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#how are you gonna audition for ten years and flop immediately
p-of-v · 2 years
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daniel needs to be less worried about michael and more worried about his greasy nasty 2016 fuckboy haircut and maybe expanding his vocabulary to something beyond “that’s fucking dope bro” and “___ is the fucking homie”
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star-gamerxox · 4 years
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Studio Au Inkerror @yuriyuruandyuraart prize
(This was written before anything about Studio au Ink and Error was figured out. At the time, and still, I wrote this as my head canons for them per Yuri’s sorta request.
Where I very much love the headcanons created for them, I’m staying with my headcanons and these are also the ink and Error actors for my stuff as well, how I’d imagine it for me-)
For the longest time, Error was certain he hated Ink. The artistic actor probably didn’t realize the fact he had himself a rival, but Error was his rival. Or, well, he was until this latest movie.
You see, it all started when they were both young. Error auditioned for a role and got it. After being on set for two days, Ink appeared and Error was fired. They said Ink was a better fit and he took Errors first ever role. After that, Error hated him, refused to work with him.  
That’s probably why he wasn’t told who his co-star was for this movie until his first day on the set. It pissed him off, really did, when Ink walked on set. Ink was his co-star, and his character's romantic interest.
“No way!” Error said with anger filling his tone.
“Come on Error! It’s just a show. It’ll get you a lot of great publicity,” his friend Nightmare, another more famous actor, sighed. 
“Yea! But he’s only as famous as he is because he stole my part!” Error snapped and Nightmare only sighed.
“Hey look. I did a lot of convincing to get you this part. Stop complaining and just man up and do it. I won’t be the fool.” Nightmare flicked Error's head before leaving the room.
“Hello everyone and welcome to set. Let’s start with introducing the stars of our little show. Error, Ink, come up front.” The producer smiled. Error came up slowly while ink walked up excitedly. 
“Hello! My name is Ink!” The other grinned at the crowd.
“Hey. I’m Error.” He mumbled a bit. He was silently glaring at his co-star who didn't seem to notice or care.
“Hey! I remember you!” Ink grinned and turned to the other. Error just scoffed and moved back into the crowd.
“No way!” Error hissed as he tossed the script to the side and hid his face in his hands.
“Oh come on Error! We can’t rewrite the script and we’ve already filmed ten scenes! It’s just a simple kiss scene!” The director groaned.
“With ink! A simple kiss scene with Ink! No way!” Error grumbled. The director let out a loud groan.
“We aren’t rewriting this for your grumpy self. Get over it and get it over and done with. I’m not dealing with your crap.” She stormed out and Error grumbled more and flopped his head down on the table in his trailer.
“This. Is. Gonna. Suck.” He hissed.
Nightmare burst out laughing as his friend complained to him about the scene he had to film.
“You’re being a big baby.” Nightmare teased and Error hissed at him.
“I have to film this today.” Error insisted.
“So what!? I’ve had to film kiss scenes with people I’m not even slightly interested in. It’s a common part of being an actor. Get over yourself.” Nightmare, being done with his friends bull crap, stormed off. Error sighed and grumbled.
At the end of it all, Error found himself not hating that scene as much as he thought he would. He still grumbled and complained but he saw Ink less as the bad guy in his situation. He didn’t seem to hate Ink as much.
“The primer of our movie is in a week! There will be a red carpet and there will be paparazzi and press.” The Director hummed.
“But I thought you said our show was low budget and barely noticed.” A small side character actor asked.
“Well that was before we announced the cast list and people realized Ink was acting in it. Now we have a following of people excited.” Error got extremely hopeful at that, knowing this could be his chance for his career to truly take off. The more coverage this movie got, the more people would see his face and the more likely he was to score more jobs.
“Hey Error! Pretty crazy luck huh!?” Ink laughed as he ran over and Error glanced up at him.
“Huh?” Error tilted his head.
“I mean, I accidentally stole your job the first time we met but now my spot in this movie is helping raise your fame again!” Ink seemed happy. “It’s like I can finally make up for it!” Error smiled when Ink said that. The day after the kiss scene, Error snapped at Ink and immediately the more famous actor started apologizing. Error had eventually forgiven him but Ink felt the need to make up for it however he could. Now he had a better chance at doing so.
“Ink! Ink! Why did you act in this small film!?” A member of the press asked and Ink smiled softly before glancing back at Error who was a bit behind him.
“I needed a change of pace. I made some pretty close friends in doing so.” Ink answered any more questions and waited right past the doors for his friend to finish up too. 
The kids scene ended up in the middle of the movie and another one at the end. Ink and Error watched the film side by side, quietly talking throughout it all. By the end of the movie something crazy happened, they kissed in time with the end of the movie.
~~~~~~~~~ 10 years later~~~~~~~~~~
“Wow! Really?” Error chuckled at his daughter who stared at him with wide eyes.
“Yes baby. You don’t believe me? You can always ask your dad once he gets home from work.” He hummed.
“But daddy doesn’t get home for hourssssss.” The three year old whined. Ink and Error had been through a lot, break ups, scandals, and finally their marriage. Now they had their daughter, Viri. They were happy.
(Viri’s original design by Amarald but adopted by me)
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docholligay · 5 years
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A Degree of Pride
A Patreon release in preparation for my Favorite 12 Fics of the Year post. Originally commissioned by the great @yamadara87, so please have some tender MaS feelings?? 2100 words.
For most of her young life, Haruka Tenoh had considered herself stupid.
She would not have admitted this, at seventeen, sitting cross-legged on the broken couch Haruka could never get clean, not really,  in front of the window in her apartment, a magazine on her lap that she was only half-reading, her school notes tucked into her bag, far away from prying eyes. As if her mother would care, even if she left it pinned to the empty fridge.
She wouldn’t have needed to read them. Haruka certainly didn’t. They always said the same things, and had since she was a little girl. Oh, it always started out with compliments. Haruka was eager. Haruka was very gentle with the class guinea pig. Haruka tried to help the other girls with their backpacks and muddy boots. But they always went the same way, descending gently down the slope, and her grandmother’s smile always turned into a frown.. Haruka seems to struggle with reading. Haruka has trouble with her temper and gets frustrated easily. Haruka’s test scores need to be discussed.
All of it boiled down to a simple fact that Haruka had come to learn very well: She was stupid.
Michiru had never accepted any of this. From the time she had come to know Haruka, and more importantly, to love her, Michiru had always expressed admiration for Haruka’s mind. She was quick to point out Haruka’s skill in the garage, the way her mind looked at machines and seemed to instinctively know where the gears went, where the belts connected. She would point out pictures of Haruka as a child, noting how she created such beautiful structures from the patchwork of bricks and legos and tinkertoys Haruka had managed to gather. The way a car or a motorcycle or any such thing seemed to mold with her body instantly, responsive.
Not all of intelligence is found in a laboratory or a recital hall, she would say, and Haruka would believe that she believed it, but that didn’t make it true, anymore than it had been true that Usagi could save the world without hurting anyone or anyone being hurt. Usagi believed that too, with her whole heart.
But it didn’t matter that she was stupid. She was handsome and athletic and independent and got to work with cars, and this would carry her as far as she needed to run.
And then, she wasn’t anymore. Usagi’d been wrong, you see.
It had been thirteen years since Usagi had been wrong. Since her whole world had burned to dust, the few blooms that she had in her favor withered and dead. Since Haruka Tenoh saw the big red mark at the top of her life and had quite nearly considered dropping out of it altogether.
But because she was stupid, she hadn’t realized in that moment that things do grow back. Gardens can come to life again. She’d figured out how to take care of herself again, and even more so discovered that sometimes it was no sign of weakness to let Michiru lower a kitchen countertop or Mina grab her a soda from downstairs. She’d designed her garage to be played in once more, and smelled of oil and grease and contentment. She had found she quite liked playing basketball, and was better at it that she’d thought she’d ever be, and once more a jersey rested in the corner of her room.  She even caught herself, from time to time and more and more, looking in the mirror and smiling at what she saw, her warm Papa aesthetic softening her edges to a gentle but undeniably handsome effect.
Color had reentered her life, and these things combined with the unspeakable joy of her children had made her life a happy one, and mostly Haruka Tenoh would say that her life was a pleasant one, minor frustrations be damned. But still there remained the bare spot that had ever been, as much as Haruka nodded and agreed when people said she was gifted in a mechanical way, it never meant anything to her. She had barely graduated high school. She was not meant to be a smart person.
Why she had written in to Tire Track, she wasn’t entirely sure. Well, she was sure, they had been wrong about the discussion of grip between asphalt and concrete on race tracks, but why she’d written an entire rebuttal over her keyboard while Kimi had napped instead of doing the laundry, that was less certain.
What had been even more surprising was Tire Track’s request that she form the rebuttal into a one-off column.
It had been one audited class in Writing for Journalism, just one vain hope that she could maybe write a few more pieces, that she could have a little side job. That it wouldn’t just have to be hobby mechanics anymore, but that she could have a small paycheck that they never needed.
If it had just been about money, Michiru wouldn’t have gone to work for the symphony. It was about pride, too.
M.A. had been five when Haruka’s journalism professor talked her into enrolling. She’d wheeled through the front doors as a freshman, and she’d pored over her Algebra and Biology and English books every night, and Michiru had beamed from the door of their living room, and Mina had practiced English with her every day, though Haruka still wasn’t sure if every word she taught her was completely the way Mina seemed to define them.
At the end of her first semester, Haruka had come home from her last final to find Michiru’s studio spirited up the attic stairs, and the room she had been using with a lovely dark wood desk in the corner, a soft a comfortable couch up against the wall with a neat table and lamp next to it, low, long, bookshelves opposite them.
She’d tried to protest. This was Michiru’s studio, and the room in the attic was smaller, and she didn’t need an office, all she did was type out a few articles here and there and take a few classes. But Michiru would hear none of it.
“Haruka, my darling, don’t be absurd. We can hardly have a columnist and a scholar in the family without a proper study.”
Haruka could still hear her. The strength and pride in her voice, the smile as she looked about the office she had so obviously taken such care to customize for Haruka.
