#jonah is the kid that gathers everyone around the fight

[pufferf1ish]

since a mandela catalogue gets uploaded tomorrow here is my prediction:

mark becomes a ghost and personally shows jonah a video he recorded on a 5 dollar camera. the video is the intruder and alt. Cesar beating eachother up at a park at like 3 am

[avengerscompound]

Until the End of the World - 9

Until the End of the World: A Captain America Fanfic

Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Buy me a ☕ Character Pairing:  Bucky Barnes x Steve Rogers x F!Reader

Word Count:  1795

Rating:  E

Warnings: pregnancy, Anxiety

Synopsis: Four years after Steve and Bucky got to the bottom of the HYDRA conspiracy that had led to you and your son being hunted for the first three years of his life, you, Bucky, and Steve have carved out a nice life together.  Things are calm and you feel like a family unit.  When Geo starts calling Bucky and Steve ‘dad’, a decision is made to try and add to your family.

Things aren’t as calm as they seem.  When your pregnancy hits the papers, HYDRA rears its head once again, and Steve and Bucky need to track you down to protect the family they had created.

Chapter 9

There was something very comforting about how quickly things just fell back into a routine.  Yes, there was still a great deal of excitement about the baby.  Yes, there was morning sickness and check-ups to deal with.  Yes, you were under pressure to finish your thesis before things got so chaotic that you wouldn’t be able to.  Yes, you were doing all this while living in one of the guest apartments while most of your stuff was under plastic sheeting.

Even with all that, things felt calm and normal.  You had work and classes.  Geo had school and soccer and music lessons.  There were kids’ birthday parties and dinners with the Avengers as a group and just one or two at a time.  You had trips to the grocery store and the farmers’ markets, and meals to prepare.  You were living your very own version of a normal life - and as strange as it was, it did feel normal.  You were a family expecting a baby just like millions and millions of other people in the world right now.

That was why it caught you off guard when you realized you were being followed.  You were in your sixteenth week of pregnancy and clearly showing.  Your baby bump wasn’t enormous - you could move around freely and had quite a bit of energy, but it was definitely a pregnant belly.  Random old ladies would want to touch it and Bucky and Steve had taken to caressing it absentmindedly in bed or pressing their hands on it while you sat together in the hopes they might feel the baby kick even though it was still far too soon for that.

You were walking Geo to school when you became aware that something wasn’t quite right and your first instinct was to run.  You didn’t think you were ever going to get over that severe flight response you’d picked up when you were being hunted.  It was like your trauma had engrained it into your very DNA and whenever something felt off you would prick up like a rabbit checking for a predator, ready to flee at the smallest perceived threat.

You tried not to worry Geo as you drew him a little closer to you and you glanced around.  Almost immediately you relaxed again.  A man was taking your photo from the end of the street.  He was carrying a messenger bag and had a large, high power camera.  The fact he was only barely concealing his existence meant it was paparazzi.

You wouldn’t exactly say you were used to the paps.  They did bother you in groups from time to time.  Particularly if you went out with Steve or both Steve and Bucky.  They would gather around outside the Avengers tower entrance anytime something big happened hoping to get a photo of an Avenger and maybe a word for them to sell along with their photos.  There had been a few times when they’d gathered outside a restaurant you were eating at with Steve.   And on a couple of occasions, they had stalked you and Bucky at the farmers’ markets.  Generally, they were oddly not great at recognizing either Bucky or Steve when they weren’t in uniform.  It was like the stars and stripes distracted everyone’s attention from the face or something.  They also never bothered you when you were by yourself.  It was news you were dating Steve Rogers.  It was big news that you might potentially be dating both Steve Rogers and James Barnes.  You were used to getting little google pings where gossip columnists would speculate about who you were and what your relationship was to Bucky and Steve.

By yourself, there was no news to sell.  By yourself, you were just some nobody with their kid going about their boring everyday life.  The news crews and paparazzi that flocked around the doors of the tower would let you pass unharassed.  So seeing one following you from the tower when it was just you and Geo was a bit of a shock.

Still, they were not a threat to your physical safety.  Just your privacy.  You figured that this one had noticed the baby bump and wanted to get some clear photos of it so they could sell it and someone like Perez Hilton or J. Jonah Jameson could speculate about whose baby it was and rant about the way of the world that ‘The’ Captain America might possibly knock up some woman out of wedlock.

You got Geo to the gates of his school and went in and signed him in electronically.  The school he attended was selected because of their security.  No child went home with anyone that had not been verified as a designated pick-up.  Geo also quite liked the security system and liked to talk to it, so that was an added bonus.

The paparazzi followed you closer on your way home and called out to you asking about the baby.  You did your best to ignore them though you couldn’t pretend it didn’t make you feel uneasy.  Part of it was just that having been on the run from some secret organization that wanted to experiment on you and your son had made you value privacy about all others.  Anyone putting your picture out into the world was enough reason to run.  Adding a complete stranger following you to that, your stress levels were through the roof, and by the time you got back to the tower, your heart was hammering thanks to the adrenaline surging through you.

You got into the elevator and sunk back against the wall.  “FRIDAY, can you take me to Steve?  Make sure you warn him that I’m coming.”

“Of course, miss,” she replied.  “He’s currently talking to Mister Wilson, but I’ll make sure he knows you are agitated.”

The elevator stopped at the office level and you went straight to Steve’s office.  It had big tinted glass walls so you could see him talking to Sam even before you got there.  When you knocked on the door they both looked at you with concern.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Sam said.  “And I’ll send you that intel.”

“Thanks, Sam,” Steve said, walking the other man out.  Steve must have been able to see how stressed you were because he pulled you into his arms as soon as he reached you, and just held you close as Sam left.  “What is it, sweetheart?  Did something happen?  I thought you were going into college today.”

“I was,” you said, melting into him and letting him support your weight.  “There was a guy following me…”

Steve held you out at arm’s length and looked you over.  “What?”  He asked.  “Did you get a good look at them?  Is Geo okay?  Where is he?”

“It’s okay,” you assured him, rubbing his arms.  “It was just a pap.  But they don’t normally follow me when I’m on my own, and it didn’t feel good.  Too many bad memories of my past.”

Steve relaxed and hugged you again in soothing circles.  “Because you’re pregnant?”

“I think so,” you said with a nod.  “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”  You shook your head a little.  “I know that this is just one of those things I have to deal with because I am with you - and I don’t blame you for it.  It’s not like you signed up for the army to invite the vultures in to pick apart your life.  You just want to make the world safer.  And for me specifically, you have done so much to ensure that.  But I didn’t like how it made me feel.”

Steve nodded.  “I am sorry, sweetheart.”

You nosed at his neck.  “There’s nothing to be sorry for.  I just… Is there anything we can do to minimize it?  Make it unlikely it will happen again?  Or at least make it so I’m not alone when it does.  I don’t like the idea of going back to a full security detail, but…”

Steve shook his head and pulled away from you.  “No, I totally understand,” he said going over to his computer.  “I’ll get you a driver.  They can take you to and from Geo’s school and college.  That way you’re going out through the garage and the cars have tinted windows so they won’t see who you are.  It should be a safer way to go shopping too.  They don’t tend to follow the cars.  The payoff is too erratic because half the time it’s just our agents or they end up going somewhere with parking and losing sight of them.  If you do want to take a walk you can always just take me or Bucky.  And if that doesn’t work we’ll amp up security again.

You moved over to him as he tapped away on the computer and sat down in his lap.  He looked up at you and smiled.  “Thank you for this,” you said.  “I know I’m being stupid.”

“No, you aren’t,” Steve assured you.  “Even if it was just a case of something harmless triggering your past, that’s not being stupid.  I hate when cameras have their flash on.  It gives me flashbacks to the war every time, and it’s one of the only times I feel truly vulnerable because the dissonance between that immediate danger that I feel and the safety of where I am -” he shook his head “- I want to fight and know there’s nothing to fight.  But those people who do that job, they aren’t harmless.  They predate on people.  They have caused the death of people.  Tony’s house ended up blown up because they stalked him while someone was sending him threats.  What they do is not okay, and you not wanting to be alone around them is normal.”

You sighed and kissed him gently.  “I love you so much, you know that?”

He smiled up at you.  “I love you too, sweetheart.”  He rubbed your hip as he looked up into your eyes.  “I had better go back to work.  Did you want to go to school?  I can get someone to drive you in.”

You shook your head.  “No.  I think I’ll just work from home.  Can you have someone ready to do Geo’s pick up with me though?”

“Of course,” he said.  “I might even come down with you, just to make sure the plan works.”

You smiled and pecked his lips, before standing up.  “Thank you, honey.”

“No need to thank me,” he said.  “Keeping you and Geo safe is my top priority.”

You headed out, much more relaxed than when you arrived, and once again filled with a mixture of love and gratitude for the men who you had accepted in your life.

// NEXT

[ikemensweetheart]

Fireflies Chapter 2

---------

You grew up next door to the Clemance brothers.

You would consider Jonah your best friend and there was something more between you and Luka.

Some time after Luka leaves Red Territory,  you find yourself trapped in an arranged marriage.

Desperate to escape, you follow his example.

There, fate brings you back together.

But how will this love story play out?

Chapter 1

The sun rose bright and clear over Cradle the next morning. Birds sang from the trees as the Black Army began to stir in its barracks.

Ray was the one to emerge from his room. Yawning as he stretched.

"Sneak Attack!" Fenrir jumps Ray from behind, clinging to his back. Fast as lightning, Ray flips Fenrir off his back and onto the floor with a thump!

"Ouch."

"You're going to have to do better than that." Ray says laughing.

"Isn't it a little too early to be roughhousing?" Seth asks as he and Sirius walk past. "Morning." Both the King and Ace reply. 

"If you two keep that up, you're going to be late for breakfast." Sirius adds.

Ray and Fenrir jump to their feet and join the other officers as they make their way to the lounge.

The rest of the army were gathering there, where a hearty breakfast was piping hot and ready for them as they trickled in.

Luka was already there setting the last dish on the table.

"Breakfast looks good today, Luka." Ray says as he sits down.

"Yeah, I can't wait to chow down!" Fenrir adds. "Thanks." Luka murmurs softly as he takes his own seat. He had been up before dawn making the food and it always made him happy to see everyone excited over the fruits of his labor.

As soon as Ray gives the order, everyone starts eating. Talking and chatting among themselves as they eat, but food is the last thing on Luka's mind.

He wanted to see you again, but he didn't want to be a bother. Maybe he could get you a late housewarming gift, but he hadn't been in your house to know what you still needed.

A book maybe? You had always loved reading, but you worked at a booklender, so you could be any book you wanted there.

Luka's quiet sigh didn't go unnoticed. Seth, who was sitting across the table, set down his fork, leaned in and gave Luka a knowing smile. "So, Luka. How did your date go last night?"

Luka choked in surprise. It took him a moment before he could respond. "It wasn't a date." He said, a blush starting to bloom on his cheeks.

"Oh?" Seth quirked an eyebrow. "The two of you certainly weren't dancing like strangers."

"What's this about a date?" Ray asked, looking up from his own food with interest. 

"Luka was walking his girlfriend home last night after dancing with her." Seth explained. 

Ray's eyes widened in surprise."You were dancing with someone, Luka?"

"What was her name again?" Seth tapped his chin thoughtfully.  "Felicity?"

"I'm pretty sure it was Emily." Fenrir added.

"Her name is MC and she's not my girlfriend." Luka cut in. "We just… Grew up together…" Luka's entire face was scarlet now.

Everyone stared at him in shock.

There was a moment of silence before Seth burst out. "You can't just drop a bomb like that and not give the details! Tell us more!"

"There's nothing to tell. We were neighbors, so we used to play time together as kids, that's it." Luka quickly stood up. Gathering up his plate and utensils, he started making his way to the kitchen. "I'm going to go start the dishes." He declared as he left.

Sirius, after having not said a word during the entire conversation, finally spoke. "I'm going to go help." He got to his feet with his own dishes in hand and followed Luka to the kitchen.

"Dang." Fenrir murmured, sticking a forkful of hash browns in his mouth. "He's got it bad."

"Fenrir." Seth said, softly as he leaned back in his chair.. "I do believe an intervention is necessary." 

*****

"Achoo!" Your sneeze seems excessively loud in the quiet shop.

"Oh dear. You're not getting sick, are you, MC?" An elderly man said as he emerged from among the bookshelves.

"I certainly hope not, Mr. Callahan." You reply, smiling at your boss. 

Mr. Callahan has been kind enough to offer you a job even though you were inexperienced in work as a whole after you had been turned away by other business owners in the area.

He had even directed you to the old cottage you were now living in.

Mr. Callahan studies you for a moment. "Are you alright, MC? You seem distracted today."

"I'm fine." You tell him. "There's nothing to worry about."

"You put an astronomy book in the children's section." He counters. Your eyes widen. "Oh. That." You blush a little. "Okay, maybe I'm a little distracted." You confess. "I ran into a childhood friend last night at the dance and I may have been reminiscing a little."

"Oh?" Mr. Callahan joined you at the counter. "Tell me more about this friend?"

"We used to be neighbors." You tell him. A smile on your face. "We used to go over to each others' homes all the time to play.

"He was a very kind and quiet person, not like some of the other children where we grew up. He had an older brother who was always doting on him. It was funny to watch."

You let out a sigh. The light blush on your cheeks grew. "I haven't seen him since he left for boarding school. He's even more handsome than he was then…" You trail off, gazing out the front window, dreamy look on your face. Mr. Callahan's chuckle snaps you out of your thoughts. A blush creeps into your cheeks. "I guess I've got it bad, don't I?"

"It would seem that way." Mr. Callahan agrees.

He then glanced over at the grandmother clock in the corner. "It's getting late, you can head home. I'll close up shop." 

"Are you sure?" You ask. "I'm sure." Mr. Callahan nods. 

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess." You grab your purse from under the counter.

"Oh, before you go, my wife wanted me to give this to you." Mr. Callahan disappeared into the back room and came back with a covered basket. "Aw. Tell her I said thank you." You say with a smile as you accept the basket. Knowing Mrs. Callahan, she had packed it full of delicious food.

"Get home safe. Alright?" 

"I will. Have a good evening Mr. Callahan." You call as you open the door. 

