#officially ​saying goodbye to the 30s next week

[bronzebluemind]

It’s been 5 weeks since the World Cup finale, 7 weeks to go until sgp and 29 or 30 weeks to go until next season.

[miguelschamp]

how you get the girl

pairing: liam dunbar x fem!reader

summary: liam hurries to find a way to explain why he’s been standing you up

warnings: none

you and liam had been friends for about a year before you told each other how you felt. you guys were taking it slow and hadn’t made it official yet.

he was working his way toward actually being your boyfriend. which meant taking you on dates, goodnight and morning texts, and everything in between.

the problem was that he hadn’t told you he was a werewolf. so, he couldn’t tell why he had stood you up twice already.

coming up with lame excuses about his parents which you seemed to take pretty well. but you also had a gut feeling that he was lying.

tonight was supposed to be the night he took you on a date to a new restaurant that had opened a few weeks prior. he was determined to make it up to you.

he hated how your eyes held sadness whenever he had to come up with yet another lie.

he promised that tonight there would be no excuses. that he would actually make it.

you made it to the restaurant first. a little earlier than your initial meeting time.

then 30 minutes passed. you sent liam a couple of texts asking if he was anywhere near and got no response.

then an hour.

then two.

of you standing and mingling outside of the restaurant. you definitely called him more than fifty times. and texted him even more.

you knew this would happen. a small part of you was hoping it would be third times the charm. evidently it wasn’t.

your walk home was filled with tears. sad that he couldn’t even take you seriously enough to text and say he wasn’t making it. you were also embarrassed. the amount of customers that walked in and came back out with pitiful looks on their faces.

by the time you made it home, it was around 10:30 and you had school the next day. so, you just got in the shower and headed off to bed. crying yourself to sleep.

•••

liam knew he messed up. bad.

he was actually going to make it on time to your date. then scott called him frantic about meeting in the woods to catch the latest supernatural creature terrorizing beacon hills.

after hours of fighting, they finally stopped it. then he checked his phone and his heart dropped at the amount of texts and calls he got from him.

now he was running through the halls trying to find you. he turns the corner before heading down toward your locker. he sighs in relief as he sees you digging through your locker.

“y/n !” he calls out

you huff refusing to look over at him. you jam a book into your locker as he stops beside you.

“hey, i’m so sorry about last night.” he breathes. you stay silent as you close your locker. you sling your backpack on your shoulder before walking off. liam’s face drops before he follows after you. “y/n-“

“what ?” you snap turning to him

“i’m so sorry i stood you up last night. i was so busy.”

“doing what ?” you ask

liam blinks, “um.. i was just- uh-“

“and don’t lie.” you interrupt

“i was just busy.” he says hoping to satisfy you

it doesn’t.

“doing what ?” you say, “too busy to even answer my texts instead of standing me up. again.”

“i know, i’m sorry.” he says holding his hands out, “but i can make it up to you-“

“no, you can’t. you can’t even tell me the truth about why you left me outside of a restaurant for a date that you planned, for two hours.”

“y/n/n-“

“you know what liam, i don’t think this is gonna work.” you say pointing between the two of you

liam furrows his brows, “what ? no. i promise i can make it up to you.”

“even if you could, you can’t be honest with me.” you say looking up at him. his heart drops as sadness swarms through your eyes. “goodbye, liam.”

liam’s shoulders fall as you turn and walk off. he sighs as you turn the corner. he had to come up with a way to come clean to you. he didn’t want to lose you.

his eyes widen before he rushes down the hall.

•••

you sat in the library trying to get some homework done on your free period. you look up as someone pulls a chair out beside you.

you frown as lydia martin sits next to you. two other girls take places on the other side of the table.

you knew who they were. they were seniors that you saw liam hanging out with sometimes. you didn’t know how he knew them, but it didn’t matter much to you.

“um, hi ?” you say

“hi.” lydia smiles, “i’m lydia and this is kira and malia.”

as you look to the two girls, kira gives a wave as malia raises her brows in acknowledgment. you then turn back to lydia.

“we were wondering if you wanted to hang out.”

“me ?” you say bewildered, “but you guys are seniors. i don’t even know you guys.”

“no, but you’re pretty and i like hanging out with pretty people.” lydia shrugs

you blink as you mouth opens and closes looking for an answer. “uh, sure ?”

“great.” lydia beams before holding her hand out, “can i see your phone ?”

you quickly dig around in your backpack before handing it to her. she types for a few seconds before handing it back to you.

she stands up, “i’ll text you where to meet us. see ya.”

you watch as all three girls leave the table. you turn forward slowly in your seat as you set your phone on the table.

•••

lydia texted you about an hour after school ended. you found yourself walking through the woods as she told you to meet them at the outlook.

as you arrive, you look around. as far as you could tell, no one was there or had been there previously.

you pull out your phone again rereading the text.

meet us at the outlook. we’re already here ;)

you sigh as you slide your phone in your back pocket. “what is up with people standing me up ?”

this had to be some prank they were trying to pull on. seniors always messed with the younger class. you just didn’t think it would happen to you.

you look over as you hear leaves crunching. liam walked up cautiously.

“hi.” he says

“hi.” you say hesitantly, “you can have this to yourself i was supposed to meet…” you trail off as it all clicks in your head. liam set it up. “you set it up, didn’t you ?”

“yeah.” you sigh as your arms cross over your chest. “but i swear it was for a good reason.”

you brows raise as you turn to him, “what ? so you can tell me more lies and promise another date ?”

liam nods, “i deserve that. but i promise i’ll tell you the truth.”

you shift your weight from one foot to the next. you tilt your head and liam finally gets the hint that you’ll listen.

“do you believe in the supernatural ?”

you frown, “what ?”

“the supernatural. do you think it exists ?”

you couldn’t believe the stupid question he was asking, but answered anyway. “maybe. i don’t know. depends.”

“do you think werewolves exist ?” he asks

liam can see your confusion deepen as he looks at you. “liam, what the hell are you talking about ?”

“do you ?”

“i don’t know, liam. literally anything can exist.” you huff

“okay.” he says. you watch as he gets closer to you. he holds his hands out, “do you trust me ?”

you eye him, “not with you asking that as we stand on a cliff.”

he chuckles, “i just need to know that you won’t hit me or anything.”

“liam-“ your words die as you watch his eyes glow yellow. soon after, hair begins to grow from his cheeks and fangs protrude from his mouth.

liam watches worriedly as your eyes widen. he can hear your heartbeat accelerating. he holds his hands out, “y/n-“

you back up as you look down at his hands. he looks too and immediately brings his hands down. he forgot about his claws.

“i promise i wont hurt you.” he says as he slowly shifts back to the liam you knew, “that’s why i keep messing up our dates.”

“you’re- you’re a werewolf.” you say softly

“yeah.” he says. he holds his hands up to show his hands were back to normal before walking up to you. “the seniors you see me hanging out with sometimes are all apart of my pack.”

your eyes widen, “they’re all werewolves ?”

“well, no.” he says, “it’s a mix, but i can explain all of that to you.”

you let out a deep breath as you look down. your hands go up to your cheeks. “oh my god, you’re a werewolf.”

“so, are you like out in the woods or something when we’re supposed to be on dates ?” you say looking up to him

“there are other creatures that try to come into the city and we fight them off.” he says before chuckling, “scott has terrible timing when it comes to needing my help.”

“liam, why didn’t you just tell me ?” you say as your hands fall

“because i didn’t know how you’d take it or if you’d even believe me. i didn’t want to lose you.”

“well, it’s better to be honest with me so i don’t think you’re a complete jerk.”

he smiles as he nods, “i know that now and i’m sorry. really sorry.”

you look up at him as he steps in front of you. he gently takes your hand, “if you’ll give me another chance, i can guarantee i won’t screw it up this time.”

you laugh, “are you sure ? you’re like a superhero now. fighting off beacon hills crime.”

he smiles before shaking his head, “scott knows all about us now, so he’s gonna try to refrain from calling me unless it’s detrimental.”

you search his face as he waits for your answer. he was hoping this was enough to convince you that he wasn’t a jerk and was just someone trying to juggle his own life and saving others.

“i’ll give you a chance if you do something for me.”

he stands up straight, “anything.”

you smile, “can you do the eye thing again ?”

liam laughs before his eyes glow yellow again. he watches as your eyes bounce back and forth between his. a few seconds later, they’re back to their baby blue that you’ve grown to love.

“okay, you get another chance.” you say playfully rolling your eyes.

his smile widens before his hand goes up to your cheek closing the gap between you two. a soft kiss being placed on your lips.

[lumosandnoxwriting]

now I wake up by your side || George Weasley

Title: now i wake up by your side Pairing: George x Reader Summary: You know what they say, what goes up must always come back down. Except George thought he was the exception to that rule. Because with things going so well for him there’s no way they’d ever end. Unfortunately for George the higher you go, the harder you fall. And as he watches Y/N walk away from him for the last time he finally realizes how true that saying is. Because George Weasley has officially run out of time, and everything has started to crumble around him.  Warnings: NSFW! Minors DNI this contains female masturbation, male masturbation, dirty talk and phone sex.  A/N: ahhhhh the second to last part of hockey!george!! I hope you all enjoy - feedback is always welcome and appreciated!

-

 The apartment is too quiet without George around. 

This is the part about being with a hockey player that Y/N has always hated: away games. If she thought it was bad when George was in the junior league, it’s even worse in the NHL. Unlike the NFL and some other professional sports, there’s 82 games in the regular season, with the potential for there to be 28 additional games for a team that makes it to the Stanley Cup finals. 

Meaning from the end of September until at least the middle of April, hockey players spend more time on the road than they do at home. Instead of being gone for a day or two, when they hit a stretch of away games it’s common for a team to be on the road for up to two weeks. 

And unfortunately for Y/N, preseason has taken the Rebels away for the next 10 days. The timing couldn’t be any worse either, considering the fact that now that she and George have crossed the boundary of physical intimacy her body craves his touch, and it seems like she’s walking around in a perpetual state of horniness. And it’s only been 48 hours.

Worse off is that the team left for the road just two days after their first game, so they didn’t really even get to talk about where this new development in their supposedly fake relationship leaves them. Because to Y/N, George claiming her body from the inside out several times during their brief time together is everything but fake. 

And it’s not just the sex that Y/N misses. 

That first night George was gone she tossed and turned all night, only sleeping for an hour or two at a time before she’d wake up missing the feel of his arms around her. Dousing George’s pillow in his cologne and hugging it tightly as she slept  last night worked a little, but she still didn't wake up feeling well rested. 

She especially misses the mundane aspects of their life together. Like the fact that there wasn’t a fresh pot of coffee waiting for her when she woke up. And even though George still found time to get her during the day, their conversations weren’t filled with plans for dinner and what to watch on TV, which filled Y/N with a pang of sadness. That first afternoon she’d even made George’s usual protein shake, and it wasn’t until she wrapped up her work day at 5:30, a full hour after George should have been home, did she remember he wouldn’t be around for days. 

Even just the absence of hearing him breathe has her heart aching. 

Thankfully their first road game is tonight, and she’ll get her fill of George time while she watches. Even if it’s through the TV and he’ll be wearing all of his gear. It’s better than nothing. 

Jenny invited her over to watch the game with Olivia and some other partners, and even though she kind of wanted to just mope around the apartment, Y/N found herself saying yes and now that she’s settled on the couch between Olivia and Kate she’s happy that she came. Because even though they aren’t George, Y/N’s heart feels full being surrounded by the women she’s gotten to know over the past few weeks. 

This fake engagement hasn’t only brought George back into her life, it’s brought this amazing group of people into it too, and Y/N can’t imagine having to say goodbye to any of them. Which, unfortunately, is a thought that has crossed her mind several times since George kissed her goodbye two days ago. And without him by her side to squash those negative thoughts she’s let them run rampant. 

Losing George will absolutely shatter her heart. But losing George and all of these people? It will shatter her soul. 

Which is why Y/N plans on confronting George as soon as he gets back from this road trip. Not knowing where their relationship stands is slowly killing her, and Y/N needs to know if they’re both on the same page. It’s time to either move forward together, or for Y/N to pack her bags and head home to Washington with her tail tucked between her legs and her entire world shattered. 

Thankfully someone switches the TV on as the game starts, and the chatter of the announcers pulls Y/N out of the depressive swirl her thoughts were taking her down. Warmups have just ended, and as they get ready for things to really start, the commentators talk about the match up. 

“It’s still early yet, but I’ve got to say, Steve, the Rebels are looking mighty fine this season.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more, Jim. After their devastating loss in the playoffs last season and the retirement of their team captain, Tyler Crawford, we were skeptical that they’d be able to wrangle it in and start this season off strong - and boy am I glad to say we were wrong.”

“Absolutely, Steve. Working with a whole new slew of Rookies can be difficult, especially without a Captain, but the Rebels sure have shown what a strong team they are.”

“And I’m sure we have George Weasley, the Rebel’s starting Center and one of the top scorers in the league to thank for the team’s starting success. We’ve had the pleasure of sitting in on some Rebel’s practices this training camp and I can see why Weasley is the front runner for Captain. The way he commands his team is truly awe-inspiring.”

Their praise of George and his skills makes Y/N’s cheeks flush. She’s so damn proud of George and everything he has accomplished in his career. Ever since they were little kids learning to skate together George has been determined to be a star in the NHL, and seeing that dream come to reality makes every single struggle and hurdle their relationship has gone through worth it. 

“Weasley certainly has stepped up to the plate since Crawford, his mentor’s retirement. If the rumor mill is to be believed all us Rebels fans’ have a pretty girl from Weasley’s hometown to thank for that.”

The girls all squeal at the mention of Y/N and George’s relationship, and she can feel her cheeks flush even deeper.

“Jim, you are worse than my wife when it comes to those gossip rags. But, after Weasley scored his two goals during the team’s first preseason game he did raise his stick, pointing it towards the box reserved for the Rebel’s friends and families, which fans have affectionately dubbed the WAG box, and one of the camera’s did catch him mouthing the words ‘that was for you’, so it’s safe to say the rumor mill may actually be onto something for once.”

“Well whoever that mystery woman is I hope you stick around, because I’d love to see Chicago take home the cup this year.”

