#like honey are you really enjoying the tunes or are you just passively accepting everything around you again

[diemnormalis]

oscar "just enjoying the tunes" piastri.

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Sibling Protection Squad ~ Arthur Shelby

He may be a dummy, but he’s so cute c’:

There weren’t too many words to describe the eldest Shelby sibling - Aggressive, maybe kinda dumb, clearly a drunk, an ex-soldier still majorly plagued by the horrors of the war - And it’s true, most of these sound incredibly negative, and it almost seems like there was no redeeming quality for him.

But only God knows how big his heart is, and how he’d give his life for his family, especially for Tommy, because that’s how much he loves them, but in this dark and cruel world, only filled with death and smog, there’s no place for such warm feelings...

Or so he thought, until one cold and snowy winter, where Arthur was walking down the streets of Birmingham with his brother, and suddenly, a honey-coated voice ripped them away from their business talks, and as they looked up hill, he noticed a lovely young woman dancing in the snow with a little girl who looked a lot like her - The little one was playing around with the falling snowflakes, giggling gleefully, while the older one’s hands were freezing as she was making a flower crown from the prettiest winter flowers there were.

The eldest Shelby didn’t even realise he stopped dead in his tracks to gaze at the h/c woman, mesmerised by her...Her everything, really.  But was that her sister or her daughter? And, moreover, he’s ugly as hell, a drunk, he talks loud and he’s rough, how could someone as soft and delicate ever even think about staying within a 10 kilometer radius from him?

“Brother, why do you look so upset? Go talk to her.” Thomas put both his hands on his brother’s shoulders, smiling encouragingly at him. “I can’t, Tommy, I can’t. Look at ‘er, she’s...She’s perfect! I’ll just scare her away. And that kid, what if it’s hers? What if she’s married? I can’t just intrude in her life like that.” Arthur sighed, hanging his head and sighing. “Go after her, brother, otherwise, I will, and I will wife her, and she will become a Shelby, just not the you’d wish her to be.” Tommy smirked slightly, provoking his brother, knowing very well how he can be. “Don’t you dare, Tommy! You can’t do this to me!” the elder one pursed his mouth, getting flared up by his brother, who felt like a winner, as always. “Then go there and talk to her! It’s that simple. Now go along. I’ll go home, and when you’re done here, I want to know how it went.” Tommy pushed his brother towards the girl, winking and giving him thumbs up to get the courage to proceed.

Let me call you "Sweetheart," I'm in love with you. Let me hear you whisper that you love me too. Keep the love-light glowing in your eyes so true. Let me call you "Sweetheart," I'm in love with you. 

She sang like a beautiful nightingale, putting the flower crown on her hair, picking her up and twirling around together - It almost seemed like the most blissful, domestic dream, the one that without realising, he wished for the most. However, as he got enchanted by her mermaid-like voice, he noticed another man approaching them, and he tensed up, thinking it was her husband, and his heart sank in disappointed, his dreams completely ruined.

“Hello, little lady. Why are you here, alone, when the sun is going down?” the man asked, scaring the girl and pulling the little girl behind her, getting in a protective stance...This man clearly wasn’t her husband, Arthur thought, as he watched carefully the interaction between those two. “Just enjoying this beautiful winter day with my little sister, hoping for no outside disturbances.” she held a smile on her face, but it was clear her voice was passive-aggressive enough, as the man was screaming DANGER with his mere presence. “Well, I’d say it’s getting late. How about I escort you home, safely, and you sing for me all night long, sweet songbird.”  the man chuckled, stepping closer to the girls, and Arthur could see how uncomfortable and scared the girl was. “Sis, this man is creeping me out. Can he leave us alone?” the little girl asked innocently, tugging on her sister’s long coat. “He WILL leave us alone...If he knows what’s good for his life.” Y/N’s voice became lower, more threatening, as she slowly letting her chin down, looking like a lioness ready to protect her kin. “Aww, don’t be like that, toots, c’mon, I’ll treat you well!” the creep walked quickly in front of her, grabbing her arm violently, only to get slapped and pushed away. “Go away, if you don’t want to get hurt even more. I warn you now, before I slit your throat.” looking closer, Arthur noticed the glint of metal in her hand, but he was going to intervene before she could get her hands dirty. Just then, the man got visibly angry, his face scrunching into an ugly mug, and he violently grabbed her by the arms, and thus, it was his time to act.

Arthur rushed to save her, dragged the creep away from the woman, punching him in the face enough to scare him to run away from there - But now, he was the violent creep who stalked her and heroically saved her... And looking at her sheepishly, he realised that she was awkwardly shifting on her feet, hiding the knife back in the sleeve of her coat.

