#shes my awful girlie. i love her. she has never had a happy ending ever in her existence as a character. its like that sometimes

[ojirocardigansniper]

30, 34, 38, and B for blink !

Tahnks for blowing up my whole shit ian i love you.

30. Who do they most regret meeting? 

the second i saw 30 was this i said outloud OH FUCK. onehit kill. can't be any answer other than her best friend. they are pair bonded like parrots (Tragic). girl meets boy because her job is going to be listening for response from the gods he's killing himself to communicate with, and her job is going to be watching him die, teaching the next one to die, and the next, until her drowning day finally comes. she met his predecessor in uer end stages of sickness, so she knows how it will look for him. No matter how much she loves him or how many times she can get away with dumping out his ritual cup, he's committed to what he's doing, what he's been raised to do... so yeah, she regrets meeting him. not that she thinks of it as something she chose to do, seeing as it's all divine-vision-scraps that brought her there. but when she still sometimes wishes for another life for them, often she thinks separate lives would have the best chance of peace.

34. How hard is it for them to shake a sense of guilt?

mm. impossible really. survivor's guilt alchemized into rage at who seemed responsible, but it's still there. she feels simultaneously that she doesn't deserve the losses she's suffered, and that she's still here and alive. there's also insanely complex guilt around everything with her partner's slow ritual death and the death of their mentor the same way. the struggle between prolonging the suffering overall versus staving the worst of it off now. (under my breath) the phrase Quality of Life is not part of their lexicon and it shows . whats that hospice by the antlers you say ? something something shiva4shiva? noooo haha whattt

38. What memory do they revisit the most often?

ah jeez. ah fuck. hard to say. technically i suppose memories of her death (past visions of it) but that's not voluntary. unconsciously i think she very often revisits childhood memories of her brother- always has fragments of them floating about without realizing. one of her core unfulfilled needs is that close companionship she lost back then- she's been trying to fill that hole ever since, no matter if she does so on purpose. i'm really trying to think of things she would consciously try to remember and. mostly coming up with 'tonguing the hole in the gum' type things. don't forget the pain of this or you'll stop letting it drive you. (kicks a rock) she's in my personal bouquet of wretched girlies with baru cormorant for a reason...

B) What inspired you to create them?

time honored tradition of fandom au that got out of fucking hand 🫡 haikyuu au with the highschool bestie, we cooked up a big kingdoms+fantasy setting thru like 2016-2018 and then i continued going feral over a handful of characters that lived rent free in my mind for the next. three years ish? before i finally was like ok i should make it official and stop calling these bitches the names of anime characters. For ayirine specifically some of her core traits have been there since the beginning (foresight, dead twin, death by drowning, kills her best friend) but since filing off serial numbers i transed her gender and made her more actively suicidal (its themes. sorry) and REALLY WEIRD re: her religious convictions. also structurally she's become a prequel tragedy / cautionary tale preceding the main chunk of the narrative, which, not that we had a lot of structure before due to being high schoolers just having fun worldbuilding, but her killing her best friend used to be a W for the then-protagonists bc he was the leader of their enemy, et cetera. by now ive wandered entirely away from the adversarial narrative and into the weeds of other stuff i can personally tell a better story about, due to having Many Thoughts Head Full. i like putting together stories that are dioramas of people and their strange selves much more now than i did when i was a #teen and mostly just liked cool settings and shit. now im like if the characters in the setting arent fascinating then well i almost dont care how cool it is. 

ok swag that wasnt as interminably long as i thought it was. no readmore then (gestures to followers) Look at my melodramatic oc boy

[ninapi]

°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。

- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Better Half ❜┊˚ ̥۪͙۪◌

Premise: Nobara forced Yuuji to stop by a food stand every time they came back from a mission. The girl working there always entranced the youngster, causing his teammates to tease him more than usual. An odd encounter brings her a little too close to Sukuna who ends up just as smitten as his counterpart with the young beauty. Which half will get her heart? Only time will tell.

Word Count: 2381

══✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿══

Old sweet Nobara…

She might be a good friend, sweet, loving teammate, yeah all that and more…but Yuuji had reasons to hate her, as much as he had reasons to love her.

Nobara loved the colorful streets of Tokyo more than anything in her life, she lived for the very little time she had to indulge in the magic of the alleys, though, every time they came out of a particularly tough mission, she would beg her loving teammates to stop by her favorite crepe stand.

“Oh c’mon! Like you don’t like going there as much as I do…More even…”

“I beg to differ…” Megumi plopped on a near by bench hoping that would stop her from walking any further.

“Ok, maybe you don’t. Cuz you’re a grandpa. But Itadori is a different story, isn’t it mate…?” her suggestive smirk made Yuuji uncomfortable to say the least.

“I mean…their crepes are really nice…so fluffy…and…flavorful…” his voice was low, so much more than his usual boisterous one, it was comical.

“Oh yeah, fluffy…definitely…” this made his cheeks turn crimson, his fidgeting getting in Megumi’s nerves.

“Gotta pee or something?”

“NO!”

“He’s just eager to see his lovely crush.”

“So he does like her, huh? I guessed as much to be honest...” heaving a defeated sigh, he got up from the bench being the one leading the team now on their way to the delicious smelling food stand.

“W-where are you going Fushigoro?!” Yuuji trailed after his friends that were currently sharing a mischievous grin like a lost little baby duck.

“Kinda hungry, man…”

“You should try the chicken one, it blew my mind…”

“GUYS! Can you stop for a second?”

“Of course not.”

The sigh that left the pink haired male made them burst into a flush of evil laughter, his sad puppy eyes and frown making him look adorable which just made it all worse for him.

“Aw, baby Itadori needs a hug. Shall we communicate his needs to the cute lady crepe chef?”

“Her name is (Y/N).”

“What? How do you know that Fushigoro? Do you like her too?”

“Too, huh? She has a name tag you moron…”

“Oh….really? I mean…”

“You mean to say you haven’t even glanced at her boobies? Wow, this is worst than I thought, I think he’s in love~” Nobara skipped her way over to the stand, dramatically moving her hands as she was a maiden in distress.

“I hate her…” his puppy eyes turned watery as he shared a look with Megumi.

“Nah…you don’t. Let’s catch up before she really tells her to hug you-“ he hadn’t even finished his sentence when Yuuji was already behind Nobara, a desperate look on his face.

“Ugh, HI!” a high pitch little scream left him, making him even more flustered, your cute giggles making him feel ridiculously happy for some reason.

“Hi~ You want the usual?” He had a usual? He realized he’s never really ordered anything, he just stares at your face from the moment he arrives until he leaves.

“Sure! It’s the best flavor ever!”

Nobara looked up with a raised eyebrow as she adds his order on the screen, “Strawberry cheesecake?”

Is that what he always ate? It was certainly good, girly as hell, but good. “Yeah, I mean is so fluffy, you should try it too, Kugisaki.”

“If you say so, I’ll get one of those then. How about you, Fushigoro? Chicken?” he just nodded, staying silent in the background assessing the situation from afar. He noticed how you’d smile at Itadori a tiny bit brighter than you did to Kugisaki, your pretty eyes sparkled so much that it made him blush, and that, was weird.

Your hands brushed Yuuji’s when you handed him his crepe, then placed the other two in a carrier and gave it over to Nobara. It was very unnecessary, yet you seemed to know how he’s always so hungry and eager, like you knew he wouldn’t wait until he arrived at a place to eat it peacefully, as if he was dying to bite onto it as soon as possible.

And right you were, his first bite was something else… his nose ended up full of wiped cream and that dorky smile of his full of crumbles.

You didn’t have to do anything about it, but you did. You leaned over the counter window and got it off his face with a wet tissue, the adoring smile you had on your face not easily missed by both of his friends.

“Sorry to break the lovey-dovey moment, but Gojo-sensei is waiting for us. We must eat them before he finds out we’ve been eating sweets without him.” she grabbed onto Yuuji’s elbow, dragging him with her like a dog on a leash.

“Ugh…(Y/N)! Thanks! It’s as good as always and I’m so clean now! Feels great! You're the best, your boss should give you a rise or something!”

“Oh for fuck sakes…shut up Itadori…you're embarrassing...”

He was now being dragged away from you by both of his embarrassed friends. His smile though, never leaving his face, just like yours didn’t for the rest of the day.

══✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿══

“You went where??” Gojo was pacing back and forth in the classroom, lack of sugar being pretty evident in his current behavior making them feel even guiltier.

“We just made a little pit stop on the way, gotta eat too, you know?"

“You didn’t just make a ‘pit stop’…you went to my favorite crepe stand…and didn’t bring me anything….you’re such a soulless bunch of brats…it’s unbelievable…I’m so good with you all and you just…” his sulking increased even further, making Nobara giggle.

“You’re such a drama queen, sensei…”

“King, you mean. King of the world~”

“Ugh, I’m out of here…”

“So what’s wrong with Itadori?” stealing the last bit of his defenseless student’s crepe, Gojo sat on his chair, feet resting on his teacher desk.

“He’s in love…with an older woman…”

“She’s not an older woman!” the little snarl he gave Nobara was one that would rival a feisty tiny chihuahua, but it gave Gojo a pretty good idea of how serious this whole thing was.

“So, who’s this older woman?”

“The crepe stand girl.”

“Oh, ok Itadori’s right, she’s not an older woman…maybe a couple of years older than you at most. She’s a part-timer I believe.” the look in Yuuji’s eyes changed immediately, turning into a soft dreamy one.

“Though, you might want to keep yourself at bay, Itadori. Must I remind you the king of curses lives within you? Just thinking of sweet little (Y/N) being in danger makes me feel sick…” his words were harsh and made Yuuji recoil, he knows this, all too well, but there was no need to worry as much, is not like he was planning on confessing or something.

Without giving as much as a reply to his superior, Yuuji just left the classroom and hid himself in his own room for the rest of the day.

It was so frustrating to him how he couldn’t even have a crush, how much this curse has affected his life and how much he sometimes wished he would get to be a normal teenager once more.

To make things worse, Sukuna has been listening all this time…

Falling in love made Yuuji weak, his defenses were slowly disappearing and his mind was just somewhere else, the perfect timing to go for a little ride.

══✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿══

Another mission came along the next day, it was an easy reckoning one, over after an hour or so, there was no excuse to go for crepes and for that Yuuji was grateful.

However, Sukuna himself had other plans.

Yuuji’s depressed aura as they walked past the street you worked at was the final push necessary for him to take full control of his host’s body.

“Itadori, how about we get some ice crea- 

Itadori?

Fushigoro…Itadori’s gone-“ looking around desperately there was no sign at all of their teammate.

“What? What do you mean gone?” turning around just as desperate, all he could see was a dust cloud, proof he had been there not long ago, but not just of that, but also of the fact that he had left at an incredible speed.

The amount of cursed energy coming from down the road overwhelmed the young sorcerer, his face paling instantly. “Kugisaki….Sukuna…he’s…he’s here…”

“Tch, of course, he loves coming out when Gojo-sensei isn’t here…What do we do now?”

Megumi’s face was worrying her, he’s not someone to show fear easily, it also meant he had no clue of what to do next and she wasn’t great at this sort of impromptu life saving plans.

“What’s wrong, Fushigoro? Is he going too far this time?”

He just nodded, swallowing his anxiety down, “The crepe stand…”

Now that was playing dirty…he would for sure harm you if that meant getting full control of Itadori’s body, the perfect token for blackmail.

With a frown and unshared words, both ran towards the direction emanating the ridiculous amounts of cursed energy.

Though, what they found at the scene was beyond their expectations.

You were leaning on the window, like you usually do to get closer to Yuuji, like if nothing was out of the ordinary, like he didn’t have a completely different appearance and voice, making Megumi frown with distaste.

While he was fully concentrated on your safety, Nobara had her eyes on Sukuna. Saying his demeanor was odd, would be an understatement.

His smirk was wide, his eyes mischievous, his elbows were leaning on the same windowsill as you were, his face inches from yours. “My lovely angel, would you be willing to go to the depths of hell with me? I mean, hypothetically of course…” his words made you giggle and blush.

In all honesty, you did notice the change, though you didn’t question it much, is not like you had knowledge of curses, therefore the idea of your crush being possessed by an evil curse never crossed your mind.

“Is hell a nice place?”

“It isn’t. But I would make it comfortable for you if you do agree to come with me…”

Megumi’s blood ran cold and without thinking much he grabbed Sukuna by his elbow pulling him away from you, “Itadori…you’re scaring (Y/N)…”

Truth is, he wasn’t though. 

You had a delighted face while talking to him and the flirting has been mutual the entire time.

While Yuuji’s real and sweet persona made your heart skip a beat with his cute shyness, Sukuna’s assertive and even commanding self made your knees weak. 

You didn’t really understand his change in demeanor and you even considered him having double personality, but the truth was simple, you liked both sides equally, and didn’t mind one bit if he indeed had it, he at least seemed to remember you in both states.

But you went along with Megumi’s act, as he looked quite disturbed and worried, he did know him better than you after all.

Megumi’s words seemed to stir something inside Itadori, his eyes switching from a harsh scowl to a soft worrying misty look. He was struggling to gain control back since he really didn’t want to harm the woman he loved and he knew very well what Sukuna was capable of.

“What are you talking about, brat? You like this side of me much better, don’t you gorgeous?” his playful wink made you swoon, causing Itadori’s stomach to sink just a bit.

“I like every side of you. Though, why the face painting? Are you guys performing art students?”

“Something like that…now If you excuse us, we won’t be getting any crepes today, we need to take him home, he needs a bit of…ugh…rest.”

“Think about it babe, alright? If you so wish to, I’ll make you my queen.” 

After his last statement, Yuuji finally managed to wake up and gather his bearings, he felt like crap and had no energy left within his body. With an arm around each of his friends, he was able to get back to the academy in one piece, though, his heart had taken a harsh blow. 

You liked Sukuna…but you also liked him?

°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。

Masterlist

[hockeyandhrsepwr]

Off the Sea

Charles Leclerc x yachtie reader

p1

CharlesLeclerc

Charlesleclerc Big thanks to RivaYacht for the fun this summer (and yntakestheseas)

View All comments

yntakestheseas Are you thanking me for fun too or thanking them for me?? #Confuzzled 

LandoNorris I mean, you did meet because of them

ArthurLeclerc true dat

yntakestheseas no one asked you gremlins

Charlesleclerc be nice to the children!

Bestie you should be thanking me for convincing her to give you a chance 

yntakestheseas It didn’t take much convincing 

Bestie Babe, i remember differently 

yntakestheseas 🤫, he thinks he has swag. 

Joris Doesn't even give me photo creds

yntakestheseas Thanks for the photos J!! 📸Always happy to have you around

Joris at least someone appreciates me 👍

Charlesleclerc

Charlesleclerc 4 years of bliss. Happy Anniversary mon amour 💕💕

View All comments

yntakestheseas Happy anniversary lover boy 🫶❤️

Fan4 4 Years!?

yntakestheseas we were trying to be private, and it would’ve worked too if it wasn’t for that meddling gossip account!

Charlesleclerc did you just steal a villain speech from Scooby Doo?

yntakestheseas and what if I did?🤨

CarlosSainz55 The two of you are sickeningly cute

yntakestheseas aw, thanks buddy 😘

yntakestheseas

yntakestheseas guys help me to convince Charles that we need this

view All Comments

Charlesleclerc babe stop being ridiculous 

yntakestheseas just imagine how cool we'll look whipping around the port in this bad boy!!

Charlesleclerc who is we? Because it sure as hell won’t be me

PierreGasly I vote yes, but just so I can make fun of him

ScudderiaFerrari Its a yes from us!

Fan847 omg please! 

yntakestheseas

yntakestheseas Monaco nights with Bestie

View All comments

Bestie never a dull moment with you!!

yntakestheseas you know you love it 

LandoNorris next time don't drag me out with you 

Bestie you begged to be invited

CharlesLeclerc God my girl is a stunner 😍

yntakestheseas she is isn’t she?

PierreGasly did you seriously just compliment yourself?

Yntakestheseas if you’ve got it flaunt it. And says you mr photo dump

yntakestheseas

yntakestheseas Cheers to the best crew ever, I’m gonna miss you guys

View All comments

Stew2 best boss ever

yntakestheseas Aw, I love you sm!!

BoatCapJoe sure I can’t convince you to come back?

yntakestheseas not this time Joe!! Its been amazing working with you over the last 3 years though

BoatCapJoe We’ll miss you but you’re moving on to better things!!

Deck37 Will miss working & nights out with you!

yntakestheseas ill miss you too!! We’ll catch up next time you’re around

User74 what do you do for the winter when yachting? I’m interested in the industry!

yntakestheseas  a lot of yachties go and do the Caribbean season which starts around November, do other seasonal jobs like skiing or go home until the following April. I personally stick around Europe (there is still work) and usually end up doing couple of trips to Dubai or the Seychelles, it really just depends on who you work for! But good luck! Its a great job to have

yntakestheseas

yntakestheseas yacht girl summer

View All comments

PierreGasly isn’t every summer technically that for you?

yntakestheseas yes but no. 

Bestie girlie is thriving

yntakestheseas its a hard life. Although the service is a bit shit

ArthurLeclerc thats rude

yntakestheseas you dropped a whole bottle of champagne on me! And a cup of coffee

ArthurLeclerc THAT WASNT ME!!

yntakestheseas well it wasn’t a ghost

CharlesLeclerc Sure it wasn’t ArthurLeclerc 

F1fan so she’s just using Charles for his money then?

Fan23 let her live, she clearly has worked hard

yntakestheseas actually babe, I had a week off because the boat I work on needed some repairs which is why I decided to join my boyfriend on holiday if thats okay with you? 

Ferrari23 ooh, get them queen

twitter

F1gossip

The New F1 season is getting underway as drivers head to Bahrain. The question on everyone mind, will we get a Y/N sighting in the paddock this year? Since her relationship with the Ferrari driver was exposed this past summer, can we expect our favourite stewardess to make an appearance & support her boyfriend?

F1 Gossip

Well folks, we're into May now and no y/n sightings. is there trouble in paradise for the fan favourite couple?

Fan56 dude they were private for nearly 4 years. just because she hasn't been spotted doesn't mean they've broken up.

f1user omg just let her exist in peace!! she's probably working

yntakestheseas

yntakestheseas This'll be the first summer since I started yachting at 18 that I'm not on a boat, but 9 years later it’s time for a new adventure with my favourite person by my side 🫶

View All comments

Charlesleclerc no one I’d rather do this with mon amour

Ferrarifan84 Oh my god what!!!

Bestie Mama mode!!! Can't wait to meet the little one

yntakestheseas They can't wait to meet favourite auntie!!

Aurthurleclerc Favourite uncle loading!

Lorenzotl sure 

PierreGasly dibs on godfather!

Carlossainz55 I don’t think so mate

CharlesLeclerc it’s neither of you 

SebastianVettel Congratulations! You’re going to be amazing parents 

yntakestheseas Thank you Seb!! 

LandoNorris Can I babysit!!

yntakestheseas absolutely not

LewisHamilton Can I?

yntakestheseas Absolutely, as long as Roscoe comes to visit

LandoNorris 😮

Fan565 dad Charles era!!!!

