#oh that's right! i was interacting somehow with this streamer i listen to the most. who is also an atheist

[morfinwen]

Just realized i had an incredibly weird dream where apparently the world had ended and Jesus had come back, but we were all just ... waiting for the judgment. And you could still read books and stuff, but all the "bad" parts had been taken out??

I mean, i had been reflecting earlier on my struggles to understand how both original sin and eternal hell can justly coexist, but this was not a good solution.

[kkami-writes]

waiting for us — chapter seventeen. screwed over ↝ wc: 566

“Asshole!” 

You yell probably a little too loud but you just don’t care. You’re beyond pissed, gripping your phone tightly and resisting the urge to smash it into the ground. You know realistically that you won’t be fired, you’ll just send a text to Ryujin to let her know you’ll be late. Ryujin has been so nice to you and on occasion you hung out with her and her soulmate Yeji. 

The thing you hated the most was that your brother continued to show you how much power he had over you, never letting you forget it. Even if you had your license there was no car for you to drive, goodness knows your parents weren’t gonna buy you one. 

“Ugh!” You groan, running a frustrated hand through your hair, pulling at the strands. 

“Mio?” You quickly turn around to the source of the voice and you see Jisung. He’s walking towards you with another male behind him. The other guy has big boba-like eyes that are practically staring into your soul and you get the strangest feeling that he’s yet another one of your soulmates. He’s strangely cat like, his eyes blinking slowly at you and you definitely don’t miss the way he gives your form a quick glance.

“Are you okay?” Jisung asks and you pull your gaze away from the other. 

“Yeah sorry- just. My brother seems to have forgotten that he needed to pick me up and now I'm gonna be late to work,” You sigh. “Sorry, I better get going, I’m gonna have to walk,” 

Somehow you’re slightly relieved, able to avoid being in the presence of your soulmates. You could tell that you were already getting slightly attached. What with you listening to 3RACHA all day yesterday and your constant lunch breaks with Hyunjin. 

“Ah wait! We could give you a ride, we were about to head out. That’s fine, right hyung?” Jisung asks the male next to him. The latter simply nods his head, no other emotion showing on his face to give away his thoughts. 

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother,” You give one last attempt to get away but honestly you really wouldn’t mind that ride, being late to work was definitely one of your pet peeves. 

“Of course! Oh, this is Minho by the way. Minho, Mio. Mio, Minho,” The male in question reaches his hand out for you and you tentatively slip your own hand into his. You pretend you don’t feel the small vibration deep in your chest, quickly taking your hand back as soon as you can. 

“It’s nice to meet you,”

“Yeah, you too. Sorry- I don’t mean to rush but, I really do need to get to work,” 

“Oh right! Come on, let’s go!” Jisung is always bright with his cute heart shaped smile, grabbing onto your hand and pulling you towards their shared car. You don’t have much of a choice but to follow the male who’s all but dragging you. You ignore the fact that your face is probably flushed just from him holding your hand. 

Minho trails a little behind the two of you, seemingly analyzing you, watching how Jisung interacts with you. His head tilts, the smallest hint of a smile curling at his lips. He could definitely understand now his boyfriend's fascination with you, now fully curious to learn more about you.

previous | masterlist | next waiting for us taglist (50/50) send an ask or sign up here!: @abbiestearsricochet @sanriiolino @boo-ven9eance @melleus @adorawritesalot @inlovewithallmusic @alnex05 @borahae-reads @zonked-times @yoonrimin @slay-and-gay @lovelixie @katsukis1wife @realrintaro @0325tiny @adestayskz @minhwa @littleaprilcherryblossom @soobery @lillithathecat @ilychee08 @everglowdaisies @boi-bi-ahaha @yandere-stories @veryjeongintxtkid @minhoie @moondustmemories @popcatx0 @tara-drabbles @super-btstrash-posts @gemi-moon @skz-streamer @jaiuneamesolitaiire @bozotwt @enchantedgrunge @maskedmochii @corrodedthorn @143lix @ashitshowforalot @xrvrqs @lynlyndoll @txtandroll @kawennote09 @liknws @ritzy-dream-boy @hannieslove @hello-2-u-from-me @vampcharxter @jisuperboard @hannahhbahng

[sephythespooky]

reader insert: back in black mesa

PART 2

Passport acquired, but what now?

words under cut

“Here,” Tommy gently pressed the document into your hand. “Show this to Benrey. I’ll handle e-everything else.” Seeing how pale your lips were, he frowned, then hugged you tight. “It’ll be o-okay, friend. W-we’re the science team! We can do any-anything!”

