#kurt does not want to be told any of this but i personally enjoy bringing up his trauma all the time

[aliwritesfic]

The Night Shift part 7 (F!Reader x Frankie Morales)

Summary: Sunday lunch with the nightcrew bois, what secrets will come out?

Warnings: Emotional abuse

W/C: 1.9k

Spotify

Part 1 Part 8

The sun was too fucking bright. You groaned and rolled over, mouth dry and head pounding. Your phone told you it was almost eleven, which meant you only had an hour to get ready. That was okay, though. You weren’t exactly dressing to impress. It was only Manny and Frankie . . . Frankie.With a wince, you remembered your conversation with him last night. Had it been painfully obvious that you were talking about yourself? Surely not, if he was drunk too. But as you showered, you thought about what he said, and realised that he was right. At least, he was right about what you could remember him saying. Leaving Kurt wouldn’t mean you would be alone and unloved. You had Manny and Sara; you knew they loved you. But that didn’t change that if you left, you’d have nowhere to go. You had never been the type of person to ask for handouts, especially sympathy handouts. There was just too much to think about.

A text from your phone from Sara told you as much as you needed to know about her night went.

Manifestation WORKS 😉 sent 8:34AM

You spent a few extra minutes washing your face, enjoying the feel of cool water on your skin. Flecks of makeup that you had slept in swirled down the drain, grey and black and blue. Tiny bits of glitter glinted on your cheeks, reminding you of days past when you would drown yourself in glitter to go out clubbing. The memory made you smile, remembering how carefree and happy you were just a few years ago.

Grabbing your darkest pair of sunglasses, you were ready to go. You hadn’t bothered with styling your hair beyond running a quick brush through, and your face was devoid of makeup aside from any remnants left from last night.

It was a quick walk to the bistro, your stomach roiling the entire time. You knew it was food you needed; you had already thrown up several times last night after arriving home. The thought of filling your stomach spurred you on, your feet moving slightly faster. You whipped out your phone to text Manny.

Get. Bread. Please.

There were a few unread messages from Kurt. You knew that avoiding him was immature and would only come back to bite you on the ass when he came home, but the thought of opening them and actually reading them made you feel ill. And he would know when you opened them; he complained whenever you turned your read receipts off. So, you kept them on, to keep the peace, and just avoided opening his messages until you were ready to deal with them.

The bistro came into view, and you saw Manny already sitting at your usual table on the outside terrace. You sat down gingerly next to him and flashed him a weak smile.

“You look terrible,” he said gleefully, pushing a basket of bread and butter your way. You grabbed a small roll and broke it open, inhaling the warm scent.

“I feelterrible,” you told him. “Hangovers don’t suit me.”

Manny laughed ruffled your hair. You groaned loudly, swatting his hand away, which only made him laugh harder.

“Lover, I’ve never seen you in this kind of state before, let me tease you a little,” he said. You flipped him off and ate another roll.

“Is Frankie here yet?” You asked, trying to keep the hope out of your voice. Judging by the look on Manny’s face, you had failed miserably.

“Crushing on the cook, are we?” He waggled his brows.

“No! Of course not!” You said quickly. Liar a tiny voice whispered in your ear. “I was just wondering if he got the right place.”

“Well, wonder no longer, that’s him isn’t it?”

From your spot on the terrace, you could see the familiar figure walking down the shady street to the bistro. Your palms dampened with sweat at the sight of him.

“Francisco!” Manny called, waving him over. Frankie broke into a half jog, raising his arm in a wave. You sunk slightly in your seat, praying that he wouldn’t bring up your conversation with him last night.

“How’s your hangover treating you?” Frankie asked, taking a seat at the table.

“Fucking terribly,” you said, “this is not at all what I was promised last night when I did my fourth shot.” Manny snorted and turned to the waitress who had appeared at your table.

“Good afternoon, dearest Andrea,” Manny said.

“Manny, hun, you know I hate when you use my full name,” Andi, as she preferred to be called, said. You liked Andi, she a couple years younger than you and working her way through a master’s in engineering. “What are we all having today?”

“My usual, please,” Manny said.

“The greasiest thing on the menu for me, I don’t care what it is,” you said. Andy smiled at you in sympathy, knowing the tell-tale signs of a hangover. She then turned to Frankie.

“I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting before,” she said, her voice suddenly an octave higher.

“Francisco, or Frankie if you like,” he said. “Can I have the alfredo?”

“Of course, Frankie, anything else I can get for you?”

You and Manny glanced at each other, Manny with his eyebrow slightly raised. You knew Andi was a flirt, you’d seen her flirt with customers dozens of times, but something about this felt different. Personal. You chewed the inside of your lip, hoping your annoyance didn’t show too plainly on your face.

“So, what didyou do last night, lover?” Manny turned to you once Andi left.

“Drank too much,” you said. “Kurt’s out of town and Sara’s in town so I . . . I could go out. And I saw Frankie and his friends out.”

“Are your friends all as gorgeous as you?” Manny asked, turning to Frankie who blushed deeply.

“I wouldn’t say I’m gorgeous,” he mumbled, adjusting his cap slightly. “I’m just average.”

“Gorgeous and humble,” Manny said, “your partner is a lucky person.”

“I’m not- I uh don’t- I’m not with anyone,” it dawned on you that Frankie was terrible at taking compliments.

“Maybe it’s my personal bias, but out of all his friends, Frankie is truly the most attractive of them,” you said. You knew this could lead to something dangerous, but the chance to see Frankie flustered was just too good to miss.

“Yo-you do?” he asked, turning an even deeper shade of red. You nodded seriously.

“Whoever you date in future is going to be very lucky,” Manny said. Then, never one to linger on a topic for too long, Manny took a sip of his water and declared that it was feelings time.

“Feelings time?” Frankie sounded uncertain.

“Well, neither of us can afford therapy, so we use each other as therapists,” Manny explained. “We started it when I was working at Lou’s, and it’s been so long since I’ve had a good feelings time. Of course, you don’t have to participate if you don’t want to, and if you do want, keep it as light or as heavy as your heart tells you. Consent is key.”

Frankie nodded, obviously still unsure of the whole situation. It struck you then how strange you and Manny would seem to an outsider. Andi returned with food for the three of you, placing down the biggest burger you had laid eyes on in front of you.

“Enjoy,” she said with a wink to Frankie. “Come find me personally if you’re not satisfied.”

You could’ve thrown up at the blatant flirting. What made it worse was Frankie seemed to be enjoying it, smiling up at Andi.

“I’ll start,” Manny said, once Andi was gone again. “I’m feeling overwhelmed recently with my new job and the house renovations James and I are undertaking. We had a big fight over fucking tiles last night, and I know we wouldn’t have if I could just be decisive.”

“Does James know how you’re feeling?” You asked. Manny shrugged.

“I don’t know. I’d normally tell him about it in a heartbeat, but he’s been stressed too, and I don’t want to add to it.”

“He’s your husband, right?” Frankie asked and Manny nodded. You glanced at him in surprise. “Husbands should support each other. You usually feel supported by him, right? So why is now any different? His stress is your stress, yours is his. That’s what you signed up for when you got married.”

“Yeah, you shouldn’t be afraid to tell him what’s going on with you,” you said, realising how ironic that was coming from you.

Manny looked thoughtful as he cut into his vegetable stack. “You’ve given me a lot to think about. Now your turn, lover.” You groaned. Feelings time was fine when you were listening to other people, and when the feelings you had weren’t so messy. But you could filter your feelings, and you trusted the two men you sat with.

“Okay,” you took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m feeling like I want to end my relationship. I feel like I’m fucking miserable, but I also feel like I’m trapped. Frankie, you remember that friend I told you about last night? It’s actually me.”

“I know.”

“You know?”

“Yeah, it was pretty obvious, but I didn’t wanna make you uncomfortable by saying that.”

“Oh, my god,” you rubbed your face. “Right. So, like I said, I want to break up with Kurt, but it’s not easy to do.” You waited for one of them to interrupt you, when they didn’t, you went on. “For one, I don’t have enough money to move out. I don’t have much in savings at all because I keep needing to dig into it when he’s short on rent or money for bills or whatever. I don’t love him anymore, I don’t even know if I like him. Also, he said hedkillhimselfifieverleft.”

“Excuse me, he said what?” Manny leant forward, rage curdling his usually placid face. Frankie too, looked furious.

“He said he would kill himself if I ever left,” your voice was small. “I tried, one time, and-and he sent me a video of him tying a noose to a ceiling fan telling me it was my fault he was doing that. So, I went back, because I don’t want his death on my hands.” You realised with growing humiliation that you were crying.

Manny reached across the table and took your hand, holding it gently. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I didn’t want to bother anyone,” you said, “it was my problem to deal with.”

“When does he come back?” Frankie asked quietly.

“Tomorrow,” you said. Manny and Frankie exchanged a look and Manny nodded.

“If you let us,” Manny said carefully, “we’re gonna help you get out. We won’t force you into anything, but we want to help.”

“Wait,” you sat back, confused, “wait. Have you too been conspiring behind my back? How? When?”

“No, not til this morning. I gave Frankie my number when I first met him, in case he had any questions. Then he messaged me this morning, and we got to talking about how we can help you.”

“If you want our help,” Frankie said. Part of you felt like you should’ve been angry, but you couldn’t be. Instead, you were overwhelmed with gratitude, with love. You grabbed a napkin and dabbed at your eyes under your sunglasses.

“I think I want help,” you said finally. You knew you couldn’t do this without help, even though it embarrassed you to admit that. Frankie nodded, satisfied.

“Alright, we need to make a plan.”

Taglist: @hnt-escape @sharkbait77 @1800-fight-me @annathewitch @darnitdraco @frankiecatfish @punkerthanpascal @nakhudanyx @gracie7209

[jadoue1999]

The X-Men and the member they lost - Chapter 2

Summary: Erik finds out he has a son. But life doesn't like seeing him happy, so it made sure he was already missing when he learned about his existence.

Previous parts: chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, chapter 7, chapter 8, 

Chapter 2: Erik and his rotten luck with family

It had been a week since the 70s episode had aired and no new episodes had shown up since. That left plenty of time for thinking and pondering on what was this WandaVision show. After many theories, they had conceded to Hank’s idea. It definitely seemed like a glimpse into a parallel universe. The mystery of Peter’s implication still lingered in the air. Charles wasn’t sure if he really wanted the answer. This all-powerful woman with the same surname as the speedster could have decided to do anything with him. He had yet to show up anywhere; they had combed the background for signs of him, but they had found nothing. The team went as far as to call it a misleading clue, but he didn’t let himself believe that. It was too strange to simply be a coincidence. The telepath was in his office one night when Raven entered.

“Is this a good time?” Wondered the shapeshifter. The professor nodded his head yes and she closed the door behind her before taking a seat. While he didn’t look into her head, he could sense her determination and hesitation about what she was about to tell him. Finally, she took a breath, “we need to tell Erik. About Peter.”

Erik. How could he have forgotten?

He was the boy’s father after all, even if he didn’t know it yet. Raven had told him as she filled him in with what had happened when they were fighting Apocalypse. She had mentioned Peter’s confession and how close he came to tell his father the truth. He had kept silent since, deciding that no one was in the right to inform the metal bender other than his own son. But now Peter was missing, they had to get him back. Erik needed to know.

Charles agreed with her and they were off to Erik’s room. The man was reading a book in front of the fireplace, seemingly enjoying a moment of peace and quiet. He turned to them as they opened the door.

“Charles. Raven.” He greeted them as he closed his reading. “What’s going on?”

The professor wheeled himself forward to his friend, he knew he had to break it to him gently. “It’s Peter,” he started. The man looked at him, his thoughts echoing his confusion as to why he was bringing up the speedster. “He’s missing. Has been for about two weeks, but I wanted to make sure before telling you.”

“Okay,” Erik replied after a few seconds of silence, “have you found anything?”

He could feel Raven’s frustration growing as the metal bender barely showed any concern. Charles didn’t blame him; the man had only seen Peter for an hour at most in the last ten years. He felt the same level of concern to the boy as he would with any other students at the school.

“We have found something, we’re not sure what it is, but it’s definitely linked to his disappearance.” He paused, trying to see if Erik was starting to understand. He continued when he found no reason to believe so. “Do you remember when he broke you out of prison?” The man nodded. “And when he came back to help fight Apocalypse and was injured in the process?” Another nod, more hesitant this time. Erik clearly didn’t get where he was going with this. “What I’m trying to say is that he’s a very special person, I hadn’t seen his type of power before meeting him and Hank found him fascinating as well. Can you believe he agreed to break you out just for the challenge? Quite extraordinary if I say so myself. But my point is, Peter’s-“

“He’s your son, you moron!” Snapped Raven, earning herself an offended glance from Charles. “What? You clearly weren’t going to tell him with all that rambling.”

The pair looked at Erik, awaiting a reaction. Had they not been aware of the situation, they easily could have believed that he was doing an aneurism. The man didn’t speak, but the metal in the room started shaking. Raven called out to Erik to try to calm him down, but her voice fell on deaf ears. Only when Charles shouted at him to stop that the man gradually calmed down.

“I... I have a son?” He seemed beyond shocked as he finally acknowledged the truth. Charles nodded yes and met Erik’s gaze as the man spoke once again. “What did you gather about his disappearance?”

“Don’t you need a moment to collect yourself and take in the situation?” Wondered the telepath. The man’s thoughts were all over the place, filled with shock and worry. It was obvious he needed some time alone. “Erik, please take some time, join us when you’ll be ready.”

The man didn’t protest as Charles and Raven exited the room. They closed the door and met up with the team, informing them about the situation.

...

Erik, in all his life, had never considered himself lucky. He had lost his family in Auschwitz and was then used as a lab rat by Shaw. Once the evil man had been taken care of, many years later, he had then accidentally paralyzed Charles, one of his few friends. Then he was wrongly accused of killing the president and imprisoned for nearly a decade until he was freed. By his son. But of course, he didn’t know, because life was just like that with him, and he had gone on a quest to show the world the true power of mutant kind. That, of course, ended horribly; so, he went into hiding. He had built a family, a happy one even. He truly had hope for a better future, but life loved to prove him wrong. Madga and Nina had died, and he had been chosen to be a horseman for a god. He had, in his grief, accepted and it led to Peter having his leg broken. He felt sick to his stomach as he recalled the panicked look on the young man’s face, his eyes pleading him to do something. He didn’t know, why hadn’t he known? The boy had almost died, and he did absolutely nothing.

How could he even consider himself his father when he had already failed him so much?

Still, he might not even get a real chance to properly know him now that his son had gone missing. Erik definitely wasn’t a lucky person.

He looked at the fireplace that had previously given him comfort and suddenly felt like the heat was choking him. He paced quickly through the mansion; the corridors were empty due to the late hour. After getting outside, he decided to walk around the lake. The little waves created by the soft breeze always helped grounding him. His Nina always loved the water. They had installed a bird bath because she had requested that the surrounding animals should always have something to drink when they came to visit her. He wore a small smile on his lips as he sat on the grass in front of the lake and sighed.

“Hello, my darling,” he told the water. “It’s already been a year since you and your mother left. I hope you’re happy wherever you are.” A curious bird landed next to him, looking at the man with puzzlement. Erik smiled, perhaps Nina lived on in all the creatures she loved so much. He held out a hand to the small animal, not really expecting anything. Surprisingly, it flew towards him and landed on his finger. Erik felt his heart grow warm as the bird let him pet his back. The soft feathers felt so similar to his daughter’s hair. “You might not believe it, but I just discovered that you have a half brother. He’s older than you, but I’m sure you would have gotten along well.” The bird chirped at his words. He stopped stroking it, “but I’m afraid he’s gone for now. What do you think we should do?” The bird looked at him with its small eyes and stretched its wings, taking off in the sky to regions unknown. Erik dared a hopeful smile as he watched it fly away. He looked at the sky, contemplating the stars before getting up. “Don’t worry Peter,” he told the wind, “we’ll find you.”

...

The moment he had gone back in the mansion, he was intercepted by Charles who called him to his office. The wheelchair bound man had a few files open on his desk. He motioned Erik forward as he spotted his friend.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, I take it you want to know what we’ve gathered so far?”

Erik nodded, of course he did. Charles took the files with him and led them out. They entered the room containing Cerebro, he was about to ask him their reason for being there, but he was interrupted by his friend.

“Before we start, I want you to keep an open mind. We don’t know what exactly is going on.”

Erik frowned but agreed to the conditions, nonetheless. The bald man pressed a few commands on the board and the screens lit up.

Whatever he was expecting to see, it wasn’t this. He had expected government videos showing his son dragged out of a car, him being taken or even tortured. He certainly hadn’t expected to see a sitcom that somehow changed decades every episode. It seemed completely irrelevant, but the few cuts and creepy details kept him from dismissing the whole thing as a joke. The third episode was particularly strange. Fear creeped into his veins as the woman menacingly approached her friend. He wasn’t sure what was worse, the cut that showed nothing or the possibilities of what could’ve have happened to the poor woman.

When everything was done, he turned to the telepath. “What does this mean Charles?”

The man sighed, putting a finger to his head for a second before looking at him again. “I’ve called the others; they’ll be here soon.” He turned to the screen that showed the rolling credits. “From what we’ve gathered, this is a parallel universe. The woman, Wanda, seems to either control this world or is trapped there as well.”

“But what does this have to do with my son? As far as I’m aware, he’s never met this woman.” Their discussion was interrupted by Jean, Scott, Kurt, Ororo, Hank and Raven coming in. They had probably been woken up by the telepath’s call, judging by their yawns and sleepy eyes. After a few seconds of questioning from the tired young adults, Charles motioned them forward and opened one of the files he had with him.

“This is Peter’s file, I hadn’t really thought about reading it, since he’s past high school age, but Wanda’s comment made me curious.” He pointed to his personal information, it contained his name, address, and schools he had previously attended. Nothing seemed amiss. “I did some digging and it turns out that ‘Peter’ isn’t his real name. It was changed when he was very young.” He flipped the page, showing a government document authorizing the name change. The team looked at themselves in shock as they read ‘Pietro Maximoff’.

“So, what does it mean?” Chimed in Hank. “Sure, he has the same name as the woman’s dead brother, but there’s no way they’ve ever met.”

Charles scoffed in amusement, “yes, you’re right. But I searched through various archives to find more about him, and I came across this.” He pulled out an old newspaper clipping. It read: mysterious death of a teen leaves the police baffled.

The article had one picture, it showed a teenage girl smiling, like any other child her age. Erik looked at Charles, demanding confirmation about his suspicions. The telepath nodded, “this is a picture of Wendy Maximoff, Peter’s twin.”

The group was silent for awhile when Jean suddenly gasped. “Oh my god,” she covered her mouth in horror. “I once asked Peter why he didn’t like celebrating birthdays and he told me how he used to have two cakes but only had one now.” She looked towards Scott and Kurt. “I- I assumed he was being greedy, but the loss of his twin could explain it!”

Erik didn’t listen to the group’s reaction; he was too busy processing the information he had just learned. How could he miss so much of his son’s life? He should have been there to help him and make sure that he would be alright. Instead, he was too focused on getting revenge and he had missed nearly thirty years of Peter’s life. And with his disappearance, it unfortunately was very possible that he’d miss more. Everyone’s rambling was interrupted by Cerebro lighting up again. Erik watched nervously as the front of a house appeared. The woman and her husband were trying to get their babies to sleep, something they were apparently not keen on. They continued trying, Wanda even tried to use her magic on them, but, surprisingly, it didn’t work. Their neighbor came in, saying how she had heard them and could help. Then it became strange as Vision suddenly suggested that she shouldn’t help. Agnes looked at Wanda for instructions, asking if she wanted to restart the scene. Erik didn’t have to look around to know that everyone here was confused. Wanda brushed it off, to the confusion of her husband. All of a sudden, the crying stopped; the twins were asleep. Except they weren’t in their cribs. A slight panic settled in Erik’s stomach; the loss of a child seemed too dark for a show like this... right? Strangely enough, the twins weren’t missing, they had aged up to five. The screen cut to the theme song.

“Are the children mutants?” Asked Raven, uncertain about the change of event.

Charles has a pensive look to his face, “I’m afraid I cannot say, for now.”

The episode continued, with the twins adopting a dog. Curiously, Wanda seemed tired of hiding her powers, going as far as using it in front of their neighbor. The most peculiar thing happened when the two parents settled that the twins were too young to keep their dog. They suddenly aged up again, now ten years old. Erik had to give it to Charles, this show definitely wasn’t just a coincidence. Were they looking at a new concept for a mutant prison? It certainly seemed like it.

The scene changed to show the husband’s workplace, they were installing computers and people around him were trying to figure out how to make it work. After some corny jokes, an email showed up and the whole room read it together. The X-Men watched Vision wake up his co-worker who seemed to panic about contacting his father.

“That’s mind control,” gasped Jean, “I know that panic, it’s horrible.”

The man screamed about a woman in his head, probably Wanda, and became more and more agitated. Vision zapped him again and, like a switch, he was back to Norm, the friendly co-worker. The group watched in stunned silence as it cut to Wanda and her children. Billy was training the dog and seemed pretty good at it. The twins excitedly got up, wanting to show their father but Wanda told them he was at work. The conversation then turned into a classic “family is forever” speech; telling them how they’ll always have each other, no matter what.

“Do you have a brother, mom?” Asked of the boys.

She looked off in the distance, obviously wondering how to explain her brother’s situation. “I do,” she said, “he’s far away from here and that makes me... sad sometimes.”

Erik didn’t have time to dwell on the possible meanings of her words as the dog suddenly ran out of the door. The twins and Wanda ran out, chasing it. They lost sight of it. Suddenly, the redhead looked up at the sky in anger and told the boys to continue look for Sparky without her. The scene continued with the boys walking alone.

“What do you think she meant by far away?” Asked the boy in green, Tommy, if he remembered well.

His brother shook his head, “I don’t know, but how cool would it be to meet our uncle?”

The boys giggled and continued calling for their dog. Seeing how the episode was significantly darker than the other ones, Erik didn’t have much hope for the poor animal. Turns out he was right; it had eaten a poisonous plant and the boys were heartbroken. After some strange comments about bringing back the dead, they were back at the house. There was tension between Wanda and Vision. He told her about what happened at his work, accusing her of being the cause.

“You can’t control me the way you do them.”

The woman tilted her head to the side, clearly challenged by her husband’s words. “Can’t I?”

There were scoffs of surprise in the room as the credits suddenly rolled. The android didn’t let that stop him as he pointed out the problems with the world, they lived in. He went on to say that he had no memories of his life before the show. That was puzzling, did this place erase people’s memories to guarantee their good behavior? Vision then pointed out the lack of children, something Erik hadn’t noticed but was unmistakable once you realized it. Wanda sat on the couch, trying to explain why she wasn’t controlling anyone. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

“I swear, if Agnes comes in at that moment, I’m going to lose it,” whined Scott.

“I don’t know,” replied Ororo, “usually she just lets herself in.”

The doorbell rang a second time and Vision watched Wanda with accusations in his eyes as she walked to the door. She opened it and was immediately shocked at whoever was at the door. The android asked his wife for the identity of the guest with suspicion. The camera slowly panned over to the person, only showing to back of their head.

Showing his silver hair

The suspense didn’t last much longer, the camera showing that it was indeed the missing speedster. Quiet gasps were heard as Peter walked towards the woman.

“Long-lost bro get to squeeze his stinkin' sister to death or what?” His voice echoed on the walls of the room.

“Pietro?” He nodded his head and the two shared a hug. It lasted a few seconds and Peter pointed to Vision as he walked in.

“Who’s the popsicle?”

The audience laughed at his joke and the screen faded to black, leaving the team stunned as the credits rolled.

“We have to go get him,” said Raven. “I don’t think he’s safe with her.”

Hank nodded, “I think I can find a way,” he pointed to Jean, “I think you could open a gateway to wherever Peter is. I’ve adjusted the machine to focus on the frequency. If you really concentrate, I’m sure it’ll work.”

“Alright, Raven, Erik and I will go,” decided Charles.

Kurt stepped in, “you might need a quick way out, I can help.” He shook his head as Raven and Charles were about to protest. “I’m the one that noticed he was gone; I want to be there when we bring him back.”

The professor agreed and told them to go pack whatever they’d need and to be back as soon as possible.

***

Jean put on the helmet and closed her eyes in concentration. She held out a hand to better focus her power. Nothing much happened, but she frowned her brows with renewed efforts. Flickers of orange light made itself known, slowly gathering together to form a small circle. She grunted in efforts and the portal grew bigger. She opened her eyes which were now glowing a fiery orange and she let out a screech. The gateway was now big enough for them to go through. They quickly said their goodbyes, Charles leaving Hank in charge for the time he was gone. The four shared a look and took a determined step forward. Passing through another dimension definitely felt strange. Nothing seemed solid as they were suddenly free falling.

They landed on the grass. Erik quickly helped Charles back into his wheelchair and took a look around. There was a military base with soldiers that stared at them with dumbfounded faces. He could hear an alarm, probably trigged when they came in. An older man that seemed to be an authority figure started shouting at them, but Erik didn’t hear him. All he could see was the sign that indicated that Westview was in front of them; and the force field surrounding it.

***

Notes: I have to say, Erik talking to Nina is probably my favourite part of this chapter. I've also made up a scene of the boys talking together based on the image of them walking alone that was in the SWORD base in WandaVision. Next up: The x-men meet Hayward (Erik doesn't like him) and learn about who Wanda Maximoff is.

[itsclydebitches]

(WLW anon) I really don’t like the “bad rep is better then none at all”. I hate that. We should want good rep, because bad rep has been used time and time again by homophobes as to say we shouldn’t get representation. To me it’s not “gay can have the same flaws as het”, it’s “fix the flaws in the het”. Also I know Renora being independent was a good, I was just saying in comparison BB. Also, yes, they were separated, but also didn’t stop thinking about each other. Especially bad with Yang.

Indulge me for a moment because I want to take a trip down memory lane and list some—just some—of the queer rep that has been important to me over the years:

Ellen comes out both as herself and as her character… years later, she’s a hated millionaire who is criticized for how she treats her staff

The wildly influential Buffy gives us two women entering a loving relationship… except then Tara is killed off, Willow goes evil for a time, and Buffy comes under fire for Joss Whedon’s everything

The beloved and respectable headmaster of one of the most popular book series ever published is revealed to be gay… except it doesn’t count because it wasn’t in the text and now all of Harry Potter is cancelled because JKR is transphobic

Kurt is an unambiguously gay teen in a hugely popular TV series, acting as one of the first overt representations a generation has seen… except he’s way too stereotypical and Glee is a joke now

Orange is the New Black gives us a number of queer women, including one of our first trans characters… but isn’t it problematic that they’re all criminals?

Brooklyn Nine-Nine hosts an out gay captain and gives us a bisexual coming out story that resonated with many, myself included… except now we’re supposed to hate all the characters on principle because they’re cops

Korra and Asami walk off into the spiritual sunset together… but they never kiss or anything, so that doesn’t count either

Steven Universe gives us a queer relationship and a wedding… but it’s an issue that this is just a kid’s show and, really, does it count when the rep is embodied by space rocks whose entire species only creates a single gender? Feels like a cop-out

Same with Good Omens. Yeah, Crowley and Aziraphale clearly love each other… but you never see them kiss or declare their intentions. It’s great ace rep though! Unless you want to level the criticism that asexual characters are always nonhuman

A character intended to be a minor guest becomes a show staple and eventually declares his love for one of the two main characters… except then Castiel immediately dies, Dean doesn’t respond, and they never meet on screen again

I finished Queen’s Gambit the other day and the main character had a one-night stand with a woman! … but everyone is talking about how bisexuality is used to represent her lowest point, so that’s bad too

I could go on for literal pages. Some of these arguments I agree with (Dumbledore), others I’ve pushed back against quite strongly (Crowley and Aziraphale), but all of them are valid criticisms depending on what part of the queer community you’re in and what your expectations are. My point here is that it’s all “bad rep.” I mean that seriously. If anyone reading this is scrambling for the comment section to say why [insert media title here] is actually fantastic rep, I guarantee that someone disagrees. Or if they don’t, give it some time. Just wait until the characterization becomes offensively outdated, or another part of the story ruins the relationship, or it comes out that the author did something truly horrific, or the terminology changes and it’s labeled as “problematic” now… just wait. At some point, any rep we feel is good rep now will be criticized, cancelled, and dragged through the mud. The rep that I personally haven’t seen much push-back against—like the beloved Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who, or Schitts Creek that just won a ton of awards—is wrapped up in the criticism, “So it’s all just about able-bodied, cis, (mostly) white dudes, huh? :/”  Even the argument that queer characters need to be written by queer authors doesn’t hold up. I absolutely adored Sense8. “Wow, a gay main character in a loving relationship with another gay man, both of whom enter a loving poly relationship with a woman, another lesbian trans main character who marries the love of her life on screen, an entire cast arguably queer due to them sharing orgy scenes centered around the emotional intimacy they share, everyone survives, and this was written by two trans women! Great, right?” Well, not according to the wealth of opinions explaining how Sense8 is horrible rep, actually. Every piece of rep we’ve got is either currently flawed or will become flawed in the future.

So what do we do with that?

That’s where my “I’d rather have bad rep than no rep at all” comes in. For me, that’s not waving the white flag. That’s not an oath that I won’t expect better rep in the future (I do) or that I won’t criticize the rep we get (BOY DO I), but rather just an acknowledgement of reality. The vast majority—if not the entirety—of rep is “bad rep” in one way or another, but I’d still rather have it than nothing at all. Because I’ve lived just long enough and studied media just enough to know what nothing looked like. It was watching all queer characters meet untimely deaths. Before that it was watching queer characters be derided and treated as jokes. Before that it was nothing but coding, where queer characters didn’t exist except in our own headcanons and interpretations. Obviously “bad rep” covers a very large range of issues and “They haven’t even confirmed this relationship yet” is a bigger issue than “This queer character embodies one or two, mild stereotypes,” but ultimately I’d take any of it over nothing at all. And enjoying what we’ve currently got doesn’t mean I’m willing to settle for it indefinitely.

To use an iffy analogy, imagine there’s a factory. This factory makes plates. So. Many. Plates. Big plates, small plates, plain plates, decorative plates, plates for every possible occasion in your life—and everyone with a steak for dinner is pleased as punch. You though? You’ve got soup. You need a bowl. Your entire life you’ve been struggling to eat your soup off a plate (it doesn’t work) and listening to friends and family claim that the plate with a slightly raised edge could be a bowl if you squint (it’s not). To say it’s frustrating is an understatement.

But then, one day, the factory starts producing bowls too. Hurray! Except as soon as you get your hands on one, you’re told you really shouldn’t be using it, let alone praising it. Look at the state of that bowl! It’s cracked right down the middle, ugly as hell, shoddily made all around… you’re not really going to settle for that, are you? And no, you obviously still want the factory to produce better bowls, but at the same time, this is a bowl. You’ve never gotten one before and you can finally enjoy your meal, even if the soup leaks at times. Sometimes a lot. But you’re still feeling better about your meal than you ever have before. And what you then begin to realize is that lots of the plates are a mess too. They also have cracks, they’re also ugly, many are also shoddily made. The difference is that the factory is producing so many plates at such a rapid pace that every steak eater is able to get by. One plate breaks completely? You’ve got a thousand fallbacks. Don’t like the look of this one? A thousand other options. You disagree about what “shoddily made” means? Luckily there are enough plates that everyone can find what they prefer! But the bowls… there’s only a few. Some are really expensive. Others are only available for a limited time before they suddenly disappear. Your bowl breaks and you have to wait months, years sometimes, to get another one. You’re constantly told to go buy this one obscure bowl no one else has heard about and yeah, you like it... but you’d also like to buy one of the bowls everyone is already enjoying. You find yourself looking at the plates and thinking, “I’d like that. I’d like to have so many options that the flaws, while still a problem, are much more bearable.” You’re still going to demand that the factory get its shit together, you’re still going to (rightly) complain about the awful quality of your bowl… but it’s still nice to have a bowl, period. There are still things you like about it, even if it’s a mess: the color, the size, the beauty of the shape of it. Its potential. You’re still pleased you have something to enjoy and that helps serve the need you’re looking to fill, even if that something is imperfect.

That’s “bad rep is better than no rep.” To bring this very long response back to Blake/Yang, I don’t think their problems negate their benefits. Is their relationship currently non-canonical and filled with a number of writing issues everyone has a right to be angry about? Yup. I express that anger a great deal. Are they still half of a team on a very popular show that is (presumably) set to be canonized as queer? Yup. I’d much rather live in a world where big shows like RWBY try to include queer rep and fail in a multitude of ways—with the expectation and hope that they’ll continue to improve—rather than in a world where authors a) don’t care or b) are too scared to try. Because that’s where a “good rep or no rep” stance leads. The danger isn’t homophobes because they’re, well, homophobes. It doesn’t matter if the rep is good or not, they hate it on principle. But if queer authors writing for other queer identities, or allies writing queer identities, or even queer authors writing their own experiences (like in Sense8) continually come under non-stop fire for their attempts… there’s a good chance that many people won’t ever try. We’re already seeing that here on tumblr with young authors admitting that they wouldn’t touch [insert topic here] with a ten-foot pole because just look at what happens when you get it wrong. And authors will get things wrong because authors are fallible people forever unlearning their own ignorance. So though it might sound strange coming from a blog that has turned into such a RWBY critical space, I am glad that RWBY’s queer rep exists, despite all the frustrations that I share about it. I think a RWBY with various types of “bad” queer rep is better than a RWBY with no queer rep at all, particularly when “bad” or “good” is so intensely subjective. There’s a middle ground between passively accepting whatever we’re given, and tearing into rep with such ferocity that we end up rejecting it all. There’s a space where we can be critical of rep and embrace the parts that work for us, simultaneously.

I hope and expect the het rep will get better too, but… that’s never going to happen instantly. To quote RWBY, there’s no magic wand we can wave to fix all our problems. Rather, it will take slow, plodding, meandering, lifetimes’ worth of work to see that change occur and I personally don’t want to spend the one life I have waiting for that perfect rep to show up. Because it’s unlikely that it will. While we work, I’d rather find the good in what rep we’ve already got.  

[marvelyningreen]

Aftershocks - Night 2

Night 1 | Night 2 | Night 3 | (deleted scene)

[Summary: Peter Maximoff is an unflappable sorta guy. He’d never let anything get to him before, and this recent misadventure will be no different. ...Right?

Warnings: mild language, alcohol use, references to injury & false imprisonment, general trauma-related angst

Notes: Peter Maximoff x reader, of the established relationship variety. A ‘what if Fietro really was Peter?’ scenario. Same continuity/reader character from Linger and Late-bloomer. ]

On the second night, Kurt and Jubilee organize a party. It’s sort of a ‘welcome back’ for Peter, and a ‘welcome in general’ for Wanda and the twins.

It’s awfully sweet of them. And you’re impressed that they’ve managed to order in enough food for everyone on such short notice.

Peter had been busy for most of the day. He’d volunteered to help the professor and continue playing tour guide for Wanda and the kids. You’d offered to help, too, but Peter insisted that you should take it easy. He’s probably right, much as you’d hated to admit it. There’s no way you could’ve kept up with him and two energetic kids.

And that’s how you ended up spending the most of the morning in the lab with Hank.

In true Hank fashion, he had tons of questions, and you did your best to answer them. There are still quite a few things you don’t fully understand yourself.

The revelation that other realities exist is wild to begin with. A world where mutants don’t exist but magic does sounds like a work of fiction. And then there’s the fact that Wanda’s from someplace called ‘Sokovia?’ As far as you and Hank could figure, that country has never existed in your world.

Hank’s scientific curiosity was focused on trying to wrap his head around how Wanda’s powers worked, and how they could’ve caused Captain Rambeau to spontaneously develop powers of her own. You weren’t able to be much help there, but once Hank gets himself hypothesizing, he could talk for hours with no input from anyone else.

Eventually, you brought up your concerns about Peter and his odd lapses in memory. Hank’s brows furrowed pensively as he listened.

“Well, I can tell you there’s nothing physically wrong with Peter,” he said. “I could ask him to let me examine him again, but if the issue isn’t a physical one, that might just make things worse. If you’re really worried about him, my advice is to talk to Charles.”

You sighed. “And he’s busy showing Wanda around.”

Which was exactly where Peter would be, so no chance to talk to the professor without him noticing. Hank stood up, patting your shoulder.

“Listen, I know I’m not great company when I’m focused on work,” he said, “But you’re welcome to stay here while you wait.”

“Thanks,” you said. “I think I’ll take you up on that.”

You’d actually spent a lot of time down in the lab since your reality warping abilities had fully manifested. Hank was fascinated by getting to witness them in person, and the fact that you’d used them to save his life probably had something to do with it.

