#my course is nearing its end also. very short course. excited to be done with it. i need to make a resume. augh

[ratspider]

stardewvalley......

[sgiandubh]

I laughed at your sweet Sam post. Not meanly but I did laugh because yours along with some others over the last few days show how very little there is to actually talk about. This fandom is almost completely dead. I've been here a long time and its been dying as the years and the wait between seasons lengthens and the engagement ceases, but this time seems the worse one by far. Tumblr is dead, Twitter is dead, IG does not lend itself to blog style posts so is also dead. Cast: giving nothing. TPTB: useless photos and occasional BTS videos with no new content/no context. It's a real bummer. I did smile to see Sam's sweet little face though.

Dear Dead Fandom Anon,

I think one of the most interesting things about a fandom experience (first and last, for me) is what you make of it.

Cast keeping it mum? No problem, but still intrigued.

Twitter dead? Twitter has been dead ever since it turned into X, this is barely news. But since it's also politically loaded, I am not going to discuss it: I have my red lines and do not see fit dragging my daily life in here.

Tumblr dead? Make no mistake: Tumblr is dormant. But throw this crowd something, like I inadvertently did with those old S&C pics, and just watch your clicks explode. This crowd is always hungry for more. Always. And mind you, people will still hang around at least until this show is over. Some to see the end of it, others to taunt the opposing faction, in a completely useless attempt to do some missionary work. So nope: not yet.

IG is, of course, a joke. It's primarily for selling a media profile to future studio honchos, agents and all the other Hollywood types you'd wish to work with in the foreseeable future. The day those uber-excitable ('SHOUTING, SCREAMING, THROWING UPPP TO SEE MY PARENTS LIKE THIS' - yes, this is fandom legit jargon, Anon) women will understand they are a tradeable digital commodity like any other is the day Insta will begin to crumble. We are not there yet and so I suppose we'll see more of those (young?) people shouting, and screaming and throwing up in celebration of 'their wonderful friendship for life' (🙄). Or C's make-up, since that's just about all she's showing her sans-culottes. Or S's biceps, since that's just about all he's showing his mommies (spare for the booze- and no, FMN not coming soon in a liquor store near you: moi aussi, je suis désolée). Your pick.

As for ***, well... Never ever in my life have I seen a company so endeavored to destroy whatever it managed to build, in terms of audience success, in such a short time span. Whoever planned the current wreck should get the sack, sooner or later and they have only themselves to blame.

Thankfully, this series will be over and done with. It is my deepest wish, Anon. And then, we shall see. We shall live and we shall see.

Keep calm and carry on: that's your (our, really) boredom speaking.

[fletchervanhall]

Birthday Special | Flavier

Featuring: Xavier Mitchell, Fletcher Van Hall w/ Drew Van Hall, Winter Mitchell, Henry Mitchell and mentions of others Time Frame: Evening/Nighttime, July 26, 2024 Location: Various locations in SF, ending at the Van Hall home Notes: Flavier and the family celebrate Fletcher's birthday in a very special way! @xaviernottheprofessor

XAVIER

He had made it through four weeks of recovery and Xavier had started to finally feel more like himself. His short term memory was improving thanks to his therapists and he even felt stronger. Still, he had a couple of weeks to go before he was cleared for any type of strenuous activity but for now, he would take what he could get. His week started off energetic. Xavier even ran errands in his free time. On Tuesday, he went on a special errand to pick up the ring he had chosen for Fletcher. He had gone back and forth a few times and had to be incredibly secretive about it. He wanted to surprise Fletcher and the family at dinner and he hoped that he would.

He held himself up with his cane as he adjusted his belt and sighed when it was too difficult to do so he called Fletcher as he checked the rest of his outfit in the mirror. The ring was in its box in his jacket. Surely, the theater would be cold.

“Baby, can you help me with this? Sorry, I’m struggling.” He looked up at him and smiled. “You look nice.” Fletcher always looked handsome to Xavier and this past month, having his support and encouragement for rehabilitation has been so important to him. “I told the family we will come and pick them up for dinner after the movie. Drew seems up for it so that’ll be nice to get him out of the house for tonight.” He spritzed some cologne on. “Are you excited ?”

FLETCHER

Fletcher was in the bathroom, fixing his hair and trimming his already short beard. He'd brushed the clipped hair from his face into the sink, and then rinsed all of it down the drain before pulling his dress shirt on and buttoning it up. After the past month of keeping extra company with his fiancé at home and helping him get to and from therapy appointments, he was looking forward to them going out on a date, and knowing that Xavier was truly up for it.

Walking back into the bedroom for his sport coat, he heard Xavier's request and smiled a bit. "Of course I can. Don't apologize for asking me for help, alright?" He pecked Xavier's lips and threaded the leather through the belt loops before buckling it into place. "How's that?" He stepped back, "You look handsome by the way. Always wearing the hell out of everything." With a slight smirk, he neared Xavier again and pecked his lips and then moved to put his sport coat on, leaving the lone button undone. "Sounds good. It feels weird to get this dressed up for the movies. I know it's really for the fancy dinner after but still. I'm looking forward to it though. What about you?"

XAVIER

 “Thank you.” He smiled at Fletcher and took one last look in the mirror. “That’s perfect and you’re biased.” He chuckled, kissing him back and then sliding his jacket on. “But also it’s a premiere so we won’t look too out of place. I hope you get to see Ryan or Hugh even from afar.” Learning that this was Fletcher’s first premiere made him even more excited. There would be no red carpet for them. They’d be going as fans but he knew the cast would be there. “I’m excited to celebrate you. Besides it was Winter’s idea to do a Michelin star restaurant for your birthday and you know I’m all about week long celebrations especially when it comes to my man.” He held on to his cane, stepping up to Fletcher and wrapped an arm around him before resting his head against his chest. “And I know I don’t have to but thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” He had discussed with his therapist how this could have ended differently for him, his children, Fletcher, and the people he loved. It was a huge reflection that had been weighing on him. Enough for Xavier to draft a living will. “I love you.” He kissed Fletcher’s chest and smiled before looking up at him.

“I’m also super excited about the fan event because surely we will get a bunch of DP swag.” Slowly, he pulled away and grabbed the car keys off the dresser before tossing them to Fletcher. Lately it felt like Xavier belonged in the Van Hall home and it had become his and his kid’s home too. They had made it all work and Winter and Henry were happy to be spending time with everyone. He could tell they didn’t want it to end and didn’t want to go back home but perhaps with the question Xavier was going to share with everyone tonight, things wouldn’t have to change too drastically. He was caught in his thoughts and he took a deep breath as the nerves took over. “little nervous now, yeah? Seeing some colleagues that haven’t seen me in a while. I just wanna spend it all with you tonight and our family later though” He chuckled and began walking toward the steps, fully aware of the fib he had dropped. Xavier was nervous but for other pressing reasons.

FLETCHER

"Excuse you. I own my bias but this isn't one of them. Have you seen what the stans on the internets have said? I know you have, oe that Tanya's told you." Fletcher knew Xavier was right about it being a premiere and he had seen the way people dressed for it. Celebrities and others involved in the film usually dressed up in more formal attire while fans would wear costumes and cosplay.

"I think she just wanted to see me in a monkey suit," he jokingly accused. "But thank you for this. It's nice celebrating with you and the family." His arm delicately came around Xavier, only for him to move it down to his waist. "You're right, you don't have to thank me. I love you and I'm gonna be your husband. Even if I wasn't, I love you and that's enough."

He smiled a bit, "Oh yeah? I'll have to get some kind of shelving for all things Deadpool that I've got. Put the non-wearable stuff on display like trophies." As he double-checked his pockets for his wallet and phone, he lifted a hand in time to catch the keys. The ease of the routine he and Xavier had fallen into was a pleasant one for him. He loved the life they were building together and only hoped it would get better from here. As he held the keys in one hand, Fletcher prepared to walk out of the room just behind Xavier, sliding his feet into the loafers he'd paired with his outfit. "It’s probably a little nerve-wracking for you but other than maybe one fading scar and your latest fashion accessory," he gestured to the cane, "You don't have a lot of physical things to draw unusual attention. But the family time afterwards is gonna be great. We'll probably have multiple forks and spoons set at each chair at the restaurant, huh?" He chuckled as well, taking the stairs just behind Xavier as he'd been doing all throughout his recovery. Whether he fell forward or stumbled backward, Fletcher would be there to catch him.

XAVIER

“Lord, those fan made videos get me feeling all mortified.” He grinned. “But I’m glad Tanya has shown me the crazies that are out there.” He shuddered but then recovered with a smile. He was glad that Fletcher was looking forward to the dinner even if it was at a fancy place. He would have done it at the diner they all loved too but he figured it would be a nice touch. He knew that his fiance appreciated an act of service that wasn’t over the top and that wasn’t the point of tonight. He was still going to celebrate Fletcher’s birthday early and he was going to ask him to marry him in front of their family. It was the way it should have been. “I love you too.” Thinking how easy it all felt, Xavier knew that he had no regrets in this giant decision he had made with Fletcher.

“Shelving isn’t such a bad idea actually. Maybe you can do something for your office too.” Xavier began walking out and feeling Fletcher linger closely made him feel safe. “Most likely but don’t ask me what each one is for. We can google it.” Even thought his celebrity status had been growing, you couldn’t take the South London out of him. “The food is out of this world though. I can’t wait for you try literally everything if you want I don’t care, tonight we all feast.” He made it to the bottom of the stairs and waved at Henry who was playing with Phoebe while Winter and Drew read together. “Alright. Drew, as always is in charge. Reservations are at 7 so we will be here around 6:30 to pick everyone up. Love you guys!”

Xavier smiled at his daughter when she looked up and at Drew as well. Phoebe was too entertained by Henry who was singing and dancing for her with her baby karaoke machine. “Phoebe’s definitely your number one fan.” He then looked over his shoulder at Fletcher as if telling him their family was the best.

FLETCHER

"You mean that finishing school isn't an automatic requirement when possessing a British accent that's not Cockney or Yorkshire?" Fletcher joked, while being familiar with a few of the varied accents across the pond. "Damn, and here I was, counting on you to give me a crash course after the movie." He grinned and then raised his brow a bit, "What kind of cuisine's at this place?" He wondered, realizing he'd meant to Google and see if he could skim the menu but had forgotten to do so before.

When they cleared the bottom of the stairs and reached the living room entryway, Fletcher took in the scene too and nodded in agreement with Xavier's parting words to the kids. "What he said," was all he added along with a wink to his uncle and the kids. Drew made a joke about throwing a 2-hour house party while they were gone and Fletcher snorted and rolled his eyes, playing into the joke, "As long as you clean up before we're back and no one breaks anything." Hed loved the sight before them and met Xavier's silent communication with a gentle smile before slipping past his fiancé to get the door for him.

He walked with Xavier put the door and to the driveway, unlocking the SUV with the fob. At the passenger door, he opened it and stayed there until Xavier was comfortably seated. After shutting the door and making his way to the driver's seat, he started up the car and backed out so they could head to their destination. On the way, he asked, "Hey, what do you think about some sort of guest house in the backyard? There's a shit ton of room without messing with Drew's garden. And once we get Lieu, he'd still have plenty of room to run around or go to the bathroom. Which means Phoebe would still have room to play back there when she's a little older."

XAVIER

"Uh, no. My mum and dad are really good about that stuff I just never paid attention like why do I need to know this? Who's laughing now, huh?" He grinned. "I think we can both learn on the way there and surprise the hell out of everyone at how charming and refined we are." Xavier chuckled. "It's Mexican. I know it's your favorite and the place has two Michelin stars so you'll fall in love with everything." Even though they all spent time together at home, it was nice to do something out with everyone.

Xavier laughed at Drew's joke and they both walked out as their older kids whistled at them. "Great suits!" He could hear Winter yell out and Henry giggle from the other side of the door. "Maybe you're right on Winter's diabolical plan to see you in a suit." He climbed into the SUV, grateful for his fiance's assistance, and immediately turned on the Car Play to start some music linked to his Spotify. He waited for Fletcher to get in the car and tapped his jacket pocket to make sure the ring box was still there.

Xavier put the theater address into the GPS for Fletcher and then sat back. "A guest house? That sounds like a nice idea. What are you thinking? How many bedrooms? There's definitely room back there. I know some great people who do really good work. I can look into them for you. There's even space for a little playhouse for Phoebe. We can get her a swing set or a slide or something. That yard is pretty massive." Xavier had a lot of thoughts when it came to their living situation but he didn't want to impose on Drew's property. He had even thought about the prospects of everyone moving into his home but he could tell the kids loved the Van Hall home and Xavier didn't want to take Drew away from what he knows and loves. "Is this because of us?"

FLETCHER

"I totally thought that knowing fork placements was required," Fletcher joked with a smile. "Yes, we'll show up with an expert level of which one's the salad fork and which one's the dinner fork. That's all I know for fork names." Hearing that they were going to a Michelin star Mexican restaurant certainly piqued his interest. "Fancy Mexican food sounds like a good time. Thanks, sugar. And I'll be sure to thank Winter too, later."

Hearing Xavier agree about Winter's plan, Fletcher kept the joke up by answering in feigned seriousness, "I'm telling you, she wants to turn me into a regular dapper Dan. I didn't realize I had so many sweat pants haters in my life. Jesus." When he got into the car and heard the music Xavier chose, his interest always honed in to see what sort of music Xavier was going to have them listening to, since he knew his fiancé's taste varied more than his typically did. "Thanks," he said of Xavier plugging in the directions. And after posing the question about a guest house he listened to the questions and thoughts his fiancé had about the idea ofa guest house and then responded. "I wasn't thinking about anything too big or too elaborate. Just something like a studio space with maybe a sink and toilet. Maybe not even that and just somewhere decent and comfortable to be able to sleep since there'd be plumbing to consider. A playhouse for Phoebe would be great too, and I'd been thinking about a swing set for when she's a little older. Maybe when she's two." He agreed about the yard space and at Xavier's last question he smirked a little. "Yeah. I already talked about it with Drew. I'm glad Henry and Winter have been alright with the space in the house as it is but long term, I can't imagine the both of them wouldn't want their own space when they're here. And... whenever we do marry, or even before then, I can't see us keeping this up with going back and forth between homes on a permanent basis."

He glanced Xavier's way and then back to the road. "I know your place is already big enough to accommodate all of us without any construction but... if you and the kids are open to it, we'd love you guys to move into Drew's house. Permanently. The studio space was something I thought Winter might like, as she's getting older and all. And if she doesn't like that idea or feels like she'd be to separated from everybody else, we can figure something else out. Maybe talk with Drew about a way to expand on the ground floor to add a room or two. It's something he and I have talked about before, when he got his diagnosis so I'm sure it's doable." Reaching across the center panel for Xavier's hand, he said, "Ultimately, I just want us to do whatever's gonna be best for our whole family."

XAVIER

"Guess I'm not fancy enough." He smirked right back at Fletcher and then laughed at his words. "That's like two forks more than I know." Xavier was feeling less nervous now that they were on their way to watch the movie. It felt like there was less time left now and that in no time, he'd be asking Fletcher formally to marry him in front of the most important people in his life. "You're welcome! Can't go wrong with Mexican."

He started by playing some old-school Linkin Park knowing that Fletcher not only loved them but that they'd be a great vibe for the ride to see Deadpool. "Some R&B might cut in between songs because your boy is versatile like that." He grinned and continued listening to Fletcher's ideas regarding a guest house. He nodded as he listened, picturing the ideas that were being mentioned. "I love the idea of a studio for Winter. I think she'd really appreciate that now that she's getting older. like you said." He agreed that moving back and forth would eventually make little to no sense and now that Xavier had spent a month recovering at the Van Hall home, it felt more like home than his own house did. Xavier took Fletcher's hand and squeezed it, smiling at him as he heard what he had added.

"I think and this is definitely a shared sentiment, that we'd love to move in permanently and we can figure out logistics. A guest house sounds like the most ideal. I can help with all of that and I'll put the house up for sale. The money I get from that can be separated for the kid's college funds. Phoebe, Henry, and Winter and we can use some of it towards construction." Xavier had been able to pay off his home pretty quickly and even though the purchase was made only a couple of years ago, the market was asking for double now. He saw it as an investment. "I want what's best for them too and I want Drew to stay in his home and we'll really make a home out of it. The six of us. Drew's excited?"

FLETCHER

"The accent makes up for it," Fletcher quipped with a grin. And his toothy smile lingered for a little bit longer. Hearing the type of cuisine that would be at dinner had him looking forward to it a little more than before--not that he had been dreading it but the thoughtfulness of it being his favorite cuisine upped his interest.

When he heard the familiar opening to Linkin Park's "Faint", he lightly drummed on the steering wheel as he drove. "Mhm, I know it. And you know I don't mind." He enjoyed the music as background noise while he and Xavier discussed expanding the house and the idea of all of them living together in one home permanently. Xavier's swift decisiveness on what to do with his own home and the sales earnings made Fletcher's brows raise. "You're always so sure of yourself and what you want. Or who you want," he added with a knowing smile. Taking hold of Xavier's hand, he carefully brought it to his lips while leaning over a bit to press them to his knuckles. "Would you consider making it a rental or an Air BnB? Or are you pretty set on selling it?" Fletcher would support whatever decision Xavier made but he knew that there was a big sacrifice being made and wanted to be sure his fiancé was considering all options. He gently squeezed the younger man's hand and then said, "Yeah. I mean you know Drew is pretty even-keeled but he loves you and the kids, and he knows that being more settled with where he lived as he gets older and things progress with his Parkinson's is better for him."

XAVIER

"Well, thank God for that." Xavier snickered, enjoying the back and forth and the fact that he was feeling 100 himself now even if physically he still needed some help. It was nice to be able to participate in some banter with his fiance again and to joke around and feel like he wasn't missing the butt of the joke. It was nice to be able to plan a special dinner, speak to point people, remember instructions and hopefully execute this long-awaited mission (long for Xavier).

He smiled at Fletcher's words and it wasn't like he had the realization in that moment but the reminder of how different they both were and yet worked so well together was a nice one. He couldn't help but laugh a little at Fletcher telling him he was always so sure of himself and his decisions. "I try to live that 'no regrets' kind of life and if I want something, I'm going to get it. Within reason of course. If you would have pushed me away at that auction, this might have gone a little differently but I wouldn't have given up without a little fight." He knew he probably came on strong to Fletcher that first night but again, he had no regrets. He basked in Fletcher's little gestures and sighed happily. Nodding at the suggestion of renting his home or making it an Air BnB, Xavier hadn't really thought about that. "You know, that actually isn't such a bad idea. We'd probably make a decent investment on Air BnB alone. It'll be an extra income and we'd still make money to put away for the kids. Would you join me in that kind of business? That's a really great idea, baby." Xavier smiled upon hearing about Drew and felt confident and happy in the decision to move into Drew's home instead of moving somewhere different or to his home. "I want him to be happy and always surrounded by the people that love him. And I just want to be with you, it doesn't matter where but staying at Drew's house is special. Feels very familial."

FLETCHER

"We all have our redeeming qualities," he joked. Fletcher chuckled along with Xavier, loving their silly banter. He was happy to not only see but hear so many smiles and laughs from his fiancé, sure that the injuries to his ribs hadn't made it easy for him during the past month.

Listening to Xavier, his lips tugged into a small smile as he replied. "I know. I learned that pretty quickly about you earlier this year. But I don't remember you really fighting so much as you being vocal about what you want, sooner than I've been throughout our relationship." He glanced Xavier's way and then back to the traffic. "And thanks to you, we've had a lot of movement between us this year." It wasn't an accusation or condemnation, but merely a matter of fact.

He was glad that Xavier was on board with all of them living at his uncle's house and expanding to accommodate all of them. And hearing Xavier consider the possibility of not completely giving up his home had been nice. "If you're on board with it, I'll be glad to go into that kind of business with you. I can be a crotchety landlord to collect the rent or handle any air bnb complainers." He'd been mostly joking and knew a lot about managing a business from running The Ink Tank, but given Xavier's fame, it probably would be better if Fletcher was the one to handle anything in-person. Hearing Xavier talk about his wants and him being thoughtful of Drew. "And this is why you are my sweetheart. And my sugar. God, I love you."

When they neared the theatre where the movie was premiering, Fletcher could see how traffic was being directed. He followed the signs and the people monitoring the cars and limos until they were brought to a valet. Fletcher got out, handing over the key fob in exchange for a ticket, and then he walked around to get the door for Xavier. He pocketed the ticket and, upon opening the passenger door offered his hand to his fiancé. "Ready to lead me through my first premiere?"

XAVIER

Xavier smirked at Fletcher's quip, feeling incredibly secure about the big steps they were taking in their lives together. The shift was tremendous and they had families to move around with them but they were making it work and it was beautiful. "I mean, I kinda just popped in and took over your life so..." Xavier smiled and bit his lip. "Thanks for letting me." The words were heavier than they were meant to be. Xavier, being the romantic he was, struggled with finding someone who aligned with his desires and meshed with his personality. The only person he would have considered treated him terribly. Somehow he had been lucky enough to find someone who let him love him back and considering how much love Xavier had to give, it was fulfilling. "We're a team. Don't forget it."

"I want you to really own this crotchety landlord schtick. Walk in with a cigar between your teeth, a bucket fisherman's hat, and a tool belt or something. Wait, that's kinda hot. Dammit!" Xavier laughed as they both discussed the potential. Keeping the house made sense. Xavier was grateful for the suggestion. "I think you'd be perfect for that though. Going into business with you, moving in with you, all these major changes. I really like how it all sounds. So exciting." X sighed softly and then added, "I love you too."

He took Fletcher's hand and climbed out of the car with a lot more ease now that he felt a lot better. "I am so ready. We're getting swag first. I want those popcorn buckets and then some blokes will probably lead us down the red carpet but it won't be anything flashy. They're all here for Ryan and Hugh and the gang. They might take a photo or two and then Ben Barnes is gonna have to give up the whole being my boyfriend charade" Xavier explained with a grinned and held his fiance's hand. "Then we get to enjoy the movie in 3D Imax and get bragging rights to everyone tonight."

Xavier waved at a few people he had recognized and even signed a couple of autographs as he walked with Fletcher. It was an organized crowd and everyone looked amazing. He really hoped for the opportunity had had asked a friend for as a favor and after some more photographs and after they had gotten to concessions, he felt a hand on his shoulder and there was the surprise he had gotten together for Fletcher. "Oh! Hey mate! Ah, we're so excited to see the movie. This is my fiance. Fletcher. He's really excited to meet you both." And there they were. Hugh and Ryan their hands extended for Fletcher to shake and Xavier was grinning ear to ear, squeezing the top of his cane from excitement.(edited)

FLETCHER

"That's a fun summary of how things went down between us," Fletcher mused with another smirk. And the next works that left Xavier's mouth had him touched. He gave Xavier's hand another loving squeeze and told him, "I'd do it again, every time." There was nothing about their relationship that Fletcher would do differently. They complimented each other beautifully and loved each other and their family deeply. "Like I'd ever," he replied about not forgetting that they were a team. But he soon ended up laughing when Xavier leaned into his joke as a landlord. "There's nothing hot about me in a bucket hat. You sure you're feeling alright tonight?" He playfully slipped his hand from Xavier's long enough to place the back of his hand to his fiancé's forehead. And then he resumed holding his hand again. "We don't have to rush it. You're right about this being major changes, and we'll have to get the add-on to the house before renting out yours or making it an air bnb. And we have the service dog coming soon. And eventually a wedding to plan and tell everyone about." Yeah. They were going to busy for a while.

As he supported Xavier through his exit from the car, Fletcher listened to his fiancé. He grinned and said, "So the cast will be here for this?" He knew there were premieres happening all over the country and had no idea how all of it went. He walked beside Xavier while paying attention in preparation to follow his lead. He'd let his hand go whenever Xavier was asked to sign something or take a photo with someone. And when they were asked to be photographed together, Fletcher wrapped an arm around his back and bore a relaxed expression to the photographers.

As he bent to adjust his shoe lace, he heard Xavier talking to someone nearby. Fletcher froze for a few beats--first from hearing Xavier introduce him to someone as his fiancé for the fire time. Second, because of the 2 familiar voices that responded to Xavier. Fletcher rose to his feet, outwardly composed, returning their handshakes and telling them both, "Nice to meet you," and, "Congrats on getting this movie done. I'm looking forward to seeing it tonight." Internally was a different story. Inside, his fan boy heart was soaring over the moon on an Acme rocket. He was grateful for the quick chat and their willingness to take a picture before their handlers came up to usher the 2 movie stars along. When it was just he and Xavier again, Fletcher grinned to his fiancé and leaned in close to his ear. "That was unreal. Thank you, Sugar."