Haruka moved from her thoughts, and studied herself in the mirror. M.A. was thirteen now, and full of vinegar, and while she would never be so young again to call Haruka Papa (Haruka was rather grateful when she moved to Pop, after a brief attempt to call her Haruka was immediately answered with Michiru’s quick correction,) and while she would claim that her parents made her crazy, she still sometimes flopped down on Haruka’s couch to text her friends or read a magazine, Kimi and Haruka quietly studying across from each other at Haruka’s desk. Haruka could not have imagined that her little two year old would prove be such a genius, but here she was, ten years old and already tackling the algebra that hadn’t reached Haruka until she was thirty.
Haruka was no genius. It had taken her eight years of slow work, but here she was, sitting in front of the mirror in their bedroom wearing a graduation gown. Here she was, an official columnist for a top car magazine. Sometimes, now, when they went to events and galas, it was because Haruka had been invited, and Michiru was the plus one. Haruka had gone to Germany, something not even Ami had ever managed to do.
And yet, she could not quite get that flower to bloom, the one that believed that she wasn’t stupid after all. It still seemed like they would take her degree and claim they’d made a mistake, Haruka hadn’t passed after all. She rubbed at her pants, straightening them once more under her gown. Why it seemed to matter that they weren’t wrinkled when no one could see them, she wasn’t sure, but it suddenly seemed crucial.
The tie looked ugly. Why had she picked that tie? She pulled it off her neck and tossed it on the bed, sighing heavily as she rolled back toward the closet. Why was she even going? She should just have them mail the certificate instead of showing up there, a nearly forty year old woman among a bunch of kids who were younger than she’d been when she’d had a kid.
“Haruka?” Michiru’s voice preceded her into the room, and its owner followed as elegantly as as a whisper of perfume.
Haruka stared at her ties for another moment, and then wheeled around to face Michiru, unsnapping the button at her throat.
“I don’t think I’m gonna go.”
Michiru paused a for a moment and looked at Haruka, who did not meet her gaze. “Well,” she continued kindly, “Makoto will be disappointed, she’s made quite the cake for the occasion.”
Haruka shrugged and ran her hands along the rims of her wheels. ‘We can still go out to dinner or something. I know you’ve got it planned.”
Michiru sat down on bed and delicately crossed one leg over the other. “May I inquire as to the sudden disinterest in the ceremony? We can, of course, simply go to the dinner, but I do believe there are a great many people looking forward to seeing you recieve your degree.”
Haruka wheeled over close to her and shook her head. “I dunno.”
“Haruka, please.”
She sighed, but did not argue. It was silly to play games, when she and Michiru knew each other so well and for so long.
“I just--I’m old to do this, and it makes me look--I” She huffed, but then put her hand up and allowed herself a moment to collect her thoughts into an expressible condition. “I feel stupid. I feel like this was way harder than it should have been, and I’m, you know embarrassed.”
“Hm. Yes.” Michiru thoughtfully glanced up at the ceiling, and then took Haruka’s hand, placing her other on top of it. “Haruka, you and I have never had a conventional life, or a conventional course. Would you not say that is fair?”
“Yeah.” Haruka rubbed her thumb against Michiru’s hand.
“If we believe this to be true, why should this be any different? You were rather occupied with raising a family, and, might I add, creating a career for yourself, both of which you have done successfully.” She slipped her hand away to touch Haruka’s cheek. “Even after all these years, you struggle to see what you are. You are a writer and an athlete and a wonderful wife and mother. They are only students, and have a great deal of growing to do. When I think of you, I think of your many, many, talents, and how you chose to pick something a bit harder. Because you, as always, are ever so brave and tireless.” She kissed Haruka softly. “I am so very proud of you, Haruka Tenoh. You are a wonderful example to our girls. And to me. To our friends, all of which are so delighted to support you today. And I imagine you are to your classmates as well.”
“I love you so much.” Haruka nuzzled her forehead against Michiru’s, and blinked back a tear. She leaned back, and nodded. “I want to go.”
“Now, you old softie,” Michiru giggled, “I do admit this tie was a bit of a misstep. You have so many lovely ties, there’s no reason we can’t find something striking.”
Haruka pictured herself wheeling up the stage, of shaking the dean’s hand and taking her diploma. Usagi would be there snapping pictures, as Mina grinned, a gleam in her eye. Rei would huff and glower but she would have a neatly wrapped gift, the card reminding Haruka of how she’d tutored her in communications and math and attempted to tutor her in literally every other subject, including ones she had never taken before. Her girls would see how hard she tried, and how much she worked to be a Papa they could be proud of.
She would look at herself, and see someone she could be proud of.
Somewhere, in that little patch of earth that could be called Haruka’s heart, a flower bloomed.
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The Lucky One
Pairing: Archie x Reader
Word count: 1,950ish but feel free to add more
A/N: if you didn’t see my post about my inactivity but I won’t writing imagines on this blog anymore. however, i’m posting all of my incomplete imagines and i would love it if you all would reblog them and add on how you think the imagines should continue and end. i’ll be reblogging every addition that i see :)
New to town with a made up name in the Angel city, chasing fortune and fame And the camera flashes, make it look like a dream
Unlike most kids in Riverdale, (Y/N) (Y/L/N) dreamed of bigger things she could do with her life, greater achievements she could accomplish outside of her small hometown.
Life in Riverdale wasn’t bad; she had her friends: Betty, Archie, and Jughead.  The four of them were known as the four musketeers, always stumbling around the quiet streets with barking laughter.  
The ten year olds made a home in Pop’s diner, their regular booth being touched by no one but themselves.
But even with her strong bonds of friendship, (Y/N) grew restless with her head full of dreams. Riverdale was too small of a town for her to go anywhere far in life, and that was exactly what she wanted to do.
“Do you think we’ll all grow old together?” Betty asked the table one night.  “Maybe we’ll be like our parents: we’ll go to school together, marry each other, and have kids that are best friends with each other.”
“Well then who are you gonna marry, Betty?” Archie inquired with a smirk.  “Me or Jughead?”
“How do you know she doesn’t want to marry (Y/N)?” Jughead interjected, withholding his laughter at the transition of Archie’s facial expression from confidence to shock. Jughead turned to (Y/N), who had been wistfully staring out the window in silence during the conversation, “What do you think, (Y/N)?”
“Hmm?” she hummed, turning to face her friends.  She bit her lip, not wanting to talk about her opposing life plans.  “Oh yeah, I’ll be here.”
You had it figured out since you were in school Everybody loves pretty, everybody loves cool So overnight you look like a sixties’ queen
Every year at Riverdale Elementary, the fourth graders did a project on what they wanted to be when they grew up.  They had to brainstorm ideas of what they wanted to be and then research some requirements for said profession.  At the end of the month, each student would present their project to the class.
“I want to join my dad’s construction company,” Archie announced during his presentation.  “He told me that when I’m older, I can spend the summer helping him, and that one day I can even own the company!”  He decided to not talk about the other ideas he had about what he wanted to be when he grew up.  Being a construction worker was good enough for him.
“I want to be a journalist, just like my mom and dad,” Betty informed the class.  “I would help them with their articles and eventually write my own.”
“A writer,” Jughead declared as soon as he stood up, not even allowing himself enough time to reach the front of the classroom.  “I want to be a writer when I grow up.  Not a journalist like Betty, though.  I want to write my own stories and publish books.”
When (Y/N) did her presentation, she hesitated.  She spent all her time researching what it took to become an actress, but as she stood in front of all of her friends whose plans let them stay in Riverdale, she grew unsure of herself.
“I-” she paused, giving herself one last chance to change her mind.  “I want to be an actress.  But I don’t want to wait until I’m grown up to become one.  When I did my research, I saw that a lot of famous actors started when they were little.”
“There aren’t many movies created here in Riverdale,” the teacher commented.
(Y/N) shrugged.  “Then I guess I’ll have to go find movie makers somewhere else.”  She ignored Archie, Betty, and Jughead’s stunned faces as she sat down.
Another name goes up in lights, like diamonds in the sky
A few weeks later, (Y/N)’s dad announced to the (Y/L/N) family that they were moving to Hollywood, which would allow (Y/N) to pursue her dreams of becoming an actress.  Her excitement only lasted for a few moments before she realized that she would have to leave her friends.
“Archie!”  She stood on his doorstep, waiting for him to open the door.
“(Y/N)?” he questioned, opening the door.  “What are you doing here?  It’s late.”
“I need to tell you something,” she said, rocking back and forth on her feet.  “I…” she trailed off, the guilt causing her throat to close up.
“You what?”
“I’m moving,” she blurted out.
“To a new house?” he asked, not grasping the severity of her statement.
“To Hollywood,” she corrected him, sadly watching as his expression deflated.
“Why aren’t you telling Betty and Jughead?” he questioned.
“I wanted to tell you first, Archie.  You’re my best friend.”
“Betty and Jughead aren’t your best friends too?”
“They are…” (Y/N) shrugged, digging her heel into the ground, “but you’re my best friend.”  Archie sadly nodded.
“You’re my best friend too, (Y/N).”  He enveloped her in a hug, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as she buried her face in his t-shirt, trying to memorize that feeling.
And they’ll tell you now, you’re the lucky one Yeah, they’ll tell you now, you’re the lucky one But can you tell me now, you’re the lucky one, oh, oh, oh
When (Y/N) landed her first role, the entire town of Riverdale went into a frenzy.  Everyone counted down the days until her movie would premiere.
Archie was confused about how he felt.  He didn’t know if he was happy or upset that (Y/N) played a part in a big move.  He knew it would result in her staying in Hollywood longer as she continued her career.  A small, selfish part of him always hoped that she would eventually give up and come back to Riverdale.
“(Y/N)’s movie comes out tomorrow!” Betty squealed as they sat in their booth, ignoring the one empty spot next to Archie.
“The Twilight Drive-In is gonna show it,” Jughead informed them.  “It’s gonna be so busy there.”
“All of Riverdale will go!” Betty exclaimed.  “The whole town is so excited for this.”  
When Archie continued to not respond, Betty and Jughead shared a puzzled look.
“Are you okay, Archie?” Jughead questioned, trying to make eye contact with his solemn friend.
