#i did sign up for presale

[dafuq-lyrehc]

Sleep Token needs to stop putting out new, cool merch. I cannot afford to live and it's so tempting to spend money I don't have.

like looooooooooooooooook

(x)

[loverscrossmp3]

good morning everyone the fate of my entire existence relies entirely on if i’m able to get tickets to see taylor swift today

[theamazingannie]

Taylor going to NOLA in October 2024 when I was going to go to NOLA last October but wasn’t able to feels like a sign👀

[mypersonmyg]

update:

[seeingivy]

Omg can u do a one shot where reader goes to the eras tour with Gojo??

miss americana and the heartbreak prince

satoru gojo x f!reader

an: this didn't mesh well as a one shot when I wrote it, so i hope this mix of blurbs and headcanons is ok <3 also, this is for a very specific audience, feel free to ignore on your dash!!!

--

satoru gojo, in his infinite knowledge and wisdom, is first exposed to the eras tour when you ask him to sign up for a presale code

“wait, so. you just want me to sign up for all the dates?” satoru asks, voice echoing through your phone speaker.  “yes, make sure that you verify your ticketmaster account and everything now. and then when you do that, send me a picture so i can make sure you did it right.” you respond.  “it’s not rocket science, babe. i’m sure i can figure out how to do it.” satoru grumbles, as you hear typing on the other end of the line.  “just take the picture when you’re done.”  “was this that important that you had to call me while I was at work?”  “babe. this is taylor swift. of course it was.”  “right.” 

the fated day of buying tickets come and you and satoru are literally hiding from your bosses in the corner of your office - laptops pulled up and anxiously watching the queue

you're both nervously watching the numbers get smaller and smaller, nervous hands open on a twitter tab that's talking about people getting kicked out of the line, locked out, or being told that the tickets are already all gone

but by the grace of god, satoru's laptop goes through first and he manages to bag the two of you floor tickets and you're in

you climb into bed, pushing the hair off of satoru’s head to give him a kiss on the forehead, before you tuck yourself into the sheets and nestle into his arms.  “sweetheart.”  “hm?”  “can i ask you a question? you don’t have to say yes.” he asks, voice all uncharacteristically shy.  you prop yourself up on his bare chest, trying to discern the look on his face in the dark, as you nod.  “can i go to the concert with you?”  and when you see the little frowny face he has on, you can’t help but laugh at the entire ordeal, at the satoru gojo begging you to take him to a taylor swift concert. and when you start laughing, he starts grumbling, turning his surely pink face away from you.  “shut up.”  “oh my god, toru. you’re so cute, you know that?”  “i’m glad my misery is adorable to you.”  “I’d love if you would come to the concert with me. on one condition.”  “what’s that?”  “you have to learn all the lore and listen to the songs before we go. i’m not about to be that girl standing next to the guy who doesn’t know the surprise songs on the floor.”  “okay. what’s a surprise song?”  you press your fingers against his lips and place a kiss on his cheek.  “all in good time.”

you make a game plan for satoru, color coded and planned out, for him to learn everything you want him to know

you break it down for him era by era, asking him to first listen to the album and send you his reviews - and then explaining important key details that he would need to know

and it evolves so fast, because he gets more and more excited as he goes on, texting you his thoughts at work

he just needs a reason to not do work, but he gets REALLY REALLY INTO IT

satoru: YOU’RE GAY.  you: no? i don’t think so satoru: i’m singing picture to burn babe, be quiet satoru: if the way i loved you is country music, slap a flannel and a cowboy hat on me because i am FLOORED. ABSOLUTE BANGER.  you: PLEASE ARE YOU LISTENING AT WORK???  satoru: mind your own business.  satoru: also, who is mr. perfectly fine about?  you: joe jonas.  satoru: she dated joe jonas?  you: no satoru, she dated barack obama. yes, she dated joe jonas.  satoru: well now i hate him. he’s so rude.  satoru: THIS IS ME SWALLOWING MY PRIDE STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU SAYING IM SORRY FOR THATTTT NIGHT  you: last night when you ate my leftovers?  satoru: that wasn’t me you: sure.  satoru: is dear john about john mayer?  you: yes. we don’t like him.  satoru: fuck yeah we don’t. SHINING LIKE FIREWORKS OVER YOUR SAD EMPTY TOWN??? JOHN, JOHN WHEN I CATCH YOU  satoru: babe if you ever break up with me ill go sleep on the highway  you: ok?? I wasn’t planning on it satoru: do not EVER give me a reason to relate to last kiss i will actually do something dangerous  you: why did shoko just send me a picture of you with your head down on your desk at work?  satoru: babe please don’t talk to me rn. i just listened to all too well and i am inconsolable.  you: wait till you watch the short film.  satoru: PLEASE I CAN’T HANDLE THIS. JAKE GYLLENHAL ALEX THE LION FROM MADAGASCAR WHEN I GET YOU.  you: ok satoru. pipe down.  satoru: ARE WE OUT OF THE WOODS YET ARE WE OUT OF THE WOODS YET ARE WE OUT OF THE WOODS YET  you: i feel like im creating a monster.  satoru: I WANT YOU FOR WORSE OR FOR BETTER BROKE YOUR HEART ILL PUT IT BACK TOGETHER satoru: just finished reputation. many thoughts  you: oh???  satoru: one. can we get frisky to dress? two. I am buying you a necklace with my initial on it. three. king of my heart is my favorite song so far. four. CAN WE GET FRISKY TO DRESS. five. kanye west, when I get you. you: satoru. you are at work. please focus.  satoru: i know that’s a yes.  satoru: just listened to lover. I am inconsolable and i love this white woman. DAYLIGHT??? THAT’S SO ME AND YOU. LOVER??? THAT’S SO ME AND YOU. PAPER RINGS??? ME AND YOU.  you: do not take paper rings as an excuse to not buy me a real ring. I am expecting a nice six pronged gold band circular cut diamond.  satoru: also can we get frisky to false god.  you: satoru gojo.  satoru: babe. urgent. 911.  you: what.  satoru: am i augustine or am i betty??  you: you’re inez. nosy gossiping ass bitch.  satoru: EXCUSE ME. also invisible string is so us. joe alwyn, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS.  you: well. satoru: is she ok. like seriously, is taylor ok??? if she has happily been in a relationship for six years why did she write tolerate it? doesn’t she know my mental health is fragile?  you: why tf are YOU crying about tolerate it? we’ve been in a stable relationship for four years satoru: i was imaging you being mean to me. it really hurt my feelings  you: ok.  satoru: long story short, the masterpiece that you are. JOE AND TAYLOR YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS.  satoru: what is their name combined  you: toe.  satoru: ok… satoru: MEET ME AT MIDNIGHT you: oh god. you’re at the end. let’s hear it.  satoru: one. can we get frisky to maroon? two. you’re on your own kid changed my life. three. sweet nothing is us. four. can we get frisky to maroon. five. john mayer i will KILL YOU. six. also is like scooter braun a crack head or something like what is vigilante shit even about  satoru: babe. satoru: no.  satoru: YOU’RE LOSING ME???? JOE???? JOE ALWYN MY BROTHER JOE ALWYN???? NO.  you: yes.  satoru: Y/N. HE WON’T MARRY HER?????? IM GOING TO KILL HIM. THE GUY WHO LOVER IS ABOUT??? WHO MASTERMIND SWEET NOTHING INVISIBLE STRING IS ABOUT???  satoru: do not talk to me. I hate you.  you: WHAT DID I DO

satoru gets more and more excited about the entire thing as it goes on, telling YOU that you need to start planning outfits and making bracelets like you weren't the one who got him into this

satoru cannot make friendship bracelets. but he likes watching you make them and asking you all the little things you like about the music

“ok. what do i make the next one?”  “hm. did you do style yet?”  “no.”  you start collecting all the beads as satoru props his phone up against the table, to the live stream of the concert. every night, the two of you watch the surprise songs together and make a note of which ones you lose from your drafted list of picks - a mix of yours and satoru’s favorite songs that aren’t on the setlist.  “open.”  satoru holds the spoon of noodles right over your lips as you focus on finishing the bracelet, his eyes focused on the live stream.  “satoru.”  “hm?”  “can i ask a weird question?”  “sure.”  “you seem like you’re like really into this. like actually.”  “well, i am. this is serious - i cannot lose clean for a second time or i will break something.”  “not that. I just mean, the entire thing. like the songs and the music and all that. you…are really into it.”  “well, why wouldn’t i be? it’s something you like. and it clearly means a lot to you, so it does to me too.”  you can feel your cheeks burning at how blunt he is about the entire thing, like it’s something so obvious, like him putting in all this effort to like something you do is a given. you lean forward and press a kiss to his cheek, which he smiles at before focusing back on the live stream.  “BABE. NO.”  “OH MY GOD." “ITS CLEAN.” “TORU HOW DID WE LOSE A SONG TWICE.”

satoru decides that the two of you are going to go as miss americana and the heartbreak prince - and watches you meticulously collect fabrics and threads to make the pink dress you had in mind

you made it a point to also sew on the little broken heart for satoru's light pink shirt and white slacks that he was going to wear to the concert and buy the two of you matching gold crowns to wear together

