#so many people in this movie are so openly affectionate with each other and it feels. hmm. how to say it.

[rithmeres]

the hunger games + cheek and forehead kisses

[duchezss]

All my favorite moments in blue beetle: a very long and silly list because this is my new fav movie ever (latinos on top fr)

The fact that the entire movie is low key a representation of how lost people can feel after they finish college and don't know what to do with their life.

How celebrated it is that Jaime is a first gen college student

As much as I loved him being from el paso, I love that he now gets his own city that it still deeply rooted in latino culture

How despite the fact that everything is going bad for the family, Jaime still tries to keep moral up and be positive

Jaime stands up for Jenny without thinking

How his persistence is what ends him landing up with the scarab, and subsequently keeping it out of victorias hands

Am I allowed to say his entire family? The scene where they're all pushing him to open to the box was so funny. Their dynamic felt so real, and it makes even more sense because apparently any time they were bickering it was improv.

How well the movie handled micro-aggressions against latinos. Like the receptionist didn't even attempt Jaime name, and how Victoria would never get her scientist's name right. They are subtle, but very real problems.

Maybe this was just me, but from the trailers I thought Jenny and Jaime already new each other, but I liked that they just met. It made their story more interesting.

The body horror route they decided to take with the suit was so cool.

The suit in general. I missed practical suits so much, and it just looked so amazing.

Another thing, that has already been talked about a lot but idc, is that I still am so in love that his family knows from the get go. Of course it wasn't really his choice, but I love how there is never any big secret, and they are constantly in the picture.

I know the Khaji-Da doesn't have as much personality compared to the comics, but the whole sequence where Jaime first gets the suit was so funny.

Notoriously in the comics the beetles were sent out to worlds to be the harbingers for their creator species to invade said world. I loved the small detail in the intro of the blue beetle crashing into the green beetle and then having a flash of electricity. I wonder if that was to hint at a malfunction, since the Khaji-Da never goes to evil with Jaime.

I love Rudy's truck. It's stupid but that's why it's so good.

The whole family debrief was was funnier than it should've been, and the beetle on Jaime spine looked wicked as well.

I thought it was interesting how much of a presence Ted Kord had on the movie, mainly because. of Jenny, but it was still there.

Every. Single. Latino. Reference. I could barely keep up there were so many good ones omg, the details were amazing.

For Jenny being an original character I thought she was done very well

I love how Rudy was useful and basically got them into kord industries.

I love the way we only see Jaime eyes in the suit. It's a different approach to what we've seen with masked heroes so far and I love it

How much they talked about the first two blue beetles, I thought adding that context made it better

They made it very evident how lonely Jenny feels, and I think her small emotional moments really paid off in the end.

I love how Jaime was so openly affectionate with both Rudy and his father, it's something uncommon with men in latino cultures and I loved seeing it.

The entire sequence where Jaime's house was being raided was so uncomfortable. And it was in moments like this were I thought Soto did a great job of weaving real world problems latinos face within a superhero movie.

The moment when Jaime's father had a heart attack, and Jaime was being dragged away, and his sister was screaming was just so heartbreaking and powerful. All of them were hurting so much.

I loved how active his family was, and how all of them immediately went to go rescue him.

Side note: the bug ship looked so cool and goofy and I loved it so much

How Jose was actually very curious about Jaime's connection to the beetle, but Victoria didn't care

The whole dream scene with Jaime and his father. I thought it perfectly mirrored their conversation from the beginning of the movie, and I thought it was incredibly moving. Not to mention I loved the detail of Jaime wearing the last outfit he saw his father in.

I loved that Jaime saved himself, but that his family greatly aided him. I thought it was a great metaphor for the fact that you can do things on your own, but having support can really make the difference

I thought it was so funny that Jaime absolutely refused to kill, and his family members did it was a smile on their face lmaoo.

I know it's cheesy, but I always love it in superhero movies when the main character finally accepts their destiny and it was a very cool moment for Jaime too. But I will say I think they did it with an interesting approach. For most superhero movies the big moment is the superhero finally deciding to go out of their way and fight the big bad, but in this movie he just finally fights what's right in front of him.

How once Jaime accepted himself as the Blue Beetle, Khaji-Da started speaking to him in spanish and adopted his ideologies, further proving their relationship is a two way street.

I loved that Khaji-Da stopped Jaime from killing Carapax, because he was justifiable angry, but he would've regretted it at some point

The low key plot twist of the locket Carapax had not being his wife and child, but being him and his mother. That was genius tbh.

I loved that Jaime had the iconic 2000s superhero half masked fight. This movie felt so 2000's but in the best way possible.

How the entire final act was circling back to the point of loving his family making him weak, but throughout everything we've seen, it's clearly the opposite.

I liked how once Jaime bonded with Khaji his mask would come on and off on command.

How Jaime started wearing his father's necklace in the ending :(

I loved the entire score so much, the synth wave vibe they decided to take was fantastic. I also love how iconic and recognizable they made blue beetle's main theme. Like the bum bum bummm that kept showing up was so good.

I really loved how they aged Jaime up to 22 as a newly college grad. I feel like superheros are always either 16 or 40 and there's never any in between, so it was nice to see.

And for my last point to a very long list: I loved that in the end Carapax helped Jaime and Jenny. Because the real villain was Victoria making them fight each other, and in my opinion that was such a powerful metaphor for latinos and any pocs

[talkingwoman]

Call me Cassandra….*

Having a history of offending members of the Charmie fanhood, many of whom will not even see this post since they blocked me, I will nonetheless state my bona fifes openly. I love Armie Hammer and I love Timothée Chalamet. Being older, more educated, and a practicing professional provides me with apparently annoyingly inconvenient insights when discussing the two men I love and the years since CMBYN changed so many lives. The upset in the fandom occasioned by Timmy’s liaison with the Jenner person compels me to express the following. Believe me, my goal is to soothe rather than irritate.

First and foremost, I have said before and repeat here that one of the worst failings we have made in viewing the Charmie myth is that we tend to conflate Armie and Timmy IRL with their characters in CMBYN, Oliver and Elio. Neither man is much like their movie role at all. Briefly, Elio is sensitive, highly educated and intelligent, as well as emotionally vulnerable. Timmy is, based upon his interviews, observed public behaviors, etc., probably none of these. He is, as he says, an engaging goofball. Often he misuses and/or mispronounces words and creates word salad answers to interviewer questions. He’s a player more than a mensch, and his ambition knows no bounds. Armie is more like Oliver than Timmy like Elio, but without the redeeming affection the movie version of Oliver brought to the mutual seduction. The Oliver of the book was far less open and affectionate than movie Oliver, but both men were emotionally insincere, dishonest, and manipulative. Oliver was having a summer fling before finishing his degree, marrying, and getting on with life in both book and movie. Even more publicly than Timmy, Armie is a player who admits to manipulating and using people as personal convenience items. It’s questionable whether he remembers anything 😉, let alone everything.

Similarly, we are willfully blind to the realities of the profession that introduced us to Armie and Timmy in the first place. Show biz is a relentlessly demanding and often cruel bit of work. Timmy was born into a theatrical family and groomed through auditions and training from an early age. Small wonder that virtually all of the directors he has worked with mention his drive and ambition to succeed. That desire rules Timmy’s life and he is not likely to squander his opportunities as Armie tragically and so unnecessarily did. There is a new article out that captures this essential characteristic, titled the making of a global superstar. Timmy is surrounded by a team that calculates every move the young man makes, scrupulously. For instance, while Armie has loudly proclaimed his heterosexuality, Timmy’s team has assiduously cultivated an aura of androgyny, assuring that both the gay and straight communities can identify with and thereby claim Timmy as one of their own. The revision of Lee in Bones and All from jock to bisexual predatory adventurer is a classic example. So, in short, almost anything in the public eye should be viewed through the lens of this effort to promote Timmy to the highest artistic and popular levels of his profession. Most of you will hate this, but Timmy’s utter and complete failure to utter one supportive word about Armie, once his role model and mentor, throughout the shitstorm that Armie’s professional and personal life became. Many no doubt wish and fervently hope that there is still a viable bond between these men, but if there is, it requires a very steep price from one of them.

Before I go, one little observation that I hope will bring some solace regarding the PDAs seen at the Beyoncé concert. Kissing is an expression of intimacy that is usually accompanied by intense mutual gaze. Both participants in these lip locks looked directly toward the camera the second the kiss ended, not at each other. Telling…,

*Cassandra was a figure in Greek mythology who was reviled and tortured for telling true, but unwanted truths.