F1gossip holy crap

Estebanocon Congrats!!!

yntakestheseas Merci Estie<3

ScudderiaFerrari New driver to sign!! Congratulations guys

Pascale_leclerc grateful he found you & can’t wait to welcome them into the world

yntakestheseas Love you Pascale!! Youre going to be the best grandma to little bean

Ferrarifan not what I expected but a slay nevertheless 

xxx

[tojiwrd]

hana talking about how she doesn’t believe in marriage and gojo agreeing with her by breaking his engagement with reader 🥴

only for them to get engaged 3 months after they met and marrying shortly after…even if mr. gojo suggested the marriage so what? you are marrying out of duty? even if you supposedly don’t believe in it? make it make sense

pls tell me gojo senior will eventually find out what his son did to reader…if gojo was a man and told his parents he was engaged to reader his parents would have been happy and (don’t know if gojo senior would have gone to prison) the company would still be on their hands 🫣🤭👁️

geto really being delulu like his bestie, like cmon your bestie broke one of your friends’ heart and instead of give them closure by telling the truth bc she SEEMED to be doing fine you acted clueless 🤦‍♀️

@ gojo if someone you loved did what you did to reader (he broke and lied to her), would really NOT hate them specially AFTER waiting almost two years before apologising 🫥🫥

gojo why can’t you accept reader could hate(s) you…something is sus. aw pls don’t tell me, @ gojo, the honeymoon/infatuation phase is fading away 🤭🥴😏

him saying he didn’t want reader to think shw wasn’t important and he didn’t move on quickly…hello? do you hear yourself? THATS what you actually did!!

we need girlboss reina to make her appearance and spill everything unconsciously (not so unconsciously) to hana - knowing the truth by a third party hurt best 😈 - without forgetting the part where gojo still can’t seem to accept that yn could hate him 🤥

patiently waiting for you (author) to serve us a juicy batman revenge 🫢😏

ugghh i want to figuratively k word gojo at the moment 😤😤

question: did gojo leave when reader and geto got the confrontation or was he still in. the gallery?

ps. my toxic trait still wants yn x gojo endgame lmaooo

pps. sorry for the log ask

gojo and hana are literally the silliest and goofiest ppl i've ever wrote about. girly got her heart broke and expressed her feelings and gojo got to sympathetic,, put himself in her shoes and was like YEAH!!

mhmmm gojo said he didn't turn it down because he felt like that marriage ending would be better than if reader and him got married and had to end. it's literally pathetic !! and every man has done this at least once i'm not putting it up for debate. 🥺please, i have to end this or else i'll hurt u more in the future wahhh🥺

there will definitely be family drama!! these kids r going wild atp we need some interventions soon

geto is genuinely such a himbo like i love and hate him in this. he genuinely thought he was doing the right thing too like the audacity of him. but yeah a part of him definitely did it, even subconsciously, to protect gojo in a way even though i don't think he agreed with gojo's actions.

HONEYMOON PHASE FADING AWAY HAS ME CRYINGGGG. but nah fr he's acting too much n saying too much while having a lil ring on his finger right ???

i adore reina reina will be making several appearances i'm glad you are on the same wavelength. like my lil oc girly is out for blood every second we see her

answer!! : yeah, he was like a kicked puppy and left w his tail between his legs. so he definitely has no clue that yn literally went through hell and back bc of him

ps: i don't blame you gojo is so delicious like yesssss break up with me bc ur silly and stupid and your emotions have been stunted since you were in middle school yesss

pps: NEVER apologize for this i love reading these n i love u mwah kisses thank you so so much for reading it!! so glad you're enjoying it <3

[metacrisisdoctor]

Hello! I love reading your posts, it makes me so happy to see that there are people that still love these two❤️ I appreciate all that you have done to keep the fandom alive!

That being said, because I wasn't involved with the fandom when I first watched the show, about 13 lol, I am pretty out of depth with how popular certain aspects of the show are to the general audience of Doctor Who.

Me being in my little bubble, I always assumed that all the RTD companions were really beloved, especially Rose Tyler. However after going out of my way to now seek out fan content, as an adult, it seems that there's way more dislike for her than I thought. Is she genuinely well liked amongst the majority? I thought that most fans really connected with the tragic love plotline they had?

The reason I ask is because I am fairly certain (a crack theory I've been making up in head) that more than ever there's a chance that we'll get some insight on how Tentoo and Rose are doing in the alt world but I'm afraid I might be getting my hopes up for nothing if they're not as popular as I thought they were. Thank you and I would love to hear if you have any insight!❤️❤️

hi! aw thank 🙈💗 honestly i just made this sideblog to ramble so i wouldn't annoy my followers on main (even though i was originally a dw blog there) and had been out of the fandom for about seven years before october; so i'm rediscovering it too!

i have noticed a lot of differences in the fandom from when i originally watched dw when i was in high school to now. when i watched it was 2012, so ten's era was still really recent and tumblr was much more active, especially in terms of doctor who.

back then, tenrose was everywhere because that part of the fandom was still the majority, but there was a lot of tension because of the direc moffat was taking the show. i remember there was sooo much excitement about even the possibility of david and billie being in the 50th, then it was announced and we all thought we would see tentoorose or at least s2 tenrose; then it ended up not being that at all. this resulted in the fandom feeling disappointed and used for views on top of the fact that a lot of people did not like moffat's characterization of ten and his decision to bring gallifrey back. it was a lot of things, but i think the 50th really created a split in the fandom that we have never fully recovered from. from then on, a lot of rtd era people de-activated tumblr and moved on to other things, including me for a while, because the fandom was so so so tense on both sides.

tenrose is absolutely still a very popular ship, rose is still a beloved companion by many, but it's not 2012 anymore. there are people who ship the doctor and river, the doctor and clara, the doctor and yaz, etc. so there is less unification i guess? and sometimes this leads to people hating on rose because some think they can elevate their ship by minimizing what rose meant to the doctor, which is bs because the doctor is allowed to love multiple people over the course of their insanely long life!

it's not that people don't like tenrose, it's just that there are people who prefer other eras and relationships now and the people who love tenrose aren't active much. but man, the SECOND thirteen regenerated into david ALLLL the tenrose girlies came out lol and i fully expect that to happen again in november. i mean, a lot of people hate ten as well, but that's because he is so popular and i think that applies to rose too. it's a sort of resentment sometimes imo. not always, but a lot of the time. dw is just a massive fandom and with things this long running there is never gonna be one specific consensus to cater to, and rtd always firsty caters to the story.

that all said, rtd is absolutely gonna bring them back even if it's not in the 60th. he always planned to, and planned to make the tardis coral scene canon somehow, so when i saw he was showrunner i was like "it's time!" lol and he has liked a TON of instagram comments about them and rose and bringing them back, including mine 😇🥰

[monstersliveinthemirror]

My TTPD First Listen Reactions:

1. Fortnight: ~what about your quiet treason~ HAHAH THIS HURTS BECAUSE HE MOVED TO FLORIDA WITH HIS WIFE 😂😭 

2. The tortured poets department: I definitely feel like I would like this more if I was stoned rn. ~who's gonna know you like me!!!!!~ ~sometimes I wonder if you're gonna screw this up with me~

3. My boy only breaks his favorite toys: the delusion of "I'll tell you that he runs because he loves me" okay 😭😭 he saw forever so he smashed it up in ONCE I FIX ME HE'S GONNA MISS ME ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME

4. Down bad: what an accurate break up song lmao. ~fuck you if I can't have us~

5. So long London: "and I'm pissed off you let me give all that youth for free" yeah fuck me spending my 20s in love with you 😡😡 

6. But Daddy I love him: I wish I had this song when I was 15 and rebellious also is this song about fucking swifties who lost it when she and Matty were together 

7. Fresh out of the slammer: this song broke me. "All those night she kept me going SWIRLED YOU INTO ALL MY POEMS" 😭. (But also I really am not a fan of the weird beat change toward the end??)

8. Florida!!!: fuck me up Florida fr. I think this might be my favorite??

9. Guilty as sin?: I am going to throw up. They don't know you how you've haunted me so stunningly. I choose you and me, religiously 😭😭😭😭 am I allow to cry????? 

10. Who's afraid of little old me?: this one is gonna have to grow on me, I think. Okay actually now that I'm into it, it's grown on me lmao

11. I can fix him (no really I can): this is...okay. just okay.

12. Loml: literally crying immediately. "I felt a glow like this, never before and never since" 😭 "I felt a hole like this, never before and ever since" 😭😭😭 LOSS OF MY LIFE??? This fuckin broke me.

13. I can do it with a broken heart: holy whiplash. A BOP????? Incredible. Wow. I love this. Thanks for rubbing how much better you are than me in my face Taylor lmao

14. The smallest man who ever lived: verse three makes this song tbh. 

15. The alchemy: aw I miss that happy in love everything is meant to be feeling.

16. Clara Bow: promise to be dazzling (I need a pinky promise emoji) the outro 🥺🥺🥺🥺

----

17. The Black Dog: "and I may never open up the way I did for you" 😭😭😭 holy fuck just break me why don't you. "I still can't believe it" 

18. imgonnagetyouback: Olivia Rodrigo has the chance to do the funniest thing ever here lmaoooo "say you got someone else say I got someone too" wow wow wow PICK YOUR POISON BABE I'M POISON EITHER WAY????!!!!!

19. The Albatross: I don't think I have anymore coherent thoughts right now but I dig it??

20. Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus: cause I wonder will I always wonder????????? 🥺 

21. How did it end? I really wanted to like this one but I'm not there yet lol the tempo is just weird 

22. So high school: this is so cute omg

23. I hate it here: I'm lonely but I'm good I'm bitter but I swear I'm fine.......this place made me feel worthless. It's ok I don't live in Charleston anymore. 

24. thanK you aIME: IMAGINE ANDREA SWIFT HATING YOU I really like this one it's kinda like mean 

25. I look in people's windows: "I'm afflicted by the not knowing" babe me too "does it feel alright to not know me I'm addicted to the "if only"" SCREAMING. 

26. The prophecy: fuck man fuck fuck fuck. 

27. Cassandra: oh this is for the Greek mythology girlies huh? Alright I'm in.

28. Peter: yes babe more piano pls hahah do you know how long it took me to realize this was referencing Peter Pan I'm so dumb 

29. The Bolter: "excellent fun 'til you get to know her" me too.  

30. Robin: this one is really sweet omg

31. The Manuscript: but the story isn't mine anymore 🥺

[tommyspeakycap]

ben chilwell insta files

part one

i don't own the images, most were found on pinterest so credits go to original owners :)

yourinstagram

liked by sasha_rebecca, kennedyalexa, benchilwell and others

yourinstagram preggo date night means dressing up to go out fancy and ending up in maccies for a veggie deluxe xxx sorry ben 🤍

jorginhofrello What’s Benjamin’s mcdonald’s order then! Do share!

↳ benchilwell She made me get a veggie deluxe as well because everything else made her feel sick 🤣

↳ sophiaaemelia Power move 💪🏻

sasha_rebecca 😻😻😻Stunner

↳ yourinstagram ❤️❤️

benchilwell

liked by tammyabraham, timowerner and others

benchilwell 👶🛍

thiagosilva Better not be a bag (y/n) is carrying!

↳ cesarazpi !!!🙄

↳ yourinstagram thanks mum and dad yes i had to carry my own bag and his child

masonmount Do better Benjamin smh 🤦‍♂️

benchilwell Sorry guys!!!! Never again will i allow her to carry a bag. thiagosilva and cesarazpi cornered me at training 🤣

chilly333 I love this team and these interactions 😭😭

↳ mmmount19 same😭😭😭

sophiaaemelia

liked by kaihavertz29, benchilwell and others

sophiaaemelia throwback to our last gals holiday!! can’t wait to introduce your little baba to the world 🤍

yourinstagram i love u so much u are going to be the best aunty in theee world to little baba

↳ sophiaaemelia Excited doesn’t cover it 😩

bellesilva Beautiful girls 💋

↳ yourinstagram thank you mom we love u

↳ sophiaaemelia we do love you!!

masonmount

liked by billygilmourrr, chunkz and others

masonmount Had such a great time at this girls baby shower. Nobody deserves this happiness more than she does. We love you so much lovely (y/n), cheers to growing up together and getting to watch your baby grow up as their godfather too ❤️❤️❤️

yourinstagram thank you so much for everything mason!! our little baba is so lucky to have people like you in their life <333 love you uncle masey

benchilwell Cheers for everything mate, means a lot to us to have all of your support through this 💙

mmm19fanx This is the fuxing cutest thing everrrrr he’s amazing!!!!!

yourfriendsinsta This is so sweet Mason😭 Ur gonna be such a great uncle

↳ masonmount Thank you!

yourinstagram

liked by trentarnold, kepaarrizzabalaga and others

yourinstagram just a little while now 😩 too hot to be pregnant any longer

load all comments

kepaarrizzabalaga Keep strong hermosa!

↳ yourinstagram pls come and do that thing again

↳chelsfan What the fuck??? Has something happened between you and ben???

load all related comments

↳ yourinstagram guys no🤣 kepa has bigger hands than ben so he can lift up my preggo tummy to help my pain + ben isn’t allowed to bear extra weight cos his knee rn 🤣🤣

↳ benchilwell It’s true! Only wish i could help more

benchilwell The most beautiful woman ever my love❤️

↳ yourinstagram i love u so so so much my benji

anouskasantos You’re absolutely glowing beautiful girlie!!

↳ yourinstagram thank you my lover!! as are you💕💕

benchilwell

📍paradise

liked by jhenderson, thiagosilva and others

benchilwell This explains why we’ve been so quiet! We had a surprise early appearance of our beautiful baby boy. Born 7/7/2022 7lbs 4oz. He’s perfect in every way. (y/n) did so amazing (i’m seriously in awe of her!!) and is still resting up but both are happy and healthy ❤️

masonmount Congratulations bro!! You’ll be such an amazing dad💙

jorginhofrello Congratulations papai!! Hope (y/n) is well. Will come around to drop off the gifts soon💙

marcusrashford Congratulations mate! He’s gorgeous, you two will be amazing ❤️

chelseafc Congratulations on your new addition to the family yourinstagram and benchilwell!! The Chelsea family sends all of our love💙

madders Welcome to fatherhood brother, you’ll ace it💙

johnstonesofficial Congratulations mate 🙌 Send (y/n) my love ❤️

tyronemings Congrats mate🙌❤️ Hope alls well

thiagosilva Congrats Chilly 🎉

load all comments

yourinstagram

liked by benchilwell, jmcginn and others

yourinstagram didn’t really go the way we planned it to, but bringing this little boy into the world is the best thing i’ve ever done. without further adu, i would like to introduce you all to our beautiful baby boy ezra james chilwell. he’s absolutely perfect and we seriously love him 💙 we’re all home, happy and healthy. thank you for all of your well wishes, gifts and love x

sophiaaemelia Crying he’s so adorable ❤️❤️❤️❤️ so proud of you and love you so much

sasha_rebecca Omg so happy for you!! He’s beautiful, can’t wait to meet baby Ezra 🤍🤍

_ferkhawkins Congratulations and well done (y/n)! So happy for you and hope you are healing well🤍

bellesilva Happy for you beautiful soul ❤️❤️

yourfriendsinsta Love you so much girl!!!

ynfan12 You’re so amazing (y/n)!!! So strong

anouskasantos Congratulations beautiful girl❤️ can’t wait to get to meet him soon ❤️

kennedyalexa so proud of you my queen🤍🤍 you’re unreal, can’t wait to meet the baba!!

[fedonciadale]

Few last asks here reminded me when I was anti-sansa (yeah, shame), just when books came out. Let's be real, I was projecting mean girl stereotype onto Sansa (+I believed she bullied Ary@). I was hoping "she will learn her lesson" and apologize to her sister(back then my fave). All in all, I didn't straight up hated her, I was just (REALLY) annoyed by her behaviour (now I love her more then Ary@). Aand then all the shit happened. (1/2)

(2/3) Eleven y.o. girl abused and molested by whole court? I felt so uncomfortable that I had to stop reading after her chapters and take a deep breath. And this awful assault by Hound. I still prefered Ary, but I was just hoping for Sansa to get out of this court of psychos and be(and feel) safe. Years later I found Tumblr and started reading how people were HAPPY that she was MOLESTED, that she DESERVED it. I quit fandom for almost twelve(!) years. And now I've blacklisted them all.

(3/3 sorry, it's so long) I must say: I don't understand this level of hate. I'm not bashing individual blogs. I'm just curious why general audience reacts so badly to girly kid that dreams of true love. If it was, idk, 2%, 5% I'd be cool. But it's sth around 40% of fandom that hates her dearly. Why? Pov trap wasn't THAT deep. At worst time she was insensitive not downright cruel. I can't quote anything, I block this kind of blogs at once, but I don't get this vitriol at teenage girl.

Hi there!

Sorry, this was sitting in my drafts and I sort of forgot about it over Christmas. 😳

I fell for the PoV trap as well and I liked Ary@ more at first as well (I honestly vibed with her because I was never very girly).

By the end of AGOT I pitied Sansa though. I mean regardless what she had done, Joffrey forced her to look at her dead father’s head. In that moment I felt bad that I had ever been annoyed with her, because surely you wouldn’t wish that kind of experience even on your worst enemy? And at that point I was  still convinced that Sansa played a role in Ned’s capture (which is not true).

Sansa grew much more on me during ACOK. I think I really appreciated her when she saved Dontos despite her own fear. That was when I began to like her. I was also a Jon fan (although season 7 and 8 Jon can rot for all I care), but the amount of hate Sansa got for the stupidest things made me defend her actions.

There are so many people in ASOIAF who are really vile but somehow a teenage girl who fought with her sister and called her names is somehow the worst.

As for why she gets so much hate? The answer is rather easy and frustrating at the same time: It’s the dudebros who only like “badass” women and the misogynists. Both are not necessarily male. I won’t name anyone but there is one blog with particularly astonishing Sansa takes and they are as far as I know a woman, but in my head they are always “dudebro” because they reek of internalized misogyny.

The answer is so frustrating because the misogyny comes so natural to some of them that they never question why they can excuse Bobby B for hitting “that bitch” Cersei (and Cersei is a villain, but that does not mean that it is o.k. that Robert hits her), or Jaime for being slightly condescending or Theon for how he treats the captain’s daughter (because he is so in pain, uwu - I mean, he is in pain, but in ACOK he clearly has a long way to go yet), or Tyrion for exploiting his sex worker Shae (and killing her), or.... you get it.

But somehow, a girl that dreams of a husband who is nice to her and takes her on a pleasure ride on a bark with puppies - that girl is somehow the worst character of ASOIAF.

Apart from the misogyny I think it’s also another effect that happens: GRRM forces you to live through Cat’s and Sansa’s uncomfortable and horrid experiences and their suffering from the patriarchy but there is no way out. No secret power they can activate, nothing. It’s just their wits and survival instinct. You cannot read Sansa chapters and be comforted by the security that she will escape that. It is as if GRRM shakes his readers and forces them to look at it, and apparently that is - especially for some men - very hard to swallow. It is uncomfortable because the readers are forced to look at that experience. And that is why some of them refuse to acknowledge it by victim blaming Sansa. She was a brat, she deserved it. She bullied Ary@, she deserved it. She betrayed Ned, she deserved it. If you look at Sansa’s suffering and tell yourself that she deserves it you can avoid admitting that the system as such is flawed.

It’s the knee jerk reaction of “not all men” or “some women profit from patriarchy” or “feminine women should just be less feminine.” If you blame the victim you don’t have to think about the fact, that it should not be like that. In a way you protect your own mindset from going to deep into how fucked up it is that women are supposed to dress appropriately and stay at home so that they won’t get assaulted instead of that men are supposed to just behave decently.

Thanks for the ask!

[theoreticslut]

Sleepover // f.w. + g.w. + o.w.

 fred weasley x reader; george weasley x platonic!reader; oliver wood x platonic!reader

requested: no

word count: 4.5k

warnings: none, fluff

A/N: hey loves! I wanted to post something last night, but after I got done with classes I didn’t want to even look at my laptop (hence why I didn’t do any homework & am highkey stressing but that's beside the point). Either way, you’re getting this right now. (i may be procrastinating homework now but shh) I hope you all like this! I really like it, even though it’s probably not my best writing. It just makes me smile when reading it 💗

Song mentioned is No Idea by All Time Low 

“Good practice today guys. I think we’re getting in shape for our next match. Hit the showers and don’t forget about practice tomorrow at 2.” Oliver states, ending practice.

You sigh, grabbing your duffel bag as you catch up with him and the twins.

“I know you want us in shape, Ollie, but geez.” You huff, breathing heavy as you finally fall into line beside him.

“It’s not his fault that you slacked off on training this summer, y/n.” Fred teases, slinging an arm around your shoulders, his body odour hitting you right in the face.

“All I did was train this summer! I had fun with it, but I trained none the less. And please, refrain from putting your pits near me until after you’ve showered.”