With the basket in one arm and your bag in the other, you set off down the street.

It was late afternoon, so you still had plenty of time to get home before dark. There was also a crowd of people on the street. Going about their day, shopping, and chatting with friends and neighbors as they passed on the street.

As you walked, you mind wandered back to your childhood. Remembering the adventures you used to have when you played with Luka.

You would always play the fair princess, Luka would be the dashing prince. The two of you would sneak into the kitchen, pilfering snacks under the staff's nose, pretending you were talking back a stolen treasure from a ferocious dragon.

Though, now that you thought of it, maybe you hadn't been as sneaky as you believed yourselves to be.

The two of you had also made blanket fortresses in the library, spending rainy days curled up with books.

Lost in thought, you hadn't noticed the breeze had brought in dark rain clouds. 

It wasn't until the first drops hitting your skin that you looked up. The streets had cleared at the imposing weather.

The sprinkle quickly became a deluge. You ran for the nearest awning. 

You manage to get to safety without incident. You quickly check the contents of your basket to make sure the food hasn't gotten wet.

To your relief, it hadn't.

You sigh. Now all you could do was wait out the rain.

As you stood there, you saw a familiar figure running through the rain. "Luka? Luka!" You call out to him. "Over here!" He quickly runs over and joins you under the awning, wet and panting.

You had always thought of him as your prince when you were kids, now, standing there even though his dark hair damp and water dripping down his porcelain skin, he looked as handsome as a prince.

Your face warmed a little at the thought.

"What are you doing out in this weather?" You ask.

Luka's honey gold eyes turned toward you. "I was, um, doing a favor for another officer." He replies, hefting the small package under his arm.

"Ah." You say softly. 

"What about you?" He inquires. "I just finished work and was on my way home." You tell him.

The two of you fell silent, the only sound between you was the rain. Not that you minded, you never had. It was one of the many things you liked about Luka, that you could just sit together without the need for conversation. Not like some of the other children your parents would make you play with. It had always been a fight with them on what to play, but with Luka, you took turns. It was always refreshing.

"I'm going to go find an umbrella." Luka spoke suddenly. You look up at him in surprise. "No, you don't have to. You're already soaked." You tell him. "It's fine." He reassures you with a smile. Your heart flutters. "Here, would you hold this for me?' He asks as he hands the package to you.

You take the package and he steps out from under the awning and into the rain.

Once again, the only sound you hear is the sound of the rain. It had been raining the day Luka had left for boarding school too.. And didn't come back.

You quickly shake your head clear of the thought. Don't be ridiculous. You chide yourself. Of course he'll be back.

As if on cue, Luka did return. This time with an umbrella in hand. "I'm back." He says, holding up the umbrella for you. 

He looks even more handsome with the gentlemanly gesture. Your heart flutters and your cheeks grow warm.

"Thanks." You murmur as you step out from the awning and under the umbrella.

After adjusting your hold on both Luka's package and your basket, the two of you start walking.

You walk in companionable silence.

Before long you leave the Central Quarter and its cobblestone streets behind, heading into the quiet countryside.

"Watch your step." Luka says, slipping his free arm around your waist to guide you away from a puddle.

Your eyes widen and heart skips a beat. He had never done something like that before. You glance up in his direction. He was blushing. "Sorry, I-I just didn't want you to get your skirts muddy."

You smile at him. "It's fine. Thank you." That causes him to blush even harder.

He was so cute when he got like that. You couldn't help but giggle a little bit. That caused Luka to turn away, his entire face turning red.

You bit your lip, trying hard not to burst out laughing. 

Before long, you were at the field where you had seen the fireflies last night.

You smile as you remember the breathtaking scene.

The two of you continue on to your cottage. At the gate, you ask. "Would you like to come in?" You were hoping to at least get a warm cup of tea in Luka. He looked chilled to the bone. "I don't want to impose." He tries to decline. "It's fine." You insist. "It's the least I can do to thank you. Please." You give him puppy dog eyes, he had never been able to resist those.

He finally gives a relenting sigh. "Okay." You break out grinning and lead the way up to the front door.

"Welcome to my humble home." You say as you open the door.

The decor was sparse and simply. It had been completely empty when you had moved in, but you were slowly adding to it with each payday.

You grab a towel from the bathroom and hand it to Luka before leading the way to the kitchen. You set your basket and Luka's package on the little table and talk over to the stove. "Have a seat and help yourself to what's in the basket." You tell Luka as you fill the kettle and set it on the stove to boil.

Luka meanwhile took a peek into the basket. He found a variety of food in the basket. He then looked around the kitchen, noting how much more empty it was from what else he had seen of your cottage.

"MC…" He said slowly. "Do you… still not know how to cook?"

You stop what you're doing. "Um, no." You say, your cheeks growing red with embarrassment.

You knew how to make tea, but you were never taught how to cook. Your parents wouldn't let you and you hadn't found someone to teach you since you came to Black Territory.

You could do tea at least, part of being a 'proper lady', but that was it.

"Would you… like lessons?" Luka asked. 

You turn to Luka in surprise. "You mean it?" You ask. Luka was the best cook you had ever known. To have him offer to teach you how to cook would be fantastic.

"Yeah." He replies softly, giving you a gentle smile. "I'm off this Saturday." He explains.

You discuss plans as you finish with the tea and set it on the table.

As you two continue talking, the rain outside clears to reveal a vibrant golden sunset.

"I'll see you Saturday!" You tell Luka as you see him to the door. "Yeah." Luka says, tucking the package Seth had asked him to pick up. 

He sets out down the path as the last rays of daylight vanish behind the horizon.

As he goes past the field the fireflies are starting to emerge. He smiles as he thinks of the look of wonder on your face as you watch the little bugs.

With a pep in his step, he continues walking off into the night.

-----

Stay safe everyone!

If you liked this, please reblog.

Requests are open.

[ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes]

Promises Not Kept Part 14

Summary: Tommy Shelby made a promise to Jonah Ward while in the war. A promise he didn't keep. But it comes to haunt him when he tries to drown out his sorrows with a young woman.

Part 14: They lay a good man to rest. Polly gives Leah some good advice.

           Tommy remembered the morning after he returned to Small Heath from France. He was home but he merely felt like a ghost of himself. Everything he once knew felt strange and unlike he remembered it. He wasn’t the man he was when he left for the front lines. There was a brief memory of hearing Arthur and John downstairs, talking animatedly to Finn who was just a boy back then. Tommy stared out the window down to Watery Lane. The street he used to run up and down when he was Finn’s age. Now, he was back. A soldier bruised and damaged far deeper than just his skin. But he wasn’t done. The war hadn’t killed him so he wasn’t finished. The world would know the Shelby name whether it liked it or not.

           The morning of John’s funeral, Tommy stood at the same window looking down at the same street. People were starting to remember the Shelby name. But the cost had been more severe than Tommy initially anticipated. There was no turning back though. He was in too deep.

           With a sigh, Tommy stepped into the steaming bath in the middle of the bedroom. Charlie and Leah were still asleep. The little boy was completely unaware of what was happening around him.

           Leah began to stir as Tommy lit a cigarette. She sat up and carefully detached herself from Charlie who was clinging to her in his sleep. It had been a long night. Most of the family was in a shock, unlike anything they’d experienced before. It seemed unfathomable to think John would ever die. He was such a robust figure of the family. Now the previously shattered family was further broken.

           But at least they were all together for the first time in ages.

           “Tom.” Leah sat up and tried to read his face. His eyes were glazed over, mind obviously elsewhere.

           His head twitched slightly in her direction, the only acknowledgment that he’d actually heard her.

           Leah sighed softly and stood. She picked up her dressing gown and wrapped it around herself. “How are you feeling today?” She pulled up a small stool up to the bathtub.

           Tommy rested his hand on the edge of the tub, his cigarette hanging between his fingers. He stared at the wall in front of him. “I don’t know.” He finally admitted quietly.

           Leah’s forehead wrinkled. “I’m sorry.” She whispered and touched his arm, catching on some of the lingering water droplets from the bath water. “I’ve been awful to you for the past few weeks.”

           He shook his head subtly. “No. I haven’t been treating you the way you deserve.” Guilt pooled in his stomach, building up with all the rest of it he’d felt for everything he’d done. “I can’t promise it’ll all be easy from here on out.”  

           “I know.” She absent-mindedly rubbed her thumb over his arm.

           There was a knock on the door. “Tommy, they’ve gathered.”

           Leah grabbed the towel Tommy had set out for himself. She offered a hand to him as he stood up. “We should let Charlie sleep.” She suggested quietly.

           He nodded and stepped out of the bathtub, drying off with the towel. They both began to get dressed, staying quiet so Charlie didn’t wake.

           “My family’s downstairs.” He explained. “I want you to be there with me.”

           Leah took his outstretched hand. “Okay.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

           Tommy only let go of Leah’s hand so she could stand near Isaiah and Jeremiah. But he stopped her and pulled out a chair for her. Leah paused and looked at him questioningly. Sitting at the table was obviously a status she didn’t think she’d earned yet. Not even Finn was seated.

           He cleared his throat and nodded, assuring her without any words. So she sat between Polly and Linda. She caught the gaze of Lizzie who averted her eyes pointedly only a second later.

           The atmosphere of the room was somber. All of them mourning the brother and nephew. All of them worried for Michael still fighting for his life in the hospital.

           “John is dead,” Tommy spoke in a low but steady voice. His hand was tight around Leah’s, pulling every ounce of support he could from her touch. “Esme has gone on the road with the Lees and she’s taken the kids. Michael is badly wounded. They say it’s sixty-forty in his favor.”

           Polly glared at him. “There’s no number, there’s no percentage.” She informed him sternly. “My son’ll live.”

           Tommy didn’t argue with her. There was no point. He wanted his cousin to survive just as much as the rest of them did. “Michael and John were shot because we killed someone. Vincente Changretta. His son, Luca, has come to take revenge.” He reported the reasons for the chaos the day before. “Men from New York and Sicily are here in Birmingham. These men will not leave our city until our whole family is dead. That’s how it works.” He looked to each of his family members. All who were left. “It’s called vendetta. An eye for an eye.”

           Arthur reached into his pocket. “Yeah, well the bullet’s been written. Says Luca.” He twisted it between his fingers before carefully placing it on the table in front of him.

           Leah could see the crude letters scratched into the metal surface of the bullet.

           LUCA.

           “When the time comes. And it’ll come.” He spoke firmly. “I will put this bullet in his fucking head.”

           Tommy rested his hands on the table and looked exhausted. “There’s been some bad blood between us.”

           Polly laughed sarcastically and shook her head. The tension between the two was almost visible and the rest of the room remained silent.

           Still, he persisted. “Until this business is settled, we say together. And we stay here. Small Heath, Bordesley, Hay Mills, down to Greet.” He instructed.

           “Daddy?”

           Leah turned when she heard Charlie’s voice coming from the top of the stairs. She met eyes with Tommy. “I’ll get him.” She said quietly and stood.

           Charlie was standing on the stairs, a pout on his face. “Wanted daddy.” He repeated again, clearly disappointed that Tommy hadn’t come running to retrieve him.

           “He’s busy right now, poppet, I’m here though.” She said softly and held her arms out to him.

           The little boy smiled and trotted down the steps into her arms, still dressed in his pajamas. “Breakfast?” He inquired.

           “Not right now. Everyone’s talking in the kitchen.” Leah rested him on her hip. “Hopefully they’ll be done soon.” She bit her lip and looked towards the door. Part of her didn’t want to know what else they were talking about.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

           One of the girls from the betting shop would watch Karl, Charlie, and Billy while the rest of them were at the funeral. Leah walked arm in arm with Tommy down Watery Lane, the rest of the family following close behind. There were heavily armed men standing by on each corner, some even up on the rooftops.

           Leah tugged Tommy closer to her, afraid that they would still be attacked even with the battalion of men ready to fight for them.

           Tommy kissed her temple. “S’alright.” He murmured. “Everything will be alright.”

           In the field right outside the city, the vardos were already camped out, ready to give John Shelby a fitting farewell.

           Leah quietly placed a bundle of flowers among the pyre. She softly spoke her words of goodbye and thanked him for keeping Jonah’s memory alive. She returned to the group, standing beside Ada.

           “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the ring.” Tommy’s sister said in a voice low enough that those around them wouldn’t hear.

           “I let it be Tommy’s responsibility to tell everyone. Now’s not the right time.” She replied.

           “None of this is scaring you away?” Ada wondered.

           Leah stared ahead. Of course, she was scared. Tommy spoke of a war. A war like the one she’d lost her husband to. They would be in the trenches, fighting a war of vengeance. There was no telling who else they’d lose. “I lost my soul a long time ago.” She spoke steadily. “Tommy’s the only person who ever managed to lead me back to who I used to be. If I must fight beside him then I will.”

           “You might die for him, Leah. What then?” Ada questioned. “You have no stake in this fight. What would you be dying for other than your loyalty?”

           “All this family has right now is loyalty. All we have is each other.”

           Tommy began to speak, disrupting any chance Ada had to try and convince Leah to get out while she could. His fiancee listened to him speak about France. His blue eyes met hers a few times as he spoke. His voice never wavering as he tried to remain strong and keep his family together.

           “You remembered that God spared you,” Polly spoke up after Tommy paused for a brief second. The older woman stared daggers at her nephew with tears in her eyes. “But what did you do with that extra time he gave you? Aye, Thomas?”

           “Poll.” Ada touched her aunt’s shoulder to both stop her from continuing and to comfort her.

           Arthur decided to step in before they argued and lit a match. The family stood silently and watched as the pyre lit and began to envelop the vardo in flames. Snaking its way up the woodwork and setting the canvas cover ablaze.

           Leah stepped toward Tommy and took his hand in hers. He kept his eyes straight ahead. Waiting.

           Suddenly, the funeral was interrupted by a gunshot only yards away. Leah’s heart seized in her chest and she froze. Ada was quicker on her feet and dragged her to the ground for cover.

           “At ease!” Tommy shouted. Along with Arthur, he was the only one still standing. The rest of the Blinders had dropped the instant they heard the gunshot. All of them thought it was their time and the funeral had made them into sitting ducks.

           Leah raised her head when she heard Tommy yelling. “Do not return fire! The men doing the firing are on our side.” He held out a hand to his fiancee to help her stand.

