#it was her birthday today too! shes a year younger than all of us | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

writtenbymisunderstoodnerds · 6 months

Text

Best day of my life (USWNT x ADHD reader)

Song: The one my heart beats for by Greg Steinfeld

This took longer than I expected and I got a bit carried away, but it's finally done!

I love this series, but I think it might be coming to an end. I'm open to doing one more part if you guys might want one, let me know and feel free to send me some ideas!

Warnings: Panic attack, self doubt

Part One, Two, Three, Four

Words: 7.3k

"What's got you so excited today?" Tierna asked sitting down next to me on the field. While I had tried to tone it down a bit, I was very hyperactive today. My hyperactivity was always worse when I was excited, there was pretty much nothing that could be done to stop it. Ally had to go back home for a month for work. We hadn't been apart for that long since her promotion so I was suffering. She was coming back today so it was safe to say I was extremely excited.

"Take a guess."

"Something to do with your better half I'd say. Is she coming back today?"

I did a little wiggle before flopping back onto the grass, "Yup. A month is way too long to not be with her. Oh! It's also her birthday in a few days! I love her birthday because it's the one day I get to go all out spoiling her and she can't complain about it."

"You two are adorable, I love how excited you get to see her. We should do a team dinner to celebrate Ally's birthday. Is the wedding planning all done?"

"You guys would really want to celebrate her birthday? Um also mostly, we just need to sort out wedding rings and honeymoon."

Tierna looked at me like I had just said the craziest thing ever, "You're marrying her, we see her almost as much as you and she is amazing. Y/n, Ally is family now, of course we want to celebrate her. What rings are you going to get?"

The problem was, I had no idea what my ring was going to be. I had been scouring the internet and countless jewelers for anything that might work, but I was drawing a blank. Rings were a sensory nightmare for me, I could wear them for a short time before they started driving me crazy. Ally had gotten me a few rings over the years, mostly fidget rings. She knew I liked them and wanted to try adjusting even though I always ended up wearing them on a chain. It was my wedding ring though, I wanted to be able to wear it normally, to show off that I was married.

"I don't know. I think Ally is going to use her engagement ring since she loves it so much. I really struggle with wearing rings so we were talking about getting me a fidget ring though a fancier one to fit as a wedding ring. That way I can play with it and hopefully it'll help me get used to it. Ally wouldn't care if I wore it on a chain, but I want to wear it like normal people do, I want to show off I'm married T."

"Hey, don't go comparing yourself to others okay? I think a fidget ring is a great idea and it's awesome you're trying to adjust even if it makes you uncomfortable. Just be patient with yourself and if all else fails, just get it tattooed."

"That's not a silly idea. Thanks T."

---

"Hey Y/n, wher-"

"Don't have time," I yelled running away from Emily. Ally had messaged saying she was downstairs. I was very excited to see her, but I also wasn't going to let her carry her bags up herself. Whenever we went anywhere, I carried her bags. Ally had messaged me when she was already in the lobby, so I was in a rush to beat her before she could come up.

Before Ally had the chance to turn around I wrapped my arms around her waist and spun her around. She squealed, well at least the person I was currently spinning around squealed. As soon as I heard it, I realised it wasn't Ally. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I thought you were someone else."

The women laughed, before turning around to reveal Ally's younger sister. When you see her face on, they look nothing alike, but behind they look very similar, "Hi Y/n."

"Dani? What are you doing here? Where's Ally? I'm very confused."

"Ally's over there getting her key. I'm in town for a work conference so figured I'd come see Ally for her birthday." By this point, the coaches just automatically roomed me alone, but put down for two so Ally could stay with me. There had been a bit of push back when Ally first started traveling with me, though it was quickly realised that I played better when sharing a room with Ally.

After giving Dani a proper hug, I pulled away to go find Ally. There was no way I was going to repeat what just happened so instead I tapped Ally on the shoulder once she was clearly identified. "A warning would have been nice y'know, I just picked up and spun around your sister. Like I'm not complaining, I love your sister, but I love you more."

"I know, I saw and it was hilarious." I pouted. Ally giggled, pulling me into a hug and subtly kissing my neck. We didn't go out of our way to hide our relationship, but we were more careful in public. Things were easier without the public interfering, I also didn't want Ally to have to deal with the meanness of some of the fans. "I'm sorry my love. It was a last minute plan."

I pretended to think about it for a second before smirking, "Hmm I'll forgive you later when we're alone."

Ally blushed, but pulled me over to Dani without a word. I could only guess what was going through her mind. Dani had become like a sister to me pretty much as soon as we had met. So despite my initial embarrassment, I was actually really excited to see her. She was only a few months younger than me and much to Ally's dismay, she did match my energy most of the time. Ally loved that we got along, but it meant she had to deal with two crazy people.

It was too early for dinner yet so Ally, Dani and I hung around in our room for a while catching up and talking about wedding stuff. Dani made me sit through the torture of looking at her possible dress choices. Ally loved it, but I would rather be doing anything else. Dani literally sat on me though, so there was no other option.

Ally was taking too long to get ready so Dani and I decided to wait for her in the lobby. I had spent too much time sitting down and was feeling restless so I ran down the stairs while Dani walked behind me, complaining she wasn't an athlete and to slow down. I just flipped her off and ran faster, knowing full well that if Ally or Ali found out I would be in trouble.

Dani had decided to chase me after flipping her off. Some of the team were hanging around the lobby so I made a beeline to Ali and hid behind her, though Dani hadn't given up. I managed a few laps around Ali before she grabbed my shirt, allowing Dani to catch me. The team watched on as Dani tickled me, while I tried to fight her off. It wasn't an easy task given the full blown fits of laughter, but I managed to get her into a headlock.

Eventually, Dani pulled out of my grip, doubling over in laughter while attempting to catch her breath. I followed suit, not realising how many eyes were currently on us. "Uh hey Y/n and mystery women who's not your fiancé."

My head shot up as I realised how strange this probably looked to them. "Right, this is Dani. Dani the team."

"Hello team."

"Where's Ally?" Ali asked, still looking very confused.

"She was taking too long to get ready as always so we left without her. We're always waiting on her, such a slowpoke." Dani answered, getting raised eye brows in response. A few of the team looked like they wanted to say something, but held back. It was then I realised I hadn't actually told them who Dani was.

"Dani is Ally's sister by the way. She's in town for work so we thought we'd go out for an early birthday dinner for Ally."

"Ohh that makes more sense. Nice to meet you Dani."

Ally caught my eye, looking stunning as always. I was really looking forward to having time alone with her. Not necessarily for inappropriate reasons, but to cuddle with her, the lazy make out sessions before we fell asleep or when we woke up and just being close to her. Dani flicked my ear, running out of my reach. Ali dodged me as I ran around her, moving to the safety of where Ally was standing, "Are they always like that?"

"Unfortunately. Dani matches Y/n's energy pretty much constantly so it's like having a hyperactive Y/n, times like 10 because they feed off each other. Dani is like the sister Y/n never had. They're happy, so I'm happy even though it's exhausting sometimes. I'll give them a few minutes to tire themselves out before stopping them, hopefully they'll sit through dinner."

"Good luck. The team and I were thinking we could go out for dinner to celebrate your birthday. Either on the day or a day around it. What do you think?"

"I would love that." Ally's smile caught my eye, distracting me from where I was going and making me run into Kristie. She stopped me from falling, but all my attention was still on Ally. It was one of her genuinely happy smiles, something that people wouldn't be able to tell apart from her regular smiles. This smile was more lopsided and toothy, the corner of her eyes crinkling just a bit more. Besides her love filled smile it was my favourite smile. Kristie and Dani followed my eye line when I didn't say anything for a while, "What are you looking at?"

"She's looking at Ally of course. She's in looooove."

"More than I ever thought possible," I mumbled, moving over to stand next to Ally. "I love you."

---

We had finished dinner a little while ago and had been walking around, but we all had to be up early so we dropped Dani at her hotel before starting the short walk back to ours. There weren't that many people around so my arm wrapped around Ally's shoulder, pulling her against me as we walked. "I love everyone and everything, but I'm really glad we're alone now. I missed you."

Ally kissed the spot under my ear, "I missed you too Y/n/n. Thankfully, I don't think I'll need to spend that much time away for a while."

"Good. Mmm I can't wait to cuddle."

"I believe you hinted at something earlier."

"Oh yeah, you giving me a massage to make up for not telling me about Dani."

Ally groaned, pushing me away, "You're such a tease."

I laughed, pulling Ally back into me, peppering her face with kisses, "I'm sorry."

"Nah," She pouted, walking away and into the hotel. I went to chase after her, but a group of fans outside the hotel called out to me. Interacting with fans was one of my favourite things to do so of course I went over. I knew she wasn't seriously mad or anything so it made me feel less bad about going over to them. Also, she was waiting just inside giving me reassuring smiles. Ten minutes and dozens of photos later, I made my way back into the hotel, following Ally into the elevator.

My arms wrapped around her waist from behind, leaving light kisses across her neck. Sometimes, I felt bad that Ally had to deal with me being well known to the public. She never complained about it, instead keeping her distance and allowing me to interact as I wanted to. The guilt was hitting pretty hard right now though.

Once we were back in the room, Ally cupped my cheek, pulling me in for a slow, lingering kiss, "What's wrong?"

I shrugged, not meeting her eyes, "Nothing."

"Liar. You haven't said a word since you came inside, you got all soft and touchy suddenly so talk to me."

"You're the best you know that? It can't be easy dating someone who's in the public eye all the time."

"You're feeling guilty again aren't you?" I just nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed. Ally straddled my legs, letting my head fall against her shoulder. "Y/n, I knew before we started dating that you were in the public eye and that once you got called up, it would only get worse. Maybe it's not always easy, but if I couldn't handle it, then I wouldn't have pursued you, let alone agreed to spend the rest of my life with you. You're respectful about it, you know the time and place to leave me to interact with them. Please don't feel guilty Y/n/n. Now, I know it's getting late, but I've really really missed you so what do you say we get reacquainted."

Once we were thoroughly reacquainted and cuddled up in bed for the night, I completed my nightly routine of scrolling the internet for my wedding ring. This time though I think I found the one. It was a simple black titanium fidget ring, engraved with shooting stars. They were subtle as they were black and flush with the surface. Ally absolutely loved stars so it would be a little reminder of her when we were apart. Another perk was there was the option to have the band width smaller which would be perfect.

I quickly rolled over toward Ally, making her look at me confused. "Baby I think I finally found my ring."

"Ooo show me." Ally grinned after seeing the photo, kissing my temple, "I love it. Stars because of me right?"

"You know me too well. A part of you for when you're not around."

"You're such a sap."

I cuddled against her side, leaning up to connect our lips, "Only for you Ally."

"Better be. Now we've got everything else sorted, we need to plan our honeymoon."

"Honestly, I don't even know where to start. There are so many options."

"Well, you've always talked about wanting to go back to New Zealand to explore the south island. Maybe we could do that? It'll be winter, but it'll be ski season."

"Wait really? That sounds amazing. It kinda fits, skiing was our first trip as a couple and it'll be our first trip as a married couple. I'll look into game schedules so we can book it."

---

Something anyone could tell you was that I was not in the slightest a morning person. I hated waking up early and would do everything to avoid it. That being said, there were three days in a year that I naturally woke up early for. They were Ally's birthday, our anniversary and since meeting Ally, Christmas. This morning I was awake at 7:30am because it was Ally's 27th birthday. It was too early to wake her up so I spent almost an hour enjoying cuddles before getting restless and sneaking out of bed to find breakfast for us.

I peppered Ally's face with kisses. She groaned, shoving her face further against my chest, "Baby wake up it's your birthday!"

"Why does my birthday have to be one of the three days a year you turn into a morning person?" Ally groaned.

"Because I get to spoil you and you can't complain. Now I got you breakfast. I couldn't make it this year, but I found a cafe close by that had all your favourites so you gotta wake up."

Ally protested, but sat up anyway, taking the coffee with a sleepy smile. We ate breakfast in comfortable quite, some random show playing in the background. I just wanted to give her the presents I got, but I wanted her to enjoy her breakfast while it was warm so I waited impatiently. As soon as Ally finished eating, I pecked her lips before practically running to the cupboard where I had hidden them.

"Y/n, why did you get me so much? You know you don't have to."

"I don't have to, I want to so deal with it. Besides, it's only three things. You are an amazing, incredible women who deserves to be spoilt. I love you so much. Happy birthday my love."

"Thank you Y/n/n. I do appreciate it even though I don't like you buying me heaps of stuff. I love you."

"I know, now open them!"

In all honesty, I wanted to buy Ally much more than I actually did, but I knew she would feel really bad and not enjoy them as much. Instead I stuck with matching silver initial necklaces with a heart pendant, a star map of the night I proposed and a custom engraved keychain with a photo of me standing behind Ally, arms wrapped around her as she looked back at me with a huge grin. It was her favourite photo of us. These were all things that she had talked about wanting. Ally grinned, launching herself into my arms giggling. "You remembered. Thank you, I love them."

"You wanna know a secret?" Ally nodded quickly, "You know my memories shit so whenever you point something out that you want or talk about, I write it down in my phone notes so I remember."

"Really? You're so sweet Y/n/n. Put this on for me?"

I secured the necklace around her neck, leaving kisses across her neck and jaw before leaving a lingering kiss against her lips. "I have a whole day planned for you. Don't even ask because it's all a surprise."

We spent a while making out before moving to the shower and finally leaving the hotel. Ally went for a spa and massage session, while I went to get stuff required for a picnic lunch at the gardens. It was a little bit chilly, but Ally loved picnics so it was still perfect. We just used it as an excuse to cuddle the whole time. After the picnic, we walked around for a little bit before going to a board game cafe. They had a heap of board games you could play while you were there. While board games may not have been my thing, they were definitely Ally's and her birthday was all about things that she liked doing. That night, I took Ally to a restaurant where the team were waiting to surprise her. Of course we finished the night cuddled up in bed watching all of Ally's favourite movies.

---

I felt multiple intense and overwhelming feelings as I read the text from an unknown number.

Unknown: Hi Y/n, it's mum and dad. We're sorry it's been a while, but we've been thinking about you recently and wanted to check in, see how you're doing?

Unknown: We also heard you were getting married and wanted to say congratulations. We're sure he's lovely and can't wait to meet him. Maybe we can sort out a time before your wedding?

Anger, disgust, sadness, fear and many more emotions swirled around my head as all I could do was stare at the message. I didn't know how they had gotten my number, how they knew I was getting married or why they suddenly felt the need to reach out after years of no contact. There was nothing on my public social media about it and the only family I still talked to were a few cousins that had nothing to do with my parents. It was safe to say I was confused as hell and slightly scared at how they were getting information on me. They also knew I was gay, yet they still refused to acknowledge it, instead deciding to misgender my fiancé.

I didn't know what to do, I didn't know how to process it. The familiar tightness in my chest returned as my breath caught in my throat. The tightness that I hadn't felt in so long. It felt like I was drowning, no matter how hard I tried I couldn't catch my breath. My phone fell to the floor, catching the attention of some of the girls. They were saying stuff that I couldn't comprehend as a hand landed on my shoulder. I knew they were trying to help, but it just sent more panic through me as I shrugged it off and stumbled back.

Arms wrapped tightly around me from behind, calming me down enough to realise it was Ali. I wanted my Ally, but Ali was helping enough to breath a little easier despite still panicking.

"You're okay, I've got you Y/n. Ally is coming, but I need you to take some deep breaths for me. Just follow my breathing."

The more I focused on mine and her breathing, the easier it became. I found myself relaxing against Ali. The tightness in my chest slowly disappearing. A few minutes later, hands cupped my face, familiar lips leaving soft kisses across my face before landing on my lips.

"Ally," I whimpered, pushing myself into her arms.

"I've got you my love. Come on, let's go back to our room."

Ally didn't question what had happened straight away, instead she held me tightly as I curled into her side and cried. All the feelings and memories from growing up came rushing back. It had been years since I cried over them, I couldn't help feeling stupid. They didn't deserve my tears.

A hand ran through my hair and down my back, effectively helping me to calm down enough to stop the tears, but left me a hiccupping mess, "What happened Y/n/n?"

I handed her my phone, never leaving the safety of her side, "Messages."

She was quiet for a few seconds before my phone was thrown back on the bed next to us and I was held tighter, "Oh hell no. Don't even give them the satisfaction of a reply, they don't deserve it and you don't need to deal with this. We can just block them and move past this."

"I know that's what I should do. I don't want anything to do with them, but how did they know I was getting married? We haven't posted anything publicly and we don't know anyone who has anything to do with them. They also shouldn't be able to message, I blocked them. It scares me."

"Okay, I'll text them back and ask then block them. You're not going to have anything to do with it."

"Thank you Ally. I feel like this is a huge step back. I thought I had accepted the situation and moved past it, but I obviously haven't."

"That's not true. It was unexpected, they put you through hell and this was a normal reaction. You've made so much progress, this doesn't take away from that. I know it might have taken you back to times you don't want to remember, but you'll move past it. We'll work through this together."

"I love you."

"I love you Y/n."

It didn't take long for my parents to reply. In all honesty, they were probably waiting by the phone. They were likely delusional enough to think that everything they did to me would be forgotten and I would welcome them back with open arms. Actually, they never understood what they put me through so in reality they just expected to act like the last 3 years never happened.

"So apparently my gran told her church group I was getting married, showing off photos and everything. Someone from the group recoganised you as the daughter of someone they know from a different group and told them you were getting married. As for your number, apparently they just got a new phone and tried your old number. I guess they got embarrassed that they didn't know so wanted to make themselves look better. I'm so sorry baby, I didn't know they were connected in anyway. I'll talk to gran about keeping stuff to herself."

"It's not your fault, it's such a random connection. I don't blame your grandma either, she's just excited that her granddaughter is getting married. We can talk to her about it tomorrow or something. Can you tell them I don't want anything to do with them, then tell them to fuck off, block them and delete the messages? I don't want any reminder of this."

"Of course. I think maybe we should change your number so this can't happen again."

"That's a tomorrow job as well. For now can we just have a bath then cuddle and watch movies? After you please let the girls know I'm okay."

"That sounds like heaven. Let me call my boss as well and let her know I'm done for the day."

"No, you should be working. I'll be fine."