“something is missing from my outfit, y/n.”   you frown, looking over at him as he fixes the little gold crown you got him on his white hair.  “what are you talking about? you look fine.”  satoru digs through your makeup box, rummaging around till he pulls out a tube of your red lipstick.  “you want to wear it, toru?”  “what? no. you put it on and then plant a bunch of kisses on my cheeks. so it leaves a mark.”  “oh?”  “IT’LL LOOK BETTER THAT WAY. I SAW SOMEONE ON TIK TOK DO IT.”  you roll your eyes as you lean forward in the mirror, blotting the buttery product on your lips and ignoring the devilish smile that satoru’s giving you in the mirror. and then you turn around and cup his face in your hands, making it a point to pepper long kisses on his cheeks and the side of his neck, making sure the full mark of your lips is left on his skin.  and when you’re done, he turns in the mirror and gives you a satisfied smile.  “perfect.”  “you’re so lame, satoru. if you wanted me to kiss you, you should have just asked.”  “can i have a kiss?”  “no.”  he leans forward and wraps his arms around your waist, it being his turn to smother you in kisses, eliciting a laugh from you when his breath tickles your neck.  “shut up.”

type of mf to take BILLIONS OF PICTURES of you outside the concert and even more with you, until you both get ones you like

also, totally wears a stack of friendship bracelets that you made together, but only trades with other boyfriends and dads in solidarity

man stands for the entire concert with you, except during the man. because he knows his place.

you start SOBBING during lover and he's there just smiling at how SILLY you are and wiping your little tears away. you both sway to the song together and scream the bridge together.

he takes a picture of you doing the fearless heart with taylor in the back. bc duh.

speaking of, this dude is NOT recording taylor AT ALL he is recording you and taking pictures of you and it's literally the most wholesome thing ever

like you're just so excited and jumpy that he thinks its cute and he wants to document it

but then he's so inconsolable during tis the damn season and tolerate it that he's SCREAMING THE LYRICS with the passion of ten suns (he is an evermore stan, fight with the wall)

takes a video of you singing during enchanted (which he later makes his lockscreen)

fighting for his life during all too well. like everyone else.

your surprise songs are dear john and daylight - which you're both screaming together on the floor.

satoru is giving YOU the side eye when you scream DATE ME TAYLOR during vigilante shit chair moment.

mister man is blushing when you point at him when taylor sings karma is my boyfriend

carries you out of the concert bc he knows your feet are killing you.

and feeds you after. bc duh. post concert munchies at a fast food drive thru.

--

an, again: tee hee this was so silly but so fun to think about. and for a very niche audience AHAHHAHA. also it feels weird to use my taglist when this is for a VERY specific audience so I will ignore.

[ssweeterthanfiction]

Love Story

content warnings: none! just you and finnick at the eras tour :)

Both of you had gotten up super early to get ready. You had convinced Finnick to wear matching costumes. Well, it didn’t take much convincing, Finnick was more than happy to wear the plastic gold crown and the “Heartbreak Prince” sash you bought him. Anything to make his girl happy.

The whole car ride to the stadium was practically its own concert.

Scream singing new romantics, you belong with me, and a ton of other songs, you both had the time of your lives.

And once you guys arrived at the stadium, the excitement you had in you skyrocketed.

Instantly Finnick went on the merch line and got you as many things as you wanted.

“Finn, please let me pay for something!”

“No no, it’s all on me pretty girl”

You sigh in defeat and allow him to pay.

Once you have your merch, you both head to your seats. And of course since Finnick wanted nothing but the best for you, he did manage to score front row tickets.

Sure he had to sign up for the presale, set multiple alarms, have the website up on his phone, laptop, ipad and on your laptop and then wait on line and FIGHT for those tickets. But it was all worth it to see the smile on your face when he gifted you the tickets.

Now you both were in your seats and Finnick was taking a ton of pictures of you.

“Finnick I think we have enough pictures” you say as you laugh.

He scoffs dramatically. “I never have enough pictures of you”

“Finn, you have an entire album of my pictures”

He rolls his eyes playfully. “Well, I just think that this night is gonna be memorable…so I wanna be sure I capture every moment of your pretty face.”

Your heart melts at his words. You walk close to him and give him a quick kiss.

“I love you so much Finny”

“I love you too pretty girl”

Finally after waiting a while the concert starts.

You and Finnick sing along to every single song from Lover set.

Finnick pulled you in close and slow danced with you to Lover, he even sang the lyrics to you making your heart race.

As the set ended, you could see that Finnick was fumbling with a small piece of paper. You brushed it off as him finding a random piece of paper in his pocket.

What you didn’t see was him passing it back to the people behind you two.

As the Fearless set started, you noticed that Finnick was getting more fidgety and nervous.

“Finny? You okay?”

He looks at you with wide eyes and smiles. “Yea, yea I’m okay, I think I just ate something bad. Don’t worry about me pretty girl, just enjoy the show”

“Oh, alright then” you say reluctantly.

As love story starts playing, you and Finnick both start singing your hearts out.

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess. It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"

As the bridge ended, Finnick was getting nervous and sweating a little.

Romeo, save me, I've been feeling so alone. I keep waiting for you, but you never come,

You don’t notice when he starts focusing on the lyrics of the song. He’s muttering the lyrics to himself, he wants to get this just right.

Is this in my head? I don't know what to think. He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring,

Before you know it, you feel a tap on your back. Looking to the side, you see Finnick on one knee.

You hear the cheers and screams of people around you.

And said, "Marry me, Juliet, You'll never have to be alone.”

Finnick’s still singing the lyrics, but replaces Juliet’s name with yours.

You’re crying tears of joy, looking down at Finnick with love in your eyes.

I love you and that's all I really know, I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress.

Struggling to find your words, you manage to nod your head.

Finnick starts crying too. Carefully placing the ring on your finger, he stands back up, wraps his arms around you and kisses you.

It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"

You pull away slightly. “I can’t believe you did this for me”

“I would do anything for you, Mrs. Odair” he says with a smile.

You can’t stop smiling as you pull him in for another kiss.

He was right. This was a very memorable night.

hope u guys liked this little finnick fic :) (lmk if u guys want more in the future) I know it’s different from my usual billy dunne content but i have always been a finnick odair girly at heart <3

the next part of wait for your love should be done by this weekend so watch out for that!

[imzadi-caskett-huddy]

It Started With a Kiss (8/?)

Thanks so much, everyone for your reviews on the last chapter! I’m so glad you all enjoyed my take on the Alex Conrad situation. And now for one of my favorite episodes of the show, To Love and Die in LA. Seriously, this episode is in my top 5…maybe even top 3 depending on my mood that day.

Date wise, the last chapter took place around April 11, and this one takes place around May 2. So that’s a 3 week time gap. Wonder what our favorite couple got up to after the way Kate kissed him in the last chapter, hmm?

Again, I want to remind you that this will be the last update on this story until after I return from vacation on June 15…and Hell Hath No Fury will be due for an update first. So enjoy this one, because it will most likely be several weeks before I get around to writing the next chapter. I promise I’ll get it up as soon as I can though!

Also…there is a section rated M in this chapter. It is clearly marked where you will want to stop reading, and then when it ends. It’s sex heavy, but not smut heavy. Still, read at your own peril, lol!

I still don’t own Castle…

xxxxx

Castle had barely seen Beckett since that night 3 weeks ago when she’d kissed him. The first week she’d been tied up prepping with an ADA for a trial, which worked out with him needing to finish a couple of chapters for the next Heat book, as well as some edits. And then Gina and Paula had worked together to ambush him with some promotional book signings and appearances in an effort to drum up more presales for his newest novel, not to mention the graphic novel for Storm that was being put together.

He’d seen her exactly twice…both times at the precinct when he’d brought her coffee. Neither time for very long, so they hadn’t been able to discuss their relationship or if the kiss she’d given him was a sign she was ready to move forward, but she had made time to spend several minutes with him in the break room since he had come all the way to the precinct just to bring her coffee. They would spend those ten minutes or so in the break room together, innocently flirting and occasionally standing just close enough to brush up against each other. And it always ended with the most brilliant smile from her, thanking him for the coffee. Castle knew he would go out of his way to bring her coffee every day for the rest of his life if she continued to smile at him the way she had those two days.

They had, of course, chatted via text and twice over the phone, but neither of them seemed to want to discuss the kiss or their relationship over the phone or text messages, and rightfully so. It was a big step for them; when it happened, it needed to be in person. She had known he was returning to the city that afternoon, so when his phone rang, he didn’t bother to look at the caller

ID, simply assuming it was her. No one else usually called him after 9 anymore.

“Did a body drop, or did you just miss me so much you couldn’t wait another day to see me?” he asked with a grin.

“Castle, I’m going to send you an address, and you need to get down here,” Lanie said simply.

“Lanie? What’s wrong?” he asked, the smile falling from his lips. Lanie never called him. Kate was the one who called him about a body drop.

“A body was found…”

He swallowed hard. “Kate? Did something happen to her?” he had to ask, interrupting before Lanie could finish her sentence. He felt his heart sink. Was Lanie calling to tell him something had happened to Kate?

Hearing the worry in his tone, Lanie realized what he must have thought. “The body we found is Mike Royce. Espo is just now calling her, so she’s not here yet, but you need to hurry. I doubt she’ll admit it, but she’s going to need you on this one.”

“I’m on my way,” he said, already out the door. He’d watched her go through hell several months ago when she’d realized Royce was part of their investigation and she’d had to arrest her former training officer. He could only imagine how his murder was going to hit her.

xxxxx

Castle’s eyes were on her the moment she got out of her unit. He could tell, just in the way she carried herself…the tension in her shoulders, the firm set of her jaw...she was torn up and doing everything she could to not appear that way.