They move on to talk about the team the Rebel’s are up against, North Carolina, and Y/N relaxes back into her seat. No worries, Steve, she definitely plans on sticking around.

-

That night when Y/N makes it back to their apartment her heart is full, and she doesn’t miss George as much as she did earlier. Because during the game George scored a hat trick, and after every single goal his stick rose to the camera, still seeking her out from thousands of miles away, and the lens zoomed in as he mouthed those same four words that never fail to increase her heart rate. 

“That was for you.”

And if that wasn’t enough to squash all of her doubts about the status of their relationship, he’d actually did a post game interview, and when he was asked about his new mystery girl, George had looked directly into the camera, like he was starting right into Y/N’s eyes and said:

“She knows who she is. I can’t wait to come home to you every day for the rest of my life, baby.”

Now she’s in their bedroom, stripping off all of her clothes except for George’s jersey, before she climbs into bed to wait for his call. 

It’s something they always used to do whenever he was on the road. Instead of going out with the guy’s to celebrate a win or commensurate over a loss, George would head straight back to the hotel to spend the night on the phone with her. 

They hadn’t discussed if that would be the case this time around in their relationship, but Y/N had been confident that it would be considering the other traditions George has continued. And the texts she received from him after the game set her belly on fire and had her pussy throbbing. 

George: fuck I miss you baby, i don’t want to celebrate a win unless you’re there with me

George: i know how wet you get watching your man dominate on the ice

George: tell me, Y/N, how fucking drenched is your pussy right now?

George: actually, don’t tell me. As soon as im back at the hotel you’re gonna answer my facetime call and show me how wet my pretty pink pussy is

George: because that pussy belongs to me, doesn’t it, baby?

All she’d managed to reply was a simple yes, thankful that George insisted on hiring her a car service. Because had she read those messages while driving Y/N certainly would have crashed the car. 

She’s just barely settled against the pillows when her phone lights up with George’s call, and Y/N doesn’t hesitate before she swipes her thumb across the screen to answer. 

“Hi,” she answers breathlessly, a smile tugging at her lips as George appears. 

“Hi baby,” George greets, eyes dragging across the screen to take in every inch of Y/N he can see. She’s still got his jersey on and it makes his already hard cock twitch in his boxers. Just the mere thought of Y/N in their bed, surrounded by the smell of them combined, wet and waiting for George to call was enough to get him going. 

It’s only been two days, but in George’s mind it might as well have been two months with how much he misses Y/N. For the first time in years hockey isn’t the most important thing in his life, the girl smiling at him through the phone is, and that should scare the shit out of George. 

But it doesn’t. 

Because when his hockey career is over he’ll still have Y/N and the family he wants them to build, and George knows that life will be more fulfilling than a lifetime in the NHL could ever be. George used to fear the day he retires, afraid of how empty his life will be without the sport he loves so much. 

Now he can’t wait for the life that’s waiting for him beyond the NHL.

Y/N watches as George settles into his bed, teeth digging into her bottom lip when she gets a flash of his bare chest. 

“My eyes are up here,” George teases, chuckling when her gaze flicks back to his. “I miss you so fucking much, baby.”

The vulnerability in his voice sends a flutter through her tummy. “I miss you too.”

George’s eyes darken at her sultry tone. “Bet that fucking pussy misses me too, doesn’t it, baby?” He uses the hand not gripping his phone to reach down and grab a hold of his cock when Y/N nods in response. “Show me, baby. Show me how much my pussy misses me.”

Y/N lets out a soft moan and her legs immediately spread, knees pressing to the mattress to bare her cunt to the room. She slowly pans the camera down, letting it follow her left hand as it glides down her torso, heading right for where she craves George’s touch. 

“Fuck,” George groans as her pussy comes into view, his hand slipping beneath the waistband of his boxers. “Coat your fingers, baby,” he instructs, taking himself in his hand. “Show me how wet they are.”

“Oh,” Y/N gasps as her index and middle finger glide through the wetness gathering between her thighs, just barely letting them brush against her clit. Once she���s coated her fingers she pulls them away from her pussy, twisting them in the dim light so George can see them shine.

“You’re a fucking dream, Y/N.” George starts to slowly stroke his cock, mouth dry from how much he aches to taste her. “All of that ‘cause of me, baby?”

“Yes,” Y/N pants as she rubs her slick fingers over her clit. “Always for you, George. Just thinking about you has me dripping down my thighs.”

“What were you thinking about, baby?”

The look on George’s face as he watches her touch herself pulls a whine from Y/N’s lips, and her cunt clenches around nothing. “Your cock, how good it feels inside of me. How, fuck, how you stretch me out and make me take all of you.”

“Cause that pretty little pussy was made to take me, wasn’t it, baby?” George asks, his voice rumbling in his chest. He’s barely touched himself and yet he already feels embarrassingly close. 

“Yes, George, my whole body was made for you.”

George has to squeeze the base of his cock to keep from cumming as he watches Y/N slip a finger into her cunt. Her engagement ring glitters in the low lighting, and it makes him absolutely feral that Y/N is touching herself for him, using the same hand he slid his ring on. Even when he’s hours away part of him is still there, laying claim to his girl. 

“That’s it, baby,” George encourages as Y/N slips another finger into her pussy, her soft moans sending shivers down his spine as he strokes his cock in earnest. “Make yourself cum on your fingers while I watch, baby. Fuck yourself with those dainty little fingers while you pretend it’s my cock.”

It doesn’t take long before Y/N is falling over the edge, her back arching off the bed as George’s name tumbles from her lips. She can barely keep a grip on the phone, but she squeezes hard, wanting George to watch her cum around her fingers. 

“Good fucking girl,” George growls as Y/N brings the camera back up to settle on her face. Her cheeks are flush, breaths coming heavy and the satisfaction of knowing he did that to her without even touching her brings him to the edge. 

The sound of her name falling from George’s mouth as he cums makes Y/N’s clit throb, and if she wasn’t so focused on watching his brows knit together as pleasure overtakes his face she’d probably be bringing herself to another orgasm. 

“George?” Y/N murmurs after a few moments of silence, both of them just smiling softly at the other. 

“Yes baby?”

“Come home soon, please.”

George grins, and he aches to reach out and trace her face. “I’ll always come home to you, Y/N. Always.”

-

Y/N is practically vibrating with excitement. After ten long days of nothing but text messages, phone calls and facetime sex George is finally coming home. She ended up taking the day off, because after barely being able to sit still through her morning meeting Y/N knew there was no chance in hell she’d be getting any work done. 

Because tonight when he gets home, Y/N is finally going to tell George she loves him for real. 

The distance between them has only made her feelings for George grow, and she’s tired of pretending. Even with George on the road he’s made the effort to be there for her, and show her how much he cares, and Y/N is sure this is the right decision.

The sound of her phone ringing practically makes her jump out of her skin, and Y/N answers on the second ring - not even bothering to check who it is. Satan himself could be on the other end and Y/N wouldn’t care less. 

Nothing can bring her down, not today. 

“George?” she answers excitedly. 

“Wrong twin,” Fred chuckles. 

Y/N tries to hide the disappointment in her voice. “Oh, hey Fred.”

“You could at least pretend to be happy it’s me,” he teases. “How’s Chicago?”

“It’s good, weird without George around. How’s everything back home?”

“That’s what I called you to talk about, actually,” Fred starts. “I was just wondering when you planned on coming back?” Y/N fumbles around for an answer, but before she has the chance to find the right words Fred carries on. “I mean I’ve had a great time covering your lessons at the rink, but I’ve kinda been missing my free time, and now that George is Captain and this whole thing can end I was kinda hoping...”

Fred keeps talking but Y/N doesn’t hear any of it. No, she's too focused on those three little words. George is Captain. They seem so small, so insignificant, but it’s as if Fred has just dropped a bomb on her. Her chest feels tight, and it’s like she forgot how to breathe.

“Hang on, back up a second,” she cuts Fred off. “What did you say? George is captain?”

“Yeah?” Fred responds, the confusion he’s feeling clear in his tone. “Morrison is waiting until the first regular season game to announce it, but he told him the other night at that dinner you guys went to.” Fred pauses. “He didn’t tell you.”

No, he didn’t. She has outright asked George what Coach had wanted that night and he looked her in the eyes and lied. 

Again. 

Just like that night in the rink, when she asked what was wrong and he lied to her about needing to focus on hockey. When he took her heart in his hands and smashed it into a million pieces. 

How the fuck has she allowed him to do it again?

“Y/N?” Fred’s voice comes through the phone when she doesn’t say anything. 

“Gotta go,” she responds simply, hanging up the call. 

Y/N was so sure. So fucking sure that George felt the same way as she does. But if he lied to her about being named Captain, the whole fucking reason this charade started in the first place, what else could he be lying to her about?

She’s not sure she’ll survive finding out the answer to that question. 

-

“Honey I’m home!” George calls out when he swings the door open, a frown taking over the smile on his face when he doesn’t find Y/N right there to greet him. He’d broken pretty much every single traffic law in his eagerness to get home to her, so he’s disappointed that she’s not waiting at the door.

“Y/N?” he shouts, shutting the door behind him. 

He can hear shuffling coming from somewhere deeper in the apartment, and when she doesn’t answer George follows it all the way to the bedroom. He can feel his heart hammering in his chest, hoping that there’s some kind of sexy surprise waiting for him when he pushes open their bedroom door. 

Except the sight in front of him stops him in his tracks. Because instead of Y/N laying in their bed naked, waiting for him to ravish her, there’s a suitcase open on the bed and Y/N is darting around the room, talking to herself quietly as she collects her belongings and shoves them inside. 

“Y/N, what the fuck is going on?”

She finally notices his presence, and Y/N stops for a moment, eyes narrowed as she looks at George. “You tell me,” she seethes, before she goes back to shoving things into her bag. 

“Baby, baby hang on,” George pleads, his confusion evident. He comes into the room, stepping between her and the suitcase so she’s forced to stop packing and look at him. “Talk to me, Y/N. Why are you packing?”

“Why don’t you tell me, Captain?” she spits, and George recoils at the mixture of anger and hurt in her voice. 

“Oh. So you know about that, huh?” George stutters out, his mind reeling to find something to say.

This is not how he intended for this conversation to go. He planned on telling Y/N tonight, he was going to come clean about everything. George planned on taking her to his favorite restaurant, and over dessert he was going to tell her that Coach had made him Captain, and that he wanted to offer her a permanent place in both his heart and his home. He was finally going to tell her that he loves her, and that this arrangement has been anything but fake. 

Now with that plan out the window he’s scrambling over how to fix this. He already lost Y/N once, and he sure is shit doesn’t plan on doing it again. 

“Know that you lied to me? Yeah, I do.”

Y/N shoves past George, her hands shaking as she shoves the last few things into her suitcase. She’d hoped to be gone by the time that George would be back, to save herself the embarrassment of having him watch her fall apart once again. 

After she hung up on Fred Y/N wasn’t really sure what to do, all she knew was she had to get out of Chicago as soon as possible. Everything between them had felt so natural and real, and the thought that it was all just a lie George was putting on made her feel sick to her stomach. Even though she still loves George and deep down she knows she should stay and hear what he has to say, she’s not quite sure she’s ready for that. 

So once she wiped away her tears she booked the next flight out of town and started packing up. This is George’s home, after all. The only claim she had to it was the man standing behind her and she’s not even sure she has a claim on him either. 

“Y/N I promise you, I was going to tell you about the Captain thing. I just wanted to-”

Except she cuts him off. “Wanted to what? Get your dick wet a couple of times before you sent me packing?”

George physically recoils at her words. “No, Y/N. Fuck, that’s not it at all.”

“Well that’s what it feels like.” Y/N zips her suitcase shut and yanks it off of the bed before she turns to look at George. The look of pure heartache on his face nearly brings her to her knees, but she has to stand her ground. “I asked you what Coach wanted that night and you looked me dead in my eyes and lied to me George. Just like you did that night at the rink. And then the next night you got me naked in bed knowing that you were lying to me. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?”

“Baby, please,” George pleads as Y/N grabs the handle of her suitcase and storms out of the room. He follows her down the hallway, desperately trying to hold on to her. “Just stop for a second, Y/N please. I can’t fucking think when you’re upset with me like this. Give me a chance to explain, please. Don’t go, baby. Not like this.”

Y/N stops at the front door, one hand on the handle. But she doesn’t open the door, not quite yet. She takes a deep breath, steeling herself before she turns to look at George. There are tears streaming down his face, and it takes all of her strength to force the words out of her mouth. 

“Good bye, George. For real this time.”

-

George only returns to their bedroom in the wee hours of the morning, the whiskey flowing through his veins making him numb enough to be in the space that still smells of her. When he crawls into bed he lets the tears that have been gathering flow down his cheeks, his hands desperately reaching for the pillow that still smells like her. 

He hugs it tightly to his chest, smothering his cries into the fabric as he takes a deep inhale of Y/N’s familiar scent. He desperately needs to feel her in his arms again, but the softness of her pillow will have to do.

[shesmyboot]

Baby Severide - Chapter 1: Growing an Entire Human

*Gif belongs to its rightful owner, it is not mine*

Pairing: Kelly Severide x Reader Summary: When Kelly accompanies you to an OB appointment, the doctor brings some unexpected news.

Words: 1,569

Warnings: Doctors appointments, not great writing

Read on Ao3 here

Notes: The first chapter of a few. The entire fic isn’t quite done yet. Honestly, I wrote this for me, so if you like it, great, let me know. If not, great too, just don’t tell me. Medical info and such may not be right, sorry :) tagging some friends and mutuals as to celebrate my return to writing

Next Chapters: Chapter 2

Tags: @morganupstead @district447 @mustprotectmattcaseyatallcosts

——

“Hey babe, you home?” Kelly called for you as he opened the apartment door.

“Hey I’m here,” you sighed as you chuckled softly.

“How are my two favourite girls doing?” He asked, setting his duffel bag on the floor before coming to snuggle up with you on the couch. 

“We’re ok, feeling like a beached whale though, baby.” 

“We are in the home stretch. Take it easy these last few weeks.”

“Oh we’re taking it easy all right. I sat on this couch all day and did nothing, but watch The Bachelor,” you laughed, “how was shift?”