           She flinched when a second gunshot rang out across the field. “What’s going on?” Her eyes were wide with fear.

           “I took the trouble of giving an invitation to Aberama Gold.”

           The name was unfamiliar to Leah. But Johnny Dogs gave her some insight. “Oh fuck, now it’s begun.”

           Leah began to feel dizzy and she reached out for Tommy’s arm. “I feel sick.” She whispered.

           “You used John’s funeral fire as a fucking beacon,” Polly exclaimed in a ragged voice. The disbelief clear on her face.

           “We were never in any danger, Poll,” Arthur said.

           “You used us as fucking bait!”

           Leah’s breathing became shallower and soon Tommy wasn’t enough to hold her up. Her knees began to buckle. “Tommy…” She gripped his arm tight.

           “Finn!” He called out for his youngest brother. “Get a boat

           In the distance, a group of men and horses began approaching the vardos. Leah’s stomach turned again when she saw the limp arm of someone slumped over one of the horses. Visible blood was dripping from the fingertips “Who’s dead?” She asked.

           Tommy ignored her but Polly jumped on the question as well. “Who’s dead?” The woman demanded.

           Leah’s vision began to blur and every word spoken was starting to blur together. Ada looked concerned when she saw how pale the young woman’s face had gone. “Sit, come and sit.” She had to pry Leah off her brother to get her to sit down.

           “Anyone who wants no more part in this, ‘cause this is how it’s gonna be!” Tommy shouted, piercing Leah’s ears before she lost consciousness.

~~~~~~~~~

       Everything about John’s funeral was dramatic. It was something he might’ve actually enjoyed. He always reveled in a little bit of chaos. But things calmed down once Leah was brought to the hospital and the Italian’s bodies were shipped off.

           Tommy’s fiancee was placed in the same room as Michael so the men protecting him could also keep a close eye on her. She’d come to when they were still in the field beside the burning vardo. Polly knelt down next to her, propping her head up on the dew-covered grass while Ada and Tommy stood over her arguing.

           “The first person they’re going to go after is your fiancee, Tommy, they already killed Grace!” The Shelby woman shouted.

           With frayed nerves, Tommy was more than happy to oblige his sister and yelled back at her. “Don’t talk about things you don’t know anything about!”

           “Right because I’m just a stupid woman. Stupid Ada who knows nothing. I know that Grace was killed by Italians. What’s stopping them from killing Leah too?”

           “They’re trying to fucking kill all of us, Ada!”

           Leah’s head still spun, her hand reaching for Tommy, trying to calm him down. Instead, Polly gently took her lifted hand and pressed a cold cloth to her forehead.

           “Stop bickering and help me get her to the car.” Polly snapped at her niece and nephew.

           Tommy huffed and stooped to scoop Leah up in his arms. Bringing her to the car, he assured her nothing would happen and not to listen to Ada. She simply pressed her face into his shoulder and closed her eyes. She didn’t know who to listen to anymore.

~~~~~~~

           Michael was still out cold when Leah felt well enough to sit up. She was glad to see the young man was properly stitched up. She didn’t know much about medicine but he appeared to have a good chance of surviving.

           After she sat up, Polly came into the room. She scolded the men slacking off by the door and confiscated their flasks before sending them out to the hall.

           “How are you feeling?” The older woman asked as she slipped off her coat and draped it over Michael’s legs.

           “Better, thank you. I just think it was shock.” She admitted. “I wasn’t expecting all of that.”

           Polly frowned as she sat down. None of them were but maybe they should’ve gotten used to Tommy’s surprise tactics. It would make life a lot easier. “Have you been ill?” She wondered.

           Leah shook her head. “No, I’ve been fine. Maybe just a little…” She sighed and shrugged. “It’s been a difficult few months. I mean, nothing like what you went through, I’m sure.”

           She didn’t want to talk about her time in prison and how Tommy was the one to put her there. “You’re not pregnant, right?”

           Her eyes widened a little in shock. She wasn’t expecting the question. “No, I uh…I bled last week.” She explained shyly.

           “Good.” Polly nodded firmly. Now was not the time to have a baby. Not in the state they were in. A war.

           Leah nodded absent-mindedly and ran her fingers through her hair to fix it. She found a few pieces of grass that had tangled in her blonde curls after lying on the ground. “Tommy and I…I feel like we haven’t even slept in the same bed in ages.” She whispered. Shame settled deep in her bones. How pathetic it was to spend such little time with her fiancee, to be so cold towards each other.

           “My nephew is a complicated man.” Polly agreed and pulled the chair up closer to Leah. Her face had softened since the funeral. It appeared her aggression was only directed towards Tommy and didn’t include his fiancee. If anything she felt bad for the young woman. Anyone who fell for such a man was in for a surprise, and not necessarily anything good. She loved Tommy but he was a huge pain in the ass.

           “Am I making a mistake, Poll?” Leah asked quietly. “I mean am I just being thick?” Her eyes lowered to the ring on her finger.

           “Some people will tell you to be smart and look out for yourself and yourself only. Others will tell you to follow your heart blindly.” Polly rested a hand on hers. “But listen here, despite what people say, women are not meant to be put aside in the corner.”

           She sniffled and let out a little tearful laugh. “Could’ve convinced me otherwise.” Leah thought about all the years she spent being submissive. Forcing herself to be quiet and complacent in order to pay rent and groceries. For a long while, she adopted the personality into her everyday life. If a man cut her in line at the butchers, she never spoke up. She grew a staggering amount of patience for the world around her and its inhabitants. She thought it was a good quality to have but sometimes it led to her being walked over.

           A woman like Polly was something of an enigma to her. A strong person who ran the Shelby company while her nephews were off at war. Took shit from no one and announced her presence wherever she went to make sure people didn’t cross her.

           Still, both women were damaged. That was clear if you pulled back the curtain. They were surviving in a man’s world. Doing the best they could while embroiled in a war they didn’t start.

           “Speak your mind sometimes.” Polly encouraged in a soft voice. “If you keep it all inside then you’re the only one to suffer. A relationship, romantic or not, is a two-way street. The other person should have to listen as much as they talk. If they don’t want to listen then they should just get a fucking parrot. That way they’ll have someone to talk to and someone to agree with everything they say.”

           Leah smiled and felt a little relieved that she wasn’t alone. “I do love him.”

           “I know.” She nodded and squeezed Leah’s hand. “And he loves you. I know he’ll listen, he’s just stubborn sometimes.”

           “Now’s really not the time to talk his ear off ‘bout petty things though.”

           Polly frowned. “If he’s got time to fuck about with the Golds then he has time to listen to his wife-to-be.” She asserted. “Don’t make excuses.”

           Leah nodded. “Alright, I won’t.” She promised. Her eyes moved to Michael’s bed when she heard him stirring.

           Polly hurried over to speak to him for the first time since he awoke from his surgery. “Sh, sh, don’t move.” She soothed softly and touched his shoulder to keep him still.

