#okay in love with how i edited everything

[norr1ssturni0lo]

Films and cuddles

Matt Sturniolo x Fem!reader

Nick sturniolo x bsf!reader

Word count: 900 (roughly)

Warning: none really, just fluff, possible spelling mistakes, maybe a bit cringe ngl😭

Summary: matts girlfriend can’t sleep, she and her bestfriend Nick watch a film on the couch.

❗️not proofread❗️

It was around 12:30am, the only time the sturniolo household was relatively quiet minus the soft hum of the tv coming from the living room as everyone was settling down for the night. The boys had just come back from filming the newest car video and everyone filtered around the house doing their own things. Y/N and Matt in their shared bedroom, Chris, for once in his own room, and Nick in the living room, presumably editing the YouTube video ready to be posted the next day. Matt was fast asleep behind Y/N, while she laid awake staring at the ceiling hoping sleep would overcome her eventually.

*hour later*

Y/N still couldn’t seem to fall asleep no matter how much she tried. She turned her body to face Matt who was still fast asleep, softly snoring with his beloved pug stuffed animal mr wrinkleton against his chest. Finally, she threw her legs over the side of the bed and threw on a pair of socks she found to avoid her feet getting cold and she quietly made her way over to Matt’s desk chair and grabbed his hoodie that hung on the back of the chair and she put it on, the hoodie drowning her small frame. She made her way over to the bedroom door and quietly opened it and made her way out and down the small corridor into the kitchen where she was met with the sight of Nick and Lauren, a friend of theirs they’ve known since high school and Chris’ girlfriend, sat on the couch together watching a film on the tv with a blanket thrown lazily across their legs Nick turned his gaze away from the tv as he heard her footsteps across the wooden floor.

‘Hey. I thought you were asleep. Everything okay?’ Nick asked the Y/H/C girl as he watched her open the fridge and grabbed the carton of milk. ‘hey, just couldn’t sleep that’s all. how come you’re both still awake?’ She replied quietly, not wanting to potentially wake Matt up ‘not long finished editing for tomorrow’s video. Probably gonna head to bed soon’ he replied. ‘Come watch this film with us Y/N/N, it’s Jaeden Martell’s new film and it’s only just started.’ lauren added on, knowing how much Y/N loves Jaeden and his films. Y/N nodded and trudged over to the couch after she finished her milk and put the empty glass in the dishwasher and sat next to Nick, who put the blanket over her legs and she sunk into the couch and made herself comfortable and they all continued to watch the movie, Nick occasionally on his phone answering Snapchat replies from fans.

*time skip*

Nick yawned as the credits rolled. Lauren had taken herself downstairs to Chris’ room halfway through the movie since she got too tired but Nick and Y/N decided to stay upstairs and finish the movie. The blue eyed boy felt a weight on his shoulder, he looked to his side and saw the younger girl asleep on his shoulder as soft snores escaped her lips. He chuckled softly at the sight of the girl who was like his sister. He gently tapped her, causing a mumble to escape her lips.

‘Hey sleepy head.’ Nick spoke softly as to not annoy her as he knew how easily annoyed she got if people spoke to loudly when she first wakes up. ‘Mmm hey.’ she murmured, and sent him a sleepy smile, and she made no effort to get up off the couch to go back to bed.

‘Want me to carry you kid?’ He said to the sleepy girl who was practically falling back asleep and she lazily nodded. Nick took the blanket off her legs and quickly folded it up and threw it onto the back of the couch. He put his phone in his pyjama pants pocket. He gently picked Y/N up, hooking his arms behind her back and behind her knees and carried her bridal style through the corridor and gently kicked open the door to Matt and Y/N’s bedroom which was open adjar to begin with.

Nick laid his best friend on her side of the bed, he removed her socks for her, aware of how much she hated sleeping with socks on as she shuffled slightly to get comfortable on the bed and he put the blanket over her body. As he was moving, the floorboards made a loud creaking noise which made Nick silently curse to himself as he watched his brother slowly wake up.

‘Nick, what are you doing?’ Matt mumbled with his voice full of sleep, slightly annoyed at being woken up ‘Sorry Matt, she fell asleep watching a movie on the couch so I brought her back to bed, you know, being the nice bestfriend I am’ Nick replied pointing at the half asleep girl next to Matt as if he was stating the obvious ‘Goodnight both of you’ Nick whispered as he made his way out the bedroom and made his way up to his own bedroom.

Almost as soon as Nick left his room, Matt looked over at Y/N, who, in her sleepy state, had reached out for mr wrinkleton and took the stuffed animal in her arms. He let out a soft chuckle at his girls antics and almost as if she’d sensed him shuffling around to get comfortable, she subconsciously moved so that her head rested on Matt’s chest and wrapped her arm around his torso, the stuffed animal getting squished between the couple as Matt wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

‘Goodnight sleepy girl, I love you’ Matt whispered to her, he felt her squeeze his torso gently in acknowledgment, she mumbled a quiet ‘I love you’ back to the brown haired boy as they both nodded off.

[patolemus]

Sterek fic recs: High School AU Edition

In honor of my conversation with @darling-winnie about same age!Sterek, as well as my promise to @oldefashioned, here are some high school au recs!

1. Double Cherries (And 'Extra' Hoodies) by undercoverbastard

“No, no - wait - don’t tell me,” Stiles suddenly said, leaning forward and grinning at the boy directly on his right, eyes gleaming with joy and mischief as he spoke. “You want… a salmon burger, swiss, with fruit, and a vanilla shake. Eh?”

Derek scowled, shoving his menu at Stiles as he slumped back. “No,” he said plainly. Stiles pouted.

“Too bad! That’s what I’m penning you in for, Eyebrows,” Stiles said, scribbling on his notepad as he stood and began to walk away. Derek huffed, opening his mouth to give Stiles his actual order, but the only word he got out was ‘I’ before Stiles waved him off without even looking back at Derek or down at the notepad, stride unbroken, as he recited:

“Double cheeseburger, half swiss, half cheddar, no pickles, curly fries, side honey mustard, strawberry milkshake, extra thick, double cherries.”

+.+.+

OR: alive hale family, alive claudia, and high school friends stiles/derek - all wrapped into one, based on a joke from a TV show i watched when i was 7, and then got wildly out of control!

Notes: adorable, I love their banter and the conection they have. Alive!Hale family is always such a treasure, and Claudia and Talia's friendship is great here. It's completed.

2. i wanna dance with somebody (who loves me) by bleepobleep

Derek gets in an accident and loses a few years of his memory; suddenly everything is different— he's not a freshman loser anymore, but a popular senior, captain of the basketball team, a shoo-in for prom king, too, and he should have everything he's ever wanted— except he doesn't seem to be friends with Stiles anymore.