“A car wreck, nothing major. Then I came home early for you,” he leaned over and gave you a peck on the lips before getting up from the couch.

“Where are you going?” You gave Kelly your best puppy dog eyes.

“Well I thought I was going to shower,” he chuckled.

“Can you get me some water and a snack?” 

“What about water and some breakfast?”

“Oh, the baby could really use some of your bacon and french toast.”

“You sit here, I’ll make us some french toast.”

“Don’t forget the bacon,” you teased as he went to the kitchen to start preparing your feast.

—

“Breakfast on the couch or the table?” Kelly called, plates clanging in the background.

“How about from our bed?” You laughed back, “I’ve had a long day.”

“You’re growing an entire human, that’s a long enough day as it is without you having to work from home too,” he brought the plates to your night stands and came back for you. 

You got up from the couch with his help and started to waddle over to the bed. 

“Hopefully only another few hours of working from home,” you sighed, getting under the quilt your mom made you as a wedding gift. 

“Heard from the doctor yet?” He asked, sliding into the bed with a coffee in his hand. 

“Called this morning. She got a cancellation for this afternoon at 3 to do another ultrasound and checkup so I don’t have go by myself,” you replied, digging into your stack of french toast. 

“Our daughter is the luckiest,” he leaned down to kiss your belly. 

“With your as her daddy, I have no doubt,” you moved your plate to your night stand and rested your head on his shoulder. 

“As of now, I’ll only be away for one more shift before she’s born.”

“How long is Boden giving you for paternity leave?”

“I’m only going to take six weeks. Then I’m gonna use up some furlough, so I’ll be off with you for about eight weeks.”

“I thought you had more time saved up.”

“I get 12 weeks every two years. If we have more kids, I want to have the time to be off both times, baby.”

“I don’t know if I want them that close together though,” you laughed. 

“Never know. We didn’t expect this one.”

“That’s true I guess. Hey, what time is it?”

“1:28, why?”

“I have a call at 1:30.”

“What do you need for it?”

“Just my laptop and AirPods.”

“I’ll grab them for you quick.”

He walked across the bedroom to the desk and brought you your things to start your call. He wondered out of the room so you could present in peace. 

Kelly walked back into your bedroom near the end of your call. You were just saying goodbye to some coworkers since your maternity leave officially started as soon as your call was finished. You closed your laptop and put it to the side.

“Ready to go?” He asked.

“One thing first,” you smiled.

“Which is…?”

“Can you tie my shoes please?” You laughed.

“Of course, but let’s get going. I haven’t seen the baby in a couple months.”

“I know, I know, my shoes are on the floor by the door.”

“Let’s get you up then, we’ve got to go.”

—

As you pulled up to the doctor’s office, a flutter of excitement filled your heart. Walking into the office, you always dreaded that the OB’s office was on the second floor. You had a seat and waited your turn. Kelly always made sure you were there early after all. 

“Mrs Severide?” A nurse called.

You stood up and Kelly held your hand into the exam room. 

“There’s a gown on the bed with a blanket. Please put the gown on, the doctor will be in soon,” 

“Thank you,” Kelly smiled.

The nurse left the room and you stood by the bed. Kelly sitting in the chair by your side. You started to change and your husband tied the sides of your gown together for you. He helped you onto the bed, draping the blanket over your legs and belly.

There was a knock on the door, “Hi, it’s Dr Calhoun.”

“Come in,” you answered.

Dr. Calhoun closed the door behind her as she came into the exam room. 

“How are the parents-to-be feeling today?” She asked.

“A little wobbly, but happy to finally be on maternity leave,” you laughed.

“And how are you feeling, Kelly?” 

“A little nervous, but excited,” he replied.

“Any concerns with the pregnancy since we last saw you? From either of you?” Dr Calhoun asked, pulling up your chart on the computer.

“Nothing that I’ve noticed. Just really tired,” you replied.

“That is to be expected, you’re in the home stretch.”

“Kelly said the same thing,” you laughed, “it does help my case of getting him to cook for me when he’s not on shift though.”

“Sounds like you’re doing well then,” she laughed, “let’s take a look at this baby girl.”

She pulled the ultrasound wand and gel out. Kelly held your hand.

“It’s gonna be a little cold, I’m sorry,” she announced. 

She squirted the gel onto your belly and flicked the machine on. Swirling the wand around your belly, she turned the screen so you could see the image.

“She’s bigger than the last time I’ve seen her,” Kelly laughed, kissing your hand. 

“She has grown a lot in the last month or two,” you smiled, “how’s she looking?”

“Active and growing well. Do you mind if I ask you guys something?” Dr Calhoun asked.

“Sure, is something wrong?” Kelly asked.

“Not at all. How big were you both when you were born?” She replied.

“I believe I was just under seven pounds, and I think Kelly’s mom said he was over 9 pounds. Why?” You replied.

“Your daughter is measuring larger than what we had originally thought. Almost nine and a half pounds. I’m worried about the risk of shoulder dystocia, and I’m thinking it may be easier on you and your baby if you opted for a c-section in the next week or two. A c-section isn’t an easier way out though and the recovery may be difficult.”

“But I’m only 36 weeks, shouldn’t we let her mature a little more?”

“Given her size already, she should be okay to deliver even tomorrow.”

“Kelly still has another shift left before he’s on leave. I don’t think I’m-“ you were starting to shift around on the bed.

“Babe, I’ll take some more furlough. It’ll be okay. Let’s just focus on you and the baby right now,” Kelly stroked your hair, “we’ll be okay.”

“Your baby has grown very well. I am not as worried about her progression as I am about your ability to recover and your baby’s risk of complications. I’ll give you a minute,” Dr Calhoun replied, walking towards the door, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

She closed the door behind her and tears filled your eyes. 

“What do you think we should do?” Kelly asked.

“If the doctor thinks this is what’s best, I think we should do it,” you wiped the tears from your eyes. 

“I’m sorry I make such big babies,” he laughed, rubbing your belly.

“Just means we get to meet her sooner. I think we should do this.” 

“When do you want to schedule it?”

“After your next shift. Make sure you don’t have to take any more time off.”

“I would happily take more time off for you and our little girl.”

“Thank you,” your eyes started to swell with tears of joy. 

“Knock knock,” Dr Calhoun said, entering the exam room, “have you made a decision or would you like more time?”

“I think we’ve made a decision,” you smiled, “let’s do this as soon as possible.”

“Okay, I’ll leave some paperwork with the nurse at the desk. She’ll get you booked in and give you some instructions. See you both soon. Rest up. Oh and, as always, give us a call if something happens or if you have questions.”

“Thank you Doctor Calhoun.”

Dr Calhoun left the exam room and Kelly helped you change. You made your way to the front desk and booked your c-section. Saturday at 11:30am. Two days away.

Leaving the office, you felt excited. As Kelly started to drive you home, you noticed he seemed excited, but nervous.

“Hey, do you want to stop by 51 on our way home?” You asked, “to tell them the news?”

“Do you mind?” 

“Not at all. Then it gives you a chance to talk to Boden.”

Kelly made a u-turn back in the direction of the firehouse. You were only a few minutes away. He smiled from ear to ear as you pulled up. 

[m00nsbaby]

Glitter & crimson.

Marc Spector x F!Reader.

Next part.

Tags - warnings. College AU, no mentions of Jake/Steven, suggestive but not smut, cheating.

For my Pedrito Pascal / Oscar Isaac girlies I’m so sorry but Joel is indeed based on Joel Miller pre-outbreak lol.

Word count. 2.1k

Summary. "Marc is clever. One word I wouldn't like to use is manipulative, but I wouldn't be lying; he knows exactly when and how to do things.” 

He knows Joel is watching, that one misplaced look and the false confidence he puts in him will be gone, so he carefully chooses his words and makes everyone else believe he would never cross the line with you.

You seemed to be in denial of the obvious, because above all the bad that could be behind that puppy face, there was the fact that he was your best friend, and you loved him, no matter if he was a good or bad person.

A talent he didn't know he had until he met your boyfriend was that of acting. Choosing which mask to wear on each occasion to his advantage.

When Joel was with you, he always kept his distance. After greeting you with a hug, you wouldn't feel Marc's hands on you again until the moment he was about to leave, giving you the most insipid hug he could manage as a way to say ‘goodbye’.

When you were alone, the story was completely different, and both, like two peas in a pod from the first time you exchanged words, spent time together as if you needed each other to breathe.

Though, for Marc, that's exactly how it felt.

The fact that Joel was older than you didn't help. Not so much older that your relationship would be something weird, rather enough for him to have slightly more adult concerns like work and taxes while you were still suffocated by university worries.

You saw each other maybe two or three times a week, but neither of you minded. (Marc didn't mind either; the farther apart he was, the better.)

"The couple of the century." Applause greeted you as both joined the party. You rolled your eyes, knowing they were just teasing, Marc, on the other hand, pretended to bow with one hand while the other rested on your lower back.

Apart from your group of friends, there were at least ten more people, nothing too wild. More like a typical party for young adults, students with enough budget to survive the next two weeks.

"Do you want something to drink?" Amidst the music and noise of the crowd, Marc had to lean in close to whisper in your ear.

His hand never left your body.

"I’ll have whatever you have." You smiled, leaning in enough for him to hear you.

You felt the stares of others fixed on you. Even at this point in your lives, you were not exempt from gossip.

And it seemed that you both were determined to feed the rumors; you, unconsciously, and Marc, enjoying pushing the narrative that you were an adorable couple without a care in the world about a guy in his 30s with a stupid job at a construction company.

When Marc returned with your drink, he sat next to you on the couch, tapped your glass before taking a sip of his, and his free hand rested on your thigh, specifically on the part where your dress didn't cover your skin.

You were used to it. To him. To his hands.

"And when will you make it official?" Someone asked, breaking the moment of intimacy between you both.

"Make what official?"

"Our thing, silly," Marc replied with a teasing smile on his lips.

"But we're not..."

"Soon," he interrupted, this time looking at the girl who had asked, someone from the classroom, one of those who said out loud how much they wanted 'a Marc in their life.'

You rolled your eyes, smiling, and quietly sipped from your glass.

You didn't question it. Little did you know that Marc took every opportunity to make you look like his to the eyes of others.

Gradually, the party started to take shape, you felt more and more crowded among the people, and the volume of the music began to rise until you couldn't continue chatting.

"Let's dance." You nodded immediately as the sofa began to fill up with strangers, and you let Marc pull your hands to get up.

"I can't stand this dress anymore." You said, adjusting the hem of it with your fingers.

"I'll help you take it off later." his lips brushed your ear as the number of people on the impromptu dance floor forced you to bump your bodies together.

"Idiot," you said, laughing, while your hands held his, and your hips began to follow the rhythm of the music slowly.

This was Marc's favorite part, even though he always ended up struggling with his tight pants for reasons beyond his control.

"Is tonight still on?" He whispered when he had you close. You were facing away from him, and your hips continued moving against your best friend's, his hands slowly traveling up and down your waist.

"When have I canceled a sleepover?" You raised your voice, looking over your shoulder at him.

Poor Marc was about to have an orgasm in the middle of his university friends, but could anyone blame him? Your body rubbed against him in that short, tight dress.

He mentally thanked the loud music for silencing his moans every time you moved to the perfect rhythm.

"I-I just wanted to be sure."

"Are you tired?" Your movements slowly stopped as you planted a kiss on his cheek. "You're sweating."

"I'm hot." It came from his throat as if someone were strangling him. He even cleared his throat. "Very."

"Let's have a drink and come back." You gave him a little push to make way for you, and he walked behind you, one hand on your hip as an excuse not to lose you among the crowd.

A sigh of relief escaped both of you when you entered the kitchen, closing the door behind you. There was no one else, and the music felt noticeably quieter.

"What do you want? I'll treat you," you joked as you looked at the grouped bottles of alcohol next to the soft drinks. You grabbed two plastic cups.

"Give me the house specialty."

"Say no more." You served two glasses of mineral water without hesitation. When Marc noticed, he couldn't help but laugh as he held his cup.

With a jump, you climbed onto the counter table, spreading your legs to make room for him. It was as if your body worked automatically when it came to Marc. Like clockwork, he settled between your legs to continue drinking from his glass.

"I can't believe I used to hate mineral water before I met you."

"It's spicy water. How could you hate it?" You tried to stifle a laugh.

He laughed with you. One of those silly laughs where the alcohol in your system speaks for you, and the dream of being with someone you love makes things twice as fun as they really are.

The laughter died down little by little, Marc rested his forehead against yours and kept his eyes closed, along with that silly smile.

"Everyone is talking about us." you whispered after a few seconds of silence.

"You're my fake girlfriend after all." you laughed again.

"You have to stop, you'll get me in trouble with Joel.” Just the mention of his name made Marc's stomach churn. He bit his lower lip to avoid saying what he really thought.

"Oh, really?" He opened his eyes again, moving his head slightly to lightly brush the tip of his nose against yours, making you smile. His fingers pressed against your thighs, and you gasped when he pulled you closer to his body with a single tug. Now you were sitting on the edge of the counter.

"Marc?" You swallowed hard when you noticed his gaze fixed on you. The playful and teasing air had suddenly vanished.

"Uh-huh?" He licked his lips, and your gaze dropped from his eyes to his mouth. You had felt this kind of impulse before, but you always did your best to ignore it. Even before you met Joel.

He noticed the change in your expression and almost smiled triumphantly. After years, you were beginning to let your guard down. Without waste time; his body leaned forward, and suddenly his lips met yours. You had waited so long for this that you almost stole a moan from each other.

Marc's lips were delicious, even though it hurt you to admit it. Beyond the taste of beer and mint, you could feel him in your mouth, and that was so much more intoxicating than every drink he had prepared for you throughout the night. 

It was desperate, as if he wanted to show you just how much he had desired you over the past years. You felt his tongue exploring your mouth, his teeth nibbling your lower lip, and his hands roaming from your waist to your thighs again and again.

His jeans became uncomfortable again when he managed to make you whimper against his mouth. With you on the edge of the counter, it wasn't hard for him to push his hips against you, grazing your thigh in an attempt to find some relief to his growing boner.

For a moment, he considered it might be a dream; it wouldn't be the first time he had this kind of dream about you. But his alarm always managed to bring them back to reality just as he was about to reach the best part.

