#his sweaters his button-up shirts his necklaces they're all so good

[bevioletskies]

gmmtv + character fashion ↳ ford allan as "por" in my school president (2022)

[deconstructthesoup]

One thing I absolutely adore about Dead Boy Detectives is the immaculate costume design. Specifically, how it perfectly encapsulates who the characters are, both as a whole and who they are in the moment.

From the very first scene of the show, we know immediately that Edwin is a bookish, somewhat stuffy guy from the Edwardian era who attended a boarding school, and Charles is a punk from the 1980's who's most likely the wildcard between the two of them, just going off of the way that they're dressed. Both of them have distinct color schemes and different styles, but the general shape of their outfits is actually relatively similar---both of them have collared shirts (Edwin's dress shirt, Charles's polo), something over those shirts (Edwin's vest, Charles's suspenders), a jacket of some kind (Edwin's suit jacket, Charles's flannel thing), a longer overcoat (Edwin's traveling coat, Charles's peacoat), something around the neck (Edwin's bowtie, Charles's necklace), slacks, and nice shoes. They're distinct, yet matching, two clearly defined separate characters yet part of a set.

Edwin's prim, proper, buttoned-up personality lends itself to the way he dresses throughout the season---in the first episode, he only dresses down when he's in the office with Charles, aka his safe place and his safe person, and he doesn't really dress down like that again for a good long while after getting stuck in Port Townsend (though, if my memory serves me correctly, he does take off the suit jacket while watching TV with Niko). But in episode six, he's changed up his usual look for a cozier, casual-looking sweater and a little bit of collarbone, and in episode seven... well, he's in his nightclothes, and he's about as open, raw, and vulnerable as you can get. Edwin's color scheme is also predominately blue, which lines up nicely with his logical and practical, yet deeply sad and closed off personality, and the only time he really wears anything other than his normal blue-and-brown outfit (willingly, that is) is when he's in that green sweater in episode six. And, uh... all I can say is that it's quite telling how blue and green---or, well, teal---are the main colors of the gay/mlm flag.

Charles, by contrast, dresses down a lot, and that makes a lot of sense when you consider the fact that unlike Edwin, he feels comfortable pretty much anywhere. On any given episode, he goes from wearing his peacoat to just wearing his flannel to ditching the flannel to not even wearing the freaking polo---though, again, the latter is something that only happens when he's in the office with Edwin. Safe space, safe person. And, well, plenty of people have analyzed Charles's polo shirt going from red to burgundy to black over the course of the series, and there being a little bit of red under the collar of his coat that's only visible when Edwin fixes it, and then it goes back to burgundy, and then it's red again when Edwin's out of Hell... for good reason! It's color symbolism at its finest! Not to mention, the red and black not only perfectly contrasts Edwin's color scheme, but it also lines up with Charles's personality---he's a rebel, he's hotheaded, he's bold and brash and loud... and yes, he's angry, but he's also so, so loving.

When we first meet Crystal after she loses her memories, her outfit choices feel very deliberate. They're stylish and vaguely trendy, they're arty and a little bit witchy---pretty fitting for a psychic who's also a showbiz kid, even if she doesn't know that last part. But all of her clothes appear thrifted, or at the very least vintage, and the patterns and the general vibe all feel natural and comforting. Her makeup's always fairly simple, her hair's either down or up in a couple of cute space buns... overall, this Crystal looks like the kind of person who'd make you tea when you're in a bad mood, who'll listen when you just need to vent, and who may not always know the right thing to say but will understand what you're going through. But when we see her in the flashbacks, her clothing's flashy and prioritizes high-end trends over comfort, she's either got her hair up or has it straightened, and she not only has dramatic makeup, but acrylics. This is a girl who talks shit about you behind your back, who's bitter and cynical and wants everyone to feel the same way, who makes up for the lack of love and stability in her life via material things. It's also worth noting that Crystal's color scheme has a lot of purple, which is a color that connects to wealth and luxury, but also creativity and magic---which, yeah, fits her two conflicting sides pretty damn well.

You cannot talk about Niko Sasaki without talking about her outfits, and the meaning behind each of them has already been talked about at length. However, one thing that really stands out to me is that the reason they're so iconic isn't just because of the monochrome color schemes, but because they're out there. They're weird, they're eclectic, they're a little mismatched in style sometimes, and they're so unapologetically her. Niko wears heart-shaped sunglasses, unironically. Everything about the way she dresses speaks to how, even though she's a recovering shut-in who initially doesn't want to be perceived, she's still very sure of who she is.

Jenny's design, like Charles and Edwin's, is a design that gives you the key information you need the minute she first appears onscreen. The dark makeup, the silver jewelry, the leather apron, and the hairstyle all point to a person who's tough, doesn't take anyone's shit, and has long since given up on caring what other people think---in other words, she's a badass. But the butterfly tattoo hints at a softer side, a side that we see time and time again throughout the series as she shows that she cares about Crystal and Niko, and even the boys... eventually. Also, Jenny's design is perhaps one of the most clearly queer-coded in the series, to the point where her being a confirmed lesbian is pretty much a no-brainer.

Esther's design oozes camp, from top to bottom. The fluffy coat, the bustier, the boots and the cane and the everything, speak to a woman who's kept with the times and yet has seen it all. There's really not a lot I can fully say about her design, other than what Charles has already said: "She looks like a witch... like, kind of a sexy witch, who smokes a lot." (Or maybe I'm just tired and running out of steam at this point, idk, I love Esther's design and I can't really put it into words.) It's also pretty fitting that her color scheme has a lot of yellow in it---after all, she's always striving for more, so what better color for her than the color of gold?

Everything about the Night Nurse's design speaks to a woman who follows rules and discipline above all else, from the pantsuit to the pinned-up hairstyles to the tie to the heels. She's also the most muted out of the main cast in terms of color, dressing mostly in browns, dull greens, and duller browns---and while I don't have a lot to go into detail about there, I feel like that's kind of a symbol of her narrow-minded and bureaucratic worldview.

And the animal characters... Jesus Christ, I fully forget that they're all being played by human actors. Tragic Mick dresses like a man who's always spent his life by the sea, layered denim and all, and it's never a stretch to see this sad, bushy-bearded, baggy-clothed fisherman and imagine him as a walrus lounging on a beach. Monty, at first glance, seems to only wear black, which would be perfectly fitting for a crow, but when he's in better lighting, you see that he dresses in layers of red and blue, calling to how he envies Charles and Edwin and clearly longs for something more---and this might just be me, but I think that even though his outfits seem fairly normal at first glance, they feel kind of like a costume for Monty more than anything else, like he's trying to emulate a teenager that he's seen on TV more than someone in real life.

The Cat King fits this just as well, with all of his outfits aligning perfectly with whatever his cat form is at the time---when he's a fluffy ginger, it's always sequins and fur coats and clothing pieces that are specifically designed to take up space and call attention, and when he's a black shorthair, it's sleek styles and shiny leather and pieces that are designed to cut an intimidating yet more subtle figure. And while I could go into detail about all of those, what really stands out to me is how clearly queer everything is---more than Jenny's alt lesbian attire, more than Esther's campy coat and corset. From the very first scene he's in, he's wearing a skirt, and it looks natural. Nothing about the way the Cat King presents himself is exaggerated, nothing about the way he dresses is played for laughs---he's flamboyant and feminine and flirty, and he looks so fucking hot while he does it. It's gorgeous.

So... yeah, uh, all the awards for the Dead Boy Detectives costume designers!

[kingstrawberry]

imagine stylish tsukishima tryna get kageyama to dress well for ages and ages. kageyama finally cracks and lets tsukishima shop for him (“ONE outfit, Kei.”)

so he gets three outfits. after trying on what felt like 100 different shirts and 30 pairs of pants and god knows how many jackets and shoes, they (meaning tsukishima) have finally made some decisions.

at this point, kageyama is more than willing to buy the whole store if it means they can just go to lunch. he doesn’t hate shopping, more neutral to the process than anything, but he’s wondering if he might starve to death while tsukishima is debating which shade of blue his button up should be.

“just get all of them,” kageyama grumbles.

tsukishima raises an eyebrow. “if you’re sure,” he says with a shrug before handing the shirts to kageyama. he already has a pair of slacks and a pair of jeans slung over his shoulder but tsukishima’s hands are full with a few shoe boxes and accessories.

he picks up a sweater for good measure and they make their way out.

kageyama has a spoon in his mouth 10 minutes later and he’s much happier now, even curiously riffling through the accessories with his free hand. “how am i supposed to wear this?”