“Thank you, Mr. I and my sister thank you. Some people can be really...Bad.” she chuckled awkwardly, letting her sister come out from behind her, and surprisingly, despite her shy demeanor, she went to the Shelby and took off her flower crown, gifting it to him. “Here, Mister! It’s a thank you for protecting us! Y/N did this for me, and now, I’m giving it to you! But you have to tell us your name first! Mine is Stephanie, and my Y/N’s name is Y/N!” the usually timid little girl spoke so brightly, jumping up and down cheerfully in front of the stranger, trying to get him to accept the gift, while Y/N could only stare at them with wide eyes, embarrassed and shocked by her behaviour. “S-Steph, don’t bother the poor stranger like that, you’re gonna scare him away.” Y/N put her hands on her sister’s shoulders, trying to calm her down, but the man grinned in amusement, his heart softening. “Don’t worry, ma’am, she’s a sweetling. Name’s Arthur Shelby, at your service.” he extended his hand to her, and she shook it, a small smile on her face. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Shelby. Thank you again for coming to our aid. How can we repay for your help?” she asked, slowly walking in the direction of her home. “If you would allow me to honour of walking you home...A drink together maybe...” he suggested, which made the girl look up at him, tilting her head to the side briefly, before nodding in agreement, raised her hand to look at her non existent wrist watch, before slapping her forehead. “I forgot my watch broke recently. Well, the magical way the Sun works tells me it’s going to be dinner time soon, so...If you’re not too busy...” she shrugged simply, opening the door to her little, but very warm, welcoming and cosy apartment, but Arthur didn’t dare step inside. “Nothing to do. I promise to bring you back home whenever you want.”  he spoke, leaning on the door frame, watching the beautiful woman lecture her little sister - The usual things any older sister who’s taking care of a child all by herself - And then taking her purse to go with him.

He wondered how the hell did he manage to convince this gorgeous woman, without really doing anything at all. This woman was absolutely flawless, without even having to dress elegantly, do her hair or make up, and suddenly, he was reminded of Grace and how much effort she puts into being less than perfect compared to Y/N.

This time, his feet didn’t lead him the Garrison, as they always do - The standard, go there, listen to Grace’s singing that leads to a bunch of drunk men sing completely off-tune, and then he gets drunk too, sometimes shit-faced drunk, and he forgets everything, including his problems. Now, however, he brought her to one of those exclusive burlesque cabaret restaurants, which shocked Y/N big time.

“Arthur, I-...I...I don’t think I can afford getting in such a luxurious place. I’m just a practicing physician, I don’t really make a lot of money...And I didn’t dress appropriately either. I-...” the girl stumbled worriedly over her words, only to earn a grin from the man. “Don’t worry, lass, I’m a man and I asked you on a date with me. It would be unbecoming of me to let you pay. Just enjoy the show and whatever you want to drink...And have that beautiful smile on your face.” he looked down for a brief moment, before looking at her face, noticing a soft blush and the spark of mirth in her eyes.

Watching the beautiful girls dance so so enticingly got the girl mesmerised, studying their every move with fascination, then got the Irish whiskey from the table, poured it in the crystal glasses for the both of them, then grinned, stealing a look at the man sitting in the chair glued to hers.

“Do you know how to dance?” she asked, leaning on her armrest to talk into his ear, as the music was very loud. “Uh...No, I’m not good at dancing, sorry. I can try, if you want to-” Arthur fumbled over his words, a bit embarrassed that he never got around to being as great a charming dancer as Tommy...Or a dancer at all, really. “Oh, that’s absolutely perfectly, I’m dreadful at dancing too. It’s a great thing other women are great at it, otherwise life would be SO boring.” Y/N chuckled gleefully, having her elbow on the table, raising her glass to cling with his, a he mimicked her gesture, laughing boastfully. “You’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.” he barked, and boy, was he feeling lucky as hell that Tommy convinced him to approach her. “And you are the best man I’ve ever met in my life, without a doubt.” he never would have believed that some simple words would be so life-changing for him, coming from the right person.

And that night, oh boy, he talked Tommy’s ear off, and even Polly was there to hear and congratulate him on having such a great date, and now, they all wanted to meet this mystery woman. She was absolutely stunning, and all the Shelbys loved her, especially Polly, who finally thought dear Arthur found someone able to keep him under control, so he would stop being a rabid dog running astray, plagued by the ghosts of his past as a soldier in France. She was his perfect remedy, and likewise, he was showing her there are ways to have fun in life like never before, and that all started with the burlesque show, then the jazz bar where a band sang, then spontaneously going to the outskirts of the city to visit parks, simply to get away from the monochromatic life from Bleak Birmingham.

Because with together, life was painted in the most magical hues and shades of colours brought to Earth by the angels themselves.

Or so Ada said once when they were eating together, as a family, and it stuck with the both of them, so much, that they were sure every time they embraced, a rainbow shot from their hearts, unifying each other.

With Stephanie being there, they almost seemed like a family, the three of them, and it happened almost in an instant, without as much as realising, but Arthur became the girl’s father figure and loved her like his own child, and despite not having a clue how to behave with children, he spoiled the hell out of her, which made Y/N incredibly happy.

But things can’t always be perfect, and everyone knows the Shelbys and the ones they love essentially have a bullseye painted on their forehead, and one day, when, as usual, Y/N took Steph to the hill to play and sing together, only to have a few people come threaten them - Threaten to torture and kill them, unless they tell them about the Shelby family, and it goes without saying, it was terrifying for the two females.

Aggressiveness, curses, violence - One of them dragged Steph away, while the leader punched Y/N’s face once she screamed, telling them to take her, not her little sister, she’s the only one she has in her life anymore.

It all seemed to go as a complete blur - A shadow of the past that came to haunt their nightmares, a perfect reenactment of that horrible night from 10 years ago - Gunshots, screams, blood, even more curses...And enough dead bodies to start a small cemetery.

It was a split second for Y/N to get desperate enough to get the gun Arthur gave her years ago out of her purse and with perfect precision shot the assailants in the head - And as soon as she realised what she’s done, when all the smoke cleared and the enemies fell down on the ground, and her little sister was shaking like a leaf, sobbing and pulling at her hair.