Just like now.

Oh no, wait, that wasn't his alarm.

It was your ringtone.

Like a bucket of cold water, he had to snap out of it. You pulled away from him, cheeks flushed, breathing ragged, and lips swollen and moist from Marc's hungry kisses.

"It's Joel." Of course, it was him. It was always him.

You didn't even give him a chance to fully react as you hastily escaped from his embrace and left the kitchen. It felt like the walls were closing in on you, and you felt suffocated.

The garden seemed like a better option.

"How's the party going?" Your boyfriend's cheerful voice on the other end of the line made your stomach churn.

As you licked your lips, you could still taste Marc.

"Amazing, love." You looked at the pair of guys lying on the grass, tipsy and probably about to fall asleep.

"Is Marc there with you? Will you both come back together?"

You swallowed hard.

"Yes, I... yes." A few seconds of silence. Joel was used to your chatty version, the one who started conversations in the worst situations.

"Oh..." More silence. "I'm glad, it's safer that way." His tone of voice indicated he was serious. Another blow to the stomach knowing the trust he placed in both of you. "Will I see you on Sunday?"

"Of course, love." You took a deep breath, closing your eyes for a few seconds as if trying to console yourself.

"I won't interrupt you anymore, sugar." As if sweeping away that uncomfortable atmosphere, he returned to his playful and affectionate tone, one that you rarely didn't hear. "I love you, can't wait to see you."

"I love you." You were out of breath. "See you."

You waited in the yard until Marc got tired of your absence. You didn't function well without each other, and in social situations, this was no exception. He came out silently, not asking anything, and you were grateful he didn't.

He placed his red jacket over your shoulders before taking your hand, and you didn't reject him; you never could. You intertwined your fingers together, and it was you who led him to the car.

The car that belonged to both of you, if that made any sense.

The ride back home was silent.

Despite the heaviness in your chest, you couldn't help but let things flow with Marc. Even if you wanted to, you couldn't give him the cold shoulder or ask your body to feel uncomfortable with him.

Both of you prepared to sleep in the usual way. He didn't look back as you took off your dress, and you stood side by side at the sink while brushing your teeth. He did his best to ignore that you were wearing Joel's T-shirt to sleep for days now.

With a gentle push from Marc when it was time to go to bed, you laughed a little and felt a bit more at home with his company.

You followed the routine; he opened his arms to welcome your body, and you snuggled up to him as closely as possible. The way he held you made you sigh with relief.

This was definitely your favorite place. Your home was in Marc Spector's arms.

"I love you, you know that, right?" He whispered in your ear, silently praying that his scent would linger in Joel's stupid shirt.

You nodded slowly, unable to contain your smile.

"I know, Marc." A shiver ran down his spine as he felt your breath on his neck. "I love you too."

If only you said it in the way he wished.

He fell silent when the screen of your phone lit up, partially illuminating the room. He squinted slightly and, as he identified the small heart on the contact name of the text message, he knew who it was from.

Rolling his eyes, he tightened his hold on you, eliciting a playful groan from you. He kissed your hair before snuggling with you, a smile on his face.

Was this going to become a competition? Then so be it.

[fractiflos]

For the middle may how about Banjo being a time traveler? Something went really south fighting AFO in his timeline so he's sent to find an OFA user and set things right

To make this really fun, we'll use the crack-theory I have that Mha takes place in 2014 (current manga is in 2015). So, Deku was born in 1999 and All Might in 1958 to put things in perspective.

The second time AFO tried to steal Banjo's quirk, he was desperate and something activated and next thing Banjo knows, he's going through a portal into today's MHA. Banjo's first thought is that he's unconscious and having a really weird dream, but after pinching himself, he realizes that this is real. So, he does the next best thing and tries to find some other heroes. Thankfully, despite no one recognizing what hero he is, people know a hero costume when they see one and point him to UA.

In Banjo's time, UA had just opened and was smaller due to less funding, so he's very confused at the giant fancy looking building. Nezu comes out to meet him and guides him to his office where they talk. On the one hand, time traveling is cool, but on the other, he has a duty to take care of AFO. He asks about a way back, and conveniently enough, Mei Hatsume has been working on breaking the space-time continuum by building a time travel machine. Although, there's still the worry of AFO. After learning AFO lived while he died, he wants to find a way to beat him once and for all. By this time, All Might and Deku have arrived and volunteer to come with him, but the machine is still experimental. It's never gone back that far. Only about a day at most.

With all focus going to the machine, it should take a maximum of 6 months to prepare while Banjo and some others work on finding info that can take AFO down. And introducing him to the joys of the modern world. The official story is that he's an underground hero who decided to become a TA. He helps all the teachers out. Even so, Banjo feels impatient and useless waiting. He's not the only one, Deku and All Might feel the same way. Thankfully, Mei is also impatient and a few weeks later, offers to secretly let them use the machine. "After all, who needs all that extensive safety testing?"

Now, Banjo and All Might were the ones she told, but Bakugo and Deku happened to be listening and jumped on last minute. Along with Todoroki, Iida, Uraraka, and Asui who noticed them sneaking out and got sucked in with them. It was a little uncomfortable with the machine being built for 3 large people max.

They arrive about 30 seconds after Banjo got sent back, but the machine only gives them 2 hours before it goes back. With or without them. There's a huge battle between the OFA users while the students take care of civilians and the more small fry villains. Eventually, All Might manages to potato punch AFO, but lost his other arm in the process. The machine is counting down and they have to go. Banjo didn't die, but still gave the quirk to En as a precaution. They say a quick goodbye as they load into the machine, already hearing the lectures they were going to get.

The go back and everything looks normal but as they get closer and closer to Recovery Girl's office their memories are fading and their injuries are healing. Because they changed the timeline, that also means that all their memories and injuries are changing, so All Might gets his arm back. By the time they get to Recovery Girl's office, they don't remember any time travel at all.

Obviously, a bunch of things would change and maybe they don't know each other and are confused as to who they are and how they got there, but I think those details are best left to the imagination.

[hanniicore]

Something Spectacular

When was the last time you felt brave?

I wonder how someone could be so brave. I'm wondering how they manage to live their lives despite having serious issues and big problems. How could they be so brave?

BOOK REVIEW: Something Spectacular by April Avery

Isabelle Dizon, A straight business course student, a prudent lady, and a responsible daughter. But she felt something lacking. She frequently felt she was conforming to her parents' expectations of who she should be, and she began to wonder if that was truly what she desired. She's about to graduate Magna Cum Laude, until she realizes that the course she chose doesn't seem to be going anywhere—because the truth is, it's not the kind of life she wants to lead.

Until she met a group of people from a chronically underfunded, nearly dissolved university organization as her uncertainty and longing continued, The Arcadian. Six university students who taught her the value of friendship, the courage that comes with following her dreams, the importance of living in the moment, and how to live according to her will. They helped her change herself and discover who she is while creating Something Spectacular.

Six University students also known as "The Arcadian" are; Pia Marie Mendoza, the Editor in Chief; Charlie Alvarez, the Associate Editor; Andrea Samson, a correspondent; Stephen Dela Cruz, layout artist; Lawrence Mariano, photojournalist; and lastly, Gavin Nicholo Delos Reyes, the official graphic artist of The Arcadian.

Isabelle's decision to join Arcadian was not easy; her parents were vehemently opposed. But she took the risk. Isabelle is a very family oriented daughter. That's why I loved how her character develop over the months and years she and Arcadian were together. Even though he is rich, he is smart and knows how to get along with them. Until she met Gavin Nicholo.

Gavin thought her to be BRAVE and everything will be alright, and to be BRAVE enough to show her true self and true passion. Gavin thought her to speak up for herself, break the rules necessary, to make herself prioritize for once.

It's okay to let people in, expose your deepest fears and greatest hopes, and leave the place you caged yourself in to find where you belong.

Arcadians are all happy, until Gavin left without saying goodbye to his friends, especially to Isabelle. Arcadian looked everywhere just to find Gavin. Until they found a medicine called Procarbazine.

It is a chemotherapy medicine used for the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma and brain cancers.

On Saturday morning, a day after Isabelle found out about the medication, They found Gavin's father, who told them that Gavin dropped out of school because he needed to be in a hospital because he was suffering from a brain tumor.

"Babes." CHAPTER 32. That hurt me as a reader because that one word had a big impact on Isabelle. Isabelle became independent but dependent on Gavin Nicholo. How could Isabelle tell him that she hated him for making her that way? That she is breaking seeing him like that. On a hospital bed taking medication and has cancer.

Even though Gavin is in a wheelchair, he still gave them the warmest smile. Arcadian is the reason why Gavin is fighting. Isabelle is the reason why Gavin is scared of dying.

The Arcadian always visiting Gavin every weekend.

They went to the hospitals rooftop. Shouting their dreams while watching the stars. Until Gavin said..

"Good night" , "See you next weekend?"

yet, he died at 12:30 AM.

A few hours after shouting their dreams. A few hours after he said he had a great day and he wanted to rest.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As a reader, I really find this story great. To be honest, this story made me cry for a week. And even though it's been almost years since I read it. it still hurts me.

It has a lot of life lessons. It encouraged me to always be brave. To always take risks and be yourself. That it's okay to be scared. That it's okay to feel, to cry, to range, and to mourn for emotions that have been hidden or dreams that are fading. We may be misfits, society's outcasts, but there's always a place where we belong with people who will understand.

People assume they have a lot of time. We often take things for granted because they will always be there. Life is short, and the universe is so vast. We are significant and insignificant at the same time.

Something Spectacular is about finding your true self in the midst of the noise of others telling you who you should be.

Anything could be an adventure..

See you next weekend..

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 07/01/2023 (Cian Ducrot, Taylor Swift, Hotel Ugly)

Welp, RAYE’s at #1 for the first time ever with “Escapism.” featuring 070 Shake, who also takes her first #1. Welcome to 2023, and welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

It’s that time of year again where I list a bunch of songs aimlessly. I cover the UK Top 75. All of the Christmas songs are gone except “Christmas Drillings” at #73 for some reason. That’s your notable dropouts for you.

Because essentially the entire chart – again, except “Christmas Drillings” as well as “Firebabe” by Stormzy at #45 – consists of songs that are either returns or gains thanks to the holiday purge and New Years streams, it seems appropriate to just list them. Let’s start with our re-entries: in terms of hip-hop and R&B, we have “Doja” by Central Cee at #74, “Last Last” by Burna Boy at #53, “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy at #51, “Superhero (Heroes & Villains)” by Metro Boomin, Future and Chris Brown at #49, “Die for You” by The Weeknd at a new peak of #48, “Under the Influence” by Chris Brown at #42, “50s” by Headie One at a new peak of #40, “CUFF IT” by Beyoncé at #37, “Mockingbird” by Eminem at #33, “Rocket Science” by Clavish and D-Block Europe at #32, “Shirt” by SZA at #25, “golden hour” by JVKE at #24 and “Hide & Seek” by Stormzy at #17 – and expect it to gain thanks to the remix next week.

In terms of dance and electronic, we have “Delilah (pull me out of this)” by Fred again.. at #72, “Crazy What Love Can Do” by David Guetta, Becky Hill and Ella Henderson at #66, “Moving All Around (Jumpin’)” by Schak and Kim English at #60, “Just Wanna Rock” by Lil Uzi Vert at a new peak of #38, “Afraid to Feel” by LF SYSTEM at #34, “B.O.T.A. (Baddest of Them All)” by Eliza Rose and Interplanetary Criminal at #31, “Lionheart (Fearless)” by Joel Corry and Tom Grennan at #21, “10:35” by Tiesto and Tate McRae at #18 and “I’m Good (Blue)” by David Guetta and Bebe Rexha at #16.

And now our biggest, one-size-fits-all category: pop... as well as some Afrobeats, adult contemporary, disco and whatever counts as rock or “alternative” these days. This includes “About Damn Time” by Lizzo at #75, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” by Whitney Houston at #70 (which did top the charts in 1987), “Alone” by Burna Boy at #69, “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals at #64, “go” by Cat Burns at #62, “Green Green Grass” by George Ezra at #61, “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” by Harry Styles at #59, “Celestial” by Ed Sheeran at #58, “KU LO SA” by Oxlade at #57 thanks in part to it actually getting an official recording, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” by Kate Bush at #55, “Mr. Brightside” by the Killers at #54, “Never Not Gonna Dance Again” by P!nk at a new peak of #46, Ed Sheeran’s “Bad Habits” and “Shivers” at #44 and #43, “Ghost of You” by Mimi Webb at #36, “All for You” by Cian Ducrot at #35, “I Ain’t Worried” by OneRepublic at #30, “Nobody Gets Me” by SZA at #29,  “Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez at a new peak of #28 thanks in part to the version with Em Beihold (which is inferior), “Lift Me Up” by Rihanna at #27, “Forget Me” by Lewis Capaldi at #26, “How Do I Say Goodbye” by Dean Lewis at #23, “Kiss Me” by Dermot Kennedy at #20, “As it Was” by Harry Styles at #19 and finally, “PSYCHO” by Anne-Marie and Aitch at #11.

Then we see big gains for “Bloody Mary” by Lady Gaga at #22, “Pointless”  by Lewis Capaldi at #15, “Rich Flex” by Drake and 21 Savage at #14, “Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras at #13 and “Creepin’” by Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage. If you want my opinion on any of these songs, I have reviewed 99% of them and Tumblr has a mediocre search function so just make a wild guess.

As for our top 10, we have “Another Love” by Tom Odell re-peaking with a return to #10 and the big gains for “Out of Nowhere” by Bugzy Malone and TeeDee at #9, becoming both acts’ first top 10 hit, “Calm Down” by Rema at #8, “Miss You” by Robin Schulz and Oliver Tree at #7, “LET GO” by Central Cee at #6 (Jesus Christ), “Made You Look” by Meghan Trainor at #5, “Kill Bill” by SZA at #4, “messy in heaven” by venbee and goddard. at #3, “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift at #2, and of course, “Escapism.” at one. I’m pretty sure this chart breaks the record for “most unnecessary use of full stops in the top 3”. I’m sure the Guinness World Records would stoop that low. Anyway, now for eleven new arrivals. Pray for me.