“the necklace? you put it around your neck.”

kageyama rolls his eyes. “right, thanks.” he pulls the thin silver chain out of the bag, eyes widening as a plain circular pendant he didn’t see before swings around.

“oi, it’s not a weapon,” tsukishima snips as he reaches out to steady it.

“and how would i wear this weapon?” kageyama asks, undeterred.

tsukishima shrugs. “over your sweater, and” he fishes a watch out of the same bag kageyama pulled the necklace from. “with this.”

kageyama looks back and forth between the necklace in his hand and the watch in tsukishima’s. he’s not sure how they fit together but they’re both the same color so that must be good right?

“ok,” he concedes before happily going back to his meal.

—

They go on a date a few days later, no special occasion but Kageyama wants to try dressing well. 'May as well use the new clothes.' So he pulls on one of the blue button ups, dark slacks, brown loafers ("I have black ones already." "Black doesn't work with everything, King.") and the accessories they'd talked about before.

He's not sure if he did it right but judging from the smile on Tsukishima's face when he meets him in the living room, he'll say he did a good job.

"You look halfway decent," is all Tsukishima says but the fond smile on his face says more than words.

Half an hour later the mood has changed quite a bit. They're quietly starting to eat, which isn't unusual for them, but instead of the peaceful feeling Kageyama's used to when he's spending time with his boyfriend, he’s on high alert.

Tsukishima's been irritated ever since they sat down and Kageyama can't figure out why.

"What's wrong?"

Tsukishima looks up from his meal, eyes wide. "Nothing, just tired." He straightens up in his seat and puts a smile on but it doesn't take a genius to tell he's forcing it.

"I could've cooked if I'd known."

Tsukishima shakes his head, smile becoming slightly more genuine. "Don't worry about me, King."

So, things are fine for a while but if that change was confusing this one nearly tilts Kageyama's world off its axis. Tsukishima refuses dessert.

The waitress looks startled when Tsukishima curtly asks for the check.

"You're sure you don't want anything else?" she asks, smiling kindly at Kageyama.

Kageyama looks back and forth between his fuming boyfriend and the dessert menu being offered to him, hesitating for apparently too long because Tsukishima snaps at him.

"Well, what do you want?" Tsukishima asks, arms folded across his chest and a scowl on his face.

Kageyama manages to keep his jaw from dropping at his boyfriend's behavior and turns to the waitress. "Do you have strawberry shortcake?"

She frowns for a second but it's gone so quickly Kageyama doesn't know if he imagined it or not. "No, but there's plenty of other things on the menu," she says sweetly as she offers the dessert menu again.

"We're good," Kageyama says politely.

"Just the check," Tsukishima repeats.

"Separate?" she asks, still looking at Kageyama.

"Together," Tsukishima deadpans before Kageyama can answer.

"Together," Kageyama confirms with a polite smile.

And Tsukishima's mood doesn't improve while he pays or during the drive home. Every time Kageyama glances at him he's staring out the window.

"What's wrong?" Kageyama asks again once they're back at their apartment.

"Keep wearing your tracksuits."

"But we just got-"

"Yama can take them. And you're more comfortable in your gym gear, right?"

Kageyama takes a moment to consider it. These clothes aren't tight but he is used to a looser fit. "Yea," he concedes.

"Perfect, just keep wearing it then."

The conversation ends as Tsukishima turns on the TV.

Kageyama looks down at his clothes for another moment before heading into their room to change. So much for being stylish.

(end)

[totaldrama-showdowns]

Unused Propaganda for the Best Outfit Showdown! Apologies if your’s could not be used!

Noah

“He dresses like shit I just think it'll be funny if he made this poll”

“it'd be funny if he won both worst outfit and best outfit”

Alejandro

“Idk I just like his outfit. His shirt is a nice shade of red”

“He's the only one from gen 1 that actually knows how clothes work!”

“The reason I got a bull necklace”

Courtney

“I just think it looks nice. Good design”

“Genuinely one of the only good outfits from the original cast. Simple, but cohesive and works well for the character”

Scary Girl

“Her outfit fits her character so well! I like how she's goth and her color palette's great”

“Simple yet elegant. The hair? The dress? The stockings? Perfect. Looks like an evil candy cane.”

“lolita dress, nice colours, cool socks, matching hair.”

Damien

“damien”

Emma

“it’s so cute! looks like something i could absolutely see an actual teenager wearing. the colors are all so nice and vibrant without being overbearing. love her fit :)”

“I just like it. The orange looks nice :)”

“HER SHOES OMG HER ORANGE SWEATER THE PINK SCRUNCHY THE LESBIAN FLAG COLOURS SHE'S SO CUTE”

“Her outfit is so cute. one of my favs in a season with already great outfits. the colours are very nice to look at (leabien flag) and its also not a particularly common palette in td either which is also nice. the shoes are practical, and the skirt and top are cute. her ponytail as well with the pink scrunchy. it really looks like they designed her based on actual outfits that teenagers wear! its just a very cute outfit”

Anne Maria’s Maggot

“That fit ROCKED. It went SO HARD. the only reason why they had Zoey's maggot was bc they hated Anne Maria and all her swag”

“Zoey wishes”

“a vote for this maggot is a vote for FEMINISM”

“i <3 maggots :)”

Dark suit Ice Dancers

“Peak team rocket. Peak Ice skaters. Peak villains. Peak personalities. Peak outfit”

“Look at them”

“THEYRE SO AWESOME!! THE SUNGLASSES!!!”

Katie & Sadie

“It's cute that they're matching. Their outfits are suitable for summer unlike some people's... cough three shirts cough”

Axel

“her outfit is so axel”

Shawn

“tboy swag. also his colors go so well together”

“Unironically I would wear that”

Topher

“is he wearing a sweater over a button up or is it just one shirt.... either way topher sweep”

Admiral Lindsay

“linsay her hotness :)”

[viviennevermillion]

What casual clothes the Twisted Wonderland cast would wear

@ferny-bread made a post asking what kind of modern clothes the Twisted Wonderland boys would wear. So here's my 2 cents on the topic

Ace Trappola: Ace buys a bunch of affordable clothes in good quality that falsely make him look like a rich person. A lot of shirts but without a tie, he always leaves a few buttons open. Suit pants. Casual blazers. Polo shirts with the logos of famous brands but they're fake. The only expensive thing he buys are fancy watches.

Deuce Spade: Deuce buys very basic, single-colored t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies and usually wears a leather jacket on top of it. Always wears jeans and some type of sports shoe. But since we know of the pink leopard print outfit there's def some weird stuff in his wardrobe.

Trey Clover: Trey's outfit of the day is either "normal" or "Vil would teleport me to the 9th circle of hell if he saw me like this". There's a 50/50 chance he'll show up in regular pants and simple t-shirts and outdoor jackets but there's also the possibility you'll see him walking around in a cardigan his grandma, who can't knit, knitted for him and it has the largest threads and patterns mankind has ever seen and you close it by tying a knot into it. Or he'd wear those v-neck shirts for men that have this terrible white piece of cloth in the v-neck for no particular reason and it has stripes in colors that don't fit together at all. His shoes are cool 9/10 of times though

Cater Diamond: Lots and lots of college jackets and bomber jackets. Lots and lots of simple white t-shirts under said jackets. A ton of trendy, colored sunglasses with cool gradient colors. And a shit ton of cool baseball caps. Something like this:

Riddle Rosehearts: Riddle's mum is a Karen and a control freak and his clothes radiate exactly that, after all she buys them for him. Sweater vests. Polo shirts. Neat shirts with a perfectly done tie. If he's feeling dangerous today he dresses like Nick Wilde.

