vigor, his right hand slipping into the man’s hair and pulling him closer. He opens his mouth to Alex, letting their tongues meet. Alex’s hand slips under Henry’s shirt once more, fingernails scratching teasingly down across his skin. Henry’s hips jerk forward on their own accord.

Alex has learned what he likes so well now, keeping up his promise from before and not rushing matters. Henry deepens the kiss, moaning deeply as his fingers continue curling in Alex’s hair and his tongue ensnares Alex’s.

Henry craves more and Alex seems to understand as he grinds down on him. Henry is almost unbearably hard.

Alex pulls away slowly just then and settles down on his knees, peering right up at Henry through his lashes all the while.

Henry shakes his head in disbelief of how gorgeous Alex looks. There’s something sweet yet tantalizing in his gaze. It completely wrecks Henry already.

Alex undoes Henry’s jeans and slips his cock out. His face feels hot Alex takes a hold of him and licks a languid strip up the underside from root to tip.

“Alex,” Henry gasps, clutching the arms of the chair.

He hadn’t been expecting this level of assurance from him right out the gate. Henry doesn’t think he will need to guide Alex much—if at all— through this lesson if he’s hitting the ground running like this.

Alex’s face is the picture of innocence, as if he has no clue the kind of frenzy he’s causing to flare up inside Henry now. He repeats the move and Henry thinks he’s prepared for it, but he’s quickly thrown off in the best way as Alex’s lips wrap around the head of his cock and he begins to suck.

Henry’s knuckles turn even whiter as he grips the chair tighter still as he studies the way Alex’s pretty mouth looks wrapped around him.

“Someone’s been doing some studying on the side I see,” he manages to say, his voice wavering.

Alex smirks and it’s so unbelievably sexy to see the mischievous sparkle in his eyes. He slips Henry out of his mouth.

“Oh, you do not want to see my browser history,” he says before taking him in again.

Henry sucks in a breath. “Actually, I think I would rather enjoy a peek at that.”

Alex laughs before sobering up and focusing his attention once more. He pumps his hand along the hilt of Henry’s cock as his tongue swirls around the head. Henry feels overstimulated in a good way, his whole body buzzing as Alex works him over.

Alex plants his left hand on Henry’s thigh and takes in more of his length a bit quickly.

“Nice and slow, darling,” Henry gently reminds him. “You’re doing so well,” he continues, running his fingers through Alex’s curls.

Alex slows his pace again and sets a rhythm as his head angles this way and that way, moaning deeply as he sucks Henry off.

“There you go,” Henry says softly, cock throbbing at the attention to it. “It’s like your mouth was made just for me.”

Alex glances up at him, eyelashes casting shadows against his sharp cheekbones. Henry can barely handle the sight of his perfect full lips wrapped around his cock. It takes everything in Henry not to thrust forward and fuck into the wet heat of his mouth. It’s a close thing as Alex blinks prettily and takes him in just a bit more, clearly testing his own limits.

Alex’s tongue is relentless, snaking around his length with ease. Henry murmurs continued praise, his body feeling limp as Alex tends to him.

After a moment, Alex slips off of him, but his hand is right there without missing a beat, jerking him off as his tongue laps against one of his balls.

Henry jerks forward involuntarily. Alex peers up at him, a question in his eyes. Henry merely brushes his curls off his forehead.

“Keep going, love. That feels amazing.”

Alex nods once and licks again before popping one of his balls into his mouth. Henry groans, grip tightening on Alex’s curls as he gently rolling his hips. Alex gives the same treatment to his other ball before getting his glorious mouth back on Henry’s cock.

Henry shudders feeling Alex’s tongue run along his shaft once more. He feels like he could just about explode.

“Alex, I’m not going to last much longer,” he warns, the pressure in the pit of his stomach reaching a fever pitch.

Alex doesn’t break his stride, not even a little. It’s almost as if he hasn’t heard Henry at all. His head bobs as he sucks him off, his tongue brushing here and there. The combination feels so good, Henry can only surrender to it further.

“Alex,” he cautions again more firmly, but the man doesn’t relent. He merely locks eyes with Henry and slackens his jaw a little as he kneads Henry’s balls.

Henry bites back on his lower lip at Alex’s tightening grip, his tongue pressing a sensitive spot just under the head of his cock and Henry loses it instantly.

His body shudders as he comes, a soft laugh falling from his lips. His instinct is to close his eyes and ride it out, but he refuses to deprive himself of the sight of Alex nestled between his legs, dutifully taking him, tasting him as requested.

The sight is downright obscene. Alex swallows down what he can, but his mouth is a mess as Henry’s release drips down from the corners. He can’t look away, especially with how Alex smirks and stares back almost defiantly.

Henry takes a breath as he comes back down to earth.

Alex merely wipes at his lips and chin with the back of his hand.

“Come here,” Henry says, his voice completely shot as he pats his leg twice.

Alex gets to his feet shakily and perches in Henry’s lap again. He looks to Henry expectantly, searching his eyes.

Henry cups his face, eyes drifting to Alex’s mouth.

“Was that okay? Should I have done anything differently?” Alex asks, wrapping an arm around Henry’s shoulders.

Henry leans in and kisses him deeply, tasting himself on Alex’s tongue as he explores his mouth. It only drives him madder. Alex gets his fingers in his hair, kissing him back roughly.

“I guess I was pretty decent then if you’ve got no compliments, huh?” Alex remarks in between kisses.

Henry laughs in spite of himself.

“You’re an absolute menace. Did you know that?”

“I’m sure I have no idea what you mean. I’m a goddamn saint.”

Henry rolls his eyes and kisses the tip of Alex’s nose.

“Shall I get you off?” he asks. “You must be like a rock right now.”

Alex smiles. “It’s nothing I can’t handle in the shower.”

Henry makes a wounded sound in the back of his throat at the mental image.

Alex cackles and kisses him, taking a hold of Henry’s hand and slipping it into his pants. Henry shivers as he grasps him.

It’s just as he suspected. He’s so hard and wet, Henry knows it won’t take much to get Alex to finish. He brushes his thumb back and forth along the man’s shaft. Alex’s eyes flutter at the sensation. He hums softly, lightly combing his fingers through the hair at the back of Henry’s head.

“I mean, I guess you could do it for me. That wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world,” he muses.

Henry laughs and kisses him again, stroking his cock in earnest as they get lost in each other. He can’t get enough of the way Alex responds to him, hips jerking forward, moans pouring from his mouth, goosebumps blooming on his skin all because of him.

Surely, he thinks, they both have lost their minds for getting tangled up in this arrangement. But Henry is so grateful for it. Once upon a time, he used to be the most straight-laced individual in the world. Now that he knows this life of recklessness, he’s not entirely sure he could ever go back completely.

Henry breaks their kiss and begins sucking on Alex’s clavicle.

Alex all out fucks into his fist, soft grunts emitting from him. Henry is obsessed with it all. He bites down on Alex’s collarbone and sucks harder, letting the tip of his tongue skim along the spot he’s bitten.

Alex moans his name and Henry quickens his speed against his shaft, tightening his grip as Alex bucks forward over and over again until his breath catches. He goes flying over the edge and Henry diligently helps him through the aftershocks, kissing up to his neck, along his jawline, and back to his lips.

“Dammit, Henry,” Alex hisses against his mouth, taking a few heavy breaths. “I can’t get enough of you.”

Henry rests his forehead on Alex’s and pecks his lips once.

“Darling, there’s no limit. You can have it all.”

#rwrb fic #red white and royal blue #firstprince #henry fox mountchristen windsor #alex claremont diaz #userthai #tusersonia #tuserpaige #usernicholas #usersteen #tusersilence #userjamiec #lookstevie #kimmy writes

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pil0ttay · 4 months

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henry winter fan cast

#thoughts and opinions please #henry winter would say brain blast #the secret history #donna tartt #tsh #henry winter #fancast #dark academia

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fletchervanhall · 27 days

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Birthday Special | Flavier

Featuring: Xavier Mitchell, Fletcher Van Hall w/ Drew Van Hall, Winter Mitchell, Henry Mitchell and mentions of others Time Frame: Evening/Nighttime, July 26, 2024 Location: Various locations in SF, ending at the Van Hall home Notes: Flavier and the family celebrate Fletcher's birthday in a very special way! @xaviernottheprofessor

XAVIER

He had made it through four weeks of recovery and Xavier had started to finally feel more like himself. His short term memory was improving thanks to his therapists and he even felt stronger. Still, he had a couple of weeks to go before he was cleared for any type of strenuous activity but for now, he would take what he could get. His week started off energetic. Xavier even ran errands in his free time. On Tuesday, he went on a special errand to pick up the ring he had chosen for Fletcher. He had gone back and forth a few times and had to be incredibly secretive about it. He wanted to surprise Fletcher and the family at dinner and he hoped that he would.

He held himself up with his cane as he adjusted his belt and sighed when it was too difficult to do so he called Fletcher as he checked the rest of his outfit in the mirror. The ring was in its box in his jacket. Surely, the theater would be cold.

“Baby, can you help me with this? Sorry, I’m struggling.” He looked up at him and smiled. “You look nice.” Fletcher always looked handsome to Xavier and this past month, having his support and encouragement for rehabilitation has been so important to him. “I told the family we will come and pick them up for dinner after the movie. Drew seems up for it so that’ll be nice to get him out of the house for tonight.” He spritzed some cologne on. “Are you excited ?”

FLETCHER

Fletcher was in the bathroom, fixing his hair and trimming his already short beard. He'd brushed the clipped hair from his face into the sink, and then rinsed all of it down the drain before pulling his dress shirt on and buttoning it up. After the past month of keeping extra company with his fiancé at home and helping him get to and from therapy appointments, he was looking forward to them going out on a date, and knowing that Xavier was truly up for it.

Walking back into the bedroom for his sport coat, he heard Xavier's request and smiled a bit. "Of course I can. Don't apologize for asking me for help, alright?" He pecked Xavier's lips and threaded the leather through the belt loops before buckling it into place. "How's that?" He stepped back, "You look handsome by the way. Always wearing the hell out of everything." With a slight smirk, he neared Xavier again and pecked his lips and then moved to put his sport coat on, leaving the lone button undone. "Sounds good. It feels weird to get this dressed up for the movies. I know it's really for the fancy dinner after but still. I'm looking forward to it though. What about you?"

XAVIER

“Thank you.” He smiled at Fletcher and took one last look in the mirror. “That’s perfect and you’re biased.” He chuckled, kissing him back and then sliding his jacket on. “But also it’s a premiere so we won’t look too out of place. I hope you get to see Ryan or Hugh even from afar.” Learning that this was Fletcher’s first premiere made him even more excited. There would be no red carpet for them. They’d be going as fans but he knew the cast would be there. “I’m excited to celebrate you. Besides it was Winter’s idea to do a Michelin star restaurant for your birthday and you know I’m all about week long celebrations especially when it comes to my man.” He held on to his cane, stepping up to Fletcher and wrapped an arm around him before resting his head against his chest. “And I know I don’t have to but thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” He had discussed with his therapist how this could have ended differently for him, his children, Fletcher, and the people he loved. It was a huge reflection that had been weighing on him. Enough for Xavier to draft a living will. “I love you.” He kissed Fletcher’s chest and smiled before looking up at him.

“I’m also super excited about the fan event because surely we will get a bunch of DP swag.” Slowly, he pulled away and grabbed the car keys off the dresser before tossing them to Fletcher. Lately it felt like Xavier belonged in the Van Hall home and it had become his and his kid’s home too. They had made it all work and Winter and Henry were happy to be spending time with everyone. He could tell they didn’t want it to end and didn’t want to go back home but perhaps with the question Xavier was going to share with everyone tonight, things wouldn’t have to change too drastically. He was caught in his thoughts and he took a deep breath as the nerves took over. “little nervous now, yeah? Seeing some colleagues that haven’t seen me in a while. I just wanna spend it all with you tonight and our family later though” He chuckled and began walking toward the steps, fully aware of the fib he had dropped. Xavier was nervous but for other pressing reasons.

FLETCHER

"Excuse you. I own my bias but this isn't one of them. Have you seen what the stans on the internets have said? I know you have, oe that Tanya's told you." Fletcher knew Xavier was right about it being a premiere and he had seen the way people dressed for it. Celebrities and others involved in the film usually dressed up in more formal attire while fans would wear costumes and cosplay.

"I think she just wanted to see me in a monkey suit," he jokingly accused. "But thank you for this. It's nice celebrating with you and the family." His arm delicately came around Xavier, only for him to move it down to his waist. "You're right, you don't have to thank me. I love you and I'm gonna be your husband. Even if I wasn't, I love you and that's enough."

He smiled a bit, "Oh yeah? I'll have to get some kind of shelving for all things Deadpool that I've got. Put the non-wearable stuff on display like trophies." As he double-checked his pockets for his wallet and phone, he lifted a hand in time to catch the keys. The ease of the routine he and Xavier had fallen into was a pleasant one for him. He loved the life they were building together and only hoped it would get better from here. As he held the keys in one hand, Fletcher prepared to walk out of the room just behind Xavier, sliding his feet into the loafers he'd paired with his outfit. "It’s probably a little nerve-wracking for you but other than maybe one fading scar and your latest fashion accessory," he gestured to the cane, "You don't have a lot of physical things to draw unusual attention. But the family time afterwards is gonna be great. We'll probably have multiple forks and spoons set at each chair at the restaurant, huh?" He chuckled as well, taking the stairs just behind Xavier as he'd been doing all throughout his recovery. Whether he fell forward or stumbled backward, Fletcher would be there to catch him.

XAVIER

“Lord, those fan made videos get me feeling all mortified.” He grinned. “But I’m glad Tanya has shown me the crazies that are out there.” He shuddered but then recovered with a smile. He was glad that Fletcher was looking forward to the dinner even if it was at a fancy place. He would have done it at the diner they all loved too but he figured it would be a nice touch. He knew that his fiance appreciated an act of service that wasn’t over the top and that wasn’t the point of tonight. He was still going to celebrate Fletcher’s birthday early and he was going to ask him to marry him in front of their family. It was the way it should have been. “I love you too.” Thinking how easy it all felt, Xavier knew that he had no regrets in this giant decision he had made with Fletcher.