NEW ARRIVALS

#71 – “snowfall” – Oneheart and reidenshi

Produced by Oneheart and reidenshi

You can’t blame me for trying to breeze through these, right? I should note that not all of this will last – in fact, the Christmas purge tends to make it easier for songs that were barely on the cusp of debuting and may not have on a stronger week end up in the top 75, so I’d hedge bets that only one or two of these songs get to five weeks. Oneheart and reidenshi are Russian producers, and this is an instrumental of theirs that found some virality on TikTok. It’s just an ambient piece. That’s what it is: there’s not a song structure and it’s just some pretty nice-sounding ambient. I’m not an expert in ambient but the contrast of the echoed, plastic synths on the deeper bass tones feels like a nice balance and despite the cover art, I get peace from this rather than mystery. It doesn’t move much through its runtime, but it’s very much not supposed to: it’s interlude-length, has a unique atmosphere and some nice wintry tones and can essentially act as a bumper for someone’s playlist. I’m surprised it’s charting at all but TikTok can do anything, I suppose, and honestly I prefer this to half the songs I just listed so I’ll take it.

#68 – “Players” – Coi Leray

Produced by Johnny Goldstein

Coi Leray is a Boston rapper who has kind of been polarising with her brand of music and I understand why, since it’s largely substance-less and kind of vapid, but in a way that tends to feel grating, which is especially annoying when she actually puts some effort into the content and it feels much more solid, so you question why she does all the sound effects and goofy pop-rap schtick in the first place. This is her highest-charting single in the UK and my God, the influence of “Big Energy” may just be ruining mainstream female rap... or at least those who secretly weren’t trying in the first place. So in 1982, pioneering rap group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five released one of the first socially conscious rap singles, “The Message”, peaking at #8 in the UK, known for its iconic synth riff that has been sampled many a time before, but never as lazily. There is a robotic funk groove, with a bass tone sounding like it was flattened by a steam iron, and of course, that iconic riff from “The Message”... but that’s pretty much it. When your composition is that minimal, you’d need to be tight and exact with some memorable wordplay and charisma, but for someone devoid of it like Coi Leray, you get a loose array of flexes and seduction with her badly interpolating the melody from the riff – it’s almost like that’s the only part of the original song she heard – on a refrain that just sounds trickling and awkward. This is a desperate trend chase in a way that feels so cheap when I know and have heard Coi do better, even on that last album, which was not good at all. I guess this is the way to get hits now though, so do whatever you want with the best songs of all time, record labels, until people start realising – and I think they have already – that nothing beats the original and they end up streaming that instead. It’s not like you’re losing any money in that situation.

#67 – “Here with Me” – d4vd

Produced by Blueday and Dan Darmawan

We’re making the “Romantic Homicide” guy a hit maker? Oh, and even better – the “Romantic Homicide” guy wants to get sappy and emotional. At least he did write the song, and I suppose that the song’s not dead on arrival with its jangly, soft-rock guitars over the despondent-feeling drums that don’t really feel happy or “together” as much as they just pile up into a slodge. Okay, maybe the instrumental is dead on arrival, but that could be the point, right? No, the content doesn’t really fit this at all – it’s a love song that is honestly chirpy if anything, just wanting to grow old with his partner and being happy as long as they’re just there with him. It’s sweet, sure, but this is a dreadfully lethargic song, to the point where d4vd’s earnest wistfulness ends up sounding desperate and detached from those moments in love, which could be an interesting angle but there’s not enough catharsis in that chorus for it to fully work. The vocals themselves are also unfitting, as d4vd does his best to sound honest and endearing... but his youthful tone of voice just doesn’t sound right for a song about reminiscing and growing old. I don’t think this kid is “bad at music” or anything – he and his producers are clearly very talented – but so far, nothing has clicked with me. Maybe it’s the genre – slow, indie-adjacent ballads don’t click with me and I don’t even like Mac DeMarco, who d4vd clearly does like, so his whole career may end up lost on me. It could be an age thing and the better music comes as he gets more experienced, as the lyrics are not bad here, even if there’s not a clear melody outlined to drive much of it, but would be better serviced to an older, wiser singer in that same mould. As for now, I’m sorry but I can’t dig this... and I don’t know why I feel so bad about it.

#65 – “You’re on Your Own, Kid” – Taylor Swift

Produced by Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift

It’s January 2023 and we’re still getting new debuts from Taylor Swift’s Midnights. We have two new songs here, which to be fair, both would have hit the top 10 on release, and neither of them are even close to my favourites off of that album so I’m going to be frankly as quick as possible since these won’t get past this week. “You’re on Your Own, Kid” is just fine; it feels like a more subtle version of the classic Taylor pop mould from around 1985 era though the vocal inflections feel a bit on-the-nose when placed on the bare, minimal synth backing of that first verse, and if I’m honest, I mostly like Jack Antonoff’s synth production over the album but this one doesn’t click with me. For a song about feeling alone, the more abrasive beeps cut through the cloudy atmosphere in a way that feels too sharp and frenzied. If anything, this content should wind down with time as it isolates the protagonist, but I do understand the use of the same melody repeated with different artefacts of friendly memories until the character realises that they are on their own in the world, whilst everything around them starts to feel more driven and honestly scary. It even explains the abrupt end of the song, but it still doesn’t click with me, partly for the reasons I said before but also partly because it doesn’t really feel finished. A lot of the writing in Midnights felt riffed and this is possibly one of the worst offenders, especially when Swift relies so much on that initial lead melody. I wish I liked this better but alas I care very little about it. I care even less about...

#63 – “Bejeweled” – Taylor Swift

Produced by Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift

I’ll be blunt: I think this song sounds like ass. The lyrical content about feeling retaliation for being frustrated with a lover by going out on the town and knowing she can make her presence known with strangers is well done and has the self-centred framing that it should have, with a balance between the verses giving background to her emotions and the chorus being an attempted release. That is completely fine. The song sounds terrible. It starts with a SNES-esque sound effect before devolving into a bassy plunge wherein Taylor can barely stay on beat, even with how stiff and industrial the percussion feels as the snare just sits there without doing anything. The multi-tracking feels unwarranted and sloppy in the verses and is downright annoying in the chorus wherein the basic functions of the song seem to stagnate for the sake of dodgy Antonoff keys once again being splattered over the mix with no regard for how Taylor can react. So Taylor reacts randomly, as the keys filter out with her harmonies leading her in no real direction before we return to the verses with a bizarre restart of a synth effect. I know that this is far from the popular opinion, but this song sounds like a cacophony to me, and nothing feels like it’s in the right place, and the fact that it’s in a traditional verse-chorus-verse structure just makes it such a more awkward and ugly experience, especially with that jerky synth lead that basically ruins the whole song. Taylor sounds like she has no idea what to do on here and has just transposed perfectly fine lyrics onto a pile of leftover sounds collated from the entire album. This did not need to be on said album and it serves frankly no purpose, there are way better kiss-offs, and sadly, thanks to the three-song rule, I don’t think any of them will ever chart.

#56 – “SPIT IN MY FACE!” – ThxSoMch

Produced by grayskies

Thanks to TikTok, we have some genuine post-punk on the charts from singer-songwriter ThxSoMch... or maybe it’s a band, I don’t know. Either way, that hook is really infectious and their nasal, sometimes Playboi Carti-esque inflections are pretty venomous and fitting for a sexless, toxic relationship with the cold guitar tones and multi-tracked rapping which is purposefully pretty gross. There’s part of my brain that lights up when faced with disgusting and immoral post-punk, especially when the vocalist goes for these villainous rap flows, so that bias is probably showing here as honestly, this isn’t that great a song. It feels a bit too repetitious for my taste, especially since the lyrics themselves aren’t as biting as they should be and this really is just a “type beat” when it comes to punk: none of this sounds like a band recorded it. This kind of song I feel like should revolve around a sonic premise rather of an actual chorus, which may sound strange, but for a song about what is basically debauchery and a toxic, borderline abusive relationship, a chorus feels like it’s too much resolution when instead a routine, constant refrain – kind of like the monotone riff this song has – could work better. If anything, I’d point to “ohh yeaaa juiced up pop punk emo swag” by the Reptillian Club Boyz for doing this sound right with a lot of the same content, if a bit less focused on the relationship and more on flexing, but adds a richer guitar and piano tone with the cold wave sample, and more importantly, doesn’t have a chorus, instead focusing on that “ooh yeah” conceit that sticks through the song and makes it feel unique whilst also emphasising the constant of the partying, sex and drugs without going for an outright hook as “SPIT IN MY FACE!” does: if we’re basically relying on one riff, you might as well meander into different directions while keeping that and the refrain at the forefront. With that said, I’m still interested to see if this sticks around, even if I doubt it, because, well, it’s not exactly radio-friendly... but we’ll see.

#52 – “Ready to Fly” – Sub Focus and Dimension

Produced by Sub Focus and Dimension

Okay, this chart week has gone into weird places as of... just now, that seem to directly appeal to me especially. British producers Sub Focus and Dimension collaborate for a really intricately-detailed hardcore dance track, with Jo Hill’s vocals slipping all over a buzzing synth bed as her breaths are rendered robotic amidst the clipping keys that lead into a vintage-sounding piano hardcore beat that is just automatically going to get a thumb’s up from me. In fact, it’s rare that a song I hear on this series will make me smile as hard as this one. The escalation to the first drop is just perfect: we start with the wiry synths and the meandering vocal, with that spare hat barely keeping time in this ocean of reverb, before the uplifting vocals from Hill come in with just enough filtering to make it feel anthemic but also surprisingly intimate since it feels like you’re swimming in the same ocean due to the fragilities of her manipulated voice. Then we switch to those epic sounding staccato chords with a tiny bit of grit in the breakbeat but more focus on the transcendent vocals, the classic chord structure and a piercing background synth. There are hints to when it’ll get grimier and it’ll become a full dancefloor jam, but it creates an immediate emotional connection and leads you into it in a really subtle way, which is surprising for such an overdramatic song. You even hear those filthier bass hits right before the drop for you to pick at the changes in what you’re hearing and prepare; it’s a perfectly crafted build up and the drop absolutely does not disappoint. You have the pummelling breakbeat under a synth just buzzy enough to feel like a Prodigy track has come tunnelling through your anthemic pop song, and the glitched breaks acting as fills are so genius in the way they’re placed in the blank spaces that the synth naturally creates, especially when it’s used as a lead-in for the even wirier synths in that second, wistful ocean before the second drop, acting as a brief moment of rest before you get ready for the next run, the next flight... right? Nope, instead we have the same build-up but for a bassy, minimal plod alongside Hill pumping you up for what seems inevitable... but that synth lead never finishes, just echoing around the breakbeats and that same meandering bed we started with. I can’t express how much I love that decision: the song knows full well that the energy is better spent on a brief laser-focus before we return to what made you so comfortable in the first place, with your heartbeat still racing from the first drop... but now you’re on your sofa exhausted and kind of delusional. If there’s anything that good drum and bass always does, it’s take you on a journey and this absolutely does – it’s genuinely excellent and like I said, it’s very rare that a song on the charts appeals to me at this personal level and does so in a way that gets me this happy and excited on the first listen and beyond. I doubt it’ll be a hit but absolutely check it out. It deserves the attention.

#50 – “Boy’s a liar” – PinkPantheress

Produced by Mura Masa and PinkPantheress

Keeping with dance, or at least a fusion of it with alt-pop, we have PinkPantheress’ newest lead single from an EP that I now, through the combination of this and a suggestion in an earlier episode, have now covered all but one song from. Hey, the songs have two verses and a post-chorus, and for PinkPantheress, that’s character development. As with many of her songs, it’s about a humble romance, with this boy playing with her feelings and not seeing her for who she is. It’s also pretty confrontational, with the snark in the verses, which are represented pretty well in her sing-songy inflections, as well as the minimal kick that the song starts with. It’s a blunt song but has some deserved disappointment, even if some of that trickles down into self-loathing over a nice, vaguely lo-fi blend of guitars and keys that sounds like a DIY synthpop track programmed onto a Jersey club beat. That bass from the post-chorus onwards plays alongside the tampered, primitive synth in such an acutely despondent way, and there’s an attention to detail – probably thanks to Mura Masa – that is typically lost on some of her more basic tracks. It’s kind of a slow burner, but this is a great song. If I had any complaints, it’s that the verses are a tad too wordy but removing that would definitely take out some of the charm so I can make do with this especially when everything else is pretty great.

#47 – “Shut up My Moms Calling” – Hotel Ugly

Produced by Hotel Ugly

I guess this is the week for bubbling-under viral hits of niche genres from acts outside of the mainstream for the most part, as this is the breakout hit for Houston indie duo Hotel Ugly, with this song from 2020 gaining streaming traction late last year. It’s a shame that I don’t really like this one, though, and I actually kind of hate this in all honesty. The guys have this sneering smugness to how they react to a seemingly amicable breakup where the woman wants nothing to do with him, but his longing seems to reside mostly in a kind of reluctant comfort that does not come off as likeable or even desperate as much as it’s just a power play, with some really manipulative wording on the refrain, and that drop into the dated synths in the chorus feels like a pure slodge. There’s also not much to the song other than a yacht rock groove that seems like it’s supposed to be smooth but combined with the content seems kind of gruelling and once we get to the only verse, the delivery is so lazy and staccato that any sympathy is difficult to sap out of me. I can’t really stand this one, I’m sorry. Also, what does your mother have to do with this?

#41 – “The Color Violet” – Tory Lanez

Produced by Roark Bailey, Nik Dean and Foreign Teck

Ah, I see we actually rewarded Tory Lanez’s guilty verdict in shooting Megan Thee Stallion with giving him a solo streaming hit. I mean, why stop there? Where’s Harold Shipman on the Spotify charts? If this were a couple weeks ago or a couple weeks in the future, maybe I’d be kinder but I’m not dignifying this guy or his frankly terrible song with a full review. Next.