You leaned back in your chair, stretching out your injured leg a little. It didn’t take Hank long to get so immersed in his work that he started thinking aloud to himself, trying to work out some complicated chemical reaction.

Your thoughts drifted back to Peter. He’d seemed distracted that morning, almost distant. You tried to think what caused it – if something had happened, or even if there was something you’d said…? But you couldn’t think of anything.

Maybe it’d had something to do with his dream. But no, he said he didn’t remember it. Maybe – and you were grasping at straws by this point – he was embarrassed that you’d seen it? That could be. Peter was a pretty open guy, and you hadn’t thought that machismo was one of his faults, but it’s a possibility.

Oh. Oh, damn it all – you’d done it again. You weren’t sure when your eyes had closed, or when you’d leaned your head back against the chair. Hank was still talking to himself-

Only no, he wasn’t. There was a second voice answering him now. Upon lifting your head, you noticed that Hank’s jacket was folded under it as a makeshift pillow. You blinked in the brightness of the lab, looking around to see where the conversation was coming from.

Hank and the professor broke off as they noticed you stirring. Hank smiled apologetically.

“I didn’t want to wake you,” he explained. “You looked so tired. I figured you could use the rest.”

“Apparently I did. Sorry about that,” you said, sitting up straight in the chair again. “What time is it?”

“Just after noon,” said the professor. “We decided to break for lunch, so Peter’s showing them the kitchens. Now, Hank tells me that something’s troubling you.”

“It’s Peter, sir,” you said. You went over everything once more – the diminishing memories of Westview, the nightmare. “Maybe I’m making a big deal out of nothing, but… I don’t know. What if something that witch did is still affecting him?”

The professor had listened carefully while you spoke. You thought that he looked a little concerned, but you might’ve imagined it, because when you finished, he smiled.

“Thank you for coming to me with this,” he said, “But I have a feeling you’re not going to like my answer.”

You grimaced. “You’re going to tell me to wait and see, aren’t you.”

You’re well aware that this was the sort of thing the professor said when he was being evasive. He laughed.

“You’re a quick learner,” he said. “I will tell you that I truly believe Peter will be fine. If anything changes or worsens, don’t hesitate to bring it to my attention. But until that time, I’m leaving him in your care. I know I can rely on you.”

You gaze drifted to the floor, and you frowned slightly. Of course the professor could count on you to look after Peter. But how on earth were you supposed to help if you don’t know what’s going on?

If Peter had been physically hurt, that’s something you could fix. You were out of your depth here. Useless. Just like old times.

“None of that, if you please,” said the professor, in response to your thoughts. “Do you think I’d be leaving this in your hands if I didn’t think you were up to the task? Now, I’ve already told Peter that, as of today, he’s taking some mandatory time off, and the same goes for you. No missions for a while. You’re to get some rest and look after yourself. Understood?”

That surprised you. But before you could attempt to get anything more out of the professor, the door opened to admit Peter and the other Maximoffs. Peter’s face brightened as he caught sight of you.

“I figured you’d be down here,” he said. “And I also figured you probably didn’t eat lunch yet. Was I right? Yeah, I thought so. Which is why I brought lunch to you.”

“You know the rules,” Hank interrupted. “No food in the lab, Peter.”

Peter grinned, rolling his eyes, as he helped you to your feet.

“Alright, alright – we’re going,” he said.

Saying that you looked like you could use some daylight, Peter led you out of the lab to find somewhere to eat your lunch. He seemed cheerful and normal enough, and not, y’know, like he was avoiding you or something. You started to wonder if maybe you really were imagining things.

It was easy enough not to bring up the inconclusive conversation you’d had with the professor. The twins were bursting to tell somebody that there was going to be a party, and that it was gonna be their first party ever.

So far, it seems to be going well. The twins are already making friends among the younger students. Wanda still seems a little reserved – understandably – but the professor sticks close to her to make introductions and keep her company.

You’d like a chance to talk to her yourself, but maybe now isn’t the time. A party can be something of an overwhelming environment, especially now that you’ve been informed that you’re actually one of the guests of honor.

You probably should’ve seen this coming. You’re the one who took on a solo rescue mission, after all. Kurt sheepishly admits that they purposefully hadn’t told you that part because they figured you wouldn’t come if you knew. He is correct.

But Peter’s in his element as the life of the party – and he’s tipsy almost instantly. It’s one of the quirks of his mutant metabolism; alcohol hits him fast. Fortunately, drunk Peter is just an amped-up version of his usual cheerful and chaotic personality. You’re not much of a partier, yourself, so you’re content to enjoy his antics from the sidelines.

Which is what you’re doing when Jubilee sidles up to you.

“Okay, you have to tell me everything,” she says. “I mean, getting to go to another reality? What was it like?”

You laugh. “You’ve gotta be the fifth person to ask me that. Peter was there longer than I was.”

“But Peter doesn’t remember any of it,” she says, “And it’d be rude to ask Wanda a bunch of questions when we’ve only just met, so that leaves you. Now, spill.”

You satisfy Jubilee’s curiosity as best you can, but something she said strikes you as strange. Peter doesn’t remember anything about Westview? That doesn’t seem right.

When Captain Rambeau broke that mind control necklace, Peter didn’t seem confused or anything, just… Well, if you had to describe it, you’d say he looked horrified. And after he made sure that you were okay, the first thing he’d said was that the twins might still be in danger and that you all had to help them.

Then again, he’d let Wanda do all the explaining to the professor and Mr. Lehnsherr. And you’d gotten the rundown from that astrophysicist, Dr. Lewis, after she finished grumbling about being the exposition fairy, whatever that meant.

And Peter lives for being the center of attention. Overlooked and underappreciated for much of his life, a party like this is exactly the sort of validation he craves. If there was a chance for him to tell his story to a rapt audience, he’d jump at it.

So… maybe Peter really doesn’t remember anything. Maybe the whole thing is like a dream for him. The further away from it that he gets, the less clear the memory is.

When the party starts to wind down, the same can’t be said for Peter. Just as you’re trying to work out how on earth you’re going to corral him, Logan catches your eye.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get him,” he says.

You grin. “I thought you said that he’s my problem now.”

“He is. But that knee’s not gonna help you carry his ass upstairs.” Logan drains the last of his drink and calls across the room. “Alright, kid! Time to pack it in!”

Peter waves, takes an unsteady step towards you, and manages to run smack into Logan a split second later. Logan shoots you an exasperated look.

“What’d I tell you?” he says.

Logan manages to keep Peter upright as you head upstairs, but keeping him quiet is another thing entirely. Peter spends the entire walk explaining to Logan – in fumbling but earnest detail – all the ways in which you are the most amazing person he has ever met.

When Logan gets a word in edgewise, it’s to inform you that Peter’s been doing this all evening to anybody who would listen, and even to the people who wouldn’t. You’re honestly not sure if you feel more flattered or mortified.

At long last, you reach Peter’s door, and Logan props him up against the doorframe.

“Alright, he’s officially your problem again,” he says. “Goodnight.”

“G’night, old-timer!” Peter calls, waving off your attempts to shush him. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I’ll be as quiet as a mouse.”

He opens the door and nearly tumbles back into the room. He catches himself, clearing his throat as he straightens up.

“I meant to do that,” he says.

You shake your head, trying to bit back a grin. Once the door is closed behind you, you steer Peter towards the bed and sit him down. He takes hold of your hands.

“Listen. Listen. I have to tell you something.” He struggles to turn his bleary expression serious. “I love you, so much. You just… I love you, okay?”

Is it wrong that you find this slurred profession of love incredibly heartwarming? You smile at Peter, leaning down to kiss him.

“I know,” you say softly. “I love you, too. But you gotta get some sleep now, okay?”

Peter nods, frowning slightly for some reason.

“I know, I know,” he says.

He flops back onto the bed, mumbling something that might be lyrics to a song. And by the time you get his shoes off, he’s conked out completely.

After setting Peter’s shoes aside, you sit down on the sofa again. You know he’s fine. Sure, he’s drunk, but he’s not that drunk. But what if he needs something? Or what if he has another nightmare?

You know you shouldn’t dwell on everything, but once you start thinking about it, you find you can’t stop. You wonder what it was like for Peter, being dragged from this reality into another, having his personality forcibly rewritten.

If your experience had been unpleasant, how much worse must it have been for him?

The second you’d stepped into Westview, you were nearly overwhelmed. Some unknown power seemed to be forcing a name – not your own – onto you like a shackle around your neck. A thousand memories of a life you hadn’t lived flooded your mind. More alarming still, Peter was present in many of them. You had no idea if what you were seeing was the past, or the future, or something else entirely.

And underneath it all was a crushing, all-encompassing feeling of utter despair. It threatened to swallow you whole, and it seemed pointless to fight it.

And then – a calm, familiar presence in your mind. You remembered turning back, seeing the professor’s face as he watched you enter the portal. Suddenly, the onslaught lifted, and you were simply yourself again.

Also, you’d apparently collapsed at some point, because you were laying on the pavement with a tall blond stranger leaning over you.

He was the only person who seemed at all concerned that you’d just fainted in the middle of the street. He said his name was Vision. You introduced yourself as Ace. It was close enough to your codename that you’d remember it, and the professor had cautioned you against saying too much about where you’d come from.

But Vision seemed to recognize that there was something different about you, that you’d come from outside Westview. He was worried about his children, and his wife, and the rest of the citizens. You explained that you didn’t know what had happened to the town, and that you’d come looking for a missing friend.

You’d just agreed to try to help each other when reality seemed to bend around you, and suddenly you were sitting in a diner finishing a cup of coffee, and Vision was nowhere in sight.

The next time you saw him, the spell was ending, and he disappeared. You wish you could’ve gotten the chance to get to know him better. He seemed like a good man.

You try to put that from your mind. It’s just gonna make you sad again if you think about it for too long.

Instead, you glance over at Peter. He seems to be sleeping soundly, which is good.

But memories of Westview aren’t done with you yet.

You’ve had nightmares before about people you know acting in ways that were frighteningly unlike them. And even knowing it was all just a dream, you always felt a little uneasy the next time you’d see them. It’s the same way you feel watching Peter now.

That’s not fair; you know it isn’t. And maybe out of context, it’d sound strange to get worked up about it. But to have the person you love – the person who loves you – treat you with indifference, and get cruel enjoyment out of your pain?

That’s the stuff of nightmares.

Enough of that. You give your head a shake, like that’ll clear your thoughts somehow. It wasn’t Peter. It was the witch that was controlling him, forcing him to do all those things. You know this. It’s just lucky he hadn’t been forced to really hurt anyone.

It’s over, and Peter doesn’t remember what it was like, and that’s probably for the best.

Still, as you watch him sleep, you find yourself so badly wanting to hold him that it almost makes your chest ache. Peter hasn’t just been distant emotionally since Westview.

Since you’d started dating, Peter was a source of constant casual physical affection. Whenever you were together, he’d always have his arm around you, or be holding your hand, or sit close enough that his leg was pressed against yours. You hadn’t realized how much you’d gotten used to it – grown to expect it, even – until it’s suddenly absent.

Having be so withdrawn from you now, well… It hurts, if you’re being honest, especially since you don’t know why, and you don’t know how to help.

But there’s nothing you can do about it at this moment. And, since Peter doesn’t look to be having any more nightmares, it’s probably time for you to go. You ease yourself onto your feet, just now noticing how stiff your knee has gotten after standing around all evening at the party.

You limp as quietly as you can towards the door – and proceed to trip over Peter’s shoes.

You yelp in pain as your knee twists and you go crashing to the floor. You grit your teeth, trying not to swear.

And suddenly the lights are on in the room, and Peter’s kneeling beside you.

“What happened?” he asks. “Are you okay?”

That’s right. As fast as Peter gets drunk, he sobers up just as quickly. He looks present and alert at the moment, if a little worried.

“I tripped over the damn shoes,” you answer. “I’m fine, I think. I just-”

You break off, wincing, as you try to straighten out your leg. Damn it. Is it possible to double-sprain something? Because that’s what it feels like.

“Hang on,” says Peter. “Let me help.”

He doesn’t take your hands and help you stand up, like you’re expecting. Instead, he loops your arm around his shoulders and scoops you up bridal-style. The fact that he doesn’t use his superspeed almost disorients you more than if he had.

At a normal pace, he walks back and sets you down not on the sofa, but on his bed. He blurs for just a second, but that’s only to stack up his pillows to give you something to lean against.

As you gingerly straighten out your leg, Peter reaches out – to try to help, you suppose – then lets his hands fall in his lap.

“Thanks,” you say.

Peter frowns worriedly. “Can’t you do the…?”

He makes a gesture like he’s laying on hands or something, which confuses you for a second before you catch his meaning.

“Oh, I can’t do the healing stuff on myself,” you say. “Or at least I don’t know how yet. I gotta heal the old-fashioned way.”

You give him a wry smile. It could be worse, after all. You could’ve actually broken something. Peter doesn’t seem very reassured.

“I should get Hank,” he says.

“No, don’t!” you say as quickly as you can. “It’s not that bad. I’ll go to him in the morning, if I need to.”

No sense in dragging the poor man out of bed if it’s not an emergency. Unconvinced, Peter bites his lip.

“If you’re sure,” he says reluctantly, “But… Don’t move, okay? I’m gonna get you some ice.”

He’s gone. And then he’s back, holding a couple icepacks and a towel. You reach down to take the knee-brace off, but Peter swats your hands away. Why on earth-?

“Would you stop that?” he says, perching on the edge of the bed. “I’m trying to nurse you back to health here.”

You laugh in spite of yourself. “Always the romantic.”

“Yeah, well, that’s why you like me.”

He’s not wrong. Peter flashes you a grin, and it’s so cheerful and unguarded and normal that it’s startling. This boy is gonna give you whiplash yet; you’re sure of it.

But then he looks down again to focus on the task at hand. He’s extraordinarily gentle as he undoes the brace and settles the icepacks on and around your knee. You want to turn his face towards you and kiss him, but you don’t. He must have some reason for keeping his distance.

As he’s finishing up, he finally speaks.

“I’m… I’m kinda afraid to ask, honestly, but how did you get hurt? It wasn’t- I mean,” Peter exhales forcefully, and hesitates before asking: “Was it me?”

His big, dark eyes meet yours, and the distress in his face nearly breaks your heart.

“What? No! Of course it wasn’t you,” you say.

Peter seems to relax a little, but still has that troubled look in his eyes. He really doesn’t remember, does he? You did get into a scuffle with him while he was still under mind control, and he had ended up knocking you down, but it hadn’t hurt you any more than tripping on the sidewalk would’ve. Also… this doesn’t seem like the right time to mention that part of the story. You hurry to explain.

“It was that witch – Agnes, or Agatha, or whatever her name is,” you say. “She couldn’t send me back, and she couldn’t get in my head, so she dumped me in the Westview Hospital psych ward.”

Peter’s jaw drops. “She what?”

“I mean, it wasn’t like a horror story hospital or anything,” you clarify. “It was actually a pretty nice place, aside from the fact that they wouldn’t let me leave because they thought I was dissociating and suffering from delusions. Which is exactly what what’s-her-name was counting on.”

Peter nods slowly, evidently more confused and no less concerned. “Okay… that explains where you were, but it doesn’t explain how you got hurt.”

“Oh, right. When I wasn’t able to talk my way out, I had to use my powers to get a window open. Only…” you wince at the memory. “My powers didn’t fully work in Westview, and the window was on the second floor. So when I jumped out of it, gravity did exactly what it’s supposed to do.”

Peter presses a hand to his mouth. Okay, this explanation is clearly making things worse.

“And then – okay, this isn’t funny, but it’s kinda funny. It was suddenly Halloween, so the streets were all covered in people and I had to hide, so I crawled into somebody’s hedges. Problem is, they spotted me and came over to see what was going on. So I told them,” you snort involuntarily just remembering it, “I told them that I was dressed up as a zombie, but it’s okay, I’m hiding in their hedge because I’m a method actor. And somehow, they bought it.”

You end your rambling with an awkward laugh, but it dies almost immediately. The anecdote didn’t mollify Peter even a little bit. Maybe you should’ve mentioned the part where you had to steal clothes off a scarecrow? … No, that probably wouldn’t have helped either.

Brows furrowed, eyes still troubled, he stares down at his hands. “You could’ve gone back. Why didn’t you go back?”

“Peter, I went to Westview to bring you home,” you say. “I wasn’t going to leave you behind.”

Although, now that he mentions it, going back for reinforcements probably would’ve been the smart thing to do. It honestly never occurred to you at the time. You were so focused on rescuing Peter that you couldn’t think of anything else.

For someone who allegedly doesn’t remember anything, Peter looks awfully distressed.

“Peter…?” you say, softly, “Are you alright?”

Before he can answer, you shiver violently, startling yourself as much as Peter, and completely breaking the moment.

“Sorry,” you say. “It’s the icepacks. I should probably get going soon, since I’m already cold.”

Peter blinks, and suddenly the shadow seems to lift from his mood. He’s bright and brisk again, taking the icepacks off of your knee.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he says. “You’re not gonna go limping around in the cold in the middle of the night. You’ll end up getting sick on top of everything. You can stay here. No, don’t get up. I’ll crash on the couch this time.”

He’s really taking this ‘nurse you back to health’ thing seriously, isn’t he? Even if he’s just playing at it, it’s still kinda sweet. You can’t help but smile a little.

“How very Jane Austen of you,” you say.

Peter snorts. “That’s gotta be the nerdiest compliment anyone’s ever given me. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

As he finishes setting aside the icepacks, he turns back to face you.

“Now,” he says, “Is there anything else you need?”

Half-smiling, he looks at you with those big dark eyes, and you can’t help yourself. You lean forward, wrapping your arms around him and pulling him into a crushing embrace. You know it might make you look clingy, but you don’t care.

You’re fully prepared to pull away just as fast, but Peter’s arms fold around you almost instantly. He nestles his cheek against your head, gently stroking your hair.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs. “It’s okay.”

When you finally do pull back, Peter smiles down at you, tilting his head slightly.

“I’m not going anywhere, alright?” he says. “I promise.”

He kisses your forehead, and helps you arrange the pillows and settle in for the night. After extracting a promise that you’ll wake him up if you need something, he retreats to the couch.

The familiar scent of Peter’s cologne lingers reassuringly on his pillows. He’s not going anywhere, you tell yourself. The person who took him is in no position to cause him any more harm.

So why does it feel like part of him is still gone?

[whump-town]

Books & Bonding

(There is no point to this, it’s just a drabble I wrote after finishing my Art History paper) Enjoy some bittersweet father son bonding 

Jack is laying upside on the couch, the way Hotch has probably told him a thousand times before not to. So that his ass is propped up where a back would normally go and his back is where a butt should be. He’s letting the blood rush to his head because it, direct quote, “help him think better”. At this current time and place, Hotch is too distracted trying not to burn cookies in the oven and keeping pasta stirred. So he doesn’t waste his breathe telling his son, again, not to sit like that. 

“You just don’t understand,” Jack sighs wistfully. 

Hotch has managed to raise one strange kid. He’s seventeen-years-old and spends more time ranting and raving about books than girls (or, hell, boys). Hotch doesn’t even know where they stand on that. They’ve discussed gender and sex, in more of a book sort of way. Jack had gone on about chosen expression differing from biological traits and Hotch can’t even remember why that was. He just knows what followed it was The Hunger Games sequels because that had prompted a discussion on riots and Hotch’s personal beliefs on the government.

There’s never a dull moment.

Pausing in his pasta stirring, Hotch takes a moment to correctly process the rant he’s just been on the receiving end of. Rubbing his palm into his eye, he wonders if it would be simpler to talk about gender expression again. At least then he knew what to say. 

Now they’re… debating, what? Identities? 

Raising his son around the team might have been a bit of a mistake. Jack seems to consume the parts of the team that Hotch has always struggled with the most. Reid’s quickly devolving, circling rants about anything and nothing at all. Emily’s obsession with books that require a strange and open mind to the natural progression of the world. Fucking woodwork from Morgan. Where does that even come from?

Humming to himself, he collects what he thinks is a good response. “The point,” he asks, glancing towards the living room. Waiting for Jack to pop up and he does, resting his chin on the cushion as he watches his father. “The point is that there is a danger in being anyone but yourself, yes?” 

Jack nods, “essentially.”

Hotch hums, nodding his head. He might be able to remember the title of the book, Jack probably mentioned at some point, he does understand Vonnegut. Emily got Jack a collection of his work for Christmas last year after the two made an entire day of picking apart Margret Atwood’s “Handmaid’s Tale”. Of course, he’d also read the book but it was far more interesting to sit back and observe the two of them. 

“What does that mean for you?” Hotch asks. He means it. 

It seems to do the trick. To scratch whatever itch Jack wasn’t finding on his own. He deflates, sinking as he thinks about it. 

Seventeen-years. That’s how long it’s taken for Hotch to realize he’s a better father than he’d thought. Better than he could have ever imagined. He’d been terrified when he’d first been handed Jack. Shaking, the nurses had taunted him for that. He’s a federal agent who was in a national news making explosion, Boston, and he’s afraid of a newborn baby that weighs six pounds and some change. 

But he wasn’t afraid of Jack. He was afraid of those eyes looking back at him. The same eyes as his and the same eyes as his father. 

He and Jack don’t have a complicated relationship, not the one that plays out so tauntingly on the television in seemingly every movie. Not once, has he ever raised his voice or, God-forbid, even his hand. And Jack is pretty normal considering. Just a standard kid making his weigh through the world and the best part is-- 

he tears up a little just standing here thinking about it-- Jack always comes home. 

Hotch never had a home. 

A dad. 

“I don’t know who I am.”

Hotch blinks quickly, shaking his head. He’s not expecting that. 

Jack has moved from the couch, now aimlessly walking circles in the kitchen. He’s barefoot and in a sweatshirt, Hotch knows he stole from his closet. He’s worn the knees out of his jeans and the bottoms are rolled up. They’re thrifted and his favorite. 

The melancholy hits Hotch right in the chest. That stupid sweatshirt. He’d hid it in his closet because he can’t bear to part with it but he can’t stand to look at it. Haley used to wear it far more than he ever did. 

For every part of Haley left in their son-- the sandy blond hair, love for complicated books, and pacing that has always driven Hotch mad-- there are pieces of Hotch as well. The lanky body and hair that can only be contained with an unGodly amount of gel and a skilled hand. 

Where does Hotch even begin to explain the in and outs of identity? That this half-way through puberty child of his is built out of ancient love. The kind not meant to last but hurt. That it’s never as simple as  “I am”, it is everything. It’s not the sum of a whole. There is nothing set in place and Jack will change and change again before he even realizes it. He’ll hate parts and cling to others desperately but there will never be an answer. Yet, every guess he’ll come up with will be right. 

“Don’t worry about that,” Hotch assures him softly. This will make one hell of a conversation to have with Dave some time but for right now, it’s… complicated and he doesn’t have an answer. “You’ll figure it out,” Hotch affirms with enough confidence that they both buy it. Hotch doesn’t doubt for a second that his off the walls bookworm of a child will come to understand who he is. Today’s just not the day and that’s understandable. “For now, go pick a movie and I’ll bring you some macaroni, alright?”

Jack looks like he wants to push that. He doesn’t. A part of can rationalizes that his father doesn’t know the answer either and… A pang of sadness and a bit of fear hits his chest, his dad is tired. Too tired for the kind of long-winded conversation that Jack’s brought into play. 

It’s a strange fear that he’s carried his entire life. Mortality is a hell of a thing to become aware of. 

Jack curls up on the couch, he’s going to milk the hell out of movie night. Eating dinner on the couch is a rare gift and he’s excited by the thought of breaking a rule… sort of. 

“This the book,” Hotch asks two bowls in hand but stopped to bend and scowl at the book cover on the coffee table. 

Jack nods his head, taking his bowl and freeing one of Hotch’s hand so that he can pick the book up and examine it. “You can read it,” he offers, scoping too hot macaroni straight into his mouth. As one does, he proceeds to sit with his mouth open and look obscene as his mouth burns. He then follows it by another mouthful, as if that one will have magically cooled down. 

Hotch puts it back down and takes note of the title. He’ll read it and then he’ll ask Emily about it. He settles down on the couch like he’s got any intent on watching this movie. In reality, he’s going to eat maybe half of his dinner and fall asleep before the rising action of the movie can even be established. 

“What’re we watching?”

Jack smirks and hits play, “gonna be honest, no idea. It has Keira Knightley in it so that was the appeal.” He glances over at Hotch, knowing that his father has no idea who the actress in mind is but he won’t ask. Not for reasons guided by ego but because it won’t matter.

By the time she comes on screen, Hotch is asleep.

Without comment, Jack pulls the throw blanket behind them down. He takes the bowl out of Hotch’s hands, setting on the coffee table, and covers Hotch up. With a sigh, he lays his head down on his father’s thigh. 

Hotch wakes just enough to realize what’s happening and wraps his arm around Jack’s chest, keeping him close. 

Knees pulled to his chest, Jack finds himself falling asleep too. For a moment, tears sting his eyes as he realizes that his dad is never going to carry him to bed again. He’ll never fall asleep on the couch and wake up half-wrangled up in his dad’s arms like a ragdoll too tired to protest but content beyond means. 

He just wishes he could go back and appreciate that one last time.

(the book in question is Kurt Vonnegut’s Mother Night and it’s my favorite book of his)

[scatter-the-stars]

Prompt: Afterglow

Prompter: anonymous

Part 3

Part 1

Part 2

The sun has barely begun it’s morning rise when Blaine is awakened by kisses trailing down his chest. A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand tells him he barely got any sleep the night before. Just under four hours. Something he will regret later. Especially when he’s in his lunch meeting with a client later. But he doesn’t regret the choices he made the night before. Not a single one. Because when presented with the opportunity to spend the night fucking Kurt, he’s not going to pass that up for anything. Not even for something as trivial as sleep. He’s happy to have spent the night fucking Kurt.

And fuck Kurt he did.

Blaine is positive it’s been years since he’s spent a night having rough, dirty sex with a guy. Maybe since he was in his late twenties. And he’s even more positive he’s never spent a night with a guy like he did with Kurt. The night before wasn’t just sex. They also spent hours talking and getting to know each other even more. The strong bond that they share grew stronger and deeper.

There was a moment while Kurt slept that Blaine watched him and knew he wanted what they were sharing to be more than a secret affair. To be something beyond Aspen. He doesn’t want to contain this amazing connection he’s found with Kurt to this one place. To these two weeks. And definitely doesn’t want to hide what he has with Kurt. He wants a true relationship with him. Doesn’t want to continue sneaking around behind his son’s back. Doesn’t want to keep him a dirty secret. Kurt is better than that. Deserves to be flaunted like the amazing prize he is.

But that’s a conversation for later. Right now, Kurt and him are going to enjoy the peace they still have before everything comes out. Before Dex discovers the truth.

Blaine reaches a hand down and runs his fingers through Kurt’s hair messy from sleep and sex.

Kurt moves back up so he’s hovering above him. Smiles down at him. “You’re finally awake.”

“I am. How long have you been awake?”

“Not long. I was waiting for you to wake up.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to suck your dick.”

“You won’t hear me complain.”

“Good.” Kurt plants a quick kiss to Blaine’s mouth before trailing kisses back down his chest and stomach.

Blaine bends an arm under his head and grabs at the back of Kurt’s head with the other. He tips his head back and loudly moans when Kurt sinks his mouth down around him. “Fuck.” Not too many things feel as great as a hot, wet mouth surrounding his dick. And he’s felt plenty of them in his lifetime. But there’s something about Kurt’s mouth on him that is different. That is a thousand times better. He can’t explain it. Simply revels in the wonderful sensation and feeling.

Kurt wraps a hand around the base of his dick and tentatively strokes while sucking what he has in his mouth. He lifts his head so only the crown of his cock is between those luscious lips of his.

Blaine nearly comes at the sight when he looks down. Cock twitching at Kurt’s lips wrapped just around the tip and eyes looking up at him with a gleam.

He guides Kurt’s mouth down back around him. Groans at the sight of his entire cock disappearing inside Kurt’s velvety mouth after he removes his hand.

Kurt flutters his eyes closed and hums and sucks around him. Pleasure written on his face. Blaine gently thrusts his hips up. Tenderly shoves his cock deep down Kurt’s throat before doing it again and again. Kurt takes it all ease and pleasure.

Blaine increases the force of his thrusts. Cock twitching when Kurt chokes for a second before gathering himself and continuing what he was doing.

“You like choking on my dick?”

Kurt hums around him.

“That’s what I thought.” Blaine keeps at his hard pace of forcefully fucking Kurt’s mouth, but making sure he doesn’t give him more than he can handle.

As Kurt sucks him, works his talented mouth and tongue on his cock, and he gets lost in the mounting pressure and pleasure, his phone suddenly rings. He grabs for it and sees his ex, and Dex’s mom, Layla, is calling. He stops and pushes Kurt off him before sitting answering. Mentally says a prayer that nothing terrible has happened.

“Hey, Layla. Everything okay?”

“Yeah. I’m just calling to see how everything is going in Aspen.”

“It’s good. We’re…” He looks at Kurt with his flushed cheeks and lips swollen from sucking his cock. “We’re all having fun.” Blaine mouths to Kurt who it is when he asks. Kurt visibly relaxes. “It’s been great so far.”

“And Dex? How is he doing?”

“He made some friends. Guys he met on the slopes the other day. He actually went to a party of theirs last night.”

“And Kurt?” Layla questions.

“Kurt,” Blaine eyes up and down the guy in question; cock twitching at the debauched sight of him, “stayed behind. He said he wasn’t up for a party.” But he was up for everything else I did to him.

Layla lets out a sigh. “Poor Kurt,” she says in a small, sympathetic voice. “He’s too good for Dex. I hope he realizes that soon.”

“I think he already might have.”

“I know as Dex’s mother I should want him with someone like Kurt. And I do. But Dex needs to do a lot of growing up first. He needs to stop all this childish behavior.”

“I’ve told him that several times, Layla,” Blaine states. “I’ve talked to him about how he’s living. But it seems to go in one ear and right out the other.”

“One day he’ll grow up. One day he’ll see he can’t live like this forever.”

“Yeah.” Blaine can’t contain the hiss that escapes him when Kurt’s hand suddenly wraps around his cock and strokes. “Fuck.”

A small chuckle comes from Layla. “Blaine Anderson, are you entertaining someone while talking to me?”

“M-Maybe.” Blaine grits his teeth to keep in the noises wanting to spill out as Kurt rolls the condom he grabbed down his extremely interested dick. “And only you would call it entertaining.”

“Why? What would you call it?”

Blaine grabs at Kurt’s hip with his free hand after he straddles his waist on his knees. He locks eyes with his lust-filled blue ones and tells Layla, “I would call it fucking.”

Kurt grins at his choice of words. Bites his lower lip as he begins to take Blaine’s cock into his body.

Layla lets out an exaggerated gasp. “So scandalous, Blaine. How could you speak such dirty words into my innocent, virgin ears,” she jokes.

Blaine snorts. “Coming from the woman who let me fuck her in the college library multiple times.”

“True.” Layla snorts. “Anyways, I’ll let you go and have your fun. When you see our son, tell him to call me.”

“Will do.” Blaine tells Layla bye and hangs up. Gives his full attention to Kurt.

Kurt slowly rides him. Wears a soft expression.

“What?”

“Nothing. I like that you’re still friends with Dex’s mom.”

“Layla is amazing. Just because our marriage didn’t work doesn’t mean we had to give up our friendship.”

“I still can’t believe you were married once,” Kurt says with disbelief in his voice.

“Only for three years.” It was in those three years that Blaine realized he loved Layla, but wasn’t in love with her. And they both realized they worked better as friends rather than husband and wife. So their divorce was amicable and necessary.

Kurt lazily drapes his arms over Blaine’s shoulders. “Still.” He drops his head back and loudly moans as he increases the force with which he moves his hips.

They don’t speak much after that. At one point, Blaine flips them over. With Kurt under him, he fucks into him hard and fast. Doesn’t hold back. Chases that high that he loves.

They lie in a tangle of limbs after. Both of them are sweaty and covered in cum and breathing heavily.

As they lie there momentarily sated and satisfied, Blaine watches Kurt lie next to him with his eyes closed and a smile on his lips. He watches the rise and fall of his chest as he breathes. Roams his eyes down to Kurt’s slightly toned stomach. Where he usually likes to go for men bigger in size, like himself, there is something about Kurt and his long, lean body that really does it for him. He’s positive at this point that he’s addicted to Kurt’s body. Wants to claim every inch as his own. Wants to definitively know that when he looks at him that he’s the only person who gets to bring pleasure to that body.

Jealousy swirls in his gut at the mere thought of Dex, or any man, touching Kurt in a sexual way.

Kurt turns his head and looks at him. “What are you looking at?”

Blaine reaches over and skims a fingertip down the middle of Kurt’s face. He follows the line of his nose and goes over his plump, full lips that were just wrapped around his cock. “You,” he replies while stroking his thumb over Kurt’s flushed cheek.

The sight of Kurt after sex, those minutes where he’s in the afterglow of his pleasure, is a beautiful sight. Kurt is simply stunning as he lies there riding out his high. With his flushed skin and happiness lighting up his eyes.

Post-orgasmic Kurt is one of the best versions of Kurt to exist.

“Can I ask you something?” Kurt turns to his side. Curls an arm under his head.

“Of course.”

“Did you marry her because of Dex?”

“Yes and no. When she found out she was pregnant, I thought I had to do the right thing. Then I thought I was in love with her.”

“How long did it take for you to realize you weren’t?”

“About a year and a half into our marriage,” Blaine says. “One day it just dawned on me that I loved her, but I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

“Why did you stay with her for another year and a half after that?”

“I guess…” Blaine stops and considers the question. “I figured maybe I could fall in love with her the way I should be. I tried to make it work. But she must have noticed because she sat me down one day and said she wasn’t happy. We talked and agreed a separation was best. We were divorced not long after that.”

“Do you think you’ll ever get married again?”

“If I meet the right person,” is what Blaine says. But what he thinks is I want to marry you.

If there is one thing this trip has made him realize in these past few days is that he’s completely in love with Kurt.

The worst thing he could do is something he wouldn’t go back and stop.

[hazelandglasz]

Tin-Tanium, A Klaine Advent Calendar

Hi! Yeah, I decided to write all of the Klaine Advent prompts in one story going back the steps of a ten-year anniversary.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays everybody, and I hope you’ll enjoy this compilation!!

Abashed

Over ten years, there are many opportunities for a couple to embarrass themselves.

Kurt has plenty of memories that fit in that category, Blaine too.

Blaine and Kurt together, too.

Whether it’s from their early days (Kurt still can’t believe he used an entire notebook sketching their hyphenated names around hearts) or from the most recent years (Blaine prefers to hide his face in his hands rather than face the recollection of “Glitter Vampire”, no matter how many times Eliott tells him that it’s still a fan favorite), they have managed to feel abashed more often than not.

It’s not like they mind, though. 

Being abashed only lasts a moment--the memory, the joy of it, that lasts forever.

Brake

Slow and steady wins the race, doesn’t it.

So, sometimes, even though neither of them wants to slow down, one of them has to pull the brakes.

Oh, it’s not always when they are tearing each other’s clothes apart, get your mind out of the gutter.

(... they do have to slow down their loving romps sometimes, but it’s rarely because they want to and more because of coitus interruptus.)

They learned how to brake to keep their paths aligned; slowing down in their own rush to get all they want out of life in order to get there together.

And winning the race of life together is the only win Kurt and Blaine are interested in.

Careless

Kurt listened attentively, when his father told him to always be careful about his husband’s needs.

Blaine listened too, when Burt told him that though Kurt doesn’t always say it aloud, he has a way of communicating his emotions that Blaine has to “listen” for.

They do care for each other, throughout the years.

But.

But as careful as they are, or try to be, they can also behave in a careless way. 

Though they always try their best, neither Kurt nor Blaine can avoid letting their worst lashing out.

Eventually, though, they learn the real lesson behind Burt’s words: 

It’s not about never hurting each other--it’s about being able to heal from that hurt together, to talk about it and grow from it, together.

Dispensable

Every Spring, Blaine has the same problem.

Well it’s a problem for Kurt, anyway.

The moment the weather turns for the slightly better, Blaine turns himself into a white tornado, cleaning the apartment from floor to ceiling.

And, without fail, he always tries to hunt for the Dispensables.

“Why, pray tell, is this pile entirely composed of things from *my* side of the closet?”

“Because *you* have almost everything in duplicates.”

“They are collectors! If I ever use them or damage them, I will have a replacement.”

“They are taking too much room!”

“Not as much as your collection of cameras!”

“How dare you.”

“How dare you.”

Blaine pauses, holding a scarf in one hand and an empty cardbox in the other, before bursting into a fit of laughter.

“Maybe I overdid my impression of Marie Kondo.”

“And maybe I do have a hoarding problem.”