“Shelving isn’t such a bad idea actually. Maybe you can do something for your office too.” Xavier began walking out and feeling Fletcher linger closely made him feel safe. “Most likely but don’t ask me what each one is for. We can google it.” Even thought his celebrity status had been growing, you couldn’t take the South London out of him. “The food is out of this world though. I can’t wait for you try literally everything if you want I don’t care, tonight we all feast.” He made it to the bottom of the stairs and waved at Henry who was playing with Phoebe while Winter and Drew read together. “Alright. Drew, as always is in charge. Reservations are at 7 so we will be here around 6:30 to pick everyone up. Love you guys!”

Xavier smiled at his daughter when she looked up and at Drew as well. Phoebe was too entertained by Henry who was singing and dancing for her with her baby karaoke machine. “Phoebe’s definitely your number one fan.” He then looked over his shoulder at Fletcher as if telling him their family was the best.

FLETCHER

"You mean that finishing school isn't an automatic requirement when possessing a British accent that's not Cockney or Yorkshire?" Fletcher joked, while being familiar with a few of the varied accents across the pond. "Damn, and here I was, counting on you to give me a crash course after the movie." He grinned and then raised his brow a bit, "What kind of cuisine's at this place?" He wondered, realizing he'd meant to Google and see if he could skim the menu but had forgotten to do so before.

When they cleared the bottom of the stairs and reached the living room entryway, Fletcher took in the scene too and nodded in agreement with Xavier's parting words to the kids. "What he said," was all he added along with a wink to his uncle and the kids. Drew made a joke about throwing a 2-hour house party while they were gone and Fletcher snorted and rolled his eyes, playing into the joke, "As long as you clean up before we're back and no one breaks anything." Hed loved the sight before them and met Xavier's silent communication with a gentle smile before slipping past his fiancé to get the door for him.

He walked with Xavier put the door and to the driveway, unlocking the SUV with the fob. At the passenger door, he opened it and stayed there until Xavier was comfortably seated. After shutting the door and making his way to the driver's seat, he started up the car and backed out so they could head to their destination. On the way, he asked, "Hey, what do you think about some sort of guest house in the backyard? There's a shit ton of room without messing with Drew's garden. And once we get Lieu, he'd still have plenty of room to run around or go to the bathroom. Which means Phoebe would still have room to play back there when she's a little older."

XAVIER

"Uh, no. My mum and dad are really good about that stuff I just never paid attention like why do I need to know this? Who's laughing now, huh?" He grinned. "I think we can both learn on the way there and surprise the hell out of everyone at how charming and refined we are." Xavier chuckled. "It's Mexican. I know it's your favorite and the place has two Michelin stars so you'll fall in love with everything." Even though they all spent time together at home, it was nice to do something out with everyone.

Xavier laughed at Drew's joke and they both walked out as their older kids whistled at them. "Great suits!" He could hear Winter yell out and Henry giggle from the other side of the door. "Maybe you're right on Winter's diabolical plan to see you in a suit." He climbed into the SUV, grateful for his fiance's assistance, and immediately turned on the Car Play to start some music linked to his Spotify. He waited for Fletcher to get in the car and tapped his jacket pocket to make sure the ring box was still there.

Xavier put the theater address into the GPS for Fletcher and then sat back. "A guest house? That sounds like a nice idea. What are you thinking? How many bedrooms? There's definitely room back there. I know some great people who do really good work. I can look into them for you. There's even space for a little playhouse for Phoebe. We can get her a swing set or a slide or something. That yard is pretty massive." Xavier had a lot of thoughts when it came to their living situation but he didn't want to impose on Drew's property. He had even thought about the prospects of everyone moving into his home but he could tell the kids loved the Van Hall home and Xavier didn't want to take Drew away from what he knows and loves. "Is this because of us?"

FLETCHER

"I totally thought that knowing fork placements was required," Fletcher joked with a smile. "Yes, we'll show up with an expert level of which one's the salad fork and which one's the dinner fork. That's all I know for fork names." Hearing that they were going to a Michelin star Mexican restaurant certainly piqued his interest. "Fancy Mexican food sounds like a good time. Thanks, sugar. And I'll be sure to thank Winter too, later."

Hearing Xavier agree about Winter's plan, Fletcher kept the joke up by answering in feigned seriousness, "I'm telling you, she wants to turn me into a regular dapper Dan. I didn't realize I had so many sweat pants haters in my life. Jesus." When he got into the car and heard the music Xavier chose, his interest always honed in to see what sort of music Xavier was going to have them listening to, since he knew his fiancé's taste varied more than his typically did. "Thanks," he said of Xavier plugging in the directions. And after posing the question about a guest house he listened to the questions and thoughts his fiancé had about the idea ofa guest house and then responded. "I wasn't thinking about anything too big or too elaborate. Just something like a studio space with maybe a sink and toilet. Maybe not even that and just somewhere decent and comfortable to be able to sleep since there'd be plumbing to consider. A playhouse for Phoebe would be great too, and I'd been thinking about a swing set for when she's a little older. Maybe when she's two." He agreed about the yard space and at Xavier's last question he smirked a little. "Yeah. I already talked about it with Drew. I'm glad Henry and Winter have been alright with the space in the house as it is but long term, I can't imagine the both of them wouldn't want their own space when they're here. And... whenever we do marry, or even before then, I can't see us keeping this up with going back and forth between homes on a permanent basis."

He glanced Xavier's way and then back to the road. "I know your place is already big enough to accommodate all of us without any construction but... if you and the kids are open to it, we'd love you guys to move into Drew's house. Permanently. The studio space was something I thought Winter might like, as she's getting older and all. And if she doesn't like that idea or feels like she'd be to separated from everybody else, we can figure something else out. Maybe talk with Drew about a way to expand on the ground floor to add a room or two. It's something he and I have talked about before, when he got his diagnosis so I'm sure it's doable." Reaching across the center panel for Xavier's hand, he said, "Ultimately, I just want us to do whatever's gonna be best for our whole family."

XAVIER

"Guess I'm not fancy enough." He smirked right back at Fletcher and then laughed at his words. "That's like two forks more than I know." Xavier was feeling less nervous now that they were on their way to watch the movie. It felt like there was less time left now and that in no time, he'd be asking Fletcher formally to marry him in front of the most important people in his life. "You're welcome! Can't go wrong with Mexican."

He started by playing some old-school Linkin Park knowing that Fletcher not only loved them but that they'd be a great vibe for the ride to see Deadpool. "Some R&B might cut in between songs because your boy is versatile like that." He grinned and continued listening to Fletcher's ideas regarding a guest house. He nodded as he listened, picturing the ideas that were being mentioned. "I love the idea of a studio for Winter. I think she'd really appreciate that now that she's getting older. like you said." He agreed that moving back and forth would eventually make little to no sense and now that Xavier had spent a month recovering at the Van Hall home, it felt more like home than his own house did. Xavier took Fletcher's hand and squeezed it, smiling at him as he heard what he had added.

"I think and this is definitely a shared sentiment, that we'd love to move in permanently and we can figure out logistics. A guest house sounds like the most ideal. I can help with all of that and I'll put the house up for sale. The money I get from that can be separated for the kid's college funds. Phoebe, Henry, and Winter and we can use some of it towards construction." Xavier had been able to pay off his home pretty quickly and even though the purchase was made only a couple of years ago, the market was asking for double now. He saw it as an investment. "I want what's best for them too and I want Drew to stay in his home and we'll really make a home out of it. The six of us. Drew's excited?"

FLETCHER

"The accent makes up for it," Fletcher quipped with a grin. And his toothy smile lingered for a little bit longer. Hearing the type of cuisine that would be at dinner had him looking forward to it a little more than before--not that he had been dreading it but the thoughtfulness of it being his favorite cuisine upped his interest.

When he heard the familiar opening to Linkin Park's "Faint", he lightly drummed on the steering wheel as he drove. "Mhm, I know it. And you know I don't mind." He enjoyed the music as background noise while he and Xavier discussed expanding the house and the idea of all of them living together in one home permanently. Xavier's swift decisiveness on what to do with his own home and the sales earnings made Fletcher's brows raise. "You're always so sure of yourself and what you want. Or who you want," he added with a knowing smile. Taking hold of Xavier's hand, he carefully brought it to his lips while leaning over a bit to press them to his knuckles. "Would you consider making it a rental or an Air BnB? Or are you pretty set on selling it?" Fletcher would support whatever decision Xavier made but he knew that there was a big sacrifice being made and wanted to be sure his fiancé was considering all options. He gently squeezed the younger man's hand and then said, "Yeah. I mean you know Drew is pretty even-keeled but he loves you and the kids, and he knows that being more settled with where he lived as he gets older and things progress with his Parkinson's is better for him."

XAVIER

"Well, thank God for that." Xavier snickered, enjoying the back and forth and the fact that he was feeling 100 himself now even if physically he still needed some help. It was nice to be able to participate in some banter with his fiance again and to joke around and feel like he wasn't missing the butt of the joke. It was nice to be able to plan a special dinner, speak to point people, remember instructions and hopefully execute this long-awaited mission (long for Xavier).

He smiled at Fletcher's words and it wasn't like he had the realization in that moment but the reminder of how different they both were and yet worked so well together was a nice one. He couldn't help but laugh a little at Fletcher telling him he was always so sure of himself and his decisions. "I try to live that 'no regrets' kind of life and if I want something, I'm going to get it. Within reason of course. If you would have pushed me away at that auction, this might have gone a little differently but I wouldn't have given up without a little fight." He knew he probably came on strong to Fletcher that first night but again, he had no regrets. He basked in Fletcher's little gestures and sighed happily. Nodding at the suggestion of renting his home or making it an Air BnB, Xavier hadn't really thought about that. "You know, that actually isn't such a bad idea. We'd probably make a decent investment on Air BnB alone. It'll be an extra income and we'd still make money to put away for the kids. Would you join me in that kind of business? That's a really great idea, baby." Xavier smiled upon hearing about Drew and felt confident and happy in the decision to move into Drew's home instead of moving somewhere different or to his home. "I want him to be happy and always surrounded by the people that love him. And I just want to be with you, it doesn't matter where but staying at Drew's house is special. Feels very familial."

FLETCHER

"We all have our redeeming qualities," he joked. Fletcher chuckled along with Xavier, loving their silly banter. He was happy to not only see but hear so many smiles and laughs from his fiancé, sure that the injuries to his ribs hadn't made it easy for him during the past month.

Listening to Xavier, his lips tugged into a small smile as he replied. "I know. I learned that pretty quickly about you earlier this year. But I don't remember you really fighting so much as you being vocal about what you want, sooner than I've been throughout our relationship." He glanced Xavier's way and then back to the traffic. "And thanks to you, we've had a lot of movement between us this year." It wasn't an accusation or condemnation, but merely a matter of fact.

He was glad that Xavier was on board with all of them living at his uncle's house and expanding to accommodate all of them. And hearing Xavier consider the possibility of not completely giving up his home had been nice. "If you're on board with it, I'll be glad to go into that kind of business with you. I can be a crotchety landlord to collect the rent or handle any air bnb complainers." He'd been mostly joking and knew a lot about managing a business from running The Ink Tank, but given Xavier's fame, it probably would be better if Fletcher was the one to handle anything in-person. Hearing Xavier talk about his wants and him being thoughtful of Drew. "And this is why you are my sweetheart. And my sugar. God, I love you."

When they neared the theatre where the movie was premiering, Fletcher could see how traffic was being directed. He followed the signs and the people monitoring the cars and limos until they were brought to a valet. Fletcher got out, handing over the key fob in exchange for a ticket, and then he walked around to get the door for Xavier. He pocketed the ticket and, upon opening the passenger door offered his hand to his fiancé. "Ready to lead me through my first premiere?"

XAVIER

Xavier smirked at Fletcher's quip, feeling incredibly secure about the big steps they were taking in their lives together. The shift was tremendous and they had families to move around with them but they were making it work and it was beautiful. "I mean, I kinda just popped in and took over your life so..." Xavier smiled and bit his lip. "Thanks for letting me." The words were heavier than they were meant to be. Xavier, being the romantic he was, struggled with finding someone who aligned with his desires and meshed with his personality. The only person he would have considered treated him terribly. Somehow he had been lucky enough to find someone who let him love him back and considering how much love Xavier had to give, it was fulfilling. "We're a team. Don't forget it."

"I want you to really own this crotchety landlord schtick. Walk in with a cigar between your teeth, a bucket fisherman's hat, and a tool belt or something. Wait, that's kinda hot. Dammit!" Xavier laughed as they both discussed the potential. Keeping the house made sense. Xavier was grateful for the suggestion. "I think you'd be perfect for that though. Going into business with you, moving in with you, all these major changes. I really like how it all sounds. So exciting." X sighed softly and then added, "I love you too."

He took Fletcher's hand and climbed out of the car with a lot more ease now that he felt a lot better. "I am so ready. We're getting swag first. I want those popcorn buckets and then some blokes will probably lead us down the red carpet but it won't be anything flashy. They're all here for Ryan and Hugh and the gang. They might take a photo or two and then Ben Barnes is gonna have to give up the whole being my boyfriend charade" Xavier explained with a grinned and held his fiance's hand. "Then we get to enjoy the movie in 3D Imax and get bragging rights to everyone tonight."