Notes: Derek is not having a good time. Pookie just wants to be with his best friend but it turns out they're not best friends anymore and the world doesn't make sense because of it. A little angsty but it all works out. It's completed.

3. Don't Kiss and Tell by Hedwig221b

Paige has finally got the boyfriend she always wanted. The only thing is, said boyfriend doesn't touch her, doesn't kiss her and spends all his time with Stiles Stilinski. You'd think they were dating, or something...

Notes: When I tell you I go feral for this au every single time I read it! Hedwig has the best unhinged obsessive sterek fics and I'll swear on that, don't even try to change my mind. Poor Paige is definitely being led on here, and both Derek and Stiles are assholes in this one, but they're in love and they're completely devoted to each other, so it's okay (I know it doesn't make sense now, but it will. Trust). It's completed.

4. But Then What... by Stoney

Senior year is almost over, and all Stiles needs to do is keep his head down to survive. A teacher calls in a favor, leaving him stuck tutoring Derek Hale, one of the most popular jocks in school and a member of a group of douchecanoes who have bullied Stiles for years. He's someone Stiles totally hates. Totally. Like, doesn't like him even a little bit. DEFINITELY isn't attracted to him.

Except that is a total lie. Fuck his life, seriously.

Notes: Typical Jock/Nerd enemies to lovers only it's Stiles being incredibly paranoid and angsty all of the time lol. They both had me shaking my head because my babies truly don't know how to communicate, but we got there! Eventually. It's completed.

5. Just The Same by foxlavander

Something is seriously up with the captain of the lacrosse team. There's just no way Derek Hale is human. *** “I was wondering if you're even human. You move so quickly. I mean, it's ridiculously fast. No human should be able to move that fast, y'know? It's unfair for us. I mean, it's obvious you work out, and I don't, so that could be why, but like...I was just wondering if you were human, that's all.” “Stop talking, Stilinski, or I'll—” “Put me on the bench all season?” Stiles asks knowing full well that Derek Hale can't threaten him with shit.

Notes: This one is so good. Stiles is onto you, Derek! But seriously, they're so awesome in this one. And Derek bakes and he wants to open up a bakery and it's adorable. I love them and I love the Hales, everything is great. Look out for the werewolf reveal! It's completed.

6. The In Which Stiles Is Secretly Magic series by apocryphal

All Stiles wants from life is to learn to control his magic, keep his grades up, and not die horribly while saving Beacon Hills from supernatural threats. It's all going pretty well until Derek Hale, werewolf extraordinaire, has to go and ask him on a date. That asshole.

Notes: The lore for magic users in here is honestly so good. Love the world building! The Hales are alive in this one as well, which for me is always a plus. A little bit (maybe more than a little bit) angsty but it ends well. There's a few things going on, but basically Stiles is basically Deaton's apprentice and there are Rules(TM) he has to follow as a magic user. He's pretty badass though! The series is technically not finished, but both parts in the series are completed.

7. cheer up, babe by graveltotempo

He was the basketball captain. And he was a cheerleader. Can I make it any more clear? OR: Derek Hale thought he had his crush on Stiles Stilinski under control. And then Stiles decided to show up to school in a skirt.

Notes: Derek spends all 20k words thirsting over Stiles, as he should. Stiles gets to wear a skirt and be generally awesome. They are disgustingly sweet together.

8. Made Your Mark on Me (A Golden Tattoo) by writteninthewolfstar

Beacon Hills High and Lycan Heights High are well-known enemies. Derek Hale, Lycan Heights' star quarter-back, is well-known for being aggressive and arrogant. Imagine Stiles surprise when he discovers that Derek Hale is actually his soul-mate.

Notes: This one is very sweet. There's insecure Stiles and absolutely lovely Derek. It's abo with Omega!Stiles and Alpha!Derek, and it's actually pretty wholesome. Derek is like public enemy number one of BHHS and a jock, Stiles is a loner, and when they turn out to be soulmates they have to navigate what that means for it. It has 13 out of 14 chapters, last updated in March of 2024.

9. too busy being yours to fall for somebody else by whiry

Stiles, worried that Scott may actually leave him behind because of his newfound popularity, is desperate to cling to something away from the drama of Lydia Martin's amazing parties and the woes of high school lacrosse. What he finds is Derek Hale, a guy who seemingly hates Stiles at first, but slowly, and insistently, becomes friends with him. As their friendship grows, Stiles starts to wonder if they could ever become something more or if pushing what they have will lead him to being alone for good.

Notes: Also very sweet! It's strangers to friends to lovers, and Stiles falls out of love with Lydia without even realizing because he's fallen in love with Derek. The Hales are alive in this one, yay! The way sterek bonds over music is also so good! It's completed.

10. Stupid Over You by Wolfspurr

It's a Friday night, and instead of enjoying any of the numerous things he'd rather be doing, Stiles has been roped into dinner with his dad at the Hale's. On the plus side, Derek Hale will be there. On the minus side, Derek Hale will be there, and Stiles already has a hard enough time not making an ass of himself in front of the hottest guy in school. There's no way this can end well.

Notes: Overall amazing fic! Stiles is his oblivious awkward self that we all know and love, Derek is completely smitten with him. All this wrapped up in a dinner with the Hales and the Stilinskis. That's it, that's the fic. It's completed.

11. Six Minutes by CosmoKid

“What do you want?” Derek practically grows when Stiles is near enough to hear. He can definitely feel the werewolf vibes coming from the guy as well as the fuck off vibes that roll off him in tsunami-sized waves. Stiles has one thing he needs to say to Derek, but he also has eight million questions to ask him about the werewolf thing and he can barely sort out his thoughts as it is, let alone when there’s a ridiculously attractive werewolf who’s basically Adonis staring at him. Derek takes another drag of his cigarette and raises his eyebrows at Stiles expectantly. He shivers and blurts out, “Six minutes.” That makes Derek smirk, but it’s so condescending that even Harris would be impressed. “No offense, Kitten,” Derek starts and Stiles just narrows his eyes at the nickname. Derek keeps his eyes trained on Stiles as if to dare him to challenge the nickname. Stiles bites his tongue and resists it. “But you’re not really my type.”

Notes: This is not your typical high school au, but it's a nice change of pace. It's got werewolves, which we love, and bad boy Derek. Stiles stood no chances lol. It's completed.

12. The covalent bonds series by HaldFizzbin

Awkward Nerd Derek has been crushing on Handsome Jock Stiles since forever—so getting paired with him on a Chemistry project is definitely the best/worst thing that's ever happened to him.