XAVIER

"Maybe. I think so? I have a feeling, yes." Xavier smirked as he gave Fletcher nothing and everything all at once when it came to asking if the cast would be there. It was nice to do this with someone he was serious about, someone he was going to spend the rest of his life with. Xavier was happy that Fletcher didn't seem too bothered about posing with him and was glad that the experience overall was easygoing. Thankful that Ryan had done this kind meet and greet and that Hugh had agreed to it as well, Xavier waited for them to leave before turning to give Fletcher his full attention. "I know. I'm trying to get my heart rate to stabilize..." he spoke with a smile on his face. "You're welcome. I owe Ryan my left kidney now but that was worth it. Let's go see a movie, yeah?" It was the first time Xavier had introduced Fletcher as his fiance, and it was a hard launch considering he kept a lot private but it had escaped his lips and it felt so natural that it just reminded him of the anticipation for their dinner and how he had meant it when he said he wanted Fletcher to be his husband. Now or someday.

The movie exceeded his expectations and most importantly, every time he glanced over to Fletcher, he seemed to be having a good time. Livin' on a Prayer was now stuck in his head and he was pretty sure he had yelled louder than most when Blade came out. "Oh my God!" He couldn't contain his excitement as they walked out of the theater and Xavier gently tugged on Fletcher's jacket sleeve. "That was so great, right? Did you like it? Did you have fun? Those seats were incredible, the energy, the crowd, the 3D, I can't believe we just experienced that." He was excited for the movie, yes but also knowing that in such a short time, they'd be sitting with their family and he'd be asking an important question again was really making Xavier feel all the feelings.

"The car should be ready in the back. How's your appetite?"

FLETCHER

Xavier's coy answer made Fletcher narrow his eyes at his fiancé for a moment but he said nothing more on the matter, knowing he'd just have to wait and see. He didn't anticipate them being there, but knew San Francisco was slowly becoming more noticed in the industry and would allow himself to be pleasantly surprised if any of the stars were there. Regardless, he knew he was in for a good night with his fiancé.

And after the brief encounter with the movie's 2 stars, Fletcher chuckled a bit from Xavier's response and then said, "I think you're oure done with surgeries and hospital stints for a long-ass time so Reynolds will have to fight me for that kidney of yours." He was happy to go into the theatre with Xavier but it wasn't until the haze of being a little starstruck faded that he played back in his mind and realized Xavier introduced him as his fiancé. He'd thought about saying something--only to ask if he'd meant to since they'd been keeping their engagement under wraps since in NYC--but he decided not to. It wasn't a problem and thinking back on it now, it'd felt nice to hear.

The movie had been everything and then some for Fletcher. From the opening credits--which were always entertaining for each Deadpool film--to the many cameos particularly in The Void, to the final fight with the multitude of Deadpool variants, all the way through the end credits and the stroll down memory road with the Century Fox X-Men. The movie was a genuine delight for him with all of the ways it entertained, didn't take itself too seriously while also held some heartfelt moments, and finally gave him and other fans Wolverine in his comic book-accurate yellow outfit in full.

Holding all their swag in one hand with the now empty popcorn buckets stacked, Fletcher left the theatre with a smile on his lips, lingering from the end credit scene and the overall good time. And when he felt the tug to his sport coat, he looked to Xavier and grinned a bit, "Hell yeah, I loved it. As soon as it's streaming or I can purchase it to rewatch at home, I'm doing it. I haven't been to the movies in a while and that was the best one to go see as a return. I only left with one question." When they reached the valet podium, Fletcher took the ticket from his pocket to hand one of the valets and waited beside Xavier for the car to be brought around. He threaded his fingers between Xavier's and lifted their hands while bending his head to kiss the younger man's knuckles. "Thank you again for this. I hope like hell I never forget tonight." It had just been fun and in addition to not having been to a movie theatre in a while and never having been to a premiere before, he couldn't remember the last time he'd gone on a date to the movies. "And my appetite's gonna be ready for dinner when we get to the restaurant. Right now, I'm full on popcorn and Dr. Pepper." He grinned a little crookedly and then, when the car was driven up for them, Fletcher opened the passenger door for Xavier and made sure he got into the seat without issue, before going around to tip the valet, climb in himself and get going.

XAVIER

The smile on Fletcher's face made all of this worth it. Xavier wanted nothing more than to always make him happy. Proud of himself for pulling off such a great premiere experience for his fiance, Xavier basked in the joy he felt after the movie. "I'm so glad you loved it and I think that's a great idea. I'd love to watch it again. Everything about it was awesome. What's the question you were left with?" Xavier waited beside Fletcher, his smile still lingering as he squeezed their joined hands. "You're welcome. I hope you never do. It's a good night." They were both on a date together, Xavier was alive and well, and Fletcher got to meet two of his heroes in person. Everything was going exactly as planned and Xavier felt those nerves creep up once more. It wasn't that he thought Fletcher would say no, it was going to be a question he'd pop in front of their families. This was going to be more intimate and it would mean a lot to both of them. Once he was in the car, Xavier felt for the ring box once again and then settled in his seat. They spent the ride reminiscing about the movie and Xavier trying to imitate Channing's cajun accent. They arrived at the house and picked up Drew and the kids and once everyone was safely in their seats, they were back on the road. "You guys all look so nice. Very sharp, Drew." As they approached Californios, Xavier glanced over to a focused Fletcher and smiled. "I have a small confession."

Once they arrived and the valet came to the window, Xavier made his admission, "Salvador called in a favor for me. He knows the chef who owns this restaurant and we got the restaurant to ourselves. It'll just be us tonight!" Xavier then looked back and winked at Winter and Henry..

"Yesss! Because I'm starving and I can't be fancy if I want to eat the way I feel." Henry confessed and then elbowed Drew. "Right, grandpa?"

Winter rolled her eyes as she helped with getting Phoebe out of the car seat to hand over to Fletcher. "He says that as if that's not his usual MO. Fancy or not, Henry wants to clear all the plates!" She jumped out and waited to help Drew along with Henry after smoothing out her dress. "But this place looks nice, dad!" She then hooked her arm into Drew's and walked beside him on one side as Henry took the other.

Xavier joined Fletcher's side and immediately went to kiss Phoebe's cheek. "Hey, munchkin." He pretended to eat her little hand and then rubbed his belly with a laugh. They were greeted once inside the restaurant and a long table had been organized for them family style. Everyone took their places with Fletcher at the head of the table, Xavier beside him, Drew next to Xavier, and the kids beside them. A high hair had been set up for Phoebe who sat between Xavier and Fletcher. A friendly waiter approached and asked the table if they wanted to start with drinks and waited for everyone to place their orders. "Happy birthday, Mr. Van Hall. Tonight we have two signature drinks for you in honor of your 41st birthday. The frozen black Margarita. served with alcohol and virgin for our younger friends. We also have the Blackberry Rum cocktail. Both are delicious!"

Xavier grinned as he waited for Fletcher and Drew to order first. He had already decided on a frozen virgin margarita and knew the kids would love that too.

FLETCHER

Fletcher was still riding the high of the premiere as they pulled away from the theatre. He listened to Xavier and when asked about the one question he was left with, Fletcher threw a hand up from the steering wheel and said, "Why was Thor crying? I need a damn answer!" The amusement was heavy in his voice but he also genuinely wanted to know. He enjoyed discussing the movie some more while heading home, recalling certain scenes and reliving their excitement over the various cameos and other surprises in the movie.

When they returned home, Fletcher oversaw his uncle into the car and buckled a slightly fussy Phoebe into her car seat. He knew she was soothed by car rides and hadn't been concerned. Sure enough, by the time they reached the restaurant, she'd been fast asleep. But his attention was pulled from the mirror resting at his daughter's rear-facing car seat to his fiancé who now had something to confess. Pulling a stern brow into an arch, Fletcher glanced Xavier's way and silently waited for said confession. And when it came tumbling out, the other brow joined its twin and raised high above the tattoo artist's eyes. "What the hell?" he spoke out of disbelief and looked around to find that there was, in fact, no one else who appeared to be currently dining at the restaurant. Hearing Henry's comment made him chuckle but he shook his head while glancing over to Xavier.

"Bingo, Henry," Drew replied to his grandson.

Fletcher continued to laugh a bit at the exchange between his family. He parked and accepted a still sleeping Phoebe from Winter, an amused smile lingering on his lips. He was still amazed at the lengths Xavier had gone to make his birthday a special one. As Phoebe stirred from being in a different t position than her car seat, she jerked her head up squirmed from Xavier's play at her hand before dropping her head back on Fletcher's shoulder, seeming to fall back asleep.

He walked in with his family, holding the door with his free hand and then bringing up the rear to the table set for them. He gently sat Phoebe a little more upright in his lap once he was seated to encourage her waking up. His hope was for her to fall asleep on the way home but so far, she was doing her best to remain as comfortable as possible in his arms and lap while remaining asleep. Giving up for the time being, Fletcher took a good look around the place and then told Xavier, "This place is nice as hell. I almost feel a little under-dressed." He smirked a little and then glanced down at the menu in front of him.

The waiter who greeted them and wished him a happy birthday had Fletcher lifting his eyes and giving a polite, "Thanks," before listening to the 2 specialty cocktails. He noticed his favorite color was included in both names and gave a knowing smile. Since he planned on driving the family back, he already decided not to have more than 1 drink and opted for the Blackberry Rum cocktail. Drew opted for iced tea with extra lemons, and after Xavier and the kids placed their drink orders, Fletcher looked at the menu again. But as he did, he said, "You guys are making this one helluva birthday celebration." His gaze intentionally swept over his uncle and the kids before landing squarely on Xavier. "Thank you."

XAVIER

Xavier laughed at Fletcher's lingering question and couldn't help but notice how happy he sounded. It was such a nice feeling and to know that he helped in making this day special for him made it even better. "Why was Thor crying? Inquiring minds need to know." He grinned at Fletcher, really excited now for what was to come and feeling an incredible amount of love for him.

Seeing their families together and creating one unit has been the best part of the growth of their relationship. Xavier felt it was surreal and for him, someone who always put family first, this was the best outcome he could have asked for or even dreamt about. Seeing Phoebe rest against Fletcher and Winter and Henry be so attentive to Drew made his heart want to burst and at some point, Xavier had to look away so no one caught him tearing up. When his fiance spoke up, he put on a braver face, his lips twitching upwards into a smile. "You look handsome. Please have you seen what Adam Sandler wears?" Xavier looked the menu over and his eyes danced around all the options.

"Drew, they've got brisket!" He grinned at the older man, remembering the first time he had met him and how he had wooed him with food. At Fletcher's words, he looked up from his menu and reached for his Fiance's thigh to give it a gentle squeeze. "You deserve to have the best celebrations. You're welcome."

"Yeah, Dad number two-still working on it," Henry smirked behind his menu. "Don't mention it. It's on me tonight."

"Oh is it?" Xavier arched a brow and tossed one of the napkins at his son, making him and Winter giggle. "I'm going to get some fish tacos and whatever this vegetable appetizer is because it looks bomb. But I'm going to get all the starters so we can enjoy it family style. What do you guys think?" Xavier looked down the table for approval. .

When the waiter returned, he waited for everyone to order and requested that all the starters come first. Xavier then leaned back and placed his napkin on his lap.

"So what does it mean that this place has two Michelin stars? Is that code for now we can charge triple since its that good?" Winter grinned and gave up her menu to the waiter. "Also, if we don't bring back tres leches cake to Emi, she's going to be mad at us."

"A Michelin star is a highly regarded award given to restaurants that serve exceptional food and wine. Two stars mean the food is excellent and served uniquely. Also this is the only Mexican place that has two stars so it's a pretty big deal. I figured if we were taking Fletcher out to eat his favorite food, we'd go big." Xavier answered her daughter and then smiled when the drinks arrived.

"That's so cute, Dad..." Winter smiled. "How was the movie?"

FLETCHER

Fletcher carried the amusement from the movie all the way home and to the restaurant right up until Xavier's confession that their family had the restaurant to themselves. From there, he'd been shocked and then flattered and simultaneously humbled by all his fiancé had done for him tonight.

Hearing Xavier's compliment once they were seated and settled in made Fletcher smile and then chuckle from the Adam Sandler shade. "Thanks, babe," he replied and then followed his fiancé's lead of looking over the menu. Everything he read over sounded like it would be good. Even the items he didn't really know had appetizing-sounding descriptions accompanying them. He glanced over to his uncle when Xavier pointed out brisket on the menu.

"Well then I know what I want," Drew said without having touched his menu.

Fletcher smiled again and leaned over to peck Xavier's lips to add to his spoken gratitude. And when Henry agreed, he grinned softly and then chuckled. "Whatever feels right, it'll come to you." His heart was still warmed by being seen as a second dad, but he would have completely understood if Henry and Winter ended up preferring to just call him Fletcher. The times he had alone with Phoebe, he'd been working on her knowing Xavier as her father as well but his plan was to one day surprise Xavier, once Phoebe got to doing more than just babbling.

He chuckled along with Winter giggling. "Hey, if Henry wants to treat the family, who are we to question it?" he joked, giving Henry a wink. The family style dining for appetizers sounded nice but his eyes bugged a bit at Xavier planning to order every appetizer on the menu. There weren't a ton of appetizers on the menu but ordering all of them still sounded like a lot. He slowly relaxed his expression though, certain he wouldn't be able to talk Xavier out of it and resigned himself to whatever their dinner was going to look like.

Fletcher listened to the conversation with Winter and Xavier on that a Michelin star meant. The only thing Fletcher added to it was him saying, "They can lose their Michelin star too, which is a big deal too." He didn't know all the details that went into Michelin stars--Xavier had educated him on that as well tonight, whether he knew it or not--but Fletcher knew there was high prestige to it that could be earned or revoked. Almost automatically, he shifted Phoebe more into his arms than before after seeing that she seemingly decided she was asleep for the night. If she ended up sleeping through the night, Fletcher would plan for her to have a little bit more cereal and bananas than usual in the morning for breakfast.

Hearing Xavier's 'go big' decision for dinner had his lips tug up in a half-smile. He wasn't the least bit surprised by this, knowing his future husband fairly well in this regard. And as the waiter returned with their drinks, Fletcher's eyes went to Winter to answer her question. "It was great, and hilarious." He'd already been smiling through a silent recollection. "They made sure to keep earning the R rating regardless of moving to Disney. And there were so many damn cameos. It was great."

XAVIER

Xavier continued rubbing Fletcher’s thigh as he listened to everyone interaction. Drew deciding on the brisket made him glad he chose this place and when Henry stated he was working on a name he’d called Fletcher, he listened curiously as he knew his kids had been trying to figure that out since last month.

“Actually. About that. We both like dad but we don’t want to confuse you guys when we are calling out your name like what if we say dad! You’re in trouble and that’s obviously comedian dad and not tattoo artist dad.” Henry stated so as a matter of fact that it made Xavier laugh out loud.

“Hold on. Why am I in trouble?”

Winter then piped in as the drinks were being served. “Because you’re always in trouble. So actually, Henry I think we’ll be fine if we use dad for both. Or we can say Dad Fletcher.” She shrugged. “Dad Fletcher? Do you want me to get the stroller for Phoebe?”

Xavier smiled before taking the first sip of his drink, his eyes widening slightly at how amazing it all tasted. “Oh wow. That’s phenomenal. How’s yours baby?” He asked his fiancee and then turned the question on the table. He listened as they talked about the movie and the conversation had them all laughing at some point. The appetizers were served and they all began passing around the dishes to serve themselves

“Before we start.” Xavier cleared his throat and looked around at the table with a big smile. “I have a few things I want to say. I just wanted to thank you all for being the best family. Drew, thank you for opening up your house to us, winter thank you for helping as much as you do, Henry thank you for for not bringing the house down when you make us breakfast. And a huge thank you to my boyfriend who turns 41 in a couple of days for holding this group together. I know you’ll deny that and that is okay but we all know the truth. You put in so much into us and that’s why it’s our job to do the same for you so happy birthday, my love. You deserve this and more.” He raised his glass and glanced over at Fletcher with a soft smile. “Bon anniversaire ,mon amour. And for the record, I like dad too.”

FLETCHER

Xavier's physical contact contented Fletcher about as much as the evening's plans. He wasn't accustomed to grandiose gestures but he appreciated all of the thoughtfulness that went into the birthday plans Xavier made for them and their family that evening. He listened to Henry and chuckled at his and Xavier's professions being tagged to them being dad's, as well as Henry deciding that Xavier would be in trouble. He laughed harder at Winter's justification while draping an arm lovingly around Xavier. "I guess I've done too good of a job at fooling them," he joked and pecked Xavier's temple.

Hearing that Winter and Henry wanted to call them both dad and could distinguish them by adding Fletcher's first name whenever he and Xavier were in the same vicinity. Hearing her try it out made him smile a bit. "Nah, that's okay. The tree frog still weighs next to nothing and I've gotten good at eating one-handed. Thanks, Winter."

With their drinks there, Fletcher thanked the waiter and then reached for his to take a sampling sip. The mixture of the blackberry and the rum were a both nice so he took a longer sip. Setting the glass back down, he said, "It’s good, babe. You want a sip?" He offered the glass to his fiancé and then joined the conversation about the Deadpool and Wolverine movie.

When Xavier called for everyone's attention, Fletcher turned his gaze to his future husband, watching and listening to him. It was a true pleasure to see Xavier so happy, so well. He'd been recovering from the accident smoothly since they returned to California. And while Fletcher had admittedly been cautious at times on Xavier's behalf. He missed their physical closeness but was happy that he was steadily getting better and that Xavier's spirits hadn't been dimmed along the way. And Xavier was right as he spoke--Fletcher didn't think he held their family together. In fact, as far as he was concerned, Xavier was the glue in their family. He was the one who brought all of them together.

Smiling modestly, Fletcher raised his glass and said, "Merci, chérie," with what little French he'd learned. And then his smile stretched into a toothy grin when Xavier weighed in on the 'dad' decision. "I do too," he replied with certainty that both Winter and Henry had heard him. \

"Hear, hear!" Drew said with a small lift of his glass before carefully drinking some of his iced tea and then setting his glass back down, dissolving into conversation with Henry.

Fletcher set his own glass down after another long sip of the cocktail. With his hand free again, he brought his thumb, index and middle fingers to Xavier's chin. "C'mere," he murmured, leaning over while turning his fiancé's face in his direction to kiss him full on the lips. "I love you," he said, looking in Xavier's eyes after breaking the kiss gently apart.

XAVIER

Xavier smiled at Drew's cheer and it widened even more when he witnessed the man chatting it up with his son. Unsurprisingly, Henry had grown so attached to the house patriarch. And then hearing that Winter had decided to call Fletcher dad too warmed his heart as well. This was a girl that didn't trust Xavier's intentions when she first arrived at his doorstep. To see everyone together and to feel on top of the world again encouraged Xavier to do what he had planned. He smiled when Fletcher turned his face and kissed him. "I love you too, " Xavier whispered, letting himself get lost in his fiance's dark gaze only to remind himself of just how electric their bond was. "Don't kill me for what I'm about to do. I promise I have practiced for days." He kissed Fletcher again and then removed the napkin from his lap to place it on the table. Xavier had been working on getting on one knee. In a week, he'd be clear for normal activity again which hopefully meant that putting his practice to play wouldn't hurt as much. He pushed back on his chair gently and it was the cue for the staff to start playing an acoustic guitar instrumental version of Only Exception. Holding on to the back of his chair, Xavier struggled only for a few seconds before he was down on one knee and holding out the black velvet box he had been concealing all evening.

"Oh my God, dad!" Winter gasped and covered her mouth, completely unaware at first of the tears already streaming down her face.

Xavier smiled but kept his gaze on Fletcher. "Fletcher James Van Hall, about a month ago, I asked you to marry me. It wasn't romantic and my brain was fuzzy but all I could think about was how I needed to hold on to you for as long as I could, forever if possible. You and our kids and your uncle are the anchors of my life."

"I wanted to do right by you and do this in front of our family because they're the most important people in our lives. I wanted Drew to know what he's probably already told himself and you several times that you're an amazing, kind, beautiful man and deserving of love and all the things you want in life. And I wanted to thank him for raising that man that I have now fallen so deeply and irrevocably in love with. I liked you from the moment I laid eyes on you but falling and loving you has been the best part of this journey. In such a short time, I've learned so much about you and myself and I don't want to do that with anyone else. Thank you for loving me, for putting up with my insanity, for loving my children, for teaching me patience. As much as I love you for the things you've done for me, I love you for the all the things I want to do for you. I've never felt this way and I want to chase that feeling for as long as I live. I want to grow old with you and watch our kids grow up and in case you thought maybe I'd forget, of all the things I said on that hospital bed, I would never ever forget this or you or us. So, with all of that said." He laughed a little and wiped his eyes a bit before opening up the box to reveal the black ring with diamonds. "Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

FLETCHER

Fletcher's expression rapidly dissolved from loving to suspicious when Xavier requested he not kill him for something. Of course Fletcher had no idea what and matched the volume of Xavier's voice as he replied, "I'm not agreeing to shit." Eyes still suspiciously narrowed, he watched his fiancé slide his chair back and get to his feet while music started to play. Fletcher only briefly glanced away to see where the music was coming from before his head whipped around, seeing Xavier descend from his peripheral.

Almost right away, Fletcher was on his feet. "Xavier, what the hell!" He hissed, reaching out with his free hand. Dammit, I should've let Winter get that stroller, he thought, admonishing himself.

That was, until he realized Xavier was down on one knee.

"Xavier, what the hell..." he breathed, eyes rounding a little more. He swallowed thickly, his mind racing. He couldn't quite keep up with his own thoughts but did his best to focus. Xavier had gotten down on one knee and not only did Fletcher know that this was a big deal, he wasn't about to miss what was to come, following his fiancé's accomplishment. Xavier knew this wasn't necessary--Fletcher had already said he would marry him. They were going to get married someday. And there was a part of Fletcher that figured Xavier wouldn't remember talking about proposing again and that he didn't need the formal gesture. But he would be lying if he said this wasn't one of the sweetest things Xavier had been determined to do for him--for them.

When Xavier asked him if he would marry him, Fletcher whispered, "Goddamn you for being so romantic." He smiled and reached his free hand to take the box and set it on the table. And then he offered his hand to Xavier. "Get up, Sugar." He would help him as much as possible but he wanted to look Xavier as close in his eyes as possible when he told him, "You know I'm going to marry you. Gonna marry the shit out of you, remember?" He grinned and dropped his chin, leaning in to kiss Xavier on his lips again. He put as much love and passion as possible into the kiss while still being appropriate in front of the kids and his uncle. And when he drew back, Fletcher murmured, "Yes. If you need the direct answer, yes, I'm going to marry you, Xavier Dmitry." He kissed Xavier's lips softly and quickly a few more times before switching his hold on Phoebe so that his left hand was now free for Xavier to slide the ring on.

XAVIER

Henry had been watching, jaw dropped and his fork dangling from his grasp. He should have known it was coming but couldn’t believe the day was actually here. “Oh my God I’m gonna have two dads. This is awesome!” He grabbed onto Drew’s arm gently and Winter smirked, tearing her gaze away from Fletcher and Xavier for only a few seconds. She took tons of pictures, wiping her eyes every chance she could get and when Fletcher stood up, she did too, wanting to get the right angles. “I can’t believe it…” she whispered as she listened.

The entire restaurant staff stood behind the bar to watch with giant smiles on their faces and while Xavier wanted to capture his family’s reaction, he was too busy looking up at Fletcher. “I’m sorry,” he whispered and stood up slowly when Fletcher urged him to. He felt very little pain now and had his cane for support but when he was on his feet again, he looked up at his fiancé lovingly. “I know. But you deserved a proper proposal. And I wanted the people you love the most to be here. I would have invited Rodrigo, Jade and Emi but they’ve got the babies coming soon so…” he chuckled softly and quickly wiped his eyes with his handkerchief. He welcome the kiss, instinctively wrapping his arms around Fletcher’s waist and when his future husband said yes , Xavier kissed him again and again, slipping the ring onto his left hand. “I love you so much.” “James and Dmitry! Hehehehe.” Henry giggled only to be stopped when Winter tossed a roll at him.

“Shh!” Winter turned her attention on her dads and then went to hug them both. “Congratulations, dads! You guys are the perfect couple. I love you both so much!” She couldn’t help but smile at a sleeping Phoebe. “I bet you she’d sleep through an atomic bomb”. Winter wiped her eyes again and walked back to her seat. Xavier smiled as he watched his daughter and shook his head at Henry with a playful smile.

“Wait one second. You said you already said yes. Have you guys bamboozled us?” Henry turned to Drew. “Did they bamboozle you too, grandpa?”

FLETCHER

The reactions overheard from Henry and Winter threw amusement into the mix of emotions swirling inside of Fletcher. God, he loved his family. He loved his fiancé. He loved the life they were building and the future they would have together. He would do everything in his power to keep an abundance of love, trust, happiness, laughter and comfort in their home.

"Well I'll be damned," Drew said through an easygoing smile.

Fletcher heard Xavier's hushed apology and shook his head, smirking "No you're not." He was watching Xavier with hawklike precision for the slightest sign of pain as the younger man rose to stand again. "You pulled off a propsal none of us are going to forget, sweetheart. Emiliana, Jade and Rodrigo will know soon enough. Emiliana says all that nesting stuff is a real thing so I don't blame her for being there to help Rodrigo and Jade out." During their kisses, Fletcher rested a hand to Xavier's cheek and when they parted, he told Xavier, "I love you too."