“Where is he?” Beckett asked as she approached.

Montgomery stood beside Castle, shaking his head. “Turn around, go back home, and let me handle this.”

“Sir, I’ve seen dead bodies before,” she insisted.

The captain studied her for a moment but knew it was better for everyone if he just let her through. He nodded toward the back of the alley where Lanie was standing.

Castle was immediately at her side as she headed in that direction. “Come on, Kate…you don’t want to remember him like this,” he tried to get through to her.

“Castle, if it were me lying there, would you just walk away?” she turned to look at him.

Just the thought of that possibility sent a chill through his body and made him nauseous. He didn’t have to answer her question; the look he was giving her was answer enough–hell no, he wouldn’t just walk away. He would find whoever had hurt her, and then no one would ever find the body.

“I’m so sorry, honey,” Lanie offered her condolences.

Beckett clenched her jaw and blinked, but Castle could tell she was struggling to hold onto her composure. “Tell me what happened.”

“He was shot in the leg. Judging from the blood trail, I’d say the bullet broke the bone. He tried to hide, but…” she trailed off with a shake of her head. “I found this in his pocket,” she handed Beckett an airplane ticket stub. “He flew in from LA this afternoon.”

Castle took a step closer to Beckett then. “What was he doing in LA?” he asked curiously.

“I heard he moved there after he lost his bounty hunter’s license. I guess he was trying to make a fresh start,” Beckett answered, looking over the ticket stub.

“When was the last time you spoke with him?” he asked her softly.

She swallowed hard, staring at the ticket stub before folding it back. “When I arrested him.” She took a deep breath. “Lanie, could I?”

“Sure,” Lanie answered, stepping out of the way and exchanging a look with Castle as Beckett approached Royce’s body.

Castle watched intently as she crouched down near the body and took a few minutes. He watched as her shoulders tensed a little more. He watched as she touched Royce’s hair and either sniffled or inhaled deeply…he couldn’t tell. He was ready to move to her side the minute she stood and headed back in his direction.

“Royce had something else in his pocket. It’s addressed to you,” Lanie handed her a note.

“Is it about the case?” Castle asked her as she opened it.

After reading for a few moments, Beckett folded the note and put it in her pocket. “No.”

Esposito approached them, carrying a gun. “I think we got the murder weapon. Found it in the garbage around the corner.”

“Gun was definitely fired recently,” Ryan added as he joined them. “Shooter took the time to empty the ammo before he dumped it.”

“Worried we’d find fingerprints on the bullets?” Castle raised the question.

Beckett took the gun and examined it. “This is a cheap street gun. It’s a throw away.” She studied the gun a little more. “There’s threading on the barrel.”

“Silencer?” Castle suggested.

Esposito nodded. “Yeah.”

“Allowing our killer to shoot Royce in broad daylight,” Beckett stated, handing the gun back to Esposito to bag as evidence.

“Listen, Beckett…we’re gonna get this guy,” Ryan assured her. “We got uniforms heading to every store and apartment within a 5-block radius.”

“This is New York. Somebody had to have seen something,” Esposito added.

Castle turned to her, placing his hand on her shoulder lightly after the boys walked away. “Kate…”

“Castle, I’m fine,” she insisted.

“You’re not fine,” he said softly. “Royce was your friend. It’s okay to take a few minutes to grieve,” he added. After a minute, he let his hand fall from her shoulder. “Why don’t you let me take you home? There’s nothing else you can do tonight. You can get some sleep and start fresh on the case in the morning,” he suggested.

Beckett was about to protest when Montgomery walked over to join them. “Alright, you’ve seen him. You paid your respects. Now go home, Beckett.”

“Sir,” she started to protest.

“There’s nothing else you can do here tonight. Dr. Parish won’t have anything for you until she does an exam. Uniforms are canvassing everywhere. Ryan and Esposito will handle anything else. They’ll call you if anything pops. Go home, Beckett. That’s an order.”

She looked between her captain and her partner and finally relented, wordlessly stepping away from them to go back to her unit. Castle was quick to follow her.

“Castle, you go home too,” she told him, stopping him as he went to get into her car. “You just got back from a book tour. I know you’re tired.”

“I’m okay. I can just sit with you. You shouldn’t be alone…you don’t have to be alone,” he offered.

“I’m fine. I’ll be fine,” she assured him.

“Kate…”

“Rick, please,” she said. She needed to be alone. She was going to fall apart when she got home, and the last thing she wanted was for him to see her break like that.

The way she said his name, coupled with the look in her eyes had him nodding. “Okay. I’ll go home. But if you need anything…you call me. Even if all you need is me to sit on the phone with you in silence, ok?”

“Do you even know how to be silent?” she teased lightly, trying to show him that she was okay.

“I do, actually, when it matters. And I’m serious. Call me,” he insisted.

She nodded. “Okay.”

xxxxx

“Beckett, I’m not sending you to LA. You have no solid evidence linking Neal McCauley to this murder,” Montgomery insisted.

“He came to New York for 6 hours. Who flies in for that short a stay?” Castle pointed out.

“Businessmen do it all the time,” Montgomery countered.

“Businessmen don’t use fake IDs,” Castle countered back.

“Or pack silencers,” Beckett added.

Montgomery shook his head. “That’s supposition. I need a lot more than that to justify flying a detective across the country.”

Beckett shook her head as well. “You and I both know the longer I wait to go out there, the colder this trail gets.”

“Take a day to shore this up. And then if there’s sufficient evidence, I’ll contact the LAPD.”

“You’ll contact the LAPD?” Beckett asked incredulously. “This is my case! This happened in our jurisdiction. You think the LAPD is gonna lift a finger?”

“Kate, you’re too close to this!” Montgomery insisted.

“No, Sir, I am committed. I am not compromised.”

“You’re torn up,” he interrupted her. “Kate, things between you and Royce ended badly. I get it. But that emotion is exactly why I need to assign this to someone else.”

Beckett paused then, taking a step back. “You know what? You’re right. I am too close to this. I have some vacation days coming up. I think now would be a good time,” she stated, turning to head out of the office.

“Kate,” he called, stopping her. “I hope you’re not thinking about doing something reckless.”

She turned to face him, meeting his eyes for a long moment. “No, Sir,” she stated, leaving the office.

Castle’s eyes met Montgomery’s and both men seemed to understand each other. Montgomery’s look told Castle to follow her…something he would have done anyway…because neither man believed she was stepping back and doing nothing.

“Where are you going?” Castle called after her.

“Home,” she insisted.

“The hell you are. I know you better than that,” he tried to stop her with a hand on her arm.

“Castle, please,” she pulled it away. “He was my training officer…my friend. I just…I really need to be alone right now,” she told him, making her way to the elevator.

Castle watched helplessly as the doors closed. Why did it always feel like they’d take one step forward and then something happened to make them take two steps back? He was really beginning to hate that dance.

“You know she’s going to LA,” Espo said, coming up behind him.

“I know,” Castle sighed.

“You really think she’s going to just willingly let you go with her?” Ryan asked as he joined them.

“She won’t have much of a choice if she doesn’t find out until the plane is already in the air,” Castle stated simply, already pulling out his phone to check for the next flight to LA, knowing she’d be on it. “Whether she likes it or not, someone’s got to have her back…and I’m her partner.” He headed for the elevator himself; he had a couple of hours to pack a bag and get to the airport, already calling to arrange a hotel suite for them.

xxxxx

Kate Beckett hated the middle seats in airplanes. Unfortunately, that was all that was available to her last minute. She knew she was lucky to have gotten on the flight at all considering she’d been on standby status. Still, being squished between two larger men was going to make for a very uncomfortable flight across the country…especially if the baby screaming in the cabin didn’t eventually tire itself out and fall asleep.

“Excuse me, Detective Beckett?” one of the flight attendants approached her.

“Yes?” she answered.

“You’ve been upgraded to first class.”

Beckett didn’t even question the reason. “Thank you,” she smiled, standing quickly. “I’m sorry…excuse me,” she said to the man, climbing over him to get out of the cramped row. She followed the flight attendant to the first-class cabin.

“Seat 3C,” the attendant told her.

“Thank you,” she smiled her relief. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the man she’d be sitting next to.

“Champagne?” he asked innocently with a smile.

She took the seat beside him, fastening her seatbelt. “Castle, what are you doing?”

He shrugged with a grin. “The studio’s been after me for weeks to fly down and do a set visit for the Heat Wave movie. Imagine my surprise when I saw your name on the standby list,” he took a sip of the champagne.

“You cannot be a part of what I’m gonna do out there,” she told him simply.

“I thought you were on vacation,” he pointed out.

“Castle,” she shook her head. “Look, it’s one thing for you to follow me when we’re in New York, but I’m not a cop in LA. I don’t have any authority or backup,” she told him.

“I’ll be your backup,” he insisted. Seeing her roll her eyes, he continued. “I’m your partner. Besides, going rogue is kind of my specialty.”

“Yeah, but subtlety isn’t,” she countered with a small smile. “I’m not going to get rid of you am I?” she asked him. Seeing him shake his head, she sighed. “Okay, if we do this together you have to promise me that we’re gonna fly under the radar.”

“Of course,” he smiled, offering her the extra glass of champagne.

She studied him for a moment before taking it with another roll of her eyes. She took a sip, offering him a small smile. “Thank you for upgrading me. I was kind of miserable back there.”