“I’m fine.”  Archie shrugged.  “Just a bit tired.  I think I’m gonna go home early, get to sleep.  Gotta be wide awake to watch (Y/N)’s movie tomorrow.”
He exited the diner, leaving Betty and Jughead to continue their excited conversation over the movie.
Now it’s big black cars, and Riviera views, And your lover in the foyer doesn't even know you And your secrets end up splashed on the news front page
As predicted by Archie, (Y/N)’s role in her debut movie attracted other producers, allowing her more opportunities to audition for more parts.  Each movie she was in became a success, and soon (Y/N) was the poster child of young Hollywood actors.
Her busy filming schedule prevented her from ever returning to her hometown, no matter how much Mayor McCoy begged her to.
Even if she were able to return, (Y/N) knew it wouldn’t be because of the mayor. It would be because of her red-headed best friend.
As much as (Y/N) tried to keep in touch with her best friend, it became increasingly difficult with each new movie role she obtained.  Even when she found a spare moment to call Archie, he never answered. She always brushed it off as her calling at an inconvenient time.  (Y/N) never even considered the possibility that Archie stared at his phone screen as her name appeared before silencing its rings, not daring to pick up and hear her voice.
And they tell you that you’re lucky But you’re so confused, 'Cause you don’t feel pretty, you just feel used And all the young things line up to take your place
“(Y/N)! (Y/N)!” The reporters yelled from all around the red carpet, camera flashes going off every second. Through the chaos, (Y/N) maintained a smile.  By now, she was experienced with the hell of red carpets.
“(Y/N), do you have a boyfriend,” one reporter asked, holding a microphone out towards her. Her smile faltered for just a moment, but she quickly recovered.
“Oh, god no,” she answered with a light laugh.  “I mean I’m only fifteen, and so much is going on in my life right now.  I don’t know that anyone would want to deal with me right now.”
“So many boys are pining after you, (Y/N)!” the reporter exclaimed.  “It can’t be because of that.  Could it be because you already have someone?  A secret lover?”
(Y/N)’s mind immediately jumped to Archie. She hadn’t seen him in five years, so she could only picture his ten-year-old face.
“No,” she said after a moment of hesitation.  “No, I don’t have a secret lover.”
“You hesitated though,” the reported pointed out.  “Maybe it’s just a crush?”
She thought, again, of her red-headed best friend back in Riverdale.  He was the first person she told that she was moving, the only person that made her hesitate before leaving Riverdale.
“No,” (Y/N) shook her head with a bitter smile.  “No crushes here.”
Another name goes up in lights You wonder if you’ll make it out alive
“Another successful movie by (Y/N),” Jughead sighed, flopping into the booth.  Betty nudged him as she nodded her head towards Archie, who sat across from them.  “Sorry, Arch,” Jughead apologized.
Archie shook his head and didn’t respond.
“Are you guys angry about that?” Veronica questioned.  “I mean, (Y/N) (Y/L/N) is an acting legend. Isn’t there some Riverdale pride here that this small town produced one of the hottest up-and-coming actresses in Hollywood?”
“We knew (Y/N),” Betty explained quietly, not taking her eyes off of Archie.
“Yeah, I’ve met her once, too,” Veronica said, not understanding the issue at hand.  “I met her at a club.”
“Veronica,” Betty reiterated, “we knew (Y/N).  She was one of our best friends.”
“Oh,” Veronica finally understood.  She glanced at Archie, who was picking at his French fries.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t-”
Before she could finish, Archie got up and stormed out of the diner.
“(Y/N) was best friends with all of us,” Betty continued, slightly shaking her head, “but she and Archie were best friends.  Everyone always thought they’d get married.”
And they’ll tell you now, you’re the lucky one Yeah, they’ll tell you now, you’re the lucky one Can you tell me now, you’re the lucky one, Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
As Archie continued his studies in high school, (Y/N) continued to act in movies and guest-star in TV shows.
When Archie became captain of the football team, (Y/N) was nominated for an Oscar.
Slowly but surely, both Archie and (Y/N) began to let go of each other, not daring to reminisce upon their childhood friendship.
(Y/N) stopped attempting to reach Archie, finally accepting that he was, in fact, ignoring her.  She went on dates with other actors and musicians that she met, only briefly thinking of the red-head back home.  Archie dated girls, such as Valerie and Veronica, and he only thought of his long-lost (Y/N) a few times.
It was a few years later, I showed up here And they still tell the legend of how you disappeared, How you took the money and your dignity, and got the hell out
After Archie graduated, he decided to stay in Riverdale to focus on his music. He could’ve gone to college, hell he could’ve moved to Nashville or LA or New York to be in a better environment to work on his music. But he saw what leaving did to (Y/N), and he knew that he didn’t want to go down that path. She was living her dream. And even if music was his dream, Archie did not want the fame that came with a successful music career.
He posted his songs on YouTube and left it at that. No promotions, no running around begging for record deals.
(Y/N), thousands of miles away, watched every single video. She smiled at his talent (and blushed at his muscular form). She hadn’t seen him since he was ten; the only things that were familiar to her were his bright red hair and soulful eyes.
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eeveedel · 5 years
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so now i’m gonna need a sequel to that previous chubby drabble after harry’s last movie where louis chubs him up again
ask and you shall receive, my friend ;)
sequel to this drabble from last week. this is mostly fluff but be aware this does lead into chubby kink and feeding kink quite a bit, so if that bothers you this may be one to skip
--
On the night of the LA premiere of the last Sun Knight movie, Harry and Louis snuck out half way through the film.
 Harry had watched it ten different times at the various European premieres, and Louis had suffered through it once at the London premiere and that was enough for him. So they downed several glasses of complimentary white wine, and then got an Uber Black home while Louis complained.
 “God I love you so much but I’m so happy I don’t have to watch any more of those movies,” Louis groaned as he finally trudged through their bedroom door, “Like…they’re bad, babe.”
 “I know, the CG is a little much,” Harry agreed from behind him.
 “And the characters, what the fuck are they!” Louis continued, “Like, it’s been three years and I still don’t know what your fucking character’s powers are.”
 “He can harness the power of the sun in his magical crystal staff, Louis. It’s very straight forward.”
 “But that’s so stupid!” Louis insisted, “And why can he fly?”
 “He just can,” Harry said, “Can we go to bed?”
 “Yes please,” Louis huffed.
 He launched himself onto the bed, then immediately flipped onto his back and spread out his arms and legs wide. Harry chuckled and leaned down to give him a peck on the lips.
“You have to take your suit off, babe.”
 “Don’t tell me what to do,” Louis said, even as he sat up to take off his shoes and pants.
 He shucked off his clothes quickly and then went back to sprawling on the bed, this time in just his boxers. Louis watched as Harry stood near the edge of the bed and unlaced his shoes and toed off his loafers. He unbuttoned his shirt next, and then undid his belt to loosen his pants. Louis sat up on his elbows to watch closer, and Harry gave him a smile as he caught Louis’s eyes.
 “Thought you were tired,” he teased.
 “I am,” Louis said, “Just watching.”
 Harry grinned and smiled, and Louis just watched as his husband took off all his clothes. For the last three filming years, Harry had kept up closely with the studio’s expectations for his work out routine, and he was still in great shape, his body sharp and chiseled.
 But Louis still missed pre-superhero-movie Harry, in all his chubby glory, and now that the films had wrapped up, he maybe had a shot at getting him back.
 Harry got down to his underwear and then joined Louis in bed, crawling under the covers next to him. Louis quickly snuggled into his side, and smiled as Harry wrapped an arm around him.
 “Hey, you know,” Louis said slowly, “Your contract is officially up now.”
 “Don’t I know it,” Harry sighed, “No more Comic Con, no more press junkets, no more fan boys in my twitter correcting my knowledge of the comics…”
 “Yeah, yeah, I know,” Louis said with a wave of his hand, “I’m more excited about this.”
 He settled a hand on Harry’s flat stomach and gave it a pat, and Harry gave him a blank look before his eyes sparked.
 “Oh,” he said.
 “Yeah,” Louis smiled, “No more fucking work out regime and no more plain chicken breasts in our fridge.”
 “Oh, thank God,” Harry sighed.
 “I’m going to start baking again,” Louis cooed, snuggling into Harry’s shoulder, “My husband is finally going to return to me.”
 “I’m still your husband.”
 “Shh, hush,” Louis said, pressing a finger to Harry’s lips. Harry rolled his eyes and kissed Louis’s fingertip.
 “For the past three years you’ve told me you loved me, and you’ve just been bidding your time waiting for me to get chubby again?”
 “Um, excuse you, I have loved you for the past three years, as I have every year of our marriage, but for the past three years I have put up with you waking up at 5 in the morning to go to the gym, you doing yoga in our living room every afternoon, and keeping up with whatever keto gluten free plant based nightmare your trainer has put you on that week, so I did my time. I deserve to see you chubby again.”
 “Okay, babe,” Harry laughed and kissed the top of Louis’s head, “Let’s get some sleep and then you can make me chubby in the morning.”
 “Hell yeah I can,” Louis said, “You lost sixty pounds and I’m going to help you find all of them.”
 Harry snorted and waved his hand.
 “Go to sleep, angel.”
 --
 “I think I’m losing my abs.”
 It was a Tuesday morning and Harry was standing in front of the bedroom mirror, shirtless, eating a bowl of Coco pops. Louis was still half-asleep, and was scrolling aimlessly through Instagram. He tucked a hand under his glasses and rubbed at his blurry eyes, not taking his gaze off his phone.
 “What makes you say that?” he asked sleepily, like he hadn’t taken very careful inventory of Harry’s body every day for the past month.
 “I just am,” Harry said. Louis glanced up to see his husband shrug and eat another spoonful of his cereal.
 Over the past several weeks, Harry had enjoyed an extended vacation from script readings and auditions and just focused on being at home and indulging in a few of his random, off-duty hobbies. Recently he had taken origami back up again, and Louis kept finding colorful paper frogs of varying sizes all over the house.
 And Harry had been eating. A lot.