Xavier waved at a few people he had recognized and even signed a couple of autographs as he walked with Fletcher. It was an organized crowd and everyone looked amazing. He really hoped for the opportunity had had asked a friend for as a favor and after some more photographs and after they had gotten to concessions, he felt a hand on his shoulder and there was the surprise he had gotten together for Fletcher. "Oh! Hey mate! Ah, we're so excited to see the movie. This is my fiance. Fletcher. He's really excited to meet you both." And there they were. Hugh and Ryan their hands extended for Fletcher to shake and Xavier was grinning ear to ear, squeezing the top of his cane from excitement.(edited)

FLETCHER

"That's a fun summary of how things went down between us," Fletcher mused with another smirk. And the next works that left Xavier's mouth had him touched. He gave Xavier's hand another loving squeeze and told him, "I'd do it again, every time." There was nothing about their relationship that Fletcher would do differently. They complimented each other beautifully and loved each other and their family deeply. "Like I'd ever," he replied about not forgetting that they were a team. But he soon ended up laughing when Xavier leaned into his joke as a landlord. "There's nothing hot about me in a bucket hat. You sure you're feeling alright tonight?" He playfully slipped his hand from Xavier's long enough to place the back of his hand to his fiancé's forehead. And then he resumed holding his hand again. "We don't have to rush it. You're right about this being major changes, and we'll have to get the add-on to the house before renting out yours or making it an air bnb. And we have the service dog coming soon. And eventually a wedding to plan and tell everyone about." Yeah. They were going to busy for a while.

As he supported Xavier through his exit from the car, Fletcher listened to his fiancé. He grinned and said, "So the cast will be here for this?" He knew there were premieres happening all over the country and had no idea how all of it went. He walked beside Xavier while paying attention in preparation to follow his lead. He'd let his hand go whenever Xavier was asked to sign something or take a photo with someone. And when they were asked to be photographed together, Fletcher wrapped an arm around his back and bore a relaxed expression to the photographers.

As he bent to adjust his shoe lace, he heard Xavier talking to someone nearby. Fletcher froze for a few beats--first from hearing Xavier introduce him to someone as his fiancé for the fire time. Second, because of the 2 familiar voices that responded to Xavier. Fletcher rose to his feet, outwardly composed, returning their handshakes and telling them both, "Nice to meet you," and, "Congrats on getting this movie done. I'm looking forward to seeing it tonight." Internally was a different story. Inside, his fan boy heart was soaring over the moon on an Acme rocket. He was grateful for the quick chat and their willingness to take a picture before their handlers came up to usher the 2 movie stars along. When it was just he and Xavier again, Fletcher grinned to his fiancé and leaned in close to his ear. "That was unreal. Thank you, Sugar."

XAVIER

"Maybe. I think so? I have a feeling, yes." Xavier smirked as he gave Fletcher nothing and everything all at once when it came to asking if the cast would be there. It was nice to do this with someone he was serious about, someone he was going to spend the rest of his life with. Xavier was happy that Fletcher didn't seem too bothered about posing with him and was glad that the experience overall was easygoing. Thankful that Ryan had done this kind meet and greet and that Hugh had agreed to it as well, Xavier waited for them to leave before turning to give Fletcher his full attention. "I know. I'm trying to get my heart rate to stabilize..." he spoke with a smile on his face. "You're welcome. I owe Ryan my left kidney now but that was worth it. Let's go see a movie, yeah?" It was the first time Xavier had introduced Fletcher as his fiance, and it was a hard launch considering he kept a lot private but it had escaped his lips and it felt so natural that it just reminded him of the anticipation for their dinner and how he had meant it when he said he wanted Fletcher to be his husband. Now or someday.

The movie exceeded his expectations and most importantly, every time he glanced over to Fletcher, he seemed to be having a good time. Livin' on a Prayer was now stuck in his head and he was pretty sure he had yelled louder than most when Blade came out. "Oh my God!" He couldn't contain his excitement as they walked out of the theater and Xavier gently tugged on Fletcher's jacket sleeve. "That was so great, right? Did you like it? Did you have fun? Those seats were incredible, the energy, the crowd, the 3D, I can't believe we just experienced that." He was excited for the movie, yes but also knowing that in such a short time, they'd be sitting with their family and he'd be asking an important question again was really making Xavier feel all the feelings.

"The car should be ready in the back. How's your appetite?"

FLETCHER

Xavier's coy answer made Fletcher narrow his eyes at his fiancé for a moment but he said nothing more on the matter, knowing he'd just have to wait and see. He didn't anticipate them being there, but knew San Francisco was slowly becoming more noticed in the industry and would allow himself to be pleasantly surprised if any of the stars were there. Regardless, he knew he was in for a good night with his fiancé.

And after the brief encounter with the movie's 2 stars, Fletcher chuckled a bit from Xavier's response and then said, "I think you're oure done with surgeries and hospital stints for a long-ass time so Reynolds will have to fight me for that kidney of yours." He was happy to go into the theatre with Xavier but it wasn't until the haze of being a little starstruck faded that he played back in his mind and realized Xavier introduced him as his fiancé. He'd thought about saying something--only to ask if he'd meant to since they'd been keeping their engagement under wraps since in NYC--but he decided not to. It wasn't a problem and thinking back on it now, it'd felt nice to hear.

The movie had been everything and then some for Fletcher. From the opening credits--which were always entertaining for each Deadpool film--to the many cameos particularly in The Void, to the final fight with the multitude of Deadpool variants, all the way through the end credits and the stroll down memory road with the Century Fox X-Men. The movie was a genuine delight for him with all of the ways it entertained, didn't take itself too seriously while also held some heartfelt moments, and finally gave him and other fans Wolverine in his comic book-accurate yellow outfit in full.

Holding all their swag in one hand with the now empty popcorn buckets stacked, Fletcher left the theatre with a smile on his lips, lingering from the end credit scene and the overall good time. And when he felt the tug to his sport coat, he looked to Xavier and grinned a bit, "Hell yeah, I loved it. As soon as it's streaming or I can purchase it to rewatch at home, I'm doing it. I haven't been to the movies in a while and that was the best one to go see as a return. I only left with one question." When they reached the valet podium, Fletcher took the ticket from his pocket to hand one of the valets and waited beside Xavier for the car to be brought around. He threaded his fingers between Xavier's and lifted their hands while bending his head to kiss the younger man's knuckles. "Thank you again for this. I hope like hell I never forget tonight." It had just been fun and in addition to not having been to a movie theatre in a while and never having been to a premiere before, he couldn't remember the last time he'd gone on a date to the movies. "And my appetite's gonna be ready for dinner when we get to the restaurant. Right now, I'm full on popcorn and Dr. Pepper." He grinned a little crookedly and then, when the car was driven up for them, Fletcher opened the passenger door for Xavier and made sure he got into the seat without issue, before going around to tip the valet, climb in himself and get going.

XAVIER

The smile on Fletcher's face made all of this worth it. Xavier wanted nothing more than to always make him happy. Proud of himself for pulling off such a great premiere experience for his fiance, Xavier basked in the joy he felt after the movie. "I'm so glad you loved it and I think that's a great idea. I'd love to watch it again. Everything about it was awesome. What's the question you were left with?" Xavier waited beside Fletcher, his smile still lingering as he squeezed their joined hands. "You're welcome. I hope you never do. It's a good night." They were both on a date together, Xavier was alive and well, and Fletcher got to meet two of his heroes in person. Everything was going exactly as planned and Xavier felt those nerves creep up once more. It wasn't that he thought Fletcher would say no, it was going to be a question he'd pop in front of their families. This was going to be more intimate and it would mean a lot to both of them. Once he was in the car, Xavier felt for the ring box once again and then settled in his seat. They spent the ride reminiscing about the movie and Xavier trying to imitate Channing's cajun accent. They arrived at the house and picked up Drew and the kids and once everyone was safely in their seats, they were back on the road. "You guys all look so nice. Very sharp, Drew." As they approached Californios, Xavier glanced over to a focused Fletcher and smiled. "I have a small confession."

Once they arrived and the valet came to the window, Xavier made his admission, "Salvador called in a favor for me. He knows the chef who owns this restaurant and we got the restaurant to ourselves. It'll just be us tonight!" Xavier then looked back and winked at Winter and Henry..

"Yesss! Because I'm starving and I can't be fancy if I want to eat the way I feel." Henry confessed and then elbowed Drew. "Right, grandpa?"

Winter rolled her eyes as she helped with getting Phoebe out of the car seat to hand over to Fletcher. "He says that as if that's not his usual MO. Fancy or not, Henry wants to clear all the plates!" She jumped out and waited to help Drew along with Henry after smoothing out her dress. "But this place looks nice, dad!" She then hooked her arm into Drew's and walked beside him on one side as Henry took the other.

Xavier joined Fletcher's side and immediately went to kiss Phoebe's cheek. "Hey, munchkin." He pretended to eat her little hand and then rubbed his belly with a laugh. They were greeted once inside the restaurant and a long table had been organized for them family style. Everyone took their places with Fletcher at the head of the table, Xavier beside him, Drew next to Xavier, and the kids beside them. A high hair had been set up for Phoebe who sat between Xavier and Fletcher. A friendly waiter approached and asked the table if they wanted to start with drinks and waited for everyone to place their orders. "Happy birthday, Mr. Van Hall. Tonight we have two signature drinks for you in honor of your 41st birthday. The frozen black Margarita. served with alcohol and virgin for our younger friends. We also have the Blackberry Rum cocktail. Both are delicious!"

Xavier grinned as he waited for Fletcher and Drew to order first. He had already decided on a frozen virgin margarita and knew the kids would love that too.

FLETCHER

Fletcher was still riding the high of the premiere as they pulled away from the theatre. He listened to Xavier and when asked about the one question he was left with, Fletcher threw a hand up from the steering wheel and said, "Why was Thor crying? I need a damn answer!" The amusement was heavy in his voice but he also genuinely wanted to know. He enjoyed discussing the movie some more while heading home, recalling certain scenes and reliving their excitement over the various cameos and other surprises in the movie.

When they returned home, Fletcher oversaw his uncle into the car and buckled a slightly fussy Phoebe into her car seat. He knew she was soothed by car rides and hadn't been concerned. Sure enough, by the time they reached the restaurant, she'd been fast asleep. But his attention was pulled from the mirror resting at his daughter's rear-facing car seat to his fiancé who now had something to confess. Pulling a stern brow into an arch, Fletcher glanced Xavier's way and silently waited for said confession. And when it came tumbling out, the other brow joined its twin and raised high above the tattoo artist's eyes. "What the hell?" he spoke out of disbelief and looked around to find that there was, in fact, no one else who appeared to be currently dining at the restaurant. Hearing Henry's comment made him chuckle but he shook his head while glancing over to Xavier.

"Bingo, Henry," Drew replied to his grandson.

Fletcher continued to laugh a bit at the exchange between his family. He parked and accepted a still sleeping Phoebe from Winter, an amused smile lingering on his lips. He was still amazed at the lengths Xavier had gone to make his birthday a special one. As Phoebe stirred from being in a different t position than her car seat, she jerked her head up squirmed from Xavier's play at her hand before dropping her head back on Fletcher's shoulder, seeming to fall back asleep.

He walked in with his family, holding the door with his free hand and then bringing up the rear to the table set for them. He gently sat Phoebe a little more upright in his lap once he was seated to encourage her waking up. His hope was for her to fall asleep on the way home but so far, she was doing her best to remain as comfortable as possible in his arms and lap while remaining asleep. Giving up for the time being, Fletcher took a good look around the place and then told Xavier, "This place is nice as hell. I almost feel a little under-dressed." He smirked a little and then glanced down at the menu in front of him.

The waiter who greeted them and wished him a happy birthday had Fletcher lifting his eyes and giving a polite, "Thanks," before listening to the 2 specialty cocktails. He noticed his favorite color was included in both names and gave a knowing smile. Since he planned on driving the family back, he already decided not to have more than 1 drink and opted for the Blackberry Rum cocktail. Drew opted for iced tea with extra lemons, and after Xavier and the kids placed their drink orders, Fletcher looked at the menu again. But as he did, he said, "You guys are making this one helluva birthday celebration." His gaze intentionally swept over his uncle and the kids before landing squarely on Xavier. "Thank you."

XAVIER

Xavier laughed at Fletcher's lingering question and couldn't help but notice how happy he sounded. It was such a nice feeling and to know that he helped in making this day special for him made it even better. "Why was Thor crying? Inquiring minds need to know." He grinned at Fletcher, really excited now for what was to come and feeling an incredible amount of love for him.

Seeing their families together and creating one unit has been the best part of the growth of their relationship. Xavier felt it was surreal and for him, someone who always put family first, this was the best outcome he could have asked for or even dreamt about. Seeing Phoebe rest against Fletcher and Winter and Henry be so attentive to Drew made his heart want to burst and at some point, Xavier had to look away so no one caught him tearing up. When his fiance spoke up, he put on a braver face, his lips twitching upwards into a smile. "You look handsome. Please have you seen what Adam Sandler wears?" Xavier looked the menu over and his eyes danced around all the options.

"Drew, they've got brisket!" He grinned at the older man, remembering the first time he had met him and how he had wooed him with food. At Fletcher's words, he looked up from his menu and reached for his Fiance's thigh to give it a gentle squeeze. "You deserve to have the best celebrations. You're welcome."

"Yeah, Dad number two-still working on it," Henry smirked behind his menu. "Don't mention it. It's on me tonight."

"Oh is it?" Xavier arched a brow and tossed one of the napkins at his son, making him and Winter giggle. "I'm going to get some fish tacos and whatever this vegetable appetizer is because it looks bomb. But I'm going to get all the starters so we can enjoy it family style. What do you guys think?" Xavier looked down the table for approval. .

When the waiter returned, he waited for everyone to order and requested that all the starters come first. Xavier then leaned back and placed his napkin on his lap.

"So what does it mean that this place has two Michelin stars? Is that code for now we can charge triple since its that good?" Winter grinned and gave up her menu to the waiter. "Also, if we don't bring back tres leches cake to Emi, she's going to be mad at us."