Notes: I went on a little Nerd!Derek and Jock!Stiles fixation the other day so here we have it. Derek is awkward and funny and insecure and we love him. Stiles is Stiles, and he's awesome. The series is not finished, but all the parts of the series are complete.

13. It's Always Been You, Dumbass by stilinskisparkles

“Alright, cool, we should go,” Stiles says breezily, dusting off his hands as he stands. “We should?” “Yeah!” “But… Do you even care about photography?” “Not as much as I should,” Stiles plants both his hands on the table, bracketing Derek in, “You’ll have to correct my miscreant ways.”

Notes: Stiles is helplessly pining, Derek is painfully oblivious and the absolute last to find out. Somehow, they still go on like three dates together. It's pretty great, and it's completed.

14. can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time? by whirl

There's something strange about Beacon Hills. Stiles can't really put his finger on it, but the way certain classmates look at him at school and the way certain adults look at him in the grocery store has him curious. And it's not the sort of pitying looks that his mom's coworkers used to give him, but these ones are longer, more searching, like they're looking for something. Not to mention the weird noises that sometimes come from the woods when he runs, too human to be animal and too animal to be human. Plus the way the Hales have seemed to sequester themselves to the wild and give Stiles serious Cullen family vibes. But Stiles, like everyone else apparently, ignores it. Until it becomes too great to ignore and he has to investigate for himself and find out what is actually going on in Beacon Hills. +++ Or, the one where Stiles and Derek meet, hate each other, slowly get to know one another, and fall totally head over heels for each other all while avoiding curious classmates, an angry ex-girlfriend, and, oh yeah, imminent death.

Notes: This one is kinda crazy but in a good way! It's 120k words long so be prepared for that, and Stiles finds out about werewolves. Derek, pookie, I'm rooting for you all the way! Also Cora, my beloved. I adore her. Stiles is pretty confused all the time for a while there. It's completed.

15. scary stories and roasted goods by graveltotempo

“I have more, you know?” grumbled Jackson, clearing his throat. “Okay, fine. Here’s another; a man goes is staying at a hotel for the weekend. On his way to his room, he notices a door with no number on it-” “An albino woman with white skin and red eyes committed suicide in that room years ago,” finished Erica, inspecting her nails with a smirk. “We know that too.” “A babysitter goes to put two children to sleep in their room and notices a large creepy clown statue in the corner-” he tried again. “Get out of the house, we don’t have a clown statue,” said Allison, tried to hide a laugh at the flustered expression on Jackson’s face. “Two roommates in a room. Sarah says that she wants to go to a party and Mary wants to stay home-” “Aren’t you glad you didn’t turn the lights on?” said Derek, and Stiles laughed, looking at him with sparkling eyes. OR the cheerleading squad, the lacrosse team and the basketball team go camping.

Notes: Another cheerleader!Stiles and Jock!Derek. I love them your honor. It's all very sweet and Derek pines as he ought to do lol. Don't worry, there's light at the end of the tunnel. It's completed.

That's all I have for this one. I probably have more in my TBR but I guess we'll find out. If I ever get there. My sterek TBR only ever grows and I never seem to be able to finish fics as fast as I find them lol. Hope you guys like these!

[guardian-angle22]

Happy to present to y'all this 911LS fic list for stories related to one of my favorite episodes 3.13 Riddle of the Sphynx! I try to make these as comprehensive as possible, so if you have any you think I missed, let me know so I can add them. (I also might make edits to these posts to add more fics as they get written. If I ever do so I'll be sure to reblog the post for visibility!)

Enjoy all of our amazing fandom writers and leave them some comments & love!

[Disclaimers: • If you're an author and don't like to be tagged or linked for any reason, let me know and I'll remove the tag and make sure not to do so in the future, no questions asked. • I usually post TWs in rec lists. Due to the episode subject matter, assume all of these have a TW for discussion of addiction/drug use and possibly discussion of parent death/grief.]

◆ Chasers by @carlos-in-glasses (Words: 13.4K; Rating: E)

After 3x13 ��� while TK is alone with Cooper, Carlos is alone with his thoughts. Both recall times they’ve chased the next high, other men, or each other. When Carlos arrives home, TK still has something important to say – and it's something he didn’t tell Cooper.

◆ trying my best by @reyescarlos (Words: 10.3K; Rating: M)

An exploration of TK's sobriety journey from 2017 to now. Or, a season 3 coda spanning 3x08-3x13

◆ You Showed me How it feels to Truly be Seen by @ramblingdisaster73 (Words: 3K; Rating: T)

Carlos works through the events of 3x13 "The Riddle of the Sphinx".

◆ Measure of a Man by @chicgeekgirl89 (Words: 1.8K; Rating: T)

“I want to be everything you need. That I can’t be, it hurts, T.K. It feels like a failure on my part. And as much as I’m trying to accept it, it’s hard.” A 3x13 coda in which Carlos struggles with a new definition of being "enough."

◆ I'll be here all the same by @strandnreyes (Words: 4.8K; Rating: G)

“I am glad you have someone you can talk to who can maybe do a better job at fixing things,” Carlos insists before dropping his eyes to their tangled together fingers. “All I want is for you to be okay.”It’s not surprising to hear, but it hits as if it was. That really is the root of this whole thing. As much as Carlos wants to do what he can to be the person to get TK to that place, at the end of the day all he really wants is for TK to get there.“I will be.”Or, three late night conversations following the events of 3.13

◆ Trigger by comes2gusu (Words: 4.7K; Rating: T)

TK is struggling with his newly found sobriety. After being triggered at an NA meeting, Cooper takes TK for omelets

◆ this love we carry by @thevenstar (Words: 7.6K; Rating: T)

A 3x13 coda in which Carlos has a conversation with a friend, puts his heart to rest, and learns that walking away does not mean surrender.

◆ Those Pieces by @taralaurel (Words: 7.3K; Rating: M)

"I, I'm not telling you all - this - so you can fix me," TK huffs a hot breath against Carlos' chin, "or save me or really, do anything, okay?" Carlos nods against TK's forehead. TK has done a lot of things in his life to deserve the bad that has happened to him. He has no idea what good he's done to deserve Carlos. Coda to 3x13

◆ the one i want by @chaotictarlos (Words: 2K; Rating: E)

TK gets Carlos to take his shirt off.