           As she spoke gently to her son, Leah mindlessly ran her hands through her hair, thinking about all the things she wanted to say to Tommy. It wouldn’t be easy, but Polly was right. She was only suffering by keeping her silence.

~~~~~~~~~~

           A few days after the funeral, Leah went to find Tommy at the car factory offices. There was always a good deal of chaos there as it was a working factory, but when she entered, the air was filled with electricity. Something had clearly happened that had riled everyone up.

           It wasn’t long before she found her fiancee speaking with his brother on the first floor. They were standing next to what appeared to be a makeshift boxing ring set up with ropes.

           “Tommy,” She called out his name above the loud atmosphere.

           He turned from talking quietly to Arthur. “Come to surprise me?” He smiled. Things after the funeral had been stuck in a strange stage between the two. They weren’t as cold to each other because there simply wasn’t time to argue or fight. Tommy’s mind was elsewhere but he seemed conscious enough to realize he had to be pleasant towards Leah to keep her spirits up. Especially now that the rest of the family knew about the engagement. All he wanted was to get rid of the Americans and get back to the good relationship he had with Leah. It was a tall order but Tommy was never one to shy away from a challenge.

           She smiled back, hoping they could keep up the positivity, especially since she went to the factory to talk. There were things that needed to be said. Things that she’d been holding onto for some time, especially after her talk with Polly at the hospital.

           “Missed a good fight, Leah,” Arthur told her joyfully. “We’ll make sure you don’t miss the next one.”

           “As long as you tell me who to bet for.” She laughed softly and touched Tommy’s arm. “Can we talk upstairs? I’ve brought lunch, Ada and I made it, put a bit of Linda’s cake in there as well.”

           “I’ve got a meeting, actually.” Tommy wrapped an arm around her waist and began walking towards the stairs with her.

           “You didn’t eat breakfast, I’m sure your meeting can wait.” She insisted hopefully.

           “She’s not a patient person, and I’m already running behind schedule. But you can stay in my office, we’ll have lunch after, aye?”

           Leah nodded slowly. “Okay, I can wait.” She’d waited this long, what was another half an hour?

           When noon struck, Leah was still in Tommy’s office. She was smoking a cigarette when she heard a commotion downstairs. Shouts and movement lured her back outside to the promenade that overlooked the first floor.

           Tommy came out of the conference room with a stern expression. He stood at the railing watching the factory workers all walking out of the building.

           “Tom,” She attempted to reach out to him but he simply turned to walk into his office.

           He tugged viciously at his tie, pulling it off and tossing it to his desk. Leah could see every muscle in his back was taut when he shrugged off his coat as well. “Close the door.” His voice was firm and he turned to flip the blinds, blocking out the sun.

           She listened and shut the office door behind her. “What happened? Where’s everyone going?”

           Nothing. He simply began to unbutton his waistcoat and carelessly tearing off his cufflinks.

           “Tommy.” She walked over to him and touched his arm. “Talk to me.”

           He turned around abruptly and cradled her cheeks. Before she could react he kissed her fiercely. All of his anger and grief funneled into the kiss. He dropped his hand to her hip and guided her back against his desk.

           Leah’s thighs hit against the edge of the desk. She grimaced and she pressed her hands against his chest to push him back. “Tommy, please, I wanted to talk.” She whispered, reminding him of the reason she’d come to the office.

           His breathing was off-kilter and he touched his forehead to hers. “I can’t think right now.” He muttered.

           “Just a moment…”

           “Leah, please.” He stepped away from her and dragged a hand through his hair. “Now’s not the time.”

           Leah perched hesitantly on the edge of his desk. “Will there ever be a time?” Her eyes lifted and she tried to listen to Polly’s previous advice and not just give in. She wasn’t going to let him just bend her over the desk to release his frustrations. Not if he wasn’t going to listen to her.

           Tommy slipped off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “When I get home, yeah?” His words were hollow, his mind was clearly somewhere far from the room.

           Leah swallowed and stood. Holding her purse close, she went for the door. She paused before reaching for the handle. “Before I go, I just want you to know that I love you. Enough to weather any storm.”

           “Lee…”

           “But if you’re tired of me, then please tell me now. If I’m not worth anything to you anymore, then cut me loose. Because I don’t know how much more I can handle.” Something in her throat stuck but she did everything she could to keep from crying.    

           Tommy reached out to take her hand. “Things right now will get better. But that doesn’t change how I feel about you. I’m doing everything I can to keep this family together.” His eyes were firm on her. “I love you, we’ll talk when I come home.”

           There was a knock on the door and Leah decided to take her leave. Her hand slipped from his and she opened the door.

           “Oh, pardon me.” The man waiting for Tommy apologized. “Mr. Shelby, a delegate from the European Council for Trade is here. He’s here to talk about the import of car parts.” He explained.

           Leah passed through the doorway and went to leave. As she did, she noticed a dark-haired stranger lingering around the second floor. His eyes met hers and a smug smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He was well dressed and Leah noticed the cross tattoo peeking out from his crisp collar.

           She didn’t know who he was, but he gave her a bad feeling. If only she knew it was the man trying to kill them all.

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[thinkingaboutyoungroyals]

The Perfect Moment: Chapter 6

Summary: When Cyrus is assigned to create a modern re-telling of “Romeo and Juliet” for English class, he decides to produce a movie. His stars, however, may pose some trouble. Will he finish his movie on time?

A/N: This is the second to the last chapter! Thank you so much to everyone who read, liked, and commented!

“I like this shot but the lighting doesn’t look right.”

Cyrus leaned in to peer at the clip T.J. was pointing at on the laptop. The jock was right, the glare was too much. But, it was a really nice shot of T.J. and Buffy at the park. Maybe they could fix it with a filter or adjusting the brightness?

“Add it in and leave me a note, please,” Cyrus said.

“Okay, boss.”

He resisted the urge to blush but flashed the jock a grateful smile before returning his attention to his own laptop.

It had been 3 days of non-stop filming and after each shoot, T.J. would walk him home, stay for a few hours to help him pick out clips and edit, they would do a little homework, then he would have dinner with Cyrus and his family before heading home.

They only had two more scenes to film the next day. Then, Cyrus would finish editing and submit his finished work on Friday. Mr. Spencer said that they would show his film in class and he was half-excited and half-terrified about it. On the one hand, he wanted his work to be seen by people other than his friends but on the other, he was afraid that his classmates would hate it and cast him aside as a social pariah. 

No pressure. 

“So… we’re almost done, huh?” T.J. randomly said out of nowhere.

Cyrus hummed. “Yeah, time flew by pretty fast. I can’t believe we managed to get here with minimal injury. Though, I think my nose will always remember.”

Both boys chuckled at that. The bruise had faded by now but Cyrus had been embarrassed and even considered sneaking some of his stepmom's concealer to cover it up.

“That’s your battle scar, Underdog,” T.J. replied, nudging his shoulder. “You braved through it.”

Cyrus could feel his ears burning again. “Thank you.” Clearing his throat, he turned away. “Do you want to take a break from this? Maybe we can rehearse your lines?”

T.J. was already closing the laptop and putting it on the coffee table. “Sounds good.”

He picked up the new script beside it while Cyrus dug his copy out of his book bag. He flipped to the end. Folding his legs under him, he turned his body around so he could face the jock.

“I’ll be Quinn,” he stated, fighting a blush.

T.J. mirrored his position and smirked. “Go ahead… Quinn.”

Cyrus tried to ignore the fluttering in his chest. Instead, he looked down at the script and began to read.

“We need to talk,” he said, getting in the role of Quinn.

As Logan, T.J. nodded, solemnly

“I think it’s best that we stop seeing each other.”

“What? Why?”

“Logan…” Cyrus sighed. “We’ve hurt our team and ourselves, quite literally. The more we keep pushing our relationship, the more we’ll hurt everyone around us.”

“They’re going to accept us. They have to.”

“It’s not about acceptance. It’s about us just… losing ourselves in this thing we think is love.”

T.J. waited a few beats and, in a soft voice, said, “Don’t you love me?”

Cyrus swallowed. “I do…”

“But, you don’t want to be with me anymore?”

“I…just need space and time. And I think you do, too.”

T.J. grabbed Cyrus’ hand (he tried not to jump because T.J. was simply playing a role). “But, I love you.”

Cyrus hesitated before reaching out to place a hand on T.J.’s cheek. “I love you, too. But, it doesn’t mean that we’re meant to be. At least, not right now. I’m sorry, Logan.”

“Quinn…”

They waited a few beats before Cyrus smiled. “That was great, Teej!”

T.J. beamed, squeezing Cyrus’ hand (which he just realized the jock never let go of).

“Buffy is supposed to pull her hand away after that,” T.J. replied.

“Y-Yeah.”

Cyrus dropped his hand from T.J.’s cheek but the latter still didn’t release his hand. The jock’s hand was much bigger than his and kind of rough from all the sports he did.

“So… um… what do you think of the ending?” he asked.

T.J. pursed his lips. “It’s kinda sad. After going through a lot to be together… just to have it end like that…” His thumb absentmindedly stroked Cyrus’ knuckles. “it’s not death, but it’s still pretty…”

He trailed off.

“Tragic?” Cyrus supplied.

“Yeah. It’s tragic. But, I guess it happens?” He turned on his seat (still holding Cyrus’ hand) and leaned back against the couch. “I can’t imagine saying that I’m so in love with someone and just giving up on them like that.”

Cyrus followed his move. “It’s not like Quinn is giving up. She’s just… giving themselves more room to grow. And if they’re really meant to be, they’ll get together, one way or another. I mean, T.J., they’re still in middle school.”

He turned his head to see T.J. frown. “So, you’re saying that you can’t fall in love in middle school? Or if you do, it’s not real?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying,” Cyrus replied, quickly. “I think what they have is real. It’s just… not the right time for them.”

“Then… when is the right time?” T.J. sounded genuinely upset about that.

Cyrus hesitated to answer. He didn’t want to say the wrong words.

“Sorry,” T.J. suddenly said. “That was a convoluted question. Don’t mind me.”

“No, not at all. I guess… I don’t really have an answer for that.”

“That’s fair.”

They sat in silence for a moment.

Cyrus became even more aware of the hand in his. He wasn’t sure if T.J. was holding his hand on purpose or just forgot that he was. Either way, Cyrus was savoring the feeling. It was nice, holding hands. He liked holding hands. He found it quite intimate.

“Hey, Cy.”

Cyrus turned his head to him. “Yes?”

T.J.’s hand tightened in his as he visibly swallowed.

Cyrus felt himself scoot closer. “What is it, T.J.?”

T.J. slowly leaned in. “I… um… So I…”

Cyrus bit his lip. “Yes?”

“I…”

The sound of a lock turning made them both freeze. T.J. released his hand and leaned back just as the door opened.

“Hey, kids.” Cyrus’ mother entered, hands full with her purse and what appeared to be groceries. “Hard at work, I see.”

“Yeah,” Cyrus managed.

“We’re almost done,” T.J. added.

Sharon smiled at them. “T.J., you’re staying for dinner, yes?”

The jock nodded with a smile of his own. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Perfect! It will be ready in an hour!”

Sharon headed to the kitchen, leaving the two of them alone.

They sat in awkward silence, not sure if they should continue their conversation or not.

Finally, T.J. grabbed the laptop on the coffee table. “Let’s finish up?” he asked.

Cyrus silently nodded, reaching for his own.

They worked in silence until dinner.

……..........

“Don’t you love me?”

“I do…”

“But, you don’t want to be with me anymore?”

“I…just need space and time. And I think you do, too.”

“But, I love you.”

“I love you, too. But, it doesn’t mean that we’re meant to be. At least, not right now. I’m sorry, Logan.”

“Quinn…”

“Good-bye.”

“Quinn!”

“And… cut!”

T.J. broke out of character and turned to Cyrus who was beaming at him from behind the camera.

“Great job, you two! Let’s move on to the hallway and film the last scene!”

Nodding, T.J. followed him and Jonah out of the classroom and into the hallway, where the extras along with Buffy and Andi were waiting.

The last scene shows Quinn and Logan passing each other in the halls. They look at each other for a moment and continue to walk on. The two Captains notice them ignoring each other and show a brief look of regret for driving a wedge between them.

It was a simple scene but Cyrus said that it spoke volumes on the tragic way their relationship ended.

T.J. and Buffy positioned themselves on opposite sides of the hallway. Jonah’s camera was on Buffy while Cyrus’ was on T.J. With them were the members of their team, acting as extras.

“Extras, ready?”

They gave the affirmative.

“And… action!”

They moved, walking up and down the hallway, chatting.

“Okay, T.J. and Buffy, go!”

T.J. walked forward with his head down and a slight limp, emphasizing Logan’s leg injury. When he reached the designated spot, he looked up, the same time that Buffy did. She had a cast on, to show Quinn’s own injury. They looked at each other for 5 seconds before Buffy looked away first and continued walking. T.J., too, turned his head away and walked on.

After they left the shot, the two Captains meet in the middle, looking forlorn. They looked at each other, regretful, before they also parted from each other.

“And… cut!”

“That was perfect, guys!”

Cyrus looked excited as he looked up from the camera, beaming at all of them.

“We’ll do two more takes, okay? Re-set!”

T.J. went back to his original spot. Andi came by a minute later to fix his makeup and his hair.

“You, guys, did great,” she complimented.

“Thanks, Andi.”

Nodding at him, she bounded off.

“Is everyone ready?”

Everyone gave the affirmative.

They shot the scene two more times. At the end of the last take, as soon as Cyrus yelled, “Cut! That’s a wrap!”, everyone broke into applause.

Buffy and Andi both ran up to Cyrus, hugging him. T.J. wanted to do the same but he stayed in place, wanting to them their moment. He would try to ask for his later.

His teammates surrounded him, instead, clapping his back and congratulating him on a job well done.

“Everyone, thank you so much for being a part of this project!” Cyrus called out over the noise. “I’ve had such a thrill working with all of you, especially my stars! T.J. and Buffy!”

Everyone clapped, hooted, and whistled. T.J. felt pride blossom in his chest at having accomplished something amazing.

“To reward you all for your hard work, milkshakes on me at The Spoon! This Saturday!”

That declaration received another cheer.

While everyone cleaned up and gathered their things, T.J. finally managed to pull Cyrus aside.

“Congratulations, Underdog!” he greeted.

Cyrus beamed up at him. “Thank you! But, my work is not done! I still have to cut and edit today’s footage!”

“I’ll help,” T.J. replied with no hesitation.

Cyrus didn’t seem surprised anymore at his offer. Instead, he surged forward, wrapping his arms around T.J.

“Thank you!”

He pulled away much too quickly and the jock lamented the loss of the warmth. Nonetheless, that brief hug made him happy as a bee.

“Hey, Cyrus. Congratulations,” a new voice joined in.

They both turned around to the newcomer.

“Marty!” Cyrus exclaimed.

The track star grinned. “Hope you didn’t mind if I watched that last take? Sorry I couldn’t help before.”

“Not at all! It’s fine!” Cyrus looked over at Buffy, who was busy talking to some of her teammates to notice Marty. “I think Buffy was more upset that it wasn’t you who starred with her.”

Marty pursed his lips. “I heard she and Kippen here made things hard for you.”

T.J. would be offended at that if it wasn’t true. Fortunately, Cyrus didn’t seem to take it to heart. In fact, he laughed.

“At first, they did, but they ended up being fantastic actors! Especially T.J.! His heart eyes are spot on!”

“Is that so?”

The track star flashed T.J. a look. He simply shrugged in response.

“Well, congratulations again.” Marty looked over at Buffy. “I’m gonna go congratulate the Slayer.”

He patted Cyrus’ arm, nodded at T.J., and went on his way.

Together, they watched him approach Buffy and surprise her with a poke on her cheek. And even from afar and even though Buffy acted irritated, they could see the joy in her eyes at seeing the track star there.

“He really likes her, huh?” T.J. couldn’t help but comment, wishing he had Marty’s guts.

“Yeah,” Cyrus agreed, smiling at the sight. “He would have made a great Logan. Not that you weren’t great!” he added, quickly.

T.J. had to laugh at his panicked tone.

“Because you were a fantastic Logan!”

T.J. decided not to tease him for now. Instead, he reached over and ruffled Cyrus’ hair.

“Thanks, Cy.”

He was pleased to see the cute blush appear on the other boy’s cheeks.

……..........

They were on his couch again, backs lazily against it, as they stared at the open laptop in front of them.

After an hour and a half of cutting clips, editing, and rendering, Cyrus was finally done. His movie came out to 28 minutes and 45 seconds, cutting it very close to what Mr. Spencer required of him. Now, the video was loading to a DVD and he would make a copy on a flash drive, just in case.

So, he and T.J. were just relaxing now while they waited for it to finish.

“I know I said it so many times already, but it really was fun, Underdog.”

Cyrus hummed and turned his head to look at him. “I’m glad.” He sighed. “I’ll have to admit, doing this project was exhausting, but it’s brought back a bit of my confidence. Now, we’ll just have to see if the class likes it tomorrow.”

“I’m sure they will.” T.J. grinned. “You had some great actors.”

“Yeah, Buffy was amazing.”

T.J. wrinkled his nose. “Ouch. You wound me so, Underdog.” He chuckled. “But, I’ll let it go for today because I like you.”

The unexpected statement caused Cyrus’ brain to stop working for a hot second.

“Uhh… I…”

A short alert sounded off from his laptop, indicating that the movie had finished transferring to the DVD. Clearing his throat, Cyrus practically flew off the couch to his laptop, hoping T.J. didn’t see his reddening face. 

By the number of times he had been blushing this entire week, Cyrus might as well turn into a tomato and grow in his step-mother’s garden.

He busied himself by opening the CD drive and removing the disk. Then, he popped in a flash drive and saved the movie there too.

He turned to T.J. with the disk at hand, smiling. “Wanna watch it?”

“Heck yeah!”

Cyrus bounded over to the T.V. and crouched down in front of it. He turned on the DVD player, popped the disk in, and grabbed the remote. Settling himself back on the couch, he pressed play.

They, first, watched the movie in silence. The acting was mediocre at best, Cyrus had to be honest about that. From the corner of his eye, he spied T.J. flinching and looking away whenever he saw himself onscreen. Cyrus had to hold back his own giggles.

And, then, the gazebo scene began. The acting, by this point, was better. T.J. and Buffy had gotten into their characters a bit better than in the previous scenes.

“My hair looked good,” T.J. commented.

Cyrus finally allowed himself a laugh. “You’re so humble.”

But, he couldn’t argue with that either. T.J. looked handsome, especially with the lighting and the way his eyes looked as they gazed at Buffy. He was really good at looking in love.

Cyrus’ heart was racing, unable to tear his eyes away.

“I’d give it all up for you. The team. My position. Everything if it means I can be with you.”

He knew that those were Logan’s lines but a part of him couldn’t help but wonder…

“You’re right,” T.J. said, softly. “That was the perfect moment.”

Cyrus chuckled, gaze still on the T.V. “And you did it, perfectly.”

He felt a shoulder and a leg press against his side.

“Do you know… who I was thinking about the entire time?”

Cyrus felt himself tense up. “I told you guys to think about the person you liked.”

“Yeah.”

His chest twitched and he absentmindedly scratched at it. “So, you were doing that, yes?” he asked, casually.

“Yeah.”

A lump formed in his throat and he swallowed. “My technique worked well then.”

He turned to look at T.J. to smile but froze when he saw that T.J. was already watching him with the soft look on his face. His eyes were the same as the ones he showed when he was Logan, the eyes that made hearts speed up and knees buckle.

“It wasn’t just your technique, you know,” T.J. said.

By now, neither of them were paying attention to the movie.

Cyrus couldn’t find the words to say so he stayed silent.

“It was you,” T.J. continued, smiling.

Cyrus felt a hand over his and briefly looked down to see T.J.’s fingers intertwining with his. He looked up again, his heart beating fast against his chest and loud in his ears.

“M-Me?” he managed.

T.J. hummed as he nodded. “All of my scenes with Buffy? I would close my eyes and open them and see… you. After every one of them, I have to look at you to make sure that you’re there.”

Cyrus felt himself release a soft gasp of realization. He thought back on the past couple of days, filming with T.J. The jock wasn’t just looking at him to confirm if he did his scene okay. He would look at him because… he wanted to.

“Why are you telling me this?” Cyrus softly asked.

T.J. chuckled. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Cyrus swallowed, unable to find his voice.

“The right timing. The right mood. Everything feels like it’s disappearing and it’s just you and me.” T.J. squeezed his hand. “It’s the perfect moment.”

And with that, he began to lean in.

Cyrus’ breath caught in his throat, but he didn’t move. His heart was beating faster than ever and all he could see in front of him were T.J.’s green eyes and pretty lips that looked really soft and his own eyes were closing and…

The turn of a key and the door opening felt like a lightning bolt fell in between them. The two boys broke apart, their hands leaving each other. 

Cyrus couldn’t help but be disappointed and lament the loss.

“Hi, boys! Working late again?”

“H-Hi Sharon,” Cyrus managed.

“Hi Miss Frank,” T.J. followed, his voice steadier than Cyrus’.

His step-mother entered the living room.

“We’re actually done.” Cyrus gestured to the T.V. where his movie was still playing.

“Oh, I see that! We should all watch it after dinner! T.J., you’re staying, yes?”

T.J. coughed before standing up. “Actually, I have to head home a bit early tonight, Miss Frank. I’m sorry. Another time?”

Cyrus looked up at him, eyes wide and confused. Weren’t they just having a moment?! Why was he leaving?!

“Of course. Thank you again for helping Cyrus with his project.”

“It was my pleasure.” He smiled at Sharon before turning to the other boy, who was still frozen and seated on the couch. “I’m sure your film will be great, Cy. I’ll see you at school.”

And with that, the jock turned on his heels and headed towards the door.

“Cyrus, honey? Are you okay?”

Breaking out of his frozen stupor, Cyrus knew that he couldn’t just let T.J. get away. Why confess something like that and just leave?! That was so unfair! He didn’t even get a chance to answer him!

“I’ll be right back,” he said to his step-mother before moving towards the door.

He stepped out to see that T.J. was already halfway down the path.

“T.J.!”

Immediately, the jock turned around, looking adorably confused.

It could have been adrenaline. Or excitement. Or some inner brave part of him. But, Cyrus’ legs moved on their own and he let them. He ran up to T.J., meeting him right there in the middle. For a moment, he only looked at him and T.J. gazed right back.

Lifting himself up on his tiptoes, Cyrus kissed his cheek.

“Good night,” he said. “And thank you. Again. Get home, safely, okay?”

Feeling embarrassed at his sudden act, he ran back into his house, closing the door behind him.

He could feel not only his face was red and warm but his entire body, too.

Oh, god, he kissed T.J.!

Tag list:

@lemon-boy-tj @homosexualearthworm

@disastrxlogy

@new-to-the-phandom

@tyrusgoingfast

@tj-cyrus

@completelysterling

@spike-heels

@multifandom-bxitch

@thedampjofangirl

@i-am-confussion

@buffyshirley

@azuresoulsblog

@cxrus-kippen

@tyrus-endgayme-confirmed 

@barely-even-simming

@birthistheend

@angel28716

[primroseprime2019]

Giver of Life- Chapter One: Reservations

At an army base far from any towns or prying eyes inside the Autobot's temporary headquarters things could of been mistaken for peaceful were it not for the tension in the air. It was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

Jack was sitting with Miko, Malachi, Coleson, Isabella, Elisa and Raf barely listing as Raf and Miko argued over the game they were playing. Every few minutes the oldest would look over to where the Autobots were gathered. It had only been a day since the mine incident and Ultra Magnus was recovering from his fight with Predaking. But it was so quiet. Wheeljack had barely said anything, it was almost unnatural without Ratchet's grumbling as he worked. Arcee was staring off into space while Bulkhead stare at his peds, even Miko couldn't make him talk. Smokescreen, Cliffjumper, Chiller, Jazz, Prowl, Chromia, Elita One, Red Alert and Bumblebee hadn't moved much.

It had been shocking for the Autobots to discover that Predaking could transform, Ratchet had explained that Predacons had went extinct a long time ago so they didn't know the ancient beastformers could transform. It must of been shocking to the Autobots.

As he was thinking about this Jack then realized someone was missing.

Outside Optimus was gazing into the sky deep in thought. It was always saddening when lives were lost, it didn't matter if they were Autobot, Decepticon, Neutral and since being on Earth human.

"Optimus?" The Prime turned to see Jack standing a few feet from him.

"Jackson?"

"A-Are you okay?"

The powerful being kneeled down on one knee and reached a hand towards the boy. Without hesitating Jack climbed up and Optimus stood, being careful not to shake his passenger. "I am well Jackson."

"You don't sound it."

Optimus gave him a small smile, "Lives lost should always be mourned. . . and I grieve for what Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus must be going through." At Jack's questing look he continued, "It's sad enough that they thought they were forced to destroy tortured beast Shockwave created but to learn they were sentient beings. . . little more then sparklings, it adds to the wound."

Jack lowered his gaze, "Yeah."

"And I find something about this very strange."

Jack looked back up. "What?"

"The energon, there was none in the mines and yet I don't think they were delivering it to the lab."

"You think the Decepticons did this on purpose?" Jack asked.

"Indeed," was the grave reply.

"Optimus? Jack?" Both turned to see Ratchet walking towards them. "What are you doing out here?"

"Reminiscing," Optimus answered softly. He placed Jack back on the ground and motion for him to join the others inside. After he left Optimus turned to his medic, "Is something the matter?"

"No just. . . I was wondering what you were doing out here."

Optimus turned away and looked into the sky again, "Something trouble's me."

"After what's happened I can't blame you," Ratchet replied.

"No, the Matrix pluses old friend," Optimus placed a servo over his spark chamber, "In a way I haven't felt for a long time. I just. . . sense that there is something else coming. But for good or evil I can't be certain."