Leona Kingscholar: As a Leona simp I'd like to fulfill all of our dreams and say he dresses like a biker because it'd look absolutely gorgeous on him (I mean he already slays in the Savanaclaw dorm uniform) but we all know Leona has a terrible fashion sense so I gotta say he'd dress in a bunch of colors that hurt to look at, don't fit together and have patterns that people haven't worn in years. Basically his outdoor wear. He also always wears accessories. The rest of his outfit may suck but his necklaces, bracelets and rings sure don't. He manages to look like he buys all his clothes in a thrift shop but they're all expensive from famous brands. Also Leona might never be king of the Afterglow Savannah but he'd sure as hell be king of ugly sandals. I'm not even talking about his school uniform shoes, literally imagine the ugliest sandals you can think of; Leona would wear them unless they're colorful and tacky. Half the time he runs around in these tho:

Ruggie Bucchi: Three words - Vargas Camp Ruggie. If you ever went to a public school when you were like 12 or 13, chances are there was this one kid who dressed like Vargas Camp Ruggie. And if Ruggie wears casual clothes that is exactly what he looks like. He wears this type of scarf all the way from autumn to early spring and he has a bunch of hiking boots and owns jackets and bags that scream "ugly but practical". He'd wear everything the Jack Wolfskin online store has to offer except that he's too poor to afford brands like this so they're all fakes from beyond the border of the Afterglow Savannah that he found (or stole) on tourist street markets.

Jack Howl: Jack's fashion sense radiates "I'm young, athletic and in the military". Owns a lot of clothes with camo print. Lots of Cargo pants. And tank tops. He always runs around in tank tops except for when it's really hot which is the days where he won't wear a shirt at all. He also wears those metal necklaces you always see soldiers wear in movies idk if they have a specific name. Apart from that he wears typical sport clothes.

Azul Ashengrotto: It's Azul. Like, what do you expect, of course he dresses exclusively in suits. He also owns so many different fedoras it's insane.

Jade Leech: Nothing special, lots of basic black pants and single-colored cashmere sweaters. A bunch of turtlenecks too. But the fabric of his shirts always ends up being soft as hell.

Floyd Leech: See, Floyd is a wild card. You cannot possibly pinpoint a style for him because you'll never know what he shows up in today. It could be something perfectly fine like his outdoor wear but he could also greet you in platform crocs and a fur coat.

Kalim Al-Asim: Kalim is the type of guy who combines traditional with modern clothes. You'll always see him wear something traditional from the Land of Hot Sands, be it a shirt or an accessory etc. but he usually combines it with typical modern clothes. Kalim has a fairly good fashion sense so it always fits together well.

Jamil Viper: Same as in canon. Several variations of school uniform Jamil and PE Jamil. Ton of accessories. Sometimes single-colored shirts and bomber jackets. A lot of outfits that radiate "crying in the skatepark at 3am"

Vil Schoenheit: Another one you can't pinpoint but in a good way. Not only is Vil always up to date with the newest fashion trends, but he's a trendsetter himself. He casually wears so many different styles and he loves fashion in general so he doesn't settle for one specific style. Fact is he always slays. He usually wears heels though.

Rook Hunt: Hats. Rook wears pretty basic outfits which just draw more attention to his large variety of extraordinary hats (he does this on purpose). He owns anything from cowboy hats to Bavarian hats to baseball caps. And of course berets.

Epel Felmier: Ever since Chapter 5, Epel's wardrobe only has two types of clothing - "cute and frilly" and "dangerous person with knife who'd sell you drugs in a shady alleyway". He either dresses like the most adorable person you will ever meet or like a total delinquent.

Idia Shroud: Gamer and weeb merch. Large hoodies. Shirts with uncomfortable close-up shots of the faces of anime characters. Otherwise pretty much what he wears in canon.

Silver: Lots of denim stuff. Simple white t-shirts with colorful symbols and print on it. Nothing special but he's pretty fashionable.

Sebek Zigvolt: Idk why but lots of suit pants. Also Sebek owns so many comfortable hoodies istg. He loves sitting down in one of these and read a book. He also has a lot of turtleneck shirts. In winter he wears long trenchcoats and scarves out of wool. He also owns fake glasses for fashion purposes (and to look smart)

Lilia Vanrouge: Lilias fashion sense is about as good as his cooking skill. He will legit just go to a thrift shop and throw a bunch of things he likes together, no matter if they fit or not. You know how the people in the music video to Thrift Shop dress? This is what Lilia wears.

Malleus Draconia: You'd expect a guy who has no idea about trends or modern human society and who spent most of his long life locked up in a castle to be an absolute disaster when it comes to fashion but the thing is, Malleus is a strategic buyer. He knows he already struggles to blend in with humans and he's perfectly aware he has no idea what modern fashion trends are so he buys stuff he's already seen people wear at school. Simple t-shirts. Hoodies. Blazers. Suit pants. Shirts & ties. Sneakers. Cardigans. But as he's used to from Valley of Thorns traditions he buys all of this in all black so he definitely looks like an emo while being unaware of what an emo is. He does look fashionable though. He also loves long af big scarves (wrap them around him he'd be so happy)

I also made a tier-list of my judgements of their fashion

[arctickat2400]

Anniversary <> Zayn Malik

It was your 1 year Anniversary since you and Zayn have been together and you couldn’t be happier. You were currently sitting on the couch, awaiting the time to come for you to get ready.

Zayn had said he had a surprise for you tonight, but as always, he kept it a secret and refuses to tell you. You loved surprises, especially if they're from Zayn, but you hate being left in suspense.

This morning, when you had woken up, Zayn was already gone at work, but you had gotten a text from him.

Happy Anniversary, Kitten. Can’t wait for tonight and I can tell you can’t either. I’ll see you at 7. I love you.

Zayn’s text read and you couldn’t hold back a smile. You texted back, returning the Happy Anniversary and the I love You. And, as much as you wanted to spend your entire anniversary with your boyfriend, you couldn’t ‘cause he had work.

So you spent your day around the house, having a kind of lazy day. You had gotten a few sweet texts from Zayn and a call or two from him. He had video called you because he “wanted to see your beautiful face,'' his words exactly. The boys were around him, too, and greeted you with a Happy Anniversary, Y/N, or something along those lines. The boys had given you and Zayn your privacy until Zayn had to go to the studio. You exchanged I love you’s as you both went your separate ways.

Zayn was picking you up around 7 to bring you to the first part of your surprise and you couldn’t wait. You sat anxiously yet excitedly on the couch watching Riverdale in your red and black pj short shorts and a thin sweater as you waited for the time to arrive.

It’s been awhile since you started watching your tv show and you’ve gone through many episodes. You picked up your phone to check the time and you saw it was 5:50. Oh no, I’m gonna be so late. You thought to yourself. You still had to shower, dry, curl and fix up your hair, pick out an outfit and shoes all before Zayn got home.

You paused your tv show, throwing the blanket that covered you off from over you and jumped up, taking your phone and went to search for clothes.

Once you had gotten to your bathroom after finding a pair of underwear and some extra clothes for when you got out of the shower, it was already 6 by the time you turned on the shower. You turned on some music, the boys music because you couldn’t get enough of it.

You sang in the shower as you washed through your hair and cleansed your body. After about 10 minutes, you turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around you. You stepped out of the shower and walked to the bathroom counter. After brushing through your wet hair, you put it up into a braid and began to dry yourself off. You changed into your underwear, tank top and denim short shorts and you checked the time. 6:15.

You let your hair down from your braid, brushing through it once again and beginning to dry it. After, you curl your hair and made perfect bouncy curls that fell over your shoulders. You would have put on makeup like any girl would do for a date, but Zayn hated when you wore makeup, and you did too. So, you never put any on. Maybe a little bit of acne cream and concealer to cover up some barely visible red spots, but that was the maximum amount of makeup you ever used.

It was around 6:35 when you had gotten done with your hair and everything that needed to be done in the bathroom and you walked into your connected bedroom and to your rather large walk in closet. You turned to your side and looked through your dresses. You tried to choose between a short pink and white floral dress with a puffy skirt and a white strapless dress that was longer on your right side and shorter on your left with diamonds outlining the corset that was quite thin and showed off our curves that Zayn like quite a lot. In the end, though you loved both dresses, you went with your favorite, the white dress.

You undressed out of your shorts and tank top and shimmied into your dress and easily zipped it up at the back. You knelt down by your wide variety of shoes and choose between black high heels with a bow strap on it or black strap wedged sandals, you chose the high heels with the bow. It went better with your dress, the white and black going together perfectly.

You slid them on and added a simple heart necklace that Zayn had given you for your birthday along with an anklet that was lined with crosses. You added a few rings that you wore almost 24/7 and you grabbed your phone. 6:55. Right on time.

You go downstairs just as you hear someone coming through the door. You stood on top of the stairs as you look down towards the front door to see Zayn there. He turns around, looking up, and his eyes widen, a spark igniting in his that showed absolute love and astonishment.

