#i have not seen any photos of this guitar on social media/besides that of the ones on ebay ever

[lovelyiida2]

SUMMARY: Todoroki isn’t known to his class for being the most “social” among others. How does he prove them wrong? Obviously create a fake online relationship with a girl from another class!

SERIES

WARNINGS: grandpa Todoroki, maybe some spelling errors?, cringey asl on your part ig

WORDS: 1.2k

—

Ah, the social dilemmas of a teenager.

“Todoroki have you seen that one video?” Denki asks.

“What video?” He responds, his response makes Denki confused, a little offended actually. “Y’know, the most viral video out there with that guy on a flying guitar?” Imitating said man on the flying guitar while describing said viral video.

“No, I haven’t sorry” Todoroki responds. This leads to a disappointed groan from Denki, which also leads to him showing the video to Todoroki so that they can talk about it.

Kirishima and Todoroki decided to have a quick tutoring session before a big test coming up.

“Just send me the homework answers to my insta.”“What’s that?” He asks.

“What do you mean you don’t know what Instagram is?” Kirishima laughs.

Todoroki sat and thought for a moment of what Instagram could possibly be. Before he could think any longer, Kirishima shakes his head taps his shoulder.

“It’s alright man, just text it to me—you really are like a grandpa.” He laughs again before leaving Todoroki’s dorm. Shutting the door he’s still left in confusion.

‘So what is Instagram?’

Conclusion is, Todoroki is not social in the slightest.

He’s the type of person to only look at stocks on his phone. The only reason why we know this is because he avidly does this from time to time with Iida during lunch.

Even if Todoroki has all his classmates’ numbers (besides Mineta for obvious reasons), he only talks to them in person. The only time he’ll send a text or call, is if it was an actual emergency.

“Why don’t you just call me instead? I gave you my number for a reason so that you don’t have to come to my room before curfew to talk to me.”

“Oh. I’m sorry Midorya, I’ll make sure to stop this habit.

”His friends have tried putting him in group chats or tried to FaceTime him, but he never answers or will usually leave them on read.

And that’s just the type of guy he is.He’s currently hyper-fixated on his future and current work to become a pro-hero. And due to his past, he was never really able to become a social butterfly like his other friends.

Seeing them talk about that one embarrassing photo they posted on their story that apparently everyone but him saw—or just seeing them text and call each other and bond. He can feel quite jealous at times.

Sometimes lonely…

But oh, does he want to prove them wrong.

Todoroki thought about asking his friends to start talking to him more electronically, but he knew it would be too much for him and would easily go back to his old ways.

So the next big idea he thought was social media.

Instagram, like Kirishima “suggested.”

Of course he figured out what Instagram was. It’s a photo and video social networking app, it least what is said on the website description.

When he downloaded the app the thought of it was fun, but putting it into action was quite nerving. Why the hell is it so hard to find a username?

Last time he checked there was only one Shoto Todoroki, but there seems to be several in different variations of working all over the world I guess. So he went with the second thing that came to his mind.

@halfandhalf

So now what? A step by step starters guide that is!

Step 1. Add profile photo (that’s what Instagram told him)

Oh, this is hard.

He didn’t really have any photos in his camera roll besides this photo of cold soba his mom made a while back ago…

Shouldn’t be a problem.

Step 2. Add name and description

Shoto Todoroki.

Description? Shoto Todoroki.

Step 3. Follow friends!

A screen appears showing him a list of all his contacts that have Instagram. It was alarming how out of touch he was with the rest of the class. Hell, even Aizawa had one.

Frowning, he begins to feel overwhelmed. Well there’s always a skip button for a reason.

He doesn’t want to follow anyone just yet, he wants to adapt before he goes around and follows random people.

Step 4. Follow favorite subjects

Shouldn’t be too hard, what is his favorite subject?He doesn’t mind English. So he follows the English hashtag.

Step 5. Make your first post!

Things are getting intense.

So intense, he wanted his first post to be impressive. So impressive, he started to think about it hard. So hard, he was thought about it all the way into the night and into the next day during class.

So hard, that when he was walking to lunch he so happened to bump into you.

As books and papers scatter along the white polished floor. Repeated apologies fill the embarrassing encounter.

“Sorry, I was distracted with something.” He says as he hands you your notebook. “You must’ve been pretty damn busy to bump into me that hard. What is it anyways?”

Straightening out your school shirt you raise your eyebrows in question.Todoroki wasn’t sure wether or not he wanted to tell you why he was so out of touch with reality due to social media. But he’ll come to a conclusion when he realizes that’s a norm among humans.

He then thought to himself, she doesn’t know him. Maybe she can help?

“I-I need your help with something, if you don’t mind” he says. Taking out his phone from his pocket he shows the screen to you.

“I’m new to this whole, Instagram thing.” He avoids eye contact out of sheer embarrassment he’s feeling right now.“

And I need to make my first post, you don’t need to help me if you don’t want to.”

Is she gonna make fun of him?

Get called a grandpa?

You then take the phone from his hand go to his camera app. Turning the camera to the floor, you then took a photo of you and Todoroki’s shoes.

Handing the phone back to him she smiles, “just make a caption and you’re all set!”

A caption?

“Sorry, I don’t know what that is. Could you show me?” He asks. Nodding you select the photo you took and pointed to the words “write a caption” on greed out text.

“A caption is like—a subtext to the main thing showed. So put something along the lines that relates to then photo.

”Nodding to himself he begins to conjure up his first ever caption. Finishing up he turns his phone back to you.

“Bumping into you, that sounds like some love story. I like it.” You chuckle to yourself. “Here I’ll tag myself.”

After playing around with some buttons, a name popped up on the photo she took. “Is that your Instagram?”

Todoroki questions, you nod and you presses the post button.

Todoroki flinches at the sudden action.

Posted 3 seconds ago.

‘Bumping into you.’

“And if you want to follow me just tap the photo and click my name, I can be your first friend” you smile.

His first friend?

Doing as you told he goes to your page, @theoneandonlyy/n

You had over 1k followers, and actively posted on it. Maybe making one new friend wouldn’t be too bad.

“Yeah, that sounds nice.”

yes, I know it’s really short. Things should get longer when more parts come up. Leave comments down below on how I did!

[stormra]

If possible, would you write headcanons for the boys on dates? Maybe just what places/activities they'd want to do? Already love what you've written so far!! 💙

❝ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬

— type : headcanons

— characters : the matsuno brothers

❝ 𝐎𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐒𝐔 :

— Arcades, pachinko parlors, horse races, you name it! Osomatsu loves those environments. Naturally, he'd want to share them with this date as well! However, if those places aren't their speed, he'd be eager to make some compromise. Maybe a movie? A simple walk through the city?

— Osomatsu loves photo booths. If he and his date were to pass one, he'd insist they climb in and take a few pictures. However, instead of taking it seriously, he'd try and flash the camera.

— Don't tell him that most photo booths have screens on the outside. It would be best if you let him go unaware.

— If he and his date went to an arcade, he'd blow everything in his pocket trying to win them something from the claw machines.

— "Shh! I'm winning something for you whether you want me to or not."

— Unlike a few of his brothers, Osomatsu wouldn't put up much of a front for his date. He'd act as himself and wear something he usually would... probably that tracksuit. As some of us might have seen in a particular episode of season 3, he doesn't think to filter himself when he probably should. This being said, he'd be his usual self; childish, fun-loving, and an absolute idiot.

❝ 𝐊𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐒𝐔 :

— Did you say “romantic picnic beneath the stars?” That’s Karamatsu’s idea of a perfect date! He loves to sit below the inky ether with his date at his side, serenading them with his guitar and voice. Surrounded by snacks, sweet drinks, and a person from the heavens, he couldn't even begin to think of a better setting.

— On any date, but especially the previous one I described, his face would be flushed, and his hands would be clammy. Poor guy!

— Totally gives his date his leather jacket if they're cold.

— Can and will walk his date home. Maybe spare him a kiss before turning in for the night? He'd melt on the doorstep.

— Chibita's oden stand! Although prone to prefer a more romantic, intimate environment, nothing would keep Karamatsu from introducing his date to one of his good friends. Besides, Chibita's oden is pretty good. Who wouldn't want to share their friend's successes with their date?

— No matter what he and his date are doing, he gravitates towards flowery, fluffy, melodramatic language.

— If he doesn't bring his date a bouquet when he goes to pick them up, assume something is very wrong. He does it every single time... without fail.

❝ 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐒𝐔 :

— As one of the most ambitious and arguably creative sextuplets, Choromatsu would have quite a few date ideas! How does a hike sound?

— As he is no athlete, he wouldn't choose an arduous hike. Instead, he'd set his focus on something a little more easygoing and scenic rather than intense. Regardless, he'd prepare efficiently, backpack armed with water, snacks, maps, a first aid kit, a compass... dude doesn't want something wrong to happen with his date around! He'd also make an itinerary—a really, really detailed one.

— No matter where he and his date decide to go, he would be very blushy and embarrassed the entire time. Flushed cheeks, shy smiles, you name it. However, his smile would grow and resemble a child's as the scenery becomes more beautiful.

— Just imagine that cute little face as he adjusts his collar and looks out at the view around him 🥺

— He'd explode if his date held his hand.

— If hiking isn't something his date is into, he would have various other options—lunch at a cafe, visiting an aquarium, browsing a shopping center... he really isn't picky!

— It’s incredible to see how timid he’d grow around his date. He’s aggressive and very hostile at home, but when presented with something beautiful and someone he cares for? He’s nothing more than an awe-struct child.

❝ 𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐒𝐔 :

— I don’t think Ichimatsu has a preferred date activity!

— Instead, I can imagine he’d want to do whatever his date suggests—as long as it isn’t something where he’d embarrass himself or have to over-exert. Sure, he’d have a preference for lounging around and having dates that way, but I can definitely see him letting his date call the shots on where to go and what to do.

— If he had to choose, he’d take his date to see the strays he feeds and loves up on. Maybe a movie night? A quiet dinner? Who knows! The possibilities are endless with him.

— Doesn’t dress up or anything.

— This might be a surprise, but Ichimatsu would totally buy a little something for his date. He wouldn't say much while gifting it, but he'd do it, and that's all that matters.

— His date would be one of the few people to actually see him smile. It would be a very subtle display, yet undeniably beautiful.

— Ichimatsu would be one of the most natural sextuplets while on a date. Instead of trying too hard to be someone he isn't, he'd merely exist as he is, the only thing keeping him from his date being that wall he built to protect himself. However, with his date's influence, he'd learn to let people gaze directly at his heart, open to letting people in.

❝ 𝐉𝐘𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐒𝐔 :

— Something exciting! Something fun!

— While Jyushimatsu wouldn't be averse to something more subtle and calm, he'd gravitate towards dates of the exciting variety, insisting he and his date embark on baseball games, the beach, amusement parks, you name it.

— Like Osomatsu, he loves photo booths! The only difference is that he'd take them seriously... as seriously as Jyushimatsu can do anything, that is.

— Undeniably has the cutest outfits. I won't take criticism. He'd dress so fittingly for himself and the occasion.

— Jyushimatsu would have no change in demeanor! He'd be his happy-go-lucky self that thrives off of making his date laugh. I've gathered that he is easily the best-suited for the dating world. He just needs to find someone who can match or handle his puppy-like mannerisms.

— Totally tries to hold his date's hand. Unlike the rest of his kin, he'd be the only one to initiate physical contact... but that doesn't mean he'd do so without being nervous!

— During the more intimate moments of the day or night, he'd have such a cute blush on his face.

❝ 𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐒𝐔 :

— Totty would LOVE to participate in dates that involve being around other people. Mall trips, coffee dates, spa days... activities of that variety! Being able to show his date off is his number one concern... as well as spending time with them, of course!

— So, he'd want to take his date shopping. How creative of the youngest NEET!

— As someone who considers himself to be fashionably adept, he'd insist that taking his date to a local mall or shopping center is the best call of action. Hell, he'd even offer to buy them things!

— I can imagine he'd get he and his date some boba.

— While Todomatsu wouldn't adherently buy things for himself, he'd absolutely melt if his date were to suggest clothes and things they'd think he looks good in.

— He might suggest buying "matching" outfits... y'know, outfits with the same palettes but not adherently the same designs.

— He'd take a lot of pictures of him and his date to post them on his social media accounts!

Thank you for requesting! I’m sorry for the delay!

[itubainaretro]

can wtfock hire me as their social media intern? it’d be my fucking dream to update their accounts all the fucking time with the content people would expect from them :(

like, imagine robbe posting stories of sander’s hands drawing something or of sander’s back while he’s perched on a stool painting something and bowie’s softly playing from his phone or of sander drinking coffee first thing in the morning because he only feels somewhat human after he’s had his share of caffeine? imagine the photos he would post of sander doing random things or of their meals that they cooked together? imagine sander posting stories of robbe softly playing the guitar while it’s raining outside on a sunday night they’re spending together or of robbe’s shadow on their wardrobe because he’s standing right beside the window and it’s golden hour so the lighting is beautiful? imagine the photos he would post of robbe skating while he’s at the park with him and the boys or of their hands intertwined while they take the bus back home from sander’s mum’s house?

imagine senne being cheesy and writing “i love you” on the bathroom’s foggy mirror while zoë’s taking a shower and her snapping a picture of it when she sees it and posting it to her feed and capturing it “j’adore”? imagine zoë and senne having a night in and posting pictures of their intertwined legs while watching netflix and having hot chocolate because it’s cold outside?

imagine yasmina and luca posting more about their interests and what they like doing in their free time so we would get to know them better? like, songs they’re listening to at the moment, books they’re reading, if they like caring for plants or if they have any pets? yasmina posting pictures of her brother cooking something and it going terrible wrong? luca posting random pictures of all the glasses and lens she’s already broken because she’s cleaning her drawers and found them?

imagine moyo posting stories of himself dancing on a sunday morning because he has the dance studio to himself at that time of the day? or him posting pictures of izzy perched on his shoulders while they’re taking a walk through the park? or even moyo, jens and their siblings having a play date and moyo and jens posting videos of the kids running around causing mayhem and them wanting to cry because they can’t believe these kids have this much energy?

and amber and aaron being cute together and posting pictures of their dates? like, imagine aaron setting up a nice picnic for amber because he loves her and she deserves it and both of them posting pictures of it? or amber posting a stories of aaron playing videogame by the end of the bed while she studies and capturing it with something like “and he wonders why he almost fails everytime....”? or aaron posting a stories of amber trying to do something and him pestering her and getting on her nerves and amber taking deep breaths and telling him to please stop and then the next stories it’s from a different angle because he perched his phone somewhere on a nearby table and filmed himself going up to amber to apologise and amber melting on his arms when he hugs her because she’s always going to have a soft spot for him? and then amber reposting it because he tagged her and pretending to be all 🙄 about it but in reality everyone knows she’s a mixture of 🥺🥰 because it’s aaron?

and jana also posting some polaroids she found from the girls and capturing it with something like “i miss my girls” and then someone from the girl squad posting a screenshot of all of them on a video call some hours later and all of them reposting it with different variations of the same feeling: they miss jana and can’t wait for her to come back???

and imagine even britt and noor posting other things besides their standard food/aesthetic photos? them sharing stories of themselves while hanging out and watching a movie or cooking together? noor sharing more of her art and the things she does at the academie? imagine her even posting a sneaky story of sander during one of the classes they have together? imagine britt posting something that would make people learn more about her and her personality other than we we’ve seen so far (that hasn’t been much?)?????

like,,,,,, i know none of this would be essential for the storyline neither would it be easy content to make...... but like,,,,, imagine??????? imagine having these little photos, videos and updates on them living their best lives and being teenages and getting to see them beyond the clips?????

i would love to see it and make it, so wtfock if you ever change your mind and decide to give people useless little updates on the characters lives and if you’re looking for someone who could do that for you,,,,,,,,, hit me up

[omniswords]

Chronicles of a Parisian Dumbass 11

here’s the next update, everyone! sometimes i wish i could update this more frequently than i do, but the writing has been slow going because of a) other pieces i'm working on and b) work kicking back into high gear 😣 but i really appreciate your patience all the same.

it's looking like this first part of the story will be about 24 or 25 chapters, plus a sequel somewhere in the pipeline. i'm actually really excited for it, but i have some questions about it for you that’d help me guide how i want to get it out! if you could leave a comment with your thoughts, i'd be super appreciative.

would you prefer the sequel to be from Marinette's point of view? or a mix of Marinette and Luka?

if you'd like a mix, would you like a retelling of Chronicles from Marinette's point of view, too, to balance it all out? 

do you like the narrative format? or should i try my hand at making it look more like a social media AU? or a mix of both?

thank you so so much! your feedback will really help me figure out what i want to do going forward 💙🎶💖

damn, uh. i wasn’t expecting you all to like that so much. i guess i just needed to give it a little more time to sink in.

it’s only a work in progress, but hey. here’s hoping you’ll like it when it’s all done. thanks for giving it a chance @itsdjbubbles

Marinette was looking at a billboard of Adrien Agreste back then. He’s not so stupid that he didn’t notice. And it wasn’t that typical Celebrity Crush Stare, either. He knew what those looked like. He’d worn them, sometimes even daydreamed about someone looking at him like that from an audience pit. This was different. This was… wistful. The kind that said something could have been, but never was.

Did Marinette… know Adrien Agreste? Like, personally? She had mentioned getting a letter of recommendation from his father, after all. Had she done some kind of special work? Or entered some contest? Maybe she’d only gotten a handful of passing glances when she had the distinguished honor of weaving through the halls of the illustrious Agreste mansion. (Luka didn’t actually know if it could be called “illustrious;” it simply looked that way from the outside, and it wasn’t as though any of the Agrestes had deigned to order food from his job, so it wasn’t as though he could just waltz in and find out.)

Something was there. And Luka didn’t need to find out what that something was. But he wanted to. Curiosity hadn’t killed him yet—

“Ow!”

Across the ping pong table, Juleka fans herself with her paddle, eyeing the ball that smacked him in the face as it rolls away. “Game, set, and match,” she says with a deadpan expression. “Should’ve known thinking about Bakery Girl wouldn’t help you win.”

“I wasn’t thinking about her,” Luka insists to no avail.

“Liar.”

He relents, rolls his eyes, picks up the ping pong ball. “One more.”

“Nah.” Juleka sets her paddle down and starts to cut through the greenhouse area on the Liberty. “It’s no fun winning when you’re all distracted. Even you letting me win is more fun than that.”

Defeated, Luka picks up the ping pong ball—the only victory, considering how many of them they’ve lost to the Seine—and goes after her. She was right to fan herself; it’s way too hot to function on deck, so he ties his hoodie around his waist and wrestles his hair into a short ponytail. Sure, it’s due for a cut and a dye, and sure, Juleka would pounce on the opportunity if he asked, but there are more important things to worry about than his hair. And it surprises him to even think that. “Honestly, I… didn’t think you wanted to bring her up again.”

To an untrained eye, Juleka wouldn’t have frozen or flinched, but he knows his sister better than that. “Why wouldn’t I? It’s my God-given right as your younger sibling to rib you about any and every crush you have.”

“Do you even believe in God?”

“Only when you make me ride on the back of your bike.”

Touché. Luka stifles a faint laugh and sinks to the couch. Twenty-one years on this boat, and he’s never thought to question why there’s an entire vintage furniture set in a greenhouse. But then, he’s never been one to question his own mother—even if she’s made it a point time after time after time to question authority at every corner. At least it’s cooler with the glass to protect them, and Juleka looks so unfazed in all that black that she has to be stronger than that pathetic thing America calls an army.

“Hey,” he says after a moment. “Do you wanna talk about it?” He doesn’t bank on her saying yes, but these days, everything feels like it’s worth a shot. Even if he ends up kicking himself after. If he can survive winking at Marinette Dupain-Cheng and then having a full-blown conversation with her after, he can probably do literally anything else.

It doesn’t surprise him that Juleka shakes her head, but at least he doesn’t feel like kicking himself after all.