“Maybe we could do that sorting together.”

“Maybe we could find something else to do with all that free time.”

Blaine drops the box on the floor and carefully folds the scarf on the back of the couch. 

“I like the way you think.”

“You even put a ring on it.”

Event

One lesson the Hummel-Anderson household always applies: make an event out of every possible situation.

During the first years, it does make sense. They celebrate their successes, their achievements, as one does.

Then, it grows into something almost like a private joke between them: every little source of happiness becomes the reason for a party, a true event, even if it’s just opening a bottle of champagne while they sit on the floor, munching on a bag of chips, just because there is a Golden Girls marathon.

Because when you find things to celebrate with the person you love most, the sad things are just a little bit less sad.

Farm

Blaine wakes up in a jolt, something pulling at his unconscious mind to pull him from his dream.

Maybe it’s the cold spot in the bed next to him, or maybe it’s the grumbling sound coming from the living room.

“Kurt?”

“...”

“Kurt what are you doing?”

“Nothing?”

Blaine comes closer, and Kurt is sitting on the couch with his laptop on his bare knees.

“Are you watching porn? ‘Cause you know you wouldn’t have to hide it from me.”

“Not porn.”

“Okay?”

Kurt closes his eyes before looking away, turning the laptop’s screen toward Blaine. “Don’t laugh.”

“Why would I--oh.”

“I know.”

“I didn’t expect that.”

“I know.”

“Farming Simulator 2010, that’s …”

“I know.

“... vintage, is what I was going to say. Any particular reason you needed to play that game at 2.14 AM?”

Kurt sighs, leaning his head into Blaine’s torso, now that Blaine stands closer. “It relaxes me.”

“Okay.”

“And I have been very tense.”

“Don’t need to tell me.”

“I know; so I wanted to unwind on my own to be a better husband.”

Blaine bends over to press a kiss to the top of Kurt’s head. “Farm away, darling.”

Grey

TW: anxiety

Most of the time, with the help of his therapist and different techniques he has developed over the years, Blaine can keep his anxiety at bay.

But some mornings, it’s not as easy.

Some mornings, the anxious little voice telling him he’s not worth the space he occupies is the loudest in his mind the moment he wakes up.

Some mornings, the sighting of grey skies without even a spot of blue can send him into a downward spiral he can’t seem to shake out of.

But with each passing year, Kurt becomes more attuned to the little physical signs Blaine’s anxiety lets out.

The tension in his shoulders, even as he wakes up, to which Kurt responds by closing his arms around Blaine’s upper body, forcing him to breathe with him until the tension melts away.

The way Blaine doesn’t say a word and doesn’t look directly at Kurt, to which Kurt responds by putting a cup of coffee in front of him and by kissing his temple.

Yes, Blaine’s anxiety is always around.

But with Kurt’s help, Blaine can keep it at bay.

History

Though they share a love for musicals, Kurt and Blaine don’t always have their obsessions in sync.

Unfortunately, it sometimes clashes.

Fortunately, the married couple has found a solution to keep from fighting over songs.

Medleys meet the Exquisite Corpse.

“I don't wanna talk

About things we've gone through

Though it's hurting me

Now it's history”, Blaine sings.

“History has its eyes on youuuu,” Kurt responds.

“You can dance

You can jive

Having the time of your life

See that girl

Watch that scene

Dig in the dancing queeeeeeen.”

“Hey not fair, there is no queen in Hamilton!”

“Hey, you’re the one who keeps insisting that Eliza is Queen!”

“True.”

Inconclusive

Around the seventh year mark, they wonder if they should … well, expand their couple’s horizon.

It’s a secret to none of their friends that the Anderson-Hummel have insane chemistry with one Starchild.

One evening, using the pretext of celebrating the comeback of the cronut on the foodie scene with one too many bottle of champagne, the three of them end up in bed together.

Some lubricant, condoms, giggles and panted names later, Kurt looks over the stunned figure of their friend to brush his fingers through Blaine’s sweaty curls.

“So?”

“Inconclusive.” Blaine sighs. “Yet.”

Eliot snorts between them. “Round number …?”

“Who’s counting?”

Join

A good way to keep the spark in its first meet glow is also to surprise each other.

One evening, Blaine comes home to Christmas lights suspended in the whole apartment.

“What the …”

“Welcome, sir,” Kurt says, wearing the Ringmaster’s outfit from his run as Barnum in Broadway’s Greatest Showman. “Would you join me for a very special evening?”

“I would,” Blaine says, smiling as he puts his hand in Kurt’s, and feeling his cheeks burning when Kurt brushes his lips against Blaine’s knuckles.

The evening is very special, Blaine tied to the armchair while Kurt takes off his whole outfit and feeds him bits of cheese and fruits and toasted bread.

Knit

“I’m bored.”

“I know. Why don’t you learn a craft?”

“Remember the last time I tried to learn a craft, like you put it?”

They both turn to the potter’s wheel they recycled into a coffee table. “Right. Maybe something less …”

“Space consuming?”

“Complicated.”

“What about knitting?”

“There’s an idea.”

--

Two days later

“Wha--”

“What?”

“Mon chéri, when we said knitting, I thought it would involve a couple of yarn balls and some needles.”

“This is yarn.”

“No, it’s not.”

Yes it is.

Learn

In a couple, some things come naturally, as easy as breathing.

Loving each other, for example.

For Kurt and Blaine, it’s knowing that whatever the storm, the tide will always bring them back together.

And some things are learned, through time and Life lessons.

What to cook as comfort food, for example.

For Kurt and Blaine, it’s finding out that they needed to be apart to be better for each other.

Some lessons are hard-learned, but eventually, they feel like they have always been known.

Meet

Dan is ready to slip under the table to take his ritual Christmas nap when Cecilia asks the question.

“How did you two meet?”

Now, all Dan can do is groan. “Nooo,” he moans, “why did you ask that?”

“Excuse you,” Kurt says, ruffling his son’s hair. “Don’t you like the way we met?”

“I heard that story at least 221 times,” he says, dropping his head to the table. “Besides, it’s just weird, when you think about it.”

Cecilia cocks one eyebrow at him. “Now you have to tell me.”

“Let me--”

Dan holds up his hand to stop his father in his tracks. “Nah, nah, nah, let me, because they will tell you that it’s so romantic, but in reality, Dad went to spy on Papa and Papa lied to Dad about a shortcut …”

Nip

“What is that thing sitting in that... thing?”

“That is a cat and she is sitting in a basket I knitted, thank you very much.”

“Since when do we have a cat?”

“Since Mrs Gimm’s had a litter and this one picked me.”

“Ah.”

“She went for me like she always knew me.”

“Aww.”

“And then she nipped my fingers.”

“That explains the band-aids.”

“Maybe.”

“So you decided to bring a feral cat into our house with a newborn because the only thing you knitted is that basket?”

“Feral, come on, maybe that’s an overkill, look how sweet she--Ouch!”

“Here, another kitten band-aid. Let me try.”

“Oh right, you’re a big beast tamer, right?”

“...”

“Is that her purring?”

“Either she’s purring or the neighbor just started a plane engine.”

“Oh yes, you’re purring, you little princess you …”

“Ahem.”

Opinion

Any couple counsellor will tell you this:

If you want a relationship to last, the most important thing to do is compromise, to make sure that both parties are happy.

Any couple will tell you this:

Some opinions are better than others. The only thing you can do, before choosing a hill to die on, is take a step back, breathe in and out a couple of times and--

“That’s so stupid it’s a wonder you can still breathe and talk at the same time!”

“I can’t believe you actually think that! What’s between your ears, lukewarm water?”

--start World War Three over the importance of the Beatles versus the Rolling Stones, I guess.

Possible

More seriously though, finding a middle ground is important, in any relationship. And the way to that middle ground can sometimes be summarized in one word.

“Possibility.”

Do you think you could agree to let me cook tonight, even though you say I burn everything?

Maybe.

May I buy regular milk instead of almond, because it gives me stomach aches?

You may.

Isn’t it your turn to change Kitty’s litter?

...Possible.

In just a few words, you can save your relationship from self-destructing, isn’t that something?

Remarkable

Over the years, through thick and thin, through storms and easy flows, the relationship formed by Kurt and Blaine only strengthens.

A fact that seems remarkable for a lot of their friends.

Their New York friends, I should say, since their Ohioan friends are not surprised to see them growing only stronger and more in love as time passes by, leaving them more united than they ever were when they were younger.

Is their relationship remarkable? Of course.

But not because they still look at each other with sparkles in their eyes, especially when they think nobody is watching.

No, it’s spectacular because it reminds everyone lucky enough to be with them that Love does exist.

Sisters

Over the years, Kurt and Blaine consider that they are the ones lucky enough to have been graced by the many women who entered their lives and remained there as chosen sisters.

Mercedes, Tina, Santana, even Rachel, of course, soul sisters who were meant to support them and challenge them to become better men.

Marley, Unique, Kitty, Jane--younger sisters who help both men to grow into mentors and future parents for Cecilia.

Lissa, Annie, Agnes--sisters of all ages who learn from them and teach them in return what they learned during their own lives until they met the couple.

Glee Club had taught them that family didn’t have to be born from blood, but life brought them a constellation of sisterhood that surrounds them and protects them, in a way, from themselves, from ever thinking they cannot get better.

Tub

“Blaine, I know that you’re really going Method for that role, but could you stop with the 1980, 1990 lingo?”

“As if!”

Kurt sighs before deciding to move on. “Do you like that ice cream? It’s from the new shop down the block.”

“It’s da bomb, hubby.”

“‘Da bomb’, really?”

Blaine has the decency to look slightly bashful. “Overdoing it?”

“Just a tad.”

“I’ll keep it to the theater, then.”

“Tubular.”

Ugly

When one uses his body as its professional tool, one is very peculiar about the way they see themselves.

And sometimes, as strong-minded the individual may be, societal expectations can become too heavy.

“Now I get it. I don’t get parts because I’m ugly.”

“Who said that?”

Kurt slams the bathroom cupboard closed, shaking his head at his own reflection. “I don’t need anyone to say it,” he seethes, “it’s obviously why none of the directors I auditioned for ever called back!”

Blaine comes to lean against the bathroom’s door frame. “Kurt …”

Kurt bends his head. “Blaine, don’t start. I know, deep down, that it’s not the reason, and that I’m not ugly. But right now,” he adds, turning his head toward Blaine without meeting his gaze, “that knowledge is buried deep, deep down.”

“Okay.” Blaine stretches close to Kurt, pecking his cheek. “Take all the time you want. But if you need my help digging for proof that you are quite the opposite of ugly, I’m right here. If you want to mull over it in silence, I can let you do it, and just stay here by your side, or walk around the block.”

“No. Stay.” Kurt finally looks up, leaning his forehead against Blaine’s. “I don’t feel so bad when you’re around.”

Vanish

Sometimes, when you are a couple of married actors, you have to accept that your husband is going to get a job when you don’t.

“I got the job!”

“See, I knew you were going to get a break! Which job?”

“The ad one!”

Blaine cocks his head to the side. “Which one? The one for the hotels?”

“No, the one for the detergent. You know, the pink one?”

“Vanish?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.” Kurt chuckles. “I should try and remember it before the shoot!”

“I’m very proud of you,” Blaine says, pulling Kurt against him for a kiss. “Want to rehearse your text?”

“I would, if you weren’t unbuckling my be-hey!”

“Look, I can make your pants just … vanish.”

“You’re terrib--oh, wow.”

Worthless

Along the years, along the moves, along the different steps in Life, people gather things.

Not necessarily the most expensive things in the world, just mementos.

Little things, really, that most people would discard as just worthless junk. 

But for Blaine, for Kurt, those little things are more precious than any of the things they bought once they started to get financially comfortable.

Like ticket stubs and Playbills from the shows they saw together.

Or like a ring made out of gum wrappers.

Yard

Speaking of financial comfort.

Once they became a household name, and once their student loans were reimbursed, both Blaine and Kurt agree.

If they are to be a family, if they are to raise a kid (or many), they need to buy a house. 

It takes them a while, but they manage to save enough money to put the down payment on a cute little house in Jericho, a house with a luxurious yard where Kitty Cat can pretend to be the tiger she once was, and where their babies will be free to climb the trees and run around and drive their little bicycles or whatever.

“Quite the white picket fence, Hummel.”

“Anderson Hummel, and yes, so what.”

Santana rubs her very round belly. “Not complaining, nor criticizing. Just observing. I didn’t picture you as Wisteria Lane-adjacent.”

Kurt shrugs. “Nothing Desperate about wanting a good environment to raise a family.”

Zealous

As they reach their tenth year anniversary, Kurt and Blaine feel like they have reached a point in their relationship where their ship is sailing on its own, so to speak.

They have found their groove, they can still surprise each other while knowing each other’s habits and needs, and they have their baby.

Who cries every night.

Blaine is at his wits end looking for a solution to soothe his son’s teething pain, but nothing works.

Or so it seems.

“This here's a tale for all the fellas

Tryin' to do what those ladies tell us

Get shot down 'cause you're over zealous

Play hard to get, females get jealous …”

The sound of the song is the only sound around the house.

No cries, no whimpers.

Just Kurt, apparently “bursting a move”.

“Kurt?”

The song stops, along with one of Dan’s hiccups that announce a storm.

“Keep going, keep going!”

Kurt hesitantly returns to the song, coming into view as he bounces Dan in his arms. 

“Young MC, really?”

In the same melody, Kurt replies between his teeth. “I don’t know what came over me, but I just started singing while he was crying and he sto-opped.”

“Magic.”

“Quite.”

“We need to give our thanks to Shuester, uh?”

“Over my dead body.”

[pixiealtaira]

Snippet One

These are fics I need motivation on...so you get snippets

Glee and Criminal minds crossover

Spencer had only managed to set their base photos out and lay a bit of basic info onto the table in front of the first board before a small knock sounded outside the door.

“Excuse me,” a soft voiced asked from the doorway. “Officer Phillips told me I could find the people who came in from the FBI back here? Do you know if they are here yet?”

Spencer turned towards the soft voice and was surprised at who was actually standing in the doorway. First, despite the high voice, which Spencer had first assumed belonged to either a young lady or a much younger person the person in the doorway was a guy, a guy in his mid-teen at least.  The grey coat and the purple scarf weren’t exactly highly masculine cut, but Spencer, contrary to popular belief, knew enough to know that both were rather high end designer items.  The young man looked exactly that though, young…and nervous. He was fingering the strap of his bag and rocking on his heels.  

“Yes,” Spencer answered, with a sigh. “This is where we are set up.”

The boy raised his eyebrows at Spencer. “You’re an FBI agent?”

Spencer raised his right back. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”

The boy chuckled.  He looped the bag off his shoulders and dropped it to the floor.  Then he looked around for a coat stand before he started to remove his grey coat.  Spencer gasped at the boy and blurted out “What the hell happened to you?”

The boy looked down and sighed.   His grey sweater and white skinny jeans were more red and blue than their original colors. The boy took his coat to the coat stand and carefully hung it up as he started to talk. “Slushies six and seven.  It’s been a long day.  This is actually outfit five.  FIVE! I will never be able to get the red out of this sweater either, since I had to sit through a whole class before even being allowed enough time to try to do anything about it!  At least the teacher let me wash my face, but look at my hair! I’ll be lucky if it hasn’t stained. I really hate Mr. Lurch, and yes, that really is his last name.  It’s not like ten minutes lost from AP World History would make it so I flunk. I am absolutely certain I hold the highest grade in there.  Of course, most shouldn’t even be in an AP class, so that doesn’t say much.  And even though I’m like the only one who knows what the man is talking about, ever, he only calls on me when he has exhausted all other options. ” Spencer smiled a little as the boy spoke.   His hands were in motion the whole time and he had a gracefulness about his movements that Spencer enjoyed watching. Spencer pulled a chair over from the other table and set it to the side of the one he’d been sitting in while pouting.  The boy kept speaking as Spencer worked.  

“So my mood was not the best anyway. I was completely infuriated when I started to head home after I was informed by the principal, who watched these last two slushy attacks happen, that I could not stay at school because the representatives from Lady Margret’s were expected at any moment and I was simply no longer dressed as a good representative from McKinley and I needed to remove myself, taking the half day of absences, from the school grounds at once. Before lunch mind you, before lunch.”

The boy was ranting now; Spencer recognized the hand on the hips and quick speech.  However Spencer also figured the boy needed the outlet, so let him continue.

“Granted, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to leading around any of the members of Lady Margret’s student council, because last year one of the girls who visited in our Science class was just plain rude, and that is saying something considering I go to McKinley and nearly everyone there is awful.  But still it was somewhat of an honor escorting that student council around, supposedly, so it would have been nice to actually have been able to do so.  I almost suspect Miss Rachel Berry to have orchestrated this last round of slushies, because now she gets to be the escort and she’d been complaining about not getting the privilege for a week and half… but I have been telling myself since slushies six and seven that there is no way she would stoop so low, and besides, it was Azimio and Rick the Stick and I don’t think she dares even speak to either for fear they’d get her first.  Of course, I also suspect the honor was originally granted because I am one of the few who can actually afford to miss a few classes without my grades reflecting a missed class and not because anyone actually wanted me to talk to anyone from any other school.  Rachel, in all her glory, is involved in a ridiculous amount of clubs and can’t miss too many more class hours, really.”  The boy paused for a moment and looked around, noting the table on the far side of the room had piles of papers and such on it and the end of the table the chairs were at had boxes that were opened lined up.  “Can I set my bag here or will that be an issue later?”

Spencer smiled. He was pleased the boy had thought and asked before acting.  “If we keep things to this end it will be fine. It’d be better if you sat on the chair I pulled over.  The one across from me is not very sturdy sounding.”

“Thank you.”  The boy’s smile was exquisite. The boy walked back to the doorway and picked up his bag, continuing talking as he did so. “Anyway... just as I was leaving the parking lot, Chip called.  So all in all, it actually turned out …well, rather perfect.”

“Perfect?”  Spencer asked.  He settled himself back into the chair he’d been pouting in earlier.

“Yes,” The boy said, “because even though no one wants to meet real life FBI agents looking like this in the long run it was a good thing, because frankly, I didn’t want to end up having to sneak in or skip school, or something else like that---things that were  likely to get me grounded, just to see you guys.”

“Grounded?” Spencer asked.

“Yes.  The Sheriff? He hates me, honestly hates me.” The boy looked Spencer up and down, had they been anywhere else Spencer would have accused the young man of checking him out. “He probably won’t like you, either.  Sorry. Are you sure you are a FBI agent?  And if you are, why are you dressed like that?  That look does absolutely nothing for you.  We could do so much better.”

Spencer sighed.

“SSA Dr. Spencer Reid.”  Spencer stood and offered his hand.  The boy’s hands were even slightly stained red.  “How did you even know we were coming?”

“Kurt Hummel.  It is a pleasure to meet you, don’t get me wrong.  It’s just; you dress more like ‘absentminded college professor’ and not like what I’ve always thought FBI agents would look like.  And, I was not thinking ‘men in black’, as hot as that would be in real life.   More like regular suits…maybe nice ties…or maybe even less formal jeans you can move fast in and Henley shirts, kind of a rugged look.  That is not to say you look like a college professor, still too young for that, but you kind of dress like one.  Although, you almost carry the look, it’s almost like…”

Kurt trailed his sentence as he looked over Spencer once again and Spencer was pretty sure the boy was picturing him in clothing he imagined more suitable for an FBI agent. He could see when a thought of why he might dress the way he did and the realization of a reason for Spencer’s clothing choices took hold of the boys mind.  Spencer suspected he had the right idea as well.

“Yeah.”  Spencer said.  

“Anyway, I knew you guys were coming because of your SUVs.  Where ever they were fetched from so does not get any merit awards for their mechanic work. It was very nearly shameful.  Chip, he worked at my dad’s garage during the summers when he was still in high school.  It was nice; he was one of the good guys.  Didn’t care that the boss’s weird son was there all the time working alongside his dad.  My dad makes sure anyone who spends time working for him knows their stuff.  So Chip knew just from the sound that those SUVs made as they rolled into the parking lot here that they needed help if they were to be safe for anything other than just the very basic use for very short distances.  He called Dad and Dad told him to bring them over.  However, it was just after closing and most Dad’s regular employees had already gone home.  So Dad called me in and I came out to work with him. I haven’t worked full hours recently, so I could work without worry about overtime or anything. And I can always use the money.  Don’t worry, I’ve been certified since Dad could legally get me certified. While we were working the Sheriff sat there chattering about why they were calling you guys in and I told him that I knew of something that connected all the deaths.  The sheriff got asked to leave the shop due to the language he used as he told me you guys would never want to listen to me. Oh my stars, I thought for a few moments the Sheriff was going to just shoot my dad right then and there for daring to tell him to leave, but Dad just stood there looking at him and the sheriff finally made another slur and left the building.  Dad says the shop is supposed to be one of my safe places, at least while I’m working there. Then Chip said that they were sending FBI agents who looked at things other than just fingerprints and stuff like that, so he’d get me into to talk to you as soon as he could because maybe knowing something that linked them all would mean something.”

“You say you know something that links all the deaths?”  Spencer asked.

“All eight.”  Kurt said. “I even went back and double checked last night.”

Spencer looked around for some paper and a pen, until he gave up and fetched paper and pen from his own satchel.  “I’m going to have to get some writing utensils and paper in here, this is ridiculous.” He muttered, not quietly enough though, since the boy heard and smiled.

“Nice bag.” The young man, Kurt, said. “Good designer, rather old though.  It’s held up well, that is the nice thing about good quality work, it holds up to wear well. Abuse well, too, if the material is right.”

“Take a seat.”  Spencer said, pointing to the chair he’d set out for the boy. “Five outfits? Is that normal?”

“Nah, not even for most the others who get slushied at my school.  Honestly it’s even a bit much for me.  I always pack a spare or two, outfit wise.  A change or two a day is normal, more than three is rare. High School is…there is a hierarchy, you know, and if you don’t fit in, sometimes it’s not a nice place to be.”

Spencer nodded.  “Tossed in dumpsters and checked into lockers.” He said.

“Swirlies and slushies and shoving to the extent that you face plant. Exactly.”  Kurt sat down and pulled his bag up onto the table.  As he did, Spencer noticed a wince and wondered.  “Outfit one was a loss even before school started, they served spaghetti for lunch yesterday and the dumpsters aren’t emptied until just before lunch tomorrow.  Of course, even without the dumpster toss this morning I would have had to change…slushy one was grape and huge.  Plus even before I managed to get to my locker to drop my bag off and extract a new outfit, I ended up slammed in to Locker 279.  Luckily, I had a minor setback at home before I left and traded my good under t-shirt for one of the cheap ones my dad buys me and I had removed my good coat before the dumpster toss.  Locker 279 met with some sort of trauma earlier this year and needs replacing.  Like, the school year, not calendar year. Do you know first aid?  I patched the slice across my back best I could and wrapped it in the remains of the cheap t-shirt, but it’s not feeling quite right.” Kurt scrunched his shoulders and rolled them before pulling his bag onto the table and starting to empty it. Spencer smiled again as the boy continued talking while looking through the notebooks, books, and folders he removed and pulling out papers here and there.

“Anyway, patched and redressed I almost made it to my first class except Puck’s trying to get his rep back up and was going to slushie Jacob the Creep…that is Jacob ben Israel and he is very much one of those makes the skin crawl creepy people-I try not to think about just where that boy might have hidden cameras lurking about in that school because my dad says I have to go to school and I cannot be homeschooled and if I think long about Jacob the Creep and his cameras I just start to freak out and so I just try very hard not to think about it …” The boy across from Spencer shuddered and grimaced before looking back down to the papers he was collecting from inside his pile of belongings. “Anyway, one of the Hockey Players pushed Puck and it got me.   Puck punched the hockey player so I guess he sees me as a …friend maybe… which can only be a good thing. Puck’s in Glee club with me, and I think maybe the fact we’ve helped him out a bit with some of his issues this past little bit…we as in my dad mostly and me a little…has made him a bit less eager to make my life completely miserable. I was worried about that since I hadn’t really had a conversation with him for well over a week and the last one wasn’t exactly a good conversation and was well, rather weird.  Totally thought I’d weirded him out so bad he’d never speak to me again. Outfit two down.  Outfit three made it through first and second hour, but met its demise with slushies three and four right outside of the choir room.  Glee club isn’t even going on really since we lost regionals and can’t compete in any other competitions until next school year and apparently that is what glee is about...instead of working starting now so we don’t lose next year… but we still have that hour scheduled for class so we still go and well, it’s become the most dangerous class to go to since we lost regionals, not that it was safe before.  Apparently that is what makes us all targets, except half of us were targeted just as much, if not more, before we started up in Glee club, so really it’s just a handy excuse. Outfit four made it through glee, but not two steps past leaving the door of the choir room…slushie five and Karofsky.  Only he has it down to the locker check and then slushie in face combo. I’ll have bruises from that, too.  And outfit five never even made it into fourth hour.”

“Slushies?  Like crushed ice drinks?” Spencer asked.

“Yes.  They are horrid.  The syrup stings your eyes and they are sticky and yet slimy and cold.  There is a machine for them IN the school.  It is ridiculous.”

“Thank God my high school didn’t have those.  So, are your dumpsters the kind with the huge hard plastic lids or the metal lids?”

Kurt shivered.  “Plastic, thank goodness.  I’ve only had the lid shut on me twice though, both last year when I was a freshman.”

“I preferred those over the metal lidded ones, I think.  The ones by the lunchroom at my school were plastic lidded, but smooth and hard to climb out of, but if you could get to the top they were easier to open.   You’re pretty much tall enough that you probably can push the lid up without too much problem.   I had to walk by the dumpsters at the side of the school where the offices were and they had metal lids. I was tossed in those pretty much every day, and they shut the lid every time - Not so bad on my clothing as the ones by the lunchroom, but the first day no one found me until Mickey the Janitor came out to toss some papers from the main office and finally fished me out, four and half hours after I’d been tossed in.  I was too little to manage to get the lid to open even with the grooved sides that I could use to climb out. After that first day, every day ten minutes after second hour started, Mickey would fish me out of the dumpsters so I could get to my class. I think Mickey must have explained it to the teacher, as well, because even though I was ten minutes late every day I was never marked tardy.”

Spencer looked at Kurt, who looked back at him with an odd expression.  Spencer raised an eyebrow.  

“Sorry,” Kurt said, looking down and straightening the pile of papers he’d pulled from his various books and folders.   The Kurt looked up again and met Spencer’s eyes.  “It’s just…you get it.  You’d understand it all, wouldn’t you?”

Spencer smiled. “Probably.  I started high school right before I turned ten and graduated when I was 12.”

“Some sort of super genius, then.  I should have guessed, I suppose. I bet the other kids hated you more than kids hate me.  Was it bad all the way through high school?”

Spencer nodded.  “Most of it. I was severely bullied my last year, until about mid December when I joined the basketball team and they won every single game for the rest of the season.”

“You played?”  Kurt asked. Kurt was watching Spencer as he stuffed books and folders back into his bag.  

Spencer tilted his head back and laughed. “No…just, no.  I didn’t even go through a growth spurt of any type until I was like thirteen or fourteen.  Late bloomer. I took over coaching.  Basketball is fundamentally mathematics and physics.  Angles and statistics. On your team,  if you know who can make what shots consistently and you put your players in place and you teach them how to make the math work for them…you win.  The team had lost all four games they had played, their star player had just been expelled for selling drugs, so when I brought them my plan, and the coach figured they had nothing left to lose, they put it to use.  And they started winning every time they put my plans into play.  The other thing I did was break down other teams shooting strategies, so we knew who and what to watch out for and how to foil the other teams’ plans.  Most the bad bullying stopped after that.”

“Nice.  I wish it would have worked for me.  I joined the football team. Heck, I was the reason they won the only game they won this past year.  Made no difference in the bullying, at all.  In some cases it made it worse. Technically, I even won the Cheerios, that’s our cheerleading team, their national title. They probably could have won without me though….maybe. The coach signed me on solely for my singing voice.   Nearly fifteen minutes of Celine Dion in French and that was only one of the six fifteen minute routines she made me learn perfectly.  Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t just sing.  The coach made sure I could do anything she asked the other cheerleaders to do, as well….while singing. Everything, that lady is insane.   Didn’t stop the bullying.  The bullies were more careful about when they bullied, and I dealt with a whole lot more of being shoved and pushed and that kind bullying instead of the slushies…but that was because Coach Sylvester would have killed them if they messed the uniform up too badly.”

“I’m sorry you have to deal with that,” Spencer said.

Kurt shrugged. “C’est la vie, I guess. It’s what you get by being different, by being an outcast. You always hear it gets better. Did it get better?”  Kurt asked.

Spencer cocked his head to the side and ran his fingers through his hair.  “Most of the time I think so, but I still have issues.”

Kurt looked him up and down again and nodded.

“Well, I’ve always known I can’t expect miracles and that there will always be problems.  But I rather hoped they would be less if I moved away from here.”  He said with a sigh. He looked up at Spencer. “The murdered guys... those guys weren’t, you know.  Outcasts.”  

“What do you mean?”  Spencer asked.

[cloveroctobers]

BLAKE JOLLEY —

IG info/bio: @/jollyblke | 8.4k followers | Activist | I’m here to save the world, it’s my right. & You should care about your environment too, get active. If not? Leave. Visit: theindigenousmovement.com

22 (23) years old

From Kensington, England

Choctaw nation & proud

Visits Oklahoma every other summer...sometimes it’s every few years

Majority of her family lives there on a reservation

She’s made a name for herself in the town for speaking up for the missing and m*rdered women of her community & how they continue to sweep that shit under the rug

Call it what it is, genocide

Has been arrested & charged a few times

Has a sense of dread when she goes back but also a form of happiness since her mom, some of her sibs, and other family members are there

Has 7 siblings

4 boys, 3 girls

Chelsea found that so facisinating!

I feel like there’s two sides to Blake? Either she’s rooting for you or she’s shitting you, there’s no in between

Willing to communicate & have intellectual conversations

Has to be in the mood to socialize, sometimes she just prefers NOT to talk since that requires energy

Always tired, doesn’t sleep much, probably has insomnia a little bit

Was on the debate team in secondary

Either you like her or you hate her, either way that’s a you problem

Kinda a loner, keeps to herself—always feeling like people should be doing more with their time on this earth

But she also understands that there are moments where you need to chill/relax/ have fun or take some time out for yourself

Donates to woman’s shelters often

Attends & organizes protests

Minimal makeup: mascara, nude blush, moisturizer mixed with sunscreen, a lip tint & she’s on her way

Knows how to ride a bull but will only do so if she’s back in Oklahoma

Knows how to work a g*n & is licensed to carry but prefers not to

Enjoys cliff diving & swimming as a form of exercise (not counting the hr long protests she travels to & attends)

Will do leg exercises more than anything at home, does not have a gym membership & will never get one

Favorite color is in the tropical blue shades: turquoise & aqua

Her home is her personal sanctuary, where she feels the most safe & allowed to be herself. Doesn’t invite anyone over to mess with the energy she has there, afraid that they’ll ruin that. She’ll meet you somewhere but one thing you’re not going to do is come into her space

Always has kale & quinoa in her flat

Has a chronic stomach condition

She’s a very blunt person & many don’t take that lightly, she doesn’t sugarcoat anything

Doesn’t have much experience in the love department

A few have tried but she either ignores them or tells them straight up that she’s not interested, always was focused on her school work & other things

That’s why she’s single

Now that she’s in her early twenties she feels like that she needs to experience love

She feels like she wants it? However a part of her isn’t sure if it’s something that she truly needs?

Possibly aromantic?

so when she met henrik, she immediately felt platonic energy with him & didn’t mind exploring it but also found noah quite aesthetically attractive?

Henrik fit into her lifestyle nicely outside of the villa, it was nice having someone else to talk to & spend time with. She wasn’t sure how she was meant to feel when he asked her to be his gf inside & outside the villa but she agreed so why not?

Her mother felt like she shouldn’t analyze the boy as if he was some sort of experiment, Blake did like watching experimental movies/documentaries based on true events or reading about them but she truly did not feel like that’s what she was doing with henrik

They had their differences ofc, henrik was more easy going/chill when it came to things whereas Blake observed before she attacked. If It don’t sit right with her, she’s gonna say some shit

She was the one to call it quits with henrik after almost two years passed

She was not heartbroken over it but she did realize how things changed now that he was no longer in her life

Loves clothing that have slits in them or v-necks

Loves going to flower shops since they remind her of her mom

I feel like she smells like cherries & cashmere musk

Adores sunsets, that’s the time of day where she feels most at ease

Interested in photography & is currently exploring what is her best subject to shoot...her activism helps

she hopes to have her own biography made about her one day

learning to gradually let her walls down but it’s extremely hard to do with the negative energy the world brings

Is cordial with mc...after some years have passed and they and their significant other always feel the need to have meet ups once a year where they invite EVERYONE somewhere else

Blake feels like they still have ties with the production company of love island but that’s not her business

Unless her services are truly required and the $ is right or if Elisa decides to drag her then she’s not going

Being on reality tv was not her main purpose

She hated the superficial and trying hard, things should just be natural

She’s above love island now & she doesn’t need to see henrik or Lucas OR single Noah every year

Her profile is filled with activism and how people can get involved

Along with a good dump of her face, she knew she was pretty but she didn’t need to use that to her advantage there was, “more to life than shallowness”

She barely remembers the other girls she entered the villa with. she thinks one or two tried to reach out to her in her dms but she ignored them

Is indifferent towards Shannon & jo

she gets jo confused with lily from season 3 when they both pop up on her explore feed. Again she doesn’t know why insta feels the need to show her other people’s lives if she’s not following them in the first place?

Doesn’t follow people back unless she’s got a strong platonic connection with you

Has lunch & dinner dates with her dad since he resides in England as well

She believes her parents marriage is a reflection on her non-existent/small percentage of relationships

They live in two different countries and they’ve been married for 15 years & still seem to be in love...hey whatever works! It works for Dolly Parton & her husband although they live in the same house? I think

On the outside it seems like she has a cold heart and many around her have told her mainly her sibs but she doesn’t believe that’s completely true

She has feelings!

If she was truly cold hearted, she wouldn’t have any remorse for the bad she’s done or wouldn’t be fighting for those who deserve it right?

Cap sun + Scorpio moon + sag rising

Thinks Mena Massoud, Rami Malek, Ben Hardy, Rahul Kohli, Kurt Cobain, Manish Dayal, Janel Parrish, Charles Melton, Manny Jacinto, Miguel Gomez, & Clayton Cardenas are all nice to look at

Listens to: Yuna, Aly & AJ, Pip Millett, Jaz Kris, Sinhead Harnett, Iyamah, James Vickery, Maluma, Kanye West, emotional oranges, & Jimmie allen

Anthem? Hope Tala — All My girls like to fight

[ongaku-ato-kakikomi]

Tiptoeing In Death (2)

This is a series. Please check the Masterlist to read the chapters in order.

Masterlist.

You stop in the middle of your bedroom’s entrance when you see one of the stupid jock ghost looking around your room, though you rapidly shake your head and continue your way in like you haven’t seen him. Luckily for you, he seemed to have been too engulfed into looking at some of your sketches on the walls to notice anything, the boy almost like he’s admiring them. 

He jumps up when you open your closet’s door, seeing his head turning towards you from the corner of your eyes. He doesn’t seem to do much more than what he was doing before you came in, but you tense up when you hear a chuckle as soon as you pick out some pajamas. 

“I’m getting a show already? Niiice...”

Feeling more than disgusted, you decide to not do the initial plan of changing in here and instead walk out of the room, clutching the fabric of your pajamas in your right hand while you get towards the bathroom.

“Hey, wait! Where you’re going?” You obviously don’t answer, simply grinding your teeth as you continue your way. “Ooooh, I get it. A shower, huh? Even better!”

‘For fuck sake, how did Veronica managed to get two of these idiots attached to her?’

Sadly, this isn’t the first time one pervy ghost tried to take a peek at your naked body… and so after a lot of research in weird books you’ve found in old libraries and a few tests with the help of Andrew, you found a symbol that can block the passage to a room from a ghost. So… now… there’s a giant symbol drawn onto the bathroom door along with one on the bathroom blinds, which means that you can do your hygienic stuff in peace.

You can’t quite stop the proud smirk gracing your lips when you lock the door behind you, your grin stretching out as soon as you hear the loud complaints from the ghost boy getting muffled by the door.

“What the- Why can’t I get through!? Kurt, I can’t get through!”

“I already told you, Ram. You can’t just try to walk through the door, you have to concentrate-”

“I fucking know that, but it’s not working!”

“Will you two just shut the fuck up!?”

“Mind your own business, Heather!”

Good. Now you know all their names: JD, Kurt, Ram, and Heather. No last names yet, but then again, you almost never learn those. If you wanna know more about why these ghosts are following Veronica around, you must wait for her to share her story with you…

… if she ever wants to share her story with you.