[altierigfs]

《 headcanons: tatum riley as your girlfriend 》

she is SO PROTECTIVE!!! the second anybody dares say anything bad about you, she's immediately in defense mode, listing every bad quality of theirs and probably making them cry

she gets into fights quite often, and when people cant seem to take no for an answer when approaching you, she's so ready to use her fists (dewey taught her so many moves) (this was intended to be for self defense but she doesnt care)

she makes the first move, never even trying to hide her feelings

very physically affectionate, loves hand holding and showcasing that you're hers and nobody elses

FOREHEAD KISSES!!!!

plays with your hair while you watch movies together

never tries to hide her feelings, openly adores you and when anybody makes fun of her for it she swears at them and makes an even bigger show of it

couldn't care less about what other people think of your relationship

immediately comes rushing to your side when you're injured, checking you over before pulling you into a fierce hug and whispering "it's okay. you're okay." as she kisses the top of your head

she's blunt and honest, but also very sarcastic. she can be mean, but never to you. usually to dewey, actually. she says its 'the role of a younger sister'

calls you 'baby' or 'babe'

she's protective, but doesnt really get jealous. she knows you're insanely in love with her

her love language is making you clothes (she studies fashion at uni) (idk why i just feel like she would). she'll spend weeks acting all secretive and then, when you plan a date night, she'll present a dress or a cute outfit for you to wear on the date

god she's so cute i love her (not a hc but a fact)

when you argue, she's always the first to apologise. she tries giving you the silent treatment but it lasts a maximum of three minutes before she cracks

loves teasing you, but never in a mean way

ALWAYS wears flavoured lipstick/gloss/balm because she likes knowing it tastes good when you kiss her. she usually goes for strawberry or cherry

you do each other's makeup (and maybe you get closer to each other than you should) (maybe she ends up messing your lipstick up) (neither of you mind too much; it can always be applied again)

she holds your cheeks when you kiss, though when it becomes more intense her arms wrap around your neck and pull you in deeper

jesus i need to stop or i'll be writing this forever. i just love her so much

[biblicalhorror]

I'm watching the lotr movies for the first time with my boyfriend and here's a reenactment of us watching the last 10 minutes of the fellowship of the ring:

[Aragorn gently kisses Boromir's forehead]

Me: This movie is surprisingly... tender.

Bf: Yeah it's really cool how the series makes it a point to explore the deep intimacy in the friendships these men have with one another. It was really progressive in that way, especially for the early 2000s being what they were.

[Final scene in which Sam and Frodo just kinda stare lovingly into each other's eyes, Sam is dripping wet because he just jumped into a lake to prove his devotion to Frodo]

Me: These two are just in love, though.

Bf: Oh yeah definitely

[cinnbar-bun]

Helloooo i'm back, can I request a hc cuddles for Roxas, Sora, Ven and Xion please? (female or gn reader, what inspires you the most I'm not picky, I just like the idea of ​​hugs and touch haha) Thank you in advance, your writings are a bath of happiness!

Roxas, Sora, Ventus, Xion- Cuddling HCs

Roxas

A nervous cuddler until he starts getting into the groove of things.

Likes laying on your chest so he can hear your heartbeat, it really relaxes him. 

He loves cuddling when he wants to go to sleep, it’s his favorite thing ever because you feel so nice and he adores it.

Likes cuddling in private because he gets embarrassed about other people seeing him, he’s not big on PDA. The most he’ll do is have you lean your head on his shoulders or lean his head on your shoulders. 

He’s fine with spooning but he doesn’t like it too much because he can’t see your face.

Nightmare cuddles, he needs them. Sometimes the pain is unreal and he just needs you to hold him.

He likes when you stroke his hair and hold him close, it calms him down and he feels safe with you. 

He’s not openly physical with many people so it’s a sign of trust when he actively seeks you out for comfort. He cherishes you a lot. 

Cuddle quirk: This is going to sound a bit out there but he likes how you smell. Hear me out, it’s just your scent- maybe the smell of perfume, shampoo, cologne, or your clothes- reminds him that you’re physically there. 

On the topic of scents, he doesn’t like overbearing scents, but he tends to like very “cold” and clean scents. Something like fresh laundry detergent or ocean scents are his jam, and it makes him even more of a cuddlebug. 

Sora 

Excited cuddler, even before you were dating. 

He is very much a physically affectionate guy, and he’s gotta be touching/holding you almost every minute or he gets very sad.

He spreads his arms wide or he just wraps his arms around you- that’s how you know he wants to cuddle. 

Even at night, the boy does not want to let go of you. You’re just a tangle of limbs at this point and Riku and Kairi make fun of how disgustingly domestic you two are. 

He doesn’t mind any cuddling position honestly. You wanna be the big spoon? Sure! He is the big spoon? Cool! He just wants to hold you. 

His favorite cuddling position however has to be the pretzel though (that’s what google calls it ig, but think of it like you’re laying on his chest but both your legs are wrapped around each other). 

Goes crazy when he sees you wearing one of his shirts/jackets/sweaters, and he HAS to squeeze you tight and tell you how cute you look. 

Sora tends to enjoy you sitting on his lap and him resting his chin on your head while you’re doing something like reading, playing video games, watching tv. It’s not very comfortable after a while though because he complains his legs fell asleep (what a cutie)

Likes kissing you lots during cuddling sessions. Sometimes it’s just a soft kiss. Sometimes he is making out with you. Sometimes he’s just peppering kisses all over your face because you’re too cute. And other times he likes kissing your nose and seeing you smile.

Cuddle quirk: This boy also talks a mile a minute when you’re cuddling. He can go on and on and on just talking about random things that it takes him a while to realize you fell asleep. It’s okay though, he kisses you and then goes to sleep immediately with you. 

Ventus

A sweetheart. Unlike Sora who does it immediately, or Roxas who hesitates, Ventus likes to ask your permission to cuddle. He doesn’t mind PDA- except maybe if it’s so excessive Terra and Aqua tease him- but he’s pretty much down all the time. 

Big spooner. He loves spooning. He wants to feel manlier and stronger so he likes being the big spoon. 

Secretly though enjoys being the little spoon in private because he does not want Terra and Aqua to tease him. 

A lot of times you two cuddle horizontally on the couch and rest your head on your elbows when you watch tv or movies. 

Pretty chill cuddler, he’s not like Sora who is excessively talking, but he’s a really nice, quiet, and relaxing cuddle. 

Honestly though you two are probably surfing the web and then you just quietly snicker and show each other something funny you found or something you might wanna buy. 

“Hey (Y/n), look at this picture, it’s hilarious!” 

“Hey Ven, what do you think of these matching mugs?” “Oh that’s cute. You should get ‘em.” 

9/10 your cuddling leads to a nap. The other 1/10 is interrupted by Terra or Aqua busting down the door and asking you guys a question. 

Cuddles under the stars! Ventus likes telling you stories about them and maybe some constellations you can see, if you’re curious. 

Please let him talk, it’s so cute to see his smile and his eyes light up as he points out a certain constellation or maybe his thoughts on the sky. 

Cuddle quirk: BLANKET THIEF. Do not trust him with your blankets. He’s horrible. You will begin the night spooning and wake up cold after Ven yanked your blanket and has his back faced towards you. 

You’d kill him except for the fact he’s snoring so cutely and you let him be before you grab an extra blanket. 

He will steal that too. 

Xion

Nervous-excited cuddler. She wants to cuddle, a lot, but she gets embarrassed and nervously asks if you could. 

She does not mind it in public, although she’d rather have it be a bit more subtle because otherwise she’d get too flustered. 

She likes being held, so she likes sitting on your lap or being the little spoon. She’s watched and read plenty of romantic movies so she wants the total romantic package. 

She cutely makes a list of all cuddling positions she’s seen and says she wants to try every position with you. I-if you’d like to of course!

She finds she likes spooning or laying on your chest to be her favorite position ever. 

Xion has a habit of tracing over your skin or drawing shapes while you two are cuddling. It’s super cute, oh my gosh, she just wants to remember how you look and every crevice, curve, and scar on your body. She thinks all of you is gorgeous. 

Quiet whispering and talking. She likes to discuss what she today or what she wants to do in the future. 

“Hey, I had a great day with you today. I think next time we go out we should try that new cafe that opened.” 

She loves when you kiss her while cuddling. She feels so spoiled and she’s internally squealing at how happy she is. You make her feel like a princess. 

Likes to watch scary movies as an excuse to cuddle you. Some don’t really scare her in all honesty, but she thinks it’s so romantic if you hold her and keep her close. If you don’t like scary movies she changes her plans to romantic comedies. 

Some days she gets really emotional or down, and likes when you just hold her to remind her she exists. She has some terrible nightmares and likes to cuddle in order to not feel like she’s being actively hunted down again. 

Cuddle quirk: She likes singing when you’re cuddling. Sometimes she’ll hum a song she heard on the radio while out and about, or a random tune she made up. It’s quiet and she’s got a great voice, so sometimes you just stare at her in adoration and she gets caught off-guard like “what’s wrong?” 

When you explain it’s because you love her singing, she hides her face in your chest and mumbles the rest of the song. 

Bonus points: start singing along with her and she’ll perform a duet with you. The smile on her face is so bright and it is even cuter with the red on her cheeks!

[rek1s-headband]

hi! figured i’d drop a request for you :))! Maybe some general bf hcs for reki and langa? Just in general how they would be as a boyfriend or how they would act in a relationship?

Hi!! Thank you so much for your request, I’ve been excited to do one of these. I hope you enjoy it!

➯ random boyfriend headcannons

➯ characters: Reki Kyan and Langa Hasegawa x gn reader

➯ warnings: none! Just some fluff for these two boys:)

Reki:

-Literally the most enthusiastic person you’ve ever seen. He’d be happy to just sit in silence with you because come on, it’s YOU. There’s no one he’d rather be wasting the hours away with.

-Your biggest hype man, EVER. You post something on Instagram? Get ready for a flood of comments, all from him. You could put your phone down for two minutes after posting, and you’ll come back to 99+ notifications of just reki commenting along the lines of “woah suddenly I’m on one knee” “DAMNNNN” and many, many more.

-Never leave your phone unattended around him. He won’t snoop, but be prepared to come back to your camera roll flooded with just zoomed in pictures of his face, his mouth, his eye, ANYWHERE. Mf is spamming your whole phone with pictures of him for you to come back to.

-He has to always be touching you in some way. Whether it’s holding your hand, your waist, a casual arm around your shoulder, there has to be something. He’ll put his hand on your ass sometimes while you walk in public.