~~~

Another was in mourning over what had been lost. Predaking was currently in his beast mode laying on the top of the Nemesis, he hadn't moved for a long time and someone might mistake him for a statue if it wasn't for his swishing tail. He watched the clouds pass by, it would have been a peaceful time it not for the loss of his brethren. And the ones responsible for this had escaped.

Predaking snarled and dug his claws into the plating of the ship at the thought, he would of killed at least two of them if the Prime had not intervened. But not all was lost yet, Megatron had promised to try and bring his brethren back. But they currently didn't have the resources here.

If he helped them defeat the Autobots then they could reclaim their world and bring his mighty race back. With that goal Predaking was determine to help the Decepticons win this war and nothing would stop him, nothing.

~~~

Inside the Nemesis Megatron, Dreadwing, Breakdown, Knock Out, Starscream and Soundwave were discussing the earlier events that had led to the destruction of most of the Predacons and the discovery of the cyber-matter and a new way to bring their planet back.

"I'd say the plan's working perfectly. And I might add with some unexpected developments." Starscream was as smug as ever.

"Still, the beast survived. We need to be careful," Megatron snapped. For now Predaking was angry at the Autobots but if he ever learned the truth, things would take a very dark turn.

"Still tall, dark and scaly is proving useful," Knock Out commentated.

"For now," Megatron scoffed, "But everyone is to remain on guard. I don't want any slips of the glossa!" He sent a glare at Starscream.

~~~

A silver Honda drove down the road and a sixteen year old girl stared out the window sullenly. The family drove down the road in silence. It wasn't until the silence was quickly broken.

"Okay, where in the name of the Lord are we going!?" Harry William McHenry demanded in irritation, looking at his parents, "we've been driving from hotel to hotel until we came to—wherever we are! Just tell us!"

"I hate to admit it but I'm curious too," Charlotte Olivia McHenry said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Their Mother, Latosha McHenry, chuckled as she looked at her kids, "you'll see."

"Here we are!" Marcus Kendrick called out, making Kaitlin, Tennille, Marley and Shiloh jolt and jump from their nap.

"Dad, why!?" Tennille whined as Shiloh pinched the bridge of his nose with a groan.

"We're in Jasper, Nevada." Latosha chuckled, "our new home."

"New home?" Jonah repeated with shock and they looked out the window. Their Father was right. They drove down the dusty road, passed ranches and a restaurant. Yep, this was Jasper, Nevada.

"So this is the so-called capital of the world huh?" Natalia said, raising an eyebrow as she wasn't convinced.

"Brochure lied!" Harry said, shaking his fist and Griffin chuckled as he moved his arm away from his brother's little display.

"Well we can still make the most of it." Demetrius shrugged as their Father pulled into a driveway of their new home. Everyone got out of the car and the children ran into the house.

"Careful." Their Mother called out with a laugh.

"I call the first room I can find," Natalia grinned, "we'll be glad to see if our rooms are ready!" She ran to the room that was at the end of the hallway. The wallpaper was painted pink with white dots. The bed was near a desk and there was a magenta lava lamp. The fifteen year old girl squealed before she leapt forward and landed on her bed.

Paige walked into her room. The wallpaper was light purple with black, red and blue stripes and her bed was right next to the window.

After the family got settled in their new home, Latosha made some dinner.

"Are we gonna have to go to school?" Shiloh asked. "Possibly." Their Mom sighed. Kaitlin frowned at her answer. Tennille narrowed her eyes and Harry picked at his food.

"Why?" It was a cold question coming from Demetrius, "back in Ohio, the other kids would always laugh at me! Because of my pride. They bullied, shunned and teased me because of who I was!"

"Demetrius," their Dad said, placing his hand on his shoulder, "we're not there anymore. You can start anew. We'll help you. I promise."

Demetrius sniffled and Mom hugged him. Shiloh, Jonah, Owen, Kaitlin, Demetrius, Charlotte and Marley went upstairs to their bedrooms while Griffin, Harry, Natalia, Paige and Tennille helped their parents clean up.

Charlotte laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling before she closed her eyes.

"Ugh... wait... where...?" She breathed as she opened her eyes and found herself in a midnight black void. She looked around.

"Charlotte?" Marley said. She and the others were in the void as well.

"Wh-where are we? What is this place!?" Shiloh exclaimed, his eyes widening in fear.

"Hush now, young ones. Do not be afraid." A calm and deep voice said gently and they had to shield their eyes when a blinding white light appeared before them. In a matter of seconds, it faded and they gasped in shock as a large titan stood before them. He had bright white optics and his plating was silver, bright blue and white.

"Who are you?" Marley breathed, her eyes wide.

"I am Primus. The Creator of all Cybertronians and Cybertron itself."

"Cybertron?"

"Cybertronians?" Primus nodded his helm.

"I have come to give your gifts," the Creator of Cybertron said.

"Gifts? What kind of gifts?" Griffin asked calmly.

Primus smiled before eight sparks appeared before the children, "these are your true hearts. You will be guided by the young Prime."

"Y-young Prime?" Paige whispered and nearly jumped as the third spark went into her chest. A warmth washed over her as her eyes flashed bright blue before turning light brown.

"Welcome home, Firestorm, Nightwalker, Primrose, WhiteRain, ShadowSeeker, Echo, YellowJacket, Eclipse, Comet, Cloudburst, Moonweaver and Dawnstrike. I will be with you when you need me." Primus said gently.

Paige gasped sharply as she shot up from her bed. She knocked on the wall rhythmically. Soft footsteps barreled towards her room and her siblings burst into her room.

"You had the same dream too, right?" Natalia demanded. Paige nodded her head, slightly stunned.

"Yeah. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not having déjà vu," Harry said.

"We all did." Griffin said, placing his hand on his chest where his heart was beating. He suddenly tensed as his eyes widened as he felt two heartbeats.

"What is it?" Marley asked, looking at her brother.

"Please tell me I'm not the only one feeling as though I have two hearts in my body."

Charlotte placed her hand on her chest and she widened her eyes, "nope."

"Nada," Harry, Tennille, Natalia, Demetrius and Kaitlin said.

"Nuh-uh." Marley, Owen, Jonah and Shiloh said.

"No." Paige squeaked. The twelve siblings exchanged worried glances before they all got on Paige's bed and snuggled up with each other. The sparks within their chests glowed brightly.

[broadwayitbitch]

The Talent Show

For @andi-simstoons!!! I’m glad I was chosen to give your gift!

You can also find this on AO3 at The Talent Show!

“Here it is. The night of their talent show. Their night to finally promote that they had something to present. The whole thing was TJ’s idea, wanting to show what he had for the drama department.

And their act? Singing La Vie Boheme from RENT. “

Here it is. The night of their talent show. Their night to finally promote that they had something to present. The whole thing was TJ’s idea, wanting to show what he had for the drama department.

And their act? Singing La Vie Boheme from RENT.

Alongside TJ was Cyrus, Buffy, Andi, Jonah, Marty, Walker, Iris, and Amber. It was all part of Metcalf’s new tradition that on the first day of June, kids would be allowed to do talent shows with no restrictions, minus anything sexual, which meant that some of the lyrics of La Vie Boheme had to be censored.

They were the grand finale. Metcalf said their act was perfect for the finale.

The GHC and Co. were backstage, running the number last-minute in case they forgot their choreography,

“Ready?” Cyrus asked TJ. He and Cyrus were Angel Dumott Schunard and Tom Collins, respectively.

“I’m nervous,” He replied, adjusting his mic a bit.

“We’ve been working on this for months, Teej. We’ve got this.”

TJ nodded.

“Lastly on the stage, we have the GHC and Co. performing La Vie Boheme from Jonathan Larson’s RENT,” Metcalf said into the microphone, gaining a huge round of applause.

The stage hands brought the tables out from backstage, along with the chairs the GHC and Co. had asked for the week beforehand. Once the props were set, the GHC and Co. walked on stage, taking their places (minus Andi, who stayed backstage until her cue).

Everyone started reciting their lines.

“Hey, hey, no,” Iris said her line. “You can’t be here, we have an important customer,” She pointed to Marty, playing Benny Coffin. “And besides, you never buy.”

Walker, who’s playing Mark Cohen, scoffed. “Liar, I had a tea on Wednesday.”

“You couldn’t pay,” She countered.

“Oh, yeah…”

On cue, the others and him sit at the table, some of them crossing their legs.

“Benjamin Coffin the third. What brings you to the Life Cafe?” Cyrus asked in a teasing manner.

“I’d like to propose a toast to Maureen’s protest. It went well, but how many tickets did you sell?” Amber stuck her middle finger up at Marty in response.

Jonah stood up from his chair. He was playing Roger Davis. “Why did Muffy-”

“Allison,” Marty corrected.

“Miss the show?”

Marty straightened the lapels on his jacket. “If you must know, there was a death in the family.”

TJ gasped. “Who died?”

Marty cleared his throat. “Our akita.”

Walker and Jonah looked at each other with wide eyes. “Evita,” They said at the same time.

The music started with a piano riff.

“You make fun, yet I’m the one attempting to do some good. Or do you really want a neighborhood where people piss on your stoop every night?” Marty sang. “Bohemia, bohemia is a fallacy in your head. This is Calcutta, bohemia is… dead.”

Walker stood up from his seat, slamming his hands on the table. “Dearly beloved, we gather here to say our goodbyes,” All of the girls cried dramatically. “Here she lies, no one knew her worth. The late great daughter of Mother Earth, on this night where we celebrate the birth.” Buffy, who was playing Mimi Marquez, imitated a baby cry. “In that little town of Bethlehem, we raise our glass. You bet your ass too… La vie boheme!”

Walker jumped off the table, and the ensemble began to sing.

“La vie boheme… La vie boheme… La vie boheme… La vie boheme!”