As he kept his hand steady for Xavier to place the ring on, Fletcher's gaze slid sideways to Henry. He rolled his eyes back to Xavier but his lips twitched into a small smile. His gaze then dropped to the black band sitting around his finger. "I'm looking forward to getting used to wearing this." And as Winter came around the table to them, Fletcher leaned in and whispered in Xavier's ear so that only he could hear. "I have a ring for you too. It's not ready yet." He stamped a kiss on his fiancé's ear and then straightened up in time to receive Winter's hug. "Thanks, kid. We love you too." He bent his head to drop a kiss on the top of her head and then looked to Henry, "You too, dude."

Winter's observation of Phoebe made Fletcher chuckle and quip, "She gets that from Grandpa Drew. If she keeps this up by the time she's your age, she's gonna be a joy waking up for school." He looked to Henry then and was about to answer but the delayed realization from his son was too funny for witty quip.

Drew placed a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Son, these two didn't tell me shit." He then leaned in conspiratorially towards Henry and loudly whispered, "Think I should give 'em hell when they're asked if anyone objects to them marrying?"

XAVIER

Xavier smiled at Drew's reaction, glancing over to him. "Surprise!" He chuckled and then looked back at his fiance. "You're right, I'm not sorry but I am sorry for aging you a little by getting down on one knee. I have been working on that for a few weeks now and I wanted to surprise all of you. The Physical therapist I should be back to regular activity by next week." He smiled and looked down at Fletcher's ring finger with him. "I hope you like it." He was so happy to be sharing this moment with everyone and when their daughter came over to congratulate them, Xavier smiled at Fletcher's whisper. "I can't wait to see it." Xavier hugged Winter and then glanced over to a cheesing Henry as Fletcher said the words he was feeling as well.

"Also, I could send the video to whoever you want me to!" Winter put down her phone and looked up at her family. "So it'll be like everyone was here." She chuckled at her new dad's comparison of Phoebe and Drew. "She'll keep you guys on your toes for sure!" Winter smirked figuring that their dads had kept this vital piece of information from them but didn't mind too much. They probably weren't ready yet.

"Yeah, I think you should, actually!" Henry leaned into his grandpa and smiled as Xavier approached them to place a hand on Drew's shoulder and to mess Henry's hair with his other hand.

Xavier leaned in and gave Drew's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Fletcher and I talked about you opening your home to us. So you did your fair share of conspiring behind our back, hm?" He joked around. "Thank you so much for everything, Drew. You've been like a father to me too and well, the kids love you. You have quickly become such an important part of our lives." Xavier walked back to Fletcher and then took his seat. "I promise that's all the surprise I have for tonight...Oh wait there is another one."

He chuckled, playing it off so badly to show his family that he hadn't forgotten, he was just being coy. "This is my last season with SNL. After the winter, I'll be home more and focusing on my Paramount projects, and spending time with all of you. That's it. That's all I've got." He smirked, placing the napkin back on his lap. "Now who's ready to pig out?"

FLETCHER

Fletcher kept looking at Xavier with all the love he possessed. And as much as he was enjoying their evening out, he was already looking forward to being back home and in bed with just he and Xavier. He smiled at his fiancé, "I do. I can tell you put some real thought into this." He then listened to Winter and thanked her for capturing the moment between Xavier and him, certain that Emiliana would be overjoyed to watch it.

With a small chuckle, he replied to Winter, "She's been keeping me on my toes since day one. I won't even be surprised if she ends up running the house one day. She's already got all of us wrapped around her finger." He watched Xavier approach Drew and Henry after Drew's comment and rolled his eyes at his uncle. "I'd like to see you try, old man. Don't think I won't tackle you down at my own wedding."

And at both Xavier and Fletcher's remarks, Drew jokingly scoffed, "Listen, there was no conspiring on my part. Besides, the living situation is a win-win. Everyone's under one roof, and I get to keep my home. And as for you," he pointedly looked across the table to Fletcher, "I might have the steadiness of a shake weight but I could take you."

"Uh-huh," Fletcher replied, voice full of sarcasm as he took his seat again. Soon after, the waiter and a second waiter arrived, placing plates of food on the table, just as Xavier said he had another surprise. The news that he was stepping away from SNL took Fletcher by surprise and yet, it didn't. There was permanence here for Xavier now, and it made sense that he would want a more settled life now. He would talk about it some more with Xavier later but for the time being, he reached over and was the one to give his thigh an affectionate squeeze.

While Drew and the kids started their own conversation and began tucking into the food, Fletcher leaned over and quietly told Xavier, "You know I'm proud of you for all your hard work. And even though SNL's gonna tank again without you, if this is what you want, I'm gonna support you, fully." His hand eventually slipped away from Xavier's thigh to shift Phoebe into a cradled position in his lap and against one arm, making it easier for him to join in on all the foods placed before them. And not long after they all shared the various appetizers did the entrées get brought out. Everything that made it's way into Fletcher's mouth had been heavenly. He'd eaten his fill and finished his cocked, and by the end of the night, he was drinking water. And when it was time to go, he walked beside Xavier back to the car, buckled Phoebe into her car seat, and made sure Xavier and Drew had both gotten into the car without issue. He held Xavier's hand for nearly all of the drive home, giving an occasional squeeze or kiss along the way.

At home, Fletcher reminded Winter and Henry to brush their teeth before bed. He took Phoebe upstairs to her room to get her changed into pajamas, amused and amazed by her staying asleep through her clothes being changed. She stirred a couple of times but hadn't woken up. Putting her to bed in her crib was easygoing that night. He kissed her forehead and whispered that he loved her and left the room as quietly as possible with her monitor and sound machine on.

He checked in on Drew and bid his uncle "goodnight", followed by Winter and Henry before stopping in the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. On his way into the bedroom, he caught himself admiring his mew ring and the beautiful design Xavier had chosen. The braided black metal and the square diamonds had been truly beautiful. He began to undress for bed and when he and Xavier were both in the room, Fletcher told him, "Thank you, X. For literally everything tonight."

XAVIER

About a month before his accident, Xavier had started looking at rings for Fletcher. It was one of those moments when he got an ad on his social media for rings and he fell into a deep dive. Since Fletcher would be wearing the ring often, Xavier wanted one that fit his general style and aesthetic. "I just wanted the perfect ring for you."

He laughed at the imagery of Phoebe running the house and there was no doubt in his mind that was true. He could see the little one telling everyone what to do and bossing them around. He honestly couldn't wait. He had always wanted a big family and to have it so quickly felt like a dream. The entire table laughed at Drew's quip back to Fletcher. Still, even with the explanation of their living situation being a win-win, Xavier was humbled by it all. After taking his place back beside his fiance, Xavier began to serve himself different appetizers and join in the conversations. When Fletcher leaned in, he did as well, smiling up at him after hearing what he had to say. "Thank you. This is what I want. It's the best decision for me and all of us. The dinner was everything he had hoped for and more and Xavier made sure to tip generously and express his gratitude for everything they had done for them. He made sure to take a tres leches slice for Emiliana and once they were all home, Xavier helped with making sure everyone was in bed, doing some last-minute check-ins on the home, and making his way upstairs. Xavier washed his face, did his quick skincare routine, and then walked into the bedroom as he began to unbutton his shirt. He sat at the foot of the bed and removed it, folding it carefully to place it to the side. He smiled at Fletcher's words and stood up to pull him into an embrace. "You're welcome. It was an honor spending your birthday together." He looked up at him and smiled. "Everyone seems to be happy, huh?"

FLETCHER

"You got exactly what you wanted, sweetheart," Fletcher assured him of the ring he'd presented.

When the family was home and settled in for the night, Fletcher reflected on the day while he and Xavier undressed for the night. Already rid of the jacket, he tossed his unbuttoned shirt in the clothes hamper and went for his belt while watching his fiancé stand from the foot of the bed. Fletcher slid his arms around Xavier, mindful of Xavier's ribs and having a tender grip on him. He knew Xavier was getting closer to being fully okay but he didn't want to aggravate his healing body.

Kissing his fiancé on the temple, Fletcher said, "Everyone was, yeah. I'd been thinking about it and realized that this day was perfect. I typically hate that word but... there's really no other way to describe it. Nothing went wrong, nothing about it was bad, and I can't remember the last time I had a full day that was just... good all around." The evening was more than good for him; he'd had an extraordinary evening and a happy birthday celebration. "And now, I'm ready to get into bed with my future husband and fall asleep beside him." With his arms still wound around Xavier, Fletcher lowered his head enough to kiss him full on his lips. He'd taken his time this time, kissing Xavier deeply with all the passion and love he could put into it.

By the end of the kiss, Fletcher had taken a few deep breaths and smiled to Xavier. "You made me, and our family happy today, sweetheart." His hands moved up to cup Xavier's face and he pecked his lips a few times. "You do that and so much more for me and for all of us. I love you, X." He stroked Xavier's cheeks with both thumbs a few.times and then stepped away to finish undressing and pull on a pair of pajama pants. Opting for just the pants, Fletcher went to the bed and flipped back the comforter, blanket and flat sheet for the 2 of them. He plucked a teething ring from the bed and set it on his nightstand with a small smile before climbing into his side of the bed.

XAVIER

It filled Xavier with happiness hearing that Fletcher thought today had been perfect. It was the kind of happiness he couldn't quite explain. It made him joyful and hopeful and he looked forward to what the future had in store for them and their family. Xavier always yearned for a love like this but never thought it was easily attained. He knew he was one of the lucky ones even with the accident and with April blind-sighting Fletcher, it looked like things were taking a positive turn.

Thinking back on their kiss last winter, he would have never imagined ending up here with Fletcher. "It makes me so happy hearing that. Truly. Like I said tonight, you deserve that. I also agree it was the perfect night." A chill ran through his body hearing Fletcher calling him his future husband. It sounded so lovely coming from him. He cupped his fiance's face to keep him close for their kiss and Xavier returned every bit of love that was put into it. Breaking their kiss reluctantly, Xavier smiled at Fletcher's words and melted into his gentle hold. "I love you too. So much." The overwhelming rush of blissfulness poured over him and he remained there, watching the tattoo artist, his tattoo artist get ready for bed. Sometimes Xavier wondered when he'd wake up from this dream. He finished getting undressed, tossed his clothes into the hamper, and pulled a pair of pajama pants from their dresser to change quickly. Xavier climbed into bed and instantly snuggled up against Fletcher's form, choosing to drape his arm over his middle before giving him a tiny squeeze. Xavier began kissing his shoulder and arm, leaving behind a little playful nip, and chuckled. "I wanted to ask you for a favor. We have to do the tattoo for the kids. Remember the one I asked for? For Winter and Henry? Well, I want something that represents the three of them. Phoebe too." He reached for Fletcher's left hand and admired the look of the ring on his finger.

"And I want you to design something for my left hand. A tattoo ring to represent my band. I know you said you have one for me but it'll be there in the meantime and also for whenever I can't wear it if I have a role or something. I want to always carry you with me. Can you do that for me?"

FLETCHER

"All thanks to you, babe," Fletcher told him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so buoyant for more than a fleeting moment. It was probably when he'd flown to New York City to surprise Xavier and told him he was in love with him.

With the bed turned down, Fletcher climbed in and put his phone on the charger. Propped up on one elbow, he watched Xavier get into his pajama pants too and when he was joined in the bed, Fletcher smiled and shifted so that one arm was under Xavier when he snuggled up to him. His lips formed a lazy grin at the kisses and nips and he hummed appreciatively. "Hey, careful there. You're being cute as hell and I almost can't stand it but you're not completely cleared yet. One to ten?" He asked like he did every night since they came home from NYC, and kissed Xavier's temple and then shut his eyes, simply listening to his fiancé now. "Mhm, I remember," he said of the ink he wanted. It didn't surprise him that Xavier wanted to include a tattoo representative of Phoebe; he loved her as much as Winter and Henry, and Phoebe loved him as much as she loved Fletcher. And when he felt Xavier's soft but warm fingers on his hand, Fletcher slipped his fingers between his comedian fiancé's. He opened his eyes though when he heard Xavier's favor. Shifting his position so that he could look at his fiancé properly, Fletcher asked, "Can I do it for you? Of course I can. Will I?" He leaned in carefully and bent to kiss Xavier sweetly this time. And when he pulled away to speak again, his lips brushed his love's, "Your damn right I will."

XAVIER

Xavier felt so content knowing that his love language was not only well received but appreciated by the man he loved. It made him feel so loved in return. He nuzzled his nose against Fletcher's arm, his lips forming a small pout at the reminder of not being cleared just yet. The question that Fletcher asked him every night made him smile. He couldn't believe how fortunate he was to have such a loving partner. For a few seconds, his mind went back to the beginning how the number 9 was a constant response to Fletcher's question and how the frustration he felt made him feel. He shook that off now and kissed his fiance's cheek. "1. If that. If we're lucky, I'll have a nice clearance letter from my doctor on your birthday. And I'll make up for the last month and a half of torture..." It was almost perfect that he had been scheduled for his follow-up on Fletcher's birthday. "And I can surprise you with your last birthday gift." He grinned knowing that Fletcher had no clue there was still one more birthday present he had in store for him.

Xavier kept his hand in Fletcher's as the other shifted in his spot. He looked up at him with a smile and nodded as Fletcher leaned in to kiss him. He closed his eyes, letting out a satisfied hum before opening his eyes again when Fletcher answered him. "Yeah? I think you'd come up with something beautiful." He sighed before placing his head against Fletcher's chest. "Thank you for loving me." Xavier closed his eyes and held Fletcher close. "And for loving my kids. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me after them."

FLETCHER

Seeing Xavier's lips go from a pout to a smile made Fletcher's lips form his own smile. He reached to turn out the lights, and then shut his eyes at the kiss to his cheek and listened to his fiancé's response about the pain, glad to hear that it was basically nonexistent for Xavier. He softly snorted, "You're so damn cute. You know you d-... wait..." Fletcher raised a brow while eyeing Xavier curiously, "My last birthday gift... are we still talking about birthday sex or something else?" Knowing Xavier, it could easily be one or the other. But he also knew that there was no stopping Xavier from his spoiling once he set his mind to it.

As tempted as Fletcher was to keep on kissing and to take it a little further, he didn't want to tempt either of them. Instead, after parting their lips, he readjusting his hold on Xavier while the young comedian rested against him. "I promise I will. It'll be meaningful if nothing else." An arm wrapped lovingly around him while his other arm remained under Xavier. He traced his fingertips along Xavier's back, gliding aimlessly across the smooth, warm, dark skin. "You're pretty damn irresistible, X. It's really my pleasure getting to love you. Same with Winter and Henry. Henry reminds me a lot of you with his kindness, outgoing personality and occasional silliness. And Winter... I know she's more guarded but I felt a kinship to her pretty quickly. Both of them are a part of you so loving them was inevitable for me."

Fletcher was gazing up at the ceiling, the room barely lit by the moonlight peeking through the break in the curtains. He continued lazily tracing shapes while saying, "You, Winter and Henry have been the best parts of mine, Phoebe's and Drew's lives since the start of this year. I know that I was hesitant to start anything serious between us at first but I'm glad that didn't last long. I'm glad for your love and all the light that you brought into my life and to Drew's. You don't baby him or treat him like a total invalid and I know that means a shit ton to him. And Henry and Winter... Drew doesn't have a relationship with my idiot cousin's kids, and not for a lack of trying. And Henry and Winter aren't replacements but I do feel like they make a hole in his heart feel a helluva lot less empty. They loved and embraced him as a grandfather figure in their lives before considering me as a second dad. That speaks volumes to me and how meaningful their relationship is with him and vice versa." Fletcher smiled a little to himself at the thought and then went on. "And it was around Father's that I realized that Phoebe won't know a life without you in it. You met her when she was barely a month old, just a few weeks out of the NICU. She's bonded to you about as much as she is to me and seeing you two together is one of the happiest things in my world. Even without her being able to speak actual words yet, she loves you deeply and that's priceless to me." Closing his eyes again, Fletcher took a beat and then said, "I know we've got the service dog coming and that's going to be an adjustment period for all of us, but while we're getting used to having him in the home, I also want to look into what it would take for you to have legal rights to Phoebe. I dunno what all that looks like yet, but I'm gonna find out."

XAVIER

Xavier allowed himself to sink into this feeling of contentment, offering Fletcher occasional squeezes as he listened to him speak. There was something intimate about their conversations. Xavier felt like it was always like this. They’d tackle big, adult issues and they’d figure out important aspects of their lives together. He’s never shared a life with anyone like this. Even when it came to making decisions involving Drew, they were sure to continue giving him his much earned and deserved independence and autonomy. “Drew is like a dad. Which is funny because I feel like he’d sass me if he heard that admission. My parents see him as your father. Which honestly, he is. I love him dearly and want to be there for him and you always. The kids have always wanted a family. I know what that’s like. When my parents adopted Clayton and I, as difficult as it was in the beginning, having someone to listen to us and make us lunch and kiss us goodnight felt like a dream. I think that’s why Clayton and I really appreciate family time and having one. It took me a little longer to realize that because he married Athena as soon as he could but I think Father Time just wanted me to meet you. Not just meet you but approach you at the right time. I already thought you were beautiful. Getting to know you has been a privilege.”

Xavier kissed Fletcher’s chest. “And it sounds corny but our first time together here in this room is what really made me think I gotta get this one to fall for me.” He chuckled. “I felt a connection to you that till this day I can’t describe. It’s not just the physical closeness but feeling like I was with another family man who understood what it was like to be in my position but in a different way and seeing that you had stepped up for Drew and managed a business. Your dedication to your best friend and making sure his wedding went well in spite of his crazy ass uncles and what was going on with Jade.”

Xavier smiled. “Your heart got me sprung early on.” And when Fletcher went on and revealed that he wanted to look into him having legal rights over Phoebe, Xavier froze for a few seconds and then rested his chin on Fletcher’s chest so he could look up at him. “Really? Being Phoebe’s dad would be the greatest gift you could ever grant me. It would be a privilege. And Winter and Henry they adore you too and Henry has asked how things end up working out with the family dynamics. If we get your last name or if you’re officially their dad just because we’re together. I think adding in the marriage component has probably and rightfully blown his mind. I wouldn't be surprised if he's asking Winter a million questions tonight. ” He laughed softly. “So we can talk with them when you’re ready and if you want to be their dad on paper because you’re already their dad…I think they’d love that. And Phoebe is already my daughter. I’ve been calling her that for a few months now but I would love for it to be official.”

FLETCHER

"I have no doubt Drew sees you like a bonus son too. That's how he sees me. I still call him 'Drew' or my uncle, but he knows he's been more of a dad to me than anything else for most of my life." Fletcher continued moving his fingers along Xavier's skin, walking and gliding his digits in random, alternating patterns. He would never get tired of listen to his fiancé talk, be it about work, family, soccer, food, friends... hell, Xavier could start reading him the dictionary. Fletcher would find the act bizarre of course, but it wouldn't stop him from listening to Xavier's British-Nigerian lilt.

"You and Clayton are each without a doubt your own person. But it sounds like something you both have in common is that once you know what you want, you go all in to try and get it." He dropped his gaze to look at Xavier, a small, crooked smile forming on his face. "You're gifted in how you go about it. It's the kind of stubbornness and persistence that's another reason why I love you. And one of many reasons I'm glad you really came into my life when you did. Not just us being at the same functions and knowing that you're sexy or you find me attractive. But actually talking and learning about each other, and acting on our attraction. That happening for us is thanks to you, sweetheart."

As blunt as Fletcher was and as mild as his filter often was, he didn't really open himself up to a lot of people. But Xavier had been an exception, along with Winter and Henry. He loved all of them and each of them had a piece of his heart. Fletcher listened on to Xavier and smiled a little more, "Really? Valentine's Day?" In truth, it made him feel good to know that Xavier had been so moved by their sex and intimacy that evening--good for himself leaving that sort of impression and good for Xavier having such a powerful experience, especially with it having been his first time having sex with another man. But he knew it was more than that for Xavier, and for that, he was touched.

"It doesn't sound corny to me for you to feel connected after that. There was a lot I wanted for you that night, so it means a lot that it made such a lasting impression on your mind, and your heart." He guided a set of fingertips up to the nape of Xavier's neck and slowly meandered down his shoulder and back again while listening and talking some more. "I feel connected to you too. It might have taken me a little longer to get there and it seems like I'm always gonna be a step or two behind you in getting to things in our relationship. But I do feel like you're my balance and I know without hesitation that no one has ever come close to consuming my mind like you, or had my heart before you." His familial relationships didn't count in this regard. "And goddamn if I've ever been with anyone as insatiable and fun as you when it comes to sex." He grinned a bit, briefly, and then said, "Making love to you hasn't happened all that often but when it does, I feel just as determined to thoroughly please you as I do when we've only got a few minutes alone."

He spoke on about Xavier having legal rights to Phoebe and felt him go still under his hold. Fletcher dropped his gaze from the ceiling again to gauge Xavier's reaction, wondering if the plan was too much for his fiancé for once. But once he saw Xavier's eyes in the dim moonlight, he knew that that wasn't the case. He grinned again and said, "It'll happen. I'll talk to my lawyer who handled my case before with getting full custody and dissolving April's parental rights. But I wanted you to know first and see what you thought." Hearing about Henry made Fletcher chuckle, "Poor Winter's not getting any sleep tonight if that's the case. She'll be over the moon when she finds out about the expansion plans for the house." Fletcher knew Winter loved her brother but he could also appreciate a need for sleep.

Still looking down at Xavier, he said, "I'd love to be their dad in any way I can be, and any way they would like me to be. As far as last names go... that doesn't matter to me either way. If you or the kids want my last name hyphenated with 'Mitchell' , or to just keep Mitchell or whatever--hell, we can all go for name changes and all be Mitchell-Van Halls. Regardless, it won't make them feel any more or less mine, and you won't feel any more or less my husband. I just want them to know that no matter what their name, I'm gonna love all of them, care for them and show up for them. And I want you to know that no matter what you decide for your name..." Being mindful of Xavier not being in any pain, Fletcher rolled to carefully guide him onto his back and supported his own weight as he hovered over his fiancé, caging him around his arms. He looked down into Xavier's eyes and told him, "No matter what, you're my sweetheart..." He lowered his head to kiss him and then lifted up a bit, "You're my sugar..." Another kiss, and after a long beat, he murmured, "You're my person, Xavier."

XAVIER

"He has a lot of love to give. I'm glad and relieved that he's gotten the chance to provide it with you, Phoebe, and now with us too." Xavier hummed softly at Fletcher's touches. While he missed being with his fiance in other physical ways, Xavier loved how they could participate in many forms of intimacy and feel like the most loved person in the world. It wasn't lost on him that they shared such a powerful emotional and physical bond and that this was the first time he had this with anyone else.

"Yeah, poor Athena." He chuckled a bit and then added, "Just kidding. Those two deserve each other." He listened to Fletcher with a smile on his face. "Once I got to really know you, I knew I couldn't stop. I was right to pursue you the way I did because I was right about you. There was no way I was giving you up. Unless you literally told me not to. When I came by very early on in our relationship before we even made things official and I met Drew and Emiliana...it was, well it felt right." Reminiscing like this was something they hadn't done and it was such an amazing feeling revisiting those older memories. He knew that Fletcher kept to himself, especially with his personal matters, so hearing him talk about their relationship made Xavier feel lucky.

"Yeah. Valentine's Day. I'm not used to people pulling out all the stops for me and it's not for lack of wanting it. It just never worked out that way. So you making me dinner and setting up your bedroom and talking me through it all which was also very hot by the way..." He laughed softly. "all of it was important to me." He smiled as Fletcher went on, letting out a content sigh before his teeth raked against his bottom lip. Knowing that Fletcher loved him this much filled him with the most indescribable joy. "I can say with every serious and genuine fiber of my being I have never in my life felt this way about anyone."

And it was getting in the accident, potentially losing everything that made him realize he wouldn't wait another day in at least trying to see if Fletcher would want this to be a forever thing. "Even if you had said no to me at the hospital when I asked you to marry me, I would have asked again when you were ready. I wasn't going to let that go between us."

He was absolutely touched that Fletcher would want him to have legal rights over Phoebe. Sometimes, with how quickly things had developed and how much everything fit perfectly together, it was hard to separate the two realities they lived. There was life before they were an item and life now. Oftentimes, Xavier mixed the two or wouldn't have the disconnect. Knowing Phoebe since she was just a month old made it feel like in a way, she was always his or would end up being his daughter too. "I fell in love with your little girl the moment you placed her in my arms. I am very touched and honored that you'd even consider making me her dad too." He grinned thinking about Winter. "But she's been a good sport. I want you to tell her about the expansion. She will love the idea and appreciate it so much."

When Fletcher rolled to hover over him, he let out a soft chuckle and looked up at him, appreciating what he could in the dim lighting. "You're my person, Fletcher. And for the record...I want to be a Van Hall. I've decided. The kids can hyphenate, we can let them decide since they're older but I personally would be fucking honored to be a Van Hall. Your husband. Yours."