“You mean, you didn’t enjoy your seat sandwiched between two of the linemen for the Giants?” he asked with a chuckle.

“No,” she smirked. “The screaming baby didn’t help either.”

He laughed softly. “You’re welcome. Besides, how are we supposed to talk strategy with you in the back of the plane and me in the front?”

“We weren’t supposed to talk strategy at all,” she laughed, nudging his shoulder playfully.

“We have a 6-hour flight, Beckett. It’s going to be a long 6 hours if we don’t talk.”

She smiled and took another sip of her champagne. “Some people sleep on a flight.”

“Are you one of those people?” he asked with a smile.

She shrugged. “Sometimes. Probably not this flight. I’ve got too much on my mind.”

He nodded, placing a hand over hers. “I’m here for whatever you want to talk about,” he offered her a smile. “Or we could just drink,” he joked.

“I think one glass will suffice,” she chuckled, stretching her legs out.

He smiled and squeezed her hand before releasing it. The surprise was evident on his face when she took his hand back in hers a moment later.

“Thanks for coming with me, Castle,” she said softly, offering him a smile and pulling their joined

hands back into her lap.

“Always,” he smiled, stretching his legs out to get comfortable as well.

xxxxx

“Is this what you call under the radar?” Beckett asked, gesturing to the red Ferrari they were currently in.

“In LA, this baby fits right in,” Castle insisted. “So what’s our first stop?”

“My hotel. It’s on Ventura Blvd.”

Castle shot her a look. “That’s all the way in the Valley. How are we supposed to work together if you’re an hour away?”

“Castle, we weren’t supposed to work together at all,” she reminded him.

He shrugged. “Okay, well the studio comped me a two-bedroom suite at a 4-star hotel. You just stay with me,” he stated as though it were a no-brainer.

She snorted a laugh. “Yeah right!”

“What?” he asked, turning to look at her. “You’ll have your own room.”

“No! I am not staying with you!” she insisted, biting back another laugh.

He raised an eyebrow, almost in a challenge. “Worried you can’t control yourself when we’re alone together?”

Her smile faltered only slightly. It was a legitimate concern of hers, yes, considering the current state of their relationship and how close they currently were to crossing the line between friends and lovers…but she wasn’t going to admit that to him. “Actually, it’s not me that I’m worried about,” she replied.

“I assure you, Detective, my intentions are pure,” he insisted as the light they were stopped at turned green. He paused a moment before continuing. “Need I remind you that the last two times we were alone together, you were the one who kissed me,” he commented nonchalantly, keeping his eyes on the road.

She tugged her lower lip between her teeth. She couldn’t even deny that. Even though it had been months ago and she hadn’t ended her relationship with Josh at the time, she’d still been the one to kiss him on Valentine’s Day over wine in his loft. And now that they were both single,

she hadn’t been able to resist kissing him when they’d gone out 3 weeks ago after he’d been so jealous of Alex Conrad.

Yes, they were here to work…at least she was…but she also couldn’t deny the attraction and connection that pulled them together, couldn’t deny that they were one “Yes” from her away from becoming romantic partners in addition to professional ones. Here to work or not, she knew it was a very real possibility that when they were alone together she would give into the temptation that was her desire to be with him. Simply having her own bedroom didn’t guarantee she wouldn’t seek him out in the middle of the night without anything holding her back anymore.

“Fine, I’ll stay with you,” she finally agreed. She knew herself well enough to know there was a very real possibility she would find herself in his bed…or invite him into hers…before they left LA. She only hoped she was ready for everything that entailed. Because once they crossed that last line between them, she knew there would be no going back. If she messed it all up, if they crashed and burned, she would lose him forever…and she wasn’t sure that was a loss from which she’d recover.

xxxxx

“We’re so happy to have you back, Mr. Castle,” Maurice the concierge smiled. “I’ve taken the liberty of setting up the suite just the way you like it.”

“Thank you,” Castle returned the man’s smile.

“And I’ve scheduled a couple’s massage at 7,” Maurice added.

Beckett paused looking around the suite for a moment to cut Castle a look. “Pure, huh?”

Castle’s eyes widened slightly. “Uh, Maurice, you can cancel the couple’s massage. We’re actually here to work, so we won’t be needing that tonight.” He didn’t ask for the champagne or flowers to be removed, however.

Maurice nodded. “Very good, Sir.”

Castle handed the bellhop who handled their luggage a tip and offered Maurice one as well. “Thank you, Maurice.” He followed the men out and closed the double doors behind them. “The last time I was here, I brought this Parisian supermodel, so he…” he trailed off when he caught the look Beckett shot him and he realized bringing up the fact that he’d been with other women here was probably not the best idea considering they were working toward a relationship with each other. “You know, that is not important. Would you like to choose your bedroom?”

She rolled her eyes and went to her carry-on to get her jacket. “No, I would like to start the investigation.”

“But we haven’t even ordered room service yet,” Castle pointed out.

“Castle, I’m not here for room service, I’m here for justice,” she stated, heading for the doors.

“Can’t we have both?” Castle called as he followed her. “Wow. In LA for all of a minute and already she’s spouting cheesy movie dialogue. Must be something in the air.”

xxxxx

“Picture this: a gullible young actress, desperate to make a name for herself. She meets our mastermind at a club. He needs a pretty girl to help him get the voice code. He tells Violet he’s a producer, promises to make her famous if she helps him play a practical joke on a friend,” Castle theorizes. He turns to face Beckett on the couch in the living room area of their suite.

Beckett turns a little more facing him, her elbow resting on the back of the couch with her head resting on her hand. The bottle of champagne from earlier is opened and mostly empty on the coffee table in front of them. “She doesn’t even realize that she’s participating in a crime until afterwards. She can’t call the cops, so she contacts Royce.”

“But then, our Mr. McCauley finds out,” Castle continues to build theory with her.

“And Royce tries to change the game. He goes to New York; home-field advantage. Classic. Classic Royce,” Beckett smiled slightly. “I was so in awe of him, Castle when I first met him. I just hung on his every word. And then later, I realized he was just making up stories to mess with me,” she gave a soft laugh, but her smile faded. “I can’t believe that I’m never gonna see him again.”

He studied her for a moment, shifting just a little closer. “You know what I first thought when I met you?” he asked her.

She turned her attention back to him. “Mm?” she hummed the question.

“That you were a mystery I was never gonna solve. Even now, after spending all this time with you, I’m still amazed at the depths of your strength…your heart…” he trailed off as the faintest smile teased his lips, “and your hotness.”

She looked down for a moment and then met his smile with one of her own. “You’re not so bad yourself, Castle.”

Their eyes locked and they held each other’s gaze. He wanted to kiss her…so badly. Under any other circumstance, he would have. But she was vulnerable now. She was dealing with her grief over the loss of her friend whom he knew she cared for deeply. He wouldn’t be the guy who took

advantage of that. He cared too much about her to be the guy who did that to her. If there was a move to be made, she was going to have to be the one to initiate it.

“I should go. It’s late,” Beckett stood, finally breaking the moment between them as she headed for her bedroom door.

“Kate…”

“Goodnight, Castle,” she stated, stepping inside and closing the door. She leaned against it, running her hands over her face and through her hair. A hundred thoughts were running through her mind: She should have kissed him. Why was she running? How badly she wanted to kiss him. How badly she wanted to lose herself in his arms tonight, let him make her forget everything else but him and the way she knew he would make her feel. But was that fair to him to do it this way? Was it fair to either of them to spend their first night together under these circumstances? Was she ready to fully embrace the depth of her feelings for him? Was she ready to embrace the depth of his feelings for her?

Her hand lingered over the door handle for another moment as she hesitated. The words from Royce’s letter echoed in her mind: And now for the hard part, kid. It’s clear that you and Castle have something real. And you’re fighting it. But trust me, putting the job ahead of your heart is a mistake. Risking our hearts is why we’re alive. The last thing you want is to look back on your life and wonder, if only. A moment later, she’d made her decision. She wanted the comfort he would provide. She wanted to touch him, to taste him, to feel him. She just wanted him. She opened the door and met his eyes as he stood from the couch. “Castle…” she breathed from her doorway.

He wordlessly approached her, coming to stand in front of her in her doorway. In her bare feet, she was a good 5 or 6 inches shorter than him, and his eyes were soft as he looked at her. “Kate…” he murmured, unable to resist reaching out to run his fingers gently across her cheek.

Her hands moved to his chest and her eyes closed as she leaned into his touch. Her fingers tightened in his shirt and she pulled him closer against her, opening her eyes to look at his lips.

He leaned down, his lips stopping just before they touched hers. Swallowing hard, he had to make sure. “Kate, I don’t want to take advantage of you,” he murmured in a whisper.

Her nose nuzzled his, her lips moving the tiniest bit closer until they were only a hair’s width apart and she could feel his breath tickling her lips. “You’re not…” she breathed, her lips barely brushing his as she spoke. “If we hadn’t been so busy the past few weeks, this would have already happened…”

He swallowed hard again. She was making it so damn hard to think straight, to try to be the

gentleman. “I thought you wanted to wait…”

The last words from Royce played over again in her head. The last thing you want is to look back on your life and wonder, if only. “I’m done waiting,” she told him.

“You won’t regret this in the morning?” he had to ask her. Because he wouldn’t be able to handle it if she did.