“Y/N, my love, you cannot look more beautiful.” Zayn told, a smile on his face as one crawls to your face along with a bright red blush coming to your cheeks. You descend down the stairs as Zayn makes his way to you.

You hadn’t seen him this morning, so you hadn’t seen what he was dressed in. And on your video call earlier, you hardly noticed what he had been wearing. He wore dark black skinny jeans, a white button up shirt and a black sportcoat with a little red handkerchief in the top left pocket. You hated when Zayn or any guy dressed in nice clothes like dress pants or whatever, but what Zayn was wearing, it was what you called nice clothes and you loved it.

You reached the bottom of the stares and Zayn’s eyes never left yours. “You’re not too bad yourself.” You smiled to Zayn as he took your hand in his and spun you around to get a good look from all angles. You giggled as he spun you into his, wrapping his arms around him.

“Happy Anniversary, baby. I know I already said it, but I wanted to tell you in person.” Zayn told you, smiling as he stared you seductively into your eyes, his face mere centimeters from yours. You just laughed softly, setting your hands on either side of Zayn’s cheeks as he leaned you back in his strong arms and pressed his lips against yours. You smiled into the kiss as he did so.

Zayn brought you back up and held you against him still as he looked you in the eye.

“You ready to go, princess?” He asked sweetly. You nodded as he pressed his lips against your forehead, took your hand in his and lead you to the car. You pulled into what looks like the front of a super expensive restaurant. There were some men in uniforms waiting outside, maybe valet’s, as you pulled up beside them. Zayn was first to jump out of the car as you got ready to get out of the car yourself. Zayn ran to the other side of the car, handing his keys to the valet, and opened your door for you, holding his hand out for you to take. You obliged as you smiled, stepping out of the car, entwining your arm with Zayn’s as the valet drove off with your car.

As Zayn led you up to the restaurant, it looked familiar to you, and you realized it was Galvin at Windows, a very expensive modern French restaurant that you’ve always wanted to go to. Yes, Zayn of course has a lot of money, but this was the kind of place you go to for a special event, and it was your anniversary. You were so happy that Zayn brought you here.

“Zayn, this is amazing,” You paused looking around as you walked inside the beautiful place. “I can’t believe you got a reservation here.” It was also a very busy place, so it was hard to get a reservation, especially on a Friday night.

“Well, I had to bring my very special girl to a very special place. And I knew how much you’ve been wanting to come here.” He smiled at you as he covered you hand with his, the hand that was set on his arm. You just leaned up and pressed your lips against his cheek.

Being the next in line, you walk up to the stand where the host, a woman in a fancy dress stood, looking up at you two with a sweet smile.

“Good evening, do you have a reservation?” The host greeted and asked. Zayn just smiled back as you smiled up at him.

“Yes, Mr. And Mrs. Malik, please.” Is all he said, and you could’ve sworn his smile grew just a bit bigger. You were confused about the name he put our reservation under. You guys weren’t married, not even engaged. Not yet at least. Maybe it was just easier to say that. You decided not to ask just yet.

“Here you are,” The host grinned, looking down at her iPad with all her reservation information on it. She took two menus, looking back up at us, saying, “Please, follow me.” As she turned, you and Zayn followed hand in hand as she led you two outside under lots a gorgeous lights at the back balcony of the restaurant, giving you an amazing view of the ocean. It was the perfect evening, perfect temperature, not dark just yet, but it was just beautiful.

“It’s beautiful, Zayn. I can’t believe this. We just got here and it’s already been an amazing night.” You told him as you made eye contact with him after looking around your surroundings.

“Well, it’s all for you. And this is just the beginning. And have I told you how beautiful you look tonight? I could just look at you all night.” Zayn smiled towards you, staring into you blue eyes that went quite well with your dress. You just blushed and Zayn couldn’t hold back a slight chuckle at how adorable he thinks you are.

You both look at your menus as your waiter comes by to take your drink orders. You both simply order waters. As you wait for the waiter to come back, you decide to ask Zayn about his choice of reservation named.

“So, Zayn,” You start, leaning your chin on the palm of your hand. “So, Y/N,” Zayn smiles, mimicking your movements. You just giggle, repositioning yourself.

“Anyways,” You sang. “What about that reservation name? What’s that all about?” You question him as you stare into each other's eyes. Zayn just chuckles as he looks down, an uncommon blush coming to his cheeks.

“It’s nothing. I just thought it’d be easier than anything else. And, we’re a couple, so why not?” Zayn answers, leaving a suspicious smile on your lips. You could tell it was something more than that. Just then, the waiter comes back with your waters and a bottle of champagne, which you don’t remember ordering. You both say thank you to the waiter as he asks for your meal orders. You wanted something simple, so you both ordered a burger. They were supposed to be really good and you hoped it would live up to your expectations.

About 10 minutes later, the waiter came back with your meal. After the first bite, you couldn’t get enough of it. It was amazing and probably one of the best burgers you’ve ever had. Throughout dinner, you and Zayn just made conversation about random things, life, the future, stuff you two usually like to talk about. You had already gone through the entire bottle of champagne and for dessert, you and Zayn shared a sweet, rich red velvet slice of cake with chocolate frosting on it. As was the rest of the meal, it was delicious.

After getting the check, and begging Zayn to let you help pay, though of course he didn’t let you, Zayn asked, “You ready to go, princess?” He asked with a suspiciously excited smile on his lips.

“For what?” You ask as Zayn stands and walks to you, taking your hand and lifting you from your chair.

“For the second part of your surprise, of course.” He smiled at you, and you just blushed as Zayn led you outside, hand in hand, where your car was waiting. Zayn opened your door for you after getting the keys from the valet as he ran to his side and started the car, driving off to the unknown.

You stare out the window, wondering where Zayn could possibly be bringing you, as he held your hand in his. Once in a while, a cute or funny thought would come to your mind and you would smile or quietly giggle. Little did you know, Zayn would look at you with a sincere and adoring smile on his face.

You begin to realize where you were and your surroundings, and you saw a little ways ahead the sand and the ocean. You smiled, knowing Zayn was bringing you to your favorite place: the beach.

Zayn takes your hand as you two walk around the beach together, you clutching onto his arm and leaning your head on his shoulder

You walk along the beach barefoot for awhile until your notice the darkness overcoming the sky and the sunset was arriving. Just then, a little in the distance, you see a few people, even though it’s about 9 at night and people aren't usually at the beach past 8. But, as you walked closer, you recognized the people to be the boys, Harry, Louis, Liam and Niall. They stood next to a burning fire beside a heart shape made of red rose petals. This was certainly a surprise to you.

You looked up to Zayn who had a calm, yet happy smile on his face and stared at you sweetly. He led you to the fire and the boys as you let go of Zayn and ran to the boys with a huge smile on your face.

“Guys, this is beautiful. Who did this?” You questioned as you hugged each of the boys, starting with Niall and going down the line, them all whispering sweet things in your ear like Happy Anniversary or whatever.

You got down the line and when you wanted to hug Harry, you realized he had disappeared somewhere without you noticing.

“Y/N,” You heard Zayn’s soft quiet voice as you turn around from the boys to see him holding a bouquet of red roses, your favorite. You see Harry beside him about to walk away back to the rest of the boys. Harry had a sweet smile on his as he stared at you lovingly. You eyes meet with Zayn’s again as you walked to him, him meeting you halfway.

“Zayn, you did this?” You questioned, though knowing the answer. You knew the boys were watching, but you couldn’t care less. At that moment, it was as if it was only you and Zayn left in the world.

Zayn handed you the roses as tears build up in your eyes. You smell the roses with a smile on your face, but you realize something different about your flowers. There’s a fake one. You look up at him confused.

“Why is there a fake one?” You asked and Zayn set his hands on your waist.

“When the last rose dies, that’s when I’ll stop loving you. Maybe even after then.” He smiled and shrugged at that last part. You just giggled.

“Zayn,” Is all you said as Louis game up to you and took the roses from you to keep them safe. You thank him and turn back to Zayn, his hands still set on your waist, as you lean up, wrapping your arms around his neck, and he presses his lips to yours.

“They’re beautiful, Zayn. This is all just gorgeous. Thank you so much. And you did this all for me. I can’t believe I was blessed with such an amazing, generous, and handsome, may I add, boyfriend.” You tell him, your hands locked around his neck, his arms around you waist as he held you close. He chucked at the last part of your sentence.