“Y/N?! Y/N, what the bloody hell happened!” a familiar male voice shouted from far away, waking her out of her trance. “Arthur...?” she muttered, her shoulders shaking, just like her arms and bottom lip, which in turn, caused the girl to drop the gun and waiting for the man to come closer to them, she ran to him, crying and shaking him, alternating with hitting him, the panic still messing with her. “DAMN IT, ARTHUR, LOOK AT IT! LOOK AT THIS! YOU PROMISED, FOR FUCK’S SAKE! YOU PROMISED!” she shrieked at him, but poor him, was so confused and shocked of the sight in front of him.

Y/N has been the calmest person in the whole world, the rational one, the only person who could talk sense and ration into him, and yet, there she was, completely freaking out, trembling, wailing and yelling gibberish, and there was nothing in the world scarier than the love of his life being in this kind of state.

“Y/N, calm down and talk to me, please! Calm down, I’m here, everything’s better now. Talk to me, Y/N, talk to me.” he put his hands on her face, getting closer to her, looking directly in her eyes, something he knew worked because Tommy did it, and it always worked for him. “You promised you’d protect us, Arthur! You promised, and look at this mess! I had to kill them all! I DID IT! I’m a murderer, just like them! And look at Stephanie, she’s...She’s hysterical! You were supposed to protect us! THEY wanted to torture us to tell them secrets on YOU! Damn it, Arthur, you bloody PROMISED!” she cried out, and Arthur was lost for words, but actions spoke louder than them, and so he embraced her tightly, stroking her hair, trying to soothe her down. “Shhh, Y/N, calm down, it’s alright now, thank god for that. You’re incredibly brave and strong. You’re incredible, Y/N. I promise, nothing like this will ever happen again, I swear to you, on my honour as a Shelby...On my honour as your husband, this won’t ever happen again.” he rocked her back and forth, trying to relax her, but in reality, it wasn’t her that was shaken up, it was her sister. “Arthur...Look at her. Ten years ago...Something like this happened to us, ten years ago. Why do you think I was alone in taking care of her? I was 10 years old when she was brought into this world...And it was weird, having to share everything...But I got used to it. But 5 years later...Thieves robbed us. Raped and killed my mother, beat up my father to death...We were next...But dad’s gun was useful, just as the gun you gave to me. And it was hell...She was 5, I was 15. Now here we are, 10 years later...She is 15 like I was, I am 25...I’m married to you, and yet, just like then, there’s nobody to save us, but ourselves. And she’s traumatised. What do I do?! What do I do, Arthur, I don’t know!” she cried in his chest, explaining in great detail the ghosts of her past, and he could only bite his lip and hold her even tighter. “How about you give a fuck about me, instead of coddling up with your useless man who can’t even protect his family! How about you stop freezing up after you killed people in cold blood, and come to reassure me, instead of letting me to sob on the floor for days on end, just like when I was 5?!” Steph shakily got up, glaring at her older sister, who gulped in shock and confusion. “Steph, I-I...I was scared too, you know? I-I’m not perfect, I’m not...Immune to all this...I am as traumatised as you are...But I pulled the trigger. I killed them. And I did it to save us. I did everything I could to support US. So please, don’t act like this.” Y/N tried to reason, still clinging onto Arthur, as she took a deep breath, afraid of what would happen next. “No! NO! You just did what they did to us! It’s your fault I have nightmares almost every other night! And since then...You’ve been overprotective and overbearing! I can’t stand you anymore, Gods, it’s like you’re like a bad luck token for everyone! Just wait until the next person you’ll get in trouble is him, and you’ll weep for him, but not for me! How many more people are you gonna get killed before you end up alone?!” the girl shouted angrily at her older sister, then stormed off away from there, to God knows where.  “Wait, no -...Steph, no, don’t go-...!” Y/N tried to run after her, but it was obvios the younger girl wanted nothing to do with her, so she stopped, letting herself fall on the grassy ground, crying hopelessly. “...Y/N...I’m sorry. This is not your fault. What happened was terrible, but this isn’t your fault. You did everything in your power to keep your family safe, and she should have realised that by now.” Arthur sighed, getting next to her, holding her to his chest. “How do you and Tommy get over a fight? I mean...It’s not like you practically raised him...And it’s just a 3 years difference between you, not 10 like with us...But I know you love him to death and would do anything for him...Which is the same as me and Stephanie...I don’t know, Arthur...I just...I’m lost. I don’t know what to do...And what she will do. She never worked, never did anything except go to school but even there, she is below average...But I can’t support her all life, and then, what will happen? Please tell me what to do, Artie, I’m...I don’t know.” she threw her arms around him, and he mentally cursed himself for his inability to keep the family together, but the least he could do was to stay with her and try to make her feel better in any way possible. “Let’s go home, Y/N. Let’s talk to Pol and Ada. They are women, I’m sure they can help us out. We’ll tell them the story and...And if she’s not home yet, we’ll get John to track her down and get her home safely. There’s a solution for everything, that’s what Tommy taught me.” he helped her get up, but instead of letting her walk by herself, Arthur picked her up bridal style, kissing her cheek and making sure she’s alright. “Okay...Okay, Artie...I trust you. I’m sure that...With you by my side...Everything will get better. Eventually, at least. Somehow...But at least I can cope with it.” she muttered, resting her head on his shoulder, sighing softly. “Younger siblings are a drag to deal with, sometimes...But we’re older. We gotta deal with them, somehow, ‘cause we love ‘em. That’s how it works. But at least we have each other now, so it will be easier dealing with their bratty asses.” Arthur barked a laugh, grinning as the girl started playing with his moustache, finally smiling again. “Yeah...Older siblings for the win!” she laughed weakly, hugging his neck.