"That's not happening. You're more important than work."

Ally slipped out of my grip to call her boss and run a bath before coming back. I pouted, lifting my arms up, "Carry me?"

"Baby, I would love to carry you, but you're the strong one. You know I would drop you."

She was right, I knew it from experience. Doesn't mean I didn't pout the whole time I was getting up, "Ugh fine."

"Don't pout. I can give you a massage instead."

---

None of the team had been told the details of what caused my panic attack a few days. I hadn't wanted to bring it up again. Surprisingly, after the initial panic attack, it hadn't effected me as much as I expected. There had been a few nightmares to begin with, but Ally had stopped me from bottling it up and actually made me deal with it.

Ali gave me a quick hug before letting me into her room, "I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but you doing okay kiddo?"

"I think so. Ally's been a big help." Besides Ally, Ali was the person I trusted most, so I gave her a quick rundown on what had happened. Even if she tried not to show it, I knew she was worried.

"Don't worry, even if they show up, they won't be getting in."

"Thanks Ali. I know I've asked a lot of you recently, but I have another favour to ask."

"You know I would do almost anything for you Y/n."

"Will you teach me how to dance? Ally wants to have a first dance, but I don't really know how. She knows and offered not to have one which I agreed to. I'm planning on surprising her though and want it to be perfect."

Ali smiled widely, "Of course I will. I really admire how much effort you're putting into this. I'm sure she'll love it either way because you tried."

Ali put some slow music on quietly in the back ground before standing in front of me, "There are two ways you can do it, either holding one of her hands as you more around or one persons arms around the waist while the others around the neck. Or you can do both depending what you're comfortable with."

Ali guided one of my hands so it was around her waist, hers looped around the back of my neck as she connected our spare hands, "Obviously you two will be closer, but you get the idea."

We moved around in small steps, swaying to the music as I focused on not stepping on her feet. It didn't work though as my foot connected with the top of hers, she flinched, but laughed it off. "It's okay, we'll keep practicing. You're doing great. If you step on her feet, just laugh it off and keep going. I'm pretty sure she won't mind because you're trying."

I stepped on her feet multiple times before managing to go a few minutes without stepping on her feet and we moved on. I was starting to relax by this point while also getting excited about dancing with Ally. Ali looped her arms loosely around my shoulders as mine went around her waist. We mostly just swayed this time as she gave me pointers on where I could rest my hands or head on Ally. "I want you to spin me."

"What? No I can't do that."

"Yes you can, when we do the first dance, move your hand up, spin me around then bring me back in either into the same dance or into the second one which ever feels more comfortable."

As I attempted to spin Ali around, I brought her back in too quickly and ended up head butting her. "Shit, I'm sorry. See I can't do the spin."

"Yes you can, we'll keep practicing. It'll feel easier with Ally because she's a bit shorter than you. Just bring me in slower."

It took a lot more head butting and tripping before I finally got the hang of it. Before we got the chance to practice the full thing properly, Ally's name flashed across my phone screen. I instantly remembered that we had dinner plans tonight and I was running late.

"I have to go."

"You did good today. On the day you're going to be nervous both because you don't want to mess up in front of everyone and because you want to be good for Ally. So when you start getting nervous, just focus on Ally, let her guide you."

"Thank you Ali. See you tomorrow."

---

I couldn't believe in just over three hours I would be married to the love of my life. I was excited beyond belief, but I was also incredibly nervous. What if I wasn't a good wife? What if Ally changed her mind and decided she didn't want to get married anymore? What if we didn't work as a married couple?

I knew it was just me overthinking. Ally and I worked well together. We loved each other deeply, we connected and understood each other, we had fun. Maybe it was cheesy, but we were made for each other. Not just because we met and connected instantly. We worked hard to get where we were, we worked hard to keep our relationship working despite our busy schedules, distance, and my issues with my ADHD. I tried to remember that as my thoughts went crazy, but it wasn't working. Ali was updating me on the set up and preparations, I couldn't focus on anything she was saying though. I was too busy overthinking.

"Y/n, Y/n!"

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?"

"I-I-I c-can't do this," I stammered, before running out of the house, Ali calling after me. I didn't stop until I found a hidden part of the beach where I slumped in the sand, tears falling down my cheeks. I don't know how long had passed when someone sat down behind me, arms wrapping around my waist and chin resting on my shoulder. Without even looking, I knew it was Ally, the softness of the way she held me and the smell of her hair gave it away. She didn't say anything for a while, just held me until the tears stopped.

Ally kissed my temple, hands drawing soothing patterns across my stomach. They weren't the soft touches most people find soothing, those touches made my sensory issues worse. There was a little bit more force behind it, making me relax against her. Sitting here with Ally, I realised that I was being stupid, there was no doubt that I was going to marry her today. Instead of being angry that I had ran away, she was here comforting me. "We can postpone if you don't want to do this, if you're having second thoughts about getting married. I understand, I know it was quick."

I quickly turned around, accidently knocking Ally over. "Shit sorry." I helped her so she was sitting again before kissing her softly, "No, no, we're not postponing. I want to marry you Ally, I'm going to marry you today, go to bed calling you my wife. I'm sorry I ran, I got stuck in my head, overthinking this, overthinking if I would even be a good wife, if you even still wanted to marry me, but didn't want to tell me and I freaked out."

"Baby, I want to marry you more than anything in this world, that hasn't changed and it won't ever change. You're are an amazing girlfriend Y/n, you're going to be an amazing wife. We're going to keep being the best couple there is and getting married is only going to strengthen that. I love you, I love you so much."

"I love you Ally. Can we stay here for a while?"

"We can stay here as long as you need. Ali's going to take care of the set up and everything. When you're ready we can go back and get ready for the first look."

I settled back between Ally's legs, back against her front as I watched the water, feeling more relaxed than I had all day, "I can't wait, you're going to look incredible."

"So are you Y/n/n."

Ally and I had decided to do the outfit reveals before the ceremony because I knew I wouldn't be able to control my emotions once I saw her. So here I was waiting anxiously for the love of my life to step around the corner. I was nervous about Ally's thoughts on my suit, but I was more anxious to finally see what Ally was wearing. Just as I was starting to get impatient, there she was. I froze, tears starting to fall instantly, I crouched down for a second, face buried in my hands to control the tears.

The sleeveless blue dress lined with lace, the black flats, her hair half up in a braid with the rest loose. She looked incredible, more breathtaking then I could have ever imagined. Ally stopped in front of me, small smile present with eyes shining with love and unshed tears. I took her hand, spinning her around so I could admire everything about her. Ally looked amazing on any given day, but today I was absolutely speechless.

"Y-y-yo-u-" I cut myself off, taking a deep breath to get myself together, "Y-you look breathtaking Ally, absolutely incredible. Holy shit."

Ally grinned, cupping my cheeks and connecting our lips. I heard protests about messing up Ally's make up, but I didn't care. Ally pulled away, this time being the one to take my hand and spin me around, she let out a long breath, making me slightly nervous, "Fuck you look stunning baby, my god you look incredible. I know it's probably out of your comfort zone, but you should definitely wear maroon more often, it is definitely your colour."

"I almost didn't choose it because it's not what I normally wear, but I decided to step out of my comfort zone for once."

Ally laced her fingers with mine, "I'm so proud of you love."

"Alright guys it's almost time to seal the deal so it's photo time," Alex interrupted as Ally was leaning in to kiss me.

I groaned pulling away, "You couldn't have waited 2 seconds? We already had photos."

"And have you ruin her make up? No, you can do that after the photos. You had photos of your reveal, we want proper couple photos."

---

It was time. It was time to marry the love of my life. Of course I was nervous, incredibly so, but as the time came to walk down the aisle, most of my nerves were replaced with excitement. I was about to marry my person and there was nothing in this world I wanted more. We had decided I was going to go first, purely for the reason that I was dying to watch her walk down aisle. There was no better way to do that, then be standing at the end already.

We had gone pretty simple with decorations. The aisle was made out of various coloured petals, lined with rows of chairs and a wooden arch draped with white fabric at the end. String lights were strung around the trees, fence and patio. The chairs would later be replaced by outdoor furniture and bean bags. Long tables for food and the bar were set up, as well as a smore station for when the firepit was lit. We had made sure to hire a bartender to stop anyone getting out of control.

Also, while we had hired a photographer, we also had a bunch of polaroid and disposable cameras for everyone to take their own photos. That way we had more intimate and fun memories. We had found a guest book that had mini envelopes and note cards so people could leave little messages if they chose to. The envelopes were the best idea knowing how inappropriate some of the team could be.

Dance with me in the rain In the heart of Spain Let your hair fall down Curl around your face And sway with the tide Of the strangers passing us by

My arm linked with Ali's, her squeezing mine gently. Our friends and family lined the sides, huge smiles and some with tears in their eyes. My heart warmed knowing they were willing to be here, that they cared enough to make plans last minute to see us get married.

Well let them watch What do we care There's no need to rush To come up for air As the world spins around us we dive In each other's eyes

No I don't want to go Can't seem to leave you alone For all that I am I wouldn't stand a chance This life on my own So love me now Love me forever Love me today and the days we're not together A moment this right is too hard to deny That you're the one The one my heart beats for

Land light on my feet To not make a peep Tip toe across the room So the floors don't creak As you're laying in bed Perfectly sound asleep I'll wake you with a kiss So you do not miss Your morning cup of coffee Pressed against your lips As the sun warms us up through the blinds We turn back the time

We stopped at the end, Ali kissing my cheek before walking back to her spot. I waited for a few seconds, trying not to fidget for once in my life. Every second that went by, made me want to walk back down grab her and drag her back because she was taking too long. Ally finally appeared, arm linked with her dad who had a huge, proud smile. There was a time in our relationship where I never thought he would be happy about us getting married. We had a rocky start, but now they were family. They had taken me in, treated me as if I was their own daughter. Between Ally, her family and the team, I had never been so loved.

They stopped in front of me, Ally's dad pulling her in for a hug and kiss on the cheek before moving to hug me, "You look amazing Y/n."

He moved back to his spot, while I took Ally's hands, kissing her cheek softly. We stood there, just looking at each other as the song came to an end. There was so much love shining in her eyes that it made my knees go weak.

So love me now Love me forever Love me today and the days we're not together A moment this right is too hard to deny That you're the one A moment this right is too hard to deny That you're the one The one my heart beats for

We had chosen to have Sydney officiate our wedding just as she had with Ali and Ashlyn. It made the day feel just that little bit more personal. Once everyone was seated and quiet, Sydney started speaking.

"Thank you everyone for being here today to celebrate the marriage of our amazing Y/n and Ally. We all know Y/n gets antsy when she has to stand still for too long so we'll keep this as brief as possible. The relationship between Y/n and Ally is so full of love, life and friendship. It puts even the best of us to shame. With that being said, Y/n and Ally have chosen to write their own vows. Ally you're up."

"There are so many things I want to say to you, but we would be here all day if I did. So instead I'll start with thank you. Thank you for choosing me, for letting me in and trusting me with you and your heart. For trusting me enough to be your person and to show me who you are inside and out. With that, I vow to you that I will always tressure your love. I will always be by your side when you need me, I will always be there to hold you up when you need it and support you with everything I am. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you now and I will love you forever."

"Okay, you'll have to bare with me because there's no doubt I'm going to cry." There were a few laughs as Ally squeezed my hand. "There was a time in my life when I never thought this would happen for me. Where I never thought I would find someone who loves and trusts me so unconditionally, who understands me so deeply and who makes me laugh uncontrollably. Then you came crashing into my life, flipping it upside down in the best way possible.

"You are my world Ally, my everything. I am far from perfect, but I promise to always be open and honest even on days that aren't great, to always support you in everything you do, to make you smile and laugh even when you don't feel like it. I promise to hold you, cuddle you and kiss you every chance I get because I know how much you love it. Most importantly I promise to love you with everything I am everyday for the rest of our lives."

My voice cracked as I pulled her closer, cupping her cheek and kissing her forehead, "You are my partner in life and love. I love you beyond what words can describe, I love the person I have become with you and the life we have and will continue to build."

"Now the rings. Ally, do you take Y/n to be your wife?"

Ally smiled widely, "I do."

I slipped the ring on her finger before letting her take my hand, "Y/n, do you take Ally to be your wife?"

"I do."

Ally slipped the ring on my finger, kissing it after she did so. If even possible, my smile grew as I stopped myself from fidgeting with excitement. One final sentence and Ally would be my wife.

"It is my pleasure to pronounce you wife and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

My arm wrapped around her waist, the other cupping her head as I dipped her, lips connecting in a long, passionate kiss. Everyone cheered and clapped as I threw my hands up, "We're married bitches!!"

---

"We would like to welcome the newlyweds to the floor for their first dance."

Ally looked confused, but let me take her hand and guide her to the dance floor. Just like Ali showed me, I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her against me and taking her hand in mine. Ally smiled, pecking my lips before resting her head on my shoulder as we moved around slowly. As we danced around, watched by our closest family and friends, I was the happiest I had ever been. To have so many people come to celebrate with us at last minute, I felt loved, possibly more than I ever had.

After a couple of minutes, I successfully spun Ally around, bringing her into me and connecting our lips. My head landed against Ally's shoulder, kissing the bare skin softly, "We're married Ally, we're actually married."

Ally giggled, kissing my temple, "Best day of my life so far. You learnt how to dance."

"You wanted to have a first dance so I got Ali to teach me. You make so many compromises for me, I wanted you to have this."

"This is how I know we'll be good married, you're so thoughtful and sweet, you go out of your comfort zone for me with out a second thought. I love you."

"I love you more my wife."

#uswnt x reader #uswnt imagine #uswnt imagines #woso imagines #woso x reader

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buckrecs · 1 year

Note

Hi Sera! I’ve been wanting to ask for recs for a while but every time I think of something you’ve already posted it, but I am a bit obsessed with this right now so I thought I’d ask anyways(you are a gem and do so much for the bucky girls on this hellsite and I love you for it!)

Have you got any Brother’s Bestfriend/Best Friend’s Brother Bucky recs?

Brother’s BFF / BFF’s Brother Bucky

masterlist | req masterlist

i follow you (pretend you want me to) by @buckys-black-dress

your best friend’s older brother who has never once given you a second glance finally does one day when he seems to be fond of your new tattoo. it throws you for quite the loop, to say the least.

The Number One Rule by @justkending

Y/N has always been seen as “Steve’s rambunctious sister.” However, she grew up, graduated, and moved to London to study abroad for 4 years and get her bachelor's degree. The girl that returns looks nothing like the teenager that left. But don’t worry, the attitude is still there and stronger than ever. What’s to come of the two grown adults that used to push each other's buttons, but now have a lot more in common than they’ve ever realized?

Untouched by @buckyalpine

A series of discovering all your firsts with your brothers hot best friend.

Save Me From Myself by @fatecantstopme

You and your boyfriend get into a fight and he beats you. You go to your brother’s house for support only to find his best friend and roommate, Bucky Barnes, instead. Bucky is furious when you tell him what happened and he takes care of you.

This Must Be A Dream by @lunarbuck

You've been best friends with Becca Barnes since third grade and have been pining over her older Bucky just as long.

super rich kids by @traitorjoelite

kids with too much money, parties every night, and an incident with your best friend's brother is just the norm on the upper east side.

The First Birthday by @eviesaurusrex

It’s not his first birthday after Hydra, but the first birthday he thinks he actually wants to celebrate—only because of YN.

it’s really you (that’s on my mind) by @heavysoldat

inseparable since middle school, it was no surprise that you ended up falling for your long-time best friend. what was surprising, was who you actually ended up with at the end of the day.

Miss America and the Heartbreak Prince by @fangirlovestuff

Your brother’s best friend, Bucky Barnes was a serious pain in your ass. Shame, since he used to be so nice when you were younger. Too bad he’s changed now in high school. Or has he? All it takes is some detective work, milkshakes and pranks for you to finally figure it out.

Bucky Barnes x Rogers!Reader by @itsapeterthing

You’ve known your brother’s best friend Bucky Barnes since before you can even remember. As the two of you get older, your relationship grows from one of teasing friendship to an everlasting love. Despite all odds and decades apart, you never fail to find each other every time.

Not as Subtle as You Thought by @marvelousmarvelimagines

You and Bucky have been hiding a relationship from your brother successfully for several months now. Bucky’s getting tired of it though and wants to tell Steve. Are you willing to risk that?

About Time by @vanillanaps

Coming clean about being in a relationship with your brothers best friend is never easy—or is it?

A Secret by @tweedlydumbtweedlydoo

You’re Steve’s younger sister and secretly dating Bucky and Steve finds out.

Brother vs Boyfriend by @marvelous-imagining

I Will Always Pick You Up by @eviesaurusrex

Usually, Bucky would pick her up wherever she is, but today, with a night out with some of her fellow Avengers (and her brother), it wasn’t possible that her secret boyfriend could come and pick her up, would it?

Hands Off by @buckysgoldenheart

You’re Steve’s cousin and he has some rules when it comes to you that Bucky isn’t a fan of. Mainly, that he can’t have you.

i wanna be yours by @noctumbra

you’d support him no matter what. he was yours at the very end. and you were his.

On My Mind by @targaryenvampireslayer

You haven't seen your Brothers Best Friend in far too long. Neither of you can wait. Sexy challenges ensue.

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george-weasleys-girl · 1 year

Note

I think the idea of George introducing (y/n) to his parents is totally cute and I think your style off writing would rock that. Happy new year by the way! All the best for you and your stories :)

This is my first ever request. I had such fun writing it. I hope you enjoy it!

Warnings: brief allusion to sex, one mention of alcohol

~•~

Meet the Weasleys

~•~

"Ugh, gross. Why are my palms so sweaty?" Y/N muttered to herself, grabbing a paper towel, to wipe the sweat from her hands. Her early morning boost of confidence was gone, leaving her pacing from one end of the kitchen to the other.

She tossed the used paper towel in the trash and looked out the window for the 982nd time. George would be here any minute to take her to have lunch with his parents at his childhood home. A place called the Burrow.

Never in her life had Y/N been so anxious about meeting someone's parents. George seemed confident that she'd "be a hit." But, she wasn't entirely convinced. What could she, a "muggle," offer to people who could perform magic, real magic, with the simple flick of a wand? She glanced over at the apple spice cake she'd baked for dessert and hoped it would be enough.

