#like someone I knew the other day went to the spiderverse movie

[duplicate-bones]

Eh nvm bad post

[sirsleeps]

typical occurrence pre-movie nights. | sbi & gn!reader

Hi 😈 anon!! I hope that this satisfies all of your conditions, and that there were enough sbi chaos for you…. though I think I stuck to Mr Blade a bit too much (to which I’d just like to apologize for :(() thanks again for requesting this! It’s been a lot of fun writing it (though I’m not gonna lie, the movie of choice really gave me so much freedom I really couldn’t choose which hence) hope you enjoy the fic! :D

request: [by 😈 anon] “Hello! Do you think you could do a SBI x Gn! Reader! The SBI have a movie night and invite the reader! You can do any type of movie! (Maybe a horror one!) I just think it would be chaotic! You can do a one shot, Hc, or small scenarios! Whatever you want to do!”

pairing: sbi & gn!reader

warnings: swearing, potentially ooc sbi, not beta-read

word count: 1.4k

There were a few unspoken traditions that took place every Friday evening.

It was a time where everyone within the SBI family would put down their work and rest to get together for their weekly movie night. Whether they were far away from home, busy with work, or doing some laborious, mundane task, their chores would be held on pause for that evening. And if, for some apparent reason, one is unable to physically attend the gathering, then they would all host it on a computer so that one could watch along.

As per usual, (name) was in charge of bringing the drinks to the weekly movie night. This was typically because (name) didn’t live with the formerly mentioned, nor were they a household member of the SBI despite being given the decision to move in with them. With a couple bottles and cans of assorted drinks in their tote bag, they unlocked the front door.

Walking in they were greeted by Techno, who looked like he was anticipating their arrival, and the sound of squabbling. ‘From Wilbur and Tommy, no doubt,’ (name) thought.

“Hey Techno, I assume we’re going to spend the next half hour arguing about which movie to play again?” They asked, handing a couple of cans and bottles to him.

The rhetorical question emitted a laugh from Techno. By the number of times (name) was invited over for their movie nights, arguing over the movies to show is a habit that never changes. At this point, it’s become such a common occurrence that it would feel weird if neither Wilbur nor Tommy bickered over which movie to screen.

“Ehh… it is what it is.”

“So, how are you?” (name) laughs as they hauls the bag of drinks over to the table near the bickering duo.

“We met up not even two days ago, I don’t think much would’ve changed since,” Techno rolls his eyes, “but s’alright, I’m doing well.”

Though their attempt to drown out the bickering in the background was futile as Wilbur turned his head towards (name) and Techno demanded for their input on the movie choice, which made them sweat, anticipating the flurry of questions that were bound to be sent their way.

“(name)! Tell Tommy that we shouldn’t watch Into The Spiderverse, because we always play it every movie night!” Wilbur exclaimed, pointing a finger to Tommy.

“We do not!! Stop exaggerating, Wilbur!” Tommy cried in retaliation, “(name), tell him that we aren’t watching the Fantastic Beasts Series because it’s shit!”

With a dramatic gasp, Wilbur quickly turned back to Tommy. A series of ‘how dare you’, ‘take that back’, and further incessant shouts of why either movies of choice is-good-and-should-be-watched-again, were exchanged. (name) quickly glanced between the two, their hands up to grab any stray jabs as they tried to break up the ‘fight’.

A wave of exhaustion soon came upon them as the two subconsciously ignored the peacemaker, trying to one-up the other with their playful insults. Letting out a heavy sigh, they took a step back seeing their fruitless attempt to settle down the squabble. They looked at the two with tired eyes, Techno right behind them, cracking open his beverage, enjoying the show.

“So how long has this been going for?”

“Uhhh, about twenty minutes or so, give or take.”

“..Rright. Where’s Phil? I thought he’d be here to break up this uh.. soap opera…”

“He’s microwavin’ some popcorn,” Techno took a big gulp from his drink, “wait, isn’t this his turn to choose the movie?”

“I… think so??”

(name) furrowed their eyebrows, turning their head to Techno, before looking back at the two infront of them. Their hand reached in their pocket to bring out a phone, sending a quick message to Phil about the query. A few seconds had passed between them before a reply was given.

‘Yepp’

‘What are we watching tonight?’ (name) asked once more.

‘We’re finishing off whatever we have left on IT… then onto its sequel’

‘K’

Moving over to the couch, (name) whispered, “Should we tell them that neither of their movies are going to be played?”

“…Nahh,” Techno dragged on, pleasantly amused by the ‘soap opera’ as (name) puts it.

“Well as fun as it is, I’m gonna need them to stop screamin’ their lungs out—”

“What?! No, why would you do that—”

“—before we get our asses busted.”

(name) finished, getting up from their seat on the comfortable couch, before moving over to Tommy and Wilbur, to once more attempt to settle the trivial argument. They gave Techno a side eye, gesturing to help them in case anything ends up broken.

“Tommy, Wilbur,” they started, only to be cut off by Wilbur mocking Tommy with a squeaky voice.

It didn’t end there, no, in fact, anytime they tried to start or complete their sentence, they got cut off either by Tommy’s shouting or Wilbur’s imitation of what the latter sounded like. With a heavy sigh and a facepalm, (name) went back to Techno, drink in hand, and plopped down on the couch. This time, absolutely done with the mess in front of them.

“That was hilarious.” Techno commented.

“Oh shut up, smartass,” they grumbled, taking small sips from their bottle of coke, “I’d like to see you try.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“I dunno bro, is it?”

“Oh, are you seriously askin’ me that bro?”

“Well let’s say that it is, what are you gonna do about it?”

In the midst of their back-and-forth bantering, and with Tommy and Wilbur who now have migrated from their place over to the table of drinks near them, none had noticed Phil, who had entered the room with two bowls of popcorn in his hands.

Looking at the sight in front of him, Phil rolled his lips, oscillating and producing a ripple-like sound. He stomped down one foot, grabbing the attention of the other four in the room, who turned their heads towards his general direction.

“Okay chill mate, I could hear you all the way from the other room, and you know how thick these walls are.”

“Sorry Phil—”

“Yea, ‘m sorry.”

“Sorry, this wouldn’t’ve happened if someone didn’t suggest such a horrible movie to watch—”

“OHH! You take that back Wilbur!!”

“Oh? What are you gonna do about it?!” Wilbur exclaims, crossing his arms, raising a brow as if to challenge the younger male.

“YOU B—”

“Ohhh-kay, how about we put those movies up, it’s my turn to choose the movies anyways.”

Phil interjects, evoking a laugh from both Techno and (name) as Wilbur froze in shock from the statement. Tommy’s finger dipped along with his shoulders, jaw dropped as he turned to look at Phil once more.

“What?” the two sputtered.

Handing a bowl over to (name), Phil moves over to the laptop hooked up to the projector, and scrolls through the horror section to find IT. While he was scrubbing through to find the timestamp of where the family had last left off, (name) walked to Wilbur to hand him his bowl of popcorn.

“You knew about it?” Wilbur asked, coming out of his shock.

“Yep,” they confirmed, popping the ‘p’, “I was gonna tell you and Tommy, but the both of you kept cutting me off every time I tried.”

“Oh…”

“S’alright, all in good fun,” they let out a small laugh.

Placing down the bowl on the coffee table, they moved to dim the lights in the room. Techno, finished with his drink, got up from the couch to get his second, pulling Tommy along with him back to the couch. A soft, “Let’s go Tommy,” was heard from the pink haired being.

With arms crossed, and an exaggerated frown, Tommy silently grumbled to himself, disappointed that they weren’t able to rewatch the incredible Spiderman animation. Wilbur, on the other hand, vocalised his disappointment to Phil.

“Phiiil, why’re we watching horror movies? That’s like… that’s so cliché.”

“Well it’s my turn to pick the movie, and I want to watch some spooky movies, so that’s what we’re watching.”

“I mean… he’s got you there Wilbur,” Techno gave his two cents.

“Oh shut up, Techno,” he retorted.

(name) came up to the group, quietly laughing to themselves as they handed a can of coke to Tommy and a caprisun to Wilbur, a small smile plastered on their face.

“Well, that was eventful… and the movie hasn’t even started.”

[blackmissfrizzle]

Lucky Ones

Characters: Kevin Atwater x black!reader

Summary: I got another Atwater request. Cuddling him. Just anything soft that gets him to take his mind off his job and a tough day. 🥰 Requested by @my-rosegold-soul​

Warnings: Mentions of death, other than that fluff!

A/N: Finally, another Kevin fic. I got more requests for him, so be on the lookout!

When you got the call last night, you knew Kevin needed all the love and affection he could get. It was a little after two in the morning when he called you, telling you, not asking you to pack a bag and that you’re spending the night at his place.

He was rarely in this mood so, you didn’t question him, just followed his request. When he pulled up, you told him you’d meet him at the car. Kevin was having none of that, he insisted on getting out of his warm car to go into the brutal Chicago winter and walk you less than twenty feet from your door to his car.

On the car ride to his house, he kept his hand on your thigh not saying a word. The silence continued, but you didn’t mind. Kevin was too tired to delve into his feelings tonight.

At his house, you waited for him to get out of the shower. Walking into the room with just a towel wrapped around his waist, you had to ignore the tingles in your core. Miss. Kitty Kat would have to wait.

“Baby, you didn’t have to wait up.” Kevin slid into bed, automatically wrapping you in his arms.

“I know. Now go to sleep, you had a long day.” You ordered him while rubbing his back. Soon, you could hear his soft snores and it wasn’t long after you followed him.

—

The next morning Kevin woke up to an empty bed. He jumped out of the bed when his brain finally caught up with him. Rushing he put on his sweats and shirt on to go find you.

He finally calmed down when he caught you cooking breakfast. Out of nowhere, he wrapped his arms around your middle and kissed your neck.

“You’re up early.” You continued cooking with the extra weight around you. “Yeah, you weren’t there. I need you in bed to sleep.”

“I’m sorry,” you grabbed one of his hands and brought it to your lips. “We can nap later, but right now I need you to eat.”

Kevin agreed but made no effort to move. “Um, Mr. Atwater, I need you to move so I can cook properly.” It was cute at first when Kevin first clung to you, but now you the heat of him and the stove was beginning to be too much.

Instead of letting go, Kevin clung to you tighter. He needed this close contact, so you decided not to fight him on it. You kept on cooking while Jordan and Vinessa gagged at yours and Kevin’s PDA. They could never get use to the PDA.

After breakfast was finished, you figured Kevin needed a family day. Luckily, the kids had nothing plan for the day, so all four of you could hang out. First, it was a pickup game at the basketball courts. You and Jordan versus Kevin and Vinessa. Let’s just say, you broke a couple of ankles and none of them were Vinessa’s.

Once you and Jordan were done whipping Kevin’s and Vinessa’s tails, everyone worked up an appetite. Lunch was spent at a local mom and pop restaurant, that Kevin worked a case at once. The lovely owner came to give Kevin her thanks again. “Oh, Officer Atwater, is this your wife?”

Kevin looked to you lovingly. “No, not yet Mrs. Harper. She’s giving me a hard time.” The older woman gave you a pointed look. “You’re a lucky one, young lady. You better hop on that.” Mrs. Harper advised as she set down the plates.

“Nah, I’m the lucky one.” Kevin wrapped his arm around your shoulders and kissed your cheek, earning you two, “Get a room,” from his little siblings.

The rest of the day went by quickly. There was no mercy shown from anybody when y’all played Uno and Sorry. Vinessa thought since she was baby that everyone would go easy on her, nope! She got treated like everyone else and she easily got draw 4s handed to her.

After a couple of rounds of the games, it was movie time. Into The Spiderverse was the chosen movie and Jordan and Vinessa regretted the choice once you and Kevin started singing along with Miles to Sunflower. Apparently, it was okay for the teenage character not to know the words, but for two real grown adults, it was big no-no. Anyway, besides that everyone enjoyed the movie.

Earlier that morning, you arranged for Kim to take Jordan and Vinessa to the skating rink with Antonio and his kids. Kim even offered to let them spend the night at her apartment, knowing how much Kevin needed to spend that alone time with you and you gratefully accepted.

Now with the kids gone, Kevin laid on top of you, head on your chest, while you lay on the couch and watch Insecure. “Molly needs her ass beat. Issa is better than me.”

“Thank you.” Kevin mumbled into you. “Hmm,” you paused the show to hear him better. He rested his chin on your chest, peering up at you. “Thank you for everything today. I needed this, especially after yesterday.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Kevin kept quiet as you scratched his head. He had a rule about keeping work at work and home at home. He didn’t want to stain you with the ugliness of his job, but he needed to talk to someone, and his coworkers didn’t offer the same comfort you did.

Your boyfriend remained silent for so long, you didn’t think he would say anything. The both of you were just laid up, letting the heaviness of the situation sit in. Suddenly, Kevin began speaking about the case. A serial killer that loved to torture his victims before killing them. The team was against the clock, to save the latest victim.

From his tone and the way he fumbled over some of his words, you knew this case didn’t have a happy ending, but to hear it from Kevin was heartbreaking.  “She, um, she…it was too late when we got there.” His tears began to soak your shirt. “But she was still warm and when I…when I,” he began getting choked up. “It’s okay. Take your time.” You rubbed his back, hoping it would calm him down.

Kevin sat up to move you into his lap, pulling you flush against him. His capable hands went into your hair and he began massaging your scalp, it seemed to help him continue. “When I turned her over, I lost it. She looked like you,” He rested his forehead on your shoulder. “I knew she was dead, but she was still warm and with her looking like she could be your twin, I had to try to revive her. Adam had to pull me off.” As if it was possible Kevin pulled you closer.

“That’s why you were by my side all day.”

“Yes. I needed to keep you close, keep you safe.”

“Kevin, look at me.” You ordered him sternly, but with love. Following your command, you cupped his face. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that, but baby feel this,” you kissed his forehead, “and this,” a kiss to his nose, “and this,” a kiss to his cheek, “and this,” a kiss to his other cheek, “and this,” finally a kiss to his lips. “I’m here. I’m safe. I’m not going anywhere.”

Kevin said nothing, he poured his feelings into the kiss he gave you. Communicating how much he needed and loved you. “How did I get so lucky?” He whispered against your lips. “I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure I’m the lucky one.”

Kevin kissed you once more, nuzzling his nose against yours. “Nah, we both are.”

Tagging: @my-rosegold-soul​ @chaneajoyyy​ @ourlittlesecretsoveragain​ @starrynite7114​ @sambucky8​ @jackburtonsays​ @illegalxbae 

[pinkbarefacedbeauty]

Jealousy?

IF The Last had actually been canon......

You could argue that EVERYONE knows that Hinata likes Naruto. But why would Sakura be so worried about Hinata’s feelings? Why would she be so overly conscious of it? 

This is pretty typical of jealousy. When you have a love rival, and you are self deprecating, not only do you notice the feelings of your rival but you start to push your feelings back. And YOU start backing away or pushing the other person closer and start to list all the way in which YOU think the other person would be a better fit. 

Sakura was self-deprecating as a child (when SHE was bullied *cough* stolen origin. Calling you out Hinata *cough* ) and still kind of doubts her self every now and then when seeing how Naruto and Sasuke are leagues beyond the rest of K11. 

(Reply 1988): This kind of reminds me of Junghwan v. Taek who both loved Deoksun. In which Junghwan is Sakura. (The only difference is Taek actually interacted with Deoksun unlike Hinata with Naruto). When Taek and Junghwan noticed how hard the other is laughing at Deoksun’s dance, you see they both start to realize the other’s feelings for Deoksun. And Junghwan in his self-deprecating ways and having no desire to hurt Taek starts to back away. Taek on the other hand unflinchingly chooses love, not because he doesn’t care for Junghwan but that he is just that in love with Deoksun. I, myself was team Junghwan all the way (I. am so similar to him), but TaekSun grew on me.

Taek was so forward in his own way. Like when they were left alone on the beach, like when he followed her to the bathroom when they heard there was a flasher on the loose. Like when he carried her when she twisted her ankle. When he deeply hugged her but only smiled at his other friends when they visited. There were so many little things here and there.

Junghwan was forward in his brusque tsundere way. If he would have made it to the movie theater before Taek, I am certain she would have ended up with him. Junghwan gains courage too late.

That’s how I feel with Sakura. In that scene when she is lying on the floor. It’s so self-deprecating and a guilt trip to Naruto...

I don’t think that she felt that she deserved Naruto’s love (cut to her breaking down when Sai told her). I don’t think she even believes she deserves Sasuke’s even now, It’s just she spent so long pining after him and now she has him as a consolation prize....but what was she really chasing?? Looking at SS and NH, it feels so empty bc they settled for who they didn’t truly love in fear of being alone. And that actually happens in real life tbh too. 

It’s basically a “no way you could have actually loved me. Me? of all people? are you sure?? What about Hinata? She liked you all this time. Could really love someone like me?? Do you not think of her? How could you not have??”.....Why would Sakura of all people be pushing Hinata so heavily??? (I think this was the studio’s attempt at showing->hey look NS fans, Sakura supports Hinata!!! Like that’ll make us forget the tons of evidence) Hinata could have had literally anyone else talk to her about her love. Like Kurenai, her sensei ,who promised to look after her. Even Ino wouldn’t be too far fetched becasue Ino would like to gossip on things like that imo at the flower shop. And again EVERYONE is aware of her feelings (Just like EVERYONE is aware of Naruto’s for Sakura) Or even have her have a sisterly conversation with Hanabi (show their repaired/repairing relationship).....why Sakura out of all people??

Sakura must have been sleeping on this/thinking of this for so long. 

I felt like that part while so stupid (as why would Naruto whose nindo is to never give up, give up immediately??) could also be Sakura’s way of trying again. With Sakura saying all of that, if he went “no I know my feelings, I am not an idiot, of course I knew of Hinata’s feelings since pain but I love you. It’s always been you”, I feel that they would have gotten together. STILL. In NH’s own movie. STILL, the chemistry between Naruto and Sakura was overpowering. That one scene alone where he jumps from the bird jutsu thingy to catch her trumps ALL of NH scenes not only in series/manga but in their own movie as well. 

(All American) I’m watching All American on The CW lately, and to debunk Spelivia alot of people like to use “they’re like brother and sister” as an excuse of why they don’t support them as well. And i’m like I know plenty of females/males who claims that someone that they later end up messing with is just like a sibling to them. I felt the chemistry between Olivia and Spencer since day 1. I like Layla and Asher, but Olivia and Spencer just have that bomb chemistry. 

I could make another comparison in how Naruto jumping from the bird is evident of how he loves her. He jumps, falls (fall-ing in love anyone??) and reaches towards her. This reminds me of Into the Spiderverse, with that iconic scene in which Miles does a trust fall/leap off a building going towards the ground/ the city he loves and wants to save. (I LOVED THIS MOVIE. YAY PT.2) 

Everybody and their mama know I could ramble for days about this. For now, I’ll think of a pt.2 later.

[helahades]

HC: Natasha as a Mother Figure to Tony Stark’s Daughter

Request: “Hey, I really love your writing and like to request a hc :)

Headcanon where you're Tony's daughter (Peter's age), and Natasha has been like a mother figure to you, since she's been working for/with Tony.”

-

A/N: I got carried away with this one. It’s angsty. Honestly Natasha is such a mystery to me so this was a nice challenge.

If you’re interested in more on Nat being a mom, check out @avengerscompound ‘s HC about her here. I read it a while back and again before writing this and I think she deserves your time. She understands these characters like no one I’ve ever seen!

-

This is quite a situation.

I can’t imagine Tony having raised a child from birth to mid adolescence by the time he’s meeting Nat and the Avengers Initiative is kicking off. He matures a lot through his timeline, but that’s a rough time for him.