"A Michelin star is a highly regarded award given to restaurants that serve exceptional food and wine. Two stars mean the food is excellent and served uniquely. Also this is the only Mexican place that has two stars so it's a pretty big deal. I figured if we were taking Fletcher out to eat his favorite food, we'd go big." Xavier answered her daughter and then smiled when the drinks arrived.

"That's so cute, Dad..." Winter smiled. "How was the movie?"

FLETCHER

Fletcher carried the amusement from the movie all the way home and to the restaurant right up until Xavier's confession that their family had the restaurant to themselves. From there, he'd been shocked and then flattered and simultaneously humbled by all his fiancé had done for him tonight.

Hearing Xavier's compliment once they were seated and settled in made Fletcher smile and then chuckle from the Adam Sandler shade. "Thanks, babe," he replied and then followed his fiancé's lead of looking over the menu. Everything he read over sounded like it would be good. Even the items he didn't really know had appetizing-sounding descriptions accompanying them. He glanced over to his uncle when Xavier pointed out brisket on the menu.

"Well then I know what I want," Drew said without having touched his menu.

Fletcher smiled again and leaned over to peck Xavier's lips to add to his spoken gratitude. And when Henry agreed, he grinned softly and then chuckled. "Whatever feels right, it'll come to you." His heart was still warmed by being seen as a second dad, but he would have completely understood if Henry and Winter ended up preferring to just call him Fletcher. The times he had alone with Phoebe, he'd been working on her knowing Xavier as her father as well but his plan was to one day surprise Xavier, once Phoebe got to doing more than just babbling.

He chuckled along with Winter giggling. "Hey, if Henry wants to treat the family, who are we to question it?" he joked, giving Henry a wink. The family style dining for appetizers sounded nice but his eyes bugged a bit at Xavier planning to order every appetizer on the menu. There weren't a ton of appetizers on the menu but ordering all of them still sounded like a lot. He slowly relaxed his expression though, certain he wouldn't be able to talk Xavier out of it and resigned himself to whatever their dinner was going to look like.

Fletcher listened to the conversation with Winter and Xavier on that a Michelin star meant. The only thing Fletcher added to it was him saying, "They can lose their Michelin star too, which is a big deal too." He didn't know all the details that went into Michelin stars--Xavier had educated him on that as well tonight, whether he knew it or not--but Fletcher knew there was high prestige to it that could be earned or revoked. Almost automatically, he shifted Phoebe more into his arms than before after seeing that she seemingly decided she was asleep for the night. If she ended up sleeping through the night, Fletcher would plan for her to have a little bit more cereal and bananas than usual in the morning for breakfast.

Hearing Xavier's 'go big' decision for dinner had his lips tug up in a half-smile. He wasn't the least bit surprised by this, knowing his future husband fairly well in this regard. And as the waiter returned with their drinks, Fletcher's eyes went to Winter to answer her question. "It was great, and hilarious." He'd already been smiling through a silent recollection. "They made sure to keep earning the R rating regardless of moving to Disney. And there were so many damn cameos. It was great."

XAVIER

Xavier continued rubbing Fletcher’s thigh as he listened to everyone interaction. Drew deciding on the brisket made him glad he chose this place and when Henry stated he was working on a name he’d called Fletcher, he listened curiously as he knew his kids had been trying to figure that out since last month.

“Actually. About that. We both like dad but we don’t want to confuse you guys when we are calling out your name like what if we say dad! You’re in trouble and that’s obviously comedian dad and not tattoo artist dad.” Henry stated so as a matter of fact that it made Xavier laugh out loud.

“Hold on. Why am I in trouble?”

Winter then piped in as the drinks were being served. “Because you’re always in trouble. So actually, Henry I think we’ll be fine if we use dad for both. Or we can say Dad Fletcher.” She shrugged. “Dad Fletcher? Do you want me to get the stroller for Phoebe?”

Xavier smiled before taking the first sip of his drink, his eyes widening slightly at how amazing it all tasted. “Oh wow. That’s phenomenal. How’s yours baby?” He asked his fiancee and then turned the question on the table. He listened as they talked about the movie and the conversation had them all laughing at some point. The appetizers were served and they all began passing around the dishes to serve themselves

“Before we start.” Xavier cleared his throat and looked around at the table with a big smile. “I have a few things I want to say. I just wanted to thank you all for being the best family. Drew, thank you for opening up your house to us, winter thank you for helping as much as you do, Henry thank you for for not bringing the house down when you make us breakfast. And a huge thank you to my boyfriend who turns 41 in a couple of days for holding this group together. I know you’ll deny that and that is okay but we all know the truth. You put in so much into us and that’s why it’s our job to do the same for you so happy birthday, my love. You deserve this and more.” He raised his glass and glanced over at Fletcher with a soft smile. “Bon anniversaire ,mon amour. And for the record, I like dad too.”

FLETCHER

Xavier's physical contact contented Fletcher about as much as the evening's plans. He wasn't accustomed to grandiose gestures but he appreciated all of the thoughtfulness that went into the birthday plans Xavier made for them and their family that evening. He listened to Henry and chuckled at his and Xavier's professions being tagged to them being dad's, as well as Henry deciding that Xavier would be in trouble. He laughed harder at Winter's justification while draping an arm lovingly around Xavier. "I guess I've done too good of a job at fooling them," he joked and pecked Xavier's temple.

Hearing that Winter and Henry wanted to call them both dad and could distinguish them by adding Fletcher's first name whenever he and Xavier were in the same vicinity. Hearing her try it out made him smile a bit. "Nah, that's okay. The tree frog still weighs next to nothing and I've gotten good at eating one-handed. Thanks, Winter."

With their drinks there, Fletcher thanked the waiter and then reached for his to take a sampling sip. The mixture of the blackberry and the rum were a both nice so he took a longer sip. Setting the glass back down, he said, "It’s good, babe. You want a sip?" He offered the glass to his fiancé and then joined the conversation about the Deadpool and Wolverine movie.

When Xavier called for everyone's attention, Fletcher turned his gaze to his future husband, watching and listening to him. It was a true pleasure to see Xavier so happy, so well. He'd been recovering from the accident smoothly since they returned to California. And while Fletcher had admittedly been cautious at times on Xavier's behalf. He missed their physical closeness but was happy that he was steadily getting better and that Xavier's spirits hadn't been dimmed along the way. And Xavier was right as he spoke--Fletcher didn't think he held their family together. In fact, as far as he was concerned, Xavier was the glue in their family. He was the one who brought all of them together.

Smiling modestly, Fletcher raised his glass and said, "Merci, chérie," with what little French he'd learned. And then his smile stretched into a toothy grin when Xavier weighed in on the 'dad' decision. "I do too," he replied with certainty that both Winter and Henry had heard him. \

"Hear, hear!" Drew said with a small lift of his glass before carefully drinking some of his iced tea and then setting his glass back down, dissolving into conversation with Henry.

Fletcher set his own glass down after another long sip of the cocktail. With his hand free again, he brought his thumb, index and middle fingers to Xavier's chin. "C'mere," he murmured, leaning over while turning his fiancé's face in his direction to kiss him full on the lips. "I love you," he said, looking in Xavier's eyes after breaking the kiss gently apart.

XAVIER

Xavier smiled at Drew's cheer and it widened even more when he witnessed the man chatting it up with his son. Unsurprisingly, Henry had grown so attached to the house patriarch. And then hearing that Winter had decided to call Fletcher dad too warmed his heart as well. This was a girl that didn't trust Xavier's intentions when she first arrived at his doorstep. To see everyone together and to feel on top of the world again encouraged Xavier to do what he had planned. He smiled when Fletcher turned his face and kissed him. "I love you too, " Xavier whispered, letting himself get lost in his fiance's dark gaze only to remind himself of just how electric their bond was. "Don't kill me for what I'm about to do. I promise I have practiced for days." He kissed Fletcher again and then removed the napkin from his lap to place it on the table. Xavier had been working on getting on one knee. In a week, he'd be clear for normal activity again which hopefully meant that putting his practice to play wouldn't hurt as much. He pushed back on his chair gently and it was the cue for the staff to start playing an acoustic guitar instrumental version of Only Exception. Holding on to the back of his chair, Xavier struggled only for a few seconds before he was down on one knee and holding out the black velvet box he had been concealing all evening.

"Oh my God, dad!" Winter gasped and covered her mouth, completely unaware at first of the tears already streaming down her face.

Xavier smiled but kept his gaze on Fletcher. "Fletcher James Van Hall, about a month ago, I asked you to marry me. It wasn't romantic and my brain was fuzzy but all I could think about was how I needed to hold on to you for as long as I could, forever if possible. You and our kids and your uncle are the anchors of my life."

"I wanted to do right by you and do this in front of our family because they're the most important people in our lives. I wanted Drew to know what he's probably already told himself and you several times that you're an amazing, kind, beautiful man and deserving of love and all the things you want in life. And I wanted to thank him for raising that man that I have now fallen so deeply and irrevocably in love with. I liked you from the moment I laid eyes on you but falling and loving you has been the best part of this journey. In such a short time, I've learned so much about you and myself and I don't want to do that with anyone else. Thank you for loving me, for putting up with my insanity, for loving my children, for teaching me patience. As much as I love you for the things you've done for me, I love you for the all the things I want to do for you. I've never felt this way and I want to chase that feeling for as long as I live. I want to grow old with you and watch our kids grow up and in case you thought maybe I'd forget, of all the things I said on that hospital bed, I would never ever forget this or you or us. So, with all of that said." He laughed a little and wiped his eyes a bit before opening up the box to reveal the black ring with diamonds. "Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

FLETCHER

Fletcher's expression rapidly dissolved from loving to suspicious when Xavier requested he not kill him for something. Of course Fletcher had no idea what and matched the volume of Xavier's voice as he replied, "I'm not agreeing to shit." Eyes still suspiciously narrowed, he watched his fiancé slide his chair back and get to his feet while music started to play. Fletcher only briefly glanced away to see where the music was coming from before his head whipped around, seeing Xavier descend from his peripheral.

Almost right away, Fletcher was on his feet. "Xavier, what the hell!" He hissed, reaching out with his free hand. Dammit, I should've let Winter get that stroller, he thought, admonishing himself.

That was, until he realized Xavier was down on one knee.

"Xavier, what the hell..." he breathed, eyes rounding a little more. He swallowed thickly, his mind racing. He couldn't quite keep up with his own thoughts but did his best to focus. Xavier had gotten down on one knee and not only did Fletcher know that this was a big deal, he wasn't about to miss what was to come, following his fiancé's accomplishment. Xavier knew this wasn't necessary--Fletcher had already said he would marry him. They were going to get married someday. And there was a part of Fletcher that figured Xavier wouldn't remember talking about proposing again and that he didn't need the formal gesture. But he would be lying if he said this wasn't one of the sweetest things Xavier had been determined to do for him--for them.

When Xavier asked him if he would marry him, Fletcher whispered, "Goddamn you for being so romantic." He smiled and reached his free hand to take the box and set it on the table. And then he offered his hand to Xavier. "Get up, Sugar." He would help him as much as possible but he wanted to look Xavier as close in his eyes as possible when he told him, "You know I'm going to marry you. Gonna marry the shit out of you, remember?" He grinned and dropped his chin, leaning in to kiss Xavier on his lips again. He put as much love and passion as possible into the kiss while still being appropriate in front of the kids and his uncle. And when he drew back, Fletcher murmured, "Yes. If you need the direct answer, yes, I'm going to marry you, Xavier Dmitry." He kissed Xavier's lips softly and quickly a few more times before switching his hold on Phoebe so that his left hand was now free for Xavier to slide the ring on.

XAVIER

Henry had been watching, jaw dropped and his fork dangling from his grasp. He should have known it was coming but couldn’t believe the day was actually here. “Oh my God I’m gonna have two dads. This is awesome!” He grabbed onto Drew’s arm gently and Winter smirked, tearing her gaze away from Fletcher and Xavier for only a few seconds. She took tons of pictures, wiping her eyes every chance she could get and when Fletcher stood up, she did too, wanting to get the right angles. “I can’t believe it…” she whispered as she listened.

The entire restaurant staff stood behind the bar to watch with giant smiles on their faces and while Xavier wanted to capture his family’s reaction, he was too busy looking up at Fletcher. “I’m sorry,” he whispered and stood up slowly when Fletcher urged him to. He felt very little pain now and had his cane for support but when he was on his feet again, he looked up at his fiancé lovingly. “I know. But you deserved a proper proposal. And I wanted the people you love the most to be here. I would have invited Rodrigo, Jade and Emi but they’ve got the babies coming soon so…” he chuckled softly and quickly wiped his eyes with his handkerchief. He welcome the kiss, instinctively wrapping his arms around Fletcher’s waist and when his future husband said yes , Xavier kissed him again and again, slipping the ring onto his left hand. “I love you so much.” “James and Dmitry! Hehehehe.” Henry giggled only to be stopped when Winter tossed a roll at him.

“Shh!” Winter turned her attention on her dads and then went to hug them both. “Congratulations, dads! You guys are the perfect couple. I love you both so much!” She couldn’t help but smile at a sleeping Phoebe. “I bet you she’d sleep through an atomic bomb”. Winter wiped her eyes again and walked back to her seat. Xavier smiled as he watched his daughter and shook his head at Henry with a playful smile.

“Wait one second. You said you already said yes. Have you guys bamboozled us?” Henry turned to Drew. “Did they bamboozle you too, grandpa?”

FLETCHER

The reactions overheard from Henry and Winter threw amusement into the mix of emotions swirling inside of Fletcher. God, he loved his family. He loved his fiancé. He loved the life they were building and the future they would have together. He would do everything in his power to keep an abundance of love, trust, happiness, laughter and comfort in their home.

"Well I'll be damned," Drew said through an easygoing smile.