Reluctant, you stepped out of the hug when Tommy released you and held out your passport at Benrey, whose bright eyes hadn’t left you since you picked it up. “yo, man....that seriously you? you look, uh....look a bit shit in that photo, not gonna lie.”

You look at the photo and snort. It’s your school photo from years ago, the one you hated most. “Yeah, yeah I do.”

Agreement, that was something you knew Benrey didn’t get a lot of from Gordon. But he seemed to like it, grinning with his razors before gently shaking Dr. Coomer out of the repetition of what you now realize was the Wikipedia article for lockers. “old man, like, i get it, but we gotta, uh, gotta do stuff now.”

The white haired scientist shook his head, turning to you and lighting up, “HELLO PLAYER!” He called, then seemed confused. “I should know your name. Why don’t I? Hm...”

Tommy interjected as Benrey began circling you, tilting his helmet this way and that as he analyzed your form, “Dr. Coomer, w-we don’t know them yet. We’re supposed to be waiting for Mr. Freeman!”

“yo, feetman? where’d he go?” Benrey asked, suddenly more interested in what Tommy had to say than in you.

You watched as Dr. Coomer looked between them, then snapped his fingers, “Oh! that’s what I’ve been wanting to say! HELLO GORDON!” He grins, then slumps a bit, “Oh...but he’s not here. I still have to give him his interest playcoins.”

“Dr. Coomer?” you ask softly, almost afraid to speak up, “How did I end up here? Gordon finished the game. You guys should still be with him, but now you’re with me?”

The older gentleman chuckled, “Not to worry, Not-Gordon, we will figure this out. I do love a good puzzle! Let’s get Bubby and have a good ol’ chat about it.”

“least i don’t have to watch you. like i did him. you’ve got your passport,” Benrey still pushes you ahead of him and you squeak, rushing forward to hold onto Tommy’s sleeve.

Tommy moves so you can hold hands, and he swings his arm a bit, sunny smile in place, “We’ll be careful with you, I-I promise! Nobody will be doing any OSHA violations with me on the-the case!”

His presence was comforting, even if you were more than aware of his lack of gun-safety training. But there weren’t guns right now. At least besides the ones you could access.

The closer you get to the test chamber, the more tense you get, so you yelp when Benrey TELEPORTS in front of you and stands in the doorway, “dudes...these are the guys. i told you about them. not thinking about....about anything besides froot loops.”

The basic guards are unaffected, and the door opens behind Benrey with no other fanfare. Dr. Coomer laughs, “Well, I do love sugary cereal with colorful mascots. I prefer Frosted Flakes, though.”

“you would, old, old grampa man.” and then he’s gone, running ahead of you with that cackle that shook a nervous laugh out of you when it used to make you happy.

“Um...would...would petting Sunkist help you? He’s a good boy, and I-I always feel better when I pet him,” Tommy offers and you nod before he can even finish. Sunkist is immortal, and well trained. You’d pet the dang JPEG but you have a feeling things will be different for you in here.

“Okay. I’ll call for him once we find Bubby,” you’re getting close to his room, you think, but being so very near the test chamber is enough to make you jitter.

Your group enters the room with many scientists and you hear Bubby, “GOOD GRIEF! Not only are you late, but you brought an entourage. What kind of bastard are you?”

The yelling makes you flinch, and Dr. Coomer says helpfully as he takes hold of Bubby around the waist, pinning his arms, “Hello! We’re here to fetch you for a confab. We have to figure out how we help our new friend here and then get back to Gordon.”

“Gordon?” Bubby questions, his struggles against Coomer slowing until he’s finally released. “Wait. That’s right! Then why are you wandering around with that fucking idiot Benrey?!”

“bro, not cool.” Benrey hides behind you and blows a raspberry at Bubby. “came here tryin’ to be a great cool and you’re being mean. dr. mean man.”

“I live mean, and you tried to kill me! And everyone else!” Bubby huffs, waving his arms around and fire glinting off the tips of his fingers. “Someone explain this to me!”