[btranwrites]

Rolling dice, writing games

So it's been a while since I last posted. Sorry for ignoring your tag games and asks!!! I will get back to them eventually, but there has been a few life changes in the past few months.

Basically my citizenship journey in Australia is finally coming to an end, and I will become Australian very soon! Also the housing crisis caught me and Sydney got too fucking expensive to stay in anymore, so I've moved interstate and am now in Melbourne!

But I have been writing! Well, kind of. I've been playing more TTRPG games these days, and two of them are Play By Post (PBP): instead of playing instantaneous in-person or online, you do it asynchronously: you write down what your character does, as do other players, and as do the gamemaster doing their narration and rule adjudication.

And yes, there is writing involved. So I did. PBP TTRPGs are yet more writing opportunities for me. And I'm playing two PBP games at the moment:

Set in medieval French around the time of the black death, using Cthulhu Eternal, a Lovecraftian ruleset. I play a goody two-shoes herbalist.

Set in the near future, using Chronicles of Darkness and explicitly about the God-Machine (omg yass). I play a grumpy, aggressive mechanic.

Obviously, this is not the first time TTRPG and writing have intersected here in the house of BT. There has been Han Vu, and there is (at least the start of) Liam An (I'll get into him later).

With Han Vu, the most glaring flaw is the lack of context. No one has read all Han Vu pieces end to end that I know of, but as an author, I am not quite happy with the experience the reader would have. It is understandable from its origin: these stories were written as a story bit before a game session, and there's a lot that happens in these sessions. But I don't think a reader who was not a participant in those game sessions will have all the story context to appreciate these pieces.

With these PBP games, there is a potential similar pitfall. There are my posts, and there are others' posts. Sure, these are text, and I can just copy and paste them and publish them here, but I don't feel comfortable doing that seeing I don't own the content produced by others.

I have written a few pieces that I am actually quite proud of for my characters in these PBP games, so I do want to post them here. But what I will be doing differently this time is that I will summarise what happened in-between these posts, and clearly mark that they are not produced by me, nor do I claim ownership of them. This is the best solution I can come up with so far to address the context issue.

So yes, two new TTRPG PBP series will be posted here, soon™️.

Liam, oh Liam

Liam, my dearest fuckboi. The thing with Liam is that the game he was created for has already finished months ago; yes, I am that late, I know. What is different from Han Vu, though, is that this time, I did not manage to produce more shorts over the course of the game.

That is not necessarily a bad thing. I do want to write and finish a series of shorts for Liam; I have published Executive Intervention, and I… don't like the idea of putting something out there unfinished. The game is done and dusted, so…

Instead of a setup like Han Vu and the two new TTRPG PBP series, Liam An will be a standalone series: there will no summary narration between posts. The reader can read the shorts as the complete story text, with no external source material.

Indeed, I have already outlined the story arc for Liam! I have ideas for the midpoint of the arc and the ending that I am really excited to tackle! And I have also outlined the second story, sequel to Executive Intervention. Once this post is done, I will start writing it!

Liam on AO3?

And… with Liam becoming a standalone series instead of basically PBP Actual Play crossposting, I'm considering posting Liam on the AO3 Original Work tag, hoping to maybe build an audience from there… Maybe I need a backlog first, and only start posting when I start on, say story 4 or something.

And I need a series name… Hmm. Maybe Executive Intervention can be the series name. We'll see.

Impossible Wreck, my neglected child

Impossible Wreck.

I am very sad to report that I have not been able to make progress on this beloved beast of mine.

Impossible Wreck's setting originated as a remix of Chronicles of Darkness' God-Machine setting, but got majorly overhauled into its own original setting. I have ~24k words of worldbuilding materials recorded (wow. I just realised that's close to the wordcount of the draft as it is.)

Worldbuilding is my jam; I crank it out easily. Thing is, IW is the very first project where I managed to break out from that worldbuilding background into the two other pillars of storytelling: plot and character. After last year's NaNoWriMo, I gathered a LOT of questions I had for myself about the characters and the world. And… almost one year later, I am still working through those questions.

God, it is close to NaNoWriMo this year already, and the prospects of NOT improving the word count on this draft after literally one year is… very demoralising.

My DREAM achievement is that I will be able to finish the first draft for IW by my 30th birthday. I would feel so, SO accomplished if I manage to pull that off.

My goal for IW this month is to have a project plan, with milestones and deadlines. From my experience with the interstate move, having such a plan helped give method to madness, and I'm hoping it will do something similar for IW, instead of me just thinking about it and getting overwhelmed, then end up doing nothing and yet another month goes by.

And that's the update! Hopefully I'll finish the Liam story and get it up this month!

[gale-heart]

Charlotte left a note asking to talk, so we grabbed wine, smokes, and chocolate, and made time to dress our re-opened wounds in the privacy of the crow’s nest. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the first time she’s gotten to just sit down and unpack all of the grief and pressure she’s been carrying around since her parents’ death. I’m nowhere near being a professional counselor, but I do hope venting to me helped; she did seem a little lighter on her feet when we were done.

We sort of rambled into easier subjects once we’d both talked about our visions. Talk strayed from loss, to food, to marriage—my own short-lived disaster, her reasons for abstaining against her family’s wishes, and conditions under which we might actually consider it (the implication was that we were talking about hypothetical other people in the vague future, but there were a few points where I had to bite my tongue to not jokingly say “I do.”) We’d both rather wait to marry for love rather than title or breeding, and both would rather it be a small, comfortable thing with a few close guests. Unless we end up dueling our hypothetical spouses in a ballroom, of course—I’d mostly been joking about it being a fun way to close a ceremony, but her good eye damn near lit up as she latched onto it. (Charlotte taps her feet on the ground when she’s excited!) It looks like we’ll be making time for her to teach me fencing, though it remains to be seen if I end up sweeping her away like one of the intrepid heroines in her adventure novels.

We also ended up diving together into that other novel I snatched up at the Gilded Caldera, much to my immense delight. I find myself growing surprisingly fond of it; it’s clear Tolriastrasz saw plenty of the world’s evils, and its joys, enough to really appreciate how important it is that we still try in spite of it all. I would have loved the chance to pick his brain, and I strongly suspect he may radicalize me a little by the time I’ve finished. Even putting aside the philosophical angles, I just dearly love these four ridiculous, earnest whelplings and how hard they’re trying despite being very clearly out of their element. Soft as butter they may be, yet hard as tree roots they can be in need, indeed.

Kerrius arrived earlier today. He hasn’t tried to make friends, but thankfully he hasn’t treated anyone with outright hostility so far either. Even worked alongside Roy and Neil and a few of our Horde crew members without incident! (Kavard being the non-Horde exception—maybe? I’m really not sure what the fuck Kavard is, other than a sentient, person-shaped blob of darkness with sharp teeth and a fondness for big hats.) This is better than I’d hoped for! Maybe we can introduce him to some of our Alliance folk next and get him to loosen his tongue a bit. Or, hell, I’ll even settle for getting him out of his cabin, if he’s not seasick.

[kohakuarisaka]

Untamed (chapter 4 of 5)

Takami Keigo x (fem!)Reader

[ SUMMARY ] Every year, without fail, Hawks went into a rut: when autumn began, and then again in early spring. He would honker down up north in a secluded cabin. For the first time, he brought you with him.

[ WARNINGS ] R18+ for graphic sexual content and language. Non-canon compliant: Hawks’ quirk does not work like this. Reader is a hero that works at Hawks agency. Pre-existing relationship. Reader is a female with female genitalia. Feral behavior. Rutting. Biting. Spanking. Slight BDSM. Consensual sex. Wing kink. Oral sex. Romantic relationship.

Chapter 1 • Chapter 2 • Chapter 3 • Chapter 4 • Chapter 5

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Hawks had gone on an early morning flight the following day, before you had stirred from sleep, leaving you alone in the cabin for the first time.

He was reaching the apex of his rut. The cabin was beginning to feel like the inside of an oven. That was great for keeping his mate warm, but not so great for him in his current state, where he felt like he was roasting alive.

Outside, the winds were cold, almost punishingly so. Under normal conditions, he would have been wrapped up in his fur coat. However, now, he was wearing a loose T-shirt more suited for summer, baggy cargo pants and military boots.

He took off into the sky, soaring at great speeds that would make him near impossible to see with the naked eye, assuming anyone was actually around to spot him in the first place.

He'd soar up high, then let himself descend in a tumbling spiral, then catch his fall above the trees and rocket between the branches, sometimes letting the bottoms of his boots skim the trees to shake the snow off.

He always loved the feeling of the wind through his feathers; but, the sensation was more intense during his rut. While pain receptors didn't exist in his feathers in the same manner as his flesh and bones, he could still process feeling.

During his rut, feeling was intensified in his wings. He almost thought he could breathe the air through his feathers. Perhaps, it was why he felt so unbearably warm, why your touch had reduced him to a blabbering animal.

It was difficult to resist the desire to bring you with him on his flights, to hold you against his chest and feel your body clinging to him while he descended.

It was exciting to think about what kind of noises you would make. He hoped that you would find it exhilarating. He wanted to feel your heartbeat thundering away from the rush, to see red tinting your cheeks and tears in your eyes.

Instead, Hawks floated alone and let the late winter air bite away at his skin while the winds brushed along his feathers. It was soothing more so than chilling. Despite how unfitting his clothes was for the weather, not even the tips of his fingers felt cold.

The winter breeze had relaxed him, but not for long. Despite the obvious chill in the air, Hawks was still sporting a painful erection. He avoided touching it, knowing full well that masturbation was pointless. Enduring this alone for years taught him that it would likely only irritate him further.

You were here, you were safe, you were his, you wanted to be here, you wanted him. Your scent was all over the nest and his bite mark was a heavy eyesore on your throat. There wasn't another human for miles. But, despite the obvious fact that there was no reason for him to feel uneasy, his nature wouldn't allow him to rest.

His rational side wanted to let you relax, to give you some reprieve from him, from what he did to you and intended to do again. The beast, however, clawing under his skin, wanted to have you again.

Hawks flew some, and then some more, letting time slip away, until he was agitated to the point that his hands were digging into his outer thighs, nails threatening to rip his clothes.

Snow began to fall on his way back to the cabin, and the gentle wind hurled it to and fro. He could feel the soft droplets fluttering against his skin. The snow felt cold, of course, but he didn't really process it. All he could think about was getting back to you.

When he crossed the threshold, it was like entering another world. The outside whistled with the harsh wind and kicked snow inside, suddenly silenced when he slammed the door. He felt the sudden security of being in his nest, enclosed, private, safe, where it smelt like freshly cut logs and you.

As Hawks stepped into the living room, he realized that you had migrated away from the bed, likely due to the cold. You had brought some blankets and pillows over and haphazardly arranged them in front of the fireplace. You had even dug a rolled-up futon out of the supply closet to pile the bedding on top of. He had forgotten that was even in there.

His boots thumped against the wood floor as he walked, catching your attention. You peered up at him, your eyes failing to mask your excitement at his return.

At a glance, Hawks could see that you had showered while he was away. Your hair was clean, just a tiny bit damp at the ends. As he got closer, he could faintly catch a whiff of the well water that fed into to the cabin lingering on your skin.

It was only natural that you would want to clean off after what he had done to you the past couple days. Hawks was well aware of that and was trying to remain calm about the whole situation; but, the truth was, he was annoyed by your actions.

You had washed him away.

Of course, that could easily be remedied.

Hawks advanced towards you, mindful to not step on the blankets with his boots, to not dirty the nest you made. He lowered onto his haunches first, taking in the sight of you, the sight of the bedding you had arranged without him. You had slipped on one of his shirts and a pair of shorts, not suitable for the weather, but suitable for him. Like this, your body was very accessible, that much was certain.

"I made breakfast, if you're hungry?" you offered, clearly not at all perturbed by his looming and staring. He didn't look annoyed, but oddly intrigued, maybe even flattered by your behavior.

"You have snow in your hair," you observed, smiling at the sight of pale white crystals caught in his blonde locks. You leaned up and reached for him, carefully tousling his hair to shake the snow free.

He waited until you were done preening him and suddenly jerked forward, pushing you onto your back with his torso. He followed with you, knees pinning you beneath him, one falling between your thighs.

When you peered up at him, unperturbed by his behavior, Hawks' gold eyes narrowed and his fangs bared. A sound that you didn't know he was capable of making snarled from behind his teeth and echoed around the room.

It was a growl, not like anything you had heard from a dog, or any animal, really. You didn't know that he could make noises like that. It seemed unfitting for the calm, polite hero that you knew so well. Then again, he had warned you about this.

Maybe, this whole experience was doing something to you, changing you; or, more likely, he was helping you discover things about yourself you never knew existed.

The growl didn't frighten you at all. It made you tremble with excitement, made your skin prickle with goosebumps and heart flutter, made wetness pool between your legs.

Spurred on by him, maybe wanting to rattle the beast's cage a little, you decided to be daring. You lifted a leg, pressed your foot against his chest, and pushed against him. Of course, he didn't budge at all. He was much stronger than you normally, and especially unwavering in this state of mind.

"Take off your clothes," you requested, trying your damn best to sound powerful, unyielding. You sounded firm, sure, but you didn't sound as strong as you wanted to, maybe not strong enough to coerce a beast.

Yet, Hawks' gaze softened, surprising you. He had told you he wanted you to be yourself, to not succumb to his every emotion. It kept him grounded, reminded him that you were here of your own free will, because you wanted to be. Your demand sobered him.

"Whatever you want," he uttered, sultry and low, and it made you tremble with excited goosebumps.

He leaned back, rising to his feet, and began shucking off his clothes in record time. His boots hit the floor noisily before he fumbled with his belt, having it barely undone before it was dragged down his hips by his pants.

He wasn't wearing underwear, you realized, as he shucked his pants off his feet. He lifted his arms and tugged his shirt over his head. The fabric hit the floor and, rather than throwing himself on top of you, Hawks remained standing.

His wings were spread out behind him, crimson feathers bright and imposing. His gold eyes were vibrant, staring you down like a predator seconds away from laying claim to its prey.

However, it didn't go unnoticed to you that he was standing there to allow you to appraise him, as if you had never laid eyes upon his nudity before.

Despite the cold, he had a faint sheen of sweat that was glistening in the light coming from the fireplace, outlining taut abdominal muscles. He hadn't eaten much since his arrival, and that much was obvious by the exaggerated tightness around his core, muscles more enhanced than you had ever seen before.

It felt almost shameful to stare at his crotch, but it was damn near impossible to not admire the heavy cock between his thighs. It was a sight to behold, just like the rest of him. The trail of pale blonde pubes leading from beneath his belly button was practically begging you to stare.

Still, you dragged your gaze back up at his face, where he looked surprisingly anxious, as if there a chance in hell you would tell him no. Sometimes, it was astonishing to think that someone so beautiful could have an ounce of self-doubt. But, he did. Even if he managed to hide it well, you could always spot it, the fear of not being good enough.

"Keigo," you uttered, voice sounding weak over the sound of the crackling fireplace.

Your arms lifted, hands reaching out for him, beckoning him into an embrace. You blinked and suddenly, he was on top of you, torso ushering you back into the sheets while his hands clawed at your shorts, dragging them down your legs.

Hawks panted into your neck, nails biting at the fleshy meat of your thighs as he tried to will himself to calm down. He was being nonsensical. You had been together for a while now. He had fucked you in every position he could possibly think of, held you at night when he could and kissed your mouth like you were his.

Because you were. Yet, despite all that, he felt so pleased that you still chose him, again.

When your hands slid over his shoulders and felt the burning heat of his skin, you felt a tinge of guilt at his state. Deliriously, you wanted to take care of him, to be able to give him everything he needed.

One hand cradling the back of his neck, you pulled him up until his face came into view and you kissed at the corner of his mouth. Encouraged, he followed, tilting his head to capture your lips in a proper kiss.

You felt his shoulders relax as his body slid atop yours, legs tangled and torsos coming together. His hands released your thighs, opting to slide up your sides, beneath your shirt and along the expansion of your ribs, where the pads of his fingers traced the outlines of your bones.

Despite the insistent, throbbing erection trapped against your thigh, burning hot like forged iron, his kisses were gentle, ushering your mouth open to accept his tongue. He kissed you like he had forgotten what your mouth tasted like, tongue slotting over yours eagerly, moaning into the kiss senselessly.

After sometime, you pushed back against his chest until he finally got the message and pulled back from your lips. You tried not to laugh at the childishly irritated scowl on his face, his expression silently reprimanding you for stopping him.

"Lay down," you urged. "I wanna touch you."

"Don't need any more teasing, babe," he protested weakly.

Still, despite his protest, you nudged him pleadingly. Hawks groaned like you had struck him, but complied and began rolling over, bringing you above him.

You watched his wings flex and fan out comfortably beneath him, spread out across the sheets like twin, elegant blankets, mindful of the fireplace. He propped his back up with some pillows, giving him just enough leverage to lean up a little, but not quite in a seated position.

As Hawks got situated, you tweaked one of his nipples between your fingers. He yelped at the touch, shoulders twitching and wings shuddering faintly beneath him. Your hand was ripped away by a grip at the wrist; but, you couldn't hold back a smile as he glared up at you.

That glare disappeared off his face when you started wiggling down his lap. Of course he knew what was coming, especially when you cupped his weeping cock and tenderly lifted it off his abdomen. Yet, excitement clawed up his spine as if he was sincerely surprised.

He hardly registered your tongue lapping at the swollen tip, where he was sticky with precum. He did, however, painfully so, notice when you sank down, enveloping his length in your hot mouth.

For a moment, you just held him against your tongue, reveling in the salty taste and moaning when you felt him throb. You slid up to the tip, failing to notice how tense the rest of him was, back arched and staring down at you intensely, muscles tight from head to toe. When you sank back down, tightening your mouth around his shaft, Hawks cried out suddenly.

His loudness startled you more so than the sudden gush of his seed. His hands grabbed at the bedding. In the corner of your eye, you could see his feathers shuddering beneath him.

Hawks' cock throbbed with each spurt, heavy where it rested against your lax tongue. He was deep enough that his seed spilled right down your throat. You relaxed and swallowed it carefully, cheeks tinted red as Hawks whined above you.

When he came down from his high, he was still impossibly hard, throbbing against your tongue as if he hadn't come at all. You began bobbing your head, excited at the thought of getting him to come again. However, his hands suddenly flew up, grabbed at your cheeks and pulled you off.

You hadn't expected that, resulting in a wet pop and a string of saliva dangling between your drooping bottom lip and his member. Hawks stared for a moment, almost in disbelief at the sight, like something taken straight out of a porno, and not reality.

"God, you look so fucking naughty," he snarled, dragging your face in towards his, forcing you to arch over him. "Dirty fucking girl, aren't you?"

His tongue lapped against your bottom lip, catching your dripping saliva, before entering your mouth without preamble. The wet organ thrashed around senselessly, enjoying the taste of himself on your mouth. After a few seconds, he pulled back with a growl and dragged your shirt up, forcing your arms above your head to free you from the garment.

"Keigo, let me-" you whined.

"Be good," he silenced you in a gentle, albeit commanding, voice.

The world flipped when he spun you back around and your back hit the bedding. His wings fanned out above the two of you, beat against the air once, and flexed, plumes spread out majestically.

"I wanna touch you more," you protested, fingers weaving through his hair with dangerous intent. You gently dug the pads of your fingers into his scalp and watched his head lull from the pleasure, eyes fluttering shut.

"That's not being good," Hawks commented with a groan, making no immediate movement to stop you.

"I wasn't done," you retorted, leaning up to drag your cheek against the stubble on his jaw. You couldn't hold back a shudder at the sensation, soft yet rough hair dragging against your skin.

"Fuck," the winged hero growled, eyes opening to take you in with a faint glare.

Your felt a wandering hand smack gently against your inner thigh, forcing your legs to spread to give him space to settle between them. A digit suddenly grazed your slit, circling your entrance to gather wetness before slipping inside.

It was almost laughable to think he had gone out into the snow to cool off; yet, the heat of your core was tantalizing, so inviting that the touch alone threatened to undo him. You were already slippery and when he effortlessly sought out your sweet spot, you mewled.

Hawks groaned like you had wounded him, the sound practically vibrating from his throat and traveling through him onto you. He tilted his head to nibble at your jaw, breath hot enough to burn your skin where he exhaled against you.

"You're ready for me," Hawks commented lowly, driving his finger inside until his knuckles brushed your folds. "Did you like the taste of my cock that much? -my cum? Feel this - fuck. You're begging for it."

"You're begging for it," you retorted softly, hands carefully untangling from his hair and sliding down to cup his face. You pulled him back, away from your neck, so you could look into his eyes.

"Yeah," he agreed in a low sigh, forehead bumping against yours just a little too roughly. "Want you so fucking bad."

"How bad?" you hummed encouragingly, hiking your legs up on his waist to pull him in.

His finger slipped free, hands shifting to slide over your hips, dragging you into a place more to his liking, pinned beneath him, where you were helpless to much more than squirm. You hiked your legs up on his hips, groaning when he humped at your core, causing his cock to drag against your folds.

"Kinda hurts, if I'm being honest," Hawks groaned out lowly.

"I'll take care of you," you promised, blinking slowly as you stared back at his vibrant gold eyes.

"Yeah?" he uttered weakly. "I can just-"

His tip prodded at your entrance and Hawks cut off, moaning in a wounded manner that had your head spinning. You had seen him get pent-up and frustrated before, after week long missions and months apart; but, he never sounded quite like this.

"Yes," you whispered back harshly.

With a shift of his hips, he was suddenly buried inside you. The sudden intrusion wasn't as startling as the loud noise that escaped Hawks. He shuddered above you, crying out, wings flexing and beating the air, driving him down against you.

"Oh, fuck, Keigo," you whined, realizing he had finished the moment he slipped inside.

His cock throbbed as if to remind you that he wasn't done yet. There was a wet squelch as he slipped out and rammed back inside, nearly drowned out by a guttural, "f-fuck", that he breathed against your neck.

He thrusted a few times, rough rolls of his hips, forcing your walls to accommodate his girth. You couldn't hold back a weak groan. As prepared as you might have been, it was inevitable that there would always be some strain to take him.

Hawks must have assumed that he was taking you too hard, for he slowed down, uttering a weak, "s-sorry."

Yet, the dissatisfaction from his slow pace was far worse than the slight ache when he took it too fast. You didn't want it slow and soft. The last couple days had you wound up, prepared for the promised, carnal passion. You wanted him to fuck you like his life depended on it.

"No," you hissed out, trying to angle your hips up to bring him in harder, fast. "God - no - Keigo, harder-"

With a faint growl, he obeyed that command, the sudden hard roll of the hips forcing you to break off into a loud cry.

"Babe, I'm gonna lose it if you talk like that," he warned, words throaty and rough where they breathed against your skin.

You worked one hand into his hair while the other grabbed at his back, nails biting deliciously into his skin, holding him close, forcing your bodies together.

"I want you to," you uttered between broken moans that he forced out of you with his cock.

Hawks uttered your name lowly, a clear warning.

"God, Keigo, just-" you growled, wiggling around helplessly beneath him. He shifted his weight, holding you down with a growl, as if you were dare trying to escape him.

It was exciting, and had you babbling at him wantonly, "you're so f-fucking sexy and I - I want it. Want you to just - f-fuck me like - ahh, Keigo, your mate."

His arms suddenly wound beneath you and hoisted you off the floor. You cried out, clinging to him in a startle at the sudden verticality. Hawks leaned upright, on his knees in front of the fireplace, holding you up, pressed against his chest, hands gripping your meaty hips to hold you at the perfect angle to fuck up into you.

"My mate? -fuck when you say things like that, makes me fucking - ghhh - fu-uck - you want me to fuck you? Yeah?" he babbled on, whispering harshly right into your ear.

It was a little too close, a little too loud, and left a ringing sensation in your head. Yet, you didn't want to shy away, especially not when he started growling. Clinging to him desperately, you could feel his back muscles shifting as his wings flapped with enough force to knock some logs off the stand.

His head tilted back and took in the sight of your face. Your eyes were struggling to remain open, lips parted lewdly, cheeks tinted a brilliant shade of red.

"You look amazing," he whispered, hot breath fanning over your face. "Fucked stupid on my cock, where you belong."

You moaned lowly, head lulling against his shoulder. You felt his lips press a kiss against your temple and he continued uttering into your hair.

"Gonna fill my pretty mate with cum. Is that what she wants?" he whispered, low and sweet, sultry and downright vulgar. You didn't answer; but, he felt your nails bite into his shoulders, heard your breath briefly catch in your throat.

"Yeah, she does," he agreed, breaking off into a pleased hum.

The wet, fleshy sounds drowned out the noise of the fireplace, accompanied by your helpless mewling and Hawks disgruntled moans and grunts. You were so close like this, held up by his strong grip, chest to chest.

