#like i should get my drivers license get back to school work and shit but 🙃

[cazperx-x]

You fell out of a van, and into my heart

Gareth Emerson x reader

Note: Reader is assumed to be female and uses she/her pronouns

Part 2 is up!!!

Synopsis: Your older sister (Ellie) has a huuuge crush on Eddie "the freak" Munson. But since your parents both work two jobs to keep food on the table for you and your siblings, and you being only 16 with no drivers license, Ellie ends up having to babysit during hellfire meetings. However, she won't let you sit on meetings, because she swears you'll embarrass her to death. Hell, she wont let you out of the car. You end up breaking a van window to get out during an especially long meeting, only to find a fluffy haired boy staring at you.

2.k words

Warnings: Cursing (not a lot a lot but a decent amount) and I think thats it, lmk if I missed anything

Hope you guys like it! Lmk if you want a part two :)

“That's it.” You mutter, trying to find something, anything to get yourself out of this godforsaken van. To the average onlooker, it would appear you were either kidnapped (which, wasn’t that far from the truth) or a crazy person trapped in presumably their own van. Maybe the average onlooker would’ve helped you out. But unluckily for you, it was midnight in the parking lot of Hawkins High. 

Your older sister was madly in love with Eddie “the freak” Munson, and since you were 2 years younger than her (you liked to remind her technically it was a year and a half) she refused to let you come to hellfire meetings with her. But your parents both worked multiple jobs in an effort to not get the house taken away, and to provide a decent life for you and your younger siblings. But guess where that left you? Being shoved into your sister's van for “only an hour or two” for one of her hellfire meetings. But one hour quickly turned into 2, which turned into 3, and before you knew it the sun was going down and you thanked the lord your sister left the window cracked. 

After lots of not pg friendly language and looking around, you gave up and just started throwing yourself against the cracked window. Your sister really should be reported for child abuse at this point. In your blind fit to get out of that damned car, you failed to notice the boy with fluffy hair and a hellfire shirt just like your sister wore walking up to his car, which happened to be right next to the one you were trapped in. Greaaat.

After lots of shoves into the window and a very sore and probably very bruised shoulder, you slammed through the window and with a squeal landed on the hot pavement, along with lots of glass. 

“Oh my god-! Are you okay??” 

You looked up at the fluffy haired boy you previously failed to notice right by the car, looking horrified while holding a bag of chips. Shit. 

“I’m fine, a little bruised and probably bleeding somewhere, but overall fine.” You muttered, still laying on a pile of broken glass and hot pavement. But then again, anything is better than that damned van floor. 

“Do you need a hand..?” The boy offered, reaching his hand out to help you up. 

You gladly took it, and after brushing dirt and glass (lots of glass) off your shirt, you thanked him. 

“Sooo, care to tell me what a pretty girl like you is doing breaking out of a van in the Hawkins High parking lot at midnight?” He asked, the words “pretty girl” making your heart do little summersaults.

“Well, my fucking sister locked me in her van for a club meeting that should’ve only taken an hour.” You said, audible spite in your voice. “ Oh, by the way, I'm Y/n. Y/n L/n.” 

“I'm Gareth Emerson. And damn your sister does not sound pleasant. Wanna go back inside to my club? There’s food and water and air conditioning.” He offered, the last offer making your face light up. 

“Oh thank god yes please.” You very quickly said, causing a huge smile to form on the boy's face. 

You both walked back to the school building, but he stopped you from opening the door. He rushed in front of you before dramatically opening it and bowing down. “ M’lady.” He said, causing you to giggle. “ Why thank you my good sir.” was your response. 

When you got into the club room, you immediately noticed someone. 

“You!” You almost screamed, pointing at your sister's face before storming up to her. “ You left me in a fucking van with the window cracked like a fucking dog for five fucking hours you little-” 

You started, before running out of breath and looking around, only to notice that everyone else in the room was dead silent… and a boy. Their jaws dropped as if they’d never seen another girl this close up.

You looked back at your sister, before seeing your sister’s face bright red. She was the first one to break the silence. 

“The hell are you doing here?”

“The hell am I doing here? I broke one of that stupid car’s goddamn windows to get out! And lovely Gareth over here,” You pointed over to where the boy was still standing in the doorway awkwardly, “was nice enough to bring me inside to an air-conditioned room!” 

Your sister groaned. “ Fine, just sit in a corner or something and don’t interrupt,” she muttered. 

Everyone else in the room was still dead silent. 

“Uhh, I got more chips?” Gareth awkwardly said, holding up the bag to the rest of the members. 

After an even more awkward silence, Eddie dramatically stood on the table, being careful not to disturb any of the dnd pieces. “So this is the infamous younger sister I've been told oh so much about. So are you Erin, or Y/n?” 

You recognized the boy as Eddie Munson, the freak of Hawkins high, the boy your sister was madly in love with. Even seeing him up close, you didn’t get what your sister saw in him. Gareth on the other hand..

“Hellooo? Earth to one of Ellie’s younger sisters who I still don't know the name of.” Eddie said, snapping you back to reality. You hadn’t realized you had zoned out.

“I’m Y/n, Erin is my younger sister, she's only like 7. I'm 16, I could legally drive if I wanted to.” You replied, before coming up with a genius plan to get back at your sister. 

“You must be Eddie the-boy-my-older-sister-refuses-to-shut-up-about Munson.” You nearly shouted, just to make sure everyone in the room could hear. “ I’ve seen you around. Honestly, I still can’t tell what my dear sister sees in you. She eve-” 

Before you could finish your sentence, your sister shoved her hand in front of your mouth and gave you a death glare. But it was too late, the damage was already done. Everyone was staring at Ellie, then Eddie, then your sister again. Both Eddie’s and Ellie’s faces were bright red, and when your sister cautiously moved her hand from in front of your mouth, you had the smuggest smile you could muster on. 

“Oopsies, I guess five hours of being trapped in a brain makes you forget to keep secrets secret.” You said, faking an apologetic look and frown.

The tension was so thick in the room you could cut it with a knife. Gareth, again, tried to awkwardly break the silence. “ Well then, how about an introduction? Uhm, Y/n, this is Dustin Henderson, “ He said, pointing to the curly-haired kid with a hat on, “ This is Mike Wheeler,” He pointed to a scrawny kid with black hair, “ And this is Lucas Sinclair, you might recognize him from warming the bench during all the basketball games.” Gareth teased, pointing towards the kid you did recognize from warming the bench during all the basketball games. “ This is Jeff, and lastly we have-” Gareth continued, before being cut off by Dustin.

“You broke through a car window?” He nearly shouted. 

This was the first time you’d heard the boy talk, and he had a huge curious smile plastered on his face. 

“Yep, Gareth saw me do it. Right?” You said, before turning to Gareth, who nodded. 

“It was pretty badass actually.” He chimed in. 

Eddie and your sister were still red, and they had been dead silent looking back and forth between each other and various things in the room. Apparently, your sister loved bare white walls, and Eddie loved the small table set up with various snacks. 

“You know what? Ellie and Eddie, how about you both set up the snack table while the rest of us treat Y/n’s broken glass wounds she probably has from breaking the window, right?” Dustin awkwardly said, looking at you.

“Oh yep yep, losing a lot of blood over here.” You stuttered out, and before anyone else could object or complain, you and Gareth, along with Dustin rushed everyone else except your sister and the Munson boy out before they had even registered what was going on

When everyone was out of the room and the door was closed, you spoke up. 

“Okay but in all seriousness, I think I’m actually bleeding, does anyone care to direct me to a bathroom?” You said, rolling up your long sleeve to reveal a small gash with a bloody piece of glass sticking out. 

“I’ll help.” Gareth volunteered, before getting up and walking with you to the nearest bathroom. 

“Okay, wait here,” he said, before disappearing into the boy's bathroom. A moment later he came back out with a wet paper towel. “ Mind if I-?” He asked, and when you nodded, Gareth knelt and grabbed your arm gently and looked at the cut a bit closer. Even given the circumstances, you couldn’t help but get butterflies in your stomach with his touch. 

He frowned, before pulling a bobby pin out of his hair, which made you raise an eyebrow. 

“You just keep those in your hair, Emerson?” You questioned

“Well, I like to be prepared when pretty girls break through van windows and get cut with glass. And have you seen my hair? Now, this might sting a little bit, so brace yourself.” He said the first part with a chuckle, but you barely paid attention. 

Pretty girl

You could feel your face get hot again, and you were silently thanking the lord Gareth was looking at your arm, not your face.

You snapped back to reality when he started cleaning the cut with the wet paper towel, and you started feeling sharp pains shooting up your arm. You winced and pulled your arm away. 

“Hey hey, I said it was gonna hurt. And it's gonna hurt even more when I try to get that piece of glass out.” Gareth said, looking up at you. 

You turned to face the wall, not wanting him to see your probably red face, before moving your arm back over to him.  He continued cleaning the cut, before using the bobby pin as tweezers to try and get the piece of glass out. 

“Ow ow ow ow ow,” you muttered, before wincing as he tried to wiggle the piece of glass out. 

“Sorry sorry!” he almost shouted, clearly a bit agitated. After a moment of silence, he sighed. “Didn’t mean to sound mad or anything..” he muttered. 

Before you could respond, you felt another sharp pain before Gareth quickly held the still wet paper towel on the cut, before taking a hair tie out of his pocket and using it to keep the paper towel on your arm so the halls wouldn’t be speckled with blood. 

“Ta-daa!” He triumphantly cried out, before standing up and holding up the bobby pin holding a piece of glass covered in blood. You smiled, before looking down at your arm. 

“How much hair supplies do you keep on you Emmerson?” You questioned, a mischievous smirk on your face. 

“Never you mind that L/n. Do you have any other cuts?” He said before a worried frown appeared on his face. 

“Nope, I’m 98.47% sure that was the only one. I think I would be able to tell if I was bleeding somewhere else right now.” You said with a chuckle, before ruffling Gareth's hair. 

“Hey,” He said, grabbing your wrist to stop you from further touching his hair. He looked around the empty hallway cautiously.  “Don’t do that in front of the others. The last thing I need is all of them messing up my hair 24/7.” He said before letting go of your wrist. Your heart dropped a little when he let go, but you smiled when your brain had processed what he just said.

“Oh? So I’m the only one allowed to touch Gareth Emerson’s hair? Jeez, I must be one special gal.” You teased

“You are one special girl Y/n L/n, one special girl indeed.”

[octuscle]

Lord, all I want is to turn my roommate into a hot biker my age, around 18/20 years old…. My current roommate is just a nerd, showers everyday, and is too clean. I want a goofy, dumb biker boy roommate please!

Your roommate really is a pain in the ass. He's constantly lecturing you about some astronomy shit that you're really not interested in. He plays video chess with some friends who live in the middle of nowhere and talks to them in Klingon. Everything about him annoys you. The noises he makes when he breathes. The way he brushes his teeth. His quirk of always wearing funny colored socks. Yes, he's probably a genius. He's only 16, has no hair on his sack yet, but is already a sophomore in college. But that doesn't change anything. He's unbearable!

The first thing you notice is his language… His nasal British English becomes harsher, his language simpler and simpler. And you could swear there's an accent mixed in… Something funny. Russian? He's probably learning a new language in his spare time now. You could puke!