So I’ll imagine that not only are you Peters age, but similarly to Peter, Tony took you under his wing.

He adopted you around the events of Age of Ultron let’s say. (You’ll remember Nat vocalizes frustration with not being able to start a family in this movie)

You become a lot of the reason he becomes panicked about protecting the world, and make it easier for him to understand Wanda

Also, assuming Pepper is in the picture, you’d have a stable foundation as time went on, and a main mother figure.

BUT LETS GET TO NAT

Right off the bat, this reads like a Miles Morales and Spiderverse Peter Parker situation, wherein Miles already has loving parents and doesnt need Peter to be a father figure so much as Peter needs Miles as a son figure.

Nat wants kids. She hates that the Red Room stole that from her. (in biological and emotional readiness terms)

Depending on where we are in Natashas timeline though (if you don’t like my AoU suggestion), she probably is not stepping into the nurturing role right off the bat.

She’s not living a life that accommodates settling down, or where people aren’t looking for the first vulnerability they can use to hurt her.

When she first meets Tony, she does not trust him. He’s simply a mission.

Then it becomes bigger, and she sees complexity in him and his willingness to sacrifice and put the common good first.

When you come into her life, you’ve lost a lot. You’ve seen how bad the world, and things beyond it, can be, and you may even want to dedicate your life to changing it, in a similar way to the Avengers. Maybe you completely disagree with their way about going about it.

Whatever your ambitions, you remind Nat of her younger self. She tries not to harp on the past, lest it drive her crazy, but she always wanted to change the world. Those dreams became a privilege over time though, and her main goal became survival.

She has seen darkness and death and evaded it all, but some seeps into her in the dark hours. Upon meeting you, she feels something inexplicable, and vows to keep you safe from becoming her.

She respects you. You’re young and strong and quick minded and not afraid to speak your mind on, well, anything. (The last one is a trait Tony and Pepper help to cultivate, by listening to all your ideas and opinions, no matter how wild.)

Initially when she’s around, and she’s just only met you, she simply observes. You’re curious about how things work, and Tony’s partner in crime. Pepper has her hands full, because you love Tony’s terrible jokes, the obnoxious schemes, and every eye roller idea...most of the time.

Tony and Pepper are the most stable family you’ve had in a while, and you tend not to like any plans involving Tony going out into the field.

Sometimes, you and Tony fight. It can be ugly. He loves you, and wants to protect both you and Pepper, and sometimes struggles to understand why people can’t see things the way he does.

It’s the night before a big mission.

You’re sitting in silence in the common room at an unreasonable hour. Nat only came down for an apple, and tells herself to keep walking—the elevator is right there!

But youre crying. Apples be damned. When she comes closer to investigate (with her unintentional spy stealth), or comfort or whatever the hell, she gets closer, closer—an arms length away...and you turn—before leaping from the couch in surprise and smacking into the smooth, hard floor.

After some panic and and an awkward apology, she finds an ice pack for your bruised hip and maybe it’s the pain, but you cry again. You can’t stand the thought of losing your family. Suddenly though, you feel selfish, as you’re sitting in front of a woman who’s lost more than imaginable.

She’s surprisingly gentle. Easy to open up to because it’s her job to be. But theres something else in her eye, like she’s truly invested and maybe even distressed at the sight of your distress.

When you’ve calmed down, she starts to walk you back to your room, hand on your shoulder, but on the way you decide you need to see Tony. You do love him, and he’s the one risking his life. How must he be feeling?

You take a step with that intention, before throwing your arms around Nat. It’s only after you’re squeezing that you remember the infinite ways she can kill. Pulling back shyly though, you’re surprised to see her eyes are.. soft.

You get the sense she truly didn’t mind your company at all, with or without the tears, and that she’s pleased to see you going to resolve the fight. A beat of silence, and you’re off to the lab.

After that day—a week later, actually—She’s back. She insists on training you just a little bit and showing you how to get out of basic holds.

Tony had put you in self defense training before, but it was always with a man, and it always felt off. You find it easier to train with someone who knows what’s at stake, and even better, who uses the brute force of her enemies against them.

Fighting Natashas way was fighting with your mind, even when you were using your fists.

She taught you how to analyze weakness and store it like data, but she nurtured your excitement when you were thrilled after mastering a new move.

She taught you all she knew of making weapons of the terrain, your body, and your skills, without making your mind a weapon that would turn on you.

She let you complain when things hurt, because they’re allowed to, and you’re not a machine.

You vented about being ordinary and being caught in a world where extraordinaries were the norm, making you the strange one.

She assured you, without saying these words, that your kindness and hope are the only things worth having, that everyone around you would kill for.

She watches movies with you and learns to braid your hair.

When you get your heart broken by a trainee who made you feel special, she pulls up his entry essay and you laugh at the desperation of his tone. She tells you one day he’ll feel that desperate again when he realizes he’s lost you.

She sings in Russian something that feels familiar, like maybe she’s supposed to sing it, when you can’t sleep.

There are some parts of her that she struggles to relax. She was not emotionally nurtured in a way that people need to be at a young age, and love does not fall at her feet or come naturally.

It is hard for her to believe that people with pure intentions exist, and are not dead or on their way there.

It is hard to let go and love in a world that consistently tells you it is weakness and tries to pull love away.

She rushes to find you after the snap. Finds you kneeling with bloodied knees and a tear streaked face where Pepper’s coffee mug shattered on the floor.

She sits outside your door while you cry, still reeling from the loss of her friends.

She holds you close and pushes you away while looking for the other Avengers.

She cries, but never near you, because sadness is weakness if it is hers.

She smiles and tells you it’s like a crazy dream. Laughs and says everyone will be back soon.

She shuts her door and lets in the dark after you’re tucked in. Thinks of the sky that swallowed Tony and the void where everyone else may or may not exist.

She stares at the ceiling all night. Then wakes to breakfast and stretches like she slept.

She learns to initiate hugs. She learns to tell you the truth.

She learns to mean things.

She allows herself the privilege of inside jokes.

She pulls from within herself where she thought there was no more and offers you hope when your parents and Peter are all gone. Says she’ll die before forgetting them.

She reconciles not being the most important person in your life anymore when Tony returns.

She holds you and the both of you cry, both with hope, and with fear, when she tells you they’re going to try to jump through time. She also says not to worry, be strong. She’ll be back in a minute.

She’s not.

-

-

i love u pls validate me tags: @threeminutesoflife @avintagekiss24 @jtargaryen18 @sapphirescrolls

[romilashah]

Gender Neutral Parenting

 I was born and brought up in a joint family of a small town. While growing up in a country where majority favours the male gender you did not need any proof for the same. It was all around to see. Personally though I  never experienced any discrimination in our house based on gender apart from there being some instances here and there during family functions where some relatives behaviour did bring the bias for the boys to the fore. When I started working and met women from all backgrounds you could hear one heart breaking story after another and the struggle they faced growing up based on just their gender. I vowed to never discriminate between my kids based on their gender and somewhere someone seemed to be listening. I now have two and one from each gender.

When I was pregnant the first time around with Rita 9 years back I had no idea about the gender of my unborn child. What irritated me the most was that majority of the kith and kin would always talk about the baby using male gender. The day she was born and I was lying open in the operation theatre the nurse got her to me after cleaning her up and I saw this tiny being who was just a few minutes old looking at me with big open eyes. My heart just melted and I planted an awkward kiss on her cheek as that is all I could manage as I was still being stitched up as they took her to the recovery room. One thing that day I was truly sure of was that I was gonna bring her up as an equal to any boy and my husband agreed.

She was our first born and we went extra miles to do things for her. Be it the exposure she got or the toys we bought, we always aimed for things that were best and gender neutral. I bought her teddy bears and cars , dolls and trains, books and legos and over a period of time realised she enjoyed playing with the soft toys more than cars and trains. She loved pink outfits from a sea of gender neutral colour wardrobe and all girly things like dresses and gowns. Surprisingly she never liked barbie dolls and preferred books and legos more than any other toy. So the number of books, legos and soft toys in the house increased over a period of time and by the time she was two we realised that her taste and liking was always towards things that were more attuned for girls. However, this never stopped us from exposing her to things which are fundamentally considered to be a male domain. Like when she was  four years old we took her to a workshop at the Mercedes showroom where kids were gonna experience seeing the car parts and try their hand in painting a car as well. We were surprised to see that there were only two girls including her in a batch of around 20 kids. She had a blast at the workshop painting the car and trying to change a tyre. Most happy I ever saw her at any workshop. When she was 6 and in grade 1, one day she came home infuriated. I could not figure what was wrong but that she was upset with some class friends. After she had changed and rested I was surprised to see her trying to do cart wheels in the house. When I prodded she said some boys in her class had said that girls can’t do cart wheels and she wanted to prove them wrong the next day in school. I felt a string of emotions at the same time, proud, overwhelmed and happy that she knew how to take a stand for such things and disappointed and disheartened that she got to hear such gender related snide remarks this early in age. She is 9 now and still the same. Any gender reference remarks even as small as don’t cry like a girl triggers her. She loves coding and robotics but reading is still her first love.

When I had Rudy four years back I followed the same template of exposing him to all gender neutral things from the start. But even when he was a couple of months old he was always more attracted to cars and things that moved and had wheels. He loved to toss around the soft toys like a ball and had the first instinct of breaking everything up. His favourite colour turned out to be  green and aeroplanes his first love. Over the years the number of cars, construction vehicle and aeroplanes increased in the house and  the only common toy between them being legos as he loved them too. For his last birthday he insisted on buying lego aeroplanes unlike my daughter who preferred the classic versions as she could make much more things with them. He loves reading too but is not as fanatic about it as his sister. They have diametrically opposite choices for food, toys, games and movies but thankfully manage to find common grounds. For eg. he prefers watching Cars while she would prefer a Frozen but a superhero movie unites them. He does enjoy the Katy Perry, Frozen and the other songs his sister plays but he himself always prefers to listen to what’s up danger from Spiderverse, Still I Fly from Planes 2 and the iron man and star wars theme song. And to be honest they are not always amicable. We have war zones in our home at times over which movie to watch and which song to listen to or as simple a thing as who wants to sit where. They are at loggerheads throughout the day but it's all good at the end as they eventually do make up without our intervention.

 This experience that I am going through of bringing up a girl and a boy has given me a reality check of sorts. Boys and girls are born with emotional, physical and mental differences. They are as different as cheese and chalk. Trying to bring them up as equals might not always be a correct approach as they aren’t equal but unique. As a parent I believe what you can really do is give each one of them equal opportunity and freedom to explore, excel and do whatever they want. Treat them as equals when it comes to them deciding about their life. There can’t be a different set of rules for them based on their gender. I would have never realised Rita loves robotics if had not exposed her to it based on her gender and never known Rudy loves to cook if had stopped him from watching cooking videos and helping me in the kitchen. Do not assume what the kids will prefer or should do based on their gender. Give each one of them a choice to decide for themselves.

[roachspraee]

Heroes Can’t Fall In Love

Into the Spiderverse: Miles Morales X Reader Fanfiction

Welcome to my first tumblr post EVER. I can’t guarantee that it’ll be any good, but I can guarantee that I did in fact, had a lot of fun writing this! I hope ya’ll enjoy~(｡◕‿‿◕｡)

-

"I think…I think I love them."

"Don't be demented Miles, you're a hero. Heroes can't fall in love."

-

A long, frustrated sigh escaped your lips while you looked at the concrete floor, walking passed buildings and people. It was a cloudy night, pretty chilly too. You hugged yourself tighter in attempts to heat yourself up, you didn't think the cold would phase you too much.

But the cold didn't really bother you. It didn't bother you because you were deep in thought, and a certain someone was on your mind. You blinked your eyes rapidly, trying to make the coldness in your eyes fade away, only for it to fail.

Miles, a good friend of yours has been rather distant for the past few months, and you had no idea why. Not the slightest clue. And if you were going to be honest with yourself, it concerned you.

And it hurt.

Because every time you tried to talk or approach him, he'd respond with short answers or avoid you. And it hurt you. Because you didn't know what you did wrong. And you have had about enough.

You were going to get through to him once and for all.

You missed him. You missed spending time with him. You missed his smile, his laughter and the conversations you'd have. Whatever you did, you want to make it up to him. You weren't too sure where you went wrong, though.

But that didn’t matter, you just wanted your friend back.

You checked your phone with a shaky hand, it was 9 o' clock. You knew you weren't supposed to leave your dorms passed 6 PM, but you had to get your mind off school…and Miles.

Quickly, you ran back to campus, almost flying over the steps leading up to where the boy's dorms were. It was late, but this was the perfect time to confront Miles, at least...that's what you thought.

You made it to the front of his door with your heart thrumming violently against your ribcage. You raised your fist, about to knock on his door but you stopped. What if he just brushes you off like he does every day? You would've wasted your time.

You shook your head. No. You must talk to him. He's your friend. Your heart longs to see him, so just give it what it wants.

A loud series of knocks filled the halls, the wood against your knuckles were cold. You stopped, waiting for a response.

Nothing.

You sighed, looking at your feet in disappointment, "I know you're in there Miles. Please answer the door."

Slight shuffling was audible on the other side of the wooden door. Yup, he was definitely in there.

But he refused to answer.

"C'mon Miles! Talk to me. I miss you. Can we just talk this out?" Your voice was shaky, was this even a good idea?

Then you heard mumbling. You pressed your ear against the door and concentrated on the conversation. He was talking with his roommate, but you could barely understand what they were saying.

"I think you should talk to them dude."

That was the only clear thing you could pick up with your ears. After a few split seconds, you heard a loud sigh with footsteps following soon after. A gasp escaped your lips as you jumped back just in time for the door to open, revealing a very pissed off Miles. But you could see the nervousness in his eyes.

"What do you want." It was more of a statement rather than a question. You were taken aback by the sudden rude tone of his usual kind, soft voice. Sweat started to form under your brows. You swallowed a thick ball of saliva before speaking,

"W-why have you been avoiding me Miles? Is something the matter?" There was a pause, and you saw Miles break the eye contact with you, looking away only to meet your gaze again. He shrugged, "Nope."

Nope? Was that all he had to say? You were beginning to get frustrated with his short replies.

"Then why haven’t you been talking to me? Did I do something wrong?" Miles let out a breath to your response.

"It's late, you should head back to your dorm y/n." He turned back, grabbing the door to close it behind him, but your hand stopped him. He turned back to you with a look of annoyance planted onto his, quite handsome, face, "Can't you take a damn hint? I don't wanna talk to you."

Those words made you flinch. You knew that, you knew that for a while now. But it hurt hearing him say it out loud. You wanted an explanation.

"Why!? What did I do to make you so angry with me? Stop avoiding me and tell me what I did wrong dammit!" You yelled angrily. His eyes suddenly widened and he stopped.

"Fuck." He growled, then unexpectedly ran passed you and sprinted down the hall, leaving his door swinging open. You were puzzled and concerned, why did he just run off?

You found yourself running after him, hearing Miles' roommate yell 'Follow him' from across the hall. You decided not to yell back, worried that you'd disturb the other kids sleeping in their dorms, but you took his words to heart.

The feeling of your legs and feet throbbing was overwhelming you, you hadn't ran this fast in a while. But Miles was getting further and further away, you could barely see him through all the darkness. Not even the street lights were enough to see where you properly placing your steps.

You saw Miles make a sharp turn into an alleyway. Something told you proceeding wasn't a good idea, but you ignored the smart part of your brain. The sound of your blood pumping into your ears was all you could hear. You were sprinting so fast you could barely feel the ground beneath your feet.

You suddenly tripped over something, and before you knew it, your face came in contact with the ground. The impact itself hurt like hell, but the sheer pain that came after was almost unbearable.

"Shit," You hissed, feeling warm liquid drip down your face. You brought you fingers up against your forehead, bringing them back into your field of vision only to see blood cover them. You ignored your injury, slowly got up, and continued your way down the alleyway.

You came into an open area, only to have your eyes widen at the sight of Spiderman fighting a large looking man with a weapon you've never seen before. He had pale skin, and odd symbols tattooed onto his skin. He chuckled, firing a strange substance from his weapon, aiming at Spiderman.

"I've been wanting to fight you for a while now, kid." The villain said lowly, watching Spiderman's every move. His eyes were like daggers, and his grin had nothing but pure insanity behind it.

"Really? Cause I've never heard of you buddy." Spiderman said, swinging from wall to wall, grabbing objects and throwing them at the man. He shot them all down with his weapon, "Must be a fan, huh?"

"You have some nerve defeating King Pin like that. I'm just here to pay him a favor." He picked up a large piece of broken wall, and chucked it at the hero. Spiderman moved out of the way and shrugged casually, "I was just doin' my job. Someone's gotta protect the people of Brooklyn."

His voice sounded familiar. Almost like you've heard it before. You were surprised the two men haven't notice you, after all, you're standing in the open. You watched in awe as the hero and the villain fought. You've only ever seen this in movies and comics. But you never expected to see Spiderman this up close before.

Your mind went blank when you realized the man looked over at you. Complete and utter fear took over, and you froze, unable to move a single muscle.

"What have we got here?" Sweat started to drip down your back, despite the cold. The look of his piercing eyes paralyzed you, like a deer caught in headlights.

"Looks like someone wanted to join the party." He aimed his weapon towards you and the next second an unknown substance surrounded your form. Your body felt tight and numb, you could barely breathe. Sharp stabs of pain shot all throughout your body and you screamed. The pain was nothing like you felt before. You were going to die if you didn’t escape.

Your mind became blurry, spots of black filled your vision. You were slipping in and out of consciousness.

You looked over to Spiderman, and he was yelling out your name. Confusion laced your heart, and pain was all you could feel. How did he know your name?

Then his mask was off, and then you saw it.

Miles.

You were in Spiderman's arms when you opened your eyes, he was flying. You were flying. And another second you were on the ground in another dimly lit alleyway, the only thing lighting it up was the apartments above.

"y/n??" Your mind became clear, and you met with the eyes of Miles Morales. You felt his hands grip onto your shoulders tightly, "Are you okay?" Your eyes widened in shock, the sudden realization that Spiderman was in fact, Miles this whole time made you shiver in his presence.

You pushed him away with widened eyes, "M-Miles? You're Spiderman!?" Miles' eyes narrowed into a glare with anger in his eyes. His brows lowered and his lips turned into a scowl, "Why the hell did you follow me y/n!? You could have DIED!"

"Why would you care if I died huh?!" You yelled back, your hands clenched into fists.

"Because I do! You're my friend y/n-"

"Bullshit! You don't give a fuck about me!" You spat, your eyes became blurry as you screamed, "You never did! So stop wasting your meaningless words on me!" Miles' eyes widened, his fake glare vanishing into a look of hurt.

But you didn't stop. You were going to make him feel the pain you've been feeling for months.

"I knew you didn’t like me the moment we made eye contact! I knew you have been using me! What am I to you, huh? Just a tool? A toy!? A little friend you can use when you're bored, than toss aside when you're done!?" Tears rolled down your face. Your heart began to ache, begging for you to stop.

Pain and sadness swirled within his beautiful brown orbs, and it hurt you. You were hurting him.

"You're an idiot! I hate you Miles! I-mmph!"

Miles slammed his lips against yours, in a needy, greedy kiss. His soft lips molded perfectly with yours, and you made no attempts to pull away. Your hands traveled up his face and into his fluffy hair. His hand cupped your cheek while the other griped your waist, pulling you closer to him. His body was hot against yours, your chest was pressed against his and his hands was sweet and gentle to the touch.

You knew you wanted this. You've wanted to kiss his lips, and to feel him for so long. Is this real?

You pulled away when your lungs threatened for air. Yup, this is real alright. Miles pressed his forehead against yours, his hot breath against your face as he smiled sweetly at you. The look of pure love and warmth replaced the sad, hurt in his eyes.