You sought out the strength to peer up and catch a glimpse of his wings shuddering, flexing out from his back either for balance or unconsciously, you couldn't determine. You tore one of your hands from his shoulder and dragged your fingers through his plumes, along the growth until you met his back.

Hawks cried out in a sharp roar. His pace increased exponentially as he rode out his orgasm, wheezing and panting into the space beside your head. That white-hot pleasure overtook you at some point, forcing a startled scream from your throat.

He kept going and going, only slowing down when he was certain you were finished. Suddenly, he slipped out, and the emptiness had you whimpering, head spinning and body aching.

Your back hit the bedding and then your front when Hawks rolled you over. Focused on the ache between your thighs, you barely processed the rustling of the bedding, until Hawks shoved some pillows beneath your abdomen to slightly elevate your lower half.

He propped himself up on his hands and knees, fingers splayed out across the bedsheets on either side of your torso. You felt the tops of his thighs slide against the backs of yours, cock heavy and wet against your core.

The realization of what he was about to do seemed to slap him in the face at that moment, for Hawks suddenly stopped, freezing up behind you.

"Fuck, I need you," he uttered, voice hoarse and low. "Please - please, can I keep going? -still so fucking hard."

You almost didn't recognize the sound of his voice, hoarse and desperate; but, then, his wings beat against the air, sharply reminding you that this was Takami Keigo.

Your cheek was pressed against one of the pillows, arms splayed out above your head, and you realized faintly that you must have been quite the sight, spread out lewdly for him, back curved, ass in the air, presenting to him like a bitch in heat.

There was no sense of obligation spurring your unity; or, if there was, it was an afterthought. All you felt was desire, longing for more, aching to be filled, trembling and void of any coherent thought beyond Hawks.

You could feel his throbbing cock at your entrance, his knees pushing yours apart, his arms trembling on either side of you. He was hovering some odd few inches; yet, he was panting so heavily, you could feel it fanning over your back.

"Keigo," you whispered weakly. "Don't stop."

Your scream drowned out the inhuman growl that escaped him as he shoved his hips forward, sheathing himself inside your velvety heat, as deep as he could possibly go, trying to push his hips further forward as if it wasn't enough.

Hawks fucked you wildly, huffing out sharp breaths mingled with pleasured moans. It didn't take long for him to reposition his hands, one settling on your waist while the other fisted in the bedsheets above your head. He arched over you possessively, wings beating the air to drive him forward. As unnecessary as it was, you couldn't deny the way it stoked the fire inside you.

Before you could even think to ask, one of his feathers wiggled between your thighs, nuzzling against your pearl where it flicked and twirled, pinching at the bud with just enough friction to be pleasurable, but not too hard to be painful.

"Keigo!" you cried out, hands gripping the sheets with enough force to nearly tear them.

"Say my name," tumbled from his lips, like a broken baritone. "Yeah - fuck - my name - say my name. Gonna - ahh - stuff you with my c- ahh - fuck, you feel so good - so good," he babbled on, leaving your head spinning.

He was fucking into you at the perfect angle, ensuring his cock reached your sweet spot with each and every thrust. At some point, coherent thoughts died. Nothing existed beyond the bed sheets, the fireplace, the cabin. All you could think about was the sweet scent lingering on the sheets beneath you and the explosive pleasure Hawks was forcing through your body.

He came again at some point; but, you could hardly tell. Everything was already sopping wet, seed dripping from your cunt and down your thighs, as well his. The sounds he made never ceased, inhuman groans deep in his throat that mingled with each hurried inhale and exhale, in harmony with his thrusts.

His dominant hand slid down your spine, carefully curling at the back of your neck to hold you down. As mindless as it might have appeared, you were acutely aware that he wasn't holding all his weight down.

You were familiar with the power he held, the brute strength hidden beneath his charming and silly demeanor. He could hurt you very easily if he wanted to; but, he never did. Even in this state, his self-control was mind boggling, pinning you with just the right amount of pressure to keep you still, but not enough to cause any discomfort.

'Keigo' fell from your lips, again and again, as if it was the only word you knew. Above you, Hawks seemed to be in the very state he had been worried about, that he had warned you about: blinded by the pleasure of your core, lost to the desires overwhelming his every thought for days.

At some point, he hunched over even further, hardly thrusting properly anymore and just rutting into you, and you felt his lips touch the space between your shoulder blades.

It was hardly a kiss and you realized vaguely that he was drooling a little before you felt the sting of his teeth. Hawks gnawed a path up your back, leaving behind pink, blossoming bruises, before digging his teeth into your shoulder. It wasn't as strong as the last bite, a brief sting before the pain was lost to the pleasure.

He growled into your skin, whole body quaking with sharp tremors, signaling that he had reached orgasm again. You had lost sense of your own awhile ago, always ablaze in white hot pleasure. The mere touch of his hand along your skin, every shift of his hips, the union of your sexes, had you vibrating.

You lost track of how long that went on, how long Hawks kept going, mouth latched onto your skin, slobbering and whimpering into your flesh, while his hips rolled against yours, pinning you between the floor and his unwavering form.

Everything felt too good for you to process how tired you had become, brought to the brink of exhaustion, glistening with sweat from head to toe, kept awake only by his invasion of your body, the drag of his cock along your velvety walls.

Eventually, Hawks began to slow. He carefully removed his teeth from your shoulder and gave a few more thrusts, letting out a low whine that you could guess was one last, final orgasm.

His feather departed your slippery folds, leaving you aching and spent, and he remained buried as deep as he possibly could, hips pressed tightly against yours.

Hawks nuzzled his face into the back of your neck, panting wildly, and you felt what you could only describe as vibrations rumbling from his chest, so violently that it had you shaking beneath him. It was almost alarming, but the tremors steadily waned as his breathing relaxed.

Carefully, Hawks turned you onto your side, shoved the pillow beneath you away, and curled into the space between you, pressed tightly against your back, skin touching in every spot that was possible. His wings stretched out behind him, past the boundary of the bedding and spread out across the floor, lax like the rest of him.

Hawks adjusted your legs carefully, stretching them out with his own until they were comfortably laying side by side, all whilst ensuring his cock remained lodged inside you. The strain wasn't unpleasant; rather, you were surprised by how good it felt.

"Keigo?" you uttered weakly, voice so low, you were surprised he even heard you.

You felt his lips kiss at your throat and a hand settle over your tummy, fingers splayed. He uttered your own name back, as if reassuring, before his fingers moved around, sliding up and down your side soothingly.

You willed your eyes to open and watched the flames inside the hearth dance briefly before your gaze darkened and you drifted off to sleep, lulled by the sounds of the storm brewing outside and Hawks breathing softly behind you.

He didn't join you in the abyss, but watched over you cautiously, as if you could possibly be in any danger. The storm outside wasn't particularly worrisome, but it made it impossible for him to pick up sounds beyond the boundary of the cabin.

If you had turned to look upon his face, you would have seen his pupils miniscule, gold iris vibrant and wild. There was no chance that anyone would possibly disturb you, and his sensible self would have known that; but, as he was now, rut peaked and beast sufficiently satisfied, Hawks couldn't be told otherwise.

An arm drooped loosely over your waist, holding you close, and he listened to the soothing beats of your heart as you drifted into a peaceful slumber.

[atomicfilm]

INTJ pairings

I'll make this into a fun short "put you in my pocket and take you `to my mom's Thanksgiving party" version too.

I'm not an INTJ, but I do converse with them (and by them, I mean maybe 3 total and 1 regularly) and I've been asked to talk about my thoughts on this, so for tonight only, I'm giving myself a really cool sash that says I'm an authority on the subject. I also think as an INTP I run into somewhat similar issues with certain types.

* means I like this pairing.

Typically, the INTJ's golden pair is the ENFP. I think that works for some people, but is probably a kind of short-lasting passionate fling rather than the ideal pairing. ENFPs are great people, they're lots of fun to be around, they care a great deal. They bring out the INTJ's soft side, which they may hate but they secretly quite admire. But ultimately, ENFPs can be flaky. They see something new and exciting and they move on. Novelty is the greatest motivator in a lot of ENFPs. New friends, new places, new things to do. And while the INTJ may deeply admire that and may find it quite exciting, it's not going to last forever. Eventually, the INTJ will become tired of playing games and want to settle into their ideal lifestyle pursuing their carefully strategized goals and the ENFP will become bored. The INTJ I speak to and I have the same issue, which is that ENFPs by nature are manipulative. It can be used for the good of inspiring people and bringing them together, but it can also become quite selfish and unstable. This leads to the ENFP saying things like "You try to apply logic to everything" or "you don't really respect me" or something like that when in reality, if someone loves an INTJ they'll love that they apply logic to everything and they'll love their snarky edges.

INFPs. I have not heard a lot of feedback about them as I think INTJs tend to be drawn more to extraverts. But as someone who spends quite a lot of time with INFPs, I would imagine that a lot of INTJs who can't make it work with ENFPs can also not make it work with INFPs. Once again, INFPs are great at engaging our minds but they are terrible at accepting that we live by rationality. INTJs use Fi a little bit, so to some extent they'll have similar engagements with their emotional side, but INFPs live by thinking "what can I do to nurture myself" and INTJs live more by "how can I best mold the world to fit my vision of efficiency". You'll see the commonality of Fi at the worst point possible when the INTJ is breaking down. INFPs kind of never stop using Fi and as someone who is thinking-dominant, that is almost impossible for communication. Ultimately, they'll eventually hit a point where their love languages and ways of interactions may be so disparate that they feel neglected.

ENTPs **. This is a golden pair that I can kind of get behind. The INxJs I know are obsessed with ENTPs and tend to think they're quite attractive. They're not only gregarious (when they're not arguing) but they're also quite intellectually stimulating and since they have opposite functions from the INTJ, there is still quite a bit of difference to make it fun. There shouldn't be too many emotional issues, aside from the fact that both these types tend to bottle up their emotions and resent vulnerabilities. The ENTP will probably be the more caring of the two in a conventional sense, but I would think both would have similar love languages of caring both through action and thought. ENTPs also tend to not be quite as flaky as a lot of xNxPs are, but, I would rate both of these types as highly likely to ghost. My best advice is that if you want to be around ENTPs, pick one who can be honest about their real values and whose values align with yours. If they make a lot of bigoted jokes, take that at face value, no matter how "ironic" it is. ENTPs can be a little fake in the sense that they will blend in just enough and hide behind so-called irony to be friends with a lot of different people.

INTPs. I don't really see it. I think INTPs are lovely as an INTP who likes other INTPs. Likewise, I enjoy a good conversation and friendship with an INTJ. But I find it not only difficult to tolerate relationships but also being told what to do. I make every decision in a relationship as a compromise and I think that would eventually quite interfere with the INTJ's ambitions because I wouldn't back down on mine...at least, not without resentment. So perhaps an INTJ and INTP with similar life goals could work out romantically, but personally, I view them as platonic and the one time I liked an INTJ it ended beyond poorly. I don't bring out their softness and they don't bring out mine. We're more like buddies who complain about other people when we do the entire group project by ourselves. Of course, romantic preference is a preference.

ENTJs. When has it ever worked out for someone to date their sister-type? Name one time! If someone names one time I'll update this. I think an ENTJ and an INTJ would be quite an argumentative couple even if they were on the same side about everything. Then again, INTJs do admire extraversion and it is always nice to be around people you don't have to explain yourself to every sentence.

INFJs ****. Oh, I like this pairing. I have not heard much about it, but I think it would be really cute. INTJs are complete badasses. They're very "I'm going to take over the world and you're just going to have to deal with it. And if you say no I will secretly cry". INFJs are very "I'm going to do everything in my power to heal everyone and the world and I am probably crying because I saw a baby bunny". INFJs are The Best! They have the softness of ENFPs but they're logical and they use Ni like INTJs but have Fe, which means they are thinking about harmony 24/7 and not that Fi-version of harmony. That genuine "I will make sure everyone is cared for at no social benefit to me" kind of harmony. They do socialize with a lot of people, but INTJs sometimes like to be social and party, they just aren't typically regarded that way. Do Fe and Fi mix that well? Maybe not. But as an Fe user who is quite fond of INFJs, I think they could potentially be a very cute power couple with the INTJ and there would be fewer issues with communication than other types as Ni-doms (but this also might be boring at the same time).

ENFJs. Similar to INFJs. They might work together a little less simply because of the change in function positions.

ESFPs *. Do I know for sure that this is a good pairing? No! But gosh, do I like it. INTJs become ESFP-like when they're sad. So, you know, maybe the ESFP will draw out the worst version of the INTJ and that could really suck. But this is the perfect little theatre kid dates total nerd trope and I like that. ESFPs have the social circle that the INTJ desires and the INTJ has the "got their shit together" vibes that ESFPs, despite being quite talented and successful, may lack. They both have skills one another can benefit strongly from, but it may come at the cost of a lot of arguments. Not sure. But I think this is actually my personal favorite since they have near-opposite strengths but a common reason to respect one another.

ISFPs: Pft. Idk. This is not the same as ESFPs. ISFPs are lovely but they sort of fill the same niche that INFPs do. Perfect for an INTP like me, but I don't think INTJs are looking for the quiet, artsy, weirdo so much because they already often fill that niche to some extent, even if it's more technical. I've noticed that INxJs really want to be around people who are the life of the party and very socially dominant (and ISFPs can fulfill that role, but there are other types who win via extraversion). The ISFP will likewise appreciate a little practicality, but I've noticed they're more likely to gravitate towards other xxFPs. Probably a better friendship and as a relationship would take more effort.

ESTPs: I think this one comes with its own difficulties and will work less than ENTP/ESFP pairings. This is because while they can have the same charisma that ENTP and ESFPs have, they can also have that same fakeness as a defense mechanism. Both will value action but the ESTP will probably drain out the INTJ more than ENTPs will (who are more ambiverts) and more than ESFPs too. With ESFPs, there's a good amount of the right kind of opposites. INTJs are action-driven, but they're strategic and take a while. ESFPs are action-driven, but they're more spontaneous. And ultimately, that leads to a lot of arguments about how to get things done. Whereas, the ESFP and ENTP might give the INTJ complete room to "manage", the ESTP seems less likely to do so.

ISTPs: This would be so stale. INTJs tend to show big emotions (to their own despise) when they're upset and ISTPs love to ghost at any sign of emotion. They would dip so fast. Top-tier friendship on an intellectual level but never particularly deep and unlikely, albeit not impossible to evolve into a relationship. Same issues as with INTPs, there's going to be a lot of admiration and probably not a lot of emotional attachment. I have witnessed an INTJ have a crush on an ISTP but that ISTP had a crush on me so that tells you how that went. Messy business. 

ESTJ: Yeah, I guess. I don't like ESTJs as a general concept but I suppose INTJs aren't necessarily as opposed to capitalism and tradition. Sounds dry. Next.

ISTJ *: This is probably a really solid pairing for the INTJ. Very marriage material, have the same job, raise cool kids. But I think that sounds boring. So if you want the "perfect life", this is probably a good type for you but I couldn't do that. You would probably only have minor arguments and the INTJ would have to learn to trust that ISTJs are incredibly good at reading situations while the ISTJ would have to learn to love that the INTJ is more fantasy-oriented than they are. Odd, right? Ultimately, you have two people who can be very commitment-oriented, who care for people the same way, who want to fix society, who analyze everything. You just have two generally different ways of doing that, where the ISTJ is probably actually better at being in society and the INTJ wants to change it in more drastic ways (although, for moral reasons they both want to change it).

ISFJ: I don't imagine it working particularly well. I honestly can barely imagine it at all. An ISFJ is my best friend and he is THE MOST gentle buddy. You cannot make fun of him even playfully and keep the friendship. Probably a deal-breaker for a lot of INTJs as they tend to love a good tease. My ISFJ has dated an INTJ before and while they’re still friends, it was a bad experience to witness all around. INTJs are very competitive and ISFJs are very open with their affection so that ran into issues but also, the ISFJ is not as likely to stand up for itself in a way that INTJs easily respect, which is to say, when they do it it will be something like “hey, you hurt my feelings” and if you’re the kind of person to  respond “then you’re too sensitive” you’ve got a whole ass toxic relationship on your hands. 

ESFJ: I think this could work a little better than the ISFJ pairing and a little worse than with the ESFP. Of course, there are general grounds for arguing over emotion vs. logic, but both types can have quite a good bit of talent and practicality coexisting. ESFJs tend to be a little better with criticisms (although they are still sensitive and should be treated very gently too) and they're more likely to want to accomplish goals that the INTJ finds easier to respect. For a lot of ISFJs, their goals are sweet and simple like raising a family, working as a computer scientist. The ESFJ might be a little more oriented towards large goals similar to that of the ESFP, which is more of the category that INTJs tend to fall into. However, the INTJ is going to have to accept that ESFJs love a LOT which means throwing a LOT of parties, probably the most out of any type and its probably going to lead to some burnouts. 

Overall, INTJs are great but need to learn to practice kindness and put their natural tendency for intellectual superiority aside. They shouldn't be with anyone that doesn't want to accomplish things they can respect. They shouldn't be with people who want them to compromise too much (they probably won't). They should be with people who bring out their nurturing capabilities and who they want to do things for, but not people that they see as incapable of taking care of themselves. They may prefer more social people and admire people who can network while being direct and genuine. Based on these criteria, INFJs and ENTPs are my highest recommendations while ESFPs (my favorite) and ISTJs also make the list for various reasons.

BUT, that being said, RELATIONSHIPS (including friendships) ARE A SKILL. They are most successful when someone becomes good at learning respect and compromise that doesn't cause resentment, regardless of type. All individuals will have different specific interests as well as red flags. And if you need me to tell you if your relationship works, it probably doesn't and you can DM me.

[chainofclovers]

Ted Lasso 2x9 thoughts

It’s no secret that I absolutely adore Coach Beard; he’s one of my favorite characters on the show, and he’s so well-written and well-acted that somehow I tend to be both perfectly satisfied with the details we see and truly curious to understand more about the way he thinks, what’s really happening re: his professional and personal devotion to Ted, where he comes from and where he’s going. I don’t need to know his name beyond the name he wants to be called, but I want to know why we don’t have any other names for him. And I don’t need him to be a bigger focal point of every episode, but I very much needed this episode’s world-exploding reminder that every single character on this show has a rich inner life, full of joys and troubles.

“Beard After Hours” is like a movie, but one that scatters its climaxes and puts off its resolutions...because it’s not a movie. It’s episode nine of a twelve-episode season of TV. When the episode ended, I felt this almost frantic “But he needed to break up with Jane for good before the end of the episode!” feeling. I was so pulled in by the idea of being able to tell an entire story in one night, of going on an odyssey alongside a complicated hero, that watching Beard and Jane find each other in that club felt as intense as the fact that we don’t know if Ted responded to Rebecca’s voicemail and we don’t know what’s going to happen with Rebecca and Sam and we don’t know who isn’t getting married and who is having a funeral in 2x10 (I mean, I have my strong suspicions, but still!) and we don’t know if Richmond will be promoted back to the Premier League. And on and on. I didn’t mind feeling desperate for the story to resolve even though I understood after thinking about it for ten seconds that of course it couldn’t resolve yet. Or ever. Or yet.

I’m a big fan of the TL episode recaps/reviews Linda Holmes writes for NPR, and I have to quote something from this week’s directly because it so perfectly explains my feelings:

The power of the scene where Beard dances in the club isn't that it's a beautiful romantic climax. It's that it's an explanation of why he cannot seem to extricate himself from this bad relationship. What makes the worst relationships so dangerous is that they have elements that feel good that are very hard to get elsewhere. Beard knows that; he tells it to God. What's concerning isn't that Jane makes the world seem more interesting; what's concerning is she's the only thing that does. That doesn't take away from the joy of the dancing; it just tells you that even happiness is complicated.

I love Holmes’ perspective here so much, because it articulates something I was struggling to figure out: how it can feel so legitimate, like such a (temporary but nonetheless powerful) relief, for Beard to find Jane in that club and to have this moment of euphoria as his night nears an end. How it is possible to experience that relief on behalf of a character while fervently wishing it could end differently, because it’s so clear from the abusive text messages and the toxic calls and the manipulative interactions that Jane is terrible to him and they’re terrible for each other. But Beard knows this. He knows it when he hugs Higgins in the parking lot after Higgins is honest with him in a way Ted and Rebecca and Keeley have not learned how to be, and he knows it when part of his prayer includes the clear articulation that Jane isn’t the cure for what “ails me.” He’s inching closer to greater self-knowledge just as Ted is.

And the two big resolutions that really, really needed to happen did. I didn’t know I needed Paul, Baz, and Jeremy to get to wrap up their own night out on the pitch at Nelson Road, but I did. It brought actual tears to my eyes. And the other resolution was Beard showing up with the other coaches’ coffees for their meeting to watch the game film. As interesting as it would have been to see what Ted would have done if Beard hadn’t shown up, I’m so, so glad that he did. He’s got a messed-up face and some truly epic pants on, but otherwise this is just Beard showing up for work, showing up for his friends. It was incredible to realize that Beard and Ted haven’t been exaggerating when they’ve referred to his sex-and-drug proclivities in the past. The night documented in 2x9 might have been particularly scary and violent and euphoric and awful and meaningful, but this type of all-night adventure isn’t a foreign concept for this guy. In all the other episodes of this show, when we see Beard we’re seeing someone who might have been out all night, who might have spent the hours the sun was down desperately pushing himself closer to whatever edges he could find.

I don’t really want to touch upon all the allusions in this episode. They are abundant, they are well-documented, and also I haven’t even seen the movie After Hours. I enjoyed this episode for its allusive qualities and I enjoyed this episode for what it was and I feel like I have to be at peace with the fact that I’m never going to pick up on every single reference on this show and that is okay.

So, yeah, if this entry on my tumblr dot com blog seems remarkably devoid of references and allusions, it’s not because I’m not into it but because I find it too overwhelming to actually write about.

Very into the Misplaced and Discovered box at the Crown and Anchor. (That’s what Mae wrote on the Lost and Found box at the pub, right? Whatever it is, it’s so funny.)

Beard hallucinating Thierry Henry and Gary Lineker was truly upsetting and a great indicator not only of how broken things are between the Richmond coaching staff right now but also how deep Beard’s self-loathing might go. If you’d asked me before Thursday if I thought Beard loathed himself, I would say no. That deepening of knowledge alone makes 2x9 worth it.

James Tartt and his friends in the alley. Such a nightmare. I go back and forth on how much of the night was real, and part of me has decided all of it is, short of the images of Henry and Lineker. (And even that is real to the extent that it was a way of articulating what was in Beard’s head.) But watching Beard in physical danger brought on by the same abuser who had him so upset in the first place. It was a lot.

I’m so excited that Paul and Jeremy and Baz got some spotlight this episode. It was so wonderful to see them out of the pub. I love that they ended up telling the Oxford snots who they really were. They got to see Beard going to bat for them and smoothing over the situation socially, and that actually made it more possible for them to end up being truthful about themselves. Because they have nothing to be ashamed of, and they deserved the magic of that night. (And for it to end on Nelson Road. Every feeling. Oof.)

I feel like I barely have anything to say about the trouser-mending lady or the many places Beard goes or his key-dropping or the nightmarish feeling of wanting to be home and being unable to be home. It all happened and we all watched it and again, it was a lot. But I do feel incredibly moved and fascinated by the fact that Beard very obviously still hasn’t been home when he brings in the coffee. He’s had to sleep at the club for Jane- and key-related reasons in the past, and this time it’s not that he’s slept there but it still feels like a kind of homecoming he was robbed of for the entire night. Ted and Roy and Nate are there. He’s gotten their coffee orders correct. Ted is growing and evolving (he wants to learn from what’s happened, he’s insisting upon it even when the others resist) but he’s done a really perfect (almost romantic in its loveliness) thing by presumably spending his evening following a breakdown of his own speeding up the game film to 10x speed and adding Benny Hill. Ted is not OK and Beard is not OK and Nate is not OK and Roy is pretty OK but could very easily be not OK because he’s just joined a coaching staff with a whole lot of not OK. But they all showed up.

I am very into the realism of the lights being off in the club other than the coaches’ office (@talldecafcappuccino pointed this out!), and the way we’re seeing their desks from a different angle because this episode is unfocused on Ted. It really added to the mindset of being hungover and exhausted and unable to go home or even to know exactly what home should be; even this warm, familiar place feels off even as it’s a relief to be back there.

I am excited to return to our regularly scheduled programming with the full cast of characters, but I really adored this episode for what it taught us about Beard and what it illuminated about the humor, pain, and complexity of each person who inhabits this universe. Beard may not be loud about his long-standing beliefs or about the things he’s learned, but there’s a lot happening in there and I appreciated getting to spend 43 minutes with him and (in the case of the ticket he scrawls on a piece of paper so the pub guys can get into Nelson Road) the moments he sets in motion.

