#like no probs I’ll send a text. And I can just HEAR them discussing my offer to purchase and we hashed out the time and place to meet

[bakuraryxu]

I am buying this painting btw. it is titled Puppy and it’s $60

[loser-writings]

Hi! I’m a big fan of your omegaverse writing! I’d love to see some omega Shoto stuff but I have a lot of personal HCs about it if u don’t mind me sharing a bit? I feel like when Sho first presented as an omega endeavor was annoyed cuz they’re considered ‘weaker’ so he probs got Sho on suppressants early & didn’t let him openly present or do typical omega things like nesting, maybe even made him present as alpha/beta until Sho sorta broke from his control a bit? So he’s still figuring it out? -🦇

      Hey Bat-Anon! I promise to write some Omega Shoto soon, but for now I should say that I actually have to agree with your HC (Please send in more I adore hearing other peoples headcanons) but I think Endeavor would take it to the extreme. EDIT: I also have to apologize this became a LOT 

     Like I said in my Aizawa story, Omega males have less testosterone than the average male in order for their reproductive system to stay fertile. Women can become Infertile if they have too much testosterone, so once Shoto even starts presenting as an Omega, he starts the process of changing that in an instant. Monthly testosterone shots become something normal in his life and he quickly gets over his fear of needles. 

     The side effects of the testosterone are something Shoto doesn’t even realize. His chest is always sensitive, he has horrible headaches, his voice drops causing him to become insecure due to the random voice cracks, the increase in muscle, and god the body odor. That last one really gets him because no matter how much Enji will try, he is an omega at heart. He absolutely hates his body odor type scent, so he showers a LOT. His scent also seems to have switched from what was like Cinnamon and Peppermint depending on the sides, to something deeper and more musky.

     Of course the other members of his family are oblivious to this and the one time Fuyumi caught Endeavor giving Shoto one of his monthly testosterone shots, Endeavor just claims that it’s just some medicine. It doesn’t hit her until later in her life what was happening, and she still regrets letting it happen to this day.

     Every nest he ever made was quickly destroyed by his father, which only caused more trauma for the abused Omega because he had no clue why he wanted to nest all of the time. He didn’t even know what nesting was! All he knew is that sometimes his mom would sneak in and slowly help him build a “Make shift bed” In his closet for him to sleep in after the really hard days. Those were always his favorite because it meant his mom would hold him in the nest while he slept.

     Shoto was actually quite scared when he entered UA. He was most intimidated and afraid of Bakugo since he reminded him so much of his father. He never really attempted to make friends or be social, and the first time he truly showed who he really was, was during the sports festival against Deku. He broke down in the middle, but was very content overall. His fight with Bakugo was a different story. He gave his win to Bakugo and just gave up. It honestly pissed off both his father and Bakugo, but he didn’t care in the end.

     Aizawa and Hizashi were both quick to notice how the man showed all of the signs for an Omega on testosterone. His scent, the chest pain he would randomly get, sleepiness, back and joint pain, trouble sleeping, and his mood swings. Both teachers approached Nezu before confronting Shoto about it, only for Shoto to suddenly get really dizzy. Luckily Hizashi grabbed him before he could fall and carried him back to Recovery girl.

     That’s when he learns about Aizawa, a pro-hero who is an Omega on T. Aizawa quickly finds this bond between them and quickly takes him under his wing. The whole time he is talking to Shoto, he is holding his hand in an attempt to keep the boy grounded and calm despite his own anxiety. That’s also when Aizawa learns about Endeavor, how he treated him and his family, and that “He didn’t want me to be ‘almost perfect’ since almost isn’t perfect.”

     Trust me when I say this led to the teachers, even All Might, having a deep anger towards Endeavor. Aizawa cannot fucking stand being around him and will growl if he is on TV. Hizashi may seem calm, but he really wants him to pay for what he did to Shoto. Toshinori will straight up confront Enji, grabbing him and threatening him despite his frail body. None of this even phases Enji though until he takes the spot as #1 and slowly realizes how fucked he is.

     When they get dorms, Aizawa and Hizashi are over in an instant with nesting material for Shoto. Some old band shirts of Hizashis, a couple of Aizawas’ hoodies, and blankets like none other. Once they get inside, Aizawa teaches him how to make a nest and explains why they’re important to Omegas. He also gave him some of his and Hizashis’ clothes just because he noticed how calm he is around the two, as if they were really his parents. Shoto often wears those in his room or to bed since they make him feel safe and honestly, very loved too.