You quickly change in your pajamas while they’re fighting right outside the door, taking the opportunity soon after to brush your teeth in front of the sink. Once you’re finally done, silent enraptured the atmosphere all around, your head slowly turning towards the door.

They’re all gone now… right?

You give out a yawn just as you open the door, having to suppress a scream when you notice JD standing right on the side. He stares at you with it blank white eye, the blood splatter on his head looking worse than before. You blink rapidly and rub your eyes while you pass by him, acting as if you just had a brain freeze because of how tired you are. You don’t even give him a side look; that guy seems to be the smartest of them, you can’t risk giving him any hints that you can see him.

You feel a chill run down your spine when you hear him follow you, feeling his glare piercing through your back as if he wants you to die right there. From what you can tell, JD is a ghost with a lot of suppressed anger in him, using that anger to push anyone who might get close to Veronica away. At least, he’s angry enough to want you to disappear, even though you literally just met her today.

You scream when the phone suddenly starts ringing, putting a hand on your rapidly beating heart to try and calm it once you realize that there’s no danger. You walk towards the phone with JD close to your trails, almost trembling as you pick it up.

“Hello?”

“Honey, hi! How did it go? Has Veronica moved in?” 

You give out a fond smile at the sound of your mother’s voice. “Hi, mom. Yeah, she moved in today. She seems nice.”

“Oh, I’m glad! I was afraid we might have picked someone dangerous to live with you-”

“Well, anyone can be dangerous.” You take a few strands of hair out of your face, watching JD’s reflection in the window in front of you. “Isn’t that what you taught me?

“Yes, yes, you’re right… but she had quite the traumatic history, so I just wondered…”

“Mom, what happened to her is none of my business. You’re not supposed to tell me anything, remember?” 

“Yeah, she’ll tell you if she wants to, I know.” 

You tense up when he approaches his face to yours, probably trying to hear your mother’s voice better. “Mom, it’s late. I’m gonna head to bed. Kiss dad goodnight for me?”

“Of course, sweetheart. Have nice dreams.”

 “You too, mom.” 

She hangs up before you, your hand gently putting the handle back to its place before you walk back towards where your room is. Lucky for you, JD doesn’t follow you in and simply watches you from afar with a deathly glare, the boy still looking towards your form even after you close the door behind you.

Tonight might be a long night.

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

The next day, you open your eyes to see none other than Andrew’s face right in front of you, the little drowned kid having watched you sleep with wide-opened eyes all night.

“... Hi.”

He blinks a few times, a grin forming onto his lips. “Hi.”

“You know that watching me sleep is extremely creepy, right?”

His grin stretches out. “Huh-huh.”

“I mean, you might be my best friend… but I would like you to not do that in the future.”

He rolls his eyes at you just as you sit up, stretching your arms up in the air while yawning. “Sure… but only once those ghosts will be completely gone. Someone needs to protect you while you’re unconscious.”

You quirk an eyebrow at him after you stand up. “Well, how nice of you.” 

“Complain all you want, but you know I’m right.” He turns around when you walk towards your closet, waiting for you to change. “If those guys know that you can see them, you know you’ll be in danger.”

“I know.” 

“I mean, you remember what happened last time, huh? You almost died-”

“I know.”

“And then we had to seek that old woman to know about a ritual-”

“Andrew… I know.” You send his back of his head a look just as you finish changing, brushing your hair with your hands to try and tie it to a ponytail. “I learned my lesson, we’re not gonna repeat that story again.”

“Of course you won’t, I won’t let you.” He turns around after you finish putting your hair in a ponytail, a frown settled on his face. “Which is why I will stay with you today.”

You stay silent for a while, then give out a sigh. “You know that’s just gonna make them suspicious of me, right?”

“I don’t care.”

“They’re gonna see a drowned ten-year-old boy follow me around all day, they’re gonna wonder if I didn’t kill you or something.”

“Well, they’re gonna see me at some point anyway, I’m linked to you!”

“And they’re linked to her.” He follows you towards your door, giving him one last look before you open. “Okay, look… you can follow me, but no talking to me whatsoever, alright?”

He gives a groan. “... fine.”

A smile soon graces your lips. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

He rolls his eyes just as you open the door, both of you stepping out.

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

“You should take your own apartment.”

Veronica ignores JD’s voice in her ear, concentrating on eating her cereal like any normal person would do. She can also hear Heather, Kurt, and Ram fighting a few meters away, the subject not being important enough for her to actually listen. Though it does sound better than hearing her crazy ex-boyfriend’s voice all the time.

“Take. Another. Apartment.”

“I can’t….!” She whispers those words, hoping that it’ll be enough to quiet him. “This is the only place that would take me, okay? So shut it. Don’t make me remind you that this is your fault.”

He quiets down immediately, flashes of his last moments coming back into her head. She shakes them off and takes another scoop of her cereal into her mouth. She doesn’t know you, but you seem nice and, judging by how you’ve been acting, you don’t know anything about her past. Which is a miracle... considering that her town’s deaths have been on the news for months. 

But if it means she can be normal to one person for just a little time, she'll take it.

"Enjoying my cereal?"

She almost chokes on her food at the sound of your voice, redness creeping into her cheeks when you laugh. She turns shy eyes towards your form just as you prepare your own breakfast: a simple red apple.

"I'm sorry… was I not supposed to?"

"Of course you can eat. What's mine is yours." You take a bite out of your Apple, sensing her a cheeky smile that brings a genuine onto her lips. "What are you gonna do today?"

"Oh, well…" She looks down at her bowl for a moment before she gives out a smile. "I was thinking of going on campus. Seeing where my classes are before they start next week."

Your eyes widen with excitement. "That's a great idea! Oh, and if you want, I can be your guide."

"But I don't wanna bother-"

"Hey, I have nothing to do today, it'll be my pleasure." You take another bite of your Apple, raising a finger as you give her a serious look. "One condition though."

She feels her stomach turn in worry. Maybe you know who she is… are you gonna ask her to not let people know you live together? She wouldn't blame you if you did.

"Um… what is it?"

Your lips stretch out into a large grin. "No cars. We walk there."

She can't help but let out a laugh, her shoulders relaxing from relief. "Well, I don't mind!"

"Good." You send her a wink before disappearing into the hallway. "It's a date. Be ready in an hour."

She feels her cheeks heat up at the mention of the word 'date', even though she knows that you didn't mean it that way-

"Stop it." 

She tightens her grip on her spoon when she hears his voice. "... Stop what?"

"Being nice to her. I don't like it."

"Well, watch me, then." She stands up and walks towards the sink, putting her empty bowl in it. "Because I like it. And you have nothing to say in the matter-"

"A drowned kid is linked to her, Ronnie." Her heart drops into her stomach just as her eyes widen, shocked as to what he just said. “You know what that means, right?”

She doesn’t want to think about it. She doesn’t wanna think you could have killed someone so young, not when you’re this sweet and generous towards her. You have to be a normal and kind girl, not a psychopath. She can’t deal with psychopaths anymore-

“I’m just trying to protect you, Ronnie.”

She breathes in loudly before she lets it out, her hands tightening onto the counter. Can he shut up for just… one second?

“You need to leave this place, Ronnie.”

“Four of you are linked to me, JD.” She grinds her teeth, imagining his face in her head. “I think out of the two, she’s the one who should run away.”

“Those idiots deserved what we did to them-”

“Hey, who you’re calling an idiot?”

“Yeah, who you’re calling?”

“You three! I’m calling you three idiots!”

“Don’t you dare put me in the same basket as those two morons! I’ll have you know that I’m a goddess!”

“Yeah, a super annoying goddess!”

“And we’re not morons! I don’t even know what that means!”

Veronica just gives out a loud groan of annoyance as their voice continues fighting right behind her, internally hoping for the next hour to go quickly.

Spending time with you sounds so good right now.

[darriness]

Klaine Fic - Quality Time

Authors: darriness and @spaceorphan18​

Word Count: ~900

Summary: Kurt and Blaine try a little quality time activity together!

Author’s Note: @spaceorphan18​ and I decided to try writing a ‘round robin’ type fic where we traded off writing parts! We had no agreed upon trajectory to start with and just went with whatever the other person wrote before. I think it turned out really well. Enjoy!

AO3 Link

Quality Time

Kurt squints, tilts his head from one side to the other and then back again, purses his lips and then sighs and repeats the process. Blaine stands in front of him, nervous eyes flitting from one focus to another, wringing his hands in front of him. 

Finally, after several more moments, Kurt sighs one more time, tilts his head and says, “I don’t think that’s what it’s supposed to look like…”

“I told you to bring the book with you so we could see how it’s supposed to be done,” Blaine says, rolling his eyes.  “But no, you thought you could figure it out by memory and now, well, we’re in this mess…” 

Kurt huffs, “My memory has never done me wrong before!” He exclaims before biting his lips together and pressing his hands down in front of him in a calming gesture, “You know what? Fighting isn’t going to help us or get us any closer to ordering dinner.” 

Blaine merely blinks.  “Three hours, Kurt.  Three hours you had me working on this with you, and now you just want to… stop?” 

“I’m hungry!” Kurt emphasizes, “Besides, it’s...fine for now?” The question in his voice is unmistakable. 

“Kurt,” Blaine says as calmly as he can.  He loves his husband very much, but this is testing his patience entirely.  “If we leave it, it might fall over, and I do not want to be the one to try to get it out of the carpet.  Why did I let you talk me into doing this in the living room? Why did I let you talk me into this at all?” 

Kurt quirks an eyebrow, trying to come off as haughty to cover his embarrassment. Blaine’s right, this WAS his idea, “I just thought we could do something as a couple. Completing a project together is supposed to be good for communication.”

“Well, we haven’t completed anything, so I’m communicating to you now that this was a dumb idea!” Blaine shouts.  Kurt recoils, storming off into the kitchen.  Blaine lets out a little sigh, feeling guilty for yelling.  He knows Kurt had been trying.  He appreciates the gesture.  He’s just so tired of working on the thing. “Kurt, I’m sorry…” he says as he heads after him.  

He finds Kurt at the fridge, jars clinking inside as he moves them around in search of some goal Blaine can’t imagine...until Kurt straightens with their leftover cheesecake in his hands. Kurt looks up from it, “You can be sorry. I’m going to eat this.” He says, grabbing a fork and sitting at the kitchen table. He takes an overdramatic bite and hums in satisfaction. 

Blaine takes a seat at the table, and pulls it right near Kurt to watch him shovel in the cheesecake.  He grins as Kurt licks the fork.  

“What?” Kurt asks, pausing to give him an odd look.  

“Out of all the movies we could have tried to recreate, you could have picked When Harry Met Sally,” Blaine says, his bad mood has fizzled away the longer he watches Kurt’s tongue work its magic.  “Or something a little more…  doable.  Instead, you had to go straight for Ghost.”  

Kurt’s cheeks pinken as he slowly pulls the fork from his mouth. He sides eyes Blaine for a moment before dipping the fork into the cake and lifting the portion to Blaine’s lips.

Blaine purses his lips to try to hide his smile before opening his mouth and allowing Kurt to put the forkful inside. He hums as he chews and Kurt bites his lip before sighing.

“I mean, it sounded like a good idea in my head.” Kurt defends, “You know, despite the whole ‘you would have been dead during that part’ thing.”

“Yeah, that would have sucked,” Blaine jokes, attempting to lighten the mood.  He leans forward and gives Kurt a sloppy kiss on the side of the mouth.  “Why don’t we put the pottery away and find… something else to reenact.  If you’re feeling inspired enough.”  He wiggles his eyebrows.  

Kurt bites his bottom lip and looks at Blaine from under his lashes. He drags the fork slowly, suggestively, across the top of what’s left of his snack, leaving grooves behind in the softening top layer, “What did you have in mind?”

“Star Wars,” Blaine says, playing it cool with a shrug. 

“Star Wars, wha--?” 

“You know, lightsaber duels,” Blaine gives him a sultry wink.  

Kurt laughs into his bite of cheesecake.  “Oh my god.” 

“So, what do you say? Wanna turn my lightsaber on?” Blaine’s about to pull Kurt into another, more intense kiss when a very loud thud comes from the living room.  

They both turn in the direction of the living room and wince in unison. 

“Our bowl!” Kurt exclaims.

Blaine does a double take, “I thought we’d been making a tea cup!”

Kurt lifts an eyebrow and then drops it as he sighs, “I guess lightsabers, or whatever, will have to wait until we clean up our last attempt at movie magic.”

“We could always, you know, use the force to clean up faster.” Blaine suggests.

Kurt throws his head back and laughs as he gets up to start making his way to the living room, “Oh, honey, just so you know? Star Wars references during this time will get you nowhere.”

Blaine smirks, “Noted.” He says before getting up and following Kurt into the living room and the remains of the pottery adventure.

[honey-bird-04]

this is my first post

Hullo. This is my 3rd time rewriting this, because sumthin’ kept fucking up every time I tried to write it. But let’s hope this time goes smoothly cause I got a lot to say. I don’t have anywhere else to put this, so I decided, why not come to Tumblr and see what everyone else thinks. So, let’s get started. I have been a Gleek since I was in 6th grade. And as much as I know that the show is cringey and hard to watch, my sister and I genuinely enjoyed it (although now we mostly watch it ironically). And we always had a favoritism system going, our favorite characters were blatantly obvious, and we were fishing for least favorite characters when we could. So, our lists of favorite characters/ships looked a little something like this: Favorites: -Kurt Hummel -Finn Hudson -Rachel Berry -Santana Lopez -Brittany S Pierce -Blaine Anderson Least favorites: -Quinn Fabray -Noah Puckerman -Terry Schue -Sue Sylvester -Jessie St James -Sebastian Smythe Favorite ships: -Finchel -Klaine -Brittana -Wemma And even though that doesn’t seem like there’s anything wrong with that set up in particular, I’m going to explain to you why my views have changed. Especially on my least favorite characters. And disclaimer!! Any and all of these characters that I list on my least favorites have nothing to do with race, gender, disability, sexuality etc. They are solely based on personality and how their actions affected others. That’s it. That’s what I’m basing it off of. Same goes for my favorite characters as well. And believe me I will give a lengthy explanation for each and every one of them I promise. So I’m going to be listing the least favorites from LEAST bad/toxic to MOST bad/toxic. And don’t be upset if one of your favorites are on here. Just because I don’t like them doesn’t mean you can’t like them. Just make that clear. These are only things that I’ve picked up and I’ve noticed throughout the show and watching back important clips and such from the show. Coming in at #7: Mercedes Jones: I know what’s coming already. And I’m going to have to tell y’all this loud and clear. Mercedes is not a diva. She’s just a bitch. I’ve never liked Mercedes, and not because she was black, but just because she had an awful personality and she was awful to the people around her. I think the only time I really saw her being nice to someone was when she was dating Sam, or when she was dating that football player. And a few times when she was with Kurt. The main problem I have with her is in S1E3: Bust Your Windows, she busted Kurt’s front windshield all because he had a crush on someone else. And I can guarantee you guys this. If a guy did that to a girl, like if Kurt had done that to Mercedes instead, y’all would’ve been outraged. She had no reason to bust his window like that and then get all sassy to him when he got upset about it. Coming in at #6: Santana Lopez: And this is another character that y’all are so set on saying that she’s a diva. But no. Santana is a straight up bitch. And before you guys say “she was closeted/insecure/outed!” etc, Kurt was also insecure and closeted in the first season and he was never rude to anybody in the way Santana was. And secondly, Finn didn’t out her until S3E6: Mash Off, and I can tell you she had been acting like a huge bitch way before then. All I have to do is pull up all of the times she’s been anti-semetic to Rachel, fatphobic to Finn and Lauren, attacked people’s insecurities and was just being god awful. One of my least favorite scenes from her is when she went on that entire rant about why Blaine and Kurt didn’t work out, and she attacked Kurt’s teeth, his sexuality, his dancing, his s3xual appeal, and just about everything Kurt was insecure about. All because he said that he thought Santana and Brittany were too young to get married. And I honestly agreed with him, Britt and San were 19. Definitely too young to get married, and Kurt was just trying to relate his failure with Blaine to warn them that getting married this young wasn’t something that they wanted to do. But no. Santana didn’t listen to him trying to reason with her, she just told him basically “you suck, Blaine really hates you, get your crap together.” And I have always had a problem with it. Not to mention she called Quinn a slut. And no matter what situation you are in, I don’t believe it’s okay to call any girl a slut. Actually, I don’t think it’s okay to call anybody a slut. Because I’m bringing this back. If Finn had called Quinn a slut, you guys would be all over him and cancelling that character so fast, but as soon as Santana says it, it’s okay? That never sat right with me either. And again, the way she relentlessly bullies Rachel for everything she’s insecure about, especially her height and nose is not okay. It doesn’t matter how much you dislike someone. Making fun of her nose to the point where as soon as she breaks it, she’s immediately thinking of getting a nose job. That is not okay. And there’s a speculation that Santana was the one who pushed Rachel over the edge to try and fall into bulimia. And I don’t doubt it. Santana is not a nice person. And her internalised homophobia does not excuse anything that she’s said or done. Not to mention she has Britt wrapped around her finger and she knows that she’ll do anything she asks. Like when Santana was fantasizing about forcing Britt to break up with Artie if she became Prom Queen because it would be “the law of the land” that is absolutely inexcusable. Because we all know Britt is naive and has some sort of DD or autism, and the characters in the show take that and use it to their advantage. Especially Santana. Coming in at #5: Artie Abrams: Now before you come for my ass, let me tell you. I actually used to really like Artie. He was pretty high up on my ranking Glee characters lists that I used to make all the time. But now that I’ve rewatched and I’ve noticed more things, I just cant like him with a good conscience. Remember in season 1 when Tina told him that she doesn’t really have a stutter? Well, if you remember, he broke up with her after that. But if you were closely watching the show, you should’ve realised that Tina has some sort of social anxiety, (not that I’m excusing her faking a disability), but she has a reason for doing it. She (presumably) took up the stutter because she needed a way to avoid having to speak so much in public. Which is totally understandable! Artie didn’t have to break up with her. She confided in him to finally tell him what she had been hiding for so long and he just breaks up with her??? Are you kidding? That just goes to show that one of the only reasons he was dating her was because of her disability. If he broke up with her so fast for not actually having one. Even though she had an actual reason that she did it. Another thing about Artie that I hate is that he called Britt stupid. And that is a huge deal. Everyone in the school calls Britt stupid or something along those lines (even Santana) and as soon as she finds the one guy who doesn’t think that way of her, he breaks her trust. She technically did cheat on him, but as I said earlier, she bends to Santana’s every order and she has some sort of DD or autism and didn’t understand that it was cheating. She even told Artie she didn’t understand it. And instead of sitting her down and explaining to her and giving her a second chance to prove her new knowledge to good use, he just calls her stupid and makes her cry. And then this one is obvious. Artie didn’t fucking wear c0ndoms while he was having s3x with those two girls in New York and didn’t actually tell them he had chlamydia. Which just pissed me off so much it makes me angry just talking about it. Coming in at #4: Finn Hudson: Oh ho ho. Finn Hudson makes me so angry. Let me just start off with everything he did (and didn’t do) to/for Kurt. Starting with the infamous “faggy scene” after Kurt tried to make amends with Finn for all the arguing they had been doing by redecorating their room. As ugly as it looked (lmao), he did his best to try and appeal to what a straight guy would like without making it too masculine so he would feel comfortable sleeping in there too. He tried to appeal to Finn’s interests as well as his own and had to do it all on short notice. But as soon as Finn saw it, the first thing he said was “are you freaking insane?” and Kurt just deflated. If you watch the scene, you can see it. You can physically see Kurt’s hard work all go to waste because of that comment. But then Finn follows it up with saying “I can’t live here, I’m a dude.” That line for me is the one that really made me dislike Finn very very strongly, because he not only said Kurt wasn’t a man to his face, he also views Kurt as nothing but his sexuality. That is further proven when he describes how uncomfortable he is around Kurt just because Kurt has a crush on him. And yes, Kurt was creepy, but after then, when they started living together, he just tried his best to make Finn feel as welcome and as comfortable as he can make him feel. But then sees that everything has been pointless, because Finn makes it a point to tell him that he puts his underwear on in the shower before he comes out when Kurt’s around. And that’s just fucked up. And a lot of people say that Finn “didn’t mean it” when he said the f-slur, but let me tell you something. You don’t just accidentally say something twice out of anger. If you really didn’t mean it, you would apologise right when it left your mouth. But Finn’s lack of an apology only proves that he meant every word of what he said. Next is when Finn refused to help Kurt out with Karofsky. I can only talk briefly about this because it actually makes me so fucking mad I can’t explain it. So, Rachel asks him to help Kurt out and confront Karofsky, right? And Finn refuses. Because, and I quote: “We both know I can help him more if I stay on top.” And I think he even says “Kurt will be fine” too, completely ignoring the fact that Kurt is so terrified to go to school, he’s losing weight (there are speculations that he cuts), but Finn doesn’t care about that. He only cares about the fact that he needs to stay popular. Oh and the fact that Karofsky plays right guard and wont guard him during the football game is he’s pissed and they’ll lose. He picks FOOTBALL and POPULARITY over his soon-to-be stepbrother’s MENTAL/EMOTIONAL/PYSICAL H E A L T H. I cannot explain how angry that makes me. Not to mention, the amounts of times he’s played victim. Especially with Rachel. One time that really pisses me off is when he goes “have you ever thought about what I’m going to do in New York?” and Rachel starts stammering over herself and assuring him that she’ll find something that he fits into since he doesn’t know what he’s going to do with his future. And then he asks her about California and Puck’s pool business. Even though he knows Rachel has been set on New York and NYADA since she was a little girl. He knows that she has all of those ambitions and she has an entire plan in her life and she’s already trying to shift those plans to fit Finn in with her. And for him to tell her that he wants her to give all of that up to come with him and Puck to California is actually more selfish than Rachel is. Oh! And not to mention he outed Santana too. Let’s not forget that. In front of basically the whole damn school too. He also kissed Emma. And he also cheated on Rachel with Quinn. And then actually broke up with Rachel when she made out with Puck a bit because she wanted to get him back for cheating on her and sleeping with Santana (even though it doesn’t excuse what she did at all, I just think Finn was being a hypocrite.) And he also cheated on Quinn with Rachel in the first season, and he led Rachel on for the entire first season, Or most of it at least. Coming in at #3: Mr. Schue: I’m just gonna speed through this: -He was a creep/pedo with both the girls and the boys -He had a savior complex and tried to force Emma’s OCD away and fix it instead of help her -He encouraged Emma’s crush on him even while he was married -He twerked with a bunch of minors -Suspended a minor for not wearing a bra she was uncomfortable in -He dealt really badly with Rachel’s crush on him -Never listened to his students’ input -hallucinated children while he was sick -Was very awkwardly touchy with his students -His best friend was 19 -refused to stop twerking even when offered the exchange for a trans student to use a staff bathroom to avoid getting bullied -overreacted after finding out Terry wasn’t pregnant Now the moments you’ve all been waiting for. Coming in at #2: Noah Puckerman: Now I was stuck on Puck for a while, I didn’t think he really was that bad of a guy for a long time. But just one thing Quinn says was enough to sway me and put him this high on my list. In one of the earlier episodes, Puck starts teasing her and being a dick after finding out she’s pregnant. And so she says: “You got me drunk off of wine coolers and I was feeling fat that day...” Now if you break that sentence down, she literally says “you got me drunk.” implying that Puck himself wasn’t drunk when this all took place. Meaning, Noah Puckerman r@ped Quinn Fabray. She never cheated on Finn. Puck purposely got her drunk just so he could get what he wanted. Especially considering she never put out and she was president of the Celibacy Club. Now must I say anything else? No. I didn’t think so. And finally, coming in at #1: Blaine Anderson: I know Blaine is everyone’s smol bean gay bb boy. (*gag) but I have to tell you that he is not a good person whatsoever. I’ll give him credit though. In the 2nd season he was really sweet and I actually really liked him. But as the seasons progressed, he got worse. In S3E5, Blaine and Kurt go to a gay bar together, and Kurt helps Blaine out after he gets too drunk. Then as soon as he tries to get Blaine in the car, Blaine starts coming onto him and kissing his neck and trying to convince him to have s3x with him, even though Kurt keeps repetitively saying no. And then he plays the victim after Kurt blows up at him and says “well I’m sorry for trying to be spontaneous and fun!” and then proceeds to walk home, getting mad at Kurt for nothing. Then in another episode. I think it was later in season 3, Kurt meets Chandler. And Blaine had been ignoring him for a while before that, so Kurt starts talking to Chandler only because he makes him feel good about himself. And he obviously thought it was okay because Blaine did the same thing with Sebastian but called him all the time and flirted with him and dirty danced with him etc. So when Blaine goes through Kurt’s phone, he finds the messages and makes a huge deal out of it and accuses Kurt of cheating on him. Then publicly humiliates him in front of the Glee club with a song about cheating. And then proceeds to go and cheat on him anyway. And then as soon as they were going to NYADA together, Blaine didn’t like all the attention Kurt was getting after he started to get more fit and more attractive and he was extremely jealous of him and over protective, not letting Kurt have any other male attention. At all. And Blaine is just super stingy with Kurt and doesn’t let him live his life and then pays victim whenever he gets confronted by him. Oh and not to mention he dated the one person that made Kurt’s life a living hell for the longest time and decided to rub it in his face. So there we have it folks. My new least favorite Glee characters and all the reasons why. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[earnestly-endlessly]

hello! do you have any long, slow-burn fics to recommend? thank youuuu 💜

Dear anon, thanks for the request. I love long, slow-burn fics, so this is right up my alley. Some of these are on my favourite cherik fic list (which I am working on at the moment). I hope you enjoy these! 

                                           Slow-burn Cherik Fic Recs

Dark Embrace – blackwingsinthecold

Summary: Mutants are rare and far between. Enough so that much of humanity believes they don’t exist, despite numerous reports throughout the centuries. All that is about to change.

Charles Xavier used to be a criminal psychologist for the FBI and now he’s changed his career path to detective. Thanks to him, the crime rate in New York City has dropped over thirty percent. In large part due to Charles’s telepathic abilities that only a handful of people at the bureau know about.

Everything seems to spiral when a mysterious assassin touches down in the city and Charles can’t get a read on him like everyone else. At the same time, the loft next to Charles’s finally gets a new occupant after two years that provides a certain level of…distraction.

The boy with the heart on his sleeve – euphorbic

Summary: Charles loses a high-stakes bet to Raven and is required to get a tattoo. However, when he makes a disparaging remark about the art form, Raven’s acerbic mentor, Erik, steps in.

Or, the one where Erik and Raven are tattoo artists.

Anarchy in the U.K. – Yahtzee

Summary: “Good God, Erik thought. The Prince of Wales is gay.”

Charles lives in the unceasing glare of the public spotlight, yet keeps his sexual orientation a closely held secret, afraid he could lose his throne and force his deeply troubled younger sister into a role that would crush her. Erik, journalist and world traveler, has been a loner most of his life; he has little patience for closet cases. But a chance meeting in Kenya brings these two opposites together and sets in motion a love affair that will challenge the British monarchy – and their most deeply held beliefs about who they are, and who they should be.

The Marriage Bargain – kianspo

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr had made a fortune manufacturing steel in Europe. When he wished to expand to the New World, he discovered that no one would do business with him unless he was affiliated with one of the First Families, the creme de la creme of the NW aristocracy. When Lord Marko holds an auction to give away his 14-year-old stepson’s hand in marriage, Erik sees his chance and takes it. He has no interest in Charles himself, but now that he has him, can they make it work?

Comment: This story is amazing but is still a WIP as far as I know. Please don’t let that discourage you from reading because it’s amazing.

Sink or Swim – endingthemes

Summary: Erik is a struggling single dad of three kids with a burning hatred for Sebastian Shaw, the man who wronged him years ago. He’s tried to move on with his life, but a run-in with Shaw’s rude, spoiled omega, Charles, drags up old anger.

When Charles ends up in the hospital after an accident, Erik goes to confront him only to find that Charles has amnesia. In the confusion, Charles mistakenly assumes that Erik is his mate.

Erik knows he should clear up the misunderstanding, but how can he pass up this perfect chance for a little revenge?

(An Overboard AU)

White Nights – spicedpiano, tahariel

Summary: Duke Erik Lehnsherr of Ironhold needs an omega to carry on his line, and Earl Charles Xavier of Westchester needs an alpha to give him the political leverage he needs in order to make his sister Queen. An arranged marriage brings them together, but Erik’s lust for war and Charles’ hidden agenda threaten to tear them apart. In the frozen Northlands of Ironhold life is hard and cold, and both Charles and Erik must give up their pretense and see each other as they really are: perfect for each other, if only they’ll acknowledge it.

All the Rest is Rust and Stardust – spicedpiano, tahariel

Summary: Charles Xavier is the world’s preeminent mutant psychologist, called in to consult for the CIA when a raid on a Hellfire Club safehouse discovers a severely abused teenager, Erik Lehnsherr. Taking Erik in soon leads Charles to struggle between his conflicting responsibilities as Erik’s guardian and psychologist, and his desire to give in to the dangerous dynamic that is developing between them.

Tuesday Plays the Piper – Sperare

Summary: In a world where the population is barely holding steady, those of either gender who are capable of bearing children are considered a prized commodity. In all places beyond Westchester, their rights are few–and, with Erik Lehnsherr poised to tear down the gates of the city, even that last haven is on the brink of destruction. But, for Charles Xavier, the consequences of conquest may prove to be more personal than political. No one quite knows why Erik is so set on capturing his old friend and partner in the war against Shaw: Charles is no bearer, and he’s disinclined to aid Erik in firmly establishing mutant supremacy once and for all.

Charles, however, is all too aware of Erik’s reasons. Erik knows things about him that no one else does–things which, if brought to light, would would mean surrendering far more than just a kingdom.

Ritual in Self-Torture – TurtleTotem

Summary: Shaw is King, Charles is his royal consort and Erik is a Knight/Lord. Shaw is sterile but his kingdom can’t find out, so he asks Erik to impregnate Charles.

He doesn’t know Erik and Charles are in love.

City by the sea – Black_Betty

Summary: It never bothered Charles that he essentially belonged to someone else from birth. Ever since he could remember he had been told stories about the mysterious prince who was his betrothed, and who one day would be called husband. As he grew older, Charles caught his thoughts drifting away from lessons under strict tutors, his mind slipping into the hazy daydream of his life yet to come…

These ties, how fast they break – ikeracity

Summary: When Brian Xavier died, he left behind his widow and three children: Emma, Charles, and Raven. But having only omega-heirs, Brian’s estate is entailed away to a distant relative, Kurt Marko and his son Cain. Emma was supposed to provide for them by marrying the very wealthy Erik Lernsherr, but two days after the engagement was announced, Emma elopes with her lover Sebastian Shaw. Left penniless and their family’s reputation in shambles, the suitors stop courting and society shuns them. Charles is forced to seek employment as a governess (or the omega equivalent) to support his sister and mother.

Surprisingly, the only one willing to hire Charles is actually Emma’s jilted fiancee, who recently gained custody of his deceased sister and brother-in-law’s daughter, Anya. Erik wants the best for his niece, and recalls Charles to be a clever and accomplished gentleman, though he by no means lets Charles forget that he’s there at his charity, and one wrong move and Charles will be out on the streets.

Charles bonds with Anya, eventually bonding with Erik and then feelings happen until the Markos arrive to claim their inheritance, when Cain falls deeply in lust with Charles. Despite Cain being boorish, crude, and having no respect for social mores, Charles accepts Cain’s proposal. Now he has to deal with jealous!Erik and the humiliation of a fiancee who loudly discusses the scent of his heat in public and privately threatens to fuck him ‘til he bleeds so he can’t even walk without remembering to whom Charles belongs.

Comments: I adore this fic so much. Unfortunately, it’s unfinished but this is an amazing read, especially if you’re looking for a proper slow-burn. Also, this one is on the kinkmeme at LiveJournal, and the format is annoying. Please don’t let that stop you from reading it though! 

[gerec]

Ao3 Dirtybad Recs  

For @irelise​ - the second half of my dirtybad rec list! You can find the corresponding kinkmeme dirtybad rec list here.

Also, some shameless self promotion -  here’s my own series of dirtybadpornz aptly titled The Dirty Bad :D

There are 36 Ao3 recs here with the bulk under the cut. Lots of different pairings; all PWP; all dirtybad (obviously mind the warnings/tags). If you have a fave not on this list it might be because I felt it was dirty but not BAD enough to be considered dirtybadpornz. There’s also the chance it wasn’t to my taste; this is a personal rec list after all, and I make no claims to liking the same things you might like lol! Anyway I hope you find something here to enjoy!!! 

His Favorite Sin by dreamlittleyo

AU future fic, three years down the line. Charles finds himself cornered in one of Magneto's secret research facilities. Azazel can't keep his hands to himself.

Outside Upside Inside Down by Rubynye 

While waiting for Erik to come rescue Charles, Shaw and his Hellfire Club disport themselves. Then Erik finally arrives.

Drag Me On Down, Gladly I'll Follow by TehChou

Charles enjoys a night on the town and wakes in the bed of the stranger he met last night. He insists that nothing happened between them, but that doesn't stay true for long.

Erik fails miserably at not being jealous and when he finds out who the 'stranger' was, things come to a head.

Keys and Cages by orphan_account

When Charles and Raven are taken captive by King Shaw, they're separated and married off -- Charles to Shaw and Raven to Erik. There's nothing but the worst to assume of the man known as the Black King and his stoic right-hand.

Beneath Me by Magnetism_bind

Charles is a young lord staying at his family's estate for the summer. Erik is his family's stable-hand.

Hospitality by fatal_drum

In another world, Charles was forced from his home only to find a place by Sebastian Shaw's side as his trusted telepath and plaything. When Erik inevitably comes seeking revenge, Shaw decides to give him a taste of the benefits of being an evil overlord - starting with Charles. 

To Be Anywhere Else by helens78

Charles wakes up drugged, with Erik's boss demanding tribute. He gets it, even though Charles doesn't want to give it to him.

Play with Me by PoppyX

Teacher!Erik enjoys looking at jailbait!student!Charles and said boy enjoys making Erik look(fav of all fav kinks omg). Cue some resolved sexual tension and desk sex. Also, Charles sends porny notes hidden under his papers.

but everything looks better when the sun goes down by Coshledak 

It's become some unwritten rule that, if they should argue, Charles retreating to bed for the night is as figuratively a closed door as it is literally. The argument is over, at least until morning, and that's it. Erik doesn't know, precisely, how it was that this rule popped up, but he's been dealing with it for months.

Something Primal by zimothy (orphan_account)

Charles struggled to get out of his seat, hurrying to stand when the reality of the situation hit him. Erik Lehnsherr was his Alpha. Erik Lehnsherr was here to claim him. Erik Lehnsherr was going to do it in the middle of the classroom full of his peers.

At Any Time by musical_emjay

Strangers on a train. Things go as you might expect.

Treasure by professor

Knight Erik thinks he's going to slay the dragon and take the beast's treasure. He's very, very wrong about that.

He Ate My Heart (You Little Monster) by citizenjess (givehimonemore)

Erik decides to teach Emma a lesson about earning her keep in the Brotherhood. Set after "First Class."

The document title for this one is 'oh god did I really'. Says it all. by tahariel

“Erik seems to have got such a lot from you, Mr Xavier, that I thought it would be a shame for the rest of us not to have a try and see what other wonders your ass has in store for us,” says Shaw, just his lower legs and spit-shined shoes visible from Charles’ flattened position among the papers and pens of the desktop.

Secrets And Meetings by orphan_account

Logan comes to visit, and Charles gives into temptation as he too often does these days.

Xavier Bitch by Anonymous

Charles is unfortunately used to Kurt prostituting him out, but this time the client's dog wants in on the action too.

Broken by gregorin_greymalkin, twisted_id

AU from X-Men. Rogue doesn’t get captured at the railway station. Wolverine and Cyclops do. Toad tongues Cyclops while a tied-up Wolverine watches. Sabretooth makes everything worse. Major League non-con.

A Matter of Trust by a1_kitkat

Because there's a severe lack of X-Men:First Class Gangbang fics

Cocktail Party by Not_You

Alpha!Emma and Omega!Charles

The City is At War by theydonotmove

A non-powered High School AU, in which Charles and Erik are as obsessed with each other as they are with getting other people into bed.

Masterpiece by professor

An artist sculpts his finest creation.

Missed Connections by thatoldbroad

On a subway ride, a random stranger catches Charles's attention and from there his obsession begins.