He chuckles, removing his arm upon your request, not without ruffling your hair beforehand though.

“You bloody git.” You huff, fixing your hair as he laughs, Oliver rolling his eyes at the both of you.

“You could always take up more training sessions with me if you feel like you’re not doing well.”

“That’s the last thing I want, Ollie. No offense, but most people enjoy having a break from training every now and then.”

He chuckles, shrugging his shoulders as the four of you make your way back to the castle.

The four of you have been friends since you first met at quidditch tryouts, all of you beyond excited to play for your house. While Fred, George, and Ollie all made the team to play, you had made the team as a reserve seeker as you were “supremely talented,” but the current seeker was already skilled and trusted. It was her last year anyway, so instead of playing your first year on the team, you spent the year learning and training under the current seeker to take over for her once she graduated.

You’re not really sure why, but the four of you just hit it off and had been friends ever since. You never really connected well with female classmates, even less when you started hanging out with the popular, desirable quidditch boys. You didn’t really care though, you and the guys got along well and had fun together joking around and hanging out on your free time.

Even though you didn’t really care to, you do wish you had at least one female friend. You’ve been dreaming of having a sleepover for years now, but you’ve yet to convince the boys into having one as they “didn’t want to be girly.” That doesn’t mean you haven’t stopped trying though. All you wanted was one sleepover and you’d be happy.

“So what are you guys doing this weekend?” You ask.

A chorus of “nothing” sounds from the three boys and you smile, putting on the cutest face you could make.

“Well if none of you have anything going on...could we please have a sleepover?” You plead, attempting to make puppy dog eyes.

All three of them groan, looking over to you in pleading.

“This again?” George sighs to which you pout.

“Come on, they’re not that bad. Seriously, I won’t make you do anything girly if you’ll give me just one, ONE face mask.”

“Y/n, we’ve talked about this.” Oliver states.

“I know, but I promise it’ll be fun. We can sit around and snack, watch some movies, play some board games or something. Sleepovers really aren’t as girly as you make them out to be.”

“No. We don’t do sleepovers, y/n. I’m sorry, but they just don’t sound fun to us.” Ollie explains.

You sigh, frowning as you surrender to defeat for now.

“Yeah, yeah. I know.”

All three of the guys frown, feeling bad that they’ve upset you, but they’re not going to force themselves to sit through something like that.

“Why don’t you ask the girls? I’m sure they’d love to have a sleepover with you.” Fred suggests, slinging his arm around you again.

“I’m not going to ask them, Freddie.”

“Why not? They seem like they’d be into that.”

“Because I’m not going to. If you haven’t noticed, I don’t really get along with other girls.”

“You’re being silly. Here-“

You pale as you see the girls just a little ways behind you and you know what Fred is going to do.

“No, Fred!”

“Hey! Angie, Katie, Alicia?”

“Fred, stop. Please.” You beg.

“What’s up?” Alicia asks, cocking her head a bit at Fred.

“Y/n here has been begging us for a sleepover for awhile because she doesn’t really have anyone else to have one with. Maybe you girls and her could have one?”

“A sleepover? Yeah! We’re actually planning one for tonight, would you like to join us?” Angelina smiles, excited to have you join.

In all honesty, the three girls have been dying to get to know you better. They’ve seen you joke around with the guys and know you’re funny, and you’re also immensely talented and intelligent. They’d love to be your friend, you’ve just never seemed interested.

“Really? You’d be okay with me joining you guys?”

“Yeah! We’d love to get to know you better. Why don’t you meet us after dinner?”

“Yeah, okay. Thank you!”

“Of course! I can’t wait for tonight! It’s going to be so much fun!”

You nod, smiling at your other three teammates as they head off towards the courtyard while you and the boys make your way back to the common room.

~.~

“Is it just me or does Oliver push us super hard at practice?” Alicia asks out of nowhere.

“Oh no, he definitely does! I swear to Merlin that I’m doing everything I can to just keep up.” Angelina huffs.

“He’s awful about it. And yet he says that I just need to train more.” You huff, rolling your eyes as you pop some popcorn into your mouth.

Its nice having others you can talk to that understand your thoughts.

“No way! Really?” Katie asks.

“Really. I don’t think he understands the meaning of going easy.”

“That’s ridiculous! I can’t believe he said that!” Katie gapes, eyes wide.

“That’s not even the worse thing he’s said before. I swear to Merlin that he doesn’t realize how bloody blunt he is at times.”

So far this sleepover has been going pretty well. You honestly didn’t expect it to go so well. You were sure that it would be really awkward and you’d have to excuse yourself halfway through the night.

“It can’t be easy being friends with three athletic boys.” Alicia states.

“I mean, it’s not all bad, but it’s not the most fun at times either.”

“Yeah? Like when?” Angie asks, all three of the girls focusing their attention on you.

“Well, they’re protective whether they realize it or not, but they can also be real insensitive at times and often make things worse before making them better. They’re nice to hang out with. There’s never really any sort of expectation with them so that’s cool.”

The girls nod, listening intently to you. They’ve never been jealous of you for being so close with the guys, but they have often wondered what it was like.

“I think the worst things about being so close with them, is that I get a lot of backlash from other girls and I never really get to be a girl myself. I guess they just kind of see me as one of the guys, you know?”

“Yeah. That can’t be any fun.” Angie agrees, frowning.

“I’m actually surprised you three don’t hate me. A lot of the girls here are really mean to me just because I’m close with them.”

“We could never hate your for being close to them. I mean, if you’re friends, you’re friends. There’s no crime in that.” Katie states.

“You think it was sometimes.” You sigh, popping some more food into your mouth.

“We’re sorry about that, y/n. You don’t ever have to worry about that with us.”

“And if we ever hear someone being mean to you about it we’ll definitely take care of it.” Alicia states, Angie and katie agreeing.

“Thanks. That’s, uhm, really nice to hear.”

“And from here forward we’re all friends and we’ll have sleepovers whenever we want! You deserve to have some girl friends and be able to be a girl yourself. Seriously, I know they’ve been your best friends for ages, but you don’t have to give yourself up just to stay friends with them.” Angelina adds.

You smile, feeling like you finally fit in for once with other girls. You’re really not sure what had happened to get here, but you were beyond excited.

~.~

It’s been about a month now since you and the girls had your first sleepover together and you’ve found that you get along with them surprising well. Not only do you get to talk about girl things like crushes and makeup or clothes, but you still get to talk about quidditch and classes and day to day things. And surprisingly, you feel like you’re heard and understood compared to when you were only hanging out with the guys.

You and the girls have had a sleepover every weekend since then, usually starting Friday night and not ending until Sunday afternoon. You’ve gotten to know each of them really well and them you.

You learned that Angie has a bit of a crush on George, Alicia has one on Oliver, and Katie has one on the Ravenclaw chaser, Roger Davies. They learned that you have a crush on Fred, and have been trying to help get him to notice you after you explained that you’re positive he’s never once seen you as anything other than a friend.

They’ve been helping you learn to do makeup because you only knew the very basics. They’ve given you some of their clothes that they don’t care for that accentuate your body and it’s curves. They’ve even helped you update your hair a bit, trimming it and adding some movement to it. Angie even went as far as adding some balayage to it, having learned how to from her aunt over the summer.

It’s safe to say that you’ve been spending a lot more of your time with the girls than you have with the guys and they’ve been noticing.

“It’s been awhile since y/n’s hung out with us, hasn’t it? I think I only really see her in classes lately.” George points out.

“Yeah, she’s been spending a lot of her time with the girls. Which is good I guess, but it is kind of weird not having her around as much.” Oliver answers, frowning a bit as he pushes his food around on his plate.

The three of them sit in silence for a bit before Fred pipes up with an observation of his own.

“It’s not just me that’s noticed that’s she’s changed a bit, yeah? Like, she’s been dressing a bit differently, and she’s done something with her hair.”

“Yeah, and have you noticed that she’s been wearing makeup? Did she wear any before?” Oliver asks, ignoring the food on his plate now.

“She did, but she’s definitely wearing more of it now. It looks good though, yeah?” George asks, looking between his twin and his team captain.

“Yeah.” Both Fred and Oliver sigh.

“Is it me, or does she almost seem...happier now too?” Fred asks, bringing the big question to existence.

They’ve all noticed you seem to smile bigger and brighter, even though you’ve always smiled a lot. Not only that, but you seem a bit more outgoing too and just more confident in yourself.

Have they really held you back that much as your best friends? Would it have been any different if they did more with you? You always did things that they enjoyed. Sure you enjoyed them too, but the one thing you wanted most they kept denying you. If they had given in and had a sleepover with you, would you have been as happy with them as you are with the girls?

“Hey, guys! How are you doing today?” You ask, sitting down beside Oliver as you start filling a plate for yourself.

“Y/n!” They all greet you happily and you smile, not sure where all the enthusiasm came from but you’re not going to complain about it.

“Uh, we’ve been good. A bit lonely without you, if we’re honest.” George answers, watching as you start eating.

They’d never admit it outright, but they’ve missed you more than should be physically possible. They never realized how fun you were to have around until you weren’t around anymore.

“Yeah? I’m sorry, I haven’t really hung out with you guys lately have I? I’ve just been so busy with the girls I guess I hadn’t realized how long it’s been.”

“Yeah. Yeah, it’s been a while. It’s okay though. Maybe we could watch a movie together tonight?” Oliver suggests.

“I’d love to, but I already have plans with the girls. I’m sorry.”

“No. It’s okay. We get it. Maybe another night?”

“Yeah, definitely! I miss hanging out with you guys.” You say, smiling before turning your attention to your plate, missing the way each of them perked up at your words.

~.~

“Y/n!” Oliver calls as you make your way out into the hall after class.

You stop, turning to see him pushing his way out the door trying to get to you, Fred and George right behind him.

“Hey, what’s up guys?”

“Not much. We were just wondering if tonight you’d like to watch a movie with us? We’ll head down to the kitchens and grab all your favourite snacks and drinks, we can even watch one of those romcoms that you like. If that’s what you’d like to do, that is.”

“Oh,” you frown.

“Guys that sounds amazing, but the girls and I are having a sleepover again tonight. Maybe we could do that tomorrow night?”

All three of them deflate at your words. It’s been about a month and a half now that you’ve barely hung out with them and they’re all starting to get a bit upset by that fact. They miss their best friend and how they never had to share you.

“Another sleepover? But you do them every weekend. You’ve even done some throughout the week!” Fred pouts, not believing that you’d turn down an offer like that.

“I’m really sorry guys. Definitely tomorrow night if that’s alright?”

“Yeah. Th-that’s fine.” Oliver agreed, bummed that you’re turning them down but not wanting to make it seem like you can’t hang out with the girls.

“I’m sorry.” You frown, awkwardly walking away from them as they all nod.

“What are we supposed to do? It’s like she doesn’t want to hang out with us anymore.” Fred sighs.

“Even at practice, on breaks or during drills, she’s hanging around them more than she is us.”

“It’s frustrating, I know, but at least she’s got someone to do the things she was always asking us to do. I mean we should be happy, she gets to have her sleepovers and we don’t have to, right?” Oliver states.

“I guess. But do you think it’d be any different if we had just given in and had one with her? I mean they can’t be that bad can they? The girls are always laughing when they’re having one.” George points out.

“That they are. I wonder if they’d let us in on one...”

“We could ask them tonight? They usually start after dinner, yeah? So let’s ask them at dinner if we can join!”

~.~

“Oh Merlin” Fred, George, and Oliver all mumble as they step foot into the girls’ room.

It took some convincing, but the girls eventually let them join their sleepover tonight, but they didn’t realize how unprepared they were for it until they stepped in.

“Hey guys! We’re glad to have you here!” Alicia greets, giggling alongside you.

“I can’t believe you guys actually wanted to join. How many years did I ask you three for one and you turned me down each time?”

“Well they didn’t seem interesting then, but you’ve thoroughly piqued our interest now.” Oliver mumbles, blushing a bit.

While it’s true they were curious about it, they were truly more jealous that your attention was here and not with them.

“I think they were just jealous that you’re spending time with us and not them.” Katie whispers in your ear, making the both of you chuckle as you roll your eyes and katie nods at you.

“So, uh, what normally goes on at these things?”

“A little bit of everything. I’m sure all of its a bit too girly for your liking though.” Angie teases, all three of the boys flushing in embarrassment.

“Well we’ll give it a try. One time won’t hurt, right?” Fred asks, not too sure of his words anymore.

“You’ll have to find out.” Alicia smirks, breaking out into a fit of laughter with the rest of you girls at the guys terrified faces.

“C-can you at least give us an idea of what to expect for tonight?” Ollie asks.

“Like Ang said, a little bit of everything. Obviously we can’t do all the same things as we normally do, but we’ll get pretty close.”

“What things can’t you do?” George asks, looking over all the girls but stopping on you, hoping that you’ll give an honest answer.

“Oh you know, sharing gossip, talking about boys, sharing personal details.” You say, counting them out on your fingers as you talk.

“Talk about boys?” Oliver asks, eyes popping out of his head as Fred cuts him off.

“Personal details? What kind of details could you share that we wouldn’t already know about?!”

All four of you girls stop, looking at each other, before breaking out into a bout of laughter.

“Oh, Fred. You boys barely scratch the surface of knowing y/n. Trust us.” Katie states, chuckling to herself as she looks back at you.

“That’s not true!”

“What’s her most embarrassing memory to date?” Angelina asks, cocking a brow as Fred stutters.

“Uh, oh! I-it’s, well...”

“It’s alright, Freddie. It’s not important so it’s not like you need to know.” You try to console him but it only seems to make him feel worse.

He’s supposed to be one of your best friends. He should know things like this, but as he thinks about it, he’s not even sure of your favourite colour.

“Alright, so that’s what you aren’t doing tonight. What other things do you do?” Oliver asks, changing the topic of conversation.

“Well we do face masks, we do each other’s makeup and hair, we try on different outfits....but we don’t have to do any of that while you’re here.” Angie informs.

“Yeah, we can just eat snacks and play some games. Do some karaoke. Maybe watch a movie? We kind of just do whatever we feel like.” Alicia explains.

The guys nod, worried about what the night will be like, but knowing that they’re not going to leave early. They’re going to get the full experience and they’re going to at least pretend to enjoy it.

~.~

“Wait she said that to you?! Bloody imp.” You huff, as Alicia tells you about a run in she had with one of the ravenclaw girls.

“Right?! I just can’t believe she had the nerve. Someone definitely had her panties in a twist that day.” She huffs, working on applying some eyeshadow to your lids.

The guys watch in amusement as you and Alicia talk. They’ve never once seen you so happy.

You have inside jokes that make you laugh over the littlest of things. You have the confidence to talk out loud and freely share your thoughts. Sure you talked with the guys, but not nearly as much or as animatedly as you do with the girls.

You seem to thoroughly enjoy the activities you were doing, and not just sitting there because that’s what you all were doing.

In all honestly it sent the guys into a spiral of mixed emotions. They were happy to see you so happy, but they wanted you back for themselves. They felt guilty for wanting you to themselves when you weren’t nearly as happy as you are now. They feel guilty for not caring about you in the same way as the girls seem to.

“I think I impressed Snape today with my potion.” You share.

“That makes one of us. I completely botched it. Maybe you could help me with it next time?!” Angie asks, shifting her attention to you from where she’s laying with her face mask on.

“Yeah, definitely. I’d love to see Snape’s face the day we brew a potion perfectly. He’s such a grumpy old git, always finding something wrong. It’d be nice to get a compliment from him or at least render him speechless.”

“Definitely. I’m sure he’d find a way to criticize the potion even if it was perfect, though.” Katie adds in, sending all of you girls into a fit of laughter.

“Is this what you normally do?” George asks, looking around at all of you girls.

“What?” Angie asks, looking over at him.

“Just talk about anything and everything?”

All four of you look at each other before nodding and shrugging.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“It’s cool.”

Fred and Oliver nod in agreement. It’s kind of nice just listening to you all talk and gossip.

“Stop moving!” Alicia chuckles at you, drawing everyone’s attention, as you sing along to the music playing in the background.

“Now there’s a piece of me, tells me I shouldn’t leave, every time I see your face.”

You giggle as Alicia shakes her head at you.

“Because every time you come around, love you take my breath away!”

Alicia rolls her eyes at you and all that the guys can do is smile. They’ve never once seen you so open and carefree. You’ve only sung a handful of times, but every time you’ve noticed someone is around you immediately shut up.

It’s kind of nice seeing you participating in something you enjoy so much. You truly do look so happy.

“Sing with me, Alicia. Please?” You pout, doing your puppy dog eyes at her.

Oh how Fred misses that look. You only did that when you were trying to get them to do something, usually to get them to have a sleepover with you or go to honeydukes in hogsmeade.

“I never want you to leave until I take you in, but the truth is...” he watches at you look at Alicia, waiting for her to join in.

“She has no idea - no idea!”

“That I’m even here- that I’m even here!”

You cheer, laughing as she sings along with you, completely getting into the song.

“She has no idea!” You belt out, letting Alicia do the echo.

Fred watches as the two of you sing animatedly to the rest of the song, even started to throw theatrics in to emphasize the lyrics.

Oh how he wishes he had seen this side to you sooner. He’s not really sure what’s going on, but watching you be so happy makes him feel all warm and bubbly inside. Although he does wish to see you that happy with him, he is just happy to see you happy in general.

“Wow” Oliver states, staring at the two of you, not realizing he spoke until all of you look at him.

“Wow what?” Katie asks, confused.

“Huh?”

“What are you ‘wow’ing at, Ollie?” You ask.

“Oh, uhm. Well, you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, y-you’re so happy now. It’s just nice to see. I mean, You’d never sing around us voluntarily and you’re laughing so much more.”

You smile, nodding at him. You’re not really sure what to say to that.

“Yeah? Thanks.” You smile. “I, uh, have been a lot happier lately.”

“It shows. It’s really nice to see, but we’re sorry that we weren’t making you happy.” George frowns, watching you as your eyes water.

You can hear the girls awe at them but you’re suddenly slapped on the shoulder by Alicia.

“Hey, hey, hey! I know this is sweet, but no tears. I did not just spend half an hour on your makeup to have you cry it off.”

“I can’t help it.” You chuckle, your tears ready to spill over.

“Wow, so emotional y/l/n.” Fred teases, smirking as Alicia, katie and Angie all throw something at him while you just chuckle and carefully wipe at your tears so you don’t ruin your makeup.

“You’re such a git, Freddie.” You roll your eyes, chuckling as he smiles at you.

“But I’m clever. I didn’t want you ruining your makeup. It looks too good.”

You laugh, trying to hide a blush as the girls all ‘ooh’ at you, knowing how you feel about him.

“Thank you, Freddie.”

He nods, smiling as he watches Alicia keep working, ignoring the teasing punches and hair ruffling from his twin and Oliver.

~.~

“Hey guys.” You greet, sitting down next to Fred as all 6 of your friends looks up at you.

“Hey, y/n. How did your Charms test go?” Angie asks, taking a bite of her food.

“I think I nailed it.” You smile, proudly, as you start filling your plate for lunch.

“That’s my girl! I knew you would.” Fred smiles, pulling you into a tight hug as you giggle.

It’s been a few months since your sleepover with the girls and the guys. Since then, your two friend groups have meshed together really well.

All of you would sit together at meals and would joke around. You would still have your sleepovers with the girls, but at least once a month all seven of you would have a sleepover together again, although they’re a little bit different now that you’re all coupling up.

It didn’t take long for George and Angie to get together, and after that happened it didn’t take too long for you and Fred to get together. It kind of helps that once Angie and George were dating, Angie told of your little crush on his brother. Luckily for you, George knew that his brother liked you too so it only took a few pushes and some convincing on Fred’s part to finally ask you out.

Alicia and Oliver have definitely gotten closer, but they’re not quite dating yet, and katie is still chasing after her ravenclaw chaser. It’s helping a bit now that the guys are on her side and can talk to Davies for her.

It’s safe to say though, that all of you are happy. You have the girls to share yourself with, but you still get to see the guys and hang out with them. The guys are happy that they have your attention again and that you’re happy with them, and the girls are happy that they’ve gained you as a friend.