“Is it…” He pauses to gather his words; he’s pretty sure Juleka’s one of the only people he could do that for. “Is it one of those things that you want to forget ever happened? You know?” He knows. There are plenty of things he wants to forget, too.

“Nah,” Juleka finally says. “It’s more like… I don’t think it’s my thing to tell.”

Luka isn’t exactly sure what that’s supposed to mean; the only thing it tells him is not to ask her any more questions—that he should go to Marinette with them instead. And he’s not even sure that that’s the best idea. It might take a few more napoleons. A few more deliveries.

He decides to change the subject. “So I started talking to this guy.”

Juleka cocks her head and folds herself up on the armchair. “Huh. That was fast.”

“No, I mean…” He rolls his eyes. “He could get us a gig.”

This time, her expression shifts from sardonic to wary. He has to wonder if anyone else can see these little differences, besides him and Rose. “How do you know he’s legit?”

“I think a couple thousand followers and some DJ sets are pretty legit.”

“How do you know he doesn’t want something from you?”

“Well…” Luka holds his breath in his lungs. She has a point. A couple of points, actually. Sure, they’ve been private messaging back and forth for a few days now, but he still, admittedly, doesn’t know a whole lot about this Bubbles guy. Most of the content they post goes right to Soundcloud, as if the account is automatically linked to post every time a new song or clip goes up. And admittedly, the music is pretty good. Hell, he’s only seen that one silhouette, and that’s the closest he’s gotten to a photo. For all they both know, Bubbles could up and swindle them out of their own guitars. And it’s not like he’s actively trying to compare himself to Adrien Agreste, but he at least wants to keep one of the reasons that might make Marinette want to keep talking to him. It’s not as though all he has to do is exist and have his face plastered all over half of Paris.

It’s just…

It’s just that Luka’s wound his way around the internet enough times to know when kindness is just too kind. He’s been around the block with people who try to get to know him after one song or one close-to-tasteful selfie, only for him to find out exactly what they want from him. He’s gotten on with enough people who ended up blocking him or posting vague, passive aggressive things that he thought he knew—and then definitely knew—were about him. And if Bubbles really was on the Champ de Mars that afternoon, then there was nothing in that park that told him to be scared. Not a single suspicious note.

“I don’t,” he confesses. “Not totally. But I want to believe him.”

“Do you want to believe him?” Juleka asks. “Or are you looking for a reason to impress her?”

For a flicker of a moment—long enough for only his sister to have the eye to notice—Luka can feel his expression go sour. If his guitar weren’t safely downstairs, he’d be holding it close for his own security. Instead, he gets to his feet with a sudden rush of energy, and he makes for the watering can. The plants are looking a little dry. Or maybe he’s just looking for something to do. Something to need him for a bit. “Music’s been around for me before I even knew she existed,” he says, quiet enough for the rug and the upholstery and the leaves to absorb before anyone else does. “And it’ll be there for me till I’m dead and buried. It’s my guarantee, Jules, and I should at least pay it back for everything it’s done for me.”

“That’s not a no.”  At least she lets the silence hit before she says it.

Luka sets the watering can down, shuffles his way out of the greenhouse and back into the sun. “Yeah, well. Maybe I’m not totally opposed to it being a yes.”

What is his music, he thinks, if he doesn’t share it with anyone? Just another one-way conversation? Hasn’t he had enough of those?

Behind him, Juleka catches up and takes him by the wrist. “Come on,” she says with a conceding sigh. “Let’s go.”

“Go where?”

She flicks his little ponytail. “You need a re-up,” she says simply. “Don’t think I didn’t notice.”

So he puts his time in Juleka’s hands, and he’s never quite sure how long it takes, but he doesn’t mind her taking care of him while he tries—and fails—to forget about Adrien Agreste, and while he gives his messages with Bubbles another go. He even dares to post a picture—not of himself, but of his sneakers, cluttered with designs and as loud as the personality he sometimes wishes he had. The personality that only barely pokes through when Bubbles says something about a set and a club and a real, actual date and time.

look, ma. no vans. and no dollars. and no dates.

[syntheticpoetry]

The Ghosts That We Knew

See my original post on the origins of this story here!

Summary: Blaine Anderson is no stranger to hospitals and has been volunteering on the pediatric unit of Lima General Hospital for years when Kurt Hummel comes along.  After Blaine is attacked at his school's Sadie Hawkins Dance, he has his best friend Kurt to help him deal with the aftermath. And when Kurt becomes the target of the McKinley football team's bullying campaign, he can count on Blaine to have his back.

AU where Blaine transfers to McKinley instead of Dalton. Set during season 1.A story of two best friends finding courage to face their bullies and discovering love along the way.

Author’s Note: Blaine has a reason he has been in an out of the hospital since childhood that will be revealed, but if you are overly cautious of the level of angst surrounding it I can assure you it's nothing heartbreaking/super serious. It's actually quite common.  I cannot thank @esperantoauthor​ enough for beta reading this for me and really helping me whip it into shape!

AO3 Link || FFN Link

Chapter 1: Of Viral Videos and Disney Princes

The last time that Kurt Hummel remembers being in a hospital, he told his mother that he loved her for the last time.  

That was six years ago.  

As he walks through the lobby, towards the directory by the elevators, he keeps his gaze fixed forward, careful not to spare a glance at the waiting area to his right.  He spent so many months in that waiting room.  Entire seasons, multiple holidays spent watching people receive good news and bad news, with his father stoic and silent beside him as his mother underwent procedure after procedure.  Until it was their turn to be the family that received bad news.  The doctor sounded sincere as he said a lot of big words Kurt could not quite understand at the time, but he understood the look on his father’s face.  He took to studying the ugly designs on the carpet to distract from the tight clench in his father’s jaw, the way he kept himself so still and barely blinked through the entire explanation— Kurt knew, even at eight years old, what it was like to use up all of your willpower to hold yourself together for the sake of someone else.  To this day, he cannot look at paisley print without thinking back to that awful day.

Kurt scans the directory before punching the up button to call the elevator and folds his arms across his chest, tapping his foot as he awaits its arrival.  When he first heard about the volunteer program on the pediatric unit he was naturally hesitant to return to the place that held some of his worst memories.  He had been on the fence about it all summer, torn between the desire to give back to the hospital staff that had gone above and beyond in their attempts to cure his mother’s cancer and wanting to put as much distance as possible between himself and the place where they finally had to say goodbye to each other.

Until he saw that YouTube video.  

A curly-haired boy with big doe eyes and an unwavering grin, guitar in hand, leading a Disney themed sing-along with a group of elementary school age kids.  The warmth that spread through Kurt’s chest was almost overwhelming as he watched the boy march around the room performing Hakuna Matata with the parade of children trailing behind, mimicking him raucously and off-key.  It was the first time Kurt had really smiled in a long time.

So he had decided to look into the program.  Mostly because witnessing the boundless energy of pure joy from each child singing along in that video elicited memories of countless nights of living room performances with his own father, both of them puffy-eyed and exhausted but still managing to find the stamina to sing at the top of their lungs, using the furniture as stage props.  They were two lost souls attempting to cling to each other through tidal waves of insurmountable grief, and those nights together— well, those nights wereeverything to Kurt.  He had never felt closer to his father than when they were both breathless and laughing their way through the most eclectic collection of songs imaginable, hugging each other tightly at the end of each performance.  

And if Kurt happened to run into the boy from the video along the way, well, that would certainly just be an added bonus. Kurt did have eyes after all.  And there was no denying the boy’s natural charm or the air of confidence with which he carried himself.  

Truth be told, entering yet another school year with no friends was beginning to take its toll on Kurt and the possibility of finding camaraderie with a cute boy who seemingly shared similar interests was certainly enticing.

Ding!

The doors slide open before him revealing an empty elevator.  Kurt steps in and presses the button for the fourth floor.  He thinks about that video and jumping on armchairs and couches in his living room with his father for the entire ride up.

***

He has to be buzzed in to enter the unit, which he thinks is strange.  But the woman who greets him, a young nurse with bright green eyes and deep auburn hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, explains it is the protocol for all pediatric units in order to prevent children from wandering away or being kidnapped.  There are security bracelets around each patient’s ankle that trigger an alarm if they are taken past a bright yellow line painted on the floor.

“Who would kidnap sick kids from a hospital?” Kurt asks, looking absolutely horrified.

“You would be surprised at how common it is.  Parents fighting over custody, usually.”

He nods and guesses that makes sense, but the thought is still deeply unsettling.

The hallways are empty as she leads him to a room behind the nurse’s station.  The unit is certainly much different from the one his mother had been on.  The walls are covered in murals of different cartoon characters and scenes from popular storybooks.  While the nurse punches in a code, Kurt studies a painting of Rapunzel in a high stone tower, golden plaited hair strung over the edge of the window for a handsome prince at the bottom. The door buzzes and she holds it open for him.  “I’ll let my supervisor know you’re here.”

Kurt thanks her and takes a seat at one of the tables to wait.  On the far wall he spots a bulletin board covered in an overabundance of overlapping photos, hand-drawn pictures and a variety of cards both homemade and store-bought.  He casts a quick glance towards the door before crossing the room to investigate.  He cannot help but smile as he scans over the collection of memories, reminiscing back to his own pile of hand drawn cards for the staff on the oncology unit.  

Then something catches his eye.  

It’s the curly haired boy from the video.  He’s standing, guitar in hand with the strap over his shoulder, in the center of a group photo, surrounded by children of varying ages and the unit staff.  His outfit is different from the one in the video though.  He’s wearing baggy sweatpants and a printed T-shirt, only the edges of the otherwise obscured design visible from behind the guitar over his torso.  In the video he had certainly seemed more, well, put together, to say the least.  He had worn light grey slacks and a navy polo shirt accented with a white bow tie, which Kurt could not help but notice because he could count on one hand the amount of teenage boys he had ever seen wearing bow ties in the state of Ohio, himself included.  

Kurt wonders how often he comes by to visit and volunteer.  Maybe there is a chance they will be able to meet after all.

The faint beeping of the key code and jiggling of the door handle to his left draws his attention and he turns in time to see an older woman with ashy blonde hair and huge round glasses that take up half of her face walk in.  Her scrub top is printed with different Winnie the Pooh characters.  She smiles and approaches him, extending her hand.  “Hi, you must be Kurt.  I’m Jeannie; we spoke on the phone last week.”

“Oh! Yes,” Kurt shakes her hand.  “Nice to meet you.”

“Shall we?” She gestures to a table and Kurt takes a seat opposite her.  “So we just have to get some paperwork in order and then we can take a little tour around the unit so you can meet the kids.”

“Okay.”

“This is your first time volunteering, right?” She opens a Manila folder and begins rifling through a large stack of papers.

“Yes.”

“What drew you to it?”

Kurt steals a glance towards the bulletin board, lips curling up into a half-smile.  “I heard about it through my school a few months back, but honestly? I spent a lot of time visiting my mom in this hospital when I was a kid and when me and my dad would get home he would always try to cheer me up.  We put on a lot of concerts for my stuffed animals in our living room.  And I mean… like a lot .”  

Her eyes are soft as she listens, a piece of paper held loosely between both hands just inches off of the table, almost forgotten, and gives him an empathetic smile.

“I saw that video of the Disney sing-along online and I just really wanted to be a part of it, helping kids, especially with music, because it’s really helped me through some tough times.”

“Well,” She straightens up and slides the paper across the table towards him, “I think the kids will really love having you around.  Do you play any instruments?”

“Never missed a piano lesson,” Kurt says, grinning.  “But mostly, I love to sing.”

The paperwork consists of a lot of signatures.  Kurt is not to discuss any of the patients or their health conditions with others in order to maintain privacy regulations, not to post anything to social media without permission, and just a lot of general information about the hospital’s protocols such as what to do in the event of emergency scenarios (of which there are many ).  By the end of it, Kurt has a pretty sizable stack of papers to take home with him and a dull cramp in his wrist.  

“I know it seems like a lot of information, but nothing you have to memorise.  You’ll always be with other staff members who will guide you through every step of the way.”

Kurt releases a nervous laugh, “Okay, good.  I can save my highlighters for school work then.”

***

Jeannie leads the way to the playroom which, she explains, is a safe space for all the children on the unit that remains open every day until 7 p.m.  No medications or treatments are allowed to be administered to a child in the playroom, they must be brought out first.  There are about ten kids inside, ranging from toddlers to older teens, all of whom have seemingly gravitated towards splitting into their own little cliques based on ages.  As soon as they enter the room two of the younger kids, a boy and girl no older than three or four, look up from a mountain of blocks and start crying.  Kurt casts an alarmed glance at Jeannie.

“It’s okay, you can keep playing.” Jeannie kneels down and stacks a loose block onto their small tower.  “Everyone, this is Kurt, he’s going to be coming by to help out and spend some time with all of you.” She stands up and backs away from the two toddlers with the blocks to stand beside Kurt again.  

“It’s the uniform,” she says quietly to him.  “Some get scared when they see us come into a room cause it usually means it’s time for medicine or treatments.”

“Hi, Kurt!” A small girl with bronze skin, a round face, and long thick black hair comes over and takes his hand.  “I’m Melanie! You wanna come draw with me?”

She does not wait for an answer before she starts tugging on his hand and walking back towards a small rectangular table covered with construction paper and crayons.  She climbs into one of two plastic blue chairs which are far too tiny for Kurt to fit in, so he sits on the floor beside the table, crossing his legs.  Melanie slides a piece of yellow construction paper towards him and pushes a pile of crayons into the middle for them to share.

“Did you draw all of these?” Kurt picks up a red crayon and starts sketching.

“Yes! My daddy brought my big brother to visit and we draw together,” she says, shading in what looks like a sunflower with a purple crayon.

“They’re very beautiful; I like that one a lot.” Kurt taps the one she is currently working on.  “I’ve never seen a purple sunflower before.”

“I’m gonna invent them one day,” she says matter-of-factly.  Kurt smiles and returns to his sketch of a new outfit design that has been floating around his mind for the past week.  

“Woah!”

Kurt begins to lift his head up to locate where the voice has come from when he spots movement beside his left elbow.  To say the boy is small would be an understatement.  He is tiny .  A pale, skinny little thing dressed in Batman pajamas that look two sizes too big on him.  He has wide, bright blue eyes and is wearing a charcoal grey beanie.  Clutched between his toothpick arms is a stuffed rabbit with drooping ears the size of its entire body.  

“Hello,” Kurt says as the boy leans forward to peer at his drawing.

“You can draw,” the boy says, clutching his rabbit closer.  

“Would you like to draw with us?”

“Can’t draw,” he says.

“Oh, I bet that’s not true,” Kurt says and holds out the crayon to him.  “Everyone can draw.”

The boy looks at the crayon then up to Kurt and shakes his head shyly before raising the bunny up to his chin, hugging it tightly.

“What’s your name?” Kurt asks.

“Jason,” he says quietly.

“Well, would you like to watch me and Melanie draw?”

“I’m really good.” Melanie looks up at him.  “You can sit next to me, I’ll show you.”

Kurt spends the next hour drawing with Melanie while Jason continues to peek curiously between them.  The other kids begin to trickle out of the room, some led by nurses, some by visiting family members.  Pretty soon, only the three of them are left until Jason’s mother comes in to collect him.  Before he leaves, Kurt holds out a piece of paper to him.

“Something tells me you like Batman,” Kurt says as Jason’s eyes widen at the image of a child-sized Batman with bright blue eyes.  “How about next time you can draw me?”

“Okay.” Jason grins, slipping the picture between his stuffed bunny and his chest to hold it there safely.  “But you’re gonna look like a potato.  I really can’t draw.”

It is the most Kurt has heard him speak all afternoon.  Something about the way he talks contradicts the way he looks. Kurt wonders how old he actually is; the boy looks smaller than most five year olds he’s seen but definitely talks like an older child.  Kurt makes a mental note to find out next time.  “Deal.  I can’t wait to see it.”

Jason’s mom gives Kurt a parting smile before she shepherds her son away.  Soon after, Melanie’s nurse comes to collect her as well, leaving only Kurt and Jeannie in the empty playroom.

“That went well,” she says.  “You’re a natural with them.”

Kurt beams back at her, a sense of pride swelling in his chest.  

After his dad comes to pick him up, Kurt spends the entire car ride home filling him in on the events of the day, excluding Jason and Melanie’s names.  He goes to bed that night with his mind already buzzing with activities for the next visit.

***

Kurt starts volunteering two days a week after school and over the course of the next month, he becomes very familiar with some of the regular kids on the unit.  Jason, he discovers, is actually nine years old, has leukemia and is in his final round of chemotherapy by the first week in October.  Melanie has sickle cell anemia and had been hospitalized for something called ‘sickle cell crisis’— she had gone home two weeks after they first met, but Kurt learns that she usually returns frequently for the same problem.  There’s a teenage boy not much older than Kurt is, but taller and skinnier with jet black hair and sad eyes, named Julian who has cystic fibrosis— he usually keeps to himself, oftentimes choosing to sit in the back corner of the playroom and silently watch everyone else.  

The rest have been a whirlwind of faces and names with a variety of issues such as pneumonia, appendicitis, broken bones and asthma attacks.  There have also been quite a few cases of children who have come in with injuries as a result of abuse at home, more so than Kurt would have imagined actually occurred.  He finds trying to interact and engage with those kids to be the most heartbreaking.

Some of the kids are not as keen to warm up to him as others, keeping to themselves or staying with their families while Kurt leads sing-alongs, painting lessons, hosts movie nights, and reads aloud during story time.  He has developed a steady routine in the five weeks since he began volunteering.  So on the Tuesday during the second week of October he waves hello to the security personnel by the front entrance like he usually does.  He rides up the same elevator and is buzzed into the unit by Rosie, the first nurse he met with the auburn hair.  And with his usual wide smile in place, he strolls into the playroom with a new four-pack of Disney themed puzzles under his arm.  

But when he walks in, the kids are already sitting in a circle, staring up at a boy with loosely gelled curls coiffed into a fluffy side part, bright hazel eyes, and a sapphire acoustic guitar perched on his lap. Kurt is caught completely off guard as he realises, Oh god, it’s him! It’s the guy from the video!

He looks shorter in person than Kurt assumed.  In both the photo on the bulletin board and the video his hair was ungelled and wild.  Kurt vividly remembers his dark curls bouncing as he bopped his head along to the music while impersonating Timon and Pumba for the younger kids.  He’s dressed in another carefully selected outfit though— bright red pants, a black polo and a white bow tie with black polka dots on it.  

“Kurt!” A few of them yell excitedly.    

“Ah, so you’re the famous Kurt I’ve been hearing so much about,” The boy with the guitar says, that same unwavering grin already in place.  “Nice to finally meet you, I’m Blaine.”

[greengay]

THAT’S WHY I POST SO MUCH FYI.....IT’S COS I FEEL ANY BIT OF LONELINESS SO INTENSELY. and i feel loneliness so intensely because i can’t distract myself with Tasks and Activities easily bc of the executive dysfunction that comes with adhd. so it’s just....i feel a tiny spark of discomfort from not being in contact with someone......and i’m basically paralyzed?

AND IDK. POSTING MY EMOTIONS ONLINE WHERE I KNOW AT LEAST ONE OR MORE PEOPLE ALWAYS WILL SEE MAKES ME FEEL LESS ALONE. BUT. THATS NOT GOOD. I WANT TO BE OKAY WITH BEING ALONE, I WANT ANOTHER COPING MECHANISM BESIDES SOCIAL MEDIA BECAUSE IT’S JUST A SHADOW/CHEAP IMMITATION OF WHAT J ACTUALLY WANT.

I WANT TO BE CONTENT WITH BEING ALONE. that makes me want to cry because it makes me feel so panicked.