◆ i want you to unravel me by @reyescarlos (Words: 4.2K; Rating: E)

In the aftermath of the strain that's fallen over them, TK and Carlos bridge the gap with open conversation that brings them closer together, both emotionally and physically. [3x13 coda]

◆ Just Wanna Breathe by @theoceanismyinkwell (Words: 1.9K; Rating: G)

Carlos doesn’t dare look at him for long, knowing that his eyes have always been the window to his soul, the weakest part of his body, unveiling everything in the well of truths he’s kept a lid on for years and years. His family may not be able to read him as well as he feared for the decades he was in the closet, but TK has a way of crashing into his life with a formidable gentleness and a piercing understanding that unmoors him in every possible way.And that’s precisely what TK is doing now, keeping the warmth of his palms flush against the beating of Carlos’ skin, cradling his face, forcing them both to gaze into each other’s eyes and face each other’s unspoken terrors without flinching.TK sounds like he has a lump in his throat. “I’m going to say something, and I want you to listen to me and I want you to remember it.”---Or: What happens when Carlos comes back home after TK's talk with Cooper, and the confessions that spill out after.

◆ waiting on the sidelines by @morganaspendragonss (Words: 1.5K; Rating: T)

They’d promised each other no more secrets, and while Carlos rationally knows that these aren’t exactly secrets, there’s still this grain of resentment inside of him that scratches away with every beat of his heart. It’s something he can’t let show in front of TK ever again, which is why he’s here, outside Owen's house while TK and Cooper talk in the loft.If anyone’s going to understand what he’s feeling, it’s Owen Strand.

◆ Three Weeks In by @masterroadtripper (Words: 3K; Rating: T; TW: self-harm)

It’d been three weeks since Sadie had drugged them - nineteen days since TK started a ninety-day NA sobriety program at the local Synagogue and eleven days since Carlos had met Cooper for the first time - before Carlos realized that there was something else TK wasn’t telling him.

◆ What We Need by Ehm (Words: 3.1K; Rating: T)

"You okay, bud?" Cooper startled him out of his thoughts and he let go of the spoon with a clinking noise. He straightened up, embarrassed. "Sorry, I zoned out." "I can see that," Cooper sounded vaguely amused. "You wanna talk about it?" --- Three times TK has a conversation with Cooper, and one time he talks to Carlos. Or, 3x13 and beyond from TK's point of view.

◆ Nocturne by @sanctuaryforalluniverses (Words: 735; Rating: T)

Carlos comes home. (Post-ep for 3x13)

◆ Precious Love by @rmd-writes (Words: 11.6K; Rating: M)

This is five times TK thinks he doesn’t deserve love and one time he knows he does – an exploration of TK’s relationship with love and self-worth.

◆ Inside a snow globe by @goodways (Words: 6.9K; Rating: E)

It isn’t until TK is on top, lavishing Carlos’ neck, stroking his hand up his side, that Carlos brings their faces together, barely a suggestion of a kiss between them. He holds TK’s jaw and keeps him close whilst he readies the question in his mind. He breathes out a straightforward and tempting, “fuck me,” over TK’s lips which silences the world outside their bedroom. TK’s response whenever he’s asked for this has few variations between immediate enthusiastic compliancy and the sweet reassurance he knows Carlos is dying for. The answer is always yes. - The evening after TK gets his one month sobriety chip.

◆ my home has been your heart since the day i met you by @lavendergiroux (Words: 1.8K; Rating: M)

After Carlos leaves Cooper and TK to talk, all they do is talk about him. When Carlos comes home - they are still talking about him.

◆ Deep Talks and Cuddles by raniaswritings (Words: 1.2K; Rating: T)

TK talks to Cooper and Carlos comes back home after a few hours

◆ “What are you doing?” “I don’t want you to do that.” by @irispurpurea (Words: 1.1K; Rating: T)

Fictober 2022 Day 13 and 14. Prompts: “What are you doing?” “I don’t want you to do that.” “What are you doing?” Carlos looks up to find TK frowning at him from their bedroom. “I…” Carlos holds up the blanket in his hands, unsure what else to say. He thinks it’s pretty obvious what he’s doing. Then again, tonight has proven that he can’t do anything right, apparently, when it comes to TK.

◆ "It's your shirt..." by @lavendergiroux (Words: 780; Rating: M)

TK really didn't want to talk about it, he just really needed Carlos to claim him...

◆ sunkissed face by mooshkat (Words: 1K; Rating: T)

To show his appreciation, TK decides to make Carlos breakfast.

Spec Fics Written Prior to the Episode Airing/Canon Convergence:

◆ if the darkness comes, i'll stay by @doublel27 (Words: 3.2K; Rating: T)

“I had some things to do,” TK says, his stomach twisting. “Some things?” “Carlos, I texted,” TK reminds his boyfriend, because he did. “It’s fine.” “Is it?” Carlos asks, his voice dangerously calm. or TK comes home late for the third night in one week, and he and Carlos have a necessary confrontation. A speculative fic for 3x13.

◆ Caught by @littlemissmarianna (Words: 761; Rating: G)

“Who’s that?” Carlos doesn’t answer Mitchell’s question because he doesn’t know. There’s only a handful of people he can identify from the back, and this guy isn’t on the list. He has broad shoulders, though, and nice hair and is probably good-looking. Why else would TK be staring at him so intently?

◆ In Order to Get Back to Us by reyestrand (Words: 2.2K; Rating: G)

Carlos waits up for TK when he’s late coming home and they talk about the things they’re afraid to. - a 3x13 speculation fic

◆ still comparing your past to my future by @kiras-sunshine (Words: 17.4K; Rating: T)

Something else than the wallowing feeling of uneasiness, anxiety and hurt in the bottom of his stomach. All of it seems to have a chokehold on his heart and no matter what he tries to think about, his thoughts always go back to TK, to worry that keeps mixing in with everything, and the brightness of TK’s smile, the way the corner of his mouth curled up and his eyes shone, when he smiled at someone else than him.

[bloodyhoon]

omg I've been waiting to send skz request 🙇🏻‍♀️ I'm an engene but CHRISTOPHER BANG is so hot so how about chris being your long time bff who you didn't have a relationship with but he is secretly in love with you for a long time and your boyfriend who was an ass cheats on you and breaks your heart and you go to stay with Chris for sometime to have his comfort and the loving gentleman he is he makes you feel so much better with little gifts and cuddles which ends up in you starting to want him sexually and who is he to say no to fucking you .. that's all ^_^ thanks

i'm an engene, but i'm also a stay so yes, this man is one of the hottest but kind and gentleman i could have ever seen, and he makes me feel so delulu like i want him to be my boyfriend🫠

pairing: bestfriend! bang chan x female! reader.

genre: angst, smut.

warnings: infidelity, breakup, mention of crying, protected sex, and idk. english is not my first language so there may be grammal or spelling errors. I wrote this without editing or proofreading, I hope it's not that bad.

words: 1.8K

--

all your friends had warned you; your boyfriend was a womanizer. but of course, you would never have imagined it while he continued to manipulate and deceive you with the nice words and romantic outings that you had, until he broke your heart by cheating on you with your cousin. so typical. years of relationship thrown away and you couldn't even kick him out of the apartment you shared because the bastard had made you abandon everything about yourself and move in with him, who was the owner of the place. so with a broken heart and your suitcase, you moved to your best friend who welcomed you with open arms. it really wasn't that easy, at first you just wanted to stay for a while until things "sorted out" but chan had told you that he would let you live with him as long as you wanted as long as you left your useless boyfriend. you weren't angry with him for that condition, in fact, you were grateful for it because you knew that the moment you decided to accept "taking some time" with your boyfriend, he would find a way to manipulate you into getting back with him at some point. so now there you were, single, depressed and with a broken heart, but in good company living with your best friend of a lifetime.

