#it goes a lot farther than being snippy about it

[loosesodamarble]

Hi! Do you mind tagging your reader fics 'reader insert' for filtering purposes? Having a general tag helps people filter out reader content if they're uncomfortable with it without blocking every individual character/reader tag

Well since you asked so politely, I don't see why not.

I suppose I never got into the habit of adding a general "x reader" or "reader insert" tag to my reader insert fics because I've done them so infrequently. Mostly for events I did here on the blog. I suppose this will help me as well since I do like thoroughly tagging the things I post and reblog. (Which makes one wonder how I never thought to include a more general tag sooner... When my mind blanks, it blanks badly./lh)

Thanks for so kindly pointing that out, Anon. 👍 Have a good day!

[generalissimomayhem]

TNMN Nightmare counterparts hcs potpurri

I could talk about them individually but this is just as hard as it is, so enjoy.

Xezbet Xerbeth: Zexbet and Chaugnar are best friends. Actually, Chaugnar was the one who presented Drugia to Xezbet. Yan Luo sometimes takes him on "missions" to let him feast on dying people's souls. (the last one isn't originally mine but I do not remember who posted it first. So, if you are there 1. manifest yourself 2. i hope you don't mind me adopting this hc)

Drugia Fleuretty: Her eyesight feels more like that one of a fly (mildly pixelated). She tends to not see her husband for long periods of time, she ends up missing Xezbet so much that she finds it hard to concentrate in her job. One time, she felt so out of place, instead of making her characteristic nightmares, ended up creating a more uhhhh... fanciful image of Xezbet instead. Izanami still reminds her of that.

Barbatos Barrabam: Excellent sense of smell, can smell you from farther than you probably imagine. This also makes him an undeniably picky eater with anything other than isn't meat, spicy food or potato chips. (He's a chicken nuggies kid frfr)

Exael Lanithro: Aside from being a jeweler, he's an skilled blacksmith. He made Yan Luo and Orcus a very special jewelry piece for their engagement (and eventual marriage ofc). Very eloquent in his manner of speech, uses fancy words at times. Tends to hang out with Teutates and Ah Puch.

Abducius Morail: Most of his piercings were made by Exael (although Exael particularily raises his prices on purpose for this freak and this freak only). He did... that, to his eyelids after a Britney Spears type of meltdown. Always carries eyedrops with him.

Lilith Lilitu Lilit: She is initially very snippy with people she doesn't know but eventually softens up and is actually really a treat to talk to. Sometimes curses her neighbors for the darndest reasons. A woman of leisure, above all, she has to be under strict vigilance (together with Ah Puch) so she doesn't go overboard. If she isn't sticking around to Anazareth she's stuck like glue to Barbatos.

Anazareth Anazarel: Unlike her sister, her personality remains stern and ominous through and through, mind you, if you do get to befriend her, she has your back. She and Chaugnar casually exchange goods for rituals. She is, by default, the designated sober friend whenever Lilith goes into party mode, and frankly, she's just so sick of all of that...

Chaugnar Faugn: The designated Only sane man™ (together with Quachil). He often helps Zoth with his rituals and he could become firends with Anazareth too if it wasn't beacuse she swindles the hell outta him. Loves Nyogtha to death but he's emotionally constipated, he compensates this by letting his actions speak for him (buying Nyogtha new tools, bringing her lunch when she's at work, etc.)

Nyogtha Z'mog: Sometimes her limbs detatch from her body. She tends to send electrical currents at times, the neighbors discovered this after they had a pool party and a couple of them got electrocuted. She loves Chaugnar, sometimes she wishes he would be more open with his affection, but she knows that she can't change that and that she is sure that Chaugnar loves her just as much.

Zoth Ommog: If he wasn't such a pervert he would be the nicest guy around, as Izanami puts it "he only forgives married/engaged people". Assists Chaugnar in his rituals a lot, Chaugnar does the same in return. Never turns down a favor, he is kind in his own way. Is VERY nearsighted (hence the squinty eyes), uses his tiny hands in case he really needs to see something up close.

Shub Niggurath: Cold blooded, literally, she can't survive in the cold due to her reptilian nature (a parallelism about how crops, plants and sometimes animal life die due to winter). Shub tends to seek for heat, so she tends to be a bit invasive about people's personal space. According to her: Barbatos, Drugia and Zoth are the warmest and feel the nicest. The rest just don't do much for her. She finds herself repelled to Orcus, Ishtar and Exael, they are just too cold for her! She treats her hair/snakes as pets.