     And that’s how Aizawa and Hizashi accidentally adopted Shoto Todoroki. He has their numbers in his phone (And texts them way more than he does Enji) and even trains under them. After the Midterms, Aizawa decides to teach him some skills he learned along the way. Hizashi actually taught him how to work at his radio station, showing him what plays what song, the commercials, and even the room where he does his morning show. Hell, he even gave Shoto a launchpad and one of his computers so he could try making music himself. It never fails to make Hizashi smile when Shoto stays after class to show him the newest song he worked on. Aizawa doesn’t show favoritism in class, but he does go out of his way after to make sure that Shoto understood the lesson, if not, then he would be welcome in his classroom during lunch or they could discuss it after school.

    Okay okay this is all I’ll spill for now, but yes. Your headcanon is so good, and I agree completely

[dreamsafterhours]

college boyfriend!markhyuk au series: II (donghyuk’s pathway)

a universe in which roommates!markhyuk meet each other's s/o in class

markhyuk are roommates, my/n and dy/n are roommates, mark and dy/n take classes together and so do donghyuk and my/n — how will their fates intertwine?

genre: fluff pairings: platonic!mark+dy/n format: dotpoint AU universe: non idol, college best friend warning: a lil swearing (best get used to it lol)

masterlist

or click here to continue your friendship with paediatrics!haechan!

I ⇤ | II | ⇥ III

II: relationship consolidation.. it’s platonic i swear

the fellowship continues (mark + dy/n)

so the month that follows your first meeting

is full of

a mixture of crackheadedness and tortured artist vibes

a lot of it is sending lit memes and other shit to each other at 2am when u have an 8am the next morning and yelling at each other for keeping u up so late but then laughing again at whatever the ridiculous punchline was

“to quote shakespeare’s hamlet, act v, scene ii, line 270: no”

/deep inhale/ /unhinged laughter/

that’s your inside joke for a whole two weeks mark couldn’t get the numbers right the first few times uwu poor confused thing but he got it after a while so good on him

in the second class after the first day, you try your best to find in him the crowd of people lining up to go into the lecture theatre but you can’t and it’s almost time to go in and—

oop you’re getting swept by the current of the masses

you still try to look for him even then

and luckily your attempts pay off !bc you do see him further up the stairs

,, but he’s

,.talking to another person, sitting in a seat on the end of the row 

slightly disappointed that you can’t sit together and get to know him better and hopefully become friends but !! still optimistic that you’ll just make new friends

you file into an empty seat near his row a little further down the stairs from where he was sitting

you take out your materials and start to go over your notes from the day before when

someone plops himself down on the seat next to you

you look up and before you can smile in greeting, you recognise

it’s mark!!

he says “heyyy” in that rlly soft voice idk if you’ve seen the vid of him going ʰᶦ but that’s the voice he uses here

and you’re like “oh hi! wait i thought i saw you sitting over there” pointing behind u

and he’s like “oh i just met a friend and i was saving his girlfriend’s seat haha.. she just arrived so they kicked me out and i saw u and !!yeah”

and u nod at him like “nice nice i thought you ditched me” jokingly ofc

“no no i was actually trying to find you but.. you’re too short”

“i’m what”

/whispers/ “i’m sorry omg don’t kill me pls”

/stands up straighter to assert dominance/ “say that again, marcus. say that again”

ajsagdfo cuties

“ok then should we meet somewhere before the lectures”

so you decide on the benches outside the building as Your Spot™

the lecture’s just an introduction to the first text in the syllabus bc . second class

and so there’s quite a bit of note taking,, naturally

mark forgets what the prof says before he can write it down and this particular prof, you learn, is prone to talking fast and then switching the lecture slides before anyone can write anything important down

poor mark is doing a lot of looking up at the slides and then down at his notebook and :(((

so r u but u seem to have better memory than him so u either have the lecture slides up if you’re a typer with your notes or manage to write your notes and still listen to the prof if you’re a writer idk yalls preferences so

meanwhile mark whispers under his breath,, half to himself

“what” don’t we all,, mark.. don’t we all

and he does that a few times so you look over and he’s written barely anything so at that point he’s almost just resorted to listening to the prof and not taking notes at all

then he seems to catch himself and he starts writing down whatever key terms the prof is spewing and you realise

kid’s blanking out lmfao

so you tell him you’ll send your notes over to him after class and he’s like !! R U SURE im so sorry im not used to this sPEED and i can’t put my hand up and ask him to slow down someone else has to do that

and u just nod and tell him it’s all g

so class ends and you wave goodbye (confirming to meet at the benches next week too) to go to your tutorial class that happens to be right after the lecture and so does he,,

and this is your thought process for the next five or so minutes:

there’s only one exit so surely he’s only going outside and not the same way as me

oh look he’s going the same way as me.. i’m sure he’s just going to another building ooh that’s a pretty cool tree

hey we can walk to our next classes together and then split up where we have to go in different directions

is he turning left or right left or right i’m going left left or right left or—wait oh cool

ah there’s a bunch of classes in this building too surely he’s on a different floor. see he’s going up the stairs—wait he’s going up the stairs.. so am i..,,,

nah surely he’s going up another floor

wait if he’s going up another floor.. why isn’t he going on the elevator

does he have a fear of enclosed spaces

does he have childhood trauma in an elevator

maybe he keeps fit by climbing stairs

lol this is my floor, be funny if..