 Harry was true to his word that he was going to start cooking and baking again once Harry was off his strict work outs and diets. Harry still went to the gym every now and again, but it wasn’t every day, and his work outs were far shorter now. And Louis had accumulated three years’ worth of recipes he wanted to try, so he always had something new in the oven for Harry to try. He had forgotten how much he had missed the simple joys of Harry wrapping his arms around him and stealing a cookie or brownie off the plate Harry had pulled out of the oven, and then how he kissed Louis on the cheek right after he shoved it into his mouth, complimenting Louis endlessly.
 He was still pretty lean, to Louis’s annoyance, but he was a bit softer now. His stomach was flat, still, but it was soft. If Harry sucked in, like he was doing on and off now, the outline of his muscles was still clear, but there was a definite layer of softness dusted over it. It was there all over his body; on his hips, his thighs, his arms, his face.
 He could still work it all off in a few weeks if he wanted to, and the thought made Louis’s stomach swoop a little bit. He wasn’t sure what kind of body his husband wanted any more.
 “Does that bother you?” Louis asked, trying and failing to sound nonchalant.
 “You know, I feel like it should bother me way more,” Harry said. He turned away from the mirror and then went to sit on the bed, folding his legs as he looked at Louis and ate his cereal.
 “What are you going to try to make for lunch?” Harry asked, even though he was still plowing through his breakfast.
 “Um,” Louis said, not missing the glint in Harry’s eyes, “Shrimp scampi?”
 “Mm, sounds good,” Harry hummed, “Can’t wait.”
 “Yeah,” Louis said, and let his stupid, stupid eyes flick down to where Harry’s stomach was just barely starting to fold and crease over the top of his boxers, “Me neither.”
 --
 Louis was standing at a hot stove on a summer afternoon, trying to wipe his forehead with his arm as he cooked up the latest series of recipes he wanted to make. He was nearly down, but the effort he was putting in made him feel like he was losing it. The only thing that pulled him out of his own stress was the sound of the screen door sliding open. Louis heard the sound of flip flops smacking on the floor a second later.
 “Are you dripping water on my floor?” he called, and he heard Harry snort.
 “You haven’t cleaned this house by yourself in six years,” Harry called.
 “Doesn’t answer my question, smart ass.”
 “Only a little water, honey.”
 Louis groaned a bit too loudly, and a few seconds later he heard louder footsteps, and then felt a big body hugging him from behind and kissing him on the cheek.
 “Smells good,” Harry said, and planted another firm kiss on Louis’s neck. Louis squirmed but grinned, and then when he felt Harry move away, he turned around to take Harry in.
 He had been in the pool for hours, and he looked pink from the sun and drenched, his dark hair wet and flat against his head and temples. He had his hands on his hips, and he was wearing one of his older swimsuits, dark purple and patterned with turtles. His thick thighs filled out the trunks well, clinging to him tightly due to the water. His love handles spilled over the edges, and his big belly pooled proudly over the waistband.
 In the past few weeks, Louis had finally felt like he had gotten his husband back.
 Harry was now only within a few pounds of what he had been before his grueling training started three years ago, and Louis nearly wanted to cry every time he looked at him. He was just so handsome, so sexy, so Louis’s Harry. Not the man that was on horrifically photoshopped block buster posters and was Twitter’s thirst crush of the week every other month, but the man he had met at a shitty acting class years ago and whose bed he had fallen into immediately after that class.
 And Harry had been on board for everything. He was tired of the diets that left him hungry and the work outs that always put him in knee braces or on the couch icing his back. He wasn’t exactly chasing another block buster any time soon, so he was content to return to his old habits and enjoy himself again.
 He was also perfectly aware of how Louis felt about his body, which didn’t hurt. He always made a big deal of telling Louis when he started having trouble buttoning his jeans, and then his button downs, and then when he needed to dig out his old clothes from years ago. And from often he grinned and winked at Louis when he was eating, the bastard knew exactly what he was doing.  
 “What’d you make me?” Harry asked, and Louis had to shake his head to make his thoughts somewhat proper again.
 “Spaghetti and meatballs,” Louis said, “I made the meatballs myself, and the sauce. And garlic bread! Lots of garlic bread. And cinnamon rolls with honey and almonds!”
 He tilted his head, frowning.
 “Also I have a salad in the fridge but that’s boring.”
 “That sounds great, babe,” Harry said, “Let me go rinse off and then I’ll be down, okay?”
 Louis nodded, and Harry went off upstairs. Louis went back to the food, and pulled everything out. He got out plates, serving dishes, a couple cold beers from the fridge. He made several trips putting it all on the table, and by the time he was done Harry had come back downstairs, dressed in a white t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.
 “Can’t we just eat on the couch?” he asked when he saw Louis setting everything up.
 “Fuck off, do you know how much we paid for this table?” Louis scoffed, “Sit down, we’re having a real sit down lunch like adults.”
 Harry just chuckled and tipped his head.
 “Yes, sir, Mr. Tomlinson-Styles.”
 Louis scrunched his nose and then sat down with Harry, filling up his own plate while he watched Harry take things for his own. He served up a full plate of spaghetti, and then two small separate plates for his garlic bread and cinnamon rolls. He still had a small dish of salad, but Louis could forgive him for that.
 Louis was still staring when Harry started twirling his fork through his pasta, and Harry lifted a brow at him.
 “What?” he asked.
 “Can I…” Louis said cautiously, “Can I feed you?”
 Harry smiled, his eyes crinkling and his padded cheeks folding up.
 “Sure, baby.”
 Louis smiled and scooted his chair forward. He took the fork from Harry and lifted it up, and Harry opened his mouth for Louis to tuck the pasta and meatballs inside. He hummed when his mouth was closed, nodding.
 “S’good, baby. Really good,” Harry said, “I like what you did to the sauce.”
 “Yeah, it’s fresh basil,” Louis said absentmindedly, already loading up another forkful for Harry.
 He loved doing this, whenever Harry let him. He just wanted to take care of Harry, and know that Harry loved what he had made, and if Harry overindulged a bit more when Louis was physically putting food into his mouth, that helped, too.
 Louis fed Harry his pasta, and then a bit of salad, and then the bread. He was ignoring his own food, but he didn’t even care. Harry so willingly ate what Louis had prepared him and swallowed down every bite with a smile on his face, moaning and smacking his lips. If anyone else did that while they were eating Louis would lose it, but with Harry…God, he already felt his belly heating up.
 Louis fed Harry two of the cinnamon rolls he had made, and then delicately helped Harry wipe his mouth with a napkin when Harry waved his hand, officially tapping out. Harry slouched on his chair and patted his belly, making a loud smacking noise as he did so.
 “Christ, baby, I feel like I’m gonna burst,” he moaned, “You outdid yourself.”
 Harry rubbed his belly, rucking up his shirt to reveal more of his soft, pale skin, and Louis could just stand and stare, his throat going dry.
 “What are you thinking?” Harry asked, and Louis blurted it out before he could think it through.
 “I did this,” Louis said, and then poked at Harry’s belly, “I did this to you.”
 Harry hummed, looking at Louis with sparkling eyes.
 “You sure did,” Harry said, his smile growing.
 Harry smacked his belly again, and Louis gripped the table hard.
 “You know I can’t say no to you,” Harry continued, “I know you like a belly. And it helps you know your way around a kitchen.”
 “I really, really missed you,” Louis blurted, and Harry lifted a brow.
 “I’ve been right here.”
 “I missed this you,” Louis said.
 Harry lifted a brow.
 “Someone’s letting their kink flag fly tonight,” Harry teased.
 “You love my kink,” Louis insisted.
 “I do,” Harry smiled.
 Harry looked down, rubbing his belly again, and he tilted his head.  
 “You know, I’m just about to my old weight, but,” Harry shrugged, “I don’t think an extra ten pounds can hurt, don’t you think?”
 Louis leaned forward, gripping the table so hard his knuckles went white.
 “I’m going to ride you so fucking hard after this your dick will fall off.”
 Harry chuckled, his smile still wide and bright.
 “Why don’t you finish your lunch, first,” Harry said, “And I’m going you to give me a little rub down after this. I seriously feel like I’m gonna pop.”
“Shut your whore mouth,” Louis snapped, and then scooted his chair back, begrudgingly picking up his fork to dig into his now-cold pasta. Harry just laughed again, and Louis rolled his eyes as he ate food he longer wanted.  
 His husband was officially back; he didn’t have reason to be interested in much else.
28 notes · View notes
dreammutual-remade · 6 years
Text
idol!you and lucas
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request: please do a bullet scenario about lucas and his gf both being sm idols - anon
word count: 2.6k 
a/n: first of all,,,, this gif hurts me badly, seCOND OF ALL im so sorry for the inactivity !!  I have finals this week and I graduate really soon n ive just been v busy !!! also I had hella writers block trying to finish this ish up but I hope u like it anon !!!!its a lil hard for me to write as an idol just because thats such a Wildt lifestyle but I did my best ily
warnings: cursing n also some crying because god knows all of our boys prolly have during their idol days :(((((((
what’s up butter cup
let’s dive tf in
as a pre-warning thingy i’m making you a singer so i’m very sorry if you can’t sing i can’t either bby
alright so this story begins when you’re not even 16 years old and you audition for a bunch of companies
tbh you didn’t think you were /that/ good at singing or dancing but ???