[welcometotheocverse]

🌟 for Elliot pls?

:D aaaah! I’ve had him in the brain a lot lately okay sorry this got long And also im rewatching rn so its sorta season 1ish.

Elliot is Rory’s younger twin. He was given Christopher’s middle name. He’s mostly grateful it was the middle name.

He and Rory are super close. It was just the two of them ( and then Lane) The Twins That Read A Lot. Because they had each other they didn’t have much incentive to make friends outside of each other ( Elliot more than Rory) and extrapolating from the Pilot where Rory doesn’t seem like she has a lot of friends ( or any sans Lane) and is lowkey scoffed at for reading the assignment I’m gonna go with “other kids weren’t that keen on making friends with them either”

Rory’s the talkative one, he’s the quiet one. This is a bit of Rory also being protective of him/noticing when he looks overwhelmed and just...talking up a storm as is her wont and subtly getting attention away from Elliot. For a lot of the early season they’re not seen one without the other ( keeping in mind their arch is to learn it’s okay to have different dreams and even go different places ) 

Sorta shy and a bit more introverted than Rory. Once you become his friend however he pretty much would die for you and his face absolutely lights up when he sees you as opposed to his usual reserved nature and he talks to you albeit not as much as his twin ( unless hes super excited or talking about something he finds interesting then the resemblance kicks in lmao but thats the exception)  its like a switch ( seen with Rory, Luke, and Lane in canon and Sophie/Paige in their xover)

Likes hanging out at Luke’s. They both sorta enjoy... being quiet around each other. Elliot thinks he has a really calming vibe …when Taylor’s not there.

Ms Kim doesn’t like him because he’s a boy so he’s not allowed at Lane’s like Rory is ( honestly the feeling’s mutual bc “I’m pretty  sure locking you up for days and keeping you from school falls under child abuse also wtf” and lowkey the girls are like “lets just keep you not in the house” Lane might be closer to Rory but they still talk music together. She’s part of the reason his music taste actually started deviating  from  Lorelai’s and Rory’s.)

He doesn’t like unfair treatment of other people. It really gets to him. Examples are Ms. Kim to Lane and his grandparents and father to his mom. Later examples are Mitchum Huntzberger, and Marty. ( he’s pretty unimpressed with Marty and how his feelings for Rory make him act in general tbh but what he does with Lucy is just...it really bothers him he’s adamant that  Rory should tell Lucy the truth.)

Highkey  he has about zero patience for bad/toxic parents partly bc of his own feelings about Christopher and to an extent his grandparents that he keeps minimizing so they get projected on...everyone else with bad parents lol.

 Logan’s still a bit amazed that this shy soft spoken kid he met in his junior year went off like “He’s not your fucking property” when Mitchum went on his “You’re available when i say you’re available” tirade ( Elliot was ngl intimidated/scared of Mitchum who pretty much went “Who the hell are you??!” but Logan’s his friend and that wasn’t okay and he kept eye contact with the asshole until Logan diverted his attention back to him/the fight they were having and made sure he at least told Logan afterwards because “but he shouldn’t..” and “he shouldn’t have” and “No! No..it’s not Okay. “)

But also like constantly “it’s not a big deal” when it comes to his aforementioned feelings about Christopher and pretty much anything he might be angry about. 

Lowkey spends a lot of time Rory goes through relationship drama between “????” and “wowww dodged a bullet” Rory throws pillows at him for the latter because “If I’m gonna rant at you El, you could at least give me sympathy.”

He does have some insecurities about his orientation born out of just..f.eeling othered due to isolation and also some stuff he’s heard his dad say.

He figures out he’s asexual before he figures out he’s aromantic and has to deal with a lot of “Are you sure?” and “is that..is that normal?” from some townsfolks before he figures out Luke can scare them off and he lowkey spends a lot of time at the dinner during this time. Luke smiles at him and gives him muffins tho he’ll deny deny deny if you mention it.

A bit more sensitive than Rory like on the pilot episode when he notices Lorelai is worried about Chilton/having to ask her parents for money he stops at the base of the stairs and asks “is...everything okay mom?” and is kinda just in tune with how the people he cares about are feeling/picks up on things like that.

He...doesn’t super like his grandparents because of how they treat his mother.  Emily already made him a bit anxious because of her passive  aggressive nature ( he’s giving me some anxiety vibes tbh) and the fact that he thought the fact that his mom kept them away sorta ominous.  A lot of season 1 is him looking down at his plate and tensing with every “your mother’s golf clubs are in the attic along with the rest of her potential” and Richard’s “he ( Christopher) always was a smart one that  boy, you two must take after  him” and “as a maid with all your brains and talents” and it sorta...yeah he spends a lot of time looking at his plate and swallowing resentment. There are times where it gets better but overall he’s never completely at ease around them. He’s very quiet but civil around them even as he grows some affection and builds bridges with them along Lorelai and Rory. And I haven’t even figured out the fallout with the thing they pull at the wedding.