hang on a second

HANG ON A SECOND

“HANG ON A SECOND” that wasn’t one of your thoughts btw that was. out loud

very loud

and he turns around, startled at your voice again

looking up from his phone and eyes getting wider than they were in their initial reaction

“wHAT THE—WAIT HOLD UP HOLD UP HOLD UP—”

he’s giggling at this point bc it’s so funny to him

“HOLD—YOU’RE?? in this tute too??”

“are we??—”

“—in the same class?” yall say that in unison bc that’s the proliferation of a Wholesome Friendship™ right there

u laugh bc wow this is my new best friend

“this is crazyyy”

“yeah what the f..” he highkey cuts himself off bc i mean day 2 guys

but then you

“exactly what the fuck...”

lmfao he knows then that it’s ok to swear with you

n e ways

y’all keep talking until your tutor arrives and lets you in the class

ofc you sit next to each other in the tute as well

you have a great time and class ends quicker than you thought bc you’re having fun and that’s always gewd

so the next few weeks u’re just vibing with each other

walking to class together after ur lectures

walking each other to other classes

studying together in the library in your spare time catching up on content and exploring ideas discussed in tutes for your shakespearean sonnets class

"o romeo, romeo, wherefore were thou and juliet teenage dumbfucks”

he couldn’t stop laughing at that for three days straight

“t..teENAGE /wheeze/ dUMBFUCKS HAHAHAHAHA”

getting pretty close basically

sharing hobbies and music tastes (u find out he plays guitar and it’s the biggest possession he brought into his dorm from his house and listens to frank ocean and john mayer a lot, watches fullmetal alchemist)

sometimes you’ll come to meet him at the benches full on catwalking down the path with your airpods in and resting bitch face on listening to some dope shit while the crowd parts for you and he’s just like O.O

how is she friends with me

he thinks you’re so cool it’s cute

but he’s also alr convinced himself that you’re so out of his league he highkey won’t dare try and make a move

n e ways

he sees ur airpods and he’s like “aren’t you afraid you’re gonna lose them one day”

and you just look at him and go “do i look like a fool, marcus”

he laughs so hard at that

complaining to you abt his roommate in real time over text like

marcus the fool 🤡: “dude he’s whining at me to ‘play with him’ i don’t want to play with him”

marcus the fool 🤡: “now he’s getting jealous of u”

marcus the fool 🤡: “he asks who u think u r”

you: “tell him i would fight him”

marcus the fool 🤡: “he says u won’t win”

you: “bet”

marcus the fool 🤡: “i told him u don’t need to fight for my attention bc uve alr got it”

marcus the fool 🤡: “now he’s fake crying”

marcus the fool 🤡: “he’s telling me to leave the house and leave the kids”

you: “am i a homewrecker now”

marcus the fool 🤡: “he calls u a homewrecker”

you: “tell him i’ll kiss it better”

one day like a month or so into your friendship

you rush to the benches with that look on your face that says you’re about to murder someone which usually disappears when you see him and take out your airpods bc rbf

so he ,, approaches with caution ,,, easy does it,,

yes he’s wondering if it’s your time of month

ngl it åctually was which makes things worse

t e n t a t i v e l y he asks on the way into the lecture theatre

“hey dy/n u ok?? u look.. ok nvm”

bc u lowkey glared at him but u didn’t mean to i swear u just looked at him but u were alr in a bad mood

so ure like “sorry yes i’m fine i didn’t have my coffee today so i may be a bit cranky”

“what happened? u sleep in or smth”

“yeah i slept at 4 last night”

“wHY did u do that”

“idK but i was running late just now and the line at the cafe was so long i stood in line for five minutes and i said nop class is abt to start”

“oh okey”

this keeps bugging him all throughout the lecture

so he turns to u when the lecture is over and he’s like

“u have another lecture next right”

“yes marcus i have another lecture that you’re taking with me”

“come ditch with me i’ll shout u a coffee”

“what really”

“for sure, we can catch up on the lecture in the library tonight”

and you remember that you’d made plans with your roommate my/n to go to the library that night anyway so you agree and let him know

so he’s like “oh rlly? can i bring my roomie along too he probs doesn’t have other plans anyway i hear they’re doing some kind of project so he better not be going anywhere” with a lil frown uwu angery mark

“sure don’t see why not. we’ll all study together”

“nice i’ll let him know”

“cool”

cool

u see where i’m going with this

waggles eyebrows

wink wink nudge nudge

click here to continue your friendship with paediatrics!haechan!