~•~

Four months earlier

George woke up with a craving for one of the chocolate filled croissants that Ginny had purchased from a muggle bakery for James' second birthday party. Luckily for him, he had the address, and it was his day off.

The Pie in the Sky Bakery wasn't too far from Diagon Alley, so George decided to walk and enjoy the warm summer morning. Whistling as he went, he just knew it was going to be a good day. And he was right.

He didn't notice Y/N at first, distracted by all the enticing baked goods.

"Can I help you?" Her voice floated over to him, soft and melodious.

George turned and nearly stumbled over his own feet. The owner of that sweet voice somehow managed to brighten the already sunny shop even more. He was mesmerized.

"I-uh, hi." George stuttered and gave a goofy wave before clearing his throat and starting again. "Do you have any chocolate filled croissants today?"

"Of course! They're right over here. How many would you like?" Y/N bounced to the far end of the counter while George followed, a big, dopey grin spread across his freckled face.

He paid for two croissants and an espresso. Then, rather than taking a stroll, as he originally intended, George sat down at one of the little bistro tables and spent the rest of the morning exchanging shy glances and flirty banter with the lovely lady behind the counter.

When he could no longer make excuses for lingering, George approached Y/N. "Could I interest you in dinner tomorrow night?"

"Yes! I'd love to have dinner with you!" She answered, her brilliant smile melting George's heart into a puddle.

~•~

Two months later, to Y/N's delighted surprise, George confessed he was a wizard. And today, for the first time ever, he was taking a girl home to meet his parents.

George was practically bouncing off the walls.

"Hey mate, try not to leave any George-shaped holes in anything," Fred joked.

"I'll try!" George yelled from his bedroom. "But, I can't make any guarantees."

Fred shook his head and chuckled. He hadn't seen his twin this elated since he came home from the bakery four months ago gushing over Y/N.

"Ok, how do I look? George asked, suddenly appearing in front of his brother.

"Like a crazed lunatic who just broke out of the asylum."

"Ha, ha. Very funny." George deadpanned.

"Seriously though," Fred continued, scrutinizing his brother. "You look great. It's just..."

"Just what?" George looked down at himself.

"You seem a tad nervous."

"Oh that," the younger twin responded. "Well, I am bringing a girl to meet mum and dad for the first time ever. And mum didn't fancy the last two girls you and Bill brought home."

"Georgie," Fred retorted. "The reason mum didn't like Lizzy is because she had a mohawk and tattoos. And as far as Fleur goes, once mum realized she wasn't after Bill for a quick fling, she warmed right up to her."

"Yeah, you're right. I know you're right." George agreed. "I'm just overthinking again."

Fred patted him on the back. "It'll all work ou--" Fred stopped mid-sentence, closing his eyes and putting his fingertips to his temples. "Wait! I'm getting a vision...I see...you and Y/N together...in a house...and..and, there's something else. Hold on, it's starting to come into focus...yes, that's it! Loads of ginger babies!"

Fred opened his eyes to see George standing with arms folded, his lips quirked up in amusement. "Are you done?" George asked.

"Yes, quite." Fred said, lifting his chin in the air and sauntering away.

George snorted, wondering if Fred knew he was secretly eyeing a cute, little muggle flat halfway between his shop and Y/N's.

~•~

George arrived at Y/N's oozing his usual easy confidence. "Ready for this, my love?" He asked Y/N as they walked to his car.

Y/N took a deep breath, then smiled. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"Don't worry, darling." George said, bending down and planting a kiss on her cheek before opening the car door for her. "They'll love you."

~•~

The closer they got to the Burrow, the faster Y/N's heart raced. George seemed to sense this, and reaching out, he clasped her trembling, sweaty hand in his warm, steady one.

Y/N sighed as a wave of calm rolled over her. A small smile crept across her face, and she began tracing little circles on his hand with her thumb. He squeezed her hand in return, as his own small smile made an appearance.

Neither one spoke the rest of the drive. There was no need. Everything that needed to be said was conveyed through that one simple gesture connecting them to one another.

~•~

Y/N didn't have time to marvel at the impossible higgley-piggleyness of the Burrow. As soon as she stepped out of the car, Mrs. Weasley pulled her into a hug. "Oh my goodness, look at you. Cute as a button! You know, George talks about you all the time. It's so good to finally meet you! He tells me..." Mrs. Weasley's non-stop chatter faded as she led Y/N into the house, leaving George and Arthur to collect the cake.

George released a long breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Relieved, son?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah, actually." George admitted. "I was afraid she'd give Y/N the cold shoulder like she did to Fleur."

"Ah, you needn't have worried about that." Arthur began. "Bill sprung Fleur on us out of nowhere. We had no idea he was even dating anyone. But you, George, you've been talking about Y/N for months. Your mum has had time to get used to the idea. Not to mention," Mr. Weasley added with a chuckle. "She’s ecstatic that Y/N's a baker. Now she has someone to talk shop with."

The same dopey grin that had spread across George's face the day he met Y/N returned, and to Arthur's amusement, his son practically skipped into the house.

~•~

A wonderful lunch turned into an impromptu bake-a-thon with George bounding around the kitchen "helping" Y/N and Molly as they made one treat after another. His unrestrained joy was so sweet and infectious that neither of the women were upset when he accidentally put a cup of salt and a teaspoon of sugar into one of the batters, rather than the other way around.

Even Arthur, who generally stayed out of the kitchen whenever Molly was cooking, found himself pulled into the mélee by his giddy son. By the end of the day, they were all covered in flour, frosting, and a vast array of sprinkles, thanks to George and Arthur getting a bit too happy with sprinkling the colorful little confections.

~•~

"This ranks as one of the best days of my life," George commented as he and Y/N relaxed on the tiny balcony of her flat, sipping whiskey and nibbling on chocolate chip cookies.

"I have to agree, Georgie." Y/N concurred, using the nickname reserved only for her and Fred. "I can't believe I was so nervous. Your parents are wonderful."

George smiled and lifted her hand to his lips, leaving a lingering kiss on her knuckles. Then, he turned his gaze to the moon. "It's getting late."

"It is." Y/N responded.

"I don't want to leave."

"You know my bed is always open to you." Y/N said with a cheeky grin.

"I know." George's eyes twinkled as he uttered the next words. "But, I mean, I don't want to leave ever again."

"I know, love. We never want to part at the end of the day." Y/N responded, still not quite catching on.

"Exactly." George said, jumping right to the heart of the matter. "Will you move in with me? I know it might seem too soon, and if you aren't ready, that's okay, we can w--"

Y/N ended his ramblings with a kiss that made him forget everything he'd ever learned for a few brief moments.

"Of course, I'll move in with you." Y/N said, once they pulled away.

"R-really?"

"Yes, really."

"Yes!" George exclaimed and fist-pumped the air. "This calls for a celebration," he said, picking her up bridal style and carrying her to the bedroom.

#george weasley #george weasley x reader #george weasley x y/n #fred weasley #arthur weasley #molly weasley #the weasleys

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mandoalorian · 1 year

Text

Look For The Light [Joel Miller x F!Reader]

Prologue: Part I

Summary: You are a hardened survivor trying to navigate your way in a post-apocolyptic world when you bump into an old friend who goes by the name of Joel Miller.

Warnings: the reader is slightly younger than Joel, say a 10-year age gap? All TLOU relevant warnings such as gore, violence, guns, drugs, and cursing. Joel has an anxiety disorder which parallels his portrayal in the games. Diet talk. Expect smut later on… [Please do not read if you are under the age of 18!]

Author’s Note: I can’t believe it has taken me so long to write a full-blown Joel fic. Those of you who know me well know that I became a fan of TLOU in 2019, just a year before I became a fan of Pedro. I was elated when it was announced he’d been cast as Joel and thus far, I am thrilled with his performance and the many themes of the TV show that have stayed true to the game/s. It is everything I could’ve asked for, and more. I feel as though there is no better person qualified to write a ‘re-write’ per-se of the game/TV show, and I aim to release chapters in time for the new episodes coming out.

Word count: 6,800 words.

Masterlist | Want to support me? | Listen to 'Look For The Light' on Spotify

________________________________________________

Sarah had been sitting on the patio since she finished middle school at noon, waiting for her dad to come home from work. Every school in the US was let out early today for some unknown reason. Government orders. But when Sarah’s dad called her at four-thirty and told her that he’d be home at nine, she thought little of it. This often happened, especially this season. With it just being him and Tommy, working on big contracting jobs often took some time, but Joel often reassured Sarah that it was better that way. Despite their constant brotherly bickering, Joel and Tommy were hard workers and made an excellent team. When Joel heard how disappointed Sarah was that he would be home late, he told her that she could take some money out of his wallet, which was located in his bedside drawer. He told her she could order a pizza and stay up late to watch a movie, and if she got bored waiting up for him, then she could visit their neighbours—the Adlers. They weren’t remarkable company, but they were kind people and they adored Sarah.

Sarah’s mind worked fast as soon as her father hung up the call and it didn’t take long for her to concoct a plan. If she recalled correctly, there was a cheese pizza in the freezer, so instead of ordering take-out, she opted to take her dad’s money and his favourite (yet broken) watch to the jewellers to get fixed. Luckily it wasn’t too far and she managed to get there before five, which was closing time. Sarah was elated that she was able to do this for her father. He always complained about his broken watch, and he was so busy that he was never given the opportunity to get it fixed.

She placed the broken watch on the counter, alongside a twenty-dollar bill, and she offered the gentleman who worked in the store a small wave ‘hello’. He was an older man with white hair and crow’s feet by the corner of his eyes, a sign that he’d smiled a lot during his lifetime.

“Oh, hey Sarah. How’s your dad?” The man, who according by his nametag, went by Eric, enquired while picking up the wristwatch and examining the damage.

“He’s good, thanks. Working late tonight,” Sarah hummed absent-mindedly while she admired the many antiques and trinkets which were dotted around the store. This wasn’t your traditional jeweller—but somewhat of a pawn shop where you could buy the occasional bracelet or diamond ring. “Actually, it’s his birthday tomorrow. Was hoping to get his favourite watch fixed.”

Eric chuckled heartedly. “Well, you’re in luck, kid. Looks like it just needs a new battery. That’ll get it ticking again.” After a few short moments, he returned the repaired watch to Sarah. Eric slid the twenty-dollar bill back over to her.

“No no,” Sarah surrendered her hands. “That’s your payment,” Sarah put the watch in her backpack. “Please take it.”

“Your father is a good man, and you’re a sweet kid—doing this for him. Don’t worry about the payment, I—” Just as he was about to finish his sentence, an older woman came charging into the front of the store, appearing panicked and dishevelled. “Honey, what’s the matter?”

Sarah identified the woman as the shopkeeper’s wife and noted her shaky hands and rapid movements. She was in a frenzy.

“We have to close the store,” the woman said quickly.

“What? Why?”

“We have to close the store!” the woman repeated this time shouting, and switching over the ‘Open’ sign to read ‘Closed’. She then turned to Sarah and grabbed the young girl by her arms. “You need to go home. Now.”

“Wh—is everything—” Sarah couldn’t even finish her sentence when the lady began to push her out the front door. Within seconds, the door to the store slammed shut and locked, and the blinds flew down.

Sarah stood outside the jewellers for a few moments, her brain trying to register everything that had just happened. It wasn’t until an abundance of fire trucks and police cars zoomed past her; their sirens were deafeningly loud. Sarah heard some screams in the distance and took that as her sign to head home. She hoped that her dad would get home at nine as he promised.

The streets were eerily quiet on the walk home, and there wasn’t a soul in sight. Sarah noted the lack of cars on the road. She wanted to take her time to travel back to her neighbourhood—after all, her father wouldn’t be back for hours and she had plenty of time to kill, but the more she began to think about the things she had seen, the more she found her footsteps were speeding up into a fast pace.

When Sarah arrived home, she fumbled with the keys to unlock the front door. The sky was growing dark now and she wondered what she could do with herself to keep occupied while she waited for Joel to return home. Mrs Adler, the Miller’s neighbour, called for her, and Sarah turned to see the nice lady relaxing on the front porch, next to her mother who was much older. Sarah picked up the keys and pondered across the Adlers’ front lawn, and over to their porch, greeting Mrs Adler.

Sarah spent the rest of the evening with the Adler’s and their dog, Mercy. By eight-thirty, Sarah headed home, but not before taking ‘Curtis and Viper 2’ from Mrs Adler’s DVD shelf. Mrs Adler was fine with Sarah taking the movie. She described it as a boyish film, anyway. Sarah watched the movie and cooked her frozen pizza. By midnight, she found herself becoming increasingly worried about why her dad hadn’t returned home at nine like he had promised. Usually, she would be okay with it, knowing the nature of his job-- but with the strange occurrences that had been happening today, something felt off.

The pale crescent moon shone like a silvery claw in the velvet night sky. When Joel finally pulled up into the driveway, he sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. He wasn’t getting enough sleep, and he was beginning to feel the effects of the long laborous hours on the same damn job. Tommy left at nine but Joel stayed back for a few hours to tie up loose ends. At least now he was paid, and he could forget all about it. He remained in his seat for a little while, listening to the end of the radio broadcast.

“—Indonesian minister of health released a statement today stating that the government is doing everything in their power to maintain the spread of the Cordyceps infection in Jakarta.”

Joel turned off the radio and left his truck. His mind was far too preoccupied to understand the severity of what was going on in the world around him. As he sauntered to the front patio, he cursed himself for being home so late knowing that Sarah would have been disappointed in him.

To his surprise, he heard Sarah’s voice the second he opened the front door. She’d stayed up for him.

“You said you’d be home at nine,” Sarah grumbled, her lips pulling into a frown as Joel walked through the front door. Her eyes felt heavy but she had stayed awake this long, anticipating her father’s return. She wasn’t going to fall asleep now. Her determined mind stopped her from doing that. The young girl looked up at the wall clock above the television and her frown deepened. “It’s almost one in the mornin’.”

Joel removed his brown work jacket and brushed down his t-shirt before sliding out of his shoes and shuffling into the living room. The room was illuminated by the amber lantern on the coffee table. His gaze was immediately drawn to a little brown moth, hazily dancing around the lantern before settling down atop it. If he was in his usual teasing mood, he would have pointed the moth out to Sarah, knowing it would scare her, but instead, Joel just ignored the insect and slumped down onto the sofa. Joel spread his legs and leaned back, pulling out a yawn. What a day.

“I’m sorry kid,” Joel finally said, feeling a genuine sense of guilt. “Rough day. Bad traffic.”

At least that wasn’t a lie. The roads had been hectic, with people swerving chaotically and more sirens in the neighbourhood than Joel had ever heard.

Sarah hummed knowingly. She’d been hearing the panic outside too, and the news broadcasts on the television had been secretly terrifying her to the point she couldn’t bear to watch. Something about an infection from Jakarta having sightings in the city. Not much was known about it, but Sarah was just glad she lived on the outskirts of Austin, Texas.

She’d be okay and so would her dad.

That’s all that mattered.

“Sweetie, what are you still doing up? It is way past your bedtime.”

“Oh! But I got you something,” Sarah beamed and reached down the side of the sofa, bringing up a white box. Joel looked at Sarah with surprised eyes and held the weighty box in his hand.

He opened the box, not exactly sure what to expect from his fourteen-year-old daughter, only for it to be revealed that she had gotten his favourite watch fixed. The watch had been broken for quite some time and Joel, being the busy man that he was, never got the chance to fix it.

When Joel didn’t respond to the gift, Sarah interjected, feeling the need to explain herself. “You kept complaining about your broken watch so I figured…”

“I—honey, I love it but I think it’s broken,” Joel tapped the watch face and held it to his ear, checking to hear for its ticks. Sarah, in a panic, grabbed her dad’s wrist to inspect the watch for herself, only to see that it was working in perfect order.

“Oh ha ha.” Sarah mocked as her father snorted a chuckle.

“Where’d you get the money for this?” He inquired, quirking an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Drugs. I sell hardcore drugs.” Sarah joked with a smirk, pleased with herself for getting her dad a present that he truly liked.

“Oh good. You can help out with the mortgage then.” Joel countered and Sarah laughed, snuggling into her dad and resting her head on his lap.

“You wish.”

Joel turned on the television and despite it being late, settled on an old war movie to watch. Sarah hated those old black-and-white films, and it didn’t take her long to fall asleep. Taking his daughter in his arms, Joel picked up Sarah, carried her upstairs, and tucked her into bed. Placing a kiss on her forehead, Joel remembered just how lucky he was to have Sarah in his life. She kept him grounded—she kept him sane—and she gave him reason to keep going.

By the time morning rolled around, Sarah was the first to wake up, as usual. Joel pressed snooze on his alarm three times, before his fourth and final alarm—being Sarah—came into his bedroom, opened up the curtains and let in the blinding golden sunlight which enveloped him. Joel winced as he felt the rays burn his skin, and turned over, putting a pillow over his head in frustration.

“Get up, dad,” Sarah announced. “It’s your birthday and I am making you special birthday pancakes.”

The pancakes were more so for Sarah, but her dad’s birthday was the best excuse to make them. She’d make rainbow funfetti pancakes with cream and syrup and strawberries. They were her all-time favourite breakfast. If he was lucky, she might have even stuck a candle in the top and sung ‘Happy Birthday’ to him.

That got Joel’s attention. “Birthday pancakes?”

“Be downstairs, dressed, in five minutes,” Sarah said before leaving her father’s bedroom.

Joel crawled out of his warm bed, the pancakes being the only motivation he had to actually get up, and pulled over the same navy blue t-shirt that he was wearing the day before. Buckling up the belt of his dark wash denim jeans, he shuffled down the stairs and into the kitchen.

“I don’t smell pancakes,” Joel frowned. “But I do smell coffee.”

Already preparing her father’s daily black espresso, Sarah sighed. “We don’t have any flour,” she replied, just as disappointed as he was. “You must’ve forgotten to pick it up. I guess you forgot the birthday cake too?”

“Damn it,” Joel huffed, realising that hopping to the grocery store yesterday must have completely slipped his mind. “That’s okay baby girl, I’ll make eggs.”

Eggs were fine, but they weren’t part of her convoluted plan to give her dad the best birthday imaginable. Sarah supposed that it would be okay and that the both of them were still able to spend the day together.