“To days of inspiration, playing hooky, making something outta nothing, the need to express- to communicate!” Walker sang out. “To going against the grain, going insane, going mad. To loving tension, no pension, to more than one dimension, to starving for attention, hating convention, hating pretension. Not to mention of course, hating dear old mom and dad!”

The ensemble began hitting their hands on the table to the beat of the music.

“To riding your bike midday past the three piece suits, to fruits, to no absolutes! To choice, to the village voice, to any passing fad. To being an us for once instead of a them!”

“La vie boheme!”

Andi walked onstage, going to Amber, who stood from her seat.

“Is the equipment in a pyramid?” Amber asked.

“It is, Maureen,” Andi replied with a sigh.

“The mixer doesn’t have a case. Don’t give me that face!” Amber said, kissing Andi’s cheek. Marty cleared his throat in protest. “Hey, mister, she’s my sister.” She said as Andi walked off stage.

Iris walked to stage left, a notepad in her hand. “So that’s five miso soup, four seaweed salad, three soy burger dinner, two tofu dog platter, and one pasta with meatless balls.”

Jonah cringed. “Ew.”

“It tastes the same,” Cyrus argued.

“If you close your eyes!” Buffy added, gaining laughs from the audience.

“And thirteen orders of fries, is that it here?” Iris asked.

“Wine and beer!” Everyone yelled.

Buffy and TJ got up on the table, starting to dance.

“To hand-crafted beers in local breweries, to yoga, to yogurt, to rice and beans and cheese! To leather, to latex to curry vindaloo!” They sang together. TJ thought that Buffy was the perfect choice for Mimi, she had the best voice out of all of the GHC and Co. “To Huevos Rancheros and Maya Angelou.”

Buffy and TJ got back in their seats as Amber and Cyrus get on the table.

“Emotion, devotion, to causing a commotion. Creation vacation-”

“Mucho masturbation,” Walker interrupted, gaining even more laughs.

Everyone in the audience seemed to be having fun, including the GHC and Co.

“Compassion, to fashion, to passion when it’s new,” Cyrus and Amber continued their portion of the song. “To Sontag, to Sondheim, to anything taboo.”

“Ginsburg, Dylan, Cunningham and Cage,” Jonah and Cyrus sang together as well. “Lenny Bruce, Langston Hughes!”

“To the stage!” Amber yelled.

“To Uta, to Buddha, Pablo Neruda, too!” Everyone sang out.

Buffy got back on the table and Walker got on all fours on the stage floor. “Why Dorothy and Toto went over the rainbow? To blow off Auntie Em!” They high-five, and Buffy laughed.

“La vie boheme!” They all sang again.

Andi walked back on stage to Amber. Amber wrapped her arms around Andi’s neck with a sultry smile.

“And wipe the speakers off before you pack,” Amber instructed.

“Yes, Maureen,” Andi relented, about to walk away.

“Well, hurry back!” Amber called, and she began to kiss Andi passionately.

“Sisters?” Marty questioned.

“We’re close,” Andi and Amber said in unison.

Andi walked off stage once again. The entire ensemble began breaking out into their own dance.

“Bisexuals, trisexuals, homo sapiens, carcinogens, hallucinogens, men, Pee-Wee Herman!” They sang out. “German wine, turpentine, Gertrude Stein, Antonioni, Bertolucci, Kurosawa, Carmina Burana! To apathy, to entropy, to empathy, ecstasy! Vaclav Havel, the Sex Pistols, 8BC! To no shame never playing the Fame Game!”

Cyrus pretended to smoke a joint. “To marijuana!”

“To sodomy, it’s between God and me! To S & M!”

Marty stood up from his table, angrily walking off stage.

“In honor of the death of Bohemia an impromptu salon will commence immediately following dinner,” Cyrus spoke to the beat of the music. “Mimi Marquez, clad only in bubble wrap will perform her famous lawn chair handcuff dance to the sounds of iced tea being stirred!”

Jonah stood next, pointing to Walker. “And Mark Cohen will preview his new documentary about his inability to hold an erection on the high holy days.”

More laughing from the audience.

“And Maureen Johnson, back from her spectacular one-night engagement at the eleventh street lot, will sing Native American tribal chants backwards through her vocoder, while accompanying herself on the electric cello, which she has never studied,” Walker pointed out.

Marty appearing stage right with Buffy with him, and he put his hand on her shoulder. “Your new boyfriend doesn’t know about us.”

Buffy repulsed, smacking his hand away. “There’s nothing to know.”

“Don’t you think that we should discuss?” He asked.

“It was three months ago,” She countered.

“He doesn’t act like he’s with you,” Marty began to argue.

“We’re taking it slow.”

Marty huffed, not believing her. “Where is he now?”

She turned around, trying to find Jonah. “He’s right… where’d he go?”

Focusing back on the rest of the ensemble, Jonah had an electric guitar in his hands.

“And Roger will attempt to write a bittersweet evocative song,” Walker sang. Jonah began playing a tune, for about two measures before Walker stopped him. “That… doesn’t remind us of Musetta’s Waltz.” Jonah flipped Walker off as a joke, setting his guitar down.

“Angel Dumott Schunard will model the latest fall fashions from Paris while accompanying herself on the 10 gallon plastic pickle tub.”

TJ strutted on the table, acting like a model. “And Collins will recount his exploits as anarchist, including the tale of the successful reprogramming of the M.I.T. virtual reality equipment to self-destruct, as it broadcasts the words-”

“Actual reality, ACT UP, fight AIDS!” Everyone finished TJ’s lyric.

Marty ran off stage, yelling “Check!”

Focusing on Buffy and Jonah, they’re alone on stage as the rest of the ensemble is on the other side of the stage.

“Excuse me, did I do something wrong?” Buffy angrily sang to Jonah. “I get invited, then ignored all night long!”

Jonah, with a sad face, looks to Buffy. “I’ve been trying, I’m not lying. No one’s perfect. I got baggage-”

“Life’s too short, babe, time is flying. I’m looking for baggage that goes with mine,” Buffy sang with confidence.

“I should tell you…” Jonah sang sweetly.

“I got baggage, too-” She interrupted his verse.

“Wine and beer!” The ensemble said before the music slowed. Then a light beeping sound began to ring.

“AZT break…” Buffy said, taking out a pill bottle.

“You?” Jonah asked.

“Me,” She nodded. “You?”

Jonah’s lip trembled. “Mimi…”

While this was acting, Jonah always said that he would act the same way Roger did; astonished. Astonished that a friend would keep this sort of thing a secret from him. But remember, this is all acting.

“Are we packed?” Amber asked Andi, who looked to have an exhausted look on her face.

“Yes,” She replied. “And by next week, I want you to be.”

Amber gasped. “Pookie!”

Andi ignored her, going to her own line. “And you should see, they’ve padlocked your building and they’re rioting on Avenue B!” She exclaimed. “Benny called the cops!”

“That jerk!” Someone in the ensemble yelled.

“They don’t know what they’re doing. The cops are sweeping the lots,” Andi’s solemn face turns into an amused one. “But no one’s leaving, they’re just sitting there mooing!”

The ensemble cheered. “To dance!”

“No way to make a living, masochism, pain, perfection, muscle spasms, chiropractors, short careers, eating disorders!” Andi sang, beginning to dance on the table herself.

“Film!”

Walker stepped up to the table as well. “Adventure, tedium, no family, boring locations, dark rooms, perfect faces, egos, money, Hollywood and sleaze!”

“Music!”

TJ, along with Cyrus and Amber, get up on the table. “Food of love, emotion, mathematics, isolation, rhythm, feeling, power, harmony, and heavy competition!” TJ’s dress gets snagged, but he keeps dancing.

“Anarchy!”

Cyrus and Amber start pumping their fists up in the air. “Revolution, justice, screaming for solutions, forcing changes, risk, and danger, making noise and making pleas!”

They jump off of the table, landing on their feet.

“To homos, lesbians, cross-dressers, too!” They sang out. “To people living with, living with, living with, not dying from disease! Let he among us without sin, be the first to condemn!” They all took a breath, preparing for the next verse. “La vie boheme! La vie boheme! La vie boheme!”

Walker ran to center stage. “Anyone out of the mainstream? Is anyone in the mainstream? Anyone alive with a sex drive? Tear down the wall! Aren’t we all? The opposite of war isn’t peace! It’s creation!” He exclaimed, spit flying out of his mouth.

“La vie boheme!”

The music stopped, and the spotlight was on Walker.

“The riot continues. The Christmas tree goes up in flames. The snow dances,” He recited. “Oblivious, Mimi and Roger share a small, lovely kiss.”

Buffy and Jonah, who are still on the other side of the stage, kiss gently. Buffy looked like she was disgusted, but she continued.

The music started once more for the last time.

“Viva la vie boheme!”

The audience applauded loudly, some standing up (which were their parents).

And the GHC and Co. did what they do best.

They took a bow.

[frnki-e-blog]

INTERROGATION OF FRANKIE CAPLAN #001

Part One ( you )

do you have any criminal history? anything big or small that you want to make us aware of?

“trying to pin something else on me?” frankie huffs, crossing her arms, leaning back in her chair. “shouldn’t it all be on my record already? or do you really not even know who you’re interviewing? pretty lame cop work if i say so.” of course, frankie knew she shouldn’t be smart mouthing the cops. especially when it came to daisey. “alright, so like, i have some vandalism charges from when i was a minor. and from last year i got a disturbing the peace charge for a protest.” she rolled her eyes, fingers twisting the sole ring on her finger. she began to chew her bottom lip. “and i got into a fight with some fuck last year, no charges were made, but both of us spent the night in lock up so like, that could be record. and no i’m not saying why, so don’t even think about asking.”

what is your connection to daisey? how did you know her? how well did you know her?

her heart pounded harder in her chest. it was in this moment she was thankful that she wasn’t in for a polygraph. because she knew it would be going crazy right now. as soon as her name was brought up, she stopped playing with the ring. afraid that it might spill her secrets. she kept her defenses up, now sitting forward. “real talk though, you’re with the government, you guys know privacy isn’t a thing anymore. so why don’t you guys just hit up your dudes watching all of us. pretty sure they already know what happened to her.” she was about to go for a sip of water, but knowing they could gather dna evidence from that, she put the cup back down. “yea, i knew her back in middle school and high school. we hung out at my place sometimes before high school, we’ren’t that close. she was a bitch to me in high school, but everyone was. my beef with her was long gone before she ever was.” she said it without even thinking, but it made her throat feel like it was going to close shut completely. instead she swallowed hard, folding her arms again, clenching her fists. “i didn’t know her very well. especially recently.”

have you visited the blog site “veritasexposed”? if you have, how credible do you find the information on this site? do you know who runs the website?

“are the cops looking into a cyberbullying case when there’s a murder still unsolved?” she spat, anger clear in her voice. “alright we get it, you don’t actually care about your jobs. it’s a load of bullshit so just drop that shit. it’s probably just some idiot trying to freak everyone out. and pretty much it’s working, but i don’t trust anything they say. i mean where’s any of their proof. do your actual jobs instead of reliving your glory days of your college years.” her eyes narrowed at all of them. one at a time focusing on each of them, hoping her words landed on them. should she really be antagonizing the police right now when daisey was dead? not at all. was she going to keep doing it? probably.

Part Two ( daisey )

do you remember where you were the night daisey went missing? if so, where were you? what were you doing? who were you with?

she felt herself shift in her chair. she knew it wouldn’t sound good. she also knew nobody else could confirm where she was. “i was alone. at the school pool. i wanted to avoid everyone, and i knew people were gonna be at that stupid party. i like swimming,” she rolled her eyes, single finger now twisting at the ring again. “and then after i went swimming i went over to my friends house. and i know you’re already gonna be talking to her, but it’s juniper briggs. and i’m not telling you our relationship so you can stuff that question up your ass newbie.” she locked eyes with the boy in training. there was no reason for this attack, and the female detective told her off for it. it was worth it to see how fucking scared he was though.

where were you the night daisey’s body was recovered?

“i was with my mom. it was christmas eve what do you expect?” she furrowed her brows. “i stayed there overnight, i heard about it at school when i got back the day after christmas.” the ring around her finger was twisting again, now in her lap, as she leaned back. not looking directly at anyone of the officers.

how familiar are you with the ashmont woods? have you been there often? have you recently ventured out here? if so, why?

“no? like i know i look pretty granola, but like not those woods. not since i was like a kid.” this was the first time she softened in the interview. “there’s a camp connecting to them, where i met daisey. again don’t twist that we were kids. so i really don’t know it that well, but like i know of them. pretty much everyone here does though right? that seems like a stupid question.”

Part Three ( the investigation )

do you have feelings towards the investigation? any comments?

“i think you bunch are a load of morons.” she crossed her arms, but now a more lazy look came to her face. “why even ask that question? like what’s it matter how i feel about it? some girl is fucking dead, and cops fucking suck, and something about using this as a training practice for baby face over there is moronic. i think the idiots in the true crime club could do better than him he looks like he could shit himself.” she paused, putting her hands on the table, “also, it smells god awful in here.” she stood up, clearly understanding the interview was coming to an end. she didn’t even bother looking back at the other three in the room, only looking at the door, waiting for the words telling her she could leave.

do you have any people you feel the police should look into? please, let us know who and why.

“not a clue. fuck that jonah guy though he’s fucking annoying, and if, and i’m saying if the gossip blog is right about that stuff, i dunno i could see it being him. other than that though, not a clue. don’t make me do your god awful job for you.” and with that, frankie jogged back to campus. anything to get away from that hellhole faster.

[tjkiahgb]

Episode Recap: 2.20, “For the Last Time”

The GHC gathers at The Spoon for a final meal. The mood is low. Buffy asks everyone to be cool. Or, at least, just don’t be uncool.

But I think it’s really unfair of Buffy to ask Cyrus to do something so against his nature on their last day. (Boom. Cyrus burn.)

The finality of everything they’re doing is taking an emotional toll, so Buffy suggests they try to lighten the mood. She tries to get Cyrus and Andi to sing “For the last time.” It doesn’t really work, but she keeps trying and on attempt three, they actually get into it and sing along.

I think it’s like that principle where you start fake laughing and keep doing it and eventually the craziness of the fake laugh makes you laugh for real. You fake sing until it becomes a real song.

Over at Bex’s house, we get Ham!