"Sup, comrade?" he greets you as he arrives home very late by his standards. You look at him questioningly. "Hey man, I come driving school. You always say that you're half man without driver's license." You never said that. You didn't even know he didn't have a driver's license. You smile painfully. And go back to your Playstation. Your flatmate lies on the bed with his shoes on and reads a car magazine that he has obviously picked up at driving school. Boy, he's really off the wall today.

You are woken up the next morning by your flatmate. He comes in the door in a sweat. "That was good training. You have come with me tomorrow" he grunts. Damn, the Slavic accent seems natural and not at all fake. Maybe it's always been his language and the British accent was artificial… Your flatmate sprays a little Axe under his arms, gets dressed and disappears. "Driving school" he mumbles on the way out. What he does, he does consistently. But it's never happened that he leaves without making his bed and tidying his gym clothes. Okay, he's never been to the gym before.

When he comes home in the evening, he's talking loudly on the phone. I have no idea what language that is… Russian? Could also be Bulgarian, Serbian or something else. In any case, his squeaky voice has given way to a pretty impressive barition. Without greeting you, he throws his heavy leather jacket and helmet on the bed and goes into the bathroom, continuing to talk on the phone. His baritone gives way to a groan, followed by a loud "Fuuuuuuuuuck". He comes out of the bathroom grinning, stows his cock away and asks if you've cum today. Otherwise he would suck you off. You decline with thanks. And regret it just a few minutes later.

It's 06:00 when your roommate's alarm clock rings. Has he been sleeping naked? In any case, he goes to the bathroom naked. A few minutes later you hear him wanking again. You don't hear him showering. But when you see him coming out of the bathroom, still naked, you see his semi-hard cock. And it's impressive. Maybe you should ask him today if you can suck him off. You ask why he's up so early. He answers. "I got new job. And I want pump first. Will come with me?" "Maybe tomorrow," you reply and close your eyes again. Half asleep, you notice your flatmate putting on a boiler suit and heavy work boots. A leather jacket on top. He picks up his rucksack and helmet and noisily leaves your room.

The guy who comes into your room in the evening is not your flatmate. At least not at first glance. He notices your questioning look. "I cut hair. More handy with helmet. Like it?" He kneads his impressive bulge. He smells of sweat, leather and engine oil. You get a hard-on and fall to your knees.

Your flatmate is actually more of a lone Slavic wolf. He doesn't make a big deal out of it. He loves his bike, he loves his job as a mechanic and he loves pumping iron. Pretty much in that order. But sometimes he needs a pillion. Someone to suck his cheesy uncut cock. And you love that job.

Slika pronađena @zakucavanje

[altschmerzes]

gang you would not believe the week i am having. extended explanation of my current nightmare under the cut. please understand this is also mid ramp-up to finals season at my second year of law school and still trying to find a summer student position which means one million cover letters and applications.

when i moved to canada i tried to import my car. i did this twice, once by calling a company before i left that does this professionally, and they were like oh don't worry about it. you're fine, you don't need to do anything. i get to the border and the man at the border tells me the same thing. don't worry about it. you're fine you don't need to do anything. i go to the dmv here to try and title my damn car because my registration is expiring and i need to do that. the woman who works there is like oh you needed to import it :) but also get your driver's license first, trust me. okay. i go through the hell process of getting my ontario license. i now have my ontario license. i need to get a safety inspection and two forms from border control. sure. i don't have the first fucking idea how to do this but i'm sure i can figure it out.

fastforward. i got in an extremely minor accident on wednesday. entirely my fault, i was slightly distracted for a moment in stop and go traffic and a like. spider in my sleeve or something bit my arm and i hit the wrong pedal. got a ticket, spent 90 minutes dealing with the cops including the part where one of the cops spent several minutes lecturing me about how he can and should seize my car on the spot because it's registered out of country and i live here and that's tax evasion. i explain that i have been trying to get this dealt with but everybody kept telling me i didn't need to do that or worry about it. he tells me that's not his problem. sure. not his problem. understood. this has now become a problem that Cannot Wait though.

so what do i need to do to get my car registered here? still need those pieces of paper. i can get the safety inspection done at any old canadian tire, which, sure. that's fine. word. so what about the border forms? well. i call the canadian border services agency. i sit on hold for a while, and eventually the man on the phone not only can't seem to fucking comprehend anything i'm saying at first, he then also tells me that the solution to my problem is to drive to the fucking us/canada border, go back to the states, then drive back immediately and get the form then. oh my gd.

so i did that. i make the two hour drive to niagara fucking falls and i tell the us border agent what i'm doing there and he's like you can't do that. you need to export it from the us first or you'll get a five thousand dollar fine. and i'm like. okay. thank you sir. have a nice night. thank gd they give me no issue returning on the canadian side. so i make the drive home. having achieved nothing. nobody has given me any actionable information and the only thing more confusing and complicated than importing a car for personal use in canada is exporting one from the united states. literally on the government website it says 'every export office operates differently' which made me almost collapse into tears when i read it.

last night i decided okay, tomorrow i am calling a professional import/export service to throw myself on their mercy and beg them to help me. i might need to leave the country for a few days to get this dealt with bc it's possible i can't export it except for from us soil. all i am trying to do is follow the rules and every single person at every juncture of this nightmare has given me different, conflicting information.

just had that phone call. the good news: i am not going to need to go to the states for several days to deal with this. some nice lady from a company who does this professionally is gonna do the paperwork for me and has found me apparently the only us/canada border crossing that will let me do the us export shit from this side of the border. the bad news: it is an even farther crossing than the one i drove to yesterday, and i’m gonna have to wait a couple days to do it and then do it immediately, which means missing more class than i already missed yesterday trying to do this. hopefully then it will be sorted.

[beaversatemygrandma]

alright alright alright. Thought and goal organization now.

So. I have an appointment for a driver’s test March 20th. Fantastic. Perfect. Enough time to finish up spoofing an entire damn log even though i have enough hours just didn’t actually log anything as i went. Gonna pretend I drove to Lincolnton for one of them. (I didn’t. Just long drive buffer there.) Then, when i get my license, because i really can drive safely and legally and totally fine. I get comfortable with driving highways for long periods of time. Highways aren’t the worse, just this area’s highways are tbh, but then again, there’s a nightmare of a city on I-95 on the way back to the hometown, so i have to have enough of a steady mind to be able to get through that without shutting down literally an hour from home. There are no other problem cities than the one I’m in currently and the one that’s an hour from home. Just those two. Georgia and South Carolina are rather boring to drive through on 95 and that’s a good thing. Small towns, signs about peaches, The Most Glorious Truck Stop in Savannah. It’ll be fine. Now, getting there will be something. I sure can’t fit all my shit into my tiny Camry. Now, will come seeing if my dad can get a few days off for a drive to FL, he’ll get the bonus of visiting with my other sister and maybe a day or two of just being in FL. It’ll most likely happen in the summer when my sister isn’t to be worried about having school or anything. Now, as bad as I’d want to be there by April, I think I’ll be having to wait until late May again. Then avoiding the guilt trip that I should stay for my 13yo sister. I tried helping her with homework last night and after she repeatedly interrupted me verbally thinking this math problem through trying to involve her like a teacher would, she would just continuously say “I don’t know, i can’t do it. I don’t remember.” Like. I cut off and just started going “You can. You do know. You can do this.” And she started faking crying to get me to feel bad and I’m assuming to just give her the answers, which i did not know and why i was trying to ask for her notes or to at least pull out a sheet of paper to visualize these online questions on. But no, the notebook was at school, and “I don’t feel like getting a paper.” Didn’t work. I got mad and gave up. No help for anybody who doesn’t want help. This isn’t even the only time it happens. I try to give her advice on how to deal with depression and anxiety. Like, that’s my whole damn life, I can easily give advice on how to cope with it. But no. I’m talking down to her. I’m controlling her by tell her to do something that helps the brain start thinking straight. She doesn’t want help. I can’t help her. This isn’t my problem anymore. I have given up. Like with that math problem, like an hour later once my mind had calmed down from literally getting yelled at with the most hopeless sentences, the solution became clear. I was literally able to solve that problem in my head once I had focus. I can easily explain it if i had a page to write on. That’s just how math is. You need the written visual there. But No. Too lazy for paper. That’s just not trying. Math works better when you can organize it yourself. I have given up on helping those who don’t want to be helped. I can only do so much. That is beyond me. Not my circus. Not my monkey.

I want to be on my own again. I want to live my own life again. And then now at the hometown, I’ve got somebody who i know will be there with me when i want to go out into the world. There’s somebody there who wants to literally do everything with me. I end up talking about various ideas and just what all i want to do, and he’s right there with me. It’s time to get out of the quarantine rut. The problem may not be over, but at least things are manageable now and we can at least attempt to be happy instead of hiding away.

Now to hope that it manages to happen sooner than later. I’m sick of waiting. I want to live my own life again.

[chaoskitty78]

Get ya popcorn ready

So in the fall, our school board dangled a possible 4 day school week calendar in front of teachers, parents, and well...everybody who works for/with the district (like myself). 

Tuesday night, they ripped it away with a “Ha ha! You stupid fools. You really thought that we were going to do that?” at a board meeting and teachers (some of whom had to arrange childcare and rearrange shifts at their other jobs because teaching doesn’t pay crap) were PISSED. 

I read about the whole mess on Facebook and a voice in my head (that sounded very much like Hagrid’s) went “They shouldn’t have done that. They should not have done that.”

Because I’m betting that a lot of teachers are going to quit because of this and other crap they have to put up with as a teacher. Five already quit in the last month and because they didn’t fulfill their contracts, the board (or whoever) took their teaching certificates away so they can’t get another job teaching in a different district with less hours, better pay, better benefits, etc. Which I don’t feel is right, personally. That’s like your shitty job at WalMart telling you you have to sign a contract for X# months when you get hired and if you don’t work till the end of your contract, they’re going to take your driver’s license away because they feel like being petty like that.

And because this is (insert booming Big Tex voice here) THE GREAT STATE OF TEXASSSSS!, teachers aren’t allowed to unionize to help fix some of these issues.

Oy vey. I’ve got my popcorn ready to sit back and watch this shit show play out. It will not go well, that I know.

[findme-at1am]

Y'all, I don't even have energy for my hyperfixation...

[deathwishdaydream]

Dear Universe, Up Yours!

Chapter 4

I didn't even know where we were going. Gerard didn't either. All I knew was that we were getting the hell out of Belleville. We escaped school during lunchtime, so we've already eaten enough to not need any food in a while. I have about $43 after spending my money at the convenience store, and I wanted to make sure that Gerard and I would have enough to eat, get a motel, and gas. I think that was also one of the most important things to consider if you wanted to run away. How were you going to provide for yourself? Without parents, a house, school?

"Gerard?" I said and he gracefully hummed in response. It was phenomenally conspicuous that I had developed a massive adoration for his voice. I always felt something odd in myself every time I heard it. I couldn't explain it, even if there was a dictionary in front of me with pages full of preternatural words that defined every inscrutable, nameless human feeling and thing in the universe. What I was able to explain, though, was how I heard his voice differently from anybody else. Simply because I felt that everything that mystically came out of his mouth could reach lurkingly into my brain. It gave me the same feeling of being read to as a little kid, but even better. Much better... Oh right, the money. "How much cash do you have on you right now?"

"Umm, I don't know, I'll have to check, it's all in my wallet," he said, preoccupied with driving. I bet he passed his first-ever driver's test. It was extraordinary how the asphalt never left his sight.