Sarah placed her dad’s coffee on the table. “Your shirt is inside out.”

The young girl helped her dad set the table and poured out some orange juice before taking her seat and eating her breakfast. After fixing his shirt, Joel sat down and turned on the television before digging at his eggs.

‘BREAKING NEWS: Cordyceps Brain Infection comes from contaminated food, spokesperson says. Total number of infected rises to 5000.’

“5,000?” Sarah repeated in disbelief. “Where is this infection spreading?”

“Jakarta,” Joel replied, stuffing a mouthful of bacon into his mouth. “Heard about it on the radio yesterday. Those poor people…”

“What kind of food is contaminated?” Sarah asked, to which Joel could only shrug in response.

“I don’t know honey, but don’t worry. We’re fine over here.”

Just as Joel and Sarah were finishing up their eggs and bacon, they overheard the front door swing open.

“Well well well, happy birthday old man,” Tommy Miller strolled into the kitchen with ease ruffling his older brother’s already messy bed hair playfully.

“Old man?” Joel countered, dropping his fork to the plate and acting mockingly offended.

“Old. Degenerate,” Tommy corrected and Sarah stifled a laugh. “Hey, I thought we were having birthday pancakes.”

“No flour.” Joel and Sarah replied simultaneously knowing that those two words offered enough of an explanation.

Tommy grumbled in dismay. “Well, in that case, I’ll see you guys later.”

When Tommy left, Sarah and Joel erupted into a fit of laughter. Tommy lived in the neighbourhood so it was often he would just pop in for a few minutes only to leave again. Now that he had the day off, Tommy would most likely spend his day in a bar playing pool, or hitting on girls that were way out of his league.

“No but seriously, what are we doing today?” Sarah asked, clearing her plate and heading over to the sink to wash her dishes.

“Well I got to pop out to the city for a little while. I promised an old friend I’d help her with a favour. You remember your old nanny?”

Sarah beamed at the memory of her. “Of course! Can I come with you?”

“No darling, I won’t be there long. She just wants me to take a look at her shower. She’s got a place up in Austin now.”

“Nice,” Sarah smiled. “She always did want to move to the city.”

“I should be back in time for dinner, and this time I’ll grab a birthday cake from the grocers,” Joel promised. Sarah offered him a hug.

“Okay daddy, do what you gotta do. I’ll see you later.”

The traffic was even worse than yesterday. The roads that led into the city were filled with people who were seemingly fleeing, all speeding in opposite directions. There was an accident on the quickest route so Joel found that he had to go through back alleys and side streets in order to get there as quickly and safely as possible. He didn’t understand why the roads were so hectic, and his mind was too preoccupied with the thought of seeing you again after so long.

Joel wasn’t sure whether or not he had done the right thing when it came to rejecting the new contracting job that was proposed by a local business, only to take on a free favour for the girl who used to babysit his daughter. You had done more than enough favours for the Miller family; having been there for Sarah ever since she was a little girl. If Joel had to be honest with himself; you were as much of an influence on Sarah as he could’ve hoped for. Being a young, single dad had its difficulties and Joel’s job often meant that he had to work long hours away from his daughter. As Sarah got older she understood why her dad would have to leave so early in the morning and come back so late at night. He was simply doing it to take care of her.

But when he wasn’t around, you were the reliable force that protected Sarah and watched over her during the day. You took her to kindergarten and later elementary school. You sat with her during the late evenings, helped with her homework and even cooked her dinner. Despite the ten-year age gap between you and Sarah, the two of you had become quite close, and according to Joel, you were simply a terrific girl; well-mannered and gentle. Your personality had an influence on Sarah, and Joel certainly couldn’t complain about that. He was so proud of his daughter. That’s why Joel was prepared to do this job as a favour to you, much to Tommy’s dismay.

Tommy being Tommy, always had something to complain about.

“This is un-fucking-believable. You got to earn a living Joel—and I do too. You sacrificed a legitimate job to help fix Sarah’s old nanny’s bathroom plumbing. And shit man, you ain’t even a plumber.” Tommy was midway ranting to Joel on the phone when he pulled up outside your apartment. After moving out of your family home, you found a place in central Austin, where you were living with your boyfriend. The commute to work was much easier now that you lived in the city. You’d scored a secretary job in a corporate office down on Congress Avenue.

“We are doing fine for business,” Joel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. It was times like this when Joel would wonder about the fine line between love and tolerance. Tommy was never going to let his brother forget about this. “I just owe this girl some favours.”

“You just want to get in her pants.” Tommy snarked back, the vulgar words dripping from his tongue.

“And you better watch your mouth boy,” Joel warned, his tone darkening as he immediately found himself getting ticked off by his brother’s comment. Tommy was always one to jump to accusations. “Just a favour.” Joel reminded before promptly hanging up the call.

Joel slid his cell into his jean pocket and took a deep breath. He hadn’t seen you in months. Not since you moved away. He felt his palms get just a little sweaty with nerves as he approached the front door to your building. Apartment number 13. After a brief moment of coaching himself, Joel pressed the button to buzz into your apartment.

“It’s me—Joel—uh, Miller—Joel Mil—” where were these nerves coming from?

“Come up!” your cheery voice interrupted him and he heard the electronic front door click open. Joel said a silent prayer hoping that you couldn’t sense his anxiety through the intercom. He had forgotten to take his medication that morning.

Noticing the elevator was out of order, Joel had no choice but to take the many flights of stairs that led up to your place. The walls in the hallway were painted a dingy brown and several cracks laced the webbed corners. When he got to your floor, he wiped away the beads of sweat that laced his hairline and noticed that the door to your apartment was already wide open, beckoning him to come in.

He lingered outside for a moment hesitantly, peeking around your front room; but you were nowhere in sight. He scratched the back of his neck before calling your name. It would be rude to just enter your apartment without you knowing.

When there was no response, Joel called your name again. He proceeded to take a step into your apartment and shut the door behind him. It was very small; just a sofa and a small TV and a bookshelf in the corner. Your kitchen was adjoined to your living room, and there were only two rooms towards the back. He assumed one must have been your bedroom, and the other… he heard a rush of water running. The bathroom.

The door was shut and Joel took a few steps, calling your name as he got closer and closer to the bathroom.

“I’m in here!” you called back. “Uh—you can come in—but please don’t laugh.”

Joel quirked his eyebrow as he pondered what could be beyond the door. He slowly reached down to the door handle.

“Are ‘ya… are you decent?” Joel asked awkwardly, noting that the shower was still running.

Another moment of silence before your timid voice responded. “…I suppose…”

Joel pushed down on the bronze door handle and let himself into the bathroom, only to be enveloped by warm, thick, humid air coming from the running shower. His immediate response was to choke back a cough as he squinted his eyes, trying to navigate where exactly you were hiding. You were behind the fogged-up shower glass, on your knees and sopping wet. You made no effort to remove yourself from the running water, even when Joel had already entered the room. You were adamant you could get this fixed yourself.

“Damn it!” you cursed loudly, finally withdrawing yourself from the shower and crawling out of the bathtub. You were never one to give up easily, but meddling with this shower was like fighting a losing battle.

You looked up at Joel whose large hand was covering the smirk that grazed his lips. He was trying so hard not to laugh at you. His broad shoulders were adorned by a brown jacket and his dark locks of hair seemed to be adorned with just a few grey specks—and hell, if he wasn’t staring at you with the utmost judgement—you might have even considered just how attractive he looked.

“You good?” Joel chuckled, the corners of his chocolate eyes creasing with elation. You stood up to meet his level, ignoring the fact your t-shirt was now stuck to your skin and water droplets were falling from your hair.

“Do I look good?” you snarked back, narrowing your eyes.

“Well—” Joel raised an eyebrow, eyeing you up and down. You felt your cheeks heat up under his gaze and you sheepishly looked down at your feet, hoping he wouldn’t catch your earnest reaction. “What happened?”

“Thought I could be all big and clever and try and fix this damn shower by myself,” you admitted, feeling silly for even giving it a try. “Thought that if I fixed it, I wouldn’t have had to waste your time.”

“Ah,” Joel nodded, stepping aside from you and hesitantly approaching the shower. A few stray streams of water jumped out at him. “You ain't ever wasting my time.”

You fiddled with your thumbs as Joel pulled out a wrench from his back pocket. Without hesitating, he stepped under the hot water and began to adjust the shower faucet, tightening the metal valve located under the head of the shower. The wrench kept slipping however and Joel ended up placing it on the side of the tub, opting to use his strength to tighten the valve. You watched as his grip tightened against the faucet controls, his biceps flexing as he let out a quiet grunt. The main flow of water came to a halt and the condensation in the room began to slowly fizzle away. Small drips of water fell from the leaky showerhead, but for the most part, Joel fixed your problem in just a matter of minutes.

Scratching the back of his neck, Joel ran his finger down one of the pipes that joint into the valve. “You might need to get your pipes checked, could be rust or—”

“Fungus,” you cut him off. “It’s gross, I know, but a neighbour was telling me she had the same problem with the faucet in her kitchen. Damn water wouldn’t stop running. She had some guys come around and they found this gross, fungus-type thing growing in the pipes.”

Joel made no effort to hide the disgusted look on his face.

You sighed, knowing you’d have to call a plumber over to investigate your shower further. You really didn’t need the extra expense right now. But then you remembered just how grateful you were that Joel travelled all this way to do you the favour of fixing your shower—even if it was a temporary solution. You walked over to the man and gently interlinked your fingers with his, your cautious movements taking Joel by surprise.

“Come on,” you said softly. “It’s slippery. Let me help you out of the tub.” You noted how your hand fit in his. It was much smaller, and even though you wanted him to hold onto you for support, it felt more like you were holding onto him.

Joel graciously took a step out of the tub, and you realised he didn’t need to hold onto you whatsoever. You took a towel from the radiator and wrapped it around his shoulders; a pathetic attempt at getting him dry.

“I should’ve brought a change of clothes.” he huffed, running his now empty hand through his short hair.

“I have something that might fit,” you smiled. “I mean—not my clothes of course, but my boyfriend, Michael… well, he’s probably the same size as you.”

Boyfriend?

It took a second for Joel to register the word. For some reason, he’d made the assumption you didn’t have a boyfriend. But then again, it had been a while since he last saw you, and now you lived in the city with your corporate job and your brand-new life. Just when Joel thought he knew everything about you, he realised that there was now so much more for him to learn. He followed you into your small, box-shaped bedroom and into the closet.

You searched through a pile of clean laundry that was mixed with both yours and Michael’s clothes.

“If you see anything you like, just take it. Michael won’t mind.” You offered.

Despite your assurance, Joel reluctantly knelt and searched through the pile of clothes. Amongst your many shirts, pants and colourful pyjamas, Joel finally found a light grey sweater and a pair of matching sweatpants to wear. As he pulled them out from under the pile, he couldn’t help but notice a lace lingerie set that was placed delicately underneath. Deliberately, at the bottom of the pile. His eyes were drawn to the piece and his grip on the grey fabric tightened as he imagined you wearing the set. The thoughts invaded his mind without choice and Joel cursed himself for not fighting them away.

He finally stood up and turned to face you, only to immediately retract back when he saw you pull off your t-shirt. Catching a glimpse of your bare back, Joel swallowed the lump in his throat and turned to face the poorly painted wall behind him, not wanting you to feel uncomfortable upon you discovering that he had seen you like that.

You had in fact told him that you were going to change out of your wet clothes too—around about the same time he noticed your lingerie. He was just too distracted to have heard.

Dropping your soaking wet jeans to the floor and letting them pool around your ankles, you pulled up your favourite, fleece-lined black leggings and wrapped your wet hair into a towel. Now dry and cosy, you turned back around to Joel who was staring at the concrete wall, waiting patiently for you to have finished.

“Joel?” you asked.

“Y—yeah?” Joel stuttered, clutching onto the sweats.

“You found something to wear?”

“Yeah.” Joel confirmed, smiling softly and showing you the grey sweats that he had picked out, almost as if he was asking permission—again—as to whether or not he could take them.

He was such a sweetheart.

“Perfect,” you returned his smile. “You can get changed in here. I’m going to head into the kitchen.”

Before Joel could reply, you left your bedroom and gently closed the door behind you, allowing Joel to get changed in privacy.

You opened up the refrigerator and took out a batch of chocolate chip cookies that you’d baked the night before. Heating them up in the microwave, you prepared them neatly on a plate and placed them down atop the small table that segregated your kitchen from your living room. Just as you were finishing up presenting the cookies, Joel exited your bedroom and you felt your heart blossom in your chest when you caught sight of him.

You were so used to seeing Michael wear those same grey sweats all the time, you hadn’t even prepared yourself for how they’d look on Joel. For the same garments, you’d imagine they would look identical—but you couldn’t have been more wrong. They fit on Joel’s body like a glove and tugged on him in all the right places. The light colour highlighted his slender waist and broad shoulders, and the way the waistband around his sweatpants was just ever so slack…

Joel cleared his throat and you felt your cheeks heat up as you snapped out of your daydream.

“Looks good,” You nodded your head with positive affirmation and then your eyes quickly darted to the cookies on the table behind you. “Cookies!” you announced, happy to have found a reason to change the subject. Joel shuffled towards you and eyed up the plate of cookies.

“Oh wow—chocolate chip?” Joel smiled. “Those are my favourite.”

“Sarah’s too,” you beamed. “I remembered. Would you like to try one?”

“I—I would love too,” Joel grinned and extended his arm over to the plate. But then he abruptly stopped himself. “But—ah, I’m on Atkins. And I’m doing so well…”

“What’s that?”

“Oh,” Joel grumbled. “Just this dumb diet thing. I’ve basically been cutting out carbs. Lasted nearly two weeks so far.”

Your frown deepened at his admittance. “That doesn’t sound healthy…”

“No, well, neither is this.” Joel prodded his tummy.

You wanted to tell him not to diet—that he didn’t need to. That his body was damn well gorgeous just the way it was.

But you didn’t want to overstep any boundaries.

“Take them home for Sarah?” you offered.

“She’d love that,” Joel smiled and inched towards you. There was barely any distance separating you both now, and you couldn’t recall a time when you had been this close to one another. “Thank you.” His words were so genuine, so real, that they sparked butterflies in the pit of your tummy and you held back a smile. You held it back because, without any restraint, you’d be grinning like an excited little girl.

“How is Sarah?” you asked, looking up at Joel.

If you took just one step forward, your chest would be touching his.

“She’s good,” his voice had lowered an octave and that Southern twang in his accent became all the more prominent. “I’m sure she’d like to see you. You should come over sometime for movie night.”

“I—I would love that,” you admitted. Movie night with Joel and Sarah… just like the old days.

“She’s really into those horror movies now she’s getting older…”

It was like some kind of mystic energy was pulling you both closer to each other. It wasn’t conscious, and the movements were small, but as your bodies got closer together you noticed the way Joel’s voice trailed off into eventual complete silence. And then, like magic, the curve of his nose bumped into yours and you let out a small giggle. The proximity of each other felt so intimate and yet you couldn’t bear to draw away from him. You wanted him to touch you, hold you, bump noses with you again…

Joel’s eyes became dark and lust-filled as his gaze flicked down towards your mouth. Your eye line followed his and you observed his pretty pink lips that were framed by his moustache, all the same. You both wanted the same thing. He wanted to kiss you, softly and delicately—and he wanted to cradle your face as he relished the moment. And equally, you wondered what it would be like to kiss him, if his light stubble would graze your skin or if it would tickle you and make you erupt into a fit of giggles. You wondered if his hair would be rough and brassy or soft and fluffy.

You cautiously extended your arms and placed both your hands into his still-damp hair, threading your fingers through the roots to the tips. As a response, Joel closed his eyes and hummed in contentment, the vibrations in his chest sending chills through your own body. His own hands swung down to your hips and he bravely pulled you in closer to him.

Joel opened his eyes and brought one hand up to your shoulder and then gently cupped the side of your cheek. You leaned into his palm and he swept his thumb over your bottom lip. Bumping noses with you again, this time he did not draw back. You could feel his breath fan over your lips and you pushed your chest into him and opened your mouth when---

Ring. Ring. Ring.

The alert of Joel’s ringtone made him jolt back from you and stumble even a few steps further. You stood there, as still as could be, your brain desperately trying to piece together what just happened.

You almost kissed Joel Miller.

“Shit, it’s Tommy,” Joel explained. “I should take this.”

Breathlessly, you nodded, and all Joel could do was shoot you an apologetic look before flipping open his phone and holding it to his ear.

“Joel—Joel—I need you to come to pick me up. I’m in jail.” A brief moment of static buzzed through the line but Joel heard Tommy loud and clear. He wished he had misheard.

“You what—” Joel placed a hand on his hip, taking a second to process his little brother’s words. “Why the hell are you in jail, Tommy? What did you do?”

Your eyes widened when you heard what was going on. Tommy in trouble?

“I—it wasn’t my fault—”

“It never is,” Joel grimaced.

“I was at Linkin’s Bar down by the Creek and some guy just started attackin’ Isabella. Grabbed a hold of her and wouldn’t let go… so I smashed a bottle in his face. Knocked him to the ground. That showed the fucker.”

“Jesus Christ Tommy,” Joel sighed.

“You’d do the same,” Tommy called out. “Isabella’s only small, and she couldn’t defend herself. Anyway—I need you to come to the County Jail and bail me out. I’ll pay you back, I promise. I just can’t stand to spend another moment in here.”

“Alright, I’m on my way, but I’m in Austin. Will take me a while to drive back up that way.”

“Just get here quick,” Tommy practically begged. “I—I think there’s something wrong with the officer. He keeps twitchin’ all funny. People have been acting weird, Joel.”

Joel shook his head and let out a deep sigh. “Whatever Tommy, I’m on my way.”

As soon as Joel put his cell back in his pocket, you placed a caring hand on his forearm. “Is Tommy okay?”

“He’s always getting into trouble, that boy.” Joel sighed.

“You take care of your brother. You’re a good guy,” you said softly. “Maybe… maybe we can plan that movie night for tomorrow, huh? I get off work at five.”

Joel smiled. A good guy. That was all he wanted to be. And making plans for movie night with Sarah? Joel felt a buzz in his chest. She would love to see you again. “That sounds good.” He said casually, trying to hide the fact he was beaming inside.