-Honestly doesn’t even think PDA is anything out of the ordinary. Like, you’re his s/o??? Yes you’re in his lap, yes you’re in the middle of the skatepark, so what? You’re his, and he’s happy he can make everyone aware of that.

-I saw a post on here that said he would peel stickers off fruit and stick them to peoples’ foreheads, and I fully stand by this. However, it doesn’t just stop at fruit stickers. Anything remotely sticky, whether it’s tags from clothes, tape from a food box, even random sequins and bits of glitter he finds around, it’s immediately being stuck to some part of your face.

-Loves casual dates. Stopping by food stalls, browsing in clothes and game stores for a few hours, and skating around with you until it’s time to go home is a dream for him. Be prepared for day-long dates, because he will clear his entire schedule just to spend the day with you.

-His family adores you. His mother is always goading him to bring you over more, complaining that she misses her "honorary son/daughter/child". His sisters love you too. Any time you come over there’s immediately three tiny bodies shooting at you, grabbing you by the waist and dragging you over to wherever they’re playing. Reki tries to drag you away, wanting to have you for himself, but you always try and stay for at least five or ten minutes. Secretly, he loves that you get along so well with his siblings, going soft at the thought of how you would act with children of your own.

-He loves playing video games with you. Sitting in his lap, the two of you could spend hours switching from game to game. One minute you could be burning down a village in Minecraft, the next complaining while Reki whoops your ass in Mario Kart. His mom brings you food for your breaks between games, and she’ll even stay for a few minutes to talk to you while Reki shifts underneath you, glowing red from embarassment.

-If you can’t skate, he would beg to teach you. If you accept, he goes all out. He’ll make you your own customised board just for practicing, making sure it’s absolutely perfert for you to learn on. But if you can skate, get ready for endless races and competitions to see who can nail a new trick the quickest.

-Adores when you come to S to support him. He loves looking into the crowd and seeing you there cheering him on before he goes into a beef. If he wins, he’ll race over to where you are in the crowd, picking you up and spinning you around, kissing you without a care in the world. However, if he loses he’s thankful you’re always there to pick him back up and make him feel better afterwards.

-Loves cleaning you up after a big fall, kissing your bruises and cuts better. He’ll carefully wrap each injury with care, telling you how brave you are, no matter how small the cut. Secretly, he loves when you baby him after he falls himself. Seeing you wipe away the blood from a new cut and place a small plaster on it with such tenderness melts his heart in a way only you could.

-Speaking of plasters, this man has one for every occasion. Princesses, pirates, aliens, cats, dogs, sparkles, stripes, you name it, he’s got it.

-The type to sneak you out at two in the morning to get a slushee with him. Honestly, he’s up so late making boards for people he just has no perception of time.

-Spams your phone with TikToks or other funny things that reminds him of you. It could be a very specific thing, or a flower or cloud. If he thinks of you when he sees it(which is fairly often), it gets sent to you.

-Talks with his hands a lot. He’s a very expressive talker, so when he’s telling you a story it feels like you’re right there in the story with him.

-Please just kiss him. His cheeks, his forehead, his hand, his shoulder, his temples, his lips. Anywhere, he’ll melt under you. Mf is touch starved to the max.

-Always knows how to make you laugh. His laugh is infectious, it could get you out of your darkest moods.

-Sleeps with his head on your chest, and one hand in your shirt little perv.

-His social media is like a SHRINE for you. His highlights, his posts, his stories, EVERYWHERE. He’s just so proud to be able to call you his that he wants the whole world to know.

-Kisses in the rain while you run home, skateboards in your hands after the weather forecast failed you once again. He’s just so happy in the moment that he can’t contain himself, so he’s pulling you into him in the pouring rain, kissing you hard while your hair gets drenched.

-You don’t need to steal his clothes, he will literally give them to you because “you just look so cute wearing them”. Occasionally, he’ll take one of your hoodies, and even if it doesn’t exactly fit him, he’ll still keep it near him while he sleeps so he can keep your scent close to him.

Langa:

-This man is so oblivious to obvious hints, but still manages to pick up on the smallest of details? It’s incredible, honestly. He could describe the exact colour of your eyes with the most insane detail, but he still won’t notice when you try and hint that you like him in the first place!

-You two have a bit more of a low-key relationship, but you’ll make your usual appearance in his Instagram posts, or on his Snapchat story with a casual caption like a simple heart, or “my love<3”

-Not very big on PDA, not because he doesn’t like it, but because he doesn’t think of it. However, when he does feel like he’s being too physically distant, he’ll link pinkies with you as you walk along, or rest his head on your shoulder while you watch a video on your phone.

-His mom adores you, which is why Langa despises bringing you to his house. You always seem to leave with seven of his baby photos from his time snowboarding in Canada, a new recipe from his mother that you complimented, another one of his hoodies, and more miscellaneous stuff that you don’t even know how it ended up in your bag. He has a little shelf in your room specifically for this random stuff, and he always adds to the collection when he comes to your house. He’ll leave a keyring, a small toy, a Polaroid, anything honestly.

-Loves dates that you can experience. The movies, aquariums, museums and the zoo are common dates for the two of you to go on, but other than that, he adores going skateboarding with you. He’s been improving, and he loves when you notice little things he’s been picking up on, whether it be a new trick or simply how he balances himself on the board.

-Adores old Disney movies. Yall will binge a ton of them in one day, having full-blown musicals in Langa’s living room. When any of the romantic songs come on, like “So this is Love” from Cinderella, Langa will stand up and offer his hand to you, as the two of you waltz around his sitting room, humming the tune of the song.

-Study dates are frequent with the two of you. If you happen to stay up late studying and fall asleep on each other, his mother will cover the two of you with a blanket, tidying some of your books and leaving with a smile, happy with the knowledge you were making her son the happiest he’s been in quite a while.

-Slow dancing in the kitchen while you cook is a regular. When a particularly sappy love song comes on while he stirs the pot, he’ll turn around and hold you close to him, twirling you around the kitchen.

-Reki constantly jokes that he is a third wheel, poking fun at the two of you, Cherry and Joe, and Shadow and “his little girlfriend back at the flower shop”. He’ll hang out of Miya, whining about them having to stick together since they’re the only two “lone wolves”. He’ll usually get a well-earned thump into the back of the head from Miya, but it’s still funny to watch the whole thing go down.

-Tends to be shy when giving you clothes, so instead of asking you to wear them he’ll leave them out in places he knows you’ll find them, or he’ll come up behind you and plop it in your lap, murmuring about how cute it would look on you.

-Please do this man’s makeup. He will sit so still for you, waiting patiently while you dab eyeshadow at his eyes, trying not to blink so you don’t mess up his mascara. He’ll sit there mesmerised for a few minutes, taking in how he looks, and simply whisper “you do this every day?”

-Evem though he’s not a very openly affectionate person, he is stuck to your hip behind closed doors. He’ll lie in your lap for hours, staring up at you while you mess with his hair, pulling it into little plaits and pigtails.

-I can’t even describe how the two of you sleep. It’s simply a mass of limbs, and no one knows exactly what belongs to who. Somehow one of yall will end up upside down, and-why is Langa on the floor??

-He could talk about his time in Canada for hours, and you’d just lie on his chest and listen to him. Every once in a while he’ll look down at you to see if you’re still listening, and his heart will melt a little every time he sees you staring back up at him, eyes wide with interest.

-This man NEVER gets jealous. You’d literally have to cling to another man for it to click in his brain that Oh. He doesn’t like that.

-He’s not big on texting, but if you call him he will stay on that call with you for hours, even after the two of you fall asleep.

-Whenever he falls(which is quite often), you’ll always have plasters on hand to help fix him up. He always flushes bright red when you kiss his cuts better, and never knows just what to do with himself afterwards.

-When he skates against tough opponents, you’ll always give him a kiss for good luck. Of course, this doesn’t stop you worrying, but you know Langa wouldn’t go out of his way to get injured. And if he does, well, at least he’ll have you there to kiss his bruises better.

[fangirlovestuff]

Never Too Late - Chris Evans x reader

a/n- hey lovely people!! i hope you’re all doing well:) i’ve been working on this one for a while, and i’m super excited to finally share it! because it’s Chris’ birthday, i wanted to have some fun with this, so in the story, chris says 3 things that are quotes / paraphrases of some of his characters’ quotes (like 3 things his characters said in movies lol). see if you can find all 3 of them;) enjoy<3

Summary: Romance is an illusion. Unattainable. Absolutely unrealistic. No one can have a fairytale love story. But maybe, you don't need a fairytale. You just need each other. (In which you and Chris have each given up on romance, but then you meet, and… sparks fly.)

Word Count: 9.6k (hello longest oneshot i’ve ever written!!)

Warnings: some curse words, (responsible) alcohol consumption, slight angst?? honestly it’s just obliviousness, slow burn!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

This was a waste of time.

I'm sorry, the text read, something came up. Raincheck? ;)

Douche. He was the one that asked if you could do this today instead of tomorrow, so you moved your meeting. But apparently, that didn't matter, since he wasn't planning to show up anyway.

You blocked his number, leaving your place at the bar and heading towards the exit. You were in the middle of typing out a furious message to your friend who set you up on this blind date, when you collided with someone in your path quite harshly. You rubbed your arm where you bumped into the person and gazed upwards to meet his eyes.  

"Sorry," you both said in unison.

The man let out a chuckle. "Sorry," he repeated, his amused eyes gazing into yours.

"No, I'm the one who should apologize," you said, "I wasn't looking where I was going," you lifted up your phone, gesturing to the reason.