“Well, I’m happy to say that this night isn’t over just yet, my love.” Zayn smiled down at you. You slipped out of each other's grasp as Niall came up and discreetly gave something to Zayn, so fast you didn’t see what it was. Niall places he friendly kiss to your cheek, a blush coming to your cheeks. You turn around towards the boys as Niall reunited with them.

You give your best friends a confused look and they all just smile at you and gesture for you to turn around. You do as commanded and what you saw made you breathless, throwing your hands over your mouth to stifle your oncoming cries. Zayn was knelt down on one knee, a beautiful ring held out in front of him towards you. The tears now started streaming down your cheeks.

“Zayn,” Is all you could say as Zayn began to speak.

“(Your Full Name), I love you so much, and I’ve loved you since the day I laid eyes on you almost 2 years ago. I know you like the back of my hand, and I know you know me better than I know myself. I can’t think of anyone better to live my life with. And I know if you ever left me, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself, because Y/N, I can’t live without you. You make me so happy and I know I want to live the rest of my life with you. There are so many things I love about you that I just can’t live without. Your laugh brightens my day even on the worst of days. You smile make me so happy, I could look at it all day. Your eyes, I can’t tell you how much I love your eyes. Your eyes bring me to your very soul and they tell your whole story just by looking into them. I could go on and on about how much I love you, but I have my entire life to do that, to make sure you know how much I love you and to make sure your know how beautiful you are, inside and out. I want to spend my entire life with you, have kids with you, take care of you when you’re sick, and give you an extraordinary life. So, (Your Full Name), my love, my one and only, will you let me love you for the rest of our lives, let me hold you in my arms forever? Will you marry me?” Zayn says, and you were almost to the point of bawling at this point. And, of course, you would refuse to say no.

You start nodding, slowly as it gradually sped up. “Yes. Yes, Zayn, of course I’ll marry you!” You screamed that last part.

Zayn stands with a huge smile on both your faces as he presses his lips against yours in a gentle, but passionate kiss, the best you’ve ever had in your entire life. Zayn leans you back in his arms as if it was the last move in a dance number, his lips on yours, as you are held in his embrace.

Zayn lifts you up, releasing your lips as he holds you close. He takes the ring and places it on your ring finger. He looks up into your eyes, his sweet, sincere smile giving you butterflies in your stomach, the feeling that you’ve felt everyday since you’ve met him. He brings you into a tight, sweet hug as you nuzzle your nose into his neck, him nuzzling his nose into your hair.

“I love you so much, Y/N.” Zayn whispers. You couldn't hold back that smile.

“I love you, Zayn, forever. Thank you so much, for tonight and the life you will give me.” You tell him as you back away slightly, your hands on the back of his head as you smooth your fingers through his hair. He stares into your eyes adoringly.

Suddenly, you both hear sniffles from behind you. You both laugh as you turn around in Zayn’s embrace, him looking up over you at the boys staring at you two with smiles on their faces. Louis and Harry were on the verge of tears, Niall was already in tears and Liam was just being his strong normal self as he stared at you two sweetly, his arms crossed over his chest.

You give them all hugs, thanking them for everything they did to help Zayn for that night. You ran back into Zayn’s arms as he swung you around, placing another kiss to your lips. During the kiss, he picks you up bridal style like you’ve seen in the movies as you giggle into the kiss. Zayn brings you home, the generous boys that they are, taking care of everything at your spot on the beach.

The good day you were having turned into the best night of your life, well so far. And you knew you’d have many amazing moments with your new fiancé and soon to be Husband Zayn.

[roslinadama-sinequanon]

Saying Good-Bye to Yesterday-Chapter 11

So, yes it’s been forever and day. I haven’t dropped off the planet or quit writing for Shandy. It just got difficult for a while.  

You can find the chapter here https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13004092/11/Saying-Good-Bye-to-Yesterday and here https://archiveofourown.org/works/15321687/chapters/53083987 and here

****

"Hey, hon." Andy paused in buttoning his shirt at the greeting, his lips curving into a smile when he took in Sharon's disheveled appearance as she entered their bedroom, fresh from a workout, spandex shorts clinging to her long toned thighs, loose tendrils of hair slipping out of her high ponytail.

"How was the Barre class?" He asked.

"It wasn't Barre. It was Spin." Over the past few months, Amy had convinced her to start taking spin classes with her, adding to her usual regimen of Body Barre, Pilates, and Yoga.

"Well, how was Spin?"

"Ugh." She pulled the sweaty racerback tank over her head. "Jelly legs."

"Gorgeous legs," he corrected.

"Yes, well, that takes work, darling." Though she ate healthily, for the most part, was supple, naturally active, and thanks to genetics and a great metabolism, didn't have to fight hard to maintain her slender figure, she exercised to keep toned and fit. In addition to the classes she attended when her schedule allowed, she swam laps almost every day, did some light weights at the PD gym, and also got out to Malibu to a riding stable as often as she could. When she first mentioned her horseback riding to Andy as a full-body workout, he gave her a typical Andy quip, "for the horse, right? " She'd ignored the comment until she could prove her point. One afternoon she'd taken him on what he referred to as a "ball crushing" ride, and he'd sheepishly eaten his words. Later still, when they'd become intimate and he'd felt those "thighs of steel" around his waist, he'd come to an even greater appreciation of that "full-body" exercise.

"Well, I'm pretty gross right now, so I'm going to hop in the shower." She pulled off her sports bra and wiped at the sweat under her breasts before dropping it in the hamper and disappearing into the bathroom. When she emerged 15 minutes later, she had one towel wrapped around her torso, the other turban-style around her head.

"Don't forget, I have book club tonight," she said.

"Yeah, I'm gonna hit a meeting."

She glanced up sharply from her dresser, a pair of rose-colored panties dangling from her fingertips. "Everything okay?"

Though her tone remained neutral, Andy picked up the tiny inflection of worry. It wasn't his usual meeting night. "Yeah, everything's fine," he assured her. "I had to skip last week because of our case, and I haven't gotten the chance to talk to Isaac."

"About us?"

"Yes."

Once in her fresh panties, Sharon shimmied on a pair of black leggings that she paired with a long, slouchy v-neck cashmere sweater in a soft shade of blush. To finish off the casual outfit, she slipped on a pair of two-tone quilted Chanel ballet flats, big silver hoop earrings, and a silver cuff bracelet. Andy continued to watch her dress. Watching her shed her professional persona for her personal one was kind of a ritual for him. At work, she was all fitted, classic, sleek lines. Understated and sophisticated. At home, her wardrobe was softer and a little more eclectic. Even her jewelry was different. At work, simple diamond studs in her ears and her watch, no bracelets, no necklaces, no dangling earrings. At home, she often wore pretty bracelets, hoops or dangling earrings, and a variety of necklaces, including the crucifix she never wore to work. Separation of church and state and all. He asked her once why she stopped wearing necklaces when she took over Major Crimes. After expressing surprise that he had actually noticed that, she told him that Brenda had warned her that wearing a necklace when interviewing suspects was dangerous because they could use it to try to strangle her. Given the violent animosity their former Chief seemed to bring out in suspects, he figured she was speaking from experience. Probably a good idea that he wore his sobriety necklace tucked in under his shirt. He was pretty sure there were hundreds of suspects over the years who would have loved nothing more than to strangle him.

A half-hour later, with her hair blown dry and her make up re-applied, Sharon came out of the bedroom to see Andy slipping on his jean jacket as he prepared to head out. Rusty was sitting on the couch on his laptop.

"You boys are on your own for supper tonight," she reminded the two.

"Okay. " Rusty glanced up. "What do you want to do, Andy?"

"I have a meeting, so I thought I could pick something up for us on my way home. Want a pizza from Palermo's?"

"Just make sure my half isn't loaded down with veggies."

Andy rolled his eyes. "No veggies. Got it."

Sharon smiled and started to reach for the Trader Joes bag she'd left on the table.

"I've got that, babe." Andy took the heavy bag and followed her out the door. Not so long ago, she might have bristled at the move and argued that she could carry the bag herself, but Andy knew that. It was simply a gentlemanly act of kindness, and she no longer looked for any sort of underlying misogynistic meaning to his kind gestures.