Tommy takes a deep breath before he speaks, “Bubby, I know it was scary, but Benrey’s our friend. He only acted weird on Xen because it amplifies negative emotions. That’s why we felt so afraid and hopeless, otherwise it’d be pretty funny for Benrey to be so big, right? And, and fun to jump around like Moonshoes!”

“He has a point, Bubby.” Coomer takes a seat, and you follow suit, even if Benrey does leave and go sit on top of one of the other scientists who, for some reason, are not paying attention to your group. “I would have loved to see how my Power Legs did with the low gravity.”

“Well...I guess a little murder between friends isn’t that big a deal. And we didn’t die so we’re good for now. Maybe,” Bubby makes the hand sign for ‘i’m watching you’ toward Benrey, who is too busy tea bagging the scientist in mid-air to notice.

“Have,” Tommy looks at you hopefully, “Have you seen Mr. Freeman since my birthday party? Dr. Coomer tried to send him a message, but we’re not sure if he received it.”

“I have,” you say, closing your eyes to try and relax yourself, “Gordon Freeman is a streamer on Justin TV, like I am. I actually was...streaming myself doing this!”

“Good for him, he lived his dumb dream,” says Bubby.

“you’re streaming this, friend?” Benrey hops off the scientist and shuffles over, “you ever stream heavenly sword?”

“I haven’t yet,” you admit, “but I only heard of it through you talking about it to Gordon, so it took me a while to get hold of the game. I was planning on doing that next week.”

“nice,” the guard flops on the ground, just spread out all over. “m’gonna take a nap now. it’s boring without feetman here to bug. no offence, bro, but you’re too nice.”

“None taken,” you huff, very cautiously giving a pat to his helmet. You get a chuckle out of it.

“I hate to admit it,” Bubby isn’t looking at any of you, picking at the sole of his shoe, “but Gordon’s at least somewhat competent a leader.”

Tommy raised his hand, and Coomer gave him a nod to continue, “Mister....Mister Freeman might know what to do so we can get our friend out of here. But how do we tell him we-we need help? Oh,” he remembered something, then called out “SUNKIST!!!”

A woofing came, and you were suddenly bowled over by a large golden retriever.

“Good dog! Sunkist, you should let our friend up and sit with them. They’re, they’re very nervous.” Tommy giggled sweetly as Sunkist backed up and let you right yourself before laying his big head in your lap. You gently rub your hand down from his head to his shoulders, finally glad for your ability to touch things here. Even through your gloves, you felt how soft Sunkist’s fur was, how warm and strong the body beneath. Tommy had been more than right that Sunkist would make you feel better, and you murmur soft nonsense to the sweet pup.

“Can,” you’re nervous as you begin, “Can I ask why the other scientists don’t seem to notice us? They didn’t seem to really interact with Gordon, or you guys either.”

“I don’t know,” Bubby says as he waves a hand at the folks near the computer in the corner, “Somehow we’ve woken up and have some personality. These goons are dull as dishwater and twice as boring.”

“guuuuuuuuys,” Benrey whines loudly, “unless you know something about games or how to talk to freeman, i don’t caaaaare.” You pat his helmet again, getting a grumpy hurmph and a heavy hand falling on your knee.

“Why are you asking me? I don’t know! It’s not like I have his phone number!” Bubby snaps in response.

Dr. Coomer said with a perk of his head, “Our friend is a streamer, though. Does that mean you and Gordon work in the same department?”

“N-no,” you giggle a bit at the idea. “We all work in our own homes, or in office spaces we rent with others in small groups. Gordon has no idea I exist. He’s far too popular to bother with me.” But an idea comes as you speak and feel the steady, gentle weight of Sunkist on your lap, “But maybe my chat could go raid him? He might be streaming now and if they would go talk to him about this....maybe he’d listen?”

The team nods, and Tommy questions, “Didn’t you say you were streaming before you came here? M-maybe they’re still listening!”

“Might as well try,” you take a deep breath, “Guys in the chat, if you can hear me, go find Gordon Freeman on here. Message him, donate, do anything you can to get his attention on this stream! We need his help or....or I might never get out of here.”

You could only hope that your words got through...and that Gordon was in a mood to listen.