"I'm sure it was important," he made a dismissive gesture with his hand, "don't worry about it."

"It really wasn't. Again, sorry," you grimaced.

"It's fine," he reassured you, "I was actually on my way to get another drink so it's not like I spilled anything, no harm done," he smiled.

"Well, I'm really glad. Have a good rest of your night," you smiled back. Thinking that was the end of it, you turned to continue your walk towards the exit, opening your texts to write that message to your friend, but as you were turning around the man reached out and grabbed onto your wrist, not harshly but enough to make you turn around to face him once more.

He immediately let go of your hand, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Sorry, I don't mean to intrude, it's just… you seemed kind of upset when I bumped into you, are you alright?"

You sighed, shaking your head with a smile, "I'm fine," you looked up at him, "just got ditched by this blind date. Guy didn't show, so I was writing a furious message to my friend who set me up," you chuckled, "that's why I wasn't paying attention."

"Sorry," he said with a sympathetic grimace. "So why were you writing to your friend and not to the guy? I mean, he's the one who bailed."

"No offense, but I learned not to expect as much from the male species," you smirked, and he chuckled in return. "Got bailed on one too many times to have high expectations. Honestly, I was only willing to go on this date cause my friend said this was a great guy and, according to her, I was 'on the sure road to becoming a spinster'. So, I appeased her," you shrugged. Your confession left your lips with such ease, you were almost taken aback by how easy it was to talk to this complete stranger this openly. Maybe, it was easier because you were strangers.

"Ah, I know what that's like. I mean, not the spinster part, the part about appeasing your friends," he chuckled. "They're over there," he gestured to a table a little to the back, "to 'cheer me up'. Said I needed to leave my house more. Although I don't know if they're still sober enough to remember that's why they're here," he smiled affectionately as he looked at his table. Sure enough, the guys looked pretty drunk, but the man didn't seem to resent them for it, he was just amused.

"What did you need cheering up for?" you asked once his gaze went back to meet yours.

"Well, I got dumped. We were together for a few years. I even had a ring," he raised his eyebrows, "but she said it wasn't working out anymore. At least she didn't know about the ring yet," he smiled bitterly.

"Small victories," you nodded sympathetically.

"Yeah," he chuckled, "anyway, she just finished taking the last of her stuff from ou- my place. She was really lingering with it, we broke up like a month ago. Didn't have the heart to rush her."

"I'm sorry," you put a comforting hand on his shoulder, albeit a bit awkwardly. He seemed to appreciate it anyway. "Your sob story's way worse than mine," you joked, getting a small huff of laughter out of him.

"I guess," he said. "But that means I get where you're coming from on the whole no dating thing. It just seems pointless," he shrugged.

"I'm sure this is the part where anyone else would've told you that it'll be okay and you'll find 'your person', but since I'm shittier than that I'll be honest – romance is dead and we'll both probably die alone," you said flatly.

Your blunt tone made him smile, which in turn made you smile, and you nodded as your words sank into the silence between you. You started giggling, and soon he followed, and you were both laughing softly for a while.

"I'm sorry," he said, still grinning, "I don't know why I'm laughing. It's sad."

"Very sad," you agreed, a grin on your face as well. "to be fair, spinsterhood doesn't sound that bad. Except for the cats thing. I'll never be a crazy cat lady," you shook your head, "they hate me, every single one. I'd get dogs though," you mused, "have a little army of 'em."

"Sounds fun," he smiled.

"Right?" you smiled back, "I'm telling you, it's not as bad as people make it out to be."

Wrapped up in your conversation, you were both still standing next to the bar, and another man pushed past you to get to the bartender. The bubble around the two of you exploded, and you remembered that you were still in public, at the bar.

"You should go get that drink you were here for," you said, gesturing towards the bar.

"Alright," he chuckled. Just then, the man finished ordering, so he told the bartender what he'd like to have, then turned to you.

"Hey, romance might be dead, but chivalry isn't. Let me buy you a drink," he grinned.

"Be still my beating heart," you feigned emotion, before a smile crept back onto your face. "I'll have whatever you're having," you shrugged, and waited as he told the bartender to bring you two another drink.  

"So, if you're buying me a drink, I feel like it's only fair I should know your name," you smiled.

"That does seem fair," he sent a small smile your way. "I'm Chris," he put out his hand and you shook it, telling him your name in return.

"So, you come here often?" he smirked, prompting the both of you into another fit of laughter.

"For real though," you said once you got your drinks, "I'm really not looking for anything romantic right now. I hope that's okay."

"Of course," he reassured, "I'm not either."

"Okay good cause this is like, really tasty, so I wouldn't mind having a couple more," you held up the drink he got you with a grin, making him laugh.

You did have a couple more, with Chris. You ended up sitting at the bar, his friends not really noticing he was gone, and talking about anything and everything. You were almost reluctant to end the night, but you really should get home, which is what you told Chris before getting up and getting your wallet.

"Hey, no," he said and gestured for you to put it away, "I was serious, I'll pay."

"Really? I mean, this wasn't a date so I just thought-"

He shook his head adamantly and you put your hands up in surrender and smiled. "Okay. Thank you," you told him as you put your wallet away.

"You're very welcome. Although, there is something I still want to ask you. Can I get your number?"

You opened your mouth to protest, but before you could he spoke up again.

"Nothing romantic, I swear," he chuckled, "but it was really fun hanging out tonight. We should do it again. Completely platonically." He smiled sincerely.

You narrowed your eyes in mock suspicion before laughing. "Alright. Sure, you can have my number," you said, and he grinned before giving you his phone. You put in your number and gave it back.

"See you around, Chris," you smiled before leaving the bar, the smile lingering on your face all the way back to your house.

And when your friends asked you how the date was, you told them he bailed and you went home, never mentioning meeting Chris. You knew how they'd see it, and it wasn't like that, so you just… kept it to yourself. For now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

On your way to Chris' house, you picked up the takeout from the place he told you about, before texting him you got it and you were almost there.

It's been a couple of weeks since you met him, and so far he was proving to be a great friend. You texted back and forth most days, but never found the time to meet up again, until today, that is.

You had texted him about your crappy day at work, and how happy you were this week was finally, finally over, so he invited you t his house, and suggested you watch a movie. And well, you accepted. A movie night with a friend was just what you needed to put this shitty week behind you.

"Hi," you greeted him once he opened the door.

"Hi!" he took the takeout bags from your hands and gestured for you to follow him inside, and into the kitchen. "So," he started, while taking out the food, "I realized forgot to tell you; I have a dog," he smiled apologetically, "I don't know if that's a problem, he's in my room upstairs, I won't-"

"Are you kidding?" you nearly squealed, "of course that's not a problem! I told you if I could I'd be a crazy dog lady," you giggled. "Can I meet him?"

"Great!" he chuckled at your enthusiasm, "sure, I'll go get him."

As he went upstairs, you stood there, looking around his kitchen. You weren't sure what to do, it seemed like he got all the food, and it wasn't your house, so… you just stood there.

Fortunately, you soon heard the patter of footsteps, and just as you were about to call out to Chris to ask him if there was anything you could do to help, you heard him yell out.

"Dodger!"

And just then, a big whirl of movement came towards you, and before you knew it a large dog was resting his paws on you, nearly knocking you back. You regained your footing before you crouched down to your knees with a beam.

"Hey," you cooed at the excited dog, who was wagging his tail and still trying to climb onto you, apparently. "Hey," you repeated yourself, rubbing behind his ears affectionately. "It's so nice to meet you," you kept cooing and stroking his fur. He propped himself up and licked your cheek, making you giggle. "Thank you, you're so cute," you scratched his neck affectionately.

"Sorry about him, he gets excited around new people," Chris came into the kitchen apologizing.

"No worries," you grinned as the large dog laid down on his back, exposing his stomach to you in a silent request for belly rubs which you willingly provided. "He's adorable," you looked up at Chris, who was grinning back at you.

"He really is," he agreed, going to finish putting the food in plates before lifting them.

"Can I help with anything?" you asked, still crouched down and petting Dodger.

"Nope, all set," he smiled, "let's go."

He led the way to his living room, where he set the plates down on the coffee table and picked up the remote. "So, what do you wanna watch?"

"Oh, I don't know," you shrugged as you sat down on the couch, "you can pick."

"Well, I would, but we're here because you've had a shitty week, so you should pick whatever you want."

"Ugh, don't remind me. See, Dodger would never do this to me," you turned your gaze to the dog, who has settled at your feet, and started petting him again. "Right? Of course you won't, you're the cutest dog," you cooed.

Chris burst out into a short laugh. "Are you going to steal my dog?"

"It's a very real possibility," you said dryly, shrugging. You turned your gaze to him, your hand still petting Dodger, and smirked.

"Okay, so are you gonna pick a movie now that we've settled that?" he asked, smiling.

"I don't know what to pick," you admitted, "I don't wanna put on anything you don't like, I guess," you mumbled.

"Awwwww, it's fine," he assured with an easy smile, "pick whatever."

You caved and put on a movie you really liked – The Princess Bride. As he realized what movie you were putting on, Chris chuckled.

"Really? That's what you're going with?"

"See? I told you I'd put on something you wouldn't like. Forget it, we can just-"

"No, no!" he cut you off, "I really like this movie," he grinned, "I just wouldn't expect that from someone who claims romance is dead, that's all," he chuckled.

"Well, movies have… dragons in them. Do you think dragons are real just cause they're in movies?" you reasoned.

"Okay, I see your point," he raised his hands in mock surrender.