"Give it to me, I'll see how much," I told him. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna steal. And we can combine our money if you'd like because we'll need enough for food, gas, and a place to stay."

He nodded quite casually, and he took out his wallet from his front pocket, bringing it to me as his eyes were still thoroughly affixed to the road. "Thanks," I said, grabbing the wallet from his hand, watching it go right back on the steering wheel once I properly took hold of the wallet.

I opened it up and was suddenly met with Gerard's driver's license photo. He looked so sweet and innocent, smiling in the tiny picture. Maybe a little more than he does right now because he was a bit younger here. Purer, if you will. My eyes had scanned all the faded numbers and letters, being informed that the license wouldn't expire until another two years. Apparently, he was also a class D. Though feeling like I was negligently intruding, I began to do what I had planned to do in the first place: I checked the large wallet pocket filled with cash and took them all out, attentively counting. He had $52.31, including some coins I found in there. I felt obligated to count all the coins, for some reason. It just made sense. I then put all his money neatly back inside and handed the brown wallet back to him. "Fifty-two thirty-one. I have forty-three, so I'm sure we're good." He nodded in regard, then took his hand out for me to give him back his wallet. I placed it in his palm accordingly as he stuck it back into his pocket and continued to focus all on driving. I know it was important to have all your attention on the road, but Gerard strictly stuck to that. His broad eyes never leave the dark pavement in front of him. Either something had tragically happened to him, or he just drove this way. There was nothing wrong with that, of course, but it felt as if he was always in some sort of ethereal trance when he would drive.

Time passed effortlessly as I looked out the window, the sky a blue-ish gray. The colors and the dullness brought me back to the bench in the park. Then I looked at him.

"Are we friends, then now? Acquaintances, maybe?" I asked all out of a sudden. If we were going to stick together, which we should, then we'd have to be pretty compatible in order for this running away thing to work well, I thought.

"I mean, yeah. Sure, I guess," he replied. The plainness of his response kind of irked me.

"Yeah, but I don't know shit about you," I told him bitterly. "Tell me about yourself."

He brought his hand to briefly scratch his right eyebrow, then, like a magnet, went back to the wheel. "I like comics, you already know that now. I like playing D&D. I also really like coffee and I'm very into art and would like to make comics in the future too. I like Britpop but I also like rock. Not the whole 'Rock and Roll' thing with bands objectifying women and being terrible shitheads. And I'm very-" He stopped so abruptly, and it significantly caught my interest. "I was very close to my brother," he mumbled regrettably. If he were to look down, he would, but he was still so fixated on the road. God, I wonder what happened to their relationship. His brother lives all the way in California. "Anyways," There was a large mood change: neutral to upset then to neutral again. It was weird. He was changing the subject because he was currently uncomfortable with it. But I didn't want to poke for details if this was truly sensitive. He moved his hand to the back of his neck as if he could scratch off the thought. "What about you?"

"I get angry easily, maybe. Impatient. I'm annoyed by our school and the town that we live in. In junior year, Phillip Young kept calling Dylan Murphy by his dead name, beating him up as well, so I beat up Phillip. Then I got in trouble. Chelsea McCoy was slut-shaming many girls and being a complete dickhead, so I started yelling and insulting her, using all of the curse words that exists. Then I stuffed her in a locker. Got in trouble again. I'm surprised I didn't get expelled yet." I explained tenderly, remembering both incidents well and satisfyingly. That was one of the only things I was proud about myself and behavior. Sometimes my dreadful, persistent anger can be advantageous. I wasn't some savior or school vigilante. I was just an asshole with anger issues and those two pissed me off so I properly lost it.

"That's really cool of you, though. They definitely deserved it," he replied smiling, as I smiled at him back. The way his lips formed that way had made me feel good at the moment. And I liked how he was getting less and less shy to speak or react every second. I wanted to know more about him, though. Like, not the 'all about me' school presentation favorite food shit, but I wanted to know him. I wanted to know why he isolated himself so much, I wanted to know some other side of him. I wanted to know him. But that could be for a different time.

I guess I should actually tell him more about myself, though. But the 'all about me' elementary school presentation way. "I was born in Minnesota. Most of my family's there," I began. "Been there for a nice time, but then we moved here. Damn, I didn't know Jersey was such a disappointment. Or just, y'know, the town itself, I guess," I added, letting the memories of my hometown rush to the top of my brain. But then I paused, suddenly feeling a little... perturbed, maybe. I was quite aware of what had caused it, though. "You're... You're okay with this, right? Running away from here with me? I feel like I'm pushing you. Also, we just met too."

I think his face changed as I spoke. His resting face, which was a bit tense, had softened. Like if he felt sorry for me or anything. That wasn't the reaction I intended for him to bring. "I've always wanted to leave this place, actually. Too many... bad memories," he sighed. I don't doubt it. He drove so cautiously, he always kept to himself, and his brother lives across the country. A lot of things must have happened throughout his life here.

I placed my hand on his shoulder in affirmation. Maybe the car drove over a bump or a stiff rock, but if that wasn't the case, then Gerard had flinched at my touch. The look on his face made me assume that the hairs on his body would have raised at that very moment. I lifted my hand off. Maybe he didn't like physical contact. Or he was just startled at the time. "Well... We'll leave and make better memories, yeah?" I reassured, smiling slightly, even knowing he wouldn't see it. I didn't know what happened with him here, but I knew it must've really sucked. That was an understatement; it must have been terrible. He's a very quiet kid. Was, at least.

Time passed even more, and I was convinced we were already out of Belleville. And I started to get really hungry. "Gerard?" I asked while replacing the cassette that had finished, with a different one, beginning to play Britpop.

"Hm?" he hummed, pursed his lips, and blinked.

"I'm hungry," I said, unfortunately in a tone that made it sound insignificant. I hated how the things I tried to say out loud wouldn't come out the way I wanted them to.

"Me too," he replied. "But there's a roadside diner coming up soon, so we can eat there." I nodded in response and moved my arm by the window, letting my head rest on my hand, and looking through the glass, anticipating the eatery.

Luckily, we eventually pulled into a parking lot and I saw the small and short diner, with as many windows as a car dealership. I got out of the car and slammed the door closed, immediately smelling whatever the fuck hippo's shit smells like. God, it was awful. Gerard exited the car and merely scrunched his face, smelling the same smell I did, which I chuckled to myself quietly. It was kind of cute, his reaction.

Together, we walked to the inside of the diner by opening the rickety door, a bell attached above it ringing. This part of Jersey had a lot of bells. Weird. The door had a small 'welcome' sign, but other than that, it was just wooden and plain, having a musty small window at the top half.

Once Gerard and I got settled into our seats, he leisurely analyzed the menu. And after watching him read the menu to himself for a short while, I moved my attention to the window beside me. Being met with the sinister cluster of trees and hues outside, I began to feel tired. I couldn't tell if the sight was comforting me or drugging me. "You, uh, know what you're gonna order?" I didn't jump, but I was still moderately alarmed as I heard Gerard precipitously speak. And I heard his voice again without actually looking at him; feeling that same, weird feeling in my stomach afterward as the words he said had pleasantly come through different areas in my ear. I hated not knowing why certain things occurred and what they were, so this feeling rather pissed me off. I needed to know what it was.

"Yeah, I'll just, y'know, get whatever burger they have here," I replied blankly, trying to shake off the thoughts of that strange feeling. I watched the trees move together as the wind pushed them as far as it could. I didn't know if I looked at this because it was beautiful, or I didn't want to look at Gerard so I could hear him that same way again. The trees did look pretty peaceful, though. Yet they were so tall and surrounding that they felt like school bullies.

"...You okay?"

"Um, yeah, why wouldn't I be," I replied abruptly and turned my head to the waitress that appeared the hell out of nowhere, in front of our table. I think I had some idea why Gerard asked about how I was feeling. Sometimes I would get randomly upset but it was mostly because I felt enormously worn out. I did feel, for some reason, like I wanted to drop dead right at this moment, and I didn't know why.

"Good afternoon, my name is Jenna and I'll be your server for today. Can I get you two anything to drink?" The waitress at our table said cheerfully, holding a black leather notepad and a short pen in her hands. Something that I found interesting, mostly because it was pretty rare - she gripped the pen in her slim left hand.

The waitress looked at me, waiting for a response. "Um, just water," I finally answered, watching her write down the word in her left hand. I was able to hear the scratching of the black pen, which somehow made the atmosphere less tense. Then, she looked at Gerard.

"I'll have water too," he replied quietly as she added more to the page of the notepad.

"Alright, just two waters?" she ensured, smiling, and we both nodded, confirming it. "Okay, and are you ready to order your food already?"

"Oh, um, yeah," I said, looking at Gerard.

For the third time, time passed, yet awkwardly, and we've already gotten our food. It was pretty silent, except for the music playing in the background and a few chattering. I looked at the booth at the side and two kids and a man, their father most likely, sat down. They looked happy. They probably don't live in Belleville, I concluded. Though there were a few things I noticed that were strange, but it wasn't relevant nor important.

As I took more bites of my burger, I turned my head back to Gerard but noticed something happening behind him. I poked my head out slightly, trying to see what was going on. He looked at me, then turned his head around to try to see what I was looking at as we then heard the door open and its hysterical shrill. He looked back at me confused and asked, "What?"

"Those people who just left didn't pay for their food," I replied with my mouth full. "They dine and dashed."

"Jeez. Well... At least the food the cooks made weren't a waste 'cause they finished, right?" he said softly.

"Well... Their server will have to cover the cost of the bill at some times," I explained. "The diner would also lose money on the food or drinks they got,"

"How do you know that?" Gerard asked, chuckling shortly. I learned instantly that I liked his chuckle.

"I don't know. I know a lot of random information from different people and stuff," I shrugged. Again, I looked at the other booth on the side I saw before; the one with the man and his two kids. I felt for the plate and inserted a fry into my mouth. "I'm also very observant," I added, chewing the fry, then gulping it promptly. "That guy over there," I pointed to a man with dark brown hair and eyes, crows feet on each end, sitting by two small children. "He's a bad husband," Gerard turned around and looked at him, then back at me. "And/or he's having marriage problems,"

"And how can you assume that?" He brought his elbow onto the table and held his head in his hand. He was interested, I could tell, which made me feel a little proud.

"For the past few minutes, he has been looking at their waitress' ass. It could be a mistake, but I could tell he was also looking at her, uh... 'dirty pillows,'" He giggled at the awkward Carrie reference I made. Then I continued. "Weird and perverted, especially because his children are right there. But they don't know anything about that. Every time their server would go to them, he would, occasionally, cover his wedding ring by either putting his right hand on top, hiding his hand under the table, or even taking it out at some times. But I'm pretty sure his children know the purpose of the ring already, so he's trying to make it very subtle that he's hiding it in front of the waitress. Also, she couldn't have coincidentally been his wife. That family's tourists. She has no ring, and the children aren't showing any affection or closeness."

Gerard looked at the family at that booth for a long time until the man did at least two of the things I've said. "Shit, you're right! What an ass-"

"Being a bad husband doesn't mean he'd be a bad father, though. I mean, by default, being a bad husband would immediately make you a bad father because divorce and your parents arguing can ruin a kid's childhood, and staring at young women with his kids there. But besides that, see, the food his kids ordered was... unreasonably expensive, but he gave it to them anyway. I saw the menu. So he might be spoiling his kids too, but we don't know for sure," I explained as the young daughter and son ate their food. "They look genuinely happy. And the boy is wearing a hat from a theme park from a different state, so the kids' father must be passionate about making his kids content,"

He looked back at me when I finished and chuckled to himself. "You must've really paid attention in science with, y'know, observation and stuff,"

"No... actually. It's pretty natural, I've been like that ever since I was little. I even eavesdropped and everything." I smiled, picking at another french fry on my plate.