CONSTRUCTIVE THINGS TO DO INSTEAD OF REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE OR POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

write fic????? (lol yeah right)

write out my feelings

meditation

finish zines!!

get film ready to be developed

organize/clean/unpack my room

take care of plants

go for a walk

for for a bike ride

work out?? (lol)

yoga? (lol)

ceramics!!!! sculpting!!!!!!!

watch MOVIES (not trashy reality tv) that I HAVEN’T SEEN BEFORE

re-edit photos for portfolio

get desktop ready

practice guitar

practice drums

DRINK WATER

WORK ON D&D JOURNAL

WORK ON NEW D&D CHARACTER

practice painting miniatures

DRAWING?!

I NEED TO LET MY MIND WANDER AGAIN. i’m losing my imagination cos i keep numbing myself with social media, alcohol, trashy tv, and food -_-

it’s okay to be alone w my thoughts....maybe i should delete the tumblr app for a hot sec.........i truly love the validation and sense of community..............but it’s putting a bandaid on the gushing wound that is being lonely..........

djsjdkwkdjsjxow i haven’t had a consistent job since the beginning of the pandemic and i have been making more on unemployment than i have working so i haven’t.......felt a rush to get a job...........but i think i need one, solely so my brain isn’t always plugged in.......i do my best daydreaming when i’m supposed to be working lmfao

[larryfanficwriter98]

Chapter Fourteen

Harry woke up the next morning earlier than usual due to their early night yesterday. Just thinking about it made him grin, but then it made him think about his past relationship with 'douchebag' as Louis likes to call him. Or any other insult he could think of at the moment. Douchebag, or Connor, took one look at him and said it was "unnaturally large" and refused to give what he wanted to get. He had bullied Harry whenever a bulge would show in his pants and had made him get uncomfortable briefs that had a pocket to tuck everything in.

He had also made Harry tape himself down with medical tape if they went to the beach so it wouldn't be seen in photos on accident. Harry had always been self-conscious about it, it wasn't hard to notice that you were bigger than your mates in the changing rooms. Especially when one of the guys had a measuring tape and challenged everyone to measure themselves. It was obvious when everyone was 3-5 inches soft and Harry was 6 soft.

Being a little over 9 inches in length and 5 inches in girth when hard Harry had been bigger than Conner by quite a few inches. Louis hadn't seemed bothered though, in fact, he had gotten turned on as he gave Harry a blowjob. Though he did seem nervous as he had taken Harry's pants off which Harry was going to ask Louis about when he woke up. He wanted to make sure Louis was okay and hadn't been pressured or anything like that. Harry would never forgive himself if he unknowingly pressured Louis.

Harry looked over at Louis who was still fast asleep. He was curled around Harry's back being the big spoon that Harry didn't know being the little spoon felt so great. No wonder Douchebag always wanted to be the little spoon. Harry snuggled back against Louis then grimaced and lifted the blanket seeing the dried cum on his tattoo.

"Gross." Harry said then gagged at the taste of his breath, "even worse." Harry quickly climbed out of bed and headed straight to the bathroom. He quickly wet his toothbrush then slathered toothpaste on it and brushed his teeth then his tongue twice to get rid of the taste in his mouth. After that, he turned on the shower and waited for the water to heat up before he stepped under the spray.

Louis woke up to the sound of vicious teeth brushing and rolled over to see Harry in the mirror's reflection. He stared at Harry listening to him brush his teeth then he had to hide his laughter when he heard Harry gagging as he brushed his tongue. He stared at Harry's bareback and ass as he bent over the sink to spit out the foamy toothpaste. Louis grabbed his phone off his bedside table and scrolled through social media as Harry got into the shower.

He laid there for a while until he heard Harry's shower turn off then watched him leave the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Louis climbed out of bed then headed to the closet where Harry was going through his clothing options.

"Morning handsome." Louis said smiling when Harry looked over at him with a grin

"Right back at ya." Harry said stepping up to him to kiss him

"We got any plans today?" Louis asked watching as Harry dropped the towel only to step into black briefs. He watched as Harry pulled them up then watched as he tucked himself into a pocket in his briefs that made his cock shake disappear. "What..wait..what happened to it." Louis said shocked as he eyed Harry

"It's a pocket. It's to keep it from y'know causing an outline." Harry said with a laugh

"Why?" Louis asked

"Because I don't want Harry Jr on the front page of a tabloid."

"Sweetie it wouldn't be a tabloid it'd be a Playboy." Louis told him, grinning, getting a glare from Harry, "sorry. Fine. But find other pairs. I want at least something to grab when you're hard in your pants to tease you." Harry laughed shaking his head

"All the more reason to keep them." Harry said as he grabbed some black pants and pulled them on. He had to adjust himself again and Louis watched, "I have a meeting with Columbia Records at twelve, but other than that I don't have any plans."

"The lads want to go on a triple date, Zayn and Liam, Niall and Monica, Lizzy and Hannah, and you and I. I told them I'll talk to you."

"We can do that. Those are the girls you met at the club right?"

"Yeah, Monica was the one with the birthday the night, and Hannah and Lizzy are the lesbian couple in the videos."

"What time?"

"I think Zayn said seven o'clock."

"Sounds good." Harry said pulling on a pink chain and rope print shirt and buttoning before tucking the ends in. He then pulled his pants the rest of the way up and Louis noticed they were high-waisted women's pants, but Louis didn't point it out and only admired the way his butt looked in them. He leaned over and pinched it getting a slap from Harry on his hand.

"Stop it. I'll go make breakfast and you get dressed. Or don't. Either way, I need to make breakfast because I am starving." Harry came up to him and cupped his face kissing his lips gently

"I want full English." Louis told him

"Your wish is my command." Harry said bowing dramatically before he was leaving the room.

Louis shook his head then went to the bathroom to get ready for the day. After he was cleaned and dressed and his mouth had been brushed twice he went downstairs scrolling through Twitter frowning when he saw the fans telling him to explain a photo. It took a few seconds before he found the photo that the fans were referring to. It was a dropped photo of Harry and Dickhead, but the photo was cropped so that Harry's hair was only barely seen pushed back to it looked like a recent photo, but Louis knew Harry's side profile better than anyone and his cheeks were too rounded to be recent.

"Hey, Haz do you have the full photo of this picture?" Louis asked, showing Harry the tweets, Harry looked away from his bacon turning to look at the phone frowning when he noticed what it was.

"I might in my cloud." Harry said, "my cloud password is in the drawer and you know my phone code." Louis grabbed Harry's phone on the counter then moved to the junk drawer that Harry had full of batteries, guitar picks, old planners, and other random junk that hasn't made it to the trash can two feet away. Louis grabbed the notebook that had Harry's passcodes for every account and looked four the cloud one.

"Do you know the year?" Louis asked

"Probably 2013." Louis nodded immediately going to 2013, "try like summertime...June through August I think. We spent the summer together."

"Found it. I'm going to ruin this man's life." Louis said by sending the photo to him then he got back on twitter and found the account that the photo came from and tagged it as well as Dicky's Twitter account.

@ account134527 and @ ConnorKS

Try again boo. 😘✌🏻🖕🏻

"And post." Louis said grinning as he posted the tweet with the photo of Harry and his hair pushed back from 2013. He was kissing the Twat's cheek and in the background, you could also see it was before the Wizarding World of Harry Potter had been opened for the public because they were standing near the closed-off section for construction.

"I'm sorry-"

"Sweetie don't apologize. He got a false sense of hope from your management and now he's mad you picked me over him in his head at least. It'll die down or I'll make it die down. You may treat people with kindness, but Tommo doesn't." Louis said, setting their phones down, "besides you can't blame the man you are very good looking. I'd torment you too if you upgraded."

"I don't think there is any upgrading from you." Harry said as he pulled Louis in front of him between his body and the stove, "I love you." He said kissing his neck as he turned the sausages

"I love you too." Louis said leaning his head back against Harry's shoulder, "is your meeting in person?"

"No we're meeting on google duo, they're with Sony Music, but it's a different section so we just have to talk about music and image and such."

"Sounds very boring."

"It is."

******

Louis had his MacBook opened glaring at the screen, he and Little Dick were fighting on Twitter. After Louis tweeted the real photo from 2013 Little Dick tweeted another photo of sweet innocent Harry laying on a tattoo chair getting the swallows tattoo. The butterfly stood out against the pale skin Harry had back then. So Louis had replied to the tweet,

@ account134527 @ ConnorKS thanks for being there for Harry as he got places to hide my live bites Boo.

And well apparently he didn't like that so he leaked a picture of him and Harry in California at the Hollywood sign. So Louis replied

@ account134527 @ ConnorKS wooooow you took him to a place he sees on his back patio every day when in LA...impressive. 👏🏻👏🏻

And thus it began. Louis didn't even know why he was arguing with an ex, but he was. He was very secure in his relationship with Harry so it wasn't out of insecurity, but whatever the reason Louis was winning the fight and everyone knew it.

@ account134527 @ ConnorKS the fact that you had to make a fake account just to leak photos of you two together...👀👀🙊

@ account134527 @ ConnorKS the fact that management made you believe Harry would choose you over me despite the way you treated him is fucking hilarious...

@ account134527 @ ConnorKS boo the shit I have on you... let's not go there.

@ account134527 @ ConnorKS coincidence?

Louis attached a video of "Dirty Little Secret" playing on the tv. The tweets stopped soon after that so to celebrate his victory Louis posted a short video of him and Harry a few nights ago dancing to Macarena inside the pool laughing their asses off with the words 'Look at my darling baby❤' in the tweet.

"Are you done arguing with Connor?" Harry asked laughing as he came inside from his meeting

"I think so." Louis said looking at Harry, "I won."

"You won before he even knew there was a competition." Harry told him wrapping his arms around his waist

"Oh I know that, but he doesn't have a right to expose your relationship like that."

"It's fine. The fans suspected back then, but he didn't want to be in the tabloids dating me so we kept it quiet. I'm surprised you didn't expose him for...what did you call him? A manipulative abusive little dick asshole?"

"Manipulative abusive little pecker loose asshole cheating twat." Louis corrected

"That. Yes. I'm surprised you didn't call him that."

"I almost did. I typed it a few times at least. If he responds that'll be my next tweet. It'll shut him up." Louis said, grabbing Harry's hands, "you should let me paint your nails. You have perfect nail beds. Lottie would be jealous."

"You paint mine and I'll paint yours."

"Deal. I'll go to the shops to get polish. Be back in a minute."

*******

Louis grinned as he followed Harry through the crowded rooftop dining area.

"There they are." Zayn said standing up when he saw them

"Hi, sorry traffic was horrible." Harry said hugging Zayn and Liam before leaning over to hug Niall and Monica. "Hi Ni. Hi Monica, it's lovely to meet you."

"Hi, Harry." Monica said excitedly as she hugged Harry, "hi Louis." She said, stepping over to hug Louis, "saw that fight on twitter."

"Yeah, we were just being told about it by Monica. Possessive much Lou?" Liam teased as Harry greeted Hannah and Lizzy with hugs as well

"I have no reason to worry, I just don't like him." Louis said with a shrug, "Haz is mine and if he wanted that shrimp he'd have cheated when given the opportunity enough times."

"If I wanted him I'd have stayed with him." Harry said kissing his temple, "now do we have wine coming, or have we not ordered yet?"

"Not yet we just got here not that long ago and decided to wait for you." Zayn said as they took their seats it was a square dining table with two seats on each side. Louis and Harry were sat across from Hannah and Lizzy while Niall and Monica were sat across from Zayn and Liam.

"Do we want to share mozzarella balls for an appetizer, Lou?" Harry asked

"Of course Darling." Louis said, "what are you getting for the main dish?"

"I think the chicken shawarma in their Mediterranean section." Harry said

"Ooh yeah, I saw that. I was thinking of the eggplant rollatini."

"Wanna split?"

"Deal."

"Hello I'm David and I'll be your waiter today. Are we all on one check or separate?" He asked looking around the table

"We are separated into pairs. So them two, those two, these two, and us two." Louis said pointing to each couple getting the man's attention who nodded.

"And what can I get for you?" The man asked, eyeing him and licking his lips though Louis had turned away from him and hadn't seen it though he turned when he spoke.

"Oh, ladies first. We can wait." Louis said before turning back to Niall, "are we doing anything after this?"

"We talked about going to the club if you guys are up for it."

"Can I pick the place?" Harry asked

"Yeah sure." Niall said

"Lou?"

"I'm down if you are."

"Alright. Who is our designated driver?" Harry asked looking around

"I can. You got a vehicle big enough for all of us?"

"Yeah, we can follow back to my place and get the SUV." Zayn nodded, "we can all stay there tonight I have guest rooms."

"And for you?" The waiter asked after everyone ordered looking at Louis

"Oh we will have the fried mozzarella balls as an appetizer and for the main dish I will have the eggplant rollatini." Louis told him

"Perfect. The eggplant rollatini is my favorite." He said, Louis, nodded and looked at Harry who looked highly amused.

"I will have the chicken shawarma." Harry said closing the menu

"Will that be all for you?" The man asked barely acknowledging Harry as he looked back at Louis

"Yeah, that's all thank you." Harry leaned over and kissed Louis' cheek laughing when the man turned away with more hip movement than necessary.

"Is there anything else I can do for you." Harry teased leaning over

"Absolutely anything." Liam said batting his eyelashes

"Please sir I'm all but stripping for you." Niall said laughing

"Stop it. It's not funny. What kind of guy does that in front of someone's boyfriend even." Harry laughed squeezing his thigh as he leaned over to whisper in his ear

"Do you think he'd get the message if we snog?" Louis laughed turning to Harry to whisper in his ear as well

"He'd probably get hard. Best not risk it." Harry laughed nodding as he squeezed Louis' thigh before pulling away. The rest of the dinner was filled with laughter, storytelling, many wine glasses, and delicious food. There were also pictures as a group from someone's phone as they all huddled together when Lizzy pulled out a selfie stick from her purse.

"Why do you have that in your purse?" Louis asked

"Never question what is inside a lesbian couple's purse." She said as she extended it then took the phone as placed it on the holder. "Now huddle together everyone. Harry, stop looking at Louis and look at the camera. We already have photos of you two looking like sappy teenagers." Louis laughed as he looked at Harry who was staring at him with a grin. Louis leaned over and kissed him ignoring the groans from the couples.

"I got an idea." Niall said pulling his phone out and going to Instagram, he got on Louis' page then got on a picture of Louis standing in nothing but Harry's lilac sweater with his a side profile showing off his ass. "Harry, look it's a picture of Louis ass. Looky looky." Despite the fact that Harry was kissing Louis it actually worked because Harry turned away and looked.

"What?" Harry asked looking around until he spotted the phone with the photo over the phone on the selfie stick.

"Quick do it." Louis tried every hard not to laugh as his boyfriend with eyes glued to the photo. Harry grinned as his hand went down to grab Louis' cheek squeezing it. It didn't last long, only enough for two photos then Harry was looking at him again.

"Smart man you've got there Monica." Hannah said

"I just know Harry's weak spot is Louis, but if Louis beside him he needed something stronger." Niall said looking at Harry and Louis who were back in their own world talking with each other, "besides everyone loves Louis' ass."

"Thanks. You get the tip baby and I'll pay for this." Louis said taking the bill the waiter was handing out to the respected couples. He opened it just to make sure it was the right one before he kissed Harry and pulled his wallet out. Harry pouted but pulled out his own wallet and tossed two £50 down, "Harold you can't tip more than the bill." Louis said grabbing it and handing it back to him

"Let me tip whatever I want mister bill payer." Harry said putting down two hundred just to spite Louis

"Harry, he was rude the entire time to everyone except myself and completely ignored our relationship. I am not letting you tip him two hundred just because."

"Louis he could strip for you and I wouldn't care because you're still coming home with me at the end of the night so I win. Now let me tip him." Louis huffed rolling his eyes as he pulled out a £50 and a £20 and put it in the billfold. He flipped the receipt over and wrote,

"You're lucky I'm not in charge of the tip and my boyfriend is a kind person. You were an ass all night. I'd have given you the minimum 10% and be done with it. In case you don't know math that's a fiver and some change. Be kind to people and respect their relationship.

--Louisxxx"

He tossed the black folder down on the table and Monica immediately took it to read it snorting.

"I like the Tommo way." She said as she handed it to Hannah and Lizzy, Lizzy immediately taking a picture of it. She was addicted to her Instagrams they've learned over dinner, because yes she has more than one account. One for her personal use and one for her photography that she does on the side. They stood around waiting for their billfolds and when they got them Louis made sure to count the bills.

"Here have his number." Louis said handing the £5 to Harry who took it then tossed it in the tip pile. There was Harry's two £50, three £10, and now £5. Louis was very tempted to take a 50 and shove it in Harry's pocket, but he wouldn't do that. If Harry wanted to kill them with kindness then so be it.

"A £185 tip, he better use it wisely." Liam said

"Tempted to take the- actually I am." Louis took the five and headed to the table where a little girl was with her family. She had been very eager to ask Harry for a photo, but her parents had talked her out of it to wait until Harry ate his meal. "Here you go, Sweetie. You buy yourself something next time your parents take you to the shops yeah?" Harry said handing the little girl £25

"Really?"

"Yeah. The five have numbers on it, but it's still good."

"Thank you."

"You're quite welcome. You deserve more than our waiter does and you were very polite to wait to ask Harry for a photo so you definitely deserve it." Louis was taken by surprise by the hug the little girl gave him, but it was a nice surprise that he returned before heading back to their table. "You can be mad at me tomorrow, tonight we are clubbing." Louis said to Harry as he slipped his arms in the jacket Harry was holding for him.

"I think you're petty in the best way, but I'm not mad. I love you and with that comes your sassy attitude. Which I love as well. Besides you made her night." They all headed outside and got in their respected cars and followed back to Harry's place. Harry got the keys for the SUV and they all got in so Harry could drive to the club. It was a bit more upscale as in there was a second entrance that Harry and they took so they weren't spotted by anyone yet then they were led to the VIP balcony with a bar and tables and lounges.

"I'll go get a tab open, what does everyone want?" Harry asked as they sat at a square bar height table, the same seating arrangement from the restaurant. Harry got everyone's drink and went off to the bar coming back minutes later with a tray of various drinks.

"Now you owe me a dance." Harry said pressing against Louis from behind

"I don't dance until I'm drunk. You'll have to keep the drinks coming." Louis told him even if he pressed his hips back against Harry's.

"What's the fastest way to get you drunk?" Harry asked

"Whiskey gets Louis plastered for a week." Liam said

"What about you Styles." Louis said, turning to face Harry as he wrapped an arm around Harry's neck while his other hand held his beer glass, "what gets you plastered?"

"I'm not telling you anything." Harry said, taking a sip from his...slushie.

"What are you drinking." Louis said grinning as he grabbed Harry's wrist and pulled it towards him. He looked up at Harry as he licked the slushie teasingly tasting the refreshing flavor of watermelon with a kick of gin that had Louis grimacing slightly. "Gin. You hate the taste of beer, but you drink gin."

"I like alcohol you can mix with. Watermelon gin slushie and if you lick it like that again we're taking an uber home right now."

"Oh?" Louis leaned over to lick it again, but Harry took it away.

"Stop it Lewis."

"Oh, we are breaking up over that." Louis said though despite his words he still kept his arm around his neck.

"Alright, love birds we are off to the dance floor." Lizzy said, "Liam and Zayn are staying here to watch the drinks."

"You sure?" Harry asked looking at the couple

"Yeah, we're fine really. You lads go have fun." Liam said as he hung on Zayn

"Alright. Have fun. Drink a beer or two lads I've been in the car with you guys after a whiskey shot and we all survived."

"Maybe a beer, but really Lou we went out last weekend just the two of us so we're not in the mood for another hangover so soon. Now go."

"Alright. Come on Haz we can dance with the others."

************

The night carried on until last call surprisingly, despite Liam and Zayn not drinking they joined them on the dance floor every now and again. Louis and Harry were always found with their tongues down each other's throats and a hand somewhere inappropriate. Liam and Zayn had to drag the drunk couples all the way back to the SUV and Louis didn't give a damn that he was sitting right beside Monica. Louis threw a leg over Harry's hip and straddled his lap.