all the companies wanted you??? you got offers from JYP and SM and Pledis ????? go off queen
we stan
anyways
you decide to go with SM since they produced leGENDS SHINEE
FUCK I LOVE THOSE GUYS
(binch if u went to JYP u literally could have been in TWICE ?!?/&.&. ABSOLUTE LEGENDS UR LOSS THOT)
also because you just think that’ll be best for you ?? idk we don’t judge here (i already did though i’m So Sorry)
on your first day as a trainee you’re in search of the female dorms and you just can’t find them
eventually you run into this,,,, Gang Of Adolescent Boys
they’re wearing dorky ass muscle tees and keep saying shit about “foreign swaggers”
(.... y’all already know who it is sjdkdkd)
and you’re Meek and New and Small so you’re like um, hellowherearethegirlsdormsplease
okay there’s four of them and they’re all fckin huge except for one
the Biggest One with the american accent points you in the right direction and you try to scurry away but end up smacking into the Second Biggest One’s arm because he moved in your way on accident ouchie
“god lucas why don’t you just run the poor girl over”
“hYUNG PLEASE”
“hehehhehe i’m just kiddin”
and you just kind of mumble that it’s fine and go on your way
okay so you train for three yEARS before your debut
and you def come out of your shell alright like you’re Extroverted and whatnot
you still see those boys and even make friends with mark and donghyuck and the Foreign Members
but the entirety of the group you met has debuted except Lucas
you’re not close but you wave and say hi when you see each other
you turn pink everytime from Emotions and also Holding Your Breathe Due To Anxiety
and he was cute years ago but he’s only gotten prettier with age dude
they recently dyed his hair to give him some Blonde Stuff and he looks reaLLY GOOD
LIKE TO THE POINT WHERE U HAVE TROUBLE LOOKING HIM IN THE EYE
but eventually you’re like hey now i’m a grown woman i can handle this giant childish man !!! quit that @ emotions
alright so you debut like, days before him no lie
you’re a solo artist bc idk
red velvet was full 😔🤟
anyways you’ve been filming the video for the past couple weeks and the concept is sort of filmy and shimmery like old sparkly anime water u kno ?
and you’re wearing similar stuff to what ten was wearing in the new heroes mv (BIG OOF) except less warm toned ?
like swishy sort of see through white shirts and spandex underneath
you’re a Beautiful and Skilled dancer so they have u all over the place with this choreo
on the FLOOR on the WALL in the AIR
no joke they had you in a harness doing cool swirly shit in the air this is the stuff of legends my g
but like the inside of SM ? is very cold
if you’re not filming you’re bundled up in a blanket and trying to rub the goosebumps out of your arms and legs
because you have to look all smooth and flawless for filming and those are two things goosies are not
luckily the song wasn’t a huge ballad because it’s rather hard to belt out long ass notes when you’re upside down lmao
anyways, the song is a bop and the mv is beautiful and you are wearing minimal clothing and although these are all nice things but also
RECIPE FOR DISASTER
the filming is almost done thank GOD
you’re taking a break from filming and you go out in the hall in your costume to go get another water bottle because ain’t nobody around to give a pre debut thot a water bottle 🤧🤧
your arms are wrapped around yourself when lucas jogs up behind you and throws his jacket around you??
literally throws it like you made an oof noise
“um ,? thank you that was aggressive”
“i knOw i’m sorry it’s just you are practically naked and it’s Cold in here and also walking behind you i noticed you were Very Exposed sO”
you turn bright red because that means everyone has seen your ass prolly and you duck your head and pull the jacket tighter around yourself
“oh! i’m sorry i mean you look uhh? really good ?? yeah you look good nOT that i was looking super hard or anything or that i uH saw aNything BUt if i did it would look good i’m sure nOT THAT I thInK about that ?$/&/“
and now you’re both blushing very hard but you feel a little better when you see he’s just as flustered as you
you brush your fingers on his forearm to get him to stop staring at the floor and tell him thanks and ask about when he’s debuting
he tells you the mv filming is done since they had to go Real Far Away to do it and get it done ahead of time and that the teasers will be out in three weeks and then the mv release and then its Show Time Baby
you’re excited for him and he’s excited and you debut really soon as well and he’s excited for you and !!!!!
there’s excitement all over the place
he’s smiling so big and his eyes are cute and crinkly and :(((((
you still got a crush on him /sigh/
one of the staff literally yells your name down the hall and you’re like aw shit that’s my cue lol
you leave him with with a lil squeeze of his bicep and you’re BOTH shook
him because ?? was that fLIRTING
you because ?? THAT WAS FLIRTING
also because his biceps are thicc i’m gonna cry
big baby stands there for like 3 mins just shook and with uwus oozing from his pores
you skrt very quickly to avoid the consequences of your actions and get back to filming
okay TIME SKIP
your mv was released and did GOOD AS FUCK
you didn’t hear it from me but lucas + nct boys were seen on vlive jamming the fuck out to your song
you’re backstage like 10 mins from going on and having an absolute panic attack
what if you trip ??? or your voice breaks !!:&::
what if all the reviews say you’re Trash live and that the mv was better since they edited
what if you FLOP AND HAVE NO FANS
NO ONE DOES THE FANCHANTS
FUCK FUXKFUCKFUXKCUDJ
so you do call the king of debuts
mark lee
and you’re like mARK FUCK IM GOING TO CRASH AND BURN PLEAS LLSSE DHELPD ME
he tells you to Calm The Fuck Down and assures you it’ll be fine but it’s not working and mark is but a young boy he don’t know how to deal with FEMALES
you hear some deep ass voice on the other side ask who’s on the phone and mark says your name and then the voice is closer and deMANDING to be given the phone
u already kno it’s our boy yukhei
he can hear you gasping through the phone and having a mental breakdown and immediately makes his voice all low and soft
wow i’m , affected writing this shit
“hey, y/n, listen to me, you’re okay, you’re fine. i promise it’ll be okay.”
“bUT WHAT IF I-“
“you won’t. you’ve worked too hard and practiced too much. i know you i saw you do it. do NOT let all of that go down the drain. you can do this. now get your cute ass out there and take NO SHIT”
“i know but i am, scared”
“don’t be! this is what you love isnt it?”
“i mean,,,, yeah”
“and you want to do this more than anything don’t you?”
“well , yeah”
“then for gods sake don’t be a wimp and do it”
“hey i miss the part of this conversation where you were being nice to me”
“that part’s over babe you need some TOUGH LOVE now please for me and for yourSELF get out there”
“okay.. thanks lucas”
“anything for you, angel”
yOU HANG UP SO QUICK
how dare he
you were all Comforted but then he went on with that angel bullshit
okay long story short you ended the industry dude
all solo artists BOW BEFORE YOU
VOCAL QUEEN
DANCE QUEEN
lucas: shaking because His Angel did so well and you were wearing white and actually looked like an angel
but you don’t see him for the next like twO MONTHS because he’s promoting boss and you’re promoting your single and neither of you are home ever
when you do get a second to yourself you try to send him an encouraging text but
you seldom get a second to yourself :(((
he does the same thing and they’re so sweet :(
“good morning i hope u slept well !!”
“princess don’t forget 2 hydrate”
“i saw ur mnet performance u looked beautiful <333”
this man is practically begging you to wife him up i mean
he’s cute
he’s BIG and WARM
very sweet to you :(
talented and lovely
absolute dweeb
supportive of you even from great distances
BEST BOY UWU
you try to be just as encouraging back because he deserves it UGH
“bub don’t forget to eat i know ur hungry rn”
“!!!!!! you came foR MY LUNGS WITH THAT CENTER DANCE AT THE END BOI”
“why are u sending me messages u need to rest bby :((“
when things calm down though you,, see each other
he doesn’t formally ask you out and you don’t say anything but, youre dating sort of kind of
as idols you’re both still so so busy and you JUST debuted so neither of you are really allowed to date anyways
you settle for little bits of cuddling and secret touches as you pass each other in the hall
you both stand outside of your respective dorms at night to facetime without waking your dorm mates
he desperately wants to go on dates and do Normal Couple things but there’s no time :(
the most affectionate you’ve ever been is when the girl group who shares a dorm with you was out promoting and you had him over and you took a nap together :((((
he Insisted upon being the big spoon and basically wrapped your whole body up with his limbs
pressed a few lil kisses to the back of your neck and your shoulder when he thought you were asleep
you weren’t though and you turned around to kiss him on the cheek and then tuck your face into his neck and pass tf out
he has to leave though because mark texts him and is like YO I KNO UR WITH Y/N AND HER ROOMMATES ARE ON THE WAY HOME
ABORT MISSION DUDE
and that’s pretty much it :(
months pass without much between you even though you’re trying your best
and even though you live in dorms you’re still so lonely especially when you’re traveling because you don’t have any group members
you don’t want to annoy or worry lucas though so you don’t complain
he notices though and late at night he’ll call you while you’re in bed and talk about his day and how he misses you and wishes you were there
and when you get all emo he says he’ll be waiting for you at the airport
(he really does he goes and hides in the bathroom and texts you so you can go in there and TACKLE HIM)
he still calls you angel all the time :((((
god that’s another weakness of mine ??? IM SUCH A WUSS
but it has specifically changed to “my angel”
uwu
your first kiss and first Real Confession happens on the Worst Day Of Your Life
you’re about to go on stage (you’ve released an album since your debut so this is new stuff) when you get a call from your mom ??
she’s crying and tells you your grandma is sick and in the hospital and it’s really bad
immediately you’re barely holding yourself together because that woman half raised you and was the reason you stayed in dance and worked so hard to become who you are today
there are tears streaming down your face already and the makeup team is fluttering around you trying to fix what you’re messing up and it’s bad
you still have to go on though so you go and perform with tears in your eyes and your manager yells at you after for not pulling it together
you go home in tears and then you’re not looking where you’re going and ran straight into a staff who yells at you some more for being some entitled idol brat
originally you weren’t gonna say anything to lucas but, the staff pushed you over the edge and you call him in tears and are incoherent and can barely tell him where you are before you hang up
our boy BURSTS into your room and sees you sitting on the floor with your face buried in your knees and 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 !!
he gathers you in his arms and sits on the bed with you curled up on his lap
he holds you close and rubs a comforting hand up and down your back at the same time as he frantically tries to figure out what’s wrong
“y/n?? baby what’s wrong? angel, please you gotta tell me or i cant help”
“i jjJJUST Got a cALL and my grandMA IS SICK AND THEN I DI D BAD AND DISAPPOINTED EVERYONE AND My mManageR yeYELLED at me and theN I RAN iNtO a staffF meMbEr and he yELled at me too and I JSUT .$:&:&;& i’m sO SORRY u doNT need to deAL WIYH ME you have problems of YouR own and-“
“shhh listen to me i always care about you okay? angel, i want to help you no matter what you know that. also, if you weren’t so distraught i would go beat some SM ass you didn’t deserve to be yelled at :(((( how about we call your mom and check for updates with your grandma and i’ll stay here with you for the night?”
you nod and then reach for your phone while keeping as much physical contact with lucas as possible
he’s the only reason you haven’t reached the Depression Point Of No Return so
we stayin close
you put your mom on speaker and set your phone down before squishing yourself back into his chest and sniffling while the phone rings
your mom answers and you shakily ask for any updates and she tells you not much but your grandma has improved and they think that within a couple weeks she’ll be better
you cry some more and tell her you love them both and you’re so relieved and lucas kisses the crown of your head and is just There For Comforting
once you hang up and you’ve calmed down a little more you back up a little and turn to face him
“hey thank you so much, you didn’t have to come and help me so much but you’ve always been there to make me stop Freaking Out and laugh and i just, love you. yeah that’s what it is. I LOVE YOU I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU, WONG YUKHE-“
he cuts you off by snatching your face in his big warm hands and kissing you right on the lips
he then kisses your nose and your forehead and pulls you back into his lap to tuck you under his chin
“it’s all for you, angel ;)))) i love you more”
248 notes · View notes
tsfanart · 6 years
Text
House Party, Part 3 of 4
Part 1 Part 2 ... Part 4
Reminder of Warnings: Abusive Loceit, peer pressure, excessive (and underage) drinking, one moment of implied vomiting
--
Logan and Dylan both jumped, and turned to see a guy wearing a leather jacket, with sunglasses over his head. The guy leaned closer in to Dylan.