Guilt suddenly overcame you, and you looked away, ashamed that you had said such horrible things to someone you cared deeply for.

"I'm sorry." You said honestly, sorrow and regret filling your heart. Miles lifted your chin so you could meet his eyes, "Don't be. I deserved it. All of it. I was being a dick and I shouldn't have." He frowned.

"But why? Did I do something?" You asked, begging to know why he acted so distant and cold to you.

"I-" He stopped himself and looked away, "No, it wasn't you. Of course it wasn't you. It was me. I avoided you because…" He sighed and looked back at you with a look of shame and embarrassment, "I started to grow feelings towards you y/n. But I was scared. I was scared that if you dated a hero, you'd be put in a lot more danger." Tears started to form in his eyes, "Like t-today…you got so hurt." He looked at the cut in your forehead, gently caressing it with his finger.

"But it wasn't your fault Miles. It was mine. I decided to follow you. I decided to take the risk, not you." You said, wiping away his tears with your thumbs. You held his face in your hands, but despite the freezing cold of winter in Brooklyn, his cheeks were warm.

He shook his head, "You still got hurt because of me. I…" You leaned in to kiss him, but he gently pressed his hands against your chest and pushed you away, "I can't." He said, his voice cracked, it sounded so broken.

"I can't be with you." He said. Hurt, once again, was all you could feel. Your heart throbbed in pain, you gave him a look of pure disbelieve, "What?" Shock layered your voice.

You took a step towards him, "Yes you can Miles. We can be together. You said you had feelings for me…I don't understand." He didn’t look you in the eyes. More tears fell down his face, a shaky breath escaped his soft lips before he spoke,

"Heroes can't fall in love y/n. I can't be distracted with love when I have a whole city to protect."

"Who ever said heroes can't fall in love? Miles, Peter had Mary Jane-"

"And where's Peter?" Miles interrupted, his voice suddenly went dark. You went silent, your eyes widened with your mouth slightly agape.

Miles sighed, "That's what I thought." He turned to leave, but you wrapped your arms around his torso and hugged him from behind. You buried your face into his back, tears falling like waterfalls from your eyes.

"Please Miles! Don't do this. I know you want me! You know I want you too." You sobbed, hugging him close to you.

You felt Miles' body become stiff, then you heard him quietly gasp, like he was trying so desperately to hold back his tears from falling anymore.

"I lost my uncle. I can't lose you too," His voice was hoarse, like a cry from the brokenhearted just yearning to heal.

"Heroes can't fall in love." He repeats. Your body shakes with sadness and frustration, "You're wrong! Who told you that Miles? Who's keeping you from being mine!?" You cried into his Spiderman suit, not intending to let go anytime soon.

Silence filled the air, and the only thing you could hear was Miles' quiet sobs. It hurt you beyond what words can explain. You loved Miles. You knew you loved him.

"When the other Spider heroes from the other dimensions came into this universe, I had a one on one conversation with Noir…"

~Mini flashback~

"Ey kid," Noir greeted Miles with a small punch to the shoulder, "What'cha doin'?" The teen looked over to him with a small smile, "Hey Noir. Nothing much, just thinking."

"Thinking about what son?" Noir sat down beside Miles on the edge of a building, looking over the yellow sunset. Miles paused before quietly mumbling, "someone…"

Noir chuckled, shaking Miles by his shoulder, "Who?" Miles could hear the smug smirk on Noir's lips, his face began to heat up.

"What's their name?" Noir asked lightly, removing his hand from the boy's shoulder and leaned back, watching a bird fly past them.

"y/n."

Noir looked over to his young male counterpart. He could see the look on the young boy's face when he thought about the person he loved.

The older, wiser man sighed, placing his hand on Miles' shoulder again. Morales turned to look at Noir, a look of curiosity in his eyes.

"What do you feel about them?" Miles' was taken aback by the sudden question. He switched his gaze from his friend to his hands, "Well…they’re beautiful. They’re kind, and funny, and they’re always there for me when I need them the most. They help me when I'm struggling, and they never fail to make me smile."

“I love it when they ramble about what they wanna do in the future. How they wanna travel the world, how they wanna see the wonders of this planet. How they want to fall in love and start a family...” Miles had a look of adoration in his eyes, his lips turned upwards into a happy smile.

Noir waited for what Miles' was going to say next. He knew. He knew the exact words that were going to slip past his lips.

"I think…I think I love them." Miles said hesitantly. But Noir knew he meant it. The poor boy was helplessly in love.

"Don't be demented Miles, you're a hero. Heroes can't fall in love."

That was his harsh reality. And the look of pure confusion and heartbreak in Miles' eyes said it all.

He's helpless.

~End of flashback~

You stood in front of Miles', your eyes burning from the amount of tears that escaped your lids. Miles' was crying, and the things he was saying was incoherent. You held him in your arms, letting his tears soak your shirt.

"Noir gave you the wrong advice Miles.” You said, gently grabbing his face so he could look into your eyes, "You worry too much about what could happen, but you're not focusing on what you want to happen. I won't get hurt, and I won't die. Not if you're here to protect me." You said softly, kissing his tears away.

Miles' stuttered, "H-how do I know that? How do I know you won't get hurt because of me?" He wept. You gave him a warm smile, rubbing his back with one hand and stroking his cheek with the other, "You're gonna need to trust me Miles'. Peter died for the sake of Brooklyn, he died for his wife. He loved her, and he still does." You pressed your forehead against his, closing your eyes.

"And now you're here, taking his place. You can't let danger come in-between our love Miles. We're too strong for that." You brushed your lips against his, slowly bringing him into another warm passionate kiss.

"I love you y/n." Miles grinned, pressing kisses along your jawline,

You giggled, "I love you too Miles."

[icequeenoriginal]

Intimacy and All Its Forms

Note: I was planning on writing the next chapter for Tale as Old as Time, but I also wanted to write something for @sugarglider9603 and @ask-spiderverse-virgil / @galaxy-lilies-main Spiderverse AU so I picked the one-shot first. This is based on this post (And a couple others) along with “Turns out Being a Superhero IS Actually Really Gay!” by @hi-i-love-u-bitch

Also, there’s a section in Spanish, you’ll want to translate it. Enjoy!

Warnings: injuries, mentions of death, unconscious, self-deprecation, crying, a small bit of cursing, arguing

Pairings: Prinxiety and Logicality

~

Roman Marigold could handle a lot. He could handle his father’s passing. He could handle being a surrogate parent to his younger siblings. He could handle being the lead in any play. And he definitely could handle being a superhero.

So why was this one particular thing affecting him so much?

Roman knew that his boyfriend wasn’t the affectionate type. When they first started dating, you couldn’t tell by looking at them that they were dating. They would walk side by side but there would be a small gap between them. Slowly, it morphed into holding pinkies as they walked, linking their ankles together when they sat next to each other and just being in each other’s presence at every waking moment. Roman adored it. It was special, it was theirs and theirs alone.

Or so he thought.

The more he hung out with Virgil, the more he started…noticing things. Specifically, the way his boyfriend would interact with others. Well, two other people. Two other people who were not him.

The first time he noticed was at a movie night at Thomas’ place. Patton had decided to bless the apartment with his world-famous cookies and perfectly buttered popcorn. Logan, Virgil, and Roman waited impatiently for Thomas to return with soda. Four young superpowered boys can eat and what is a proper movie night without drinks?

Patton stuck his head into the living room with a smile “Who would like to volunteer to be my taste-tester for tonight?” Roman bolted to the kitchen so quickly that Logan rolled his eyes and Patton laugh.

Roman took a few bites of a cookie before declares “These are the best cookies that have ever been made!”

Patton giggled “Why thank you, Ro! I hope everyone else feels the same way.”

“Well, Virgil’s eating whether he likes it or not.” A grunt could be heard from the distance. “As for Logan, you can just dump him if he doesn’t like it.” Patton playfully punched Roman and the two best friends exited the kitchen.

It had been a great day for Roman. He aced a test he swore he was going to fail, he hit the high note at play rehearsal without destroying anything and Virgil bought him a hot chocolate. Now he was going to have a great evening with his friends and cuddling all night with his boyfriend.

As he took a step into the living room, he suddenly felt like someone just sucker-punched him in the gut. In front of him was his boyfriend sitting in another man’s lap. Not just any man, but Logan Quinn. They were in the middle of the couch and there was plenty of places Virgil could be sitting but no, he was in Logan’s lap.

Curiously, Roman made his way over and sat next to them. He turned his body so that he was facing them sideways. He smiled, ever the actor, and extended his arms. Both Virgil and Logan looked at him then at each other.

Virgil spoke first “What are you doing, Princey?”

Roman raised an eyebrow but his smile didn’t waver. “I’m motioning for you to come into my lap.” Both Logan and Virgil continued to stare at him “Oh as I supposed to ask first? Sorry. Virg? Care to cuddle with the most handsome man in this living room.”

Virgil chuckled “Thanks but I’m comfortable.”

Roman’s arms and smile dropped “Oh…”

Patton finished setting up the snacks and joined them on the couch. He leaned into Logan and Logan shifted over to him. Virgil scooted off of Logan and Roman’s smiled returned. He was sure now Virgil would cuddle with him now, especially since Logan and Patton were trying to see close their bodies could get without fusing together.

Virgil’s feet stopped an inch away from Roman’s leg. He had his knees bent. His head was still on Logan’s leg, causing Roman to let out a whine. Virgil didn’t notice, he had his headphones on.

Logan did “It’s nothing personal Roman, Virgil is just like a cat. He must choose you and that takes years.”

“Oh” was all Roman could say.

Why did he always had to get bad news in the living room?

Thomas suddenly burst through the door, arms filled with different soda. Roman immediately got up to help him, in an effort to distract himself. He even volunteers to get the cups even when Thomas insisted he didn’t have to.

When he returned, Virgil had moved again. His head was in Thomas’s lap with his feet on Logan and Patton, who was now fully in Logan’s lap.

With a sigh, Roman shifted his chair so that his back was to the couch. He picked up one of the abandoned pillows and cuddled with that. It a horrible substitute. It wasn’t soft like Virgil’s hoodie, it didn’t have his warmth and it definitely did not smell like him.

By the time the credits of the first movie began to roll, the horrible feeling in Roman’s chest became too much for him. He sheepishly got up and headed for the door

“Where are you going kiddo?” Patton called after him

“Home.”

Patton began to pout “Why? It’s movie night.”

Roman averted his gaze. He knew that if Patton got as little as a glimpse into his eyes, he would go full dad mode. Worse, now that Patton had the ability to know exactly what a person is thinking by touching them, the whole group would know what was on Roman’s mind. As much as Roman loved attention, he didn’t feel he deserved any for this reason. He would be mocked. Logan would probably call him being illogical and immature, Virgil would laugh and Patton wouldn’t understand. Neither would Thomas.

“I forgot I promised my mom I’d clean the house, plus I have a ton of homework.” That was enough to get Patton to go back to snuggling with Logan. Roman was right, none of them would have gotten it.

~

Roman stuffed his hand in his pockets as he walked through the cold night. He could see his breath but his drama club sweatshirt was enough for the young superhero. As he walked, he suddenly hated where Thomas’ apartment was located. Just a block from the spiderlings hangout was a street lined with nothing but restaurants.

Roman kept his head down as he passed the doting couples who were hugging, kissing, holding hands. All the things he wanted to do with Virgil.

His mind was so clouded that he nearly missed his spidey-sense telling him that he was about to bump into a man walking towards him. Roman jumped back and began to rattle of an apology when he locked eyes with someone else.

In the man’s arms was a young boy. He had big black eyes that stared at Roman curiously, to Roman he looked about 10 years old. He had tan skin like Roman and he clutched onto the man’s shirt. The man held the boy protectively and practically knocked Roman over when he walked past.

Roman turned and stared at them. He watched the way the boy leaned his head against the man’s and now the man kissed his head. Once they were out of view, Roman bolted to his home.

~ Patton hadn’t realized his leg was shaking until Logan put his hand on it. He looked up and saw that Logan’s eyes were filled with love and concern that for a moment, he forgot about everything but Logan. “Is everything alright dear?” Logan’s voice snapped Patton out of his daydream.

“Huh? Oh no, just…” Patton knitted his eyebrows together, his brain was still rebooting from the staring contest with Logan.

Logan leaned closer to him and whispered “Just what love? Tell me”

Patton smiled and leaned into Logan to hide his blush “I’m just worried about Roman”

Logan gently rubbed Patton’s arm “I’m sure he made it home alright and he knows better than to not text you when he gets there.” Right on cue, Patton’s phone vibrated. “See? Nothing to worry about.”

Patton bit his lip as he read the text. All it said was Made it home, see ya tomorrow. “That’s not what I meant Lo, I think something might be bothering him.”

Logan pushed his glasses up “Well if there was something amiss in his life, he would tell us. His track record shows a pattern of him being the complaining type.”

Patton chuckled and gently nudged Logan “Whatever you say Lo-Lo.”

~

Roman never realized how quiet his house was. His younger brother and sister, Jenni and Marco, were fast asleep in their rooms, not going to run up to Roman and tackle him with hugs. His mother and older sister Leslie were fast asleep but on the couch. Their textbooks and papers were scattered all over the floor, he made a note to clean it up in the morning. Roman carried them effortlessly to their rooms, no one stirred to acknowledge him. He made sure all four of them were tucked in before flopping onto his head, no one would come to tuck him in.

Roman lied before.

He craved more than what Virgil gave him. He wanted to put his arm around Virgil’s waist as they walked. He wanted to Virgil to sit in his lap and his alone. He wanted to carry Virgil.

He wanted it. No, he needed it. Because no one was going tuck him in anymore. Because no one was going to carry him on their shoulder. No one was going to sing “A La Nanita Nana” to him and his siblings anymore when they begged for it. No one was going to tell him stories about the buildings they helped build.

Not after that day.

~

Roman didn’t realize he had fallen asleep until his alarm was waking him up. He groaned as he rolled over and wince as his jointed cracked when he moved. He sat up and stared at himself in the mirror, flinching at his reflection. His hair was a mess, he had bags under his eyes and he probably should have showered before he went to bed.

Using his super speed, he was able to get into the bathroom just before Leslie. He used the sound of the water rushing over him to drown out her yelling outside the door. The water felt nice against his skin and for a moment, he was at peace.

Once he stepped out, the cold wind of reality hit him, literally and figuratively. He vaguely wonders if that’s a sign for something.

He walks to his room and opened his dresser. For the first time in his life, he didn’t know what to wear. He pondered wearing just a hoodie and sweatpants. That way no one would bother him, only looks of pity.

It must be that time of year again. Poor guy. He was so young when it happened too.

"Date prisa o vas a llegar tarde a la escuela". Roman’s mother stood with her hands on her hips in Roman’s doorway.

“Si, si.” Roman waved her off, hoping she would go and worry about his other siblings, like always.

Roman’s mother frowned “¿Que pasa, mi bebé?”

Roman shook his head. “Nada Mamá.” He paused, an idea coming to mind. He turned to his mother. Mamá, ¿cómo era papá cuando estabas saliendo?”

Roman’s mother walked over to him and rested her hands on his shoulders, a large frown present. “¿Estás pensando en tu padre otra vez?” Roman could tell she was worried about him. Roman should be grateful for that. He became the rock of the family after the accident, he didn’t seem to need comfort or care.

Roman needed to be a performer.

“No mamá, solo quiero impresionar a Virgil.” It wasn’t a total lie. He wanted to find a way for Virgil to be willing to snuggle with him.

Roman’s mother smiled and her eyes began to glow with nostalgia. “Me besó, retenida mi mano y juega con mi pelo.” The woman began to blush as the memories flooded her mind. Roman smiled at how after all these years, his mother was still in love with his father.

His mother took his hand “Pasión, esa es la clave del corazón de alguien. Debes mostrar cuánto lo amas. Eso no debería ser problema para ti, hijo mío.”

Roman smiled and kissed her cheek. “Gracias mamá”

Playfully, she slapped his shoulder “Ahora vístete, vas a llegar tarde.” She walked out of the room with a smile, which let Roman smile.

“Protégelos, hijo. Tú eres el hombre de la casa cuando yo no estoy allí.”

Roman walked over to his closet and smiled. He had to look his best today.

~

Virgil yawned as Logan open his locker. He completely forgot about the homework he needed to do for Monday and had to pull an all-nighter. It wasn’t his fault, he was having a really good time at the movie night. And wasn’t mental health a good enough excuse? Logan rolled his eyes as he watched Virgil down a third cup of coffee. “I told you to start your homework on Friday so you would have plenty of time before movie night.”

Virgil waved him away “Hush, Pocket Protector. I’m still waking up…”

Logan was about to make another snarky remark when an arm snaked its way around Virgil’s waist. Before he had any time to process it or suppress the yelp forming, a pair of lips gently pressed a kiss onto a rather sensitive part of his neck

The culprit whispered “Hola Mi Amor.” into Virgil’s ear, making his shutter.

Virgil slowly turned to see his boyfriend with his gorgeous locks brushed out his face, wearing a freshly pressed red button up red shirt, which was open to reveal a plain white shirt, and clean black slakes. He was wearing a bit of eyeliner that somehow made his gorgeous eyes look bigger.

Virgil was definitely awake now.

Patton giggled as he made his way from behind Roman to Logan’s side. He hugged him. Logan tore his eyes away from the couple who were breaking all forms of the rules about PDA in the school to give Patton a quick kiss on the head so they themselves would not get into trouble.

Roman pulled Virgil closer. “How are you today mi corazón?” Roman gently kissed his cheek “You look tired, still beautiful though.” Roman gently nipped the sensitive spot, making Virgil shove him away. Roman whined but kept the distance between them.

Virgil flipped his hoodie over his head and pulled the string as tightly as he could. He was not equipped to handle this. Roman strolls in front of him and squats down. “Aww, can Virgie come out and play.” Virgil is tempted to smack the smirk off Roman’s handsome face.

Virgil let out a sigh of relief once the bell rang. He pulled down his hood and intended to power walk to class. He froze when warm and slender finger wrapped around his own. He looked up to Roman smiled at him and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “May I walk you to class, Querido?”

Virgil felt his throat close up, this was way too much for him. But Roman’s hand felt so nice in his…Wordlessly, he nodded. They walked together anyway.

Roman smiled and kissed Virgil’s hand, turning the poor boy’s face scarlet. “Let us head off then, Stormcloud.” He turned to Patton and Logan “I bid you good day.”

Patton giggled and waved “Have fun you two.”

Logan nodded “Goodbye.” Roman turned to walk to his and Virgil’s shared class when he was stopped by: “And good luck to you Roman.”

Horrified, he turned to Logan. Did he know what Roman was up to? Did he know about what was bothering Roman? Was he going to make fun of him?

Roman gulped before turning to Logan “G-Good luck? For what?”

Logan pushed up his glasses before speaking.“Your audition.”

“Audition? I don’t have an audition today.”

Logan frowned “Oh? I apologize. Virgil informed me that when you have an audition, you tend to wear fancier clothes. Or as he put it ‘Get stupidly hotter.’”

Virgil glared daggers at Logan. He was apparently going to kill two people today.

Roman let go of the breath he was holding onto and chuckled “Ah, I see. No, nothing like that. I just want to dress up today for me.”

Virgil was about to scream. What did he do to deserve this?!

Roman gave Virgil a gentle tug before walking off to their next class. Roman leaned close to Virgil as he walks and faintly hummed. Virgil felt like he was going to pass out.

Today was going to be a long day.

~ The entire day was too much for Virgil. In every class they had together, Roman would link their ankles together. He would walk Virgil to every class, hand in hand, even when Roman’s class was nowhere near his! What was going on?!