"You're so cute. You're like the cutest little thing ever." Louis said cupping Harry's face to kiss him on his cheeks and lips

"You're beautiful and pretty and cute and adorable and tiny and small." Harry said snuggling into Louis' neck, "you're my best friend." Louis giggled drunkenly

"You're my best friend too cutie." Louis said

"You're my sweet little creature."

"I'm going to puke." Zayn moaned from upfront

"Tell me about it." Monica said from beside them

"I love your voice. You should like become a singer. You have such a pretty voice." Harry said

"Wait Louis sings?!" Monica, Lizzy, and Hannah shouted

"He sings to me when he wakes up first." Harry said, "he's so precocious. I love him." The car ride to the house was with Harry proclaiming his love for Louis every five seconds. They all stumbled out and Zayn and Liam helped everyone to guest rooms while Harry and Louis hurried to the bedroom locking the door behind them as they struggled to undress then climb into bed together.

"Be the big spoon." Harry said, pulling Louis against his back, "I like being the little spoon."

"My giant little spoon." Louis said affectionately kissing Harry's bare shoulder

[becasbelt]

Chapters: 1/12 Fandom: Pitch Perfect (Movies) Rating: T Relationships: Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell Characters: Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale, Dr. Mitchell (Pitch Perfect), Beca Mitchell's Mother, Aubrey Posen, Jesse Swanson Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, skateboarder!beca, Romance, Angst

Summary:

Beca’s rough past has taught her to despise music, but when a bubbly ginger recruits her to join the Barden Bellas, she will be forced to come face to face with some harsh memories that she’s spent years trying to forget. And maybe – just maybe – she will learn to love music (and possibly something else) once again.

A retelling of Pitch Perfect in which Beca hates music, Chloe loves a cappella, and somewhere along the way they fall in love.

* * *

Beca opens her eyes as she feels the cab come to a stop. She lifts her head from its slumped position and looks out the window of the vehicle, squinting in distaste at what she sees.

It wasn’t Beca’s plan to go to college. She wasn’t one of those teenagers that fantasized about living in a dorm, earning their degree, and meeting some cute boy to have babies with. That just wasn’t Beca.

Her father, however, had different plans for her. As soon as Dr. Mitchell learned that his only child had no plans of pursuing higher education, he’d thrown a fit. Well, it was a very grown-up, professional fit, Beca would give him that, but a fit nonetheless.

At least, that’s what Beca told herself to make herself feel better about this whole situation.

So as Beca looked out the cab window at all the bright-eyed freshman running around Barden University’s campus, it was safe to say that she was less than thrilled to be there.

The cab driver unbuckles his seatbelt and starts to get out of the car, so Beca hurries to do the same. She makes her way to the trunk of the car, which the driver pops with a press of a button on his keys. A nearby housing attendant immediately rushes over to help unload her stuff. He reaches for the skateboard resting on top of all Beca’s luggage, but Beca holds out a hand to stop him.

“I got it,��� she says, then pulls the board out of the trunk.

The dude just shrugs before beginning to unload the rest of her stuff.

Beca holds her board loosely by the truck and takes a moment to look around the campus before a perky blonde girl comes rushing over to her.

“Hi there! Welcome to Barden University,” she greets chirpily. “What dorm?”

Beca fights to urge to snicker at the excitement in her voice. “Uh, Baker Hall, I think,” she answers.

“Okay,” blondie says, turning around to point in the opposite direction. “So what you’re gonna do is you’re gonna go down this way, then you’re gonna take a right…”

The girl continues on with her directions and Beca quickly loses interest, glancing off to the side. A car pulls up beside her with the back windows rolled down. The guy singing along to the radio in the back seat notices Beca looking and props himself up to see her better. “Don’t you cry no more, no!” He points at Beca and starts air guitaring along with the music.

Beca watches him, unimpressed. He raises his eyebrows and grins at her, clearly impressed with his own skills. Beca humors him with an amused look before his car drives away.

Blondie is still talking, and Beca focuses on her again when she holds out a map towards Beca. “Your campus map,” she’s saying, “and your official BU rape whistle. Don’t blow it unless it’s actually happening,” Blondie advises seriously.

Beca ignores the map but takes the whistle from her hands and places it between her teeth without breaking eye contact. The girl lets out a small “hm” as Beca side-eyes her and walks away.

* * *

After Beca’s met her psychotic roommate, she decides to procrastinate the unpacking process and flops down on her unmade bed to scroll aimlessly through social media.

A few of her friends from high school had made posts about her leaving, most of them teasing her in some way. The majority of her friends were still all together in Seattle, opting not to go to college, so she was really one of the only ones that had had to say goodbye to everyone. Beca was envious of them.

Soft music starts playing from the other side of the room, some generic pop ballad that she’s vaguely heard playing on the radio before. She ignores it for the time being, focusing instead on commenting on her friend Derek’s photo of her on Instagram.

A few more minutes pass by with the songs changing every so often before Beca feels a headache coming on. She turns her head to glare at her roommate.

“If you’re going to play music, can you at least use headphones?” she asks irritably.

The other girl turns towards her and the two of them engage in a brief glaring war before Kimmy Jin reaches behind her and presses the space bar on her laptop. The room fills with silence once more.

Beca flashes a sarcastic smile in fake gratitude and turns her attention back on her phone. She’s watching a silent video of one of her friends doing a kickflip off a rail when there’s a knock on the door.

“Campus police, hide your wine coolers,” a muffled voice says from the other side. Beca glances up from her phone as the door opens and her dad’s head pokes in. He laughs and Beca rolls her eyes. “Just your old man, making a funny,” he says, stepping fully into the room.

Beca looks back down at her phone. “Chris Rock, everybody,” she mutters sarcastically.

Her dad ignores her, focusing instead on Kimmy Jin. “Hey, uh, you must be Beca’s roommate,” he starts awkwardly. “I’m Dr. Mitchell, Beca’s dad. I teach comparative literature here.”

Beca watches the exchange from her bed with slight amusement. When all he gets is an icy stare in return, her dad turns back to Beca. The humor immediately drops from her face.

“So, when did you get here? How did you get here?” he questions.

Beca stands up from the bed and busies herself with taking random things out of her bags, placing them on the desk. “Took a cab. Didn’t want to inconvenience you and Sheila,” she replies breezily. “How is the Step-Monster?” Beca adds as an afterthought.

Her dad scoffs. “She’s fine, actually. She’s actually in Vegas at a conference for-”

“Oh, I don’t actually care,” Beca interrupts, turning towards him. “I just wanted to say Step-Monster.”

He sighs. “So have you been down to the quad yet?” he asks, trying desperately to salvage this interaction. “In the summer the students like to lay around in the grass and-”

“I don’t want to lay around in the grass, Dad,” Beca cuts him off again. “I want go back to Seattle and start looking for a job, not take classes and waste my time here.”

Her dad rolls her eyes. “Oh, so you mean you want to goof around with those druggie skateboarders you spend all your time with and work at a McDonald’s for the rest of your life?” Beca scoffs and turns away to pull things out of her bag again. “Face it, Beca. You don’t know what you want to do with your life.”

“I know what I don’t want to do,” Beca mumbles under breath.

“We’ve been over this before. College is the best way to find some direction in your life, Beca,” her dad lectures. “So before you go try to ruin your life, you’re going to get a college education. For free, I might add.”

Before Beca can come up with a sarcastic reply, Kimmy Jin turns in her chair. “I’m going to the activities fair,” she deadpans and stands up to leave.

Beca seizes the chance to escape. “Me too,” she quickly says, following Kimmy Jin to the door. “I’m going to the activities fair with my super good friend Kimmy Jin.”

She thinks that her dad might protest, but by the time he starts she’s already half way down the hallway.

* * *

Beca knows Kimmy Jin was just at her side. They walked down to the quad together, albeit in silence, but they were definitely together. The only problem now is that Beca can’t find the damn girl.

She takes some time searching the crowd for her frightening roommate, and spots her over by the Asian Student Union booth. Kimmy Jin is smiling, and seems to have completely forgotten about Beca.

Huffing out a breath, Beca rolls her eyes and begins to wander aimlessly among the booths. She lazily looks to read signs and posters advertising various on-campus groups, but doesn’t take time to consider anything. Nothing here was of interest to her, and she was planning on getting away from Barden University as soon as possible, so there was no point in actually paying attention to anything going on around her.

She was away from her dad, and that was the important thing.

Still, there were a few eye-catching booths here and there. Beca spotted a DJ stand, and upon further observation discovered it was actually for Deaf Jews. There were a bunch of people running around in circles, though Beca didn’t know if that was an organization or just people doing it for fun. All around, Beca was pretty unimpressed.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Beca finally sees something worthwhile. There was a simple booth near the end of the line with the words “Barden Skate Shop” at display. Beca saw a bored looking blonde dude sitting behind the table handing out fliers and immediately begins to make her way over.

Before she can get very far, a white piece of paper appears under her nose and a voice cuts through the noise around her.

“Hi! Any interest in joining our a cappella group?”

Beca stops short and looks down at the paper before hesitantly taking it and turning to face the girl who stopped her. The girl has wavy ginger hair and the bluest eyes Beca has ever seen. There’s a tall blonde standing next to her who seems like she’s trying to force a smile onto her face.

Turning her eyes back towards the paper in her hands, Beca takes a moment to actually see what’s on it. It’s very amateur-looking, with cut out pictures of girls singing glued over blue shapes and hand drawn music notes decorating the page. The name Barden Bellas is written elegantly at the top.

“Oh, right,” Beca says, holding back a laugh as she looks back at the two girls. “This is like, a thing now.”

“Oh, totes,” the ginger says seriously, nodding her head. “We sing covers of songs but we do it without any instruments,” she goes on to explain. “It’s all from our mouths.”

Beca can’t help the small “yikes” that slips out of her own mouth at the words. She sees the blonde girl’s smile become a little more strained.

Seemingly undeterred, the redhead continues on. “There are four groups on campus. The Bellas,” she says, gesturing between herself and her companion. “That’s us; we’re the tits.”

She goes on to name all the other groups and Beca zones out, chancing a glance over at the Skate Shop booth. The one guy sitting at it doesn’t seem like he’s going anywhere anytime soon, but Beca still wished that she could get out of this conversation to go check it out.

Two hums from in front of her bring her attention back on the a cappella girls. “So, are you interested?” ginger asks.

Beca fights the instinct to roll her eyes and tries for a smile instead. She’ll let them down fast and easy so that she can get the hell out of there.

“Sorry, it’s just… it’s pretty lame.”

Or she’ll go with that. That’s cool, too.

Ginger’s bright smile slides off her face and she looks downward. The blonde, who’s been silent so far, looks like she’s been struck. “Aca-scuse me?” she says indignantly, anger flashing in her eyes. “Synchronized lady dancing to a Mariah Carey chart-topper is not lame.”

Beca stares at the girl in confusion, wondering how she didn’t think the words coming out of her mouth were, in fact, lame.

“We sing all over the world and compete in national competitions,” the redhead tries again. Beca’s eyes flicker to hers.

“On purpose?” Beca asks before she can stop herself.

“We played the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, you bitch,” the blonde says sweetly, an over polite smile on her face and murder in her eyes.

Beca raises her eyebrows and fights off a grin, suddenly very impressed with the tall blonde. Her eyes switch back over to ginger as she speaks again.

“What Aubrey means to say,” the ginger cuts in, glancing at her friend, “is that we are a close-knit, talented group of ladies who’s dream is to return to the national finals at Lincoln Center this year.” Beca glances to the side exasperatedly, suddenly very tired of this interaction. When she looks back, sincere blue eyes are locked onto her own. “Help us turn our dreams into a reality?” the girl asks, hesitance in her voice and a small smile playing at the edge of her lips.

Beca looks at her for a moment before deciding to show them some mercy and not reply with any more biting comments. “Sorry, I don’t even sing, and I’m not really that big into music in general, but it was really nice to meet you guys.”

She begins to walk away and spares one last glance at the ginger’s crestfallen expression before heading in the direction of the skating booth, determined to not let the interaction get in the way of what she wants to do.

It was just a cappella. It was just music.

And Beca had promised herself that she would never let herself get sucked into music again.

[scullyy]

Best Surprise

Title: Best Surprise

Pairing: Clementine x Louis

Word Count: 2134

Summary: It's Clementine's birthday, so Louis and AJ attempt to make it a great one. 

A/N: I need to redeem myself after the last few sad fics I wrote. Enjoy :)

-

AJ put his plan into motion by slowly climbing onto the edge of the bed, being incredibly careful as to not wake Clementine or the snoring mess beside her, Louis. Part of him was tempted to jump on Louis instead just to get him to shut up, but he was a kid with a plan and nothing could distract him. AJ pounced onto Clementine like an animal, landing on her stomach with a thud.

“Happy birthday Clem!” He shouted, ripping her out of a peaceful sleep, had it been anyone else she would have already pinned them to the ground.

Clementine felt winded, AJ weighed a lot more than she remembered. “What the hell are you doing AJ?”

“It's your birthday! We have to do something.” He seemed much more eager than she was. Her birthday was never something she went out of her way for, there was no true point. AJ always tried to make it a big deal when she taught him what birthdays were.

“What’s going on?” Louis croaked, rubbing the crap out of his eyes. “What is weighing down my arm?”

“It's me,” AJ didn't take into account Louis's arm that was draped around Clementine's stomach, he'll have to live with it for now. “I'm not moving.”

“Alright then little dude.” Louis slammed his head back onto the pillow, he wasn't a morning person and as far as he was concerned this was going to be another slow day.

“He's just excited cause it's my birthday,”

Wait, WHAT.

Louis shot upright, hitting his head on the top bunk. The pain wasn’t phasing him, not when there was something more important at hand. “It's your birthday?”

“She's eighteen,” AJ wiggled slightly, unable to keep in his excitement.

“And yet I let you sleep in on your birthday,” Clementine slowly pushed AJ off her stomach and sat against the headboard, her little boy resting comfortably in her lap. “What makes this birthday so special?”

“Well, usually your birthday makes you upset, but you haven't been sad lately and now we have Louis and I think he should celebrate with us.”

Clementine started blushing but Louis's heart began to flutter. He leaned over to AJ, ignoring the eye roll from Clem. “So what's the master plan?” There were so many things to do, so little time. Unfortunately, most of them would only be plausible if there were no walkers. It would be impossible to write ‘Happy Birthday Clementine!’ in the sky now.

Clementine shot him a deadly glare. “There is no plan, you guys don't have to do anything.”

“No can do Clemmy-”

“-Don't call me that-”

“-AJ and I have things to discuss,” He swiftly bounced off the bed and grabbed his coat. “Come on little dude, we have work to do.” AJ rolled off of Clementine and followed Louis outside, almost bounding out the door with such glee Louis thought he was on the cusp of exploding. He gave Clem a brief wink before shutting the door, leaving Clementine alone in bed with wide eyes.

“What just happened?”

-

“So, any ideas?”

AJ shrugged. “Not really, last year I gave her this flower I found and the year before that it was a hug.”

It's the thought that counts.

“Well it's time for Team Fun to up the ante,” Louis stretched his fingers dramatically, in the same fashion as when he’s about to play the piano, making AJ laugh. “I like the flower idea, we’ll keep that in mind. Have you done anything else for her birthday?”

“No, I didn’t know what a birthday was.”

“What has Clementine done for your birthday?” Louis was trying his best to milk out as much information as possible, but it’s hard when the child in question doesn’t understand social concepts.

“She would give me extra food and we’d spend the day playing games.”

God, she's such a good mom.

“Alrighty, so games are also an option. I’ll go and search the basement, there’s a whole pile of old stuff there that might make for a decent present, how about you go to Tenn and see if you two and draw up a cool birthday card.”

“What’s a card?”

“He’ll explain it to you. We’ll meet up at the flagpole when we’re done.”

The boys split off into two different directions with different goals. The basement wasn’t Louis’s favourite place to be, it hadn’t be opened in a few years, there was so much clutter down there it was pointless to try and clean it.

The basement was stationed near the nurses' office, it used to be a storage unit for the classes, all the spare equipment was kept down there. “Fuck, I hope there's no weird ecosystem growing,” The door squeaked as Louis slowly opened it a crack, sticking his head through. “Hey potential walkers, please don't jump out and eat me.”

The stairs were blanketed in dust and creaked as Louis made the descent into the dark that scared him as a child. He and Marlon would dare each other to sneak down there during the night and bring back something. Marlon once brought a box filled with spare guitar picks, Louis beat him with a spare hockey stick that he used to chase Violet during lunch.

The teachers kept an eye on him from that point on.

The small window didn't provide much insight, the majority of the room was hidden in shadows, not having seen daylight in years. Thankfully the rays of light shining in revealed a cardboard box labelled ‘Photography and Digital Media - Mrs Bryant’.

“Ah Mrs Bryant,” Louis sighed as memories of her trying to teach the rule of thirds and David Moore entered his brain. “You never did forgive me for cracking the lens of your Kodak.”

He began to dig through the box, hoping for a diamond in the rough. His wishes were answered when he came across a Polaroid camera somehow in working condition. “I won't even question it.”

Louis quickly ran back up the stairs, his childhood fears giving him adrenaline. He slammed the door with relief. “Fuck that place.”

He ran out to the courtyard, peering down corridors to look for Clementine, the one time he didn't want to run into her. AJ was sitting by the flagpole as instructed, a folded piece of paper in his hand and a few freshly plucked flowers in the other.

“Hey AJ, card ready?”

He opened it and showed Louis his and Tenn's masterpiece. “Does it look good?”

Louis smiled, impressed by the little cartoons drawn along the bottom of the card. “She'll love it.”

“What the fuck are you two doing?”

Louis quickly hid the camera behind his back as he turned, expecting an angry Clementine. Luckily it was just Violet.

“It's super secret Vi, it only involves the members of Team Fun.”

Violet rolled her eyes, something she often did in Louis's presence. “Come on don't be a dick. Tell me.” She tried peeking behind Louis's back, curiosity getting the better of her.

“Fine. It's Clementines birthday and AJ and I have prepared a little surprise,” He brought the camera around slowly. “I found this in the basement, not entirely sure what to use it for but it’s somehow in working condition.”

“You went into the basement? Damn Louis, this is serious,” Violet eyed the camera playfully. “I think I know what the gift can be,” Within a flash, she yanked the camera from his hands and took a photo of herself giving the peace sign. Slowly the photo emerged from the gap in the camera. “You can give her something to hold onto forever.”

“That's actually really sweet Vi. I knew beneath that rough exterior there's a kind girl wanting to break free-”

“No fuck off.”

Soon the other kids gathered around to see the contraption in Violet's hand and everyone wanted to be featured in a photo. Violet took one of her and Louis poking their tongues out, AJ got one of him and Tenn smiling, even though half his face was out of the frame. Louis even captured one of Aasim in the midst of laughing, a truly rare sight. It took ten minutes to develop, but as each one unfolded it brought laughter and created excitement over Clem's potential reaction.

Clementine had been watching the commotion through the window, never had she seen any of the other kids act so excited. “What's going on?” She called as she jumped down the stairs.

“Happy Birthday Clem!” Ruby called out, causing a cheer amongst the other kids.

Clementine slowly placed her hands on her hips as she stared down Louis and AJ, who tried to look as innocent as possible.

“We tried to surprise you, so we organised a gift,” Louis was hoping he wouldn't get beat for this as he tidied the pile of photos and slid them inside the card. ”We all grant thee, Princess Clementine, the greatest of days.” Louis got down on one knee and presented her the card, AJ in tow, handing her the flowers.

She took her gifts gently from their hands, a little afraid of what was inside the card. But there was no reason to be, there was a long message on one side of the card, written from AJ, with a couple of drawings of flowers, cartoon monsters and her hat. On the other side were little messages from everyone, wishing her a happy day and Louis saying that he loves her the most, with AJ's writing beneath it going against Louis's claims.