For starting out with just the guys, you have to say you’re pretty happy with where you’ve all ended up together. All it took was a sleepover.

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

general taglist - @accioalix @captaincactusjuice @inglourious-imagines @keepawaythenargles @lemongrasshoney @onyourgoddamleft @valiantobservationkitty @concepcion @eternallyvenus @fandomwhoress @fleurho @fredweasleyzwh0re @harleigh110 @hufflepuffflowers @hufflrpuffforfred @i-miei-amori @littlemisswitt @sammy-the-gay @sightiff @starstruckgranger @teenwolfbitches2 @watermelonsugar2810 @harrypotterwifey @ioverslane99 @yikeyikesyikes95 @darthwheezely @callmelilone @teawiththeweasleys @softlyqoos @justmesadgirl @xuckduck @filipi-yes @aestheticwh0r3 @siredkai @matsuno-nadeshiko @msmarklee1213 @immajustreadwritereblog @msmimimerton @perfectlysane24 @mischievous-queen @bunnyboo7 @grandeoptimist @daddystevee @slytherinxhunter @streetfighterrichie @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @isthereanymorejello @karushinekomiya @p0gue420 @hogwartslut @sebby-staan @fredshmeasley

Weasley twins taglist - @tovvaa @midsummernightdream @wand3ringr0s3 @tinylumpiaa @freddie-weaselbee @lovesanimals @pandaxnienke @stxrryxsky @fredweasleypls @georgeweasleyishot @melonoptimist @pineapplesandpinas @psychocracker @the-real-santana-lopez @zabinizucchini @andrea-23-5 @slytherinambitious @amourtentiaa @slytherin-7 @youralternatpersonality @teenagesublimefan @accio-remus-lupin @lindsaytriestowrite @missetbilu @pinkypurplemagic @leovaldez37 @chlo333w3asl3y @georgeswhore @weasleysprincess @snoopydoop1 @angeletarte @hpotterwhore @hogwortslut123 @impulse-anchor @celestialmage23 @gomi-owo @rosietoesy @jackys-stuff-blog @4amhotchner @weasley8800 @mollysolo @lilypad-55449 @harrysboo28

fred weasley taglist - @justafredweasleysimp @christhebell @papapapadumb @person992004 @aviezap @cctorresavcadiz @hopefullhearts @onlyfreds 

george weasley taglist - @georgeweasleysbabe @stilinskibiles

oliver wood - @anxiousblanketqueen @moatsnow @stoopidwithtwohoes  @livvysnaps

[girlgrouptrash101]

Yena (IZ*ONE) as Your Girlfriend

Request: “can i request iz*one's yena as your girlfriend please 👉🏻👈🏻 thank you 🥺”

A/N: took a lil break from studying to write for a bit, ( i hope this all makes sense, i’m really freaking sleepy rn yall T-T )

- C

Choi Yena - is she an idol or a stand up comedian? i guess we’ll truly never know

her bubbly personality and quick-witted jokes were actually the main reason you wanted to get so close to her in the first place, absolutely in awe of how she could bring a smile anyone’s face in mere seconds

which is why, after a few days of pep talks from your friends, you built up the courage to ask miss Yena on a date, to which she absolutely accepted

Yena was over the moon when you asked her, and the shocked look on her face told you just that as she hadn’t expected you to reciprocate her feelings - but her composure dropped for a mere nanosecond before she was back to her cheeky self, her arm already wrapping around your shoulder as she couldn’t wait to go on a date with you :]

one date quickly turned into much more, and you both felt the time flying by as you fell further and further for one another, leading to Yena asking you to make it official just a couple weeks later!

Everyone around you immediately gets soulmate vibes as soon as they see you two together, your chemistry is truly unmatchable

as wild and unhinged as Yena is, she always finds a sense of calm around you that she doesn’t with anyone else, and it’s always so cute to see her her usual cool girl facade bubble away when she’s with you 

she has such a soft spot for you that no one else could ever get, and you love it so much when her chivalrous side comes out - plus the way she looks at you with so much makes you feel like the only person on the entire planet

Lowkey very cheesy, as in hand in your back pocket, don’t touch my baby type cheesy

(which you are an absolute sucker for, by the way)

every sentence ends with baby, no matter the context or who you’re with, she just loves calling you that SOO so much hehe

your guys’ relationship is truly like something out of like a 90′s teen movie, and no matter what Yena does, she always looks so damn cool that you can’t help but get an overwhelming amount of butterflies in your tummy

imagine Yena dropping you a text at the early hours of the morning telling you to come outside - you look out and see her on her motorbike, clad in her leather jacket and black jeans, lollipop lazily hanging from her lips as she waits for you to come outside GOD

and then she’ll take you to a little beach on the edge of town, the two of you snuggled up on the sand, only the sound of the waves to be heard as you shiver a little, even though you’re wrapped up in Yena’s leather jacket, and buried into her side :’)

Cuddles usually start with you laying in bed and Yena throwing herself on top of you, making you go “OOF” and making her giggle like an idiot

but once she gets comfortable, you best believe you guys aren’t moving for HOURS

and if you aren’t wearing an item of her clothing at ALL times its a national emergency and Yena must rectify that immediately

shows her love in many different peculiar ways, from squishing her cheeks against yours, poking her finger in your nostril, randomly nipping your earlobe or blowing raspberries against your skin while she lays her head on your stomach

funky little yena doing funky little dances in public whenever something makes her happy

which you have soon become a part of, leading to the two of you popping and locking in your local convenience store when the ice cream is on sale

However, while she presents herself as a strong, carefree person, none of us are free from worries, even Yena

when her thoughts get too loud, she’s feeling down, or even if she just had a bad day, you’re always there waiting for her with open arms and willing to listen to any of her worries; which she truly appreciates more than you could ever know.

Yena’s truly her authentic self when she’s with you - there’s no front, no shyness, she’s just pure Yena around you, and it’s so comforting to know she feels that comfortable around you to be that way.

(back to the fun stuff, sorry hjdfsjsd)

if you don’t already know how to skateboard, well you’ve basically got your very own tony hawk here to teach you how to become a pro skater

or if you suck she’ll just make you sit on her board and pull you along by the hand, both of you giggling like kids as she speeds up down the street

Her ideal date is somewhere where you two can have fun together, like the arcade, fair, going on trips (although no matter where you go, Yena always makes it fun :] )

you also both love the drive in theater near your house, and you guys go so often that you’ve basically created cuddle paradise in the back of Yena’s car, bundling up in the back, wrapped up in each others arms with the seats pushed down, wanting the night to go on forever <3

has probably said ‘no homo’ after a makeout session before

but to be honest, no matter what she says or does makes your heart flutter and fill with joy, because she truly is the m0st loving and happy spirit you’ve been honoured to have in your life, and you would never, ever change a single thing about her :)))))))))))

NSFW From Here:

yena cockiest little shit wbk

whenever she’s fucking you and you’re in any way trying to suppress your moans, she is NOT having it, simply opting to fuck you harder until you scream her name in that desperate tone that she loves so much

her favourite thing ever is memorizing the spots that make you moan a little louder, abusing your weaknesses over and over again until you’re a whimpering mess beneath her

HAS to mark you all over or else she’s not happy - leading to hickeys on the inside of your thighs, on your abdomen, your neck, collarbones, anywhere she can get access to she will always claim as hers

plus the satisfaction of seeing your spent body the morning after, the purple marks on your skin a sign of how good she made you feel makes her SO cocky n possessive and like. you’re HERS and no one is going to change that okay?

has fucked you in the back of her car after, or even during, your dates to the drive in theater,,, cuz girlie doesn’t really give a fuck, in her world its just you two and only you two

whenever you’re watching the movie, it usually ends up with you being engrossed in each scene, leaning into Yena’s side comfortably, thinking she’s paying as much attention as you - that is until you feel her hand creep towards the inside of your thigh, and that’s when you know you’re about 5 minutes away from screaming Yena’s name at the top of your lungs <3

when she invites you over to the practice room under the guise that she wants to teach you izone’s new choreo but then somehow you ended up on a chair in the middle room while Yena’s giving you a lap dance>>>>

when you’re in between her legs making you feel good and she’s looking down at you, her eyes hooded and her lip tucked between her teeth telling you how you’re doing such a good job....... FUCK

the kind of girl to whisper the filthiest words she can possibly think of in your ear then pull away and make a cheesy joke that leaves you mind absolutely REELING because like. her duality what the fuck

yena in nothing but a signature black choker with you riding her thigh in one of her oversized t-shirts, falling to pieces as she holds you close, relishing in the feeling of your dripping core against her skin,,,

also THAT mf that’ll tease you under the tables even when you’re with a group of people,, her annoying ass will just be relishing in the way your jaw clenches as you try so hard to not squirm as she teases you with her fingers

and those random times where you′re just like, at work or out shopping or vibing with your friends and then all of a sudden you get a video notification from Yena,,, and its a video of her in front of the mirror on your room, her legs spread and her fingers deep in her own heat, her breathes uneven as she does her best to keep her phone steady as she moans out your name

she LOVES doing that shit, knowing you’re turned on as fuck thanks to her just,, makes her feel so powerful

on those nights after Yena’s been away with schedules for a  while and you finally get to see her, everything is always so intimate between, with longing kisses and lingering touches that truly are filled with not only lust but love too, pulling one another impossibly closer until all your senses are clouded with another.

[angelhummel]

Honestly Brittany is underhated in my opinion lmao. Like I was literally waiting for ages for someone to make a negative thread about I am unicorn on reddit so I could hate on her. Last time someone made a thread about that episode said "Kurt was an asshole to yell at Brittany. He could have kindly explained to her to remove the posters" like he did? But Brittany went to ahead and hung the posters anyway. :/

Oh hey we just watched that ep! And I hated it! I don't know if I'd call it the worse episode, but it made me more uncomfortable than Asian F and Pot o Gold, which we watched right after. Like I've never had that bad a reaction to that ep before but wow

KURT: Look, I don’t just want to be know has Kurt Hummel: Homo.

BRITTANY: What’s wrong with that? Look - 99% of the kids at school are either freaks or closet freaks. The captain of the football squad - he gets the job, but he doesn’t represent the people. That’s why we need a unicorn.

My sister asked me if I agreed with that sentiment (being sure to say "If it wasn't Brittany saying it, how would you feel?" bc that makes a difference lol) and my response was "What did she say? I just tune her out now"

I mean obviously the sentiment isn't wrong. How often do we say that almost any one of the glee clubbers would be a better leader or representative than flop hudson. I just feel like Brittany is feeding into a larger problem that I have with season 3 in regards to Kurt

Which is just how they make so many jokes about Kurt being more flamboyant and girly than he actually is. Rachel saying she wants to see Kurt in a bridesmaid’s dress. Finn saying "What's with the sparkly jacket i thought you were kurt" but then he also has a comment in s2 about "sequined riding pants". but when has kurt ever wore sequins or sparkles outside of mercedes's dreamgirls fantasy number?? and having actual adults talk about how he isn't sexy enough (call the police) and laughing him out of an audition bc he's sooo fucking gay ha ha. i kinda talk about it here if you wanna read more unrelated angry rambling

Anyway all that to say. Kurt is not straight passing! He doesn’t need to be! He’s bold, theatrical, he loves fashion, he loves Broadway, and that’s great! But the pink sparkly unicorn stuff is something Brittany tried to force on him.

Kurt loves Judy Garland. He wanted to pay tribute to her with his campaign posters, hearkening back to her Blackglama fur coat ad. Something that references a beloved icon of the queer community, and fashion history at the same time. Two things that are very Kurt

But with Brittany, all nuance and clever reference is gone. She puts ruby slippers in the goody bag, just because they’re sparkly and flamboyant. They reference Judy in the most cliche and obvious way possible. Even if someone wants to claim it was her own version of a clever reference, she still has more pointless stuff in there as well. Unicorns, a teletubby, hair bands?? What does any of this have to do with Kurt or what he likes or represents?

And obviously there is nothing wrong with being the most flamboyant gay person you want to be. Pink and sparkles and rainbows obviously aren’t bad on their own. Not trying to sound like the shitty old “Gay people I respect vs gay people I don’t respect” meme. It’s just. Every gay person is more than their sexuality. No matter how flamboyant they are, how they dress, how many rainbows they wanna slap on everything. That’s still a whole person. Just bc all YOU see is a giant rainbow flag, that doesn’t mean that’s all they are

Brittany thinks being gay is nothing but pink unicorns and rainbow glitter. How is that any different from the shit Karofsky or Azimio or any other bully says about Kurt?? At the end of the day it’s just someone trying to cram him in a tiny little box that he is far too big, too bold, too nuanced to fit into 

I mean god fucking forbid, but imagine if Brittany was “helping” Mercedes run for president like this. Telling her that being black should be her main personality trait, and filling a goody bag with items that are Brittany’s idea of what being “black” means to HER 💀💀 (I mean anybody with common sense could see it was insane, but her stans would react the same way and make Mercedes the bad guy when she reacted poorly bc what else is new lol)

And all her dumbass unicorn talk literally made Kurt start to dislike that part of himself! Like he’s always been bullied for it but he was still unapologetically himself. But Brittany’s campaign idea contributed to Kurt thinking he needed to change himself, and saying he was tired of being a unicorn. And in s3 he starts wearing more drab colors and all these sweaters and capes and he’s bundling himself up like he’s protecting himself and it makes me sad. And they bring in a completely new character that looks like Kurt just to call Kurt ugly and a girl and make fun of him. It drives me up a fucking wall! Season 3 is so awful to Kurt i literally can’t stand it. And it all starts with Brittany :) Thanks for that. Girl power!

And after dealing with the pain and humiliation of literally being laughed out of an audition BY MEMBERS OF THE FACULTY for being “too gay” Kurt is faced with the bright pink unicorn posters with his face on him that say “This is your box! This is all you will ever be!” and wow i can’t imagine why he’d be upset with Brittany for that!! Who’da thunk??? Brittany was a selfish idiot for hanging them up. Kurt had every right to be upset. And Santana was an idiot for invalidating Kurt’s feelings and just boosting Brittany up when she was obviously in the wrong. But that’s Br*ttana for you :)

I’m not even happy about Kurt “accepting” the posters and hanging them up himself and making that his campaign theme. That’s the version of Kurt that someone else made up in their head. That’s not him. He is so much more than Brittany’s tiny little brain could ever even comprehend lol. So yeah. I hate her :)

[waitimcomingtoo]

Hey, so never really request things, but I really like your writing so here goes nothing. Would you be willing to write a Tom Holland and Reader fic where the reader has a stalker and her and Tom are best friends, but she’s too scared and panicked to tell anyone until one night when she realizes a cats following her when she’s walking home and she runs to Tom’s instead. Really fluffy and love confessions please? If not, that’s ok too, I love all your work!❤️

Every Smile You Fake

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader

Synopsis: You can’t tell your best friend about your stalker

Warning: a stalker and an incredibly unrealistic police procedure

Masterlist

“Happy birthday, pretty lady.” The ladies in your office greeted you as you arrived for your internship. You beamed as they enveloped you in hugs, a chorus of birthday wishes eliciting from the group.

“Thank you, thank you.” You smiled as you hugged them back, squeezing whoever’s hand you could reach.

“Your boyfriend left you something on your desk.” One of your co-workers winked at you, making the rest of the girls ‘ooo’ and ‘ahh’.

“We’ve been over this, Tammy. I don’t have a boyfriend.” You reminded her as you brushed some hair out of your face. Tom had been seen around the office too many times for them to believe you were actually just friends, as you claimed to be.

“Oh yeah? Tell that to the giant bouquet in your office.” Tammy turned you around and pushed you towards your desk. You could see a large bouquet of yellow and red roses on your desk and blushed a little at the sight. You looked over your shoulder at Tammy and swatted her hands away before walking over to your desk. You did that thing where you pretend to ignore the gift until you’ve read the card and picked up the note sticking out of the bouquet.

“What’s it say?” One of your co-workers asked as they rest of them leaned in to listen. You rolled your eyes at them before reading the note out loud.

“My love,

Today is the most special day of the year. It’s the anniversary of the day you graced us with your presence. I regard that as the greatest thing to ever happen to this earth. Happy birthday.” You read, earning a series of aw’s from the rest of the office.

“He called you his love.” Tammy gushed.

“Does he know he’s not your boyfriend?” Another co-worker asked and the rest laughed.

“Yes, he does. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have phone calls to be answering.” You dismissed the girls and got to work. The rest of the day went by quickly thanks to the ladies in your office. They surprised you with a cupcake at lunch and walked with you to your car at the end of the workday.

“So how are you celebrating? We’d love to take you out for dinner.” Tammy asked as she unlocked her car.

“Thank you, but I have plans with Tom.” You said, anticipating the reaction it’d get. Sure enough, Tammy put her hand over her heart and grinned.

“Ohhh. Of course she does.” She teased you.

“Stop it. He’s just a friend.” You reminded them. You stopped short when you noticed an unfamiliar car parked next to yours. You’d been working at the office long enough to recognize all the cars in the small lot. “Huh.”

“What’s wrong?” Tammy asked when she noticed your confused expression.

“Did we hire a new employee? I’ve never seen this car before.” You pointed to the maroon car next to yours.

“Me either.” Tammy stared at it for a moment and shrugged. “Probably a new janitor.”

You nodded and let it go, hugging Tammy goodbye for driving to Tom’s house.

You pulled into his driveway and fixed your skirt before knocking on his door. Tom opened it in no time, taking a moment to take in your appearance before pulling you into a hug. He lifted you off the ground and walked into his house, shutting the door behind him with his butt as he hugged you. You laughed in his embrace and he gently put you down.

“Wait here.” He told you, leaving you in his living room as he ran into the kitchen. “And thank you for wearing the pencil skirt.” He called.

“Well I know how much you love it.” You laughed, always flustered by Toms love of your work clothes. Tom reappeared with his hands behind his back and a cheeky smile on his face.

“Happy birthday, darling.” He said as he presented you with a homemade cupcake. Your eyes lit up in delight as you took the cupcake. You took a bite as Tom kissed your nose, getting frosting on both your faces.

“Thank you.” You said as you swiped your finger through the frosting and licked it off. “And thank you for the flowers.”

“Flowers?” Toms tilted his head in confusion as he picked a piece of you cupcake off and put it in his mouth.

“The ones you sent to my workplace.” You laughed at his poor memory.

“I didn’t send you any flowers.” Tom laughed back and you stared at him in surprise. “I did, however, bake you this mediocre cupcake. So, you’re welcome for that.”

“Oh, you know how much I love mediocre birthday treats.” You said sarcastically as you smeared some frosting on his nose. “Did you burn the bottom?” You wiggles your eyebrows.

“You know I did, baby.” Tom playfully slapped you with a towel as he walked back into the kitchen, you following behind him. You shared a happy glance and Tom let his linger a while after you looked away. “So uh, who did send those flowers?”

“I’m not sure. Probably some of the girls at work.” You shrugged as you took a seat on one of his barstools. You knew that wasn’t true judging by their reaction to the bouquet, but you didn’t want Tom to worry. But if Tom hadn’t sent them, who had?

“No secret admirers I might have to fight off? As your best friend, that’s legally my job.” He told you as he leaned across the counter to be closer to you.

“No. I think you’re okay.” You giggled, happening to glance upwards right as a car drove by. The maroon hue reminded you of the one parked next to yours earlier in the day. You shook your head and turned your attention back to Tom, letting the car completely slip from your memory until the following week.

“What’s wrong? You’re quiet today.” Tom put his hand over yours and rubbed it with his thumb. You were meeting him at a cafe for your lunch break, like you often did, but you were particularly quiet, like you often weren’t .

“Breakfast is sick.” You said as you put your cup down. Tom looked at you sympathetically, knowing how much you loved that dog, and tried to cheer you up.

“Sick of that name, I’d imagine.” He teased and you let out a short laugh. “What’s wrong with her?”

“She’s been house broken for 7 years but all the sudden, she’s having accidents everyday. And she won’t eat. I even put little strips of bacon in her bowl and she still won’t touch it.” You sighed and Tom nodded.