At lunch, Roman sat with his arm around Virgil and his hand on Virgil’s hip. Virgil refused to eat because he felt he was going throw up. Unfortunately, Roman took that as an opportunity to try and feed Virgil. If he wasn’t so shocked, Virgil would have stabbed him.

The worst was the stares. People swooning over how cute and romantic they were, people taking notes so they could “properly” romance their partners. And then there were the glares of jealousy or disgust. The only comment they heard was from Dolion but Virgil knew better. He could hear the whispers, the curse words, even if Roman couldn’t seem to.

Everyone has a breaking point.

As the group was waiting for Patton to come out of his last class, Roman draped himself over Virgil’s back and kissed him repeatedly. Virgil when saw Dolion laughing out of the corner of his eyes, he had enough.

Patton turned the corner when Virgil roughly shoved Roman off of him. Roman froze and his stomach dropped when he saw how angry Virgil was.

“Mi Amor?” “Stop it! Stop it right now!”

“S-Stop…?” Virgil made his way over to Patton and Logan, hugging himself. His back was to Roman, making the poor boy looked down in shame.

Virgil gently put his head on Logan’s shoulder as he began to shake. Logan glared as Roman as he rubbed circles into Virgil’s back. “Virgil does not like to be touched, as his boyfriend you should know that.”

Roman’s head snapped up and he grits his teeth. “I know that Logan, I was trying to help him get more comfortable with me.”

Logan rolled his eyes “Oh well wonderful job doing that.”

Roman clenched his fists “Well some of us don’t have years of friendship to back us up!” Roman slap his hand over his mouth as everyone, including Virgil, turned to look at him.

Virgil raised an eyebrow “Wait a second, are you jealous Princey?”

Roman did his signature offended prince noise. “What? NO! I don’t get jealous.” All three of his closest friends gave him the exact same look “I’m not jealous, I just…noticed that you seem to give Logan a lot more affection than you give me…”

Virgil felt his lip tug into a smirk. “So you were jealous.”

Roman sighed “I have to go to play practice…” Roman walked off.

“Kiddo wait!” Patton called after him desperately. They always walked to their individual clubs together. Roman ignored Patton’s pleas, making the smaller boy lean into his boyfriend and plays his bracelet.

“He didn’t turn around…”

Logan rubbed Patton’s arm as sympathetically as he could. He could care less about Roman but he couldn’t stand the thought of Patton being upset.

“Do not fret Patton, Roman will get over this illogical behavior by tomorrow.”  

Virgil crossed his arms and pouted “I’m not letting him get away with this so easily, I’m going to be so distracted at dance class thinking about his stupid face.” Virgil felt his face getting hot, thoughts of Roman’s lips brushing against his neck rushed through his mind.

Logan, in an attempt to help Virgil back to reality, offered “If you would like, I can help you with your plans of punishment.”

Patton smacked Logan’s arm “You will not.” Patton turned and point accusingly at Virgil “And you will not either! He clearly feels bad, he doesn’t need to feel worse.” Patton wagged his finger at them, making the bracelets on his wrist shake.

Both Virgil and Logan nodded and spoke in unison “Yes Patton.”

Patton’s expression softens into a smile. “Great, now excuse me while I go to the culinary club, we’re making cupcakes today!” Logan watched his boyfriend run off with a smile before turning to Virgil and exchange their favorite look.

We are totally going to mess with Roman tomorrow.

~

Roman sat in his dressing room with his head in his hands. He lucked out that today was a dress rehearsal so he could pretend he was taking forever getting dressed. He truly felt ashamed of his actions.

Remy walked in and placed a coffee cup in front of the young hero. “You looked like you need this girl.”

Roman looked up at it and drank in wordlessly. Remy watched him in horror, silently praying to the coffee gods to forgive Roman’s cardinal sin.

Roman stood up as he slammed the now emptied up onto the table, almost crushing the cup completely. He took a second to control his breathing and powers before turning to Remy. “Thanks, Rem, I needed that.”

Remy tilted his glasses down “What’s gotten into you?” Roman shook his head “Nothing…just a fight with Virgil.”

Remy chuckled “What? You bite him too hard while you guys were practicing fucking in the hallway.”

Roman chucked the empty cup at Remy who dodged it with such ease that Roman vaguely wondered if Remy had superpowers.

“Hey! Don’t get mad at me just because you can’t handle the truth.” Roman flopped back into the chair and groaned. “I was just trying to be more affectionate. Sue me!”

Remy rolled his eyes “Girl, seriously? This is the man I lost the lead role to? Tsk.”

Roman turned to him, scowling “Just help me.”

Remy smiled “You know I will.” Remy sat dramatically on the table in front of Roman “Get ready because I’m about to spill the true tea.”

“Remy, I swear, I will throw something else at you.”

“Okay, okay, okay, calm down. Look, if he’s mad at you, just buy him a coffee tomorrow and apologize.”

Roman rolls his eyes “I should have known you would have said something coffee-related.”

“Well duh, if he rejects it, you can just give it to me.”

Roman stood up and said sarcastically “Thank you so much Rem, I wonder why I never came to you for advice before.”

Remy smirked, “It’s because you and the rest of the world cannot handle how great I am.”

“We have to get to practice…”

~ Roman wanted to smack himself. He decided to take Remy’s advice which involved waking up earlier, attempting to make coffee while sleep-deprived and almost waking everyone up when he was looking for the coffee canteen the school gave out on the first day.

He would admit that he was proud that he got all that and got his younger siblings ready for school. His next challenge was in the form of a peppy but curious neighbor. Roman put on his best fake smile and walked up to Patton. He moved slowly to come up small talk in the event Patton asked him about Virgil’s outburst yesterday. He was not ready to talk about it.

Roman noticed Patton was wearing the unicorn hair clips that Logan have bought him for his birthday. Score, if I get Patton talking about Logan, he won’t even think about me. Roman felt a small tug at his heart at that thought but he didn’t stress on it.

Once he heard footsteps, Patton whirled around to see Roman, almost knocking the taller man back. He didn’t even give Roman chance to say hello “Are you okay?” “Huh? Of course, I am Pat!” Roman struck one of his signature poses for added effect. The fatherly friend crossed his arms and tapped his foot. “You know how I feel about liars Roman.”

Roman soften his smile “I know Padre, and I’m being honest.”

Patton scanned Roman’s face before responding “I was just making sure after yesterday with what happened with Virgil.”

Roman shook his head “Don’t worry about that, it ‘twas just a lovers spat.” Roman cringed internally when he realized he said ‘twas.

Patton giggled at Roman’s statement “Okay then Ro, don’t be afraid to talk to me when you’re upset.” “I know Pat.” And he meant it, but Roman still wasn’t sure if he should act upon it. He decided to go with his original plan. “Nice hair clips, Pat.”

Patton blushed slightly “Thanks. Lolo bought them for me. He’s so sweet. He said he saw them and knew he had to buy them for me.” Patton held his hands together, against his cheek, as he gushed over Logan. They started on their path to the school and Roman sighed of relief. He could do this.

~

They were halfway to school when Patton noticed the coffee canteen. “Since when do you drink coffee?”

Panic rushed throughout Roman. He took a deep breath to steady himself before putting on his confident persona “Never, this is for Virgil. To make up for yesterday.”

Patton smiled “Oh kiddo…”

Roman chuckled “Yeah, I know what you’re going to say. It is a pretty great--”

“The best you could come up with is coffee?”

Roman took step back, placing a hand on his chest in distress. “Who are you and what have you done with Patton?!”

Patton tilted his head “It’s me, Ro.” Just to be sure, Patton touched his own face.

Roman took a step forward “Oh really? Then if you’re Patton, explain why you shut down my idea so badly.”

Patton shook his head while smiling “If you want to make it up to him, giving him a reminder that he can’t sleep might not be the best idea.” Roman pondered this advice. “What would you suggested?”

Patton’s eyes glistened with creativity “A homemade blanket that he can snuggle with. Or! Or! Or! You could take him to a concert for a band he likes.”

Roman couldn't help but grin “Excellent idea Patton, you have me convinced.” Patton beamed with pride. “Now all you have to do is convince my wallet.” Patton began to pout, more playful than truly upset. Patton passed the time by biting the inside of his cheek, he needed to think of a counterargument.

Roman pat his shoulder sympathetically “I think I’ll stick with the coffee Pat.”

Patton gave him a thumbs up and they headed to the corner where they usually meet Logan and Virgil. Roman fiddled with the hem of his sleeve, a nervous wave rushing over his body. It slightly terrified him, he was unsure why he was afraid.

Virgil seemed to always bring out new emotions in Roman. It was terrifying as it was exciting. He wasn’t just Roman Marigold the actor or Roman Marigold the gayest of gays. Or Roman Marigold…dadless. He was just Roman.

Virgil brought joy to Roman, but he could also bring him pain. Something they both would realize too late.

Patton could tell that something was eating at Roman. His shoulders were slumped, his face was decorated with a frown and his forehead had creases. All things that were very un-Roman-like, Patton found it unsettling. So when a purple beanie came into view, Patton felt a sudden a wave of relief.

Perhaps, too sudden.

Virgil and Logan walked up to the preppier friends, hand in hand. They were both talking happily, Virgil had a big fat smile on his face. Roman felt the mental of the coffee canteen bend inward as he squeezed it. He hides it behind his back, attempting to make it ground him somehow.

Patton didn’t seem to be as affected as Roman for he hugged the two newcomers, making Roman cursed himself. Why do you have to be overly-sensitive?! It’s not bothering Patton, so why is it bothering you?! What is wrong with you?! Roman’s mind was so loud, he couldn’t even hear what the conversation that was making Virgil smile so much.

Roman forced himself to focus as they walked towards the entrance of the high school, noting that Virgil did not let go of Logan’s hand. He closed his eyes, to block out the world, and said “Virgil, I have something to tell you. Well, first…”

As Roman moved to present the coffee cup to Virgil, Logan moved for his backpack. Using his super speed, he placed a purple coffee canteen into Virgil’s hand. The canteen in broke under Roman’s strength. The coffee burned in his hand but Roman honestly couldn’t care less.

Virgil leaned against Logan’s side as he drank his coffee “What is it Princey?”

Roman looked down “I wanted to say I’m sorry for yesterday. I really am.”

Virgil’s eyes flickered to Roman and study his body language. On their way over, Logan and Virgil planned on holding hands or linking arms when they saw Roman the entire day. It was to show him how ridiculous he was being. That didn’t mean he wanted to hurt him. See that Roman was seemingly embarrassed made Virgil smirk “It’s alright sir Sing-A-Lot.”

Roman walked backward and threw the destroyed canteen. He wore a fake smile, not that anyone was looking at him. He stared at the canteen in Virgil’s hand. It was his favorite color, and it even had his name on it. It was personal, probably even a gift. How could he not have thought of that? He was supposed to be Virgil’s boyfriend. He was supposed to make Virgil comfortable. He was supposed to make Virgil happy. He was supposed to be good enough.

But he wasn’t.

The warning bell unintentionally snapped Roman back to reality. Logan wrapped his fingers around Patton’s and for a moment, Roman prayed it was over. His dreams were dashed when Virgil wrapped his arm around…Logan’s waist?! He had never once done that to Roman. The sight was his downfall.  

As the trio walked forward, Roman stood in place, eyes looked onto the ground. Patton looked back at him and Roman turned to face the other direction. Patton tilted his head concerned “Aren’t you coming with us, Ro?”

“Nah, I think I’ll just take my old shortcut. Big test” Roman ran off, his tail between his legs. Or that’s what Virgil perceived it as, ever so slightly missing the tears forming in the corners of his boyfriend’s eyes.  

Virgil laughed hysterically as his arm dropped to his side. “Oh, that was amazing. Did you see the look on his face?”

Logan smirked, “I did, it was quite enjoyable.”

If the hallway was not flooded with high schoolers, they might have heard the tapping on Patton’s sneaker against the tile floor. The young pastel boy was fuming and going unnoticed.

Virgil wiped the tear in his eyes away. “Oh, I so needed that. See ya guys later.” Virgil waved as he walked into his class. Logan was laughing to himself until Patton roughly pulled him into an empty classroom.

Logan felt a small blush form as Patton stared at him menacingly “Pat…?”

“You promised you were going to leave Roman alone! “ Patton aggressively poked Logan in the chest as he spoke. Logan looked away as Patton gasped in horror “I even gave you a brownie!”

Logan pulled on his collar, sweat was forming on his forehead. Logan had only seen Patton get this mad at bad people, never him. The look that was embedded on Patton’s face was not for the faint of heart. Logan used one of Virgil’s breathing exercises to regain his composer before responding “I apologize, Patton, I did not intend to upset you with my actions.”

Patton huffed “I’m not the one you should be apologizing to! Poor Roman must be so sad right now! And in his favorite class too!”

Logan shook his head “Falsehood, we did not intend any malicious towards him. Virgil wanted to figuratively ‘teach him a lesson’, to quote his statement from last night.”

Patton scowl seemed to get worse “Oh and how are you two playing on ‘teaching him a lesson’ exactly?!”

Logan had no idea air quotes could be threatening. “We were only going to hold one another and speak mostly in inside jokes.”

Patton huffed “Well what a wonderful time of year for you two decide on this! Or did you plan to kick him while he’s down?!” It only took Logan a moment for the realization to hit him like a truth. “Oh…well…if it does make you angry at me…” Patton sent a sharp glare at Logan. “And if it truly upsets Roman…I will stop and work to regain your trust and faith in me.”

Patton placed his hand over his light pink pants. “Do you mean it this time?” Logan nodded “ I swear on my life.”

Patton’s angry demeanor dropped and squealed happily as he threw his arms around Logan’s neck. “Yay! Thank you so much Lo-Lo!”

Logan finally was able to relax and gently kissed Patton’s head “You’re welcome dear, now we must hurry if we are to make it to our next class.”

Patton looked at the time and gasped “We’ll never make it in time.”

Logan smirked and gently lifted Patton bridal style. “Don’t worry love, I’ll get us there.”

Patton’s face turned dark red. “T-Thanks hon.”

Using his superspeed, Logan easily got them to their class. They were even able to steal a quick kiss.

~ Roman’s day was a blur. His insecurities kept picking on him the entire day. Strangely, at least to him, none of his teachers seemed to bother him about him about it. Virgil spoke to him kindly in their shared class but it was the small talk they both despised. Guess it’s my lucky day today, he thought bitterly.

Once the fourth period of the day rolled around, he felt his face get hot from anger and he became blinded by tears. He raced to the bathroom, surpassing his top speed so no one could see him like this. He grips the sink, his head weighting itself down so he won’t look in the mirror. If he saw his red puffy eyes or the snot running out of his nose, he would feel even more worthless.

A tissue appears in his field of vision and Roman looked up to see Emile Picani’s toothy grin. Roman jump a few feet panicked that he was caught in this state.

Emile expression was not one of pity, but empathy. He extended the arm holding the tissue out to him like Hiccup held out his hand Toothless.

Roman tentatively took the tissue and rubbed his face clean.

Emile places a hand on Roman’s back “Let it out Roman, you don’t have to talk to me about it but do not keep it and let your feelings hold you back. Losing someone like you—“

Roman’s head shot up with a smile “Thank you very much for this tissue friendo, I am much better now. You always have the best advice, you should become a therapist one day.” Roman spoke as fast as he walked out of the bathroom. Emile shook his head before heading to his next class.

Roman accidentally back into the Sewing Club room where his eyes caught a discarded teddy bear. It was torn, missing an eye and looked like it had never been washed in its whole existence.

It was perfect.

Tossing it into the sink, he began to collect supplies for this masterpiece.

~

Virgil was having a good day so far. Not his best but nowhere near his worse. The good was he got a B+ on a test he didn’t study for and he wasn’t put on the spot by any teacher today, but the not so good was that he didn’t see Roman much throughout the day. He was grateful Roman wasn’t on top of him but he barely saw him in the early day and Roman was pretty quiet in the class they shared together. Roman responded when Virgil spoke to him but it was mainly one-word sentences.

Had he made Roman actually mad at him? He hoped not, it was just supposed to be a harmless joke. Oh god, did Roman hate him? Was Roman going to dump him?

Deep breathes Virgil. You’re overthinking. You can talk to him right now while you guys eat lunch and everything will be fine.

That thought put a smile on Virgil’s face, only for it to immediately drop when he saw a terrified Logan and the scariest version of Patton he had ever seen.

Patton was scowling, tapping his foot, and had his arms crossed. Three things Virgil would never expect Patton to be able to do.

Virgil gulped and made his way over “Am I in trouble?”

Patton’s foot tapping ceased, making the silence of the empty classroom they walked into deafening “I would say so.”

Virgil wanted to ask why, to make a sarcastic comment, to do anything but the dark aura that Patton was giving off made it impossible to even remember to breathe.

Logan knew that if Virgil didn’t say anything, Patton was just going to get angrier. So he cleared his throat and said: “Patton has informed me that our display this morning was a bit repugnant.”

“More than a bit I would say!”

Logan smiled softly. He couldn’t help it, Patton understanding the big words he used was his kink. Patton caught Logan’s eye and smiled back. All the anger left Patton as he found himself getting lost in Logan’s eyes

Virgil knew he was going to regret it but he cleared his throat. As he suspected, Patton snapped his head back and the nightmare fuel glare returned.

Virgil managed the stutter out “W-We didn’t m-mean any h-harm P-Pat.”

Patton sighed and spoke honestly “I know you didn’t kiddo but this week…it’s not the week to pick on Roman.”

Virgil tilted his head “This week?” Logan pulled off his glasses “February 17, 2011, a freak construction accident occurred at 11:54 am. Not much more information was released except that it was on 51th Street and 10th Avenue so the roads leading there were closed, causing huge amounts of traffic, and it killed three workers and injured 13 people. One of the people killed--”

Virgil went pale “--was Roman’s dad.” Virgil walked to the far wall, saying nothing. Once there was no more room between him and the wall, he began to bang his head against it. He only managed to do it completely once before both Logan and Patton pulled his away.

“What has gotten into you kiddo?!” The fear dripped with every word

Virgil sighed “I’m punishing myself for what I did.”

Logan shook his head “This is a highly irrational response.”

Virgil shook his head rapidly “No, this is an accurate response. I completely forgot about the literal worst day of my boyfriend's life and added insult to injury by getting back at him for something he was probably doing because of what happened and now I’m a jackass who is speaking in a loop.”

Patton began to shake him desperately “Come on kiddo, snap out of it.”

Virgil grabbed Patton’s hands with this own “Pat, cut it out. You’re giving me a headache.”

Patton pulled his hands back and held them by his face “Sorry kiddo!”

Virgil sighed “It’s alright” stopping to bury his face in his hands “What am I going to do…?”

Patton became stern again “You’re going to apologize to him the second he comes here.”

Virgil nodded “You’re right.”

Patton smiled “Great, now we can go back being all happy and friends.”

Logan cleared his throat “Just one last thing to make sure no figurative stone goes unturned.” Logan turned to Patton and grabbed his hands. “I want to make sure that our display this morning did not upset you either, please be as honest as possible.”

Patton smiled and gave Logan a little shrug “I was more worried about Roman than to be jealous.” He squeezed Logan “But if we’re being completely honest, I was a tiny bit jealous.”

Logan smiled “Well I apologized and I shall make it up to you.” Logan placed his hand behind Patton’s head and pulled him into a long passionate kiss. A kiss so passionate that a small moan escaped out of Patton.

Virgil nearly burst out laughing as he could tell they forgot he was still in the room. “Wow, you’re a really good kisser, Lo.”

Logan responded by swatting the air behind him and kissing Patton more which in turn produced another moan from the shorter man.