“Alright,” you returned his smile and then nudged his side playfully. “I’ll see you tomorrow then. And I’ll bring the cookies.”

“See ‘ya.”

Joel turned around and left the apartment without another word and you stood there, your heart racing, still reeling from what had happened just minutes prior. You’d hardly lost track of time when Michael came through the front door.

“Hey, who was that guy I just saw leaving? He kinda looked like me.”

Michael wished he looked like Joel, but you assumed that remark was made in reference to the outfit that Joel had ‘borrowed’.

“I—” immediately you felt defensive. Not that you needed to be, because technically, nothing happened. Was there any need to be defensive over mere feelings? “It was the plumber.”

“Oh. He fixed the shower?” Michael asked, stealing a cookie from the batch you had baked.

“Yeah—hey! Don’t eat those. They aren’t for you.” You warned, but Michael was already swallowing his first piece.

“Huh?” Michael chortled. “It’s not like you need to eat them, looks like you’ve eaten enough already.” He said with a snide look.

You felt your jaw slacken slightly at the comment and resisted the urge to tell him exactly just who this ‘plumber’ guy was, and how much you wished you had kissed him in that heat of the moment.

You didn’t respond but instead watched Michael eat two more cookies. Your lips curled into a frown, knowing you’d have to bake another batch, but at least this time they would be fresh for tomorrow’s movie night.

For the first time in weeks, Joel felt he was finally able to relax. He took the drive home slow and steady and turned up the car radio to drown out the ongoing sirens in the distance. The song ‘Future Days’ by Pearl Jam played, and Joel decided he would take up learning it on the guitar when he got home. Now that he had a few days off from work, he could put his feet up and do whatever he wanted. He looked forward to seeing you tomorrow, but now he just had to head on to the grocers, like he had promised Sarah, and pick out a birthday cake.

He found a red velvet one with buttercream icing, knowing it was more Sarah’s favourite than his own. Joel liked fruitcake but he knew that if he brought a fruitcake home for Sarah, she’d just sit there disgusted and pick out the raisins. He’d rather she was satisfied.

Joel brought the red velvet cake to the cashier and opened up his wallet, preparing to pay.

“I’m sorry sir,” the lady behind the desk said. “I can’t sell you this. I’m afraid all wheat-based products are being recalled due to the Cordyceps Brain Infection.”

Joel furrowed his eyebrows together in bewilderment. “The Cordyceps--? I thought that was all the way in Jakarta?”

“You haven’t heard--?”

Just then, alarms began ringing in the grocery store and an automated voice boomed through the speakers. The cashier froze and her eyes widened as soon as she recognised the voice. “This is an automated message. This is a red alert warning from the United States government and the CISA. Please stop what you are doing and return home immediately. Lock your doors. Do not let anyone inside.”

The message repeated repeatedly, and the entire store erupted into a panic; including the cashier standing before Joel.

“What the hell is happening?” Joel asked, his gaze darting around the store. He watched a stampede of people head towards the fire exit, clambering and yelling frantically.

“You have to go.” The cashier replied before running off into the crowd.

Joel headed towards the entrance, thinking he could leave that way where it was less crowded. He had no comprehension of what was happening, but he knew for certain he wouldn’t leave Tommy behind.

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Prologue: Part II

#Joel miller #Pedro pascal #Pedro pascal x reader #Joel miller x reader #the last of us #tlou #smut

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onlyangellucifer · 10 months

Text

Morning, Baby - Part 1

Summary: Y/N wakes up in a bed next to her dad's bestfriend, Harry one morning. Confused at where things lie, she wrestles with if the relationship is worth the risk.

Warnings: smut, angst, age gap (Harry is 30, reader is 23), alcohol consumption, unprotected sex (please wrap it before you do it!)

Authors Note: This part is 1268 words long, so sorta short. No smut involved this time yall, i'm so sorry. I'm a bit rusty at writing but any feedback is welcomed and encouraged! (please be kind). You can read the sneak peak here. There is a time jump, however, it's noted with a line!

dad's bestfriend!Harry

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The birds chirping while the sunlight made it’s appearance through her sheer curtains was what y/n woke up to every morning. She used to love the way it woke her up, but lately she’s grown irritated with it. Then again she wasn’t out until all hours of the night in the past like she is now. She wasn’t much of a partier, in fact she loathed being there. She hated how the room always reeked of weed, sweaty bodies, and booze. However, since she was in college now and had adult friends, she went. She was a shy person, never really talked to anyone and kept to herself. Her friends dubbed her the “mom friend” and it was fitting. She would nurse the same drink all night, if she even drank, or she’d fill a red solo cup with water and tell people it was vodka. She made sure everyone got home safe and had everything they needed for the hangover that was sure to follow. However, with it being summer time and college was on a break, that meant her friends wanted to go out more and she would be dragged with. Too nice to say no or tell them she wanted to have an early night.

That’s probably why she groaned, flopping a pillow over her head before looking over at the clock, 8am. She normally would sleep till noon, seeing as she got home at 4am. Her parents were trusting, never gave her a curfew due to the fact that she never really broke their trust or gave them a reason to. Today was her birthday, turning 23. Her parents insisted on throwing her party, she was an only child so her birthdays were always extravagant. Her dad was a CEO at a major law firm and her mom owned a flower shop in town, so they were pretty set on money and anything y/n wanted was what y/n got. Well, not anything per say. There was one thing or one person that she wanted but never had the balls to actually make a move on, Harry.

Harry was always around, for as long as she could remember. He was one of the most successful lawyers at her dad’s firm and thus her dad took a liking to him very early on. Despite being 10 years younger than her own father. Her dad was always inviting him out. Whether it be golfing, out on the lake on their family boat, or to family dinners, Harry was there. She wasn’t sure when she started to gain an attraction to Harry, she just knew she wasn’t crazy for feeling that way. All of her friends always gawked over him. His tan skin was complimented with the dark ink of his tattoos, the cross necklace dangled on his chest and his abs were toned perfectly. It was like he was a walking Greek statue and the god’s made him a sin walking. She does remember the first time she masturbated to the thought of him though, or the image of him more or less.

She was 17 at the time, she wasn’t a very sexually active teenager, which her parents were thankful for, but she still had needs like anyone else. It was Summertime, the sun was beating down on their backyard as people were gathered in groups or in the pool. Her dad had thrown a pool party to celebrate the first day of summer and the big win of the company, which of course was achieved by Harry. Harry showed up wearing patterned button down shirt, overtop laid a sweater vest, while his toned legs were hidden by plaid trousers, which hugged him in all the right places. His hair was styled perfectly, but also messily which lead her mind to think about how it would feel between her fingers as she tugged on it, his name rolling off her cherry red lips. The real torture came when he was eating watermelon and the juice dribbled down his chin, his ring clad hand wiped it away. She was trying not to gawk but all she could think of was her juices dripping down his chin. Her thighs rubbed together, trying her best not to drip on the chair, clad only in a red bikini.

Needless to say, she touched herself that night thinking of how his hands or more so his mouth would feel like on her.

He never flirted with her though, he always kept things innocent and polite, well at least while she was underage.

She sighed loudly into her empty room, deciding it’s time to get up before her mom came to drag her out of bed. While it was her 23rd birthday, she still had to help setup and these were the times she wished she had siblings to do that instead. She heard voices downstairs, footsteps rushing around and then she heard him. His accent echoed through the halls and a smile spread on her face.

══════•°•♡•°•══════

The night was filled with drinks, laughter, birthday gifts and a cake with her face on it. She tried to keep her eyes to herself, but how could she when Harry was dressed in only olive green swim shorts, the July air was still humid and the theme was pool party. She wore her olive green bikini, not meaning to match him but happy regardless. He had shown up wearing a white tanktop, backwards cap and navy blue shorts. So, there was no way to tell that they’d be matching. Y/N couldnt keep her eyes off Harry, and Harry couldn’t keep his eyes off her.

He’s had an attraction building since she turned 19 and lately it’s been harder to keep his eyes and hands to himself. He was unsure if she’d have any feelings back, but the vodka redbull her father handed him was clouding his mind. Y/N laid in that olive green bikini next to her two other friends, Mary and Char. She felt eyes on her and was pleased when her eyes caught Harry’s before he looked away. Her own alcoholic beverage was clouding her mind.

That’s probably how they ended up here. In her room, her back pressed against the door as his lips found her neck and her hands found his hair. The chocolate curls felt smooth and soft in her fingers as she tugged him back to her mouth. His lips tasted like orange chapstick and his breath smelled like mint and vodka, which was instantly her favorite smell. She cursed softly as he pulled away, both of them painting before he let out the first words since they entered the room;

“I hate to interrupt this, baby but.. I think we should get back to the party before they come looking for us and find us in a compromising position.. Continue this at my place?”

She wanted to whine, wanting this to continue but she knew he was right. They were only supposed to be gone to get extra towels and had been gone for a good 10 minutes. She nodded her head reluctantly before responding with a simple kiss to his lips before they pulled away from each other, straightening out their clothes and unlocking the door.

They grabbed the towels from the hall closet outside her room, both of them eagerly awaiting the end of the party to continue what just happened. Both of them were still unsure if it was the alcohol that was making this happen or that they both shared mutual feelings, but that was half the fun.

#harry styles #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles filth #harry styles smut #dads bestfriend!harry #harry smut #harry styles x reader #dbf!harry

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boltupbitches · 2 months

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Birthday Boy - Justin Herbert

Part 5 of the Layla Herbert series

Part 1 - One Day at a Time

Part 2 - Today's the Day

Part 3 - Cheer's To Us

Part 4 - My Daughter Thinks I'm Ugly

Today was Justin’s 26th birthday and Alex couldn’t be more stressed. Layla had woken up earlier in the morning with a fever and what was likely another ear infection. She was irritable and crying a lot. Alex was mentally drained as she closed the door to Layla’s room, making sure to double-check that the baby monitor was on.

Justin was due back in a few hours from a charity event he was participating in with his younger brother. Alex still didn’t get around to cooking his birthday dinner.

It was hard to believe that this time a year ago she was early in her pregnancy and not on talking terms with Justin at all. She had moved back to Eugene and laid low for a while. Months later she was raising a soon-to-be 5-month-old daughter and living with Justin while being in a committed relationship with him.

Life had changed rapidly for her in a year and she was so happy things worked out the way they did. She couldn’t imagine her life without her beautiful daughter. She couldn’t imagine coming home to anyone else but Justin. Some days were exhausting and tiring more so than others but if it meant she could have her small family to love and to hold on to, it was worth it.

Alex was just finishing up plating the steaks and shrimp skewers she grilled when she heard Justin’s car pull up out front. She shut the lid of the grill, making sure it was off, before she walked quickly to the kitchen from the patio and sat the food down.

Justin had come in quietly and sat his stuff down in the foyer before calling out for Alex, “Babe, I’m home.”

“In the kitchen!” She called back.

Within moments Justin’s tall frame came through the doorway. He grinned at his girlfriend and pulled her into a hug as soon as he reached her. “I missed you guys today.” He mumbled as he pressed his nose to the crown of her head and inhaled the familiar scent of her shampoo.

“We missed you too. Laylay is down for a nap. She likely has an ear infection again,” Alex sighed.

“Did you give her children’s Motrin?” Justin asked with a worried look.

“I did, but she was still crying quite a bit throughout the day. I think she’s teething as well. She’s got a tooth breaking through in the front lower row if you look closely.”

“We’ll call the doctor tomorrow and get her in for a sick appointment.” Justin sighed, “I hate when she gets sick. It feels like there’s not much we can do to fix it.”

“I know. I feel the same.”

Justin finally peered down at the plated food of steak, shrimp skewers, loaded baked potatoes, and grilled asparagus. His stomach growled at the sight of it. “What’s this?”

“Birthday dinner for you.”

Justin blushed and smiled down at Alex who was still in his arms, “You did all of this for me?”

“Of course! You’re my special someone and it is your birthday. Did you think this morning was the only present you were going to get?” Alex teased him.

Justin’s cheeks remained flushed as he remembered the crazy start to his morning that included a blindfold and some handcuffs. He was sure that was going to be one of the most memorable birthday gifts of his life - definitely top 5!

“I love you.” He pressed a kiss to her lips, “So much. Thank you for being my number one supporter.”

“Always,” Alex smiled back, “Now help me take this to the dining room before Layla wakes up for her feeding.”

“Aye aye, captain.” Justin followed her command.

He was hoping for a round 2 tonight of the fun they had earlier in the morning. Birthdays were starting to be his favorite celebrations with Alex involved.

#justin herbert fanfiction #justin herbert one shot #justin herbert imagines #just herbert fanfic

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mafiasliege · 20 days

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I dare you to let me go

(this is part 2 of my fic. Enjoy reading!)

Part 1 ↓

JAMESON

Jameson was standing in a maze. Green bushes everywhere. And whichever way he went, the end was green too. Except now. Now, a 5"6' hazel-eyed brunette was standing there.

"Heiress." He tried taking a step toward her, but the distence seemed to stay the same, maybe it was getting bigger. "Where are we?"

"Not we. You. You seem… stuck."

"I'm not stuck. I'm-"

"-fine? Is that your latest lie? Then why am I here, Jameson? again?"

Where was he? And why did Avery seem younger?

"It's not a lie, heiress." Jameson was starting to get angry now, he turned around and started walking away. Avery- or the girl who at least looked like her- spoke louder.

"I'm not her, you know. Maybe the real one doesn't even exist anymore."

"Shut up."

"Maybe she just-"

"Shut up!-"

"Jamie, I'm gonna start yoddling loudly until you get your ass out here!" That was Xander, but Jameson had no regard for a yoddling threat between his gasping for air like a drowning man. Apparently, the things that plagued him during the day had started following him into his sleep now.

He pushed away the sheets and picked up his shirt from the night before. Under it was that box. They same green box. How long had he had it now? An year? Two? And did it matter, really?

You're fine. Just get this done.

-------------------------------------------------

Jameson got dressed and got to the room. He was surprisingly on time, the only reason being Xander making good on his threat to yoddle. He was actually decent at it, but annoying, nonetheless.

"Do you believe you're being paid to arrange a funeral?" Grayson's tone walked the line between a question and an accusation.

"I need this entire-"

"That's enough! Thank you" Lyra inserted herself in the conversation and dragged Grayson away by his arm from the event planners, who went back to doing their thing.

The dinner last night may have been non-existent the last straw a disaster, but this party's going to be epic. Besides, Avery would at least be home for at least a while on her own birthday, right? She'd promised.

Jameson helped himself to one of the appetizers on the long table covered in platinum and shades of violet. He hadn't had breakfast. After everything was set, he excused himself to the garage and tried calling Avery.

"Your call has been-"

"You're call has-"

"You're ca-"

He plunked his phone down with force. Luckily, it landed on the soft leather of the Valkyrie's seat.

"You alright there?" Nash. It was Nash. Why was everyone so concerned all of a sudden? Avery had just missed her own birthday that he'd planned for days. Not a big deal. At all. Janeson rolled down the car's window glass.

"I am fine."

"You're staying to sound more like Gray than Gray used to himself," Nash took that as his cue to get in the passanger seat.

"Whatever you and Avery have going on, just talk to-"

"Do you think I haven't tried?" It came out slow with a hint of frustration. They were face to face now. "There's always another call, there's always another problem, there's always another person expecting the most from her and she's trying to live up to them more and more."

To that, Nash had no answer. They just say like that for a while.

"Try talking to her today. She might just listen." He patted Jamie on the shoulder and got out.

-------------------------------------------------

"I can't feel my faxing legs," Max whispered, sitting in a crouch. After a long day of planning Avery's party, everyone was sitting in a crouch waiting for her to come and surprise her.

"Sit on me, then," Xander whispered back to her.

"Oh, get a room you two!" Libby whisper-yelled at them, just as the door rattled.

"SURPRISE!!"

"Oh, my God!" Said… Mrs. Laughlin, who almost dropped the tray of crab cakes in her hands.

"Ugh. I can't crouch for much longer! Where is this beach?" Max whimpered, kicking her feet.

After two hours, all the dishes were half-empty, the wine half-drunk, and half the people previously in the room had dispersed.

"So-"

"Before you say what your about to say, Gray, just like everyone else in this house, I'm okay, and so is Avery."

Grayson frowned. "I've been where you are, Jamie. If you have to keep telling yourself you're okay, you definitely aren't."

Jameson felt Grayson call out to him as he stormed out walked away.

He was done. He was so done. With his brothers' concern, with Lyra's unnecessary inputs.

With Avery.

The floodgates were open now, just like the door of his bathroom as he slammed it back shut. He was angry, no, frustrated. He was frustrated at the dinner, he was frustrated as he threw the green box from his pocket at the sink, he was frustrated as he felt the mirror shatter beneath his knuckles. He could suddenly see a thousand reflections of himself. But every reflection in every piece of the shattered mirror was a shell of what Jameson Hawthorne used to be. How he used to be.

He staggered back, still staring at his reflections until his back hit the door as he slowly sunk to the floor. And just like that, the tears and the memories came rushing out to the surface.

"Maybe the real one doesn't even exist anymore."

"She told me she's going to make it up to you"

"If you have to keep telling yourself you're okay, you definitely aren't."

"How many times have you had your heart broken over the last five years?"

And with the painful memories and the exploding bottled up feelings came crystal clarity, for the first time in a long time.

I can't do this anymore.

Loving Avery had made him love himself too, it made him realise his self-worth. He got to see what he deserved. But this, right now? He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to pretend to be happy. He didn't deserve to settle for a shell of what him and Avery used to be. He always says he can't imagine a life without Avery, maybe that was never a good thing. He had to start living for himself.

And there was only one way to do that.

#the inheritance games #tig fanfic #the grandest game #jameson hawthorne #tig #averyjameson #avery grambs #javery #IDYTLMG

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clanwarrior-tumbly · 9 months

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can we get a mark heathcliff X reader, where the reader, cesar and Sarah (little Sarah) give him a surprise birthday party and he gets all emotional about it because not only did his best friend, his sister and his lover all go out of their way to do this for him, but also because hes never had a birthday party because he had only 1 friend in school because everyone thought he was too weird to hang out with 😭 (mark gets tons of hugs and kisses from the reader! because he's the birthday boy and deserves it<3)

I know I'm waaaaaay late but here's something short and sweet for the birthday boy!