A comfortable silence stretched over the both of you from that point, the only thing filling it was the sound of the movie playing and the occasional shuffling sound when either of you, or Dodger, shifted on the couch.

A bit later, Chris spoke up. "Hey, want a beer?"

"Uh, I probably shouldn't have any. Driving myself home and all," you shrugged.

"Yeah, that's smart," he chuckled. You were both lowering your voices, as if not to disrupt the movie which was still playing. "Mind if I have one?"

"Not at all," you answered truthfully, "It's your house."

He let out another short chuckle, nodding before getting up. When he heard Chris getting up, Dodger lifted his head from where he was laying, and swiftly followed him into the kitchen.

When they returned, Chris brought you a glass of water, and gave it to you before sitting down. Dodger jumped back up onto the sofa, curling up beside Chris, laying his head on his stretched-out legs.

"Awwww," you softly smiled, "that's adorable. He really loves you."

"Not nearly as much as I love him," Chris replied, smiling and fondly rubbing Dodger's head.

"See, that's good love. Love that lasts," you remarked. Thinking that was the end of it, you turned your head back to the movie.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Huh?" you turned your head back to Chris.

"What did you mean by that?" he repeated.

"Oh, nothing," you shook your head. "Just, you know. I know I seem very opposed to romance, but I'm not against love. I love my family," you shrugged, "because they made me the person I am today. They're a part of me. I just don't think that a love between two people who aren't family can last in the same way."

"Yeah. You're probably right. What about dogs though? They're certainly not blood related to us," he joked.

"Certainly," you laughed, "But dogs aren’t as fucked up as humans, so it's not really comparable. Dogs don’t stay up thinking about something embarrassing they did five years ago. Dogs probably don't even get embarrassed, really. They don't have as many doubts and… restrictions. Barriers. They don't have to make everything complicated."

"But humans do."

"Bingo," you chuckled dryly.

"We really do, don't we?" he sighed. "No one really knows what they're doing or who they are. How can you know someone else enough to truly love them when you don't even know yourself?"

"Exactly. You get it," you toasted your glass of water against his beer bottle. "it's too much effort for something that lasts so little."

"Not necessarily little," he suggested, "but never enough. You know, in movies, love is this big force of nature that draws two people towards each other so strongly… it's undeniable, unavoidable. Meant to be," he chuckled. "That feels so far away from anything I've ever experienced."

"Me too, if that's any comfort," you grimaced sympathetically. "Maybe we're just meant to be alone."

"Maybe. Anyway, that's grim," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine," you smiled. "Every time I talk about it with my friends, I get told I just haven't found the right person yet, and to keep on hoping and everything will magically be sunshine and rainbows," you fluttered your eyelashes cynically. "It's fun to know there's at least one more realistic person out there," you sent him a small smile, which he returned.

You both turned back to watch the movie, which was heading towards the end at this point. The handsome prince saves the brave princess. He's not really a prince, but, you know. Same difference; it's a fairytale, a legend.

Something no one can ever truly have.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

Chris and you had developed a habit of calling each other on Mondays, since they were the worst, and you both needed to vent. You were in the middle of one of those calls when something he said made you abruptly stop making your dinner.

"How come I didn't know it was your birthday?" you asked, surprised, at his admission that his birthday was yesterday.  

"It never came up," he said. "Besides, it doesn't matter. The party's on Friday anyways, if you wanna come. You can bring some friends too, if you want. There's plenty of space."

"Yeah, okay," you smiled to yourself, "sure. Happy belated birthday, Chris."

"Thank you," he chuckled. "So you'll come?"

"Yeah, I'll be there, I guess," you sighed dramatically, prompting him to laugh.

"Great! See ya Friday," he said.

"See you."

After you hung up the call, you returned to your dinner, but not before texting your friends to invite them along. If you were getting on so nicely with Chris, you assumed the rest of his friends were nice people, so would in turn get along with your friends. Who were also nice people, obviously.

Or maybe, not so obviously.

There was an immediate flood of messages asking about who Chris is and how you met and if he's cute.

You ignored them in favor of finishing making your dinner, and only then sat down with your food and answered their questions, except for that last one.

He's a friend of mine I met not long ago, nice guy, you replied to the group chat.

And?? one of your friends texted.

And he invited me to this party he's throwing for his birthday, and told me I could bring friends, so now I'm inviting you guys. Hopefully, I won't regret that.

But is he cute???

I don't know, and I don't care. You know I'm not looking for anything right now!!

You're no fun. Fine, we'll come and see for ourselves ;P

You scoffed to yourself and continued to eat your dinner, unbothered. Maybe they should come, you mused, just to see that it's possible to make friends without dating them, like a sane adult.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Happy birthday!" you exclaimed as Chris ushered you and your friends into his house. "I brought you a wine," you extended the bottle and he took it.

"Thank you!" he said loudly, to overpower the music that was playing. "Is it good?"

"How should I know? I didn't drink from it, it's your gift!" you joked. He laughed before giving you a one-armed hug and waving at your friends. "I'm gonna put this away," he pointed towards the kitchen, "But you should go to the living room, everyone's there."

You gave him a thumbs up and led your friends towards the living room.

"He even laughs at your bad jokes," your friend cooed in your ear, and you sighed and rolled your eyes.

"We're not a couple!" you reminded her.

"Maybe not yet, but I'm just saying you'd make a good one," she shrugged, a twinkle in her eye.

You ignored her, and continued walking. On your way to the living room, you did see a whole bunch of other people, but still, the party wasn't huge, especially compared to Chris' large house. There were no more than probably about 80 people there, not including yourself and your friends.

Pouring yourself a drink, you sat down next to your friends, who were already making small talk with another group, and joined the conversation.

Some time went by before the conversation turned to romance, and everyone started sharing funny stories about their significant others.

"What about you?" asked a woman from the other group. She seemed friendly, an easygoing smile on her face. "Everyone has a story to tell."

Before you could answer, one of your friends chimed in. "Oh, she doesn't do romance," she teased.

"Sounds mysterious," the woman laughed.

"Yep," you smiled, amused, "that's me. Dark, brooding, and mysterious."

As you were all laughing, Chris came down to sit next to you. "Having a good time?" he asked the group with a smile, a model host.

"Yeah," one of your friends answered, "we were just talking about how this one never dates anymore," she pointed at you, and you caught Chris' look, amused. "What do you think about that?" your friends asked, oblivious to the silent exchange.

"I think she should do whatever she wants to," he answered with a smile.

"Oh, don’t be diplomatic," she said, "don't you think she should find someone?" she pressed.

"I think she should do whatever she feels like," he persisted.

"Whatever," your friend rolled her eyes with a smile. "Every pot has a lid. Sooner or later, you'll find yours," she said, your words pointed at you now.

You were quiet for a brief moment before speaking up. "Oh, you're done talking about me like I'm not here. Sorry, you were saying?"

The entire group burst into laughter, and you caught Chris' gaze again.

Sorry, you mouthed, shrugging.

It's fine, he mouthed back with a small smile.

The urge to kill your friend subsided when you saw Chris didn't take her pestering too seriously.

For the rest of the night, you proceeded to have a good time, making conversation with a few other people and only running into Chris one more time.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked, toasting his cup to yours.

"Yeah. You throw a great party," you smiled.

"I'm glad you think that," he returned your smile.

After that you returned to your friends, and a little while later you all decided to head home. You searched for Chris, thanked him for hosting the party and wished him a happy birthday, and went home.

"You're telling me there's nothing there?" your friend asked you on the ride home.

"There's nothing there," you sighed. "I don't know why you all want there to be."

"We just know what it's like being in love. And we want that for you. It's fun," she smiled.

"Parkour also sounds fun, that doesn't mean I can or am going to do it," you retorted. "You know what I think about being in love. Different people have different paths and abilities. I can be happy without a sweeping romance."

"I know, you're a strong independent woman and you don’t need no man," she rolled her eyes. "Just… don't close yourself off to the opportunity. That's all I'm saying."

"Okay," you shrugged.

Shortly after, she dropped you off, and you went to sleep, thinking nothing of the whole ordeal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She came by today.

When you got the text from Chris on Wednesday, you were puzzled for a few moments before you realized. His former fiancée. I mean, almost fiancée.

Shit

Is everything okay?

It only took him a couple of seconds to reply.

Yeah, I guess.

On an obviously unrelated note, wanna come drink?

You chuckled before texting him your ETA, quickly changing from the already rumpled clothes you had worn all day, and driving to his place.

You texted him when you were outside, and when you walked up to his door it was already opened, and he was waiting for you, a bottle of beer in hand.

"Aw, you drove yourself here?" he asked, before ushering you in, "I told you we should drink."

"Yeah," you chuckled, "but it's not like there's anyone I can ask to drive me on a random Wednesday. It's fine, you drink."

"But I don't wanna drink alone," he whined. "Can't you just spend the night then? I have a guest bedroom."

You opened your mouth to refuse, but then assessed it again. You were in pretty comfortable clothes, you were starting work a little later than usual tomorrow, and well… he needed a friend, and he asked you.

"Okay, fine," you chuckled, "gimmie one of those," you gestured at his beer.

He made a little celebratory motion with his hand before going and getting you another beer.

"So," you started as you took a swig of your beer, "how was your day?"

He let out a short, bitter laugh. "Great. Yeah, just… just great," he took a large gulp of his beer. You waited, giving him the space he needed to speak again. "She wanted to get back together, actually," he scoffed. You frowned, but still refrained from speaking.