He smiled in response and took a bite out of his food. "I eavesdrop all the time," he said with his mouth full and I smiled. It makes sense; being quiet would make you great at listening and listening to other people's conversations.

Soon after, we both finished our food and stood up from our seats. I hesitantly put my hand out.

"Friends?" I asked.

He grinned and shook my hand. "Friends."

We paid upfront and got out of the diner, only to smell the outdoors, shit-scented. We walked over to his car and came inside, slamming the doors closed afterward. He started the engine and put the car in reverse to get out of the parking spot.

"So," I began. "Where to?"

He chuckled and I could have sworn that something changed in my body after hearing and looking at him. "Anywhere but fucking here."

We drove off to the road surrounded by the trees with pale leaves and the gray, pale sky mostly covered by them. When I closed my eyes, I felt the same, free feeling when I would sit on that bench in the park. I didn't need to feel the grass on my feet. I already felt the same, anyways. I think this was the feeling of release; escaping the redundant captivity in a small, boring, and soul-sucking town. And I loved it.

I opened my eyes and looked at Gerard. He was adorable, really. And staring at him for a longer duration could have convinced me that he was beautiful. But that would be silly. I wouldn't actually know what's really beautiful, being somebody who never appreciated anything of that nature. I'm pretty sure that I am messed up. That something was definitely wrong with me. So maybe I couldn't judge what was beautiful. But I was extremely certain, maybe more than I have ever been in my life, that those lips of his were.

[aliasimagines]

operation fools in love//luke patterson

requested by a lovely anon

word count: 3333(!!!)

a/n: i still don’t know how to write endings

The corridor was noisy with loud chatter, quietly whispered gossip and the sound of rushing students' shoes hitting against the floor. 

You hummed  'edge of great' as you started fishing out the books you need for class from your locker. It has been stuck in your head since yesterday evening when the guys played it for you and Flynn at band practice. 

You were about to close your locker when he poofed next to you. 

“Hi, y/n!”

“AAHHH” you screamed, earning a few side looks from passing by students. 

“Ahh, I accidentally kicked my locker, haha…”you started explaining yourself before turning back to your open locker. You sent a glare in Luke’s way.

“What did Julie and I say to you? Do not teleport randomly to us at school!”

He chuckled.

“Yeah, rules, rules, I don’t care. I just wanted to drop in and say hi!” he smiled at you with his signature Luke smile.

“Well, you did. That’s all? I kinda need to go to class.��� you spot Julie in the corner of your eyes as you walk over to her locker. You quickly wave at her and soon after she comes over so you can talk to Luke without looking crazy. 

Luke mumbles something under his breath and goes to scratch the back of his head.

“No! Uhm..Hi Jules… So y/n I also kinda wanted to ask if you would come to our gig tonight? You know, we are playing not far from that food place you like? "

You smiled, appreciating that he remembered your favorite food place. 

"Well,erm.. I guess? I want to but I might have dance practice, so I am not sure." you say, wishing you'd know for sure but you won't find out till the end of your classes. 

Luke's lips formed an 'o' before his gaze fell down on his shoes. 

"Oh well.. I-okay. Bye?" he says in an unsure tone before disappearing, leaving you to face Julie. 

"Well, wasn't that adorable?"  she asks with a smug grin. 

"What? What are you talkin' bout Jules?" you ask honestly confused. She laughs and puts her hand on your shoulder. 

"Sweetheart, you two are just oblivious to each other!" 

"I don't… What?" 

"You like him. He likes you. It's not that confusing. Really it is obvious." 

"Shhh, quiet!" you shh-ed her, quickly making sure if Luke was 100 percent gone. "I.. I don't like him." 

It was unnecessary, you couldn't even fool yourself and especially not Julie. 

"Y/N, come on girl, I know you do. And he does like you too! I mean I am writing songs with him, do you know how many lovesick lyrics he has written lately? It is making me sick." she laughed. 

"Well, he might have written them about someone else. Maybe you? You two have amazing chemistry."

Julie sighed and grabbed both of your shoulders so she could look at you. 

"Y/N, honey. Believe me when I say he is head over heels for you. Why else would he want you to be at our gig so much?”

„Luke is literally so passionate about music? Of course he wants to share it with me, cause he wants to share it with everyone.”

„Ahg, girl you need glasses cuz you can't see shit. Look, if  prove he likes you too will you believe me?”

„Sure. I mean you can’t prove something that is not true but, sure go ahead, ’prove it’.” 

Julie rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to respond but luckily for you the bell rang.

“See you later, alligator!” and with that you were off to class, leaving Julie alone to work on her master plan. 

She knew she had to pull this off because the mutual pinning was unbearable but she also knew she couldn't do it alone. She'll need all the help she can get and that includes Flynn and the rest of her ghost band. 

You changed into your leggings and sweatshirt before heading into the gym where the dance practice took place. You were quite bumped. Don't get me wrong dancing is everything to you but.. You really did want to see the guys perform. 

You and the other kids were warming up, waiting for your teacher to start showing the choreography. But neither of you expected what she did next. Much to your surprise Reggie and Alex appeared next to her and started messing with her water bottle before you could even open your mouth.

For a moment no one acknowledged what was going on. Some were too busy chatting and warming up and Ms Janett was too busy with her phone. The two ghosts seemed to have noticed that and after exchanging a knowing smirk they grabbed the phone out of your teachers hands. She perked up, a mixture of anger and confusion on her face. And then… she saw her own phone floating in tin air.

“Stop!!” you whisper shouted  in the boys direction but they only gave you a smirk before Reggie started searching for the music player application. Alex pointed over Reggie’s shoulder.

“Uuu, play that one.” 

And as soon as the Lady Gaga song started playing Ms Janett let out a scream causing everyone to look up. You saw the boys dancing with the phone and the pompoms in their hand (although you have no idea where Alex got those pompoms) but everyone else just saw those items moving by themselves.

“GHOOOST!!! Everybody RUUUUUUN!” 

Some people followed the teacher, some stayed behind to take a closer look only to be scared away by a flying pompom. 

“What the heck are you two doing?” you turned to them,being  rather angry,  once you were the only living person in the gym. Seriously, what were they thinking?

“We cleared your afternooon! You can come to our concert!” Reggie exclaimed and put down the phone. 

“Do you think I would go after this fiasco you just pulled??” you were definitely angry now.

“Oh come on, if not for us then for Julie..and for Luke.”

You snapped your head in Alex's direction at the mention of Luke’s name.

“What do...No. Don’t try to divert the topic. What you did was incredebly stupid! What if.. What if someone connects the dots and figures out that Julie’s hologram band is actually a ghost band? There will be scientist and ghost busters and-”

“Shh, Y/N jeez, calm down. it will be okay. We’ll see you at the show.” 

And they poofed away. They simply left  you alone with your thoughts. You need to come up with some kind of explanation for the dance class but right now you need to go home and change. The boys were right, even if they kinda (really) caused a mess here you still like them and don’t want to miss seeing them live ((Winky face)).

Meanwhile you were sorting through your dresses and outfit options. Julie and the band arrived at the venue for rehearsal.

Usually it was Luke who hyped Julie up before shows but right now the roles were switched because Luke looked like a kicked puppy ever since he learned you wouldn’t be able to make it to their gig. Of course Julie knew you will be here, as she was the one to send the boys to scare away your teacher. It was all part of her little plan.

Like mentioned Luke wrote half a dozen songs, all centered around his feelings for you. He stated to Jules that he will definitely not play them for you because there is just no way you like him back, but now Luke thinks you won’t be there so Julie is on the next step of her genius plan. Convince Luke to play one of his love songs.

“Luke, Lukey-poo, my man.” she started getting more and more cringy. “I thought we could close with Hero and Heroine? I know you said you don’t want to play it but it is such a great song, you definitely shouldn’t let it be just another forgotten song that stays on a piece of paper. Plus it is perfect for closing, think about it!”

“Julie...I-I told you I don’t wanna play it.”

“You told me you don’t wanna play it in front of Y/N, which would be the whole point of writing love songs to her but that's besides the point right now. Pleeassee?”

Luke took a deep breath and looked at his ghost mates for...What for? Support? Advice? He is not sure. He does want to play the song, pour out his emotions through the song but the question is..should he? He knows you can’t be here which both makes him wanna play the song and not at the same time.

“I agree with Julie, dude.” Alex said, shrugging his shoulder like he knew of nothing. Reggie nodded along.

“Okay..If you all think I w-”

Julie stood up and clapped her hands together.

“Cool! It is settled. I’ll need to make a phone call, brb.”

“Barbeque?” asked Reggie confused. Which made Alex laugh.

“Brb actually means be right back. Willie told me.” the blond made his way over to Luke and gently punched his shoulder. “Really Luke, that song is great. And I know you think there is no way Y/N would like you back but I am sure if she could hear it-”

“I’m a ghost, Alex! I can’t just confess to her, how are we gonna date? We can’t even touch.”

“That is totally not the reason. You are afraid she would decline your affection, I get it, but believe me I have seen her look at you. That longing in her eyes when I mention your name. She likes you.”

Luke rolled his eyes.

“Not that it matters, she won't hear the song and that is my final say in this.”

As soon as Julie stepped out of the small, cigarette smelling backroom she dialed your number. You picked up after two rings.

“Hi, Jules.”

“Hi girl, I heard what the boys did, I am so, so sorry. You know they are idiots.”she said trying real hard not to laugh but she reminded herself of her plan and pulled on her poker face.”But..Are you coming to the show? Flynn could pick you up; she is about to get going.”

“Yeah I’ll come, tell the boys I will call my teacher and say it was a prank so they can thank me for saving their ghostbutts.”

Julie giggled and started playing with her hair.She walked up and down the small corridor that led to the stage from the backroom.

“I will, I better get back and warm up but you should call Flynn so she won’t leave without you.”

Of course Flynn wouldn’t leave without you. She was waiting in her car two blocks from your home waiting for your phone car.

She didn’t have to wait long, you called her and she pretended to not expect it. Flynn kinda became your and Julie’s driver ever since she got her driver's  license last month. 

By the time the two of you got to the venue the opening was playing their last song and the place was already packed with dancing teenagers. Flynn dragged you to the bar and asked for a cola for herself and a (favourite drink) for you. 

The two of you hung back and sipped your drinks until Julie appeared on the stage. Then you took Flynn by the hand and  started pulling her toward the stage. Only she held you back. 

"Hey, what's up? Don't we wanna go and watch them from closer?" 

"Oh, well, uhm...I'd rather hang back. The crowd kind of makes me anxious right now." Flynn said. You lifted an eyebrow at her. Flynn being anxious? In a crowd?? That did not convince you. But you didn’t argue. 

"Do you need to step outside a little or…" 

"Nah, it's good, let's just stay here in the back." 

So you did. You sang and danced along to the songs you both knew so well. You tried  your best not to stare at Luke too much but let’s be honest you failed miserably. Flynn occasionally wiggled her eyebrows at you when she caught you ‘drooling over him’ as she put it.

After they finished playing Stand Tall you expected them to bow and ‘disappear’ but much to your surprise Julie grabbed the mic and brought it to her lips.