“Have you taken her to the vet?” He asked and you looked down at your cup.

“No. I can’t.” You told him. As you looked up at him, you noticed a familiar maroon car parked outside the shop. You quickly looked away, not wanting to get yourself worked up over nothing.

“Why not?” He asked, checking behind him to see what you were staring at.

“Because the last time I took a pet to the vet, I never saw them again.” You answered and he squeezed your hand to comfort you.

“You had another dog?“ he wondered.

“No. It’s was my cat.” You responded. “She had to be put down before I met you.”

“Her name wasn’t Dinner was it?” Tom teased, pleased when it made you smile.

“Sherlock.” You said sheepishly.

“Sherlock?” He leaned closer.

“I was little and a big fan, okay?” You defended yourself and he laughed at your expense.

“What if we take Breakfast to the vet together? Will that make you less nervous?” Tom offered.

“It might.” You shrugged as you sipped your tea.

“Then we’ll go on Saturday.” He patted your hand and withdrew it.

“Thanks, Tom.” You smiled in appreciation at him.

“I got you, girlie.” He smirked and took a sip of his own tea before clinking it with yours. “And come over after we go to the vet. I’ll cook you dinner.”

“I thought you were trying to cheer me up.” You poked fun at his cooking and he opened his mouth in mock hurt.

“I’ll see you at eight?” He raised an eyebrow, knowing you’d be over anyway.

“Yes you will.” You confirmed as you shook a sugar packet and stirred it into your cup. You finished up at the cafe and returned to your office. The rest of the work day went by quickly and before you knew it, you were home.

You threw your keys in the bowl by the door and slipped your jacket off. You walked into your bedroom, kicking off your boots when you noticed a note on your bed. You smiled as wandered over to it and picked it off your pillow.

“My love,

I hate to see you troubled. You will be able to get through this. I believe you can get through anything. That’s one of the things I love about you.” You read from the note. You sighed happily at Tom’s sweet gesture, not even bothering too wonder when he had time to come over and leave the note.

You arrived at Tom’s house a little late that Saturday after you dropped Breakfast off at your apartment. The vet said she was fine, just getting old. You shut the door behind you and locked it, calling out to Tom to alert him of your presence.

“Mm, I love it when you’re half an hour late. Really keeps me on my toes.” Tom teased you as he enveloped you in a hug.

“Shut up.” You laughed as you set your purse on his couch. “Traffic was really bad. The car behind me was totally up my butt. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think they were coming here too.” You blew your hair out of you face and took a seat on his barstool.

“Maybe they heard about my incredible cooking skills.” Tom grinned before giving you a kiss on the cheek to say hello. You began to get plates and cups out and set them on the table. You noticed the candles he had set out, all a different scent, and smiled at his gesture.

“Maybe. But they definitely didn’t hear it from me.” You poked his side and stole a tomato from his pile of ingredients.

“Hey.” He said softly, turning the stove off and transferring the pasta onto the two plates you set out.

“I’m sorry. You know I love your disgusting cooking.” You put a hand in his back and rubbed it for a moment to apologize. “I got your note, by the way. Thanks for cheering me up.”

“Note?” Tom asked as he put a plate in front of you and handed you a fork.

“The one you left on my pillow. It said you loved me and I’d be able to get through this.” You explained, feeling your body chill when his face didn’t show any sign of recognition. “You didn’t write that?”

“I do love you and you will be able to get through this, but I didn’t leave that note.” Tom said as he took a bite of his pasta. You quickly sipped your water, your mouth having gone completely dry. If he didn’t send the flowers and he didn’t leave the note, then who did?

“Oh, okay.” You chuckled nervously. “Must’ve been someone else.”

Only it wasn’t. It couldn’t be. Tom was the only person you told about the problem.

“Someone else is leaving love letters on your pillow?” Tom asked skeptically as he pushed his food around his plate. “Are you seeing someone or something?”

Your mind flashed to the car you had been seeing around lately, making a mental note to check the license plate next time you saw it.

“Something like that.” You said quietly. You didn’t want to worry Tom, especially if there was nothing to worry about yet. You could chalk the car up to being a coincidence, but you had no explanation for the notes. His eyebrows knit together and he stabbed a piece of pasta rather aggressively.

“Who?” He asked, his body language changing to show his insecurity. You but your lip and debated telling Tom about what had been going on, but ultimately decided against it. If you said it out loud, that would make things real.

You thought you had a stalker.

“Nobody.” You said stiffly and gave him a fake smile. He dropped the topic for the rest of your time there, and it slipped your mind as well. You didn’t think about your potential stalker until the next day when you checked your mailbox. Your stomach fell when you found something on top of your usual pile of magazines and bills.

Another note.

“My love,

I hope this note finds you well. You don’t seem to be appreciating my advances as you should be. Is there another in your life trying to take my place? Maybe that brunette I often see you with. Is he a treat, my love? Has he turned your head? Don’t be scared. I only want what’s best for you. What’s best for us. Don’t go to the police or there will be consequences. I love you.”

You crumpled up the note as tears filled your eyes. You looked around for anyone who might have left the note, but found yourself alone. You quickly made your way back to your apartment, locking yourself in there for the next four days.

Tom texted you constantly, but you were too on edge to give him your attention. You told the girls at work that you were sick, not wanting to risk your stalker showing up at your workplace and putting them in danger. You decided the safest move was to stay home, out of harms way. The door was locked, as well as all the windows. To increase your security, you positioned yourself in a chair in front of the door to watch it. You barely slept or ate, only leaving the chair to use the bathroom. On the fifth day of hiding out, your phone ringing made you jump. You saw atoms contact name and shakily raised the phone to your ear.

“Hello?” You said quietly, in case anyone was listening.

“Hello? Four days of silence and that’s all I get? Where have you been girlie?” Tom asked, sounding annoyed and concerned all at once. You kept your eyes on the door, watching the doorknob carefully for any movement.

“I’ve been…busy.” You lied. You knew he deserved a better excuse but you were in no position to give him one.

“Come over” He whined and you stiffened. You’d love to be safe at his house but you were too scared to go outside. You had the blinds drawn and hadn’t seen sunlight in days. You didn’t want Tom to see you like that.

“I can’t.” You stammered, beginning to get emotional. You didn’t want to lie to him, in fact, you wanted nothing more than to cry into his arms and let him comfort you. But that could put him in danger, and you couldn’t have that.

“Why not? I haven’t seen you in days.” He complained and you laughed sadly. “I need my fill. I think I’m going through withdrawal.”

“I’m busy, okay?” You repeated, wishing he’d accept that answer and let it go.

“So come be busy with me.” He said, and you could hear his pout through the phone.

“No, Tom.” You said sternly. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to see each other for a while.”

“What? Why?” He asked, the hurt in his voice sending a deep pain through you.

“Because I don’t want to see you, okay?” You snapped, not knowing how else to get rid of him. Tom was quiet for a moment and all you could hear was his breathing.

“Is this about the guy you’re seeing?” He said suddenly and you wanted to cry. He was given you an out, but it was gonna kill you to take it.

“Yes.” You said and bit your lip to keep from crying. “It is.”

“Okay.” He sighed and a tear rolled down your cheek. “Sorry. I’ll leave you alone.”

As soon as he hung up, you let yourself cry. Whoever was stalking you was ruining your relationship with Tom. You stood up and kicked the chair over before retreating to your bedroom.

After a restless night, you woke up around 3 the next day to someone knocking at your door. You hesitantly approached the door, baseball bat hidden behind your back. You looked through the peephole and sighed in relief when you saw your neighbor.

“Hey, Y/n. Are you all right?” Your elderly neighbor asked you.

“Yeah, I’m fine Mrs. Beverly. I’m just getting over a cold.” You lied and she nodded in understanding.

“I need to ask you for a favor.” She asked. “My grandson left his phone at home and he’s playing baseball at the park a few blocks from here. I was supposed to pick him up at 4 but I need to take my cat to the vet. Do you think you could drive down there and pick him up? I don’t know how long I’ll be at the vet and it’s in the opposite direction of the park.”

“That’s no problem, Mrs. Beverly.” You gave her a tight lipped smile. “I hope your cat is okay.”

“Thank you, dear. I’ll see you later.” She waved goodbye and left. You sighed and closed your door, dreading having to leave your apartment. You couldn’t say no to her, but now you actually had to go outside. You decided a quick drive to the park wasn’t lethal and took a quick shower to get ready. You threw on some clothes and by then, it was time to go. As you neared your car in the parking garage, you noticed the maroon car parked next to it. The sight of it struck fear in your heart and you immediately turned on your heel to leave the garage. You walked the short blocks to the park, looking over your shoulder the entire way there. You got to the park as quick as you could and found Mrs. Beverly’s grandson amongst a group of kids. After he told you he was going out with some friends for ice cream, you took a seat on the bleachers to catch your breath. You didn’t blame the strange looks the children were giving you. You knew you looked a mess. After taking a moment to breathe, you began your walk home.

It wasn’t long before you heard a car driving behind you. You slowly turned around and saw the same maroon car that was following you. You felt sick to your stomach when you realized no one was around to help you. You turned back around and kept walking, trying to stay as calm as possible. You could see the car following you out of your peripheral vision and quickened your pace. You got to your apartment but kept walking, not trusting yourself to get to safety in time. The possibility of getting into the elevator or stairwell with whoever was following you was too great. You walked a few more blocks until your reached Toms neighborhood. You ducked behind a giant bush and ran through his neighbors backyards to make a quick escape. When you didn’t see the car behind you anymore, you darted to his house and banged on his front door. He opened it in no time and you rushed inside, shutting the door behind you and locking it. You leaned your back against the door and panted, all while Tom stared at you quizzically.

“Hey.” You said sheepishly. You knew you looked crazy. And you knew the way you spoke to him the day before made the situation even worse.

“Hey.” He said softly. You could tell he was hurt and it broke you into pieces. He turned around and went back to the kitchen, wordlessly inviting you inside. You shut the curtains before you joined him and made sure the windows were locked.

“I was just making some pasta. You’re welcome to join me because I don’t know how to measure things. I’m pretty sure I made enough for a football team and who are you talking too?” The subject of his sentence quickly diverged, making you jump a little.

“What?” You asked, surprised by his assertive tone. The playfulness he usually had with you was long gone.

“You keep mentioning somebody that you’re talking to. The guy who left the note. Probably the same guy who gave you those flowers.” Tom said bitterly and you looked down in shame. “Is he the reason you don’t want to see me?”

“That’s not…no, Tom.” Your voice was weak as you silently pleaded with him not to start something.

“I just want to know, okay? I don’t care if you’re seeing somebody.” He paused, knowing he was lying. “It’s just weird that you didn’t tell me. We’re best friends-“

“-I know.” You cut in.

“I thought we told each other everything.” He looked at you and shrugged.

“We don’t.” You said quietly, feeling fear rise in your throat again.

“Why not? Did I do something? Do you not trust me?” He asked as he leaned on the counter. You rubbed your neck and swallowed hard, glancing over your shoulder out of habit.

“I don’t know who to trust anymore.” You whispered as a tear slipped from your eye. Toms angry body language shifted to that oj sympathy and he walked around the kitchen island to rest his hands on your shoulders.

“Is something wrong?” He asked gently as he rubbed your shoulders. You bit your lip tearfully as you nodded.

“What’s going on? You can tell me.” He said as he took the seat next to you.

“I’ve been seeing someone.” You admitted for the first time.

“I know that-“

“No.” You cut him off in fear of losing your nerve. “I’ve been seeing a car. The same maroon car every day now for a month. I thought it was a coincidence at first but then I saw the license plate and now I see it everywhere. It’s parked outside the stores I’m in, it’s in my parking garage at work,” You welled up with tears as you recalled the sightings and Tom took your hands in his, “and it followed me home tonight. I-I didn’t know what to do. I just panicked and came here. I’m so sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?” He asked as he took a napkin from the table and wiped your eyes. You smiled gratefully and took the napkin from him.

“Because it could be outside right now.” You said lowly, and Tom could see the fear in your eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were being followed?” He asked, desperate to know why you kept something of this nature from him.

“I’m scared, Tom.” You breathed. “I’m scared everyday. Whoever it is, they’re not just following me. They know things about me. They knew about my dog being sick. They sent me flowers on my birthday to my workplace. If I told you, it could’ve put you at risk.”

“I’m calling the police.” Tom said definitively and went to his phone. “Do you remember the license plate number?” He asked as he held the phone to his ear. “Yeah, hi, I need an officer over at 123 Internet Street. It’s about a possible stalker.”

“They told me not to go to the police.” You got out of your chair and pulled him away from his phone. He immediately went into a drawer and pulled out a pad and a pen.

“Well they didn’t tell me that.” He stated. “Here. Write down the plate number.” He slid through pad towards you.

“Tom-“ You tried to get him to stop.

“Write it down. Now.” He slammed the pen down in front of you, making you jump back. You obeyed his orders and took the pen, writing the license plate number down. You sheepishly slid the pad towards him and his eyes softened when he realized he raised his voice at you.

“I’m such an idiot.” He sniffled, feeling himself get emotional over the situation. You were scared enough and he had made you feel even worse.

“There’re no way you could’ve known.” You put your hand on his but he yanked it away and baled it into a fist, banging the table.

“Oh, yeah?” He challenged. “So I couldn’t have asked you why you’ve been looking over your shoulder lately? Or why you stopped wanting to hang out in public places? How about when you stopped wanting to see me? None of those could’ve let me know something was going on?”

“Please, Tom.” You begged him as you took his face in your hands to calm him down. “Don’t blame yourself for this. I could’ve told you.”

“No. I should’ve known.” He shook his head. “I knew you were acting funny but all I could think about was who sent you those goddamn flowers.” He said through gritted teeth and he hit the table.

“Why are you still hung up on that?” You took your hands off his face, angry now that he wasn’t listening.

“Now is really not the time.” He blew out a hot breath and ran his fingers through his hair.

“I’m already full of nerves, Tom. Whatever it is, just tell me.” You pleaded with him. He looked at you, taking you in for everything you were. You raised your eyebrows, asking him tell you what he was feeling, and he obliged.

“Y/n, for the past few years I-“ He began.

“Police. Open up.” A banging on the door interrupted his moment.

“I’ll…I’ll get it.” You said quietly and went to the door. Tom wiped his face, knowing this wasn’t the right time. You opened the door to two female officers.

“We got a call about a 1036M. What seems to be the problem?” The officer asked you. Tom appeared behind you and opened the door wider.

“My friend believes she’s being stalked.” Tom spoke, but the officers eyes never left you.

“Is this your boyfriend?” She asked you, nodded towards Tom.

“No.” You shook your head and she nodded.

“I’m her-“ Tom tried to explain.

“I think you ought to let her speak.” The officer looked at him sternly. “Is there another room we can speak in?” She asked you kindly.

“Oh, sure. We can go in the bedroom, right Tom?” You asked him.

“Yeah, it’s right this way.” He said, beginning to lead you towards the room.

“I’m sure she can show me.” The officer told him. Her tone changed from sweet to sassy when she addressed Tom. If you weren’t so stressed, you might have laughed.

“Come with me.” You told her and the other officer followed. You and Tom exchanging strange looks as you left the room. She shut the bedroom door behind you as you took a seat on the bed.

“You know, he’s a really nice guy.” You laughed softly.

“The 911 dispatcher heard you when he made the call. We hear a distressed woman, we take every precaution.” The officer explained and you smiled in appreciation. “I also like being rude to men.”

You nodded in understanding as he took out her notepad.

“Can you explain your situation, honey?” She asked you sweetly, and you nodded.

“I think I’m being stalked.” You told her. “I’ve been seeing the same car following me around. And I’ve been getting notes.”

“Notes?” She asked, looking up from her notepad where she was writing everything down.

“Like, love notes.” You explained. “They contain personal details in them.”

“Do you have these notes on your person?” She asked you.

“Yes.” You said, digging in your purse and pulling out the notes you hadn’t crumbled. The officer took them and handed them to the other officer, who put them in a plastic bag.

“Can you describe the car for me, sweetie?” The first officer asked you.

“It’s maroon and the license plate is 7TYP256. I think it’s a station wagon or something.” You said as you looked between the two officers.

“Can you run a license plate for me?” The second officer said into her intercom. “Plate number is 7TYP256, over.”

“That should be a few minutes.” The first officer told you. “Have you ever seen the person leaving these notes?”

“No, but one was left in my house.” You remembered, your mouth drying out at the memory.

“Was anything taken?” She asked you. Tom leaned against the wall on the other side, trying to listen in.

“Nothing other than my ability to sleep at night.” You laughed humorlessly as some noise came through their radios.

“We got a hit on your plate.” The other officer spoke up. “The car belongs to an Andrew Whittemore. Do you recognize that name?”

“Yes.” You thought for a moment, trying to think of where you knew that name. “He was in my history class in college.” You realized. “He asked me out once was I blew him off. I didn’t think anything of it.”

“Have you lived in the same apartment since college?” She asked you.

“Yes. He was even over once for a study group.” You began to panic, not knowing if knowing your stalker made the situation more or less scary.

“See here? He’s been convicted of stalking before. We put an APB out for him.” The first officer said as she showed you something on her screen. You looked and saw a picture of Andrew, older and more worn down from how you remembered him from college.

“Thanks.” You said simply, not knowing what else to say.

“That’s what we’re here for, baby.” The officer told you kindly. “Come on, lets go tell your not-boyfriend what’s going on.”

The three of you walked back into the living room, where Tom was seated on the couch. His posture was perfectly straight, something out of the normal for him. You had a feel he had rushed to the couch when he heard you coming and it made you smile. He made his way to you quickly and nodded at the officers, who were busy conversing with each other and listening to their police radio.

“Is everything okay?” He asked you, running his fingers from your elbows to your hands.

“Yeah.” You nodded, your nervous energy dissipating with his touch. “They actually found the guy.”

“They did?” He asked, looking at the officers with hope.

“We did.” She confirmed. “And my guys just found him a few blocks from here. He had a couple notes on him that were enough evidence to convict him. He’s been taken into custody.”

You sighed in relief and Tom pulled you into his body, letting your back rest against his chest.

“Is there anything else you need from me?” You asked the officers and they shook their heads.

“You’ll have to testify before a court, but don’t worry about that tonight.” One of them told you.

“Thank you.” You said sincerely and the leading officer gave you a warm smile.

“Of course. Have a nice night, ma’am.” They nodded at you before leaving. You stayed silent for a moment as Tom softly stroked your arm.

“What do we do now?” He asked, leaning down to press a comforting kiss to your shoulder. You smiled cheekily and looked up at him.

“Didn’t you say you made some pasta?”

A few hours later, you had washed the dishes together and were relaxing on the couch, your feet in Toms lap.

“It’s late.” You realized when you saw the clock under his TV. “I should probably go.”

“Do you feel safe in that apartment?” He asked you as he rubbed your ankle bone.

“I honestly don’t think I’m ever gonna feel safe again.” You chuckled softly, rubbing your hands over your arms. He watched your sympathetically, wishing there was something more he could do.

“He’s in prison, darling. He can’t get to you.” He said softly. You shrugged and looked at him through your lashes.

“What happens when he gets out?” You whispered. “What’s stopping him from driving right over to my apartment and waiting for me?”

“I’ve been thinking of moving.” Tom said suddenly, giving you a playful smile.

“You and me both.” You laughed and rubbed your tired eyes.

“What if we got a place together?” He scooted a little closer to you. “Somewhere in London, maybe, since you like the city so much.”

“Really?” You lit up, liking the idea already.

“Really.” He smiled. “And you can stay here until you feel ready to go home. I’ll swing by your place tomorrow and get some clothes.”

“I’d like that, Tom. Thank you.” You wrapped your arms around him and stayed there in his embrace. He tilted his face a little to place a kiss on your cheek, looking at you for a moment before clearing his throat.

“I’m happy to do it. You don’t have to thank me.” He said as you pulled out of each other’s embrace. Your hand slid off his shoulder and rested on his chest, where you clutched his shirt slightly, bunching up the fabric to keep him close.