Yog Sothoth: Quite distant of his neighbours, but never disdainful. Only became close now that Quachil is there. Speaking of Quachil, he summoned her after a failed ritual to summon something else. When he's on the hunt he often leaves Quachil with the others. Now with the huntings, he sometimes harasses Barbatos by following him around and pestering him; this has made Barbatos beat the crap out of him in many occassions before. There's a running gag of him lighting on fire when exposed to any source of direct light.

Quachil Uttaus: Doesn't remember much of her life before coming to the Astral Circle. She's basically a baby angel, yeah she's the same age as Anastacha but she's still way too young for an angel. Acts more like an annoying, snarky pet to Yog, he will still take care of her and everything, but god if Quachil doesn't get on his nerves sometimes. She LOVES shiny stuff, gold and jewelry in general, and often times she has been caught oogling at others' jewelry.

Yan Luo Wang Diyu: Stern, but often very self absorbed and forgetful (in contrast to Mia who is sweet and focused). She takes no pleasure in her job, it all simply is the way it is; she's vastly professional about it. Sometimes takes Zexbet with her so he can take the souls of those who are about to die. Nobody knows for sure where she found Orcus but they have been together ever since.

Orcus Dis Pater: Nobody knows were he came from or where did Yan Luo find him but nobody really wants (or dares) to ask. Most of his clothing is made of human flesh and parts (Think of Ed Gein). All of his external veins are really sensitive. In one moment, one of his veins got snagged in a door handle causing him great pain and prompting Yan Luo to change all door handles into ones that wouldn't harm him. There's a running gag of him getting into the darndest accidents possible.

Ishtar Ereskigal: Easily the nicest resident of the Astral Circle (Zoth comes second place). Like Orcus, she's somewhat fragile, her skin is really just waiting to peel off at any second. Shub and Ishtar are good friends and all of that but their needs raise a wall between them. Incredibly, she is a very clean person and keeps her pets in line so they don't overly-disturb the neighbors. Sometimes uses her rats as messengers.

Teutates Taranis: Excellent musician, but tends to annoy his neighbors with his loud and constant playing (not that he cares). His relationship with Ah Puch could be reduced to "Can't live with you. Can't live without you", a bit toxic tbh. Takes great pride and care of his hair, NOBODY is allowed to touch it, except for Quachil since she's gentle enough to play with it. Sometimes he even gives Yan Luo hair treatment to keep her hair beautiful and silky. Hangs out with Exael quite often.

Ah Puch Xilbalbá: Just like Teutates, he's a great musician, but isn't as serious about it as Teutates is. He can remove his mask but doesn't feel comfortable at all (a mixture of light sensivity plus a heavily scarred face). This man is built like a wrecking ball, solid, heavy and strong as shit; most likely has destroyed a lot of stuff just by throwing himself around. Just like Lilith, he's a man of leisure and tends to overkill it at parties, but obviously, he's far more destructive than Lilith. Hangs around Teutates and Exael, since their professions are really similar.

Dagda Crom Cruach: Like Nyogtha, he comes apart easily, maybe a little TOO easily. Him and Xezbet hang out and all of that but they don't seem to fully get along. He has a huge crush of Izanami but literally doesn't know how to act on it. He's one of those mofos who has WAAAAY TOO MUCH free time in their hands.

Izanami Yomi: She works along with Drugia and they get along pretty well but they can get petty at times. She has an inordinate amount of dirt about the rest of the entities in the Astral Circle. Bilingual, speaks english and japanese and has a very monotone voice (she probably sounds like this). Izanami is unaware about Dagda's crush on her.

[kylo-ren-writes]

Missed You

Masterlist

Pairing: Kylo Ren x Reader

Request: anon requested:

“ Oh yay for requests! Love you! 💖💞💘😍I was wondering if you could do one where Kylo goes to like a fancy work or family party and he sees the reader again after a long time and is just in awe like last time he saw her was in like highschool or college and tries to be his usual suave self but just fails and he just keeps embarrassing him self like almost falling or tripping just like awkward shy baby boi comes out. She knows what and she giggles,kisses him and says ive missed you too. Thanks”

Warnings: Awkward Kylo, aka, his Ben Solo is showing. Language warning? Do I really need to warn that?