Deep Cover by Subtilior

Omegas in heat? The perfect whores. Sebastian Shaw? The bastard who kidnaps them for his Hellfire Club. Erik Lehnsherr? A hard-boiled detective who's been on the Hellfire case for months. The catastrophe that unfolds when he goes in on retrieval and finds Charles Xavier still writhing in a Hellfire bed? .... Deep Cover.

Times Are Gone For Honest Men by citizenjess (givehimonemore)

"He used to cry, but Shaw won't draw it out too much if Charles doesn't show too much emotion."

It's Not Sharing If You Throw It In The River by tahariel 

Erik brings home a stranger to fuck Charles while he watches and gives instructions.

Does It Feel Like This When by helens78

Erik keeps everything -- body, mind -- under wraps, leaving Charles no choice but to find other outlets for his desires. When those desires cut a little too close to home, though, everything comes out into the open.

Barefoot Muse by velvetcadence

Prompt: "Charles is deaged to a small-sized nerdy looking kid/teen. Erik is fascinated and can't keep his hands off the soft smooth skin of this Charles. Charles obliges, trusting Erik blindly because Raven had told him that Erik is a close friend of his older self.

Beatus Vir by velvetcadence

Erik’s descent to hell began with a whisper, a breathy, “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.”

Sham by OffTheRocks

As they settle in Westchester, Erik finds out something disturbing about Charles' history in that house.

Charles is a clever child who wants to be a grown-up. Harry simply offers to teach him.

sugar milk and molasses by pearl_o

The first time Charles gets fucked, it's with Raven's cock.

Who's Come a-Knockin'? by ShadyQuiet

Logan follows his nose to the degraded remains of a pack in Westchester. Or to the omega there, more specifically. He doesn't count on the odd-ball co-dependent pair he comes across, or the unkempt and uncared for omega named Charles. Every man's got standards, even a wandering one like Logan, and Charles needs a bit of work before he's fit for the claiming.

That isn't about to stop the alpha from taking what's his though, with or without the help of Hank-wannabe-alpha-McCoy.

Run, Lottie by a_q

Inspired by a prompt in the meme (but not strictly fulfilling it) of going into heat while surrounded by fighting alphas. Charles as always-female!Charles, aka Charlotte.

Leave Me To Lay But Touch Me Deep by Synekdokee

David pulls out a chair and sits down, facing Charles. He beckons with his hand, a gesture so subtle and efficient it seems calculated, measured.

Or programmed, whispers the voice in Charles's head, but it's too fleeting for Charles to grasp. So Charles obeys, goes to stand next to David, his body swaying lightly as he struggles to keep his eyes open.

"In my lap," instructs David, guiding Charles with his hands until Charles is straddling him.

Cannot Fill The Chasm by Rubynye

"One of the boys... riding Erik while Charles gives them telepathic cues on what to do."

XMFC/DOFP Porn Battle Entry (2015) by Kernezelda

Prompt: Erik/fem!Charles, Shaw/Erik, Shaw/fem!Charles, pregnancy, pregnant sex, dub-con, captivity, anal

Eternal by Unforgotten

After being changed into a vampire, Charles goes home to change Raven into one too - but not before having a little fun with her, first.

[legxllyblxndc]

uni party ( @foreverwednesday​ )

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "I honestly didn't know she was going to be here! I'm being serious!" Gabe protested as the group looked across the club at Freya. It was probably one of the biggest nights out of the university year and Gabe was so glad the girls had brought them along, but he'd genuinely had no clue that Freya was going to be there. If he was honest, he kind of hoped she didn't come over; he just wanted to enjoy his night with his friends. "She won't even know I'm here if nobody says anything, okay? There's too many people."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie raised an eyebrow as Gabe tried to pretend he hadn't known Freya was going to be there, but she didn't say anything - it was her first night out since everything happened and it felt so different. She was used to being on high alert, knowing that Kurt would want to know everything... She should feel free now, but she still felt a little on edge. She downed her drink and looked around at her friends, silently. When her eyes drifted over Link, her gaze dipped slightly - they still hadn't spoken about what happened and she didn't know if she wanted to or not.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Tommy laughed, rolling his eyes. "Of course you fucking knew, Gabe. You probably fucking planned it." Tommy laughed, rolling his eyes. He didn't really care, though - he was distracted by the fact that Florence was also here. He'd hoped she would be - they hadn't spoken since the night of the city break and he was desperate to speak to her again. He wanted to make things right, but he didn't want to beg. "She better not come over, or I'll leave you to deal with her alone. I'm not putting up with that girl tonight." He rolled his eyes.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie chewed on her lip as she listened to the groups conversation; she wasn't the biggest fan of Freya either, but she felt a little bit bad for Gabe. She looked over at Annabelle to see her reaction; she was sure that her friend wouldn't be happy at all about this new revelation. She raised an eyebrow. She was worried about tonight, if she was honest - she and Annabelle didn't have much money at all, but she didn't think she could get through it sober.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Fucking hell, is every single person that ever enrolled in our uni here?" Aiden laughed, raising an eyebrow as they stepped into the club. He was glad they'd had pre-drinks at Maddie and Cassidy's, but he also hadn't realised Elijah was going to be there... And he was finding it hard to be around him at the moment. It was hard to pretend that he had no feelings for him when they were around each other so much. He wanted to act like normal, though - he didn't want his friends to catch on.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie smiled as they walked into the club, but she instantly turned to look at Arthur and give him a more comforting smile. She had no idea how it felt for him to be in a place like this, but she imagined it wasn't nice. "This is crazy, right?" She raised an eyebrow, shaking her head as she looked around the place. She hadn't drank much at pre-drinks and she didn't plan on drinking much whilst they were here; she always wanted Arthur to have her, if he needed her.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: James laughed loudly as they got into the club, letting out a cheer of happiness. "Yes! Look at his place!" He grinned. He loved a university night out and he was excited to experience one with Cassidy and her friends; he loved the way things were going between them recently. "What do you want to drink?" He asked her with a grin, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link laughed as he listened to Gabe and Tommy, "Yeah, none of us believe you Gabe." He was really trying to be normal. He was trying to be around his friends like nothing had happened - but he wasn't sure how to really be around Emilie. Link didn't want to bring up what he had said to her. He wanted to forget it all if he was completely honest. He was pretty sure that Emilie didn't feel the same. If she did, she'd have said something by this point, right? He knew her well enough to think that, that was the case, anyway.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle rolled her eyes as she realised that Freya was there. She was already in a bad mood. Vance had tried to stop her from going to the party. She had ignored him, obviously, and gone anyway but she knew that he would be pissed. Annabelle almost thought it was a good thing. If he was pissed at her, he might just be pissed enough to end it. Annabelle knew that Vance had to be the one to end things, she knew that she'd just keep going back to him otherwise. She wasn't strong enough to be without it. "If she does come over here, i'll stab her." Annabelle growled. She had no idea what was happening with Freya and Gabe but she wasn't happy about it.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "What do you want to drink?" Theo asked Edie with a small smile. He knew that they were low on money but that wasn't the only reason he was asking. They hadn't spoke about what had happened between them but he knew that it was good. He knew that it was a step in the right direction. If something else happened with them soon, then Theo knew he would have to try and talk to her about it all.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Florence hadn't even realised that Tommy was going to be there. It wasn't like he went to either of the London schools that she had heard were invited. She hadn't spoke to him since they had all gone away and she didn't think that she had any intention to talk to him again. She really did want to be done with him. Instead, she had come to the party with a few of her friends - and someone that her friend set her up with. He was fine. He was good looking and he was kind of funny. Just didn't really have a patch on Tommy.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "They said it was going to be big." Elijah nodded. He couldn't say no when Maddie had invited him. She knew that he had feelings for a boy and he couldn't let her realise that, that boy was Aiden. He didn't know how his friend would react and he didn't really think anything was going to happen. "Guess it's going to be difficult to not lose each other tonight, don't you think?"

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur had only agreed to go to this because the rest of his friends were. He was really trying to get back into normal life and he thought that, that also included all of this. He just felt a little uncomfortable, something he was sure the others would know. "It's mad." He nodded with a laugh. There were so many people there - it would be easy for him to sneak off and get himself a drink without anyone else even knowing where he'd gone.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Cassidy laughed as she and James walked into the club with the rest of her friends. She was so glad he had agreed to go with them tonight. "It's great, isn't it?" She looked up at him with a smile. "I want tequila, if we're gonna be completely honest." She nudged him with a laugh. "I know all their orders. Come on. Lets go to the bar." She wrapped her arm around his waist with a smile

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "But I'm telling the truth!" Gabe argued, sighing over dramatically as it became obvious that none of his friends believed that he hadn't invited her. "I don't want her here, the last time I spoke to her it was really weird, she knew loads of stuff I'd been doing even though I hadn't told her." He shook his head, obviously scared by these happenings. "You won't need to stab anybody, she's not coming over." He sighed, ducking his head as Freya looked in their direction.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: As awkward as Emilie felt, she couldn't help but laugh as she heard Annabelle. "You won't need to, I'll be dragging her out of the door before she even takes a step over this way." She rolled her eyes. She really couldn't be bothered with Freya tonight. As Link spoke, she looked at him with interest. She wondered what he thought about what had happened; did he regret it or not? She couldn't stop thinking about it, but she hadn't told anybody yet.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "You keep saying that, buddy." Tommy laughed, clapping Gabe on the back as he looked over at Link with a grin. He knew that all of their teasing was good natured and he always enjoyed winding Gabe up. He looked over as he spotted Florence, raising an eyebrow as he saw the boy she was with. He couldn't help but laugh. He was determined that she wouldn't be going home with that same boy.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie glanced up with a smile as she heard Theo's voice; since the city break, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him and about what had happened and she wondered if and when it would happen again. She was kind of glad they hadn't spoken about it, though - because she had no idea what she would say. She loved him, but she was a complete mess. "Hm - I'll have a vodka coke, please. I'll get your next one." She smiled. She could afford that, at least - and she didn't want him to feel like he had to pay her way.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Aiden turned his head as he realised that Elijah was the one responding to him - he wanted to talk to him so desperately, but he was so scared of what would happen if his friends found out what was going on. "Yeah, I guess so - we should've all had matching hats or something." He smiled, shaking his head. He was worried about what would happen if they lost Arthur.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Mad." Maddie repeated with a laugh, shaking her head. "We'll just have to all keep an eye on our phones, in case one of us gets lost." She smiled as she heard Elijah. Like Aiden, she didn't want them losing Arthur - because she thought she knew what might happen. "You won't lose me, right? I'll get swallowed by all of this." She looked at him with a little laugh.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "It's amazing - I love it when the club is like this." James grinned. This was exactly his kind of environment - and he didn't know enough about Cassidy's friends yet to know that some of them wouldn't enjoy it. "Of course you do." He laughed, nodding his head. "Come on, then! Looks like we're getting the first round." He laughed. He'd just been paid, so he didn't mind at all.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link smiled as he looked back at Tommy. He loved that he already knew what his friend was thinking. It was easy to pick on Gabe but it was all done with good intentions. None of them actually wanted to upset him. "She's fucking stalking you then." He could feel Emilie looked at him but he couldn't bring himself to look at her. He didn't want to do something which gave away to the rest of them that he liked her. The only one who knew what he had said, was Tommy and he knew he could trust him no matter what.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle laughed as Emilie spoke and she nodded her head, "And this is why you're my best friend." She shrugged. She sometimes didn't realise how they obviously made Edie the odd one out. Annabelle loved Edie but it was a different kind of love. She saw Edie as a sister, as someone who understood everything she went through. Emilie was her best friend, her ride or die. They were completely different things in her head. Annabelle knew the pair enough to know that something was going on with Emilie and Link, she just couldn't figure out what it was.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Florence knew that Tommy was looking over, she knew that he had noticed her. Florence had made sure that she looked immaculate, just in case he was there. She didn't know how long she and Tommy were going to go in circles. She really did want it to end. She wanted them to either work it out or let each other go. But she had no idea if that was ever going to happen. Florence was barely paying attention to the boy that she was with - but she was good at faking interest.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo sometimes found it shocking how Edies friends spoke about people. He didn't think that he would ever even dare. Theo shook his head, "No, it's alright. My mum and dad gave me money for tonight so -" He shrugged. he didn't think that, that was a big deal but he knew that it was for Edie. And he would rather the money go on her anyway.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah wondered what Aiden was thinking. He really wanted to talk to him, to be honest with him like Maddie said but he was scared. He didn't want Aiden to just shut him down, to make out like he was crazy. He snapped back to attention with a small smile. "Yeah - something like that. Something to easily see each other." Elijah laughed and nodded his head. "It's not even like any of us are that tall. We'll just blend in."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Yeah - that sounds like a plan." Arthur nodded. He really wanted to stay with his friend. He didn't want to feel tempted - but he already knew that he did. He didn't know if he would ever stop that urge. "of course not." He chuckled with a nod of his head. Arthur took her hand then, as though to prove it. "Just don't let go." He shrugged. He was so comfortable around Maddie and she hoped the same could be said for her too.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Yeah - me too. I love the thought of being able to get lost in the crowd for a bit, you know?" Cassidy asked with a raise of an eyebrow and a smile. She was definitely aware of the fact that Tommy was there, though. She was just trying to ignore it. "I've known them long enough." She laughed as she shrugged her shoulders. "Perfect." The brunette nodded before she started to make her way to the bar.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "I know! Like when she used to read my mail and stuff. She's fucking crazy!" Gabe shook his head - he knew that realistically, Freya had probably just had a quick stalk of his social media, but he still didn't like it. He wondered if Vance was going to turn up tonight and he really hoped not; he rather hoped that after Emilie and Kurt, Annabelle and Vance would be done for good before long.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie raised an eyebrow as Link didn't look back at her - she thought it was on purpose. She sighed and looked to Annabelle instead, smiling at her friends words. She hated the fact that, on the surface, things were okay - but she knew that both she and Link were all too aware that they weren't. With everything going on, she'd barely had the time to think about it all and yet she had - nonstop. She still had no idea what she was supposed to do. "Okay, are we just going to stand here and discuss Gabe's stalker and how to get rid of her all night? I'm bored." She raised an eyebrow as she looked around at the group.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Tommy knew that Florence knew he was there - and it made him enjoy this all even more. She couldn't ignore him all night, he knew that. "I'm bored, too. Let's play a game of something." He raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Dares?" He suggested with a grin. He thought that could be fun, in a place like this. "Can we get some shots, please? Just fill a tray." He told the bartender. "In case anybody forfeits." He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. He wanted to have fun tonight.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie didn't usually join in when her friends spoke about stuff like this and she knew it was probably the reason she was on the outside a lot; she didn't blame them for it, though. She was always on the outside, in some way or another - the only person who didn't make her feel like that was Theo. "If you're sure." She smiled, nodding her head. She loved his parents, she always had. "How are your parents doing?"

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "I'm sure we'll manage." Aiden chuckled softly. He couldn't imagine being in the same room as Elijah and not noticing him, if he was honest. He hadn't felt like this in a long time about anybody and it really scared him; he was so sure he wasn't gay, so why did he feel like this? "God, I know. The worst group of people. We'll just have to look out for James." He laughed, raising an eyebrow as he looked over to James and Cassidy at the bar. He was the tallest of them, he thought.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie smiled as Arthur took her hand, squeezing it gently. Everything just felt so natural and comfortable with him - she knew that if it was anybody else, she'd think into it a lot more than she did. But with Arthur, he was just... Arthur. "Well, that sounds doable." She laughed, nudging him gently. "Although going to the toilet might be awkward, so we'd better stick to sipping." She laughed softly.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Exactly. All of these people we probably pass every single day and we've never even spoken to them. It's fucking crazy." James laughed, shaking his head. "I'm still impressed that you know all of their orders, though." He laughed, raising an eyebrow. He thought that was a sign of a great friendship, to be honest.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Literally fucking insane." Link nodded. He'd never liked that to describe a person but he thought that it was pretty damn fitting for Freya if he was completely honest. He couldn't think of another word for her. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Tommy and nodded his head. He knew that there was no point in trying to deny his friend of what he wanted and Link was sure that it was going to be interesting.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle was almost certain that Vance was going to show up - and she almost hoped that he would. She wanted to see what his reaction would be, in front of all of her friends. Especially because she knew that he wouldn't dare bring Kurt there for back up. Annabelle hadn't seen the latter since she had found out what happened to Emilie but she wasn't afraid to tear him apart once she did. "Go on then, Tommy." Annabelle looked at him with a smirk. She had, had a little bit of something extra before she had come out - it was the last that she had - so she felt a little braver than usual.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo had a small group of friends but none of them were as close as Edie was with hers. He didn't think that he could ever live with any of them like she did. "Yeah - they're good. They're getting by. My dad is starting to seem like himself again, which is nice." His dad was always the dad that people would love. He was funny, forever cracking jokes. But when his brother died, that all went away. It seemed like his dad was finally starting to find who he was again. Theo sighed as he heard Tommys voice. He didn't know how comfortable he felt but he knew he wouldn't say no if Edie was playing. "You wanna play?" He asked her.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "We'll have to, right?" Elijah asked. He knew a couple other people there so if he got lost, he knew it wasn't the end of the world. He was glad that he and Aiden were talking though. He thought it was a good sign for their friendship at least. "Yeah - that sounds like a plan." Elijah nodded. He wasn't really sure what else to say. Elijah had found it so easy to talk to Aiden when they first met but now he was second guessing everything.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur had always had a special place for Maddie. She didn't make him feel like a loser, like he usually did. She made him feel like his old self. The self that had a problem but was at least able to spend time with his friends without completely combusting. He knew he was lucky to have her there. He laughed as she spoke again, "Clearly I did not think this through."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "I don't even recognise half of them!" Cassidy laughed. She knew that Tommy wouldn't even give her a seconds thought but Cassidy hated being around him. He made her angry just by looking at him. She looked back up to James as she shrugged her shoulders, "It also helps that two are just gonna be cokes but --" She laughed. She didn't know if he knew about Arthurs problems."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Yeah, she's fucking crazy Gabe. But more on that later - when she attacks." Tommy laughed, shrugging his shoulders. He hadn't even noticed that Cassidy was there and he wouldn't care if he did - he thought she'd be over what he'd done by now. "Okay then Gellar, you're first." He smirked, his eyes twinkling as he thought of a dare. "Get us these shots," he nodded over at the shots that were coming over on a tray. "For free." He grinned, raising an eyebrow. He didn't know if she could do it or not, but he wanted to see.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie smirked as she heard Tommy suggesting dares - this was always guaranteed to make things more fun and and she knew they could trust Tommy to come up with things that were going to spice things up. She laughed as she heard Annabelle's dare, leaning back against the bar to watch her friend, to see what she did. Emilie knew how she would do it, but she didn't know if Annabelle would have the same technique or not.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: One of Gabe's favourite things about their group of friends was that they never let things be boring; they would always find ways of entertaining themselves and he loved it. He grinned as he heard Annabelle's - he thought it was pretty doable. "Go on, Anna!" He grinned, cheering her on. He hoped she succeeded anyway, because he already wanted one of the shots.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie had a different relationship to Annabelle than she did to anybody else; she would definitely agree that they were sisters, two sides of the same coin - but it didn't necessarily mean they were what she and Emilie were. It was why they could live together, though, when she didn't think that Annabelle and Emilie ever could. "Good, that's so good - I'm glad he's doing okay." She smiled. Theo's dad had always been so nice to her - his mum too. "Nope." She whispered, shaking her head. "Other side of the bar?" She gestured over to a space. She knew her friends wouldn't make her play, if she didn't want to.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Aiden wished things weren't so awkward between he and Elijah, but he knew that it was him who had made it that way - he was the reason things were awkward. He was determined to at least have a normal conversation with him, though. "Oh for gods sake..." He muttered, getting distracted. "Tommy Morley's here." He wondered if Cassidy knew yet or not.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie didn't see Arthur any differently now to how she had done before - he'd made a mistake and she was never going to hold that against him, or judge him for it. He was still her best friend, the person who had done so much for her. It was who he'd always be to her. "Eh, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it!" She laughed, squeezing his hand softly. She was happy to be there with him and to know that he wanted to be with her.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "But don't you think that's crazy?!" James laughed. He loved meeting new people, getting to talk to them - so places like this were great for him. "No way, who's on the coke?!" He laughed as Cassidy spoke. He had no idea about Arthur's troubles, so it seemed crazy to him that anybody would come to a club and drink a coke.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle laughed as Tommy spoke. "Oh please." She rolled her eyes at the dare before she turned to the barman, a wide smile on her face. She was sure that she would think of something. "So - it's my birthday!" Annabelle laughed. And my friend over there - she came in here last week and got a load of free shots for her birthday so.." She lent a little forward to look up at the barman. After a couple moments, he nodded his head. Annabelle turned back to her friends with a laugh ,"Fucking easy."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link knew that whatever was gonna be thrown at them, they were going to have fun with. He thought his friends always came up with the best ones. He watched Annabelle, an amused smile on his face as he did so. He had a dare for Tommy but he knew he had to save it for a little bit - they needed to be a bit drunker than they were right now and even then, he didn't know if he'd do it.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo had really hated seeing his dad like he was. It had almost made the whole thing worse but he would never say that, of course. He tried to keep everything together - that was why he had to let his relationship go. He couldn't balance everything. Theo liked that Edies friends wouldn't make her do something that she didn't want to do. He liked that they respected her decisions enough for that. He nodded his head, "Yeah, of course." He smiled.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah just how no idea where he and Aiden stood anymore and that was what was confusing him. As far as he had been aware, Aiden was straight. So Elijah needed to keep his feelings in check. He couldn't let things get out of hand. Over the last few weeks, he had come to terms with his sexuality - not that he had really told anyone yet. "Is that Cassidys ex?" Elijah asked, he was pretty sure he had heard about him.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur was so used to people treating him differently than before, that Maddie was a breath of fresh air. She made him feel like he was able to be himself, despite everything that had happened. "Yeah - we will." He nodded with a laugh. He was glad that they were all there together though. He liked spending time with his friends.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "It's how the world is." Cassidy laughed with a shrug of her shoulders. "But we'll find you some new people to talk to tonight, yeah?" She asked with a raise of an eyebrow. She loved that James was willing to talk to anyone. It was definitely something she admired about him. "Arthur. And Maddie, probably." She didn't think it was her place to tell him why though.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Tommy watched Annabelle, his smile slowly growing wider as he watched her. He was impressed to say the least - although he definitely thought that she had an advantage, being a girl. "Yes! Well fucking done." He laughed, nodding his head. "Alright, everybody do a shot - and then it's your turn to dare somebody." He nodded his head at Annabelle as he took a shot, knocking it back with ease. He loved games like this; everything was a game to Tommy. Everything had to be fun.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie smirked as she watched Annabelle; she had known her friend would manage it and she was definitely impressed with the technique. "Iconic." She winked over at her, taking a shot at Tommy's instruction. She wasn't usually so willing to let him be in charge, but tonight she was happy to just go with the flow - she was still slowly getting used to being free, in a sense. She looked at Annabelle to see what the next dare would be; she knew that if anybody was going to pick her, it would be Annabell.e

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie had almost forgotten what it was like to have parents you felt like you could go to for anything - in fact, she wasn't sure if she'd ever had it. She hadn't spoken to her parents in months and she didn't think they cared. "They'll start off tame, but somebody will end up in a mood before long." She laughed softly. She knew her friends far too well. Somebody would take it too far.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Aiden wasn't even close to coming to terms with his sexuality - it just wasn't something he felt capable of doing, not yet. It was too much. He liked Elijah, he wanted to be around him... But he didn't want that to mean what it did. "Yeah, that's him. Have you ever met him?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He didn't hate many people, but Aiden knew without a doubt that he hated Tommy Morley for what he'd done to Cassidy.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie's smile faded slightly as she heard Aiden and she looked over to where his gaze was directed, sighing softly. She didn't like disliking people, but she couldn't help it with Tommy - he had been so horrible to Cassidy, it was unforgivable. "Well - it looks like you might get your first meeting of Tommy Morley tonight." She sighed as she looked up at Arthur. She hoped not, though.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Yeah, you're right." James smiled, nodding his head. He loved being around Cassidy, he loved just being able to talk to her about anything and everything. "Is that a promise?" He chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Why?" He didn't know that he was being intrusive, he was just genuinely curious because he'd seen Maddie drink at parties before - just didn't realise that those had been parties that Arthur wasn't at.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle shrugged her shoulders with a laugh before she grabbed one of the shots. If she didn't think that Vance could be there, or that he could have someone watching, she might've flirted a little bit more with the bartender. She happily took one of the shots and downed it quickly. She smirked then, as she looked at Emilie. "Alright babe-" She laughed. She looked around the room for a second before her gaze fell on the boy with Florence, "Go and make out with him." She thought that she was free and this was probably a good way to celebrate.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link laughed as Tommy spoke, "Who put you in charge?" He asked with a raise of an eyebrow but it was clear that he was only playing with him. He didn't even realise that people wouldn't like Tommy. He was one of Links best friend and would defend him no matter what. Link sighed as he heard Emilies dare and he looked at her curiously, wondering if she would do it or not.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo knew that his parents would be thrilled if they heard that he was talking to Edie again. He knew that they liked her and asked about her all of the time. Theo didn't know if he should say that or not. "You know you can come over some time? For sunday roast or something." He shrugged. He thought his parents were tactful enough to not say anything they shouldn't. "That's how it always is with them, right?"

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Really, Elijah just wanted to know if there was even a possibility of something happened with Aiden. He just wanted to know - or if his feelings were just one sided. Elijah shook his head, "No. But I've heard stories. He was seeing one of the girls in my class for a bit." He shrugged. It hadn't ended well though and Elijah was unsure of what to think of the other.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur raised an eyebrow as he watched the Maddies facial expressions change. He had never seen that look on her face before. But as she explained who it was she was thinking about, he nodded his head, "Do we want that to happen, though?" He asked with a raise of an eyebrow. Because he didn't think any of them actually liked him. He didn't think that Arthur would be any different to that.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Cassidy smiled as she looked at James before she nodded her head, "Yeah. I promise. I'm sure there's loads of people here that you can get to know." She laughed. She loved that about James. He was never, ever boring and that was really fun. "Oh er - Arthur doesn't drink anymore. He has a bit of a problem." She thought that, that was the best way to put it. What had happened with his wife and daughter definitely wasn't hers to share.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie followed Annabelle's Gabe with a curious expression, unable to hide the burst of laughter as she heard her dare. Had she been with Kurt she wouldn't have even considered it and it took her a second to realise that it was actually okay, she could do it if she wanted. And she was never one to back down from a dare. "Let's hope his morals are as loose as yours, yeah?" She laughed as she looked to Tommy, taking another two shots off the tray and downing them as she walked over to where they were all standing. The boy wasn't bad looking, but he absolutely wasn't her type. Nevertheless, she put on a fake smile and struck up conversation, flirting until there was a natural lull and she leaned in - having to hide a laugh as he kissed her back. She wasn't bothered at all what Florence would think - she knew she was probably only using him as a Tommy replacement.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Are you joking? I'm always in charge." Tommy grinned - he was joking, but he also thought it was probably the truth. He thought the others looked to him a lot. "Fucking hell!" He laughed as he heard Annabelle's dare - and he couldn't deny that he liked it. He didn't want Florence to be here with anybody else. He watched with interest, seeing how Emilie played it - and although he didn't want to give anything away, as they kissed he couldn't help but look back at Link, seeing what his friends reaction would be. He actually felt pretty bad for not thinking about it when he'd first heard the dare.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Gabe found the dare hilariously funny, especially because it was Emilie and her standards were usually so high - they had never seen her do anything like this before. "Oh my god!" He laughed loudly as she completed the dare, clasping his hand over his mouth. His eyes were trained on Florence, seeing how she reacted.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie's smile grew as Theo invited her over; she would love that. She had always loved going to see his parents, but she wondered if they would see a difference in her now. "Yeah, that would be great." She said with a smile, before she could stop herself. "Yeah, it is..." She sighed, her eyes widening as she saw Emilie. "Oh wow.." She muttered, looking over to her friends and then back to the girl.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Yeah, I bet he was." Aiden rolled his eyes. "I hate that guy! He's honestly one of the worst people you'll ever meet. It's like he fucking stepped out of a TV show or something - I've never met anybody as full of themselves." He rolled his eyes. He wasn't an aggressive person at all, but he would absolutely love to punch Tommy square in the face.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "No, I don't think so... I hope he doesn't come over here or anything." Maddie sighed. She knew that with Tommy, there was every chance he would - she had been so nice to him while he was with Cassidy and honestly, she really regretted it. She didn't think he deserved any kindness from them, after the way he'd treated Cassidy. Not that she would ever be rude - she just wished she hadn't made as much effort.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: James laughed, nodding his head. "Perfect, then!" His family had always been the type to encourage him to speak to anybody, to make new friends on holidays and all the rest and it had definitely stuck. "Oh - okay." He smiled simply, nodding his head. He wasn't going to question it any further, that was enough for him. "So - two cokes, some tequila, what else?"

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle smirked as Emilie moved over to Florence and the others. She had half expected her friend to say no but she was so glad that, that wasn't the case. She looked at Gabe with a laugh as she heard him, "I fucking love her." Annabelle laughed, holding out one of the shots to Gabe with a smile. She thought that Florences face was such a picture and she loved that.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Sure you are. I think the girls would have something to say about that." Link laughed. He never really thought that there was a 'leader' of the group - though if he had to pick one, he'd probably say Emilie over Tommy. Link dropped his gaze once Emilie kissed the other. He didn't see the point in watching it. He couldn't stop Emilie from doing what she wanted, he knew that, he just wasn't happy about it.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Florence raised an eyebrow as Emilie came over to them - and once she and the boy she came with started kissing, she glared over at Tommy. She figured that this was his doing and really, it made her less willing to talk to him. She thought that it was really childish and Florence really wanted to be done with all of that. "Are you quite finished?" She asked Emilie with a raise of an eyebrow. it was clear how little she liked the other.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Perfect. They'll be delighted." Theo nodded his head. He knew that his parents wouldn't admit it, but they had missed her. They had always thought that he and Edie were a good match. But Theo knew they wouldn't say anything about what the two of them were. They had always been good like that. "Bloody hell.." Theo muttered with a shake of his head and a laugh.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah didn't think he had ever hated anyone but it was clear that Aiden did, "Was he really bad to her?" He asked. He didn't think Cassidy would've ever put up with something like that but he supposed you never really knew anyone - and it was probably easy to get swept up in someone like Tommy Morley. "But she's good now - She's with James." He smiled. He really liked james.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "He won't, right ? I mean that sounds pretty risky to me." Arthur shrugged his shoulders. He didn't know the guy but he would do anything to make sure that he would protect his friends. His friends were everything to him, they were his family now. "Besides - I'll make sure Cass is alright." He nodded.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Cassidy didn't think she had been around someone like James before. He was almost infectious. His whole outlook on life. It was really nice. And she also really liked that he just let it go, he didn't ask anymore questions about Arthur. Cassidy couldn't wait to properly meet his friends but she was really glad that he got to know hers like he did. "Aiden will have beer - whatever you think looks good." She shrugged. "And I'll have a gin and lemonade please."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie pulled away from the boy with an unsatisfied expression on her face, laughing as she turned to see Florence. "Yeah, I'm done. I really wouldn't bother with him, though. Three out of ten - at most." She shrugged her shoulders, smirking as she turned to see her friends. "Ugh - does anybody have a mint or some chewing gum or something? Not good." She laughed, rolling her eyes. She nodded gratefully as Gabe passed her some chewing gum, popping a piece in her mouth and handing the packet back to him. "Who's next?"

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Tommy laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "I'll fight for my title, if I have to." He knew that the girls probably thought Emilie was the leader and in some ways she was, but he would fight for sure. He looked over at Florence with a shrug of his shoulders as she glared at him - he hadn't even given out the dare, so he didn't think that was fair. "It's Link's turn." He smiled, raising an eyebrow. He knew that Emilie should've been the one to dare him, but he didn't want things to be awkward, so he was jumping in. "Alright, let's see... I dare you to..." He looked around the room before he laughed and came up with an idea. He ordered a drink from the bar. "Take this over there." He nodded over to Aiden. "Tell him it's a gift from Tommy Morley." He grinned. He knew the other hated him and he wanted to antagonise him.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Tommy!" Gabe laughed as he heard the dare. He thought it would be quite easy, though - it wasn't like Aiden was going to do anything. It just fun, it was just a game. He was excited for somebody to dare Tommy, though, to get them back for everything he was making them do.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "It'll be really nice to see them - I mean, how long has it even been?" Edie laughed softly. She couldn't remember the last time she'd even seen his parents - too long, she knew that. "This is what I mean, somebody is going to take it too far." She couldn't help laughing, though - she knew how much fun her friends were having with this one game.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Yeah, he was fucking horrible. They were together for a while. He cheated on her with his ex-girlfriend - and god knows who else." Aiden shook his head. He knew that he couldn't really talk about cheating, but he had made a mistake... He hadn't done what Tommy had done. It hadn't been purposeful. It hadn't been a full blown affair. He thought there was a difference. "Yeah, she is. And I'm watching him like a hawk." He laughed, but it was clear he was joking. He really liked James.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "That's his whole thing, Arthur - he finds stuff like that funny." Maddie sighed. She had never met anybody like Tommy before and she didn't want to again. She nodded her head; she trusted that he would. "Yeah, so will I..." She sighed.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: James had no idea that Tommy was around and even if he was, James wasn't sure what he would do - he just wanted to be there for Cassidy, to make sure she was okay. "Okay, very easy!" He laughed, ordering all of their drinks with a smile. "Anything for... Elijah, is it?" He smiled. He liked the other, although tonight was the first time they had properly spoken.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Florence rolled her eyes as Emilie spoke, "Yeah, like I'd listen to your opinion." She muttered with a shake of her head. She was so sure that this was Tommys doing. And even if it wasn't, she was mad at him. She cared about him but she thought that he needed to start respecting what it was that she wanted before anything else was going to happen. She looked up at the boy once Emilie left and rolled her eyes again. She was done with tonight.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle laughed along with her friends as they watched Emilie. "Was he that bad?" She cringed. She had never thought that Florence had good taste - except Tommy - so she didn't think it was that surprising that the guy she was with, wasn't good. She raised an eyebrow as Tommy gave Link his dare and looked at Emilie. She was even more convinced that something was going on now. But as she heard the dare, Annabelle rolled her eyes with a laugh. "He's going to be so mad." She muttered. They all knew that Aiden hated Tommy... but she didn't think Link would chicken out.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link shrugged his shoulders as Tommy turned to him. He tried not to think about why Tommy gave him the dare. He just hoped that none of the others picked up on it. He laughed as he heard the dare and took the drink from him. "Alright - but if he punches me, it's all your fucking fault." He laughed. He knew it was a little in bad spirits but Link was in the same mindset as Gabe. It was just a game. He took the drink from his friend before he moved over to Aiden. "Tommy says enjoy." He muttered, holding out the drink to Aiden.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "God - I don't even know." Theo laughed as he shook his head. It had been at his brothers funeral, he thought, but he didn't see the point in bringing that up. He didn't see the point in bringing the mood down right now. "Yeah - that's what they're like though, right?" He asked. He wondered how bad they were going to get. And he didn't know if he was completely comfortable just watching it all.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah nodded his head as Aiden spoke about Tommy, "Poor Cass.." He muttered. He didn't realise that Cassidy had dealt with that. He thought that was a lot for anyone. "But yeah - that definitely explains why you don't like him." He sighed. He thought that he might be the same if it was him who had to deal with his friend being hurt like that. "You don't think he'd do anything, do you?" He asked with a raise of an eyebrow. Though it was clear that Aiden was joking.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur raised an eyebrow as he listened to Maddie. "So you think he will? He'll do it just to piss Aiden off?" That was already getting his back up. Arthur had always had a bit of trouble with his temper but never more now that he was sober. He was more than sure that things weren't going to go great tonight. "How is she? When he's around?"

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Cassidy was fine as long as he didn't come over -- but as she saw Link starting towards Aiden, she knew that he wouldn't make that easy on any of them. She rolled her eyes with a sigh before she looked back up at James. "Oh right, yeah - er. I dunno actually. He doesn't drink much so maybe a cider?" She shrugged her shoulders. If she was honest, she had all but forgotten about Elijah.

-: Emilie just ignored Florence as she walked away; it had just been a dare, she didn’t think it was a big deal. “So bad.” She laughed in response to Annabelle, but she paused slightly as Tommy jumped in to dare Link so that she couldn’t. She shrugged her shoulders as Annabelle looked at her. She didn’t get it - they were best friends, he was the person she trusted the most. Were they just not supposed to interact anymore unless it was absolutely necessary? She rolled her eyes and listened to Tommy’s dare, purposefully not reacting - she was pissed off at him and she didn’t want to give him her laughter.