"I--oh, [GOODBYE], Jason," he said suddenly, stopping to wave at someone on the other side of the counter. He shook his head and turned back to Dylan, grabbing him by the collar. Logan shrunk back and stared at the scene in shock.
"Seriously, Dylan, '[NEVER] come to my parties again' means 'Never come to my parties again,' full-stop. I'm not [GONNA] let you hang around here and get me in trouble just because you think it's some twisted game to try to get underclassmen drunk."
Logan widened his eyes at that, and gritted his teeth in self-deprecation. How could he have been so stupid?
"I will [TELL] the admin office if you pull something like that again--I'm not bluffing," Remy went on. "You hand [A] single underclassman something they shouldn't be having, and--"
He stopped suddenly, taking notice of Logan for the first time. He tilted his head and met Logan's glazed eyes, and turned back to Dylan.
"Dylan, don't [LIE] to me," he said in quiet fury. "Face me [AND] tell me you didn't give this kid anything."
Meanwhile, Logan tried to sit up a little, but he immediately flopped back down and laid his head on the counter again. He stared at the two older boys and tried to track their conversation, but his ears were starting to ring, and their voices kept going in and out.
"It won't [HURT] him...if...a few drinks, you know," Logan heard Dylan say.
"Right, and [YOU]...tell me that's just a few?" Remy asked, gesturing towards Logan. "Come on, [WE’VE] had...conversation...million times. If I'd [KNOWN] you had snuck back in I never would have let this happen."
From where he was sitting, Logan tried to glare at Dylan. He still couldn't believe he'd let himself get wrapped into everything so easily.
"You ruined [EACH] party I threw...year and I'm not gonna let...ruin my senior year as well, so scram," Remy concluded, pointing his hand out the door.
Dylan rolled his eyes. "Seriously dude, [OTHER] seniors are so much cooler than you." He walked out backwards, flipping Remy off with both hands.
Remy sneered at the gesture, and turned back to Logan, suddenly a lot more gentle. "Hey, stand [FOR] me?" he asked, bending to Logan's level.
Logan tried to pick his head up so he could stand, but the change in motion that accompanied the first action was too much for him, and he leaned his head over the back of the chair instead.
Suddenly dining hall food became more disgusting than Logan had ever thought possible.
He burst into tears immediately and covered his mouth. "Oh, I'm [SO] sorry, I didn't--"
But Remy just shook his head and grabbed a paper towel. "Hey, as [LONG] as we get you safe, that's all that matters." But Logan still hung his head, so Remy stood up and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Trust me, [YOUR] mess is not the first one this floor has seen," he insisted with a smile. He finished cleaning up the mess and tried again to lift Logan up from the chair.
"God, your [HEART’S] pounding," he said softly. He met Logan's eyes. "Have you [BEEN] eating tonight, at least?"
Logan shook his head, though he wasn't sure how well he understood the question. He put his hand to his forehead. "Head is [ACHING]..." he moaned.
"I'd imagine, [BUT] I'm gonna help you, okay?" Remy replied.
Logan nodded, and watched as Remy filled a new glass with water and held it out with one hand as he led Logan upstairs with the other. They walked down the hall and stopped at what Logan figured was Remy's room.
Remy sat Logan down on the bed. "Okay, so [YOU’RE] a freshman, I'm guessing?" he asked.
Logan sneered. "It wasn't [TOO] obvious already?"
Remy crossed his arms and laughed in spite of himself. "Yeah, this [SHY] and timid wallflower can be sarcastic when he wants to be," Logan said.
Remy shook himself out of it and got serious again, nodding towards Logan's pocket. "You need [TO] call someone," he insisted.
Logan's heart dropped. He pulled out his phone again and scrolled through his contacts, trying to figure out who would get him in the least amount of trouble.
"Call and [SAY] that you need help and that they need to come get you, okay?" Remy said a little more gently.
Finally, Logan made his decision. He pressed the call button and put it on speaker, too exhausted to hold it up. Meanwhile, Remy stood by patiently.
After a few rings, Patton's cheerful voice came through the speaker. "Hey, how's [IT] going, Logan? Having fun [INSIDE] the big gates of college?"
Logan could only respond with a soft groan.
"Sleepy, are [WE]?" Patton responded, still cheerful.
"Okay, for [BOTH] of your sakes, I think I'm gonna have to take over here," Remy said, partly to himself. He picked up the phone and took it off speaker.
"Patton, I [KNOW] this is going to sound shocking, but somehow Logan found his way into my party and got involved with Dylan and I need you to come over and get him home," he said in a rush.
"Hold on, [WHAT’S] going on, exactly?" Patton replied, now indignant.
"Your friend's [BEEN] drinking and I told him to call someone and you were his first choice, apparently," he repeated.
Patton sighed deeply. "Okay, I'm [GOING] to be there in around ten minutes; just keep him safe."
Remy hung up the phone and gave it back to Logan. "Just lie [ON] the bed here, okay? I promise [WE] will get this sorted out." He stayed sitting on the bed and stroked Logan's hair for a few moments until the latter passed out.
--
@lizaelsparrow @bunny222 @phlying-squirrel @haikyuupaladin @anarchicrealist @existentialburden @hissesssss @lonelygoldheart @sassy-in-glasses @pensive-patton @punch-you-with-friendship @challybop @natigail @kindofclever @k9cat @iris-sanders-athena @ravenclawangst @secretlyondrugs @theresneverenoughfandoms @nashiraneko @wtfeodipus @savingshae @zoalis @a-simple-fryingpan @yv-sanders @pandilli
--
Hey...if you don’t totally hate me yet, why not go back and reread The Apartment (first word of every other spoken sentence), Audition (third word of every other spoken sentence), Movie Night (second word of every other spoken sentence), and Embarrassing Past (first letter of every sentence)?
Also, DISCLAIMER: These OPs were not edited until July 8th. Please don’t feel bad if you didn’t pick up on it--you weren’t supposed to! This has everything to do with seeing if I could be a good enough writer to pull it off and nothing to do with making others feel bad. It was all in good fun!
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phan-of-the-pen · 6 years
Text
I Dare You To Stay: Chapter 14
Hey!! I’m back once again with a new chapter!! Sorry this took so long you guys, I’ve been super busy with normal life, trying to write new updates for this fic, and trying to write my three PBB fics! Anyways, I hope you enjoy and thank you for sticking around! @billetdouxblossom
Tags for chapter: fluff, minor angst, major BFF bonding omg
Words for chapter: ~2.7
Fic Summary: Dan Howell is a barista working a shitty job, frequenting his shitty apartment, and living a shitty existence, hiding his asexuality and going for a PHD in self-depreciation and depression. Phil Lester is a part-time intern, part-time employee at a local weather station, trying to get experience in his field and make a name for himself, while juggling a second job at the nearby Tesco’s to give him some financial breathing room. Their paths were never supposed to meet, but what happens when they do anyways, one rainy day in Manchester?
(ao3!)
<– Previous chapter Next chapter -->
~~~~~~~~~~ 
Dan curled himself up in a blanket on his couch, phone in hand.
He hadn't heard from Jaime at all today minus her early morning texts, but knowing her, she'd still burst into Dan's flat in a whirlwind after her audition for one of her and Dan's infamous Best Friends Only Nights.
No significant others, no texting other people, no social media, just the two of them, ice cream, pizza, every blanket and pillow they can find, and sad romcoms playing in the background as they talk and cry and laugh.
And as far as preparation, Dan had already ordered the pizza, there was plenty of ice cream in his freezer, and at least half a dozen blankets were swallowing the sofa.
All he was missing was his best friend.
>> From: Phil Lester (is amazing!!)
so youre telling me I wont get you at ALL tonight?
>> To: Phil Lester (is amazing!!)
yep. a Best Friends Only Night was called and rules state no s.o. just us bffs
>> From: Phil Lester (is amazing!!)
>:(
>> To: Phil Lester (is amazing!!)
srry mate but youll survive i promise
>> From: Phil Lester (is amazing!!)
I might just die you dont know
>> To: Phil Lester (is amazing!!)
wow i didnt know i picked up such a needy boyfriend
Dan grinned. He may have sounded exasperated in his text, but really, Phil whining about not having Dan for a single night was making his mood soar.
It felt good to be wanted by someone other than just Jaime.
>> From: Phil Lester (is amazing!!)
ddddaaaaaannnnnnn
>> To: Phil Lester (is amazing!!)
pppphhhhiiiilllllll
>> From: Phil Lester (is amazing!!)
fine but I get you tomorrow so I can catch up on my very important dan time
>> To: Phil Lester (is amazing!!)
u can get ur dan time and i can get my phil time it sounds like a plan
Dan clicked off his phone when he heard his door fly open. There's Jaime, late as usual.
"Daniel Howell, where the fuck are you!"
"On the sofa already starting this Best Friends Night without you!" Dan laughed in response. She sounded breathless but happy, which was making Dan's hopes for her soar. She had to have gotten that role.