“No regrets,” she promised, unable to take it anymore and closing the almost invisible distance between their lips with a slow kiss. She stepped back from him into her room a few moments later, her lower lip tugged between her teeth and the look in her eyes inviting, imploring him to follow her.

He was powerless to resist her now, and he knew it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them a second later, he followed her into her bedroom and closed the door behind him.

xxxxx

IT’S ABOUT TO GET STEAMY

SKIP THIS PART IF YOU DON’T WANT TO READ SEXY TIMES

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

Her eyes never left his as he approached her. She took the final step toward him necessary to close the distance between them again and took his face in her hands. This time when she kissed him, the dam broke; her feelings for him, their physical attraction to each other, the past two+ years…everything poured into her kiss. She was drowning in his kiss, in him, and for once she didn’t care.

Her tongue ravaged his mouth, and he let her take what she needed, what she wanted from him while his hands gripped her hips and pulled her closer. One hand slowly ran up her back and curled into her hair, deepening the kiss until both needed some oxygen. His mouth ran along her jaw to her neck and finally along her throat, grazing her skin lightly with his teeth as he tasted her.

Her hands moved to his plaid button-up shirt and shoved it over his shoulders, causing him to release his hold on her long enough to yank his arms free from it. She grabbed his t-shirt and tugged it over his head as well, her eyes and fingers traveling the lines of muscle across and down his now bare chest appreciatively. Her lips grazed against the hollow of his neck where it met his chest, her tongue darting out to taste his skin. Her arms moved around him, her fingers sliding up the muscles of his back as she pressed an open-mouth kiss to his chest, smiling against his skin at the low groan that escaped his throat.

When he felt her fingers at his belt before he’d even had the chance to get her shirt off her, he

caught her wrists and brought them to his lips for a gentle kiss. “Not so fast,” he murmured with a smile. He caught her playful look and returned it with one of his own before grabbing the hem of her shirt and bringing it up and over her head. His eyes darkened at the exposed skin, the black lace of her bra a stark contrast against her tanned skin. His fingers gently traced along the length of her bra strap at her shoulder as he circled behind her.

The feel of his lips on her shoulder and then her neck as he pushed her hair aside drew a gasp from her lips. His mouth lightly danced along the curve of her neck as his fingers unclasped her bra. She leaned back against him as his hands slowly slid the straps down her arms until the piece fell from her body to the floor. Her head fell back against his shoulder and her eyes closed as his lips slid to her shoulder, one hand flattening against her stomach to hold her against him, the other moving to her breast, eliciting a soft moan from her lips.

He bit her shoulder gently as he squeezed her breast. One of her hands moved to cover his on her breast, and her other moved to his head, pulling him into a smoldering kiss. As she tugged his lip between her teeth and bit gently, the hand on her stomach slid lower, dipping inside her pants, his fingers lightly tracing along her underwear. She moaned her approval into his mouth and released her grip on his hand to guide the hand in her pants lower until she could press his fingers into the heat between her legs.

Even through her panties, he could feel her arousal, causing him to groan against her lips. “Kate…” he breathed, his mouth moving to her neck as his fingers slipped past the barrier of her underwear to slide between her legs. The feel of his touch where she was already so ready for him caused her hips to buck against his hand and nearly sent her spiraling. The hand still joined with his on her breast flexed and squeezed, while her hand that had guided his into her pants gripped his hip, her fingers curling in his belt loops.

He continued to work her up with his fingers at her core, his lips gently sucking and nipping at her skin, and his other hand on her breast, alternating between massaging and rolling her nipple between his fingers. It wasn’t long before he had her a whimpering mess, his name escaping her lips in a breathless moan as she crashed over the edge. His fingers continued to work her through her orgasm until she couldn’t take it anymore and gripped his forearm, tugging his hand away. He smirked against her skin, moving his hand to her stomach to hold her against him as she recovered, his lips softly caressing her skin.

Once she regained her senses, she turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and meeting his smile with one of her own. “Hi,” she murmured, kissing him slowly.

“Hi,” he returned, resting his forehead against hers. He slowly walked her back toward the bed, easing her back and lowering her down on it when her legs hit the edge. He moved over her, capturing her mouth with his in a passionate kiss, his tongue slowly stroking hers. This time when he felt her fingers slide down his chest to his belt, he didn’t stop her.

She easily unfastened his belt and the button on his pants, and then slowly slid the zipper down. Her fingers teased just underneath the waistband of his boxers before her hands moved to his hips. She pushed both his jeans and boxers over his hips, her hands sliding around to grab his ass, squeezing the ample flesh as she pulled him into the cradle of her thighs. “Get them off…” she murmured, her lips brushing against his jaw as she pushed them as far down as she could.

He did as he was told, standing and removing his last remaining clothing. She pushed up to her elbows to watch, her eyes darkening as she took in the sight of him for the first time. She sat up, her hands moving to his hips as she pulled him to stand in front of her.

“Kate…you don’t have to…” he started.

“I know,” she met his eyes with a smile. She knew he would never expect or even ask her to do what she was about to do. But she wanted him, wanted all of him; she had for awhile. “I want to taste you.”

Her lips pressed a soft kiss to his stomach, glancing up at him as one hand moved to his length, her slender fingers stroking him slowly. She smirked against his skin at the low groan and moved her mouth to his hip, nipping playfully before blazing a trail of open mouth kisses across his skin as she worked her mouth further down. She looked up at him watching her and saw his eyes close as she ran her tongue the length of him before taking him in her mouth and sucking gently.

It took all of his willpower not to buck his hips into her mouth, but he somehow managed. He forced himself to keep his eyes open, watching her, one hand tangling in her hair…not to guide her movement, but to simply caress her. After a few moments, he hand to stop her. “Kate…” he managed to choke out her name on a strangled moan, his hand gently caressing her cheek. “I can’t…you’ve got to stop…or it’s going to be over to soon…” he managed to get out, trying to force his breathing to return to normal.

She raised an eyebrow, slightly amused as she leaned back on her elbows. He moved with her, leaning down to kiss her again, moaning against her lips as her tongue sensually tangoed with his. His hands gripped her leggings and pulled them down her legs slowly, standing to toss them aside as she shifted to push herself up on the bed, resting her head on the pillows.

He crawled up the bed to her with a grin, dropping soft kisses to the inside of her knee and trailing his tongue along the skin of her thigh. When he reached her underwear, he paused and looked up at her. “You’re sure?” he asked her again.

She pushed up on her elbows so she could gently caress his face. “Make love to me, Rick…” she told him softly, pulling him to her for a slow, deep kiss as she slid her body against his.

He groaned, wrapping her in his arms as he deepened the kiss. When he finally broke away, he pushed up to his knees and hooked his fingers in her panties, drawing them down her legs slowly before dropping them to the floor to the side of the bed. He swallowed hard as his eyes traveled over her body slowly. “You’re beautiful, Kate…” he murmured in awe. His hand slowly, lightly ran up her thigh as he settled between her legs.

He trailed kisses across her stomach before getting sidetracked by the tattoo on her hip, which she’d fully expected, tracing the outline with his tongue. His mouth continued it’s path, until his tongue dipped inside her, finally tasting her, and he knew at that moment he was addicted. Each touch of his fingers to her skin, each press of his lips, each stroke of his tongue was reverent, as though her body was a temple at which he was worshiping. He took his time as he worked her up, enjoying the taste of her, enjoying the soft moans and whimpers of pleasure as he explored her body, learning the way she liked to be touched so intimately.

It wasn’t long before she was moaning his name as she came, her fingers clenching in the comforter on the bed. He gently but firmly held her hips in place as mouth continued to work her through her orgasm, and then suck on her bundle of nerves until she quickly came undone again, his name falling from her lips in a strangled scream. Only when her fingers curled in his hair and pulled him away slightly did he move his mouth to her hip, biting enough to leave a mark and soothing it with his tongue.

His kisses were slow and gentle as they moved back up her body, giving her time to recover. It wasn’t until he was settled in the cradle of her thighs with her hips rocking against his as they kissed passionately that he realized–he didn’t have protection on him. “Kate…” he pulled away breathlessly. “I didn’t bring…I mean, I didn’t expect that we would…I don’t have condoms…”

“Neither do I…You don’t carry one in your wallet?”

“Not if I don’t think I’m going to need it…which I didn’t…because we weren’t together…and I did not come out here with the intention of sleeping with you…” he murmured, moving to shift off her.

She gently stopped him, her fingertips lightly caressing his jaw. “Castle, it’s okay,” she assured him softly, pressing a kiss to his chin. “I’m clean. And I’m on birth control. So I’m good without one if you are.” He was the only man she would ever consider doing this with, and only because she trusted him implicitly. She'd never even had unprotected sex with Josh. There was no one she trusted the way she trusted Castle.

He stared at her for a moment, because he knew the level of trust that she was putting in him with that statement, with that action. “I’m clean…” he promised. “You’re…you’re really sure about this, Kate? Because I can’t promise you I’ll be able to pull out before I…”

She interrupted him with a kiss. “I’m sure. I trust you completely, Rick…”

This time it was him who cut off her words with a deep kiss. I love you, was right on the tip of his tongue to say, but he didn’t dare say it now. He’d told her before…on more than one occasion, admittedly not always at the best moment. The last thing he wanted was to send her running now if she wasn’t ready to hear those words from him again. Instead, he’d show her.