Emily at least once asked off handedly why Elliot wasn’t seeing anyone and I’m still figuring out if she says something like “that’s not normal” before Lorelai or Rory intervene.

(( Full disclosure Emily reminds me a bit too much of my own relationship with my mom and its really hard to write her favorably though I at least try to be fair. So Elliot is sometimes  a bit harsh on her and very in Lorelai’s corner when Emily and Richard are...less than nice. ))

Sort of a mamma’s boy. Rory and Lorelai have their special connection but so do Elliot and Lorelai. Rory was a bit more extroverted and would play/hang out with Lane while Elliot was perfectly content as a babie curling up with his mom and reading. It worried Lorelai a bit, how hard it was for him to reach out ( she never had that moment she had with Rory and Lane of “my kid has a friend” with him) but he always had Rory yknow so she calmed herself with that. Sometimes when Rory’s with Lane he’ll hang out at the Inn and work there. He somehow got in to Michel’s good graces ( “because you are quiet and unobtrusive”  and got him to teach him French 

Very tactile. When he’s getting nervous Rory will reach out and grab his hand or Lore will put her hands on his shoulder and he’ll calm down. He does the same when wanting to comfort friends or just wanting to show affection ( will lean on Finn and Colin a lot as he gets closer to them or accept that they’ll just throw an arm around him)

Meeting the LAD bridgade kids makes social events with his grandparents so much easier like ohmygod subparties with Logan Colin Finn and Rory  become lifesavers. ( its not so much the drinking as having someone you can laugh with while dodging your grandparents friends and the girl they told to look for you yknow)

He has more resentment towards Christopher than his sister and doesn’t see him with the rose colored glasses Rory sees him in their younger years. His absence hurts him a lot. He hides it well and is nice enough towards him because he loves Lorelai and Rory and wants them to be happy/have a good time but if you catch him on a bad day you might get a rant about how little Christopher knows about them and how little he was there  and “he just drops by, spends like a day with us and leaves yknow...it’s...and we’re supposed to be happy???” and the fact that he doesn’t wanna tell Rory or Lorelai bc he thinks it’ll upset them just  sorta...makes it worse.

And then at some point  Christopher pops off with “and how long are you gonna entertain this phase of his Lore, a boy his age should be dating” and while Rory’s making angry noises and Lorelai’s saying “Outside. Now” ( though they don’t know the twins are listening) he just gets...this thin unsurprised smile and...yeah it’s not great. 

Very supportive of people he loves. He’s constantly telling Rory through the Chilton years that she’s smart enough, more than smart enough to get through this and helps her study. He makes sure he tells Lorelai he loves her or hugs her if he can tell the dinners are a bit hard on her. Honestly a total cream puff. The resentment for his grandparents and father is mostly buried and comes out like when he’s upset/they do something that provokes it. Mostly he’s a really soft boy and kinda soft spoken, loves reading about science and space ( he balances out Rory’s preference for literature and history though they both like poetry and Elliot occasionally reads prose as Rory lets him infodump sometimes about science journals) and loves his friends so so dearly. Will get angry a la Beware The Nice Ones if you hurt them though the first thing he’ll do is comfort them/try to cheer them up.

He loves Stars Hollow but being the only aroace person he knows of there ( and fielding well intentioned “are you sures?” and “oh honey you’ll find someone someday”s and just..alot of early 2000s Star Hollow-ness ( “Hey kiddo you gonna bid on a basket this year?” “oh you’re getting handsome, gonna find yourself a girl for the starlight festival?” “is he..youknow?” is just...a lot? He wants to spread his wings and find his place/people like him/feel less isolated.

He still loves his town though as its his home and raised him his sister and in a way his mother. He visits while he’s at Yale ( the distance helps tremendously as does the ability to just...leave again) like Rory and says hi to Miss Patty and Gypsy and Andrew ( he loves Andrew omg. One of the few people who didn’t just assume he and Rory were always reading the same books) He helps the 30-Something gang find jobs/fine tune resumes  though im not including anything else form ayit and checks in how they’re doing bc..its still his town. They’re his family. “my nuts-o, extended...well meaning but sometimes overly invested and too-pushy-and-slightly-overbearing family.” even as he dreams of getting out a lot and once he does he...really likes it. He loves them

He goes to Yale because Rory goes to Yale (because again the whole Learning To Be Independent From Your Twin...kind of a slow process for him) and gets sibling-adopted by Finn and Colin  in a turn of events he’s pretty much confused over like im p sure they were like “hes ours now” and Elliot was like “im ...you’re...w..what?” and Logan who Knows Finn and Colin is like “don’t fight it” and lowkey adopted him too.

Im cutting myself off bc this got Long and im sorry lol

Thank you so much for the ask <3

send me a ✨ and i’ll tell you about a random OC

[ogwivia]

Youngblood-Youngblood Stories 2

{This is a set of original stories by Olivia Franklin. Each one is inspired by a song off the album Youngblood. I hope you enjoy, and if you have ideas for the other stories please let me know}

Cover Art by: KaLa-Kedavra

Dedicated to Beyza, who has the prettiest light in her eyes, despite the dark in her heart. You are my youngblood.

You are awoken from a very peaceful nap to your phone buzzing on the nightstand. It’s a text message from Ash.

 My move beautiful😉 be ready to go in 10. I have a surprise for you.