“What were you gonna say before the police came?” You spoke softly.

“I don’t remember.” He lied, not meeting your gaze.

“Don’t lose your nerve now.” You urge. Tom studied your face and took a deep breath.

“I really value your friendship.” He began. “And if I’m overstepping, stop me at anytime but, do you ever want more?”

“More?” You asked.

“Yeah. I’m happy with how we are, believe me. But I can’t help from wanting, I don’t know, more.” He repeated, watching closely for your reaction. “Like, when I kiss you on the cheek sometimes, I wonder what would happen if I just moved over just a few inches and actually kissed you. Or when we’re sitting next to each other on the couch, and I’m cold, and you’re cold, what’s stopping me from pulling you into my lap to warm us both up? I know best friends don’t do that stuff but, I’ve always felt like we’re-“

“More than best friends?” You laughed softly as you finished his sentence.

“Yeah.” He smoked in relief when you understood. “It’s hard to explain. Like, I’m not pinning after you, but if you wanted to be more than friends, I’d want that too. Do you get what I’m trying to say?”

“Funnily enough, I do.” You replied as a smile tugged at your lips.

“Good. Because I’m totally pinning after you.” He admitted with a nervous chuckle. You stared at him and made a decision that if you could face a stalker tonight, you could face your best friend that you were crushing on.

“Tom?” You asked, a coy smile on your face.

“Yeah?” He tilted his head, looking at you fondly with his signature soft brown eyes.

“Pull me into your lap.” You instructed. “Let’s find out what really would happen if you actually kissed me.”

Tag List 🏷

@maybemona @foreverxholland @writing-for-hours-on-end @lavender-writer @captainmandeestudent17 @whatareyouhidingpeter @takenbyheartstrings @ultrunning @imyourliquor-youremypoison @theolwebshooter @andreasworlsboring101 @guksmyfav @waiting-to-be-myself @letsloveimagines @peterparkoure @a-villain-vying-for-attention @justcallmehitgirl @averyfosterthoughts @jackiehollanderr @tiny-friggin-human @celestial-skylines  @mara-twins @iamaunicorn4704 @delicately-important-trash @spideygirl2003 @the-crazy-fanfictionist @maryjanee23 @spacebitch2  @geeksareunique @emmamarshmellow @jillanaholland @unbelievableholland @rebekkah4766 @flixndchill @sovereignparker @wendaiii @thisisthebiplace @spideydobrik @every-marveler-ever @undiadeestos @caelestii-e @eridanuswave @itscaminow @thegr8kush  @solarxmoonchild @where-art-thau-romeo @canyouevencauseicant @probablyparker @illwritetomorrow @thehappygrungelife @saysomethingspiderman @parkerboop @smilexcaptainx

[f0xfordcomma]

re:union (kataang week 2021) DAY SEVEN

prompt: the sea and the sky

re:union

chapter seven: reunions

rating: T

words: 2529

summary: "He had fought hard for this unity. Had spent countless hours in courtrooms and offices arguing with dignitaries and representatives about the benefits of a United Republic. He had spent long nights drafting up documents and looking over contracts. He had dreamed of finally seeing this day, finally seeing this unity. All he could see tonight though, was a yellow flower drifting around the crowded room on an intricately braided head of ochre hair."

read it on ao3

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

chapter seven: reunions

By the time Aang had handled Councilman Zhu’s dumpling crisis, he had lost track of Katara.

“She went to get changed for the feast,” a familiar, though deeper than he remembered, voice sounded from behind him.

“Sokka!”

“Hey buddy! It’s good to see you.”

They squeezed each other in a bone-crushing hug. The first one, Aang realized, he had gotten since his return. Aang held on a little harder at the thought.

“Where’s Suki?”

“Getting ready with the rest of the warriors. They are playing a special part in the performance tonight.”

“Wow! I can’t wait to see that!”

“Heh—yeah, me too.” Sokka’s voice went somewhere dreamy. “But, uh, I think it’ll be hard to watch with your head buried in my shoulder like this…”

“Oh right! Sorry… just happy to see you.”

“I missed you too buddy.” Sokka squeezed Aang’s shoulder reassuringly. “Now, you should go get ready! Can’t have the guest of honor stinking up the place tonight.”

“Guest of honor…” Aang grumbled, rolling his eyes in exasperation at Zhu’s exuberance. Still, he broke away from Sokka, giving him a nod as he made his way towards the room’s egress.

“Oh, and Aang?” called Sokka from near the food tables where he was stealing an hor’s d'oeuvre from under a cloche. “She’s not seeing anybody, in case you were wondering.”

Aang stopped still, his ears burned, his head swam. He hadn’t realized how much the question was plaguing him until he had heard it vocalized. She’s still single. There’s still time. He had let her go once, had regretted it every day since. She’s still single. He had no idea if she still wanted him the way he wanted her. But she’s still single. He resolved to try and change that fact by the end of the night.

He opened his mouth to speak but only a low whine came out. He cleared his throat but ended up coughing around the words as he forced them out. “I—is that… is that so?”

“It is.” Sokka snorted.

“That’s uh… thanks Sokka!” Aang shouted in salutation as he rushed out the door, needing to hide his burning blush and, as everyone had insisted, finally get cleaned up.

⬭

He wore a new set of robes. The pants dyed a dark amber with northern saffron. The belt and sash a sunny terra-cotta color that complimented the blue of his tattoos.

He surveyed his face in the mirror, taking in the scruff along his jawline, the tan around his temples, the laugh lines near his lips. He hadn’t spent much time looking at himself over the past few years, hadn’t had a mirror at any of the temples. The only time he would look at his reflection was when shaving his head, and even then, the refraction of the water made it difficult to examine his countenance with any detail.

Aang had never much minded the way that he looked--hadn’t had much use for vanity when living with the monks, hadn’t had much time for insecurity when running from the fire nation, hadn’t had much need for self-consciousness when being loved by Katara--he’d always thought his face was friendly enough, his body was strong enough. Something about looking at himself now though, fully a man, strong and steady and serene in a way that he’d never seen himself before, made his chest swell with confidence.

“I look good, huh buddy?” He directed the question to Momo, who had joined him in his room after an afternoon spent swooping around Cranefish City in search, no doubt, of sweets from strangers.

In reply, the lemur flew over to perch on his shoulder, scratching through the stubble on Aang’s chin with a squawk.

“You really think she’ll like it?” He scratched Momo between the ears and produced a plum from the pocket of his pants.

Momo took the fruit eagerly between his paws and greedily gobbled it down.

“Aw buddy, you flatter me.”

“Well babe,” a feminine voice dripping with thinly veiled amusement sounded from behind him, “it looks like we’ve officially lost him.”

“You’d think so, but he’s been talking to the lemur like that for as long as I’ve known him.”

“So what you’re telling me is, he has always been insane?”

“Pretty much.”

Aang’s face was beet red (he had lost count, at this point, as to how many times this had happened today) as he spun on his heel to face the Firelord and Firelady, who were standing in his doorway in their formal robes and appraising him with mirth-filled expressions.

“Uh, hey guys… how, uh… how long have you been standing there?”

“Oh, long enough, hot stuff.” Mai shot him a wry smile with a raised eyebrow before turning and pecking her husband on the cheek quickly as she took her leave. “I’m going to go make sure the kids are ready. We leave in ten, boys.”

Once Mai was out of earshot, Zuko burst into laughter and walked over to throw an arm around Aang. “Anything you want to talk about there, Aang?”

“Yeah! Why is it that I don’t see any of you for three whole years, and the first thing anyone does is tease me.”

“That’s not true! The first thing I did was put you on babysitting duty.”

“You’re not funny, Zuko.”

“Hey! Now who’s teasing whom?”

Aang scowled. Zuko, trying to school his face into a slightly more serious expression, straightened up and stalked a few paces across the small room.

“I’m going to give you some unsolicited advice because Uncle isn’t here to do it for me.” Zuko pantomimed stroking his beard and affected a strong accent that, ultimately, sounded nothing like Iroh. “Follow your heart.”

“Follow my heart? That’s it? No tea metaphors? No floral imagery? You make a pretty rotten Iroh, Zuko.”

“Hey, I tried.” Zuko shrugged. “I don’t know, man. You’re still in love with Katara, right?”

Aang flushed but nodded his head, eyes fixed on the floor.

“Are you going to do something about it?”

Aang met Zuko’s eyes determinedly and nodded again.

“Good. You’d better.”

“Thanks Zuko.”

“Any time. By the way? I agree with Momo, the beard really suits you.” At that, Zuko strode out of the room, chuckling softly to himself.

⬭

“So, Sugar Queen,” Toph plopped herself on Katara’s bed with a huff, swinging her bare feet up to rest on the adjacent wall so she could still feel what was happening. “You seemed pretty cozy with our Prodigal Son back there. Locked that down yet?”

“Toph!” Katara spluttered, pulling her paintbrush away from her lips.

“That’s a no, then?”

“Wha--no, not a… he just got back! And I don’t even know if… it’s none of your business, anyway.”

“Right, right. So you guys haven’t talked about your feelings, like, at all, yet? What the heck was all that flirting on the beach then?”

“What flirting? We were just hanging out. As friends! Being friendly! We were friends before we were ever anything else, Toph. You know that!”

“Uh huh, uh huh. Good point, Katara. Your definition of ‘friendly’ has always been a little bit off when it comes to Aang…”

“Toph! I will kick you out.”

“No, you won’t. Want to know why?”

“I have a feeling you’re going to tell me anyway.”

“You know me so well, Sweetness. And you aren’t going to kick me out because I know you very well and if I’m not here in, oh, seven minutes when you inevitably start second guessing yourself, to give you one of my patented Toph Beifong pep talks, you are going to freak out.”

Katara grumbled something crass under her breath and scowled at Toph’s reflection in the mirror, but ultimately, she knew her friend was right, so she obliged the company while she finished putting on her makeup.

Katara rarely wore makeup. It hadn’t really been a custom among the women in the Southern Water Tribe growing up, and during the war there hadn’t been time to worry over such trivialities. Afterwards, though, she had been the victim of many a makeover by Ty Lee. Had been the guest at many formal galas that required a bit of dressing up. Had been gifted a set of Kyoshi warrior paints by Suki. Had spent an afternoon wandering around the market in Caldera hunting down the exact right shade of lipstick with Mai and learning everything that she could possibly hope to know about knife maintenance.

Aang had always gotten incredibly flustered around her when she wore makeup. That was, perhaps, her favorite part of the process.

It had been years since she had put any makeup on her face. Her face was different now. Her eyes crinkled a bit at the corners when she smiled, her cheeks were less plump, more defined, her lips were fuller—perhaps the lipstick made her lips look too full? Perhaps it wasn’t the same color that she had used that one night in Omashu when Aang had ended up wearing more of it than she had? Perhaps she should wear something pinker? Redder? What had Mai said about skin undertones?

“You look fine.”

“You really think so, Toph?”

“No idea.” Toph deadpanned. “But I’m sure that even if you look like an armadillo-hog, Aang will still forget his own name when he sees you. That is your goal with the facepaint, right?”

“Uh…”

“Of course it is, don’t try to lie to me, Sweetness. Listen, I know two things: that boy’s heartbeat has always only ever been impacted by you, and a lot of other men have also had hammering heartbeats when they talk to you. Wanna know what that tells me? You ain’t ugly. In fact, I assume you’re pretty hot. So, chin up, shoulders back, let’s go get you your man back.”

Katara spluttered and blushed. “Oh… uh, okay.”

“You don’t sound confident yet. You are still in love with him, right?”

“Yes.” She whispered.

“Obviously. Then get your pretty little butt out of here and go do something about it. Chop chop, girly!” Toph, still laying on Katara’s bed, started snapping at her while she squared her shoulders in the mirror and gave herself one more once over, nodding at her reflection and resolving to talk to Aang as soon as she had the chance.

“Right. Okay. I can do this. Thank you, Toph.”

“That’s the spirit.”

“Aren’t you coming?”

“Eh, yeah… I told Yugi to meet me here so we can head over together. Or wait… was it Satoru? Toklo? I don’t know, some guy is picking me up. Can’t show up to a stuffy formal function without someone to talk to all the boring people for me, now can I?”

“You do know all of your friends are going to be there tonight, right?”

“I said what I said.”

Katara rolled her eyes as she hurried past Toph and prepared to leave. “Whatever, just lock up when you leave, okay? Mrs. Shao is out tonight so I’m the last one in the house.”

⬭

The ballroom was lavishly decorated. The colors of all four nations draped around the room in every detail. Tapestries hung on the walls with the new seal of Republic City, flanked on either side by the insignias of the four nations. The tables were lined with dishes from across the world. The floral arrangements featured regional blooms from all over. In a ballroom in a government building in a sleepy corner of the Earth Kingdom continent, the entire world was united in one beautiful display.

He had fought hard for this unity. Had spent countless hours in courtrooms and offices arguing with dignitaries and representatives about the benefits of a United Republic. He had spent long nights drafting up documents and looking over contracts. He had dreamed of finally seeing this day, finally seeing this unity. All he could see tonight though, was a yellow flower drifting around the crowded room on an intricately braided head of ochre hair.

From his seat onstage next to Zuko, he watched her make her way around the room hugging and smiling and laughing and chatting. Her sleeveless blue dress was modern but carried traditional nods to her water tribe roots. Her lips were a dark cherry red. Her hair was braided. He had braided it. A yellow flower sat at her crown and winked sunshine at him whenever she turned her head. She was beautiful. Of course, he already knew that. But she was beautiful.

“Aang? Hello… Aang??”

“Huh, what?” Aang was drawn from his stupor when Zuko nudged him with his elbow.

“You’re up.”

“Oh.”

Zhu introduced him. He somehow made a speech. There was roaring applause.  Her eyes were blue, her lips were red, the flower was yellow. She was blushing.

He took his seat next to Zuko. Her eyes were blue . There were performances. Her lips were red . Suki shot finger guns at him in greeting as she and her warriors took the stage. The flower was yellow. Music started up and the gathered crowd dispersed to make way for dancing. She was blushing.

“Excuse me.” He rushed off-stage and into the crowd, chasing a glimpse of yellow in ochre, a swish of blue chiffon. She was pushing her way through the crowd, too. Her eyes were blue. “Katara, I--”

“Dance with me?”

She was offering him a hand. The tsungi horn rang out a familiar song. He took it. “Of course.”

They knew this dance by muscle memory. It was as familiar as their own names, as each other’s name. He flew around her in swirls. She swam around him on waves. They were the sea and the sky and there could not be one without the other. He lifted her, she spun around him. He dipped her, she glowed. She was the sun and he was the moon. She illuminated his sky. He compelled her tides.

The music ended. They were breathing heavy, faces inches apart, hearts still hammering the now silent drum beat.

“Can we go somewhere?”

⬭

The sound of the party flooded the streets of Republic City. Everyone seemed in good spirits, bustling about in a dance as they went about their evening errands. The cicada-crickets sang along to the Tsungi horn. The air was hot, heavy with humidity. They watched the waves from a rooftop. Their hands were intertwined.

Out across the bay, the sea and the sky collided in a canvas of colors. The green and yellow and red and orange of twilight reflected on the water’s dusky blue blue blue. The colors blurred together, obscuring the horizon line, obscuring the separation between their two elements. Out here, there was no sea, no sky. No air, no water. No Aang, no Katara. Just them. Just together. Just finally.

They made promises to each other. They held on. They did not let go.

“Sweetie?”

“Hmm?”

“I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

He had to lean every so slightly down to kiss her.

Her hands in his hands.

Blue. Grey.

Sea. Sky.

Their city had a new name.

They were here.

They were home.

⬭

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

It's done! It's done!

So sorry for the delay in posting this! I could've squeezed it out yesterday but didn't feel like doing so would wrap up all the things the way that I wanted to so I needed to take a bit more time on it and, obviously, this chapter grew to be quite a bit larger than the others.

I have had SO MUCH FUN participating in Kataang week this year and hope to do it again next year maybe? Also I /might/ have a little storm brewing for Maiko week so... be on the lookout for that at some point?

The love and support that I've gotten for this fic this week? OH MY GOD like wow it's been so lovely! Thank you all for reading.

And a million thanks to @foxy-knowledgeseeker for being an absolute angel and beta-ing this sucker for me. I'm gonna apologize for my choas just once more. (Sorry! Thank you!)

Bwah! Okay, time for a nap <3

@kataang-week

chapter one

chapter two

chapter three

chapter four

chapter five

chapter six

[maybankiara]

MY GOD, YOU’RE A SWEET THING

pairing: JJ Maybank x Female!Reader

prompt: “When the sun sets and darkness comes, I only remember your warmth, where the stars wrap around us. I’m going there, I’ll be there”- Highlight by SEVENTEEN (from my song prompt list)

summary: It’s prom night and JJ has a surprise planned for you.

word count: 3.1k

additional: i was listening to hozier while writing this and this ended up being the most emotional fluffy piece i’ve ever written, which was completely the opposite of my initial idea for the prompt (it was supposed to be more about the darkness - ended up being about the stars instead). i highly recommend listening to heavenly day by patty griffin as you read, specifically from the middle onwards (you’ll be able to tell).

written for @kiarasflowr​

requests are open

‘You look amazing,’ your sister says.

  You look at her and feel the smile taking over your entire face; her eyes are gazing at you in awe, her mouth agape, and you never thought you’d be able to get a reaction like this out of her.

  ‘Thank you, Lou.’

  ‘Don’t let it get to your head,’ she replies, spreading across your bed. ‘It’s one day out of thousands.’

  ‘JJ thinks I’m amazing every day.’

  Louise snorts. ‘Believe me, he doesn’t.’

  ‘Scoot, you pest.’

  Despite your words, you cannot help but smile at your little sister. She completely ignores your order and remains seated on your bed, typing away on her phone. You turn around your axis, watching as the fabric of the dress flows with each of your movements.

  You spent months looking for it. Kiara and Sarah helped out as much as they could, but where Sarah was overly girly, Kiara was overly boyish for your taste, and you ended up finding the dress alone, with Lou by your side. The material is light, a faded blue, and it feels as if you aren’t wearing anything at all.

  Louise was the one who helped you out with your hair, managing to get it to look all nice and put in all the right places. You did your own makeup, with Louise helping out every now and then, and you think you look good.

  Like you told Lou, JJ is going to like you no matter what. It doesn’t hurt that you’d like to exceptionally good for a change, too.

  Not long after, the doorbell rings. Even Louise’s face lights up as she realises what time it is. She walks you to the stairs and you hear your dad open the door, even though you asked to be the one to do so.

  It doesn’t matter.

  Lou steps in front of you, unable to shy away from the grin on her face. ‘He’s going to fall on his ass when he sees you.’

  You chuckle, quirking an eyebrow. ‘You think so?’

  ‘Puh-lease. You look like a freaking goddess. Do you think I’m shabby with anything I do?’

  ‘Sure thing, Lou. It’s all you.’

  ‘Damn right it is.’ She leans over the ledge and peeks into the hallway. ‘She’ll be right down!’

  ‘Did you see him?’ you ask.

  ‘Mhm.’

  ‘What does he look like?’

  Lou peeks over the ledge again, then grins. ‘He matched the tie. And the handkerchief. Y/N, stop smiling like that, it’s too much.’

  ‘Oh shut up, Lou!’

  ‘You ready?’

  ‘Don’t make a big fuss out of it.’

  She nods, stepping backwards towards the beginning of the staircase. ‘Duly noted and consciously ignored. Ladies and gentlemen,’ Lou announces, ‘welcome Y/N Y/L/N, and prepare to be amazed. Maybank, if she doesn’t come back in one piece, I’ll cut off your di—’

  ‘Enough,’ you hear your dad say sternly, even if his voice is at the edge of cracking up. There’s another nervous chuckle that you recognise as your boyfriend’s, and your heart flutters in your chest.

  Louise walks down first and you follow right behind. The heels are medium high but it still takes you a bit longer to make your way down, making the whole thing more dramatic than it already is.