[gamerwoo]

Baekhyun: Persona (part 19: somebody knows i’m ar3um)

Previous | Next | Masterlist

Summary: Rising Twitch streamer, Baekhyun has a massive crush on a popular Twitch streamer who goes by the name “ar3um”. You never knew Baekhyun even existed until a few odd turn of events that led you to get closer with him until you can’t help but fall for his own charm. There are only two problems: Baekhyun has his heart set on someone else, and he doesn’t know that you, his friend’s reclusive roommate, is actually the faceless girl he’s falling for.

a/n: so I took a break for a week because despite updating everyday, people were still nagging me for updates. so basically don’t ask me for updates because I’m doing things as fast as I can (and it literally says in my faq to not ask for updates). that being said, I hurt my back and honestly just sitting hurts, so I can’t write more updates and there’s only one update left that I’ve already written and saved to my drafts, so I can’t promise daily updates nor can I give a solid update schedule (and I’m leaving for New York on Friday and won’t be back until Monday). so I’m just going to be updating whenever I can until I’m feeling better. and no, that doesn’t mean you can ask me about when the next update will be

Tags: @baek-byunies @thalasoophilia @byunfirstlady @yangkeosang @littleflowercrown13 @khelmatic @mingiholic @huexauzzy @kittysbtscorner @diamondsvts @ihtscuddlesbeeetchx3 @sxojihye @ravyeolii​ @vampybaek​ @ximaginx  @cosmicralway​ @luv1ee​ @uwuteamleader @rosyyeols @cbxtual @purplelady85

Unable to tag: @seventeen-atiny-army

-

Before Chanyeol had so rudely barged into not only your apartment, but your room, you were streaming as normal. Junmyeon had said he was leaving for a late class, and you said “see you later, Junmyeon,” before he left. That was what tipped off Chanyeol to your secret. You thought he was too busy with his friends to even listen to your stream, but he was on his way home when he heard it.

“Gotcha!” he shouted with a smirk on his face, seeing your surprised expression.

He knew he was the first to figure it out. He was considered the dumb one in his friend group, and he was proud to have been the first to figure out the mystery of who ar3um was. He felt like a genius.

“What’re you doing here?”

The familiar voice made him jump instead, spinning around to see who it was. He assumed you had been home alone since he didn’t see Junmyeon anywhere -- then again, he could’ve been in his room and Chanyeol’s outburst would definitely catch his attention.

Sehun was walking out of the bathroom, giving Chanyeol a quizzical look.

“Sehun?” Chanyeol asked, looking completely confused. “What are you doing here?”

He just shrugged, “Hanging out.”

“With _____? Why--? Wait, hanging out?” Chanyeol’s mind was going a million miles a minute as he tried to make sense of everything going on. “Wait, so... You knew?”

Sehun nodded casually, hands in the pockets of his joggers as he slipped passed the older boy to sit down on your bed like you’d been friends for years. You were still in your gaming chair in front of your setup, watching the interaction silently.

Chanyeol watched him, his eyes narrowed before they widened again, “Oh my god, are you actually dating?!”

“No,” you mumbled with a disgusted look on your face at the same time Sehun burst out in laughter and said, “Fuck no!”

“Wait, so then...what happened?”

Before Chanyeol had burst in, Sehun was talking to you on Discord.

oohsehun: I’m awake if you’re still streaming

ar3um: yeah, I am

ar3um: when’s baek get home?

oohsehun: Why do you always wanna play with him?

ar3um: no reason, just think the three of you are fun to play with

oohsehun: He tells us when you talk to him yknow

oohsehun: You talk to him a lot more than you talk to us

oohsehun: Not that I’m mad about it. I don’t actually want to date you, I just do that shit to tease Baek

ar3um: whats your point?

oohsehun: You like hyung, don’t you?

ar3um: okay lets say i did like him

ar3um: so what?

oohsehun: Wouldn’t you tell him who you really are then? Nobody knows, and if you wanted to date him, he’d kinda have to know

ar3um: i know that

ar3um: but i don’t wanna tell him yet

ar3um: so please don’t bring it up around him or anything, okay? i’ll tell him when i’m ready

oohsehun: Don’t worry, I won’t

oohsehun: Besides, he’s pretty clueless despite him being book smart. He literally has no idea you’re _____

Your heart stopped, your body froze, and you couldn’t stop reading it over and over again. Sehun knew? How did he know? When did he find out? Why didn’t he say anything? You were panicking so badly that you just ended the stream completely. Your hands were shaking so badly, you knew you wouldn’t be able to play anything.

oohsehun: I didn’t mean to freak you out

oohsehun: I’ll come over

You had let him into the apartment, and then into your room since he’d already called you out. He sat on your bed while you sat at your PC and listened to him explain how he figured it out.