[seokstrivia]

Neon Lights | dpr live

↬ Summary: You and Dabin work in a club, that’s it, that’s the fic

or, a cute moment between two friends 

↬ Club!AU | word count: 2.4k

↬ DPR Live x Reader: friends to lovers au, slowish burn, it takes place in a club where the two of you work, confessions, one-shot, fluff, minor angst, it's just short and sweet 

↬ A/N so this is my first khh fic on this account, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask, I hope this was enjoyable and you all welcome my love for khh to this blog, thank you <3 

A long and tiring sigh parted your lips as you dragged your feet towards the cloakroom. Sure, getting paid meant that you could buy food and feed yourself, pay bills and stay warm through winter, but you were 100% certain that it did not mean never getting any time to rest.

You were putting your jacket away when you heard a small chuckle behind you, one that you knew all too well. A pout formed its way onto your lips while you turned around to face the one person you would do absolutely anything for.

Hong Dabin— your work best friend.

“Good to see you’re happy to be here!” His tone was chirpy, but as usual, laced with sarcasm.

It made you roll your eyes before straightening your shoulders and crossing your arms. Almost in a way to intimidate him or stare him down, but he only smiled in return and you sighed in defeat.

“Do you know how hard it was to stay awake during my last lecture today?” You moaned as you followed him to his spot at the bar. “Clarkson’s monotone voice seeps right through me, I don’t know if I can take it anymore.”

Dabin shook his head before laughing at the forlorn expression etched into your face. Sometimes he wished he could take a picture so he could keep it forever, but you would probably threaten him and force him to delete it.

He knew you well. Maybe, a little too well.

“You’re just being dramatic as usual,” he told you, earning a scoff in return. “I’ll treat you to a nice meal once we’re out of here.”

That was enough to lighten your mood and get you situated at the front door, minutes before opening, with a smile on your face.

The rest of the night was nothing more than a blur, your job was to sit at the register by the front doors making sure anyone who walked in paid before going any further into the club. But it got boring and quiet after a certain time and, to be honest, the only thing keeping you going was the thought of getting something to eat with Dabin.

Hence, as soon as you were done with work and as soon as the place was vacant, you frantically sped towards the cloakroom to find Dabin. He was already there, tugging his jacket over his shoulders before twisting around to face you with a sheepish smile.

That’s not good. You sighed.

“No food?”

He went to open his mouth to speak; probably to spout out a reason or two, but you'd beat him to it.

“It’s okay! There’s always a next time.”

The smile on your face didn’t falter, it wasn’t fake— it was genuine and that was something he loved about you.

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise!” That was the last thing he said before hurrying out the door.

You watched his figure disappear with pursed lips, wondering what came up—did something happen within his family? Did his friend finally break up with his snotty girlfriend? Did his goldfish die—wait, he doesn’t have a goldfish?

A giggle parted your lips as you laughed at yourself while moving for your jacket and bag. It was finally time to go home after a long and somewhat exhausting week.

Your bed was calling your name.

>

"You know what we should do?" Your friend urged, face way too close to yours.

"Sleep forever?" You mumbled in question while moving your face away from hers.

She chuckled in return, full and hearty before playfully bumping your arm with hers, "no silly! We should go clubbing this weekend."

A grunt left your lips, you knew this was coming from the second you'd informed her of your first weekend ever off work.

"That's far from what I think we should do this weekend," you told her before moving your chair slightly away from hers.

Mina was always bursting your personal space bubble without fail.

However, you could never stay mad at her, she was your best friend since birth and had never left your side. She was also extremely supportive, albeit annoying.

"I think it'll be fun."

You turned to stare at Mina, there was a pout on her face as if it would help convince you to say yes.

Unfortunately, it did help.

"Okay, fine! We can go clubbing."

A shriek of happiness emitted from her lips in excitement, it had been a while since you two hung out on the weekend and truth be told, she missed being able to spend time outside of University with you.

But, so did you.

Okay, so maybe you wouldn't be able to sleep the whole weekend away, but at least you'll have a good time.

Plus Dabin would be tending the bar.

The rest of the week was spent talking about what to wear, what time to be ready by and what drinks to buy to get a little tipsy before going to the club.

Mina wouldn't stop talking about, 'the best weekend ever,' it was annoying sometimes, but you couldn't bring yourself to get mad at her since it had been a while since you got the weekend off.

You missed it.

"Is Dabin working tonight?" Mina asked while finishing her makeup.

You were ready half an hour ago, but you never really dressed up. Comfort was always the way to go.

"Yeah, he should be unless he calls in sick," you told her while sipping on your drink.

Mina's eyes met yours through the mirror, the smirk on her lips had you rolling your eyes as she bounced her eyebrows up and down in a teasing manner.

"Shut up," you snorted.

She shrugged her shoulders before returning to her makeup, "I didn't say anything."

A chuckle parted tour lips making her smile.

"You didn't have to."

Sometimes you thought you could read her mind, but in reality, you just knew each other that well.

***

The club was already bouncing with people, most of the crowd was already drunk but, that was a given with cheap drinks.

Mina stretched for your hand and proceeded to skillfully advance through the crowd to get to the bar. A smile made its way to her lips when she noticed who was working at the bar.

"Will you buy me a drink while I quickly go and pee?"

You rolled your eyes at her before telling her to be careful and quick.

When you turned to face the bar after watching Mina disappear towards the toilets, you were met with Dabin's big, cheesy grin.

"Hi! I'm surprised to see you here," he teased, moving closer so you could hear him better. "I thought you would be in bed sleeping."

You flicked his forehead with your finger causing him to grimace in pain, "Mina said she wanted to go out, so... very reluctantly, I said yes."

He chuckled in response, feeling sympathy and understanding that you would much rather be asleep than somewhere loud and crowded.

"Well, can I get you anything?"

You shook your head, 'no,' before glimpsing at the direction Mina was standing, "he's gonna keep her distracted for a while, so I think... I'll just hang around here."

"And keep me company?" Dabin replied as he glanced away from the two now making out. "I'm flattered."

A chuckle parted your lips as you made yourself comfortable on one of the many empty bar stools.

The majority of the night was spent talking to Dabin, catching up and talking about how Uni was going for the two of you.

It was nearing 1:30 am when Dabin finally asked you if you were ever going to get off your ass and enjoy your night.

"You think there’s a reason that I sit at the counter talking to you all night while you bartend... No, of course, there isn't- WHO’S THAT GIRL AND WHY IS SHE WINKING AT YOU?"

You were drunk.

Dabin rolled his eyes and shook his head, "that's my ex."

You gasped in return, this was your first time hearing this, "you have an ex? But you told me that you'd been single all your life."

"I told you I was single most of my life."

"What's the difference?"

Dabin shrugged his shoulders, annoyed that you thought he'd been single forever. Did you think he was ugly or something? Maybe you thought he would only ever make it as a friend.

A sigh parted his lips as he stepped away to serve others at the bar.

You stopped staring at his ex only to find Dabin was on the other side of the bar—with a frown etched on his face.

Was it something you said?

When he came back towards your end, he handed you bottled water before turning to leave again, however, you were quick to grab for his arm, a look of concern lazed across your features.

"I'm sorry if I upset you."

Dabin removed your hand from his arm, he glanced over at his ex before making eye contact with you, "it's not like you would understand. You're the one who's been single their whole life."

His words didn't hurt because they were true, and they didn't mean anything to you. You just hadn't found the right person yet, but it wasn't difficult to understand that Dabin was upset.

And that it was most likely your fault.

>

"Are you working tomorrow night?" Mina asked.

You nodded.

"Is Dabin working."

An exhalation parted your lips as you shook your head, 'no.'

"He's off this weekend," you told her.

Mina knew you were still beating yourself up over the whole ex ordeal with him, even if you couldn't pinpoint exactly what you had said that upset him.

This is why she spoke to Ian, Dabin's best friend, and asked him if they were going out clubbing Friday night. Let's just say she was over the moon when he said yes, and you were slightly freaking out when she told you.

"Wow," Mina exclaimed when she reached the bar. "So, you're bartending tonight!"

You chuckled at the excitement in her tone and nodded your head, "someone called in sick, so I'll be stuck here tonight."

"This is great!" She shouted before going off to find the friends she'd come out with.

It wasn't long before the bar was filled with people asking for drinks, it kept your mind busy and distracted from Dabin.

It kept you so distracted that you didn't even notice him sitting on the stool at the far end of the bar. The very seat you'd taken just last week.

It made you smile, but also made you feel nervous.

"Hi," you spoke softly, but loud enough for him to hear. "What can I get you?"

The scowl on his face caught you off guard, but the slur in his voice told you that he was very drunk.

"Do you think I'm ugly?"

You stared at him for a solid minute before pinching his cheek, even though he was drunk, he could still feel the pain.

"Of course I don't think you're ugly!" You argued. "What gave you that idea?"

He shrugged his shoulders with a pout on his lips and stroked his cheek, hoping the pain would quickly subside.

"You thought I'd been single my whole life."

"That's only because you'd never spoke about your ex before," you told him. "I don't think you've ever told me anything about your personal life, to be honest."

Dabin stared into your eyes with his red and tired ones.

"I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions," you added.

And then, he smiled.

"If you liked me more than a friend," he slurred in a serious tone. "I would have confessed my feelings by now."

His words caught you off guard but you couldn't ask him what he meant since he was gone and, well, you had a job to do.

However, his words lingered endlessly in your mind for the rest of the night. Was this his way of saying that he liked you? Dabin liked you this whole time and you didn't even know?

Your mind was reeling by the end of the night, Dabin filled your mind with endless thoughts. Wait, if he liked you, why didn't he ask you out on a date?

A sigh parted your lips as you wiped down the bar, watching groups of people huddle together as they were all ushered out of the club.

Mina hurried over to the bar before leaving, her footing was clumsy, but it made you laugh. You assumed she's forgotten the keys to the flat and that's why she was rushing over, however, you were in fact, wrong.

"Did you speak to Dabin?"

You frowned in confusion, "I did, but he was drunk so it wasn't for long."

She nodded her head in response before leaving and waving goodbye.

You rolled your eyes, watching her stumble towards the male she'd met last week. A potential boyfriend she had told you, which didn't surprise you.

It didn't take you long to finish cleaning, but you were exhausted and couldn't wait for your bed. It was nearing 3:30 am when you left the club, the area was empty and quiet as you walked towards your car.

Dabin, who you thought had gone home hours ago, was leaning against the car door. Staring at the night sky, admiring the stars, something in your stomach churned, and you felt your heart begin to beat faster the closer you got.

"Hey," you smiled, keys in hand as you unlocked the car. "You need a ride home?"

His eyes finally met yours, he appeared to have sobered up as a smile rose across his lips, "if you don't mind," he chuckled. "Honestly, I just wanted to apologise."

"For what?"

"For being an idiot," he said. "Selfish, mostly. I got upset that maybe you'd never see me as anything more than a friend."

You punched his arm causing him to wince in pain, "you're an idiot, Dabin."

He shrugged his shoulders while rubbing the pain away.

"If you'd just told me how you felt or I dont know? Asked me out on a date," you argued. "You would have found out that I feel the same."

"You like me?" He asked carefully, eyes searching yours for answers—for anything.

"Yeah, I do."

A wide smile adorned his lips before his arms found your waist and lured you in for a hug, you giggled in return while coiling your arms around his neck.

"Will you go on a date with me?" He asked as he drew back to look at you.

You rolled your eyes, "took you long enough."

[justcourttee]

Adrien asks mari out and she says i would of been so happy in the past but now its too little to late. She's engaged to Damian but they haven't announced it yet

Bittersweet

It had been a while since Adrien had found himself in Gotham City. Too many years to count on his hand. Yet when he received an invite from Marinette he didn’t hesitate to hop on the next flight to attend her gala.

He had no idea that she had created a partnership with Wayne Enterprises, in fact, he had no idea they were interested in the fashion world at all. Then again, why should he be surprised? When Marinette put her mind to something, nothing would get in her way.

Ever since he had taken over his father’s company, Adrien hadn’t had much time to keep up with his old school friends but it hadn’t stopped them from trying to keep him in the loop. From what he could gather, Alya and Nino would also be attending, Rose and Juleka too. It would be nice to see them all again, especially Marinette.

Stepping out from the warmth of his hotel room and into the cool streets, Adrien couldn’t help but let his mind drift to thoughts of her.

It took Marinette moving to the States for him to realize how much he was in love with her. It was something he never wanted to admit seeing how much he adored Ladybug, but as she disappeared from his grasps, he was left to face his true feelings.

Glancing at his phone, Adrien confirmed that he was mere minutes away from the address she had listed. The gala was still a few days away, but Marinette asked if he had wanted to meet up for a late-night coffee, a Gotham specialty. Even her scarf that she had gifted him ages ago couldn’t hide the red on his cheeks as he imagined the perfect date with the girl of his dreams.

He paused, reaching the door of Deja Brew, his heart beating a million miles a minute. Somewhere in this late-night shop was his best friend. How would she react to seeing him again? Would she be as excited as he was? Would she feel the same way as she did?

Taking a deep breath, he pushed through the door, his eyes glancing through the scattered exhausted customers until they landed on her. She still hadn’t noticed his presence, her nose buried into her sketchbook, her coffee still steaming beside her seemingly untouched.

She was early.

The thought almost drew a laugh as he approached the counter to place his order. Of course she would have finally picked up some time management skills by now. Marinette was 27 and slowly making a name for herself as the future of the fashion industry. That wasn’t something accomplished by constant tardiness.

He picked up his cup, placing a ten into the tip jar, the hostess’ raised eyebrows making him smile. He could already hear his father scolding him. After all, that wasn’t the way to becoming a billionaire. You only make money by holding onto it.

Honestly, Adrien didn’t understand why he had to be a billionaire. His father said it would raise the bar for their line, but it just wasn’t in Adrien’s heart to hoard all of the money unnecessarily. Maybe the Waynes offered Marinette the same advice. Maybe they had something they could relate to together.

“Excuse me ma’am, is this seat taken?”

His heart had finally slowed down but as her eyes slowly peeked up at him under her lashes, it immediately began somersaulting once more.

“Oh Gods, Adrien!” She was out of her seat before he even had the chance to set down his coffee, her arms flung around his neck. He hoped and prayed she couldn’t feel his chest threatening to explode. “You should have said something! I’ve gotten into the bad habit of zoning out in public places.”

Her smile was blinding as she unwound herself, slipping back into her seat, motioning for him to sit as well.

“How was the flight? Did you fly private or first class?”

Adrien gasped, his hand covering his chest as if she had shot him.

“I only flew business thank you very much.” Marinette’s look of mock disbelief earned a small chuckle.

“That must have been so hard for you. I really am sorry you went through so much trouble for my sake.”

“You know, I would go through so much more for you Marinette.”

Her smile faltered for a moment, so quick that if he hadn’t been staring so hard at her, he might have missed it. Did his statement make her uncomfortable? He had only meant it jokingly with the truth laced in, but he was sure his eyes gave him away. They always softened when it came to her.

Marinette cleared her voice, her true smile shining once more as if the falter never happened in the first place.

“You’ve missed so much, I don’t even know where to start.”

“How about from the beginning?” She nodded as she dove into her move to the States and how she began as an intern for the CEO, Tim Drake, years ago and slowly worked her way up to personal assistant.

She recounted how Tim found her sketchbook at work one day and showed it to his father. Together they agreed that she was their way into the fashion industry, an investment that could open the door to many more jobs for the Gotham citizens.

It took two years, but she finally had a full line that was presented at Bruce’s first fashion show.

“So many big names were there Adrien! I really thought I was gonna faint!”

His smile became softer and softer as she recounted meeting the rest of the Waynes and finally after six long years, she had made enough of a name for herself to be holding her own official Gala, the Wayne’s simply a sponsor.

“That’s amazing Marinette, you’re amazing.”

She beamed proudly, her smile pulling at his heart.

“I couldn’t have done it without them. They are genuine and kind people and they are pretty much family.” Something glistened in her eyes as she spoke of them. It could have been obvious to anyone, Marinette cared so deeply for these people.

It was Adrien’s turn to falter as an ugly thought passed.

She’s so comfortable here, she would never want to come back to Paris with me.

He was shocked with himself. This was no time for jealousy. His best friend, the love of his life, was excitedly telling him about a future she had built for herself and the only thing he could think was that it was an obstacle keeping her from him?

Adrien desperately wanted to smack his own forehead, but for Marinette’s sake he straightened out his smile instead.

“I’m so sorry. I’ve only been talking about myself! What’s new with you? How’s your dad’s business? Do you have anyone you’re seeing?”

His eyebrow raised at the last question. She asked the question he so desperately wanted to ask her. And she did it so casually, equating it to his work and social life. Did that mean she was also fishing for his response?

“Nothing much. Dad wants to move from a multi-million dollar business to a multi-billion dollar business so he’s been pretty aggressive about money lately. He didn’t even want me flying over here for the gala.”

Marinette snorted much to his amusement. She knew how his dad was and how petty he could be as well.

“And as for your last question,” he paused watching her face carefully. “No, I am not seeing anyone.”

He waited for the reaction, any reaction really. But none came. Instead, she simply nodded as if she expected as much. Maybe he had read into it too much. She really could’ve just been asking for the sake of catching up. Should he ask too? Was that what she was leading up to?

Adrien cleared his throat before taking a long draw from his cup. This was so nerve wracking. She looked so content, so grown. This was a Marinette who had grown leaps and bounds while he was still stuck in this high school romance that was quite possibly one-sided.

“Well, I hate to cut it short but it’s going to be a long day tomorrow and Damian will be here any moment to pick me up.”

She slid out of her seat so effortlessly, her sketch book snapping shut before it disappeared into a bag that he hadn’t even noticed. Her smile was just as warm as he remembered, but something was missing from the girl he loved.

“Your eyes.” The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Marinette’s smile faltered as she tentatively reached up to touch her eyelid, confusion etching it’s way into her face.

“Is there something near my eyes Adrien?”

“No, no, I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. I just-” Adrien bit his lip, trying to string his thoughts together before he sounded even more like an idiot. “You used to stare at me with such soft look. I’m sorry I never noticed, but once I did, it was all I could see. Yet now-”

He trailed off as her lips drew into an o, her hand moving slowly from her eye to her lips, trying to hide her shock.

“-now, I can still feel the love in them, love directed at me, but it’s not the same love is it?”

She looked like she wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the right words. He knew she was trying to explain that he was wrong, but couldn’t bring herself to lie. It was the only confirmation he needed.

He slid out of the booth, his hand grasping the scarf slipping from his neck.

“Marinette, I was so excited when you invited me out tonight. In fact, I thought of it as a date.” She tried to reach out, but Adrien took a step back, tears brimming in his eyes. “I don’t blame you at all, please don’t think I’m saying all this to make you feel guilty. I just had to get it off my chest.”

Adrien blinked hard, trying to spill the tears clouding his vision. This was harder to say than he thought. Her eyes were so distracting, the sympathy oozing toward him in waves.

“I love you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I know you’ve made your life here and I would never dream of taking that from you. Hell, if you asked me to, I would drop everything to be at your side in an instance. Is there any chance at all that after the gala ends, we could give this a shot? Just one real date. Not some deluded fantasy I created in my head, but something we both consent to.”

He flinched when her hand finally made contact with his upper arm.

“Adrien, I love you. I really do. But you were right when you said my eyes had changed. That soft look is meant for someone else now. He and I had tried to keep our relationship quiet, but tomorrow at the gala, I was going to announce my engagement to Damian.”

Adrien couldn’t help the small sob that left his mouth. He was painfully aware of the few scattered glances all directed toward him, but he couldn’t help it. He felt Marinette pulling his head down until it laid resting on her shoulder, her small arms wrapping around his figure. It was embarrassing how hard he cried, unable to hold back his sobs any longer.

“I’m so sorry Adrien, I had no idea your feelings had changed. You were always chasing after a dream when we were younger and when I left Paris, I had finally decided that there wasn’t a chance after all between us.”

He knew she meant her words as a comfort, a promise that at one point, she would have gladly accepted his offer. Why couldn’t he have seen it earlier? Why was he so blinded by a partner who never even revealed herself right to the end? He had someone who trusted and loved him with all of their being and he ignored their feelings for a what if.

Adrien slowly pulled himself from her grasp, his smile shaky. He took a moment to use the end of his scarf to dry his soaked face.

“I’m glad you told me that Marinette. I really am. And I hope you and Damian have a long and prosperous life together.”

Her eyes widened, her mouth forming the wait, but he was already out of the door, running. It was a cowards move, one he would mull over all night. But it was too painful to look into the eyes of one you love and only find pity reflecting in them.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“So you came?”

Adrien turned, his smile bittersweet as he embraced Alya, his fist connecting with Nino’s outstretched hand.

“How could I not support her? She’s worked so hard to make this a reality. My feelings can take a backburner for one night.”Their eyes all trailed to the center of the room where she stood, her arm threaded through with the man he assumed to be Damian Wayne. “Besides, you can tell. She loves that man beside her more than anything in this world.”

The glint of the ring on her finger caused an aching in his heart. Despite it all, he really did wish the Wayne boy no ill will. If he was who Marinette chose to spend the rest of her life with, then Adrien trusted her decision.

“I’ve never seen her smile so bright. And to think, I used to believe her smile was at its maximum blindlingness.” Nino’s chuckle earned a small chuckle from Adrien as well.

There was no denying it.

Marinette was where she belonged. The only thing left was for him to support her in any way that he could. And that was exactly what he planned to do.

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[absolutebl]

This Week in BL

March 2021 Part 4

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. 

This is a LONG ONE, it’s been A WEEK everyone. 

Ongoing Series - Thai

Lovely Writer Ep 5 - a little slow this week, but at least Gene finally flirted back, and very cute flirting it was, too. Also we got Aey’s motivation, background, and love interest. Thank goodness for that. 

Brothers Ep 8 - still pants, what can I say? Clearly I am a BL masochist. Very embarrassing for everyone concerned. 

1000 Stars Ep 9 - the conflict over Tian’s father was REALLY well done. The plot of this drama is excellent, the leads are great together, and yes I totally cried. What, you didn’t? 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Word of Honor (China) Ep 16-18 - big battle fighty fighty stabby stabby. Ep 17 switches to “this drama isn’t big enough for two chaotic-neutral godlings!” So what do they do? Drink together and bicker... A LOT. Then in Ep 18 we all get the dubious joy of really freaky puppets. (I HATE puppets.) Also how is China letting this be so SO VERY VERY GAY?  Also, I wanna walk through the forest wearing a smanshy purple robe and waving a big fuck-off white fan around simply because I’m a pretentious fuss monger. And frankly, I feel like this is an achievable life goal for me. 

We Best Love 2 (Taiwan) Ep 4 - not gonna lie, this is looking to be one of my top 3 BLs of 2021. It’s SO GOOD. Big bonus to this ep for treating stalker behavior like the mental illness it is and not as some dumb representation of enduring love. 

The Most Peaceful Place is My Place (Vietnam) Ep 1 - finally dropped (find it under NƠI BÌNH YÊN NHẤT LÀ VỀ BÊN EM on O2′s channel). It’s got actors already comfortable with BL and looks pretty good so far. An angry tsundere uke reunited with his ex, a stoic chef, giving us lots of snap, crackle, and pop out the gate. 

Dear Uranus (Taiwan GL) Ep 2 - I want to love it, but it is just moving too fast. There’s not enough character dev and then they’re throwing flashbacks in? It feels like a treatment rather than a show, and a rushed treatment at that. Bummer. 

HIStory 4: Close To You (Taiwan) Ep 2 (AKA Ep 3-4) - let the cheesy popcorn continue! Idiot remains an idiot; ingenue remains an ice queen; nice gay guy remains nice and gay; obsessive stalker brother is getting ever more whackadoddle. Of course these last two have the best chemistry. (It’s caregiver codependency and the salvation trope. We got us a Leo/Fiat situation going on.​) Plus lots of classic BL tropes because OF COURSE there are lots of tropes. 

Occasionally, I am tempted to argue that shows like H4 or Cherry Magic or Ossan’s Love aren’t technically BL because of the office setting and age of the protags - but then they all behave like high school students anyway, so *shrug* 

Stand Alones

Cute little Taiwanese micro BL Friend or Lover dropped, about bisexual realization within a friendship group. Normally these are too short for me, but this one did pretty good with its 15 minutes of charm, plus it’s abad boy + shy softy pairing. 

Breaking News - Thai BL

Fish Upon the Sky released its actual trailer. The upside-down kiss is gone, which makes everyone sad, and it seems far less rivals to lovers than the first iteration, which makes ME sad. But it still looks good and a more classic BL than GMMTV has given us in a while. New trailer focused more on the makeover trope and they’ve upped Mix’s role (the object of everyone’s affection) now that he’s proved himself. (Or they are using him more to carry the trailer since he has a fan base form 1k*). Starts April 9 on GMMTV in 1K*’s time slot, probably with a 10 ep run. 

2gether the movie is apparently coming April 22 to Thai theaters. F4 Thailand must be having issues or GMMTV just wants to milk the BrightWin cash cow. It’s rumored to be a combination of 2gehter + Still 2gether with some extra scenes and ending. Also, one assumes a lot will be cut out, if it’s movie length.

Call It What You Want released its updated trailer. If anything, it looks more scary than before. What are we in for? April 9th. 