I ⇤ | II | ⇥ III

[pug-bitch]

That’s not why I’m going (20)

It’s a panic party

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Drake Walker x Amara Suarez

Rating: some foul language, some extremely suggestive. This is absolutely NOT appropriate for people under 18.

Word count: 4,300 (let me know if the ‘keep reading’ cutoff isn’t working well!)

Notes: This picks up right where we left off, after the picture is sent to everyone and Amara realizes it’s of Hana. This starts with Amara’s POV.

*****

‘Oh my God, Max, where is she?’

They both scan the room for signs of Hana, until they finally spot her, alone, in a corner, staring at her phone with her jaw dropped and tears in her eyes. Max and Amara rush to her side, but she’s already moving fast towards the stairs. Drake joins them both on their pursuit, but Amara puts a hand on his arm and says, ‘Can you stay back and look for any signs that could tell us who did this?’

Drake nods, ‘Sure. I’ll look up the phone number, too.’

‘You can,’ Amara adds, ‘but I can bet you it’s a burner. Alright, we’ll be right back.’

Max and Amara run upstairs to Hana’s room. Amara knocks, and hears a faint ‘Come in’ from the other side of the door.

‘Hey honey,’ Max whispers as they both enter. ‘How are you holding up?’

Hana sniffs and shrugs. ‘I feel like shit, but it was bound to happen, right?’

Amara’s blood boils as she sits protectively by her friend’s side. ‘No babe, some stranger forcing you to come out to everyone at court was not bound to happen. They took your choice away from you, you should be in charge of who you tell, and when you do it.’

Max nods. ‘It’s ok for you to be mad. It would be totally fucking understandable.’

Hana takes a deep breath. ‘I’m just...so scared. What if my parents find out? But also, I’m a grown woman. Shouldn’t I be ok with who I am by now? I feel like such an idiot…’

‘No. Nip that feeling in the bud,’ Amara says decisively. ‘You’re not the one who needs to feel like an idiot, but the person who sent this out is. We’re gonna find out who it was, Han, I promise you.’ Amara can’t help but think that she’s been giving out many promises these days, and she doesn’t know if she can pull them off.

‘Thanks Amara, but I better just own up to it. Or leave court tonight, maybe that would be best for everyone.’

Max’s eyes widen. ‘No! You’re not going anywhere. Amara’s right, we’re gonna figure this out. Well, Amara is. She’s the head detective, I’m just the sassy informant.’

Hana offers a faint smile. ‘Oh Max, you’re so much more than just an informant. And please don’t worry, guys. I’ll be fine.’

‘You know, you could do something else,’ Max adds while pulling up the picture again. ‘If you’re not ready to come out to everyone, you could just say this woman is a friend, and you kissed for fun.’

They all look at the picture. It’s clear that it represents a couple. The backdrop is nothing like a party in which two girls are kissing ‘for fun’, it’s a park in broad daylight, and the kiss is sweet and loving. Amara wonders about this woman, if Hana really loved her or if she still does. And, for a split second, it’s apparent that Hana is thinking of her too, judging from the sad, nostalgic look that crosses her face.

‘No,’ Hana says, ‘I don’t want to lie. Either I’ll tell the truth, or I’ll just leave. Right now I don’t think I can handle anything…’

Suddenly, someone knocks. They all look at each other, all three hoping it’s Drake. Hana invites the person to come in. Liam.

‘Lady Hana, I wanted to check on you. Are you ok?’

Hana regains her composure a bit and nods. ‘I’m ok, thank you for coming. It’s very kind of you.’

Liam nods and looks at Amara. ‘Lady Amara, could I see you for a second?’

Amar follows him into the hallway. ‘What’s going on?’

Liam’s eyes are hazy. ‘I just...I wanted to see if you’d noticed anything. During the night, I mean.’

Amara shakes her head. ‘No...I didn’t. I just don’t know who could want to target Hana like that, she’s such a sweet person, she’s never done anything to anyone at court.’

Liam nods. ‘My thoughts exactly. I don’t like this, Amara. I know you and I have had our differences, and I am aware that I came on too strong with you. But please know that I’m not a monster. I would never condone such a psychologically violent act as forcing someone to come out.’

‘Of course. I know you don’t have anything to do with this.’