"how do you feel?"

that question made you come out of your own thoughts as you watched the leaves from the trees slowly fall through the window. you had been there for a couple of days, in your pajamas and with your mind distracted from everything, and chan couldn't do anything but accompany you so that you don't feel alone, so every time he had the opportunity to get close to you and be with you, took advantage of it to bring you gifts like candy or flowers, which he knew weren't much but your eyes recovered a little of that shine that he liked so much in you.

"i'm not okay, but I don't feel like I'm dying either. that's good, right?" you grimaced, trying to force a smile. he nodded and approached you, stroking your hair slowly.

"you'll see that soon it will stop hurting" were simple words but you felt quite comforted because he always had the right way of saying things to make you feel a little better. "And soon you will find someone who knows how to value you as you deserve." and he was talking about himself, because yes, your best friend was completely in love with you even before you started dating the damn guy who had dared to break your heart.

a few weeks later, you and chan were together on the couch watching a stupid romantic movie that had brought back many memories of your relationship and you had ended up crying uncontrollably in chan's embrace while he stroked your hair waiting for you to calm down. you were feeling stupid for crying after so much time, but you couldn't help it, you thought you were fine but it still hurt knowing that you had lost so much time and so much of yourself for an idiot who hurt you.

"i'm sorry" you just said between sobs and you felt him squeeze you tighter in his arms.

"why are you apologizing silly? It's okay to cry, you have to let it all out. anyway, I love having you in my arms" as he held you in his arms, you could feel how fast his heartbeat was and for some reason that made your heart match as a shiver ran down your spine after feeling his warm hands caressing your arms.

you tried with everything in you not to faint when chan came out of the bathroom with only a pair of sweatpants and no shirt and entered his room, where you were lying on his bed killing some time. it wasn't the first time you saw your friend without shirt, but for some reason lately it made you feel shy and intimidated and also, it awakened something that you thought was forbidden within you. he was your best friend, it didn't feel right to feel that he turned you on like that, but you couldn't blame yourself either, the guy was fucking hot, attractive and gentlemanly, everything a woman needed. he put the wet towel aside and fell on the bed next to you and only looked for the TV control when he noticed that you were focused on something else.

"y/n, pass me the controller that's on the nightstand next to you" you were so focused on your own thoughts looking at the screen of your phone, trying not to look at him and completely ignore his arm lightly brushing your body that was trying to surreptitiously get away from him, so you didn't listen to what he told you. chan rolled his eyes at you when you ignored him and leaned over you to reach for what he wanted himself.

"w-what are you doing?" your question came out with a gasp. that action took you by surprise, his heavy body positioning itself over yours and his face just a few centimeters from yours as he leaned further to reach the control.

"just taking what I asked for and you didn't give me" he moved the device in front of your face, but still staying in that position leaning over you. he looked at your blushing face and raised an eyebrow slightly. "what are you thinking? If you want something from me, you just have to ask" he winked at you playfully and let out a laugh. your heart beat rapidly and your thighs clenched involuntarily. he was so hot and attractive that every little action he did left you speechless. you couldn't waste that moment.

“i want you to-” you stopped when he stopped laughing and looked at you seriously, not expecting you to say anything.

“what do you want, y/n?” he asked. deep inside of him, desire began to grow when he was almost one hundred percent sure of what you were about to say just by seeing your eyes, but he needed to hear it come from your lips. “say it, y/n.”

"i want to fuck" those words came out of you almost rushed and chan wanted to jump for joy at finally hearing you say it, but he restrained himself and looked at you intently.

"want me to fuck you?" you nodded quickly. "are you sure?" he insisted.

"damn chan, I'm more than sure" you lifted your body and your face moved closer to his, almost touching his lips. "i have never been so sure in my life."

"great, because I've been waiting this for years" then he just crushed his lips against yours and kissed you with all the desire that he had been building up inside for so long.

he pushed your body against the bed and quickly removed your shirt revealing your body that was naked and covered by just your skimpy underwear. he looked at your body with lustful eyes, engraving your image in his mind for life and you blushed a little as you felt exposed, but not ashamed because you knew you could trust him and that he would never judge you.

"holy shit, you're so hot" his lips attacked yours again and you hugged his broad shoulders almost hanging on to him. he rested his hand on your abdomen for a few moments and then slowly went down until he slipped inside your underwear. you moaned into his mouth when his fingers touched your pussy and he noticed how wet you were. "you want this?"

"more than you can imagine, so please fuck me now" you asked desperately, removing your own underwear before he gave you an answer. chan let out a low laugh, lightly biting his lower lip and removed the clothes he was wearing.

"how could i say no if you're asking me like that?" after opening the drawer of the nightstand next to you, he took a condom and when he opened it and slid it on his cock calmly, you felt your nerves and the wetness between your legs increase.

"chan, please stop taking your time" you whined, pulling his body against yours as he positioned himself between your legs. he looked at you for a moment and laughing, kissed your forehead, then holding your body he pressed it to the headboard.

“it's okay, baby, don't exasperate” his cock lined up at your entrance and slid into you causing you both to moan at the same time, him holding you by the waist and you holding on to his shoulders as your knees bent upwards.

"come on chan, move" you asked, you were desperate for him to do something more than just be inside you. he nodded, removing your body from the headboard and pressed it to the mattress, he moved his hips taking a tortuous rhythm. you felt a little dizzy and your head fell against the pillow as your eyes closed. "damn, it feels good" you couldn't believe that this was happening, that your best friend of so many years was fucking you and you were enjoying it so much. that would never have crossed your mind.

"you like it?" his lips wrapped around your neck, sucking on that spot that made you moan and he continued penetrating you, this time harder and deeper making your head spin while you moved your hips against him matching his pace. you felt in agony as his lips were on you and his cock moved in and out of your pussy at an increasingly faster pace that at some point shook your body violently, your nails digging into his shoulders causing chan to moan and your lips desperately searching for his.

"chan, I'm going to cum- ah-" you moaned against his lips and he nodded quickly. everything was happening so fast but you didn't care because you knew it wouldn't be the only time.