Nitiman got a release date, May 7 on One31. 

I Told Sunset About You 2 got an updated release date of May 27 on LineTV. 

Second Chance the series is coming to LineTV on March 29. I don’t know much about this one. Tons of familiar faces (mostly TharnType side dishes) and some nice looking new talent but a dearth of eng subs. I think it may take on Brothers’ time slot. Line did eng subs for Brothers so maybe they will do 2nd Chance too? 

Close Friend the series is coming April 22. This is a combination of 6 couples with 6 story arcs as music videos (maybe)? It’s an epic fan service with familiar faces like OhmFluke (UWMA), MaxNat (LBC also in Y-Destiny), YoonLay (YYY also in Y-Destiny), KimCop (GenY), and JaFirst (TT2).

Y-Destiny starts March 30, and has starting dropping couple’s trailers. I’m still suspicious given the director but it seems like there is plot (or plots) and a theme. Looks to be a series of 7 single ep vignettes (amended, see comments, might be 2 eps each for 14 eps total), different couple each time, some with supernatural elements, all with decent chemistry and acting chops. 

Sun MaxNat’s tutor/student arc

Mon jaded rich kid meets poor innocent  

Tues sports romance enemies to lovers 

Weds the messy realistic actual dating one 

Thurs hot ghost boyfriend (sad) 

Fri YoonLayPerth coping with loss and finding new love (sad). This one will all rest on Lay's acting so we know it’s in safe hands. Our boy is going to KILL it. 

Sat time-slip memory loss reunion romance 

I’m thinking we can’t expect any of these to end happy or be classic BL. They’re gonna be more slice of life-ish. 

Gossip - BL Outside of Thailand 

Scholar Ryu’s Wedding Ceremony AKA Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding (Korean historical BL) got a legit teaser (eng sub here). @curriculumvtae​ reports that it’s releasing April 15th on WeTV (Philippines & Thailand) and Idol Romance (South Korea), while Will of Thai Bl says it’ll be on Viki too. It’s a short run of 8 ep built on a fake relationship trope (arranged marriage variant):

Ryu Ho Seon’s (Kang In Soo from You Wish) arranged marriage turns out to be with his expected bride’s brother, Choi Ki Wan (Lee Se Jin from Mr Heart). Ryu tries to undo the marriage, but his ill mother opposes this saying the scandal would be too much. Meanwhile, Kim Tae Hyeong (Jang Eui Soo from Where Your Eyes Linger), a senior at Ryu’s school, comes to congratulate him and falls in love with Choi. Then one day, the original bride disappears.

Okay it seems a bit twisty turny for ONLY 8 EPS, but oh my goodness how excited are we? Our first intentional historical BL out of Korea!

We already knew Hong Kong was doing a remake of Japan’s Ossan’s Love under the same name (not my favorite Japanese BL but so very popular) but it’s now reported to be coming to Viu in June. Who knows how the CFA will take it. Depends on whether Hong Kong bows before the NO GAY KISSES regs or if they are going to use this as a political nose thumb... things could get cray with this puppy (the original has several kisses and s shower scene). Are we back in Addicted territory only with added comedy and civil unrest?

Speaking of Japan, Absolute BL (AKA Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai vs Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko) dropped sooner than anyone thought, March 27. But being Japanese who knows how/when/if we get subs. Protag finds himself trapped in a world of BL, but being straight he fights against any hot guy that draws near, but the whole world (literally) is conspiring against him. It’s a parody adapted from a yoai.

What with Absolute BL from Japan plus Lovely Writer and Call it What You Want from Thailand, is 2021 the year of BL being ultra self referential? Sure feels like it.

In Case You Missed It

Faded a gay micro film from Taiwan from 2017 deals with parental acceptance and serves up a ton of BL tropes (piggyback, forehead kiss, etc). I’m pretty sure this was a propaganda piece for legalization of gay marriage, and it’s an interesting nugget of BL history as a result. Yes, it ends happy. It’s cute. 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Some shows may be listed a day later than actual air date for accessibility reasons.

Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.

Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something.

Man there’s a lot going on right now! Spring has sprung... I suppose. 

P.S. I cannot believe I missed Absolute BL as a blog name. Numbnuts = me. 

[shera-dnd]

A Dream Come True

It’s finally here! The fic and comic you’ve all been waiting for! And it’s all catradora fluff as far as the eye can see.

I wanna thank my good friend @midnightechoes for her amazing work on the comic and to all the people who donated and helped us reach our 200 dollar goal.

And without any further delay, here’s the AO3 link (comic included) for those who’d rather read over there, and let’s get this nonsense going

Today was a big day for Etheria. It was the first Princess Prom since the fall of Prime, the first Princess Prom in many years to be celebrated in a time of peace and prosperity. So of course, Etheria’s great savior and protector was expected to make an appearance, and she was expected to look good.

Though if Adora asked just about anyone, they would claim that she always looked good. But she did want to put in the extra effort today. It took her some convincing from all of her friends to keep her from over planning and over preparing like last time.

There was no threat of war, no great enemy, no lies or intrigue, it would just be a ball with all the people she loved. She could just rest and relax tonight. So she put on a beautiful white dress, let her hair loose from its near permanent ponytail, donned a pretty little tiara, and just let herself not be combat ready for once.

Looking now at her own reflection in the room’s waterfall - the closest to a practical use she found to those wasteful things - she had to admit that she did look pretty, though for some reason she was struck by a strange sense of familiarity.

“Just let me brush it!” She heard Glimmer call from outside the room.

“No!” Catra yelled back as she ran into the room with the queen chasing after her, brush in hand.

Though Catra acted like she was running for life, they both still giggled. Catra tried to use her wife as cover from the queen’s attack, but Glimmer followed her anyway, and both just started running circles around Adora.

“Don’t let her touch me!” Catra yelled, hiding behind Adora, “she’s gonna torture me!”

“Do you always have to be this dramatic?” Glimmer asked, knowing full well that the answer was yes.

“Come on, guys,” Bow called, calmly walking in, “if we’re late to Scorpia’s first ball she’s gonna kill us.”

He pulled Glimmer closer and she leaned against him, hooking an arm around his back. For a moment there the queen seemed to forget about her plans to torture Catra, and just enjoyed that little display of affection from her husband.

“Fine, you’re off the hook,” she surrendered, but added just a little threat at the end, “this time.”

Catra stuck her tongue out at them, still using Adora for cover, as they left the room, leaving the two of them alone together. Once she was sure she was safe from Glimmer’s hairbrush, she stepped out from behind her wife and laughed a little to herself.

“You coming?” She asked, reaching a hand towards Adora.

The whole time Adora had been stunned. In equal parts by this constant feeling of dejavu, and by just how beautiful Catra looked right now. Her wife had always been a master of the casually gorgeous look, but this time she had completely out done herself.

“Etheria to Adora,” Catra called, playfully, “you still there, Adora?”

“Sorry, I just have this weird feeling that I’ve seen this before,” she explained, the feeling completely disappearing a moment later.

“What? Did you sneak a peek while me and Glimmer were putting the look together?” She teased.

“No!” Adora defended herself, “it’s just dejavu or something. I--you’re messing with me, aren’t you?”

Catra feigned offense, “such accusations from my own wife? I would never do such a thing.”

“Oh you little--!”

“Guys,” Bow interrupted again, calling from the hallway beyond, “Scorpia’s ball, remember?”

“Sorry, your majesty,” Adora shouted back, they both knew he didn’t like the title, but it was fun to mess with him sometimes.

That earned her a little laugh from Catra and a soft nudge to her side, “you ready to go?”

“Yeah, I think I am,” she answered, hooking her arm around Catra’s as they made their way out of the room.

They had barely stepped into the hallways of Bright Moon castle when they were stopped by a voice calling for them.

“Oh my goodness!” Exclaimed a very excited King Micah, “you both look stunning!”

The king had always been such a sweetheart, the man had nearly adopted the two of them after the war was over. After everything that had happened, it was nice seeing him this happy.

“Hey there, your majesty,” Catra greeted, “everything ready for the dance?”

“Indeed it is!” He replied, his bright smile growing wider, “before you go, though, I have a big surprise for you!”

“Oh?” 

With a dramatic flare worthy of Double Trouble, King Micah stepped aside to reveal…

The most adorable thing they’ve ever seen.

Behind the king stood their child. Little Finn looked as adorable as they looked annoyed at their new outfit, a lovely uniform in several shades of purple and beautiful gold accents. The kid was just short of ten years old, but they already looked like a fancy little dignitary of the kingdom. The only thing standing out from the illusion was their messy blonde hair.

“You look precious!” Adora squealed at the sight.

Catra gasped, holding on tighter to her wife’s arm. It was the only thing she could do not to run over and hug them right this instant.

“Moms!” Finn groaned, “please!”

Unfortunately their pleas for help were lost on their moms, who were still busy blabbering about how adorable they looked.

“Uncle Micah, do I really have to wear this? It’s itchy,” they complained, hoping their uncle would listen, “and lame.”

The king turned to address his little nibling, but was horrified by what he saw.

“How did you manage to mess up your hair in the five minutes since I finished it?!” He demanded, utterly shocked.

“It’s a skill, uncle,” Finn replied, giving him a smug look that clearly ran in the family.

Looking none too pleased with all that lost work, Micah drew a quick glyph in the air, using just a bit of magic to comb his nibling’s hair in an instant.

“There, fixed.” The king proudly declared, earning a hiss from the angry child.

And also earning him a hug from Adora.

“They look amazing,” she beamed, “thank you!”

“My pleasure, Adora,” he replied, his voice and expression growing softer, “I missed out on too many of these moments with Glimmer. I’m not going to miss any more of them.”

Meanwhile Catra no longer had Adora to hold on to to help contain herself, so she had dashed over to their child, too busy showering them with love and affection to notice the tender moment happening behind her.

“You are the cutest kid in all of Etheria,” she happily praised.

“Mom!” Finn groaned once more.

Adora let out a content sigh as she watched those two. She loved them with all her heart and they had made the past decade of her life better than she could have ever dreamed it would be.

“Thanks again,” she repeated to Micah, finally letting go of the hug.

Walking over to her family - wow, it really warmed her heart every time she thought of them like that - she picked up the little light of her life and carried them on her shoulders. They mumbled a few words in annoyance, but Adora could feel their tail happily swaying against her back.

“You’re going to win Best Kid at the dance for sure!” Catra commented.

“I don’t think that’s a real award, mom.”

“We’ll make it real, kid.” She declared, “don’t worry, I have some pull with Princess Scorpia.”

Adora couldn’t help but smile at that.

“What’s got you all smiley like that?” Catra asked, leaning closer to her wife as they walked together.

“It’s just…this is our first Princess Prom as a family,” she said, a little teary eyed, “I still can’t believe we got this far. It’s more than I could have ever dreamed of.”

“Well, you better start believing it,” Catra replied, giving her a little kiss on the cheek.

“Ew!” Finn complained, hiding their face so they wouldn’t be forced to see any more disgusting affection from their moms.

The two of them laughed together and Adora was certain that no dream could ever compare to the life she now lived.

[obnoxiousgremlin]

The Proposal , Lets fall in love for the night [o.w]

A/N- The reader is 19 and Oliver is 20. He’s already been recruited to a team for quid ditch while the reader finishes their last year of hogwarts. This is a non-voldemort a/u.

Warnings- just fluff, super cute fluff.

y/n-your name

y/m/n-your middle name

y/l/n-your last name

“Can i take my blindfold off now?” you whine. It was your five-year anniversary with Oliver and he had a whole thing planned out, from the entire day down till your outfit. You hadn’t seen him all day and he left you nothing but a note in your dorm telling you to slip on the white dress and matching silver heels in the box [whatever you say the man had good taste] he left and meet him outside the common room at 5pm. Once you were ready you went and were met with Fred, who proceeded to blindfold you and take you to Oliver so you knew absolutely nothing. And that’s how you found yourself in his position, hand in hand with none other than Oliver himself blindfolded walking to god knows where. 

“Not just yet, darling.” he chuckled , carefully guiding you.

“I love you Oliver , but if I have to wear this for one minute longer we are over.” You didn’t mean it, of course you didn’t mean it but you needed that blindfold off.

He chuckled again , “Almost there love-” taking a short pause, “- okay, we’re here now.” He proceeded to take you blindfold off but not before a song started playing. “lets fall in love for tonight and forget in the morning-”  you gasped when the blindfold came off, taking in your surroundings. You were standing on the bridge where you had first kissed him, yes you because even oliver who was super confident was way too nervous to actually make a move on you. This same bridge shared all your big moments, its where he first asked you out, its where you first told him you loved him, the feeling was mutual of course. He had somehow managed to cover the gorgeous light wood railings of the tiny bridge in white fairy lights, illuminating the place. You turned around to oliver who was dressed in a white button up and black formal trousers and kissed him. You grabbed his face and kissed him. He was startled but kissed you back immediately. You broke the kiss and touched your forehead to his “This is gorgeous babe, i love it.”

He chuckled and said, “your squishing the flowers darling.”

“Oh. Shit-” you stepped back and looked down embarrassed , “-sorry.”

“Don’t be.” he handed you your favourite flowers [a/n- my favourite flowers are white roses, so that's what im basing this on but feel free to picture your own!], and kissed you again. 

He bowed down dramatically, “May I have this dance , your grace.” He said referring to Bridgerton ,the show you two had finished a week ago after which you had taken to calling each other your grace, thinking it was funny.

You bowed back. “You may, your grace.” you said chuckling. And there the two of you were dancing on the bridge to finneas sing. It was your song, yours and olivers. You rested your head on his chest and he swayed. He turned you around, your back to his front and you hummed. His warmth seeping into you. Suddenly, he stepped back and you whined, he chuckled once again, “Just a minute, love.” and you hummed in response leaning against the railings of the bridge admiring the view of the water and the purple sky. Autumn was setting in and you couldn't be happier.

He came back and handed you a glass of rose champagne leaning next to you with his hand on your waist. You both took and sip and you hummed to the wonderful taste. After a couple of minutes , he cleared his throat and you looked at him. 

He took your hand and took a couple steps back. He seemed a little nervous but then looked at you. Clearing his throat again he said , “ Okay, so i had a whole speech prepared and i was going to say a lot of things, i can't remember anything right now. So, im just gonna say something and hope it comes out right -” you interrupted him before he could say anything ,”Oliver?” 

He lifted a hand so as to shush you and continued, ”Darling, I love you. I love you so much that I can't explain it. I love going to sleep right next to you and i love waking up next to you. I love your laugh and i love your voice and i love you. You take my breath away.I think i might love you more than qudditch, actually no, i dont think, I know that I love you more than quidditch.  Every time i look at you, i want to be near you. I want to spend my entire life with you. I want to build a future with you. I want to take every next breath with you, i want to grow old and grey with you.-” He took a deep breath , by this time you already had tears in your eyes anticipating what was happening. He continues,” - And I- and i- It is one thing to meet a beautiful woman but to meet your best friend in the most beautiful of women is something entirely apart.” He grinned referencing to Simon’s speech about Daphne in Bridgerton making you laugh. He took another deep breath , “ When i first started playing, i didnt think i would ever experience anything that would ever compare to how i felt when i picked up the broom. I never thought i would find love because quid ditch was my entire world and then there was you, equally as fast. Equally as cunning, equally as sharp as me on the broom. Thats when i knew i loved you, when i first saw you on that broom.I knew then that nothing mattered as long as i had you. That even if i didnt have quidditch and i had you everything in the world would be okay. y/n y/m/n y/l/n , will you do me honour of marrying me, of becoming Mrs. Oliver Wood and being with me for the rest of my life?” At some point he had sat down on one knee and was now looking up at you holding out a gorgeous engagement ring.

You wanted to play with him and say no but the emotions of the entire ordeal had completely overtaken you and you ended up saying ,“yes, yes, yes ,yes, yes i’ll marry you.” He picked you up and spinned you not before placing the ring on your delicate finger, huh that's why Angelina wanted to get her nails done with you. After placing you on your feet he kissed you. “Really? You want to marry me?” he asked resting his forehead against yours. “Of course i want to marry you dumbass , and even if i didnt after that speech who could refuse.” you chuckled and he joined you. 

After a couple of moments of staying like that you took a deep breath, “I guess this would be the perfect time to tell you that im pregnant?” you said looking into his eyes. The second you finished that sentence fireworks burst around you. You looked up in awe but only for a second before oliver turned your face to him, he eyes glowing .”Your pregnant?” and you nodded. “I’m going to be a dad?” he asked again.

“Mhm, i found out this morning. I guess that's what you get for making your girlfriend, well now fiancee pregnant baby”  you said laughing at him. He grinned before jumping up and down. He stopped and kissed you, his hands going to your belly. “This is the best day ever, the most perfect, goddess-like woman agreed to be my wife and im having a baby!” his excitement had you laughing. 

After a moment you said, “So about those fireworks-” he looked down sheepishly, you smacked his chest “-Oliver how many people did you tell?” you said feigning accusation. “might've told everyone in the castle.” he mumbled under his breath. “OLIVER-” he broke you off before kissing you again. 

You broke the kiss ,”that was a good way of shutting me up, love.” he chuckled, ”I know, can’t wait to use it a lot more when i finally marry you.”

As you two headed back to the castle , finneas remained singing ,”lets fall in love for the night.”

a/n-i hope you liked this, its my very first time doing something like this. Also i know the ending is kind of crappy but i can't think anything else. 

*Do not post my stuff anywhere*

ignore tags-

[multiplefandomsblog]

Bomb Squad! S/o w/ Kaito, Kaito, Korekiyo

request; Kaito, Korekiyo and Rantaro with an SHSL explosives expert s/o? How would they react to seeing their s/o flying across the room because they’ve blown themselves up

warnings; gender-neutral reader, cussing, tw; explosives, tw; bomb accidents, bombs and getting harmed by bombs.

note; aargarhgrjgrhjsjah mod bread helped me a lot with this one!! i hafta admit, they totally carried-

Kaito Momota

◊ Kaito Momota, the luminary of the stars. Despite taking large pride in his ultimate despite never actually going to space, he gets intimidated by you. Though he’d never admit that; not even to himself.

◊ He’s not scared of you per se, he’s just intimidated by how cool and serious your ultimate is if that makes any sense.

◊ Well anyway, you’ll definitely hear many praises from this man; because, well, you save millions of lives from blowing up! It’s just all-around heroic! And- well yeah— bombs!

◊ He’s not an explosive person, so he wouldn’t really want to be too close to any bombs, though he’d definitely try helping at least once.

◊ which doesn’t go too well.

◊ the man will have shaky hands the entire time and dead-ass will have small tears in his eyes as he’s fiddling with it. It’s extremely silent other than a few whimpers here and there, so it gives you the perfect opportunity to—

◊ “BOO!” “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-“

◊ now then... Let’s see how Kaito would react when you blow yourself up, yeah?

— Imagine this; Kaito wanders around the school, partially looking for an escape, but mostly looking for you. The astronaut hums a small tune under his breath as he walks around the pavement in his way too comfortable slippers.

“Hey now, you’re an all-star... Um, wait- how did it go? Put your… Put your-“ Kaito’s quiet and confused muttering had been cut short, as he suddenly jolted his head up to the sky- where he had seen—what he thought was—a shooting star.

Kaito gasped loudly, jumping back in surprise and scraping the heel of his slipper as he pointed at the star-shaped object in the sky, moving at an incredibly fast pace. Hm, though it could’ve been a meteorite judging from the smoke trail it left.

“Oh my god, a shooting star! Awesome!”

It didn’t seem to hit Kaito on how abnormal it was to see a shooting star in their situation. Especially one that had been flailing its arms around and screaming.

Kaito’s wide and amazing eyes seemed to widen more, though this time; in complete dread and shock.

You-

You were the shooting star.

“S/o!? Holy shit—“

The man would sit in between amazed and borderline scared for your life. Was he… Was he supposed to clap? You did tons of crazy shit, so he had no idea whether this was planned.

◊ Kaito would definitely sprint across the school to get to you, he was genuinely afraid if you had survived or not.

◊ Damn, giving the man a heart attack? How heartless of you smh

◊ Kaito has to restrain himself from hugging whatever life was left inside you, he wanted to feel if you were alive and safe.

◊ It definitely takes some time for him to become less worried about your safety 24/7, so get used to coddling and nagging from this man.

◊ He’s kind of an idiot, so he doesn’t know exactly what to do to ensure your safety other than a, uh,

Bicycle helmet.

◊ so just wear one of those, and he’ll leave you alone!

◊ As you two discuss your safety, Kaito ends up accidentally blurting out how cool you looked shooting across the sky. Yeah, he was worried about your safety; but you’re alive, right? Cut him some slack, the man witnessed a flying explosion, of course, he’s going to think it’s cool.

◊ S/o: “You thought I was a shooting star? What’d you fucking do? Make a wish?!”

Kaito:

S/o:

Kaito: “If I told you it wouldn’t come true.”

Korekiyo Shinguji

◊ Korekiyo would be intrigued by you, but also somewhat disturbed by you. Which only seems to fuel the fire.

◊ Korekiyo would enjoy talking to you about how bombs work; he enjoys listening to you talk about your passion, as well as taking in all the information about bombs. It’s entertaining for him to compare how bombs have evolved from the past to the current.

◊ though he loves you and your ultimate if you’re ever going to work on a bomb, stay far away from him. I head-canon that he doesn’t enjoy loud and explosive things, and just witnessing explosions in general. He’s a pretty chill and quiet guy, so it clashes with his vibe, you know?

◊ Sorry, this is so short, I have little to no idea how to write for this man—

◊ It would probably be near impossible to have this man witness your explosions up close. He’s always in his lab studying, so it’s hard getting him out of there, and you can’t exactly go into his lab with your bombs anyway.

◊ But let’s say you somehow did. After persuading him, or maybe he was just too tired to say no.

◊ So imagine this!

— Korekiyo would be sitting on his desk, a nice ancient book splayed out on the wooden surface, and he’d be muttering under his breath small phrases of other languages, as well as small words for himself like, “Humanity truly is beautiful-“

Famous last words.

A sudden explosion echoed out throughout his lab, causing Korekiyo to jolt up and almost crease the pages of his very precious book. Luckily, he did not.

‘I take that back.’

He had been more concerned about his book than the actual human being who had thudded against the bookshelf right beside his head, dropping on the ground after they had peeled off the shelf like processed American cheese product.

“S/o...” Korekiyo sighed, standing up from his chair to step over you and help you up. “You do know that humans were never meant to fly, correct?” He hadn’t even been looking at you when you flew across the room like a baseball thrown by Leon Kuwata, but the quick flash of movement he had caught at the corner of his eye told him what he needed to know.

It was as if he had gotten used to this despite never having witnessed such a feat before.

◊ Korekiyo would definitely give you a small scolding after bandaging you up; yes he was worried about his book and lab, but he had also been worried about you too. He wasn’t just scolding you, so he could avoid future possible destruction in his lab. Pshhh noooo...

◊ Korekiyo would put a sign outside his door after the incident, it’s definitely personal and very passive-aggressive, but he just does not want to witness that again. “Bombs and other destructive weaponry stay OUTSIDE.”

Rantaro Amami

◊ Rantaro wouldn’t be repulsed nor would he be extremely excited about your ultimate. He definitely thinks it’s an incredible ultimate; I mean, bombs are pretty incredible.

◊ But also pretty dangerous too.

◊ I feel like he’d always have to be given a reminder that you’re okay and not dead from your own explosions. Trust me, he definitely trusts you to be careful; especially since that’s your ultimate, of course, you would have lots of experience. But even so, he will still nag you about it. He means well, I swear.

◊ Rantaro would, despite being hesitant about it himself, always want to be with you when you work on a bomb. He’d wear the proper bomb suit and everything, but he’s mostly there because he wants to make sure you’re wearing the bomb suit properly too; please don’t be too reckless, he will take away all your bomb equipment if you are.

◊ You’d get a time-out from it for a couple of days. Yes, he has that power.

◊ You may or may have not made a mistake having him as your boyfriend— but seriously! He’s just being careful, he doesn’t want to lose you.

◊ God, now that I’ve said all this, you’re going to feel reaaaaal bad when I write the scenario for when you actually blow up.

— Rantaro would most likely be by your side the moment you blow up, worried green head over your shoulder as you reassured him, “Pshh, no, it’ll be fine!” Rantaro winced as the bomb you had been working on, made a sound. “Just be careful, I don’t want you to get hurt,” Rantaro spoke with a soft, but scolding voice as his eyebrows seemed to crease further.

“Don’t be such a worrywart, it’s fine-!“ You seemed to be proven wrong, and Rantaro had unfortunately been proven right, as the both of you shot back, a large explosion noise following— Rantaro, on instinct, grabbed you and tucked you underneath his chest, clenching his eyes closed as he awaited the impact of the wall they were about to slam into.

The two of you had flown across the room, clutching each other tightly; if this had been a movie, that would’ve definitely been one of the more romantic scenes.

The air had been knocked out of the two of you, Rantaro more so as he had done the stupidly brave act of shielding you with his body.