Jaime was there in a moment, landing on him in a heap and talking a mile a minute, too fast for Dan to catch everything, but managing to grasp a few words here or there. Still not enough to piece together a proper story about her day, though.
"Jaime," Dan said quickly when she stopped to breathe, "I need you to slow down—you're talking way too fast for me to understand you dork. Did you get the part? Or do I need to kick a judge's ass?"
She looked at Dan with wide eyes and smiled, wide enough to cover her whole face.
"I got it. I got the part." She said in a whisper, like she couldn't believe the words.
Dan felt his jaw drop in one moment and the next snap right back up so he could cheer as he tackled her in a hug, his much larger body easily covering hers.
"I knew it! I knew it, Jaime! God! This is the break you were waiting for and you're gonna be a star now and oh my gosh when are the tickets going out I'm going to buy five and-"
"Dan!" She said, laughing. "Now you're the one rambling!"
Dan clamped his jaw shut to stop himself, feeling his eyes crinkle and smile go wide.
"I'm just way too happy for you, Jaime. You've got to tell me everything."
They ended back up on the couch, huddled together under the blanket Dan had previously been under alone. Jaime relayed everything to him, from the sudden call-back to her trip there. She talked about how huge the theatre was and how Dan would absolutely love it. Jaime talked about the director and the cast so far, and how there was this really cute girl that was a part of the stage crew, and Dan just soaked it all up, getting caught in the glamour.
Jaime reached for another slice of the pizza that had arrived half-way through her explaining that the theatre had three gigantic chandeliers.
"All of the main parts have been casted already, but now they're moving on to the 'second wave' so to speak, and auditions are opening back up in a few days so..." Jaime trailed off, looking hopeful.
Dan snorted.
"Jaime, I know you're excited but you can't have two parts."
"Sciocco, I mean for you to try for a part! Not me!"
"Jaime, I haven't acted in anything in over a year-"
"Dan-"
"-and besides I won't get it."
"You don't know that! I thought I wasn't even going to get a call-back and look where we are right now! I'm the face of this musical!"
"Yeah, well I'm sure that all of the people that didn't get a main character like you are going to try out for the smaller ones and there's no doubt that they're better than me."
"Dan, you're an insane actor—there's no way that you couldn't get even the smallest part! And besides, do you really want to be a barista for the rest of your life? Acting is your dream, Dan. These directors are picking new talent that hasn't been seen on a big stage before left and right. There's more of a chance that you could get this than you think."
"Jaime," Dan sighed, "we both know that I can't afford to miss work as much as I'm going to need to for practice. And on top of that, I won't be able to pay for the tickets I'm going to need to get to London and back so many times. If it was here in Manchester, maybe I'd entertain the  idea, but I just can't. I'd be out of my flat in a month from not being able to afford rent once practice rolls around."
Jaime groaned.
"Dan-"
"No, Jaime, I'll sit this one out."
She muttered something under her breath that Dan just didn't quite get before nodding a disgruntled 'fine' and pouting. After another piece and a half of pizza, Jaime knocked her shoulder into Dan's.
"So, what's going on with you? Was today really bad?"
"Steve was a royal dick."
"Expected."
"Mary almost had a go at him."
"Mary? Little old lady Mary? Mi Dio, what did he do?"
Dan brought his bandaged hand out from under the blankets, where it had been curled up over his stomach. Jaime nearly choked on the bite of pizza in her mouth when she saw it, and her eyes immediately darkened with anger.  
"He kind of hip-checked me while I was making her coffee, and I ended up burning myself." Dan said, definitely playing the situation down to avoid Jaime descending upon Steve like a grim reaper. As much as Dan might have loved to see that, it wouldn't have been worth it.
"But don't worry it's fine! Phil wrapped up and everything."
"Phil was there too now? And what the hell did he do, go out and buy bandages? We don't have these kind in the first-aid kit." She said, bringing Dan's hand over by his wrist to inspect the bandage. Her eyes roved over the rest of Dan's frame as well, looking for any other sign of injury, frowning.
Dan blushed.
"Ah, no, he had these at his flat."
Jaime raised a brow.
"You're telling me that he went all the way to his flat, grabbed some bandages, and came all the way back to the coffee shop just because you got a burn even though we had ones in the back?"
"No," he said, squirming, "we went to his flat for lunch. After he nearly threatened to dump a coffee on Steve's head."
"Why the fuck-"
"We're dating." Dan blurted, eyes going wide as soon as the words left his mouth. He had meant to be more tactile with telling her, damnit. Jaime blinked at him in disbelief. "Surprise?" He added, unsure.
"Tell me everything right now it's about time you two got together, jesus christ."
So Dan ended up telling Jaime all about how Phil showed up at his flat, the texts, today, their talk about Dan's past, and how Phil had swooped in like a saint to take him away from Steve, breaking for Jaime to disappear for a moment, only to come pack with a gallon on ice cream and two spoons.
"Oh my god you two were snogging on this couch."
"Shut up!"
"You can't deny it, Howell, you literally just told me!"
"That doesn't mean we have to talk about it!"
Jaime snickered and spooned another mountain of ice cream into her mouth.
"He's going to be in our coffee shop at every hour of the day now that you finally said yes, isn't he? God, don't even answer that he's like a puppy, he is."
Dan's face was beet-red, and he suspected that the blush wouldn't go down for a while, or at least until Jaime let up on the teasing.
"My boyfriend isn't a puppy. But yeah, he probably is going to be there a lot." Dan muttered through a mouth-full of ice cream.
"A lot my ass he won't leave unless you do."
"Jaime, shut up."
"Oi, this is the first relationship you've been in in years, it's my right to tease you to death."
Dan stuck out his tongue at her.
"Love you too, Danny."
Jaime shifted on the couch, and continued to reach for the ice cream, but thankfully stopped her suggestive smiles and teasing in lieu of smugly eating dessert.
They polished off an impressive amount of ice cream before Jaime pushed the container away, onto the table.
"We've had way too much. I'm throwing in the towel for the both of us."
"Speak for yourself, loser." Dan said, but admittedly throwing his spoon into the container of ice cream and flopping back into the couch. "What's next on the agenda, then? Are we going to cut into sleeping already? It's only about ten."
"No, you're not going to pass out on me, Danny, I'm not done with you yet."
Dan whined, but obediently sat up when Jaime swatted at his arm.
Unlike the rest of the night prior, this time Jaime looked stern. She wasn't bubbling over with excitement and joy like she had been when she had arrived, and she wasn't oozing disbelief and I-told-you-he-liked-you-but-you-didn't-believe-me-dumbass like when Dan was busy talking about Phil. She was determined and slightly reserved, but also showing hints of worry.
"I've been honestly meaning to talk to you about this for awhile, I just didn't really know how to bring it up, I guess? But I finally got my head out of my ass and realized that it doesn't matter if I'm vaguely unsure because this is about you."
Dan swallowed, suddenly nervous. His head immediately went to the worst-case he could think of. Was Jaime unhappy with their friendship? Changed her mind about her acceptance of Dan's sexuality?
Something else?
Her eyes seemed to be piercing his, keeping them from darting away. Dan wasn't sure if her gaze reassured him or heightened his anxiety.
"I want you to see a therapist, Dan. No, don't say anything yet, this is non-negotiable. You've been depressed since I've known you, and while I'm sure that some of that had to do with repressing your ace-ness, nowhere near all of it is, and it's gotten worse since you were just that too-tall kid to stumble through my store doors looking for a job. Dan, there are times when you can't get out of bed. And don't think I haven't noticed your increasing anxiety. Dan," Jaime said, grabbing Dan's hand, "I want you to be happy because you deserve to be. You don't deserve to suffer through that, and I don't want you to alone. I'll help you as much as you want me too, but I'm no professional, Dan. I can't help you how you need."
Dan felt tears prick at his eyes.
He'd been depressed for years now, ever since he was fourteen, really. It only got worse with his sexuality and his girlfriend, but things really went down-hill when he had gotten kicked out. It had taken him awhile to pick himself up from that after he finally found a stable place to stay, but he had thought he'd been managing it. Sure, he had more depressive episodes, but he knew how to handle those, what more did Jaime want?
"How do you know that? How do you know that you can't help?" Dan said, quietly. "Maybe it just takes time."
"Because I don't know how to help you other than support you through it. I can look through all of the forums on the internet—and believe me I have—and still not be able to help you like you need. All I can do is keep you going, I can't give you the tools you need to climb out of this hole you've ended up in."
There were tears dripping down Dan's cheeks. Was he really that sick? That his own best friend didn't even know how to help?
"One appointment, that's all that I'm asking for, Dan, please, I'll help you research the therapist and take you there and everything, I just need you to try. If not for you then for me." Jaime pleaded, wiping away Dan's tears with the sleeve of her jumper.
Dan looked back up at Jaime from where his eyes had slid down. She looked like she was about to cry herself, her expression looking so pained.
It's not that he liked feeling so numb.
It's not that he liked having a hard time to get out of bed.
It's not that he liked not having the energy to do the most basic things sometimes.
It's not that he liked being depressed.
It was just...all he knew.
He just wasn't sure what there was besides it. A normal life? That wasn't for him. It had been too long since he had had one.
"What if I can't get better? What if I'm just stuck like this?"
"If you're stuck like this, I'm going to find whatever punk-ass god or goddess who claims ownership of this shit universe and make them regret it, damnit."
A laugh bubbled out of Dan's chest before he could stop it, and Jaime smiled at him.
"Don't laugh, I mean it."
That only made Dan laugh harder, wiping away his own tears now. There was still something hard in his chest, but he felt lighter. Softer.
"Okay, I'll try, but only to save that 'punk-ass god' from you, you maniac."
Jaime snorted, but she pulled Dan back in for another hug, her smaller arms wrapping around Dan completely and making him feel warm inside. He hugged her back and whispered a small "thank you", not entirely sure that she heard it, but okay with it if she didn't. They didn't always need words to convey things between them, and Dan was sure that Jaime knew how much her care for him meant to him. Even after all of the tears and the drama.