“I follow both your twitter and ar3um’s, and you tweeted something pretty similar. I knew it wasn’t much to go off of, but I was watching you play at the gaming cafe, too. I’ve watched your streams only a handful of times, but I’ve seen you clutch plays like that before. I wasn’t positive, but I kind of had a suspicion. That was only furthered when ar3um tweeted she had homework to do and couldn’t stream that one time, and then I just happened to have had to stop by here to get my headset back from Junmyeon. You were in the living room doing homework that night.

“Typically, I wouldn’t have cared enough to look into it. Honestly, I didn’t really give a shit who ar3um was, but then I went with Yixing to check on you. You two went to the kitchen and I had to use the bathroom, and Yixing told me not to go snooping. Well, I didn’t care enough to listen, so while you and hyung were making boring small-talk in the kitchen, I was looking around the apartment out of boredom. I didn’t go into your room because I’m not a creep, but I went into Junmyeon’s and saw the Twitch sweatshirt with ar3um’s name on it.”

So that’s where your sweatshirt went. Clearly, it was a mistake to get it baggy.

“It was pretty obvious after that, but then it just kept getting more and more obvious. I brought up the ‘you sound like ar3um’ thing to tease you and give you a hint that I knew, but you didn’t realize. You said on stream you met your ‘friend’ through a mutual friend -- you met Baekhyun through Junmyeon. Ar3um followed Baekhyun randomly. It was like, a couple weeks later out of literally nowhere. She hadn’t followed anybody else, so I knew it wasn’t just random chance. She didn’t follow him when he was mentioned during her stream, it was just out of nowhere.

“By this point, I obviously already knew it was you, so it made sense to pick me or Chanyeol for your contest over Baekhyun because picking Baekhyun would be too obvious. And I knew you did all of this because you had a crush on him. Any idiot could tell, but Baekhyun’s not just any idiot. You two spend all your time together, and from what Junmyeon says, you’re not one to spend your time with anybody outside your apartment. It was really easy to piece together, honestly -- especially in retrospect since we never really saw you around. I just didn’t bother saying anything because I don’t care and it’s not my business.”

After hearing his explanation, you realized you weren’t as sneaky as you thought you were. There were too many hints and clues. You just didn’t think Sehun would’ve known this entire time.

“If you didn’t care...why did you keep digging?” you wondered quietly, unable to look Sehun in the eye.

Through your peripherals, you saw him shrug, “There wasn’t much to dig for. Everything was right in front of our faces -- except the Twitch sweatshirt, but I could’ve figured it out even without that, and I only went snooping in hyung’s room because I was bored, not because I was looking for clues. But I was bored and keeping up with this gives me something to do. Kinda wanna see how long it takes for Baek to realize. I don’t think you know how amusing it is to see how fucking stupid he is.”

Sehun’s amused smirk made you feel slightly better about this, but you still felt anxiety coursing through your veins. You couldn’t believe you’d gotten caught. What were you supposed to do now? 

“You’re clearly still terrified,” he began as he stood, “so I’m gonna give you a minute while I use the bathroom.”

And that was when Chanyeol burst into your room.

Chanyeol’s eyes widened as he jaw dropped, dumbfounded that Sehun somehow figured it out. He kept saying it wasn’t you. Most importantly, he was supposed to be asleep!

“You were watching her stream?” Chanyeol questioned.

“No,” Sehun scoffed, “I’m just not a moron. I knew it the whole time.”

Chanyeol’s face fell, sputtering out beginnings to questions and sentences but not knowing which one to finish.

“I’m-- I didn’t figure it out first...?” he asked, his voice quiet and sad.

You and Sehun both shook his heads -- Sehun looked casual and almost uncaring while you looked upset that somebody else caught on.

“If it makes you feel any better, you figured it out before Baekhyun-hyung.”

“Speaking of which,” you finally spoke up, looking between the two boys, “you cannot tell him or any of your friends. Absolutely nobody can know.”

“I haven’t told anybody yet, have I?” Sehun pointed out.

Chanyeol just nodded, “Got it. ...Wait, what about Junmyeon?”