Suddenly, the three froze, their spidey sense blaring in their ears. There was no screams or alerts that followed, but they still all mechanically pulled out their masks out.

Virgil looked between Logan and Patton “Do you think Roman’s…?” He didn’t want to finish his sentence. He knew how reckless Roman could be, especially if Roman thought he could handle something on his own

Logan ran to the window and opened it “Only one way to find out.” Logan pressed his bracelet to make his suit appear over his entire body and he jumped out the window.

As Virgil struggled to put on his struggled to put on part of his suit, he said to Patton “Remind me to yell at him to make the rest of us one of those.”

~

Roman smiled at the teddy bear in his hand. He not only was able to get the teddy bear completely clean but he made it an outfit. It was a simple red shirt and purple pants but he didn’t have enough time to finish it and make it to lunch on time.

Turning the teddy bear over in his hand, he practiced what he would say as he walked down the hallways. Hey sweetie, I made you something. Why? No special reason, I just think you deserve a gift every once in a while.  

He looked around the corner were Patton’s locker is, surprised to see that no one was there. Roman leaned against the locker, thinking nothing of it.

Then his spidey sense went off.

Roman immediately got into a defensive position, wondering what danger was nearby.

Then he heard it. A small moan from behind the door he was standing next to. Roman had to shove the teddy bear in his mouth to stop his laughter. All moans, except the ones that left the lips of his lovely Stormcloud, sounded the same to him an invoked laughter. It was all his older sister’s fault. A young Roman and his father caught her with a boy in her room and watching the guy running away from his enrage father is not a memory that can simply be forgotten. He felt bad for the poor souls that were about to get busted by him

“Wow, you’re a really great kisser, Lo.”

Roman’s world shattered right before his eyes.

He took a step towards the classroom when he heard the second moan. That’s when he started crying. Suddenly one of Thomas’ first lessons entered his mind: When your Spidey-sense goes off, get out there as soon as possible.

So he did.

He ran to the theater, the only safe place he knew. He knew it would be empty too, as he has to go there more than once on a bad day.

He panted even though he wasn’t out of breath. He walked to the center of the stage and put down the teddy bear he didn’t even realize he was still holding. The teddy bear seemed to weight a ton as Roman himself was pulled down by it.

He had a staring contest with the teddy bear, as much as he could with the tears blocking his eyes. The teddy bear turned into Virgil who watch him with utter indifference.

It angered Roman “Why him?! I’m your boyfriend! I’m the one who loves you! I would give up everything for you, I would do anything for you! So why him?! What does he have that I don’t have! I don’t get it! WHY HIM?! WHAT MAKES HIM SO SPECIAL! WHY WASN’T IT ME?!”

The Virgil in front of him didn’t respond, as it was a figment of Roman’s imagination.

That didn’t stop Roman “Why him?!...why...I’m going to scream…I’m going to scream!…I’m going to…AHHHHHHH!” The room shook, his sonic scream knocking over the set pieces of the next musical.

“Fuck.” Roman went to use his webbing to pick them up but his spidey sense told him to turn around. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw Mr. Bell was casually sitting in the auditorium chair reading over the script of the musical. He looked up as Roman turned around fully.

Roman spoke first “M-Mr. Bell…I’m sorry, I know I’m supposed to be at lunch…”

Mr. Bell smiled softly “Roman, the stage is your home, you know you’re always welcome to be on it whenever you need. And this seems to have improved your vocal range. But next time, don’t knock over my set.”

Roman began to blush from embarrassment “S-Sorry.” Roman ran and picked up the set piece, placing upright and in their correct spots.

“If that was your audition for the Spring Play, you got the lead role already.”

Roman chuckled weakly “Uh thanks but that was no audition…I just needed to..”

“Scream?”

“...get something off my chest.”

Mr. Bell frowned “How are you, Roman?”

Roman rubbed the back of his head with one hand and stuck the other in his pocket “Fine.”

Mr. Bell “Are you sure? I know the loss of a parent can be too much.”

There it was, the one statement he was attempting to avoid all day. The fact that it was close to the anniversary of his father’s death. Nothing else.

“I’m fine, I swear. It was years ago…”

“Yes, but the pain never leaves us, so you don’t have to pretend you’re okay when you’re not.”

Roman wiped his tears away “I guess I’m not as great of an actor as I thought I was…”

Mr. Bell shook his head “A good actor does not become a good by hiding their emotions, but by accepting them. It makes your acting more raw and genuine.”

Roman nodded absently, hoping that the conversation was over.

“So, do you want to talk about it?” Roman shook his head “Thanks but no thanks.”

“Hm, alright but I can’t just let one of my best actors go while they are still upset. Let’s make a deal you sing how you’re feeling, just one song and then you can go.”

One of the things Roman liked about Mr. Bell was how fair the man was. Roman got a good role in his first play as a Freshman due to Mr. Bell looking at entirely at the actors’ and actresses’ skills. Roman owned the man this at least. He sat down as he tried to think of a song that would fully capture what was bother him. There was plenty of songs to choose from that were about fathers. Disney had a bunch alone.

But that wasn’t what came out.

“‘Cause every time I see you, it’s like all I am is see through. We were everything I know it, don’t want to miss it, record it. I adore you, I adore you, I adore you, I adore you…”

Because this problem had nothing to do with his father, it never did.

Roman didn’t continue singing. He felt embarrassed to be this vulnerable. He was supposed to be this rock, this strong man and yet he did not feel good enough to be with Virgil. He felt like he was too much for Virgil, that he was making Virgil want to stay away from him. He knew Logan didn’t think Roman was good enough for his best friends. Today just solidified it. Virgil didn’t think Roman was good enough, he probably waiting until he can get Roman alone to break up with him.

“I never heard that song before, what show is that from?”

Roman almost forgot Mr. Bell was still there. His face got hot from embarrassment “O-Oh it’s a…song by a drag queen…”

Mr. Bell smiled “Ah drag, a beautiful art form. Those lyrics were very alluring. Now, who is the one you adore?”

Roman look toward the auditorium door, he didn’t want to make eye contact. “My boyfriend…”

“Is this a relationship issue then?”

Roman nodded without really meaning to, he figured if he told anyone, it would be a teacher who didn’t know who Virgil was. “Yeah…I just don’t feel good enough for him…”  Still, he didn’t have to tell any one person everything.

“A very common insecurity in relationships. The one thing you can do is understand that you are good enough. I’m sure your boyfriend will gladly tell you that.”

Roman turned to look at him and smiled “Thanks Mr. B”

He was too good at faking a smile.

Roman scooped up the teddy bear and walked past Mr. Bell and out the door. He was now dreading play practice.

Looking down at the bear, Roman figured he could just put it in Virgil’s locker, that way he could avoid talking about the kiss.

“ROMAN!” Nevermind.

He turned to see Virgil, Logan, and Patton running towards him. They all stopped in front of him to pant and wipe the sweat away.

“You’re okay!” exclaimed Patton.

That caught Roman’s attention. “Of course I’m okay, why wouldn’t I be?” There were several reasons why but he wasn’t to know what they had to say.

Virgil answered “We were waiting for you to go to lunch and our spidey-senses went off. We didn’t see you so we thought something bad had happened to you.”

Roman blinked, his face unreadable “Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Virgil tilted his head “Interrupt? What?”

“It’s not important, let’s just get to our next classes.” Roman turned around and walked off. Virgil looked down at the ground, sad that Roman was mad at him.

Patton decided to take matters into his own hands. Literally.

He grabbed Roman’s hand and gasps “He’s heartbroken, he’s confused and hurt. He thinks…you cheated on him?”

Virgil’s jaw fell to the ground “WHAT?! I DID NOT!” Roman narrowed his eyes “I heard you earlier: ‘Oh Logan!’ You’re such a great kisser!”

This time all three of them stared at Roman shocked. It shocked Patton so much that he dropped Roman’s hand.

Virgil shook his head profusely “No! NO! NO! That was extremely out of context.”

Logan chimed in “Virgil is correct. He was mocking Patton and me.”

Patton’s cheek turns a bit pink “I may or may not have moaned.”

Roman begins to shake “Oh god, I’m so sorry…V, I’m so sorry. H-Here.” He puts the teddy bear in Virgil’s hands “This is for you, it was to apologize for my behavior yesterday but…oh god, I’m really sorry…”

Good job Roman, now you’ve made him hate you more, I hope you like being single.

Virgil looked down at the teddy bear, rubbing his thumb over the shirt. He threw his arms around Roman’s neck and hugged him. “God, you’re an idiot. But I love you so I’ll forgive you.” Virgil was mostly joking to lighten the mood. He even kissed Roman’s cheek to show how much he wanted Roman to smile.

See? You’re not good enough, he’s with you out of pity.

Roman hugged back, deciding he wanted to be selfish and soak up this moment.

Virgil continued “I’m sorry for this morning.”

Don’t be, you do deserve better than me.

“I forgive you V.”

I’ll prove I can be good enough for you.

Patton clapped his hands in joy “Yay! A happy ending!”

“But of course Padre!” Roman let go of Virgil when he felt his boyfriend make the slightest movement, he didn’t want to frustrate Virgil more.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. The quartet sighed, none of them ate. Logan and Patton held hands as they walked to class, Roman walked behind Virgil.

Roman was really too good at faking a smile.

~

Virgil expected Roman to ignore him for the rest of the week. He knew what losing someone that close to you was like and space was what he needed.

But then it turned from days to weeks.

Roman suddenly stopped being around everyone, including Virgil. He didn’t walk with Patton to school, he didn’t talk to Logan in class, he didn’t sit at lunch with them if he was even at lunch.

Roman has a mission, he was going to become good enough to be Virgil’s boyfriend. His first step was to stay away, he knew Virgil needed space.

Thomas tried talking to Roman, but he didn’t get any farther than Roman missed his father. After that, Roman stopped coming to training practices.

Roman’s next step was to become stronger. If he could show Virgil that he could get rid of his worries and problems easily, Virgil would want to come to him when he was afraid.

In class, Roman only spoke when he was spoken to. He skipped superhero practice entirely. The only time they would truly see him was on patrol. They would see him swinging around, not stopping to acknowledge them.

Roman didn’t take breaks unless you counted the small naps he used to avoid becoming exhausted. He knew the others would be mad at him so he kept himself hidden. He didn’t want them to worry. They wouldn’t have to, it would be worth it in the end.

The others were extremely worried about him, Virgil the most. Roman didn’t answer calls, his communicator was never on and he answered text with one or two words. They feared the had lost Roman forever.

The three of them sat on a rooftop before patrol, all missing their dear friend. It was just the three of them today as Thomas had a date with MJ but they both demanded updates if Roman had been found.

A loud crash could be heard as their spidey senses went off.

Virgil rolled his eyes “Very helpful, you useless car alarm.”

Logan rolled his eyes and pulled Virgil along “Let’s go!”

The three arrived to find Roman fighting a giant robot. The watch in horror as every time Roman went to hit it, the robot would just swat him away.

Arachne waved his hand to get LoveBite and Spidergale’s attention “LoveBite, get Royal Slinger. Sidergale, follow me!”

When Roman went to go attack the robot once again, Patton scooped him up and held him.

“LET GO!”

“AS YOUR BEST FRIEND I SAY HECK NO!”

Both Logan and Virgil attempted to put a dent in the robot but, like with Roman before, it just swatted them away. Roman jumped out of Patton’s arm and went for the robot’s head. Another arm came out the back of it and smacked Roman into Logan.

Roman ran forward again but this time, Logan grabbed him while shouting “RETREAT!”

They all swung a few blocks away from the robot, Logan pulling Roman the whole way. The jumped into an abandoned building where Logan threw Roman to the ground as revenge for abandoning the group.

Roman growled and hopped up, ready to throw down with Logan. But he caught Virgil staring at him.

“Roman…” Virgil whispered

“Virgil…” Roman whispered back

The gaze was loving but they shut down. On one hand, Roman wanted to do nothing but scoop Virgil up and kiss him but on the other, he wanted to stick to his plan. Virgil was having a similar dilemma as he wasn’t sure to straddle or strangle Roman.

Logan cleared his throat, making everyone look at him “The robot seems to have a very quick reaction time, our regular attacks won’t work.” Logan knew Patton was scared. “I have a plan though. Spidergale will rush it head on while invisible. As it looks for what is attacking it, I will signal Royal Slinger and LoveBit to rush it from the sides. Make it fall on its back. When it’s down, I will use my super speed to run and put my mini robots in it. That way, more people will be attacking it until he breaks. Just keep it on the ground.”

The team all vocally agreed to Logan’s plan. All except Roman, he only nodded. His eyes were locked on Virgil and his mind was elsewhere.  The split off in their respective directions and waited for the robot to turn the corner.

“Everyone’s in position. Spidergale, go!”

Unbeknownst to them, the robot had a heat sensor. When invisible Virgil ran up to it, it knew exactly where he was. It almost hit Virgil and made him turn visible again.

Roman bolted to Virgil.

“ROYAL SLINGER, DON’T! STICK TO THE PLAN!”

Roman ignored Logan and jumped in front of Virgil.  As the robot swung at them, Roman let out a sonic shriek. It was so loud that everyone in the area had to cover their ears, glass shattered and the robot went flying backward.

The building began to crack from the impact of the giant robot. Roman swung over to check over the robot. He began kicking it relentlessly. It was revenge for the robot attempting to attack Virgil but also because he had unknowingly had pent-up anger he wanted to get out. He dented the robot over and over again. He was so distracted by rage that he didn’t realize the robot had one last trick up its sleeve.

Roman’s spidey sense went off but he couldn’t react fast enough before the robot exploded. “NO!” was the last thing he heard before everything went black

~

Roman’s first thought when he woke up was that Logan was definitely going to yell at him for not following his plan. Roman still thought it was a stupid plan and he would let Logan know it.

He pushed up expecting rubble. Once he felt the soft sheets on the bed in Thomas’ guest room, panic set in. He was cornered. Patton was more than likely leaning against the door, waiting for the sound of movement so he could jump him. Thomas was definitely next to him. Logan was probably the only thing holding Patton back right now. And Virgil…

Virgil suddenly materialized upside down on the ceiling above Roman. He was tapping one of his crossed arms with a finger and glaring at Roman.

Roman knew he had to play this right. “Hey, V…what’s up?”

“What’s up? What’s up?! WHAT’S UP?!” Virgil removed one foot from the ceiling and placed it on Roman’s throat while leaning forward. “YOU BEING AN IDIOT IS WHAT’S UP! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! WE HAD A PLAN!” Roman frowned “I stopped the bad guy, didn’t I?”

Virgil flipped off the ceiling and landed right next to the bed, scowling at Roman “Oh yes, good job! You could have died Roman! If Logan hadn’t shot you with web and pulled you back, who knows what would have happened! You were so lucky that only the flying pieces of metal that hit you only knocked you out!”

“Logan’s plan didn’t work! I had to do something! It was going to hurt you!”

“Oh, that makes it so much better! Would you like a kiss for that?! Or is the concussion you have giving you enough attention?!” Roman felt the words sting as it stabbed him and drained all the fight in Roman, not that there was much left. “Yeah…” Roman rolled over “It is…”

Virgil’s gut told him that he needed to press Roman more. “Roman, what’s going on? You’re never around anymore…”

Roman didn’t turn around “I…”

“Don’t make me get Patton.”

“I’m trying to become good enough for you!” Roman spat out as he spun around

“You’re…you’re kidding, right? Why would you think you’re good enough?”

“You don’t want to sit in my lap, you don’t want to hold my hand, you hate it when I lift you.” Roman felt it was time to let it all out, not that he could stop his word vomit. “But you do that with Logan…”

Virgil sat on the bed and grasped Roman’s hand “Ro, he’s just my best friend. Nothing more. Yes, I’m more comfortable with him but it doesn’t mean anything.” “Apparently since you seem to do it with everyone else but me!”

“That just proves that how I show you how much I love you is different, special.”  

“Yeah, right.” Roman looked away from Virgil, slightly wincing when he heard his boyfriend whimper when Roman pulled his hand away. He wanted to believe Virgil but he couldn’t. How could he? No examples can to mind. Plus, he really hated fighting.

Virgil sighed before playing with the  “Hey Ro?”

Roman blinked away his tears before turning back to his boyfriend.

“Do you remember that time you came to the dance studio?”

~

It was November 23th, a nice chilly Friday. Virgil had asked Ms. Green if he could stay in the studio for a little longer to go over the newest routine. He thought the studio was at its best when no one else was there.

Except he wasn’t alone.

Roman watched from the doorway as Virgil turned on his toes, something Roman could only dream of doing. Roman decided to surprise Virgil with a walk home. Play practice had ended early so he thought why not. When Virgil stopped to pose, Roman clapped. That made Virgil jump out of his skin

“Asshole! You scared the shit out of me!”

Roman chuckled “Sorry babe, I couldn’t help it. You are amazing and a wonderful dancer!”

Virgil blushed madly “Thanks…”

“Though I don’t think you can salsa as well as me?”

Virgil smirked, “Is that a challenge Princey?”

Roman walked over and stuck out his hand “Maybe.”

Virgil took it “Challenge accepted.”

They danced with no music and no tempo. They kept switching who was leading, they were fighting over dominance the entire time. And they had so much fun doing it.

They broke out into a fit of giggles as they held each other once they got tired. Roman gently kissed Virgil’s head before grabbing his dance bag. Like a gentleman, as Roman insisted he be, carried the bag all the way back to Virgil’s house. They chatted about different dance styles they enjoyed and when they should pull off their next prank on Thomas.

~

Roman smiled slightly at the memory, he remembered running home like a blushing school girl once he was sure Virgil was inside his apartment. “Of course I remember V, but I don’t understand--”

Virgil cupped Roman’s face to make sure he was looking into his eyes “Do you know how intimate dancing is?”

For the first time in Roman’s life, he could say he was truly stunned “H-Huh?”

“Ms. Green told me the next day, she apparently saw us dancing, that the reason dance partner end up dating each other is that how they feel about one another is seen through their dancing. You move with one another, you become one being. Dancing is romantic, it is sexual, it is an expression of love.” Virgil smiled, he was truly fascinated by what he was saying. “You’re the only one I have ever willing danced with.”

Roman was stunned silent. His mind flashback to watching his parents dancing together in the living room during holidays and any private time they had together. He looked over to his boyfriend, his boyfriend the dancer. The professional amazing dancer. Roman didn’t feel worthy of that dance. Still, he nodded in understanding so that Virgil wouldn’t worry.   

Virgil looked deep into his eyes, to see if Roman really meant it. His once lively eyes were clouded, unsure, and full of doubt. He spoke the words “I understand” but there was nothing to them. Roman didn’t believe him.

~

Roman recovered quickly, and with the approval of everyone, was allowed to go out a patrol again in just a week.

Virgil spent the whole time trying to make Roman happy again. He took care of Roman the whole week. He gave Roman kisses on the cheek and held his hand to ground him. It slowly helped Roman return back to his preppy, happy self.

Slowly. Very slowly. Virgil could see the hesitance anytime Roman went to kiss him, the doubt when he hugged Virgil, the surprise when Virgil would grasp his hands. It was painful to watch Roman suffer this way and frankly, Virgil was craving needy Roman.

Virgil sighed, he needed to come up with a new tactic or they would be graduating college before Roman was okay.

“Okay, so Logan and Virgil will take the East and South sides today while Patton, Roman and I will do the North and West,” Thomas wanted to keep an eye on Roman, maybe even have a good talk with him.

Logan and Patton untangle from one another and kissed goodbye. Patton watched Logan walk to the window so that he could make sure Roman didn’t try to run ahead.

Roman could feel the eyes on it, already putting him in a bad mood. Virgil tapped his arms, pulling his attention to him.