"i was dying to fuck you" he moaned as he continued pushing against you and bringing his hand between both of your bodies, applying pressure to your clit to accelerate your orgasm. "but i was also dying to tell you that i like you and that i want you to stop crying over that damn idiot and be mine, that i will make you the happiest woman in the world."

"chan!" you whimpered as his fingers on your sensitive clit sped up to the point where you were about to cum hard. "i'm cumming!"

"do it, cum with me" his thrusts were harder and you reached orgasm at the same time, feeling your bodies relax and fall exhausted on the bed with your breathing accelerated. a small pause formed between you while you could only hear your breathing and feel the soft caresses of your hands on each other's bodies. "i really like you a lot, y/n, i always liked you and i'm sorry for telling you this and now, but I'm really glad that you broke up with that bastard and are living here with me" his chest went up and down as he recovered from his orgasm. your head was still in the clouds, you knew that his words had a strong weight that you would later have to process, but for now you just let out a laugh that he found reassuring and he hugged you around the waist, getting up from the bed and taking you to the bathroom to take a shower again but this time with you.

send me request for stray kids, zb1 and enhypen

[dark-gibberish]

Amalgamate Redraw!

Okay okay okay. There's this fanfic I LOVE called Amalgamate on Ao3 by DoctorHaifish. Like a ago I made fanart and I decided to redraw it . (Aka I saw it in an edit and I got really sick looking at it 0.o)

I can NOT recommend this fic enough. The writeing, the plot, The characters!! Omg Ithe way it expands on the characters and every little moment. Gosh the mystery, THE PLANS. Usally I know if a plan a character makes is gonna fail or not (if they explain the plan it will most likely fail) but this fic keeps you in a twilight zone where it feels like you know nothing and also everything. It does get EXTREMELY dark and characters are forced to swoop to unimaginable lows, so I can't recommend it to everyone, but there's always a sense of hope.

Here's a link

https://archiveofourown.org/works/34729489/chapters/86472166

Onto the actual drawing. I leaned towards a more pyhcopop style and tried something along the lines of Mika Pikazo. My favorite one has to be Kiato, the drastic lighting along with the pose was fun to draw. I can't help but this Kokichi looks out of place compared to him seeing how wide his eyes are,

These colors were fun too, in the original I was obsessed with keeping a warm color pallete for some reason. This bright one really fits the vibe of Dangonropa better. These colors aren't my style either. Instead of analogous complementary for contrast I used analogous (dun dun dun!! 0A0) and used saturation for contrast.

Anyway! Please read Amalgamate and don't look at the old version!

[simphic]

First day of NYFW for Yas... #freemthem 🤷🏾‍♀️

[soosoosoup]

Funk branch au

Au and branch design by @bbc-trolls

[catastrxblues]

EVERMORE by taylor swift (feat. bon iver) — “and i was catching my breath, floors of a cabin creaking under my step. and i couldn’t be sure, i had a feeling so peculiar, this pain wouldn’t be forevermore.”

my #swiftiegiftexchange2024 for @lovesickallovermybed!!!! 🫶🏽🫶🏽

[retracexcviii]

Sunday Moon

Hi there dear fellows and Luna lovers. Sunday.

Don't edit this drawing and don't post it anywhere.

What to say about this masterpiece. Just that I love it and it is and will be my pc wallpaper for long time.

It was made by @/jazetallo on Instagram or Twitter.

[saltpepperbeard]

stepping through scenes™ as i do and

...there was another shoulder touch?

THERE HAD BEEN ANOTHER SHOULDER TOUCH?????

[rosewheresheshouldntbe]

> Rose: Confess to Kanaya!

Rose: I love you.

Kanaya: Y Yo Ati, Rose.

> Rose: Get swallowed by something that looks like Venom.

> Rose: Get sent to super hell!

> Kanaya: Have something very gay and homophobic happen to you.

Kanaya: ...

What an absolute diversity loss. You find yourself thinking "love loses!"

[payasita]

I just want to say you were my first introduction to slay the princess so I partially blame you for my current hyperfixation/j thank you I am deranged over eldritch horror princess and Just Some Guy eldritch horror bird (they are everything to me)

OH I will ask: who is your favourite princess/voice and why? Mine is voice of the contrarian bc he just like me fr, and thorn bc 🫶🫶

WOO glad you're into it! Definitely up there with my favorite games of all time

god I'm gonna have to give you a list. this was a much much longer answer because I have several paragraphs to say for Many Of My Favorites but I'll spare this blog the vomit for now until I can structure parts of it better

fave princesses: Witch and all its routes, Specter and all its routes, Nightmare and all its routes

Fave voices: Stubborn, Skeptic, Smitten. special shout-out to Opportunist for consistently having the best dialogue in the game tho, he sucks and I love him so much

Favorite routes: Razor, Thorn, Damsel

LEGITIMATELY it's so hard to pick but for the sake of giving Some explanation, the razor has to be my favorite for how it exists as the purest subversion of both the story the game is telling (which is itself a subversion of classic monsterslaying fairy tales) and it sort of has to get kind of meta, but it leans into it SO joyously. you as the protagonist being constantly split because the story plot twisted itself so fucking hard that it just. Broke Everything

and the result is absurd and horrifying and slips away from any kind of growth or cogency until both protagonists are stripped completely bare, and it's weird and it's hilarious and no one is having a good time except for the very AGENT of shifting perspectives, no longer constrained by any world or singular force that matters!

and also. How could I not pick the route that gave us The Look™.

[rocker-socks]

not to be insane but Stephanie Brown is so underrated and i really do hate to say its misogyny but. well. It is.

[vtmbbot]

“This will be a proper use of Zantetsuken!”

Ishikawa Goemon XIII in Lupin III: The First

bonus:

[carnelianwings]

Went and saw Gundam Seed Freedom in theatre last night, I have so many thoughts about it (as you'd expect for a long time fan - I've been waiting for this movie ever since they announced it), there will be spoilers behind the cut, but the spoiler free highlights:

This movie is everything I ever wanted out of a Gundam Seed movie - the characters, the mecha, the OST, the cast, everything. It is as much a continuation of Cosmic Era as it is a celebration of Cosmic Era at its best, there's so much love put into this movie I can genuinely say I enjoyed every minute of it from the beginning to the end. My one and only nitpick is that they recasted Cagalli, but Mori Nanako does a fantastic job, so much so I don't have anything negative to say about her performance. (More on this behind the cut below, as I will delve into spoilers.)