“This is... “ Her heart began to beat faster as she looked through all the photos. “Incredible.”

Louis and AJ let out a sigh of relief.

“How long did this take to plan?”

Louis playfully swatted the air. “Not long at all, the brain power of Team Fun goes beyond the cosmos,” AJ nodded in agreement, he understood none of that statement but assumed it was good.

Clementine closed the card and ran to the group, enveloping them all in a hug. “Thanks guys.” They all eagerly hugged her back.

-

Clementine immediately went to work on placing the pictures on the wall by her bed. It definitely made it more like home, everyone's smiles were genuine, it made Clementine feel warm in her heart. The flowers were lying neatly by her hat on the desk, they certainly brightened up the place.

“Did you enjoy today?”

Clementine jumped slightly, Louis's voice bringing her out of her thoughts. He was casually leaning against the doorway, toying with the camera in his hands. “I did, I haven't had a birthday this fun in a long time.”

“I'm glad, it was fun to plan it with AJ,” He invited himself into the room and sat next to Clementine, the bed sinking a little under their weight. “He cares a heck of a lot about you, we all do.”

AJ had opened up to Louis in a way that genuinely shocked Clementine. Whenever they were together it reminded Clem of her relationship with Lee, it always brought a smile to her face. “He gets very determined sometimes.”

Louis agreed, not taking his eyes off the camera. “Your birthday isn't over yet, there's still one photo missing,” He motioned for her to come closer which she did, any chance to get close to Louis was a chance taken. “I haven't gotten one with you today. I need this as photographic evidence.”

He positioned the camera in front of him and Clementine, ready to take the shot. “Evidence of what?”

“That I was as lucky to have someone like you.”

Clementine burst out laughing, hiding her face in his thick coat. Louis frantically captured the moment, hoping that he didn't lose her smile. “You know, the whole point of a photo is to take pictures of people and their faces. You hiding yours defeats the purpose.”

“Well, you caught me off guard!” She plucked out the photo with ease and placed it onto the dresser. “If I look like an idiot I'll blame you.”

“I'm confident in my photography skills, despite the fact the teacher hated me.” His smile makes Clementine die and come back to life all at once, even the missing tooth is something she finds endearing.

“Whatever, thank you for reminding me that birthdays can be fun,” She laid a swift kiss to his cheek, catching him off guard. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I usually like my birthday to slip under the radar, no point in making a fuss.”

Louis smoothly slipped his hand around her waist. “Ah but you are worth the fuss my dear,” He repaid the kiss with one to her forehead. “But like I said, your birthday isn’t over yet. Come on.” Louis stood from the bed, leading Clementine out the door. “There are games to be played!”

[tydelwve]

Wherever You Are {pt. 3}

Characters: Calum x reader, Faith, the rest of the boys

Word Count: 2738

Warnings: fluffy angst

Summary: Not much changes in a reconnection with Calum. Just both of your attitudes. Is that a good thing?

Beta(s): myself so soz folks :)

Author’s note: I know it’s been a while guys, but here’s the next part! don’t get your hopes up too high too soon guys. feedback is always appreciated!! enjoy xx

want to be added to my tag list?

{one} {two}

April 2015

“It’s been two years, Calum. Why haven’t you tried to get her back?” Michael questioned after catching him scrolling through your Instagram for the umpteenth time today.

Calum quickly closed his phone and looked up nonchalantly, “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

Michael snorted, “You think I don’t notice how often your finger hovers over her name with a text? Calls? She was one of my best friends, too, Cal. I stayed in touch with her, and I know for a fact that she misses you, too.”

Calum looked down and smiled to himself. You missed him, too. If he could, he would get it tattooed on his forehead for the world to know.

In all fairness, you are his world. You were the tectonic plates that created volcanoes on his skin. You were the red ruby slippers that brought him home.

If you meant so much to him, why was he having such a hard time reaching out to you? Shouldn’t he want to be in your life? Shouldn’t he make the effort?

Michael shook Calum out of his own thoughts and sighed, “Look, I know you’re scared of what she may or may not say to you, but at least invite her to our show in Sydney. I think it’ll be good for both of you.”

“I know. I just—What if she found someone else? What if I’m not the one she wants anymore?” Calum mumbled, not really wanting to think of the possibility. If you found someone else, his heart would crumble into pieces.

“Regardless of her relationship status, you miss her as a friend, too. Don’t lose her because you’re scared of the maybes. Be her friend before her boyfriend.”

•••

“Y/N, don’t tell me you’re actually going to cancel this guy! He seems really nice,” your friend,  Faith, questioned.

You sighed and shrugged, “I just don’t think I’m ready for another relationship.”

She pierced her lips, “You’re not ready, or are you just sulking until Calum walks through the door again?”

“Shut up,” you snapped.

She giggled and shook her head, “I swear you’re lovesick for this boy,” she sat down beside you and stated, “You can’t put your life on hold for him forever. You’ve got to live, and if he’s the one in the end, you’ll be together.”

You nodded as you fiddled with your fingers. These past two years have been agonizing. Every time you saw a picture of Calum or heard about him, you were sent back to the morning he left.

It was a wound that never seemed to heal. You’d been waiting for him to come home since he walked, putting your life on hold.

Faith was right, you needed to live a little. You were glued to the thought of Calum that you didn’t give any decent guy a chance.

What if she didn’t mean to live that way? What if she wanted you to fight for Calum?

You don’t even know what you would say to him. Just the thought of even texting him scared you.

Maybe one day you’d find your way back to each other, but today will not be it.

May 2015

Your mother walked into the room with a grin spread across her face. She handed you a large envelope and stated, “Someone’s got really important mail.”

You took it from her with your eyebrow raised as you read the name in the front corner: Calum Hood.

You hadn’t talked to him since he left a little over two years ago, so seeing his name was a little scarring. Your feelings for him were still alive and well like a beating heart.

You hesitantly opened it and pulled out two tickets, two backstage passes and a handwritten note. It read:

Dear Y/N,

I know I’m probably one of the last people you expected to hear from, but your birthday is next month, and I wanted to celebrate with you (even though it will have already passed).

The past two years have been crazy for me. I guess you probably know most of it, but it’d be nice to share some of the stories with you if you’re up to it.

I probably shouldn’t say this, but I miss you a lot. It’s weird to not talk to you on a regular basis or even to just not see your face. I’m working on being more honest about my plans and my future for you.

Hopefully, we will get to talk and catch up because you’re still one of my best friends no matter what happened between us. You’ll always be my best friend.

With this letter, there are two tickets and two backstage passes for the Sydney show next month.

I would be so happy if you came to the show. You can bring a friend or boyfriend(I promise it’s okay) so you won’t be by yourself.

I hope to see you there and see you rocking out with your socks out!

Love, Calum

Your heart fluttered as you read the note. Two years later, Calum still had an affect on you.

Calum will probably always have an affect on you. That’s just his personality. He's like a drug: you only think about the highs as the rest of your life gets ruined.

June 20, 2015

You were running late to the concert due to your mom’s last minute chores. Unfortunately, this meant you wouldn’t see the boys until after the show was over.

Calum tuned his guitar as he became more antsy from not seeing you. All he could think about was the crushing fear that you didn’t want to see him as much as he yearned to see you.

You quickly flashed your backstage pass to be let in a few minutes before the crowd came rushing in. You quickly began to regret not bringing anyone with you, but you didn’t want them forcing you to make up with Calum and be a couple again.

You weren’t ready to even see him, let alone talk to him.

Michael patted Calum on the back, “I’m sorry, Cal. Maybe you can go see her tomorrow.”

Calum sighed as he followed Michael towards the stage, “That’s if she even wants to see me.”

Luke walks up with a sympathetic smile, “We all know that you really want to see her, but you can’t think about that right now. Don’t think about Y/N or anything stressing you. Just focus on the music for now and how you’re going to kill it on stage.”

Ashton and Michael agreed, and they made their way onto the stage.

As soon as you saw Calum, the world froze around you. He looked amazing. Photos from social media didn’t do him justice to how well life had been treating him.

He scanned the crowd and made eye contact with you in the first row. He beamed a smile at you and the weight felt like it was lifted off of his shoulders.

He couldn’t believe you actually came to support him-- to see him. Seeing you here gave him more of a reason to play his best show. You were and have always been his motivator.

They opened with Wherever You Are, bringing you to tears as Calum made sure to sing to you.

After the show, you made your way backstage, talking to the boys before heading home. You knocked on the door before slowly opening it to see Michael, Luke and Ashton.

“Y/N! Long time, no see,” Ashton proclaimed as they came over to give you a hug.

“This is really weird. It’s the first gig I’ve seen in two years. You guys killed it by the way!” you exclaimed.

They chuckled, and Luke responded, “Thank you, Y/N. It’s really good to see you. We have missed you at all of our gigs--”

“Some of us more than others,” Calum cut off Luke as he walked through the door with a huge grin on his face.

You and Calum took in each other’s appearances.

Calum couldn’t help but notice how perfectly you looked. Two years away, you’d only gotten more beautiful in his eyes. You’re the one person he’s definitely missed seeing every day for the past two years.

“Calum Hood,” you softly spoke, “I guess this is hello again.” You opened your arms, hinting at a hug, and he happily accepted.

Both of you breathed in each other’s scent-- a once permanent smell, now foreign.

“I think we can both agree that they are easier than a goodbye,” he joked as the two of you hesitantly let go of each other.

You stayed and chatted with them for awhile. It was easy to see that you and Calum quickly fell into old habits.

It had only been five minutes since he walked in and you two were already attached at the hip. Through every conversation, both of you had lingering touches on each other from habit until you noticed the action.

When you got tired, you’d lean against Calum, and he’d wrap an arm around you as he placed his head on top of yours. Both of you would stay like this until one of you realized what was happening.

The playful banter between the two of you was constant. Anyone that didn’t know the two of you would assume that you were together.

As everyone began to leave, Calum pulled you behind everyone else to talk to you. “Let’s go to the old diner,” he suggested.

“Shouldn’t you go home, talk to your family, and get some sleep?” you questioned.

“They have me busy all day tomorrow. I just want to spend tonight with you. Is that okay?”

You nodded, “Yeah, let’s go.”

You both said goodnight to the boys before you drove to the diner about twenty minutes away.  As soon as both of you walked in, almost all the staff greeted you.

You both sat across from each other in a booth as Roscoe walked over to get your orders, “I haven’t seen the two of you here in years. How’s traveling the world going for both of you?”

Calum cleared his throat, “Actually, it’s just been me on the road. Y/N’s been in town.”

Roscoe looked at you shocked, “Y/N, how come you haven’t been coming by?”

“I--I just-- I don’t know. I never really had the desire since he left,” you confessed.

“Well, you’re always welcome here, with or without that rascal,” Roscoe joked, making you laugh and nod. He cleared his throat and said, “Now, for your orders, I’m guessing the usual?”

“You got it, Roscoe,“ Calum replied. “I really missed you. I’m not saying that to make you feel bad or to be a ploy to get back together. I just really missed you as a friend as well.”

“I missed you, too, Cal.”

June 22, 2015

As he finished packing his stuff on the tour bus, you sighed and leaned against your car.

He lazily walked over to you as the frown formed on his face.

“Here we are again,” you stated as he slowed to a stop in front of you.

“You’d think we’d plan for this one since we both knew about it,” he joked.

I giggled and looked down at your shoes. “Yeah, you would think so.”

Silence fell as both of you contemplated what to say. Neither of you truly wanted to mess up a chance for your future together, but didn’t know how to say it.

How were you supposed to tell someone that you were willing to wait until the end of time without making them feel obligated to you?

How do you say that it’s okay to move on if that’s where life takes them without sounding like you don’t want them anymore?

“Calum, you ready?” Ashton yelled from the tour bus, snapping both of you out of your thoughts.

“I’m really glad you came to the show. I know I already told you that, but it really meant a lot to me. I was so scared you weren’t going to come,” Calum began to ramble.

You tilted your head a little, “Why wouldn’t I have come, Cal?”

He shrugged, “I thought that you might not want to hear from me again or see my face. I thought that I’d broke you too much,” his voice cracked, “I was so scared that I had already lost you.”

You gently placed a hand on his cheek, “You could never lose me. Yes, it did hurt when you left, and I was angry. I’m still madly in love with you, Calum Thomas Hood.”

He weakly smiled, “You do?”

“You think I’d be standing here and watching you leave again if I didn’t?” You playfully shoved him.

He laughed as you saw Michael heading towards the two of you.

You stepped around Calum to give Michael a hug. “Come to take him away? I was tired of him anyways,” you joked.

Michael chuckled, “This is why I missed you. Actually, I've come to say that we’re going to hit the road. I told them that you’re taking him up to Brisbane.”

Your eyes widened, “I’m what? Michael, a word please?” You didn’t give him a chance to respond before you dragged him a safe distance from Calum.

“What? What’s the problem?” Michael questioned.

“I can’t spend another ten hours with Calum! What the hell are you playing at here? We can barely get through a goodbye right now!” you rushed out.

“I know both of you spent the last two days together, but you need this extra ten hours. You and I both know he’s going to fall asleep in the car about two hours in. Just enjoy the last moments because neither of you are brave enough to fight for the other. This is your chance to tell him what you’ve been telling me these past two years, okay?” He tried to calm you down. “You’re going to be fine. Look, I have to go. I’ll see you when you show up,” he winked and ran off before you could protest.

Calum slowly made his way over to you. “I’m sorry about Michael doing that. I guess he just really wants us to fix whatever’s broken,” he mumbled the last sentence, but you heard it perfectly.

Two words that Calum had used in the past ten minutes to describe you and your failed relationship: broke and broken.

You gritted your teeth, “Can you stop using broken? Nothing’s broken in me or between us.”

“Why haven’t we talked in two years if nothing’s broken? Why did I have to wait for Michael to convince me to even send you tickets if nothing was broken? I shouldn’t have to get reassurance from him or any of the boys. I’m running around like a chicken with his head cut off because I’m constantly thinking about how much I hurt you and want to take it back so badly because maybe if I did, we wouldn’t be afraid to talk to each other. Do you know how many times I talked myself out of calling you because I was afraid of what you might say?” he snapped.

You took a step back, slightly shocked at Calum’s outburst. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Y/N. I shouldn’t have--”

You cut him off, “No! It’s fine, Calum. We need to be honest with each other because that’s something we lacked in the past. If we ever want to fix whatever we had, then we had to be able to have tough conversations. Unfortunately, we have to have these while on the road, so hop in.”

You both got in your car and started down the road.

Yet again, the air between you was filled with silence. It seemed like every time the two of you were nearing a goodbye, you both shut down and sink into the rabbit hole of your minds.

“You know for us being as close as we used to be, I never thought I’d say I missed our fights,” you blurted, breaking the thirty minute silence.

Calum raised an eyebrow, “Of everything you could miss, you chose to tell me about the fights?”

You shrugged, “At least I could trust that you were going to tell me exactly what you were thinking in moments like that.”

{four}

~~

tags: @meganwinchester1999 @suburbanaesthetics @gigglyirwin @cashton-queen @lukescherrypie @cocktail-calum @calumvertigo @comingcalum @harvardhemmings @lukescherrypie @darthrogers @hopelessxcynic @lmao5sosimagines @calumamongmen @alotof1dlove @therainydays4 @youngblood199456 @uncrowned-cal @sincerelycalum

[marlymist]

Black Cherry

So, this is a little ramble that I’ve had typed up for a while now.  Thought I’d post it to get some feedback and then try and continue it, maybe...

Halo

“Halo, you having another?!”

“We’re on in like five minutes, Jax,”  I called to my drummer, of whom was at the bar about to down another tequila with the girl he’d charmed for the evening.  The crowd had formed in The Red Lion, the pub we were playing in that night.  Unusually, there was quite a large audience, I wasn’t sure if they’d come for us or if they’d all disperse as soon as Jax counted us in.  My nerves were building.  “alright fine, rack ‘em up.”  Jax clapped his hands and the bartender served up four more shots.  I’d already had a few when we’d been setting up, but I could never say no to free alcohol.

“Blackberries, you’re up!”  The landlord barked from where he stood, arms folded behind the bar.

“It’s Black Cherry, arsehole!”  Terry, our bassist yelled back, all of us moving to the makeshift stage in the corner of the room.  I smacked his chest with the back of my hand, it had been hard enough trying to get this gig at all, we didn’t need him making us enemies.

I stepped to the microphone, grabbing my guitar on the way and slinging the strap over my shoulder.  I strummed a few chords, checking the frequency and tuning.  Grabbing the mic with my pick still in hand, it was when I looked up I saw him.

He stood tall at the back of the room.  A hand in his pocket and a hand holding a pint of beer, he leaned against the bar.  It was dark but I could make out he was wearing a white t-shirt, a pair of black jeans and a baker boy hat.  I’d seen his band doing the rounds that we were doing, but unlike us, they had taken off about a year ago.  They were getting slight airplay and were touring supporting bigger bands.  I craved what they had so much, they’re success drove me to rehearse more and to push for more and more gigs, even if they were in shitty pubs like The Red Lion.  If they could do it, we could do it.  But there was one difference and that was that they had him.  I wasn’t one to compare myself to others, I knew it got you nowhere, but as a frontman, you only had to watch him for a few minutes to know he was born for it.  A total rockstar in the making.  I’d found myself at a number of their gigs and I was completely in awe of him.  He owned the stage, had the swagger and charm of Mick Jagger but the artistry and mystery of David Bowie.  Sometimes you can just sense that someone is destined to make it and as soon as I saw him I knew.  I took a deep breath to steady myself, the alcohol spiking in my veins and making me all warm and a little dizzy.

“We’re Black Cherry.  It’s good to be here, hope you’re ready to rock.  Let's go.”  I spoke huskily into the mic, looking at the crowd through my eyelashes.  Jax counted us in with his sticks and we roared into our first song.  The audience, as usual, depleted slightly as we went into our third song, I was a sweaty mess by the fifth song and when it came to the last song, we were performing to the backs of peoples heads as they conversed.  But he kept watching.  He’d come forward from where he was stood prior, deciding to drag his mates over to the table closest to us.  While they talked, his eyes stayed on us, when we finished he sat and clapped super loud.  Mainly because he was the only one committing to the action.  Or due to his colossal sized hands.

Jax added his signature last fill, and I mumbled a thank you before exiting the stage.  I tried not to look at him sat there but before I could even make it to the bar he’d appeared in front of me, blocking my path.

“Um, hi?”  I tucked my hair behind my ear and blew my fringe out of my eyes to look up at him.  He smirked down at me, but there was a sense of unnerving about the way he was looking at me.

“Can I buy you a drink?  That was a great set, you deserve it.”  I blinked, he was chatting me up.  I breathed, about to answer when I felt a hand grip my elbow a little too hard.

“Hey, doll.  Sorry, I’m late, when do you start?”  I ripped my arm out of his harsh grip and tousled my fringe back into my eyes.  

“We just finished, Pete.”  I looked at my feet as I fidgeted.  I smiled apologetically as my boyfriend Peter finally acknowledged that someone else was there.

“Ah damn,”  Peter said emotionless, and unapologetically.  “and you are?”  Keeping his attention to the man in front of us.

“Harry.  Nice to meet ya mate.”  Harry held his hand out towards Peter and smiled charmingly.  Peter smiled back and shook it, exchanging pleasantries, but I knew he was sizing the man up.  I cringed inwardly at the awkwardness that was bouncing between the three of us but couldn’t think of anything to say.

“How about you go and pack up, babe.  We can get going when you’re ready.”  Peter finally spoke up.  I looked at Harry through my fringe and nodded.  He shrugged and smiled politely.  The last thing I wanted was for him to walk away.  There was so much I wanted to ask him and he’d approached me, I couldn’t deny the fact that that excited me.

“Just out of interest,”  Harry spoke up before I turned away, he glanced at Peter almost nervously.  “I didn’t get your name?”