Virgil gave him a soft smile “I’ll see you in three hours, okay?”

Roman smiled back “Of course.” Roman leaned down instinctively to give Virgil a kiss, making Virgil’s heart soar. This would be the first time since the “Roman was all over Virgil” day that Roman would have made the first move.

But then Roman pulled away.

He turned towards the window, ignoring the shock faces on everyone. He intended to go on ahead since he almost messed up again.

Virgil grabbed the arms that were going to put the mask on Roman’s face and forced Roman around. He slammed his lips against Roman’s.

Roman’s eyes fluttered shut as he kissed back. The kiss was desperate and much needed.

Virgil pulled back and turned to the others “Can we have some alone time?” The others nodded simultaneously and jumped out the window.

Virgil turned to Roman, concern dripping all over his face “What was that? Why did you pull away?”

Roman’s eyes were unfocused “I didn’t want to make the same mistake I made before.”

Virgil frowned “Roman…is that why you’ve been so shy lately?”

Roman nodded, afraid to speak.

Virgil placed his hands on Roman’s shoulder “You know how we avoid that? By making rules. You can hold my hand and you can kiss me on the cheek whenever you want. Anytime we say goodbye, I want you to kiss me on the lips. Anything else you can just ask me first.”

Roman smiled slightly “I like those rules.”

Virgil smiled back “I love it when you give me affection. You made one mistake Roman, but the fact that you want to fix it speaks volumes about you. I love you more than anything. Never doubt that.”

Roman nodded absently. He didn’t doubt that Virgil loved him but he couldn’t help but think he was going to mess up again. He couldn’t help it. He needed something to know everything would be okay.

Virgil sucked in his breath. “You still don’t believe me!” Virgil exclaimed, which made Roman take a step back. Virgil shook his head as an idea came to mind. “Fine, don’t believe my words. Grandma always said actions speak louder than words.”

Before Roman could question what he was talking about, Virgil placed Roman’s hands on his own waist and wrapped his arms around Roman’s neck. The held each other for a moment before Virgil began to sing.

“You know I want you. It's not a secret I try to hide.” Roman couldn’t help but smile, he adored this song and the man who was singing it.

Virgil gently took Roman’s hands in his “I know you want me. So don't keep saying our hands are tied.”

Roman relaxed when Virgil willingly put his callous hand over his small and fragile waist. They slowly began to waltz, Virgil taking the lead as he was the better dance out of the two.

“You claim it's not in the cards. Fate is pulling you miles away and out of reach from me.” Virgil spun Roman out, the latter find a smile creep onto his face.

“But you're here in my heart so who can stop me if I decide that you're my destiny?” Pulling Roman back in, Virgil grasps Roman’s right hand and let Roman’s other arm drape over his shoulder. The living room transformed into their ballroom, they could not care who was watching. Their movements were fluid as if they rehearsed this dance day-in and day-out.

Virgil lifted Roman and placed him on the coffee table. Virgil ran around it as Roman twirled. “What if we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine.”

Roman leaned back and Virgil caught him bridal style “Nothing could keep us apart. You'd be the one I was meant to find.”

Virgil spun him once more before placing him on the group. He took Roman’s hands in his and looked him directly in the eye as he sang. “It's up to you, and it's up to me. No one can say what we get to be. So why don't we rewrite the stars?”

They both turned to the open window. “Maybe the world could be ours…” Putting their masks back on, they jumped out as Virgil sang. “Tonight.”

They both shot out a webbing to swing on but held one another’s waist. They continue their waltz in the air, using the webbing to keep an even level.

Logan, Patton, and Thomas watched as they continued their sky dance with long pinning looks that were only blocked by their masks.

Logan adjusted the setting on his mask “Are they…dancing?”

Thomas chuckled “And singing too.”

Logan raised an eyebrow “But why? They are only wasting their webbing, even if they can make their own, and alerting attention to themselves--”

Patton turned to Logan, a dagger-like glare in his eyes “Logi-bear, I love you but shut you ever-flapping gobtalker. They are having a moment and I must see all of it.” Thomas and Logan took a step back to give Patton optimal space.

Patton was excited, he didn’t have to touch either of them to know they were happy now. He was waiting for a moment like this.

He wasn’t the only one.

Emile was setting up his camera at this moment. He had deciphered each of the Spidermen’s patrol routes, today he was planning on getting pictures of Royal Slinger. He was anticipating action shots, maybe even some poses from the fanciful Spiderman. Instead, he was greeted with Spidergale and Royal Slinger dancing while singing one of his favorite songs.

This would look great on his Royalgale fan page.

He finished setting up the camera just as Roman landed on one building and Virgil landed on one across from him. They shot webbing at the crane that happened to be in a construction zone between the two building. They locked eyes and nodded.

Swinging off the buildings, they belted “All I want is to fly with you! All I want is to fall with you! So just give me all of you!”

Their webbing crossed, pulling them both closer and closer together as they spun.

“It feels impossible!” They tighten their grips on the webbing and reached for one another “It's not impossible!” The grasped the other’s arm.

“Is it impossible?” They pulled the other closer so that their foreheads were touching.

“Say that it's possible!” Virgil let go of his webbing. Roman tossed him in the air.

“How do we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine?” Roman caught him and they swung on Roman’s webbing.

Virgil shot another webbing and Roman let go of his “Nothing can keep us apart! 'Cause you are the one I was meant to find!”

“It's up to you. And it's up to me.” They continued to switch back and forth, perfectly waltzing. Roman dipped Virgil. Virgil then wrapped his arms around Roman’s neck and Roman held his waist with his free arm. They spun once more, Virgil having complete trust and faith that Roman wouldn’t drop him.

They landed on an empty rooftop. “No one can say what we get to be. And why don't we rewrite the stars?” They morphed back into the tradition, slow waltz as the adrenaline wore off.

They pressed their foreheads together as they came to a halt “Changing the world to be ours.”

Virgil gently lifted up his mask so that Roman could see his smile “So, do you feel better now?”

Roman didn’t reply, he only placed a finger on Virgil’s lips to silence him. Roman lifted up his mask and sang “You know I want you. It's not a secret I try to hide.”

Virgil frowned, he knew what the next line entailed. Was Roman still upset? Did he still not believe him?

Roman whispered softly “And now that I have you, I promise to never leave your side.”

Virgil smirked “Changing the lyrics? So unlike you Princey.”

Roman lifted up his mask to show that he was smirking back “I happened to be a bit creative, thank you very much.”

Virgil shook his head “Not a bit, you’re the most creative, handsome, amazing man I have ever met.”

They leaned in for the kiss again, but this time, Roman didn’t pull away. The kiss was as passionate as their first. It was powerful, energetic, on fire, with people screaming.

Oh, wait.

The looked up as their spidey sense alerted them of a nearby building fire.

Roman turned to Virgil “Duty calls.”

Virgil may have pulled his mask back down but the smirk behind it was so obvious. “Try to keep up Princey.”

~

Roman had a love-hate relationship with fire. One the one hand, it could make an evening alone so much more romantic. It is a source of life in comfort. On the other hand, fire is the reason he couldn’t see his father again, why his siblings kept asking why the “big black box” was closed with Papa inside.

Right now, he was on the hate side. A gas fire broke out and all he and friends could do was go inside and make sure no one was trapped inside. Roman never realized how flammable things can be until he got in that building. Worse, his cape caught on fire so he had an unnecessary timer to get all the people on the side of his building out.

Luckily, they were able to get everyone on out alive. Roman’s costume didn’t seem to get the same treatment.

They all swung as fast as they could to get back to Thomas’ place, Roman in the lead. Once he was two steps into the apartment, Roman ripped off his mask and gasped for air. The air-conditioned air stung against his hot skin. He ripped off the top of his costume and was glad that he had no put a shirt on underneath it. He flopped onto the couch, arms spread across the back as he panted. A web rag was placed across his forehead but he had no strength to thank the person responsible for doing so.

He had no idea how much time had passed before the world and his stomach stopped spinning but it was pure torture. He vaguely heard voices, most likely Thomas worrying about his health.

He slowly picked up his head to look around for Virgil. He wondered aloud where he was.

A hand waved in front of him “Right here, you okay Princey?”

Found him.

Roman puts his head back down and sighed “As okay as I can be. What about you?”

Although his vision was still very blurry, Roman could tell Virgil shrugged “I’d say the same.”

Roman sighed, though he had nothing to add. Once he felt his strength returning for good, roman picked up his head again “Do you want me to move so you can lay down?”

“No.”

Roman nodded, he wasn’t going to force Virgil to relax if he didn’t want to, that was Thomas’ Patton’s job. At least, that’s what he thought he Virgil meant until he felt someone placing themselves.

Roman turned his head and locked eyes with Virgil who was sitting in his lap. Virgil smiled and wrapped his arms around Roman’s neck and cuddled into him.

Roman instantly wrapped his arms around Virgil and held him close. He felt happy tears welling up in his eyes. He had been chosen, Virgil trusted him.

This was paradise.

~

Tag list:

@corkeecoderyt @Per-seph-o-nee @Ohshrekmyheck @3milystuff  @Asymmetricalgarbage8888   @fairytailtwists  @sanders-sides-rebloger  @sanderssidesfluffyangst  @unikornavenger @0callmevirge0 @gloomingwitch @roxiefox24 @ijustreallylovesanderssides @unisaurioamorfo

[deniigi]

concept developed after reading baby!matt in the sprawl: adventures in spider-babysitting. can you imagine the super/vigilante community/spiderverse gang + co. dealing with spiderman but small. bite-sized. little baby hands as spider-sticky as always. theres a baby on the ceiling. good god

Hi Anon.

Not quite what you asked for, but here’s some baby Pete from Tony’s POV I wrote yesterday to play with this concept. I don’t write Tony very much for many reasons, but I thought that this time, it might be pretty cute.

It cuts off kind of abruptly, but yeah. I didn’t really have the interest to finish it as a complete story. ANYWAYS

Long post under the cut (sorry mobile users!!)

“Tony,” Pepper said calmly, “I know that you want to help.But she is basically his mom.”

Yes, yes, yes.

But.

Consider this.

Small.

Pepper paused in typing and raised an eyebrow.

Tony got up in case she couldn’t see and showed her with hishands.

“Small,” he emphasized.

“Yes, he is very small,” she agreed.

“Very,” Tony told her firmly.

“And he is? Not our child?”

Yes, but again. Please consider: Small.

“So what I think I’m getting here is that you’re feelingpaternal today,” Pepper said during another pause in her typing.

Yes. Very.

“Why don’t we make a new baby robot then?” she offered himlike he was, himself, a child very studiously kicking the back of her seat in amovie theatre.

Because small.

“Tony. Peter is terrified of you right now.”

Yes, yes. But small,honey. So, so small.

“The second you touch him, he will start crying all overagain.”

Life is cruel.

“Have a seat, Tony. We will find you something small to holdin just a minute.”

Pete was always the size of a beansprout, height andwidth-wise, but at the present, he was but a bean. Sometimes, in their line ofwork, these things happen, and mostly they are unavoidable and Bruce and Dr.Cho had pronounced this particular affliction short-term and non-lethal andnone of that did anything to help the klaxons screaming in Tony’s head to gofind. And hold. The baby.

“You know, Tones, I think this might have affected you morethan him,” Bruce said, poking at him in the lab. Probably testing the frequencyat which he was fucking vibrating.

Must hold. The small.

“You stay here, Imma go get Rhodey.”

Yes, whatever, kindly fuck off unless there was a child inneed of holding in your possession.

Rhodey took one look at him and rolled his eyes and fuckedoff because he understood the highly complex workings of Tony’s mind. He cameback with a rabbit from one of the labs and stuffed it into his arms.

It was.

Unsatisfactory.

But closer.

“Tony. Peter is so scared of you right now, man,” Rhodeytold him.

Right. Yes. Logically, he knew this. But his brain would not compute. He could not make itstop fixating.

“He’s more scared of you then Barnes.”

Fucking horrible is what that was. Unfair on scales unknownto man. Peter and his smallness had,once separated from Tony, his apparent nightmare, wrapped tiny fingers aroundBarnes’s metal ones in silent fascination. Barnes was a baby-thief, however,and could not be trusted with children. They all ended up in Rogers’spossession and he was, every time, very confused. As were the police. Sam hadintervened to stop this this last time before it went to far and gave tiny,precious, baby-Pete a little toss which had banished the last of theTony-inspired upset and had resulted in giggling.

Tony had believed that what he had felt right then wasextreme jealously. He now knew this to be fact. He also knew that baby-Pete hadzero self-preservation instincts because preferred even Natasha’s company toTony’s.

It was problematic.

Everyone else got to hold baby-Pete, but not Tony. Tootraumatic.

Why.

May told him that it probably had to do with his facial hairwhich was horrifying. Like. Why. She said that this had always been a thing,but neglected to notice that half of Thor’s face was covered in fur and Sam hada moustache and goatee and there was no crying happening for those two.

“Yes, well. I guess they don’t seem very threatening,” shesaid, letting baby-Pete bury himself in her hair to hide from him.

He was so cute.

The universe was so hurtful.

Rhodey sighed and pet the rabbit while he clutched at it.

The moment of truth came when May brought Peter by for aquick check-up on Day two. Peter was very busy counting the beads on hernecklace. He was a great counter. For a toddler. That is. He was a very poorcounter by any other standard. He kept skipping the prime numbers with stunningaccuracy. No matter how many times May gently said, “One, two, three.” Healmost always started with “Fo’. Sis. Ni’.”

So cute.

So fucking cute.

Tony needed to sit down.

Rhodey told him that he was embarrassing the AvengersInitiative and he said, “I can’t fucking help it.” May got a phone call andasked Bruce if he could take her kid for a second. Bruce did, but notwillingly. Bruce didn’t deal with anything under the age of five. He could not.He didn’t understand their language or codes and he had very strong feelingsaround their breakability. So he handed Peter off to Rhodey as soon as hepossibly could. Rhodey saw Tony’s suffering and sighed.

“He’s just gonna start wailin’ Tones,” he said, bouncing thekid. Peter had become very interested in the seam of his sleeve.

Yes, yes, yes. But! But!

“I’m gonna give him to you, but you cannot, I repeat, cannotbe disappointed when he starts crying, we clear?”

Crystal.

“Alright.” Rhodey detached Peter from his shoulder andhanded him over to Tony’s hands and everything was fine. The klaxons shut offlike a switch had been flicked. Peter chewed on some fingers and looked up athim with big, liquid brown eyes. He did not scream. A good sign. He even dug afew of the fingers of the other hand into Tony’s shoulder. He was warm and softand so, so small.

After a moment, he stopped chewing and looked down to theground and cooed “Waaaay.”

“Oh yeah?” Tony asked him, adjusting him a little bit closerto his chest.

“Mm.”

Fuck.

Goddamnit.

“What’s down there?” Tony asked, looking down to see whatthe kid was staring at. The question brought Pete’s attention right back up tohis face. He blinked at Tony like he’d never seen him before. Tony practicallyfelt Rhodey brace for impact beside him.

But still. No crying.

Thank god.

“Hey, there. Welcome back,” Tony said, bouncing a bit.

Peter hummed at him again and patted gently at his face. Hislittle hands were warm and soft. Tony could die. He could die happy now. Noklaxons. No crying.

“I would kill for you,” he said mournfully. Peter leaned upand pressed their cheeks together. His was almost entirely chubby baby fat.Inconceivably soft. He was really into the rasp Tony’s own cheek made and wentto business giving himself beard burn in his enthusiasm. Tony had to pull himaway before he rubbed his face raw.

“You,” he told the boy seriously, “I would kill for you.”

Peter cocked his head like he hadn’t quite caught that. Tonyrepeated it for his edification. He accepted it with grace and went back tochewing on his fingers.

“Ah, he’s not scared of you today,” May noted when she cameback in from her phone call.

No. Praise be. He handed the child back and felt lessdesperate than before. She laughed at the visible relief on his face.

“He was pretty volatile the other day, don’t take itpersonally,” she said. “You should have seen him with Wade.”

Ahahahaha. Yeah.

Wait.

What?

Peter loved Wilson. He admired the fuck out of the guynormal-sized and was obsessed with him while fun-sized. May explained thatWilson had heard what had happened and had dropped in to make sure all wasright with their tiny family and to offer his services in the case of any bumpsin the road. He evidently had not planned on becoming Peter’s obsession.

“He’s kind of a natural,” May said, “Although, I’m not surehe’s overly comfortable with it.”

Yeah. You don’t say.

“Pete cried for nearly half an hour after he left, it waspretty surprising. He’s not much of a crier.”

You. don’t. Say.

“He’s fine, of course. Wade would never hurt him.”

No, because Tony would kill him if he did.

May took Peter’s tiny hand and had him wave to them all onthe way out, once a clean bill of health had been acquired. Pete didn’t seem tofully appreciate the gesture, but he was into the waving part and smiled widefor it, which was more than enough for Tony.

“I think I might have to murder Wilson,” he admitted toRhodey once they were gone.

“I think you’re being dramatic,” Rhodey said.

No, he was probably right.

He was definitely right.

Tony actually got to see this beautiful friendship when Maycalled him out of the blue and said that someone had bugged their house. She’dfelt a little uncomfortable as of late and so had called Wilson for aprofessional opinion and Wilson had located three bugs in the Parker residence.He was trying to do one last sweep when Tony got there to collect them. Tonysuspected it was SHIELD. He suspected this because Cap had had the same problemthe other day.

He didn’t make it a habit to go to the Parker residence andwas always taken aback by the sheer amount of foliage in the front room. Itlooked like May had pushed some of the more fragile containers to the backs ofshelves or moved them up out of the reach of tiny hands. But she needn’t beconcerned at the moment, because Peter was dead set on ruining Wilson’sbug-sweep.

He definitely thought that Wilson’s time was better used, inthat moment, in playing with him. Wilson, for his part, was just trying to dohis damn job for once. He’d take two steps and nearly trip over the kid andthen grab him and dump him on the couch, which Peter thought was the height ofexcitement. He scrambled off the couch and went to go throw himself back intoWilson’s field of vision as soon as humanly possible.

Wade, bless him, could only deal with this so much.

“Baby boy,” he said, holding Peter at eye level the thirdtime he’d done this, just in the time Tony had been there. “I am trying to do athing. You are being a very, very, verygood disrupter. The best disrupter.”

Peter decided this was high praise. When Wade tried to puthim back down on the couch this time, Peter whined and latched onto his neck.Wade gently extricated him and held his hands at his sides when he sat him downthis time.

“That’s a no,” he said firmly.

Peter made an upset hiccup.

Wade valiantly did not do what Tony would have done whichwas shatter to bits and give the kid anything he wanted.

“You stay here,” Wilson instructed. Then he let go of Pete’shands and stood up and went back to his careful sweeping.

Peter watched him for a few seconds before he got bored ofbeing in one place. He started to off the couch, but Wilson caught him in theact.

“Ah,” he said with a finger. Peter squirmed back into place.

A new game.

And Wilson knew it. He turned very slowly back to his work.Within moments, Pete was at it again.

“AH.”

Back on the cushion.

The kid practically rattled in happiness.

May hid her smile while she handed Tony the found bugs.Yeah. SHIELD grade. He sighed.

“Wilson, last time I ran into this, there was five.”

“Copy that. Here’s four.”

Huh. What do you know? Guy knew what he was doing. Tony tookthe fourth bug and inspected it for insignia. Peter made a noise of triumph.

Tony looked over and they all saw that he was proud ofhimself for having escaped the couch while Wilson had been occupied liberatingthe most recent bug. He’d latched himself to Wilson’s arm.

“Not this again,” Wade moaned.

Again?

“No sticking,” Wade threatened.

“Ya.”

“I said no.”