-: Tommy laughed, nodding his head. “I can absolutely deal with it being my fault, no problems at all.” He grinned. It pissed him off that Aiden still acted like he was a bad guy, so he wanted to rub in the fact that he didn’t care. He watched with a smug grin as Link went over - he’d known he wouldn’t chicken out and he was excited to see how Aiden reacted. “Look at his face.” He chuckled, shaking his head. The other boy looked absolutely furious and he couldn’t imagine what he was saying to Link right now.

-: Gabe couldn’t help giggling as he watched the exchange, but if he was honest he felt a little bit bad about it - Tommy really hadn’t been very nice to Cassidy so he thought it was probably normal for her friends not to really like him. He still laughed as Tommy did though, shaking his head.

-: Aiden nodded his head; poor Cass indeed, he thought. She had gone out on a limb to trust Tommy and he’d thrown it back in her face completely. He went to respond to Elijah, but paused as Link came over. He honestly couldn’t believe what he was hearing - he hated how much better than everybody else Tommy though he was, how he would do something like this just for a laugh. He felt like punching the drink out of the others hand, but he knew it wouldn’t do anything - it wasn’t actually Tommy. “Tommy can go fuck himself.” He rolled his eyes, turning away from the other and ignoring him. If Tommy wanted a fight, he could come over and start one himself.

-: “Yeah, that’s exactly why he’d do it.” Maddie sighed. She didn’t understand it at all - how could Tommy get a kick out of making somebody else so miserable? “She’s... quiet. She really trusted him.” She shrugged her shoulders. Maddie frowned slightly as she saw Link coming over and she shook her head as she heard him speak. “That’s not funny.” She said, raising an eyebrow.

-: James followed Cassidy’s gaze over to her friends and he raised an eyebrow. “Who’s that?” He asked curiously. None of them looked happy to see him, anyway. “Okay, perfect! And a cider then please, mate.” He told the bartender, handing over his card.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Florence didn't see the point in entertaining Emilie or the others - she just didn't like being a joke to them. She didn't like being a joke to Tommy but she knew that, that was all she was ever going to be. she wondered if he would go over and say something, or if he was just going to keep being a dick. Florence really thought that this time, she would be done with him.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle raised an eyebrow as Emilie refused to laugh. She had no idea what was happening but she knew that she couldn't really do much until Emilie told her what she it was that was going on. She smirked as she looked over at Aiden and saw the look on his face. Though, like Gabe, she couldn't blame Aiden for acting like he did around Tommy. He had hurt Cassidy. if it was someone who messed with one of her friends - Like Tommy had with Cassidy - Annabelle would've made damn sure they knew never to go near her again.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link shrugged his shoulders as Aiden spoke to him, "Don't shoot the messenger." He placed the drink down beside Aiden before he looked at Maddie for a second. "Yeah - it was. You guys just don't have a sense of humour." He laughed as he turned and went back to the others. He didn't think that any of Cassidys friends were going to like him after that but Link also didn't really care.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah fell silent as he noticed Link beside them - but he didn't like how he spoke to Maddie or Aiden. He thought that they were well in their rights to not want to talk to him or his friends. And he didn't see why it was supposed to be funny. "Just ignore them." Elijah muttered and gently placed a hand on his friends shoulder, as though to try and calm him down a little.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur glared at Link as he turned to Maddie and part of him wanted to go after him - he was pretty sure he would've if he had, had a drink. "Who the fuck does he think he is?" Arthur asked with a raise of an eyebrow. "Both of them?" He glared at the two of them before turning back to his friends. Arthur ws sure that it wasn't about to go well if Tommy went over.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Cassidy sighed. "Link. Tommys friend." She rolled her eyes. She should've known that they would've all done something to try and piss her off tonight. They were so close and Cassidy wished that she could do something to tell him to fuck off - without causing a scene and making him laugh at her. Because she knew that, that would be what happened. She shot James a half smile as he ordered the drinks.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Tommy clapped slowly as Link came over, laughing loudly. Seeing the look on Aiden's face had definitely been worth it - he loved knowing he got under peoples skin, knowing how bothered he made them even though they pretended not to be. "How was that?" He chuckled, raising an eyebrow. He thought Link had been the best person for the job, for sure.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie knew that if somebody was doing to her what they were doing to the other group of friends, she would go insane - so she thought their reaction was pretty called for. She couldn't help but smirk as she watched it all go down, though. She thought this was a pretty fun start to the night - she wondered what else was going to happen.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie hadn't meant to bring up the memory of his brothers funeral, she just genuinely hadn't remembered - but now that she thought about it, she thought that was probably when it was. "Yeah, I just hope they all keep on having fun." She laughed. The trouble would start when one of them got offended, not anybody else.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Aiden just didn't get what the joke was - Tommy had betrayed Cassidy, he'd hurt her in the worst way possible and now they were supposed to see the funny side? He just didn't get it. He nodded his head as Elijah spoke, his jaw tight. He reached his hand to cover the others without thinking, removing it as soon as he realised what he'd done. "Fucking asshole." He muttered as he looked over at Tommy.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie wished she was more like Cassidy so that she'd have a better comeback to what Link was saying, but she just shook her head and turned away. She didn't understand how they got such a kick out of being mean to people. "I have no idea. Should we go somewhere else?" She sighed, raising an eyebrow. She didn't want Cassidy to have to deal with any of this.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Right... Wow. They're all that bad, then?" James raised an eyebrow. He hoped nobody was going to try and cause any trouble; he was a chilled out guy, but he would still stand up for the people he cared about if he needed to.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link laughed as he rejoined the group. He knew - deep down - that it was a little mean to treat the others like they did. But he couldn't help but find it funny. He and Tommy were the best of friends but probably the worst influences for one another. Link just wanted to make his friend laugh - and he wasn't going to bow to one of his dares. "He told me to tell you to go fuck yourself so how'd you think?" Link asked with a raise of an eyebrow and a laugh. He turned to Gabe then, "Alright mate, your turn." He thought for a moment. "Go and give your number to one of the girls Freya came with." Mostly, it was to see if his friend was actually serious about not inviting her here.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle shook her head as Link came back over. "I swear to god - Maddie looks like she's gonna cry." The blonde whispered to Emilie. She had only talked to her a couple of times but she didn't understand how someone could have such little backbone. Annabelle had known after two seconds of talking to her that the two of them were not going to be friends.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: *Continued* She raised an eyebrow at Links dare. It seemed pretty tame to her but she was so curious as to how Gabe was going to react to it. "I swear - if this brings her over here, link, you're off in a ditch."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo was really trying to be okay with talking about his brother but it was kind of difficult. He didn't like to bring the mood down and he thought that he did that without even trying when talking about Barney now. "I think we both know that somethings gonna happen tonight." He sighed. Theo was used to being the peace maker with Edie and her friends but that didn't mean he always liked it.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Like Aiden, Elijah didn't see what was funny about what Link had said. He didn't understand where the entertainment was when Tommy had clearly been horrible to Cassidy. He didn't understand how people could just let it happen and go along with it. He smiled for a fleeting moment as Aiden touched his hand - and then he quickly moved it away as Aiden did. "Don't let him ruin your night.."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur sighed as he looked back at Maddie. He wished that he had been there while all of this was going on. He almost felt like it wasn't his place to say something against Tommy or the others when he hadn't been there in the first place to help defend Cassidy. He hated it, but he knew that, that was the truth of the matter. He shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno - ask Cass."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Cassidy sighed. "Tommys the worst." She muttered. She didn't understand why he got such a kick out of upsetting people. It was something that Cassidy had just let slide when they were together and it maddened her now. She knew that, eventually, the two of them would probably have to work together but right now - She didn't even want to pretend to be civil with him. "Thanks." Cassidy smiled as the tray of drinks were pushed over. She moved back over to her friends. "We're not going anywhere." She shook her head. SHe wouldn't let him win.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Aw, tame. I thought he'd at least come over." Tommy laughed, shaking his head. He was glad to know that he'd bothered Aiden, though - that could make for some interesting fun later. He laughed loudly at Gabe's dare, clapping him on the back. "Go on, Gabey - go for the brunette." He smirked, looking over at Annabelle to see what her reaction was to Gabe potentially getting with another girl.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie laughed, raising an eyebrow. "I've never met such a boring, non-person of a person in my whole life. Nice is overrated. And if you ask me, the only reason her friends keep going on about how nice she is, is because they don't have anything better to say." She laughed, shrugging her shoulders. She would hope her friends would have better words to describe her with than nice. She groaned as she heard Gabe's dare. "Don't you fucking dare bring her over here, Gabe. I'll walk away."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Gabe gasped as he heard his dare. "But you - you know how she's gonna be!" He groaned, covering his face with his hands for a few seconds. They all knew Freya and how she could be; Gabe had had a lot of fun with her, but the fun was over now. "Fine." He groaned again, shaking his head. He sighed and began to walk over, making a beeline for the brunette friend... But Freya was in front of him before he could even get there. "Oh my god Gabe, I had no idea you'd be here!"

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Yeah, I know. I wish it wouldn't though." It was a close as she'd come to admitting that she wasn't always comfortable with the things her friends did. "Something weird's been going on lately. I don't know what it is, but I feel like I'm missing out on something." There were just vibes, vibes that were different and she didn't know if Theo had sensed that or not.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Aiden didn't want Tommy to ruin his night, but he hated the fact that he was even here and now he'd actually made contact with them it was even worse. "Yeah. Whatever. He'll end up ruining his own night. He and his friends? They're nothing but trouble. Every night out I've seen them on, some of them start arguing." He shook his head. He knew that they were a tight group of friends, but he couldn't imagine arguing with his close ones constantly.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie turned as she heard Cassidy and put a smile on her face, shrugging her shoulders. "Okay, then - we're staying." She smiled. She had assumed that would be Cassidy's answer. Honestly, Maddie had never felt so out of place as she had when she'd met Tommy's friends and she was very intimidated by them - especially the girls. She just hoped they wouldn't have anymore contact with them tonight.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Yeah, he seems it." James shook his head. He'd heard a lot of tales about the other man and to be honest, he wasn't somebody that he particularly wanted to meet. "Anyway, change of topics - we have drinks!" He smiled as he reached the group, gesturing to the tray with a smile. He wanted to be able to cheer everybody up.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link rolled his eyes as Tommy spoke. "Is that what you wanted, then?" He asked with a raise of an eyebrow. He never knew with Tommy. Sometimes, Link was sure he just wanted to mess with them and then other times, he did things purposely to try and start a fight. He laughed as he watched Gabe and saw Freya stop him before he could even get to the girl he wanted too. "Fucking hell. She's like a fucking bird of pray."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle laughed as Emilie spoke. "There's literally no other way to describe her and that is the dullest thing, I think I've ever heard. Like seriously - why would you want to just be known as nice?!" She asked with a raise of an eyebrow. Annabelle poked her tongue out at Tommy as he looked at her. She knew why he was looking at her and she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. It was a dare, after all. It didn't matter what the dare was, he wasn't giving his number to her because he wanted to. "Jesus.." She muttered with a shake of her head and a sigh .

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo nodded as he listened to Edie and he shrugged his shoulders. "At least they don't make you join in, right? Some people wouldn't give you the choice." He liked that they didn't make their friends do something they weren't comfortable with. "With who? What?" Theo asked. He didn't know them as well as Edie did, but he had no idea that something might be wrong.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah shrugged his shoulders, "Exactly. So just leave him to it, you know?" He asked with a raise of an eyebrow. He didn't see the point in kicking up a fuss with all of this. If Tommy and his friends wanted to be mean then Elijah thought that they should just be left to it. He didn't see the point in retaliating when it was clear that, that was what he wanted.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur nodded as Maddie and Cassidy spoke. He always liked how she was willing to stand her ground. He was sure that it wasn't going to be all that easy for her after all. "Thanks.." Arthur muttered as he grabbed what he assumed was going to be his and Maddies drinks.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Cassidy shrugged her shoulders. All she wanted was for him to leave her alone. She just wanted to get on with her life. Tommy had made things awful for her while they were together - she didn't want to have to deal with him anymore. And she had to deal with him basically every single day. They went to school together and it wasn't like there were all that many people in their school. "Aiden - Tequila!" She called to her friend. She figured Maddie didnt want one so there was one for her, James and Aiden.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Eh, I'm not sure what I wanted yet. I'll figure it out." Tommy smirked. He knew that he was probably infuriating to his friends sometimes, but he took opportunities where he saw them - and he dealt with the consequences of what he'd done later. "Honestly, I don't say this a lot - but looks are totally irrelevant in her situation. She's fucking crazy. There's no coming back from that." He laughed as he watched Freya and Gabe together, shaking his head. "He's so weak, that could've been easily avoided."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Nice should be like, a side effect of your other personality traits. Not your only personality trait." Emilie rolled her eyes. She laughed, though, as she watched Freya basically attack Gabe - she had known it was going to go like this, but it was still entertaining to watch him squirm. "My god, she's pathetic..."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Gabe was trying his hardest to complete his dare, but he literally couldn't get away from Freya. She hadn't stopped talking since he'd gotten over there and now she was trying to convince him to take her over to his friends. "Oh my god! Freya, I'm sorry but I didn't come over here to talk to you! I came over here to give my number to your friend! Here." He groaned, giving her the number before he ran back to his friends. "Fucking hell, I need a drink. Or five."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "They would never. They only do it because it's fun, they wouldn't make anybody else join in." Edie knew that her friends were good people; they wouldn't be her friends if they weren't and she would always speak of them accordingly. "Link. and Emilie. I wish I knew what was going on, but I don't think anybody does... It's really weird." She sighed.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Yeah, I guess you're right." Aiden sighed. He would always be protective over Cassidy - she was like a little sister to him and he wasn't going to let anybody treat her like Tommy had. He hated him for it. He laughed as he heard her voice, nodding his head. "Perfect." He grinned, taking the shot with a laugh. He definitely felt like he needed it now.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie smiled as James gestured to their drinks - she liked that Cassidy had already known that she wouldn't be drinking, it saved her having to explain. She knew that Arthur wouldn't like it if he thought it was just for him. "Thank you so much, James!" She smiled, taking her drink from Arthur.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: James loved the friendship that Aiden and Cassidy had and he liked how willing they were to let other people in - he thought a lot of best friends made it hard for other people to get involved in the friendship. "Cheers!" He laughed, holding up his own shot glass.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Alright then - you're getting the next dare." Link smirked. He knew it was Gabes turn to pick but he was pretty sure that his friend wouldn't mind. He laughed as Tommy spoke and he shrugged his shoulders, "I think some people might say the same about Florence, you know?" He asked. He was pretty sure that he had heard those words from Emilie, anyway. He laughed as he watched Gabe. "More shots!" Link called to the barman, he figured that Gabe probably needed some.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle laughed and nodded, "And that's definitely not the case with her. Seriously, I don't get it though. Cassidy at least has a fucking personality." She rolled her eyes. She couldn't say that she had been the biggest fan of the other - but she thought that, that was because she wasn't exactly fond of anyone that dated Tommy. she didn't see how people could be so dumb in getting wrapped up in him. "She's fucking insane." The blonde muttered with a shake of her head.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "It's fun until they go too far, right?" Theo asked. He didn't know why that was entertaining for them. He thought that if they really cared that much about one another, that they wouldn't play games like this which would hurt other people and each of them too. "How so though? They've not been talking much - do you mean like that?" He asked her, because he was definitely confused about that.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah nodded. He really didn't know what the right thing to say here was. He thought that the others knew each other more than he did. He sighed. "I'm gonna have a minute outside - will you join me?" he asked Aiden. He couldn't get what Maddie had said to hime, out of his head. And he knew that if he didn't say anything soon - he'd chicken out. He didn't want that.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur was just glad that he didn't have to be the one to answer the awkward questions. "You wanna go dance or something?" He asked Maddie, a small smile on his face. He just wanted to make her happy. He had no idea how to do that though. not anymore at least.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Cassidy smiled and held out her glass with the others. "Cheers!" She laughed before she downed her shot. She was so happy to be able to spend some time with both of them. She smiled as she looked up at James. "How're you feeling after that?" She asked, remembering how he had been at the house party. James and Tommy couldn't be more different and she liked that.

SC AM JM LO SD BA AM: Amber was definitely getting worried now - she could see how stressed the others were and she felt almost responsible for them being there. She wished she'd thought about it all more. "Okay..." She whispered back. She trusted Hettie so much, she knew she'd find a way of getting them out of here. "Are you fucking kidding? We brought you all the way back here, let you into our place and you're being fucking boring?" One of the boys groaned, grabbing Amber's hand. "Come on, have a little drink. Loosen up. We'll make it a party."

SC AM JM LO SD BA AM: Audrey knew that they were in trouble and she was just glad that she and Hettie could hold their own - she hoped it would be enough. "Yeah well, we were promised bit more of a party than this." She sighed, raising an eyebrow as she looked around the room. One of the boys looked to already be on stronger stuff than alcohol and the other was in the process of taking it. "I actually feel pretty sick, do you guys have a bathroom?" She could tell the boys were unconvinced, but she knew she just needed to figure out a way of getting upstairs without the boys. "I'm not kidding, I feel really sick... I think it was the car journey..." She touched her stomach tenderly and looked around in pretend panic. "Fucking hell, don't spew on the floor. It's up the stairs, first door on the left." He muttered. "Hettie, will you come with me? I think I'm gonna be sick?" She thought that once they were upstairs, they would figure a way out.

SC AM JM LO SD BA AM: Scott was trying his hardest not to worry about Hettie and the others or wonder where they were. Hettie knew Greece well, he thought and he trusted that they would find their way back okay. He sighed and got comfortable in his makeshift bed as River said goodnight, closing his eyes and trying his hardest to get just a little bit of sleep. He wanted to be on top form when he spoke to Hettie the next morning.

SC AM JM LO SD BA AM: It was only the third night, but Lucy felt so comfortable being around Isaac that it didn't even feel strange going to bed with him anymore. She smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah, they should be... And if they're not already back, I'm sure we'll hear them when they are." She chuckled. "Let's get into bed." She repeated his words. She grabbed her pyjamas and went into the bathroom to change, barely being any time at all before she came back out and climbed into bed.

HD AK RW CK AM IS RM: Robyn raised an eyebrow as she listened to what they boys had to say. "Well maybe if you didn't lead us here under a fucking lie!" She spat back. She was getting annoyed now and since Amber seemed so on edge - she wanted to be able to stick up for her friend. She sighed as she looked at Audrey and Hettie. For a fleeting second - she thought that they were gonna leave them. "I actually need a wee too so.." She shrugged her shoulders and kept her hand around Ambers before she started up the stairs. She certainly wasn't about to leave Amber on her own.

HD AK RW CK AM IS RM: "Loosen up? Did you not hear that I have a fucking boyfriend? And if you're not scared of us. You should be of him. He'll kick the shit out of you." Hettie growled - and she was sure that her friends knew it wasn't a lie. If Scott heard about this, she didn't want to think about how bad he would be with them. She nodded her head as Audrey spoke, "We won't be fucking long." She glared at one of the boys nearest to her. She wanted to kick off but she knew it probably wasn't going to be a good idea. Once they were upstairs and in the bathroom, she turned to Audrey. "The fuck are we gonna do? We have no phones, I have no idea where the fuck we are and they're not gonna let us out!"

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "I want to be more drunk before I get my dare. I want it to be something good." Tommy grinned. He didn't want it to be an early dare, a dare that anybody could do - he knew that his friends would be able to come up with something over the course of the night. "Nah, have you seen her? No amount of crazy could outweigh that." He laughed. He thought Florence was one of the most gorgeous people he'd ever seen and he didn't think there'd be any disagreement. He laughed as Gabe returned, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Well done Gabe, well done - you did it in the end." He laughed.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "I mean, kind of - if you combined the whole group, they'd probably add up to one and a half personalities between them." Emilie laughed, raising an eyebrow. "And that's only because that one's good looking." She nodded her head over at Aiden. Again, he wasn't her type - but he was undeniably good looking. "Tommy, that's definitely just a you thing. We can all see what a fucking psycho she is, pretty or not." She shrugged her shoulders.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie nodded her head. "I've lost count of the amount of fights Annabelle and Emilie have been in because somebody takes it too far." She laughed. She had seen them physically fight each other too many times to count. "I mean, yes - that. But they don't speak to each other as much, they don't speak about each other as much... It's like they're not even friends anymore. He used to be over at hers all the time and now I don't even think he's been to her new place without the rest of us being there? Something happened." She sighed.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Aiden wasn't expecting Elijah to speak to him again so soon after he'd snatched his hand away, but he was glad he did. He loved just hearing his voice. "Uh - yeah... Are you okay?" He raised an eyebrow. He couldn't think of a reason why Elijah would want to talk to him on his own, but he wasn't going to say no and make it obvious that something was going on. He handed his drink to Cassidy and started to walk towards the doors curiously.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie couldn't help but let out a delighted laugh as Arthur spoke, looking at him curiously. "You want to dance?" She smiled - she didn't think he'd ever voluntarily do anything like that, but she loved that he was trying. "Yes! Let's go and dance!" She beamed, shaking her head in disbelief.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "It was still gross, but more manageable this time." James laughed, shaking his head. He would always think of the house party as one of the times that really pushed them forwards in their relationship, or whatever they were calling the thing they had. "How are you doing? I mean, with all of that lot there?"

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Alright - but I get to give Tommy his dare when he's 'ready'." Link rolled his eyes. But he knew that it was a good one. He wasn't sure if his friend would do it or not though, that was the only problem. He laughed as he looked over at Florence and shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah - she's pretty but what does that matter if she's crazy?" He asked with a raise of an eyebrow. He looked at Gabe then - "Alright, pal, it's your turn! Who's up?" He asked with a raise of an eyebrow. He was having fun and he hoped that the others were as well.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Wow - But I don't think you're wrong about it either." Annabelle laughed as she shook her head. "None of them are bad looking. But he's definitely the best." She nodded. Annabelle didn't think that Aiden was her type either but he was definitely pretty. She looked at Gabe as Link asked about his dare -- though she didn't hear much after she heard a familiar voice behind her. "Thought you said you weren't going out tonight?" Vance growled in Annabelles ear, his arm around her. He didn't even acknowledge the rest of the group. And Annabelle tried to ignore him, as best she could anyway. She wanted to have fun with her friends, she didn't see the harm in that.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "I don't think I'd ever wanna get in a fight with the two of them though - or anywhere near them while it was happening for that matter." Theo shook his head. He honestly couldn't think of anything worse, if he was completely honest. He was definitely a little intimidated by the two girls, that was for sure. He nodded his head as Edie spoke about what was going on between Link and Emilie and he shrugged his shoulders, "I guess you'll find out when they're ready to tell you, right?" He sighed as he looked over at the group. "That's never good." He muttered, nodding to Annabelle.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah nodded his head, "Yeah - yeah. I'm fine." He sighed. He stood for a moment, once they were outside. He wasn't sure what to say to him now. He chewed on his lip. He looked up at him and then dropped his gaze again. "I need - I need to know i'm not crazy." He shook his head, figuring that, that probably wasn't a good place for the two of them to start. "I mean - you feel it too, right? Between us? That's not just me?"

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur shrugged his shoulders, "Don't question it. You know it's not going to happen again." He laughed. He just wanted to do something to keep the smile on her face - especially after it seemed like Tommy and the other were starting. He wanted them to have fun. Arthur nodded and pulled her a little further into the crowd. He was definitely not a natural dancer but he wanted to have fun with Maddie.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Wow - are you building up a tolerance?" Cassidy asked with a raise of an eyebrow and a laugh. She sighed though, as James brought up Tommy again. She couldn't say that she blamed him though. She would be curious too if it was the other way around. She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm fine. Honestly. As long as he stays over there - then it's fine."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Tommy laughed - he knew that if Link was saying that, it meant he had a good dare to give him and he was excited. He was already having such a good night and he couldn't imagine anything putting a dampener on it... Until he saw Vance and he sighed, rolling his eyes. He really couldn't be bothered with the other tonight. Vance was far worse than Freya, if he was honest.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie turned as she heard a males voice, visibly freezing up as she saw Vance - she hadn't seen him since everything with Kurt, but she knew they were still friends and she wondered if he'd come here alone or if he'd brought his very best friend. Her eyes darted about looking for him, but after a couple of seconds of not finding him, she relaxed - but only slightly. She knew she was still going to be on high alert tonight now.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "I'm going to dare --...." Gabe trailed off as he saw Vance, sighing softly. He knew that everybody in the group had been with somebody the others didn't like - but he really, really couldn't stand Vance and the way he was with Annabelle. "It was a last minute thing." He muttered, as though Vance was going to listen to him. He'd been having such a good night and Vance always managed to make Annabelle change.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Oh no, you absolutely wouldn't... It's not pretty." Edie chuckled with a shake of her head. She loved them, but she absolutely hated it when they fought. She looked over as Theo spoke, sighing as she saw Vance. She probably saw him more than most, because she lived with Annabelle - but it didn't mean she liked him any better. "We should go back over." She sighed, looking up to Theo before she started walking back over to her friends. She wanted to be there in case anything happened, as it often did with Vance.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Aiden stood facing Elijah once they got outside, looking at him with a curious expression. He had no idea what the other was thinking, but as soon as he started talking Aiden could swear he could hear his heart pounding. He was right... He wasn't crazy. There was something. But Aiden didn't know how to deal with it. He was quiet for a few seconds before he spoke. "You're not... Crazy. You're not crazy." He eventually sighed, his hands shaking as he spoke. "I don't know what the hell is going on, but I can't stop thinking about you. But I'm not... I'm not gay. I'm not."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie laughed, nodding her head. "I understand - I won't question it anymore! I don't want you to rescind the offer." She giggled. She was always happy when she was around her friends, Arthur especially - but she loved that he was trying to have fun with her, trying to make her happy. She squeezed his hand as he pulled her into the crowd, her smile stretching from ear to ear. "See, it's not so bad!"

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "I must be! Or developing a taste - something like that." James chuckled, rolling his eyes playfully. Tequila would never be his favourite drink, but Cassidy loved it so he would drink it. It was less about being curious for James and more about making sure Cassidy was really okay - he felt like she would always say she was, even if she felt far from it. "Okay, well - as long as you're sure. Over there he'll stay!"

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "It's alright Gabe - just continue." Annabelle nodded. She didn't want Vance to stop them all from having fun just because he was there. He wasn't invited and Annabelle didn't intend to give him too much time of day. She cringed though, as Gabe spoke. Because Vance knew that, that wasn't true. They'd argued about her coming out and she had told him that she wouldn't. That was why he was annoyed. His grip on her tightened, with Annabelle ignoring her, but he nodded his head, "Yeah Gabe, just continue." He rolled his eyes.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link rolled his eyes as he heard Vance and he looked at Gabe for a moment. "You've gotta have something, right?" He asked with a raise of an eyebrow. He was trying to not let the new sudden appearance change things. But when he saw the look on Emilies face, he moved to stand beside her. "He's not here." Link whispered to Emilie. They had barely spoke since everything at the city break but he wasn't gonna let her worry. Link wouldn't let Kurt come near Emilie again, that was for sure.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo nodded his head. He didn't think any of them would really like to get in the middle of Emilie and Annabelle. He sighed as Edie said they should head over there. He thought that would probably be the case. Edie was so loyal to her friends and even Theo knew that none of them especially liked Vance but he didn't know what any of them could do to change it.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah really worried about what Aiden was going to say to him. He was so scared that the other was going to think that he had made all of this up - that he was wrong and that Aiden didn't know a single thing about how he was feeling. He sighed a sigh of relief as Aiden said that he felt it too. "And you don't have to be.." Elijah spoke. He didn't want to push Aiden, he wouldn't, but he wanted the other to know that he didn't have to worry about labels or the rest of it. "But - i mean - if you feel it too..."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur laughed as he nodded his head, "That sounds much better." He nodded. He couldn't remember the last time that he had felt this relaxed in someone elses presence. And it was really nice. He'd missed her so much and he didn't want her to regret always spending time with her like this. "I'm not very good at this." He laughed as he shook his head.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Developing a taste? I mean - I'd say that was the case when you started giving me attention so..." Cassidy shrugged her shoulders with a laugh. She liked that James was willing to do stuff just because she was, because he wanted to make her happy. Even if it was Maddie that was asking, Cassidy would say that she was fine. She refused to believe otherwise. She smiled and nodded her head, "of course.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Gabe didn’t really feel like continuing, even though everybody was telling him to - he didn’t want to get Annabelle in trouble by giving her a dare that Vance wouldn’t like. “Okay...” he muttered, a little disheartened as he tried to think of what he should say. “Anna, I dare you to switch tops with me for the rest of the night.” He laughed, the very idea of that amusing him. He didn’t look at Vance, he didn’t want to see what his reaction was because he was sure he wouldn’t like anything he said.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie gave Gabe an encouraging look as he obviously felt nervous in Vance’s presence; she wasn’t scared of Vance one bit, but she was scared of the company he kept. She turned slightly as she felt Link beside her, nodding her head to show him that she knew. She just hated the idea that he probably knew where she was because of Vance. She reached down and squeezed his hand softly - she didn’t care if things were awkward, he was her best friend.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie had always tried to find at least one redeeming quality in Vance, for Annabelle’s sake - she wanted to be able to tolerate her friend’s boyfriends, but when it came to Vance she just couldn’t. “Hi, guys. Hello, Vance.” She said politely as she rejoined the group, taking a sip of her drink as she waited to see what was going on. She hoped he wasn’t going to cause any trouble and ruin the night.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Aiden had never had a problem with anybody else being whoever they wanted to be - he fully accepted everybody, he just had never assumed he’d be coming to terms with his own identity. “I do... I do feel it but I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do, Elijah...” he sighed, shaking his head. He was scared, not that he’d ever admit it. “I can’t stop thinking about you.” He knew that Elijah deserved the truth, no matter what - he needed to give him that.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie had missed Arthur every day that he was away; in fact, if she was pushed then she thought she’d probably remember exactly how many days it had been. She had been so worried about him, so she loved seeing him like this now. “Neither am I, but I’m having fun!” She laughed, shrugging her shoulders. She liked being the one who was able to make him laugh like this; it didn’t occur to her that she didn’t feel like this with any of the others.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: James laughed loudly at Cassidy’s words, shaking his head - he loved how quick she was, how confident she was. “Ooh, how rude to all the girls before!” He teased, laughing as he spoke - he was obviously joking, there hadn’t been a ton of girls before Cassidy. He was always going to try and make sure she was okay, but he wasn’t going to push and ruin her night. “Okay, great!”

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle wasn't going to let Vance change how she and her friends were right now. She hated the idea that he would be like this, that he would purposely want to ruin her night. She laughed heard Gabe and nodded her head. "That's easy but if you stretch it, you're dead." She winked at him. Annabelle looked at Vance for a second before she looked at Gabe, "Hand it over." She smiled. They all knew each other so well, she didn't see the point in going somewhere else - but she knew she needed his shirt on first. Vance would never forgive her otherwise. The grip on her hip seemed to tighten.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link would do anything to try and make sure that Emilie felt comfortable. He had always done everything for her and he would continue to do just that. He smiled slightly, as she took his hands. Things felt so tense between the two of them but he was glad that she at least felt comfortable enough to do that. He missed his best friend. Link didn't want to talk about what he had said but he wanted his best friend back.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo felt really awkward as he followed after Edie. He knew that the others didn't particularly like Vance and he made Theo feel really on edge. He frowned as Vance didn't even respond to Edie. He didn't think there was any need for him to be rude like that to her.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah didn't know how to feel as he stood in front of Aiden. He was so happy that the other felt it too, that there really was something between the two of them -- but that only seemed to add complications. It looked like Aiden hadn't fully come to terms with it all yet. "You don't need to do anything you're not ready to do but -" He paused. "Just because you... you like me, that doesn't mean you're gay, Aiden. You could be Bi.." He shrugged. "But you also don't need to decide right now. I just - I just wanted to know, you know?" He asked with a sigh. "I can wait."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur smiled as he looked at Maddie. He hadn't wanted to see her while he was in prison because he missed her enough. He didn't want to see her and have things be even worse. "You're better than I am." Arthur shook his head. He couldn't remember the last time that he had been like this with anyone. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed like this. Maddie had always had a way with him, something no-one else did.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Cassidy shrugged her shoulders before she laughed, "I think we both know that they had absolutely nothing on me." She smiled at him. Despite what others might think, Cassidy thought that James was probably the best of hers too. She trusted that he wouldn't hurt her, anyway, at least not on purpose. "Thank you." Cassidy nodded. She just didn't even want to think about Tommy. She wanted to enjoy her night with the others.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Anna, I don't see any possible way I won't stretch it - but I think it'll look cool. Baggy is in now." Gabe laughed, shaking his head. There was an obvious size difference between him and Annabelle and he found that funny. He was trying not to let Vance ruin the night, but it was hard when he was such a dominating presence. He tried to hide behind a pillar as he pulled off his top and handed it to Annabelle with a laugh.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie knew that this didn't get rid of any of the tension between them - they'd need to actually talk about it all for that to happen and she absolutely didn't want to do that. Not yet, anyway. She squeezed his hand once more before she dropped it, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at Vance. "So, what gives us the displeasure of having you here? The other students don't want the weird old guy hanging around?" She raised an eyebrow.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Tommy kept a watchful eye on Vance as Gabe and Annabelle spoke - he didn't think Vance liked any of them, but especially not Gabe and he felt protective over his friend right then. He thought he could be a pretty good match for Vance and he would take him on if he had to. People didn't think he was loyal, but to the five people in front of him he was the most loyal person in the world.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie could sense Theo's awkwardness as they got back to the group and she reached down to take his hand in hers, squeezing gently. She sighed as she heard Emilie speaking to Vance - she understood why she had, it was frustrating that he was there when he hadn't been invited and he was a consistently terrible person. But she did wish that Emilie wouldn't purposefully fire up the situation. "Em..." She whispered.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Aiden shook his head - even the word bisexual was too much for him to process. He couldn't make sense of his own head; he had never felt like this before, Elijah was the first boy he'd ever had these kind of feelings for. "Is that what you are? Bi?" He asked curiously, chewing on his bottom lip. He just wished he knew how to come to terms with all of this. He was surprised as Elijah said he could wait... He had never expected that of him. He didn't expect Elijah to wait around until he'd stopped being a coward. "You would wait?" He asked softly, raising an eyebrow.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie would never, ever hold it against him - but she had felt almost betrayed when Aiden had told her that Arthur didn't want her to visit him. That she wasn't on the visiting list, so that even if she'd wanted to she couldn't go. For a long time, she felt like she'd done something wrong, but she understood now. "I'm just copying everybody else, it seems to work!" She laughed. She had never really known how to behave in places like this, but she'd slowly picked it up over time. "Are we actually fitting in?" She giggled, looking around them with a smile.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: James laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "I won't badmouth them - but let's just say you're way, way up there." He grinned. He'd never met anybody like Cassidy before, but he was so glad he had - she brought out parts of him that he didn't even realise were there. It was exciting. "Is this a place you guys come a lot?" He asked curiously, looking around the club. He liked it, but he wasn't totally sure if he could see all of them here every single weekend.