“Hello, hello, helloo! Do y’all wanna hear one more song?” the audience erupted into a loud cheer. It was so heartwarming to watch. Julie doing what she was born to do, playing music and enchanting the crowd. Flynn seemed to have the same thought because she looked at her with such pride. You pulled her into a big hug and the two of you waited for the crowd to quiet down so Jules could go on.

“Allright, allright. Now this song will be a bit different but...I will let Luke here tell it.”

You just became more and more surprised when Luke stepped closer to the mic and spoke into it, looking kinda...nervous? 

“Ohm..Hello everyone! So uh..This song is dedicated to a special someone, the songs called-”

“What’s the special someone’s name?” your eyes travelled to Reggie who asked the question with a huge grin. Luke turned to look at the bassist. If looks could kill Reggie would be double dead. But before Luke could give a voice to his disapproval towards Reggie’s question Julie spoke up.

“Yeah! What’s the name?” she turned towards the crowd and started chanting. “What’s the name?”

Soon Reggie and Alex joined with smiles painted on their faces along with the audience. You were so freaking confused. You looked at Flynn for some explanation but how would she know about it. 

“OKAY, okay, stop!” Luke yelled before laughing a little. “All right I will tell you guys but you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone?”

All of a sudden you felt sick and wanted to get out of here. You were so not in the mood to hear Luke declare his love for someone. 

“This song is dedicated to..To Y/N. Unfortunately she wouldn't be here today but..she is an amazing person. Hope you all like the song.”

He...He couldn’t be talking about you, could he?

He started strumming his guitar and soon Reggie joined in with the bass and Alex with the drums. Jullie clapped her hands together and kept sending encouraging looks for the boy.

“It's too late baby, there's no turning around, I've got my hands in my pocket and my head in a cloud, this is how I do, when I think about you,I never thought that you could break me apart,I keep a sinister smile and a hole of my heart” he sang into the mic, his voice filling in the whole club “You want to get inside, then you can to get in line but not this time”

“'Cause you caught me off guard, now I'm running and screaming!” Julie joined in for the line“I feel like a hero and you're my heroine.”

“I won't try to philosophize, I'll just take a deep breath and I'll look in your eyes, this is how I feel and it's so so real I got a closet filled up to the brim with the ghosts of my past and the skeletons, and I don't know why, you'd even try but I won't lie” Luke sang and you finally realised what was going in. He wrote this song. For you. You looked over to Flynn who nodded towards the stage and mouthed ‘go’.

I feel like a hero and you are my heroine. Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?

You started making your way towards the stage, slipped through the cracks between dancing people and singing fans. The further you got the harder it was to get through but you heard Luke’s voice and you kept going.

And I feel a weakness coming on, never felt so good to be so wrong. Had my heart on lock down and then you turned me around

And I’m feeling like a new born child..

You finally break through a few screaming girls and see him.

“-Every time I get a chance to see you smile. It’s not complicated, I’m so jaded.” Luke sings and looks at the audience and- He spots you. Looking up at him with eyes wide open and admiration on your face. His voice cracks because of the sudden surprise of your presence but you smile at him and that is all he needs to continue.

“And you caught me off guard...Now I’m running and screaming”

He sang the song with such passion that even if you weren’t before now you were absolutely sure this wasn’t just a simple crush. 

When they finished you didn’t waste a lot of time, you ran backstage, quickly waving your vip ticket.  You almost run into Julie on your way to the door of the backroom.

“Who- Y/N!”

“This was your doing, wasn’t it?” you smiled at her already knowing the answer. She flashed a toothy grin. 

“Well I had a great team behind me but yeah, Operation FiL was my idea.”

“Phil?” you ask back .

“No, no. F i L. Fools in Love. Now go get ‘im tiger!”

You shook your head and entered the backroom. Luke stood with his back facing you but as soon as he saw you in the mirror he spinned around. For a moment you forgot he was a ghost and ran to give him a hug. 

“Y/N, no-” he put his hands out so he could catch you, simply out of reflex but he didn’t expect to actually hold you in his arms. You both looked at each other with eyes as wide as a 6 lane highway. 

“How can I-”

“Do you care?”  you closed the little distance between the two of you and pressed your lips against his.  They were just as soft as you imagined oh, so many times before. He kissed back gently, afraid that this is just a dream. But this was definitely too real to be a dream. You unfortunately had to pull back to catch your breath but Luke looked leaned closer to press his forehead against yours.

“The song was so beautiful, I loved it.” you whisper. He just stared at you with a smile.

“If I knew you would kiss me, I would have played it a long time ago.” you giggled and brought your lips together for one more kiss. He let his hands wander this time but so did you. Your fingers ran through his brown hair, this being something you wanted to do for so long. He kept one hand on your waist and placed the other on the side of your face.

Your lips moved so in sync like you’ve been doing this all your lives. You were so drawn to each other, you felt like you couldn’t pull away in that moment even if you tried. Like this invisible magical force just glued the two of you to-

“Okay, that is enough! Get out I need to change!” Julie brusted in causing Luke to jump up and cling to you like Scooby Doo.

“Wow, you are so brave.''you laughed rolling your eyes at. “Come on, let’s leave alone Julie. We’ll meet ya at the car?”

 Jules nodded and sent a wink in your way. You walked outside, both of you grinning like idiots. 

“So uhm...Does this make us, Us?”

“Yeah. I mean if that’s what you want too.” you look at your shoes and bite your lower lip waiting for his answer.

“There’s nothing I want more.” he said. “Oh well..maybe another kiss wouldn’t be so bad either..”

[imaginedxlan]

Drivers License Pt. 2 (Ron Weasley)

a/n: You guys absolutely went off for part 1, thank you so so much!! Someone requested that I make a part 2 where y/n finally gets a happy ending, but without ron so I decided to kind of run with the idea, this time sort of from ron’s point of view.

disclaimer: the timeline in the books/movie are gonna line up in this one. I know they didn’t have a seventh year and i know ron kissed lavender before winter but this is obv not cannon, go with it, also fred dying was a prank anyway so YOU THOUGHT it would be included. absolutely not. 

After taking y/n’s affection for granted, Ron realizes he’s made a huge mistake when she’s moved on to be happy without him

warning(s): cussing, sadness, broke my own heart writing this

Pay attention to the gif, keep it in your mind towards the end. 

Part 1

___________________

And all my friends are tired Of hearing how much I miss you, but I kinda feel sorry for them 'Cause they'll never know you the way that I do

It took a long time for you to move on from Ron, you didn’t have to look very far to do so. Ginny had told off Ron one night for hurting you without realizing the twins were awake and hearing all the nasty things Ron put you through. By that point he and Hermione were no longer together, she realized he was too good of a friend to lose to a ‘stupid school relationship.’ So now he was alone, completely clueless to the fact that someone else had begun pining over you. 

“Merlin, not this again.” Harry groans into his textbook. The wizarding world was on the verge of destruction and all Ron could speak about was how much he missed you. “Ron, we get it you fucked up with her, get over it.”

The boys had heard the same speech everyday. He would first start off with ‘I know I say this a lot’ then go onto name the things he misses most about you. Your hair, your eyes, your laugh, how small your hands are compared to his. He then groans about how stupid he is for, well, everything. 

“I never heard you talk about her before now,” Dean adds, actually semi-invested in the drama that surrounded Ron’s love life. “Whats so special about her anyway?”

How could he even begin to explain what was so special about you. As much as he wished he could say he lied to you about everything he said to you, how easy it would be if he never gave a shit about you, that just isn’t the case. You had this way of making him feel safe whenever he held you. He wasn’t lying when he told you that you felt like home, he just didn’t mean to say it to soon. Maybe that was the reason he decided to kiss Lavender Brown, knowing you were watching. He wanted to push you away in the most hurtful way possible that you never even thought about coming back to him, but immediately regretted that decision. 

You also had this weird hold on him, even when he was with Hermione, he would catch a glimpse of your smile and his heart would drop into his stomach. He would see your eyes sparkle in the light of the living room fire place when you were visiting the Burrow and want to scream out that he never meant to hurt you. He notices things about you that you probably hadn’t even noticed about yourself. The way your nose will scrunch when you focus really hard when Ginny tries to teach you wizard chess, how he wishes you would let him close enough to teach you. His heart aches when he notices you shift away from him, even after he and Hermione broke up. When you and Gin walk into the Great Hall for dinner and you go out of your way to sit as far from his as you can. 

“You don’t understand,” Ron huffs out, rolling onto his side, wishing you were laying close into his chest like you used to. “She’s something else.”

“Ron, I know you miss her and everything but I have to tell you that you missed your chance,” Harry tells him. “Ginny tells me more than she probably should about all of this, she’s finally moved on from you mate, let it go.”

But how could he? How could he move on when you’re constantly around? He can hear a laugh from all the way down the hall and immediately know its falling from your lips, he’ll hear the sound of an engine from his bedroom window and know you’ve arrived for one of your weekend stays. The way you get on so well with his family, you’re perfect for him, you always have been but he took you for granted and now all he can do is complain to his friends about how he let you go.

And I know we weren't perfect But I've never felt this way for no one, oh And I just can't imagine How you could be so okay now that I'm gone?

He thought for a long time that you were a temporary fix for his feelings that ran deep within him for Hermione, but being with her only made him realize that it was you all along. How could he have been so stupid? He refused to let his friends know you were together, in fear that Hermione would lose the feelings he had prayed she felt toward him, but in doing so he only pushed you away.

“Ron, we can’t keep sneaking around like this.” You would tell him after he pulled you into a broom closet in the middle of the day. “They’ll find out eventually, it’s not like Ginny would be cross with either of us.”

Ron was never able to give you a clear answer when it came to why you had to hide from everyone, not wanting to admit to you that it was because he was hung up on his best friend. Looking back now, it was the stupidest decision he ever made. While your relationship was chaotic and spontaneous and secretive, it was still something he now yearned for everyday, he needed to feel what he felt for you then. More specifically, he needed you to feel what you felt for him back then too. Admittedly, he never loved Lavender Brown, she was only there to stroke his ego. He thought he loved Hermione, but how can you fully love someone if your heart is connected to someone else? Loving you felt different than with anyone else, his chest burned and his hands tingled whenever you were around him. 

That’s why it hurt him so badly to see you move on, and not to just anyone. After Ginny’s outburst toward her brother over how he continued to treat her best friend, a certain Weasley grew closer to you. At first, George wanted to apologize to you for the way his brother treated you as well as help you navigate co-existing with the boy. However, the more time you spent with George, the closer you became. You found yourself laughing at his stupid pranks that wouldn’t have even warranted a grin years ago. You felt the need to be near him grow more everyday, Ron noticed your sudden draw toward his brother as well.

He couldn’t understand how after, according to Ginny, crying over him for days on end, barely being able to get into your car to drive to the Burrow in fear of seeing him you could all of a sudden move on to his brother. Now that he realized how bad he messed up, he’s miserable that you weren’t around him, that you didn’t love him like you used to. How could you not feel the same hollow feeling he did?

What Ron didn’t see was that you did feel that hollow feeling, for months actually. You watched him fall in love and out of it twice before he realized you were the one, but by that time you didn’t have anything left to give him. You were healing in a way that caused you to grow apart from him even further. You found happiness is sleepovers with Ginny, helping Molly in the kitchen, and now long drives with George. You no longer felt like you needed Ron to survive. You didn’t eat, sleep, and breathe him anymore and that killed him.