‘And I want to find out who did it. This is not the way I want my kingdom to be ruled. Drake is downstairs investigating, talking to people to see if he can discover something. Would you...you know, since you and Hana are so close, would you perhaps consider investigating as well?’

She thought he’d never ask. ‘I would love to.’

*****

Madeleine waits until everyone is too busy speculating on who sent the picture to notice her slipping out. She finds a bathroom far enough away from the ballroom, and takes out her phone. She dials the middleman’s number. Faster than texting.

He answers immediately. ‘Yes.’

‘It worked. Everyone is out of their minds, and Hana Lee has vanished,’ Madeleine whispers.

‘Good.’ A man of few words.

‘Did you talk to him about my idea for the Mexican woman?’

‘We already have something on her. Something big.’

‘Two leaked secrets are better than one, especially for such a big fish. You should consider it.’

‘He will. Any leads on--’

‘Yes,’ Madeleine cuts him off. ‘Just give me a day or two. I’ll send another picture your way.’

*****

Drake rubs his temples. It’s harder than he thought to interrogate everyone in the room all the while looking casual. Especially since he’s usually not one to partake in courtly gossip. So far, he’s just able to rule out a few people who look positively horrified with the idea of leaking private pictures of someone. Penelope for instance, showed a lot of compassion for Hana, and had tears in her eyes when Drake approached her to discuss the situation.

‘I just don’t know who would do such a thing to such a sweet woman,’ she said breathily. ‘Hana must be crushed.’

He approaches the bar, maybe no more bubbles for tonight, but at least some whiskey will help him see clearly. As he pours himself a glass, Olivia takes a bottle of champagne and drinks right from it.

‘Wow, slow down, Nevrakis,’ he says.

‘Ugh,’ she snorts, ‘is it a Beaumont Bash or is it not?’

‘Well technically, now, it’s a panic party.’

Olivia shrugs. ‘Meh. I don’t see what the big deal is. So, Lee likes the ladies, good for her.’

‘That’s not the problem, Liv, and you know that.’

She rolls her eyes. ‘Fine. I get it. It was her news to share. Still, I’m thinking this roaming paparazzo might be trouble for you, too. You gotta be careful.’

Drake nods. Of course it crossed his mind. ‘I know. Thanks for looking out, Liv.’

‘No prob. Hey, I can ask my bodyguard if he saw anything suspicious, and maybe ask him to keep an eye on Lee to ensure no one harms her. Someone seems to want to get her out of the competition.’

‘Good idea, I’ll talk to Bastien, too.’

Olivia stares at the distance, holding the bottle to her chest. ‘I wonder why her. I mean, she’s not the fiercest competitor. She’s great at every activity, but she’s a little weak, don’t you think? If I were a total bitch--’ she interrupts herself, looks at Drake who gestures that he didn’t say anything. ‘Shut up, Walker. As I was saying, if I were a total bitch who wants to get rid of competition, I’d go straight for Suarez. Or me.’

Drake’s face betrays a lightbulb moment. ‘Liv, do you have Madeleine’s phone number?’

‘Ugh, don’t you have enough of one woman to bone?’

‘No no, ew, I’d rather fuck the Night King. I mean, do you have her number so we can see if she was in the list of those who received the pic? Because if not, she could be the one sending it.’

‘Alright, I’ll check now, but even if she’s in there, it doesn’t rule her out. She could have sent it to herself to make it look like she’s innocent.’ Olivia scrolls down in her phone. ‘Yup. She’s in there. So is everyone at court, FYI. So that’s no help. No wonder your girlfriend’s the cop, and you’re not.’

‘I know. Hopefully Amara will see something that we don’t.’

‘Hope so. In the meantime, keep it in your pants. The walls have eyes.’

*****

Amara left Maxwell with Hana and went downstairs to suss out the situation, but not before swinging by Bertrand’s study to take the employee files. Might as well use the momentum from one investigation for the other.

She feels terrible for her friend, who is trying to put on a brave face but cannot hide the fact that she is profoundly hurt and scared. Amara hopes that Hana won’t decide to leave court. Liam had come back to the room after their brief conversation, and had a few words of encouragement for Hana, specifically that the situation is not changed and that she is welcome to stay for the remainder of the competition. Of course, Hana knows she will not win, but she never really want to win anyways, so that’s not a factor.

After dropping off the employee files in her bedroom, and carefully hiding them under a pile of clothes, Amara goes back to the ballroom, where she sees Drake and Liv drinking together. She joins them and pours herself a glass of champagne. ‘Good Lord, I need a drink.’

Drake’s face lights up at her sight, and he asks, ‘Hey, how’s Hana holding up?’