One of his hands found hers and he laced their fingers, pushing their joined hands above her head. His other hand lightly caressed her thigh and shifted, meeting her eyes as he slowly slid inside her. She gasped softly, and his forehead rested against hers as they both took a moment to savor the connection.

Her hand squeezed his and her free hand caressed his cheek as her lips met his again in a tender kiss. One of her legs hooked over his hip, pulling him in closer, and a soft moan escaped her throat. Another moan escaped, this time from each of them, as she rocked her hips against his to get him to move.

They exchanged breathless kisses, gentle caresses, soft moans as their bodies moved together almost seamlessly, meeting each other perfectly, each knowing what the other needed or wanted as though they were in a well-choreographed dance and not coming together for the first time.

As he felt his climax approaching, he released her hand and shifted so that he had a deeper angle. “Kate…I’m close…” he warned dropping his mouth to her neck.

Her lips moved to his ear as her hands slid down his back, her nails raking across his skin. “Let go with me…inside me…” she panted breathlessly, tugging on his ear with her teeth as her legs pulled him in closer to reinforce her words.

Her breathless moans and the way she moved her body with his, the way her legs tightened around his waist, was enough to push him over the edge and pull her with him. He thrust a few more times until he was completely spent, and dropped down, rolling them so she was on top of him.

xxxxx

SEXY TIMES IS OVER

IT IS SAFE TO READ AGAIN

EVERYTHING BELOW IS RATED T

They stayed wrapped in each other's arms silently, both catching their breath. He caught her hand drawing patterns on his chest after a few minutes and brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss.

“You were right…I had no idea,” he admitted with a grin.

She laughed softly and pushed herself up on his chest to look at him. “You still don’t,” she grinned. Seeing his look, she kissed him as she laughed again. “That was just a preview,” she murmured against his lips before pushing herself up off the bed. “Be right back,” she promised, pressing one last kiss to his lips before disappearing into the bathroom.

When she returned, he’d gotten under the covers and made no attempt to hide his enjoyment in the fact that she hadn’t bothered to put any of her clothes…or his…back on to cover up. She met his gaze with an amused arch of her eyebrow, turning the lights off on her way back to bed. “Staring is still creepy, bud.”

He chuckled as she slipped back into bed beside him. “Can’t help it,” he shrugged, turning on his side to look at her. “I told you before…I’m still amazed at your hotness.” He couldn’t help but reach out and let his fingers trace along her curves.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” she echoed her own words from earlier, sliding closer to kiss him. She grinned against his lips as he deepened the kiss and threw her leg over his hips, quickly straddling him, running her hands over his chest as she stared down at him. “You wanna find out what you really had no idea about?” she asked in a husky tone, already sliding her body sinfully against his as she bit her lower lip.

He swallowed hard, his hands moving to her thighs. “Yes, please,” he managed to choke out. The way she was moving her body against his was similar to every fantasy and wet dream he’d had about her since that undercover date in the club back in February. Only now it was real…she was really here, it was really her body moving against his, and it was better than any fantasy.

She leaned down to kiss him with a wicked grin. “Your safe word still apples?” she purred against his lips.

All he could do was nod.

xxxxx

Okay, I am aware this is only the first half of the LA episode. I went a little crazy here…I told you guys it was a favorite of mine! And I am sorry, but you will have to wait until I return from vacation to get the chapter dealing with the second half of the episode. But I did make this a long one to tide you over in the meantime!

I really hope you enjoyed this one! And I look forward to reading all your comments for those who leave them!

[kirimoochi]

being his music inspiration.

₊˚ ᗢ kazuha x singer! reader, modern au.

⤷ what is he like, if he were your biggest fan?

Kazuha wasn’t one to make big decisions. He has always let the wind take him wherever. So when Venti proposed that he joined a band, his ears perked up in interest. 5wirl, now rebranded as 6reeze was a band started in high school. They would perform at local venues or bars just to scrape by. They had no manager for the longest time but that never mattered to them. As long as they had fun making music, that was all that mattered.

It wasn’t until Scaramouche or Wanderer joined their party that things began to unravel. He was hard-headed and stubborn, yet at the same time curious. He asked the group: Why did you want to perform? It was a very simple question. Though one that made Venti giggle and Heizou elbow Kazuha’s side. For Xiao, he wanted to practice and experiment with different styles. Heizou and Venti liked the attention. 

Kazuha joined for one reason: you. Someone from another band who started way before he was even in high school. Although you and he were the same age, you were a lot more experienced and interested in performance and music. He used to beg his older friend Beidou to drive him to your concerts just so he could listen to you live and not from your CDs. 

The first time he listened to you was when you did a cover of “心做し” or Kokoronashi, which was dedicated to your recent break-up. Beidou described your voice to be powerful and raw, and he couldn’t deny that whatsoever. It was indeed true to your feelings and watching your eyes scan the crowd with a look of sincerity and hurt made his heart ache. 

When Beidou saw how enthusiastic he was about seeing you, she decided to give him the old bass that she had gotten from a thrift store. The look of excitement and joy in his eyes was unmatched, and she was happy that she made the right decision of giving it to him. He practiced the bass many times, his fingers growing a little more calloused each time he picked up his instrument. To learn songs, he would listen to your CDs and mouth the words to your songs. 

6reeze started to get popular once your band started to tour. And one fateful day, Venti managed to score a few tickets to see you. This also included exclusive meet and greet tickets that were only presale. The same tickets that the blond-haired boy was fighting desperately to get but lost due to an exam being held at the same time it opened. Kazuha held them in his hands with stars in his eyes. If you were to look closer, you might have seen him hold back his tears. 

On the day of your show, he was at the front, gaze completely focused on you. You pranced around the stage with a joyous smile, performing your heart out with your friends. Halfway through your performance, you started to slow down. Pulling out a stool, you raise the microphone close to you, singing the same song that he remembers all too familiar as another cover of Kokoronashi. Venti chuckled a bit into his hand, offering Kazuha a sympathetic smile as the boy started to cry. 

He swore his heart died when you signed his CD. His hands were trembling so badly that he stuttered over every single word. It took everything in Venti’s bones just to tell him that he’s had a massive crush on you since the day he saw you. Though that would be a bit too cruel! However, what set Kazuha off the most was the way your soft hands wrapped around his, a smile stretched across your face.

“Kazuha, right? You were there during my first performance, weren’t you?” You said, his face growing flush and red. “My friends are huge fans of you. I’m really glad that you guys are doing so well! I hope to one day perform alongside you.”

[rosesoflilac]

And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you dear.

Summary: MC's experience buying Taylor Swift tickets in the Devildom <3

pairing: lucifer x mc, mentions of levi and other characters

genre: fluff, some kissing, not proofread!!

a/n: i wanted to write something but have had no inspo until i realized i can combine my girlie taylor and my current game obsession together. look forward to different obey me and taylor content in the future!!

Everyone in the Devildom knew that there was only one person that you held above everyone else, even above the demon brothers, the demon prince, and their demon boyfriend. You would always find a way to mention this person, to spread their influence, no matter what. You believed that the Denizens hearing her sing, hearing her lyrics, would be a positive influence as it was in her life.

You loved Taylor Swift. Really, really loved her.

When you found out about the Eras Tour (Levi totally did not assist with jailbreaking your secret D.D.D.) you completely freaked. You had secured tickets to Loverfest before Barbatos teleported them to the Devildom (if it was never canceled, all demons would feel the wrath of a thousand suns). This was your chance to make the past right.

First, you needed a plan of attack. The first step was to get the seal of approval from Lord Diavolo and Lucifer. You imagined this would go smoothly and might include some coaxing, but you would be able to gain their permission. Then, they would get every brother, angel, and sorcerer to sign up for presale codes. The final step would be to wait, hope, and pray to any higher power out there.

You wanted this more than anything. To see the artist that got them through teenage angst, breakups, the growing pains, would be the greatest thing to experience, ever. The thought alone makes pressure build-up behind your eyes. You’d be able to do this.

Thankfully, everything went smoothly. Permission was granted, and various emails and phone numbers were signed up for presale. Waiting was the only wrong thing about the situation. You just wanted the anxious feeling to go away.

—

Lucifer picked up on your signs of stress. The nervous checking of your phone, the slip in your grades. He understood how badly you wanted this, how that made you nervous. It was similar to how Levi acted when waiting for the release of a limited special edition Ruri-chan collectible. Levi would lock himself away in his room and obsess. Lucifer has his whole faith in you that you would be able to secure tickets. He does not want to contemplate what would happen if you were unable to, he’d imagine it would rival one of Levi’s episodes.

Lucifer’s concern is how you ended up sitting on his bed between his legs as he worked on your shoulders. It was the night before you found out about ticket presale codes… And you were stressed. That stress slowly melted away as you leaned into Lucifer’s gentle, yet firm, touches.

He rubbed at the middle of your back where it felt tense. You hummed your appreciation and leaned back into him more, wanting to give him a break. “Thank you for this. I needed it.”

Lucifer hummed back, pressing a kiss to the top of your head as his arms slowly moved to wrap around your body. “Everything is going to be alright. I know you love her and want this, but I hate to see how it affects your health, my love.”

Your heart dropped a little, feeling the worry in your voice. “I promise I’m okay. I just… She means a lot to me. I would not be the person I am without her. Her music helped me get through so many tough times, even happy times… Especially with the last couple of years. The thought of being able to sing with her in person makes me so happy and I want to protect that happiness with all of my heart.” You squeezed his arms and shifted around to face him, taking his face in your hands, you smiled. “She even helped me realize my love for you. I didn’t want to tell you, but I have a whole playlist of songs that remind me of you, of us.” You looked into his ruby eyes as a blush crept up your face.