Sehun sighed, falling back on your bed, “Maybe Baekhyun still is smarter than you.”

[bittysvalentines]

Tilting

To: @dievampiredie

From: @storytruths

Happy Valentine’s Day, darlin! I hope you like it! 

“I’m calling in a favor.” 

Derek feels the sigh start in the pit of his stomach, long before it reaches the cresting waves of his shoulders. He knows that tone of voice. That cheeky, commanding, I’m-calling-the-shots-here swagger layered over the wobbly insecurity of knowing you’re asking for too much. When Derek dies and stands at the edge of the river Styx, waiting to be ferried across to the underworld, Chiron’s voice will sound exactly like Dex’s voice does right now. 

Derek lets the sigh heave out of his chest with the fatalistic drama of someone who already knows they’re about to get fucked.

“A favor.”

“Yes.”

Derek leans backwards in his chair, tipping his head until it hangs upside-down between his shoulders. Dex’s freckled, anxious face appears above his. 

“And what favor would that be, on this, the day we agreed would be spent in silence and solitude as per Article C of our cohabitation treaty?”

Dex’s nose wrinkles in annoyance, scrunching up like bunny. 

“Well, nothing, if you’re going to be a dick about it.”

Derek swings around in his chair until he’s nose-to-looming-chest with Dex. All he wanted this Valentine’s day was to be left alone.

You know. To mourn for his hopelessly unrequited crush on his roommate in peace.

But here he is, in all his ginger headed gangly glory, asking Derek for a favor on Valentines Day in direct violation of Article C, and really, Derek can only be expected to withstand so much.

“Sorry. Dick mode deactivated. What do you need, bro?”

Dex blinks, obviously surprised by the change of tack. 

“Um. Well.”

The blustering pause that follows is unfortunately charming.

“It’s. Well. There’s no good way to say this. I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.”

Derek…thinks he might have blacked out there, for a minute, actually.

“What?”

Dex’s blush is a sweet sweep of pink under his freckles. I’m dying, Derek thinks. This is my brain’s final attempt at simulating euphoria at the time of death.

“I need you to pretend to date me. Tonight.”

“I’m… I think I missed a step, there. Maybe.”

Dex huffs in frustration. He scrunches one hand up in his hair, tugging at the roots. He looks anxious and jittery, and more than a little irritated, and frankly this is not at all how Derek imagined being asked out by William Poindexter would go. 

“It’s a long story.”

“Sounds like it’s worth the wait, there, bud.”

“Look—“

“No, seriously, I’ll make time.“

“Nursey—“

“I mean if I’m going to be taking you on a Valentine’s Day date I’d expect there to be a little backstory—“

“Would you just let me talk?”

Derek relents a little, easing back in his chair. He stretches his long legs out in front of him, forcing Dex to take a step back. Dex narrows his eyes at him, and then sighs again.

“It’s… do you know that girl Lisa? In Ancient Civ?”

“The one with the curly hair?”

“Yes.”

Derek nods. He does know Lisa from Ancient Civ. She’s pretty, in a comfortable kind of way, with her big dark eyes and her big curly hair. She’s a hugger. 

“She asked me out.”

Derek blinks.

“Lisa from Ancient Civ asked you out?”

“Right.”

There’s another pause, as though somehow Dex believes this serves as explanation enough. Derek raises an eyebrow.

“…..And?”

“And I told her I was gay.”

Derek can’t help the laugh that comes ugly-snorting out his nose. He really can’t. One minute he’s facing down almost certain heartbreak— or at the very least humiliation— at the hands of his roommate who also happens to be the love of his life, and the next minute he’s picturing William deer-in-the-headlights Poindexter outing himself to Lisa from Ancient Civ because she dared to ask him out.

It’s not Derek’s proudest moment, he’ll admit it. But karma so rarely throws him these kinds of bones.

Dex’s face manages to be both unimpressed and unsurprised at the same time.

“Lisa asked you out on Valentines Day. And you just… told her you were gay?” 

It’s possible he’ll break a rib from laughing. Isn’t that something that happens to people?

“I panicked.”

“Clearly.”

Dex scowls. It makes the lines on either side of his nose get deeper. Derek loves him so damn much.

“I’m still not clear on how we get from your impromptu coming-out to me pretending to date you on what is possibly the most cliché and dramatic day of the year.” 