Where have you been you old so-and-so?

Ham is over to help Bex with some pipes. He asks Bex how she’s been and says they haven’t seen her around the house much. But, honestly, Bex has been around the house quite a bit. Where was Ham is the real question.

Bex says she’s been busy at work. She calls it “booking faces” but then admits she made that term up and Ham laughs.

(This screencap is just to capture the phrase “Ham laughs” for posterity because, seriously, how many times has that sentence ever been written out?)

Bex says she’s mad at Celia for buying The Fringe.

Hey, remember last episode recap when I was like: where is Ham and is he ok and how does he feel about buying The Fringe? Well, turns out the answers are: he’s around, he seems fine, and no one told him.

Ham is pretty upset to have learned about all this just now while underneath a sink.

Back at The Spoon, which I want to point out is again populated entirely by loose children...

...Cyrus tells a story about his grandma for the last time. Then Andi dives into her boy situation for the last time.

Andi finds herself confused by the Jonah and Walker situation, even after kissing Jonah last... night? I have no idea. I can’t keep up with this timeline.

This might be an important lesson for her to learn: you may like more than one person at a time. In fact, you may like several people at the same time. You may even be in a relationship and find yourself liking another person. It happens. We’re only human. But sooner or later, for the sake of all parties involved, you have to pick a lane. Now, normally, if you kiss someone, that’s a pretty good indication you’ve picked a lane, especially to the person you’ve kissed. (And even more especially if he’s an emotionally fragile child who was looking for that sort of validation after making a grand romantic gesture.)

But I guess Andi doesn’t entirely see it that way. Seems things are still sort of in limbo for her with regards to the two guys wooing her. And that’s cool. That’s fine. I see no way that could all go wrong and end up hurting people.

Cyrus asks if there’s time for one last performance of Tater Theater. He goes for the taters and finds it’s the last one.

Buffy wants to fight for it, for the last time, but Cyrus and Andi don’t. It’s a sacred potato and must be preserved.

But, must that also mean no Tater Theater? There are quite a few good Shakespearean soliloquies I’d like to see acted out by this potato first.

The finality of everything comes crashing back down on top of Cyrus and Andi and everyone is sad again.

Meanwhile, Celia shows up at Bex’s place looking for Ham. Bex wants to know why Celia didn’t tell Ham she bought The Fringe. Celia learns Bex told him and that’s why he’s been avoiding her: he’s mad at her.

Hey, remember last week when I also said Celia and Ham were my favorite relationship on the show and I hope nothing bad ever happens to them? Well, it’s the very next episode and Celia and Ham are in a fight. My brain. It’s the opposite of so powerful.

Celia says if everyone’s so against this idea, she can still cancel it. Bex tells her to do it, so Celia calls it off. Celia says she was just hoping to discuss the plan with Bex first before telling Ham. This talk of a plan is news to Bex. Celia says she was going to turn The Fringe into a boutique salon and make Bex the star makeup artist of the town.

To which Bex is like:

She’s super in to that plan. Celia is like, “Of course that was the plan. You didn’t think I was going to invest my retirement savings into the garbage The Fringe sells, did you?”

Celia says the investment isn’t in The Fringe, it’s in Bex, which, aww. I’ll never not be a sucker for a sweet Celia moment.

In that way, I’m very much like Bex, who responds to Celia saying that like:

They call the plan back on, but Bex says they have to tell Ham this time. And Celia is like, “Oh yeah, right.”

The GHC approach Buffy’s house. The move is in full effect. The movers are out front, moving and everything, as you do.

Cyrus says it’s like a solar eclipse: you can’t look directly at it. But I say that rule is really only for cowards who value being able to see. I haven’t lost a staring contest in 7 years and I’m not about to lose one to the Sun of all people.

The GHC hug. Buffy says the deal is they don’t say goodbye, especially because she’s just moving to Phoenix, which isn’t the Moon. And she’s right. Phoenix is not the Moon. It’s the Sun.

Here’s your weather forecast for next week, Phoenix:

You know what the temperature is going to be in Phoenix tonight, at midnight? A cool, brisk, 91 degrees!

But enough about the weather. The GHC talk about how they’ll still keep in touch.

Buffy says how much she loves her friends and wishes she could put the moment in a time capsule, which sets off an idea in Cyrus’s head: Let’s rob a bank! Just kidding. Let’s make a time capsule.

Andi is in, but Buffy isn’t. She just wants a normal day and a no-frills goodbye. Andi and Cyrus persist, but Buffy’s starting to feel like this is her funeral, which she says she will not be going to. Unfortunately, Buffy, one’s funeral is one of the few events by definition you really must attend.

Buffy runs off and slams the door behind her.

And this mover’s like, “Oh. We, uh, actually, still have a lot of stuff to load from inside there-- ok, then.”

Cyrus and Andi realize that might’ve been goodbye.

Later, Andi and Jonah talk at Red Rooster Records. Andi says she doesn’t want to have their last conversation with Buffy be that argument. Jonah notes that as hard as it is for Andi, it must be even harder for Buffy. Jonah thinks they should still do the time capsule, but instead of burying it, give it to Buffy as a going away gift for her to open whenever she wants. Andi realizes that’s a good idea.

Whoa. Was Jonah actually lucid in this scene? Did he actually have good ideas of his own? This is like the first time in months!

I’m so proud of him.

Andi and Cyrus sneak off to Buffy’s house and rendezvous with Buffy’s mom, Pat. Cyrus is dressed for a duck hunt and has binoculars.

Andi says she regrets giving him those for his seventh birthday. Is it just me or has season 2B been chock full of references to how long the GHC have known each other and gifts they’ve given each other in the past and memories from childhood and all that? They’re really trying to drive home how sad this breakup is going to be.

Andi presents Pat with a list of things they want to put in the time capsule. Pat opens it up and sees “flat iron” and “prison jumpsuit.” Andi and Cyrus exchange giggles about these memories and Pat realizes she’s missed some stuff in Buffy’s life.

I kind of wish the list kept going and getting weirder. “Six fingered glove? Big Mouth Billy Bass? Fake leg? Old Lady Thompson’s rose bush? A 1994 Mazda Miata? Buffy has all this stuff?!” And after every one, Cyrus and Andi just giggle and never explain what all this means.

Pat agrees to put the stuff she finds in a box for Andi and Cyrus.

Celia and Bex look for Ham around the house.

Andi comes in asking for a time capsule. Celia, sensing an opportunity to use her granddaughter as bait, tells her to text Ham to bring her one quickly.

At Buffy’s house, Buffy packs old photos when she comes across one of Marty from the Party.

A Marty shoutout! I’m glad he got a reference here. I miss Marty. It’s too bad he died when his plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. (This is a reference to the show “M*A*S*H,” which is a really old reference even by my standards. Ask your parents to ask their parents about it.)

Pat wants to know who he is. Buffy tells her they don’t talk anymore.

Pat then asks about Cyrus. “Ever go out with him?” Buffy laughs and says, “Pretty much every day.”

Which, what a weird exchange that was. I mean, first off, that’s not an answer to that question. Pat was asking it off the back of talking about possibly dating Marty, so she wanted to know if there was a romantic thing there. But Buffy says “Pretty much every day” like, “Of course, we’re best friends!” And then Pat never follows up. This feels like such an obvious setup to talk about Cyrus’s gayness. Or just mention it at least. Like, “Sassy ___ friend” from last week. It’s like they want to throw those of us who understand the subtext of both of these exchanges a bone while still keeping it subtle enough that the youngest viewers don’t realize there’s a gay reference being made?

Anyhoo, Pat says she wants to take some of the pictures, but Buffy realizes she’s being weird and hiding something. Pat says Andi and Cyrus are making the time capsule. Buffy doesn’t want it because she doesn’t want a goodbye. She doesn’t feel she’s strong enough to handle it without crying and she doesn’t want that to be the last image her friends have of her.

Buffy wishes she was as strong as her mother, but Pat talks about how she cried, too, every time she had to leave. She tries to let Buffy know it’s ok to cry.

It’s a really nice moment. Great job by both actresses in this scene, too, by the way.

Back at Celia’s, Ham comes in with a container from THE TIME CAPSULE COMPANY!(!!!)

I love this so much. What in the holy hell is the Time Capsule Company? They just make time capsules?! How can that even be a business?

When Andi was texting Ham that she needed a time capsule, I was thinking, “Oh, sure, Ham will just pop on down to the ol’ time capsule store and pick one up.” AND. THEN. HE. DID! WHAT?! How did he know where to go? How did he know such a place even exists? Pull up Google Maps on your phone right now and search for a time capsule store. I bet you there isn’t one just down the street from your house. I live in Los Angeles and I get no results for that search. And all we have living here are the artsy type of people who would make time capsules.

Ham even asks Andi if this is what she wanted. Like, she asked for a time capsule. You couldn’t have nailed it any better than that, Ham.

Andi takes her shiny new time capsule and leaves.

Celia tells Ham she called off the deal. Ham says that’s good and that Celia can’t be doing this, again. Whoa. Is that a reference to something we know or what? Has Celia made big time decisions like this before without talking to Ham about it? Ruh-roh.

Celia promises she’ll talk to him next time. Celia and Bex then present Ham with a business plan and say he can say no to it, but Ham already knows he’s not going to turn them down. He really just wants the illusion of choice.

At Bex’s, Cyrus and Andi put together the time capsule.

Cyrus puts in the #thegoodhaircrew shirt he ordered forever ago.

He clearly didn’t splurge for overnight or even 3 day shipping. He must have gone with the free, get-here-whenever option that takes 6 months to a year to arrive.

He also puts in his Buffy basketball sign and a megaphone.

Andi puts in the JMS student handbook they all changed, a picture of them from sixth grade, and a belt made of the wristbands from Dr. Metcalf’s insanely expensive social experiment.

Cyrus pulls out a box that’s from Marty. It’s shoelaces and a nice note.

It’s cool to have one final thing from Marty, but I might’ve actually preferred they just left it at referencing the picture in the earlier scene and have Marty not know about Buffy leaving. This gift really reminds you they didn’t have access to Marty’s actor. It’s weird that Marty would learn Buffy’s leaving, take the time to go buy her laces and write the note, but not try to stop by and say goodbye to her after all their shared history. At least to clear the air between them. His note even makes it seem like he’s not in a bad place with her. It’s jokey and friendly. Like, he’s happy, but not so happy he’d could be bothered to show his face again? Alright then.

Bex shows up and wants to contribute. She adds the DVD set of Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season 3. Why season 3? It’s Buffy’s favorite and it features the character Faith.

Cyrus and Andi add the glass encased final tater to the capsule, too.

Jonah shows up with basketball stuff. He got a basketball signed by the entire team, including one TJ Kippen himself.

Off-screen hashtag good boi behavior? I’ll take it!

You know what else is special about this basketball? Somewhere on the ball is the answer to the question:

WHAT IS THIS GUY’S NAME?!

Someone else go over footage of the names on the basketball like it’s the Zapruder film and let me know which one we decide is his.

Jonah says everyone’s going to miss Buffy. Even her nemesis. And Bex pops in and says TJ is to Buffy as Faith is to, well, also Buffy. The other Buffy. The vampire slayer. (Little bit more on that here, if you want.)

They add the basketball and Buffy’s jersey to the capsule and take it over to Buffy’s house.

Guys, can I just say, I was shocked when they walked up to the house and it was dark. I got right away what had happened. I really thought, given the talk from Pat about it being ok to cry, Buffy was going to give in and have that emotional goodbye.

But nope. Andi, Cyrus, and Jonah find Buffy and her family are gone. No goodbyes. Just moved out of town under the cover of darkness, like Robert Irsay taking the Colts out of Baltimore (you know the deal: ask your parents... provided they’re sports fans who lived in Baltimore in the mid-80s).

Cyrus, Andi, and Jonah console each other as the episode ends.

I have to say, the image of these three sad kids standing in the cold, looking for their already gone friend, is heartbreaking.

Credit to the writers for always doing a good job of getting there emotionally. Even if they have issues with the plotting every now and then, they’re very consistent with how they hit their mark with the emotional beats.

Also, credit to the kind editor of the scenes from the next episode for giving us a half a second of TJ and Cyrus, like a little cherry on top of an already good episode.

I’ll take it!

[guttersvillemayor]

Home Is Where The Heart Is

[I'm not sure if it was the sniggering above my head or the shifting of the bed that woke me up. All I know is that the moment I heard my mother call out for the boys my eyes shot open. Okay, maybe not like it happens in the movies and such, but as fast as it can happen for someone who woke up from a nap realizing just how tired and road weary they really were.] What are you assholes up to? [Hovering above me are my two youngest brothers and the twins, who are not as close to my face as the others. More sniggering happens and then our attention is all turned to the door when my eldest brother Jasper shows up. “Okay, idiots. Mom sent me down here to make sure you didn't wake E.J. Which it seems I'm too late. Sorry, sis.” I give him a tired wave and let my head hit the pillow again before closing my eyes. “Come on, sis. Now that you're awake you can come up and hang out with us.” The soft prodding voice of Judd is almost enough to make me get out of bed. I blame it on the fact that my younger brother is a damn good teacher and learned to use that tone to wrangle unruly teenagers. 

But I wasn't ready to get up just yet. My body was fighting the knowledge that I'd soon be forced to endure a Mosby family dinner. However my body didn't take the twins into account. No doubt Jackson and Jonah shared a look with one another, as I've seen them do a million times before. A silent communication before they each grabbed two limbs and started dragging me out of the bed. At first I violently try to break their grasp on me, but that only causes my youngest brother Jesse to laugh in delight. So with a heavy sigh, I give up and lie dead in their arms until they pull me from the room and toss me on the family room couch. This had been the room we'd all practically lived in outside our own bedrooms. It was downstairs and far enough away from our parents to get into mischief when we were younger. Now as adults it became a safe haven to escape to during big events at the house. With a huff, I sit up and shoot a glare at the twins, specifically Jonah.] Wendy is gonna hear about this. [“Oh yeah? Well why don't you go tell her. She's right up stairs.” His eyes holding a challenge to me. And it was a challenge to not jump up and run to see one of my best friends in the whole world. How she ended up with my older brother I'll never know. And as a rule I never let her really tell me. There's only so much one can hear about their own brother. I was just happy that soon she'd officially be my sister. This made me think of the sister-in-law I already had. My gaze shifting back to Jasper.] I’m guessing Dahlia and the kids are up there as well? [He gives me a nod and I instantly stand up and give a playful shove to the twins as I do.] Then what am I doing hanging out with you losers for? 