  You keep your eyes on the ground and you tell yourself it’s because you don’t want to miss a step – in reality, you know that the moment you look up, the magic will either devour you whole, or dissipate.

  But you do, because you come to the last step, and your eyes lock with JJ’s and—

  If you didn’t believe in magic before, you do now.

  ‘Hi,’ he says, except he stammers it, and you see him struggling to contain himself as a wide smile spreads across his face. ‘You look – Um, you’re stunning.’

  You smile, walk over to him, and kiss him on the cheek. He’s wearing a suit that Kiara’s dad gave him and it looks good on him, making him a little less scrawny than he usually seems. You giggle when you notice that Louise wasn’t kidding when she said he matched his tie and handkerchief with your dress.

  ‘Kie and Pope helped out,’ he mumbles.

  ‘It looks dashingly handsome,’ you say honestly, loving the effect your words have on him. He blushes and he looks away, staring at behind you as you fix his tie. ‘They did a good job.’

  ‘Stop complimenting me. I don’t know how to react.’

  This is where the conversation ends, as your dad steps between the two of you to take photos. Your whole family poses with you and your mom quickly takes over your dad’s place in the pictures. JJ finds it amusing and even though he doesn’t say anything, you can tell he wishes his family could give him this experience, too.

  Instead, you just squeeze his hand and brush through his hair with your fingertips, hoping that he knows that you are his family.

  The rest of the Pogues are waiting for the two of you outside, in John B’s van. Lots of compliments are exchanged and you were right when you thought the whole group would look amazing – both Sarah and Kiara look just as good as you feel, and the boys match the vibe perfectly.

  You sit in the back, with your hand in JJ’s lap as he plays with your fingers. You’re not nervous anymore – it’s impossible to be nervous when you’re with him.

  It’s a good feeling to walk into your gym hall and see it entirely redecorated into a dance venue, littered with balloons and tapestries and tables and chairs and glasses and lots of punch that you are certain has already been spiked. John B takes the lead towards your table, holding Sarah’s hand. The whole group sits down and thankfully, the tables are set for six people, and you know you’re not going to be bothered by anyone else.

  JJ leans into your ear soon after the music begins. ‘Let’s go take pictures.’

  ‘Seriously?’

  He nods.

  ‘I thought you said prom pictures are dumb.’

  ‘Well,’ he says, playing with your fingers again, ‘I decided that they’re not dumb if I want memories of tonight.’

  You grin at him and kiss him quickly, briefly, knowing that in just a few hours, you’d be able to do more than that. ‘You’re a softie.’

  ‘Hush. Don’t let anyone hear you.’

  The two of you chat and laugh as you walk over to the photo booth. Someone on the prom committee decided that having a person taking the photos would be too expensive, so all you’ve got it a shitty photo booth. Somehow, it fits the vibe, too.

  Everything seems about tonight seems to be perfect. You’re just waiting for it to crash.

  You sit down and JJ pulls you into his lap, kissing you fully on the mouth. You don’t have a lot of time so he places a few quick kisses on your neck, before looking up at you. ‘Do you think they have cameras in here?’

  ‘I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.’

  ‘It’s America.’ JJ shrugs. ‘They can do whatever they want.’

  You laugh and brush the hair off his forehead, giving it a kiss. ‘I think we’re good.’

  At this, JJ reaches into the pocket of his vest and takes out a small flask. By his devilish grin, you can tell you’re not going to be using that to spike any punches.

  He unwinds the cap and raises it to you. ‘Ladies first.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’ You take a swig and feel the whiskey burn in your throat, but you let it simmer. It’s good whiskey – probably the best one you’ve ever had. You don’t want to know where and how JJ got it.

  Once you’ve both had a bit each, you finally take those photos. They’re goofy, mostly, and perfect representations of your relationship with JJ, and you know they’ll be something you’ll cherish for the rest of your life. But then just as you think you’re done, JJ tells you that he wants to take some proper ones.

  ‘Never thought I’d hear you say that,’ you admit.

  JJ shrugs, his eyes glancing to your lips. ‘Never thought I’d attend a prom with you.’

  ‘Sap.’

  ‘Quiet.’

  He puts the coin in the place and holds you close, gazing into your eyes. The flash goes off and you’re expecting him to move, except he doesn’t – he only drops his gaze to your lips and kisses you softly, lips barely brushing against yours.

  The flash goes off again and you hardly notice. JJ leans his forehead against yours, cradling your cheeks with a delicate touch, as if you were something he’s afraid to crush underneath his fingertips.

  The flash goes off for the last time. The sound of the pictures being printed is loud, and you can tell someone is waiting to get into the booth, but all of this could just as easily not be happening.

  The only thing you’re aware of is your face in JJ’s hands, his forehead against yours, his breath fanning your lips lightly, the smell of whiskey prominent.

  ‘I love you,’ he whispers.

  You kiss the words from his mouth.

  Some time later, everyone in your group is quite tipsy. The punch has been spiked, the whiskey has been shared (turns out, all the boys chipped in for the whiskey as a gift to the girls), and the songs have been danced to. It’s easy and it’s natural, and it just feels like a fancy party at the Boneyard.

  It’s one of the best nights of your life.

  You and JJ dance with the rest of the group to most songs, but you sit down for the slow ones. It’s for JJ, mostly, as you know he doesn’t trust in his slow dancing skills enough to do it in front of everybody.

  Whenever he apologises for it, you squeeze his hand and tell him that you’re happy, anyway. It would make the night even better, but it doesn’t make it any less great.

  JJ kisses you, without a fail, every time you give him reassurance. You’re definitely one of the most PDA couples, with John B and Sarah still taking the cake.

  At almost the very end of the night, with some half hour left before the after party at the Boneyard, JJ gets up from his seat, during one of the slow songs.

  ‘C’mon,’ he says, tugging at your hand.

  You get up, fumbling with your dress, your eyebrows furrowed but a smile dancing in the corners of your lips. ‘Where are we going?’

  ‘Shh.’

  JJ leads you through the hall and out of it, sneaking past the policemen guarding the entrance to the gym hall, and all the way to the inside of the building. You keep wanting to ask questions and he keeps shushing you, a vibrant smile on his face.

  It’s the thrill that’s keeping you both going. You can hear your heart thumping in your chest and the dress flows around your legs as you run as quietly as possible, holding JJ’s hand. You’re laughing with a hand over your mouth, and when he looks at you, the adoration in his eyes almost melts you.

  When you finally come to a halt, it’s right in front of the balcony through the school’s art gallery. JJ fumbles through his pocket with one hand, not letting go of yours.

  ‘JJ—’

  He shushes you again. You press your lips together, feeling both immense excitement and the early bubbles of annoyance with constantly being hushed. You watch as JJ takes a bunch of keys and puts one of them in the key hole, grinning at you devilishly.

  You sigh, shake your head, and give in to the smile that overtakes every other emotion on your face.

  JJ pushes the door open and motions for you to walk in first, which you do. He closes the door behind you, quietly, and rubs his thumb against the palm of your hand.

  The music from the hall is long enough for you to hear it even now; JJ keeps checking his wristwatch, leading you through the gallery.

  ‘What are we doing?’ you whisper. ‘And if you shush me again—’

  He crashes his lips against yours. His hands cradle your neck, thumbs moving along your jaw, and the kiss eases into softness. Your hands instinctively find themselves at his sides, and he steps closer, until there’s no space between you.

  You feels his breath on your lips and both of you are out of breath, even though you shouldn’t be.

  This feels like something more.

  When you look at him, JJ’s eyes are closed.

  ‘What are we doing?’

  ‘Wait,’ he whispers.

  His eyes open and he kisses you again, quickly, before taking your hand again and leading you through the gallery, to the balcony. He unlocks the door and closes it once you’re both out, in the fresh air. You’re surprised that you can hear the music well, as the air carries it in an unusual way – it’s loud but faint in melody, almost as it were sang by nature itself.

  It’s the second time that night that you believe in magic.

  ‘How do you like it?’

  You look at JJ and find him smiling at you, his gaze taking you in. He always looks at you with hunger, but one that’s nothing like the hunger you see in most boys – this is something deeper, a different kind of craving, one that isn’t wanting your body, but your soul, instead.

  You take a step closer and kiss him on the cheek, the way you always do. Your hands cradle his face and your thumb brushes the edges of his lips, your eyes following your finger.

  ‘I love it, J.’

  He smiles and you can almost see him breathe out the tension within him. ‘Good. But that’s not it.’

  ‘It’s not?’

  ‘Nope.’ He steps back and creates space between you, before taking your hands in his. ‘Do you trust me?’

  You consider it. ‘Not really.’

  JJ laughs and twirls you around. ‘Smart girl. I need you to trust me now.’

  ‘Don’t throw me off the roof, please.’

  ‘Y/N’—he tugs you close, breath fanning your lips—‘don’t ruin the mood.’

  You smile. ‘Okay.’

  He doesn’t give you a response, only takes a step back and twirls you to the music again, and soon enough both of you are laughing. You’re struggling to stay on your feet as the heels and alcohol combination isn’t the best, but it makes it all the funnier.

  You’ve done this so many times, yet each time, it feels different; new.

  He twirls you once more and you stumble, ending up with your back pressed against his chest. He wraps his hands around your abdomen and rests his chin on the top of your head, swaying both of you to the rhythm of the song. You find yourself relaxing into his touch, almost as if there’s no other place you belong more.

  This—JJ Maybank—is your home.

  Another song begins to play, a slow one, and you recognise it – it’s a song that you always jokingly said would play at your wedding. It’s also the song that you always associated with JJ – it somehow always played in the key moments between you two.

  You turn around and look him in the eye; he’s smiling, but his eyes are a little scared. ‘Did you set this up?’

  ‘The DJ owed me a favour.’

  You laugh and lean your head against his chest, feeling your shoulders shake. He pulls you even closer and you sway to the rhythm of the song again, only this time it feels…

  It feels different.

  JJ is singing along to the lyrics, whispering them against your ear. He moves his feet, too, reluctantly at first. You glance up at him and find him smiling, looking at you with the same adoration that makes you feel as if the world could not be better.

  He twirls you around, gently, and he holds you as he dances in circles around the balcony, and he sings, and you just see him loving you.

  You don’t know when you start crying, but you are, and his eyes aren’t dry, either. There’s smiles on both your faces and you feel your heart beating, your pals sweating, and you feel more alive than ever before.

  The song finishes and JJ brings you to a halt, still as another song begins. A few strands have fallen out of your hairstyle as you were dancing and he tucks them behind your ears, gently. His touch is gentle and brief, and you find yourself aching for more.

  He looks at you and the only word that comes to your mind is love.

  ‘Every time my life went a little sideways,’ he whispers, ‘you were there to keep me from doing the same. You were the one thing keeping me in place, no matter what shit was going on. I know that in fall, we need to go each our own way, and we’ll see what happens. But I just want you to know – I love you. With my whole heart. And I always will.’

  You pull your lips into your mouth so you wouldn’t sob; there are tears running down your face and you can’t blink them away fast enough. He wipes them away, with the tips of his thumbs, and you’ve never felt more loved.

  ‘I love you,’ you whisper back.

  JJ places a soft kiss on your lips. You expect him to deepen it, but he pulls back. ‘I want you to know that you’re always going to be the person who pulls me out of the darkness, even if you’re not there.’

  ‘Don’t talk like that,’ you say, your voice as shaky as your breath. ‘I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere.’

  ‘I know.’ He kisses your forehead and you feel the tears on his lips. ‘I know. What I’m saying is that you’re all I want, Y/N. No one else. And I’m not asking anything from you, but I want you to know that forever with you is the only thing I could ever want.’

  You look up at him and the intensity of his gaze is almost too much to bear. ‘Are you proposing to me?’

  He chuckles, lightly. ‘Not yet. But I will, eventually, if you allow me.’

  ‘Yes,’ you say, quietly. ‘Even if it’s years from now, I will.’

  ‘Good,’ he says, confidently, but you feel him shake when he presses his lips against yours. ‘I couldn’t bear to lose you.’

  You run your fingers through his hair, smiling into the kiss, feeling his warmth. ‘You won’t,’ you promise.

  That night you learn that sometimes real life can be magical, too.

[pinkhairedlily]

Chapter 7 - Student Council President Sakura

SCPS AO3 | PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Sakura went to her shift a little bit giddier than usual for a variety of reasons despite the busy holiday season; it was nearing Christmas after all. The first one – having finally tied with Sasuke in their recent exams, and the second – the approval of her personal project. There was also a third reason, but she was unresolved of what to feel.

Kakashi met with her alone after their monthly council meeting. It was the usual talk, the heavy administrative concerns they do not bother other council members with, reminders about problematic behaviors among the student body or personal problems that faculty or students were plagued with that needed intervention. He said an apology just as she reached the door.

“Sakura?” Kakashi asked, turning in his chair.

She looked back at him with a neutral expression. While she knew she wasn’t overtly passive aggressive in her actions, he might have noticed a change in her cheerful disposition towards him. Her clumped fingers anxiously fidgeted with the rubber band on her wrist, his rubber band that she didn’t use anymore to tie her hair. “Yes, sensei?”

“Were you offended with what I said during the school trip?” he asked, but his expression already seemed to know the answer.

Her eyes downcast, she turned the knob of the door, knowing that she was free to leave without replying, but as the door stayed ajar, she decided to come clean. “Yes.”

“I thought as much. I’m aware that I belittled you like a child. Your money is yours to spend however you want. Please know that I only have good intentions with what I’ve done,” her sensei told her. “But isn’t it also unfair for you to shoulder that much problem? I’m a paid employee and before that, I am your adviser. I have a responsibility just as much as you do. Next time you are presented with that, learn to ask for help.”

Sakura didn’t see the expression he had on his face. She was too flustered to compose a comeback and she can only settle for a meek nod before shooting out of the room like her tail was on fire.

“Girlie!” Her coworker’s voice brought her back to reality – a reality of a long queue of customers waiting for their to-go coffees, mini-cakes, and boxes of pastries to share with loved ones in this cold night while she’ll be likely stuck in shift well past beyond midnight, tolerating the café uniform, the itch of her black weave on her scalp, and the heavy makeup she wore for tonight. She flashed an apologetic (yet charming) smile to the other person, and they gave her a thumbs up.

The queue has thinned out by eleven, to be replaced soon by stragglers hoping to catch a last dose of caffeine pump. She stretched her neck and stifled a yawn, forgetting to say Welcome to a customer that walked through their doors.

“Your sweetest drink please and a half dozen of hazelnut cookies,” the customer said. “Thanks, Sakura.”

She almost broke her already strained neck when she raised it up quickly to meet the owner of the voice. No gel blonde hair Naruto with black circles under his eyes. Rookie MVP looked shit as hell.

She barely formed an excuse in her head when he waved his hand in front of her. “You can drop the act with me. I already knew the week you got discharged from the hospital. I just passed by after dinner with the team when I saw a girl manning the cashier with the same band-aid on her nose which I gave you a day before.” Naruto grinned at her in the off chance that it would reassure her.

“Will this be to-go?” Sakura asked as she busied herself with Naruto’s order, unsettled with her carelessness. At the back of her mind, she was yet to answer herself why she was adamant to use a disguise while working.

“For here. Apartment’s kinda bare during these times.”

As what she expected, Naruto was still seated when they were about to close, and ironically, he chose the corner table with no windows, contrary to what his other friend would have chosen. Like those usual nights with Sasuke, she slid in front of him, her disguise gone.

“Let’s go see the amusement park tomorrow?” It was as if she saw sadness being lifted from his shoulders the way they transitioned from slouching to an alert stance.

She found then that Naruto was always that person that found happiness at the simplest things.

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

“A horror house!” Naruto pointed at the very moment they stepped inside the park. He somehow absorbed his captain’s fashion persona, undercut prominent with his baseball cap, loose plain black shirt, and gray cargo pants.

“All right. Treat me if we reach the other end with you clinging to my arm,” Sakura teased. She was dressed in a mauve smocked crop top with high rise flared jeans and platform white sneakers that allowed her to reach Naruto’s shoulders. She wondered if her getup was too much what with the number of heads that turned her way as she littered in the entrance earlier.

Sasuke begged off through their group chat, saying he was unavailable. He was yet to explain that group hug last time, but he was evasive every time Naruto brought it up while she simply cannot find the right timing.

She guessed she was still taken aback by how warm his hold felt like. If she was right, whatever defenses he had around them were toppled down by himself that day. But what triggered it – she’d probably never know.

Naruto placed a fist on his chest. “This is one bet I’ll never lose.”

And he lost – spectacularly. His baseball cap was long gone thanks to a zombie who panicked when he almost punched it. He was also hyperventilating and sweating out of his wits, his throat may have gone hoarse by now with all his screaming inside.

Sakura cannot get rid of the long string of laughter that bubbled. “Come on, let’s cool off for a while.”

To help calm Naruto down, they had to line up with all the other kids in the merry-go-round, then off to paddle a swan boat on a manmade lake. She went all out in the shooting range and won Naruto a frog plushie while he blitzed through the basketball hoops, sneering at the kids beside him who were waiting for their turns.

They capped off the afternoon with a ride on the ferris wheel. They sat opposite each other, and Sakura suddenly felt queasy. She remembered she was apparently acrophobic, and so she focused instead on Naruto who was still in awe of the scenery. The park had a busy crowd today – it was the holiday season after all and families, friends, and lovers were up and about. She just hoped Naruto didn’t catch on yet.

“So why are you stuck with me instead of your family, Sakura?”

Ah he caught on. “They’re busy,” she simply replied. “Besides I’ll see them later in the evening.”

Naruto smiled at her, a smile that knew she was hiding more but he chose not to prod further. Sakura silently conveyed her thanks.

“I don’t know how to thank you. I was really in a slump when we lost, but this day made me recharge my drive and gave me a newfound resolve. You, Pres, is the first to hear it!”

Sakura can only grin, urging him to go on.

“I will bring our school team to the nationals and we will win.”

Sakura clapped her hands and gave him a thumbs up. “Of course, you will. I know you’ll do it.”

“I just wish I told Captain Haru before he left town for vacation.” Naruto slid lower in his seat. “Apparently, he and Hinata broke up. You’re friends with both of them, right?”

Sakura shook her head, shock at the news. She had an inkling from her previous conversation with Haru, but she didn’t expect it would come this early. “I am, but I haven’t really heard from both parties lately.”

“Well, Hinata’s father offered an athletic scholarship to Cap, but he turned it down, saying he was undeserving, and it might just be because of Hinata’s prodding.”

If she recalled correctly, Hiashi Hyuuga was the chair of the Sports Council that spanned all districts of their state. She could see why Haru was angry and disappointed enough to break it off with Hinata. “But they were so good together. Did he ever tell you how they first met?”

Naruto rubbed his hands together and leaned forward. “Do tell please!”

“There was a student exchange of some sort and Hinata ended up in our class for a month. Of course, she was the takane no hana and this immediately gathered a bandwagon group of shallow admirers. Haru, oh Haru, he found pretty people depth-less, but he was the class representative that time – “

“And you were?”

“Of course, a student council president. But wait pay attention Naruto!”

“Okay I am paying attention! But you really are an overachiever!”

“Yeah and what about it!” Sakura almost chuckled in exasperation. “So anyway, he had to escort Hinata back and forth at the school gates because of the unreasonable crowd. He would ask her random things, but most especially on archery since he was so bad at it. And they found a common ground and the topics expanded beyond the arrow and bow. The guy had the nerve to cover it up from me at first, saying they’re fake dating and it was just an arrangement to keep creeps at bay.” She sighed, suddenly saddened by the breakup. “I thought it would last forever.”

“But Hinata never introduced him to her family, did she?” Naruto asked. “Because Cap also told me that when Hiashi called him up for the offer, he didn’t know he was the boyfriend, he was simply a person her friend referred.”

Oh Haru. You must have known what family you were entering when you loved her.

“Hey? Time to get down,” the operator said. Their turn was already finished.

As they walked to the gates, Naruto asked her. “Love is too scary. You’ll never know if you’ll end up hurt or happy despite everything. Besides, can you even say it’ll be worth fighting for?”