Dex sighs again. Derek starts to worry if he keeps it up, he’ll hyperventilate. 

“She asked me to the girls’ soccer party tonight. When I told her I was gay, she said I should bring my boyfriend. I didn’t… it happened really fast, okay?”

Derek has to actively clench the plane of his abdomen tight to keep the hysterical giggle from bursting out of him. 

“Can’t you just not go?”

“Don’t you think that’d be adding insult to injury? She asked me out on Valentine’s Day.”

There are moments, Derek thinks. Every once in a while, there are moments when the entire world tilts on its axis. Like when he was five, and he saw his kindergarten teacher at the Olive Garden. Or like when he learned that the seasons go backwards in Australia. 

Falling in love with William Poindexter has been a constant flow of those moments. Every minute shifts the paradigm, every interaction changes the shape of the solar system. Every new thing Derek learns about Dex, it moves the foundations of the Earth a little more— a couple degrees here, a couple inches there, until all of a sudden Derek’s on a path he didn’t even see. 

Like now, with the discovery that even an anxious, embarassed William Poindexter would bend himself into a pretzel before he intentionally caused another person pain.

You may as well, says the voice of Chiron, paddling Derek’s canoe down the river. You’re already doomed. 

Derek sighs. He tilts his head up at Dex, sees the lamplight in his hair, sees the freckles on his long nose. 

“Alright,” Derek says. “Lead the way, Princess.”

~

The party is about what you’d expect for a college soccer team’s Valentine’s Day soiree.  Red streamers, glittery heart-shaped cutouts suspended from the ceiling, a punch in a truly violent shade of pink that Derek refuses to touch on principle. All in all, it’s nothing too outrageous.

Or at least, it wouldn’t be, if he wasn’t also holding William Poindexter’s hand.

The music thumps low in another room when he and Dex walk in. Almost immediately Lisa is on them, pushing beers into their hands and beaming.

“I’m so glad you came! One of us should get to dance with our Valentine tonight at least, right, Will?”

Derek sympathizes with her in the worst way.

“I guess, yeah. I’m sorry, again, about—“

“Oh no, stop! I’m just teasing you. I had no idea you two were together!”

Neither did I, Derek thinks. He takes a long pull on his beer to avoid answering. Next to him, Dex gives a kind of nervous half-chuckle, flexing his fingers convulsively around Derek’s hand.

“Yeah, it’s, um. Recent.”

The giggle is back in Derek’s throat. He coughs it out as best he can, trying to stay cool.

“Thanks for having us, Lisa,” he says, as if forcing the hysteria in his chest into word-shapes will make it less unbearable. 

“Any time!” Lisa says. She cranes her head around Dex’s shoulder then, someone in the room beyond catching her eye. “Sorry, excuse me, you guys. I’ve gotta go make the rounds. Go on, enjoy the party!”

She’s gone in a bounce of brown curls, and Derek is left with the acute sensation of Dex’s fingers in-between his and the growing sense that this might really be his last night on the Earth.

Next to him, Dex sags minutely in relief, exhaling in a whoosh.

“Thank you,” he says quietly. It’s not quite too quiet for anyone else to hear, but Derek’s sure no one else is listening to them. It feels private, secure. 

“No problem, bro,” Derek answers. Even though it’s rapidly becoming the biggest problem of Derek’s entire life.

“She doesn’t seem too put out, does she?’

“Nah, she seemed okay. Plus, look at her. She won’t have any trouble finding someone else.”

Dex goes strangely tense next to him, and all of a sudden Derek’s hand is empty. He blinks at the loss. When he finally shakes himself back to reality, Dex is stiff and somehow distant.

“Sorry,” he says quickly. “If I’d known you were interested, I wouldn’t have—“

The giggle comes back too quickly for Derek to stop it, this time. It comes out though his nose almost like a sneeze, a wild puff of disbelief in a higher register than Derek’s hairline. Dex is blushing, scuffing his shoe on the ground, that irritated hunch already curling around his shoulders. 

May as well, Derek thinks. He stuffs the giggle back down. It’s Valentine’s Day, after all.

“Dex,” he says. Derek reaches out and laces his fingers back firmly into Dex’s, squeezing them tightly under the Cupid cut-outs and the lace doily hearts in the windows.

“I’m not interested in her.”

When Dex squeezes back, Derek feels the world tilt on its axis, a few more degrees towards the sun.