"You know, I… I still have the ring," his voice broke and he cleared his throat. "I still have the ring because I wanted her to come back. But when she finally did I… I couldn't say yes to her. Because it's forever or nothing. And I don't think I'm meant to have a forever. Certainly not with someone who broke up with me anyways," he took another sip of his beer.

"If it's any comfort, I don't think there's such a thing as forever," you shrugged, and he looked at you quizzically. "I told you," you said, "all romance is momentary."

"Maybe that's true," he sighed again. "At any rate, I am now stuck with this ring, which is just… fantastic. Really awesome."

"Can't you bring it back to the shop?"

"Tried to. They won't take it back, say it's been too long for their return policy. That money's lost," he took another sip of beer.

"Well, you know, if it's lost anyways…" you smiled, "I think I have an idea of what to do with it. but first," you raised your beer in a toast, "we do need to be a little drunker for this."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few too many drinks later, you and Chris were stumbling in a park near his home.

"How do you know where we are?" he asked, before nearly tripping on his face, making you giggle as he managed to catch himself on a nearby tree.

"I've been here before," you explained, a little less drunk than he was but still positively buzzed. "It's really pretty."

"It is," he agreed, taking in the trees around you as you kept going. "It's also very isolated. Are you going to kill me?" he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"No," your loud laugh rang through the park, breaking the silence of the night. "I'm not gonna kill you. Promise. Now c'mon, we're nearly there!" you beckoned him to follow you as you ran forward.

The rest of the way went by quickly, the both of you striding hurriedly, or as hurriedly as your inebriated minds would allow, engulfed in the comforting silence of the night. Finally, you got to a clearing with a large lake.

The crescent moon reflected in the water, and the lake was shimmering slightly as the wind disturbed it. The only sounds were those of your slightly labored breath, the soft trickling of the water, and the occasional flap of a bird's wings. The silence surrounded you, but it wasn't suffocating, it was as clear as the water in front of you.

It was finally broken when Chris spoke up again.

"You got me drunk so you could drown me in a lake?"

You burst into another fit of laughter. "First of all," you said in between giggles, "if anyone got anyone drunk it's you convincing me to drun- drink."

It was his turn to laugh at your mix-up. "Shut up," you said, slapping his arm lightly. "Now c'mon. You have the ring, right?"

"Yep," he said, fishing it out of his pocket. "But why did you want me to bring it?"

"Well, the fact I'm not gonna drown you in the lake doesn't mean we're not drowning anything."

"My ex-fiancée?" his mouth dropped open into an o shape.

"No!" you facepalmed. "The ring. You're gonna throw the ring in the river!"

"I am?"

"God, I'm starting to think I got you too drunk," you rolled your eyes. "Okay. Here's what we're gonna do. You're gonna think about your relationship. You're gonna reminisce about everything, good and bad, and you're gonna put it in this ring. In your head, of course," you added before he could chime in.

"So I can let go," he nodded in understanding.

"Exactly," you smiled. "We don't need romance. Fuck romance. Fuck forever. You're better than that!"

"Amen!" he said, toasting an invisible glass in the air, making you laugh once more. It was probably the alcohol, but you hadn't laughed like this in a while. It was fun to laugh loudly, freeing. You wondered why you didn't do it more often.

"Alright!" you clapped your hands once, shaking from your thoughts. "Let's get this show on the road!"

You both stepped closer to the lake, and then Chris held out his hand in front of him, his palm open with the ring on it. He stared at it intently for a few moments, then his gaze snapped up to meet yours and he nodded shortly. You didn't speak, you just reached out and closed his fingers around the ring, before stepping aside and gesturing for him to go ahead. He stared at his fist for another moment before taking a swing and throwing the ring as far as he could. You held your breath until you heard the sound of the ring hitting the water, which made you release a breath full of awe.

"You did it," you said softly.

"I did it," he slowly repeated. "I did it!" he yelled out and you laughed in surprise. "I did it!" he yelled again, and in a few short strides he was next to you, picking you up and spinning you around in celebration.

"Put me down!" you shouted at him between fits of laughter, "Lunatic!"

He put you down, grinning widely. "I can't believe I just threw that ring into the lake. That was so stupid."

"It kinda was," you laughed, breathless.

"It was your idea!"

"I know! It's still stupid," you kept laughing, nearly doubling over. "Felt good though, didn’t it?"

"It really did," he let out a bewildered laugh. "Fuck. It really did," he said, and started laughing, which made you start laughing again, and before you knew it you were both laying on the grass, laughing until your cheeks hurt.

"My cheeks hurt," you pouted.

"Awww, I'm sorry," he drawled, reaching out to pinch your cheek, making you swat his hand away, glaring at him. He just giggled again, laying on his back and looking up to the sky.

You laid back as well, staring up.

"I wish I knew something about the stars," he said out of the blue.

"What do you wanna know?"

"Oh, just anything. I don't know jack shit about 'em."

"Well, I'm pretty sure that's Orion's Belt," you said, pointing up to a group of three stars. "So now you know that about the stars."

He said your name, making you turn your head to look at him. "You're a good friend," he smiled.

"You're a good friend too," you smiled back at him.

"No, I'm not. All I ever do is moan about my stupid ex."

"I'm sure she wasn't stupid," you reasoned.

"She was! She was stupid with two o's," he mumbled in disdain. You giggled at his words. "I'm not hung up on her," he continued. "I'm just… disillusioned. I thought she was the one. And now that she's gone… I don't know if there's gonna be a one. Which is sad. So I've been sad," he said matter-of-factly.

"I was sad too when I started thinking that," you whispered, sobering up a little. "But we don’t need 'a one', Chris. Romance is dead, but life goes on. We're on our own, but that doesn't mean we can't make the best of it."

"I spent so much of my life looking forward to spending the rest of my life with someone. And now that I realize that might not be the case… I guess I just realized that this is it. The rest of my life. I needed to throw that ring to make peace with that."

"Glad I could help," you gave him a half-smile, taking his hand in yours and giving it a small squeeze.

"Yeah," he returned a squeeze of his own, "me too."

"C'mon," you said, leaving his hand and getting up, before helping him to his feet as well. "We should get going."

You stumbled your way home, leaning on each other for some parts of the way. Sleepy and still a little buzzed, you finally got to his house, and he led you to the guest bedroom.

"Goodnight," he said, smiling.

"Goodnight," you whispered back, before he turned and walked up the stairs. You listened to him climb, and heard the sound of another set of footsteps, soft cooing coming from upstairs, and then heard the sound of a door closing.

Dodger, you thought with a smile, before closing your own door and plopping down on the bed.

In the last minutes of your wakefulness, you thought about how lucky dogs were.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, are you dating him?"

"No!" you said indignantly, "have you listened to a single word I said?"

"Oh, so you're just not putting a label on it? you're a little too old for those games if you ask me, but suit yourself," your friend shrugged.

"Come on! He's just a friend," you huffed.

"If that's what you wanna tell yourself," she smirked, but then her look became more sincere. "Look, I know you. I know that every time we talk about him, you're happy. Why can't you admit that you like him?"

"I do like him, as a person! I like all of my friends!"

"You're impossible," she rolled her eyes with an affectionate smile.

"You're impossible," you retorted weakly before smiling at her.

"You know we all just want you to be happy, right? That's all we want."

"I know," you said softly, "and I appreciate it. I really do. But I am happy, on my own."

"If that's the case, then I'm happy for you," she sighed. "I don't want you to feel like a third wheel, especially with Sarah's wedding coming up. You're the last of us who hasn't tied the knot yet."

"I'll be fine at Sarah's wedding," you rolled your eyes.

"I know, I know," she raised her hands in surrender, "But I'm just saying, I know you're anti-romance, but I also know you're not anti-company. Maybe you should bring Chris. As your friend, if you insist" she added when she saw you open your mouth to object. "Just, you know, everyone's coming with someone, and I don't want you to sit alone."

"I appreciate you looking out for me, I do, but seriously, I think you're underestimating my social skills. You do realize I can talk to people I don't know, right?"

"I know," she huffed. "Just… consider it, okay? For me?"

"I'll think about it, I guess," you shrugged.

You had no intention of following through on that. Except, well, it did come up when you were talking to Chris.

"What are you doing Friday?" he asked, his voice mechanical through the phone. "I thought we could finally see that movie you're always talking about."

"Nope, can't do Friday," you said, the phone pressed between your shoulder and your ear as you were folding your laundry.

"Aw, that's a shame. I was really looking forward to you finally shutting up about it," he teased, making you chuckle. "What're you doing Friday then?"

"First of all, if you'd listen to me and see it, you wouldn't wanna shut up about it either, because it's awesome. Second, I'm going to a friend's wedding. I'm gonna sit aside, drink some wine, and make fun of all the drunk couples."

"Sounds like a real fun night," he teased.

"Yeah," you said sarcastically. "I am really happy for her though. I know she wanted it for a long time," you said, sincere now.

"Hey, um, if you want, maybe I could come laugh at drunk couples with you? So you'll have some company," he offered.

"Oh, you don't have to," you dismissed it, "I know it sounds like a bummer, but really, I'll be fine."

"No, really. No one should have to sit alone at weddings," he said.

"Another friend of mine told me that as well."

"Well then, this friend of yours is smart. Believe me, as a veteran of many sit-alone weddings myself, I can confirm it's indeed a huge bummer."

"Fine," you chuckled, "I guess if you want to come so badly you may," you said, making him laugh.

"Great, text me the details?"

"Yep," you smiled. "Talk to you later?"

"Sure, bye!"