..........

"""Surprise!!!!"""

Mark didn't expect anything out of the ordinary when he walked out into the kitchen this morning. To him, it was just another day off of school.

But to see you, Cesar, and Sarah greet him with a "Happy Birthday" banner and kazoos indeed surprised him, making him freeze on the spot.

For a moment, he seemed utterly confused...

Then it finally hit him.

Today was his birthday.

"Oh, wow..I...is this really all for me?" Approaching the table, he saw several giftboxes for him, alongside the cards with each of your names on the envelopes.

"Of course, man! Who else?" Cesar laughed as he patted his best friend on the back, grinning from ear-to-ear. "I know you're not big on parties, but [y/n] wanted to make this one extra special..you're finally 18! Feel any older yet?"

".........."

Sarah was a huge help in picking out the ribbons." You chimed in, ruffling the younger Heathcliff's hair, to which she smiled bashfully and nodded. "We did our best to be quiet, so...."

However, you trailed off when you noticed Mark's gaze seemed vacant. He kept staring at the table, apparently lost in thought, and you and Cesar exchanged concerned glances.

Suddenly a very small part of you feared this was all too overwhelming for your boyfriend.

He did have a rough day at school yesterday and went to bed upset, so maybe this wasn't the best time for a-

"Y-You all did this...for me?"

"We did Mark, I hope it's not too much." You stepped forward, but stopped as he turned to you, eyes watery with the biggest smile on his face. It made your heart melt. "Oh, sweetheart..are you okay?"

"I'm great, [y/n]. I just..." He began to sob, trying yet failing to hide his tears. "Nobody's ever gave a single shit about my birthday..b-but now I have you guys. I'm so lucky..I'm so blessed. Thank you."

Relieved that none of this stressed him out, you smiled back and cupped his face in your hands, wiping away the tears for him. "Awh, you're welcome." You kissed him on the forehead before hugging him, rubbing gentle circles into his back. "You deserve this more than anyone."

Truer words have never been spoken.

He deserved to have a decent birthday..to make up for all the ones he's missed or neglected.

Because back in school, Mark never got any acknowledgement...nor was he invited to any parties. Every year there's always the kids who made plans right in front of him, the classmates who said he was too "weird" to hang around and would rather partner with anybody else, and the teachers who gave him birthday wishes that were either too early or too late, never on time.

It sucked, and he had to get used to that lonely feeling even with Cesar trying to cheer him up. He started caring less and less about his birthday over the years...until he forgot that he literally turned 18 today.

When you first realized it was coming up fast, you believed it was a milestone worth celebrating!

So you wanted to make this day a little extra special, although you didn't think he'd get this emotional about it.

Poor Sarah was flabbergasted when her older brother started crying out of nowhere, thinking he was upset for some reason and hated the surprise, though Cesar reassured her that he was happy.

After he calmed down, he opened the presents (one of which didn't totally include a marketable plushie) and dug into a small cake his best friend bought for all of you to share for breakfast.

Of course, it was his favorite flavor.

As for the remainder of the day, well, he had no plans to go out. But you were okay with that, and he was too.

Rather, you just stayed home and cuddled on the couch together, where you continued giving him a lot of kisses. You had homework, unfortunately, but elected to ignore that for today, instead putting on a movie he casually mentioned wanting to watch. And you let him rest his head on your shoulder while you both stared at the screen, perfectly content.

Mark expected nothing from you...yet you gave him everything.

And he loved you for that.

#clanask #anonymous #tmc x reader #mandela catalogue x reader #mark heathcliff x reader #fluff

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h4amarch · 11 months

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uh oh sisters! I’m back with more Kel Angst… but more like a Kel Character Study.

I’m sure Kel appreciators are already familiar with my analysis of how Kel thinks people value Mari’s theoretical opinions more than his real ones. But since that was at the end of a longer post which was just a “List of Fun Kel Facts :)” I think I didn’t really get to touch on the fact of why this has come to be.

Someone in the tags of that post wrote that Hero does this too, that the two brothers were raised to be people-pleasers and naturally tend to ignore their own feelings. And I absolutely 100% agree with this!!! But consider now: Kel was the little troublemaker, and Hero was the responsible one. To some degree, I think you can also make an argument as to how Hero’s role as the responsible one allowed Kel to be the troublemaker, and vice versa; whether it was by their own will or not, Kel traded positive attention for more freedom, and Hero did the opposite.

Hero is the one to handle responsibility first, and he’s older, too—so it goes that, inherently, Hero has made the better suggestions of the two of them during their childhood, from hangout ideas to problem solving. Kel is the one that makes the silly suggestions, the one that’s a little less realistic, the one that’s still filled with childish fantasies of Captain Spaceboy and renegade stories.

Until he isn’t. Until he’s grown up a little, until he’s slapped in the face by a tragic death, by a despondent, unresponsive brother—by nobody else knowing what to do any better than him.

So he tries—

“Hey Aubrey! Do you want to come to my birthday party? I know we haven’t really talked, this past year, but—”

“Helloooo, Sunny? It’s time for school, and I heard we’re gonna play basketball during gym! You don’t have to play, I can just shoot hoops and you can watch! I’m getting real good at it, I swear—”

“Morning, Basil! Did you need any help doing gardening stuff? I just wanted to see if anyone was free to hang out, but—”

“Hey Hero. Are you… feeling a bit better today? I was just wondering… if you wanted to go get Gino’s with me. Because I’m hungry, and I think it’d be fun if we went together—”

—and he fails.

“—you want to hold a birthday party? Are you- Are you serious?! Tomorrow’s the day she- and you- I- Did she mean nothing to you?!” (He wanted to distract Aubrey from it. But of course she wouldn’t forget.)

“—oh, Kel, good morning! I’m sorry, but I don’t think Sunny can come see you right now… We’re thinking of homeschooling, but… I’m sure he’ll come out to see you one day.” (School was just an excuse to ask for Sunny. Now what is he supposed to do?)

“—ah, um- I’m- I’m okay! I have to… to, um, check on the m-more delicate plants today so, um— m-maybe not today… I-I’m sorry.” (If he were better at not being clumsy, would Basil still have turned him away?)

“—I’m not hungry, Kel… Not today. It’s late anyway.” (He’s never hungry when Kel asks.)

Kel tries to handle things on his own, and it fails. He is confronted with the fact that, on his own, his ideas really are as stupid as Aubrey used to call them, and as silly as Basil and Sunny used to say they were, and as unrealistic as Hero used to tell him.

And Mari…

“—Hi, Mari. Sorry I couldn’t make it last week. But, uh… I was just wondering… if you… if you could maybe… tell me this is all a bad joke…? Because- they all said you- you did it on purpose, but… but I don’t think you would have wanted this, right…?”

(“Well, Kel! You’ve just made a very convincing point. Now I don’t know who to believe!”)

…

The only person who believed in him, the only one who bothered to indulge his ideas even a little bit, is gone.

And yet, just like when they were younger, the one time things work is—

“Mari wouldn’t have wanted to see you like this, Hero…”

—when Mari steps in.

“…what?”

And again.

“I can’t just leave here knowing that this is the person you’ve become. I mean… What would Mari think?”

“Why do you keep bringing her up?”

Granted, the reactions are always a bit rough. But it’s what makes people react, it’s what gets things to change.

So… yeah. Kel’s opinions don’t matter. They’re not supposed to—they’re supposed to make people laugh, or deadpan, or call him stupid so that he can start bantering and bickering, because it’s familiar, because it’s normal. It makes things a bit difficult if he wants to be all serious, but as always, Mari is there for him when his mind comes up blank.

Until she isn’t. Until Sunny says something, and Basil corroborates it. Until every little success he’s been able to achieve with Mari’s help dissipates like the cheap discount foamer in Sally’s bubble baths. Until Kel isn’t sure what Mari would have wanted.

Until Kel is left with only himself. Mari would have wanted—

—he wants—

—everyone to be happy. Everyone to stick together this time. Everyone to help him figure out what the hell he’s feeling right now. Everyone to help him figure out how to stay together when all he wants is to run. Everyone to come back to the room so they can talk, before they split apart again. Again. Not again. Not again.

But how will he do it without Mari?

#kel omori #omori kel #omori #omori (game)#kel angst #the box files #witness: me going wild with the colored text function #oh MAN could you imagine if this were here in 2012 #we would have all gone BUCKSHIT WILD

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homomenhommes · 6 days

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THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … April 22

Today is EARTH DAY! – Earth Day's a name used for two different observances, both held annually during spring in the northern hemisphere, and autumn in the southern hemisphere. These are intended to inspire awareness of and appreciation for the Earth's environment. The United Nations celebrates Earth Day, which was founded by John McConnell in 1969, each year on the March equinox, while a global observance originated by Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in, also called Earth Day, is celebrated in many countries each year on April 22.

1766 – Madame de Staël, (Anne Louise Germaine de Staël-Holstein) French author (d.1817); When old editions of the staid Encyclopedia Britannica say that someone's sex life is "unconventional," it can sometimes mean little more than the subject enjoyed something other than missionary position with his clothes on and the lights off. When a woman's sex life is even mentioned, no less described as "unconventional," then you had better sit up and take notice.

Madame de Staël liked not only men, but women, too. In 1798 the French novelist, separated from her husband, began living with a male lover, and met Juliette Récamier, the most celebrated beauty of her time. Mme. de Staël was 31, Juliette ten years younger.

"She fixed her great eyes upon me," wrote Juliette, "and paid me compliments about my figure which might have seemed exaggerated and too direct had they not seemed to have escaped from her. From that time on I thought only of Mme. de Staël."

They lived together for the next nineteen years, until the novelist died. Her final words to Juliette, to whom she had once written, "I love you with a love that surpasses that of friendship," were "I embrace you with all that remains of me."

Emile Norman with Brooks Clement

1918 – Emile Norman (d.2009) was a California artist known for mosaics, panels, jewelry and sculpture - with a meticulous attention to detail. Emile Norman grew up with a club foot on a San Gabriel Valley walnut farm. From an early age he exhibited artistic talent, carving his first sculpture from a riverside rock at age 11 - ruining his father's chisels, but also gaining his respect.

From 1946, Norman lived and worked at his studio-home in Big Sur on Pfeiffer Ridge with his partner Brooks Clement, until Clement's death in 1973 from cancer.

In 2008, actors Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry met Norman, purchased land from him in Big Sur, became his neighbors and his close friends - eventually taking five years to produce a PBS documentary, Emile Norman: By His Own Design. Having moved in with Norman in 2003, long-time friends Jeff Mallory and C. Kevin Smith had discovered movie film shot by Norman's partner Brooks Clement on a hand-cranked 16 mm Bolex, footage that was eventually incorporated in the documentary.

Norman died September 24, 2009 in Monterey, California at age 91, survived by three sisters.

1946 – John Waters was born on April 22. Recognizable by his pencil-thin moustache this American filmmaker, actor, writer, personality, visual artist and art collector, rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films and has, against all intuition and all odds has become the toast of Broadway with not one, but two major musicals based on his cinematic oeuvre.

For his 16th birthday, Waters received an 8mm movie camera from his maternal grandmother, Stella Whitaker. His first movie was Hag in a Black Leather Jacket. According to Waters, the film was shown only once in a "beatnik coffee house" in Baltimore. Waters was a student at New York University (NYU) in New York City.

In January 1966, Waters and some friends were caught smoking marijuana on the grounds; they were soon expelled. Waters returned to Baltimore, where he began work on his next film, Eat Your Makeup, which was filmed that year. Waters' films would become Divine's primary star vehicle. Waters' early films were all shot in the Baltimore area with his company of local actors, the Dreamlanders. In addition to Divine, the group included Mink Stole, Cookie Mueller, Edith Massey, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, and others. These early films were among the first picked up for distribution by New Line Cinema. Waters' films premiered at the Baltimore Senator Theatre and sometimes at the Charles Theatre.

Waters' early campy movies present filthily lovable characters in outrageous situations with hyperbolic dialogue. His early films, Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, and Desperate Living, which he labeled the Trash Trilogy, pushed hard at the boundaries of conventional propriety and movie censorship. A particularly notorious final segment of Pink Flamingos, simply added in as a non sequitur to the end of the film, featured, in one take without special effects, a small dog defecating and Divine eating the feces.

His 1981 film Polyester starred Divine opposite closeted, once-teen-idol Tab Hunter. Since then, his films have become less controversial and more mainstream, although works such as Hairspray, Cry- Baby and Serial Mom still retain his trademark inventiveness. The film Hairspray was turned into a hit Broadway musical, which swept the 2003 Tony Awards, and a movie adaptation of the Broadway musical was released in theaters on July 20, 2007.

Waters' most recent film, the NC-17-rated A Dirty Shame, was a move back toward his earlier, more controversial work of the 1970s. He also had a cameo in Jackass: Number Two, which starred Dirty Shame co-star Johnny Knoxville. A Gay American, Waters is an avid supporter of Gay rights and Gay pride.

1953 – Charles Farthing (d.2014) was a New Zealand doctor who specialised in the treatment of AIDS. He was the Medical Director of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation from 2001 to 2007. He later worked at Merck Sharp & Dohme as the Director of medical affairs for infectious diseases in the Asia-Pacific.

Farthing was born on 22 April 1953 in Christchurch, New Zealand. His father was an accountant and his mother was a music teacher. He was educated at Christ's College, Christchurch, an independent boys school. As a child he had considered entering the priesthood. He went on to study medicine at the University of Otago in Dunedin.

Farthing began his medical career in New Zealand where he practiced as a dermatologist. After five years, he moved abroad and worked for a year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He then moved to England and joined St Stephen's Hospital in Chelsea, London. Between 1985 and 1987, the numbers of AIDS patients treated at St Stephen's rose from a dozen to over 1000. From 1985 to 1988, he was involved in clinical trials for the antiretroviral drugs Thymosin, AZT and foscarnet. In 1987, he helped found the Kobler Center at St Stephen’s Hospital which specialised in the treatment and research of HIV/AIDS. It was one of the first wards in the United Kingdom to specialise in the area. He was Chair of the all-party parliamentary committee on AIDS during the late 1980s, and was instrumental in guiding the governments reaction to the AIDS crisis.

In 1988, he was awarded a Winston Churchill fellowship which allowed him to move to the United States of America where he studied AIDS at the Bellevue Hospital in New York. He later became the Director of the hospital's AIDS treatment program. In 1994, he moved to Los Angeles where he became the principal investigator of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and in 2001, he was promoted to Medical Director. In 2007, he left the United States for Hong Kong where he joined Merck Sharp & Dohme. At the time of his death, he was Director of medical affairs for infectious diseases in the Asia-Pacific.

In the 1990s, after moving to America, Farthing played a leading role in the introduction of the triple drug therapy that has transformed survival rates and quality of life for those infected with HIV. In 1997, frustrated by the way in which safety concerns were preventing tests of HIV vaccines on live human candidates, he volunteered to try the vaccines himself. "Someone has to go first," he explained. "Medicine has changed. Years ago, people took risks. Now it is as if research cannot expose anyone to risk. That is why this research is going so slowly."

In the event, discouraging results from tests of a similar vaccine in monkeys meant that the trials did not go ahead.

Farthing died of a heart attack in a Hong Kong taxi in 2014.

Farthing was gay. At the time of his death he was in a relationship with Dougie Lui, a hotelier.

1956 – Phill Wilson founded the Black AIDS Institute in 1999 and is a prominent African-American HIV/AIDS activist. Wilson is himself both gay and HIV-positive. His partner, Chris Brownlie, died of HIV-related illness.

Prior to founding the Institute, Wilson served as the AIDS Coordinator for the City of Los Angeles from 1990 to 1993, the Director of Policy and Planning at AIDS Project Los Angeles from 1993 to 1996. He was co-chair of the Los Angeles County HIV Health Commission from 1990 to 1995, and was an appointee to the HRSA AIDS Advisory Committee from 1995 to 1998.

Wilson grew up in Chicago. His parents had moved north from the southern states like many black Americans did after World War II. Both his parents worked outside the home, but they also provided a strong, supportive environment within the family. He grew up learning a commitment to family and to the community too.Wilson was often involved in civil rights activities in the Chicago area, such as Operation PUSH, Operation Breadbasket, and Black Expos, according to Out Magazine. He credits his family with continuing to support him after he came out to them regarding his sexuality. Wilson told Out a story about how he and his former lover, Chris Brownlie, had been to a family reunion and an in-law commented to a cousin about their presence after they had left. "My cousin," said Wilson, "who is a very committed, active, and faithful Jehovah's Witness told this woman, 'that man is my cousin. He is welcome here, and his partner's welcome here. They're a part of our family. You can't come to my house and talk about my cousin and his partner that way. That's not allowed.'"

Phill Wilson has always been busy. He was busy in high school with community activities and still managed to graduate early. He worked hard for American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) and was married for a short time. He described himself as naive to his sexuality until he heard a radio interview with a publisher of gay magazines. He then went about trying to locate the gay community in Chicago and met his partner of 10 years Chris Brownlie in 1979.

In 1981 Wilson said he "had enough of the cold weather of Chicago." He and Chris moved to the Los Angeles area. They ran a giftware manufacturing company called Black Is More Than Beautiful. By this time both Phill and his partner had heard of AIDS. Some of their friends had been ill or had died. Wilson said around this time both he and Chris had biopsies of their lymph nodes taken, because they had been swollen for a long time. "No one knew what caused AIDS then," said Wilson. "The doctors told Chris and I that there were abnormalities to the lymph nodes but they couldn't tell us what it meant."

As the years progressed more friends grew ill and people learned a virus caused AIDS. In 1986 California placed Proposition 64 - a proposal calling for the forced quarantine of all people with AIDS - on the election ballot. Both Wilson and Brownlie volunteered to work for a committee opposing the passage of this proposal.

About the time of the November of 1986 election Brownlie became ill. Wilson said Brownlie's illness, plus the amount of time they found themselves working on the ballot proposal led them to close down their giftware business. With their efforts Proposition 64 went down to defeat. In 1986 Wilson also founded a group called the AIDS Prevention Team. This group was started with a small grant Wilson received while volunteering with a social organization called Black and White Men Together.