You were careful to never make Ron feel the same way you did when you saw him with Lavender and Hermione, you weren’t as cruel as he was back then, but it was no secret that you and the twin had sparked some sort of relationship. Ginny was over the moon, as she began to lose hope in having you as a real sister by being with Ron, George came in and saved the day. If you thought Ron was mature for his age, George was practically ten times more. The more responsible of the twins, he always seemed to know exactly what to do and say in every situation. He always gave the best advice. What to do when a professor wouldn’t let up, how to sneak around the halls of Hogwarts at night, and most commonly how to continue in your growth while the one person who seems to stunt it is living only a stones-throw away. While you were still in school and he was running the shop, he would send you letters updating you on his life and beg you to come work at the shop with him and Fred when you finish school, telling you that you would make an excellent addition to the team. His words never failed to make you blush.

He’s three years older than you, almost twenty by the time you had moved on completely from Ron, so nothing ever really happened with George then, but your growing companionship could only be expected to blossom from there. Ron couldn’t stand it. Of all people you could seek comfort in, it had to be his brother. He would hear you gushing to Ginny about the most recent letter you received in the Common Room or witness you and George chatting about something completely arbitrary over Christmas and seethe with anger. In his mind, if you had ever truly loved him like you say you did, you wouldn’t be so content knowing that you two would never be together.

Red lights, stop signs I still see your face in the white cars, front yards Can't drive past the places we used to go to 'Cause I still fuckin' love you, babe

It was no longer a secret to any of the Weasley clan that Ron was miserable. When he’s at school, he’s complaining to his friends about what he could have done differently so that he could have you. At home he begged his sister to stop bringing you around, as if he had any say in whether or not you visited the Burrow. Now being old enough to use magic outside of Hogwarts, he would apparate out any time he heard you pull up to his driveway. He would go to London mostly, distracting himself in the busy streets and crowds of people.

It never worked. Somehow everywhere he turned he thought he would catch a glimpse of your hair blowing in the wind. He would shake his head just to realize you were never there. Any white car that passed next to him would immediately strike fear in his heart, thinking you were behind the wheel, but you never were. He couldn’t decide if he was looking for you in everything or if he was so afraid to see you that he imagined you everywhere. Nevertheless, there was nothing Ron Weasley could do that would effectively distract himself from you, and he’s now starting to realize it’s all his fault.

If he hadn’t been so self centered to fall into Lavender Brown’s compliments and praises due to his egomania, he would have never kissed her in front of you. At the time he thought of it as kind of a test, how far could he push you before you were no longer kissing the ground he walked on. Seeing you still tremble at his touch or your cheeks heat up whenever he said your name made him feel good, like you would never leave him. Now that you’re gone, he’s kicking himself for pushing that limit. He didn’t know it would take him falling into Hermione’s arms in that hospital bed in front of you to ruin your good opinion of him forever, but if he did he swears he would have called out your name that day instead. 

On top of the Dark Lord plotting to take over the wizarding world as he knew it, his last semester was filled with memories of you. Any time he would walk into the common room his heart would fill with sorrow, recalling how it felt to first kiss you there. He would also replay the moment he kissed Lavender Brown in that very spot, after pulling away catching a glimpse of you rushing through the crowd of Gryffindors to get away from him. In that moment he felt like the world’s biggest arse, yet it didn’t keep him from holding onto Lavender a bit longer. He avoided certain hallways that would force him to pass the broom closets and empty classrooms he pulled you into throughout the school day, hiding you from his friends. What a stupid thing to do. Part of him knew back then that he would never feel the way he felt about you for anyone else, but he was greedy. 

Seeing you happy without him ripped his heart out of his chest and tore it to shreds. How you would smile down at a piece of parchment, assuming it was a letter from his brother. The sound of your voice carrying through the dorms as you and Ginny would stay up late in the common room talking about nothing and everything all at once. He couldn’t bear living right next to you, co-existing with you, while you just ignored him and grew apart from him.

“Y/n,” He calls your name. You’re alone in the common room, that is until he came in. You hadn’t heard him say your name in a while, you find it doesn’t have the same impact on you as it did a year ago and you’re grateful for that. “Y/n, can I talk to you?”

“What is it, Weasley?” You ask him, hoping the dismissal you intended in your tone translates. You had spent months avoiding him, avoiding the longing gazes, so that you could pick up the pieces of your heart that he shattered and put them back together. He doesn’t respond for a while, just admiring how you look in the glow of the fireplace. “I don’t have all night, get on with it.”

“Right,” He replies, shaking his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. He takes a seat on the arm chair across from the couch that you’re sat on, careful not to get too close. Your face is cold, he almost doesn’t recognize you without your smile. “I messed up, Y/n. I know I did. I fucked it all just to have a quick fix because I’m arrogant and selfish. I was so lost back then, in my own pride, that I didn’t know what I wanted out of life. But I know now what I needed then, what I need now.”

You don’t reply. Your heart is sinking but you do a great job of hiding it. Your face doesn’t change even though your inside is screaming. After months of crying and misery, watching the first boy you had fallen in love with fawn over what felt like every girl in the school, you had finally stopped hurting. Your heart doesn’t ache when you see him anymore, you don’t blush when you hear his name and you stopped yearning for his touch. Yet now, he has the audacity to try and fix it. Months ago you would have welcomed this grand gesture of what you can only assume to be a confession of the love he never lost for you, but you’re not the person you were then, thanks to the boy sat in the armchair that forced you to grow up and move on from him so soon. 

“Say something.”

“Say something?” You ask, gawking at his audacity and slamming your book next to you. “You dangle your little relationships in front of me for almost a fucking year, pretending like I never meant anything to you and you’d like me to say something? Do you understand what kind of pain you caused? I cried until I had nothing left because you told me all these nice things about me, you told me you loved me, then you kissed Lavender right in front of me. Not only that but I spent hours, Ron, hours sitting next to your bed in the hospital scared shitless that you were going to die in there. You know who came twenty minutes before you woke up, Granger. I was there for hours and who’s name you did you call out? Hers. Months ago I would have eaten this shit up, Weasley. You could have come in here and told me my hair looked different and I would have fallen in love with you all over again. Not anymore. I’m finally happy, you don’t get to ruin that because things didn’t turn out the way you wanted them to with Hermione.”

He sits in front of you, shocked. Part of him expected you to always want him, to come back to him even after all this time but he was wrong. He looked at you, hoping that maybe you were lying, that you were just scared to get hurt again so you put on a face for him but the look in your eyes told him more than what just fell from your lips. You hate him.

“Y/n, please.” He whimpers as you start to collect your things to leave this room immediately. There are only two of you but you feel suffocated. “I love you.”

“Shut up.” You tell him, not in jest, not to tease him but genuinely wanting him to stop speaking. “Don’t you dare say that to me ever again. You don’t deserve to know what it’s like for me to love you, you never did.”

You leave him sitting alone in the common room, heart shattered from your words that dug into him like a thousand knives. He replayed it over and over again, to feel something other than the numbness that was sure to come in time when you love someone you cannot have. He still had to be around you, watch you live your life without him. He had to see you laugh and know he could never put a smile like that on your face ever again. In order to fully heal from the heartache he was facing he knew he had to separate himself from you, to leave for a while so he didn’t have to see you fall in love with his brother, but he couldn’t. He decided he would rather have you in the smallest way possible, watching you from afar, seeing you smile like you once did at him, then never see you again.

Sidewalks we crossed I still hear your voice in the traffic, we're laughing Over all the noise God, I'm so blue, know we're through But I still fuckin' love you, babe

Years Later

Following your last year at Hogwarts, you followed George’s orders and began working at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. The twins were overjoyed to have your help, George especially so to have you around so often. With you 18 and he 21, after all these year he made his move on you, your friendship blossoming into something more.

You finally knew what it felt like to love and be loved back. George never tried to keep you from his friends, he never snuck off with you to hide your relationship, rather he paraded you around, proud that ‘someone like him was able to swing someone like you.’ He made you blush every time he looked at you, his handsome smile always pulling at your heartstrings. You had become addicted to being loved in that way.

Ron didn’t love your new relationship with his brother as much as as you did. He knew you deserved someone good, someone who would treat you right, he just wished it didn’t have to be someone who placed you in his life indefinitely. His heart ached whenever he would see George’s hand reach for yours as you giggled through the backyard of the Burrow. The worst was when he caught the two of you kiss for the first time.

It was late in the Summer, just after you and Ginny finished your years at Hogwarts. You were visiting just like you always did that time of year and late one night Ron heard rustling down from the main floor. Fearing that an animal had gotten in the house, he immediately searched for the origin of the noise. What he was met with was worse than if an acromantula had found its way into his kitchen. There you were, your hands tangled in his brother’s fiery red hair and his resting on your waist, your body pressed up to the sink. As he watched your lips against his brother’s, he felt as if a fire had engulfed his heart, his chest beginning to sting as it became harder to breathe. He didn’t say a word, he didn’t stop you two, just turned on his heels and darted back to his bedroom. When he was finally safe in his solitude, he slid against his door and broke down. The memories of the two of you in that very kitchen years ago flooded his sense.

During winter break of his sixth year and your fifth, the two of you spent your time cooking and cleaning together in that kitchen, laughing over the littlest things. Even when you weren’t right next to each other, he could still hear your laugh over all the commotion in the house. It was and still is his favorite sound. He wishes that he could bring that sound from your lips again, hoping that maybe one day you’ll realize your love for his brother is really misdirected love toward him, but that all changed.

You’re now 22 and George is 25. You have officially been together for four year. The shop had expanded immensely, renovations to the first store and new shops opening up all over the country and the continent. You count yourself lucky to be a part of it, to be able to say your boyfriend was the co-owner of the most successful joke shop in Europe. Being able to see how his eyes glow like it’s his first day of work every single day still makes your heart smile.

Tonight is another unveiling event of a new shop, this one in Spain. However, this new location being the 10th shop to open up in the continent, the boys decided this launch party would be more formal than the last, a bigger celebration. You all are dressed up, George in a tuxedo and you in a floor length gown. You loved seeing George in his everyday clothes, thinking he would look handsome in a potato sack, but there is something about that boy in a suit. All your friends and family are there, investors too. It’s a night you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

Ginny is still your best friend, you can’t imagine a day when she isn’t. You still have sleepovers in the Burrow even though you had your own lives and own flats. She’s still with Harry, a ring now occupying her left finger. When he proposed you and Ginny immediately started planning the wedding, there was no question who the maid of honor would be. She practically begs her older brother to make an honest woman out of you every time she sees him because she wants to, like almost everything in your lives, go through this experience with you.

Ron is there, of course he is. One of the biggest milestones in his older brothers’ career paths so far, he wouldn’t miss it for the world. He works at the shop sometimes, never with you, Fred and George would never be so cruel to ask him to do such a thing. He watched you for most of this night, his brother’s hand resting on your lower back every time he looked. While he knew your smile that you were putting on for investors and old friends was partly exaggerated so you could better play your role of proud girlfriend to the co-owner, he still admired how it sparkled like no one else’s he had ever seen. You grew more beautiful with every year you aged, this of course hurt him to still see you so happy without him.