 His move? Ash was so determined to win, you had never had a boy play the game this well. Two thoughts ran through your head. Number one, last time Ashton had a “surprise” for you, you both ended up in jail. Number two, ten minutes was nowhere near long enough to come up with a good excuse to slip past your father. After all, when you are the daughter of a world-famous gang leader, you can't exactly go out whenever you want. You resolved in your kind to tell your father that you were meeting some friends to study, you would just have to pray he bought it. Quickly jumping out of bed, you ran to your closet. Eventually, you decided to put on ripped jeans, a band tee, and a jean jacket. Good thing you fell asleep with makeup still on or you would’ve adorned none.  You ran downstairs fully expecting to get an interrogation from your father, but he was so caught up in a meeting he was having that a simple head nod was the only response you got. Stopping for a second, you found this strange, your dad was never that passive. You resolved in your mind that this must be a very important meeting and decided to ask about it later.

 Ashton arrived ten minutes later on the dot. He couldn't exactly pick you up at the front door. Instead you began walking down the street until you reached the corner. Climbing into Ash's car, you give him a quick peck on the cheek and settle into your seat.

 “Hey, can I ask you a question" Ash asks softly as you drive.

 Your heart begins racing faster because you know exactly what he is going to ask. You are quickly running out of excuses to conceal the truth.

 “Sure" you respond, your thoughts racing trying to find something, anything to say.

 “Are you warm enough in those clothes? Because where we are going is outside?”

 You didn’t realize until that moment that you had been holding your breath.  As you slowly began to fill your lungs with air again, you couldn’t help but laugh a little. The question was avoided…. For now. You wanted to tell Ash, you really did; but the truth was simply not an option. There is no way someone like him would love and accept you if he knew who you truly were. After all, the very fact that you were the offspring of one of the most well-known gang leaders in the world didn’t exactly have the boys lining up to take you out.

 “Yes, am I. If I get cold, I can always take your hoodie" You say with a slight giggle.

 All of the sudden your attention turns back to the bigger question at hand. Where in the world was your boyfriend taking you!?!

 “Um Baby... just one quick question…where are we going?” You say with a mix of fear, confusion, and love.

 If he lands you both in jail again, you will not be able to slip that by your father. The first time you were able to hide it through some miracle of luck, but you had a gut feeling that would not happen a second time. Looking over to the gorgeous boy in the driver seat, you give your best cute face and wait for a response.

 “Hmmm…. Oh well since you are giving me the cute face… that changes absolutely nothing. It is a surprise, you will see when we get there.” Laughing at his own joke, his eyes return to the road.

 This is not the answer you were expecting. In your world, surprises usually didn’t end well. The last time someone said they had a “surprise” for you, you ended up kidnapped by a rival gang… hopefully this surprise will be better than that. Sighing heavily, you lean back against the seat and resolve to simply try to enjoy the moment.

 A couple minutes later, Ash pulls in to a gas station. As he stands outside in cold pumping gas, you let your mind wander back to memories of when you two first began dating.

 It was a warm summer day that was pleasant for the most part, except, oh yea, you had spent most of it trying desperately not to be killed by a rival gang. As you sat on a park bench trying to clean your wounds, a boy who could only be described as an angel in the flesh walked up and asked if you were okay. Not exactly the meet-cute you see in rom-coms, but it worked out for you in the end… well, sort of. You see, much like everything else in your life, the game called love was anything but simple. Game, everything in your life was a game; but you were so good at playing them. When Ash asked you out, you tried to warn him, but he didn’t listen.

 “hey, what if I want to be something more than your friend” Ash asked catching you off guard.

 “Like, best friends” I reply in a snarky tone.

 “Come on you know what I mean”

 “What do you mean”

 “I mean that I love you”

 Wow…. I pause for a brief moment before responding.

 “Don’t do that to yourself. You do not want to play that game.”

 “Honey, not only will I play the game, I will win it”

 “Look… loving me comes with a lot of baggage”

 “I’m up for a challenge”

 Fine… if he wanted to play, you would play.

 “Ash…if we are going to do this, you have to make me a promise”

 “Of course, anything”

 “Love me till the day I die”

 “I promise”

 Game. Set. Match.

 You snap back to reality as Ash reenters the car. That moment is something you thought about constantly, maybe you should have just walked away then. Now you were stuck playing games with a boy who didn’t deserve to be dragged into any of this.

 With a smirk on his face, Ash gives you a quick peck on the cheek and resumes your journey to who knows where. You loved this boy so much it hurt, this is why you couldn’t tell him the truth about who you are. It seemed as if he had his suspicions that you were hiding something, but you prayed he wouldn’t ask about it; because you knew if he asked, you would tell him everything. If you told him everything, he would walk out of your life forever.

 After what felt like eons of driving, Ashton pulled the car into an empty parking lot in the middle of nowhere. Next to this parking lot was a mountain with a staircase leading up its.

 “Get out of the car, I have a surprise for you at the top of the mountain” Ash says excitedly.

 “Baby, I hope you know exactly how much I love you” You reply trying to make your sarcasm apparent. Hiking is most definitely not your thing.

 As you begin the trek up this mountain, a sickening thought enters your mind. Every memory you make with him is one more you will have to hopelessly try to forget when he is gone. He said till the day you die, but he would leave… they always do. You just prayed this one would be fast and quick.