‘She’ll be ok. It was a shock, but she’s stronger than we think. Liam came by earlier to reassure her, too.’

‘Good,’ Drake says. ‘I really want to catch the dick who did this to her. We don’t have any leads, unfortunately.’

Liv takes a gulp from a champagne bottle and says ‘And before you ask, it wasn’t me. I’m not that desperate to get rid of competition.’

‘I know, Liv,’ Amara replies. ‘And you’re right. It’s obviously someone who wants to get rid of a competitor. My money’s on Madeleine, but we can’t rule out a team effort. Also, if they targeted Hana, they might target the both of us too.’

Liv gasps, ‘That’s what I said! See, I could be a hot cop, too.’

Amara grins, ‘Especially with this hair dagger of yours. Hidden weapons, baby.’

Drake looks at her with a longing grin. ‘Nevrakis was pointing out that we should probably...lay low.’

Amara nods. She doesn’t like it, but she gets it. ‘She’s right. Let’s um…’ she looks around and whispers, ‘sleep in our own rooms tonight.’

Liv takes another big gulp of champagne. ‘Or, we could just deflect attention and all make out with each other. I make out with Suarez, and you Walker, you can take Little Beaumont.’

Drake laughs heartily. ‘Hah! Drastic solution. Guess it’s my cue to leave. And before you say anything, no, I’m not gonna meet Maxwell in his room to make out with him. But do you think it’s ok if I swing by Hana’s and check on her?’

Amara nods. ‘She’d love that. Goodnight, Drake. See you tomorrow.’ She hated saying that. She has not spent one night away from him in a long time. But it was more prudent, right? They share one last longing look, and Drake walks away.

‘Boo,’ Olivia says, still nursing her champagne. ‘You guys are gross.’

Amara turns to her and asks ‘Alright missy. What’s up with you? You can usually hold your liquor, which means you must have had approximately a million drinks to be this wasted.’

‘Pff, what do you know about drinks? What are you, the drink master?’

Amara holds her eye contact. ‘I’m a bartender.’

‘No, you’re a cop.’

‘Yeah. I’m a cop and a bartender. Which means if someone knows human nature, it’s me. Come on, spill the beans.’

Liv sighs heavily. ‘I’m pathetic. You happy now?’

Amara takes Liv’s hand, which she had to pry away from the bottle. ‘No, I’m not happy. Tell me why you wrongly think you’re pathetic, you glorious warrior of a woman?’

‘Ugh. You’re not just a gross girlfriend, you’re also a gross friend. You really wanna know?’

Amara nods, and offers her a smile. ‘Tell me, Nevrakis.’

‘I fucked Liam last night, and I know it wasn’t the first time it happened, but this time was different. I felt like he was...using me to forget.’

Amara’s heart sinks for her friend. Damn, all her friends are taking serious hits here, and she can’t do anything of substance. She firmly hopes she can at least lead her investigations somewhere. ‘Liv...are you ok?’

‘He’s been sad ever since you rejected him. And he asked for my company. I usually have to flirt with him like crazy, and I kinda like that, it gives me a challenge. But last night, he was all wistful and cuddly, and… I fucking hated it.’

‘Of course you did. I’ve told you this before, you deserve a thousand times better.’

‘It’s not just that I didn’t like being second choice. Of course I didn’t like that, but if we’re being technical, I’ve been second choice since you came in the picture. But I also didn’t like who I was fucking. Liam’s not himself. Not since you said no to him.’

‘Come on…’ Amara rolls her eyes. She refuses to admit that she had such an influence on Liam.

‘I swear. He’s not the same. And if I’m being honest, he was already not the same as usual, not since the competition. We’ve discussed it before, he didn’t use to be this cocky and unbearable. But now...it’s like his spirit is broken.’

Amara thinks about it. ‘I did notice him acting strange, tonight. He was drinking straight whiskey, and he seemed super worried when he came upstairs to check on Hana.’

Liv bites her lip, visibly thinking. ‘Where is he now?’

Amara turns around. A few stragglers are still keeping the party going, but they’re mostly winding down, faintly dancing to Maxwell’s playlist on a loop. ‘I have no idea.’

*****

Drake comes out of Hana’s room, after making sure she’s fine. Maxwell left a few minutes ago already, to help out the staff downstairs. Drake is wondering if he should do the same, when he hears someone throwing up loudly in the upstairs bathroom. Half curious, half grossed out, he waits it out to see who will come out.

‘Oh shit,’ he lets out when he sees a disheveled Liam exit the bathroom. ‘Liam, are you ok?’

Liam wipes his mouth on his sleeve, his eyes unable to focus. ‘Yeah, I...may have gone overboard.’ He gags again and hurries back into the bathroom.