A/N: A little bit of a different turn than what you asked, but it is what you asked for. I hope you enjoyed, anon! (gif not mine!)

He hated this. Hated every single thing about it.

Kylo wasn’t sure how he had allowed Leia, his doting yet intimidating mother, to rope him into coming to this family event. Or how she had managed to get him to wear a suit appropriate for the occasion.

He was already miserable, and very uncomfortable among the family and friends Leia had invited. It was a mix of people he hadn’t seen in years after moving away right out of high school to attend a university in New York. After packing up and leaving, Kylo had barely returned for a Christmas, yet here he was for one of Leia’s parties to celebrate something... he hadn’t bothered to remember.

It was Leia’s threat to come right on down to New York and drag Kylo out of his 71st story office of the very successful company he owned by the very ears he always deemed too big, that convinced him. He knew she would do, or at least try, not that she could actually reach the side of his head to grab a hold of one of his ears. But still. 

Would it really be so horrible of him to visit for once anyway?

Kylo took a sip of his beverage, non-alcoholic, per request of his mother, right as he thought that. And as soon as the liquid, of whatever the hell it was she had handed to him, went down his throat, a cousin who he hadn’t seen since he was a young teen walked by him, offering a smile.

Yes, he decided. It was horrible to visit.

Taking another, long sip of his drink, Kylo tried to slink farther back into the wall, to avoid a potential conversation with said cousin. He’d never liked her anyway, thought she was weird. She was younger than him and had had an awkward crush on him when she was little (gross), even though he never understood why. But that was a story for another day.

Right now, Kylo just needed to get away. All of this socializing and friendliness was driving him mad and making him very uncomfortable. He was practically a giant after all. Six foot three inches of broad shoulder, muscle, and dark hair. He stuck out like a sore thumb, or like the awkward teenager he used to be when he last saw most of these god damn people.

Kylo finished his drink. Yes, the perfect excuse to slink back into the kitchen where nearly all of the nosy relatives that enjoyed nosing into his life would not be.

But before he could side step away, Leia, of course, caught his eye, giving him that look that she always gave him when he was misbehaving in front of the public eye, as a child.

No. No way. He needed a break. She would just have to suck it up. He was here, wasn’t he? That was enough.

So, after removing his gaze off of the scornful woman, meters away from him, Kylo disappeared into the kitchen with a relieved sigh.

The kitchen was empty of course, thank god, and Kylo hunched his shoulders, trying his very best to get his shit together.

This was ridiculous. He had his own company, for gods sake. Talking with people wasn’t hard for him. Talking business with business people wasn’t hard. These weren’t business people, however. These were people that kind of used to know him, and that he kind of used to know himself. But now he didn’t know them. Now these people were just strangers from a past life that he didn’t wish to reminisce on.

Kylo took in a deep breath. He really needed some alcohol. Just a single, or double, shot of something. Anything.

Looking around the large kitchen, scanning over the white marbled counter tops, Kylo could see nothing. No champagne. No wine. It was almost like his mother still knew him so well, which she did, because the alcohol wasn’t being kept in here.

Muttering a gruff “fuck” to himself, Kylo went over to the sink and got himself a glass of water instead. He tried not think about where he’d rather be and what he’d rather be doing as he chugged the cool liquid, trying his damn best to ground himself.

When he poured himself another glass, Kylo turned around slowly, mid sip, then froze, his gaze locking onto a figure that had stepped into the kitchen with him without him noticing.

Kylo sputtered, and choked, water dribbling out of his mouth, down his chin, and onto the floor or back into the glass as he quickly held it under his mouth.

No. no no no no. There was no way, no possible way that you were standing before him, in the doorway, with an amused expression on your face. How--

“Easy there,” you mused, quite satisfied with yourself for the reaction you had gotten from your ex-boyfriend.

You and Kylo had dated during your third and final year of high school. The two of you had been sickeningly in love, or, as in love as two late adolescents could get. However, you and Kylo had broken up pretty quickly after when it had become clear that you both wanted different things. And by different things, Kylo was insistent on moving hundreds of miles away to the large city of New York while you stayed behind and obtained a simple, but comfortable career as a lawyer.

It had been years since the two of you had seen each other.

Walking over to the hulk of a man (he’d definitely gotten bigger and put on way more muscle), you brought your hand to his back and rubbed it as he coughed.