In early 1987 Wilson and Brownlie were both diagnosed with HIV infection, which nearly always gives way to full blown AIDS, an often sexually transmitted condition in which the body's immune system is depressed, making one susceptible to a host of health problems, usually becoming fatal. In fact, Brownlie's illness was classified as AIDS. This diagnosis just seemed to make Wilson and Brownlie work harder. They also founded the AIDS Health Care Foundation around that time, which has grown into the largest nonprofit HIV medical services provider in Los Angeles County. It now includes the Chris Brownlie Hospice, named for Wilson's late partner.Phill Wilson is realistic in his work with AIDS. He knows the heavy losses of colleagues and friends. His lover Chris died in 1989. He wrote about the grief and anguish in Advocate magazine in 1992. He often speaks of his work as war. But the necessity of the work keeps him going.

"If you don't do any of that long term planning," he told Out, "then you're assuring that it's going to be around another 5, 10, 15, or 20 years."

"By the time we have the infrastructure we have to have," said Wilson in POZ, "I'll probably be dead. But right now I'm doing what I'm doing and living my life as I see it."

1975 – Jónsi (Jón Þór Birgisson) is the guitarist and vocalist for the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. He is known for his use of a cello bow on guitar and his falsetto voice. He is also blind in his right eye and is openly gay.

Apart from Sigur Rós, Jónsi also performs together with his boyfriend Alex Somers as an art collaboration called Jónsi & Alex. They released their self-titled first book in November 2006, which was an embossed hardcover limited to 1000 copies,along with their first album, Riceboy Sleeps, in July 2009. On December 1, 2009, Jónsi's official website, jonsi.com, was launched in anticipation of his debut solo album, Go, which was released the week of April 5, 2010. After the release of the album, Jónsi promptly started a worldwide tour across North America and Europe, featuring songs from the album plus a few other selections.

1982 – Thomas Bridegroom was born in Knox, Indiana, USA as Thomas Lee Bridegroom. He was an actor, known for The X-Effect (2006), Bridegroom (2013) and The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency (2006).

Tom was born and raised in Knox, Indiana and finished high school at the prestigious Culver Military Academy. Tom excelled at CMA, winning the Hobie Leadership award, which garnered him a trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with the president. After graduating from CMA Cum Laude, Tom enrolled in Vassar College, where he trained in voice and piano.

Although he was succeeding in his academic career at Vassar, Tom made the decision to leave school early and pursue his true calling: a career in the entertainment industry. Tom co-wrote the powerful and meaningful song, “Lost” with his friend Paige Williams, which attracted attention from the music industry, as well as writing numerous other songs with many other talented musicians, and on his own.

Tom also pursued ambitions of acting and being in front of the camera. Tom gained national recognition at the age of 23 when he was chosen as the Hot Boy Next Door for the popular magazine, Teen People, for the October 2005 issue.In 2005, Tom met his partner, Shane Bitney Crone. Shane and Tom started a social media/public relations company, Bridegroom and Bitney, in 2008.

He died on May 7, 2011 in Los Angeles, California, USA when he accidentally fell off of the roof of his friend's four story building. After his death, Tom's family refused to acknowledge their relationship, and because of this his partner Shane Bitney Crone was prevented from being by Tom's side for several hours as Tom was in the hospital, and was even warned to stay away from the funeral by his family – and even threatened with violence if he were to appear. This is chronicled in the documentary Bridegroom (2013).

1993 – On this date the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum was dedicated in Washington, DC. It marked the first time the United States government inscribed the words "Gay" and "Lesbian" in stone in the museum's exhibit on Gays and Lesbians killed by the Nazis in World War II.

2014 – Harvey Milk is the first openly gay elected official on a U.S. stamp. He was an American politician and the first openly gay elected official in the history of California where he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. He fought and defeated the anti-gay Prop 6. Milk was assassinated in 1978 by Supervisor Dan White.

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juliasdowntonstuff · 13 days

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Chapter 48

My original plan was to stall today's update (ao3 here) until tomorrow because I did not feel like it was right, given that it would have been my mum's 53rd birthday today and I am not really feeling it. But reading this chapter back while editing, I realised that maybe today is just the right day to post it, so there you go.

Some alone time for Cora with her grandkids while Robert and Mary are in London. Hope you enjoy!

The three of them were looking at an old photograph, worn and faded as it was. "Granny, is that you?" wondered George as he pointed at the young woman smiling brightly back at them from the page.

She had not seen this photograph in years, maybe decades even. Mindlessly, her finger traced the edge of the photograph as her gaze and mind began to wander.

"Yes, George. That is me; many, many years ago. This photograph was taken on the day I got married to your Grandpapa," Cora said, suddenly feeling very nostalgic as she thought back to that day almost four decades ago. "As you can see, this was very long ago, I was only 21 years old, and your Donk 24."

"Donk had dark hair, too?" Caroline asked surprised, inching even closer to her Granny to get a better look at the image.

Cora couldn't help but huff a laugh at the childish innocence behind that question. Laughing, she said: "Yes, your Donk had dark and sometimes curly hair when he was young. But that was a long time ago now. When people get older, their hair starts to lose its colour, though, and it turns grey or even white. Remember Granny Violet? She had grey hair for longer than even I can remember." Cora winked at her grandchildren as they all laughed.

"You were beautiful, Granny," George said, his eyes still transfixed on the photograph in the book opened in Cora's lap. "You still are. But how did you stay so young when Donk got so old? Your hair is still so dark!"

Again, Cora had to huff a laugh. She could not tell them that she had been colouring her hair for years to appear at least a couple of years younger than she actually was. She was not a vain woman, and she did not mind ageing, at least not that much. But something about her grey hair showing bothered her and so she had it dyed for years. Not any more, though.

One night in the hospital, when Robert had once again tried to tame her hair into a braid, he had run his fingers through it like he always used to do in their youth. At first, he hadn't said anything, he had just kept weaving his fingers delicately through her tresses. After a while, though, he had murmured softly to her. "Your hair — I know you won't want to hear this, my darling, but I am glad you haven't dyed it recently. Seeing these grey hairs peek through reminds me how fortunate I am. I am so lucky to have already had so much time to spend with you and I wish for so many more weeks and months with you. Even years if we're allowed."

She had decided that night that if she made it through the treatment, she would never dye it again. Her husband was right. They had spent so many years together, they grew up and old together, and this would be another physical reminder for them to cherish.

#downton abbey fanfiction #cobert #cora crawley #robert crawley #my dearest darling

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yurayura-kurage · 9 months

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A3! Troupe Event: MY WORST WEDDING | Event Story Translation (3/11)

Neither Japanese nor English is my first language so please forgive me if I made mistake. However, feel free to point me out, I’d love to hear your feedbacks on the translation ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶

Translation under the cut

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Azami: Persimmons and kiwis are rich in vitamin C.

Sakyo: Expensive. Grapes are on sale today.

Azami: Just a little bit is fine. Don’t be so stingy!

Sakyo: Only 10 yen, and then 20 yen. Piling up that a little bit can cost your head. One month, then one year, they’re gonna accumulate and become a larger amount and then… et cetera, et cetera–

Izumi: W-well! We will buy persimmons and kiwis at the next sale!

Azami: Tsk. Then at least do your sleeping duty properly. It won’t cost you anything.

Sakyo: … Will try my best. (*)

Izumi: Then, I’ll pay at the cash register!

*Shifts to Mankai dorm*

Izumi: Ah, that’s right. If they are rich in vitamin C, how about persimmon and kiwi curry next time?

Azami: No curry, please–.

Sakyo: No, thanks.

Izumi: You two are really in sync at times like this…

Sakyo: It seems to be edible if it’s only persimmon or kiwi curry, but you can’t put both into one.

Young girl: …

Izumi: ?

(That girl... She is looking inside Mankai dorm, I wonder if she needs something)

Sakyo: —Why are you here?

Miyako: Ah, onii-chan…!

Azami: Onii-chan?

*In the kitchen*

Izumi: I wonder if the younger sister would prefer orange juice rather than tea… Do we have any desserts here…

Azami: I brought some Monakas from my home last time. (**)

Izumi: Ah, that might help. Azami-kun, you can sit here.

Azami: It’s awkward to be over there so I’ll help you here.

Izumi: Eh? A tense atmosphere there?

Azami: Sakyo only comes home once in a while, so they’re still not close enough to talk when there are just two of them.

Izumi: I see…

*Shifts to the living room*

Izumi: Here for Sakyo-san is the Japanese tea, and for the younger sister, would you like to have orange juice?

Miyako: T-thank you.

Izumi: There are also some Monakas that Azami-kun got from his home, so if you’d like to, please feel free to have some.

Miyako: Itadakimasu…

Sakyo: …

Izumi: (Uhm, the air here is really awkward. Sakyo-san looks like he doesn’t know what to do either.)

Do you come here to meet Sakyo-san today?

Miyako: Y-yes… I need him to help me persuade my step-mother.

Izumi: Persuading?

Miyako: Actually, it seems that my step-mother didn’t have a proper wedding ceremony when she first got married and when she remarried to my dad.

But she said that she used to yearn for wearing a wedding dress back then, so I was thinking about getting her and my father a wedding photoshoot this time…

Their wedding anniversary is getting near soon.

Azami: Wedding photoshoot?

Izumi: Instead of organizing an actual ceremony or reception, in order to commemorate, the brides and the grooms will wear dresses and tuxedos for taking photos.

Miyako: I told her that this is the right time to wear a dress for commemoration. But she said that she was not young enough to wear a dress anymore…

Izumi: These days there are lots of couples celebrating their 60th birthdays, so I don’t think age really matters. (***)

Miyako: I know right!?

Azami: That reminds me Omi-san once said that he did that sort of work too, not only the pre-wedding photoshoot, but also the anniversary photoshoot for couples’ 10th wedding anniversary.

Sakyo: Did you tell step-father about this?

Miyako: Yes… But step-mother’s feelings are the most important after all…

Sakyo: That’s right…

Miyako: However, step-mother said that she used to wish to wear a dress back then… Onii-chan too, you also heard that last time, right?

Sakyo: I think mother also feels glad that you want to do this for her, but it’d be difficult to persuade her since she’s pretty stubborn.

I tried to be filial to her before, but she refused after that. She told me to spend my money more on something else.

Miyako: Step-mother is such a frugal person, isn’t she…

Sakyo: If we can convince her, I’ll pay all the expenses for the wedding anniversary celebration.

But if mother still sticks to what she wants, then even me can’t persuade her either. It can’t be helped.

Miyako: I see…

*Shifts to outdoor*

Sakyo: I’ll take you to the station.

Miyako: It’s still bright and it won’t take too long, so it’s okay.

Izumi: Please feel free to come over again anytime.

Miyako: Thank you for your treat.

Izumi: I hope that Miyako-san’s feelings can be conveyed to your step-mother as well.

Miyako: I wonder if my step-mother saying she didn’t look good in a dress is perhaps a matter of principle, that she has some reservations about her ex-husband. Like she cannot forget her ex-husband or something…

Sakyo: That won’t happen. It’s been decades since my father passed away.

And when she decided to remarry, mother also reported it in front of the Buddhist altar with a bright look on her face.

Miyako: I see… Thanks for letting me know, onii-chan. Sorry for bothering you.

Sakyo: Be careful on your way home.

*Inside the dorm*

Izumi: …What you said before, will it be alright?

Sakyo: It’s no use forcing her to receive the care she doesn’t want to. She is not someone who likes luxury things in the first place, so she won’t let anyone spend money on her…

You guys don’t need to worry ‘bout it.

Izumi: …

Azami: She is Sakyo’s mother after all, and even though we know she’s frugal, if we say it’s to commemorate, she’ll agree, won’t she.

Izumi: I heard that Sakyo-san once got refused before when trying to buy his mother an apartment. Maybe that’s why he is afraid of being refused again after persuading her.

I think Sakyo-san also really wants to be filial to his parents.

Azami: (Filial piety…)

*Shifts to Room 106*

Azami: Oi, hurry up and go to bed.

Sakyo: I still have work to do. Go to bed first.

Azami: Didn’t you say you’d sleep properly instead of buying persimmons and kiwis.

Sakyo: Tsk, you still remember that… I’ll turn off the light then.

Azami: ——Hey.

Sakyo: Hah?

Azami: ..No, nothing.

Sakyo: ?

*Flashback*

Sayuri: “Actually, Mom wanted to wear a dress too.”

*Back to present*

Azami: …

Translator’s note:

(*) He is using 善処する here, which means “I will try my best but can’t guarantee the result”. I don’t want to make the sentence too long but couldn’t think of any phrasing that can express this nuance, so I noted this.

(**) モナカ (monaka) is a type of dessert (wagashi) which is served with tea.

(***) In Japan, people celebrate their 60th birthdays, which is called “kanreki” (還暦). Kanreki is celebrated as a rebirth or re-entry into childhood.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

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#a3! translation #autumn troupe #akigumi #autumn troupe’s 10th play #my worst wedding #my worst wedding translation #act addict actors

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livealittleoc-cb · 1 year

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Happy Birthday King of Hearts! ❤️

CW: pictures containing food!

It was the day! Cupid's birthday!

Emilia had been tasked by Dionysus and Jay to keep Ace out of his house for the day till they were done with what they were planning. She happily took him around, bought him whatever he wanted and just straight up spoiling him. "Mom! Please!" Ace whined joking slightly as she bought him his fourth set of nice rings.

"What! I'm not doing anything~ Just getting the best for one of our babies~" She said with a smile and giggle. They stopped by Leo's place since he had a gift for him, which was a a necklace with a Cupid's bow. He gave him the biggest hug and giggled as he fondly looked down at the necklace. The next stop was Jooheon's place, who gave him a box of stars, star dust and galatic dust that he wanted for some projects he had in mind. Ace squeals, hugs him close before rabbling a little about the projects he had in mind. Lastly was Diego's house, the boy gave him a jar with a storm cloud in it, remembering that Ace was curious if you could put a storm in a jar.

"You can~" He said as he handed the jar to the younger. Ace giggled and thanked him, giving his best friend a good squeeze before they started heading to his house. Ace and Emilia blasted music in Emilia's car, dancing around and laughing until they got to Ace's house. Once there Em gave him a peck on the cheek and he gave her a tight hug.

"Have lots of fun baby! Today is your day, don't let anyone ruin it." She said and smiled and nodded quickly before going to the door. He texted Jay, letting her know he was outside and that whatever they were doing better not have broken one of his walls. As he started to unlock the door and heard shuffling and shushing. He raised a brow as he walked carefully into his living room. When he looked inside he took a minute to process everything.

There was pink and white balloons everywhere, some heart shaped some normal balloon shaped. There was silver confetti on the ground and a nice table all decorated in front of a wall. There was a red velvet cake, his favorite kind of cake, in the middle with the words 'Happy 24th Birthday King of Cards and Spades'. The lights were off and the candles on the cake were lit. His eyes watered as he saw some gifts and more decorations as he kept looking around. He covered his mouth as the two important people in his life step out, smiling and holding items in their hands.

He sniffled as he stepped closer to them as some tears fell. "For me?"

"Of course for you sweets." Dionysus said with a smile as he stepped forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. Ace smiled as he sniffled and wiped his tears smiling up at the older man. "Thank you, love." Jay gagged next to them.

"You lovebirds, disgusting." Ace giggle at his long time best friend and turned to her. He gave her the biggest hug almost knocking down the things out of her hands. He pointed at the bags and boxes on the table and then the stuff in their hands.

"What are those?"

"Oh those on the table are stuff from your family, Jay's family and some of the gods. These are your gifts from us." Di said as he motioned to everything. These were one of the few years that Ace got spoiled by so many people, he was used to Jay spoiling him to death especially on his birthday.

"You really didn't have to-" Jay pressed her finger to his lips and shushed him.

"Shushhh shushhh just take it~" She grinned as he giggled and took the box and boquet from her hands.

"Oo~ New flowers? What are these?"

"Ghost Flowers! They're created from the touch of a special kind of ghost, they took me ages to find!" Ace smiled as he open the box and gasped.

"You made me my favorite cookies too!" He bounces and hugs her again pressing a friendly kiss to the top of her head. "Thank you so much cupcake!" Jay just smiled and nodded as she let Di step up and hand Ace his gifts.

Di handed him a bag and a bit of a big box. Ace looked at Di than at the bag and box. Di laughed and shook his head at Ace's antics.

"Just open it love." Ace nodded with a little giggle as he looked into the box. He lightly gasped as he pulled out the platform sneakers and looked at Di with puppy dog eyes. "I know you've been wanting a new pair of shoes and I saw these when I was walking outside and I thought they would look perfect with your other gift." Ace's eyebrows raised as he looked through the bag and made some sounds not being able to word how happy he was. Di laughed and kissed his forhead. "I also know you wanted to try something in a different style then what you normally do." He said smiling down at Ace who bounced.

"Thank you so much both of you. I love and appreciate you both so much!" He said as he couldn't stop smiling, he was so happy in this moment. Happy enough that his normal little hearts appeared around him. Di smiled big at his lover's happiness as he softly cooed at him.

"Don't thank us justttt yet! There's two things we have left!" Jay said as a big grin spread on her face. Ace looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"I know that look. What did you do?" Jay gasped dramatically and put her hand on her chest.

"I don't know what you mean?"

"When I was turning 10, you were 6, I told you I wanted a bouncy house and you went out and sold literally eveything you could to save up money. Then when you didn't have enough you asked for extra chores from your dad and my mums so they'll pay you more." Ace said as Di's eyebrows raised.

"But she didn't manage to get the bouncy house, right?"

"She did." Di looked at Jay with wide eyes as she just turned her head away whistling and shaking her hands.

"Anyway this isn't Expose Ari Day! It's Cupid's Birthday!" She said as she lightly grabbed Ace's wrist. "Let's go! Let's go! It's something you've been wanting for ages!" She bounces as she dragged him. Di laughed as he took the gifts and put them down carefully as he followed behind the two. Before they fully got out Di wrapped a blindfold around Ace's eyes.

"This is both scary and kind of kinky." He muttered as Di started to laugh hard helping Jay lead him out to where his present was.

"Okay, so you know how you've wanted a new car for ages." Ace nodded his head. "So Di and me thought it through and both pitched in for..." As Jay talked Di slowly let the blindfold fall off and that's where a pink Cadillac stood proudly. Ace gasped and froze as his hand came to cover his mouth.