Sakura’s fingers immediately went to the rubber band on her wrist, “It’s always a mix of everything, all the good and the bad, and somehow it’s all convoluted into one hodgepodge of memories that will be a part of you forever. It’s your decision what you want to do with it, and in between all of those, you’ll know. Like one big realization in your head that lights up like fireworks and splayed in big capital letters.”

Her eyes met Naruto’s gaze and his eyes slightly widened at her response.

“I talk vague, don’t I?”

“Not at all,” he replied.

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

January couldn’t come fast enough, and Itachi was out of the country just as quickly as he entered his apartment unannounced on Christmas Eve. A holiday break, he said, but if he wasn’t annoyingly checking up on him in the evenings, he was otherwise holed up in his hotel. The truth was, he had a conference and a simultaneous workshop with the state hospital. Sasuke was just a side trip, an obligation that his brother didn’t want to take care of.

He could have told him about Naruto and Sakura and how he now knew all the technicalities of baseball because of the former and that he can consider calling them as friends, but their brotherly bond was too frayed to bridge all of those thoughts.

It was a week before the start of the spring term, and he found himself re-reading Naruto’s texts over and over again.

Grumpy.

So how was your date?

AHHHHH SO IT WAS A DATE. I NOW FEEL SO SHY.

Idiot.

SHE LOOKED SO BEAUTIFUL IN HER GETUP.

Yeah as if you two didn’t already spam the group chat with your pictures.

HEY AT LEAST WE EDITED YOU IN.

Why are you typing in all caps? Your phone broken?

GRUMPPPPPPYYYYY. Grumpy, I have something to tell you. I think I like Sakura – not the ‘like’ like others have for her. It just came to me, like fireworks in big capital letters. I LIKE HER.

Sasuke wasn’t able to reply. He didn’t know what to reply or what to feel, really. These recent nights, his mind only brought him to the first moment he saw her in the café, and there was an unfamiliar pang he couldn’t name.

Then, suddenly he was in front of her in the café itself, ordering an iced americano and bruschetta with tomato and basil. Her eyes lit up in recognition; today she wore her black hair in low pigtails and a light dab of tint on her cheeks and lips.

She sat across him when it was her break time, cheery and still in disguise, the winter cold making the blush even more prominent. “I’m gonna bounce some ideas to you.”

Sasuke kept mum, relishing the sacred combination of tomato and basil in his mouth, but let his stare level with hers.

“The school board approved my personal project. I proposed to set up a mental health committee since our infirmary – get this – and guidance office don’t actually have a psychiatrist. The school will be asking a medical professional to come in for monthly guidance counseling and will be an official partner for outpatient concerns.” With her face on her palm, she leaned forward, seemingly surveying Sasuke’s minute expressions.

“That’s tricky,” he remarked. “How will you encourage them though?”

“I think just the mere availability and accessibility of it is enough to encourage students.”

“Hmm.” He took a sip of his coffee.

“Aren’t you gonna ask me why I did it?”

Sasuke knew that he already broke his resolve to remain uninvolved in the remaining years of his life here in this town. He knew that sometime ago, the walls he built up since the accident broke down in the constant presence of her and the blonde idiot. But in spite of, he knew that there was another layer of wall that withstood the recent onslaught. Unfortunately, something has started to leak from its crevices. Something that made him understand the overwhelming emotions that raged behind such walls.

He missed having her all to himself, like a little secret, a safe abode he could always retreat to – her with her black hair and makeup, her with her bouts of vulnerabilities laid out in front of him in rare moments, her with her emerald eyes and tufts of rose hair that peak from the weave, her in this table in front of him and the world outside divided by a glass window.

If he could name it, it was a feeling of loss, a loss he stole and a loss he never had the privilege of feeling in the first place.

“Because you’re a good person and you always think of others,” Sasuke started, still holding her gaze. “And I think you want it because you might need it more.”

Sakura was the first to break off. She soon excused herself and resumed her shift. By the time Sasuke finished his coffee and bread, it was almost closing time. His words may have struck a chord so he decided not to wait for her. Maybe he’ll talk it through with her next time, if she allowed him to. He was almost out of the doors when the new pair of customers passed by.

A glint of silver hair.

“Oh, hello there Sakura.”

And a brunette on his arm.

Sasuke never saw color drain as quickly as the blush did from Sakura’s face.

AO3 LINK | NEXT CHAPTER | CHAPTER 8

[unmaskedagain]

Wolves don’t Party with Sheep

I got this request last week, and I thought it was a neat idea. Thanks @etsuko-99​ for sending me the ask.

When the Akuma alert sounded, most of the class had been at the end of year party at the park. They had been planning it for weeks and had been careful not to reveal its existence to the class problems aka Marinette, Chloe, and Nathaniel. The three had been has exiled from the rest of the call all year for their bullying of Lila and mean accusations that the girl was lying.

Class president? They voted to replace Marinette the first day of school.

Class picnics; the three weren’t invited.

Field trips; they got Bustier to exclude the three in the beginning of the year. Not that it mattered anyway; all the wonderful trips they had wanted to take had fallen through. They never had enough money to take it. And they never did the required paperwork.

Birthday parties; they weren’t invited to anyone’s in the class. No one went to Nathanial’s birthday party. Or Chloe’s. No one even bother to accept Marinette’s birthday party invitations, she mailed out a month ago. They even missed the required RSVP date on the front on purpose. The invitation was clear, if you don’t confirm your planned attendance, you can’t come. Then they told Marinette they were going to a party for Lila instead.

No one wanted the drama. No one wanted Lila to feel like she wasn’t welcome. And if the three found out, then maybe they should’ve been nicer.

Again, everyone from the class who was invited showed up apart from Adrien to Lila’s dismay. Alya assured the tearful girl that Adrien was probably just busy at a photoshoot, he’d be there if he could.

Lila had just stepped away from for a moment to take a call from Prince Ali when the Akuma alert sounded.

           It was a socialite hurt by the malicious lies her so-called friends said about each other by each other’s back decided that everyone should be forced to reveal what they really think. The Akuma was called Two-faced (As soon as Two-face from Gotham heard about the new villain, he contacted his lawyer; someone was getting sued.) Every time someone talked; the world would hear their inner voice say what they really thought about you.

“We should wait for Ladybug,” Alya said. “She’ll be here soon. Nino, turned down the music we don’t want to attract the Akuma’s attention.”

“You don’t kiss me enough,” Alya’s voice was suddenly heard throughout the party, though the girl’s mouth was shut. “You’re amazing. I love how much you dream. You’re a little naïve. We’re perfect for each other. But what’s a girl got to do to get to third base?”

           Nino blushed a scarlet red. There were snickers from the fellow students.

“Babe, a little awkward; maybe no one should talk.” Nino said. But as soon as his mouth closed. “I’ve already named all of our children.”

           The laughter that resulted from this laughter the couple paralyzed.

“This is so amazing,” Rose burst out. As soon as she stopped talking. “Juleka? Look at me! I have been flirting with you for three years. You know what I got for it? Nothing. Do you like me or not? You think you got it bad, Alya. I once showed up at her house drenched in rain, in a t-shirt, and Juleka didn’t bat an eye.  Stop complaining. At you got a boyfriend who wants to kiss you. All I got from Juleka was insecurities.”

           Juleka looked torn between wanted to die from embarrassment and looking utterly pleased with the situation.

           Alix snorted, “Still think it’s amazing.” She mocked. Her eyes widened when she realized she spoke. “Rose, you’re the definition of a ditzy of blond. I can’t believe we’re friends.” There were gasps. Rose looked at Alix with hurt eyes. “Honestly, I can’t believe your friends with me. You’re nice, girly, and super sweet. A freaking ray of sunshine. Everything I’m not. I love you for it. I kind of hate you too. You’re the daughter my wishes she had. I can’t stand you sometimes.”

“Ouch!” Kim said and gasped. His inner voice added. “This is way too serious for me. I should’ve just hung out with Ondine. And how is no one talking about how killer Max’s ass looks in those jeans?”

           The questions was met with blinks.

“Damn, I owe Luka ten bucks,” Juleka slipped out. She quickly covered her mouth but she couldn’t stop what came next. “Luka dislikes all of you. It’s why he left Kitty section. He’s thinks you’re all gullible idiots. He always told me to watch my back around you. After what happened with Marinette, I see why.”

           Mylene frowned. She thought Luka left the band because he didn’t have time for it anymore. “That’s really mean.”

“Truthfully, I saw it coming,” Mylene’s inner voice said. “What’s a guy like that doing in a band called Kitty Section? I mean really. But yeah, I totally called in it Kim being a little into Max. Like back in third grade. The Chloe thing was a massive attempt to hide his crush. I get it. Max can do better than a Neanderthal.”

“Hey!” Max glared. “Like you’re one to talk!”

“Have you seen Ivan,” Max’s inner voice hissed. “He’s a future UFC champion. You’re a future kindergarten teacher. Mylene, beauty, Ivan, beast. It only works out in Disney movies, honey. Besides at least Kim’s funny, and cool, and nice, and hot. Wow, I can’t believe he likes me. I’m a geek.”

           Kim grinned, “I like that you’re a geek.” His inner voice, “He’s thinks I’m hot. He think I’m hot. He thinks I’m hot. …I wonder if Nino would be cool with a joint wedding.”

“NO!” Nino and Alya yelled together. Their inner voice, “NO!”

           After that everyone was too scared to speak; scared of what they really thought be heard.

           That when Lila came back to the party. A happy grin on her face. “Sorry everyone, Prince Ali was insisting I attend his ball. I hope he’s isn’t going to purpose again.”

“You’re all a bunch morons,” Lila’s inner voice echoed through the park. “But useful ones. I’ve never even met Prince Ali.”

           Lila paled, “I didn’t say that!”

“Crap,” Her inner voice cried. “What the hell is going on? Do you know how hard it is to keep my stories straight? How hard I work to get these sheep to believe me? Well, not that hard. They’re idiots. I few grand tales and practically believe I shit gold.”

           The class stared at her horrified.

“It’s not me!” Lila stomped her foot.

Her inner voice cried out, “Don’t look at me like that. You’re the dumbasses who believed me. It’s your own fault. I only told you what you wanted to hear. Add a few tears and you did whatever I wanted.”

           Alya gasped, “Marinette was right.” Her inner voice, “What have I done. My blog is ruined. I’ll lose all my fans.”

           Lila fought not to glare, “Marinette’s a mean bully,” She whined. “Remember? She’s been so awful to me since I got here.”

“She called me out on my lies,” Lila’s inner voice snickered. “I warned her I’d get her back. I told her I’d take all her friends away. She should’ve believed me. You guys are idiots who believe everything I saw. Oh, Marinette picking on! Why doesn’t Marinette like me? Did I do something wrong? Waa! Waa! Now I’m here and she’s not. So there! I won!”

           Lila finally picked up one what was going on and covered her mouth. The class remained silent torn between wanting to scream at the girl and keep what they really thought secret.

           At that moment, Marinette, Nathaniel, Luka, Adrien, and Chloe strolled to through the park with ice cream cones in their hands and big smiles on their faces. They talked pleasantly with each other, stopping when they saw the party streamers and the class.

           Marinette didn’t blink twice, “Another class party?” She said sweetly. “Our invitations must have been lost.”

           Her inner voice was cold, “Doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t have come to your party if you paid me. Why do you think I put the deadline on the invites? I knew you’d pretend to forget to RSVP. I only invited you to my birthday party because my mom made me. Something about being nice or whatever.”

           The students of Bustier’s class reared back as if struck.

“It really pity you can’t come,” Chloe drawled. Her inner voice, “In addition to forgetting to RSVP, you must have forgotten that Marinette’s knows Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale and a bunch of other celebrities; all of which are going to be at the party.”

“They’re having loads of fun here,” Adrien said brightly. “The party looks great.”

           His inner voice was a lot colder, “I told them! I told Marinette, Chloe, and Nathaniel every time you had this party, and every other party, a picnic, a guy’s night, a girl’s night, anything. I told them Alya was the one who got Bustier to not let them on the class trips. Why did you think I never showed up to any events? They’re my friend I showed them the group texts where you all did nothing but insult Marinette. You were bad friends. You trusted a perfect stranger over freaking Mariette Dupain-Cheng. That’s why I stopped returning your texts, Nino! Why I stopped returning all of your texts! We’re not friends anymore.”

           Mouths dropped. To his credit, Adrien let his ground and just sent a cold glare to his classmates.

“Mom saw the texts, Juleka,” Luka shook his head. “She’s disappointed in you.” His inner voice, “So am I. I couldn’t believe it at first. How could my own sister be so cruel? So vile. I know Lila didn’t get into your head. But I think feared did. You were scared these idiots in your class would turn on you too. You knew it was wrong treating Marinette the way you did but you did it anyway. I don’t recognize you anymore. I don’t even want to look at you right now.”

           Silent tears slipped down Juleka’s cheeks. Rose did her best to comfort the other girl.

“We should go,” Nathaniel told his friends. “There’s nothing for us here.” His inner voice, “Honestly you guys ditching us was the best thing that could ever happen. I have best friends now. Chloe, Adrien, and Marinette are literally the freaking best. I told them how much I liked Marc, and they listened. Chloe actually ended up locking in a supply closest but it all worked out. We’re dating now! I only got a little claustrophobic too.”

“You locked them in a closest?” Marinette pinched her nose. “That wasn’t the plan. It’s kidnapping.”

           Marinette’s inner monologue, “I’m not going to jail for you! Oh who am I kidding? Of course I’d go to jail for you. Better be for something cool.”

“It will be,” Chloe preened. Her inner voice, “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. I’d pick you over all high-end couture in the world.”

“I’m not bailing you out for less than a felony,” Adrien chimed in with a smile. His inner voice, “Chances are I’m going to be right next to you.”

           Marinette rolled her eyes, “Nathaniel’s right. We have to get ready for our trip. And my party.” She said. Her inner voice. “Thank you Alya for getting pushover Bustier to remove us from the class trip. Now while you guys are headed to the amusement park. We’re going to Metropolis, and Gotham, and New York City. We’re going on the best trip of our entire life while you guys watch Kim puke up fifty chili dogs… Again.”

           Still the class was too scared to speak. Apart from Lila who glared angrily, “Oh please, like your birthday party will be any good?”

           The five looked at her and the class with smirks.

“Oh course not,” They chimed together. “It’ll be a small get together.”

“If you call a thousand people small,” Adrien’s inner voice said. “I still can’t believe Marinette has so many friends. People are coming from all over the world for her birthday. Prince Ali’s going. My dad’s going! And he barely remembered my birthday this year. Like what the fuck! How did Marinette become the favorite child? Fine, though, I stole her parents. Also her room.”

           Marinette side-eyed him. She knew had been finding more and more of Adrien’s stuff in her room. But she thought she was imagining things. Chloe did the same. Then the top bunk was always made. Again, she let it go. He slept over a lot. Chloe did too. Then he took over a drawer or two for some of this things. Again, not surprising. Chloe did the same; except she took over half of Marinette’s closet. Sometimes she’d come home and he’d be hanging out in her room playing video games. It was fine. Chloe tended to do the same; except for it was laying on Marinette’s bed on her phone.

           …Wait, what?

“Jagged Stone performing for his favorite niece Marinette,” Chloe inner voice sang. “Clara Nightingale’s performing. Luka’s singing. They both invited all the celebrities they knew. MDC’s party. Did you hear about that?” The class gasped in shock. “It’s trending literally everywhere. Marinette Dupain Cheng’s party. It’s practically a red carpet event now. By the way Adrien, Sabine and Tom like me best.”

           Again, Marinette had to side-eye her friends. Did they move in when she wasn’t looking? How did they move in? When did they move in? For god’s sake’ yesterday, she caught Chloe working behind the register while Marinette’s parents worked in back. She caught her dad teaching Adrien how to bake cookies and croissants.

“Peter Parker’s going,” Luka’s inner voice added on. “Marinette and him met each other at camp. And where Peter Parker goes, his parents follow. His parents: Tony Stark and Steve Roger ring any bells. And if Iron Man and Captain America’s going, the rest of the Avengers follow. They all RSVP’d.”

“Harry Styles,” Nathaniel’s inner voice repeated like six times. “If I wasn’t dating Marc, I’d go for it. Like, you have no idea; how much I’d go for it. Marc’s concerned. …He should be.”

           Marinette smiled as her inner voice spoke what she was always too nice to say, “You were terrible friends. You turned against me for basically no reason. You threw me away. You followed Lila Rossi, the world’s biggest liar, because she told you grand stories and promised you things and opportunities. I’m happy you’re not going to my birthday party. Because you’re going to miss the chance to meet all those celebrities Lila lied about knowing. The chance to talk shop and create connections with the rich and the famous and be famous yourselves; the real reasons you ditched me. Most of the guests don’t know. But that’s fine because I’ll have real friends at the party; and you won’t be among them. Because you’re not real friend. You’re mindless, gullible sheep. …And Adrien, Chloe, I swear to the all gods, if you think you can just take over my room, you got another thing coming!!”

           Both blonds didn’t bother to even pretend to look remotely shamed or scared. They just smirked.

           It was at that moment, the Akuma two-faced came crashing into the party. All the documents, those in the class and not, scattered off screaming. The five took that opportunity to transform.

           Ladybug, Chat Noir, Queen Bee, Viperion, and Renard Rouge came swinging to the scene.

           Alya couldn’t believe her eyes. She had been replaced. How could Ladybug just replace her? She didn’t even have the guts to tell Alya!

           Fury overcame her, “Ladybug!” The glasses-wearing screamed. Her inner voice, “Look at me. How could you do this? Why?”

           Ladybug looked at her teammates. They nodded her a: Go for it. Ladybug swung over the the reporter. “What, Alya?” Her inner voice, “Why are you bothering me now?”

“You replaced me,” Alya stomped her foot. “I’m the fox hero. Not that poser.” Her inner voice, “I’m a much better hero than he’ll ever be. I should’ve been made permanent. I should’ve been made an official partner of you and Chat Noir.”

           Ladybug glared, “You posted lies on your blog. You never fact checked. And my sources told me you frequently took part in bullying of three students.” Her inner voice, “You’re a bad journalist. Why did you think I stopped giving you interviews? All those lies you post from Lila Rossi about her, about me. You never even bothered to research anything. Then you ice’d out Marinette; the sole reason I even bothered to give you a chance. You and your classmates really hurt her and the other students. You were mean bullies. And you’re unworthy of being a hero.”

           Alya froze. “But, I, it’s not fair!” She cried. “I didn’t know Lila wasn’t telling the truth.” Her inner voice “Crap! I forgot you knew Marinette. She probably told you everything. Ugh, why does she always have to be right all the time? It’s so annoying. At least Lila was fun. Besides, Marinette never even bothered to offer let me meet any of her celebrity friends. Or even mentioned she knew them And that’s so not cool. What kind of girl does that to her bestie? If Marinette had just told me she knew them, I’d have never believed Lila.”            

           Ladybug just stared at Alya in disgust, “We’re done Miss Césaire.” Her inner voice, “Forever.” Then she was gone.

           When the Akuma was defeated, and Ladybug put everything back to the way it was. The students didn’t know what to say or do. Lila had taken the time to vanish form the party. The five continued they stroll through the park. Unfortunately, they had to walk past the class party again.

“Hey!” Nino called. “You guys can come join us if you want.”

“We’re really sorry,” Rose yelled.

           Juleka didn’t say anything just looked at her older brother with pitiful eyes.

           Alya rushed over, followed by the other students. “Girl, you were so right about Lila. She’s such a liar.” The classmates nodded. “I’m your bestie. I should’ve never forgot to RSVP for your party. If it’s not too late, I’d love to go. Maybe we can even join you on your trip overseas. I’d love to go the Daily Planet.”

“Yeah, me too!” Nino grinned.

“Count me,” Alix cheered and high-fived Kim.

           Marinette looked them up and down, “It’s too late. Far too late,” She told them. “To go to my party, to go on the trip, to get back into my good graces, to be friends again. We’re not friends. And we never will be again. None of you be celebrating my birthday with me.” She gave them a cold smirk. “Wolves don’t party with sheep.”