Story pacing was actually really good here, in that there's no true retread/recap of both Seed and Seed Destiny. The movie assumes you've seen both, and while you could arguably get away with a cliff's notes version of Seed Destiny (even I know how much of a Base Breaker it is from watching it as it aired in Japan), if you sat through it you're rewarded between the shout outs and extra emotional impact from some of the scenes. There's a few brief clips of flashbacks to the prior series, but to me they feel like they're providing context (as you don't get to hear the characters' inner thoughts the same way you would out of a manga or a novel of the same story).

The animation just looked so good on the big screen, even the CGI used for the Gundams (like they've been doing in the newer Gundam series) looked fantastic. So smooth, no stock footage, you can tell where they made obvious homage shots to the original, but they're clearly redone for the movie. It was a feast for the eyes, in more ways than one.

The OST is fantastic, the way Sahashi wove the various melodies from songs past and present were a delight to the ears. I particularly love how he kept using various melody lines from Shizuka na Yoru ni as a way to musically reflect Lacus's journey and arc through the movie - just a line or two of the main melody, sometimes shifted into minor key, sometimes intertwined with another character's theme (usually whoever she's interacting with at that moment). There's also some glorious reprisals from both Seed and Seed Destiny, all rearranged to give it a grander, more spectacular sound to match the on-screen spectacle. Definitely one of Sahashi's best works, and I'm really happy they brought him back for it. Also, if at all possible - don't listen to the OST before seeing the movie. It will spoil key moments for the final battle, especially if you know which themes are used where.

Now, onto spoiler territory.

First and foremost, I really feel like Seed Freedom manages to redeem Seed Destiny as a whole. My biggest complaint in Seed Destiny is and always has been that Shinn's redemption happens in 5 minutes in an epilogue that was added on in an extended cut - I loved the idea and potential of Shinn as something of a Villain Protagonist early on, and even as we watched him spiral further and further into his grief and anger throughout Seed Destiny, the fact we never got to see what redemption and atonement meant for him was something of a sore point. One of the things I love is a good redemption arc, where the character learns from mistakes they made and improves themselves as a person, as an individual, and we finally get to see that here in Seed Freedom.

Shinn finally gets to do what he really wanted to when he enrolled into the academy, and under Kira's command he shines. For a character that was so heavily defined by his grief and anger for 50 episodes, he's done a 180 here, putting in the work and effort to turn his life around - we get more scenes of him smiling and eagerly working to help Kira as part of the team in COMPASS than angrily scowling or yelling at someone. He's finally found someone he can look up to and work towards being; it's clear he looks up to Kira as something of a role model, both as a goal and commanding officer, and has been rewarded accordingly as the pilot of the Immortal Justice. He's a lot calmer now, long gone are his days fighting for glory on the battlefield, he puts a priority on COMPASS's main mission of intervention and protecting civilians (so much so he'll voluntarily use Immortal Justice's shield to protect them over keeping it to defend himself). But it's not to say his past is completely forgotten or even retconned away - he gets called the Freedom Killer multiple times here (largely as a way to get at Kira too) and while Shinn never denies having been that person, his reaction shows he treats it as Old Shame, something he did but is no longer proud of.

And the true pay off to his arc comes in the end, when he gets reunited with the Destiny thanks to Cagalli upgrading it to the Spec II in the final stretch of the movie. He greets it like someone would greet an old friend, proudly and triumphantly launching this time to the fanfare of Seed Destiny's next episode preview bgm - it's hands down Shinn at his most heroic, and it's a moment he's earned. He's finally become the person he wanted to be at the beginning of Seed Destiny, before he let his grief and anger cloud his mind, before he was manipulated by Durandal. And in the end, his journey through the darkness that was his time under Durandal's command become his strength, granting him a spectacular flawless victory over the Black Knights achieved through his own skills - Stella protects him from the Black Knights' Mind Control, and his instinctual berserker Seed Mode keeps them from reading his mind to predict his moves. It's after all the trials and pain he went through that he comes out at his absolute best, and the Seed Freedom version of Shinn is hands down the best version of him.

Character development aside, it's genuinely heartwarming to see a character that was so narrowly defined by his grief and anger to be the one who brings a lot of the light and levity in what's otherwise a fairly heavy movie. Seeing him as a Big Eater during the ball at Foundation, his entire reunion with Lunamaria after she thought he'd been KIA'ed in the joint operation on the Blue Cosmos base, him getting hit by both Kira and Athrun during their brawl (with neither of them noticing ^^;;) - he's come so far since his Seed Destiny days he's (and I can't believe I'm actually saying this) one of the major highlights of the movie. And then there's his smile at the end when Kira finally relies on him and his cheerful response.

And of course, I can't talk about Shinn without mentioning Lunamaria - they've both come a long way from their days at the ZAFT military academy (if you go off the prequel novel Moonlight Valkyrie) and even from their time on board the Minerva. You can tell there's genuine love and affection between them, mutually supporting each other both on and off the battlefield, between them sharing a room onboard the Millennium and the energy transfer moment between the Impulse and Destiny. There's even a clear moment of redemption for Lunamaria's shooting skills when she shoots down a tactical nuke in her Gelgoog. And while she's definitely not one of the main focus characters in the movie, she still gets her moment of triumph, launching in the Impulse once more after Shinn's Destiny. Even though she's relegated to the Designated Chick Fight, it's a moment of personal triumph for her - she's grown as a person since her academy days, her time on the Minerva and with Shinn and Rey has changed her, and she's a better person for it. Even her time pursuing Athrun (even though he doesn't return her affection at all) comes back as a Meaningful Echo in how she ultimately deals with Agnes. Instead of choosing to kill Agnes in her GYAN, Lunamaria does something of a "pay it forward", disabling the GYAN and returning to pick her up from the moon after the fighting is over. Like Shinn, it's clear Lunamaria's in a better place than she was during the finale of Seed Destiny, and she also gets to join in on some of the lighter moments of the movie next to Shinn.

Onto Kira (because I'm saving my favorites for last), who is most definitely the main focus of the movie, along with Lacus and his relationship with her. Is his story arc a rehash of Seed? In many ways yes, and in so many ways, no. On a surface level, sure - we once again have Kira trying to shoulder the entire burden of the team on himself, of trying to do everything without relying on anyone else, of pushing himself to his limits, and as icing on the retread cake, we're even treated to a CV Kuwashima Houko girl (Agnes) trying to get his attention and affections. And that's about where it ends, because Agnes' motivations are vastly different from Flay's, Kira's circumstances this time around are entirely different from when he was in Seed - this is more about Kira realizing he really doesn't have to shoulder everything by himself, that even if Lacus is a non-combatant, she's there to walk next to him side by side, that Lacus's love for him is completely different from Flay's (initial) love for him. For Kira, it's The Power of Love while also echoing Seed's earlier themes of how easy it is to fall into old habits and make the same mistakes again. It's about Kira finally breaking past his remaining trauma with his relationship with Flay - he finally realizes that Lacus wants to be with him for him, that she never expected him to hand her everything she wanted on a silver platter, that she's willing and ready to work and walk with him to their final goal and destination, wherever that may take them. His relationship with Lacus was never a transactional one like it was with Flay - even if Flay genuinely grew to love Kira in the end, her true feelings for him never managed to reach him before she dies. And in the end, once he realizes what he has with Lacus, once he gets a chance to talk to her and clear the air, he's rewarded with a shiny new upgrade to the Strike Freedom, Lacus voluntarily joining him in the battlefield, and of course, that ending on the beach.