“Her names Halo.  She’s twenty-two years of age.  We’ve been together two and a half years, anything else you’d like to know?  Just out of interest?”  Peter jumped in before I could speak and I glared at him.  He could be a real jealous idiot.  I turned away embarrassed.  I vowed to myself, as I crossed the pub floor to help the boys pack up the van, that I wouldn’t let him treat me like that again.  The only problem was that it was what felt like the hundredth time I’d made that vow.

Harry

I smiled as I continued to scroll through the girls Instagram.  Halo; what a name.  She was a ready-made rockstar.  At least in my eyes.  And my eyes couldn’t leave her figure as she jammed out with her band the night I’d met her.  When I met her formally though, she was half the person I’d seen on stage.  I couldn’t help but think that that had something to do with her interesting choice of a boyfriend.  But as I clicked on another photo of them she’d posted a few months back, you wouldn’t be able to tell they had any issues.  They posed for the camera, him kissing her cheek, in front of a gorgeous sunset backdrop, peppered with blue rooftops and greenery.  I confirmed my wondering thought of the location and saw she’d tagged, Mykonos, Greece.  I’d never been there myself, but I could see myself there, with her.  She looked adorable, her cheeks smushed by his lips, hers pouting out and her gaze cast downwards.  I locked my phone and threw it on the bed beside me.  I was getting far too obsessed far too quickly.  I didn’t even really know her.

“Harry!  Come on, studio time started 10 minutes ago-bloody christ.”  I heard Christine, our manager, throw herself into my apartment.  Tripping on something like she always did.  I sighed and rose from my bed, tousling my hair and throwing on my shoes.

“Well, I was waiting for you to pick me up.  That’s kinda the deal we’ve had for five months now.”  I stood up to walk down the hallway to my kitchen.  Christine charged towards me, her heels clicking on my wooden flooring.  She thrust a Starbucks iced latte at me and opened my front door for us to leave.

“If you hadn’t lost your license being a dickhead drunk driver you wouldn’t have to wait on me now would you?”  She asked rhetorically as I closed the door, taking a swig of my coffee and rolling my eyes.  She never let me forget that little story.  Pretty much the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.  But I was in a very different place in my mind around the time I’d made that particular decision.  I crammed my legs into Christine’s pristine baby blue Fiat 500 and she sped away from the curb before I could even shut my door.  As we drove, she listed all the things that we were responsible for getting done in the session she’d booked.  “We need to get it all done quickly as this studio costs the label £150 an hour.  So get your head in the game, hun.”

Christine was heavily northern, probably in her late thirties, I could never remember.  She was classy and intelligent but had the worst memory and timekeeping skills I’d experienced in anyone.  Even my mum, and that’s saying something.  When she’d first signed on to manage us, she’d taken a liking to our rhythm guitarist, Jonesy.  But we’d began sleeping together as soon as she’d heard my voice in person.  I don’t have much of an ego anymore, but back then I certainly did.  Shagging an older woman as a teenager was a lad's wet dream.  And I’d lived it.  Of course, it all went to shit but we’d always have chemistry.  The recording studio was located in a shed in Essex, so luckily my new apartment was in greater London or we’d be in the shit with how late we were.  Halo didn’t enter my mind until I saw a girl about her height, walking down the high street.  Her light blonde hair flowing behind her.  My intrigue sparked, I took my phone from my jeans pocket.  Bringing Instagram up again to look at her unique features, and to bring up the chat page.  I wondered if I could really ‘slide into her DMs’ when she had a crazily overprotective boyfriend probably watching her every move and probably signed into every social media account she owned.  I typed in a greeting, then deleted it, trying a more casual one, then deleting it again.  Christine slammed on her breaks and I was thrown back into reality, realising that we’d stopped.  She jumped out and I sighed, clicking out of Instagram and locking my phone.

Halo

I twirled my fork through my spaghetti, my head resting on my fist.  Peter looked up at me through his eyelashes as he slurped up his own dish through his plump lips.  I placed the forkful into my mouth and raised my eyebrows in question to what he was thinking.  He furrowed his eyebrows, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.

“What’s up with you tonight?”  He spoke, still chewing.

“What do you mean?  I’m just eating my Bolognese…”  I shrugged.  In truth, I hadn’t been myself for a while, but why it had taken him this long to notice was exactly why I was doubting our relationship.

“Are you tired?  You slept in late today so you shouldn’t be.”  I breathed in through my nose.  Peter was a lovely guy.  I wouldn’t have given him a look in if he wasn’t.  But little comments like that were very commonly made.

“No.  I’m not tired.”

“Okay, so what then?  You’ve had a face like a slapped arse all bloody evening.”  I let my fork drop to my plate, becoming irritated.  I decided I’d try to be honest thinking maybe he would understand.

“I’m just… uninspired.”  Peter choked on his pasta.  Coughing over a laugh.

“Uninspired,” he spluttered, hand over his chest.  “Of course.  I should have known.”  He was still clearly amused.  “Maybe you should try working all day, maybe that will inspire you.”  He chuckled dryly, taking a long gulp of his sparkling water.  See the thing is he really thought he was being funny.  Like he wasn’t insulting his partner of over two years but merely sharing a joke with his workmates over a beer.  He did that all the time and it infuriated me.  Yes, he basically put a roof over my head and milk in the fridge.  But god forbid him ever letting me forget it.  He was supportive at the beginning, came to every gig we played.  After all, he’d met me through watching the band.  He’d been similar to Harry in a way, but he had shown his attraction through a wingman.  At the time, I was couch surfing and he gave me the attention I’d craved for a long time.  I grew very fond of him very quickly, he was goofy and quirky and intelligent.  Not bad to look at either.  As the only male figure I had in my life was my own deadbeat dad, I couldn’t go far wrong with Peter.  But he loved the fact that he’d saved me, he still loved thinking that he was fixing me.

“That was rude, Pete.  I made you this great homemade dinner didn’t I?”  I said, stabbing a meatball and shoving it into my mouth whole.

“Well, you had all day to do it.”

“Christ, I get it, you work 9 to 5, good job, Dolly.”  I said, throwing my fork to my plate and standing up sharply.  The chair scraping along Peter’s wooden floor.  He hated when I did that.  He huffed back into his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“For goodness sake, Hay.  I do it for you.  For us!”

“No, don’t worry.  I just thought about opening up to you but now I realise that was silly of me, you’ve been working all day and I haven’t, why would I have any problems or issues of my own.  Don’t worry Peter, I’ll keep it to myself from now on.”

“I didn’t mean to-”

“Oh, please, master.  Don’t fret, how about I go run you a nice hot bath and while you soak your stresses away I’ll wait like a good little housewife in the bedroom, legs akimbo and when you’re done, you can hop on and we’ll make sweet love in the missionary for maybe six-seven minutes on a good day and then I’ll cry myself to sleep while you snore your blissful little man brain off.”  I sighed once I’d finished.  Throwing the tea-towel onto the side and putting my head in my hands.  Peter didn’t say anything.  After a few minutes, I felt him come up behind me and I flinched.  He kissed me on the crown of my head, breathed in the scent of my shampoo and then walked away to the bedroom.  I leaned forward on my palms in front of the sink, hanging my head and breathing deeply.  My phone buzzed on the counter beside the kettle where I’d plugged it in for charging.

I looked over with hooded eyelids.  It was Harry.

Harry

Why did I think that was okay?  She must have thought I was some weird stalker, she had to.  I couldn’t stop looking at my phone.  Sat there on my coffee table staring at me like I’d done something wrong and it was ashamed of me.  It had been at least 2 and a half hours since I’d messaged her.  Yes, I was counting.  I stood up, deciding I needed to get my mind off of this situation, off of her.  She had a boyfriend for Christ’s sake, why had I become that guy?  I paced back and forth in my kitchen, I couldn’t cook because I had no food in.  All I could think about was the embarrassment of her rejection.  I jumped when my phone rang suddenly, I stared at it, I was stuck to my spot behind my sofa.  I couldn’t make out who it was from there and that almost felt safer.  I shook my head and rushed around to my coffee table, swiping the iPhone from the glass surface.

“Oh for fuck-,”  I sighed under my breath, tapping the answer button on the screen.  “Hi, mum.”

“Hi darling, just wondering if you were going to let me know if you’re still alright to play at the charity do this weekend.  All the boys still game?”  Her chirpy northern drawl calmed me some.  Like it usually did.

“Yeah mum, they’d all love to help.  We’re all planning on bringing our own crowds so hopefully, that’ll bring in more money.”

“That’s wonderful… alright then, good to hear your voice honey, don’t leave it too long again, yeah?”  I sighed, feeling guilty.

“Yeah mum, love you, bye.”  I hung up and tossed the phone onto the sofa beside me.  We still needed to bring our set together for the gig and if I was honest music just wasn’t my priority at that point.  We’d had a little taste of fame and I wasn’t sure if I was enjoying it as much as the other lads were.

I picked up my phone again, I swiped to the Instagram private messaging page again and sighed.  I’d been left on read.  I should’ve stopped myself, but all I’d sent was a simple, Hi.  Surely she couldn’t blame me fo- oh god she was typing.  My eyes widened and I panicked, throwing the phone away from me after quickly closing the app.

Halo

Well hello to you.  We’ve gotta stop meeting like this.  That was a good enough message I’d thought.  He didn’t take much time to reply with a witty comment.  We conversed with little flirtation at the beginning, however, it was hard to resist the temptation and I could feel myself growing weary.  Peter hadn’t stirred since he’d exited the kitchen nearly 2 hours prior.  I’d popped open a bottle of merlot and set myself down on the sofa chatting to Harry.  The more I sipped the less guilt I felt.

h_blacknirvana

I haven’t been able to get you off my mind since you opened your mouth on that stage…

halo.thomas

I felt the same way when I saw you play Gullivers

I could feel my heart beating as I watched the little bubble pop up, signaling that he was typing.  Peter was so far out of my mind at that point and my senses were too cloudy with wine to care.

h_blacknirvana

Wow, Gully’s was a while ago… trying to prove you’re my biggest fan? ;-) 

halo.thomas

Oh, like you need anyone to remind you how amazing you are

h_blacknirvana

Nah, you’re right, I get that a lot

I shook my head, smirking and taking another long gulp of the smooth liquid.  I was about to reprimand his egotistical arse when the bubble appeared again.

h_blacknirvana

For some reason, it feels so much more satisfying hearing it from you

I smiled at my phone screen.  God, I’d forgotten what it was like to feel like this.  Peter and I had such an amazing first year.  I was so in love with him that I really thought that that feeling would never end with us.  It made me excited but uneasy that I was feeling potential with a different person.  I thought about him lying in our bed, for the first time in a while I almost dreaded having to go to sleep next to him.

halo.thomas

You’re gorgeous, Harry… but I have Pete

I stared at my phone, having to tap it again to stop the screen fading to black.  He was taking his time.  I thought I’d fucked it up until the little bubble finally reappeared.  I was too drunk to question why I was worried about fucking whatever it was we had up.

h_blacknirvana

I wasn’t suggesting anything, love… I know you’ve got a bloke… I’m merely stroking your ego until you tell me otherwise

I sighed, covering my drunken eyes with the palm of my hand.  All I wanted to do was tell him to keep talking until I drove myself to the edge.

halo.thomas

Ugh, fuck it

I paused myself, taking another large pull of the red liquid in my glass as my fingers became sweaty.

halo.thomas

Keep talking...

h_blacknirvana

What do you like, love… where would you want me if I was there?

I bit my lip, my eyes were hooded and at that point, anything he said would have started a fire in my belly.  I couldn’t fully comprehend the fact that this was happening.  This man had been the object of my affections for years.  I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to take advantage of everything he was clearly laying on the table.  

[lovemesomesurveys]

What’s your opinion on masturbation? I mean... you do you. ha. What is your favorite Queen song?   Bohemian Rhapsody and Under Pressure. Who is the sexiest celebrity? Would you cheat on your partner for this celebrity? If I haven’t already made it blatantly obvious by now, I really love me some Alexander Skarsgård. I’m single, so I’m ready when he is. haha. Do you take any medications? What for?   Depression and pain management. Who have you had an inappropriate crush on? No one.

Who was the last person you blocked on social media? Why?   No idea. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?   A friend last year. Have you ever talked to someone when they were high?   Yeah. Could you ever be friends with the person who hurt you most in life? I tried to be. Do you actually like going to school? I did sometimes, but I just would get so overwhelmed and stressed out so easily. If someone says to you “I don’t talk shit about people,” would you believe them?   I mean, they probably don’t make a habit of it or do it often but I think I everyone has and does at some point. You never know what you have until you’ve lost it, true or false?   That’s usually how it goes. Are you listening to anything?   Catfish. What’s the craziest thing you’ve done?   I don’t feel I’ve done anything crazy. Did you ever set up a lemonade stand when you were a kid? No. When was the last time you spoke to someone in a different language?   My brother and I used to practice Spanish together. We haven’t in awhile. I need to brush up on it again. If your favorite band/artist/celebrity had a reputation for being rude to fans, would this change your opinion of them? Would it make you stop following or being a fan of their works?   Oh man that would be absolutely devastating. However, I’ve only heard great things about him from many people who have worked with him, right down to a stylist and photographer. Anyone who has worked with him in some way say nothing but nice things. I’ve only heard nice fan stories, too. He seems like a genuinely nice guy. Out of all the people you know/have known, who do/did you have the hardest time getting along with and why?   I haven’t had a hard time getting along with anyone, really. Have you ever really been in a “complicated relationship”? How did that work out? In your opinion, what makes a relationship “complicated”?   That’s the entirety of Joseph and I’s “relationship.” Who was the first person you’ve ever fallen in love with? Is this a person you’re still in contact with? How do you know you’re in love with someone?  Joseph. No, we’re not. We still have each other on Facebook, but he doesn’t post anything or go on all that much I don’t think and I don’t go on as much anymore either. Every now and then he’ll like a photo or something I posted and vice versa, but that’s really the extent of it now. Have you ever successfully broken a bad habit? How about conquered a fear of something?   Hmm. Not that I can think of. I’ve tried many times, but end up falling back into it. Have you ever read a whole series of books? Yeah. Are you going to walk at your graduation or just pick your diploma up? I did the graduation ceremony at all my graduations. Do you own a pair of brass knuckles?   Nope. Have you ever tried to break a Guinness World Record?   No. Can you sing your ABC’s backwards?   It takes me longer. Do you like Skittles? They’re okay. I haven’t had them in years. I’m not much a fruity candy kind of person.

Is your bedroom upstairs or downstairs?   We only have one story. Do you know how to read music? Oh man, I’d be so rusty now. It’s been ten years since I’ve read sheet music. Who would you say has made the biggest impact on your life?   My mom. What was the reason for the last time you bled?   Hangnail. Does anyone in your family besides you play guitar?   I don’t, nor does anyone else in my family. Where did your last kiss take place? I actually don’t remember. It’s been 5 years. Have you ever been stuck in the “friend zone?”   I’m quite familiar with it. You can only listen to THREE CDs for the rest of your life. What are they?   I really don’t know. Do you own any shirts that have a year on it? Yeah. Do you have any scratches on your cell phone? Just a couple small ones. Is your skin tone lighter or darker than your mom’s? Lighter. Have you ever done another person’s make-up? Attempted to, yeah. Honestly, do you double dip? Not if I’m eating dip that other people are eating as well. if it’s just me then who cares. Do you save your old school work? I used to, yeah. I was a big hoarder with that stuff. Who were you last on an elevator with? My mom.

Do you know anyone that has a black belt in karate? Nope. How often do you wear hats?   Not that often. Is anyone saved in your phone under a nickname?   Yeah.

Have you ever ordered from an infomercial?   No. When, where, and why did a needle last pierce your skin?   When I had blood work done a few weeks ago. Who is the youngest gay person you know? One of my cousins. Have you ever watched an animal being eaten by another animal?   No. What is the strangest, most “out there” thing you believe? I don’t know. Do you get along with people who are especially religious? Why/why not?   Depends on the person.

What types of people do you have trouble getting along with? I mean, just snobby, rude, arrogant people. Have you ever drawn or painted a self-portrait? I tried and failed miserably. What foreign languages did your high school offer? Spanish, Japanese, Italian... I don’t remember what else. Do you have any interesting pillow cases?   I have a body pillow with giraffe print if that’s considered interesting. Probably not, but I love it all the same. Are you more afraid of spiders or bees?   B O T H, but a bee can chase me. :O Would you feel funny if you kissed somebody of the same sex?   Yeah, I wouldn’t feel comfortable. Would you rather donate time, blood, or money? Money. Can grills be sexy on a guy? I don’t find grills to be sexy on anyone, personally. When was the last time you ate marshmallows?   Not sure. It’s been awhile. A musical artist you love that isn’t well-known: Not sure. Does virginity matter to you? Yes. Last strong smell you can remember smelling? My food earlier. Last healthy thing you ate? Uhhh. Do you believe nude photos can be artistic, rather than erotic? I mean, they can be. Do you remember the first time you kissed the last person you kissed? Yes. Has your best friend ever seen you naked? Yes. Do you get mad when your current bf/gf talks about an ex?   Do you think you’ll be married in 5 years?   Nooo. I’m sure I’ll still be single. Do you know anybody who was abused? Yes. Would you prefer a baby boy or girl? No babies for me. Well, just furbabies. When did you last feel like your privacy was invaded? Not sure. Do your parents volunteer anywhere? No. Does your kitchen have an island? No. Have you ever bought or sold something on Facebook Marketplace? Nope. Are you one to approach others, or let them approach you first? I’m not likely to approach anyone. Do you have a little sister? What’s her name? Nope. Would you cry if you found out you were pregnant?   Yes. I’d be scared out of my mind considering I’m a virgin and anyway I can’t have kids. Who was the last person you did anything sexual with?   Joseph. Do you have a steering wheel cover? I don’t drive. What kind of wild cat would you be? *shrug* If you were a different religion from your current one, what would it be? Why? I wouldn’t be a different religion than what I am. What do you think of when you see sharp knives? I think of scary movies like Michael Myers type stuff. The highway and back roads take you to the same place; choose your route.   Sometimes it’s nice to take the back roads. Should adopted kids be allowed to find their birth parents if they want to?   Yes, of course they should be able to try. Sadly, sometimes the parents don’t want to be found.

[surveysonfleek]

1105.

What’s your opinion on masturbation? i don’t really have an opinion. i feel like it’s natural to explore your body, whether you like doing it or not is cool. What is your favorite Queen song?   bohemian rhapsody. Who is the sexiest celebrity? Would you cheat on your partner for this celebrity? rihanna. i wouldn’t lol. Do you take any medications? What for?   birth control... obvious reasons. Who have you had an inappropriate crush on? no one.