******

The strong smell of flowers hit Sharon just outside the storefront, and she glanced up at the pretty awning hanging over the doorway. "Lotions and Potions," her friend Summer's bath and body shop in Mar Vista. She opened the door, and the floral and spicy scents grew more pronounced. Taking a few steps in, she scanned the room, looking past the displays of soaps, bath salts, body creams, and lotions to see Summer with a customer over in the incense and essential oil section. The little bell that jangled at her entry drew Summer's attention, and when she glanced over and saw who it was, she gave Sharon a smile and a hand gesture indicating that she would be with her in a minute. Sharon nodded and began browsing, lifting and examining the vintage apothecary jars Summer used to carry her product. The old-fashioned jars and antique-looking sepia labels with their intricate designs and calligraphy lettering harkened back to another era as if she was stepping back in time.

Several years ago, this had been a New Age jewelry and clothing store where Summer worked as a clerk. Summer fit right in with today's millenials, often flitting from job to job, but for as long as Sharon had known her, she grew herbs and made homemade soaps and lotions in her house, selling her creations on the weekends at craft fairs and farmer's markets. Then Anabel, the storeowner, allowed her to put a few samples out for sale at the store, and they were a big hit. Soon she had a whole product line for sale. When Anabel decided to sell the store, the first person she approached was Summer, which had taken Summer completely by surprise. She was an artist, after all, not a businesswoman. I mean sure, she practically managed the store, but what did she know about running a business? At least that's what she said to Sharon when they were talking out the pros and cons. It was a moot point, anyway. Summer didn't have the kind of money needed to start a business.

But Sharon did. When her grandparents died, she was bequeathed quite a large inheritance. Some of the money was in a trust, but she had more than enough to lend Summer for the start-up costs. Summer hadn't seen it that way. It had been a battle royal for Sharon to get her best friend to agree to the loan. The very idea of it terrified Summer. What if she didn't succeed? What if she couldn't pay Sharon back? Sharon had gone through hell digging out of the mess Jack created for her financially, and she didn't want to see her have to deal with anything like that again. And most of all, she didn't want the money coming between them. Their friendship was too important. But Sharon prevailed. They worked it all out, with Sharon as an investor, and then they worked together to make Summer's vision become a reality.

The quirky little store was a reflection of its quirky little owner, and it was a hit. Situated only a few miles from both Venice Beach and Santa Monica, it drew in both the unconventional crowd and the well-to-do. Summer paid Sharon back several years ago, but Sharon still took pride in all that she had helped her friend accomplish here.

Grabbing a bottle of her favorite vanilla/jasmine body cream, Sharon glanced back around to see that Summer was still engrossed in conversation with her customer, her light brown curls bouncing on her shoulders with every enthusiastic nod of her head. Rather than stand around waiting, she decided to make her way to Summer's office in the back of the store. She pushed aside the beads that hung in the doorway, in lieu of an actual door, giving a loud sigh at the chaos. As usual, Summer's desk was filled with clutter: folders, papers, coffee mugs, and a bunch of opened boxes. No way could she ever work surrounded by such a mess. In fact, she could already feel the prickles of anxiety at the very idea. She started to move things around to make a spot to set her bag down when an item in one of the boxes caught her eye. Reaching in, she pulled it out, eyes widening with both surprise and curiosity.

"Find anything you like?"

Sharon jumped, nearly dropping the glass object. "Dammit, Summer! "

Summer's wide grin grew even wider. "Gotcha. Either you're losing your cop instincts, or that object holds more than a little interest for you."

"What is it?"

"If I have to tell you, Andy has a real problem."

Sharon flushed. "I know what it is; I just mean why do you have boxes of this stuff?"

"That stuff, as you call it, is luxury personal care products. "

One elegant brow rose skeptically. "Luxury? They're…"

"Glass dildos."

"And again, you have boxes of these, why?"

"I had a distributor come in for a meeting today. She wants me to try selling her line here."

"You're going to sell sex toys? Here? At Lotions and Potions?" Sharon looked so appalled that Summer had to giggle.

"No, I am possibly going to sell luxury personal care items. I told her I would think about it. It's a big and pretty lucrative business right now. Look at them, Sharon, they're works of art."

Sharon looked again at the item in her hand, eyeing it critically. Blown glass with swirls of color, graceful lines. She had to admit, it really did look like a piece of art.

"Much more attractive than the real thing. Am I right?"

Sharon gave a little snort-laugh. "Oh my God, you're right. It is. Though we better not let the guys hear us say that."

"God, no. Men do love their penises, don't they?"

"Mmm…" Sharon hummed affirmatively.

"Almost as much as they love our boobs."

Sharon shook her head with amused affection and another little snort-laugh. She never quite knew what was going to come out of Summer's mouth. In that respect, and in so many more, they were as different as night and day. Oil and water. Chalk and cheese.

Summer was as outgoing and irreverent as Sharon was private and respectful. As unconventional and flighty as Sharon was traditional and responsible. As loud and boisterous, as Sharon was soft-spoken and reserved.

Summer was thrift store boho gauzy tops, flowing skirts, Birkenstocks, and arms covered in bangle bracelets. Sharon was Neiman Marcus pencil skirts, Armani suits, killer heels, and diamond earrings. Summer lifted her arms in worship to the winter solstice while Sharon knelt in reverent prayer at midnight mass. Summer was homeschooling and a childhood spent on a commune. Sharon was private Catholic schools and summers on Nantucket. Summer was Stevie Nicks to Sharon's Grace Kelly.

And yet, they clicked. For 26 years, they had been best friends. From the day that Sharon and Jack moved into their new home in Mar Vista and a bossy little child knocked on their door stating, "I'm five. Do you have any little girls my age I can play with?" With baby Ricky on her hip, Sharon smiled at the little ragamuffin with Popsicle lips and a mop of brown curls and then introduced her to a bashful four-year-old Emily. Within seconds, a harried woman in a tank top and an Indian wrap skirt straight out of the 1970s followed. Since she shared the same wild head of curls with the little moppet now dragging Emily along by the hand, Sharon assumed she was her mother. Indeed, the woman said she was looking for her daughter and, like Sharon, she too had a diapered little boy resting against her shoulder. Sharon introduced herself then invited the gypsy looking woman in for a cup of coffee. It was the beginning of three very important friendships: Sharon and Summer, Emily and Jade, and Ricky and Cody.

Despite their differences in background, personality, and temperament, the two young women easily found common ground. Their kids were the same age, they both loved the arts, and they were both in difficult marriages. Their bond was quick and strong. They spent their days off from work building sandcastles with their kids at the beach, pushing swings at the park, or attending children's reading circles at the library. They babysat for each other, swapped books, and on those rare occasions when they had time for themselves, browsed through art galleries, bookstores, and museums together. Most importantly, since neither had extended family in Los Angeles, they created a much-needed support system for each other. And that was something that became increasingly important, because, within a few years, they were both on their own. Single parents.

Summer came across as flaky, but she was everything Sharon needed in a friend: supportive, warm, honest, and a strong shoulder to cry on-one of a very select group of people whom Sharon allowed to see her vulnerability. They had journeyed together through all the difficulties and heartaches life threw at them, helping each other raise their children, bucking each other up when things seemed bleak, and sharing in each other's joy as they each found success in their professions and new love. From breast-feeding to hot flashes, they had seen each other through it all.

"So, " Summer continued. "Go ahead and take whatever you like. I know you're not a prude. Try one out and let me know what you think."

"I'm good." Sharon placed the item back in the box with a little quirk of her lips. "I've got the real thing now."

"Yeah, well what about these? Could be fun." Summer dangled a pair of handcuffs.

"Again, I've got the real thing."

"Pfff… Those things would hurt. These are love cuffs. Nice and soft. See." Sharon admired the plush cuffs Summer thrust in her face, faux fur with little tiny bows, definitely not standard LAPD gear, but shook her head negatively. "I'm all set." She glanced down at her watch. "Come on, Sum. We really have to get going or we're going to be late."

"Oh, no, we wouldn't want to be late."

Sharon rolled her eyes, ignoring the sarcasm. Fate had surrounded her with smart asses. "No, we wouldn't. So, let's go."

"Okay, okay, don't get your panties in a wad. Just promise me you'll think about it."

Sharon blew out a long-suffering sigh. "Fine, I'll think about it, now let's go."

*****

Sitting in the back corner of the bookstore, Sharon found herself center stage, surrounded by a group of women gushing with excitement over the diamond on her finger, grabbing her hand to look at it and pumping her for all the details of the proposal.