“How--” Kylo coughed and placed the glass back onto the counter. “What are you doing here?” He asked, frowning.

You quirked a brow at his bluntness, but it wasn’t surprising. It seemed to work its way through Kylo’s head, however, as he realized what he had just said.

“I mean... Why are you here... no...” He squeezed his eyes shut and breathed while you grinned at him. “I haven’t seen you in a while, is what I meant,” he finally said as he opened his eyes.

Removing your hand from his back, you smirked. It was nice to know that he was still an awkward teenager at heart. “Yes, it has been a while,” you agreed. “Twelve years in fact.”

Kylo’s eyes widened the slightest as he worked over the math in his head.

Had it really been that long since he’d last seen you? Since you have seen him? No wonder Leia was trying to get him back here all the time. He’d been away for so long. For good reason though. He had been attending school and building up his company to where it was now. Kylo didn’t have time to come home every time Leia asked. Admittedly, he had forgotten about you. Or, tried to.

Kylo looked you over now. You were older, obviously, so was he, but you still looked like you. Just more mature. More beautiful. Suddenly he didn’t quite feel as mature.

“Huh, y-yes, it has been... a long time,” Kylo agreed, tripping over his words. “You look... good. Great, I mean... you look great.”

You snickered. Kylo had never been one for words. “You look great yourself,” you mused, allowing your own gaze to trail over him. He really did look fantastic. Kylo had really grown into his features and his height. His hair was even longer. It gave you an urge to run your fingers through it to feel how undoubtedly soft it was.

Standing up straighter, Kylo cleared his throat. He could never take a compliment either, but of course, the way your were looking at him now made him even more nervous.

Kylo knew he looked better now than in his teenage years, but he had never thought that he was particularly attractive. When we was young or even now. In high school, kids always asked him how he had managed to convince you to date him. Since then he’d always been slightly self-conscious and hadn’t dated much.

You, on the other hand, looked so beautiful. It made him wonder why you were looking at him the way you were now.

“Right, um, what are--what have you been doing over the last... decade?” Kylo asked. The question didn’t feel right, however. It was too impersonal for the relationship that the two of you used to have.

“I’m a lawyer,” you told him. “I work in family law.”

Kylo nodded. A lawyer? That seemed right. Compared to him, you had always been the outspoken one. “Appropriate.” He stuck his hands into the pockets of his pants, finally finding some ground to keep his balance on. Kylo had to keep reminding himself that he was not a teenager, rather, that he was Kylo Ren, founder and CEO of First Order inc. People were intimidated by him, not the other way around.

You shrugged and smiled. So he hadn’t forgotten about you too much, so it seemed. “I quite enjoy it, minus the snippy wives.”

Kylo managed a little smile, one that just barely upturned the corners of his mouth. “I own my own company.”

“I know,” you told him. He furrowed his brows. “I still keep in contact with your mother.”

That explained why you were here, not that Kylo didn’t want you here, it had just been quite surprising to see you. “She told you then?”

“Oh, Leia tells me everything,” you mused. “Like how she practically had to beg for you to come home for a few days for her party.”

Kylo frowned. She hadn’t begged that much.

You continued. “Or how you wouldn’t agree until she threatened to come to you herself.”

Well, that sure made him sound like an asshole. No, it made him sound like the asshole son he already knew he was.

“I was busy,” Kylo used as an excuse, leaning his hip against the counter. He was uncomfortable again.

Crossing your arms over your chest, you pointed him with a look. “With the First Order?”

Kylo chewed on the inside of his cheek. “It’s a lot of work to start up and run your own company.” It really was. He had worked hard to get to where he was now... even if it meant neglecting the other things in his life. Like apparently his mother.

You shook your head. “No, that’s not all of it. I know you, you were using your company as an excuse not to come back.”

Alright, so you did know him. And? And... it made him feel guilty with how you were saying it. Was he really that terrible of a son? Of course he was, he knew that already... or at least he thought he had.

“I just... didn’t want to stay h-here, I couldn’t stay here,” he supplied.

The mock serious look on your face fell and you broke out into a grin. “I know, Kylo. It did you well to leave.” Your gaze falls over him again and you see him stiffen. His adorable awkwardness was back.

Kylo swallowed, his adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “It did you w-well to stay.” God, why did he sound so pathetic? It wasn’t hard for him to charm people, or women, but you weren’t just some pretty girl in a bar that he wanted to fuck. You were, well, you, and for some reason his brain was short circuiting.