#39 – “I’ll be Waiting” – Cian Ducrot

Produced by Cian Ducrot and Joe Wander

Alas, we end the gauntlet with... Cian Ducrot. Okay, well, I figured his hit-making career would start and end with “All for You” but he’s back in the top 40 again and it’s a completely serviceable adult contemporary tune. Well, tune may be the wrong word because there’s very little tune to this as there is tension, with the basic piano and fluttering percussion adding a sense of reluctance to this breakup that is very much reflected in the content, which frankly reads like a denial of it ever happening, but not in a way that’s longing or manipulative as much as it is just genuinely desperate. The anthemic sense of the staccato climax in the chorus, as well as the slightly unbefitting trap-adjacent percussion that slides in, makes him seem a lot more detached from his partner than Hotel Ugly, so alongside the guitars and his really powerful performance, it sounds like a late night thought that intrudes and denies much of his own fault because of how clouded he is by the magic of what this relationship could have been. I’m surprised as you may be that I actually like this but Ducrot’s performance is fittingly intense and it really sounds like him putting the pieces together of a breakup yet not coming close – and that’s why in the end, he doesn’t get the girl. He still sits there waiting, because with a song as melodramatic as this, the natural result is humiliation. I hope this lasts.

Conclusion

Whilst this may not be the most consistent week, I think I appreciate the pure diversity on display here, and the good songs are really freaking good. Of course, Best of the Week goes to Sub Focus and Dimension for “Ready to Fly”, but I think I’ll allow Cian Ducrot and PinkPantheress share the Honourable Mention for “I’ll be Waiting” and “Boy’s a liar” respectively. Worst of the Week goes to Tory Lanez. No, you didn’t get an actual review, but listen to that song and be honest with yourself – do you want one? Plus, I can’t say with sound mind that Hotel Ugly, even for the dislikeable “Shut up My Moms Calling”, has less effort put into it than Tory Goddamn Lanez, yet they do tie the Dishonourable Mention with Ms. Taylor Swift for “Bejeweled”. I was going to let it off the hook but then I listened to it again. I don’t really know what to expect beyond this – hopefully those new Skrillex tracks show up – but for now, thank you for reading and I’ll see you next week!

[howget]

What’s New in Xiaomi HyperOS Update Compare With Old MIUI

Xiaomi enthusiasts, rejoice! The highly anticipated Xiaomi HyperOS Update is on the horizon, poised to revolutionize your smartphone experience. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the exciting features that await you in this cutting-edge operating system. Buckle up as we explore the magic of HyperOS!

Xiaomi HyperOs Update Features List

1. Revamped HyperOS Control Center

The revamped Control Center draws inspiration from iOS 17, offering a sleek and intuitive interface. Seamlessly manage your media, switch tasks, and elevate your interaction with your device. 2. Lock Screen Customizations

HyperOS empowers you to take control of your lock screen. Choose from an extensive selection of pre-defined wallpapers, apply various styles, and add a depth effect—reminiscent of iOS. Personalize your device like never before. 3. Bokeh Effect in Photos

Unleash the Bokeh effect within the gallery. Blur backgrounds, beautify your shots, and transform every snapshot into a work of art. HyperOS takes your photography game to the next level. 4. HyperOS Weather

Experience a sleek new design in the Weather app. Prioritizing easy access and spot-on forecasts, this revamped app looks cool and works great. 5. Notes App with Material You Design

HyperOS incorporates Android 14, seamlessly blending aesthetics and functionality. Your Notes app adapts to the Material You design, changing its appearance to match your wallpaper style. 6. Redesigned Calendar App

The Calendar app undergoes a complete makeover. With a more user-friendly interface, you can now easily see the number of weeks in a month, jump to specific dates, and even calculate your age—all within the app. 7. New Camera Experience

Premium Xiaomi phone users can anticipate a transformed camera app. Quick mode navigation, vibrant touches, and an overall enhanced photography experience await, making capturing moments more enjoyable than ever. 8. HyperOS App Vault

Access your favorite apps swiftly through the revamped App Vault. It’s your one-stop hub for quick actions, shortcuts, and essential information. 9. New Battery Features

HyperOS introduces battery optimizations, extending your device’s endurance. Say goodbye to midday charging woes! 10. Charging Animations

Watch your phone charge with delightful animations. HyperOS adds a touch of whimsy to mundane tasks. 11. Improved Privacy and Security

HyperOS prioritizes your data security. Enhanced privacy controls and robust system security ensure peace of mind. 12. 30 New Awesome Wallpapers and Live Stickers

Refresh your home screen with a stunning collection of 30 new wallpapers. From serene landscapes to abstract art, there’s something for everyone, Add flair to your conversations with animated stickers. Express yourself like never before. 13. New Gallery and File Manager

The Gallery app receives a facelift, making it easier to organize, view, and share your precious memories. Manage your files effortlessly with the revamped File Manager. It’s sleek, efficient, and user-friendly. 14. HyperOS Sidebar: Swipe and Go

Access your favorite apps, contacts, and tools with a simple swipe. The HyperOS Sidebar streamlines multitasking.

Comparison: HyperOS vs. MIUI

Let’s compare HyperOS with its predecessor, MIUI: Features MIUI HyperOS Performance While efficient, it tends to consume more storage space Minimal system storage usage ensures lag-free performance Multitasking Capabilities Good multitasking features but not as refined as HyperOS Enhanced multitasking allows seamless switching between apps AI Functionalities AI features are present but less prominent Advanced AI integration for smarter recommendations and personalized experiences Security Model Comprehensive security measures protect user data Solid security, but HyperOS takes it up a notch 1. Release Date and Phases - HyperOS was officially unveiled alongside the Xiaomi 14 flagship in late 2023. - The official release date for HyperOS is October 26, 2023. - The rollout occurred in two phases: - December 2023 to January 2024: Exclusive firmware for users in China. - First Quarter of 2024: Global release for supported phone and tablet models. 2. Supported Devices List HyperOS is pre-installed on several Xiaomi devices, including: - Xiaomi 14 series smartphones - Xiaomi Watch S3 smartwatch - Xiaomi TV S Pro 85" MiniLED - And more! The following devices are slated to receive the Xiaomi hyper os update in India in 2024: - Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 and MIX Fold 3 - Xiaomi 13, 13 Pro, and 13 Ultra - Xiaomi Pad 6, Pad 6 Max 14, and Pad 6 Pro - Redmi K60, K60 Extreme Edition, and K60 Pro - Xiaomi TV S Pro 65, 75, and 85 Mini LED - Xiaomi Smart Camera 3 Pro PTZ version IP - Xiaomi Sound - Xiaomi Watch S3

Conclusion

Exciting news awaits! HyperOS is set to make a grand debut alongside the Xiaomi 14 series smartphones. If you’re currently on MIUI 14, fret not! Most of these phenomenal features seamlessly integrate with your device. Simply snag the dedicated app from our APK section, and you’re all set to embark on the enchanting journey of HyperOS magic. Get ready to redefine your Xiaomi experience! 🚀📱 Read the full article

[abreeviated]

Texodus Part I

The DMV is an institution designed to maximize human misery, I think.

Before leaving the state, I really needed to sell my car; I loved my Civic - it was a wonderful car and it is REALLY hard to beat a hybrid with an average of 38mpg that got closer to 42 when doing long-haul highway driving - but it was about 13 years old and a compact is, shall we say, not ideal when your new home is a mile up a 1-lane gravel road. Under such circumstances, you want considerable clearance from the ground (because the largest ruts are only slightly too small to bury a body in) and 4-wheel drive (because it is a gravel road in the mountains where snow and ice happen and you need all the traction you can get). My Civic, having been designed and purchased on the assumption it would never need to do anything particularly adventurous, did not have either of these things.

I actually knew where the car title was (miracle; my ADHD means that ordinarily, if asked where an important piece of paper is which I have not needed to lay hands on in more than a year, the answer is 'uh...') up until the day I intended to sell it.

When I ran a few errands and then realized that I did not have it in my possession.

After panicking and retracing my steps and some desperate prayer, I had not managed to find it, but CarMax lets you reschedule appointments so I pushed it out to the next day and went to the DMV on the theory they could give me a replacement.

The only DMV that does titles is 30 minutes north under perfect conditions, but at this point I optimistically think I will only have to endure it once. So I drive up, wait in line for an hour... and am told there is a lien. There is not a lien. The car is 13 years old. It has been paid off for a WHILE. I had the title.

But there is still a lien in the system, because apparently to get that removed I would have had to take the title to the tax office, and if I did not know that at 37, I most assuredly did not know it in my 20s.

So I drive to my bank, which has a branch fairly close to the DMV... and they have no record of the lien either. After about 40 minutes, they tell me there might be a hard copy in Lubbock and someone will look, but I should probably just go home and they'll call if they find anything.

The next day they tell me they can give me a release of lien and I can pick it up at the branch near my house. I drive over, grab it, drive to the DMV again, wait in line for closer to 2 hours...

And the woman at the window has that sour, pinched, mean expression that says 'I have the power to ruin your day and will derive a tiny little ember of satisfaction from using it.' Ah, I thought. This is the everyday sadist Ryan Dowd warned me about. My day is about to be ruined because this person is going to choose violence.

She says she needs a business card.

What.

A business card for the lien officer who signed off on it.

I stared at her and, when she made it clear she was serious, left the building before I could start screaming.

Because honestly, if I was willing to commit the felony of forging a lien release in the first place, I would have just gone to VistaPrint and forged the business card too.

After rage-crying in my car for probably 5 minutes, I left, because mom was throwing a bit of a goodbye bash and my cousins were going to be there and that was something that would definitely improve my day even if what I most desperately wanted was a nap.

My cousins, because they are angels, listened to my tale of woe with righteous indignation and said they would go with me the next day, and this apparently broke the bureaucratic nightmare curse because the title turned up when I went back into my apartment to collapse for the evening.

I sold my car at the earliest available appointment the following day before anything else could go wrong, but I did not at any point actually get the lien removed officially (apparently they'd have to mail me a replacement title in a week, and I was leaving the state in 2 days at that point, although the tax office was much more pleasant and better-run and not staffed by sadists) or acquire a replacement title, in spite of spending at least 6 hours on the project.

But I did sell my car. Huzzah.

[mourningcrypt]

Funeral Friday: President Lincoln’s funeral process 

When the 16th President of the United States passed away on April 15, 1865 after an assassination the country went into mourning. His funeral, procession and burial was a three week long event, with his coffin being seen by millions of Americans.

Firstly, Lincoln was embalmed, which in doing so made him the first public figure to be embalmed as it was a newer concept mainly used on the soldiers during the civil war. After this, his casket was lying in state in D.C on April 18th and 19th, in the east room of the Whitehouse where hundreds flocked to say their goodbyes. His wife, First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln was too grief stricken to attend the services. Next, The casket was taken to the Capitol Rotunda on the 20th for a prayer service for his cabinet men. 

After, on April 21 at seven in the morning, the casket would arrive at the train station for Lincoln’s “Funeral Train” from Washington to Illinois, passing through 7 states along the way, with its final stop at the cemetery where he would be laid to rest. This was the first funeral procession of its kind, with millions being able to pay respects and mourn as the casket passed. This was a multi car train that held multiple guests- friends, family and officials. The train ride took from April 21st to May 4th.

The first stop was in Baltimore, Maryland on April 21st at the Merchant’s Exchange Building- where 10,000 people showed to pay their respects. The viewing was from noon to 2pm, and all businesses would be closed for those two hours giving everyone an opportunity to say their goodbyes. The train would depart at 3pm and make way to the next city, arriving at 8:30pm

In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at the State Capitol there was actually two viewings, one on the 21st until midnight, the next day on the 22nd from 7am until 9am. Here a total of 40,000 people would bear the rain for a viewing.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the next stop, arriving on the 22nd at 4:50pm. The viewing would be in Independence Hall, and inside the same room the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. 300,00 would show up for this, waiting several hours though some would not even make it inside the building to see the casket. And, for this part, there was also a private viewing on top of the public viewing. the private viewing took place at 10 pm on the 23rd til 1pm on the 24th, and then the public was at 6am on the 23rd until 1:17am on the 24th.

Onto New York City, where the train arrived on April 24th- then the casket made way to the City hall, with the viewing from 1pm on the 24th until 11:40am on the 25th. A total of 1,000,000 would attend this viewing- and a then 6 year old Theodore Roosevelt watched from the window of his grandfathers house as the procession passed by on its way to the hall.

Arriving next in Albany, New York on the 25th at 10:55pm, the viewing was at the Old Capitol where a total of 60,000 viewed the casket from 1:15am to 2 pm. About 4,000 people would come every hour during the viewing.

Next was Buffalo, New York. Here the viewing was from 10:30 am to 8pm at St. James Hall. A grand total of 100,000 would attend. The train would then depart at 10pm to the next station and city.

Cleveland Ohio would be the next stop for the funeral train, arriving at Euclid Street train station on April 28th at around 7am. Then, the casket would be placed at Public Square in an outdoor pavilion for viewing from 10:30am to 10pm with an overall turnout of 150,000 coming to pay respects. 

Moving onto Columbus, Ohio an April 29th- here a total of 100,00 would flock to the Statehouse for the viewing which took place from 9:30am to 6pm. Many would travel from the different countrysides around Ohio, as well as Kentucky. 

The following day on April 30 in Indianapolis, Indiana- even rain couldn’t keep away the roughly 100,000 that would show up for the viewing at the state’s Capitol building. This was a bit sentimental for Lincoln history, as it’s where he spent a lot of his childhood.

Chicago, Illinois was the next stop, where 125,00 attendees viewed the remains at the Old Chicago Courthouse. This viewing began on May 1st at 5pm, and ended on may 2nd at 8pm. After the viewing, a procession by torchlight led Lincoln back to the train, where it went on to its final stop.

Arriving at 9am on May 3rd in Springfield, Illinois- here only 75,000 where there to view the former president at the Representative Hall at the states capitol. This was considered Lincoln’s hometown, so many mourners in attendance where former neighbors, colleagues and others that have knew him a bit more personally.

When it came time for burial, Lincoln was entombed in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois on May 4 1865. Over time, his remains would be moved 17 times between 1865-1901 and his coffin would be open 5 times. In 1876 there was even an attempted theft of the casket, though the plan was not fulfilled.

Sources: Lincoln's Funeral, Abraham Lincoln's Funeral Train, Funeral Train Route, Abraham Lincoln Funeral, The Lincoln Funeral Train

[arishah97]

Blog

Xe begged me to stay, and with tears in my eyes, I left anyways.