Fletcher heard Xavier's hushed apology and shook his head, smirking "No you're not." He was watching Xavier with hawklike precision for the slightest sign of pain as the younger man rose to stand again. "You pulled off a propsal none of us are going to forget, sweetheart. Emiliana, Jade and Rodrigo will know soon enough. Emiliana says all that nesting stuff is a real thing so I don't blame her for being there to help Rodrigo and Jade out." During their kisses, Fletcher rested a hand to Xavier's cheek and when they parted, he told Xavier, "I love you too."

As he kept his hand steady for Xavier to place the ring on, Fletcher's gaze slid sideways to Henry. He rolled his eyes back to Xavier but his lips twitched into a small smile. His gaze then dropped to the black band sitting around his finger. "I'm looking forward to getting used to wearing this." And as Winter came around the table to them, Fletcher leaned in and whispered in Xavier's ear so that only he could hear. "I have a ring for you too. It's not ready yet." He stamped a kiss on his fiancé's ear and then straightened up in time to receive Winter's hug. "Thanks, kid. We love you too." He bent his head to drop a kiss on the top of her head and then looked to Henry, "You too, dude."

Winter's observation of Phoebe made Fletcher chuckle and quip, "She gets that from Grandpa Drew. If she keeps this up by the time she's your age, she's gonna be a joy waking up for school." He looked to Henry then and was about to answer but the delayed realization from his son was too funny for witty quip.

Drew placed a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Son, these two didn't tell me shit." He then leaned in conspiratorially towards Henry and loudly whispered, "Think I should give 'em hell when they're asked if anyone objects to them marrying?"

XAVIER

Xavier smiled at Drew's reaction, glancing over to him. "Surprise!" He chuckled and then looked back at his fiance. "You're right, I'm not sorry but I am sorry for aging you a little by getting down on one knee. I have been working on that for a few weeks now and I wanted to surprise all of you. The Physical therapist I should be back to regular activity by next week." He smiled and looked down at Fletcher's ring finger with him. "I hope you like it." He was so happy to be sharing this moment with everyone and when their daughter came over to congratulate them, Xavier smiled at Fletcher's whisper. "I can't wait to see it." Xavier hugged Winter and then glanced over to a cheesing Henry as Fletcher said the words he was feeling as well.

"Also, I could send the video to whoever you want me to!" Winter put down her phone and looked up at her family. "So it'll be like everyone was here." She chuckled at her new dad's comparison of Phoebe and Drew. "She'll keep you guys on your toes for sure!" Winter smirked figuring that their dads had kept this vital piece of information from them but didn't mind too much. They probably weren't ready yet.

"Yeah, I think you should, actually!" Henry leaned into his grandpa and smiled as Xavier approached them to place a hand on Drew's shoulder and to mess Henry's hair with his other hand.

Xavier leaned in and gave Drew's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Fletcher and I talked about you opening your home to us. So you did your fair share of conspiring behind our back, hm?" He joked around. "Thank you so much for everything, Drew. You've been like a father to me too and well, the kids love you. You have quickly become such an important part of our lives." Xavier walked back to Fletcher and then took his seat. "I promise that's all the surprise I have for tonight...Oh wait there is another one."

He chuckled, playing it off so badly to show his family that he hadn't forgotten, he was just being coy. "This is my last season with SNL. After the winter, I'll be home more and focusing on my Paramount projects, and spending time with all of you. That's it. That's all I've got." He smirked, placing the napkin back on his lap. "Now who's ready to pig out?"

FLETCHER

Fletcher kept looking at Xavier with all the love he possessed. And as much as he was enjoying their evening out, he was already looking forward to being back home and in bed with just he and Xavier. He smiled at his fiancé, "I do. I can tell you put some real thought into this." He then listened to Winter and thanked her for capturing the moment between Xavier and him, certain that Emiliana would be overjoyed to watch it.

With a small chuckle, he replied to Winter, "She's been keeping me on my toes since day one. I won't even be surprised if she ends up running the house one day. She's already got all of us wrapped around her finger." He watched Xavier approach Drew and Henry after Drew's comment and rolled his eyes at his uncle. "I'd like to see you try, old man. Don't think I won't tackle you down at my own wedding."

And at both Xavier and Fletcher's remarks, Drew jokingly scoffed, "Listen, there was no conspiring on my part. Besides, the living situation is a win-win. Everyone's under one roof, and I get to keep my home. And as for you," he pointedly looked across the table to Fletcher, "I might have the steadiness of a shake weight but I could take you."

"Uh-huh," Fletcher replied, voice full of sarcasm as he took his seat again. Soon after, the waiter and a second waiter arrived, placing plates of food on the table, just as Xavier said he had another surprise. The news that he was stepping away from SNL took Fletcher by surprise and yet, it didn't. There was permanence here for Xavier now, and it made sense that he would want a more settled life now. He would talk about it some more with Xavier later but for the time being, he reached over and was the one to give his thigh an affectionate squeeze.

While Drew and the kids started their own conversation and began tucking into the food, Fletcher leaned over and quietly told Xavier, "You know I'm proud of you for all your hard work. And even though SNL's gonna tank again without you, if this is what you want, I'm gonna support you, fully." His hand eventually slipped away from Xavier's thigh to shift Phoebe into a cradled position in his lap and against one arm, making it easier for him to join in on all the foods placed before them. And not long after they all shared the various appetizers did the entrées get brought out. Everything that made it's way into Fletcher's mouth had been heavenly. He'd eaten his fill and finished his cocked, and by the end of the night, he was drinking water. And when it was time to go, he walked beside Xavier back to the car, buckled Phoebe into her car seat, and made sure Xavier and Drew had both gotten into the car without issue. He held Xavier's hand for nearly all of the drive home, giving an occasional squeeze or kiss along the way.

At home, Fletcher reminded Winter and Henry to brush their teeth before bed. He took Phoebe upstairs to her room to get her changed into pajamas, amused and amazed by her staying asleep through her clothes being changed. She stirred a couple of times but hadn't woken up. Putting her to bed in her crib was easygoing that night. He kissed her forehead and whispered that he loved her and left the room as quietly as possible with her monitor and sound machine on.

He checked in on Drew and bid his uncle "goodnight", followed by Winter and Henry before stopping in the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. On his way into the bedroom, he caught himself admiring his mew ring and the beautiful design Xavier had chosen. The braided black metal and the square diamonds had been truly beautiful. He began to undress for bed and when he and Xavier were both in the room, Fletcher told him, "Thank you, X. For literally everything tonight."

XAVIER

About a month before his accident, Xavier had started looking at rings for Fletcher. It was one of those moments when he got an ad on his social media for rings and he fell into a deep dive. Since Fletcher would be wearing the ring often, Xavier wanted one that fit his general style and aesthetic. "I just wanted the perfect ring for you."

He laughed at the imagery of Phoebe running the house and there was no doubt in his mind that was true. He could see the little one telling everyone what to do and bossing them around. He honestly couldn't wait. He had always wanted a big family and to have it so quickly felt like a dream. The entire table laughed at Drew's quip back to Fletcher. Still, even with the explanation of their living situation being a win-win, Xavier was humbled by it all. After taking his place back beside his fiance, Xavier began to serve himself different appetizers and join in the conversations. When Fletcher leaned in, he did as well, smiling up at him after hearing what he had to say. "Thank you. This is what I want. It's the best decision for me and all of us. The dinner was everything he had hoped for and more and Xavier made sure to tip generously and express his gratitude for everything they had done for them. He made sure to take a tres leches slice for Emiliana and once they were all home, Xavier helped with making sure everyone was in bed, doing some last-minute check-ins on the home, and making his way upstairs. Xavier washed his face, did his quick skincare routine, and then walked into the bedroom as he began to unbutton his shirt. He sat at the foot of the bed and removed it, folding it carefully to place it to the side. He smiled at Fletcher's words and stood up to pull him into an embrace. "You're welcome. It was an honor spending your birthday together." He looked up at him and smiled. "Everyone seems to be happy, huh?"

FLETCHER

"You got exactly what you wanted, sweetheart," Fletcher assured him of the ring he'd presented.

When the family was home and settled in for the night, Fletcher reflected on the day while he and Xavier undressed for the night. Already rid of the jacket, he tossed his unbuttoned shirt in the clothes hamper and went for his belt while watching his fiancé stand from the foot of the bed. Fletcher slid his arms around Xavier, mindful of Xavier's ribs and having a tender grip on him. He knew Xavier was getting closer to being fully okay but he didn't want to aggravate his healing body.

Kissing his fiancé on the temple, Fletcher said, "Everyone was, yeah. I'd been thinking about it and realized that this day was perfect. I typically hate that word but... there's really no other way to describe it. Nothing went wrong, nothing about it was bad, and I can't remember the last time I had a full day that was just... good all around." The evening was more than good for him; he'd had an extraordinary evening and a happy birthday celebration. "And now, I'm ready to get into bed with my future husband and fall asleep beside him." With his arms still wound around Xavier, Fletcher lowered his head enough to kiss him full on his lips. He'd taken his time this time, kissing Xavier deeply with all the passion and love he could put into it.

By the end of the kiss, Fletcher had taken a few deep breaths and smiled to Xavier. "You made me, and our family happy today, sweetheart." His hands moved up to cup Xavier's face and he pecked his lips a few times. "You do that and so much more for me and for all of us. I love you, X." He stroked Xavier's cheeks with both thumbs a few.times and then stepped away to finish undressing and pull on a pair of pajama pants. Opting for just the pants, Fletcher went to the bed and flipped back the comforter, blanket and flat sheet for the 2 of them. He plucked a teething ring from the bed and set it on his nightstand with a small smile before climbing into his side of the bed.

XAVIER

It filled Xavier with happiness hearing that Fletcher thought today had been perfect. It was the kind of happiness he couldn't quite explain. It made him joyful and hopeful and he looked forward to what the future had in store for them and their family. Xavier always yearned for a love like this but never thought it was easily attained. He knew he was one of the lucky ones even with the accident and with April blind-sighting Fletcher, it looked like things were taking a positive turn.

Thinking back on their kiss last winter, he would have never imagined ending up here with Fletcher. "It makes me so happy hearing that. Truly. Like I said tonight, you deserve that. I also agree it was the perfect night." A chill ran through his body hearing Fletcher calling him his future husband. It sounded so lovely coming from him. He cupped his fiance's face to keep him close for their kiss and Xavier returned every bit of love that was put into it. Breaking their kiss reluctantly, Xavier smiled at Fletcher's words and melted into his gentle hold. "I love you too. So much." The overwhelming rush of blissfulness poured over him and he remained there, watching the tattoo artist, his tattoo artist get ready for bed. Sometimes Xavier wondered when he'd wake up from this dream. He finished getting undressed, tossed his clothes into the hamper, and pulled a pair of pajama pants from their dresser to change quickly. Xavier climbed into bed and instantly snuggled up against Fletcher's form, choosing to drape his arm over his middle before giving him a tiny squeeze. Xavier began kissing his shoulder and arm, leaving behind a little playful nip, and chuckled. "I wanted to ask you for a favor. We have to do the tattoo for the kids. Remember the one I asked for? For Winter and Henry? Well, I want something that represents the three of them. Phoebe too." He reached for Fletcher's left hand and admired the look of the ring on his finger.

"And I want you to design something for my left hand. A tattoo ring to represent my band. I know you said you have one for me but it'll be there in the meantime and also for whenever I can't wear it if I have a role or something. I want to always carry you with me. Can you do that for me?"

FLETCHER

"All thanks to you, babe," Fletcher told him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so buoyant for more than a fleeting moment. It was probably when he'd flown to New York City to surprise Xavier and told him he was in love with him.

With the bed turned down, Fletcher climbed in and put his phone on the charger. Propped up on one elbow, he watched Xavier get into his pajama pants too and when he was joined in the bed, Fletcher smiled and shifted so that one arm was under Xavier when he snuggled up to him. His lips formed a lazy grin at the kisses and nips and he hummed appreciatively. "Hey, careful there. You're being cute as hell and I almost can't stand it but you're not completely cleared yet. One to ten?" He asked like he did every night since they came home from NYC, and kissed Xavier's temple and then shut his eyes, simply listening to his fiancé now. "Mhm, I remember," he said of the ink he wanted. It didn't surprise him that Xavier wanted to include a tattoo representative of Phoebe; he loved her as much as Winter and Henry, and Phoebe loved him as much as she loved Fletcher. And when he felt Xavier's soft but warm fingers on his hand, Fletcher slipped his fingers between his comedian fiancé's. He opened his eyes though when he heard Xavier's favor. Shifting his position so that he could look at his fiancé properly, Fletcher asked, "Can I do it for you? Of course I can. Will I?" He leaned in carefully and bent to kiss Xavier sweetly this time. And when he pulled away to speak again, his lips brushed his love's, "Your damn right I will."

XAVIER

Xavier felt so content knowing that his love language was not only well received but appreciated by the man he loved. It made him feel so loved in return. He nuzzled his nose against Fletcher's arm, his lips forming a small pout at the reminder of not being cleared just yet. The question that Fletcher asked him every night made him smile. He couldn't believe how fortunate he was to have such a loving partner. For a few seconds, his mind went back to the beginning how the number 9 was a constant response to Fletcher's question and how the frustration he felt made him feel. He shook that off now and kissed his fiance's cheek. "1. If that. If we're lucky, I'll have a nice clearance letter from my doctor on your birthday. And I'll make up for the last month and a half of torture..." It was almost perfect that he had been scheduled for his follow-up on Fletcher's birthday. "And I can surprise you with your last birthday gift." He grinned knowing that Fletcher had no clue there was still one more birthday present he had in store for him.

Xavier kept his hand in Fletcher's as the other shifted in his spot. He looked up at him with a smile and nodded as Fletcher leaned in to kiss him. He closed his eyes, letting out a satisfied hum before opening his eyes again when Fletcher answered him. "Yeah? I think you'd come up with something beautiful." He sighed before placing his head against Fletcher's chest. "Thank you for loving me." Xavier closed his eyes and held Fletcher close. "And for loving my kids. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me after them."