Despite being disgruntled and slightly irked that you hadn’t listened to him, he seemed to throw that all aside as he had caught you wincing. “Did you get hurt anywhere? Are you okay? Any burns—?” Your strained groan—shockingly— turned into a laugh, “... That was so fucking fun! Can we do it again!?”

With narrowed eyes, Rantaro had given you the stare you tried your best to avoid being the victim to. The disappointed mom glare. The glare didn’t last long, however, as his eyes softened at the excited look you had on your face. He gets what he signed up for, right?

If this had been anyone else, they would have gotten an earful from him. “You’re insane.” Rantaro halfheartedly laughed, voice still laced with concern despite being playful.

“We’re not doing that again, you explosive monkey.” Rantaro shoved your head gently, only to receive a playful hit back.

◊ Rantaro would be extremely worried if you ever put yourself in danger like that. Unlike Korekiyo, he cannot get used to it when you blow yourself up. No matter what, he will always worry about you.

◊ Mom Mode: ON

◊ He is now more careful with you, the worry he has for you has now increased by 100% so yeah, good luck with that.

◊ the next time will not be as forgiving. Next time—if Rantaro even lets you have a next time—; you will be in scoldings galore.

[nadisabug]

How You Meet // Volleyball! reader

Pairing: Bokuto Kotaro / Nishinoya Yu / Oikawa Tooru x fem! volleyball! reader

Genre: Crack. Pure crack.

Warnings: cursing

Word Count: 2.5 k 

Summary: You are a volleyball player in the same position as the boy, and he is taken aback at your beauty and skills. 

A/N: all of the boys would just be so supportive and hrng need me a volleyball boy

Haikyuu Masterlist

Bokuto K. 

Bokuto would prolly be the one that suggested cheering for the Fukurodani girls team

Like he and his bros are bored between matches

And he notices the girls are on in a different court

So he manages to drag akaashi and a couple others to go watch with him

So they enter the stands...

Bokuto walk through the door to the stands and he is immediately blown away.

"Y/n!" Your setter nearly screams. You, eyes still trained on the blockers across from you, answer with a small smirk that sends Bokuto's head spinning.

"Here I come!" You yell in response, vocalizing your claim on the ball. You squat then set off running towards the net. At the last moment you push off of your feet and jump, albeit not as high as Bokuto could, but high nonetheless for your stature. Your arm shoots up and makes contact with the ball with a satisfying smack.

In front of you are two freakishly tall blockers, and Bokuto doesn't know how you'll get the ball past. But, as soon as the ball leaves your hand, it seems to find a small gap in their block and blows past it, landing on the other side of the court in the blink of an eye.

Once everyone lands on the floor again, both teams look up at the referee. He blows his whistle and raises his arm towards the Fukurodani side of the court. The Fukurodani girls erupt into cheers and surround the girl apparently named Y/n.

The setter cheers, claps Y/n on the back and shouts. "That's our ace!"

Bokuto watches her in awe as she flashes a gorgeous smile and shyly tucks a stray hair behind her ear.

"C'mon, are you gonna sit or just stand there like an idiot?" Akaashi tugs Bokuto by the back of his collar, not giving him a choice to stand there for longer.

"She's the ace..." Bokuto mumbles dreamily.

"Yeah no shit, that was insane, blowing through that block." Akaashi mutters, no choice but to agree. He drags Bokuto to where the rest of the team has already sat down and pulls him into the seat.

"She's amazing," Bokuto breathes, his eyes still locked on you.

"Quit it before you start drooling," Akaashi rolled his eyes.

But Bokuto couldn't. From your receives to your serves, every movement you made he was mesmerized. And before he knew it Fukurodani had won consecutive sets.

Once he saw you and your team leave the court, he shot up from his seat.

"I've gotta meet her!"

Akaashi looked up at him with wide eyes. "Wait-"

But Bokuto was already leaping over chairs and scrambling to the door. Akaashi stood up too and, with a resigned sigh, followed him too.

Bokuto didn't stop running until he made it to the first floor. He skidded around a corner and finally locked eyes with you. He couldn't help himself and ran up to you, absolutely panting from the running he had done.

"You-" pant "were fucking" pant "amazing!"

Embarrassment flooded your system and you looked down at the floor nervously. The setter walked up and put herself in between you and Bokuto.

"Back away from our ace, owl-boy," she hissed. "Don't think we didn't notice you drooling over our captain during the game."

Normally you would be more confident, but once one of your teammates pointed out the boy in the stands going absolutely apeshit for you, it started to eat at you. The embarrassment of a guy - a hot one at that - calling your name from the stands and drawing everyone's attention was just too much for you.

"You're the captain too? No wonder! I am too, Im-"

"Bokuto Kotaro, I know who you are," you cut him off and put your hand on your setters shoulder. "It's okay, I can handle him."

Warily, your setter backed down and joined the rest of the team cooling down.

"You know who I am?" Bokuto beamed, his chest puffing up.

"Of course," you rolled your eyes. "You're one of Japan's top five aces. And you go to our school."

"Why hadn't I ever seen you before?" Bokuto gushed.

It was at this point that Akaashi finally caught up. "Because you leave all the grunt work to me," he sighed. He looked at you and gave you a slight nod. "Y/n."

"Akaashi," you smiled and replied.

"You know her?" Bokuto nearly yelled.

"Duh," Akaashi rolled his eyes. "We coordinate stuff together like the buses or practice."

"I wanna know her," Bokuto pouted at Akaashi. Akaashi rolled his eyes and sighed.

"What he's asking if you'd go get lunch with him sometime," Akaashi looked at you, speaking for Bokuto.

You felt a heat rising to your cheeks. 

“Sure,” you smiled. It couldn’t hurt to go out with the absolute hottie who was cheering for you all game. 

“Great!” Bokuto shouted and grabbed your hand. He started pulling you away from your team. 

“W-wait, right now?” You looked back at your setter for help, but she just shrugged. 

“I’ll cover for you!” She called as you got dragged away by the excited boy. 

You had no idea what you were in for. 

Nishinoya Y. 

Noya was definitely the one who suggested watching the girls

Girls playing his favorite sport?? What could be better?

He was able to drag most of Kurasuno to watch the girls 

Daichi ofc came to support the other captain, Yui Michimiya

But little did he know after he sat down that he was in for a big surprise

The whistle blew and a girl with h/c hair stood at the sidelines with her sign. She and another girl from the team switched out, and when they did there was a commotion in the stands. 

“Oh my god, finally! L/n is back in!” A girl in the row in front of the boys cheered.

“I know, I still can’t get over her last receive,” the other girl gushed. 

Noya looked back at you and noted the reversed colors of your jersey. 

So, she’s a libero huh, he thought to himself. He looked you closer and thought that you were a little cute. 

The game resumed and a long volley started. It looked like it was about to end when the other team set up for an unblocked spike. The setter had feinted and sent all the blockers to cover another spiker so that their one player could hit unmarked. Not a single soul was on that side of the court, and Noya could feel himself wincing as the spiker hit the ball. That was going to hurt. They were already down too many points and really didn’t stand a chance of winning. 

He waited for the ball to hit the ground, but in the blink of an eye, you were there and the ball was up. 

You called the name of your setter and quickly she set it up for one of your spikers. Since the other team had thought the had this in the bag, they were not ready for the counter attack and Kurasuno got the point. 

“Did you see that?” Hinata gushed and leaned over Noya’s shoulder. “She totally just did rolling thunder! She was like whoosh and swoosh and the bam!”

Noya nodded enthusiastically. “That was an amazing receive!” 

After that, Noya began cheering every time you made a receive, even if it wasn’t a hard one. You started noticing very early on and part of your attention was focused on the short king in the stands. You did your best to ignore it and keep your head in the game, but its kind of hard to ignore a hot boy cheering for every move you make. 

You were almost glad when the game was over. 

“Hey, Y/n,” one of your blockers smirked. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a fan.”

“I will murder you with my bare hands,” you growled, tired of the team’s teasing. They had not let up on the whole fan thing since Noya had started up in the stand, and frankly, you were tired of it. 

“Ouch, save some of your love for your boyfriend,” the blocker smiled. She then looked at something behind you and smiled even wider. 

“He’s not my boyfriend! Listen if I see that guy again, all shit will break loose- what? What are you smiling- oh.” You turned around to see the boy in the stands standing awkwardly behind you. 

“Hi,” he smiled and waved. He was acting quite demure, a stark contrast from his shenanigans in the stands. Now that he was closer, you kinda had to admit. He was kind of, sort of cute. “You were really good out there. Really impressive. Sorry if my cheers were distracting, you were just so good.”

You seemed to have lost your steam, because you couldn’t bring yourself to yell at this genuinely kind and supportive boy. Instead you rubbed the back of your neck nervously and broke eye contact. “Uh, thanks,” was all you could mumble. 

“Wanna practice together sometime?” He suggested, a nervous smile on his face. 

“Yeah sure, if you can keep up,” you responded. 

“Oh don’t worry, about me,” he puffed out his chest dramatically. 

“Okay,” you laughed a little. You pulled out your phone and handed it to him. He looked at you quizically for a second. “Number?”

At that he flushed bright red. “Oh, uh, yeah,” he stumbled over his words, typing his number in quickly. Once he was done he handed the phone back. 

“I’ll text you sometime,” you smiled and walked back to your team. Immediately after you turned around you heard an energetic voice shout. 

“Did Noya-senpai just get a date?”

After that you heard a scuffle that you only assumed was Noya silencing the other boy. 

Oikawa T. 

Okay lets be honest

The last place he wanted to be was in the stands watching girls play

First of all he could have his ~fans~ doting on him

Second of all he could be practicing

Third of all he could be watching the team they were slotted to go up against next

But all of those other options were out of the question when Iwaizumi decided that Oikawa needed a break

(and also didn’t need to be near his fans)

So grumpily Oikawa will sit in the stands to watch your game, but he’s not really watching

Instead he’s watching a match on his phone

that is until Iwaizumi says something that peaks his interest...

“Holy fuck, that’s the captains fourth service ace.”

Oikawa frowned. It was a simple sentence really, one he had heard a million times. The difference was that usually it was aimed at him, not someone else. 

Oikawa looked up from his phone to see who was apparently the  Aoba Johsai girl’s team captain. It was hard to tell from this far away, but Oikawa’s senses told him that she was a looker. The way she carried herself it was obvious that she was confident in what she was doing, and that to Oikawa was enough. 

He put down his phone and leaned forward in his chair. He was invested now, whether he liked it or not. 

He watched as the referee blew their whistle and you lined up for your serve. You threw the ball up and jumped, hitting it mid air and sending it straight to the other teams side. It landed in bounds with a satisfying thwack, completely unimpeded by the other team’s girls. 

Iwaizumi let out a low whistle. “That’s five.”

“I can count, thanks,” Oikawa snapped dryly. 

Iwaizumi looked over, cocking his eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were paying attention.”

“Well I am now.”

Iwazumi shrugged and turned back to the game. You lined up for your next serve and hit it, but this time the other team’s libero picked it up. After that your team had a chance ball. 

Oikawa huffed. 

“What, shittykawa?”

“She should have kept aiming at their number 4. She got confident aiming for their libero,” Oikawa stated matter-of-factly. 

“How do you know she was aiming for the libero?” Iwaizumi retorted. “What if it was just on accident?”

Oikawa rolled his eyes. “You don’t get five services aces and not be able to aim in the air.”

Iwaizumi shrugged. “I’m just saying it could have been an accident. Like you said, she was on a roll aiming and scoring off of their number four. Why would she switch that up?”

Oikawa pursed his lips. 

“You never know unless you ask,” Iwaizumi added slyly. “Not that you will.”

Oikawa whirled on Iwaizumi. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean,” Iwaizumi started without looking over at Oikawa. “You don’t talk to girls unless they fawn all over you.”

“Not true,” Oikawa huffed.

Iwaizumi just shrugged. 

“That’s not true!” Oikawa repeated in frustration. 

“Then prove it,” Iwaizumi replied bluntly. 

“Besides, how do you know she won’t like me?”

Iwaizumi laughed. 

“What?” Oikawa grit his teeth, starting to get annoyed at Iwaizumi. 

“You don’t remember?” Iwaizumi shot Oikawa a side glance. 

Oikawa just glared at Iwaizumi. 

“Hey, fine.” Iwaizumi sighed. He turned back to the game. “You hit on her at school a while back and she didn’t give you the time of day.”

Oikawa snorted. “I do not ‘hit on’ people.”

Iwaizumi shrugged. 

“Fine, come with me then,” Oikawa nearly growled. He got up from his seat and marched away. Iwaizumi sighed but got up. The game was already over and he was upset that he couldn’t enjoy it, but what did he expect from watching it with Oikawa. 

Oikawa stomped his way all the way downstairs and was a fuming mess when he finally stopped in front of you. You waved off the teammates you were walking with to go ahead and stopped to see what The Oikawa Tooru wanted from you. 

“Did you purposefully aim for the libero after the five service aces?” He growled. 

“I don’t know what crawled up your ass, but usually you’re supposed to congratulate someone on that kind of shit,” you smirked, enjoying Oikawa’s bad mood.  

“Congratulations,” he forced a smile and said sweetly. “Now did you or did you not?” 

You grinned. “How about we make a deal?”

Oikawa cocked an eyebrow but let you continue. 

“You watch out next game, and let me know if I did.”

Oikawa scoffed. “That’s hardly a deal that favors me.”

“You’re smart,” you shrugged. “You’ll figure it out.” You took your leave at that, leaving Oikawa behind, still frustrated. 

But he couldn’t help but want to watch your next game, for some odd reason. Maybe this deal wasn’t too bad. 

Taglist: {OPEN}

[acciocriativity]

You and Me || Harry Potter

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Slytherin/Reader

Summary: It's always been you and Draco since you can remember, the invincible duo, the two of you against the world but some things have changed along the way and it's not news to any soul at Hogwarts but it's time your parents knew too. 

 Word Count: 2,8k

A/N: I took a bit to finish but here it is your story @x-dratie-x. I hope you all like it! Tom Riddle is not Voldemort in this oneshot, Voldemort didn’t exist at all but the events of the first war and its consequences still is valid, but with another wizard.

Warnings: A very very slightly sexual conversation and that's all

1987  

  I didn't want to be at that dinner, I didn't want to have to listen all day long to how well I should behave because the Malfoy's were such an important family or something. 

I had plans for the week, I would go with our elf to buy more art supplies and I was allowed to spend the day outside the house, just drawing the landscape. 

My parents never let me participate in events like this, because I might mess up, say something inappropriate for the moment, or whatever excuse they decided to make up. But out of the blue, I was told that I would have to be there. Why? I couldn't understand and I didn't even ask them, what good would it do? None. 

The day was only getting worse and worse by the hour for me, I just wanted to take off that dress and go play but I couldn't, obviously. So I did what was left to me, smile and eat politely without making any noise or comments, not that there were any comments I would like to make. I had no idea what they were talking about, it was absolutely boring. The only thing that made me feel slightly better were my own thoughts and the fact that their son was as bored as I was. 

We knew each other because of some casual encounters between our parents but never had the opportunity to talk to each other, because of course, only grown-ups talk.

But it seems that I drew the long straw after a horrible day, after dinner Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy were invited to stay a little longer and I was excused along with Draco to play.  

I could hardly believe it, I wouldn't have to sit there and smile for another 45 minutes, my happiness couldn't be measured at that moment. Not even waiting for my mother to say it again, I stood up and said goodbye politely with a smile before walking up the stairs and I could hear footsteps following me somewhat hesitantly but I didn't care at the moment. 

"Come on, let's go play in my room", I exclaimed with a huge smile and threw the bow tie, which was pinning my hair, on the floor and quickly walked over to it uncaringly.

 I missed his shocked expression but as soon as we reached my door, he made sure to make it clear to me. 

"Do your parents let you do that?", the question made no sense in my head but stopping to think about it now, it makes sense, he should always be flawless. 

"They don't care as long as it's not in front of guests, you won't tell them, right?", his greyish blue eyes reflected mine and for a few seconds I thought that was a beautiful effect.

 He looked away from me and nodded slightly in agreement, his face covered in shyness and I just squealed with delight. I opened the door and pulled him inside, his hand was so cold that I thought about taking one of my jackets and handing it to him. 

"So what do you want to do? I have some toys in my closet, I'll get them", I walked happily to the door and proceeded to try to decide what I would want. Some was not the best word, there were a lot of them, far more than I would ever use. 

 I came back with a big mulberry box that I've only been able to carry within the last year and placed it on my bed but he didn't even notice, he was looking at my drawings. 

"Oh, you liked them. I wish I had done one more today, do you want to try?", I asked him and walked over to the table where my sheets were. 

"Yeah, they're not too bad", he stated nonchalantly and I didn't believe him for a moment but I chose to keep my mouth shut for once. 

 I picked up two white sheets, two quills and sat down quietly on the floor, since I didn't have two chairs for the two of us but it seems he wasn't used to that. 

"Come on, hurry up, your parents won't be here forever", I patted the seat next to me and soon he sat down as well, I noticed his posture still uncomfortable and my goal for the day turned to change that, if only for 5 minutes. 

 From that day on, we became closer and our parents obviously understood and liked that, because we were strengthening their relationship and at no point that crossed my mind. I was just happy to be supported by my parents to visit Draco. 

1991

 My Hogwarts letter had arrived some weeks ago and I hadn't let go at any point, going to Diagon Alley had become a completely different experience and I couldn't wait, but I had to because I pleaded with my and his parents so that we would go together.

But the day had finally arrived and I had to contain all my energy to not look like an out of control little girl, nothing out of the ordinary but today was more difficult because I was genuinely happy. I was always genuinely happy with my only real friend. 

"Y/N, you must hurry or we are going to be late", I could hear my mother's voice from downstairs just as I finished putting on my flats. 

 As it was a very important occasion I had chosen my favorite outfit, even my parents were a little excited too. They had told me that they had met at Hogwarts and that I would find someone from a good family at Slytherin as well. This part was completely ignored by me but they never found out about it. 

"I'm here mom, we won't be late", I said as soon as I came down the stairs and approached them without running. We were near the fireplace and I mentally thanked them for not having to apparate, because it was always a horrible experience for me.

"Okay, I'll go first and you two right after", my father made sure to announce although he always goes first when we go out like that.   

 After a few minutes, we arrived in front of Flourish & Blotts and there was the imposing Malfoy family. After a small talk in which I had no interest in paying attention to, we all went inside and we were finally able to talk while our parents were engaged in a conversation with the attendant. 

"I've already said it once and I'll say it again, I honestly don't understand how you're not that excited, it's Hogwarts", I whispered to him as we walked through the messy shelves full of books. 

"It doesn't seem like a great thing after hearing it so many times", I could clearly see that there was something more there, I had known him long enough to know that and also that he wouldn't tell me easily. 

"Okay, so you're telling me that you're not the least bit excited to leave Malfoy Manor to start your life?", his lips twitched trying to hold back a smile, his eyes shifted from mine, looking for something to distract himself. 

 But I could stop him, my cunning little hands went to his waist tickling that area before he could prevent me from doing so. That was enough to make him laugh, although he denied that he was ticklish every time I asked. 

This attack did not end well for me, because revenge existed in his vocabulary and was even overused. I had to run, as fast as I could, and it still didn't work. 

And why? Because I went to a dead end corridor upstairs, I had never even visited the second floor of that store, the day I went there I had to get unlucky. 

In short, I was attacked twice more without mercy, my glasses almost got broken and we were so noisy that the owner gave us a scolding and our parents did the same as soon as we left with our packages, but this was not enough to ruin the day and our good mood. 

1993

 It was already expected that we would both end up in Slytherin, which was great because we didn't have to be separated, on the opposite, we became closer than ever. It also didn't take long to form our group of friends, actually not more than a month but the thing that made us truly close started in the third year when I had a genius idea. 

We all had a reason to dislike Harry, mine was nowhere near Draco's, no one's was but we shared it anyway. It was always fun to pick fights with him, make pranks and get him into trouble on purpose, so why not make it a little game? It was so easy that the idiots, Crabbe and Goyle understood the first few times, you can't expect more than that from them, and this was certainly a record for both. 

The game had three main objectives: 

- Take the most materials from Harry or his friends: ink, quill, books, whatever they were carrying would be a prize and would get a point.

- See him or his friends more often, with the intention of spying on them just for fun, of course. It could be in class or in the corridors, each time would be an extra point. 

- Pick fights with him or his friends, each minute was worth one point and to be proven, had to have someone to confirm it. 

 Of course, there was no room for lies, and I made sure to put a spell on our board to prevent this. Yes, I had made a small board that stayed with me but each team wrote down their own score.

To make it more fun, we split up into pairs. Draco and I, Pansy and Blaise, Grabbe and Goyle, Astoria and Millicent and Tom and Theo.

And finally, the best part, whoever had the most points at the end of the year would win 5 galleons from each person, as well as having a celebration party financed by the losers.  

Needless to say, Draco and I always won since the day I created the game. Our friends always complained about us playing dirty but it was never necessary and deep down they knew it, it must be hard to lose every year so I don't judge them.  

1995

"Are they still complaining?", I remained with my eyes closed, it was comfortable to lie curled up against Draco on the couch in the common room. We had two free classes, which was being put to good use to get some rest after a year of N.O.M.S. and a devastating victory in our little game.

"They'll get over it when we come back in September, I guess.... You're missing the best part", his voice came out whispered directly into my ear and I couldn't help but smile.      

 I didn't need to see the scene to know what was going on, Tom and Theo blaming each other for the defeat, everyone standing back from them because no one wants to get involved in their ego battle and our other friends trying not to laugh because it was a funny scene, even if they didn't know it.

"They're taking longer than last time...", I commented slightly annoyed by the noise. I had no idea what had happened to me, because usually I spent the afternoon celebrating my victory but not today. 

"Let's get out of here, you seems so good", he hadn't even completed his sentence when I agreed and painfully got up to go to his room. 

 But before I could take two steps, I felt his arms go around my waist and legs, leading me up the stairs in a bridal style.

I smiled wider and snuggled into his arms, enjoying more of the warmth and good feeling it gave me until we reached the bed.

"Thanks honey, I don't know what happened today", I commented under my breath as soon as he had me lying on the bed, but I knew it was a lie.

"Are you sure? This isn't related to the fact that our parents will know about our relationship in a few days?", I hoped he would pretend he didn't know but that wasn't the case, I wasn't going to be able to run away from the subject.

"It's just that I don't like them meddling in our lives, of course I have nothing against your parents, I'll love to be introduced as your girlfriend but my parents will be twice as unbearable", I sighed and hugged the blond once more, if there was one thing that made me better it was this. 

"Like my mom isn't going to start a 3 year planning for our wedding after she finds out, but at least they'll be used to it by the end of the summer and we won't have to go through this again", he began to fiddle with my hair and curl the strands between his fingers, slowly my shoulders relaxed and a considerable chunk of my worry faded away.

"Yes, I think so but it's going to be a lot harder for us to be alone now. You definitely won't be stepping foot in my room like you did when we used to play together", the memories flooded back and I felt him smile too, it had been a while since this had escaped my thoughts. 

"I don't need to worry about that, we slept together for almost the entire year at Hogwarts and they can't do anything about it and we'll keep doing it", I couldn't see him since my face was buried in his neck, but the perfect image of his mischievous grin formed in my head. 

 "The question is, will you survive for two months without me? Because I don't see that happening", I teased with a huge smirk as I turned to look him in the eye. 

"It won't happen because your father won't be enough to stop me love and I'll make sure you don't have to resort to your hands, because we know it wouldn't be enough", smugness was all over his face and as much as I searched for an answer to that, I didn't have one. Not in the first few seconds. 

"Good love, that's good because I'm sure your hands wouldn't do a better job either. In fact, I'd be a little worried if they actually still work, in case we get separated", I had managed to wipe the smirk off his face but I also knew it wouldn't stay that way, revenge was still an overused word in his vocabulary. 

 A week later, there I was on one of the Hogwarts Express cars with Draco, since we couldn't fit all our friends there anyway, we decided to enjoy the last hours of freedom we had together. 

And how quickly it went by, one moment I was chatting with my boyfriend while my puppy slept peacefully in her travel bed and the next, we had arrived and a wave of students were trying to get through the doors at the same time. 

We stepped off the train holding hands, while I carried only my baby in the other, and this detail did not escape the trained eyes of our parents who were talking side by side but as soon as they noticed us they stopped.

"For Merlin's sake, you two finally decided to listen to me and are in a relationship now?", my mother's eyes sparkled with excitement and I could already hear her voice asking me all sorts of embarrassing questions. "Narcisa, our family is finally becoming one, this is the best news I could ever receive", she could jump for joy now but because of the good posture of a London high society woman, she did not do that.

"How about dinner at our house today? We have a good reason to celebrate," I had seen his mother smile at me several times but even Lucius Malfoy seemed satisfied enough to show a little bit of his teeth, which is indeed shocking.

 My parents agreed to the idea immediately and only one look was exchanged between Draco and me, it only took a single look to know that we both acknowledged it would be an insufferable night. 

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