Its been a while since I wrote one of these. Things have been going okay. My work hours have massively expanded and I now work a fulltime job. 9-5. Every weekday. Goddamnit, but humans were never meant to do this shit. five days a week? 40 hours a week? insane.

Never thought the shift from 6 hours to 8 hours would be that much, but it feels like the life is being squeezed out of my fucking soul. fuck capitalism. not that my job sucks that much. I mean, I work at a fucking desk. I dont have to do hard labor or something like that. Its just work.

Things got strained between me and her. I had less time. she was more stressed. and nothing was official.

My friend turned 30. we've been planning a trip to vegas for a while now. I went. and then my dating profile went crazy.

Yeah, I was still on the dating apps. fuck me i guess. is this cheating? i dunno. It feels like emotional cheating. But she was the one who wasn't ready for me. I can't possibly be expected to stay faithful and wait for her. Is that fair to me? i dunno. fuck.

I got a lot of matches in vegas, but 2 significant ones. one night i nearly went over to the first one's. just straight up went over to someone's house who i had never met. It was probably a bad idea, and I'm infinitely grateful for the people who stopped me that night.

The second one... ah. We made plans to meet up for a date. We flirted. We bantered. God, xe was beautiful. Xe was amazing too. We met up. I showed xe my std paperwork, xe showed me xyrs. We went out for Thai. Xe bounced around happily as xe sat. Adorably cute.

We ordered an ride to pick up protection and then go back to xyrs place. goddamit. xe said that xe was mine. xe gasped and moaned and panted beneath me. xe said xe was my good girl over and over and over again.

I said that xe was mine. I couldn't stop talking about xyr toned legs, xyr amazing ass, xyr beautiful waist, xyr beautiful tits, xyr cute face. Xe had a body like a succubus and xe tempted me. I was smart enough not to promise anything to xyr.

Before we even started xe asked if we could still keep in contact after this was all over. I had to say no. It broke my heart but I had to say no. I had to stop myself from saying xe was mine forever. I said xe was mine, but never forever. I had to stop myself from saying I was xe's.

While we were taking a break and cuddling, xe mentioned that if I wanted to stay over, xe would have to go to the couch, as xe punched and kicked in xyr sleep. I told her I didn't care over and over, but xe said that xe felt bad if xe hurt other people, so I relented. I'll never forget xyr face as xe loomed over me, grinding into me as I cupped xyr chest and pulled.

At the end of it all, I admitted to xyr that of all the people in the world to be my first, I'm glad it was xyr. Apparently, xe was under the impression that I was experienced, which was super funny.

I began to say my goodbyes. I put on my clothes. I kissed xyr one last time. As I went over to put on my shoes, xe offered to keep to the edge of the bed. Xe asked me to stay. I grimaced.

I knew that if I would stay, I would surely never emotionally recover. I was waiting on someone. I couldn't make someone else wait on me while I wait on someone, and it was cruel to confess to someone and then say "lol, nevermind". I continued to put my shoes on.

Xe begged me to to stay, and with tears in my eyes, I left anyways.

Its now 2 days later. Xe haunts my every waking thought. We had a short text exchange the next morning, but I knew that we had to stop this. I haven't reached out to xyr since.

I've cried so much, I can barely function. love, sex, feelings, emotions. theyre all tied up. I feel like an asshole. Maybe I am an asshole. On one hand, I confessed that I had feelings for a girl and she asked me to wait. On the other hand, I made someone want me so bad xey called xemself mine, but I walked away like a player.

I need time to process. Thats why i wrote this. Hopefully I will have answers for myself soon.

xoxo,

Ari

[brn1029]

On this date in music history. I say music, because we have a historical fact…about Johnny Cash…..

October 5th

2011 - David Cassidy

David Cassidy filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Sony, claiming he had not been paid royalties for sales of Partridge Family merchandise which bear his image, including lunchboxes, magazines and board games. Cassidy told CNN "It's just a matter of being fair and doing the right thing. Just be fair, be real, be genuine, don't be greedy."

2000 - The Beatles

Beatles fans across the world rushed out to buy copies of the Fab Four's autobiography. Stores in Japan and Britain opened at midnight to satisfy demand for the book, the first written by the band members. Publishers said the 350,000-word volume, at a cost of £35, had already attracted more than 1.5m orders worldwide.

1991 - Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses started a two week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Use Your Illusion II'.

1989 - Motley Crue

Motley Crue played a warm-up show for their forthcoming Dr. Feelgood tour at the Whisky a Go Go, West Hollywood, California, under their pseudonym The Foreskins. The show was also used for the filming of their next video, 'Kickstart My Heart'.

1984 - Queen

Queen played the first of nine concerts at the Sun City Super Bowl, Sun City, Republic of Bophuthatswana (integrated into South Africa's North West Province in 1994). The 1984 'The Works' tours saw the reintroduction of older material to Queen's live set, including songs from the first three albums.

1974 - Mike Oldfield

Mike Oldfields 'Tubular Bells' went to No.1 for the first time on the UK album chart 15 months after being released. It went on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide.(the movie it was from not withstanding, this was a real creepy song….)

1974 - Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Honestly Love You', the singers first of five US chart toppers

1974 - Beach Boys

The Beach Boys went to No.1 on the US album chart with Endless Summer, the group's second US No.1.

1973 - Elton John

Elton John released his seventh studio album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Under the working titles of Vodka and Tonics and Silent Movies, Talking Pictures, Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics to the album in two and a half weeks, with John composing most of the music in three days while staying at the Pink Flamingo Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road has now sold over 30 million copies worldwide and is his best-selling studio album.

1965 - Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash was arrested crossing the Mexican border into El Paso, Texas after customs officials found 100's of pills in his guitar case. He received a suspended jail sentence and a $1,000 fine.

1962 - The Beatles

The Beatles debut single 'Love Me Do' was released in the UK. It spent 26 week's on the chart peaking at No.17. Beatles producer George Martin has said when 'Love Me Do' was released, it was the day the world changed.

[shemarmooresfedora]

Can’t Be Your Secret Anymore

Summary: You hardly expected the next time you saw Spencer after your big fight is him coming out of an ambulance on a stretcher.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Nurse!Fem!Reader

Content/Warnings: one swear word, arguing, hospitals, fluffy ending!

Word Count: 1.5k

A/N: this is an anon request!!! anon, i hope i did your wonderful request justice! my asks are always open for anything (random concepts, full-fleshed ideas, or just random thoughts/questions)

Masterlist

“Sorry, I’m home late, sweetheart. The team wanted to go out for drinks after work and then Savannah wouldn’t let me leave until I did karaoke,” Spencer chuckled, “Luckily, she was drunk enough that I slipped out without ever having to fulfill my promise.”

Spencer’s smile faded once he realized you weren’t smiling too.

“Why did Savannah get to go but I can’t? We have been dating longer than her and Derek,” you huffed, crossing your arms.

“Baby, it’s not the same thing…” Spencer began to say.

You shot up from the couch, “It is too the same thing, Spencer. I have asked you at least 5 times to meet your team and you always say it’s not the right time. When will it be the right time, Spencer? A year? Ten? I can’t wait around until you decide I’m good enough for your friends,” you began walking around his apartment, collecting your things.

“No, Y/N. Please stay. You can meet them! You can meet them, I swear! Please don’t go,” Spencer desperately begged.

“I never wanted a pity invite,” you sighed, “Goodbye, Spencer. Call me if you would finally like to commit to me for once.”

The gentle closing of his apartment door cracked Spencer’s heart in half. He snuck out early from the bar in hopes of being cuddled up with you but now he was all alone.

-

A week. It had been a week since you walked out of Spencer’s apartment only to be met with radio silence. If you were being honest, you hadn’t really expected Spencer to make no attempt to get back together with you. But if he really didn’t want you back, you needed to start moving on with your life.

“Y/N, we’ve got an incoming ambulance,” Linda, the other on-call ER nurse said, snapping you out of your daze.

You jogged out to the ambulance bay, suiting up with rubber gloves.

The ambulance screeched to a halt outside the entrance as the paramedics unloaded the stretcher.

“White male. Early 30’s. GSW to the neck. Pulse is thready,” the paramedic stated.

The patient’s eyes opened slightly for just a second and they locked with yours.

“Spencer,” you whispered under your breath as his eyes closed again.

You and Linda rolled him up the OR before returning back to the ER floor. You took a seat at the desk and put your head in your hands. You were trying to control your breathing because being in the elevator with your barely alive ex-boyfriend was not how you expected this night to go.

“Do you know Reid?”

Your head snapped up to the muscular man that travelled in the ambulance with him.

“What?” you asked, even though you heard him the first time.

“It sounded like you said ‘Spencer’ when you pulled him out of the ambulance. I was just asking if you knew him,” Derek said.

“Um, kind of. We have a mutual friend so I’ve seen him around but I really don’t know him that well,” you lied.

It pained you to say that you didn’t know Spencer well at all when he was fighting for his life in surgery but then again, did you really? The mutual friend technically wasn’t a lie because you guys were set up by Patricia, a librarian, because you were the only two people under 60 that came into the library regularly.

Derek didn’t seem to be convinced but he nodded and stepped away regardless.

When the head surgeon working on Spencer came out, you purposely pretended to be doing a task close to where his whole team had gathered.

“Dr. Reid is expected to make a full recovery,” you heard, you let out an instant exhale of relief, “He is in Room E105 if you would like to see him now.”

Shit. That was the wing you were in charge of post-op for. The surgeon found you and handed you the clipboard of Spencer’s file before returning back upstairs.

You slowly made your way to the room. Thank god, you could see he was still unconscious through the door. You knocked lightly on the open door to alert the team of your presence.

“Hi, I’m Nurse Y/L/N. I’m in charge of Spenc-I mean Dr. Reid’s post-op. I just need to check his vitals real quick,” you informed them.

A blonde woman with bright bold clothing that you assumed was Penelope, based on what Spencer told you, backed away from Spencer to give you room to work, “Do whatever you need to do, sweetheart.”

That sent a pang through your chest. Spencer always called you ‘sweetheart’ but maybe that was just because he could never bring himself to call you ‘love’.

“He’s all set. I’ll be back in an hour,” you flashed a polite smile before quickly leaving the room that felt like it was suffocating you.

“Thank you!” Penelope called after you.

-

An hour later, you picked up Spencer’s clipboard once again and headed to his room, stopping in your tracks when you saw he was awake.

You made brief eye contact before you whipped around and speed-walked back down the hall.

“Linda, can you take my patient in E105 please?” you pleaded.

“Is it super gross?” she cringed.

“No, it’s just someone I’d rather not talk to right now. It’s just a vital check for a post-op GSW,” you informed her, “I’ll let you take an extra 5 minutes on break and I’ll do all the bedpan changes.”

“Fine,” Linda grabbed the clipboard and headed to Spencer’s room.

Linda decided to take her slightly longer break right after doing Spencer’s post-op. So when his ‘call nurse’ button started rapidly going off, you had no one to turn to.

You sprinted down the hallway to his room and quickly opened the door to see him sitting up, perfectly fine with the remote in his hand.

“Are you dying?” you asked flatly.

“Without you, yes I am,” Spencer replied.

You rolled your eyes and let out a humorless chuckle before heading to the door once again.

“Wait, Y/N!” he urged.

You didn’t turn around until you heard a ripping sound followed by a loud ‘ow’. When you turned around, you saw Spencer had pulled his bandage half off.

“Spencer! Why did you do that? I have other patients to tend to,” you grabbed the roll of gauze on the table.

“Now you have to listen to me as you reapply my gauze,” Spencer explained.

“Where did your team go? Can’t you bother them?” you huffed.

“You met them?”

“Don’t worry. I said I barely knew you through a mutual friend. I know how terrible it would be for you if they found out you were dating me,” you assured him.

“No, no! That’s not what I want. I want to scream from the rooftops that you’re my girlfriend. I just get scared that once we make it official to everyone, it will be even harder when I lose you,” Spencer admitted.

“Why do you think you’re going to lose me?”

“Because you’re way out of my league. Sometimes I still think you’re just a figment of my imagination and this couldn’t possibly be real,” Spencer confessed.

“Spencer, you’re a hot genius FBI agent. If anybody is out of anybody’s league, it’s you.”

“And you’re a hot ER nurse who probably saves more lives than I do on a daily basis and...I love you.”

Your breath hitched in your throat, he finally said it. A sign of commitment.

“I love you too,” you spoke softly, gently pressing down the last strip of gauze on his neck.

You heard chattering approaching and the whole team appeared at the door with food and drinks in their hand.

“Alright, Dr. Reid,” you shot up from the edge of the bed, “Your gauze is all set. Press the button again if you have any other complications. Enjoy your dinner. Remember only jell-o or soup,” you headed to the door.

“Y/N, wait,” Spencer grabbed your wrist before you got very far and then interlocked your hand with his, “Guys, this is my beautiful and amazing girlfriend, Y/N, who I love very much.”

“Um-hi,” you waved.

Derek looked between the both of you and grinned.

“We were just going to have some dinner if you would like to join us, Y/N,” Penelope offered.

“Sure! Let me just tell Linda I’m taking my break,” you smiled.

You tried to leave again but Spencer still wouldn’t let your hand go.

“Spence, I’ll be right back,” you promised.

“I need a kiss before you go,” he grinned.

You rolled your eyes playfully before leaning down to give him a loving kiss that made up for all the kisses you lost over the past week.

taglist (just ask to be added or removed): @samuel-de-champagne-problems @g0lden-cth @spencerreid9 @averyhotchner @coldlilheart @k-k0129 @ickleronniekinsemotionalrange @harrystylesandthegoobs @cmily @jswessie187 @rem-ariiana

[iwas-baby]

— ☼broken pieces

vii. un-official babysitter / date night

includes: matsukawa issei x f.reader, iwaizumi hajime x f. reader

about: where iwaizumi hajime leaves his now ex-girlfriend, unknowing she’s pregnant while matsukawa issei is left to pick up the broken pieces.

cw: fluff, slight jealously, domestic fluff, slightly angst ending, heavily unedited

a/n: i’m so sorry that it took SO long to update, hopefully i can get back into a more steady updating pace

masterlist | next part

After a week of kindergarten, your fridge had turned into an art gallery; stick figures labeled ‘Mommy’ and ‘Daddy’ alongside an orange blob marked as ‘Ninjin.’ All had been affectionately drawn by Kumiko, presenting them to both you and Issei with a wide and proud smile.