They pulled themselves together after that and dug back into the ice cream, forgetting their prior self-restraint completely. Dan beat Jaime several times over in Mario Kart after they had finally paid the remainder of the movie that had been on in the background some attention, and after his seventh win, Jaime declared that they'd better sleep before she strangled a giddy-at-winning Dan. He teased her about it all through the clean-up, and didn't let up until she threatened to make him sleep outside.
"It's my flat! You can't kick me out!"
"Watch me, Howell. Now get your ass in bed."
Dan stuck his tongue out at her in his usual fashion, but did as she asked, pulling back the duvet on his bed—which she was already in—and flopping down next to her.
"Night, dork."
"Night, nerd."
Dan fell asleep easier than he had in awhile, warm and curled up with his best friend, the normal background noise of his thoughts settled for once.
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docholligay · 5 years
Text
A Degree of Pride
More from the anniversary release! Originally comissioned by @yamadara87, 2100 words. 
For most of her young life, Haruka Tenoh had considered herself stupid.
She would not have admitted this, at seventeen, sitting cross-legged on the broken couch Haruka could never get clean, not really,  in front of the window in her apartment, a magazine on her lap that she was only half-reading, her school notes tucked into her bag, far away from prying eyes. As if her mother would care, even if she left it pinned to the empty fridge.
She wouldn’t have needed to read them. Haruka certainly didn’t. They always said the same things, and had since she was a little girl. Oh, it always started out with compliments. Haruka was eager. Haruka was very gentle with the class guinea pig. Haruka tried to help the other girls with their backpacks and muddy boots. But they always went the same way, descending gently down the slope, and her grandmother’s smile always turned into a frown. Haruka seems to struggle with reading. Haruka has trouble with her temper and gets frustrated easily. Haruka’s test scores need to be discussed.
All of it boiled down to a simple fact that Haruka had come to learn very well: She was stupid.
Michiru had never accepted any of this. From the time she had come to know Haruka, and more importantly, to love her, Michiru had always expressed admiration for Haruka’s mind. She was quick to point out Haruka’s skill in the garage, the way her mind looked at machines and seemed to instinctively know where the gears went, where the belts connected. She would point out pictures of Haruka as a child, noting how she created such beautiful structures from the patchwork of bricks and legos and tinkertoys Haruka had managed to gather. The way a car or a motorcycle or any such thing seemed to mold with her body instantly, responsive.
Not all of intelligence is found in a laboratory or a recital hall, she would say, and Haruka would believe that she believed it, but that didn’t make it true, anymore than it had been true that Usagi could save the world without hurting anyone or anyone being hurt. Usagi believed that too, with her whole heart.
But it didn’t matter that she was stupid. She was handsome and athletic and independent and got to work with cars, and this would carry her as far as she needed to run.
And then, she wasn’t anymore. Usagi’d been wrong, you see.
It had been thirteen years since Usagi had been wrong. Since her whole world had burned to dust, the few blooms that she had in her favor withered and dead. Since Haruka Tenoh saw the big red mark at the top of her life and had quite nearly considered dropping out of it altogether.
But because she was stupid, she hadn’t realized in that moment that things do grow back. Gardens can come to life again. She’d figured out how to take care of herself again, and even more so discovered that sometimes it was no sign of weakness to let Michiru lower a kitchen countertop or Mina grab her a soda from downstairs. She’d designed her garage to be played in once more, and smelled of oil and grease and contentment. She had found she quite liked playing basketball, and was better at it that she’d thought she’d ever be, and once more a jersey rested in the corner of her room.  She even caught herself, from time to time and more and more, looking in the mirror and smiling at what she saw, her warm Papa aesthetic softening her edges to a gentle but undeniably handsome effect.
Color had reentered her life, and these things combined with the unspeakable joy of her children had made her life a happy one, and mostly Haruka Tenoh would say that her life was a pleasant one, minor frustrations be damned. But still there remained the bare spot that had ever been, as much as Haruka nodded and agreed when people said she was gifted in a mechanical way, it never meant anything to her. She had barely graduated high school. She was not meant to be a smart person.
Why she had written in to Tire Track, she wasn’t entirely sure. Well, she was sure, they had been wrong about the discussion of grip between asphalt and concrete on race tracks, but why she’d written an entire rebuttal over her keyboard while Kimi had napped instead of doing the laundry, that was less certain.
What had been even more surprising was Tire Track’s request that she form the rebuttal into a one-off column.
It had been one audited class in Writing for Journalism, just one vain hope that she could maybe write a few more pieces, that she could have a little side job. That it wouldn’t just have to be hobby mechanics anymore, but that she could have a small paycheck that they never needed.
If it had just been about money, Michiru wouldn’t have gone to work for the symphony. It was about pride, too.
M.A. had been five when Haruka’s journalism professor talked her into enrolling. She’d wheeled through the front doors as a freshman, and she’d pored over her Algebra and Biology and English books every night, and Michiru had beamed from the door of their living room, and Mina had practiced English with her every day, though Haruka still wasn’t sure if every word she taught her was completely the way Mina seemed to define them.
At the end of her first semester, Haruka had come home from her last final to find Michiru’s studio spirited up the attic stairs, and the room she had been using with a lovely dark wood desk in the corner, a soft a comfortable couch up against the wall with a neat table and lamp next to it, low, long, bookshelves opposite them.
She’d tried to protest. This was Michiru’s studio, and the room in the attic was smaller, and she didn’t need an office, all she did was type out a few articles here and there and take a few classes. But Michiru would hear none of it.
“Haruka, my darling, don’t be absurd. We can hardly have a columnist and a scholar in the family without a proper study.”
Haruka could still hear her. The strength and pride in her voice, the smile as she looked about the office she had so obviously taken such care to customize for Haruka.
Haruka moved from her thoughts, and studied herself in the mirror. M.A. was thirteen now, and full of vinegar, and while she would never be so young again to call Haruka Papa (Haruka was rather grateful when she moved to Pop, after a brief attempt to call her Haruka was immediately answered with Michiru’s quick correction,) and while she would claim that her parents made her crazy, she still sometimes flopped down on Haruka’s couch to text her friends or read a magazine, Kimi and Haruka quietly studying across from each other at Haruka’s desk. Haruka could not have imagined that her little two year old would prove be such a genius, but here she was, ten years old and already tackling the algebra that hadn’t reached Haruka until she was thirty.
Haruka was no genius. It had taken her eight years of slow work, but here she was, sitting in front of the mirror in their bedroom wearing a graduation gown. Here she was, an official columnist for a top car magazine. Sometimes, now, when they went to events and galas, it was because Haruka had been invited, and Michiru was the plus one. Haruka had gone to Germany, something not even Ami had ever managed to do.
And yet, she could not quite get that flower to bloom, the one that believed that she wasn’t stupid after all. It still seemed like they would take her degree and claim they’d made a mistake, Haruka hadn’t passed after all. She rubbed at her pants, straightening them once more under her gown. Why it seemed to matter that they weren’t wrinkled when no one could see them, she wasn’t sure, but it suddenly seemed crucial.
The tie looked ugly. Why had she picked that tie? She pulled it off her neck and tossed it on the bed, sighing heavily as she rolled back toward the closet. Why was she even going? She should just have them mail the certificate instead of showing up there, a nearly forty year old woman among a bunch of kids who were younger than she’d been when she’d had a kid.
��Haruka?” Michiru’s voice preceded her into the room, and its owner followed as elegantly as as a whisper of perfume.
Haruka stared at her ties for another moment, and then wheeled around to face Michiru, unsnapping the button at her throat.
“I don’t think I’m gonna go.”
Michiru paused a for a moment and looked at Haruka, who did not meet her gaze. “Well,” she continued kindly, “Makoto will be disappointed, she’s made quite the cake for the occasion.”
Haruka shrugged and ran her hands along the rims of her wheels. ‘We can still go out to dinner or something. I know you’ve got it planned.”
Michiru sat down on bed and delicately crossed one leg over the other. “May I inquire as to the sudden disinterest in the ceremony? We can, of course, simply go to the dinner, but I do believe there are a great many people looking forward to seeing you recieve your degree.”
Haruka wheeled over close to her and shook her head. “I dunno.”
“Haruka, please.”
She sighed, but did not argue. It was silly to play games, when she and Michiru knew each other so well and for so long.
“I just--I’m old to do this, and it makes me look--I” She huffed, but then put her hand up and allowed herself a moment to collect her thoughts into an expressible condition. “I feel stupid. I feel like this was way harder than it should have been, and I’m, you know embarrassed.”
“Hm. Yes.” Michiru thoughtfully glanced up at the ceiling, and then took Haruka’s hand, placing her other on top of it. “Haruka, you and I have never had a conventional life, or a conventional course. Would you not say that is fair?”
“Yeah.” Haruka rubbed her thumb against Michiru’s hand.
“If we believe this to be true, why should this be any different? You were rather occupied with raising a family, and, might I add, creating a career for yourself, both of which you have done successfully.” She slipped her hand away to touch Haruka’s cheek. “Even after all these years, you struggle to see what you are. You are a writer and an athlete and a wonderful wife and mother. They are only students, and have a great deal of growing to do. When I think of you, I think of your many, many, talents, and how you chose to pick something a bit harder. Because you, as always, are ever so brave and tireless.” She kissed Haruka softly. “I am so very proud of you, Haruka Tenoh. You are a wonderful example to our girls. And to me. To our friends, all of which are so delighted to support you today. And I imagine you are to your classmates as well.”
“I love you so much.” Haruka nuzzled her forehead against Michiru’s, and blinked back a tear. She leaned back, and nodded. “I want to go.”
“Now, you old softie,” Michiru giggled, “I do admit this tie was a bit of a misstep. You have so many lovely ties, there’s no reason we can’t find something striking.”
Haruka pictured herself wheeling up the stage, of shaking the dean’s hand and taking her diploma. Usagi would be there snapping pictures, as Mina grinned, a gleam in her eye. Rei would huff and glower but she would have a neatly wrapped gift, the card reminding Haruka of how she’d tutored her in communications and math and attempted to tutor her in literally every other subject, including ones she had never taken before. Her girls would see how hard she tried, and how much she worked to be a Papa they could be proud of.
She would look at herself, and see someone she could be proud of.
Somewhere, in that little patch of earth that could be called Haruka’s heart, a flower bloomed.
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