"It's so beautiful, Sharon. " Aggie's eyes went dreamy, her hands in a prayer triangle under her chin, lost in the fairytale of Sharon's proposal. "And how romantic. I can just picture it…A winter wonderland. A romantic sleigh ride through the woods and Andy down on one knee professing his undying love for you-" She broke off, swiftly coming back to reality when everyone burst into laughter. "What?" She defended herself. "I love romance."

"As if we didn't know," Marina scoffed. Whenever it was Aggie's turn to pick their monthly book, it was invariably a romance of some sort.

"Hey, I thought Russians were supposed to have romantic souls." Aggie's protest was made in the soft New Orleans drawl she hadn't lost despite having lived in LA for the past 20 years.

"I had one of those…Four husbands ago." Marina, a ballerina, had defected to the United States in the late seventies and had later opened a ballet studio in LA after retiring from the stage. Sharon met her when she signed Emily up for lessons at her studio after her young daughter had become more serious about studying dance and outgrown her instructor. It was Marina who had seen the talent and drive in Emily and helped her become the principal ballerina she was today. Marina was also cynical and pragmatic and went through men, mostly younger men, the way Andy used to go through younger women.

"Don't listen to her," Sharon said. "You're right, Aggie, Andy couldn't have picked a more romantic way to propose. Hard to believe I found a man whose sense of occasion can actually rival mine. It's certainly a night I will never forget."

"I still can't believe Andy took Gavin to help pick out your ring and not me," Summer sulked. The room went silent, all the women turning to her with wide eyes before erupting in giggles. "What?" She held her hand's open palms up and shrugged in a "what the hell" gesture.

Rachel, a pretty blonde, responded. "Come on, Sum, when it comes to style, there is nobody, other than maybe Roz here, who is more opposite from Sharon than you."

"I'd take exception to that if it weren't 100% true," was Roz's good-natured response. A writer for a comedy sitcom, Roz was notoriously sloppy in her dress, preferring the sweatpants, t-shirts and Converse sneakers she was wearing right now to any other attire. When she was forced to wear something nice, she chose boxy male suits and would never be caught dead in a "girlie" skirt or dress.

"I don't think we're that opposite." Summer's protest drew more peals of laughter.

"Summer…" Rachel lifted her friend's skirt, smirking when she exposed plastic clogs. "You are wearing Crocs. Need I say more?"

"There's nothing wrong with Crocs. They're comfortable." Summer pushed her skirt back over her shoes.

"No offense, I love you to pieces, but they're fugly and Sharon wouldn't be caught dead out in public in them." With her sleek dark blonde bob and stylish clothes, Rachel Garner had far more in common when shopping with Sharon than Summer. Like Andrea, Rachel was a lawyer, now an advisor to Mayor Garcetti. She and Sharon had become friends back when Sharon was promoted to the LAPD's Women's Coordinator position and they had worked together on numerous cases.

"What I don't understand is why you want to get married in the first place. I mean you just got out of a bad marriage, why jump right back in?" The room went silent, this time with tension, not humor. Roz sat back, arms crossed over her chest, seemingly unconcerned by the group's collective disapproval.

"What the hell are you talking about?" It was Summer who quickly jumped to Sharon's defense. "Just out of a bad marriage? She's been done with that ungrateful, immature, disloyal prick for 23 freaking years! Just because she only formally divorced him a couple of years ago doesn't mean-"

"Summer," Sharon tugged on her friend's arm. "It's okay, calm down."

"It's not okay; she has no right to say that. You," she pointed a finger at Roz, "have no idea what she went through. You've known her for what? Four years? You have no right to question her choices. And just because you hate men doesn't mean she has to feel the same."

"Okay, okay, whoa. I didn't mean to start World War III." Roz held her hands up in defeat. "And for the record, I don't hate men. Well, all men anyway. I'm just saying, she doesn't need a man…a husband."

"Roz is right." Sharon agreed, taking a sip of her wine.

"What?" Summer turned to her with confusion.

"She's right. I don't need a man. But I can want one without needing him. And you know what? That makes this the purest relationship I have ever been in, ever. I don't need Andy's money, I don't need his security, I don't need his protection, I don't need him to provide shelter for me, I'm not looking for a father for my children. I am with Andy for one reason only. I love him. It's as easy and as simple as that. I love him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. And yes, I want the formal commitment of marriage. I know I don't need it, but I want it. And that's my choice." She tapped her fingers on her chest, stressing the point. "I am at a place in my life right now where I can do what I want to do, not what I need to do, and you have no idea how much freedom there is in that for me."

"And we're thrilled for you." Summer's narrowed eyes shot daggers at Roz, causing Sharon to suppress a smile. Summer was about as laid back a person as she knew, however, one thing they did have in common was that you didn't mess with the people they love.

"Yes, we are." Patrice set a gentle hand on Sharon's knee. "Andy is a great guy, and he loves you to the moon and back." As Andy's caregiver while he was recovering from his surgery, Patrice had gotten to know the man and the way he felt about Sharon better than any of them.

Andrea nodded in agreement. "You all know how I feel about marriage, but hell, if I had a guy who looked at me the way Flynn looks at Sharon, who knows?"

Aggie, who had gone off to pilfer through the shelves, returned and flopped down in an oversized chair. She opened the small book she'd been looking for and began reading. "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."

"That's C.S Lewis, isn't it? " Sharon recognized the passage from having read a lot of Lewis's work.

Aggie nodded. "From The Four Loves."

"Well, he sums it up rather nicely, doesn't he? " Sharon poured a little more wine in her glass, then sat back. "Loving someone is a risk, no doubt about it, but I will always believe that it is a risk worth taking." She was well aware of how easy it would have been to encase her heart in one of those caskets after Jack, to allow herself to become unreachable. But that just wasn't in her DNA. Barriers, yes, she had certainly erected some of those, but closed off completely? No. She simply had too much love inside her to shut down like that. She knew people often thought she was cold, aloof, unemotional. They never knew it was all a façade, a shield meant to hide the fact that she actually felt things very deeply. She'd had to learn how to contain those emotions, to hide her feelings, but they were there, they were always there. And, had she entombed her heart, she never would have been able to let Rusty in, nor been able to embrace the man who had become the love of her life. Vulnerable? Yes, love made you vulnerable, but the rewards far outweighed any risk.

"I agree, we all need to remain open to love. Now, who's hungry?" Helen, the owner of the bookstore, set to restore order to their opinionated little group. "We'll eat, then dive into the book."

Sharon shot the older woman a grateful look. They might all be friends, but she had never really been comfortable with people dissecting her life.

The food was potluck. Each member of the club took a turn hosting the meeting, but it was always potluck so no one was stuck having to feed the whole group. At the end of each meeting, they drew out of a hat to see if they would be bringing the beverages, an appetizer, or an entrée to the next meeting. Though it wasn't a rule, they often tried to base whatever food they brought on the setting of their book. The only part of the meal they did not draw for was dessert. Mary Agnes Boudreaux McCormack, Aggie, always brought dessert. Twenty years ago, Aggie had moved to Los Angeles after Craig McCormack walked into her bakery in New Orleans and swept the 37-year-old widow off her feet, taking her home with him to California. Aggie opened a pretty little bed and breakfast near Venice Beach and brought with her the French and Creole delicacies of her former home, including the to-die-for beignets she brought to each meeting, regardless of the setting. No one was willing to forgo those beignets.

This month's book was set in Mexico, so there were cheesy nachos with garlic guacamole, sweet potato and black bean taquitos, a creamy taco soup, Mexican chicken and rice, and fish tacos. Sharon had drawn beverages at their last meeting, so, along with a case of seltzer water, she'd brought a few bottles of a Baja Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend along with the makings for Mojitos.

"And these," she drew out two large bottles of champagne. "Because we can't celebrate 10 years without a little bubbly. I still can't believe we've been doing this for 10 years." She poured the champagne and passed the glasses around to the ten incredible women sprawled over the sitting area. Ranging in age from their late forties to early sixties, with most in their fifties like Sharon, black, white, and mixed heritage, native Californians and transplants, gay and straight, single and married, they were a diverse group who had come together to bond over a shared love of books. And somewhere along the way, they had become friends. Friends that had seen each other through infidelity, divorce, infertility, empty nests, cancer, adoptions, menopause, job losses, promotions, and new loves gained and lost.