You hung up the phone to get up and start putting all your clothes into the closet. After you were done with that, you sent Sarah a text to let her know you will be bringing a plus one at the end, asking her if that'd be okay.

Is it Chris????

Yeah

Then it's fine!! :)))

You chuckled to yourself and kept putting away your clothes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~      

The night of the wedding, as a close friend of the bride's, you arrived at the venue a couple of hours beforehand, along with all of your friends. Chris came some time after guests started to arrive, and it didn't take you long to spot him in the crowds, looking a bit lost. You excused yourself quickly from the conversation you were in with some of the groom's friends and went to greet him.

"Hey!" you waved as you walked towards him, "Chris!"

Grinning when he saw you, he also began moving towards you, until you finally met in the middle.

"I'm glad you could make it," you smiled.

"I am too," he said, "seems like a nice wedding."

"Yeah. C'mon, you're just in time. They're gonna start the ceremony soon," you explained as you grabbed his arm and started leading him towards your seats.

"Oh-kay," he chuckled as you dragged him forward with surprising determination.

As you took your seats, you waved at your friends, and they freaked out over Chris being there, but you paid no mind to them, as Chris was leaning towards you, whispering, "You know, for someone who doesn't seem to enjoy romance, you sure do seem excited about this wedding."

"Well, I'm happy for Sarah. I've learned that me and my friends have a different outlook on that, and that's fine, it's useless to argue about it or whatever. I'm just happy she's gonna have what she wanted, even if I don't really believe in it."

"So how does that work? If you don't think romance is real and bring joy then how come you're happy your friend has it?"

"Chris, if one of my friends told me they found a way to adopt a unicorn, I'd be happy for them, no questions asked. Everyone should do what they feel like," you shrugged. "Now shhhh, they should be starting every minute now."

The ceremony was a beautiful one, and Sarah looked gorgeous in her white dress. As she walked down the aisle with a beaming smile, Chris' words echoed in your mind.

If you don't think romance is real and bring joy then how come you're happy your friend has it?

Despite your quick answer, you didn’t really know. The short answer was the one you told Chris, but the long one…

For the longest time, you believed romance just wasn't durable. Wasn't real. But maybe you just didn't believe that you can have that kind of romance? You just never really had someone to challenge your perception like that, because no one ever took it seriously, they just told you you'd find your person.

But that wasn't something you wanted to think about now, so you filled it away for later.

"It was a beautiful ceremony."

You and Chris were a little far out from the dancing crowd, somewhere a little quieter, but you could still see the dance floor from the bench you had found.

"Yeah, it was," you agreed with him.

"Not beautiful enough to make you cry, I guess?" he teased.

"Ha ha. I don't cry at weddings."

"I could've guessed that," he chuckled. "So what do you usually do at weddings? I mean, all your friends are married, so I'm assuming you've been to quite a few."

"What I'm doing right now. Sitting aside and drinking," you raised your glass in mock salute before taking a generous sip.

"Solid plan," he nodded slightly. "So you've never like, danced at weddings or anything?"

"No," you frowned, shaking your head slightly, "Why would I? I'm not a dancer, really.

"Well, how 'bout we go and change that?"

"Excuse me now?"

"I'm just saying, if you're really happy for your friend, maybe you should show her that. Enjoy yourself."

"I am enjoying myself," you deadpanned.

"Do what people are meant to do at weddings," he rolled his eyes.

"I thought you were here to silently judge everyone with me. Don't make me regret inviting you," you jokingly waved your finger at him as if you were telling him off.

"That's still the plan. We could just probably still do that on the dance floor," he shrugged. "Your call."

There was a short-lived silence before you sighed. "Fine. One dance," you warned.

Getting up, he offered his arm to you, which you took, and you made your way o the dance floor. You started dancing to the end of the upbeat song that was playing, but just then it changed into something a little slower, and people were pairing up.

"This is the money time," Chris winked, and offered you his hand. You took it, almost instinctively, and you started dancing to the song, his other hand on your waist while yours was on his shoulder.

"What do you mean money time?" you whispered.

"Okay. We're gonna turn around, and you're gonna look at the couple that's gonna be behind me," he said, turning the both of you around casually as you danced.

"Oh my god," you suppressed your laughter. "That's… I don't even know what to say. Are they even a couple or is he her da- oh nope, he just kissed her on the lips. God," you grimaced as Chris laughed at your expression. "I at least hope he's rich for her sake."

You both chuckled, and it was only a couple of moments later that you gasped with a smile. "Don't be obvious cause they're pretty close, but look at the couple to my right."

"Oh shit," he chuckled. "Remind me not to go to any secluded corner of this wedding. These two are probably this close to running off to do things I definitely wouldn't wanna see."

"Right?" you said, amused, "They're practically eye fucking. Have some decency!"

You both laughed again, and then Chris nodded his head subtly in another direction. "Look at those two."

They were a couple that wasn't dancing, they were sitting at a table close to the dancefloor, their foreheads touching, seemingly murmuring to each other.

"Betcha they're the kind of couple who does the whole 'no you hang up!' thing," Chris continued with an amused grin.

"Oh they so are!" you burst into laughter. "They probably share a single spaghetti from both ends."

"Lady and the Tramp style," you both said at the same time, prompting you to tear your eyes from the couple and look at each other, giggling.

You continued dancing through the next song, and the next one, and the one after that. For pretty much the rest of the night, you two danced together, continuing to invent silly stories about the people you saw, laughing at each other's cheesy anecdotes.

When it was getting late and the party was winding down, Chris offered you a ride home, since he hasn't drunk, and you gratefully accepted. You came here with your friends, and they were all probably staying longer, but you were getting a little sleepy, so you decided to call it a night.

"Let's just go say goodbye to Sarah," you said and he nodded, letting you lead the way.

"Hey, I'm getting pretty tired, so we're gonna leave. Congratulations," you smiled once you had gotten to the table the happy couple was sitting at. As Chris was shaking the husband's hand, you had bent down to wrap your arms around Sarah in a tight hug.

"So you admit you're a 'we' now? You and Chris?" she teased, whispering in your ear.

"We're not," you rolled your eyes.

"Whatever you say," she smiled knowingly. "Thank you for coming," she said louder once you let go of her.

"It was a pleasure, congratulations," Chris smiled at the both of them, and you all gave your goodbyes.

On the way back, you were already lulling into sleep in the passenger's seat, and Chris smiled to himself.

"Chris," you mumbled from your half-asleep state.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For coming with me today. You're right. Dancing with you is better than sitting alone."

"Wow, what a compliment," he drawled sarcastically.

"Yeah, don't let it get to your head buddy," you chuckled, before shifting around in your seat so your head was leaning on the window. "Can you wake me up when we get there?"

"Sure," he smiled, "Sweet dreams."

"Thanks," you yawned.

When you got to your house, Chris gently nudged your shoulder a few times to wake you up. You woke up, confused for a second, but quickly regained your composure and thanked him for the ride.

You went into the house, barely changing out of your dress before plopping down on the bed.

It was kind of weird, honestly. Usually, no matter how tired you were, you wouldn't manage to fall asleep in a car, or a plane. Even a bed that wasn't yours was sometimes harder to sleep in.

But you were in your own bed now, so you didn't have a lot of time to mull that over before you sunk into a deep sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

"Hey," Chris greeted over the phone one Monday.

"Hi! How's it going?" you smiled.

"Fine. I mean, actually, do you wanna come over?"

"Right now?" you frowned.

"I mean, why not? Have the Monday chat in person."

"Um, sure. Yeah, I'll be over in a bit," you said. Hanging up, you didn't think too much of his invitation. He sounded fine, and he said he was. He was probably just being nice.

Soon enough you were knocking at his front door. It opened to reveal a very excited Dodger pouncing on you, and you giggled as you crouched down to pet him. "Yeah, hi Dodger! How's the cutest boy doing?"

"Ouch," Chris joked from the doorstep.

"Hello to you too, I guess," you said dryly, but with a grin on your face.

You all went inside, and Dodger went straight to his bed, curling up. "Your knock woke him up," Chris explained, smiling at the sight.

"Oh, sorry," you gave him a small smile.

"It's fine. As you can see, he has no problem going right back to sleep," he chuckled.

"Yeah," you giggled. "Is everything okay? I mean, is there a reason you wanted me to come except to enjoy my magnificent presence?" you teased.

"Well, that was mostly it," he laughed, "but actually, I did want to talk to you about something. Wanna go outside?"

"Um, sure," you said, frowning slightly before forcing yourself to smile again.

You stepped outside into his garden, sitting in the big lawn chairs.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" you asked, turning your head to look at him.

"That's Orion's Belt, right?" he evaded, pointing at a group of stars in the night sky.

"I'm pretty sure it is," you shrugged.

For a moment, you were both quiet.

"I've changed my mind," Chris started. "This isn't the rest of my life. It's just my life."

"Okay," you said, not getting where he was going with this.

"You know, all these cheesy couples we made fun of at Sarah's wedding? I think they have it right."

"How come?"

"They realized that romance isn't about forever. It's about right here, right now. It’s in the little things. I've been so opposed to romance lately, and I was constantly thinking about how I wouldn't have a forever, so much so that I forgot what's going on now."

"And what's that?" you asked softly.

"Something much simpler than that. Happiness."

You stared at each other in silence, a slight frown still on your face.

"You make me happy," Chris admitted in a soft voice. "You make me really happy. And I don't want to lose your friendship, but I have to ask you this, because otherwise I don't think I'd forgive myself. Do you really not believe in romance? At all?"