You catch Ron’s stares throughout the night, you ignore them for the most part. You have come a long way, you were sixteen with you had your heart absolutely shattered by the boy and now you’re an adult. You have a job, a home, a life that at one point you could have never imagined living without him. The boy you were once completely and utterly bewitched by is now just a faint memory, a small ping in your chest when you think of how someone could hurt you so badly at such a young age. You catch his eye and smile at him, no longer angry with him. Like most things, George helped you process your anger. He couldn’t stand to see you so furious anytime you saw someone who mattered quite a bit to him. George has his moments when he hears something Ron did to you for the first time and becomes outraged, now that he loves you and everything, but he always reminds himself that its in the past. 

Ron smiles back, you can tell he’s forcing it, but it’s a step in the right direction. Something tells him that he’ll never fully get over you, that part of his heart will always be in your possession. The only way he can describe his feelings whenever he’s around you anymore is blue, every shade of blue. Sometimes are better than other, a sky blue, a bit brighter but still a hint of sadness. Other times are a navy blue, complete and utter darkness. He hasn’t decided what tonight is blue-wise. 

“Fred and I would like to thank you all for coming tonight.” George speaks into a microphone placed on an elevated surface in the new shop. You can’t help but admire his features, he looks so mature. “As you all know, courtesy of this bloody massive sign above our heads, this is our tenth shop to open across the continent. It feels surreal to say, eh Freddie?”

“You said it, George.” Fred replies. “Everyone in this room holds a special place in our heart, you’ve all, in your own ways, made this shop what it is today. We are so grateful to have such loyal and fantastic business partners, friends, and family.”

You want to cry, not a sad cry, but burst into tears over how far the two of them have come. When you first joined them in working at the shop, it was just a corner store on Diagon Alley, now it’s a world wide chain. You see the ins and outs of the business, knowing just how much work the two of them put into this dream. You’re able to catch George’s gaze, mouthing an I love you which he returns with a wink. 

“Before we let you all get back to the party, theres one person we would like to specifically thank,” George speaks again before pointing down to you and motioning you to come up with them. You shake your head at him, not wanting to impede on the well deserved attention and praise the boys are getting. “Y/n, this isn’t an option come on up here. Alright, for those of you who don’t know this is my lovely, gorgeous, smart, talented-”

“Alright, get on with it Georgie!” Fred interrupts, making the crowd of people laugh. “I think they get the point.”

“Okay, okay.” George puts his hands up in defense. “Like I was saying, or those of you who don’t know this is Y/n. She’s better known to most of you as the lady who was stupid enough to say yes when I asked her to be my girlfriend, but she was the stores first hired employee. She has been with us for all the renovations, all the expansions and has always supported us in every hair-brained idea Freddie and I have come up with. She has since become our creative director for the company as well as held a seat on our board for, well as long as we’ve had a board. Without her, I think we might just crumble to the ground.”

“Oh stop that!” You don’t mean for it to come out so loud, but you make the crowd laugh again and your cheeks heat up. You slide in front of George to bring your mouth up to the microphone. “They’re making my role seem much larger than it is, all of this that you’ve seen over the years has very little to do with me.”

“Pay no mind to her, she’s being humble.” George retorts, and you decide to stop fighting it. “I guess what I’m trying to say is our lives, especially mine, would be a lot harder if Y/n wasn’t in it. I couldn’t think of a better place, in front of a better group of people, to ask this question.”

Before you can process his words, your boyfriend is lowering down on one knee and pulling a small box out of his pocket. You hear gasps and whistles coming from the crowd, making you turn to see Ginny with the biggest smile on her face. You look back down to George, your hands going to cover your gaping mouth. This is not real. The red haired boy opens the box to reveal a ring, a massive diamond in the center with what seemed like a dozen smaller diamonds surrounding it. So this is where all the money the shops have been making was going.

“Y/n, my dearest love,” He doesn’t even get a full sentence out and you’re already shaking. “It will never make sense to me why you said yes to being my girlfriend, but I’m hoping whatever came over you that day is over you now so you’ll say yes to this one too. Y/n, will you make the happiest bloke to every walk this earth and marry me?”

You can’t even form words, your heart feeling like it’s migrated to your throat. You can only nod and pull him up from his kneeling position to pull him into the tightest hug you’ve ever given. “Yes, yes. One thousand times yes. Georgie, I love you!”

George gives you that smile that melts you in every way and places the ring on your left finger. Ginny finally got her way. He pulls you in for a small kiss and your friends and family clap and shout with joy. You can hear Molly shouting over everyone else. Everyone in the room is clapping and celebrating but one person.

Ron’s mouth is agape, watching as you say yes to spending the rest of your life with his brother. He wants to be happy for the two of you, he wants to be able to celebrate with his family but the dull ache in his heart that has been present since the night in the common room that you told him to never say the words you just shouted to his brother turns into a sharp pain. This is the final nail on the coffin that is the hope Ron held that you would one day be together. That small glimmer dying as the ring is placed on your dainty hand. It doesn’t take long for Harry to notice the look on his best friends face, excusing himself from Ginny for a moment. 

“You alright?” Harry asks quietly, careful not to draw attention to the one person in the room that isn’t happen for the newly engaged couple at the front. “Ron you have to at least pretend to be happy for them.”

Ron looks over to Harry and shakes his head. “I wish I could be happy for them mate. Everything in me wishes I had done something differently so it was me asking her that question.”

Harry is quiet for a while, watching as Ron’s face keeps the shocked and defeated look that its held since he saw his brother get on one knee. He balls his hands into fists every few minutes to keep himself from going completely numb. “You really still love her, don’t you? After all this time.”

“‘Course I fucking do.” Ron whispers, not meaning for it to come out as harsh as it did. He and Harry talk for a little while, just to keep his mind off the obvious stressor in the room, until Ginny is pulling Harry away to come and congratulate her best friend. Ron is left alone as we watches your smile, a genuine one this time, is glued to your face as you show anyone and everyone the ring. George is standing proudly beside you, holding your waist. You never look his way, too involved in sharing the most exciting moment of your life, though Ron wishes you would look over to him. He wishes he could catch your eye and sense some form of regret, then come save the day, but that never happens. Today is the darkest shade of blue imaginably, knowing for certain that your whole heart belongs to someone else. Quietly, for no one else to hear but him, he utters:

“I love you, I always will.”

[martialstories]

Tape to tape - Intro

Coops - High School AU

All credits for the world & the characters for @lumosinlove . Truly obsessed with SW and Coast to coast so this is my shot at writing something in that world. English isn’t my first language and this is my first time posting anything so I’m kinda nervous but here we go!

Coops High School AU. Takes place in Montreal, Canada and the age difference is the same (1 year, Remus being the older one). I hope to write more parts to this but we’ll see.

I have no idea how the Canadian high school works, but I googled, so Remus is on grade 11 and Sirius is on grade 10 during this fic. (Basically Junior and Sophomore) On other chapters they might be on different grades.

Happy reading!

___________________________________________________

Tw: mentions of child abuse

”Loops! You coming?” Sirius shouted from the bench. Remus was on ice practicing slapshots in rapid sets.

”Jeez, calm down! Five more and I’ll be there with you.” He shouted back and skated over after the shots. ”Let’s go. I need to stretch before shower.”

”I know you do. Plus, we always stretch after practice. You still up for teaching me how the First World War went down?” Sirius asked while walking towards the locker room where the music was playing loudly.

”You really are hopeless at history. You know that right?” Remus turned his back to Sirius to hide his smile. He knew Sirius wasn’t stupid but most of the time hockey just came first and school second.

”Oh come on Re! Please, please, please! I’ll fail if you don’t help me!” Remus glanced at pleading Sirius in the stall next to his. He was looking back at him with wide eyes. The rest of the locker room continued to buzz in the background as the two locked eyes.

”Of course I’ll help you. Now, let’s go to the gym.” The clock was already 4.30 p.m. so if they wanted to get everything done and have time to relax in the evening they really should get going.

After cooling down for about 15 minutes the locker room was starting to empty out. Remus and Sirius said bye to the players leaving the rink as they made their way towards the showers. After stripping from their under armours the locker room was completely empty.

”Boys, you are the last ones. Can you turn off the lights and lock the door after you?” coach asked from the door.

”Of course, coach. See you tomorrow!” Remus answered for the both of them. ”Thank you, Remus. Tomorrow at 10 a.m.” Coach reminded them and left the doorway.

Immediately after the door closed Sirius grabbed Remus’s hand and dragged him into the showers startling a little laugh out of Remus. ”Pads! Are you in a hurry somewhere?”

”Yes”, Sirius answered shortly before turning around, slinging his arms around Remus’s neck and pecking his lips. ”Finally alone.” Sirius whispered with his lips against Remus’s.

Remus kissed him back for a while before pulling back. ”I know. But the faster we are done here the faster we can get home and behind closed doors.”

”Good point, Loops”, Sirius quipped. He turned around and stepped under the shower causing Remus to tense in pain at the sight of his back. Sirius turned back towards Remus, hiding his back again. ”Hurry up, Loop- Shit, I forgot about those.”

Remus walked towards him until he could wrap his arms around Sirius’s shoulders and press close to him under the spray. Carefully he slid his arms over Sirius’s back where there was a couple of purple bruises. A year before Sirius would have just laughed him off, saying that he just bruised easily from hits on ice. These days Remus knew which bruises were from ice and which weren’t.

”You could come stay at mine for a few days, you know? My parents wouldn’t mind”, Remus suggested quietly.

”I don’t want to be a bother, I was at yours last weekend.”

”You are not a both-” Remus tried to argue before Sirius cut him off. ”I know, I know but it isn’t even as bad as it usually is. Father was too drunk yesterday so it wasn’t that bad.”

Remus just hugged him tighter while letting the water fall on them.

”So when are you going to get your license Pads? Soon you’ll be 17 and I’m getting tired of being your personal taxi driver.” Remus teased the dark haired boy while they walked towards Remus’s car. It wasn’t big or new but Remus didn’t need much and he was happy with it.

”Hey! Don’t bully me, you old man! Plus, I know you really love it.” Sirius smirked at Remus before getting into the car.

Remus threw his phone at Sirius. ”Be grateful, and I’m only a year older than you! Now call my mom and tell her we’ll be there in 20 minutes.”

”Yes, sir!” Sirius pushed the call button as Remus started the car. ”Hello, Hope! Thanks, I’m fine. Yes, we’ll be there in 20 minutes. Okay, see you!” He ended the call after Remus turned towards their homes from the traffic lights. He placed the phone on the cup holder and grabbed Remus’s hand. Remus smiled at their intertwined hands and raised them to his lips to give Sirius��s hand a kiss. Sirius blushed and turned the music on louder.

After dining with the rest of the Lupin’s Remus and Sirius went up to Remus’s room to study. 5-year-old Jules wanted to come with them but after realising they were just going to study he got bored of the idea and decided to watch cartoons instead.

“If we study now for an hour and a half and get everything done, we can relax afterwards. How does that sound?” Remus planned out loud as he threw his laundry off a chair and pulled it to the table for Sirius to use.

“That sounds good. Can we cuddle afterwards?” Sirius made puppy dog eyes at Remus. “Of course we’ll cuddle! But first we’ll have to study. Now, can you tell me when did the First WW start?”

At 8 p.m. sharp Sirius closed both his and Remus’s books and flopped on the bed. He had been determined to go home for the night but he wasn’t so sure anymore.

“You sure you don’t want to stay the night? We can go get you a mattress now and if you have to get something from home we can drive through yours before morning practice.” Remus proposed softly.