You giggled and placed your hand on his arm. “Why don’t we skip past the rest of the pleasantries and go back out with the rest of the guests? Your mother is going to think that you have me on the counter,” you joked.

Your joke made Kylo freeze in place as he stared down at you, the image of the two of you doing such a thing running through his brain. Leia would surely kill him.

“R-right,” Kylo stuttered. He cleared his throat. “She would kill us,” he said more smoothly, like he hadn’t just been imagining fucking you on his mother’s clean, white counter tops.

Linking your arm with his, you pulled him along. Like a puppy, Kylo followed.

“I’ve definitely missed it,” you muttered, glancing up at the tall man as you lead him back out to the party. The two of you have only been in the kitchen for a few minutes, but it’s enough time to warrant a couple looks from some of the older family.

Kylo suddenly stumbled the slightest, tripping over his clown sized feet at the bluntness of your confession.

You giggled, keeping the giant of a man steady as he composed himself. More people had looked your way at Kylo’s near fall, including Leia. But the wonderful woman only offered you a warm smile, no doubt grateful for managing to get her son out of the kitchen. She had invited you to this particular party so her son wouldn’t be entirely miserable, after all. Of course you were more than happy to get reacquainted with Kylo. You actually, genuinely, really did miss him.

When Kylo was safely on his feet again, you leaned back into him. “What about you?”

Kylo glanced at you, fixing his posture as people directed their attention away. If that hadn’t been the most embarrassing thing. “What about me?” He asked.

You smirked. “Have you missed fucking me?”

The way you asked it, so innocently, almost made Kylo trip over his feet again. How were you so at ease, here, in a room full of people that you probably knew better than he did, talking about sex. It baffled him. But it also made him feel warm. The image of the two of you in the kitchen, you on the counter while he fucked you, had him bothered.

Kylo’s lack of response had you giggling again. It was incredibly fun to tease this man. “You’re so adorable,” you whispered. “I really have missed you...”

A tug on your arm stopped you from your slow walk, and Kylo turned so he was facing you, allowing your arms to fall apart. There was a light tinge of pink dusting his pale cheeks. “You have? Genuinely?”

Of course Kylo had missed you as well. After he had packed up and left you behind, he could feel the weight of your absence. Burying his head in school work was the only way he could get you out of his head for the first few years of university. After that, he had convinced himself that you had most likely moved on from him and were doing your own thing... maybe even had a new boyfriend. But as he progressed through school and eventually created his own company, Kylo knew that you didn’t, because Leia always kept him informed for some reason. She always liked the idea of the two of you together.

Other than Leia’s random life updates (when he didn’t ignore her phone calls and texts), that was all he had heard of you. He really had moved on. But now that he was back...

“Yes,” you replied. “Of course I have. I did love you, you know. Even though you never truly believed it.”

Kylo frowned. “Of course I believed it. I was just... insecure...”

You smiled. “And look at you now.” Your gaze swept over him. “All grown up and even more handsome.”

“Right.” Kylo scoffed.

Instead of arguing with him, you shook your head and lifted yourself up onto your toes, your hands sliding up onto his muscled shoulders. “I was always right,” you teased. But before Kylo could utter a reply, or do anything, you kissed him.

Kylo’s eyelids fell closed at their own accord as he instantly kissed you back.

The room and all the people that filled it drifted away as Kylo kissed you and you kissed him. He didn’t even care that the people were probably staring and giving you both looks. All that mattered was you and him in this moment.

When your lips fell away from each other, Kylo muttered against your mouth. “And what about now?”

Your eyelids fluttered open and you gave him a quizzical, amused look. “What about now?”

Kylo smirked, all of that adorable, shy awkwardness falling away. “Do you love me still?”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. This version of him was delightful, too. “I never stopped,”  you whispered. Serious.

It was almost like Kylo couldn’t breathe for a few seconds. But when he did, his lips turned up in a smile.

And then he kissed you again.

[fanforthefics]

Sid/Geno 4.

Awkwardly walked in on someone crying in the bathroom AU

Sid, Geno thinks, is taking a long time in the bathroom. 

Geno is drunk enough that that seems not only incorrect, but also unacceptable. Sid should be with the team. More to the point, Sid should be with Geno, because they just won and Geno finally broke his goal drought and now he thinks he should be rewarded by having Sid, warm and laughing and tipsily affectionate, next to him, their knees pressed together in all the ways they don’t talk about. 