Drake hesitates. Should he stay and help? After all, he and Liam have gone through ups and downs in the past few weeks, and he didn’t really feel like holding his hair right now. On the other hand, he doesn’t see himself walking away from his friend, whom he’d never seen get so drunk.

He opts for a happy middle. He’ll just wait until Liam’s done, outside the bathroom, and if he wants to talk, he’ll be there. If not, good.

He wonders who’s gonna come out of the powder room. His friend Liam, or the dick who’s been relentlessly pursuing Amara? Or maybe the other dick, who yelled at him to get out, just a few days ago.

Turns out it’s yet another Liam. The one whose face is lime green. ‘Drake, I’m so fucking embarrassed. Did I drink this much?’

Drake shrugs. Maybe? What does he know? ‘I don’t know, Liam. You need water.’

Liam nods. ‘I have bottled water in my room. Care to join me? I may need someone to make sure I don’t topple over.’

Drake nods and walks alongside him. He closes the door behind them in Liam’s room, and watches his friend painfully plop down on the bed and take a big gulp of water. ‘Feel better?’

‘Yeah. Sorry you had to see that. Or hear that. I was fine just an hour ago, you know.’

‘That’s usually how it goes.’

Liam chuckles, as he unties his shoes. ‘I don’t know how you do it. I’ve been switching to whiskey all night and I feel like shit. It must be your Texan blood.’

Drake shrugs again. ‘I may not be a puker when I drink, but I definitely pass out from time to time. Well, I used to. I’ve, um...cut back.’

Liam’s eyes finally focus. ‘I’ve noticed. You seem happier. Not happier around me, but happier in general.’

‘Yeah, I don’t know, I realized that maybe life doesn’t have to be a piece of shit all the time.’ He pauses. ‘And what do you mean not happy around you?’

Liam snorts. ‘You know what I mean. You and I have been having our differences.’ Drake doesn’t know what to say, so he says nothing. Liam continues, ‘I don’t know who to turn to, Drake.’

‘Oh please, don’t tell me I’m the reason you drink.’ He regrets saying it instantly. So what if he is? Their friendship used to be the only constant. Especially when Sav disappeared. Especially when Leo abdicated and Liam’s life got turned upside down.

‘Drake, I’m sinking. I don’t know who I am anymore. I was on a high until now, reveling in my little competition, but…’ he breaks into a sad smile, and Drake wonders if those are tears he sees glimmering in Liam’s eyes. ‘But ever since Amara rejected me, I...I realized it’s all bullshit. The one person I thought was a genuine connection is not into me. I was supposed to be in control. I’m fucking lost, I don’t even know what’s going on with this Gossip Girl shit going on…’

Drake cannot believe Liam just made this reference. But, most importantly, he cannot believe that he failed to see how much his friend was struggling. Still, after everything, he can’t bring himself to forget all the shit Liam’s pulled, all the entitlement, all of what made Drake feel lesser than.

Although, how hard is it to make him feel lesser than?

He shakes it off for now. ‘Liam, relax. I know this is all hard, but you’ll figure it out. And I told you, I intend to help you find out who sent the picture.’

Liam nods. ‘Thank you. I asked Amara, too. She’s close to Hana, maybe she’ll see something.’

‘Liv is gonna ask her bodyguard to keep an eye on Hana, too. I guess I can ask Bastien if he noticed anything suspicious.’

‘Good idea. I’ll ask around as well. Drake?’

‘Mmh?’

Liam hesitates, then asks ‘Do you think it was Madeleine?’

Drake does not hesitate. ‘I would bet on it. But we need proof, right? And like Liv and Amara said earlier, we can’t rule out a group effort.’

Liam puts his head in his hands. ‘I knew taking her on in the competition was a bad idea. I mean, all the women were getting along before, right?’

‘Li, we could be wrong. But I don’t think so. Who else at court thinks being gay is a scandal?’

‘Fuck, you’re right.’

*****

Good night, Suarez. I miss you.

Amara smiles as she re-reads Drake’s message for the 5th time. Weird to go to bed without him, really. But for tonight, it’s more prudent. She doesn’t want to think that it might be prudent the other nights, too. That’s tomorrow’s problem.

She can’t sleep. She knew that the night of the Beaumont Bash would almost be an all-nighter, but she did not know it would be this type of all-nighter. She tosses and turns, unable to find sleep. Until her phone buzzes again. If it’s Drake, she’s prepared to defy the odds and go meet him in his room.

But it’s Olivia.

Can’t sleep. Smoking a cigarette on patio. Need a buddy so I don’t look pathetic.