Sirius let out a little huff and after pondering it a while he let out a little sound of confirmation. “I need to call Regulus to check on him but he should be okay since Linda is there. It’s Friday so my parents are out for the night so they won’t care if I stay here.”

He drew his phone from his pocket to call his brother. Regulus answered after a couple of peeps and confirmed that indeed only he and their maid Linda were at home. Sirius told him that he would stay at Lupin’s and closed the phone after wishing good night.

“Now let’s get you a mattress that you won’t need.” Remus said and helped Sirius from the bed.

“Mon dieu, I’m so tired.” Sirius said yawning as they walked down the stairs towards the storage.

“Boys? Is that you?” Could be heard from the living room. They turned towards the living room where Hope and Lyall were watching the news. “Hey, it’s getting quite late. Are you Sirius staying or do you need someone to drive you home?” Lyall asked kindly.

“I’d like to stay, if that’s okay.” Sirius answered.

Hope smiled at him, “Of course that is fine, hun! Just remember you have morning practice so don’t stay up for too long.”

“Yep, we won’t. We are just going to get Pads a mattress and get something to eat before bed.” Remus answered over his shoulder, already continuing towards the storage room.

“Okay, sleep well!” “Good night!”

After Remus and Sirius had set up Sirius’s mattress just in case someone checked on them they made their way to the fridge. Training usually left them really hungry before bed and this night wasn’t an exception.

Their successful heist to the fridge eased their hunger and they got ready for bed. Brushing their teeth was a bit messy ordeal as it included the usual elbow-knocking and the toothpaste marks on their cheeks from kisses.

Remus spooned Sirius from behind as they laid on his bed. The sky was clear and the moon shined through his window creating a soft glow around them.

“What are you thinking about?” Remus’s whisper sounded almost too loud in the quiet.

“You. I truly don’t know how I got so lucky finding you.” Sirius twisted in Remus’s arms to see his face.

Remus smiled softly and leaned forward to kiss Sirius’s lips. The kiss was broken off by Sirius yawning.

Remus chuckled quietly. “Good night.” “Good night.” Was muttered by Sirius before he burrowed his head to Remus’s chest and closed his eyes.

[songofsaraneth]

an incomplete list of the Bullshit ive gone through this year (2021 only), for personal edification:

I am in grad school trying to do research as well as TA a lab class during a global pandemic

My car is broken into in late February outside of my apartment. $1700+ of my backpacking/camping gear and personal items were stolen from it. Ironically they did not find the $20 cash I had. 

Car battery begins mysterious dying if left overnight and have to call for rescue from AAA 4 separate times over the course of March. I suspect it is related to being broken into but can’t prove it without a mechanic’s diagnostics.

First mechanic I bring my car to does nothing for the entire MONTH they have it, except break my air conditioning of all things. I live in a desert. It is now 90º every day. At one point they call me to say they can’t get the back doors to open. I walk 2 miles back to them from campus and demonstrate how the automatic doors work on a 2005 minivan. I begin to have regrets about my mechanic choice but the sunk fallacy cost keeps me there for several weeks.

Mid march I also wake up one day to severe jaw pain/a weird “loose” feeling, like my mouth is slanting sideways. It is midterms and I do not have time for this, so I take a lot of ibuprofen and eat soup for a week. After 3 days I shove pillows and blankets around my face one night to keep my jaw aligned and when I wake up the next morning it is severely tight instead of loose, and I have to carefully stretch it open whenever I leave my mouth closed for more than an hour. I guess I just have TMJ now.

At this point I am walking everywhere until bike supplies arrive to fix my flat tire since the bike store is too far away to walk to; including walking back and forth to campus since I can only bring 2-4 out of 8 students into the lab spaces at a time and so effectively have to run each weekly lab 2-4 times per week; as well as going back and forth for greenhouse experiment monitoring/helping undergrads on our NASA contest project

Early April I go to the dentist for a crown on one of my back molars, which I must pay for out of pocket because my new dental insurance purchased when I moved last September has a 1-year waiting period and so will not cover it ($1200). Stretching my jaw open so far for the procedure reignites my new TMJ back to high pain levels.

While still waiting on car in mid-April I have a severe averse reaction to the second dose of the Covid19 vaccine, resulting in painful ulceration of all the soft tissues in my body (mouth, stomach, genitals). It is a very bad time for 3 days and I book an urgent care appointment for the first time ever.

Urgent Care nurse-practitioner does not believe me when I describe what’s happening, and misdiagnoses me with herpes.

I am still biking everywhere but now I’m extra mad and in pain about it so take car back from mechanic so I can get groceries etc. I make an appointment with the dealership but it will be a week until they can take it. In the meanwhile I have to drive it every 8 hours so it won’t die which means getting up at 2am to drive it for 20 minutes in the middle of the night so it will still turn on in the morning. 

I have a terrible reaction to the numbing cream given to me for the painful open sores over my body, because of a lifelong mint sensitivity, resulting in an even greater amount of pain

The dealership can fix my car over the following week but its $1800 and now insurance isn’t sure they want to cover it after all

Herpes test comes back negative and nurse apologizes profusely and recommends a non-mint OTC numbing cream alternative that works (yay) and a numbing spray that does not work because it turned out to use an alcohol based propellant which should not be combined with open wounds esp on the genitals (ouch ouch ouch). I try to tell the nurse why I was right about my diagnosis and she was wrong but she still believes it was a latent virus of some other variety and and not an immune response alone, despite the published case studies I have brought to back me up. I decide I have bigger hills I need to die on right now and stop arguing. Sores persist into May but eventually do go down and numbing cream keeps me moderately functioning.

Car is fixed and I can drive again but it takes 2 hours of crying on the phone to my insurance company for them to agree to cover the cost of repair

I make a primary care appointment for the first time in years so I can have a doctor in this state if something like this happens to me again, in June I do intake/bloodwork/set up appointments to check out some other issues ive been having

Grad school finals happen which i wont get into but Yeah. Finals stress triggers another outbreak of canker sores, but mostly clustered in my mouth and only 2 on my vulva rather than 8-12. I eat only soup for another week. 

I get a referral to the local mental health clinic and call about setting up an appointment for an ADHD evaluation. They tell me to download and send in some paperwork and they will call when they have available appointments

I am supposed to be doing all my labwork over the summer but the committee member I need escapes my clutches and we don’t manage to set up a meeting to plan it out/for him to explain the protocols until late June

Bloodwork shows I am critically low in vitamin b12 and low in D, which may explain some of why I am so tired all the time

Ultrasound shows a 1.8cm mass in the adnexa near my left ovary. There are several options for what it can be (folicular cyst, other kind of cyst, tumor, ectopic pregnancy i nearly laugh at my Dr and reassure her the last one is not possible if nothing else). It may go away on its own or it may not. Follow up scan in 2 months

I remember I was supposed to email forms to the mental health clinic and finally send those in mid July. It seems cruel to make me be the one to remember this considering I am calling about a formal ADHD diagnosis.

I also finally pin everyone relating to my labwork down and have a follow up meeting + make a list of what we need to order, but the staff who place orders are on vacation and when they get back several reagents are backordered

I have my follow-up ultrasound. The tech takes lots of photos which indicates the mass is still present, but I won’t know any details until my next PCP appointment when they send over the analysis to her in mid-August

Beginning of August the reagents I need for the first steps of the process arrive exactly 1 day before I leave town for a wedding and the lab manager is about to leave town for the entire next week

After the wedding, severe thunderstorms and tornados trap me in Chicago for 4 extra days. I spend a lot of time at the airport or on my way between the airport and my parents house. A facebook friend gets video of the funnel clouds which at least gives me something to sadly email my advisor and committee members when I have to join our planning meeting from my gate at O’Hare

I lose my drivers license at the security checkpoint on my last trip through the airport and don’t realize until I am boarding the plane because of course that is happening to me now

On the shuttle from El Paso back to Las Cruces after this ordeal the driver stops and picks up a box labeled HUMAN BLOOD and puts it in the trunk and i am too tired to care anymore

I stay up all night making the world’s most pitiful r graphs for my meeting the next morning and everyone takes pity on me and does not call out how useless they are

I spend the weekend trying to motivate myself to actually go into the lab and start my procedures, and fail to leave my apartment. This reminds me it has now been a month (Aug 15th) since I sent in my paperwork and the mental health clinic has still not called me back about up an appointment

I get overwhelmed with Everything and make this list

So that’s where I’m at at the moment. And this doesn’t even include anything from 2020 thats just been continuous like, y’know, a global pandemic and having a bad breakup of a 4 year relationship and moving to a new city where I know no one for grad school etc. I feel like I’m falling apart/unable to do all the shit I need to right now but you know what? Actually its been a really bad time and maybe falling apart a little is justified ;_; 

[firelord-frowny]

i feel like the one single thing cops in ~america~ are legitimately useful for in any capacity is the effort to keep unsafe drivers off the roads. and even THAT aspect is fraught with issues since some cops are racist pieces of shit who wind up murdering black people after pulling them over for minor traffic violations. 

like, i am ALL. FOR. the immediate arrest of drunk drivers. i am ALL FOR speeding tickets. i wanna fucking jump for joy every time a reckless driver’s license gets revoked, because NOBODY, no matter WHAT their life circumstances are, has the right to drive recklessly and thus endanger the lives of everyone around them on the road. like, i legit do not care if you’re struggling financially and you speed down the street because your boss said you’d be fired if you were late for work one more time. like, sorry, but i GENUINELY could give a fuck less about your financial woes if speeding is the only way to keep your job. your job, your money, your housing, and your meals are NOT worth anyone’s life, point blank period. bc i mean as harsh as it is to say... losing your job is not going to kill you. you might get real fuckin hungry, but you’re not going to starve to death. you might lose your home, but there are options available to at least have somewhere to sleep. there are places you can go to take shelter from extreme cold or extreme heat. you can file for unemployment. you can do odd jobs. you may have friends or family who’ll let you stay with them until you’re back on your feet. you will eventually find a new job, if you look long and hard enough. you’ll be ALIVE. 

but if you run over an 8 year old crossing the street as she walks home from school, she’s gonna be fucking dead. if you t bone another car as you blew through a stop sign at 60mph, you might be dead, too!

i don’t care if you’re gonna become Suddenly Homeless tonight if you don’t make it to work in time. if you speed, i would LOVE for you to get pulled over, and I would LOVE for you to get fined, and i would LOVE for your license to be suspended. Obligatory disclaimer that I also believe that ~society~ should be structured in such a way that a person’s easy access to healthy food, and safe housing, and medical care is unaffected by a person’s employment status. i think it’s fucking vile that Not Having A Job can leave people homeless or hungry or unable to access medical care as needed.

anyway,

as for drinking and driving, 

i know Alcoholism Is A Disease, but you don’t have to drive drunk to be an alcoholic, and i will never not be delighted to see a drunk driver get charged and convicted. i would ALSO be delighted to see them get counseling, but if i had my way, they’d be getting that counseling while they’re on house arrest. 

do not put lives at a disproportionately high risk of serious injury or death.

do not drink and drive. 

do not exceed the speed limit.

do not run red lights or stop signs 

do not turn left from the right lane.

do not tailgate. 

do not weave in and out between vehicles.

literally, stay in your lane. 

bc if you don’t, i’m honestly hard pressed to give a shit about what might happen to you if you’re pulled over.* and if i know you’ve been driving drunk i will rat your ass out quick fast and in a GOTdamn hurry.

[findme-at1am]

Y'all, I don't even have energy for my hyperfixation...