“Ya!”

“Aigh. If you’re fucking sticking—no, of course, you’resticking. Peter.”

Uh.

“He likes to stick to Wade’s suit,” May said evenly.

“PETER.”

Yeah, he was getting that impression.

“OFF.”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“Nooo!”

“Oh my god. Child. I am doing work.”

Tony very very rarely saw Wilson any kind of serious, so itwas kind of amazing to see him so put out.

“Way!”

“What?”

“Way!!”

“Volume does not equal clarity, tiny monster. What?”

Peter hunkered in, beyond happy with his work. He did notlet go of Wilson’s arm. He cuddled his forehead into Wilson’s pec and the guylegitimately took a few calming breaths.

“You,” he said slowly to the side of Peter’s head, “Are a lot.”

“Way.”

“Glad you know. Alright, fine. That’s your decision. Up wego.”

Peter, for whatever reason, was chill with latching ontoWade when he was on the ground, but as soon as there was air-time involved,this relationship broke down.

No.

He did not want to be held. Or carried. Or any of that. No.He wanted down. Immediately.

“No, no. We are making decisions today,” Wade said over thewhining. “You made that one, so you gotta live with it.”

Peter huffed and puffed and then hiccupped like he was goingto cry, but Wilson just carried on with his business, one-handed this time. Andsomehow, this ignoring process worked? Peter’s hiccupping settled down withWade’s jerky, searching movements. Peter watched his chin as he felt under ashelve blindly. He grabbed at it..

May smiled again and then turned to Tony and mouthed ‘anatural.’

Yeah, so it would seem.

Wilson found two more bugs and, once Peter had settled infor a nap and could be transferred to May’s arms without incident, completedone good last sweep and declared the home bug-free. He said that he needed totake off, he hadn’t anticipated this taking so much time. He informed May thathe’d be in touch and started to leave, but it was as if Peter had a fuckin’Wilson alert in his head. He woke up instantly. Wilson was half through thedoor when he startled just wailing. The way he had when Tony had tried to holdhim the first time.

Devastated. Devastating.

May shushed him and muffled him by tucking him into herneck. Wilson’s body spoke tons of guilt.

“He’s fine, Wade. Go ahead. Thank you for your help,” Maysaid.

Wilson nodded, hesitant. And then hurried off to whatevercrow’s nest he needed to go perch in.

Tony took the bugs back to the lab.

Peter didn’t want to play later that week, when Bruce wastrying to take his temperature. He scowled at the thermometer and hid in his aunt’sneck.

“Bad day?” Bruce asked once the child had been traumatizedto obtain the temp.

“Very,” May sighed. Tony felt bad for her. She was still asingle mom. She didn’t exactly have a whole lot of extra time or support inthis surprise toddler business. He’d offered to help, but while Pete was happyto be held by him, and by Pepper, he would not tolerate their prolongedpresence without his aunt. That was asking for tears and frustration.

May said that her husband had been a big help back whenPeter had first come to live with them. He hadn’t quite been this little, butBen, as an electrician, had had a little more flexibility in his schedule andso could do a lot of the childcare that May’s job didn’t really allow for.

It was harder without him and harder with a younger,traumatized kid who only had one relative to cling to. She mentioned offhandthat Wilson had babysat for her for a few hours that week, and that had gonefine. But she was thinking that maybe she’d ask Franklin Nelson to do it, sincehe was really good with kids this age.

And like?

Franklin Nelson? Like, the lawyer? The one who worked forHB&C? The guy who took the Jessica Jones and Punisher cases? That FranklinNelson?

“He’s a friend of our family,” May explained.

Huh.

No shit.

“Peter is very fond of his friend Matt.”

What, like. Matt Murdock, Matt? Infamous blind legalbulldog, Matt Murdock?

“That’s the one.”

Like. Okay? That was weird. Would he be alright with them?

“Oh, I’m sure of it.”

Well, if she was sure.

She asked if she could give Tony’s number to the lawyers incase something happened and she couldn’t leave work and she absolutely could dothat.

Tony heard not a peep from the lawyers the next day. Or theone after that. Franklin Nelson, he knew, was a very responsible guy. And if hewas used to little kids, then it made sense that he had the situation undercontrol.

Tony did, however, get a text from May respectfully askingif he could grab the kid and hold him for an hour or so, as her shift had beenunexpectedly prolonged.

Which was how Tony found himself in Hell’s Kitchen, underPepper’s orders to be respectful and not get shot, knocking on the closed upoffice door of Nelson, Murdock & Page.

Page, if he recalled, was the crazy reporter who picked afight with half of the hotshot murderers in the city. The Punisher. WilsonFisk. Union Allied. Gal didn’t know how to quit. He was somewhat surprisedthen, for the door to open to the lady herself with Peter securely settled on herhip.

“Go away, he’s mine,” she said. And closed the door.

Uh.

Awkward.

The door reopened to the tune of Nelson scolding hispartner. He invited Tony into the place with greater politeness. It was a hugechange from the guy’s old office at HB&C. Much tighter. Warmer. Very homey.

Karen Page had settled herself behind the secretary’s deskto bounce Peter in her lap. The kid hummed with the movement and seemed to becomforted by this.

“May said she was working late, but she didn’t have to sendyou around,” Nelson said. He himself had changed into warmer colors with themove it seemed. No more stiff blue suits for this guy. Tony could dig it.“Really, we can watch him until she’s done with work.”

“It’s fine, I’m being selfish, too,” Tony admitted offhandedly.Nelson seemed to understand this. He looked over to where Karen Page hadwrapped Pete up in her arms and was going through the ABCs with him. He mumbledalong, more or less in time.

“Kare, I’m afraid the time has come,” Nelson said withfinality.

“Noooooo.”

“Now is the time, girl. Nothing you can do.”

“Matt! Foggy is abusing me!”

“Thank you, I’ll take that.”

“Kidnapping, Matt! This man is kidnapping my ward!”

Peter went easily into Nelson’s arms and buried his fingersinto his collar. Page took it hard and slumped down in despair. Nelson cluckedat her and rolled his eyes and went to hand Peter over but two things happened.

One, Peter took the opportunity to stick to Nelson’s shirtand jacket and two, Murdock came out of his cave to investigate the aura ofdespair emitting from Page, who was evidently slowing descending to the flooras goo.

“We lose Karen?” Murdock asked in a surprisingly pleasanttone.

“That’s a yes. Peter, let go, honey.”

Ooh. Tricky. How to handle this one without revealing Peteto be Spiderkid. Tony moved forward and began to help Nelson dislodge thefingers. They did not come willingly and as soon as one hand was removed, Petermade an unhappy grunt and dug the other one in deeper.

“C’mon, kiddo,” Tony encouraged. No dice.

Murdock raised an eyebrow their way and then busied himselfcurling over the desk to tap at Page. Possibly to revive her. Who knew?

“Matty, can you come here?” Nelson finally asked when bothhis and Tony’s attempts had run their course. Pete wasn’t budging and he’dhidden his face in Nelson’s neck to prove it. Murdock lifted himself up frombehind the desk as if to say, ‘who? Me?”

“Matt.”

“Alright, alright.”

Wow, so begrudging.

Murdock kept a hand out when he moved forward without astick or anything to help him, and found Nelson’s shoulder without muchtrouble. He then, somewhat playfully, felt around until he was dancing fingersacross Peter’s face. The kid giggled.

“Who’s this?” Murdock asked.

More giggling.

“Well, certainly doesn’t seem like Foggy. Not grumpy enough.”

Nelson gave him a flat look that he couldn’t see, but musthave been able to somehow feel. Murdock had perfectly straight teeth. It waskind of eerie.

He trailed his hand a little further along until he wastickling Peter’s neck and, in his moment of weakness, swept the kid right offof Foggy’s shoulder. Like some kind of ninja. It happened so fast that Tonyalmost missed it entirely. Like.

How the fuck did he do that? Could he figure out wherePeter’s arms were just by sound?

Dude. He needed to look into how blind people experiencedthe world. That shit was incredible.

“Thank you,” Nelson sighed. Murdock tucked the kid into hisown neck. Nelson stiffened. “Matt. Matty. What are you doing?”

“Nothing.” He spun around and headed back towards hisoffice.

Oh.

Tony got it now.

“Matthew. Bring him back.”

“What? Can’t see you, Fogs. Can you speak a little louder?”

Nelson’s irritation, which Tony had seen go as high as afour out of ten, ratcheted up to a six in no time at all.

“You two are insufferable,” he said.

“WHAT?”

“WHAT, FOGGY?” Page echoed from the floor.

Nelson very clearly had strong feelings about his partnerswhich he was actively repressing to save face in front of Tony.

“I am so sorry. Give me five minutes,” he said and then leftTony standing in the waiting room while he went into Murdock’s office andclosed the door behind him. Two minutes passed in silence, then Page sniffedand picked herself up off the floor, collected her shit from her own office andheaded out. She resolutely called Tony a pig before she closed the door behindher, which was, in retrospect, understandable.

He didn’t know which part of his being in specific hadoffended her, but he was used to this treatment.

Nelson remerged around the three minute mark with a verygrumpy Peter once again in his arms, although this time, less interested inclinging to him. Apparently, he didn’t want to be separated from Murdock. Thiswas conveyed by the whining and grabby hands over Nelson’s shoulder.

Nelson handed him off to Tony without a struggle this time.Peter huffed up at him and pointedly looked back towards Murdock, now skulkingirritably in his office entrance. Defeated, but only for now.

Right.

Tony wasn’t sticking around for that battle. He thankedNelson and made a hasty retreat.

Peter wailed half of the way back to the tower. Didn’t likethe car seat. Didn’t like the car. Didn’t like Tony at the minute either.

Ah, well. T’was the toddler life, wasn’t it?

[rowanartist]

Fan fiction quotes 2019:

"with great foods, came great emotional baggage"[X]extra funny since I just saw Into the Spiderverse

"Just get together every couple of weeks, without Stark, and you guys can pass Steve around like a bong."[ch2]whaat? And chapter three is a dirty parody - worth a read for the humor of it

"he just hopes Tony has the sense God gave concussed baby sheep "[X]interesting phrase

"“Science,” Jane says, drawing his face to hers, “Does not require pants "[X]fun series of short fics

"Never something so hot; not like a flame is hot, but the strength of something bathed in summer sun. "[X]interesting view on attraction

"(He'd been sketching when he thought that through; now there's a page that has a little cartoon of himself, ducking, with the caption "the spoons are attacking!" although he'd ended up finishing his latte before he actually drew any flying spoons.) "[X]Steve upon learning about spoon theory

"Can you think of anything that symbolizes the eighties better than David Bowie’s crotch in tights? "[X]giggle out loud! "You drink once if someone whines, if Sarah says something isn’t fair, or if we get a shot of Bowie’s crotch. "[Same]comment

"“Like you’re going to vibrate out of your skin?” Natasha finished for him, understanding. Sometimes, after what they’d been through, it was hard just to be in your body. Easier to dissociate, to let whatever was going to happen happen while the part of you that was you floated far away. Natasha had been there before, and she knew James went there sometimes. "[X]ponder?

"They’re each wrapped up in their own blanket burrito, lying side by side in the dark, sharing one pillow. "[X]dual blanket burritos

"For most of his life he learned the safest option was to repress his emotional responses as much as possible, and over time he forgot how to access them when he actually needed to. "[X]relatable to a small degree

"Nothing too special but I’m pretty much Michael Bay’s wet dream "[X]to describe bakugo lol

"Most people," Midoriya continued gently, "don't need to be told they have a crush by the person that they have the crush on."[X]my boyfriend can relate to Midoriya here...

"about how if Midoriya could go this long talking without breathing in any new air, he'd probably be really good at kissing. "[same]lol

"God, fuck off. You look so freshly screwed that it hurts me. "[X]Bakugo ;p

"After all, shodō is one of Shouto’s hobbies. For Midoriya’s birthday last year, he made a beautiful poster of UA’s motto that is now displayed prominently above Midoriya’s bed. "[X]draw? If i can? "Please don’t use your All Might voice when we’re making plans to have sex. "[Same]lol

"He’d known for a while that his boyfriend internalizes, that he still struggles with a lot of insecurities and periodic depression from his years around his dad "[X]comment

"Shouto you’re worth more than anything. And you deserve happiness. I don’t care what micro-dick has said to you in the past or any shit he spews out of the mouth that’s somehow more obnoxious than Present Mic "[same]dam it Endeavor :/ "You’re a dork,” Izuku mutters in a break for breath. “Your dork,” Shouto says quietly "[Same]awww

"But if you ever forget your phone again I will use you as an advertisement balloon for a day, and that’s a promise."[X]lol

"First of all, I challenge you to find a dress that can fit that shoulders to waist ratio.” Shouto replied, matter-of-factly, pointing at Izuku’s entire body. “Secondly, you absolutely lack the manners to be a princess, you brute.” "[X]part of a series

"Another young woman that couldn’t be older than Shouto and Izuku looked up at the call. She had a round face and long, brown hair with little orange streaks every now and then collected in a braid. The red rimmed glasses she wore made her yellow eyes look bigger, behind the lenses. She lit up, when she saw them. "[X]need to try to draw

"You’d die of embarrassment— Either that, or Aizawa-sensei would kill you. And I kind of like you alive, thank you very much.” "[same]LOL

" is standing there in grey sweats and a loose Totoro hoodie he got him on one of their first dates "[X]draw

"It definitely didn’t help that Izuku stretched lazily, something akin to a cat just waking up from a nap, one of his legs stretching against the wall as the opposite arm reached towards Shouto with fingers spread wide-open. "[X]DRAW!

"What? They’re really short, all my boxers showed and it was weird. "[X]...

"Just because he isn’t as obvious about it, doesn’t mean Shouto isn’t beyond anxious too. "[X]comment

"He doesn’t treat Shouto like he is fragile, but he treats him like he is precious, and that is an important distinction"...."Something precious, however, doesn’t necessarily break easy, but it warrants the utmost care. It’s meant to be cherished. "[X]relationship advice

"One of the national dishes has no meat in it, but it’s the hottest thing I’ve ever tasted. I thought we were all going to die and T’Challa was going to succeed in eliminating us. Then I heard him yelling at the chef, saying none of us were used to Wakandan peppers.” "[X]https://archiveofourown.org/works/8688724/chapters/19918951#workskin

"All Tony was supposed to do was fix the alternator. Instead he built me a Jeep that tells me I have to initiate a proper launch sequence before I’m able to turn it on and drive.” "[Same]comment

"I’m sorry,” Midoriya retracts his hand, and Todoroki misses it instantly. “It’s not something I can fix, and that makes me sad. You don’t deserve to hear the things he tells you.” "[X]reread comment. Relatable to a degree personally

"But he has to admit the Docs greener side is awfully useful in a brawl; and his less menacing side has a wicked sense of humor, not to mention awfully good with a med kit. "[X]i like Bruce having a sense of humor

"That's what friends are for anyway, having your back when times are tough, and amusement for when times are peaceful. "[X]amusing

"Bucky didn't think he was being rude, but if Captain America said so, it must be true. "[Same]comment

"Steve’s always been a fan of cuddles, even if he doesn’t like to admit it, admit how much he needs that physical contact. "[X]I'm a fan of this concept

"Which in Steve-speak means that you’re feeling guilty as all hell over things you can’t control – again, mind you – and you can’t rest because you can’t shut your brain up.” "[Same]relate "There’s power in this act, Darcy thinks as she sucks and licks up and down his length. To be able to take someone apart with just her mouth and a few touches of her hands. Reduce them to tears or send them flying upwards into the heavens. And the knowledge that she wants to do this for him – for them – makes the feeling all the more potent. She doesn’t have to do this, but it’s her choice, and she wants to give this to them. "[Same]ponder more

"She may not come from it, but the closeness and the intimacy is far more important than any orgasm. "[X]remember

"He knows better, knows that Bakugou’s punches of greeting and movie nights at Yaoyorozu’s house with Mina, Hagakure, and Tsu, and that baking with Izuku are all love. That’s love, not the villain sat behind the desk. "[X]dark fic, author warns in notes. But this line is sweet

"Natasha Romanoff is a world-class spy, yes. But she’s also a potato chip thief who makes dumb jokes and uses emoticons (she had been very adamant that Steve learn the difference between emoticons and emojis), and Steve adores her for it. "[ch5]she's human

"Bucky flopped onto it rolling around like a dog on the soft surface, Natasha quietly responding by taking out her phone and videoing his nonsense. "[ch2]Mr. Kate style rug cuddle but solo

"“First of all, just because someone is good looking does not mean I should have sex with them. There are attractive serial killers Nat, do you want me to get murdered? Second of all, I don’t know him. Third of all, he’s not looking at me like I’m chicken wings, also Clint, seriously? Chicken wings?” "[same]lol, but I'm with you Bucky

"Even in just plain sweatpants, the American icon without a shirt was an image that would have anyone seeing stars and stripes, regardless of sexual orientation. "[X]:)

"Agent Bishop was hit with a biological weapon today that has a ninety-two per cent chance of ending in fatality within three days unless proper care is administered to disperse the chemical compound through natural methods. Meaning, in the case of humans, sexual release. As in, orgasming."[X]a legalese description of "sex pollen" ...

"Do the horizontal contra dance, yes," Darcy answered. "Well kind of, I mean there's only three of us and a contra dance is four to a group, but tango is just for two and I had to think of something fast. Come on, Stevie, this isn't the first time we've hooked up. "[X]lol

"He wanted something just for him again, even though he felt like a selfish asshole for even thinking it. So he would do whatever he could to chase after that feeling. Even if it was stupid. Even if it was silly. "[ch2]advice, remember "Tony must never read these, Steve thought. Bucky’s arm would never be safe. "[ch3]Steve Discovers FanFiction "Steve stayed focused on the screen, sticking out his tongue a little while he concentrated. It was unfairly adorable. "[ch4]Jarvis knows how to motivate Steve: a Bucky themed typing game "Good things would happen. Funny, clever jokes would be told. Sexy adventures were always available, no matter what was happening in the real world. "[X]relatable "There was even a page of ‘Bucky Approved Sex Words and Phrases’. The name alone never failed to make Steve smile "[ch7]lol "He wasn’t really writing this stuff for the money anyways; mostly he just wanted to see that other people liked and enjoyed what he was doing. "[Same]relatable: my redbubble rowan-artist

"Darcy’s eyes widened. “Oh god, I just imagined you naked, dusted in gold, on a satin-sheeted bed. My mind is a dangerous place.” “Hey, there’s always Halloween.” "[ch6]you being Steve

"Jane was rapidly nearing the angry-bear stage of sleep deprivation (there were seven levels on the Dr. Jane Foster Sleep Deprivation chart; angry bear was number five, between 'genius-level insane productivity' and 'sugar high five-year old'), "[X]also Dean Fury ... "Then you come to me, we'll kill a bottle of Jameson and make Thor carry our drunk asses home while we sing Les Mis horribly off-key," "[same]amusing

"This is why you should always read end-user agreements on friendships. "[X]not the fic but the start notes, lol. Also, Maria's entry is adorable, and Pepper potts!! "(“So what you’re telling me is you spent a week building a glorified roomba,” Rhodey says the first time he sees it, and Tony lets out an undignified huff and makes JUNK-E destroy and clean a grand piano.) "[Same]hahha

"And it’s better to be an asset, which at least sounds like something you value, than a glorified action figure. "[ch3]comment "Steve’s friendship is stronger than even Steve’s shield, and protects them both just as much "[Same ch9]awww

"Bucky actually is, but she knows well enough not to ask. Instead, she has started braiding flowers into Natasha's hair while the other girl of the group is busy making a flower crown for Thor. This is what it must be like to have real friends, Bucky thinks, lounging in his camping chair, trying to eat with one hand while Steve is holding his arm, drawing on the inside of his forearm with a black pen. "[ch2]flower crowns "I heard a lot of things I kind of projected on myself. It's probably stupid, but… it's always crazy to hear things that apply to oneself somehow." "It's the magic of music. Sam once told me about the Mr. Brightside effect–" "[ch4]yes "Bruce is on his own so much that he probably doesn't even notice that he has friends "[ch5]relatable, high school me

"The most beautiful thing however was the wall right next to the bed-- while all the other walls were the same off-white color, this one sported stripes of different colors down. Blue, red, green, purple, black, another shade of lighter blue. In the middle of these stripes, the Avenger signs were painted by a meticulous hand; Cap’s shield, Tony’s arc reactor, Mew Mew, and so on-- Darcy didn’t notice she was crying into Mara started wailing in solidarity "[ch1]draw?