Who was the last person you blocked on social media? Why?   my boyfriend’s brother’s ex. only coz she was crazy and i don’t want her stalking our lives. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?   my boyfriend when he had surgery. Have you ever talked to someone when they were high?   yes. Could you ever be friends with the person who hurt you most in life? hmm it depends how badly they hurt me. Do you actually like going to school? meh, it was so long ago. i didn’t hate it but i didn’t like it. If someone says to you “I don’t talk shit about people,” would you believe them?   haha it depends who said it. everyone talks shit, some just sugar coat it. You never know what you have until you’ve lost it, true or false?   nah. Are you listening to anything?   the tv. What’s the craziest thing you’ve done?   do multiple drugs in one night. it’s so unlike me. Did you ever set up a lemonade stand when you were a kid? nope. When was the last time you spoke to someone in a different language?   my supervisor. If your favorite band/artist/celebrity had a reputation for being rude to fans, would this change your opinion of them? Would it make you stop following or being a fan of their works?   it would change my opinion for sure. never meet your idols right? Out of all the people you know/have known, who do/did you have the hardest time getting along with and why?   idk. if i don’t get along with them i won’t bother. Have you ever really been in a “complicated relationship”? How did that work out? In your opinion, what makes a relationship “complicated”?   nope. Who was the first person you’ve ever fallen in love with? Is this a person you’re still in contact with? How do you know you’re in love with someone?   my current boyfriend. you just know. Have you ever successfully broken a bad habit? How about conquered a fear of something?   yes. bit my nails throughout my childhood and eventually got over it. got over my fear of dogs by getting one and got over my fear of sleeping in the dark by... just growing up lol Have you ever read a whole series of books? yes. Are you going to walk at your graduation or just pick your diploma up? i walked. Do you own a pair of brass knuckles?   nope. Have you ever tried to break a Guinness World Record?   nope. Can you sing your ABC’s backwards?   i could try but i wouldn’t be great. Do you like Skittles? not a fan tbh. Is your bedroom upstairs or downstairs?   upstairs. Do you know how to read music? no. Who would you say has made the biggest impact on your life?   my immediate family since i’ve been with them from day one and my boyfriend. What was the reason for the last time you bled?   period. Does anyone in your family besides you play guitar?   my dad does. Where did your last kiss take place? at the front of my house. Have you ever been stuck in the "friend zone?”   haha yes. You can only listen to THREE CDs for the rest of your life. What are they?   haha no. Do you own any shirts that have a year on it? yes. Do you have any scratches on your cell phone? no. thank god for screen protectors. Is your skin tone lighter or darker than your mom’s? we’re literally the same. Have you ever done another person’s make-up? yes. not well lol. Honestly, do you double dip? yep lol. Do you save your old school work? i have a few old books and stuff. Who were you last on an elevator with?  just me.

Do you know anyone that has a black belt in karate? nope. How often do you wear hats?   hardly ever. Is anyone saved in your phone under a nickname?   nope.

Have you ever ordered from an infomercial?   no. When, where, and why did a needle last pierce your skin?   i got a blood test a couple months ago coz i was sick. Who is the youngest gay person you know? idk. Have you ever watched an animal being eaten by another animal?   yes. What is the strangest, most “out there” thing you believe? eh nothing that weird. conspiracy theories are fun to read but i don’t believe in any of them passionately. Do you get along with people who are especially religious? Why/why not?   i’ll get along with them if they don’t try and shove their religion down my throat.

What types of people do you have trouble getting along with? honestly anyone that’s rude. Have you ever drawn or painted a self-portrait? nope haha. What foreign languages did your high school offer? just italian. Do you have any interesting pillow cases?   no. i have one that apparently stops acne but meh. Are you more afraid of spiders or bees?   bees. Would you feel funny if you kissed somebody of the same sex?   yeah. there’s no need since i have a boyfriend. Would you rather donate time, blood, or money? money. Can grills be sexy on a guy? haha not for me personally. When was the last time you ate marshmallows?   two weeks ago. we were roasting them at the fire. What’s your favorite style/cut of underwear? boy shorts. A musical artist you love that isn’t well-known: majid jordan. Does virginity matter to you? not really. Last strong smell you can remember smelling? feet hahaha. Last healthy thing you ate? is sushi healthy lol. Do you believe nude photos can be artistic, rather than erotic? of course. Do you remember the first time you kissed the last person you kissed? yes. so much cringe. Has your best friend ever seen you naked? yes. Do you get mad when your current bf/gf talks about an ex?   nah. Do you think you’ll be married in 5 years?   yes. Do you know anybody who was abused? yes. Would you prefer a baby boy or girl? a girl. When did you last feel like your privacy was invaded? not sure. Do your parents volunteer anywhere? nope. Does your kitchen have an island? no. Have you ever bought or sold something on Facebook Marketplace? no. Are you one to approach others, or let them approach you first? hmm both. it depends if i like them lol. Do you have a little sister? What’s her name? d. Would you cry if you found out you were pregnant?   idk if i’d cry. i’d definitely be shocked. Who was the last person you did anything sexual with?   my boyfriend. Do you have a steering wheel cover? yes. What kind of wild cat would you be? panther. If you were a different religion from your current one, what would it be? Why? none. What do you think of when you see sharp knives? food. sashimi lol. The highway and back roads take you to the same place; choose your route.   highway if it gets me there quicker. Should adopted kids be allowed to find their birth parents if they want to?   yep. why shouldn’t they be?

[rwbyremnants]

NOTE: Sorry about the wait there, but I hopefully can get the next chaps out a lot sooner! Thanks for all the reviews, I'm always given a little Mana Boost when I read them!

=Chapter 11

Within a little over a week, Weiss had completed her tour stops at St. Louis, Tulsa, Dallas, Austin, and Little Rock. Each show was a tremendous success, with media attention across all platforms. Thanks to Yang, any unwanted photos were unusable, and there had been seemingly no further slip-ups in security. Business as usual.

Not only that, but many of the fellow security staff and makeup crew had noted that Weiss seemed far happier than she ever had before, and that she was a lot kinder and more forgiving when they made mistakes. Even though there were bigger divas in the business, she had not been exactly “easy” to work with before. She was like a brand new woman, even if they didn’t know precisely why.

There were social benefits for Yang, as well. As time went on, she was growing more and more confident in not just her job, but with the staff and the crowds in general. Despite her flirtatious nature, Yang had an ingrained habit of avoiding talking if she was able to, but now it was no longer an issue. There wasn't the horrible feeling in the background that people would know her secret instantly, and the fear of anyone finding out had simply… vanished. For the first time in her life, she was starting to finally feel not partially, but fully comfortable in her own skin.

Alas, they couldn't allow their relationship to become public knowledge. There was too much of a risk to her career, with not just the media attention, but the backlash from her father. Considering he had pushed her into becoming a Christian singer when she was young, he certainly would not approve of her straying this far from “the path of righteousness”. But that didn't mean that cuddling, kissing and other things had to be off limits. They just had to remain behind closed doors.

As it neared midnight over a week after their relationship became so much more physical, their next destination still hours away, the couple got hungry. The crew had stopped for a nap break, anyway, so she and Yang zipped off a few miles down the road to a small coffee house along the highway. This time of night, there were only a few people inside, but that was preferable; less attention to be raised.

"So, what you having?"

“Hmm,” Weiss mused as she looked down the page of the menu. “I’ll try the… what is a ‘Po Boy’, anyway?”

“Sandwich,” the squat woman taking their order told her. “One of the better ones on the menu, I can tell you that.”

“Oh.” Glancing at Yang, she shrugged and said, “Then I’ll try one of those, and some of your fries with a light sprinkling of sea salt. And a lemonade.” The woman scribbled down the order – though she had rolled her eyes at the salt request – then looked over at the blonde.

"I'll have a fully loaded waffle, extra bacon, and a coffee with cream and sugar." She smiled up at the woman, placing the menu down in the small holster at their side as she left, then gazed over the room. It was a quaint enough little place, neon lights around the front counter to give off a fifties appearance, red leather seating on the booths and bar seats, a jukebox sat to one side that was turned off for some reason. If it were twelve in the afternoon rather than the morning, a place like this would usually draw a decent crowd in such a small town.

“Maybe I should have tried a milkshake,” Weiss hissed to Yang once the woman had moved off. “Or should I say ‘chocolate malt’? It would suit this atmosphere.”

"Milkshakes, fifties-looking joint… I should have worn my leather jacket. We coulda sang ‘Greased Lightnin’!" She glance over at the jukebox again. "Shame that’s out of commission. The quiet makes it a lil spooky."

Shrugging, Weiss pulled a packet of Sweet N’ Low out of the holder and began turning it in her fingertips, simply to busy her hands. They wanted to reach out and take Yang’s, but again, that would be a public display of affection - which they had both agreed was out of the question.

“Guess it does. At least it’s not on and playing one of my songs, though.”

"Good luck trying to get that ol' thing to work,” a rather tall blonde woman behind the bar called up, having either heard part of their conversation, or at least seen Yang staring over at it. “Broke a couple o' weeks ago. Had to hire my lil' brother to come in and play the guitar and sing all last week to keep the lunch hour entertained." As she went to fetch more cream for the coffee, she gestured toward the corner. "Hell, if you want music, guitar's right over there."

Smiling demurely, Weiss said, “No, thank you.” Then she lowered her voice to add, “I don’t want anyone recognizing my singing voice; plus, if I play the guitar I’m sure to break a nail. I only play while we’re recording and I’m not making ‘appearances’.”

Yang continued to stare for a moment, shrugging her shoulders lightly as the woman brought their coffees. One black, the other with cream as requested. Once she had gone, Yang chuckled. "Would you believe me if I told you I used to play?"

“Really?” The polite smile turned into one of genuine interest. “Xiao Long, there are more layers to you than meets the eye. What did you play? Lead, bass?”

"Lead. I only ever had an acoustic guitar before, but I had to sell it when I moved. Haven’t played in a little while, but I still remember some of the little tunes I made up." Taking a sip of java, she began to sink into her seat happily. "Ahhhhh, that's the stuff…"

That made Weiss contemplative for a moment, even as she was watching how happy Yang was to be sipping at her coffee. Eventually, she opened the packet of sweetener and poured it into her cup, but she was still thinking as she sipped the bitter liquid.

Then, right around the time their waitress brought out her lemonade, she suddenly blurted out, “Show me.”

It was said in the middle of her sip, and thus suddenly made her eyes snap open wide, and made her almost spit what she had in her mouth out. Thankfully she could swallow, but it didn’t erase the bug-eyed look.

"S-scuze me?! Weiss, that’s- c’mon, I know you’re suddenly all about dirtying up your ‘squeaky clean’ image, but we’re in the middle of a restaurant!"

"Not that you dolt! You’re terrible! I meant the guitar," Weiss whispered with a coy smile, fingertips playing around the rim of her coffee cup. "Right here, right now. Show me what you got."

Another gaze around the room was needed before she made her decision. It wasn't a very big audience. Weiss, three truckers sat up at the bar, one lonely police officer half asleep in one of the corner booths, and the two waitresses. Even so, she was years out of practice. Would Weiss want to hear her sounding like a cat on a fence?

But as she stared down at the coffee cup, the less she was beginning to care. Weiss liked her, and she was already the musician in their relationship; there was no real impetus to “impress” her when she definitely wouldn’t be impressed. That removed a lot of the stage fright. Besides, they had only come in for a quick meal, then they would be gone. And frankly, Yang could always fall asleep in the bus before it was brought up again.

"Ah, fuck it." Before she could talk herself out of it, Yang stood from the table.

Pleased both that she was getting her way, and that Yang would be displaying whatever level of skill she might have, her employer turned in her chair to face the corner where Yang was just pulling the guitar into her lap. Though the diva promised herself she would not react negatively, even if Yang couldn't carry a tune in a bucket; after all, she did say it had been quite some time since she last touched a guitar.

For a few short moments, Yang ran her fingers over the strings, playing a few quiet chords to test the sound. It seemed in tune, she thought. Then she played a few notes of a simple medley; nothing memorable, just to test its sound and refamiliarise herself with it after so long. Then she made sure her chair was faced as much toward Weiss as she could get it, staring down at the strings as she prepared. Tapping her foot to a somewhat slower rhythm than Weiss's songs would be, she mouthed in time with the beat.

"One, two, three, four…”

The gentle melody that began to flow out of the instrument was one that very much suited the sleepy atmosphere of such a small town at that time of night. It wasn't a song that had been on the radio, or in the background of the movie.

Which Weiss was certainly listening for. Yang wasn't lying when she said she had written a few tunes. Still, the way she had talked about her playing made her think it was a simple three-chord ditty, just something she had messed around with – maybe a slight variance on a popular song. But this was something completely new, and completely beautiful. Rough around the edges, and she heard a few notes in there that Yang had missed slightly, but clearly that was more a by-product of being out of practice than of lack of talent. The tune itself was completely captivating, effortless.

Yang, all of it was Yang.

By the time the strings fell silent and the spell broken, she was startled to see their plates of food were now on the table. So engrossed had she been in the strains of the guitar that she hadn't even noticed them being brought along. Hastening to fill the void left by the song, she began to clap, and the other patrons clapped, as well – one man wolf-whistled, probably mostly because Yang was a beautiful blonde. Maybe they hadn't enjoyed it quite as much as Weiss, but they definitely didn't hate it.

It wasn't something Yang expected at all. Perhaps polite applause from Weiss, but not from everyone present, including the two waitresses behind the counter. Looking toward them with a blush on her face, she placed the guitar back in the corner, offering a small curtsy to those looking her way before she rejoined Weiss.

"That…" The normally self-assured diva tried to form words for several seconds; she only succeeded in gesticulating weirdly. Finally, she reached across the table and grasped Yang's forearms as hard as she could. "YOU!"

Looking back toward her with eyes as wide as she could possibly manage in her somewhat sleepy state, she raised her shoulders hesitantly. Had she really stank that bad? "I told you I was a lil' rusty, but, yeah, that's that."

"Rusty? You… you are just…" Sitting back with wide eyes, Weiss chuckled just a little. "How dare you!"

Taking up her knife and fork, Yang could only keep her hands busy by cutting up her waffle, staring down at her plate to avoid eye contact. "What? I mean I just… I had a lot of free time when I made it up. Never claimed it was gonna take the world by storm, just that it was-"

"How DARE you keep this talent a secret, you jerk! I can't believe that all this time, I've had a gifted musician standing around and beating people up for me!"

Although flattered, which was somewhat obvious by the red cheeks behind the cup as she had another sip of the coffee, Yang continued to be modest about such a performance. Complimenting her looks was something she could accept pretty easy, but anything else was beyond her ken.

"’Gifted’, huh? You don’t have to butter me up. I mean it's nothing like your songs." She put the mug down, tucking into a slice of the waffle to fill the brief silence.

"The hell it’s not!" Taking a breath, she wiped a hand down her face, smearing a tiny bit of her mascara in the process. She was too distracted to notice. "You… I mean, okay yes, my songs are normally more glam-pop-oriented, but there's definitely room on the radio for breezy guitar pop like yours! What do you call that one?"

Looking upward in thought, she quickly swallowed what mouthful she had, already preparing the next bite before she could answer that question – a preemptive escape route. "It… doesn't have a name yet, I guess. Never bothered to think of one. But I remember writing it when…"

"When WHAT?!" But she noticed Yang was wincing at her outbursts, and being evasive, so she cleared her throat and tried to compose herself. "Sorry. I mean, when did you write it?"

“Well...” She began to lean in toward Weiss, quickly gazing around the room to make sure no one was listening in. It was a too sensitive subject to be yelled out loud. "I started writing it before I came out to Blake, as kind of a way of… y’know, venting my feelings. Had to do something. And I kept working on it before I came out to my dad and Ruby, too. I mean, you can't really tell from just a melody with no words, but it's sort of my way of trying to get me to accept myself? I guess. Um, nevermind."

"Oh…" Now Weiss felt stupid for having pushed so much; those parts of Yang's life were still very sensitive, even though she was so far along in her journey. There did seem to be a secret pain behind the melody, but she was so used to hearing songs day in, day out, that she sometimes didn’t pay much attention to the meaning that the music itself could carry. "Well… you can play it for me anytime you need to vent about it again. It's beautiful. Absolutely, hauntingly beautiful."

"Hey, don't sweat it. I don't mind you knowing its origin." But just before she finished the rest of her meal, a thought seemed to have crossed her mind. As much was obvious by the way she stared in the general direction of the guitar and smiled to herself. "It'd be even prettier with lyrics, I think. One of those 'this is who I am' songs rather than 'this is who I'll screw'. Don't think it'd ever sell well on the radio, but it would be nice if it was… out there. For anybody who needs it, or whatever. Not that I’m any kind of singer – trust me. My girl singing voice is almost as bad as my guy singing voice was."

All the diva did while listening was continue to make her way through her po' boy - which turned out to be tasty, even if a tad spicier than her palate was normally comfortable with. Her mind was racing, trying to make sense of all this new and fascinating information she had just been handed. She’d never expected this. Seemed her bodyguard was full of surprises.

A few moments of silence followed as both finished their meals, Yang draining the last of her coffee. Which as it turned out, was doing nothing to really wake her up; she was lucky to have even kept her eyes open all this time. But as she sat and waited for Weiss to finish her drink, she smiled contentedly. It was always nice being out with her girlfriend – even if it was still fresh and new.

“Well, it’s a shame you didn’t show me this talent of yours before now,” Weiss sighed as she set down her own fork. “We could have enjoyed some random duets all along the tour.”

“Stop,” Yang laughed easily. Then she came over wistful, staring down into her empty cup. "Wish I still had a guitar so I could play it more often, if you like it that much. Guess I could do air guitar."

"Do you?" she replied, playing it cool. "Then perhaps you should put aside a little money. We could even make a stop at a music store in a few days, so you can price them. Could lead to a whole new career path of busking in the park."

"Maybe once the tour is over, sure. But for now, I'd rather focus on beating people up for you." She winked. Not quite tired enough to completely change her personality just yet. “But apparently I suck at that and should become a street performer, huh?”

"That's… I was kidding, of course you're good at your job!" Weiss blustered, frowning at Yang as she set down her lemonade for the final time.

"You're damn right I'm good at my job. Saved your ass, remember?" They were at a point now when the subject of the knifeman could be brought up. At least, it could between those two. To anyone else, Weiss would be silent, not want to say a word. But with Yang, making light of the danger was a way of coping.

Finally, Yang rose from her seat, pacing out from their table as she waited for the diva. With a grumbled "Yeah, yeah," she eventually joined her, leaving a twenty on their table to cover the meal. But her mind was still deep in thought about Yang's playing. How could she not know she could play to please the angels themselves?

As they crossed the parking lot to get back to the bike, it seemed Yang's state of tiredness was becoming more and more apparent. She was wobbling in her footsteps occasionally, constantly yawning, struggling to keep her eyes open… How on earth could she ride the bike like this? It was only a five-minute ride, but she knew she wouldn't make it that far. But perhaps…

"Hey Weiss?" she asked tiredly, trying to hold off another yawn. "How about you drive?"

"How ab…" Her eyes went wide as she turned back to blink at Yang. "This is your baby though! You told me over and over – I couldn't dream of trying, I've only driven a motorcycle like, twice!"

"And that's still way more than I expected and throws me off whenever you say it." Passing her one of the helmets, and fastening her own in place, she had to yawn yet again. "Look, you're more awake than me. And it's only five minutes down the road. I'll be right there with you, okay?"

Weiss's eyes went to the motorcycle. There was fear there, and hesitation… but also a gleam of interest. She loved riding on the back of it, and wanted to be in charge of that power herself. Wanted to feel the handlebars thrum under her own palms.

"Are you sure?" she asked, turning away from the bike. Away from temptation. "I mean, I'd pay for everything if I put a scratch on it, of course, but I still don't want to hurt your ride."

"Thought you liked feeling me pressed up against your back." Yet again, she smirked to her, even giving a small wink. Of course Yang would refer to their sleeping habits and the things that drove Weiss mad with need in the middle of a serious chat. It was in her nature.

Cheeks only pinkening the slightest bit at the provocation, she sauntered over to the bike, calling over her shoulder, "Sometimes I think you like my ass more than the rest of me." But she put on a good show of throwing her leg over the bike, letting Yang get just the tiniest glimpse of her strawberry-patterned underwear under her skirt before it settled.

It only made Yang growl with joy as she climbed on behind her, budging herself forward as much as she could so she was right behind her. Allowing her arms to settle around her, she taunted by deliberately pushing her hips up against Weiss's backside a moment.

"Well, you do let me get pretty close to it. A lot."

A gust of flustered air pushed from Weiss's nostrils. No, she couldn't feel terribly much through all the fabric, but knowing what was back there made a tingling begin that she would have to ignore if she wanted to drive properly.

"Okay, so…" She slipped the key into the ignition, made sure she had the brake applied, and then turned the key. Instantly, the motor roared to life. "Anything else I should remember?"

"Works the same as a regular Yamaha, but the accelerator is tweaked. So just keep it slow and steady; don’t rev too fast," she warned, giving a small squeeze around her waist as she finally lifted her legs off the ground, giving Weiss full control.