"You guys did not." He walked up to the car and lightly touched it. He walked around and looked at every detail, more tears streaming down his face then when he first got here. "You even got it custom made like I told you." He said voice shaky as he looked at his best friend who nodded with a proud smile.

"Duh, only the best for the man in my life." Ace laughed as he shook his head and sniffled. He look looked at the two of them with happy eyes his irises turning the brightest of pinks.

"That brings us to our last and final gift for today." Di said as he held up the keys for Ace to take. "Spa day~" he grinned while Ace perked up with a gasp as he looked at the two.

"Really!? You both never like spas!"

"Just for you we decided to go." Jay said as Di nodded along.

"I also have a dinner planned for us later tonight." Di said with a big smile as Ace seemed to start vibrating happily.

"OKAY LET'S GO THEN!" He squealed as the dragged the two to the car, opening and sitting in the drivers side with a little wiggle dance."

"Here." Jay said as she pulled out a pair of heart shaped red sunglasses and put them on Ace. He giggled and buckled up before gripping the wheel.

"Everyone ready?" When both of them nodded and gave sounds of yes he grinned. "Alright time for the spa." And they were off.

possible new residents: @monsterhigh-cb [🐟💙 && ⚡💖] @faywithlove @theinvitation-bot @badbf-cb @welcome-to-maniac [🐇🖤] @darkmoonsiblings @nana-n-nono @clubwnderland @supernaturalcb @domxbot @ocmyths @fantasyaespa [💚🐈 && 💎☀️] @thepatchedpaw @fantasycafexbot @redlight-cb @theocsnextdoor @dawnswonderland-entertainment @k-pop-shelter @fantasy-teez @bluerosemafiacb [🔪❣️] @sirenaquariumcb @beastfights-starting @divineblood-cb @cave-of-celestials @littleprincejae @urtwice @welcometosector1 @onlyomega-cb @9ateez-multiau-bot @wolfpackcb @mxthxidols @lunaaofthemoon @strluv @yourocboys @littleboywooyoungie @musiclovermino [🎶💛] @@k-venturetime [🍓❣️] @multi-joong [🌧️🧡] @reve-rv @yutaalove @aespabending @pick-a-hwa @k-half-blood @multi-esme @the-hellhoundss @kquestrian @mechat-kpopcb [DM + / -]

#cupid's birthday! 💞#♥️ace.txt #💀jay.txt #🍷dionysus.txt

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fallen-gravity · 1 year

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ghosts of their hometowns

Summary:

I've had to leave behind a lot of friends // Let's make a promise. Whenever we drink this soda, we'll think of each other. That way, I'll never forget you, and you'll never forget me

Molly recalls something from a past hometown, and gets caught up in her own head about it.

Scratch comes forward to tell her that he remembered something, too.

AO3

Call it intuition, call it instinct, call it something else entirely, but when Molly feels the sudden need to dig through her phone’s calendar history, she’s not gonna sit around and ignore it. She just has this feeling that there’s something she’s supposed to do today, or at the very least, that there’s something she used to do on this day every year when she was younger, but she can’t quite place what it is off the top of her head.

Ever since the Great Soda Height of Two Days Ago, Molly hasn’t been able to stop thinking about the past. She knows there’s only so much a person can remember over the course of a lifetime, but ever since Scratch said he couldn’t remember anything from his life, she’s found herself incredibly self-conscious about the things she does and doesn’t remember, and she’s even gone as far as almost looking through her Box of Sadness for things she made herself forget. She’d already told Scratch she’d be there for him no matter what he remembered, so she figured that she should at least extend that sort of kindness to herself, right??

But…no, she knows that’s never a good idea in the long run, and for all she knows there could be sobgoblins around every corner just waiting for her to open it so they can swoop in and sap her of her joy. Yeah. That’s definitely why she’s avoiding it. For safety.

At least this time she’s just checking her phone, so she doesn’t even have to think about that stupid box. Still, she’s grateful that from an outsider’s perspective it just looks like she’s scrolling through her social media feed, because Molly knows for a fact if any of her family members come by to ask her what she’s up to that she’s just gonna wanna hide under the covers and pretend that nothing’s happening. She scrolls past hundreds of past events she’d logged in her calendar, most of them from her past year in Brighton alone, until she finally reaches an event marked “MOVING DAY” with a broken heart emoji on each side of the alert message.

Bingo. All she needs now is to scroll back a few days, and then she can finally put this behind her once and for-

Oh.

That’s what today is.

It’s her old best friend’s birthday.

Molly’s closest friend in the whole world, from the town she’d lived in before her family moved to Brighton.

From the town her parents were certain was gonna be the last time they moved.

Her best friend, whom after hearing that Molly had to move again, promised that she’d text every day.

Her best friend, whom Molly hasn’t heard a single word from in ten months.

Ah.

Well, now Molly almost wishes she hadn’t checked her phone at all. If there was a metaphorical way to pull that memory right out of her ear and shove it into her Box of Sadness never to be seen again, she’d be doing that right now.

She sighs, and places her phone down on her nightstand face down so she doesn’t have to look at it anymore.

Ugh, Scratch is so lucky he doesn’t have to remember any of that junk. He’d probably be glaring daggers into her for even entertaining the thought, but anything would be better than being hit with all of these complicated feelings on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

As if on cue, like just thinking about him somehow reactivated the curse that brought them together, the hatch door to Molly’s room swings open as soon as that thought leaves her head, and Scratch cautiously comes floating into the room. She’s about to question why he didn’t bother floating up through the ceiling below like he normally does, but then she notices that he’s holding a bottle close to his chest like he’s petrified of anything happening to it.

“Scratch?” Molly sits up straighter, and he startles at the sound of his name, yanking the bottle away from her general direction like he’s afraid she’s going to take it away from him.

Molly frowns. Ever since they went and found that bottle for him, Scratch has been acting…off. He told her that it didn’t trigger any memories, and she doesn’t want to pry, but it makes her so sad, because it’s not hard to tell that there’s something he’s not telling her. He’s jumpier, more reclusive than usual, and any time Molly or anyone else around him mentions any kind of soda in passing conversations, he flinches.

Oh corn, it didn’t remind him of something triggering, did it? Molly would feel awful if she forced him to remember something deeply upsetting to him, and even more so if it made him never want to touch his favorite drink ever again. All she wanted to do was help, but it’s becoming evidently clearer and clearer that she should just stay out of his business altogether. She doesn’t want to, but if all she’s ever gonna do is make things worse, then maybe it’s for the best just to leave things be.

“Scratch?” she tries again, quieter this time, just to make it clear she’s not trying to pry. He doesn’t seem entirely lost in his head anymore, which is a good sign, but she’s still worried about the way he cautiously places the bottle down by his dollhouse before approaching her.

“Somethin’ on your mind?” he asks as he plops down on her nightstand, tilting his head ever so slightly to one side like he’s trying to get a good read of her expression. It seems like he’s in okay spirits, but Molly’s no stranger to faking a smile and moving on with her day. She brings her knees to her chest and gives herself a hug before she continues.

“I’m…really sorry about the other day,” she sighs. “I really wasn’t trying to make you upset or anything. I just thought, you know, I have all these happy memories of my past from silly little triggers, and I thought it’d make you happy if you had some of those too, ‘cause you’re always saying you don’t know who you’re supposed to be, but…” She drops her head in shame. “I feel like the only thing I’ve done was make you feel worse. I know you said you didn’t remember anything, and I don’t wanna force you to talk about something that makes you so upset, but…you’ve been acting so weird. Like, I get that you were scared to find out about your past before you had that soda in your hand, but even now…you’re so jumpy and avoidant that it has me thinking that you…haven’t been completely honest with me.”

Out of the corner of her eyes she can see Scratch’s eyes widen, and she waves a quick, dismissive hand in the air before he can start spiraling again. “...not that I’m upset at you! If you really don’t want to talk about it you don’t have to, but…if you did remember something, and it was really upsetting, I just…wanted to apologize.”

A deafening silence falls. For a few moments there’s no reply, not even the sound of an indignant snort or a hum of quiet acceptance. And it’s not like Molly was expecting a lengthy reply, but…she was still accepting something. And she’s about to accept his non-response as a response and move on, but a cold hand on her shoulder pulls her from her thoughts.

She looks, and Scratch has the most complicated expression on his face that she’s ever seen on anyone. Is he tired? Sad? Relieved? Happy she apologized? Molly’s not entirely sure.

“That’s, uh…actually what I came looking for you to talk about.”

It is?

“It is?” Molly’s posture perks up, but tries to contain herself in case he’s coming to her with bad news.

“Yeah,” Scratch rubs awkwardly at the back of his head. “And, well, you’re right about one thing and wrong about another.”

“Wazzat?” Molly tilts her own head to the side, which makes Scratch laugh so quietly Molly almost doesn’t even hear it.

“I haven’t been honest with you about not remembering anything,” he crosses his arms and glares at her, “but it’s not something you should be apologizing for.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean-” Scratch pinches at his temples like he’s got a headache, “It’s not your fault or anything, you know? You didn’t know what was gonna happen if you went and found that soda for me. For all you know, it was probably just gonna be a one-and-done thing, right?”

“Well, yeah, but…” Molly adjusts her position so she’s facing him more head-on. “I still don’t see why I wouldn’t have to apologize if whatever you remembered was so terrible it’s got you flinching every time we talk about picking up soda from the store.”

“Because I didn’t remember a terrible memory,” Scratch says so matter-of-factly it catches Molly off-guard, “Or, well, not terrible in the way that you’re probably thinking.”

“No?” Molly asks, trying her best to ignore the fact that she can feel her heartbeat getting faster and faster the longer this conversation goes on. “How so?”

“Well…I remembered someone, for one thing”

Molly’s so surprised by the revelation that she slams both of her hands down onto her nightstand. “You did?” she squeals, loud enough that it echoes around the whole room. “Who? How?”

Although Scratch laughs at the sudden shift in her enthusiasm, it’s not long before his metaphorical shoulders are drooping and he’s taking another seat on Molly’s nightstand. “That’s…the thing. I don’t know.”

“Oh, Scratch…” Molly tries to reach out and place a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he unknowingly moves away from the gesture before she can.

“I know she was really important to me, but I just…I can’t place a name, and I only remember one little conversation, but…” he looks at his hands. “Nothing else is coming up. I’ve tried taking more sips of the stuff to try and help me remember more,” Scratch gestures to the soda bottle across the room, “but nothing else is coming up, and I’ve been afraid of drinking the whole thing because once it’s gone it’s gone forever, and that’s the only lead I’ve gotten in my entire afterlife, you know?” He rubs at his temples again, squeezing his eyes shut, but then he lets out a sigh.

“Anyway…” he waves that thought off with a wave of a hand, like he already knows thinking about that too much is gonna cause him to spiral in a different way entirely. “I don’t even remember what I looked like, if you could believe it, but I remember her. I think she was about…eleven, twelve? So I must’ve been around that age too, but…” he trails off, like he wants to add more, but he doesn’t seem like he has the right words to articulate what he wants to say.

“Awww, you remembered a childhood friend?” Molly coos. “That’s so sweet!! What’s so terrible about that? I know you said you couldn’t remember her name, but what’s stopping us from looking for her once you do? She’s gotta be somewhere in Brighton, right?” she happily kicks against the side of her bed, “I could even ask Ollie if he knows how to access the list of resident names over at Brighton Retirement Castle to see if we can find a lead there, and even if she’s only got relatives or friends there, we could ask them if they know where she-”

“That’s the problem,” Scratch interrupts, crashing her train of thought right into a brick wall. “Look, kid, I really appreciate the enthusiasm, but you could look under every pebble in Brighton and you’re not gonna be able to find her. Yeah, I’m happy that I remembered someone important to me, and yeah, it’s a sweet sentiment, but…” Scratch sighs. “The only conversation I remember having with her is when she was getting into a moving van. Even if…by some miracle that she returned…” he shakes his head in defeat, “I doubt there’s any trace of her anywhere in town. Not even one you or mister research specialist across the street could find, no matter how hard you look”

“Scratch…” Molly frowns. “I’m so sorry…”

Despite the fact that he is decidedly not okay, he still finds the opportunity to glare at her teasingly. “What did I just say about apologizing?” He jabs a finger in Molly’s direction, but the goofy look on his face is gone just as quickly as it had arrived. “Anyways,” he clears his throat again, “It got me thinking, you know? Because the only reason I even remembered watching her drive away at all is because we had this secret pact, you know? That every time either of us drank a Surly Sid’s we’d remember each other. And okay, maybe it worked because I did remember her this time, but…” it doesn’t take a lot for Molly to notice that his hands are starting to tremble, “what about all that time after that? All the years that probably passed since the last time I saw her, all the time I spent as a ghost wondering who I was supposed to be, all the time I spent feeling like I didn’t matter to anyone? What happened then? Is the world so cruel to me that it made me forget who could’ve been the only person who ever cared about me? And even if she wasn’t, and I had a whole bunch of people who cared about me, why don’t I remember them? Is there something else I have to do to remember them? Did they move away too? Did I forget them on pur-”

“Scratch,” Molly grabs him firmly by the shoulders to cut him off, because at this point he’s trembling so hard his ectoplasm is looking closer to a pot of boiling water. “It’s okay”

“It’s not okay!” he exclaims, but his ectoplasm seems to be returning to its normal shape and texture. Good. That’s a sign he’s trying to ground himself, at the very least. “I forgot someone who cared about me! After I made a promise that I wouldn’t!” He’s not crying, not yet, but it’s not hard to see that he could start if he were pushed just a little further over the edge. “She counted on me and I let her down.” He’s returning to shutting himself in, slowly and subtly shrinking in size as he continues. “I’m such a bad friend. No wonder so many people think I’m the-”

Molly quite literally snatches Scratch up in her hands before he can finish that sentence. He’s small enough at this point to fit into the palm of her hands, and Molly’s not sure whether to take it as a good sign or a bad sign that he’s not struggling to escape.

“Scratch…” she opens her closed palms to look him in the eyes. “Do you think that forgetting about your promise makes you a bad friend?”

He doesn’t reply with words, but after a short pause he silently nods his head.

“Do you think that forgetting about your friend makes you a bad friend?”

He nods his head.

“Even though you made the promise to never forget her a few decades ago?”

He nods his head one more time, but he raises a tiny eyebrow at the question, which has Molly suppressing giggles.

“Scratch, are you kidding? Of course that doesn’t make you a bad friend!”

“It doesn’t?” He replies, sounding genuinely surprised, and Molly drops her hands to her side as he returns to his normal size.

“Of course not!” Molly offers him her best smile. “You said you don’t remember anything else about her because she moved away, didn’t you?” She places a hand to her chest. “As the friend who’s been on the receiving end of that more times than I can count, I hereby Molly McGee guarantee that I can speak on behalf of your old friend and promise that forgetting doesn’t make you a bad friend.”

And okay, yeah, maybe she’s saying these things to comfort herself, too, because she gets it. She’s always been the friend who was only around for a scarce amount of time. She was always the friend who made promises to keep in contact, and she was always the friend who found herself staring at a blank inbox on her phone after little more than a month. Sometimes her old friends were the ones who dropped out of contact, and sometimes it was her, too busy unpacking and readjusting to new schools that it slipped her mind entirely. And in those times when it was her, Molly often found herself dealing with all these anxious thoughts; has it been too long to reach back out? Do they even want to talk to me anymore? Would they be mad at me for taking too long to get back? And all worrying ever did was prevent her from reaching out at all, and because she rarely saw any of them take the initiative to message her first, she’d always jumped to the assumption that they really didn’t want to hear from her again, and that they really were better off without her.

But those times she did find the bravery to reach out first? All she was ever met was with intense kindness. Key-smashes, dozens of messages containing nothing but heart emojis, and in a few rare circumstances, even a phone call from said friend sounding like they were sobbing from how happy they were to hear from her. People are inherently good and kind, and even though Molly knows Scratch doesn’t share her optimistic view of the world, she knows that deep down he believes that there are good people out there in their world.

He sure seems to think that way about her.

“Look,” Molly starts. “You’re probably gonna think this is just good ol’ Molly ‘Optimism’ McGee talking,” she pats herself on the chest, “but I promise you that forgetting about someone is never gonna make you a bad friend. It’s like Libby said. People grow up and people move away. Stuff happens sometimes.” She shrugs to look casual, but she can’t help the beaming smile from spreading across her face. “Moving away doesn’t make you a bad person and losing touch with a friend who moved away doesn’t make you a bad person. But do you wanna know what makes someone a good friend?”

“What?”

“Keeping your promises.”

Scratch looks baffled. “I thought I made it pretty clear that I forgot about that promise.”

“Very true, my good Scratch, but I never said that forgetting about a promise and breaking a promise were the same thing.”

Scratch visibly opens his mouth to respond, but closes it just as quickly. “I don’t follow.”

“I mean…you said that you made a promise to remember each other every time you drank that soda, right? And ‘cause I’m assuming Surly Sid’s was discontinued while you were still alive, you didn’t get to drink too much of it after that! So if this is the first time you’ve been able to drink it since it got discontinued, and you still thought of her after you drank it, doesn’t that mean you still kept your promise to remember her?”

Scratch opens his mouth again, raising a finger presumably to point out that actually, here’s the thing, but all at once his hand drops to the ground with a comedic splat, and the only way Molly could possibly describe the look on Scratch’s face is bug-eyed.

“....Oh.” is the only word he can manage, and it’s little more than a whisper of hushed awe.

Molly laughs at that, and grabs him and pulls him to her side so he can’t get lost in his head again. “Y’see? You’re not a bad friend. You defied the odds of life and death for her, my guy; I think that makes you a fantastic friend.”

She can tell that Scratch still isn’t really feeling up for words, so she appreciates it more than she can possibly express when he tips over to lean on her and mumble a quiet thanks.

“And I know this doesn’t help too much with remembering your friend’s name or any of that, but, for what it’s worth…” she waits for Scratch to look her in the eyes before continuing, “I promise that I’ll never forget you.”

Scratch laughs at that, and reaches an arm up to pat her gently on the head. “You too, McGee. I promise I’ll never forget you, either.”

#my writing #tgamm #tgamm spoilers #the ghost and molly mcgee #molly mcgee #scratch mcgee #molly and scratch

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