Lucifer’s eyes filled with love as he pulled you into a soft kiss, “You are special to me too. I’d like to hear these songs one day. But for now, you need rest for tomorrow.”

You kissed him back happily, leaning into him as he pulled you to lie down. Everything would be alright if Lucifer was by your side.

–

The following day was a whirlwind of events. Levi allowed you to use his setup, as it was much faster (also in exchange for rare Ruri merchandise), and now all you had to do was wait…

And wait you did..

Levi anxiously watched the screen and you. He understood how important this was to you and had been in this very exact situation multiple times- he had complete faith in you, unlike himself. However, that line was not budging. Until it finally did.

Everything happened so quickly. You searched and searched for six floor seats or a lower bowl- or literally any seat. It wouldn’t matter as long as you got to be there. Soon enough, you got the tickets and life was not real.

You immediately squealed and looked at Levi with a big grin and hugged him tightly, catching the otaku off guard. You screamed and laughed and danced as you ran to grab your D.D.D. to inform Lucifer.

He picked up before the phone had the chance to ring. Lucifer desperately wanted to be there with you but had other duties to attend to. He had been checking his phone every couple of minutes to see if you texted him an update.

Accepting the call, Lucifer stepped outside of his meeting and was met with your face filling the screen. You had tears in your eyes and a big grin on your face, he couldn’t help but smile at your reaction. He was so happy for you.

“It felt like forever! I swear- I can’t believe I’m going, that we are going!! Together!! Life is so not real right now.” Your voice was full of energy as you continued to recount the past few hours of your life.

“I’m very happy for you, my love. You deserve to go and I’m happy you want me to experience this with you.” Lucifer looked at his watch quickly, “I’m sorry but I have to go back to my meeting. We’ll have dinner tonight, the two of us, when I get home. I love you.” Lucifer smiled at you as you repeated the words back to him. Lucifer agreed that life was “so not real” but because he got to experience it with you.

Walking back into the conference room, he began thinking of all the travel you and he would be doing in the next year. Of course, he wouldn’t let you just go to one concert now, would he?

[munadyke]

did anyone who signed up for katie's text/email updates get the presale code? the sale starts at 1 so I guess there's still time but idk!! btw this is abt katie of gavin fame. just 2 clarify😁

[louisisalarrie]

Hello! The LATAM dates anon is me. Ahh sorry I gave you a bit of a chaotic ask! I’m not sure if LATAM really isn’t selling well - Lou’s Mexico dates look sold out - but I read stuff on Twitter via various fan accounts that made it seem as though sales in some countries were slow and they were really trying to drum up sales by giving tickets away etc. I also saw a couple of other tumblr blogs mentioning poor sales but I realise now these accounts are kind of ‘Louis hate accounts’ (urghh) and they’ll say anything to put him down.

I guess I just wondered if you’d read anything different about LATAM? I want it to be amazing for him. He’s such a gem and I really want him to do have great shows out there.

Can’t remember what other stuff I asked…but thank you for taking the time to respond! Xx

No don’t stress at all lovely!!! I appreciate the q’s, but they were different topics so just wanted to break them down xx

Alrighty, let’s look at LATAM ticket sales. Anon, welcome to the show.

Let’s look at some tickets available, capacities, and then I’ll chat more about venue modes and draping etc for some more context.

So, the best selling show in LATAM looks to be Arena VFG, in Guadalajara, Mexico. I’ve had a bit of a look online, and it looks like the show is entirely sold out. That has a capacity of 15,000 , and looks full concert mode, but that doesn’t mean he will have use of all 15,000. The capacity would prooooobably look more like 11,000 - 12,000ish, as an estimate. I haven’t been to the venue so I can’t be 100% on that, but they’re not selling 15,000 tickets to it. We’ll circle back to this later.

Then, his show at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, is a race track used for Formula 1 events, music festivals, and stuff like that. It’s said to have a capacity of 110,000, but of course would be a reduced mode due to the fact that well… that’s pretty impossible for any artist to sell out. Hell, TS’s biggest concert ever was 96,000 people at the MCG in Melbourne, Australia in 2024. Ed Sheeran did 109,500 people in one night at the MCG in 2023. Harry’s biggest show in Australia for LOT was 69,512 people at Accor Stadium in Sydney, which for both show nights, had a capacity of 70,170 people (the first night sold 66,791).

Louis’ show at Arena 1 in Lima, Peru, has a promotion on until the 15 Match 2024 for 25% off certain tickets (the promotion started on 2 November 2023). It can hold up to 16,000 people, and by the looks of it is mainly used for concerts, not sporting events. So they could be selling an amount of tickets that’s closer to their actual capacity, as opposed to the other venues. Again, I haven’t been to it so I can’t be sure. The discount on these tickets, however, is only for people using payments of “Credit, Debit, Business, and Working Capital Cards”. We see similar promos with other artists, such as MasterCard pre sales, American Express presales, etc., but I haven’t seen discounted tickets like this for other artists off the top of my head. However…

I looked at Louis’ 1st June 2022 show at Arena Peru Explanada in Lima, Peru, and according to Team Louis News on Twitter, it sold out. They said it has a capacity of 15,000 people, but again, doesn’t mean every seat was utilised, but it doesn’t look like it’s used for sport, so they could’ve gotten close. And, funnily enough, at this arena and show, there was a 15% discount if you paid with an Interbank Credit or Debit card.

A lot of stadiums are owned/sponsored by banks, or insurance companies, or these companies may have a large share of profit for the money they invest in it etc., and it’s a great way of advertising. Signing up for a bank for discounts of tickets at their venue(s)??? Yes please. So, you can see the appeal. And I can 100% guarantee you that this is a partnership and a condition of said bank investing in the stadium. A quick look at their other shows, every artist (Lauren Jauregui from Fifth Harmony, Paramore etc.) has a special discount based on if they used that bank’s cards to pay for tickets. So it’s not “oh louis could NEVER sell enough tickets, he’s a flop” and whatever these losers say, it’s that certain arenas (clearly more prominent in LATAM) will have discounts on tickets due to the partnership with the bank that invests in them.

NOW

let’s circle back to capacities. this frustrates me to no end because people throw these numbers around all the time and it just… that’s just not how it works.

You can find a capacity of a venue pretty easily when you google said venue, and often people go “oh wow, this artist is playing a venue that holds 100,000 people!!!!” which is yeah, you’re right, that venue does hold 100,000 people, but that depends entirely on the mode, stage setup, and how big the artist is. Also, if it’s used as a sports stadium as well, it’s gonna hold a hell of a lot more people than a concert mode, because they can utilise every seat. You can’t just sit behind the stage at a concert, but you can sit anywhere during a football match. So that’s a major difference in ticket sales already.

If you’re someone like Harry, who has a big old T catwalk and a larger built out base/main stage, that’s gonna lower the capacity of the venue. So then they make more of it GA on the ground as opposed to seating, to make the capacity higher again. But he plays stadiums, which are used for sport, and so he’s not utilising the whole capacity as it is.

BUT Ed Sheeran did the thing.

At the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground, used for cricket and AFL etc.), Ed Sheeran sold sooooo many more tickets than TS, because he had a 360 rotating stage in the middle of the stadium. SUCH a good idea, but that doesn’t work for an artist like TS or Harry. They perform and run up and down cat walks and dance and flail about, Ed Sheeran doesn’t. So, yep, the stage setup can seriously affect the capacity.

Then, estimated ticket sales. Louis sold out his last time in Peru, at a different arena, but it’s pretty safe to say he’ll sell out this one too (hopefully). But, that arena last year might not have been utilised at 15,000. So it’s a bit of guess work too, and finding out what he sold last year (which is easy if the same promoter is hosting but idk I haven’t looked that deep in hahaha but I’d say it’s the same one still).

And when tickets go on sale, they’ll release a certain amount (obviously smaller amounts in pre sales to see how it’s selling), but the ticket website doesn’t tell you how many tickets are left. Why would they? That defeats the purpose of trying to tell people that they might miss out. If the website says there is 10,000 tickets left, you’ll wait til closer to the time to buy one because you’re not worried. But, that skews ticket sales and a show can be cancelled over that, which is happening a fair bit at the moment with ticket reselling websites that aren’t authorised by the venue. I can go into ticketing and ticket reselling further if you’d like but yeah… best we stay on topic.

So, if a show sells enough to at least make a small profit, but isnt sold out regardless of capacity size, the promoter will often put a thing called “drapes” over a certain amount of seating to the side of the stage. These are just big black curtains that cover those seats to make it look more full. It’s what you’d call a “reduced mode”. And, that’s also a way they can use bigger venues if an artist won’t quite sell it out, but they’re too big for a smaller scale show and either don’t wanna do a couple of nights in a row or the smaller venue is super booked out etc. And, artists can sell out a reduced mode, which is great PR for them.

Anyway, there are a million variables that happen with shows. But, capacity does not equal ticket sales, discounts at venues does not equal the size of the artist, and I’m sure Louis is gonna do great in LATAM. I’ve seen so many people excited!!!

Hope this helps/makes sense. Thanks anon!