[With a chuckle, I push past them and almost race up the stairs, unable to stop the smile that overtakes my face at not only seeing one of my best friends but also my six-year-old niece Abigail. She calls out my name once she sees me and hurdles across the open floor plan to jump into my open arms. Her mother Dahlia’s face a mix of happiness and concern, which fades once her daughter is safely in my arms.] Hey there, Petit Bébé. I’ve missed you like crazy. Have you been helping out Nana make dinner? [Abigail shakes her head, causing her braided brown hair to whip around slightly. “Yeah, she let me finish mashing the potatoes.” My eyes look up to my mother who had earlier told me she didn’t need help and I had no doubt the potatoes had been more than done by the time my eager niece even got close to touching them.] Well then I’m sure they will be the most amazing mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. [Gently placing Abigail back on the ground, I gently nudge her shoulder to guide her towards her mother and the kitchen. The boys noisily come up the stairs as I try to find Arthur, Abigail’s two-year-old little brother, turning to Dahlia with an upturned eyebrow.] Where’s Artie? [“Your father has him outside. Wanted to show him some new setup he’d put together for the little guy.” My parents had taken to spoiling their grandchildren like ducks take to water and they were ready for the twins and myself to settle down and start families of our own. Judd and Jesse were exempt from this pressure for at least the next few years. 

My attention is pulled back to my brothers with a swift smack from my mom to the back of Jackson’s head. “You four can make yourselves useful by setting the table, and I don’t want to hear your whining. Just do it.” I have to bite back the snicker that wants to escape before I also get roped into the menial task. Running a light brush of my hand over Abigail's head, I leave her with her mother to join my best friend Wendy sitting at the island. My parent’s house, while quite a decent size, didn’t really fit a growing adult family. Especially with 6 children. We’d all learned to fit at the dinner table growing up. But as the family expanded, the maneuvering of the dinner table became a necessity. As a carpenter family originally, my father built the table we were going to eat at as well as the benches that we pulled out for big family events to better fit everyone around the seven-foot, squared farm-style table. During regular meals there were a couple chairs on each side. But with more than 10 adults, it’d be a bit crowded with each of us having our own chairs. Usually we’d simply eat outside on the covered patio as it let us spread out a bit more, especially with my father grilling. I honestly wasn’t sure what the reason was behind staying indoors, but I’d learned not to question my parents and their logic about things. 

Sliding onto the stool next to Wendy’s, I give her shoulder a little nudge with my own as a way to say hello. “Why fancy meeting you here, stranger.” We both chuckle at her joking manner even though it had been ages since we had seen each other, but we’d never be strangers to one another. Wendy Melancon had lived in the neighborhood for as long as I could remember along with our other best friend, Theodore Matthews who went by the nickname Teddy. All three of us had grown up together and generally gone to the same schools, including university. It wasn’t until we started graduating that we found ourselves slightly drifting, more in physical space than in our actual bond. This would be the first time we all lived in the same city since our college days. Though I was the only one without a job in this situation. Wendy, seeming to notice my darkening thoughts, returns the nudge to quietly pull me from my thoughts without drawing anyone else’s attention. With a simple shake of my head and a soft smile, I try to ease her worry. No doubt we’d hang out with Teddy another time and I could get all into my current life crisis. 

Thankfully, she’s unable to probe any further as my mother calls us all to the dinner table. We all gather around into what seems like predetermined sides. Wendy joining Jonah on the far side with Judd, and my parents sitting with Jesse on the side across from me. Abigail got sandwiched in between her parents with Dahlia sitting on the edge next to me and now holding Artie who came inside with my father. And on my bench is simply Jackson. My eyebrow raising slightly in his direction once we finished saying grace.] Reba not coming? [“She had to finish up a group session first.” My mother starts to nod her head to this. You could tell that despite not having given birth to Reba, she was still proud of what Reba was doing. My mother is a big advocate and charity leader so of course she was happy to have one of her children dating a counselor who spent their free time doing group sessions with people dealing with bereavement and such. Of course, Dahlia was also like my mother and would probably step into her shoes the same way Jasper would do so with my father’s company. Wendy admitted once while drunk that it made her feel a little inadequate since she simply worked at her family’s brewpub. Hell she’d probably be running it soon enough, but for now she was happy to just do the odd job there. And it didn’t matter that I told her my mother had loved her like a daughter since we were little girls, she still didn’t feel like she met some imaginary standard. I’d have to subtly mention this to my mother, though knowing her she probably already knew about Wendy’s fears. 

Glancing around the table, I felt a peace about being back home now that I was literally surrounded by family. Though as the talking ensued and food was starting to be eaten, I thought I’d probably remember why they drove me crazy once we descended into madness. There was a brief break in the busy meal when Reba finally arrived, but everyone easily went back to business eating and chatting as loudly as they had been when she came in the back door. A couple times the conversation turned to my return and what I’d be doing. However, with about 12 people around the table I was momentarily able to deflect and direct talk to a new topic. This was hardly the setting to explain that I had to come back because I was jobless and homeless. I knew there was no way I could keep the news secret for long, but I was determined to go for as long as I could before my family and friends knew exactly how dire things had gotten for me. First I needed to find some kind of work to slowly help me get back on my feet. 

Once dinner had wrapped up, most of my family moved to the living room and foyer to hang out for a little while longer. However, I was still tired from my trip and already needing a break from my family forgetting how tiring they can be. Bidding a farewell to my brothers, their partners and most importantly the kids, I gave my parents a kiss on each of their cheeks and then headed down to what would be my bedroom for the foreseeable future. With a sigh, I flopped onto my bed and closed my eyes trying not to get overwhelmed by the return to my childhood home under the watchful eye of my ever growing family. I wasn’t sure how long it took me to push the thoughts from my mind, but thankfully I was soon fading fast and once asleep, those issues would be left to deal with another day.] 

[thinkingaboutyoungroyals]

You Look Perfect Tonight

(So, I guess I ended up writing my vision of Tyrus dancing at Bex and Bowie’s wedding, after all. You can also read this on AO3. Oh, and if you can, you can listen to the song in the background once that scene starts!)

“Thank you for coming with me.”

“No problem, Underdog. Thanks for the invite.”

Cyrus beamed up at this his plus one. It felt a little embarrassing to call him his date, though technically, that was what he was. Andi and Buffy had teased him when they found out he asked TJ.

Meanwhile, TJ returned his smile, making the young Jewish boy’s heart speed up. It had been doing that a lot, lately. TJ would just smile or smirk or grin or even pout and Cyrus' heart was suddenly jumping all over the place like he just drunk an entire pot of coffee by himself. It all felt so new and frankly, just a little scary and confusing.

Coughing to hide his blush, Cyrus looked away and directed his attention to Ham Celia upfront. The two proud parents were saying fond words about Bex and their new son-in-law, Bowie.

It was a long time coming for those two to finally get married, giving Andi the complete family she had longed for since the day she found out the truth about who she was. Surprisingly, it was Bex who had proposed.

The wedding took only a month and a half to plan, since neither the bride nor groom wanted anything extravagant. They had decided on having the ceremony at the nearby chapel and the reception in the Macks’ backyard.

Andi, Cyrus, Buffy, Jonah, and Ham had done all the decorations themselves that very morning. Glittering fairy lights hung from tree to tree and on the patio. Dark blue tablecloths covered small round tables and topped with origami flower centerpieces that Andi made herself. At the center of it all, they erected a makeshift dance floor.

Bex, much to her displeasure, had been talked into wearing a white dress by Celia. But Andi had sneakily added touches of dark blue sequins and rhinestones to the bodice.

(“Because black on your wedding day is just a big ‘no’!” the youngest Mack had insisted when Bex asked for black.)

There were very few guests. Just some close family and friends, a couple of Bowie’s friends and co-workers at the music store, as well as Andi’s friends and their family. Unfortunately, Cyrus’ parents (both sets) couldn’t make it so, instead, Cyrus brought a plus one: TJ.

The basketball player had been surprised when Cyrus asked him but immediately said “yes”. Cyrus had felt giddy for days after that, driving himself nuts trying to find the perfect suit and wondering if he should ask TJ if they could wear matching ties. (In the end, he got too nervous to ask him but it turned out that Andi had given the jock a heads up on the color theme and so TJ unintentionally ended up matching with Cyrus. Thank you, Universe!)

So, now there they were, sitting at a table with Buffy and Jonah. Andi sat with her grandparents, near the bride and groom.

After Celia and Ham said their piece, Andi went up. She looked radiant in her dark blue cocktail dress with white sequins that she designed herself. Jonah hadn’t taken his eyes off her all night.

Through tears and a shaky voice, she talked about her parents’ start as high school sweethearts, how Bex made the biggest sacrifice for her sake, and how both managed to find their way back to her and each other.

“No matter how late we started,” she said, flashing her parents a quivering smile as she did her best to gather her emotions. “I’m still so happy that you guys are my parents. And, now, I can’t wait for our new life together. As one family. I… I love you, mom… I love you, dad.”

Bex fought tears as she opened her arms. Andi ran into them, wrapping her arms firmly around Bex as Bowie wrapped his own arms around both of them.

“We love you too, Andi,” Bex said, kissing Andi’s forehead. “We always have and we always will.”

The guests clapped at the touching display. Cyrus, himself, could feel his own tears forming and he fought them back, not wanting to cry. He felt a hand on top of his own. TJ’s hand. He turned his head to see that the other boy was also watching the display, attentively, even though his hand was on top of Cyrus’. He felt comforted by that fact.

After the speeches, the dances began, led by Bex and Bowie. The crowd gathered around the makeshift dance floor and watched as the couple took their first dance as husband and wife.

I found a love for me Darling just dive right in And follow my lead.

“This is so beautiful to watch,” Cyrus said, softly.

Beside him, TJ nodded. “Yeah. They look really good together.”

Well I found a girl beautiful and sweet I never knew you were the someone waiting for me.

Celia and Ham joined the dance. Following their lead, Jonah crossed the dance floor so he could offer his hand to Andi for a dance. Soon, Buffy too was swept away by one of Andi’s cousins. Many people were dancing now and in the center, Bex and Bowie were immersed in each other’s eyes, laughing and talking in hushed voices.

Among their group of friends, only Cyrus and TJ remained standing. Involuntarily, Cyrus couldn’t help his deep sigh as he watched everyone else.

How he wished he could dance too. But… it wasn’t like he could ask a girl. And besides, he was kind of hoping… never mind.

'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love

Not knowing what it was I will not give you up this time.

A nudge on his side jolted him out of his musings. He turned to the boy next to him.

TJ flashed him a small smile before jerking his head towards the dance floor. Cyrus tilted his head to the side, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

And then, TJ held out a hand to him. For once, the normally confident athlete looked shy. It was so darn cute. Immediately, Cyrus slowly felt his face turning red, from his pale cheeks to the tips of his ears. His heart beginning to speed up, Cyrus wondered if everyone around him could hear it as well as he could.

TJ didn’t need to say the words. But, it was clear as day. He was asking Cyrus to dance.

He accepted.

But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own And in your eyes, you're holding mine.

Clutching Cyrus’ hand firmly in his own, TJ led him onto the dance floor, finding an empty spot. Cyrus’ hand twitched, as he wasn’t sure exactly where to place his hands. How did two boys slow dance?

Soon, his right hand found TJ’s left and his left hand laid on TJ’s waist. TJ’s other hand also found its own spot on Cyrus’ waist. Taking the lead, TJ began to sway them.

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight.

Shyly, Cyrus lifted his eyes and met TJ’s own. The bright baby blues stared back at him, the soft look reflected in there making Cyrus’ heart pump so hard that he feared that it might jump out of his chest and run away.

Well I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home I found a love, to carry more than just my secrets To carry love, to carry children of our own.

“Is this okay?” TJ asked, sounding nervous all of a sudden.

Fearing his words would fail him, Cyrus could only nod, adding a wide smile for reassurance.

TJ visibly relaxed and the dance continued.

We are still kids, but we're so in love Fighting against all odds I know we'll be alright this time Darling, just hold my hand Be my girl, I'll be your man I see my future in your eyes.

Cyrus felt himself moving closer to the taller boy, unable to deny how much he wanted there to be as little space as possible between them. His nose was practically touching TJ's chin as he looked up at him. TJ’s grip on his hand tightened.

Their eyes never left each other, not once.

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song When I saw you in that dress, looking so beautiful I don't deserve this, darling, you look perfect tonight.

Despite feeling the surrounding eyes on them, Cyrus couldn’t help himself. He laid his head on TJ’s shoulder, breathing in a faint scent of a light man’s cologne and something that was uniquely TJ.

In turn, TJ seemed to bend his head, lips practically at Cyrus’ hairline, making the smaller boy shiver at the contact. He was feeling things he never thought he would in his lifetime.

Who knew it felt this good to dance with someone you liked?

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song I have faith in what I see Now I know I have met an angel in person And she looks perfect.

“I don’t deserve this,” TJ softly sang into his ear. “You look perfect tonight.”

Warmth pooled in Cyrus' chest when that gentle voice filled his ears.

And as the song played its last notes, Cyrus felt like he was floating on clouds. He didn’t want to let go. And by the grip on his hand and waist, neither did TJ.

The next song played, upbeat pop tune by some boy band whose name Cyrus should know but at the moment couldn’t seem to remember.

He was still high on the feelings brought about by his dance with TJ.

He lifted his head from TJ’s shoulder to look at the taller boy. He was looking at Cyrus, still with that soft expression that made his heart go "badumbadumbadum" in increasing intervals.

“Thank you,” Cyrus said with a smile. “That was… amazing.”

TJ nodded. “Yeah, it was.” He was still holding Cyrus as he continued, “Underdog... This might be a little sudden but... I swear, I've been thinking about it for a while."

Cyrus was now giddy with anticipation. "Yes, TJ?"

"Will you… go on a date with me?”

After that exhilarating dance that made him feel a hundred different emotions all at once, who was Cyrus to say “no”?

“That sounds absolutely perfect.”