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FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Then you're buying me a new one, aren't you?" Annabelle asked with a raise of an eyebrow and a laugh. She knew that her friends felt awkward - she did too, but she didn't think she could do much about it. She took Gabes shirt from him, put it on and quickly got rid of his. "Here." She laughed, handing it over to him. Vance glared at Emilie as she spoke to him, "Someones gotta keep an eye on her, don't they? Make sure she's not doing anything she shouldn't be, getting herself into trouble. Never fucking know with you lot." Annabelle sighed as Vance spoke. "Can you not?" She muttered, shaking her head.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link knew that things wouldn't be back to normal , he knew that, but he hoped they would. He was so sick of things being weird between him and Emilie and he wanted them to be normal again, even if he had to take back what he had said to her. He shook his head slightly as Vance spoke to Emilie, "Take it down a notch, mate." He muttered. They were having such a good night before he came alone.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo shot Edie a small smile as she took his hand. Even that small gesture was a big comfort to him. He knew that things weren't going to be easy for them but he hoped that they'd be better going forward. It felt so tense now, within the group, and Theo was definitely just waiting for something to kick off. He thought that it wouldnt' be long. He was used to playing peace keeper and he thought he'd have to do that now.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah was really trying to do the right thing, he was trying to make sure that he said the right words - but he wasn't sure what those were. He hadn't really spoken to anyone any any of this - except Maddie. He shook his head at Aidens question. "No, I don't think so." He shrugged, "I think - I think i'm gay." It was the first time he had said it that explicitly but he was almost certain that, that was what it was. He had never felt quite right when he was with a girl, he had never felt this strongly about anyone before, not even close. He nodded, "Yeah. I don't expect you to come to terms with it over night. it's okay."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur never wanted to upset Maddie by not letting her visit, he just didn't want her to have to be there. He didn't want Aiden but he knew that he would've gone mad if he had no-one , and it wasn't like his family were going to visit. He missed her so much - but he almost looked at is as his punishment. "That's a good plan." Arthur nodded. He would never usually dance, but he liked to see the smile on her face. He thought she was one of the most beautiful people he had ever met - Especially when she smiled. "I don't know about that." He laughed.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Cassidy nodded her head, "Good. You wouldn't have been coming home with me if you said anything else." She laughed. Cassidy did have a lot of confidence in herself, she thought you couldn't want a career like the one that she wanted, without that. But she also put a lot of it on. Only a few people - her closest friends and her brother - saw the more sensitive side of her. "We're more of a pub lot but - This is the best place when it comes to uni stuff."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Only if it rips." Gabe laughed, which he knew was a very real possibility in a top as small as this one. He was laughing loudly as he squeezed into Annabelle's top, but the laughter was almost marred by the awkwardness of having Vance there. He didn't know how they were going to enjoy the rest of the night with him stood there watching them. He shook his head as Vance spoke - he hated the way he spoke about Annabelle, like she was a stupid kid who needed to be watched over all the time. He sighed; things were going to kick off, he thought and quite soon at that.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: The main reason Emilie didn't want to talk about what had happened was because she knew then she'd have to make a choice - actually admit to herself what her feelings were towards Link, or close the door on them. And she wasn't ready to do that. She rolled her eyes as Vance spoke, making eye contact with him as he glared at her. She wanted him to know she wasn't intimidated by him. "How embarrassing. Almost as embarrassing as coming to a club on your own." She laughed, shaking her head. "Well, in case you forgot - you weren't invited. So can you keep an eye out from over there, please?" She nodded over to the corner of the room, far away from them. She wanted him to leave, even if that meant causing a scene.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Tommy laughed as Emilie spoke - he was totally in agreement, he wanted Vance gone no matter what the cost was. He hated the guy and he knew that if he stayed, the rest of them would more than likely end up moving the party somewhere else just to get away from him. He didn't really care that he was being rude to Annabelle's boyfriend. "Right - who wants another drink?" He asked with a raise of an eyebrow, taking out his wallet once more. "Not you." He looked over at Vance with a smirk.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie knew that her friends were in the right and she agreed with everything they were saying - she just wished they didn't have to do it here, tonight. But then she knew the only alternatives were to put up with Vance being there all night or leave Annabelle alone with him and she didn't really want either of those. She was getting fidgety now, she needed a fix but she knew she couldn't really leave in the middle of all of this. It all felt weird, like the room was getting smaller.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Aiden was surprised as Elijah said he thought he was gay - not because he thought he was gay, but because he was brave enough to say so. He sighed as the other boy spoke, nodding his head... He didn't know how long it was going to take him to come to terms with all of this, but he hated the idea of Elijah not being there when he did. He thought about him more often than not, he always wanted to be around him. "Can I kiss you?" He asked softly - it was all he could think about. "Behind here?" They were practically round the back of the club now anyway.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie knew without a doubt that she would now to everything in her power to make the transition from prison to home easier for Arthur - if she wasn't already living with Cassidy, she would've suggested he move in with her. She hated the idea of him being alone, being lonely. "Thank you, I thought so as well." She laughed, nodding her head. "No, I think we are!" She chuckled, shaking her head. "Wow, dancing is tiring - I want some water or something. Do you want some?" She smiled.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "I didn't even know that was at stake! I would've been a lot more careful if I had." James laughed, shaking his head jokingly. He loved the confidence Cassidy had, but he wasn't naive enough to think that at least some of it wasn't a bit of a face - he thought everybody had something they put on when they were around other people. "Ah, I see - what do you do at the pub? Are you quizzers?" He grinned. He could absolutely see that and he loved it.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "If it stretches!" Annabelle laughed. She knew that Vance didn't like that. And it seemed to only get worse as her friends started. She sighed as she shook her head slightly. "If i'm going over there, then she's coming with me. Simple as that." He shrugged his shoulders and started to pull Annabelle with him. She shook her head, though. "No. i'm gonna stay here. You can go though. It's fine." She shrugged, as if to tell him that it wasn't a big deal. And she really didn't think that it waas. She just wanted a night with her friends, she didn't understand what was so bad about that.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Leave it be, mate." Link muttered with a shake of his head. He knew that things were gonna go from nought to one hundred and Link was definitely prepared for that. He would never let someone disrespect his friends like Vance always manages to do. He looked at Tommy, "Yeah, I'll have one. make it something strong." He hadn't had anything since before they left so he was itching for something more. Like Edie, he didn't think that right now was the right time for it.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah was so nervous. He felt like he could be sick. He so wanted things to go the way he had hoped. He was just glad that Aiden had admitted that he had feelings for him - Elijah thought that, that was a start at least. He raised an eyebrow as Aiden spoke. He hadn't expected that, not even after the conversation the two of them had, had, but he nodded his head. "Yeah, i'd like that." He muttered. He didn't think that he was ready to be out in the open yet either.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur had always thought that Maddie was probably the kindest person he had ever met - but he was almost certain of it now. She had made sure that he felt comfortable, no matter what. He would always appreciate that. He smiled as he looked down at her. Arthur knew that he had more than just friendly feelings for Maddie, he had known that for a long time. He had probably always had a bit of a crush on her - but he knew he would never do anything. He didn't think that he deserved someone as wonderful as her. "yeah, sounds good." He laughed as he nodded his head.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Yeah well that's why I didn't tell you! I wanted an honest answer." Cassidy laughed. She thought that it might have all been her true self before Tommy. That relationship had taken a lot out of her, more than she would usually ever let on. It was why she was so hesitant to running into another one with James. "We are." Cassidy laughed with a nod of her head.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "If it rips!" Gabe argued again, laughing along with Annabelle - he liked joking around with her, she was his best friend... He didn't see why that was such a huge deal to Vance. "Hey!" He protested as Vance started to pull Annabelle over, taking a little step forward. He hated watching them together, the way he treated her was like she was property, not his girlfriend. "She wants to stay here." He muttered, shaking his head.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie narrowed her eyes as Vance spoke and started to physically move Annabelle, putting a hand on her friend arm. "Okay, this is a joke. Who do you think you are?" She asked him, the distaste clear in her expression. "She doesn't want you here. Nobody does. Simple as that." She mimicked his words, rolling her eyes. "I'd take your hands off her if I were you." She told him, raising an eyebrow.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Tommy could sense something about to kick off and he knew that he would jump in before the others had to - the night could still be salvaged if he left, he thought. "Yeah, got it." He nodded as Link spoke, turning to order them all another round of drinks anyway - he was pretty sure they could all use one. He glared at Vance as he spoke, his face a pure warning.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie chewed the inside of her mouth nervously as she looked from Vance, to her friends - neither was going to back down and she didn't know what was going to happen. She really wanted to excuse herself, just for a couple of minutes but she would feel so guilty if it all kicked off and she wasn't there. She cleared her throat slightly, trying not to focus on it.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Aiden thought he'd feel worse when it was all out in the open, when he'd admitted his feelings for Elijah... Because that meant it was real. It was happening and he couldn't take that back now. But he didn't - in a way, he felt a little more free. Somebody else knew the things that had been tormenting him. He smiled slightly as the other said he'd like it, taking another step behind the club before he leaned in to kiss him gently.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie had never stopped to consider why she felt so differently about Arthur than she did about anybody else - if she did, she might realise that the reason she felt so fierce about protecting him, the reason she always wanted him around her, was a lot more complex than just being best friends. She smiled as he agreed with her, letting go of his hand to wrap an arm around his waist as they headed over to the bar. "We definitely need more practise." She laughed, shaking her head.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "I see! You're so smart." James laughed, shaking his head. He hadn't really thought about how different Cassidy must've been before Tommy - because he liked her so much now, as she was. "I knew it! You definitely struck me as pub quizzers. Who's the best and who's the worst?" He smiled, raising an eyebrow. He loved that they were all so close, that they did things like that together.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle was about to respond when Vance spoke again. She didn't like the tone he took with her friends - particularly Gabe. "Well she's my girlfriend, not yours. So she does what I want her to do." Vance scoffed as Emilie spoke to him. "Yeah? What are you going to do, Emilie? You know Kurts here, right?" It was a lie but he didn't care. Annabelle glared at Vance as he mentioned Kurt, "Just go away, Vance." She hissed. She was honestly sick of him.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link narrowed his eyes as Vance said that Kurt was here - he didn't know if that was true but he didn't want to take any chances. If Vance was lying, he was even worse than he had originally thought. "Get the fuck out." He growled. "Both of you." The last thing he wanted was for Emilie or Annabelle to be uncomfortable - and it seemed like that was exactly how they were.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo really wanted things to calm down and he could feel how tense Edie was beside him. He squeezed her hand gently. He just wanted her to know that he was there, that he wanted to help wherever he could. "Okay - maybe we just take it down a notch.." He smiled slightly. "I mean - she does want to stay. It's not that big a deal, is it?" He asked with a raise of an eyebrow.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah had no idea how he really felt after everything that had happened - he thought that he would need another day or two before he really realised what he was feeling. He wanted to talk to Maddie - but he knew that he couldn't do it now. Not when it was so close to Aiden. He didn't think it was his place to potentially out Aiden to his friends. He smiled before he kissed him back.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur smiled as Maddies arm went around him and he wrapped his around her shoulder. Mostly, it was to make sure that he didn't lose her in the crowd. He was sure that it would be easy to do so in here. "I dunno how much you're going to get me dancing, Maddie. Dunno how much practice we'll ever get." He laughed.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "I know. Thank you." Cassidy shrugged her shoulders with a laugh. She sometimes wondered if her friends realised how different she was, or if she did a good job at pretending that nothing wrong different at all. "Is that a good thing?" She asked with a raise of an eyebrow. "I'm the worst." She laughed. She didn't really know much out of her likes. "Aiden is the best, I think. Maybe Maddie."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Gabe couldn't believe how childish the other sounded as he spoke - and that was coming from him. He just didn't understand why Annabelle was with him, why she kept on going back when he was so horrible. It didn't even seem like they had anything in common. "Are you sure about that? Because right now it looks like she can't even stand to be around you?" He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Vance. He hated what he was saying about Kurt, but he didn't know what to say back.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie's heart dropped for a split second as Vance said Kurt was there, but she knew that if he was then he'd have been over here as soon as he stepped through the door - the man had no restraint. The fact that he was lying made her even angrier. "He's not here." She said with a shake of her head, partly to call out Vance and partly to calm Link. "But it's cute that you have to lie about your friend being here to feel like a big strong man." She laughed, looking at him in disgust. "Get the fuck out of here." She knew it wouldn't be long before one of them made him.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Tommy felt a bubble of anger inside him at the way Vance was behaving and he knew he couldn't stay out of it any longer. "I suggest you watch the way you're talking to my friends, mate. Any of them. And you better hope your lowlife of a fucking friend isn't here because I swear to god, if I find out you've brought him then I'll knock your teeth out." He didn't often get himself into fights - he valued his reputation too much, but he wasn't taking this. "Get out before one of us makes you, this is your last warning." He shook his head.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie squeezed Theo's hand back - she appreciated him so much and knowing he was there was a big help to her. She knew, though, that even though he tried to keep the peace it wasn't going to work. Not with the way Vance was behaving - she couldn't tell who was going to go for him first, Tommy, Emilie or Link - but she knew it would be one of them.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Aiden knew that if they decided to do this, there would be a lot of explaining to do - to his family, to his friends, to Maddie. He knew that they wouldn't just be able to be in a relationship right away and he wasn't even sure if he wanted that - the thought was so scary. He tried not to think about all of that as he kissed Elijah, though - he knew, now, that he had feelings for him and that they were only growing.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie had no idea where the others had gone - the club was so big and so busy that they'd all lost each other, as they'd imagined they would, so she definitely didn't want to lose Arthur. "Hey, I managed it once, didn't I? I feel like I can do anything now." She chuckled softly, shaking her head. She leaned across the bar and ordered them both a glass of water, smiling.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "It's definitely a good thing - who doesn't love a pub quiz?" James laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "Me and my family always go to them when we're all home - we're terrible, but we do good on the music round." He chuckled. "You're the worst?! Oh god, we'd make a terrible team." He laughed. He nodded his head as she said who was the best. "Ah, that makes sense."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle shook her head slightly as all of her friends piped up. She knew that they would, she'd have done the same if it was the other way around. Sometimes, Annabelle just thought that it was easier to go along with him. She'd avoided all of this so far because of that. "Who do you three thing you're talking too?" He asked with a raise of an eyebrow. "Doesn't fucking matter what she wants, I've told you. And as for you -" He turned to look at emilie. "I just wanted you to remember who my friends are. Kurts been wanting to know where you live after all." He flashed a smile at her. "The fuck are you gonna do, Morley? You're nothing more than a pretty boy. None of you can do shit. Come on, Annabelle." But she still didn't move.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link nodded his head as Emilie spoke but even as she did - he wasn't sure he believed her. He definitely thought that Vance could be the kind of person that would bring that man here. Link was so angry as he listened to Vance, as he basically threatened Emilie. He thought that he was going to explode. "Who the fuck do you think you are?!" Link spat.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo sighed as no-one listened to him. He hadn't really expected anyone to but he knew that he couldn't just stand there and watch. "Should we do something?" He whispered to Edie. He had no idea what they could do but he thought that they might have to go and get someone or something.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah had no idea how long this was going to take the two of them to sort out. He had no idea how people were going to react. His family had always been pretty open but he wasn't sure - he wanted to talk to his cousin, first. Like Aiden, he tried not to think about all of that while the two of them were kissing. He didn't think he had ever felt like this with someone before. He could feel the fireworks that everyone spoke about.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Like Maddie, Arthur had no idea where the rest of them were. He had figured that they were going to lose one another at some point in the night, he just hoped that they'd all find each other again before the night ended. "Oh christ, it's gone to your head, hasn't it?" He asked with a raise of an eyebrow and a laugh. He nodded slightly, as their drinks were placed in front of them.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "I agree. I dont trust you if you don't love a good quiz." Cassidy laughed. She very rarely contributed an answer but she still enjoyed herself. "I can do the music round too so i'm afraid I can't help." She smiled up at him. "We'd do alright in like a music and film quiz, I recon." She nodded. She knew that they were interested in what they were interested in - and knew quite a bit about it. "Yeah, Aiden knows everything."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Gabe had known this was going to happen from the minute Vance had walked into the club and he still hated every minute of it. He wanted to be able to tell his friends to back off, but he couldn't do that - not when Vance was basically threatening them. "Don't speak to her like that!" He snapped as he ordered Annabelle around again. It was really starting to frustrate him now and he wasn't far behind being as angry as his friends.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie felt a shiver go across her body as Vance told her than Kurt wanted to know where she lived; she'd known he wouldn't have let it go yet, but hearing it out loud was different to thinking it. She looked to Annabelle raising an eyebrow - she didn't think her friend would tell Vance where she lived, but then she wasn't sure. "Fuck you!" She spat at him, her fists clenching by her sides. She was two seconds away from lunging at him and the only reason she hadn't yet was because as much as she hated to admit it, the threats about Kurt did scare her.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: As soon as Vance spoke, Tommy knew there wasn't really a choice in the matter - he was going to have to hit him, because nobody spoke to his friends like that and got away with it. "Let's face it mate, it's not hard to be prettier than you, is it?" He asked with a sarcastic laugh, rolling his eyes. "As for not being able to do shit?" He drew back his fist and slammed into the other mans face, as hard as he could - he was strong, even though he didn't fight a lot and more than that, he was angry.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie looked up at Theo as he spoke and shook her head. "What can we do?" She asked softly. She knew her friends and she knew Vance and nothing they could do was going to stop any of this right now. She jumped back slightly as Tommy hit the other; but she'd known it was going to happen, she just hadn't known which one of them it would be.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Aiden hadn't felt like this in a long time and as he kissed Elijah, he didn't want to stop. He knew they had to eventually though - somebody was bound to see them if they didn't. He kissed him one last time, softly and then pulled away with the smallest of smiles on his face. "We should go back inside." He sighed. He really didn't want to, but he knew it was wise.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie laughed, shrugging her shoulders casually. "It might've done! One small victory is enough for tonight, though." She smiled as she reached out to take her glass of water, thanking the barman happily. It wasn't long before she heard the scuffle behind them and turned to see what was going on, her eyes wide.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Oh, it's a great way to find out if somebody is worth spending time around or not." James laughed, although he didn't necessarily believe that was true. "Of course we're good at the same rounds - this is a disaster." He chuckled. Like her, he just enjoyed the atmosphere of a pub quiz and he tried to contribute as much as he could. "He does seem like the type." He smiled.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle shook her head as she looked at Emilie. There was no way that she would've ever told Vance, Emilies new address - though she couldn't say that he hadn't tracked her phone or something. She wouldn't put that against him. He laughed though, as Tommy punched him. "Is that the best you can do?" He pushed Annabelle away and swung his fist around to give Tommy almost as good as he got. Vance knew his lip was bleeding but it didn't matter to him.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link thought that he'd have done something - if Tommy hadn't. He thought that his friend was probably the most loyal out of all of them - when it came down to it. He pulled Emilie out of the way a little, knowing that it wasn't just going to be a quick one two. Link knew that neither of them were going to give up. He would be on stand by though, in case Tommy needed his help.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theos eyes went wide as the first punch was thrown. Like Edie, he had known it was coming, he just hadn't expected it in that moment. "I think we should get security.." He muttered as Tommy hit Vance. he didn't want too - because then it meant that Tommy would get kicked out too but Theo didn't know what else he could do.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah sighed as Aiden pulled away from him. He'd have happily stayed there, kissing him, all night. He'd have suggested going back to his house if he didn't think it might have scared the other, so he nodded his head instead. "Yeah - yeah. Of course." Elijah wanted to hold his hand. He wanted them to walk in there with his head held high, together. But he knew that they had to wait for a while before that happened.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur laughed, "yeah, something like that." He chuckled. He didn't think he ever felt this carefree anymore - at least not unless he was with Maddie. She made him almost forget about the train wreck of his life. He raised an eyebrow as he looked over at what Maddie was looking at and as he realised that no-one was doing anything - he moved over. "Hey!" He shouted, grabbed the shoulders of the man that he didn't know. He figured that Tommy would stop if the other did.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "I think so as well. You'll have to come with us next time. It's a lot of fun." Cassidy laughed. She thought that it would be nice of him to spend more time with her friends. She would've liked that a lot. "You didn't actually expect me to be good at anything else, did you?" She asked with a raise of an eyebrow. She didn't think ever contributed more than a couple answers. "You think?" She asked with a raise of an eyebrow. "He's so smart."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Gabe moved over to Annabelle as Vance pushed her out of the way, putting an arm around her shoulders protectively. "Are you okay?" He asked her quietly, watching Vance and Tommy and wincing every time one of them made contact. He hated seeing people fight, but he knew that this one had been pretty much unavoidable. He knew that Tommy could handle himself.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Tommy didn't even bother responding to Vance - he just went in again and before long the two of them were having an actual fight and neither was letting up. Tommy was determined to get the better of him and even when he felt the others fist collide with his face, he didn't stop - although he knew his agent was going to be furious. He wanted to make him regret ever coming here in the first place. He didn't even know who was pulling Vance away from him, but he was angry that he even had to stop. "What the fuck?!"

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie allowed herself to be pulled out of the way slightly - she knew that Tommy could handle himself and that if he needed back up, one of them would help him. After what he'd said to her, how he'd been - she almost wanted to see Tommy hurt him and she knew that was a sick thought, but she did. She wanted him to know that he couldn't get away with what he was saying.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie shook her head as Theo spoke about getting security - she knew he meant well, but she also knew that would mean Tommy getting kicked out and he was bound to be angry about that. "It'll just make it worse, Theo - somebody else will get security." She sighed, squeezing his hand. She wasn't going to do that to Tommy - he was standing up for his friends.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Aiden wasn't sure what he would've said if Elijah had asked him to go back to his house - he thought he might've said yes and that actually scared him a little bit, but he was also curious. He would love to see the place Elijah lived in, to see his room. He wanted to know so much about him. He smiled slightly as he begun to head inside, his eyes seeking out Cassidy.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Maddie wasn't sure what Arthur was doing as he moved towards the fight, but she gasped slightly as he went over to get in between the boys. She moved closer but didn't get involved, covering her hands with her mouth. She didn't want him to get hurt.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "I would love that!" James laughed, nodding his head. He loved her friends and he would really enjoy spending time with them - he thought you always got to know people better when you were doing something fun, like a pub quiz. "Yeah, for sure. He seems like the smart type - what is it he studies?" He asked.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle bit down on the inside of her cheek in an attempt to stop herself from crying. She didn't like that she was the reason her friend was getting hurt. "I'm fine." She whispered to Gabe. She didn't see the point in being anything else, if she was honest. She raised an eyebrow as Arthur pulled Vance off of Tommy. "ANNABELLE, we're leaving!" Vance growled, shrugging his shoulders out of Arthurs grip. She jumped at the sound of his voice and she shook her head. "No. I'm staying here."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link didn't even think about pulling the two apart. He thought that Vance deserved everything he got. And if Tommy was really in trouble, he'd jump in to help. Stopping the fight was the last thing on his mind. He didn't expect that it was on anyone elses mind - until they were being pulled apart. He glanced at Emilie before he looked at Vance again. He didn't know what he was going to do with Annabelle saying no.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Florence had seen the fight - she was pretty sure that everyone in the club had - but she was trying to ignore it. At least until she saw that Tommy was actually hurt. "Could I have a whisky on the rocks, please. Plenty of ice." She called to the bar tender. She figured he needed something to try and take down the swelling. As much as she tried to pretend otherwise, she cared about him and she knew how much trouble he was going to be if he turned up at school or to his agent with a black eye.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo sighed but nodded his head. He wasn't going to do anything that would upset someone - not right now. He didn't think that, that was all that fair. If Edie said no, he'd listen. "That god.." He muttered with a sigh. He was just glad that the fighting had stopped. but from Vances tone, he didn't know if that would be the end of it.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Elijah didn't think he was confident enough to ask Aiden back to his place. He had housemates. He didn't want them getting any ideas. He knew that he wasn't ready to properly be out in the open just yet. "She's over there - by the bar." Elijah muttered, nodding towards Cassidy. He figured that, that would be who Aiden was looking for anyway.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur didn't know what had come over him but it drove him crazy that none of Tommys friends were stopping the fight. He shook his head as Vance shrugged his off and he moved back over to Maddie. He was glad they were a little bit closer ,though.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Then it's settled." Cassidy laughed with a nod of her head. She was so excited. She thought that he was the first person she had brought along to the quiz, though she didn't see the point in saying that to him. "Journalism." Cassidy spoke, proudly. She'd always been proud of Aiden, though. "So he's gotta know a bit about everything, I guess."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Tommy was angry that somebody had pulled him away from the fight, he hadn't achieved what he'd wanted to - Vance looked pretty banged up, but Tommy knew he did too and he hated that. "Why, had enough already?" He laughed spitefully, swallowing the taste of blood with a wince. He was going to be in so much trouble in the morning, he knew that. He looked at Annabelle then - he knew that she had a lot of trouble with Vance, but he couldn't help but be annoyed in that moment that she was the reason he kept appearing. "Oh for fucks sake Annabelle, would you just fucking leave him! And then he can stop showing up everywhere we fucking go!"

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie shook her head as Link glanced at her - she didn't know what was going to happen, but she wasn't totally convinced it had finished yet either. Link always looked out for her and she loved that; she knew that if he was this person all the time, the one who was totally in control, she would've told him that she loved him back by now. Because she did. But the fact was there that when it came down to it, he would be controlled by his addiction over anything. "She doesn't want to fucking go with you. Leave without her or I'll go and get security." She told Vance simply, raising an eyebrow.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Gabe could tell that Annabelle was on the verge of tears and he hated that so much - he wished he could make all of this better for her, he wanted it more than anything. "Just stop! Okay? Both of you just stop!" He sighed as Tommy appeared to be trying to instigate the fight again. "Please would you just fucking leave?" He was exasperated now and it was clear in his voice as he spoke to Vance.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie was grateful that Arthur had come over and broke up the fight - at least for a little bit, anyway. She didn't think anything had gotten better, but at least they weren't hitting each other right now. She looked behind her and gave the boy a little smile, nodding her head as if to thank him. She didn't think the others were going to, though.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Are you okay?" Maddie asked, putting a hand on her friends arm as he came back over to her. She wasn't sure why he'd got involved, but it seemed to have stop the fighting - at least for now - so it couldn't be a bad thing, she thought. She had definitely seen a glimpse of the old him - and not in a bad way. It proved that he was still there, like she'd always known.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "What day is the quiz?" James smiled curiously. He felt like it was a good sign of things to come, him being invited to things that were obviously group tradition. He liked that she knew her friends liked him enough to want him around for that. "Oh, that makes so much sense! And everything's got to be fact checked, right?" He smiled. He could definitely see why Aiden was so smart now.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Fuck off Tommy!" Annabelle shouted at him. She didn't think he understood. She had tried to leave him, multiple times. But she didn't think Tommy understood just how much Vance had gotten into her head. He had told her that she wouldn't be loved without him, that he was the best she would ever deserve, that no-one else was gonna want her - and she had listened. "If you don't come with me right. now. Annabelle, we're fucking done." He growled at her. And still, she didn't move. "Whatever." He spat at her, and turned to leave.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Once the guy Tommy had been fighting with had left, Florence moved over to the group. She knew that the group probably hated her as much as they hated him but she wanted to help Tommy. "Here. Best I could get. Take the swelling down." She shrugged and handing him the glass. Florence shot him a small smile before she started towards her friends again. She had no interest in getting into something with Emilie, she just wanted to be able to be there for Tommy - at least for a second.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link gave a sigh of relief as Vance left. He didn't know if that would be the last they had to deal with him - they'd broken up before after all - but he was glad that it was at least done for tonight. He cringed, though, as he spotted Florence coming over. He turned to Emilie, "You alright?" He asked her. Link was itching to go get a fix now. Now that his friends were okay - he felt like he was going to explode without it. But he needed to know she was okay first.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo wished that he could've been a little more assertive, that he could've been the one to stop the fight. He knew that he would've never been strong enough though. He was just glad that Vance had left. At least that was done with for tonight.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur nodded his head, "Yeah, I'm fine." He smiled slightly. As Edie turned to him, he nodded his head. The two of them had been friends, what felt like a lifetime ago. Although Aiden, Maddie and Cassidy had been his best friends, he had thought that those six were also his friends. When none of them had even tried to reach out to him while he was inside, he realised that, that wasn't the case.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Friday. So we can get as pissed as we like!" Cassidy beamed. She knew that her friends liked him enough and she knew that she liked him enough to want him around for a while. She wanted him to spend more time with them all, to properly integrate with her friends, because she knew that she wanted things to go on for a while with James. "Yeah, exactly. So he knows basically everything."

-: Annabelle was right, Tommy didn’t understand - and if he did, he’d feel really bad about what he just said. “Thank fuck for that.” He muttered as Vance left, shaking his head. He was surprised as he saw Florence making her way over to the group - and he was embarrassed at the thought that she’d probably just seen what happened. He wondered if she was coming over to gloat, but he felt a sense of relief as she spoke - this was why he couldn’t let go of her, why he cared so much. “Thanks.” He laughed quietly, taking the glass and drinking the whiskey in one before he held the glass of ice up to his eye, wincing slightly. “Fuck...”

-: Gabe watched with wide eyes as he waited for Annabelle to leave with Vance, like she usually did... and he was very surprised that she didn’t. He was proud of her, although he didn’t know how long it would actually last - but for now, it was enough. “Well done, Anna...” Gabe whispered to her softly, reaching down to take her hand.

-: Emilie smirked slightly as Annabelle didn’t follow Vance - she knew the kind of position the girl was in and she was proud of her for not following. She looked at her with the tiniest of smiles, knowing that she didn’t need to talk to get that across. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She nodded as Link spoke to her; to be honest, she felt pretty scared to go home on her own. The threat that Kurt knew where she lived hadn’t left her mind and she didn’t know what she’d do if he turned up. But she didn’t want to bring that up now, she didn’t want them to know she was scared.

-: “I’m just gonna go to the toilet.” Edie said in practically a whisper, excusing herself quickly as she ducked out of the circle and headed into the bathroom. She had waited long enough and she felt like the walls were going to close in on her if she didn’t get her fix now, as soon as she could. She didn’t really care where they thought she was going - she felt like she couldn’t breathe.

-: Maddie always forgot the other six had once been Arthur’s friends - and when she remembered it, she felt a little wave of anger at how they’d just deserted him. She didn’t think that anybody that wasn’t in their immediate circle was ever important to them. “Okay, good.” She returned his smile, nodding her head. She was glad to see that he was still the person she’d always thought he was.

-: “The perfect day!” James laughed - he was looking forward to the next Friday now and he hoped the invite would still stand when they got there. It wasn’t even that he just put up with Cassidys friends to be polite, he actually really liked being around them. They were all so kind. “I wish I knew everything - I’ve always wanted to be smarter, even when I was a kid.” He laughed.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Florence shrugged her shoulders as Tommy thanked her. SHe didn't think it was that big of a deal. She didn't want to admit to him that she still cared about him but she thought that, that was probably proof enough. "Didn't want you getting into trouble with your agent." She laughed. She knew him so well and she knew that, that would've been the first thing he would think about.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle turned away from her friends as she felt the tears prick her eyes, after Tommys outburst, the last thing she wanted was for him to see her so upset. And she was just about keeping it together - until Gabe said well done. She shook her head slightly. "I fucking hate him, Gabe." She whispered, hoping that he could hear her. She hated what Vance had done to her. She hated the person that he had made her into. Annabelles confidence had never been all that great - but Vance had destroyed any last bit of it.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link tapped his foot, trying to ignore how much he needed something - especially as he saw Edie moving off. He knew what she was doing and he wished that he could go with her. Link sighed, "Do you want me to stay at your place tonight?" He knew that things weren't right with them, he knew that they were still a little odd - but he didn't want her to have to worry.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo nodded his head at Edie. He was pretty sure that he knew what she was going to do and he didn't think that he could stop her. He thought that she knew her mind well enough. He was pretty proud of her for how long she had lasted without a fix, if he was completely honest. Though Theo always felt like a spare part when Edie wasn't there.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur had never really been in the group - but they were his friends. And it had hurt him to know that they didn't think of him the same way as well. "I just didn't want them fighting." He muttered as he shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want Tommy to get hurt, even if the other couldn't care less about him. He raised an eyebrow as he watched Edie move away from the group. He wished that he could do something to help her.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "I absolutely agree!" Cassidy laughed with a nod of her head. She didnt' think that any of her boyfriends - not that, that was what James was - fit into her group of friends as much as James did and she really liked that. She hadn't realised how much she would value someone getting along with her friends. "I like you being dumb." She laughed as she shrugged her shoulders. "I couldn't deal with you if you were clever, honestly. You'd make me feel dumb."

-: Tommy couldn’t help but smile as Florence spoke - she knew him so well, because that was exactly what was on his mind. “Yeah well, unless the ice is magic I think I’ll be getting into trouble regardless.” He shook his head. “Where’ve you been?” He asked her softly. He wasn’t just talking about tonight; they hadn’t spoken at all since the night of the city break. He’d missed her a lot - and he thought that she would’ve missed him.

-: As soon as Annabelle broke, Gabe had his arms wrapped tightly around her, comforting her. He was always going to do that. “I know... I hate him too.” He whispered to her, nodding his head. He had made Annabelle into somebody that was, at times, unrecognisable and he hated that so much. “I’m here for you Anna, no matter what...”

-: Emilie hadn’t expected Link to offer to stay, but she welcomed it - before any of this, he had stayed over at hers more often than not and she’d missed it. He made her feel safe. “If you don’t mind?” She asked quietly, nodding her head. She wouldn’t sleep if not, she knew that. And she missed being around him. She noticed his tapping foot, the way he watched Edie leaving and she knew what he was thinking. “You can go, if you want. Don’t let me stop you.” She hated how substance controlled two of her friends lives completely, but she’d be an idiot to ignore it.

-: Edie didn’t take long at all and she was almost embarrassed to come back afterwards, but she knew that nobody would say anything. “Hey - are you okay?” She smiled as she got back to Theo, looking up at him. He always looked a little awkward when she wasn’t around and she couldn’t blame him - her friends had a very intimidating presence.

-: “No, I know - you did a good thing. It made them stop.” Maddie nodded her head - she wouldn’t have been brave enough to get in the middle of them, but she was glad Arthur had. Her gaze followed his as she watched Edie. She didn’t know much about her, but she thought she might not be very well - in the same way Arthur hadn’t been.

-: “Dumb?! Who said dumb?!” James laughed loudly, shaking his head. It was obvious he didn’t mind at all - he thought there were more important things than being book smart. “But hey, we make a right pair anyway - so I’m happy with that.” He laughed. He liked that they were on very similar levels when it came to stud like that - and music was where they really connected.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Florence shrugged her shoulders, "Well - I tried." She laughed. She figured that it was better than nothing. She just hoped that he wouldn't be told off too much. She raised an eyebrow at his next question. She knew it wasn't just about tonight, though, and she shrugged her shoulders, "I've been around, Tommy. Wasn't like you made that much effort either." She had thought that if he wanted to see her, he would've made sure to.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle really didn't want to cry. She had , had such a good night until Vance had turned up. But she was almost relieved. She hoped that, that would be the last time she let him have anything over her. "I know you are." She muttered with a nod of her head. She knew that he always would be. She just really wished that she could think that, that was enough. Annabelle wanted to be loved - she didn't ever think that, that would be what he wanted for her.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link nodded, "Of course not." He found it surprising how Emilie still didn't realise that she was always going to be a priority for him. He cared about her so much. There was no way that he was going to think otherwise. He raised an eyebrow as she spoke and nodded his head, "I won't be long." Link didn't like how easily she could read him but he wasn't going to say no to it.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo smiled as Edie came back and he nodded his head, "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. I just didn't know what to do with myself." He chuckled. He didn't want to admit that he didn't know how to talk to her friends but he knew that it was true.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Arthur nodded his head. He had been in plenty of fights along the years but he didn't see the point in it anymore. He was sure that Tommy was just protecting his friends - that was usually the case if a girl wasn't involved - but he didn't think that, that was needed.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "I said dumb!" Cassidy laughed and shrugged her shoulders slightly. She was just teasing him though. She thought that he was clever - just in different ways to what most people would think. "We do. That's what's important." She laughed. She liked that she didn't have to second guess what James was thinking - that he was probably somewhere similar to her.

-: “It’s appreciated.” Tommy chuckled, rolling the glass slightly so that it rested on a different part of his face. “No, I know. I’ve just missed you.” He said honestly, shrugging his shoulders. He had been too proud to reach out after she had walked away from him, he always was. But he did miss her and he thought the fact that she’d come over here tonight meant she wasn’t quite ready to let him go.

-: Gabe wasn’t sure what would happen now, with Annabelle and Vance, but he knew that he would be there for her no matter what it was. He loved her, she was his best friend - if he could help her feel better then he always, always would. “I’m sorry that happened, Belle...” He sighed, kissing her head softly.

-: Emilie didn’t know how it was going to be, the two of them staying the night together - but she hoped it wouldn’t be awkward. Or too awkward, at least. “Then yeah, I’d like that.” She nodded her head. She raised an eyebrow as he said he wouldn’t be long - part of her had hoped he would prove her wrong and not go, but she knew she shouldn’t be surprised. She walked over to Annabelle and Gabe. “Hey - fuck him. He’s gone now, Anna. It’s okay.”

-: Edie instantly felt better as soon as she’d had what she needed and she knew it was bad, but she couldn’t help it. “I don’t either, sometimes. In places like this.” She smiled, shrugging her shoulders. She knew how he felt and she knew she’d be exactly the same around a different group of people.

-: James had never been academically smart, but he was lucky to come from a family that always made sure he knew that it wasn’t the most important thing of all. “Do you want another drink?” He asked her with a little smile, leaning against the bar.

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FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Florence shrugged again. She didn't want him to think that she cared too much - but she couldn't help but smile as he said he had missed her. "You have?" She asked with a raise of an eyebrow. She definitely hadn't expected that from him. Florence thought that he would deny, deny, deny. Florence missed him too but she wasn't about to tell him that. She wanted to keep it to herself - at least right now.