FLETCHER

Seeing Xavier's lips go from a pout to a smile made Fletcher's lips form his own smile. He reached to turn out the lights, and then shut his eyes at the kiss to his cheek and listened to his fiancé's response about the pain, glad to hear that it was basically nonexistent for Xavier. He softly snorted, "You're so damn cute. You know you d-... wait..." Fletcher raised a brow while eyeing Xavier curiously, "My last birthday gift... are we still talking about birthday sex or something else?" Knowing Xavier, it could easily be one or the other. But he also knew that there was no stopping Xavier from his spoiling once he set his mind to it.

As tempted as Fletcher was to keep on kissing and to take it a little further, he didn't want to tempt either of them. Instead, after parting their lips, he readjusting his hold on Xavier while the young comedian rested against him. "I promise I will. It'll be meaningful if nothing else." An arm wrapped lovingly around him while his other arm remained under Xavier. He traced his fingertips along Xavier's back, gliding aimlessly across the smooth, warm, dark skin. "You're pretty damn irresistible, X. It's really my pleasure getting to love you. Same with Winter and Henry. Henry reminds me a lot of you with his kindness, outgoing personality and occasional silliness. And Winter... I know she's more guarded but I felt a kinship to her pretty quickly. Both of them are a part of you so loving them was inevitable for me."

Fletcher was gazing up at the ceiling, the room barely lit by the moonlight peeking through the break in the curtains. He continued lazily tracing shapes while saying, "You, Winter and Henry have been the best parts of mine, Phoebe's and Drew's lives since the start of this year. I know that I was hesitant to start anything serious between us at first but I'm glad that didn't last long. I'm glad for your love and all the light that you brought into my life and to Drew's. You don't baby him or treat him like a total invalid and I know that means a shit ton to him. And Henry and Winter... Drew doesn't have a relationship with my idiot cousin's kids, and not for a lack of trying. And Henry and Winter aren't replacements but I do feel like they make a hole in his heart feel a helluva lot less empty. They loved and embraced him as a grandfather figure in their lives before considering me as a second dad. That speaks volumes to me and how meaningful their relationship is with him and vice versa." Fletcher smiled a little to himself at the thought and then went on. "And it was around Father's that I realized that Phoebe won't know a life without you in it. You met her when she was barely a month old, just a few weeks out of the NICU. She's bonded to you about as much as she is to me and seeing you two together is one of the happiest things in my world. Even without her being able to speak actual words yet, she loves you deeply and that's priceless to me." Closing his eyes again, Fletcher took a beat and then said, "I know we've got the service dog coming and that's going to be an adjustment period for all of us, but while we're getting used to having him in the home, I also want to look into what it would take for you to have legal rights to Phoebe. I dunno what all that looks like yet, but I'm gonna find out."

XAVIER

Xavier allowed himself to sink into this feeling of contentment, offering Fletcher occasional squeezes as he listened to him speak. There was something intimate about their conversations. Xavier felt like it was always like this. They’d tackle big, adult issues and they’d figure out important aspects of their lives together. He’s never shared a life with anyone like this. Even when it came to making decisions involving Drew, they were sure to continue giving him his much earned and deserved independence and autonomy. “Drew is like a dad. Which is funny because I feel like he’d sass me if he heard that admission. My parents see him as your father. Which honestly, he is. I love him dearly and want to be there for him and you always. The kids have always wanted a family. I know what that’s like. When my parents adopted Clayton and I, as difficult as it was in the beginning, having someone to listen to us and make us lunch and kiss us goodnight felt like a dream. I think that’s why Clayton and I really appreciate family time and having one. It took me a little longer to realize that because he married Athena as soon as he could but I think Father Time just wanted me to meet you. Not just meet you but approach you at the right time. I already thought you were beautiful. Getting to know you has been a privilege.”

Xavier kissed Fletcher’s chest. “And it sounds corny but our first time together here in this room is what really made me think I gotta get this one to fall for me.” He chuckled. “I felt a connection to you that till this day I can’t describe. It’s not just the physical closeness but feeling like I was with another family man who understood what it was like to be in my position but in a different way and seeing that you had stepped up for Drew and managed a business. Your dedication to your best friend and making sure his wedding went well in spite of his crazy ass uncles and what was going on with Jade.”

Xavier smiled. “Your heart got me sprung early on.” And when Fletcher went on and revealed that he wanted to look into him having legal rights over Phoebe, Xavier froze for a few seconds and then rested his chin on Fletcher’s chest so he could look up at him. “Really? Being Phoebe’s dad would be the greatest gift you could ever grant me. It would be a privilege. And Winter and Henry they adore you too and Henry has asked how things end up working out with the family dynamics. If we get your last name or if you’re officially their dad just because we’re together. I think adding in the marriage component has probably and rightfully blown his mind. I wouldn't be surprised if he's asking Winter a million questions tonight. ” He laughed softly. “So we can talk with them when you’re ready and if you want to be their dad on paper because you’re already their dad…I think they’d love that. And Phoebe is already my daughter. I’ve been calling her that for a few months now but I would love for it to be official.”

FLETCHER

"I have no doubt Drew sees you like a bonus son too. That's how he sees me. I still call him 'Drew' or my uncle, but he knows he's been more of a dad to me than anything else for most of my life." Fletcher continued moving his fingers along Xavier's skin, walking and gliding his digits in random, alternating patterns. He would never get tired of listen to his fiancé talk, be it about work, family, soccer, food, friends... hell, Xavier could start reading him the dictionary. Fletcher would find the act bizarre of course, but it wouldn't stop him from listening to Xavier's British-Nigerian lilt.

"You and Clayton are each without a doubt your own person. But it sounds like something you both have in common is that once you know what you want, you go all in to try and get it." He dropped his gaze to look at Xavier, a small, crooked smile forming on his face. "You're gifted in how you go about it. It's the kind of stubbornness and persistence that's another reason why I love you. And one of many reasons I'm glad you really came into my life when you did. Not just us being at the same functions and knowing that you're sexy or you find me attractive. But actually talking and learning about each other, and acting on our attraction. That happening for us is thanks to you, sweetheart."

As blunt as Fletcher was and as mild as his filter often was, he didn't really open himself up to a lot of people. But Xavier had been an exception, along with Winter and Henry. He loved all of them and each of them had a piece of his heart. Fletcher listened on to Xavier and smiled a little more, "Really? Valentine's Day?" In truth, it made him feel good to know that Xavier had been so moved by their sex and intimacy that evening--good for himself leaving that sort of impression and good for Xavier having such a powerful experience, especially with it having been his first time having sex with another man. But he knew it was more than that for Xavier, and for that, he was touched.

"It doesn't sound corny to me for you to feel connected after that. There was a lot I wanted for you that night, so it means a lot that it made such a lasting impression on your mind, and your heart." He guided a set of fingertips up to the nape of Xavier's neck and slowly meandered down his shoulder and back again while listening and talking some more. "I feel connected to you too. It might have taken me a little longer to get there and it seems like I'm always gonna be a step or two behind you in getting to things in our relationship. But I do feel like you're my balance and I know without hesitation that no one has ever come close to consuming my mind like you, or had my heart before you." His familial relationships didn't count in this regard. "And goddamn if I've ever been with anyone as insatiable and fun as you when it comes to sex." He grinned a bit, briefly, and then said, "Making love to you hasn't happened all that often but when it does, I feel just as determined to thoroughly please you as I do when we've only got a few minutes alone."

He spoke on about Xavier having legal rights to Phoebe and felt him go still under his hold. Fletcher dropped his gaze from the ceiling again to gauge Xavier's reaction, wondering if the plan was too much for his fiancé for once. But once he saw Xavier's eyes in the dim moonlight, he knew that that wasn't the case. He grinned again and said, "It'll happen. I'll talk to my lawyer who handled my case before with getting full custody and dissolving April's parental rights. But I wanted you to know first and see what you thought." Hearing about Henry made Fletcher chuckle, "Poor Winter's not getting any sleep tonight if that's the case. She'll be over the moon when she finds out about the expansion plans for the house." Fletcher knew Winter loved her brother but he could also appreciate a need for sleep.

Still looking down at Xavier, he said, "I'd love to be their dad in any way I can be, and any way they would like me to be. As far as last names go... that doesn't matter to me either way. If you or the kids want my last name hyphenated with 'Mitchell' , or to just keep Mitchell or whatever--hell, we can all go for name changes and all be Mitchell-Van Halls. Regardless, it won't make them feel any more or less mine, and you won't feel any more or less my husband. I just want them to know that no matter what their name, I'm gonna love all of them, care for them and show up for them. And I want you to know that no matter what you decide for your name..." Being mindful of Xavier not being in any pain, Fletcher rolled to carefully guide him onto his back and supported his own weight as he hovered over his fiancé, caging him around his arms. He looked down into Xavier's eyes and told him, "No matter what, you're my sweetheart..." He lowered his head to kiss him and then lifted up a bit, "You're my sugar..." Another kiss, and after a long beat, he murmured, "You're my person, Xavier."

XAVIER

"He has a lot of love to give. I'm glad and relieved that he's gotten the chance to provide it with you, Phoebe, and now with us too." Xavier hummed softly at Fletcher's touches. While he missed being with his fiance in other physical ways, Xavier loved how they could participate in many forms of intimacy and feel like the most loved person in the world. It wasn't lost on him that they shared such a powerful emotional and physical bond and that this was the first time he had this with anyone else.

"Yeah, poor Athena." He chuckled a bit and then added, "Just kidding. Those two deserve each other." He listened to Fletcher with a smile on his face. "Once I got to really know you, I knew I couldn't stop. I was right to pursue you the way I did because I was right about you. There was no way I was giving you up. Unless you literally told me not to. When I came by very early on in our relationship before we even made things official and I met Drew and Emiliana...it was, well it felt right." Reminiscing like this was something they hadn't done and it was such an amazing feeling revisiting those older memories. He knew that Fletcher kept to himself, especially with his personal matters, so hearing him talk about their relationship made Xavier feel lucky.

"Yeah. Valentine's Day. I'm not used to people pulling out all the stops for me and it's not for lack of wanting it. It just never worked out that way. So you making me dinner and setting up your bedroom and talking me through it all which was also very hot by the way..." He laughed softly. "all of it was important to me." He smiled as Fletcher went on, letting out a content sigh before his teeth raked against his bottom lip. Knowing that Fletcher loved him this much filled him with the most indescribable joy. "I can say with every serious and genuine fiber of my being I have never in my life felt this way about anyone."

And it was getting in the accident, potentially losing everything that made him realize he wouldn't wait another day in at least trying to see if Fletcher would want this to be a forever thing. "Even if you had said no to me at the hospital when I asked you to marry me, I would have asked again when you were ready. I wasn't going to let that go between us."

He was absolutely touched that Fletcher would want him to have legal rights over Phoebe. Sometimes, with how quickly things had developed and how much everything fit perfectly together, it was hard to separate the two realities they lived. There was life before they were an item and life now. Oftentimes, Xavier mixed the two or wouldn't have the disconnect. Knowing Phoebe since she was just a month old made it feel like in a way, she was always his or would end up being his daughter too. "I fell in love with your little girl the moment you placed her in my arms. I am very touched and honored that you'd even consider making me her dad too." He grinned thinking about Winter. "But she's been a good sport. I want you to tell her about the expansion. She will love the idea and appreciate it so much."

When Fletcher rolled to hover over him, he let out a soft chuckle and looked up at him, appreciating what he could in the dim lighting. "You're my person, Fletcher. And for the record...I want to be a Van Hall. I've decided. The kids can hyphenate, we can let them decide since they're older but I personally would be fucking honored to be a Van Hall. Your husband. Yours."

#Xavier #Birthday Special para

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omegaremix · 6 months

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Omega Radio for March 28, 2015; #80.

Eternal Summers “Together Or Alone”

Le Volume Courbe feat. Kevin Shields “The House”

DMA’s “Laced”

Brain F≠ “Sicks”

Thee Mighty Fevers “Sunday Breakdown”

Heavy Times “Denim Girls”

Reigning Sound “Your Love Is A Fine Thing”

BI “Surf ‘N Turf”

Notekillers “Punk Song”

Psycho Surgeons “Wild Weekend”

Spider Bags “Friday Night”

Catholic Spray “Black Cat”

Exhaustion “Pure Duty”

Joint Damage “Hooked”

Avey Tare “Tape Player Chants For Winter”

Users, The “Kicks In Style”

Lightning Bolt “The Metal East”

Tropic Of Cancer “Distorted Horizon”

Bremen “Entering Phase Two”

Fidlar “Whore”

Lync “Pennies To Save”

Thee Oh Sees “Soda St. #1”

Anthroprophh & Big Naturals “SRR”

Freshkills “Why Are You So Unforgiving?”

Henry’s Dress “Hey Allison”

Man…Or Astro-Man? “Clean Up On Aisle #9 (Turn Up The Monitors)”

Parquet Courts “Donuts Only”

Radical Dads “Flight to NZ”

XO Skeletons “Asthmagasm”

White Mystery “San Francisco Dream”

Spectres “Mirror”

Galaxie 500 “Don’t Let Our Youth Go To Waste”

Japanther “Divorce”

Lipstick Pick-Ups “Sealed With A Kiss”

No Joy “Wrack Attack”

Personal Best “This Time Next Year”

Animal Collective “Summertime Clothes”

Saints “Demolition Girl”

Japandroids “Heavenward Grand Prix”

Viet Cong “Throw It All Away”

Young Prisms “Dead Flowers”

Erase Errata “Another Genius Idea From Our Government”

Axxa/Abraxas “Late Night, Shifting Light”

Unwound “Usual Dosage”

Ride “Vapour Trail”

Hospitals “Rich People”

Team Dresch “#1 Chance Pirate TV”

Big Naturals & The Heads “You Are Rust: Undoing Of The Circle”

Predator “No”

Asian Women On The Telephone “Spaceman”

Together PANGEA “River”

Single Mothers “Nice Dresses”

Paint Fumes “Sevol Natas”

Breather Resist “X’s And Y’s”

Metz “Acetate”

Carbonas “September Gurls”

Veda Rays, The “Wait For Teeth To Show”

Destruction Unit “Day Of Your Death”

Spectres “Sky Of All Places”

This Will Destroy You “New Topia”

Oblivians “Bad Man”

Cribs, The “Arena Rock Encore With Full Cast”

Explosions In The Sky “Let Me Back In”

Godspeed You Black Emperor! “Piss Crowns Are Trebled”

Lightning Bolt “Snow White (& The Seven Dwarves Fans)“

Double deluxe five-hour broadcast; garage, psych-, indie, and punk.