Though, while Kumiko was enjoying her schooldays, you were spending more time at work. Which evidently lead to being much more exhausted than usual, your feet sore and pouring yourself a second glass of wine at night to unwind.

Issei seemed to notice this, trying to plan out a way to give the two of you some time off. Besides, it had been a while since you two had had a date night. He wanted it to be special and more romantic than your past dates. More importantly, though, he wanted it to be a surprise.

The black haired man sat in his office, staring at the family photo that sat at his desk. It was a slow day, meaning it was the perfect time to plan out the date, except the first thing he needed to do was to sort out who would look after your beloved daughter.

He started by calling Makki, who, surprisingly, had gotten a job as a delivery boy for some chain restaurant. Meaning, he wouldn’t be able to watch Kumiko. Issei grumbled as he hung up, losing the man he’d dubbed his ‘Official Babysitter.’

Next in line was Emiko, although Issei doubted that she would be able to, considering her grandmother was in poor health and that any day she’d be leaving for her village in Kyoto to take care of her.

Sighing, Issei rubbed his eyes, he only had one other person in mind but he didn’t want to make plans without you and he didn’t want to give up the surprise. Chewing on his lip, he guilty punched in the digits of a certain person’s phone number.

“Hello?”

“Hey Hajime, how’s it going?” He hummed, tapping his fingers against the wooden desk before leaning back in his office chair.

“Uh, good.” The other man awkwardly responded. “How are you guys, is Kumiko enjoying school.”

“She is, she is,” his voice was distant, trying to figure out how he was going to phrase his question. “I’m going to get straight to the point. I know you and Y/N have arranged when you’re going to next see Kumi, but I wanna take her out tomorrow night and I need someone to babysit.”

“Oh.” Was Hajime’s slow reply. “Look, I mean I don’t-- are you sure you want me?” Issei could tell that Iwaizumi was still getting in his own head about that day at the park.

“Yeah, besides it’ll give you a chance to actually bond with her,maybe with things she likes,” Issei laughed a bit at the joke. Yet, he paused, pressing his lips together, a bit hesitant, “I’ll let you in on a little secret: if you wanna win her over, bring her those bourbon fettuccine, y’know the peachy gummies, those are her favourite right now.”

“Okay. I will, and Issei?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks for calling me.” Issei silently sighed again, hearing someone knock at the door.

“No worries, man. I’ll see you tomorrow at 6:30?” Iwaizumi agreed from the other end of the line, leaving the men to say their goodbyes as Issei welcomed in a client.

Now, he just hoped that the weather would agree with his plans.

You walked through the door, dropping your purse at the door, you’d been working overtime which meant Issei was already home with your daughter.

The exhausted look on your face soon diminished as you heard the light and cheery footsteps that belonged to Kumiko. She ran to you, a bright smile tugging at her lips as he engulfed you in a hug, wrapping her arms around your legs.

Issei was soon to follow, your pet cat in between his legs as he walked over to give you a kiss.

“Ew,” Kumiko whined, covering her eyes which made the two of you laugh.

“Kumi, take Ninjin and play with that new laser toy.” Issei told her as she scurried away, taking the orange tabby with her.

Now that it was just the two of you, Issei planted yet another kiss on your soft lips, whispering against them: “I have a surprise for you.” To which you raised an eyebrow. Issei’s hands moved down your body, giving you a little squeeze.

“Go and put on something nice, I’m taking you out.” He smiled, clapping his hands, “and before you say anything, I’ve already found a babysitter for Kumiko.”

You smiled, giving him yet another kiss in thanks before rushing off towards your shared bedroom to find something to wear, although Issei hadn’t told you the exact location of this surprise date.

After trying on a number of dresses, you finally landed on one that complimented both your skin tone and body shape, slowly walking out with a matching purse, biting your lip and waiting for his response.

Only, as you stepped out into the hallway, there wasn’t just one man there, there were two. Hajime was talking with his hands, as Issei gave him instructions. Was this really who he’d picked out to watch your daughter?

In the midst of your mental panic, Issei looked up, eyes widened and a grin forming as he saw you. He left Hajime for a second, wrapping an arm around your waist and kissing the crown of your head, “you look lovely, baby.”

You said your thanks, still eyeing Hajime as if he were a threat, only for the shorter man to scratch the back of his neck muttering, “yeah, you look nice.”

“So,” you tried to change the subject, trying to ignore the compliment from your ex-boyfriend, “has Issei gone over everything you need to do?”

Hajime nodded, listing off everything from her bedtime, to what to do if she gets hungry in the middle of the night. As he kept going, the worries that plagued your brain slowly disappeared as you sighed. You knew you could trust Hajime, but you really did wish Issei would’ve asked you. Though, it was nice of him to organize a surprise for you.

“Have fun you two,” Hajime said, waving you off at the door as Kumiko stood behind his leg, wishing you goodbye.

“This place is incredible,” you exclaimed, with stars in your eyes, you stared at the view from the cliff side. Issei had driven you out of town to look at the evening sky along with a picnic he’d laid out for you.

“Only the best for you.” He poured you something to drink, smiling. Now in the midst of eating, you watched as he looked at you with such amusement in his eyes “I’m just glad you like it.”

With blankets around you, bringing the two of you closer, the sun had almost completely set, “of course.”

Resting your head against his shoulder, you rested your eyes. “Thank you, Issei, I really needed this.” You reminded him how much you loved him as he returned the kind words.

The moment was followed with a moment's silence as your boyfriend let out a sigh. “There’s something I need to ask you.”

Hajime waved the package of gummies in front of the little girl's face, watching how she lit up, and squealed out of happiness.

“But you can’t tell your mother about this, okay?” She nodded her head quickly in agreement as Hajime opened it up for her, luring her over to the couch, hoping that a movie would put her to sleep.

Kumiko practically licked her lips, putting her hands out as Hajime placed the candy only on her open palms.

“This stuff probably isn’t good for you,” you mentioned not even wanting to look at the ingredients. One thing he hated about all his years of study was that he found it almost impossible to enjoy any sorts of snacks without a guilty conscience.

“I know,” Kumiko hummed, munching down as Hajime only sighed, reaching for the remote. “Can we watch the Princess Ballerina movie?”

“Have you seen it before?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Then why don’t we watch something new?” Truth be told, Hajime didn’t want to watch said ‘princess ballerina movie’ and was praying that Kumiko would be able to reason with his logic and pick something else.

“Okay,” she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest with a pout. Yet, Hajime didn’t miss the words she muttered under her breath, “Uncle Hiro lets me watch Princess Ballerina.” Though, she didn’t stay frowning for long as her babysitter fed her more candy.

Scrolling through the streaming sight, Hajime’s lips tugged into smiles at the selection. He was surprised it was even there: “Godzilla” from 1998, a movie he had watched with his own father when he was younger, maybe just a bit older than Kumiko herself.

“How about this one?” He asked.

“Is it scary?”

Hajime twisted his lips, not sure how to answer, maybe his judgement had been a bit off that day as he shrugged, “not really, there’s just a lot of fighting.”

With his promising words, Kumiko agreed to the film, leaning closer towards him as the movie began.

Although the movie wasn’t even near half way through when Hajime found himself yawning, the movie was much less exciting as he remembered it. Maybe it was just the out of date special effects or underwhelming acting, but there wasn’t the same amount of thrill that was once there.

That was when he felt something at his side, peering down to see Kumiko hiding her face in his shirt, gripping onto him tightly.

Instantly Hajime panicked, his heart only breaking when he heard a small sniffle from the girl. His hands went to pat her head, gently peeling her off of him, looking at her puffy cheeks.

“You lied, Iwaizumi, it’s scary.” His heart quickened, patting her back, trying to sush her not to cry.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright, look it’s just a movie, there’s nothing to be scared off.”

“How do you know? What if Godzilla eats my school?”

“He won’t.” Hajime stared down into Kimiko’s watery eyes, pressing his lips together, “I promise.”

Slightly unconvinced, the young girl nodded, though she was quick to wrap her arms around Hajime’s torso (or at least as much as she could reach) while burying her head into his shirt.

Feeling his heart swell, the trainer smoothing over her small head, bringing one of his own arms around her. “If Godzilla shows up to eat your school, I promise I’ll fight him myself, okay?”

“Okay,” she sniffled, while a wave of relief washed over Hajime, muttering a small ‘but don’t tell your mother about this.’

The pair proceeded to munch down on more snacks, while Kumiko insisted on giving her babysitter a makeover, bringing out all her barrets and princess jewelry to adorn Hajime with.

So, the grown man sat there, a bright sticky lip gloss against his lips, butterfly clips in his messy hair and around his neck a handful of plastic necklaces. Yet, he couldn't protest because his heart swelled at the sight of Kumiko’s bright smile, and who was he to ruin her fun?

The night went on, no text from Issei to let him know when you'd be coming home. Signing, the television only continued to play in the background, some cartoons with cats Hajime wasn’t familiar with. He tilted his head back against the couch, feeling the weight of Kumiko leaning against him, snoring soundly. He figured he should take her to her bed and tuck her in soon, but he was so tired, he could only imagine what you and Issei went through every day.

He also couldn’t help but think that this could’ve been his life if his cards had been dealt out a little differently. He only frowned: he’d missed everything, first steps, first words, hell, he’d even missed the day she was born. How could he make up for all the missed birthdays? Hajime was always taught not to be jealous but looking at the precious girl beside him, how could he not be envious? He’d give up his life as he knew it so quickly to make sure he would never have to miss anymore birthdays.

His eyes closed momentarily and he tried to picture it: you and him, Kumiko by your side, walking up in the morning to her little footsteps rushing in while she wiggled between the two of you. He felt empty at the thought of it, missing something that was never really his. You weren’t his, it made him want to scream.

Quickly, his thoughts were interrupted by the creaking at the door, mixed with the shushed adults stumbling through. Kumiko didn’t budge, but Hajime realized it was time to move her to her bed.

“Hey,” Hajime greeted quietly, easily carrying the girl in his arms, “she’s been asleep for a little bit, I’ll go tuck her in.”

There was a bright grin on your face, clearly the date had gone well. Another twitch in Hajime’s heart, as cheesy as it may seem, all he wanted was for that to be him, making you smile.

As Hajime laid Kumiko down beneath her sheets, he felt her grip onto his sleeve, unconsciously not wanting to let go. The man smirked softly, pulling her tiny hand off and laying it down on her side, making sure to tuck her in tightly.

Leaving her nightlight on, Hajime met the two of you out in the hall, giddy smiles plastered on both your faces.

“So, how’d the date go?” He questions, awkwardly putting his hands in his pockets, almost forgetting about all the accessories tangled in his hair.

Though, his expression began to drop as he watched you lift up your arm, the palm of your hand facing your chest as something caught his attention on the dim lighting.

“Good,” you breathed out, “we’re engaged!”

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[lovingthereign25]

Never Say Goodbye

*3 weeks later* 

Co-parenting with Derek was going great! He sees Noah often as he can, he wasn't gone as long on cases as much, and was in the process of buying a two bedroom house here in Florida to be close to Noah. 

Things with Joe were great too! We were ready to start telling people about us, especially our families. We planned dinner for each of our  families first, his parents were happy about it, they understood that Joe and I loved each other.

The next night my family Josh included that he missed dinner for Joe’s side. Noah was with Derek so it was just gonna be Joe and I and I could wait to finally get this off my chest and finally be a real couple with Joe.

Dinner was done, we all sat down, all of us having a good time so far.Half way through the meal i look at Joe he gives me a small nod 

“Can i have everyone’s attention, I have an announcement..correction We have an announcement’ i say looking at Joe as he stands up.

“Joe and I are officially back together, we wanted to tell you all in person and to hear it from us “ i say smiling 

“ Together?....like dating again?..” my mother asks

“yes “ i smile 

“ What about Derek, Y/N you two just filed for divorce two weeks ago? And you're already screwing your high school boyfriend?” she asks annoyed 

“ Mom, Derek and I have been over for a long time now it's just we didn't want to admit it” i explain

“So you make it work, fix it Y/n you just don't hop into bed with an old fling, nothing against you Joe i love you like a son but this is all craziness….what about Noah?’ she asks

‘’ Noah is fine. Derek has him as we speak and takes him as often as he can nothing Joe and i do is gonna get between that’ i say 

My mother left without another word. My father not far behind her apologizing to Joe and I before letting us know he is happy for us .

After a while it was just Lyndsey,Josh,Joe and I. Josh and Joe were out sitting on the porch while Lyndsey and I cleaned up.

“Mom will come around, she loves Joe and she knows how much you two loved each other back then i think deep down we all knew nothing changed’ she smiles

“Yea…but if she didn't take the news of us getting back together well.. How is she gonna take finding out that i'm pregnant’ i say

‘What?!” she shouts

“ shhh.. I haven't told Joe yet?’ i hushed her

“ What the hell Y/n…..Who’s baby is it?’ she ask

“Joe’s” I smile looking out the window at him.

*May 2018*

Joe and I welcomed our first child together on May 5 2018

20 days before his 33rd birthday. Ryanne Lyn Anoa’i . 

She was beautiful. Jojo loved her. Noah loved her. 

She was the perfect mix of Joe and I. We were over the moon.

We were all gathered at Joe’s parents house for a parry she was throwing for Joe’s birthday/ a welcome home party for Ryanne.

Everything was back to normal and i couldn't be happier or at least i thought 

“ Can i have everyone's attention..please Y/n can you come over here for a second ?’’ Joe asked

I hand Ryanne off to Josh, her godfather..as I make my way over to the porch where Joe was.

“Y/n, i met you when you were a freshmen, i think it took me all of 30 mins into our first date to fall in love with you and i’ve been in love with you since, You're the first thing i wanna see in the morning and the only one i wanna kiss goodnight. When I'm away from you on the road I physically hurt it's like I'm drowning until I get you back  into my arms. 

I never thought i could love someone this much or love you more than i already did but you bringing our daughter into this world making our family complete took my love for you to  a whole new level..so baby with that being said Will You Marry me?’ he asks

“Of course…yes!’ i sob 

By the end of summer Joe and I were married.