Oh, how times have changed. Just a couple of months ago, when Amara had walked in on Liv smoking at the balcony of the palace, she had greeted her with ‘Ugh’. Now, she was her buddy.

Be right there. Can’t sleep either.

She puts on a bra under her pyjama top, and goes out to the patio to meet Liv. She shouldn’t smoke, she had asthma as a kid, but oh well.

‘Hey Nevrakis. Fancy seeing you here.’

Olivia turns around. Amara notices it’s the first time she’s seen her without makeup. Liv’s face is obviously still striking, still bitingly beautiful, but it looks stripped of some of its fierceness. It looks raw. Amara wonders if it’s because she’s not wearing any makeup, or if it’s because she cried it off.

‘Step into my office, Suarez.’ She pats down the cushion of the chair next to hers, gesturing for Amara to join in. She obliges. ‘So, how’s life without your boy toy?’

Amara takes the cigarette Liv offers her, and lights it. ‘Weird.’

‘I figured you’d be up. You’ve been dicked to sleep for the past few weeks, your system is experiencing withdrawal.’

Amara chuckles. ‘If you say so. I just miss his presence. Also…’

She hesitates to finish her sentence. She hopes Liv just lets it go. But she doesn’t. ‘Also what?’

‘Also, I know I’ll have a nightmare if I fall asleep.’

Olivia grimaces. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘You know. About my brother. I have manifestations of my PTSD.’

Liv’s face falls. ‘Fuck, Suarez, I’m such a dick. I forgot about that for a second.’

Amara laughs heartily. ‘That’s ok. It feels good to forget a bit. Not about my brother, but about...the whole circumstances, you know.’

Liv nods, staring into the distance. ‘He was very hot. I looked him up online.’

Amara laughs again at the randomness of Olivia’s thoughts. ‘What a weird thing to say. Plus, he was gay.’

‘So what? He can’t be gay AND hot?’

She shrugs. ‘I guess you’re right. Anyways. I feel bad, I haven’t returned any of his husband’s calls.’

Olivia takes a drag. ‘Are you close?’

‘We were. Before. Now…’ Amara sighs. Maybe she could bring herself to say it, after all. ‘It was my niece’s birthday recently. Before I left New York, Michael --that’s my brother-in-law-- told me he’d rather not see me there, because my being alive brought him, and I quote, a sense of injustice. He said it reminds him that Sergio is not alive, and that, had it not been for me, he could have been.’

Olivia’s jaw drops. She looks at Amara and touches her arm. Amara can’t help but think it’s the first tender gesture Liv’s had towards her, even if she’s been a good friend in other ways. ‘What?’ Olivia whispers. ‘That is so harsh, holy shit. No wonder you fled. Wow, Suarez. That Michael sounds like an ass. You don’t deserve that.’

Amara shrugs and puts her hand on Liv’s. ‘That’s the thing, though, he’s not an ass. He’s a great guy who’s mourning the love of his life. The funny thing is, just like last year, I wasn’t even planning on going to Callie’s birthday party, for this very reason. He just said to me what I say to myself all the time.’

They fall silent for a while. Olivia finally breaks the heavy moment and says, ‘Amara, listen to me. You didn’t cause shit. You’re a fucking badass and you loved your brother. If he were alive, he’d kick his husband’s ass for talking to you that way.’

Tears flow to Amara’s eyes. Liv is right. Sergio would have torn Michael a new one for sure. She can almost hear him from here. She smiles and nods to Olivia, and they both take another puff of their cigarette.

As they sit there in comfortable silence, Amara notices a figure in the distance. Near the garages. She squints until she can make out a face. Bastien. He must not have seen them, sitting here in the dark, plus, they are sat at a strange angle near some flower bushes and a couple of statues. Olivia opens her mouth to say something, but Amara puts a finger to her lips and signals her to stay silent.

Nothing weird about a bodyguard being alone in the dark, right? Except that he is hovering around the garbage cans, and that is the definition of weird.

Olivia catches on and puts out her cigarette. They watch Bastien tuck something away in the garbage can. They silently wait until he is gone, after which Amara hands Liv her cigarette, takes off her shoes, and walks barefoot to the garbage can where Bastien was standing. After looking around her, she opens the lid and searches it with one hand, the other holding her phone to light up the bottom of the can.

In between two bags, here it is, bundled up in a surgical glove.

A flip phone.

Amara grabs it and swiftly returns to her seat. She shows Olivia her find and turns on the phone. Thankfully, it’s an antique model and doesn’t require any type of PIN. She looks around in the messages and calls, but everything has been wiped out.

So, she calls her own number with it. When the phone number shows up on her cell, she recognizes it instantly. It’s the number that sent Hana’s picture.

*****

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