#omega #music #playlists #mixtapes #garage #psych #indie #punk

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stillwanderingflame · 4 months

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In this edition of yet another movie I finally got around to seeing, I watched The Gray Man last weekend and I liked it! It's definitely bombastic action, which I'm finding I enjoy once but don't necessarily need/want to rewatch. I have rewatched other parts of the movie, though. I think they did an amazing job with the cast, especially with Chris Evans having the time of his life as a sociopath. That man spent so long being Captain Goody Two-Shoes, he deserves to go wild in a role if he wants to.

I didn't remember the director when I started it, and I kept thinking "Man, this feels so much like CA: Winter Soldier. Even the music!" Then I finally looked it up and saw it was not only the Russo brothers directing, but Henry Jackson composing. They clearly have a vibe they all like and they're good at it.

Both this movie and The Fall Guy have given me even more appreciation for Ryan Gosling's acting skills because they feature one of my greatest weaknesses: the guy who's at the end of his rope (physically and mentally) but trying to hold it together. I just eat that shit up. (Also a big fan of the tough guy/killer who actually has a heart.)

That scene in the vet's office? The way his voice cracks on "jail" hurts me every time. Ana de Armas is no slouch either, giving so much emotion without saying anything at all. *chef's kiss* It reminded me of the boat scene from The Fall Guy, where, again, Gosling is packing a lot of emotion into excellent delivery.

#jade watches.movies #the gray man #ryan gosling

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maximumwobblerbanditdonut · 6 months

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‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood’ Casts Peter Mullan as Red Jacob MacKenzie, Sara Vickers & 2 More

Kelli Boyle, TV Insider Apr 3, 2024

The Outlander spinoff, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, has added four more actors to the clan. TV Insider can exclusively announce that Peter Mullan, Sara Vickers, Brian McCardie, and Jhon Lumsden have joined the cast of the Starz series, currently in production in Scotland, and they’ll bring to life characters fans have already heard of in the flagship series.

Mullan will be playing Red Jacob MacKenzie, laird of Clan MacKenzie, father to Ellen (Harriet Slater), Dougal (Sam Retford), and Colum (Séamus McLean Ross), and maternal grandfather to Sam Heughan‘s Jamie Fraser.

Mullan, a veteran Scottish actor and filmmaker, can currently be seen in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and recently starred in the series The Northwater with Colin Farrell and Jack O’Connell, as well as in Barry Jenkins’ critically acclaimed The Underground Railroad. He earned an Emmy nomination for Top of the Lake and has also been seen in Ozark, Westworld, Cursed, and Mum.

Brian McCardie

McCardie will be playing Isaac Grant, laird of Clan Grant. And Lumsden will be playing Malcolm Grant, Isaac’s son and a potential suitor for Ellen.

McCardie has been seen in Outlander before, in a Season 1 cameo as Sir Marcus MacRannoch. He’s also known for Rob Boy, Line of Duty, Low Winter Sun, Snatch, and more.

Jhon Lumsden

Lumsden is a relative newcomer, with roles in Karen Pirie, Blood, Sex & Royalty, and Pancake. He’ll next be seen in The Famous Five, coming out later this year.

Sara Vickers

Vickers will be playing Davina Porter, a housekeeper in the Lovat household, mother to Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy), and Jamie’s paternal grandmother. As previously announced, Brian’s father, Lord Lovat, will be played by Mary & George‘s Tony Curran.

Vickers is a stage and screen actor best known for her role as Joan Thursday in the Inspector Morse prequel, Endeavour from 2013-2023, as well as Sunshine on Leith and Shetland. Vickers played Ms. Crookshanks in Watchmen alongside Regina King and Jeremy Irons. She recently starred in Guilt.

Outlander: Blood of My Blood tells the love stories of Jamie (Heughan) and Claire’s (Caitríona Balfe) parents. Slater and Roy play Jamie’s parents in the 1700s Scottish Highlands, with Hermione Corfield and Jeremy Irvine as Claire’s parents, Julia Moriston and Henry Beauchamp, in the 1900s England during World War I.

#BloodofMyBlood# PeterMullan #SaraVickers #BrianMcCardie #JhonLumsden #BOMB💥#TVinsider #KelliBoyle #ScottishHighlands

Posted 3rd April 2024

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3fluffies · 7 months

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A Review: Damsel

Readers, ye be warned, HERE BE MAJOR SPOILERS!

I got interested from the trailers on Facebook. Right up my alley, a genre medieval fantasy film with dragons, arranged marriages, lush sets, and a very unsubtle grrrl power message. I've never seen Brown in Stranger Things (a crime for sci-fi/fantasy fans, I know, I'll get around to it) but in a few smaller roles. The whole cast was a Who's Who list: Angela Bassett, Robin Wright, and Ray Winstone.

The movie obviously had a big budget, an all-star cast, and a good concept. It looked promising.

It was...mediocre. Very. My overall reaction was disappointment.

Brown was very good. There were great performances by all of the cast considering I've seen most of the stars in at least two other notable roles, but thought of them as these characters (as opposed to actors like Tom Cruise, who I always view as Tom Cruise no matter who he plays, same with Sandra Bullock and Brad Pitt).

But they had so little to work with.

This movie had good bones. The concept was all there for an epic, or at least a strong batch of characters and world-building. No, it was in no way an earth-shatteringly ground-breaking NEW idea. The concept is fairly formulaic. Maybe it's just me, but I don't care - give me a formulaic but well-written story over CREATIVE for the sake of it any day. (Okay, my example of this is one of my favorite films, The Chronicles of Riddick, so a connoisseur I cannot call myself. But you get the idea.)

But I came away from the film unsatisfied, because there was just so little meat on those bones. We know Brown's Elodie comes from a northern (kingdom? principality? fife?) with a harsh climate and grinding poverty where she does physical work to help serve her starving people. She had a mother (they always have dead mothers) whose memory she invokes at times, but a semi-affectionate relationship with her stepmother, Bassett's Lady Bayford. She has a younger sister she mutually adores and a noble, devoted father who also takes his duties to his people seriously.

But we don't know a damn thing about their fifedom except that all the trees have been cut for firewood, people are dining at Ye Olde Breadline, and the situation is so desperate as winter approach that Lord Bayford reluctantly sells his beloved daughter to be a human sacrifice disguised as a marriage. This universe has bride prices instead of dowries.

In the kingdom of Aurea, Wright's Queen Isabelle is suitably intimidating, manipulative, and morally bankrupt, King whateverthehellhisnameis never speaks, Prince Henry expresses some dismay over the fates of his bride(s) but goes along with it. We learn Elodie's is the second in a series of three ancient ceremonies - Aurea's first king sacrificed his three daughters for peace with the dragon and each subsequent generation must sacrifice three more women of royal blood.

Instead, Prince gets three hasty weddings in a row with some random foreign lady, a handshake with cut palms to make each bride's blood royal, chuck the bride into the chasm above the dragon's cave, debt paid. The dragon likes to play with her food, and Elodie has the wits to survive thanks to a head for maps and mazes (one of the only semi-developed character traits we got on her).

Lord Bayford leads a few searchers into the caves to rescue her, in a predictable attack of conscience, and also predictably gets dead after shouting for Elodie not to come to him and save herself when he's at the dragon's mercy. So she forgives him, but also develops sympathy for the dragon, whose three offspring were killed without provocation when the ancient king of Aurea invaded the dragon's lair. Someone on Lord Bayford's search party mentions value in dragon's blood, but this is never developed.

Elodie escapes, Dragon isn't happy and starts raining fire around the mountain, alerting Queen Isabelle that the debt has gone unpaid. She hustles to the ship where Lady Bayford and Elodie's little sister Floria haven't sailed away, and kidnaps Floria to be the new sacrifice. Lady Bayford is unfatally stabbed but manages to find Elodie in the hills and tell her what happened, leading Elodie to rush back.

Dragon, believing the princesses she slays every generation to be of the bloodline that murdered her own daughters, is enraged that Elodie got away and takes Floria deep into her lair as a trap for Elodie. A rather weak battle ensues with Elodie trying to explain the truth about her "royal blood" and Dragon predictably refusing to accept, until Elodie outwits her enough to leave her at death's door. She tells Dragon again about the "ancient ceremony" and notes that Dragon has effectively been doing what was done to her - killing innocent daughters who are not actually of the Aurea royal bloodline. Dragon miserably asks Elodie to kill her, but Elodie predictably (are we sensing a pattern here?) declines and finds magic grubs in the cave to heal the dragon.

Back at the Aurea palace, Prince Henry's wedding to Dupe # 3 is in progress until Elodie interrupts. Prince Henry makes a feeble protest of his regrets for Elodie's fate, only to be shouted down by Queen Isabelle and ignored by Elodie, who exposes the plot to # 3. # 3 wisely takes Elodie's advice to grab her family and GTFO.

Queen Isabelle predictably mocks Elodie's revenge, only for Dragon to show up on the ramparts and torch the whole royal family. Elodie sails back to home with her sister and Lady Bayford, planning to jointly rule home with her stepmother - accompanied by the Dragon.

And...that's it. I honestly don't have a problem with any element of the plot. It's just written so bare when there was so much room for more. Its running time was 110 minutes, and it felt stunted and short. The plot might have done better as a miniseries, with time to flesh out the world and the characters especially.

In the best genre fiction, the locations, histories, and cultures are often "characters" in and of themselves. See: Hogwarts, Middle Earth and all locations therein, Gallifrey, Time Lords, elves, hobbits, Vulcans, Klingons, Arrakis, Fremen, the list goes on and on. This seems to be a point that the writers of Damsel utterly and completely missed.

(What's with the masks in the ceremony?)

(Does the dragon really just chill out for decades at a time in her cave apart from toying with and then torching three princesses every generation?)

(How did the Aurea royal family manage to gather up three girls from other parts of the world every generation and bump them off without also killing their families to keep word from getting out?)

(Did Aurea get wealth as part of the deal with the Dragon? If not, where?)

(Where is Elodie/Lord Bayford's land? Is it part of a larger kingdom? If not, why isn't he a king?)

(Where the hell do all the flaming birdies come from? Wouldn't birds have figured out after that many centuries to stay the hell away from the mountain?)

In almost any type of fiction, the best stories have well-developed characters with enough details about why they are the way they are for the viewer/reader to understand why they act the way they choose in the story. This is a point that the writers of Damsel clearly knew, but either didn't know how to implement or simply chose not to.

It had a good trailer. It had an incredible cast. It was a good concept. It had POTENTIAL!

Major writing fail.

PS - Discovered just as I was about to post this that a novelization came out last year. I'll probably still buy it. Half of why I love The Chronicles of Riddick is Alan Dean Foster's novel. Maybe the book will redeem the world, but it'll just make the screenwriters look that much worse.

#damsel #millie bobby brown #robin wright #angela bassett #netflix

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chriscdcase95 · 2 years

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My Marvel/DC crossover AU No One Asked for

Read the title. Here’s the layout.

This is an AU I’ve been sitting on for about two or three years now, and often revisit to make some changes. While this isn’t something I really shelved, I am unlikely to write any of the stories down.

I still keep a lot of what I did write in my notes. From this AU I wrote down several prompts, some of which I already shared in other posts.

----

1. You'd think combining the Arrowverse and DCEU alone is gonna be a hassle, but when I wrote things down, the actual changes are pretty small.

The main events of the Arrowverse, DCEU, and MCU remain otherwise the same, there are a few small adjustments made here and there. Some suspension of disbelief is required. Birds of Prey was the hardest one to adapt.

Most changes are “Who plays what character ?”

Of course, because this is a fanfic AU, we can just say "The Other Darin" trope is at play. Henry Cavill’s Superman ? Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman ? Same deal as Eric Norton/Mark Ruffalo’s Banner, or Terrence Howard/Don Cheadle’s Rhodes.

With that all said, this AU treats Grant Gustin's Barry Allen is treated as the “canon”. The indefinitely postponed upcoming Flash movie is disregarded entirely. We all know why.

Jon Cryer's Lex Luthor is also treated as his "canon" character, but he initially had the same traits and role as Eisenberg’s Luthor. I like to think Eisenberg!Luthor was fronting as “the eccentric young mogul” while Cryer’s represents Luthor going masks off.

Some fan casting is bigger issues. Mostly "casting" Diana Laurel Lance, between Katie Cassidy or Jurnee Smollett, for far reasons too complicated to discuss here.

And finally, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is treated as canon.

2. “But where was X superhero during Y's events ?”

A lot of these events would have coincided with each other.

In this AU, Iron Man/2, The Incredible Hulk and Thor would have taken place between/around the first two seasons of Arrow. The present day events of Man of Steel would have coincided with The Avengers. Batman V. Superman and Suicide Squad would take place around the time of The Dark World and The Winter Soldier.

Age of Ultron would coincide with Zack Snyder's Justice League - also taking place between seasons one and two of The Flash, and before Supergirl's first season.

Up to speed, Barry ?

So, here’s some of the prompts I came up with for the AU.

1. Unlike Supergirl, Superman wasn't an active superhero when Kara came to Earth, but it was around the time Clark was wandering the world. During this time, Clark reached out to the Danvers family to help him understand his powers, much like the Arrowverse.