They peeled out from the parking lot. Weiss did a good job of taking things rather slow - other than once or twice when her hand slipped and they took off like a shot, but she managed to bring everything back under control again within a block or two. Gradual decreases kept them from wiping out completely.

All the while, the warm presence of Yang against her back was such a comfort that she found it hard to be all that frightened of losing control. They both knew what they were doing; Yang simply had more practice, that was all. Meanwhile, Yang kept her hands on her girlfriend, watching the road ahead as though she were driving herself. Weiss was quite good once she had gained her confidence, just as well as Yang was a decent musician when she gained hers. In her tired state, she did manage to lean into Weiss's neck, giving it a small kiss as they continued the gentle pace.

"Am I doing okay?!" Weiss demanded in a voice nearly an octave higher than usual as they idled at a red light.

"You're doing fine!" She squeezed her slightly closer in the moment they'd stopped, pressing yet another kiss to her cheek. From how soppy she was being on their journey, it was obvious she was on the verge of falling asleep.

When they finally made it back to where the bus was parked, she leaned Yang against the side of the trailer hitched to the back before pushing the bike inside on her own. It wasn't easy for her thin arms, but she managed. Then she locked it up and led Yang inside their living quarters, patting her tired shoulders in sympathy.

By the time they got ready for bed and slid into the sheets, they were already on the road. The driver would be going all night so that they were most of the way back up toward Indianapolis by the time they woke up; he sometimes swapped out with one of the other roadies who wad guiding the bus full of Weiss’s entourage.

"Yang?" she whispered while snuggling up against Yang's back, just to see if she was asleep yet.

Nuzzled into the pillows and the sheets, Yang shuffled her head very slightly when she heard her name called, whispering very quietly, "Yeah?"

The younger woman debated for a moment. "I'm sorry for pushing you for the story about that song. Didn't think it would be so personal - but that's no excuse for me being pushy."

"You didn't push." The words were so quiet compared to her normal voice. Clutching the sheets to pull more of them onto herself, she continued, "Maybe one day, you'll have your own song like that. One about… coming out."

"Maybe," Weiss breathed into her blonde mane as she began to drift herself. "We'll see."

Under the sheets, Yang held the hand that Weiss had on her stomach tightly. At this time of night, it was too late for her to make up jokes, or even to lie; she was at her most honest. She might as well be drunk.

"I know it's hard for you. All this. You didn't want to be like me, because you don't wanna disappoint your dad, or your religion or whatever. But listen – you're not messing up, or hurting anybody. You are who you are. And that's perfect as it is, whatever it is."

Weiss's eyebrows knitted as she listened. Yang was trying to soothe her about things she hadn't even been thinking that deeply upon, but once said… she couldn't deny they were true. Her lyrics stuck to such surface topics as boys and "girl power" and partying because digging into anything deeper was terrifying. She didn't want to put herself out there, to challenge people's perceptions. Especially not those of her family. But Yang was right; she was who she was. Fighting it would have made her miss out on this glorious relationship. So maybe she should push her boundaries a little after all.

As she drifted off to sleep, the awakening diva also thought she might know exactly where to start…

[emziley]

All of the even numbers!

P.s I hope this spaced out like I want it too because if not its going to be one hell of a read and I am sorry...2, Nicknames that didnt come from my actual name: Alma (because the woman in sister act who can’t hear 😂) er thers probably others I can’t think of right now…4, Longest my hair has ever been:Down to my butt. Never again.6,What is one (1) Item on bucket list: To meet all my long-distance frienfs in person8, Oldest pice of clothing I still wear:Umm I probably have socks from when I was a kid I still wear XD idk10, How grammatically correct are you when you text?:I typically text how I would actually talk out loud so not very…12, what foreign country would you like to visit and why? :Probably Ireland is first on my list because of how beautiful it is and how much of my family came from there 14, how old where you when you had your first kiss? 17 or 18 I think? I was a senior in highschool 16, have you ever hosted a wild party? Wild? No. 18, How many of your facebook friends to you actually hang out with?Like… 7 max not including family? 20, on a scale of 1-10 how much do you enjoy decorating for hollidays Uhh probably like an 8? I enjoy how they look but the effort of putting them up and taking them down I could do without lol 22, what is your go to starbucks drink?I have never had starbucks :/24, Dogs or Cats?Why choose?26, have you ever cooked a big family meal by yourself?Not really? I mean, If I make pasta it could feed a large family…. 28, Have you ever butt dialed anyone?Probably.30, How early do you start celebrating christmas?Right after thanks giving XD32, Are you fluent in more than one language? I wish I was tbh….maybe some day…34, Have you ever been on a successful diet?I feel like “successful” and “diet” arent words that can really be used together in a positive way.36, how good are you at communicating through facial expressions?Better than with words…38, Have you ever left a movie theater before the movie was over? Not that I can remember…40, Does your home have a fire place?We have a fernace and then a fake electric one in the living room42, If you could have one (1) super power what would it be and why?The power to manipulate probablility because you can have anything you want? Like whats the probably of me getting pizza tonight? Probablg like 40% but I could turn that 40% into 100% and definatly get pizza tonight.44, do you listen to religious music? Not typically, no.46, what is your ACT score?🙃48, On a scale of 1-10 how good of a driver would you consider yourself? Idk like a 5? I dont have my licents because im scared to drive but the times I did go out and drive I wasnt bad.50, How easily do you cry?VERY. You could look at me wrong and there will be tears. Or a puppy could do something cute and water works are on the way lol52, when you hang out with your closest friend what do you usually do? My closest friend is my partner so we’re usually cuddling or playing games or watching something on YouTube or Netflix54, Can you play any musical instraments? If so which ones?Yes! I can play the guitar, steel drums, and piano (albeit not well) , I can sing and honestly, would like to learn more instraments soon!56, What was the last CD you bought?Either X or ÷ by Ed Sheeran for my sister for christmas I think58, What day is your laundry day?Right now, Monday-Saturday, I dont typically have a specific day just as long as its not sunday, thats dads laundry day!60, How long have you known your best friend?4 or 5 years now?62, do you have any stickers on your laptop?Currently I don’t have my own laptop, but I use my moms and she has a message from my aunt tapped on it kind of like a sticker? It says “Teddy grams 3 points” from when they where doing weight watchers XD64, what is your favorite flavor ice cream?Mint chocolate chip!66, Star Treck or Star WarsI haven’t seen either tbh but I want to! 68, Have you ever acted in a play or musical?Yes! Anything goes, A mid-summer nights dream, 9 to 5, Mrs. McThing, and Tarzan! I still have A mid-summer nights dream on DVD lol I wish I could again…70, What is the shortest your hair has been?I think chin length? 72, Do you like to go fishing?My dad told me a horror story once about when he went fishing with his brother… I’ll spare you the details but I’m afraid to go…but I have before and I dont have the patients tbh I do love fish though!74, what was your favorite holoween costume and how old where you?I was the I think red M&M? Idk how old I was but probably between 4 and 876, How many pillows do you sleep with?Between 1 and 4. Depends if Im sharing.78, How many friends of the oposite gender do you have?I….Really dont know? I think half of them don’t even know their own gender tbh80, How long have you been at your current jobI currently dont have a job :/82, How flexible are you?Psyically not very, but im working on that!84, what is a phrase you say the most?“Why are you like this” is probably my favorite XD 86, Do you own any home made clothing?Some of my cosplays are home made, along with a prom dress! 88, Have you every given anyone CPR No, I know how to but I think in the situation I would panic and freeze and not even be able to…90, Discribe your sense of humor?Odd and all over the place. 92, What is your favorite cereal?Probably honey smacks! 94, Have you ever had a TV show theme song stuck in your head?I get a few stuck in my head from time to time, like Steven Universe or Gravity Falls and stuff 96, Do you believe in life on other planets?Yeah…. I mean bacteria and stuff is tecnically life? But there’s gotta be something outside our solar system too…98, what is your biggest fear?Dying alone or being abandoned….100, are you still friends with anyone from highschool?Yes.102, How patient are you?With other people? Very. With myself? Not really. With waiting for something to happen? Not at all. 104, Do you eat meat? Yeah, im picky about it though…106, Have you ever bought anything from the flea market? I don’t think so?108, Have you ever gotten a song stuck in your head that you dont like?Unfortunatly.110, Have you ever warn glasses?Yes! I did when I was young, went a few years without needing them and now wear them again.112, Are your birth parents still together?Yes.114, what is your favorite type of cookie?Peanut butter blossoms. The peanut butter ones with the Hershey kiss in the middle 😍116, How often do you smile when getting your picture taken? I usually smile I think? If im taking selfies I sometimes do a pouty face but…?118, what is your oldest memory?I have a very distinct memory of sitting in my crib with my legs hanging out the side. I don’t know why I remember THAT but I do120, How often do you snort when you laugh?I dont know? Not too often… but if you get me really laughing I will and it makes me laugh more. Right now I’ve just been laughing and coughing so~122, What is your favorite Disney song? Probably “How far I’ll go” from moana? Or like anything from mulan XD124, What is your Mayers-Briggs personality type? INFP-T 126, one (1) thing yoy wish people would stop posting on social media: Pictures and shit of animal abuse. I get the posts like “hey this is a shit thing to do” but do we really need photos or videos of it?…. and when reported to facebook you’re told it “doesn’t violate community guidelines” like bull fucking shit it doesnt. 128, do you prefer Credit Cards or cash?Cash, its easier for me to keep track of, and money gives me anxiety. 130, What is your astrological sign?I fall on a cusp birthday so I am technically both a Scorpio and Sagitarius. 132, Do you have any hidden talents?I don’t even have any visable talents…134, What gives yoy motivstion to do well in life?I dont know but whatever it is isn’t working.136, on a scale od 1-10 how much are you like your father?Looks: like 3, personality: 8ish 138, A moment when you where pleasently suprised?Probably when Tom actually said yes to dating me after 3 days of waiting. At that point I gave up hope at the words “I’ll have to think about it” so when they said yes it was just~ 😶140, what type of shoes do you wear the most?My penguin sneakers! Or my boots… either one lol142, Favorite song to sing in the shower?I have a whole playlist of songs just to sing… and my top 5 from that in no particular order is 1. Red flavor by red velvet 2. Evil by shinee, 3. Good bye by Taemin, 4, cotton candy by astro and 5, Nightmare by shinee. They’re all kpop so its kinda hard 😂144, Have you ever lived on a farm? I mean where my house is used to be a farm? We have barns and stuff. We also grow some fruits and vegetables and at one point had ducks? but I wouldn’t really say I lived on a farm… 146, what tv show or movie do you quote or make referances to the most? Probably steven universe? Idk148, Have you ever gotten stiches?No, and I probably wouldn’t be able yo handle if if I had to. 150, What is your favorite youtube channel?As embarrassing as it is to say to you~ it probably will always be artfulImpersonator 😶😶😶 152, on a scale of 1-10 how well do you work with others?Im going to say 5 because it REALLY depends who im working with. 154, Apple or PC?….uh they both have good qualities, I guess it depends what Im using it for, but I guess PC for casual use156, Have you ever seen a broadway play or musical? I seen Newsies and almost fell asleep…. not because it was a bad show or anything but because it was a school trip and I was just exhausted. 158, Have you ever uttered a spoke hashtag? #yes. Usually as jokes but uhhh sometimes I get carried away. 160, What is the longest you went without sleep? Probably 24 hours? Maybe less? 162, Disney or Nickelodeon? As I kid I was a Disney kid, but Now probably Nick?164, On a scale from 1-10 how much are you like your mom?Looks: 8 personality: maybe a 6?166, Ear bud or Ear muff style headphones?Ear muff style! Ear buds hurt my ears :(168, any peircings besides earlobe? Nah,170, Showers or baths?I like them both. For actually cleaning showers but for relaxing baths. Something about the warm water :)172, do you prefer bottled or tap water?Depends where I am? At my house Tap but most places bottled.174, Do you have any guilty pleasures you’d be comfortable talking about?Guilty pleasures? Pleanty. Comfortable talking about on a public forum such as tumblr? Not really XD…. I mean I guess liking one direction still is a guilty pleasure? Or some of the anime’s I watch? I’ll mention those ones176, Ever had a new years kiss exactly at midnight? No…. I found im usually grumpy on new years? I wonder why? 🤔178, Have you ever gave money to a homeless person? I dont think so :( I dont usually have that much on me… 180, What is your least favorite food? Anything slimey. Im a very texture based eater… 182, Do you like wearing hats? When im not wearing cat ears, yes!184, SAT score?🙃🙃186, anyone in your family currently serve in your countries military? I think my cousin, Yeah?…or he wants to or something im not sure…188, what celebrity would you like to play you in a movie about your life? Can I just play myself? 190, Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes, and it needs to be dyed again! Idk what color I want to do next though :/192, whats the first site you visit after opining a web browser? Depends what I went in the computer for but I guess generally Tumblr or Facebook 194, where you involved in any academic clubs in school? Unfortunatly, no. 196, are you comfortable watching R rated movies? Yeah, im fine with them.... unless im with my parents 😨198, what's the first thing you do when you wake up? Check my phone.200, tell us something most people don't know about youThat I have a collection of stuffed giraffes in my closet from when I was a kid. I no longer collect them but alot of them are still sitting in a bag in my closet because I've grown attached...

[morganhazelwood]

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Bonus  | Part 6

Part 6: Videos – YouTube+

Note: I know I’m talking about YouTube, just days after the San Bruno attacks. My heart goes out to those affected by the attacks.

I’ve talked about a LOT of social media forms. You might have wondered what could POSSIBLY be next?

Google+ or LinkedIn (Nah, although, I do cross-post my blog over there, for people who prefer those social media forms, they don’t seem active enough)

Goodreads? No, although, I’m there and in a few book clubs.I mostly use it to keep a presence, and stay accountable for my book-reading goals.

I’m pretty sure you’re all thinking “Um, Morgan, I think you’ve gone seriously overboard on this social media thing…” and you’re COMPLETELY right.

Today, though? Today, I’m going to be talking about VIDEOS. Both at Youtube, and in other social media forms.

  YouTube

YouTube is second only to Netflicks in using up bandwidth on the internet. It’s huge.

What’s more? Videos go viral all the time. New ones, old ones, quirky ones, it’s hard to know what’s going to be popular.

So, how do you get that to work for you as a writer?

I have a YouTube channel [Subscribe Here!] and, as I say in my episodes, it’s “my online blog, in video format.” So, if you’d rather listen to me ramble while doing other things, you totally can.

How To Start A YouTube Channel

A video channel should be approached like a website.

Pick a theme and stick with it

Pick an update schedule and stick with it

Pick a format and stick with it

(noticing a trend here?)

Step One – Check out the other Writer Vloggers

See what else is out there, see what other writers are doing, see if there’s a niche you can fill or a format you prefer for getting the information.

It’s hard to establish quality content if you don’t know what sort of options there are and what formats appeal to you.

Here’s a list of the top 15 from The Write Life.

Step Two – Set-up To Film A Vlog

Necessary equipment:

camera

microphone

a youtube account

preferably some WiFi to upload this thing, cause videos are large

Beyond that, all I use is a Logitech HD 1080p USB camera and 2 umbrella lights – all birthday presents from family – pictured above. Oh, and MS Paint.

Equipment to up your game:

umbrella lights

a webcam that isn’t built into your computer

a quiet space

video editing software

a microphone (maybe with pop filters!)

interesting-yet-not-distracting background (clean up trash, dirty clothes)

makeup – maybe even some if you’re not femme presenting. Minimalist suggestions are:

foundation to even out skin tone and get rid of shine

mascara to make the eyes pop

a touch of lip color, to define lips

Step Three – Filming

If you’re using a phone, TURN IT SIDEWAYS. No, really. Please.

I made that mistake my first time and now, for eternity, (or until I rerecord it) I’ll have those stupid black bars to my left and right–or worse, that double-image, zoomed in blur beside me.

5-12 minutes is a standard video length. People have short attention spans.

If you have more, cut it into 2 parts! (Or more!)

Keep to the same format

Look the camera in the eye when you can try not to look like you’re reading your blog post. *looks around innocently*

I like to do 2-5 takes and just roll with the last take. I’m planning on experimenting with video editing software after I move at the end of the month.

A lot of the quality vloggers you see will have done several takes and will clip them together. BUT. They’ll change the camera angle between takes, so you get the feel of ‘time passing’ or something. It’s a format that seems to be popular, plus, it allows you the ability to cut out any dead-air time.

Step Four – Post-Processing

The easiest bit of post-processing I do is take a couple trial photos before I start my video.

Trial pictures let me

checks the lighting

check the umbrellas aren’t in the camera

check I don’t have food on my shirt

And? Allows me a couple photos to add my Vlog title to.

I literally open them in MSPaint, Impact size 48 or whatever the title on one side of me, and roll.

Yes, YouTube will give you freeze frames as the preview image, but usually, they’re the most awkward poses I’ve ever seen. Luckily, there’s a handy-dandy “upload preview” button so you can toss your new image in there.

This is when you’d cut together all those different takes from step 3. Maybe add some background music if you like that feel. Maybe just an intro bar or two of notes.

Step 5 – Uploading To YouTube

When I upload my videos, I make sure to click the drop-down and select ‘Schedule’. Once you start uploading, you can’t switch and the default goes live as soon as you hit publish.

I don’t want my videos to upload the second I’m done prepping them, I want them to post in the mornings, not somewhere between 10:30pm and 1am the night before the blog post goes live.

This is where you can add that title-added preview image.

Things I like to do with my videos:

Schedule them

Add preview image with my title on it

Add Tags

Add the video to my playlist, so people can subscribe to that [like here!]

You can have different playlists on the same channel

book reviews

writer tips

guitar playing

life updates

etc

Type up a short twitter-worthy shout-out to draw people in (with hashtags)

Give links to my other social media and the original blog post in the ‘about’ field

Things I’ve been testing recently.

I found the ‘default settings’ for uploads last week, where you can pre-load all your tags, all your repeated ‘about’ information, etc, so you don’t have to remember what tags you used last week.

How do you find out what tags you should use?

check out a popular vlogger who shares a lot of the same subject matter

in your browser settings, have ‘developer options’ turned on

hit F12 to view the page’s source code

hit ‘ctrl-F’ to open up search

type “tags”

copy-paste the list after the word [ make sure it seems to be a list of usable tags, the word may be in the source code more than once. If it’s not what you’re looking for, hit enter to move to the next entry.]

SnapChat and Instagram and Facebook

I’ve already talked about Instagram, but why is SnapChat even on this list?

For those who don’t know, SnapChat lets people message each other and the message immediately is deleted after they view it. It warns you if the other person screen-shots the message.

So, how does this grow your social media presence?

I personally don’t do it, and it may be more useful for artists, but you can upload STORIES. These are images, text, or VIDEOS that are shown to anyone OR everyone on your list–and they stay visible for a day.

If you have a following, uploading a ‘story’ or two a day can be a good way to interact and form a more personal feeling connection.

Instagram also allows stories to be shared and these are promoted posts.

And Facebook? Facebook LOVES videos. Unlike blog links, or worse PATREON links, Facebook doesn’t try to hide these as much.

YouTube and Facebook Live Video

These intimidate me, but they are growing in popularity and are given priority viewing on Facebook. If you find a time that’s good for a lot of your followers (plus, it can be viewed after the fact), it’s a great way to re-engage with your followers and be given priority viewing on both social media sites.

If you’re brave enough.

Putting yourself out there, creating content, and recording your image, voice, and thoughts for all of posterity is intimidating.

Every week, I strive to do a little better (or at least not worse) than the week before.

And that’s it.

The introduction to social media types. ALL OF THEM. (Or at least a good, wide-spectrum of them.)

If there’s any I skipped that you’d like me to talk about, feel free to ask in the comments.

If there are any tips you’d like to share, feel free to reach out!

Thinking about starting a vlog? My tips are aimed at writers trying to establish a social media presence, but can be helpful for anyone! #amwriting #socialMedia #youtube #vlog #vlogger #vlogging #writersLife #advice #writing #video Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Bonus…