 After what felt like days, even though it was only like an hour, you and Ash reached the top of the mountain and the sight you saw caused you to stop in your tracks. He had a beautiful picnic laid out with all of your favorite foods and the most gorgeous flowers you had ever seen in your life. You found yourself crying, no one had ever done something like this for you. Hugging you tightly, Ash leads you over to the blanket and you both sit down.

 “Do you like it”, he asked with a nervous look on his face.

 “Baby… I love it” you respond, soaking it all in.

 You could already tell…. When it came time for this goodbye it would be the hardest one yet.

 “I brought you up here because I don’t know if you remember, but today marks exactly one year since the day we met in the park and I wanted to give you a gift to commemorate”

 Ashton pulled out a gorgeous box and handed it to you gently, with an impatient plea to open it. Lifting the lid softly, the tiny box begins playing a tune you know very well. It is clair de lune, your favorite piece of classical music. Tears stream down your face as you notice a beautiful necklace laying inside the box. It is a small gold chain with a small charm in the shape of an A. Ashton picks it up and walks over so he is positioned behind you. Gently brushing your hair over your shoulder, he puts the necklace on you and returns to his previous seat. You gently brush the necklace, allowing even more tears to escape. He was not making this an easier.

 “Baby… I don’t know what to say…. It’s beautiful”

 “Beautiful necklace for a beautiful girl”

 After sharing a lovely dinner, Ash takes you home and you spend the rest of the night thinking back over all that has just happened. He was so perfect, he didn’t deserve any of this. You could never, under any circumstance, drag him into the nightmare that was your real life. You never thought your relationship would last this long, yet here you were, one year later, still going strong. You had to do something, you couldn’t keep up the façade, normally you had no problem lying to the boys who dared to date you, but this one was different. Your heart shattered as one simple thought entered your mind.

 I have to leave… I have to let him go…

 Tears streamed down your face harder than they ever had before.  You couldn’t just leave him; your heart couldn’t do it… instead you would have to make him leave you. The game was about to take a nasty turn.

 The next day, you and Ash went out for ice cream. As you slid in the car, the game was afoot.

 “Hello my love”, Ash said with that smile that made you melt.

 “Hi Ashton”, you replied, trying to get your focus on the task at hand.

 Ashton’s expression immediately sunk. You turned away, desperately trying to ignore the worried boy beside you. This was, by far, the worst game you had ever played.

 Over the next few weeks, matters only escalated. You just wanted this to be easy and painless, why couldn’t you just leave? It was a never-ending cycle of conversations ending as if they were the last goodbye, only to be followed by one of you getting too drunk and calling about a hundred times. Why didn’t he leave? Why did he stay? Why couldn’t he just break your heart?

 This continued for months. You pushed and you pushed, and he pulled away. He gave and he gave, and you took. You cried yourself to sleep every night praying for it all to just end. Then one day, Ash called and asked you to meet him at the park where you first met. You arrived there to find a boy that looked so broken. Cautiously walking over, you seated yourself next to him, and he began the conversation.

 “We need to talk. Lately our conversations end like it’s the last goodbye, then one of us gets too drunk and calls about a hundred times. You used to call me baby, now you’re calling me by name.”

 “Ash I-“, you begin, begging the tears to stay inside your eyes.

 “Just let me finish… What is going on? What are you not telling me? You made me believe you’re mine, yet you treat me like you aren’t. Why are you keeping things from me?”

 “Ashton… It’s not that simple…”

 “What… What is not that simple… What is so difficult to say that you can’t even tell your own boyfriend?”

 “Ashton, my world is not something you want to be a part of; it’s a crazy mess that will only end in you getting hurt.”

 “Try me”

 Why couldn’t he just leave… fine… if he wanted the truth… here was the truth

 You proceeded to tell Ashton everything about who your father was, all the things you had done as heir apparent for his gang, and why exactly you had blood running down your arm the day you guys met. Next in line was telling him about the game…

 “…Ashton, I never wanted to hurt you, but I couldn’t drag you in to all the hurt and pain that is my world. When I said loving me comes with a lot of baggage, I meant it. But I couldn’t just leave, my heart couldn’t do it. Instead I resolved that I would just have to make you leave me.”

 Finishing your sentence just in time for the tears to begin falling, you braced yourself for the goodbye. Looking up, you met Ashton eyes. They appeared to be filled with a wild mix of hurt, sorrow, and love. Without another word, he got up and left, leaving you alone with a broken, but not surprised heart. You set there for what felt like days; eventually you composed yourself enough to walk home and get to your room before falling apart again.

 You didn’t know how to cope with your brokenness, except to distract yourself with the gang. It was bad for you, putting you on the edge of trouble, hurting people who didn’t deserve it; but this is your blood, this is who you are. The next few weeks were filled with a cycle of crying, doing whatever notorious gang activity was on the agenda for the day, and eating… lots of eating.

 One day, you were awoken to your panicked father telling you get to get up and get to the car right now. Scrambling to get up, you throw some clothes in a backpack and head out the door. Once you are in the car, your very panicked father speeds away heading Lord knows where. You turn to ask him, but the look on his face says you probably shouldn’t.

 As you ride silently, your mind wanders back to the same thoughts that stole your sleep away. The same thoughts that ran you out of tears to the point you were almost positive there were none left to cry. The thoughts of a boy who only ever loved you and you only ever hurt him.

 After driving for a bit, your father pulls over, looks you in the eyes, and begins to explain…

 “Listen to me very carefully… They are coming for us, we have to hide, the others are waiting for us at a café just down the street. It is old and hardly receives any business so we will hide there until we can find a better location”

 “Dad, what about the missions… are we gonna run them out of a rundown café?”