As it so happens, Carol Danvers turns out to be Jeremiah's sister, which is how they help Clark understand his powers. Clark would build a bridge of trust with the Danvers' and brought Kara to them, as he wasn't in the right headspace to look after a child. As a result ? Kara grew up with Carol Danvers as an “Awesome Aunt”.

We’d also have a Superman prequel, also serving as a Captain Marvel crossover. For such as a story, I’d picture Ronan as the de-facto Big Bad, showing him falling out of favor with the Kree, before joining Thanos.

2. I wrote a post based on this AU, but I had this one idea of various WLW prompts for Diana/Wonder Woman. You can read the long version here.

It focused on what Wonder Woman was up to over the decades, especially those she romanced. The most prominent being Wondercarter, Wonderwidow and Superwondercorp.

In this version of Captain America: The First Avenger ? Wonder Woman was considered a battlefield urban legend, and a partial inspiration for the super soldier project. After the events of Agent Carter, Diana would become acquainted with Howard and Maria Stark, and ends up staying with Peggy and Angie as a temporary house guest on the Stark Estates.

How long Diana was involved with them isn't elaborated, but I see Tony having memories of an “Aunt Diana” babying him from when he was a little kid. Cuz we all know she would.

I don't see Tony reuniting Diana until well after he becomes Iron Man. Probably after Civil War or Infinity War. At the very least, Diana ends up another one of Morgan Stark's honorary aunts. Diana would totally be one of those aunts who’d tell Tony’s people embarrassing stories of him from when he was tot.

Another idea I had involved Sarah Rogers being Steve Trevor's sister, and her naming her son after her late brother. But I was pretty iffy about that. It came off as too nepotistic, and I felt Diana should have minimal, if any ties to Steve Rogers. Wonder Woman being the inspiration for the super soldier project should be enough, right ?

3. This one's gonna get me fucking lynched...

So, it's come to my attention that The Batman 2022 was considered as a DCEU prequel early in development. At the risk of being mauled by both Battinson and Batfleck stans, I'm applying that here.

In this AU, an altered version of The Batman occurred, the main difference being it was set in the late 90′s to early 2000′s. Technology adjusted accordingly, and the Riddler’s platform is old web forums, such as IRC chat (or if set around 2003, MySpace).

Anyways, Battison would have represented Bruce Wayne in his early career as Batman when he first became a symbol of hope, while Batfleck represents his “Broken/Fallen Hero” stage. After all, you can't have a “Fall From Grace” period if you never had anything to fall from...

*prepares myself for the pitches and torchforks*

4. As I said above, the “present day” events of Man of Steel would have taken place alongside The Avengers.

Zod's attack on Metropolis occurs at the same time as the Battle in New York. Neither Zod, nor Thanos and Loki were aware of each other beforehand; it was just dumb luck their invasions occurred at the same time! Still, people initially thought Zod, Loki and the Chitauri represented the same threat.

Any attempts by S.H.I.E.L.D or the Avengers to look into Superman yields the same results as this scene.

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As with the DCEU, Superman was a controversial figure at first, with the Avengers having mixed thoughts about him. Unlike Batman, they didn't act on their suspicions, beyond a few cautious encounters.

Iron Man 3 would have taken place between Man of Steel and Batman V Superman. Superman tried to to look into “The Mandarin”, and teamed up with Steve and S.H.I.E.L.D to do so, but they kept running into dead ends. They were unaware of Aldrich Killian’s conspiracy until after the fact.

5. This is also something I covered in my Wonder Woman WLW prompts.

This AU's Infinity War takes place alongside Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earths. It's retroactively implied that recreating the universe is what led to this world merger.

Certain members of the Justice League - Wonder Woman, Batman, Aquaman, and Cyborg - anyone not with the Paragons, join the fight against Thanos, though don't do enough to affect the outcome.

Out of them, Wonder Woman is the only survivor of The Snap and she helps the surviving Avengers - especially Natasha - and what's left of S.H.I.E.L.D hold down the fort for five years.

WonderWidow ensues.

The Paragons survive the Snap because of their multiversal adventure; when they return to the recreated Earth, five years have passed. Agents of Shield is also canon to this AU, and its characters survive the Snap due to the time travel in season seven, returning to a Post-Blip world.

The final fight with the Anti Monitor would have occurred at the same time as the one with Thanos. As with Infinity War, any members of the Justice League not fighting the Anti Monitor, join the fight against Thanos, albeit not affecting things in a significant way. The events of a Post Endgame/Crisis world remain unchanged, with minor exceptions.

But also Supercorp is canon here because I said so.

While I’m at it, let’s talk the Superwondercorp arc I wrote.

Diana settles in Star City for a short “vacation” after keeping the world together for five years. There, Diana starts a love affair with Kara and Lena. Diana has an arc about opening her heart again, so soon after losing Natasha; whenever she loses a lover, it usually takes years or decades for her to open up again. When she develops feelings for Kara and Lena so quickly, she feels like she’s “betraying” Natasha.

Diana would later get involved when Gorr the God Butcher steps into the picture, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

6. Birds of Prey was the hardest to include in this AU due to how radical difference between takes on the characters in the DCEU and Arrowverse.

Here's what I'm working with.

With Helena Bertenili, I lean to her DCEU counterpart as being her “canon” character. Since I place Birds of Prey in a Post-Crisis/Endgame era, we could handwave it as being her history changing when the world's restored.

With the Black Mask, I had an (admittedly contrived) solution. This AU would have two Roman Sionis' - Sr. (Peter Outerbridge) and Jr. (Ewan McGregor).

McGregor's Sionis is written to be a decade or so younger than he is in Birds of Prey. Junior was far from Roman Sr's favorite child, alluding to his daddy issues Harley mentions. Following Roman Senior's downfall, Junior becomes obsessed with upstaging his father as the Black Mask, leading him to be the monstrous crime boss he was in Birds of Prey.

Then you got Dinah Laurel Lance, and her fan casting. I'm still flip flopping between Katie Cassidy and Jurnee Smollett, for reasons too complicated and distracting to go over here.

The solution I'm leaning to is having Smollett's Dinah being a multiverse displaced individual, and she's adjusting to this new world when her Earth was destroyed by the Anti Monitor.

7. Stark Industries and Wayne Enterprises had history. Stark Industries bought stakes in Wayne in the late 90's and early 2000's, when Bruce wasn't as active with the company, but that partnership slowly dissolved when Obediah Stane was in the picture.

When Tony went public as Iron Man, along Stane’s crimes being exposed, Bruce Wayne cut further ties with Stark. Such a relationship would bring unwanted attention to the technology Wayne Tech is developing, putting too many identities at risk. Afterwards the only ties they had was that many Wayne employees were former Stark employees.

This becomes a problem when Quinten Beck enters the picture.

Beck reaches out to a few disgruntled ex-Stark employees, many of which are working for Wayne. As part of the Mysterio conspiracy, they embezzle a billions from Wayne Industries, and steal its technology. As a distraction, they stage a heist on Wayne Tech, and frame the Joker for the deed.

Bruce isn't made aware of this until Mysterio goes public, quickly recognizing Beck as an former Stark employee he turned away due to him being a “flight risk”.

Come Far From Home/No Way Home, Batman is going into detective mode uncovering and dismantling the Mysterio conspiracy. This is part of what exonerates Peter, along with Matt Murdock’s own “investigations”.

During Peter’s case, Batman tries to reach out to him; but Peter knew Batman's reputation (which has become more sketchy following BVS), and became very defensive in their encounter, despite Batman avoiding his past mistakes.

Even so, Bruce had to attend a number of legal proceedings, regarding the Wayne employees, and he'd have to go underground as the investigation got too close to exposing the identities of his associates.

As a joke, we'd have a scene where Bruce (Affleck) and Happy (Favreau) are both at a meeting with Matt (Cox) and Foggy (Henson). It really doesn't amount to anything but a throwback to 2003's Daredevil; “Hey, look! It's the old Matt and Foggy interacting with the new ones! Ain't that a hoot ?!”

While much of the Mysterio conspiracy was exposed by the trial and investigations, the only member to escape was William Ginter Riva. The last we see Riva, he's bound, gagged and being dragged through a warehouse by a couple of thugs towards the Joker, whose not amuse that Batsy hospitalized over something he didn’t do.

The Joker then pulls out a crowbar and prepares to show Riva how he previously Batman off the deep end...

8. As for this AU’s No Way Home. This one was a lot of fun.

Peter has a little more public support here than he did in NWH, with several members of The Avengers and Justice League publicly vouching for him. Especially after Murdock and Wayne’s investigations.

Coincidentally, Peter's identity is doxxed the day after Kara Danvers revealed her own identity to the public. When Peter is exonerated, Kara and Catco become Peter's most vocal supporters, countering Daily Bugle. Kara - as Supergirl - even interviews Peter and those close to him after his trial as a show of solidarity.

Jameson tries to interview the elderly Steve Rogers, hoping that an “old and wizened soldier” (who previously fought against Spider-Man) would appeal to his audience...only to hastily cut the interview short when Steve ultimately speaks in Peter's favor.

When Hardy’s Eddie and Venom are pulled into this world, they end up settling into Star City, working for Catco as a reporter. Mainly because, I just wanna see the dynamic Eddie and Venom would have working for and/or with Kara. Especially in a world where not only aliens are public knowledge, but are active members of society.

I wrote another post - “What if No Way Home Had More Visitors ?” - and while this AU had nothing to do with that prompt, I’d probably carry some ideas here; such as Topher Grace's Eddie/Venom being pulled into the MCU, as is Dane DeHaan's Harry Osborn, and possibly TASM's Gwen and George Stacey. Another thing changed is the villains (and Toby and Andrew's Peter) were trapped in the MCU longer than a few days. Let's say a month. Long enough for the Green Goblin to become a bigger menace than he already is. Throughout, I see the Goblin going about facing Sam, Bucky, The Defenders, what's left of Team Arrow, the Bat Family. He’s even prepping his weapons with kryptonite incase Kara or the Kents wanna throw hands.

Peter trying to cure and fix the villains also takes place over a longer period. If L-Corp had a branch on the East Coast, I can see Lena starting a partnership with Stark Industries following Tony's death.

When word reaches Kara (one of Peter's most vocal public supporters) and Lena, they let Peter set up shop in their labs. Eddie and Venom would actually be part of the story, working for/with Kara. The fact that Lena is a practicing witch could be used to play her up against Steven.

I don't see the Avengers or Justice League helping with the Statue of Liberty fight, if only because (much like Peacemaker) by the time they arrive, Peter’s already beating down the Goblin. Hardy's Eddie/Venom, may have helped...preferably if Grace's Eddie/Venom was part of the Goblin’s squad.

9. Now you may be wondering how this AU affect the multiverse ? I had a few ideas.

I had this one joke in mind were Toby and Andrew's Peter(s) remark Batman and Superman existing in their worlds too; it being implied that either Burton's Batman would be in the Raimiverse, or The Dark Knight Trilogy being in the Webbverse, etc.

Part of this joke is Toby's Peter doing some investigating in the MCU, and comes across Nelson and Murdock Law Office. It'd be implied that Daredevil 2003 is part of the Raimiverse. Seeing them at their offices, he briefly mistakes Happy (Favreau) and Bruce Wayne (Affleck) for Foggy and Matt, before being corrected. In another joke, Toby’s Peter would see a mugshot of Adrian Toomes, once momentarily mistaking it for his worlds Bruce Wayne before correcting himself.

10. My latest prompt for this AU involves Wonder Woman in Thor: Love and Thunder. And before you ask, I wouldn’t Diana and Thor aren’t rebounding off eachother here. Any relationship they’d have wouldn’t go past platonic.

Considered Diana having some involvement with The Eternals, but I couldn’t think of a way to write her in. With Love And Thunder at least, Diana has something to do, even if she doesn’t drastically change the story.

After spending some time in Star City, Diana goes on tourist travels, paying New Asgard a visit. It just so happens to be when Gorr abducts the Asgardian children. As Wonder Woman, she joins the fight with the Shadow Demons, before joining Valkyrie, Thor, Jane and Korg on the rescue mission.

Besides rescuing the children, two things catch Diana’s attention. 1. The existence of the Necrosword, especially since as far as she knew, she was the “God-Killing Weapon”. And 2. The fact that Omnipotence City exists and her father, Zeus, is alive.

Zeus has a slightly bigger purpose, and the “don’t meet your hero” thing strikes harder for Diana. It goes without saying that the heroic stories of Zeus that Diana (and Thor) grew up had a few embellishments. But this Zeus is a little more nuanced than being a “Fake Ultimate Hero”.

The heroic Zeus stories were broadly true, it’s just this Zeus is a foil to Thor and his arc. Zeus is what Thor could have become if he didn’t humble himself. And after driving off Darkseid, as well as Ares' fall from grace, Zeus is also what Thor would have become if he kept up his maladaptive coping habits post Infinity War.

Another change is that Thor and co wouldn’t leave thinking Zeus was dead; before they escape, Diana tells an injured Zeus off. Zeus tries to appeal to Diana as her father (and offers her her picks of men and women in the gods orgy). Diana rebuffs Zeus, declaring “I am going with them. I am gonna be what the Amazons were made to be. What you made me to be.”

Diana leaves Zeus in his humiliation....only to become another target of his revenge.

Beyond that, I see Diana being “heart” of the team. With her history of love and loss, she would understand what Thor, Jane, Valkyrie are going through and have gone through. She even tries to appeal to Gorr when she learns how his god failed him. Even so, I don’t think it would affect the outcome that much.

Beyond the Zeus plot, Diana would ultimately be another voice to say what they need to hear, and the ear to listen to their problems. I did consider a Diana x Valkyrie subplot, but even that doesn’t drastically affect anything.

----

As of this post, the AU is currently on hold.

I’m still mulling over new ideas, but besides Black Adam I have nothing new from DC to work with, or to include in Wakanda Forever. Especially between seasons of The Flash and Superman & Lois. And especially with James Gunn apparently rebooting the DCEU.

So pending new releases, that’s all for now.

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