[capnmarvell]

Can’t believe I was able to snap these photos 🥲 Arlington TX, 4/1 (Night #2 aka the night of THREE Death By A Thousand Cuts bridges)

I’ve been a fan of Taylor’s since 2007. She has the same first name as me, and for a long time I hated how common it was. Every year there were at least 1 or 2 other Taylor’s in my class. And I was never the Taylor people called out to. I felt totally invisible.

Then one day driving home from school I turned on the radio and heard the first chorus of Teardrops on My Guitar and fell in love. “Who is this?” I thought. I’d never heard this singer. Once the song was over the deejay said it was Taylor Swift, a new artist who’s album just came out a few months prior. That was it for me.

I asked my dad to buy me her Debut CD, and played it on repeat on my little portable stereo in my room. Taylor helped me love my name again. She felt like the friend I didn’t have at that age. She was exactly what little 11 year old Taylor needed that day in 2007.

For years I dreamed of seeing her live. My family could never afford concert tickets, and to be fair my parents also had no idea when she was touring and how to even go about buying concert tickets, and I was never really on the internet until I was about 16 so I didn’t even know when she was touring either. We were all horribly internet-challenged 😅. I even remember when I’d learned she had a concert after the fact, because girls from my school would come in the following school day showing off their merch and talking all about it and just being devastated I missed it. Then when I actually did know she was touring, it was just something we either could never afford, and had no way of getting to said concert 🥲.

And despite never being able to afford merch or attend concerts, I’d still always get the CDs and spend hours just getting lost in the stories Taylor told through her songs. I’ve grown with her these last 16 years. We’ve both been through loss, love, and heartbreak. I don’t think i’ll ever stop listening to her.

I lost “The Great War” for presale tickets to the Eras Tour, and chalked it all up to being another concert I can’t attend. But seeing as how big Taylor has gotten and will continue to get, I decided it’s probably now or never. So, I’m sorry, but I did buy a scalper ticket. I didn’t get any boosts for the presale, and wasn’t picked for any of the second chance sales and what have you, so unfortunately scalpers were my only choice. I don’t regret it, though, because it put me the closest I’ll ever be to Taylor in my lifetime. She put on an amazingly incredible show, one I will never, ever forget.

I got to scream the bridges of “Cruel Summer,” “Champagne Problems,” “Death By A Thousand Cuts,” and “Betty.” I cried while she sang “Marjorie,” the song I can’t listen to without thinking of the loss of my mom. And best of all I got to laugh and smile along with my favorite artist of all time, live and in person 10 ft in front of me for 3 solid hours.

I love you Taylor 💕✨

Signed, the-girl-who-loves-her-name-now Taylor

[idontwannapickausername]

word vomit / trying to manifest something,

(I might turn this into a full thing but don’t know yet);

Bleary-eyed but excited, Tori enthusiastically hugged and kissed her girlfriend goodbye at the airport. She watched Jade and her suitcase walk and roll down the long hallway before disappearing around the corner to the TSA checkpoint. She heard Trina loudly tell her that it was time to go, she wanted to get home and get a little more sleep while it was still dark. She happily danced in her seat to songs from Trina’s playlists (mostly so Trina could stay alert enough to drive, it was the middle of the night after all). She said her thanks and goodnight to Trina once they’d gotten back to their house, and collapsed into her bed. And it wasn’t until she woke up later that morning that it hit her and the happy mood subsided slightly. 

She was still extremely happy and excited for her girlfriend, it was just that she would miss her. She was going to meet her long distance best friend, a girl that Jade had known longer than she’d known Tori (they had even tried dating for a period, but it hadn’t worked out and they’d gone back to being best friends instead). But they’d never met in person before; things just never worked out. It didn’t help that this girl lived in a different country (America’s hat, Tori liked to jokingly say) and that Jade would need a passport to visit her. But they had finally had an excuse to; Jade’s favorite artist was playing in her friend’s country, and by some divine miracle, they had gotten tickets. Jade had signed up, her friend and her girlfriend had signed up, and Tori had even registered a ‘burner’ email to register for the event— she’d joked that she was just unlucky enough that her account would get picked despite the fact that she wouldn’t even be going, but Jade and her best friend wanted to go. And somehow, that’s exactly what happened. Jade and her friend and girlfriend had been put on the waitlist, but Tori had gotten a presale code. She’d screamed and immediately shoved her phone at Jade, who was torn between shock and excitement. They wouldn’t be able to (hopefully) buy tickets until tomorrow, but Jade did everything in her power to prepare for it, from getting Tori’s email login information and extra charging her laptop, to having her friend be ready for her to call her the second Jade got in the virtual queue. 

That next day was a mess, but nevertheless, Jade had managed to buy three tickets (and for a very reasonable price, at that). She was both going to see her favorite artist, and meet her long time best friend.

[fearsomeandwretched]

I did not sign up for presale this round but manifesting codes for everyone 🕯️🕯️🕯️💓💓💓

[torturedpoetdean]

Here at midnightraindean.tumblr.com i’ve given the “are dean/cas swifties” discourse A LOT of thought and I’ve come to the conclusion that dean is absolutely a swiftie. Not like a swiftie™️ in like he’s an internet swiftie who keeps up with easter eggs, but a swiftie in the sense that he anxiously waits for her to drop new music, he loves all of it but mostly her newer stuff. Dean would never admit the levels of his swiftieness but he did sign up for the eras tour presale and didn’t get in, so he dropped thousands of dollars on resale tickets he made everyone go with him and used the excuse that he was doing this for jack but then cried through the entire evermore set. His surprise songs were dbatc on guitar and dear reader on piano and he needed stiff drink after experiencing that. This is MY headcanon and i will not be accepting any criticisms.

Cas on the other hand likes taylor’s older stuff specially fearless. He’s a casual enjoyer NOT a swiftie. Cas loves THEE pop girlies cunty music. He does indulge dean tho and asks to play midnights in the impala not cause he loves it but cause he knows dean loves it and is too ashamed to play it with someone else in the car.

This is all canon TO ME

[loveisbraveandwild]

hihihi grace i have been following your blog since i was twelve and i wanted to say hi. but also. wait. what is going on with Ticketmaster? im so lost all i know is no one got tickets

buckle up! rewind to about 2 weeks ago. taylor posted on instagram, announcing her tour and over 4 million people liked it within 12 hrs, 4x the number of ppl who liked her loverfest instagram post. when she announced it you could sign up for a chance to get a presale code on monday, november 14th. at this time, we were also told loverfest ticket holders have priority, as well as people with additional boosts received from purchases on taylor’s online store. we’re encouraged to link our store email with our ticketmaster email. monday roles around and a decent number of people get emails and texts with codes saying they were selected, although there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to who did and did not get codes. we’re told to log onto ticketmaster at 10am the time you venue is closed. as an east coaster myself, when i logged in at 9:25, the website had already crashed. i spent 25 minutes incessantly refreshing just to get into the website. when i finally got into the waiting room and then into the queue, i had, wait for it, over 20,000 people in line in front of me. 2 hours go by, ticketmaster informs us they have pushed back the capitol one card holder presale back 24 hrs, as well as the west coast presales to 3pm local time, AND my queue is paused while they work at ~internal issues~ due to the fact that they, as they claim, had no idea how many ppl would show up on their website, despite having sent. out. the. presale. codes….. AND THEN around this time is when nosebleeds are around $120, floor seats are all vip for $800, and stubhub suddenly has thousands of tickets going for over $20,000. there, again, seems to be no pattern as to where you are in the queue, despite empty promises made by both tm and tn that fan loyalty would be a factor. by hour 4, most venues have no tickets allotted for presale left. many are devastated and feel scammed and are crying and confused

*deep breath* ITS WEDNESDAY! a new day and opportunity for capital one card holders to join a queue and get taylor swift tickets! it cant possibly be worse than yesterday, they naively think! only, its worse. while the queue moves slightly faster, the 6 digits tm asks us to use to confirm we have a card, don’t work. The website is crashing before its even 2pm local time, when we were told to join the queue. And then…… people finally get in to buy tickets and of course….. there is nothing left within the first 20 minutes of the presale. the world is outraged! what will tm and taylor say! people are begging tm and tn for answers (some of the answers are just them gaslighting fans convincing them they never said long time fans will get priority and they don’t know where that information came from)! what will they do!? nothing. the answer is nothing.

but! do not fret! friday is general sale! everyone will get equal opportunity! didnt get presale? no worries! don’t have a capital one card? a-okay! except….. about an hour ago, ticketmaster logs onto their silly little twitter to announce GENERAL SALE HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO UNPREDICTED SALES NUMBERS!!!! how could that be?? didnt they set aside presale tickets???? the stadiums can fit up to 6 digits worth of people!!! what abt the people who simply werent lucky or privileged enough to qualify for the first 2 sales? how can resellers legally do this??? what happened? where did they go wrong??? who even is gonna be in the audience a eras tour??? how did loverfest go so smoothly when there were only 4 domestic shows? all…..great….. fucking….. questions……

i am absolutely horrified and outraged at ticketmaster. 90% of my friends are people i’ve met because of the taylor fandom and yet a whopping like 10% of my friends who live in or can come to the US got tickets. the entire process sucked and to top it all off barely anyone got tickets. right now the only opportunity to get tickets is to spend either $4000 for nosebleeds or more for alternative sections. i dont know what to make of taylor and team’s silence, i am feeling blindly optimistic because i love her and trust her and she often, not always but often, pulls through. i am so sorry to everyone who wont be able to see her, as of now.