 “For now, yes… you will remain at the café and receive a radio… the only reason I want you leaving the café if is they come, or your assistance is needed. If you do leave, make sure to take one of the boys with you and use the code names… I can’t have anyone finding you Y- “

 “Dad, you know I hate that name… let’s stay away from it as long as possible.”

 No more words are said, and your Dad silently resumes the ride to the café. Why couldn’t you be a normal kid who gotten woken up in the middle of the night to see the stars or something like that? But no… for you it was, “hey get up people are trying to murder you”.  

 Soon you guys arrive at the café and begin setting up shop. You take a quick glance at your phone to see a message from Ash. Hesitating for a moment, you ponder reading it, but ultimately return your phone to your pocket and resume working.

 The next few weeks are spent trying to do anything but think about Ashton. Most days, you simply tooled around the café talking, playing card games, and doing stupid challenges with the other gang members who were confined to quarters. Occasionally, you got to go out on a mission, but not very often. You still wore the necklace Ash gave you every day, finding yourself unable to break the promise of never taking it off.  

 One day, you were called in for back up on a retrieval mission when one of your fellow gang members was kidnapped. The mission ran smoothly as you guys had done several just like it and had the system down. However, members of the rival gang took special note of your face during this mission, something that would change your life forever.

 A couple hours later, you settle down on a sleeping bag in the corner, craving sleep. However, that unread text sitting on your notification kept rest from coming. Eventually, you give up the fight and unlock your phone, pulling up the message app. Taking a deep breath, you click on his name.

 I need to see you. We have to talk. Give me a chance to make this right.

 Why? Why would he even want to make an effort? He deserved so much more, he could have any girl in the world. Why did he pursue you so relentlessly… especially after what you did…? You found yourself wanting to hear what he had to say, but at the same time knowing you couldn’t go meet him and he could not come there. You sit for a quiet moment while your heart and mind engage in a brutal war with each other. Once the dust settles, the reach a decision and you begin typing you reply.

 I just sent my location. Meet me here tomorrow at 10:30pm

 You barely have time to close your keyboard before his response pops up…

 I will be there

 Now… You wait. Laying down, that sleep you craved so desperately finally comes. The next day you woke up with a feeling of excitement you hadn’t felt in a long time. 10:30pm could not come soon enough!

 Your dad and a few of the boys leave first thing for a mission. They tell you on their way out that some members of the rival gang have contacted them saying they would like to negotiate a truce. Now, you are happy for two reasons: peace and Ashton.

 The time is now 10:25 PM. You are alone in the café when you hear the door open. Rushing out of the back room, you excitedly turn the corner expected to see Ashton’s face… but it was not the one who greeted you.

 Members of the rival gang… what were they doing here? They were supposed to be at th-

 Wait. Wait. Wait.

 Oh no… A set-up…

 Panicking you stand frozen, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, you find yourself praying Ashton doesn’t show up. Finally gathering your thoughts, you are able to get a few shaky words out.

 “Wh- what are you doing here? You are supposed to be at the peace negotiation”

 One of the gang members steps up to answer.

 “Peace negotiation… that’s cute… did you really think we would participate in a peace negotiation? That was a ploy so that we could get to you without having to go through dear old dad. Our mission, is to take away the thing your dad holds most dear… you”

 Pulling out a gun, he backs you into a corner. Tears stream down your face.

 “Please, please don’t do this… we have money, I can give you money, I can-“

 “Hey, what is going on here”

 Oh no, not that voice… any voice but that voice. The gang member turns around pointing his gun at Ashton.

 “No, please. It is me you want, not him… please don’t hurt him” I scream, begging with all I have left in me.

 “You like this kid? That’s cute… but he really shouldn’t have shown up here…”

 The gang member turns back to you for a split second and in that moment, Ash decides to make a move and try to grab the gun. They wrestle for a second. Then you hear a shot… Ashton falls to the ground clutching his side. The gang members quickly leave, and you stand there in shock for a moment before it sinks in…

 You run over to Ashton, clutching him tightly as the tears begin to fall.

 “Ashton, no… this isn’t right. It should have been me… It should’ve been me”

 “Hey, look at me… look at me. I came to tell you…I love you.” He says, the life slowly leaving his body.

 “Ash… no… please. You can’t leave me, you can’t die… you can’t”

 “Remember the words you told me, l- love m-me till the d- day I die”

He gives you one last smile, caressing your cheek. Taking one last breath, the little life that is left in his body escapes…

 “… Ashton… ASHTON” you scream but receive no response form the lifeless boy in front of you.

 “I am so sorry. So, so sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” You repeat over and over as if it will bring him back.

 As you sit there unable to stand due to your shattered heart, you hear a call over the radio.

 They know it’s a set-up. They need me for back-up.

 The other gang is going to pay for what they did to Ashton. You will not stop until they do. Collecting the broken pieces of my heart off the floor, you stand up wiping the tears you’re your eyes. Giving one last glance to the lifeless body of the boy you loved so dearly, you turn and grab your jacket.

 When your dad first pitched the idea of getting jackets that adorned each of your call signs, you were not too keen on the idea. But now, you would wear your call sign loud and proud. As you walk out the door, you throw on your jacket and glance down at the nickname lettered on the front. One simple word.

 Youngblood.