The book club had come about rather organically not long after Helen and her business partner, Jenny, opened "The Book Nook", a combination bookstore/café a little over 10 years ago. Helen's husband, Christopher, had accepted the position of visiting professor at USC, and the British couple fell in love with the climate and laid back lifestyle of Southern California. So, when a permanent position became available, they decided to leave the gray skies and rain of England behind and settle in the land of sunshine and surfers. At the time, Jenny was a stay at home mom whose marriage had fallen apart after her battle with breast cancer. Divorced, her children in college, and cancer-free, she was ready to embrace a new life when Helen became a patron of the coffeehouse where she was working as a barista. Soon they were discussing a joint venture. A few years later, their bookstore/cafe became reality, and Sharon, Summer, and Rachel became some of their first customers. Recommendations of authors and long chats over coffee regarding the books they read or were interested in reading had Jenny suggesting the idea of starting a book club.

For Sharon, it was perfect timing. Ricky had just gone off to Stanford, and with Emily across the country at NYU, she was reeling from the effects of her empty nest. For 21 years, her life had revolved around her children and their needs, car-pooling, cooking, laundry, helping with homework, getting them to practices, cheering them on at games and recitals, and most recently visiting college campuses in preparation for their futures. And then suddenly they were just…gone. The house was too quiet, too empty, too filled with memories. And, with her children gone, the fact that she did not have a love life only became more pronounced, her bed suddenly emptier, colder to the touch. And it didn't help that she was starting to feel like she was in a rut at the PSB. Melancholy enveloped her in its insidious web, eating away at her, telling her that her best days were now in the past.

Later, she would find that she actually enjoyed the peace and solitude of being on her own, the freedom of not having to organize anyone but herself. But in the beginning, the loneliness was crushing. Both Rachel and Summer commiserated with her because they were going through the same thing. It was Marina who encouraged her to use that time to focus on herself and do some of the things she'd wanted to do but hadn't had time for in the past.

For many years, Sharon had helped out a few nights a month at St. Joseph's soup kitchen, bringing Emily and Ricky along with her, which was how she'd gotten to know Aggie. Now, she began volunteering at the church's domestic violence shelter, counseling the women on their rights, teaching them how to defend themselves, and helping them to find jobs. She coached them through the interview process and helped them select outfits from donated clothes-including her own-that would help them look professional. Eventually, she ended up on the board of directors. She also became the LAPD's liaison with "The Sunshine Kids Foundation" helping kids with cancer, worked with Rachel to raise money for "Emily's List", sold her house and bought the condo, and then she joined the book club.

It was the perfect hobby and helped her to expand her group of friends. Other than Gavin, Summer, and Rachel, she didn't really have any close friends, confidantes. It wasn't that she was anti-social, she had many friendly acquaintances: Marina, Aggie, a few women and men at work. But, the truth was, she had never had the time to cultivate deep friendships. As a single mom, she was usually either working or taking care of her kids. And where most people made friends on the job, her work within the PSB made that impossible. Barriers were essential in her position, and that had not been easy, especially in the beginning. Even though she'd always been a bit reserved, she was not a naturally unfriendly person, so having to close off that side of her had taken time and effort. But she'd become good at it. Maybe too good. Once her walls were built, it was hard to let people back in.

The book club started out small, and though it had not been intentional, they were all women: Helen, Sharon, Summer, Rachel, Jenny, Marina, and Aggie. Roz, Patrice, and Andrea were later additions. Once the only women thing was established, they decided to keep it that way, which pleased Sharon. She was surrounded by men all day long, worked in a profession dominated by men, and she didn't have a problem with that. For the most part, she liked working with men, liked their direct ways, and had always felt that the best teams had a combination of women and men. On the other hand, it was nice to spend time with her women friends and immerse herself in the female perspective. It was also easier to be herself and let her hair down without the male/female dynamic, without feeling like she had to prove that she was tough enough, strong enough, smart enough, the way she did at work, every… single… day. Around these women, she could express her emotions, and frankly, her sexuality, without being embarrassed or viewed as weak.

"To ten years!" Helen raised her glass of champagne.

"To ten years!" The group chorused.

TBC

[nerdyskeleton]

Nahyuta spends the night at Simon's and the next morning he realizes that his clothes are dirty so he has to go to work in Simon's clothes and they're co-counselling a case together and everyone in court is just like ".........."

this is such a pure thought. thank you for sending it in but sorry it took a while for me to get to!

The morning was peaceful. Nahyuta was warm and comfortable,despite the fact that Simon’s mass of floofy hair was ready to engulf him. Heopened his eyes a few moments later, finding that Simon was awake, too, staringat the ceiling.

“May I have my arm back?” Simon asked, voice rough fromsleep. Nahyuta shifted so he could pull away from him; let it be known thatSimon was a begrudging cuddler, as he was not one to admit how much he loved itvery freely.

“What time is it?”

“Nine.”

“What.”

“What about that is confusing, Sad Monk?”

Nahyuta pushed himself up onto his hands to glare at him. “Wehave to be at the courthouse in an hour,” he snapped. The monk rolled over andoff of bed, bending down to gather his remaining clothing. His jacket, leftabandoned and cold on the ground, was wrinkled beyond repair. And unfortunately,his fine white button up was stained with soba broth after a certain drunkardlost his footing; with only an hour left until they both had to be at thecourthouse, things looked grim. Thankfully, his pants were mostly unscathed. Outof the corner of his eye, Nahyuta watched Simon sit up slowly. He scratched athis head as he asked Nahyuta what he thought he was doing going through hiscloset like that.

He pushed away some of the shirts. “I have no time to goback to my hotel before the trial starts,” he said with as level a voice aspossible.  “My shirt is ruined; therefore, I need to wear one of yours.” Simonhad finally peeled himself from bed and padded up next to Nahyuta. Grumblingand slapping his hands away, he dug around in the back. After returning fromits depths, Simon held in his hands an older looking black button down.

“I am unsure where this shirt came from,” he explained, “butit does not fit me, so it should fit you.”

It was boring, and the material was scratchy when he touchedit, but it would have to do. He took the shirt and slipped it on, stuffing thetails into his trousers. Simon, sleepy and lumbering about like an actual pandabear, dressed slowly. He joined Nahyuta in the bathroom as he desperatelyworked his hair back into the braid.

“What an interesting look for you, Sad Monk,” he deadpanned.“You look good in black.”

“I look good in everything, Simon.”

He scoffed and elbowed him right in the ribs; it made hisbraid fall from its perfect state, and Nahyuta contemplated ripping out theelastic that Simon had just forced his own hair through. He found his earringsand rosary on the kitchen table, and he was forcing Simon out the door a fewminutes later.

Their case was rough enough that Edgeworth felt a co-counselwould be wise, so there Nahyuta stood next to his great, big Prosecutor Panda.The defense team, Barbed Head and the yellow chick, whispered conspiratoriallywith each other. The clock struck ten in the morning, and His Mag – His Honorwas ready to begin.

Except he clearly wasn’t, especially when he said toNahyuta, “That’s an interesting outfit, Prosecutor Sahdmadhi.”

His smile was the particularly fake, yet patient one. “Thankyou, Your Honor. May we give our opening statement?”

“I’ve never seen you in anything else but white!” he continued.From beside him, Simon huffed a laugh yet did a good job of hiding it behindhis hand.

“I am capable of wearing more than one color. May we start n-”

“That shirt looks rather small for you, though, ProsecutorSahdmadhi. Why, I just bought my grandchild a sweater the other day, but theytold me it was too small for them.”

“What a pity. Are there any witnesses or-”

“Why do you own a shirt a size too small?” His Honorprodded.

“It’s not my shirt!” Nahyuta barked. He gripped his rosarytightly and said evenly after a moment, “There…was a coffee spill earlier thismorning, so I needed to urgently change,” he lied easily.

“Whose shirt is it?”

Holy Mother, give himstrength…

“It is…ah…”

“That looks like one of Prosecutor Blackquill’s shirts!”Athena shouted from her side of the room. Wright looked surprised at heroutburst, but he was mostly focused on Nahyuta.

“Yes, your dear friend was kind enough to lend it to me,” heground out. “May we perhaps proceed with the trial? I promise I will consult youall individually about any further wardrobe changes in the future.”

His Honor stuttered, but he gestured for Simon to give theirprepared opening statement. Nahyuta let himself breath for a few moments asSimon spoke about the Accused. He caught Athena’s eye, noticing a despicablesmirk on her face; that necklace of hers was lit up in green. She lookedbetween Nahyuta and Simon, before raising an eyebrow. He would need to keep aneye on her. And he would need to bring a change of clothes next time, too.