Geno is also drunk enough that it seems like a good idea to go check on Sid. That might be a good idea even if he wasn’t drunk; he asks Phil about it and Phil grunts in a way that Geno is pretty sure means it’s a good idea. Of course, Tanger also snickers and says something in French to Brass when Geno gets up, so maybe it’s a bad idea; in general Geno doesn’t trust his teammates in the least when it comes to judging good or bad ideas, so he goes with his first instinct. 

“Sid?” Geno calls, as he pushes the door to the bathroom open. “You ok–” 

He stops. Blinks. Sid is in the bathroom. Sid is apparently finished, but he is perched against the sink counter, and he has a man draped over him, his arms clutching Sid’s shoulders and his face buried in Sid’s chest. He’s making a choked sort of noise that it takes Geno a second to realize is a sob. 

Once he realizes that, Geno clocks what’s happening. It is not the first time it has happened, because Sid is too nice for his own good and too Canadian for his own good, the combination of which can be inconvenient if you want to get somewhere in a hurry. Sometimes Sid encounters fans, and sometimes they are overwhelmed, and Sid will not stop them from talking, and then they start crying, and Sid won’t stop them from doing that either. 

Geno gets the impulse, he does. There’s something about Sid that projects the air of being a great shoulder to cry on. To be fair, it’s true–there’s something about his solidity, the heavy, reliable strength of him, that makes it feel like you can just unload everything onto him and he can carry it for you for a moment, that he can hold it and you up and you won’t be at any risk of falling. Geno’s cried on Sid’s shoulder a time or two. Or three or four, who’s counting. 

Geno’s just skeptical about sharing it. Family, sure. Geno gets that. He’ll concede teammates as well; that’s what the captain’s shoulder is there for. Especially rookies, the kids. Sometimes he’s a little iffier with the older guys, but he’s not going to say anything. Maybe because they don’t hesitate to give him shit when he does, but whatever. 

But random fans–Sid has better things to do with his time than let them cry on him. Things like pay attention to Geno. 

So, “Everything okay?” he asks, loud and pointed. 

The guy on Sid’s chest looks up, gives an embarrassed, choked sob, and collapses into Sid’s arms again. Sid pats his back, looking somehow both compassionate and extremely awkward. “It’s okay, it’ll be okay,” he tells the guy, in the same tone he talks to scared children. Then he looks up at Geno. “It’s good. Chris is just going through some stuff.” 

“And he decide to tell you all about it?” Geno asks. Sid gives him a scolding look, and he subsides a little, but he’s right. Sid should be out with the team–with Geno. Not in a bathroom with some guy. “Fine. I help, we finish up, then we go.” Sometimes, with Sid and fans, the only way to get him moving is to be the bad guy. It’s okay. People usually put it up to the language barrier. 

Sid rolls his eyes at Geno over the guys’ shoulder, like he knows what Geno’s doing–good, he should–but he sighs. “Chris’s friend just broke up with her boyfriend.” 

“This bad?” 

“She just–he’s not worthy,” the guy, Chris, sobs. He lifts his head up–he’s flushed either from crying or because he’s more than a little drunk. “He’s such a shitbag and she’s the most amazing person in the universe and it always happens like this.” 

“So you want her date you now?” Geno doesn’t have a lot of sympathy for that view, even if Sid’s too nice to say it. Sometimes there’s someone you’re into for years and the timing never quite works or you both tacitly decide that it’s best not to do anything because of outside circumstances. Sometimes that person is a friend. Sometimes that person is your captain and your friend and your work husband and the best person in the universe, and you just have to live with that fact. You don’t get to throw a fit whenever they date someone else. 

You do get to be snippy when they’re pinned in the bathroom instead of laughing at your jokes, though. That’s definitely fair game. 

But Chris’s brow furrows. “What? No. I mean, if she wanted to–but she doesn’t, or she doesn’t think it’s a good idea, we work together…I just want her to be with someone who’s good for her, and doesn’t have her crying, and me with everything and having to deal with it at work and knowing she’s hurting and then my roommates’ drama is there too and it’s so much and now I’m crying in front of Sidney Crosby and–hic–Geno Malkin,” he ends on a wail, and his head falls back down into Sid. 