As for the whole "Is Kira Yamato a failure because he was a failed Accord or just Orphee insisting that he is superior to even Coordinators as an Accord" debate, ultimately it doesn't matter (at least in terms of Kira's arc - on a meta level, yes I absolutely want to know lol). He's got the one thing Orphee will never have (Lacus's love) and with that behind him he can overcome anything.

Honestly, if this is where we end Kira's story, where he gets to go off into the sunset with Lacus, to live quietly in the middle of nowhere (or even return to Marshall Islands to stay with Reverend Malchio) where he doesn't have to fight anymore, where he can just spend his days with Lacus until there's some world-ending reason to step back into the cockpit, I'm good with that. Kira never wanted to be a mobile suit pilot to begin with, he only ever did it to defend the people he cares about, and if this is where we part ways with him, because in learning to rely on other people, he also realizes he can hand things off to Cagalli, Athrun, and Shinn (and by extension, Lunamaria), I'm good with that. (I'll get to Cagalli and Athrun after Lacus, I want to save my favorites for last lol)

Lacus always came off as a little too perfect, a little too good with her words, and with a Seed Mode that ... didn't activate like your traditional Seed Mode (for one thing, she never gets the Seed burst animation on screen when she goes into it; she almost always monologues her way in). And I have to say it was satisfying to see that crack some more this time around, where her decisions are a bit more questionable, where she's finally having to deal with some of the consequences of her actions (and by extension Kira's as he answers to her and only her within COMPASS). But ultimately in the end, she's still the same Lacus as ever - Silk Hiding (nerves of) Steel, steadfast in her love and support for Kira, something that nothing can change, not even meeting her genetically destined partner in Orphee. And yes, while even she gets in on the action this time, quite literally delivering the Proud Defender to Strike Freedom to upgrade it into the Mighty Strike Freedom, I don't really have much to say about her.

I will say this though (because it gets very indirectly touched on by Athrun) - if Lacus hadn't fallen in love with Kira, and had continued with her engagement to Athrun as set up by their parents, would she have gone with Orphee? Would that alone have changed events enough so that Athrun might've been conveniently KIA'ed so Orphee would've been able to sweep in?

Now, onto my personal favorites (and complete show stealers this time around): Athrun and Cagalli.

Where do I even begin? Athrun being a Big Damn Hero for Kira not once, but twice? Cagalli taking over Lacus's role for being Crazy Prepared, Bearer of (Gundam) Gifts this time around?? The complete insanity that is the Z'Gok hiding the Infinite Justice Type II??? The (remote) Battle Couple fight????

Cagalli's just pure Crazy Prepared this time. She's learned from the painful lessons of the past 4 years, ensuring there's a plan in place to get her people to safety, immediately issuing evacuation orders for the civilians to avoid direct orbital laser bombardment from Requiem. She's made peace with the fact that sometimes, you really do just need to hop into a Gundam to get shit done, so she's seen to it that the Gundams for the top COMPASS pilots are available should they ever need it. She's the one who came up with COMPASS in the first place, providing some much-needed legitimacy for what Kira and Lacus want to do. She's also very clearly been training with Athrun for mobile suit training - where she once Could Not Keep Up, she's able to seamlessly pilot the Infinite Justice Mark II remotely, a less advanced unit than Shura's Shi-ve.A, without Shura ever realizing it was someone else piloting it. She's back as the Goddess of Victory, now older and wiser and all the better for it.

For all that she hardly showed up on screen, her presence was felt everywhere, most especially whenever Athrun's on screen. Really, I wouldn't even be surprised if the next time we see Orb get threatened by Orbital (Laser) Bombardment, she tells her people to get inside to safety before turning on a shield to protect the cities and then taking the field again.

And as for Athrun - it makes sense he didn't join COMPASS, even though the fact he has a custom COMPASS pilot suit and the Immortal Justice was clearly designed with him in mind. He's found his place in Orb, staying by Cagalli's side as her personal knight. He's even got his own custom suit with the Z'Gok-hiding-the-Infinite-Justice-Mark-II - he's got everything he could ask for while still being able to do his part to maintain peace. And in a double redemption moment - Athrun's the first one to throw the punch this time when Kira starts wallowing in his self doubt and lets his insecurities get the better of him, repaying the favor Kira did back in Seed Destiny when he, well, Saviour'ed the Saviour. Athrun's the one to remind Kira that as a close friend of Lacus's that her actions this time don't sound like the Lacus that he knows, and this time (unlike when he did something similar with Shinn) it works and gets Kira back on track. Poor Shinn - he thinks Athrun's about to do the same thing to Kira that Athrun did to him during his time on the Minerva, but while Shinn's not entirely wrong, he's also misreading the room a bit, not realizing this is a "They're really good friends, and sometimes they just gotta throw some punches to work shit out" moment.

Because in overcoming everything that happened in Seed Destiny, Athrun and Cagalli have finally grown into the people they both want to be. They've found their way, fighting for what they both believe in. Their time apart in Seed Destiny forced them both grow as individuals, so that when we get to see them working together again it's in perfect sync. In so many ways, Athrun and Cagalli (and not Kira and Lacus) are the ideal the Cosmic Era wants to push - two people working together side by side, regardless of genetics, as partners and equals. The dream of Coordinators and Naturals, living and working side by side in harmony - that's them. And ultimately, it is what they do that brings the heroes victory and lets everyone fly off into the (metaphorical) sunset together. They played the long gambit - creating COMPASS (giving Shinn and Lunamaria a means to atone for the things they did, giving Lacus and Kira a legitimate way to stop skirmishes), upgrading the Gundams, being there for their friends and allies when they needed it (Athrun literally knocking sense back into Kira, Cagalli coming in with the equipment upgrades) - all while keeping their priorities in order (first the civilians, then reequipping allies, and then finally going into combat together to take down Shura), and it all pays off in the end.

Really, is it any wonder, then, when Shura tries to read Athrun's mind in the final battle he's just thinking of hot (naked) Cagalli?

[crossbackpoke-check]

Substance, Shadow, and Spirit [remixed, abridged] by Tao Yuanming