"He knows it, like Steve and Bucky know that Tony needs praises and affection, not commands. "[ch8]...

"She thanked Sif (a habit she had started lately, thanking the Asgardian warrior instead of some non-present God, because really, if there was a god she wanted to follow, it would totally be Sif) "[X]nice Darcy "Even if she wasn’t an Avenger per say, she got to be on the team, both super and nonsuper alike. "[ch2]awww

"Elizabeth is going to make coffee happen, and in Darcy’s eyes that makes her a goddess. "[X]comment "By the end, Steve had been right in the thick of it, using a frypan as a shield and hurling pasta like nobody’s business. "[same]comment "Agent Hill’s bad ass levels are through the roof, but put her in front of a powerpoint and the result is coma-inducing. "[Ch3]lol "JARVIS, my man, I need some fat beats up in here. Help a sister out?” "[ch3]comment

"She knew now that it was almost certainly to do with her personal level of comfort and how hard both Steve and Barnes had worked to make her feel good. "[middle chapter]comment

"A video clip of the Asgardian scientist Tadeas and Neil Degrasse Tyson singing a scientific ballad of their own composition was one of the most viewed Youtube videos of all time "[X]lol "He grabbed [a muffin] and shoved it into his mouth, belatedly peeling the paper off. "[Same]haha! :D "Darcy put a box of Sour Patch Kids on top, “Those are for Heimdall.” "[X]comment "“No. Damnit, Darcy. You’re stubborn. Of course you’re stubborn! Jesus Christ, I can’t even imagine what it must like to be in the same room as the two of you.” "[X]best friend sass "But Clint is a human with a bow on a team of superheroes. "[X]Darcy's favorite avenger and why Ch4 music note "Apparently Thor is back on Earth. He showed up in New York right after we left and basically deafened all of Brooklyn with his displeased shouting about his missing Shield Sister. So now everyone knows I’m gone and my disappearance is trending on Twitter as #MissingAsgardianPrincess. How is this my life?! I can’t even with this shit.” "[X]mild spoiler? HAHAHA "Try having a conversation with one of them [asgardians]-- 4 to 1 odds it turns into some sort of ballad recitation. "[X]...

"The next day, Izuku Midoriya delivered his eleven page elaborate essay on how ordering sex toys inspired him to be more honest with himself and his boyfriend about what he wanted in life and in bed. "[X]lol

"“Fire for stop, ice for slow, and smash for go.” "[X]comment

[logical-logan-sanders]

A Platonic Valentine

A familial love Analogical for Valentines Day. This is specifically for @planningconstantplanning, who is the Virgil to my Logan.

Patton 

 Roman

It had been a long day by the time Virgil got home. Even though it was Valentines Day, colleges weren’t letting up. The only difference was that he was planning to go to the store tomorrow for cheap candy.

Although Virgil’s plan had been to crash in bed as soon as he got home, apparently someone else had other plans. As soon as he walked through the door, his twin brother was standing in the living room waiting for him.

“I have something planned for today for Valentines Day if you are not opposed. Although if you are too tired, then we can stay in instead.”

Logan looked a bit hesitant, knowing that Virgil often just needed to relax at home after a long day. However, Virgil had more than enough energy for his brother, especially when the other had gone out of his way to prepare something.

“If you have prepared something for Valentines Day, which is a holiday we both know you aren’t a huge fan of, than of course I’ll come with you.”

“It is simply the romantic side of Valentines Day that I do not like. The side where you go out of your way to show your friends and family that you love them is something I can get behind. And since you are both my family and my best friend, I decided that I would show you my love.”

Logan looked a bit hesitant but continued, “I knew that neither of us would have any prior plans so I figured that we could spend the evening together.”

Virgil knew that Logan didn’t want to hurt him with the insinuation that he had no other plans and that was why he was so hesitant but Virgil was perfectly happy to spend the holiday of love with his twin. He gave Logan a reassuring smile and his younger brother grinned back.

“As long as you do not need anything, let us leave for our Valentines Day plans.”

“Let me just drop my backpack off. Will you tell me where we’re going?” Virgil went to drop his stuff off as he spoke and Logan followed him.

“If you would feel uncomfortable going without knowing what is going on, I will tell you my plans. I would prefer to surprise you but I realize that you do not always like surprises.” Logan had heard about and been there for enough of Virgil’s panic attacks that it was obvious he didn’t want to stress him out. Also, to be fair, Virgil knew that Logan wasn’t always a huge fan of surprises either.

“I think I’ll be fine with it, you know me well enough. I’ll let you know if that changes.” By this point, both brothers were back by the door and Logan turned to Virgil again.

“A problem just occurred to me. You don’t prefer to be the passenger but in order for me to keep this a surprise, I must be the one doing the driving. Will you mind coming in my car for once?”

Virgil shrugged, Logan was right but he could deal with his brother driving him around every now and then. “It’s fine, less gas money for me. I want to choose the music, though.”

“Sure,” Logan agreed without arguing, “You’ll have to play it through your phone, though. My speakers are broken.”

Logan unlocked his truck and they both got in. Virgil put on his current favorite playlist and watched out the window, trying to figure out where they were going as Logan drove.

It didn’t take him to long to guess as they drove into town, to where the small movie theater was located. Virgil checked what was playing on his phone and grinned at Logan in excitement.

“Are we going to see Into the Spiderverse?! I’ve heard so much about it.”

Smiling, Logan nodded, “We’ve been meaning to go see it and it’s not really related to Valentines Day at all but I thought it would still be fun. If you are not opposed, we will also go to dinner afterwards. You can pick where we go. However, we should go in, the movie will be starting soon.”

The two hurried inside and Logan went to buy their tickets while Virgil went to get popcorn. Before long, they were seated in the small theater and the previews were starting. Virgil looked over at his brother and best friend and thought, sure, romantic love would be nice. But this is just as amazing.

This isn’t the best thing I’ve ever written but I wanted to write something for Valentines Day and I just kind of sat down and started writing. I finished this all in one sitting.

[hyperfix-action]

A New Hyperfixation

Well, may as well kick off the renovation with a post about hyperfixations. Here, have a dumb post that contains more writing and effort than my essays during senior year did.

My last hyperfixation was Mystery Skulls Animated. I found a link to Hellbent, the most recent video, the day it dropped. I enjoyed it and went back to watch the first two videos in the series. And like that, I was hooked! Not long after I joined a Discord group. Unfortunately (or, rather... Maybe it was fortunate after all?) the admins were no longer into MSA and thus deleted the server after having been there for.. Maybe a week at most? 

Needless to say, I was devastated and wanted a community to yell about my fixation with. So I went and searched on tumblr, and came across a post by someone I now consider to be a good friend, advertising their MSA Discord Server. Thankfully they allowed me in, and it was wonderful. I made friends left and right, I had wonderful discussions about theories and ships, I finally had my muse back. For the first time in months, my artistic muse was back in full force, and I was doodling all the time! Hell, I even finished pieces! Lines, colour, background... Everything I hadn’t done in months.

I made... Honestly, some wonderful friends. I haven’t felt this close to people in what seems like years (although in reality, it’s probably just been closer to 7 months). Hell, I could sit here on my laptop all day and wax poetic about the people I’ve come to know and love. 

Aw hell, love... I forgot to mention I fell in love, too. Which was, obviously, a stupid thing for me to do. I’m still trying to figure myself out; trying to further myself and carve out a meaningful place in the world, to come to terms with my gender and the dysphoria that follows, to simultaneously move forward and yet hold myself back out of fear... My brain isn’t in tune with my heart, though, so here I am distancing myself in a poorly executed plan to get over them. I know it’s not fair to them, and kind of a shitty thing to do? But ah... C’est la vie, as the saying goes. I did mention I was dumb, right? 

This person and I- y’know, writing “this person” is going to get very old... I’ll call them King. King and I talked all the time, whether it be in the server or in DM’s. Shared secrets and tidbits about ourselves; things I haven’t told to another person in a long time. Things I limited only to my best friends... In fact, they were the one to introduce me to my current fixation. 

The server often times had events. Game Nights, voice chats, drawpile, movie nights... The whole 9. This also extended to my friends and I. King even streamed musicals for me to watch. First came Dear Evan Hansen (yes, I sobbed). Then, King showed me Hamilton. 

Now, Hamilton, I had heard rumblings about throughout the years. I had a passing interest, “yeah, I’d like to see it at some point! But it’s not number one on the list by any means. I’m into something else right now” was my train of thought. When King offered to stream another musical, of course I was interested! Hamilton was amongst the choices offered that night, and uh, our other viewer... Ha, I’ll dub them as “Silver”. He’d like that.  Silver chose Hamilton. 

Needless to say, I fell in love with the show. I don’t know why this one, or why now; I’d had many things I could’ve fixated on before then- Spiderverse, Venom, and Dear Evan Hansen just to name a few... But here I am. 

Immediately I started looking for tickets to see it, trying to gauge the price. It was during the initial searches that I saw the show was about to begin its third tour. So when I saw it was coming to New Orleans, I knew that was my opportunity. I picked up more hours at the Bell, I ended up getting a raise, I had money left over from Christmas. I budgeted and scrimped and saved. I negotiated with my grandmother, who was going to be down at the Bay when the cast came to New Orleans, to find a way to go see it. 

And all the while I had begun to read fanfiction. Falling more and more in love with the characters, with the ships. I bought the soundtrack and began memorising the songs from Act 1. 

And finally, after multiple rounds of negotiations, working 6 days a week, and scoping prices on tickets... I’m happy to say that I’ll be going to see the show just after St Patties Day. I am beyond excited. To share this experience with my grandma. To have a small vacation before throwing myself back into work. To immerse myself in my latest hyperfixation. 

The only downfall to this? I spend less time on the MSA server. I spend less time with the friends I’ve made. My muse is... Not gone, per se, but definitely shifted. I draw less, and write more- fitting, huh? It’s somehow more intense and more gentle than my fixation for MSA. So I’m... Floundering? I suppose that’s an apt descriptor. I’m floundering as I adjust to the abrupt shift in my personality and habits. It’s terrifying and freeing all at once, and I find that I can’t bottle it up anymore. So. 

Here’s to a shift. A renovation. A revelation. A revolution. Let’s hope some of these habits stick. I quite like writing again.

[tamarindtoffee]

Best English movies in 2018

List of some of the best english movies I have seen this year! (No particular ordering)

1. Upgrade :

One of the best movies I have seen this year. The action sequences are so exhilarating that I wish there was a sequel already. This is the only sci-fi movie worth mentioning this year (sorry Annihilation).

2. Ralph wrecks the internet :

Wreck it Ralph is one of my all time favourite animations. The sheer amount of imagination this franchise packs is amazing and the new installment just pushes the limit further. I am amazed at how much detail went into making the internet setup like the data packages sent across, user personas maintained, search engines, tweets, etc. But what really stood out for me is that the film packs a great message of handling friendships when your life is changing. I personally lost several friends because I couldn’t handle their life changes. Well, its never too late I guess.

3. Game night

This is a complete fun filled entertainer. It delivers exactly what you would expect from this genre. The real shiners are of course the lead cast Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman. Who knew they could scorch the screen with their funny side.

4. Searching :

Another good thriller I have scene this year. The concept is refreshing and the execution is flawless. The fact that they switch from Windows to MAC in the 2000′s is a testament to the goodness of the execution. There is not so much mystery in the whole story but the movie as a whole is just worth the time.

5. Crazy rich asians :

Henry Golding! Eeeeee! That boy is just HAWT. It has great story too but Henry Golding! As for the movie, pure rom-cam just set in a different culture. But as long as that boy is on screen, I will watch anything, so.

6. A quiet place :

Another good thriller with great execution. Personally, what I loved most about the movie is the lifestyle itself. I mean, listening to radio all day eating raw food and laying still and not making any noise just seems like an amazing daily routine to me. I’m just saying, I could live comfortably in these settings you know.

7. Bad times at el Royale :

This movie trailer looked like it is gonna be a treat for Chris Hemsworth fans! So, I went into the movie expecting to see the shirtless almighty. As I was waiting for him to appear, I realized how crazy awesome this movie is. It was just riveting from the beginning and was unsettling by the end. The movie really stands out for its ambiguity and symbolism. All in all, great story telling and amazing cast. Do not miss it at any cost.

8. Mission Impossible: Fallout :

Tom cruise and Henry Cavill in one movie! I would just watch it even if its worse than a super bowl commercial. And this movie has some amazing action sequences. It isn’t the best spy movie ever but it is good enough to make this list.

9. Hereditary :

I wish I hadn’t seen this movie because it has so many disturbing sequences. Oof. It is Donnie Darko meets The Boy meets Insidious.In any case, it is a terrifying movie and you should not miss it because is a life experience.

10. Johnny English strikes again :

Funny! Really funny! Mr. Bean did it again. The scene with the VR headset where Johnny interacts with real world thinking it’s a game is just phenomenal and will make you giggle uncontrollably whenever you remember it. Or is it just me?

11. The spy who dumped me :

Cute Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon are cute. This movie packs so much punch in terms of feminism and oppression and it is all cleverly disguised under this sarcastic tone of situational comedy that it is amazing. It reminds me of the Melissa McCarthy 2015 film Spy and if you liked that movie, you will love this.

12. Eighth grade :

This is a really good movie on account that it is very realistic and makes you really uncomfortable by reminding you of your own awkward teenage years. You see the protagonist win these small and trivial milestones and yet you are so proud of her. It’s just really good. The fact that it is scripted only makes it all the more precious. I just couldn’t believe that awkward teenager was in someone’s head and it got translated from script onto screen.

13. Love, Simon :

Ooh, this is such a nice movie and a great book. More than the love track, I love all other tracks like the friendships and the parent-child relationship. I think they are the core of this character who then stands on these strong relationships and goes on grab another good relationship.

14. Set it up :

A netflix original with some great content. Another rom-com of course but the premise and the actors just make it stand out. Definitely worth a watch if you like Glen Powell because he is just so underrated.

15. Tully :

Another one of Charlize Theron’s acting master pieces. As a mother of three, Tully is the heartbreaking story of a mother who struggles to keep her sanity when she can’t find time for herself with everything happening in her life.

16. Dumplin’ :

I put this movie on the list because it helped me discover this whole new genre of Dolly Parton and cross-dressing. It is a cultural experience of sorts and you should have it.

17. Sierra Burgess is a loser :

The only reason this movie is on this list is because of Noah Centineo. That boy is yum and can be consumed only through these Netflix teen flicks. None the less, enjoy him.

18. Isle of dogs :

Haven’t seen the whole movie yet. But heard it’s really good and then there is Wes Anderson too. So watch it and let me know how you feel about it.

19. Avengers Infinity war :

It has become customary to watch these installments in summer and wait for the next one to come out year after year. But if you have invested in 18 movies before, what else are you gonna do? I blame RDJ for this burden.

20. Black Panther :

Hooray! I am at the end of my list. And I don’t mean to belittle Black Panther in any way. It was just as great as any other super hero movie released this year. I sure wish to see many more of the Wakandan supremo in the future.

Some more honorary mentions: Deadpool 2, A simple favor, Spiderman into the spiderverse, Destination wedding, etc.

Check out my other movies reviews here --> http://tamarindtoffee.tumblr.com/tagged/movie%20review

[annarosewriting]

the chaotic energy of Spotify wrapped.

Y’all smell that? 

It’s the smell of another Spotify Wrapped Season upon us. 

And I, for one, am ECSTATIC. 

I thought I had a pretty good idea of what my Spotify Wrapped would include. Harry, obviously. A lot of songs from my lifting playlist. Some Taylor Swift, the usual. But then I remembered Bo “Could I Interest You in Everything All of the Time” Burnham came out with Inside this year. 

And all of a sudden I was having flashbacks to how many times Bezos I was played at top volume in my car driving to work and I knew that my playlist was FUCKED. 

But that’s not what’s important here. 

I fucking L O V E Spotify Wrapped season. 

It’s truly the most wonderful time of the year and I don’t CARE how many goddamn Instagram stories or tweets I see of people sharing their Spotify Wrapped. I love it!!!! Text it to me directly for all I care!! I’ll talk to you about your favorite music all day long!!!!

There are all these memes about how people are scared to expose themself with their Spotify Wrapped and like...you fools. You absolute buffoons. Honking your big clown noses. 

Spotify Wrapped playlists are the best way to get to the heart of who someone is. 

I’m obsessed with all of my Spotify Wrapped playlists. Each one is like it’s own time capsule into what was going on in my life during that year. What I was thinking, feeling, doing. What mattered to me most and what music sparked joy. What music made me feel, what music helped heal me, what music did I play over and over in my car as I drove all over Ohio. 

My 2016 Spotify Wrapped? Just the Hamilton soundtrack. Not really but it might as well have been.  

2017 Spotify Wrapped is a confusing blend. It’s show tunes and Lizzo’s Good as Hell which was the first song of Lizzo’s I ever heard. Kiwi by Harry Styles makes an appearance. His debut album had come out that year and it was all I listened to to show my support. The Gilmore Girls theme song mingles with hits from the movie Baby Driver that are nestled next to Tkay Maidza. 

The 2018 Spotify Wrapped playlist is a little more cohesive. Still more show tunes than I liked to admit but Dua Lipa’s New Rules helped to remind me to let go of the past. Magic in the Hamptons by Social House and Lil Yachty was the only thing playing in my car that summer as I drove all over the country. Pynk by Janelle Monet was on there as well because...well...why wouldn’t it be? 

2019 was the entirety of thank, u next because jesus that’s a good album.  Choice hits from Lizzo’s debut album comingle with the entirety of Neotheatre by AJR as I learned how to be a working adult. The Into the Spiderverse soundtrack is on there as the main motivator I have to work out. 

My 2020 Spotify Wrapped is just Fine Line by Harry Styles, because of course. The Birds of Prey soundtrack as I started to get more into lifting. Selena Gomez’s Rare album helped me to get out of, and thrive, from a relationship where I felt unappreciated and stuck. And WAP. Because, again, of course. 

People can talk shit about Spotify Wrapped playlists all they want. They can deride the people who share the information on social media but I adore it. It tells me so much about people. 

Music is something that is so personal. It soothes, it heals, it motivates, it focuses. It makes you fall in and out of love. It’s there for you no matter what. And in the past year when we’ve all been through some shit, it’s nice to have a tangible reminder of what we went through and what music and artists helped us through. 

It’s about taking stock of what happened over the past year and thinking, okay, it was tough but I made it through and here’s why and how. It’s taking those experiences and having something tangible you can look at and marvel at how strong you were. 

There’s a sense of community as well. It’s showing a piece of yourself to others and saying this is how I love, this is how I process, this is how I view the world. Can you see any of that within yourself as well? 

For me, i’s so much more than just a playlist or a screenshot once a year. It’s the unveiling of who you truly are as a person. 

And sometimes what the playlist tells me is that I’m a simp for Harry Styles.