Sid pets at his hair. Geno narrows his eyes at that. He doesn’t think this guy’s life sucks so badly it gets hair petting. That feels like it should be more reserved. Ideally to Geno, but he’s not selfish. Maybe some of Sid’s best friends can have it too. He knows Tanger went through shit, he probably deserves some hair petting. Geno’s not sure he’s willing to go farther than that. 

“Don’t worry, crying helps,” Sid says, because he is a hypocrite and likes to pretend he’s got emotional depth when Geno knows perfectly well that he hasn’t cried since, like, 2012, because he doesn’t believe in crying when he could be doing. “And, you know. She’ll find someone, it’ll just take time. All you can do is wait and be there for them.” He looks up, and now he’s just looking at Geno, and all the air goes out of Geno’s lungs. He always wants Sid’s attention, but sometimes he forgets the full force of it, how it weighs and thrills in him. “And sometimes good things happen if you wait. Maybe things will change, and then–it’ll work out.” 

“I’m not doing some nice guy tm shit,” Chris protests, but his crying’s faded a little bit. “I just want her to be happy.” 

“We know. We get.” Geno doesn’t look away from Sid either. “So you go, be good friend. Find other friend to cry on. Maybe something happen, maybe it doesn’t. Time tells.” 

“Time will tell,” Sid corrects softly. “For sure.” 

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.” Chris straightens, takes an embarrassed step away from Sid, and wipes at his eyes. “Fuck, I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I met Sidney Crosby and I started crying.” 

Sid chuckles, rubs at the back of his neck. “It’s fine, it happens more often than you’d think.” He doesn’t talk about the years it took him to get used to it, but Geno knows. Geno keeps those parts of Sid he knows under strict lock and key, the parts of Sid that are Geno’s and not anyone else’s. “You good to go back out there?”

“Yeah.” Chris swallows. “I—-can I, like, buy you a beer or something in apology? Or get you a new shirt?“ 

“No.” Geno cuts in there. This guy has taken enough of Sid’s energy and attention already. “No, he not need another shirt, already have enough of same one.” 

“That’s not true,” Sid protests. Geno ignores him, but slings an arm around his shoulders. Just in case. 

“Okay.” Chris glances between them. “And, uh. I won’t–I mean, I really am sorry, but, can you–”

“Yeah, for sure,” Sid agrees, and takes out the sharpie that Geno will never stop making fun of him for carrying on him at all times. Chris digs in his pocket and produces a receipt; Sid signs it, then hands both to Geno with a pointed look. Geno scrawls his name over it too. He would have anyway; he’s not a monster.

“Okay, good now,” Geno announces, handing the receipt to Chris and the pen to Sid. “We go. Nice to meet, Chris, good luck with friend.” 

“Um, yeah, thanks,” Chris mumbles, and Sid hesitates like he thinks Chris needs more taking care of before Geno tugs him away. At least he lets himself be moved, so he does get it. 

“That was rude,” he tells Geno anyway, when they’re out of the bathroom. “He was still–” 

“He done crying, not need you any more,” Geno cuts him off. “Not need you at all, you not anything to him.” 

“But he needed help–” 

“And you give. Now you come back to team,” Geno informs him. “They need you. Do all sorts of stupid things without you.” 

“Oh, they need me,” Sid retorts, and he clearly means it about the stupid shit, but–

Geno glances sidelong at him, even as they push through the crowd. “You mean what you say?” he asks, quiet as he can. “That if Chris waits, good things happen?” 

Sid looks at him, steady as a rock–Geno’s rock, his single greatest constant throughout the last decade. Definitely the most important person to him for that time, and Geno can’t see that changing any time soon. “Yeah,” Sid says slowly. Deliberately. “Time will tell, right?” 

“I think time tell good things,” Geno tells him, and gets Sid’s laugh as they get back to the team tables. 

Geno herds Sid in in front of him, then stretches out his arms over the back of the booth so his hand can sort of play with the hair at the nape of Sid’s neck–he has a lot of limbs, he needs to put them somewhere, thanks Tanger’s judgmental face. Sid glances at him when he feels it, but he just grins, quick and secret and just for them, and goes back to his argument with Horny about the Steelers. Geno grins back, and relaxes. Sid’s back, and next to him, and even if he isn’t actively paying attention to Geno now Geno knows he’s aware of him. 

Time will tell, he agrees with himself. Time will tell good things.