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FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle thought that she and Vance were probably done now. He had never told her that they were done before. It had always been her that had been the one. She shrugged her shoulders slightly. She wondered if she should've just gone with him, if it was easier that way. She wiped at her tears as she heard Emilie. She didn't want her best friend to see her so upset. "I'm fine." She muttered. "It's fine."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link wished that he could stop. He wished that he could get a grip on all of this - that he could be okay without it. He didn't take long in the bathroom, though. He knew that he couldn't take long. He already felt better.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo nodded his head. Sometimes, he felt like Edie was almost on the outside of this group and it made him sad. He thought that she deserved more than that. "We can go soon, if you want? Or do you recon they'll start with the games again soon?" He didn't know how he would feel but he thought that it might brighten peoples spirits.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Cassidys family was so big, so there was a mix of smarts and not in her family. She thought that was why she had always gotten on so well with her big brother. "Absolutely." She laughed with a nod of her head. "Hey - so, my brother said you can come over for tea sometimes next week, if you want?"

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Tommy caught the blondes smile as he said he missed her and he nodded his head. "Obviously." He laughed, raising an eyebrow and then wincing at the pain that caused him. He thought Florence knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't say anything that wasn't true, not when it came to that - he wouldn't humiliate himself just for the fun of it. He sighed and put the glass down, touching his eye gently. "Does it make me look even hotter?" He smirked, looking over at her with a little laugh.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Gabe hoped that this would be the last time Vance ever made Annabelle feel like this, but he just wasn't convinced that it was - he wouldn't stop hoping, though. "What do you want to do, Anna? Do you want to stay or do you wanna go home?" He was pretty sure Annabelle would know that by home, he meant his home. He never liked being over at Annabelle and Edie's house - he hated to imagine them there, cold and in the dark, just getting by.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie sighed as Annabelle told her she was fine; she knew she wasn't, but she wasn't going to make her admit that right now. Her friend deserved more than that, she thought. She turned to see Link coming back - he looked better for going and she hated that. She hated that something so bad for him made him so much better, just for a short while. There was no part of her that could understand it and she thought that was because she was the only one of the group that had never even dabbled in anything like that.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie knew that she was different to the other people in the group - but Edie thought she was different to most people, if not all of them. She felt so different, things seemed to mean different things to her. She hated that. She wished she could just be like everybody else. She nodded her head, a vague smile on her face. "We can leave, if you want to. I don't really like playing games, if you couldn't tell." She laughed. She didn't know if Theo would want to come back to hers or not - she always wanted to spend time around him, but she and Annabelle weren't doing well with the house at the moment. She didn't think they'd had heat or electricity for a week now.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: James raised an eyebrow as Cassidy spoke about her brother; she liked that she'd spoken to her family about him, because his family knew so much about her now. "He did, huh?" He smiled, nodding his head. "I would really like that. What day is best for you?" He liked the idea of meeting her family, of seeing where she came from and what her siblings were like. Especially when he knew her brothers meant a lot to her.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Obviously." Florence repeated with a nod of her head. She thought that she liked that. She wished that Tommy was like this more often. She liked this side of him a lot more. Florence thought that they might be able to make things work it he was a little more like this sometimes. She laughed at his question and shrugged her shoulders, "I prefer the usual face - but this'll do." She stood up to kiss him, just quickly. She figured that, that probably showed him why she was over there, that she would always care about him.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle loved Emilie so much and she knew that they were so so close but she didn't think the way things were with her and Vance, were even close to how things were with Kurt and Emilie. She felt guilty for being cut up about it. Annabelle shook her head, "No. I'm not going to let him ruin the night. We were playing dares, weren't we?" She asked with a raise of an eyebrow. "Look - look at you in my fucking top." She laughed. She was trying. She just wanted to have a good night with her friends, that was it.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Everything alright?" Link asked as he moved his way back to Emilie. He felt so much better after that. He knew that he shouldn't, he knew that it wasn't fair - but he did. And he thought that he probably looked better for it as well. He rolled his eyes as he looked at Tommy and Florence. "Get rid of one and another one comes along." He whispered. He figured that Emilie would agree.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo really wished he could make things better for Edie. He thought that she deserved better friends, friends that actually understood them. But he wasn't about to say that to her. He knew her well enough to know how protective she was over her friends. Theo nodded his head as Edie spoke. "You want to come to mine?" He asked her. He didn't like the idea of her having to go back to her house on her own - he thought he knew Gabe and Annabelle enough to know that they would probably go home together.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Cassidy had mentioned James a few times to her eldest brother and his wife and they had made sure that she knew he could come over whenever he wanted - that they could have him any time next week. "Yeah - Thursday?" She asked with a raise of an eyebrow. "He's got kids though - if you're alright with them." She laughed as she shrugged her shoulders.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: What Tommy wanted more than anything right now was comfort and love - and not just from anybody, from Florence - and she always gave him that; she was the only person he'd ever let in enough to be able to give him that. He smiled slightly as she said she preferred his usual face, surprised but happy as she leaned up to kiss him. He kissed her back, pouting slightly as she pulled away too quickly. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him. "You're staying with me tonight?" He asked, raising an eyebrow - he really hoped her answer was yes.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: As tense as the situation was, Gabe couldn't help but burst into laughter as he looked down and realised that he was still wearing Annabelle's top - that was stretched extremely tight over his chest and barely covering his stomach. "Oh my god - I was arguing with him while wearing this top." He laughed, shaking his head as he wiped away a tear of laughter. He thought the image of that must've been hilarious. "Okay well, if we're staying then we need another drink. What are we having?" He smiled.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie turned slightly as Link came back over, nodding her head. "Yeah, I think so. Apart from Gabe still wearing that fucking top." She laughed, shaking her head. She could actually find it funny now that Vance had left and the sight of her large friend in her small friends clothing seemed pretty hilarious. She laughed as she saw what he was talking about, nodding her head. "Yeah well, we can't get rid of her, can we? She's like fleas." She rolled her eyes. She wasn't going to say anything tonight, though - Tommy had done Annabelle a solid, so she would leave him to it.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: One of the only things that could get Edie's back up was when people spoke about her friends - she understood how it could be easy to think that she wasn't a big part of the group when it came to parties or nights out, but people didn't see them every other second of the day. They didn't see the times when the rest of the group would cheer for them at hockey games, shouting her name even when she was just sitting on the bench - or when they would bring food over, claiming to have ordered extra when really they just knew they couldn't afford any. They were her family and she wouldn't hear any different. She smiled as he asked if she wanted to stay with him. "Your parents wouldn't mind?" She raised an eyebrow.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Thursday is great." James smiled, nodding his head. He wasn't really the type of person to get nervous meeting family - because he was such a people person and he loved getting to talk to new people, he always had. He definitely wanted to make a good impression, though. "You do realise this is going to mean that my family are going to be desperate to meet you as soon as they find out?" He laughed. "I love kids, so that's an instant plus. How old are they?" He smiled.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Florence knew that he wouldn't have expected the kiss - that was kind of why she had done it. She liked to keep him on his toes. Florence thought that Tommy would get bored if she made things too easy for him. She smiled as he wrapped his arm around her. "I missed you too." She muttered. She thought that he ought to know that bit. Florence shrugged her shoulders, "Depends how good you are till the end of the night." She laughed .She was never going to make things easy for him, that was for sure.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: The more Gabe laughed, the more that Annabelle did. She shook her head, "Stop it, i'm gonna pee." She laughed. "I can't believe you've fucking ruined my top." This was one of the main reason why she loved being around Gabe. He had always made her feel better. The world could be on fire and she would know she was okay with him by her side. "Tequila! Tommy, Em, Link, tequila?" She asked, calling to the others, "You want one too, Florence?" She thought she'd at least try and be nice - for tonight.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link couldn't help but laugh as he took in the sight of Gabe, "He could never do things fucking normally, could he?" He asked Emilie. It was one thing that he had always particularly enjoyed about his best friend. Link raised an eyebrow as Emilie spoke about Florence. He figured that she was the lesser of two evils, for sure. "Have you gone soft?" He asked with a raise of an eyebrow - and he nodded as Annabelle asked about tequila.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: And even though Theo didn't really know the extent of it - he knew that Edies friends were her family and so he would never say anything against them. He just wished they involved her a little more sometimes, he thought that she deserved that. "Of course they wouldn't." He chuckled. He thought it was pretty obvious that they loved her. "You can sleep in my brothers room - if you don't want to share with me." They had changed it into a spare room but Theo knew that it would always be Barneys room to all of them.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Perfect." Cassidy nodded. Though she wouldn't exactly say goodbye to James if her brothers didn't like him, she would question why. She thought that they had a good sense of people, none of them had liked Tommy. Her brothers opinions meant a lot to her and she thought that James knew that as well. "You're only meeting my brother! It's a bit different to meeting your entire family." She laughed as she shook her head. "Er - Clara is six, Eliza is three and Archie is just a few months."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Florence was probably the only person Tommy knew that managed to keep him on his toes - and the fact that he never knew what she was going to do next was one of the reasons he could never stay away from her. "I thought so." He smiled as she said she missed him - the kiss had been a dead giveaway. "Well, now that I know what's at stake I'll be on my best behavior." He chuckled quietly, rolling his eyes. But he was being serious. "Is that even a question?" He raised an eyebrow as Annabelle asked if he wanted tequila, nodding his head. He liked that she asked Florence, too.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "I haven't ruined it! I've redesigned it. It's lovely!" Gabe laughed, but there were still tears of laughter rolling down his face as he spoke. He couldn't get over how funny it must've looked, him trying to be serious in this tiny top. "Tequila, yes!" He grinned, leaning over the bar and ordering a tray of shots for them. He smiled over at Florence - she had helped Tommy when she hadn't really had to, so he hoped everybody would be nice for at least tonight.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Never. That poor top, it's hanging on by a thread." Emilie laughed, shaking her head - she loved Gabe for that, for being able to make people laugh even in a situation like this one. "Don't be ridiculous, of course I haven't. I've maxed out all my bad energy for tonight, I'll be recharged by tomorrow." She laughed, rolling her eyes. "Besides, I already kissed her date. I can at least let the girl have a shot of tequila in peace." She laughed, nodding as Annabelle asked if she wanted any.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie knew that Theo would never say anything against her friends and she loved that about him; he would always want the best for her - and she truly did believe that was her friends. She smiled as he confirmed that his parents wouldn't mind - she hoped they wouldn't, because she loved the idea of being back in his house. "Why wouldn't I want to share with you?" She chuckled softly, shaking her head. She hoped he wasn't saying that because he didn't want to share with her - she realised that might be the reason too late to change what she'd said.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Yeah, but I don't have a huge family so it's probably gonna be the same amount of people either way. My mum will not let it drop if I tell her I'm having tea with you and your brother." James laughed, shrugging his shoulders as though it was just inevitably going to happen. "That's so cute - I love their names." He smiled.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Florence rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, don't let it go to your head." She wasn't even sure where her date had gone, she had lost track on him when Tommy and Vance had started fighting. She didn't really care anyway. She knew that Tommy was right - she was only there with him because she didn't want to be on her own, when he was with his friends. "Yes please!" Florence smiled as she nodded her head. She liked that his friends seemed to be including her tonight.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Oh my god - Gabe, you know I don't have many nice things. And you've ruined one of them." Annabelle pouted - but she thought that it was pretty clear that she was only teasing him. She could afford to buy another top - next time she got a bit of money. "Excellent." Annabelle laughed as she grabbed one of the shots. She looked around at her friends, making sure they all had one, before she knocked it back.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Well - lets hope they swap back soon - I don't think anyone needs to see Gabe with no top on for too long." Link shook his head. He only ever commented on Gabes weight when he was high. He knew it wasn't fair usually. "Then i look forward to it then." He nodded. He enjoyed when Emilie would have a go at someone - as long as it wasn't aimed at him. "That's fair."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo knew that his parents probably wouldn't even bat an eyelid about him going home with Edie. He didn't think they'd really care. They would just be glad that she was okay. "I dunno - i just wanted to check." He laughed as he shrugged his shoulders. he didn't want to do something that might make her awkward.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "So what you're saying is that I have to meet your mum and dad if you meet my brother?" She asked with a raise of an eyebrow. Cassidy thought that, that would be more nerve wracking, honestly. She didn't care what her parents thought of people she dated - she cared what his parents thought of her though. "Yeah and they're really good kids. You'll love them."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Who do you think you're talking to? Everything goes to my head." Tommy chuckled, raising an eyebrow - he knew it was true though and he couldn't deny it, it was too obvious. He smiled as Florence spoke to Annabelle - he wasn't naive enough to think it would always be this way, but it was something. Just for tonight, at least.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "I know, I know! I'll buy you a new one, I'm just joking." Gabe laughed with a shake of his head, looking down at the top with another loud laugh. He was never going to leave Annabelle without because of something that had been his fault. "How do you still manage to look good in my top, though?" He chuckled. He took a shot for himself and knocked it back with a wince.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "There's not much difference between him wearing this top and wearing no top." Emilie laughed, rolling her eyes. She wasn't going to comment on Gabe's weight, though - it wasn't something she ever really considered. He was just Gabe and he looked the way he did. "You should. It'll come back with a vengeance." She laughed, raising an eyebrow. Things still weren't the way they had been between them, but they were getting there and she was so happy about it.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Edie smiled, nodding her head. She loved that Theo was constantly trying to check if she was comfortable, if she was okay - it was why she always felt so safe with him and she didn't think she'd ever be able to show him how grateful he was. Nobody else made her feel that way.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "No, I'm saying they're going to want to. You can decide whether you want to come or not." James chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. He wouldn't judge Cassidy at all if she thought it was too soon, but he knew his family and what they were like. "I bet you're the best auntie, aren't you?" He smiled. He could just imagine her as the cool auntie.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "That's true. Why do you think I try and not give you too much of a compliment?" Florence asked with a laugh. She definitely hadn't expected to be spending time with Tommy but she was glad that they were. She knew that the others wouldn't be nice to her for forever, but she was glad that they at least had tonight. She knocked back the shot with a laugh, "So i'm guessing you guys were doing dares?" She asked, nodding towards Gabe.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Thank you! Finally, an admission!" Annabelle smiled up at him. She thought that it was incredible how quickly Gabe could get her mind off of everything that had happened. She shrugged her shoulders at his question though, "I look good in everything. Though this isn't exactly my smile." She laughed. She perked up at Florence mentioned dares, "can we do some more? Please?!"

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "That's actually kind of true. But it's something." Link shrugged his shoulders. He knew, if he was sober, that it wasn't fair to comment on his friends weight but right in that moment, he didn't care. He never cared who he upset when he was like that. "They're gonan go home together, right?" He asked, nodding to Gabe and Annabelle. He thought it was pretty obvious.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo took her hand then, "Alright - lets go home." He muttered and started to lead the two of them out of the club. Theo had never really had many friends but he absolutely classed Edie as one of his best friends.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "But its not really fair if you meet my brother and his wife and I don't meet your parents, is it??" Cassidy thought that she would wait a little while longer before she introduced James to Landon. The youngest of her brothers was her best friend and she wanted to make sure that this was heading where she hoped, before he met him. "I like to think so. I bloody spoil them rotten so they love me!"

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Ah, but you always seem to manage to give me at least one." Tommy smiled, raising an eyebrow. He loved that, though. Because she made him work for it, a compliment from Florence always made him feel like it was worth so much more. He laughed as she spoke about dares. "Would it really surprise you if he was just wearing that off his own back?" He raised an eyebrow.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Gabe laughed, rolling his eyes playfully. He was definitely ready to get into his own clothes soon, mostly because he could barely move his arms in Annabelle's top. "Can the first dare be for us to swap back?" He laughed, shaking his head. "But yeah, let's do some more. You can give out the first one, Belle." He smiled. He knew she was always good at coming up with dares and such.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Everything's something." Emilie laughed, nodding her head in agreement. That was one of the reasons she didn't like being around him as much when he was high - he didn't seem to care who he hurt or upset and that wasn't the person she knew. "Probably. Why?" She asked with a raise of an eyebrow, wondering why he was so interested in it.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "I'm just going to say goodbye, two minutes." Edie smiled, squeezing Theo's hand gently before she turned back to her friends. "We're - I'm going to get off, I'm not really feeling it. I'll see you guys tomorrow?" She raised an eyebrow. They always saw each other the day after a party, without fail. She waited for her friends to say their goodbyes and then she turned back to Theo. "Let's go." She smiled.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "I wouldn't judge you if you didn't want to." James said truthfully - but he knew that he would really like it if she did. He would never judge anybody for not being comfortable with something. "Oh, I can definitely see that too! You must be the favourite." He laughed.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Yeah, well, don't want you thinking that i'm a complete bitch, do we?" Florence asked with a laugh. She thought that, that was one of the reasons why they worked so well - when they were working. She didn't let Tommy have something just because he was Tommy Morley. He had to work for it. "To be fair, no. But it definitely is not his size." She laughed as she looked at Annabelle, then. She hoped the niceness would continue from her.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle thought that she would never find a friend better than Gabe. He made her so happy. She thought that she was pretty lucky to have all five of the others, really. "I am not having that back now. It'll fall off me!" Annabelle laughed as she shook her head. She pouted as Edie said that she was going, "Love you!" She called after her friends before she turned back. She smirked as she looked at Tommy. "Alright - I dare you, Tommy, to go over there and tell Cassidy that you want her back." She didn't even realise that, that might be considered mean. She just thought it was funny.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "True." Link nodded. He never really realised the differences in himself when he was on something, to when he wasn't. That was probably the main reason why he thought that his friends were overreacting whenever he was. He shrugged his shoulders, "Just asking. She doesn't wait long, does she?" He raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure if he was joking with that one or not, really.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Theo waved over to the group, not sure that many of them would really care. He really wanted to be their friends but it was hard to get in the inner circle when you just weren't - he thought that, that might be why Florence and Tommy struggled so much. "Alright, lets go home."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "It's not that I don't want to.." Cassidy felt stupid for bringing up the fact that her brother wanted to meet him now. She thought that it opened herself up to this and she didn't know how comfortable she was with the idea of meeting his parents. Parents didn't tend to like Cassidy all that much. "Oh for sure. They love me. You'll see. And they're gonna love you too."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Not if we can help it." Tommy teased, smirking slightly as Florence laughed. Being able to joke around with her was something he loved and something he knew he was lucky to be able to do after the way he'd treated her. "It absolutely is not, you're right with that one." He turned to Annabelle as he heard his name, wondering what his dare would be. Usually, there wouldn't be a dare that he would say no to - but after fighting Vance, after Florence coming over... He just couldn't be bothered with anymore drama tonight. "No. Pick a different one."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Oh, what?! So I have to keep it on all night?" Gabe laughed, shaking his head as he looked down at the top he was wearing. He bit back a laugh as he heard Tommy's dare, but he was surprised that he said no to it - he couldn't ever imagine Tommy turning down a dare. "Come on, Tom! It's just a joke." He laughed, raising an eyebrow.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie raised an eyebrow as Link spoke again, turning to him as if to ask what he was playing at. "And?" She asked, rolling her eyes. She didn't see what the big deal was or why it bothered him and to be honest, she was getting tired of being around him when he was like this. "Really?" She asked as she heard Annabelle's dare - she wasn't a big fan of the other group, but even she thought that was too far. She was starting to not enjoy herself.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: James wasn't really sure what the big deal would be about meeting his parents if she wanted him to meet her brother, but he would never push her on it. "Okay..." He laughed slightly awkwardly, shrugging his shoulders. He would just leave it to her to make a decision, when she wanted to. "I hope so! I'm excited to meet them."

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Florence knew that she could be a bit of a bitch sometimes, she wasn't stupid. She didn't think that, that meant that people - particularly Tommys friends - could treat her the way that they did sometimes. "It doesn't look so bad on him though, you know?" She asked and a laugh. As she heard Annabelles dare, Florence raised an eyebrow. She didn't like that and she didn't think that anyone who was with the person who was asked to ask his ex back, would. She smiled slightly, as Tommy said that he wouldn't do it.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "Yes, you do." Annabelle laughed as she nodded her head. "It suits you." She chimed. Annabelle honestly thought that Gabe could pull off anything, she thought that he had the confidence for it anyway. She pouted as Tommy said no. "Are you serious? But it was fine to give Aiden a drink when you knew that would piss him off?" She rolled her eyes - and then narrowed them at Emilie, "What? It's just a joke!"

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link shrugged his shoulders, "Just saying. That's all." He really didn't see the point in any of them being there anymore. He thought that they were all getting arsey and he didn't think they were having fun anymore. He laughed as he heard the dare though, "They're just mess, Em. It's fine." He muttered with a shake of his head. He had no idea why she was so het up all of a sudden.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Cassidy sighed as she shook her head. "Where's Maddie and Aiden?" She muttered, trying to change the subject. She felt awkward but she didn't know if this was the time to have that conversation. She really didn't want to have to deal with this situation right now. She nodded her head though, as he mentioned her nephew and nieces. "Yeah, they'll love it."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Have you had too much to drink? Because what I'm seeing - it's the definition of bad." Tommy laughed, although he knew he was exaggerating; Gabe would've been kicked out by now if he looked all that terrible. He rolled his eyes as Annabelle pouted. "I said pick another one, didn't I?" He said, his voice stubborn. Although he wouldn't admit it, he actually did feel pretty bad when he thought about what he'd done to Cassidy - he didn't want to mess with her any further.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Oh thanks, you're so kind." Gabe rolled his eyes, but he was laughing. He hadn't expected Tommy or Emilie to be like this about a dare and he didn't know why - his friend had showed that he hadn't really cared about Cassidy, so he was confused about why he'd suddenly care now. He looked between them all silently, wondering if they were about to start an argument. It felt like they were and Gabe wasn't quite sure why.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Well don't." Emilie said bluntly; she thought Annabelle was free to do whatever she wanted and especially if it meant her staying away from Vance - she would always stand up for her best friend. She would never take any criticism of her. "Yeah, it's funny." She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Emilie knew she could be a mean person, but she was mean to people who deserved it - despite her and Cassidy having different personalities, the girl had never actually done anything to them. She didn't think this was funny. "So you would find it funny if somebody did that to me, then?" She asked with a raise of an eyebrow.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: James wasn't sure where the sudden awkwardness was coming from, but he didn't like it - he hadn't felt like this yet with Cassidy and he hoped it didn't stay. "Uh - I think they're over there. I can see Maddie, anyway." He nodded across the room. "Oh and there's Aiden, stood with Elijah." He pointed just a little way away from them. "Wanna round everyone back up?"

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FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "It's the knock to the head, you're not seeing things right." Florence laughed. She thought that he looked better than Annabelle did, drowning in that top. Though she supposed that maybe a little bit of personal feelings towards the girl snuck in with that one. She chewed on her lip. She didn't want things to kick off again but it seemed like they were all on different pages here and she wasn't sure it was going to end well.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: "I know." Annabelle shrugged her shoulders with a laugh. She didn't understand why her friends were getting at her. She thought that they were going to be nice to her after she had, had to deal with Vance but apparently not. "Well it usually would be, you're just pissy because he can't keep sober." She nodded to Link. She still wanted to know what had happened between the two of them. Annabelle rolled her eyes, "Fine. I'm going home since you two are being boring fucks." She snapped. She had a short fuse at the best of times but everything that had happened with Vance had shorted that.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link laughed as she said not too. "I can comment on what I want Emilie. You're not the queen bee around here." He knew that he wouldn't dream of talking to her like that usually but he didn't care. In that moment, and most of the time when he was using, he did not care one little bit. "Oh fuck off Annabelle. Like you're so fucking perfect." He growled as she included him in whatever was going on with the other three.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Cassidy wondered if staying in the club after they realised that Tommy was there was really a good thing. She thought that, that might by why she was second guessing everything. It seemed pretty plausible to her. "Oh - perfect." She nodded her head slightly. "I think so? We'll probably be going home soon, right? I want to actually spend time with my friends before that." She didn't mean that to mean she didn't want to spend time with James too - but she only realised how it sounded once she said it.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Yeah, it must be." Tommy laughed, raising an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes as Annabelle started to kick off - he felt like it was classic Annabelle, making a scene because she didn't get her own way. "Thank god for that, some peace at last." He said smugly, mostly because he knew it would piss her off. And he had Florence here now, he was happy spending the rest of his night with her - especially if people were going to start getting pissy with each other.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Okay then, tell somebody who fucking cares." Emilie rolled her eyes. She wasn't going to be spoken to like that, not by somebody that was supposed to be her best friend - not by somebody that supposedly loved her. She felt a flash of anger as Annabelle spoke to her, even though she knew that probably was the reason - she was sick of them just ignoring the fact that Link didn't seem like he could have a good time around them without taking something. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'm fucking sick of it." She admitted, her tone snappy as she grabbed her bag. "You stay, I can't be bothered being here anymore."

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Gabe sighed as everybody started in on each other - he hated it when this happened, but it quite often did when everybody was drunk and he wished he was used to it by now. "Anna, don't go..." He sighed, shaking his head. He didn't understand why Tommy had to say something like that, when he knew it was going to piss Annabelle off. "Guys..." He muttered, looking around at his friends. He just wanted them to be able to have a good night.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: James was pretty taken aback by what Cassidy was saying, but he didn't want to show it - he knew that she was totally entitled to spend as much time as she wanted with her friends, but the way she said it made him think that she wasn't enjoying being around him. "Oh yeah, you're definitely right. -- I didn't even realise how late it was, you know? I might head home, you want me to take you over there first?"

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Florence sighed as the three of them started in on one another. Sometimes, she thought they were closer than any friendship group she had ever been around - and others she thought that they were all probably better off without one another. "Don't, Tommy." Florence muttered with a shake of her head. She usually wouldn't mind him stirring the pot but she didn't see why he needed to do it tonight.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Annabelle narrowed her eyes as she looked at Tommy. Usually, it wouldn't have even effected her in the slightest but her emotions were high tonight. She had tears in her eyes as she looked at her 'friend'. "Fuck you." She muttered before she turned away from them and started to make her way through the crowd. She didn't think that she had to put up with that from him. Honestly, Annabelle thought that Vance might be right. Even her friends couldn't stand her half the time so why would someone want to be with her for forever? He was doing her a favour.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Link scoffed as Emilie agreed with Annabelle but he didn't say anything else. They were leaving, the night was over. He hated that they always ended up in fights but he certainly wasn't going to do anything about it.

FM LC AM CG AL AG TC: Cassidy raised an eyebrow as James spoke and she looked up at him. "You're not coming back to ours?" She'd thought that she already decided on that but apparently not.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "What?" Tommy asked as Florence spoke to home, shaking his head. He didn't even think he'd said anything that bad, but he did feel a little guilty as Annabelle looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Fucks sake." He muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "You didn't have to say that." Gabe looked at Tommy with a sigh, before he shook his head and began to follow Annabelle through the crowd. Whether she wanted to stay with him or not, he wasn't going to let her walk home alone - especially to the part of town that she and Edie lived in. "Anna! Let me walk you home!" He shouted after her.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: Emilie rolled her eyes as she heard Link scoffing, not even pausing before she started to walk away from the group - in the opposite direction to Annabelle. She was sick of them all tonight - and she absolutely knew why she was so pissed off and that pissed her off even more. She didn't even want Link to come with her, not when he was being like this.

GS EH TM EC AA MH JS: "Oh, well I - did you want me to?" James raised an eyebrow. He was a little confused; he'd thought her saying that she actually wanted to spend some time with her friends had been a polite way of telling him to get lost for the night and he hadn't really minded, but now he wondered if he'd read it wrong.

[djinmer4]

Letter (Dresden AU)

“Bitte, grrnk!  I can bear no more, nmmmak! Shoot me, erk!  Put me out of my misery.”

“Stop whining.”

“Du Unhold!  You are enjoying this nnmph!  This inhuman torture.”

A giggling reply.  “Of course not.  I just like playing doctor.  Pity, a few snips and it will all be over.”

“Eeeungh!  Nmmph!  Glk . . . Gggnmmph!”

“Okay, okay.  I’m finished already.”

“Aaahhh, wonne.  Danke, Katzchen, danke.  Ooaah, wunderbar . . . the itch was driving me wahnsinnig.”

Kitty helped pry away the last pieces of plaster.  “You’re lucky Moira said it was okay to remove the cast, Kurt.  I’d have left it on for another month.”

“To teach me the consequences of violence, I presume.”

“No, that’s a risk we all accept.”  She carded her fingers lightly through the matted fur, carefully smoothing out some of the tangles that had formed in the past month.  “I meant you’re lucky that you heal so quickly.  Most people would take about another eight weeks to knit.  There’s no significant muscle wastage either.  How do you feel?”

Kurt stood and stretched, bringing his knee up to his chest.  “Starr.  And a little weak.  Mostly I’m just off-balance- I have grown used to compensating for the weight of the cast.”

“You’ll just have to take it easy for the next few days.”

“I have not the time.  I received a letter, via Jean Grey, from an old friend, Jutta.  She needs my help so I am leaving for Germany within the hour.”  He hesitated then looked at his young friend.  “Would you like to come?”

Kitty gave him one of her lopsided smiles.  “Sorry, I can’t.  I got a letter too, from one of my cousins.”

“Wer?”

“Connie Barrowill, on my dad’s side.  No, you don’t know her, we’re not close.  But she’s in college right now and apparently having a bit of trouble.  Since she’s only a few years older than me, her dad asked that I fly over and see how she’s doing, maybe give her some advice.”

“Ah, well, family is family after all.  I wanted to introduce you to my friends from the circus, but it looks like it will have to wait for another time.  I will bring you back a souvenir.”

~~~~~~~

“Connie?  Connie, are you there?  It’s me, Kitty.”  Shadowcat looked around the campus.  She supposed all colleges had similarities, but while Chicago had had a mix of gothic stone and modern concrete architecture, Oklahoma was all brick, much more cohesive.  Also, flat as a pancake.

“Kitty?  Hey, I wasn’t expecting you!”  Connie was just a few inches taller than her, with blonde hair, tanned skin, and blue eyes.  She looked like a stereotypical cheerleader actually, which never failed to annoy Kitty a little.  Everyone else in the Court looked like a supermodel and she just looked like the girl next door.  And if what Thomas told her was right, she’d keep looking like that for the next hundred years or so.

“Yeah, your dad called me.  Said you were having some difficulty with . . . school and that I might be able to answer some questions for you.”  Kitty felt stupid trying to convey her meaning with pauses and eyebrows, but they were in public.

“Oh?  Oh!  Yes, just some stuff you’ll probably find easy.  Here, come in!”  Connie stopped standing in the doorway and let Kitty into the dorm.  They walked up three flights of stairs to Connie’s single room.  Kitty was surprised, there was an aura of lust in the corridor so thick she was surprised normal humans couldn’t detect it.

Once the door was shut, they both dropped the pretense.  “So what happened?”

“Well . . . I take it you know all about our-”

“Our little nutrition problem.  Yes, I do.  But you . . . “  Kitty gave her cousin a good once over.  “But you haven’t changed.  I’m surprised, Lord Raith doesn’t allow fledglings to be told about their heritage until-”

“Until it’s too late.  Yeah, that’s the thing.  Um, Dad said you . . . had an unusual transition.”

Kitty stared at her cousin.  She let out a sigh.  “Yeah.  Mind control.  A body jumper took over and he knew my background.  Decided he wanted all the perks that came with being a vampire, and arranged for the right circumstances then did the deed.”

“So there wasn’t any decision making involved,” muttered the blonde.

“Connie, what exactly happened to you?”

“Oh, um,” her cousin took a deep breath.  “I brought my boyfriend up to my room to make-out.  We didn’t go all the way,” So that explained some things.  “But it was enough to trigger the Hunger.”

“Soo . . . I don’t understand.  Do you want to complete the transformation?  Just invite the boy over and drain him.  Simple enough.”

“No!”  Then Connie’s voice dropped.  “Or well, it’s not that simple.”

“Do you not want to be a vampire?  I can understand that.”

“Maybe.  I’m not sure.  How would you go about doing that?”

“Hmph.  Normally I wouldn’t tell you this information, but since you already know about the Masquerade . . . there’s really only one chance at this.  The first time you have sex and-” Kitty side-eyed her cousin.  “-go all the way.  If you have sex with someone who truly loves you and who you truly love in return, it poisons the demon and kills them.  Then you’ll live the rest of your life as a normal human, and have normal human kids.  But if it’s anyone else, you’ll kill them and become a Pale Hunter.”  She paused.  “How did the guy last long enough that this became an issue?”

“Oh, it turns out he’s the son of a Forest Person.  Dad apparently did some mojo so I’d screw him to death, but he’s got enough resistance that he was unaffected.”

“That explains the aura out in the corridor.  Was that all you needed?”

“Er, no.  Some of the other Forest People blocked Dad’s influence, said they’d give me time to decide if I really wanted to become a vampire or not.  I told Dad that since I actually had a choice, I wanted to know more about it.  So I guess he sent you.”

Kitty leaned back in the chair she had grabbed from Connie’s desk.  “Pros and cons then.  You already know what it’s like to be human, so I’ll leave that alone.  Cons: once you turn into a vampire you have to feed, you have no choice.  If you go too long without it, or something causes you to drain your resources too low, the demon will take over and attack and kill people to feed.  And every time the demon does that, it takes a toll on your mind.  Go into a frenzy often enough, and eventually, you’ll never come out of it.  You’ll just be a mindless monster.

Are you taking notes on this?  You’ll remember it better if you write it down.”

Connie grabbed the notepad Kitty held out to her.  “You’re not worried people might come across proof of the supernatural?”  

Kitty snorted.  “The Masquerade isn’t that fragile.  If anyone asks, tell them you were brainstorming a story with me.  Shall I go on?”  The blonde nodded.  “Okay, pros now.  You get enhanced senses and strength and durability.  Feeding regularly will give you a healing factor, feed enough and you can survive being set on fire and almost being cut in half.”  At Connie’s wide-eyed look, Kitty continued.  “That’s not hyperbole, I’ve actually seen Laura do the exact thing.  It’s not the most powerful healing factor I’ve seen but it’s definitely up there.  Anyway, going on.  It enhances all your physical characteristics, strength (“You said that already”), speed, endurance, dexterity.  Your lifespan also increases, Lord Raith and Laura have lived for centuries.”

The older girl continued to make notes.  “Any drawbacks?  Sunlight and things?”

“Nope, that’s a different court.  No problems with sunlight or silver or iron or religious symbols.”  To prove her point, Kitty opened up the collar of her shirt to show Connie the Star of David she wore.  “Um, you can cross thresholds without being invited, but that does limit your abilities to human norm though.”

“So no weaknesses at all?”

“A few.  We’re definitely not as strong as the other vampire courts.  Also, we have a vulnerability to some types of positive emotion.”  Kitty though for a second.  “You and you’re dad are part of House Ashma that feeds on rage.  So trying to feed off of someone who’s serene or coming into contact with symbols of that could hurt you.

There are some other things that pertain to magic, but that’s not going to be an issue unless you actually become one.  Anything else you want to know?”

“So if I,” Connie hesitated then continued.  “If I don’t want to become a vampire, I don’t have to swear a vow of celibacy or anything like that?”

“And what’s wrong with being celibate?  But no, you just have to make sure that your first time is with someone who really loves you and who you love in return.”  

“What about your mutant powers?  Does it help those?”

Now it was Kitty’s turn to look wide-eyed.  “Charles told you that?”

“It was supposed to be a secret?”

“Well, not really I guess.  I haven’t been hiding it, but I haven’t been advertising it to the rest of the family, that’s all.”  She shook her head.  “Honestly, it’s hard to say.  I pretty much got them at the same time.  But I don’t think so?  I can still use my mutant ability even when my vampire ones are cut off, like when I go somewhere uninvited or warded with a magic circle.  And it doesn’t depend on my feeding either.”

The elder looked over her notes.  “This is all really great information, Kitty.  But it doesn’t answer my question.”  Summer blue eyes looked into paler, icier ones.  “You weren’t given a choice.  But if you had been given one, would you have become a vampire?”

She hissed out between her teeth.  “That’s a very difficult question.  On one hand, I really hate how I transitioned.  I hate the fact I wasn’t given a choice, that someone else was puppeteering my body around, that he chose to kill an innocent to kick-start my powers.  But on the other hand, I love the abilities that being a vampire gives me.  I don’t think I’d be nearly as good a fighter without those abilities and they certainly make me a much more valuable member of the X-Men and Excalibur.  And of course, on the gripping hand, there’s the whole fact I had to kill someone to be like this and can enthrall people and may kill other people in the future.”  

“That’s not a yes or no answer.”

Kitty sucked in another breath.  “If this was a question with easy answers you wouldn’t need my help now, would you?”  Connie closed her eyes and dipped her head.  “I think, when it comes down to it, I do like being a vampire.  And if I had a choice I would do it again, even with how traumatic the transitioning was.  I’d prefer to do it under different circumstances, I mean, I could think of a lot of people who need killing after all, but even if I had to do it that way, I still would.”

“Thanks, Kitty.”  If the two of them had been closer, Connie might have risked hugging the younger girl.  As is, she settled for a firm handshake.  “That’s all I needed to know.”