"I don't know," you whispered. Clearing your throat, you continued a bit louder. "I don't believe in everyone's version of it. The happily ever after, forever. I don't need anyone to complete me either."

"There's always a middle road. Maybe not everyone has someone, and we don’t need romance, but that doesn't mean we're not allowed to want it. We shouldn't have to sit alone at weddings," he said sincerely. After a breath, he continued. "I'm not asking you for forever. I don't want to. But I want to ask you for now. And I don't think I'd complete you, just like you don't complete me. But you do make my life a whole lot better."

"Chris, you know I'm not looking for anything, I told you that when we met," you said weakly.

"I know. I also wasn't looking for anything. And yet I found… something. And I'd be a coward not to pursue it. We can make our own kind of romance; not a happily ever after, but a happy here and now. No big cheesy gestures, or unreasonable promises, just… being together. And that means I can't promise you it'll work, that it'll be perfect. Hell, it'll probably be messy, and hard, and mundane, at times, but that's how life is. But I can promise I'll try. And even if it doesn't work out, I'm willing to regret you for the rest of my life."

You thought back to every romantic relationship you've had. Every date you've been on. A lot of them were disappointing, but some of them were good.

None of them made you as happy as being with Chris did. Not one of your actual dates managed to top just hanging out with Chris. You didn't know why, but you felt safe with him, like you can be entirely yourself. You felt happy.

You didn't want to risk that. You didn't want to lose that. But what if taking this one risk would make it all that much better? You thought back to all of your friends, how happy they were with their significant other, how in love. What if putting your heart out on the line, for the first time in a long while, would make you happier than you had ever imagined?

Of course, it could also make you devastated. It could crush you. But that's the risk, isn't it?

There isn't any other person you'd rather take that leap with, you realized. In the few months you knew Chris, he already managed to become one of your favorite people in the entire world. You trusted him, cared about him, more than you'd let yourself realize up until now. And like he said, not exploring that would make you a coward. And you're not.

You took a deep breath. Chris gave you the time you needed, simply looking at you softly.

"I haven't dated anyone in a while. I might be rusty," you chuckled finally.

"I'm willing to take those odds," he smiled. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes," you nodded, a grin slowly making its way onto your face. "If there's anyone I would do this with, it's you," you admitted softly.

He grinned, getting up from his chair and extending his hand out to you, and you accepted. Gently, he pulled you up on your feet, using his momentum to bring you to stand closer to him and wrapping his other arm around your waist. Slowly, you two inched closer, until, finally, his lips were on yours.

There weren't fireworks, or butterflies. There was just this moment, right here, right now. No doubts, or hesitations, it was peaceful. It felt right.

This moment was all you could ever ask for. All you'd ever need.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You look so beautiful in the mornings," Chris murmured, burrowing his head into the crook of your neck.

"You too. Happy birthday," You whispered back, weaving your fingers into the hairs on the nape of his neck. He hummed in response, and you giggled, feeling it tickling your neck.

You laid there for a while more, just basking in each other's company. But when you looked at the clock, you started nudging Chris away from you. "We should get up," you said softly, "We have a party to prepare for."

"The party's not until the evening," he whined, "Stay in bed," he wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you towards him.

You ended up leaving the bed at noon, eating a big lunch before tidying up for the party. A few minutes later, you slipped away, to set up your surprise.

"Hey Chris?" you called from the other room, "Can you just come over here for a second?"

"Coming!"

He entered to find you and Dodger in matching little party hats, and you were holding one out for him too.

"Wow!" he burst into laughter, putting the party hat on his head. "What's all this for?"

"I thought we should celebrate a little before the guests arrive," you shrugged. "And, you know, Dodger looks so cute in that little hat."

"He does," Chris cooed. "How did you manage to put it on him? He would never let me put anything."

"Well, he just likes me more," you smirked. Chris scoffed amusedly. "Okay fine," you rolled your eyes, "I may have bribed him with a treat."

Dodger's ears perked up at the word and you both laughed at the suddenly interested dog.

"I shouldn't have said that," you giggled.

"Probably," he agreed. "Thank you," you put his arm on the small of your back, nudging you closer to his side.

"You're welcome. Happy birthday," you smiled, tilting your head up to press a soft kiss to his lips. He cupped your cheek in his hand, deepening the kiss, but before it could get any further Dodger was barking and putting his front paws on the both of you.

"Yeah, yeah, don't get jealous. We love you too," you and Chris laughed, petting his head affectionately.

Honestly that day was a perfectly normal day for you and Chris. Being in love for the two of you didn't mean big highs and lows. You had your moments, but most of the time, it was just this peaceful bliss.

Later that night, the party was already in full swing. You and Chris separated from each other at some point, but you were making the rounds, so you knew sooner or later you'd meet up again.

In the small crowd, it was easy to spot your friends, sitting with the same group they did last year. You smiled to yourself, going up and greeting everyone warmly.

"How's everyone doing?" you asked, sitting down for a moment.

There was a chorus of "fine"s and "good"s before the conversation continued. You joined in, talking to your friends and catching up with the other group.

"Hey," Chris' voice was suddenly next to you. He came up and wrapped his arms around you from behind, talking softly next to your ear. "I'm gonna get myself another beer. You want anything as well?"

"Um, yeah. Can you bring me one too?"

"Sure," he smiled.

You tilted your head so you could reach and kiss his cheek, "Thanks."

As he walked away, you turned your attention back to the rest of the group, only to find them all looking at you with knowing grins.

"I thought you didn't do romance," said the woman you had spoken to last year, a teasing smile on her face.

"I didn't. I guess I changed my mind," you smiled softly, watching Chris’ back as he dissappeared into the kitchen.

Maybe romance wasn’t so bad after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

did you catch the three references? tell me:)) i hope you like it, and if you stuck through this entire story, thank you so so much for reading!! as always, i’d love to hear your thoughts, and remember to stay hydrated and take care of yourself<3 happy chris day!!

special shoutout for @animnerd who gave me some motivation when i needed it<3 

Taglist:  @horny-nd-bored @shannon124 @perfectlyharolds @wintersoldierslut @iceebabies  @sleepingpapermouse @steverogerswasalwaysworthy @holtzkinnon @angelicl-y @stydia-4-ever @thatoneperson5000 @fangirlfree @kaitcordx25 @bequeening @steve-barry-damon-logan @itscrazycherryblossomcollection @hollandxmarvel @stargazingfangirl18 @readsreblogsfics @onetwo3000 @beritmetal @harrystylesholland @jazbot2000 @anobscurename @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @peggycarter-steverogers @evansphnx12 @starlightcrystalline @procrastinatingsapphictrash @imvivian

Chris & co. taglist: @patzammit

if you wanna join / be removed from a taglist, comment/message me! much love <3

[disasterfandoms]

Dating Eddie Diaz || Headcanons

Requested: no and then yes?

A/N: god Ryan gúzman is a pretty human

TW: mentions of the death of Shannon

Taglist: @twentydavid​ @incorrectswatquotes​ @911-lonestar334​

- It’s a year or two after Shannon’s death before he’s ready for anything serious. Her death hit him hard,  and he wasn’t ready to find someone knew afterward for a while

- First date would be simple, such as a dinner or coffee date, purely so you two can get to know each other.

- He’s very cautious about letting you in. He has Christopher to think about, and he got burned by Shannon too many times to openly trust you at first.

- he would say “I love You” first. He falls hard and fast and because of his ex, he knows not to waste time by second-guessing whether to tell a loved one you care about them.

- Dates after the first few would be more adventurous, whether that’s paintball, hiking, roller skating, etc. Something to get your adrenaline pumping while also staying safe

- Meeting Christopher after six months into your relationship. Eddie was really hesitant to let him meet you even that soon, he wants to protect Chris from more heartbreak at all costs. He had sat Chris down and explained that he was seeing someone again, and once Christopher took the time to process it, he was happy for his dad, and loved you

-Having dates with him and Chris, going to the park or the movies and then to lunch after. It’s usually Eddie’s idea, but he loves it when you take initiative to include Chris in outings

- dropping by the firehouse on your days off and having lunch with him if he’s not on call. The firefam love seeing you and telling you stories of some stupid shit him and Buck got into

- Meeting Buck outside the firehouse and becoming close friends with him. Him and Eddie are close, so naturally he wanted to meet you and be protective of Eddie where he’s been hurt so many times in the past

- Eddie is very physically affectionate, he loves hugging and PDA, and reasons that he wants Chris to see a healthy relationship rather than hiding all affection between two people in love from him, like he did in the past.

-Eddie would be the type to love to cuddle in bed, and be the bigger spoon. He just loves holding you in his arms, especially when you two have time to yourselves.

- Having serious talks about marriage, moving in together, and raising a family fairly early on. Eddie doesn’t want or need to waste his time if you two aren’t on the same page about those types of topics

[glowingbadger]

Can I pls get some Yuri and Felix modern au with reader nsfw and SFW content?

I'm so hyped to work on the handful of modern AU requests I have lol let's do iiiiit~ Oh, and if you want the base premise I had in mind for each of these lovelies, Felix is here and Yuri is here <3

Yuri, Felix x GN Reader - modern au headcanons

SFW (nsfw below the cut)

Yuri:

- dating Yuri is honestly a lot of fun. He'll always have some hole-in-the-wall restaurant he wants to try with you, or a strange, artsy little shop he's been meaning to look into. Plus, at half of the places you go to together, he "knows a guy" who gets you a great deal, or a reservation when they were supposedly fully booked, or some other perk. He somehow always knows of a new art exhibit, or a classic movie screening somewhere nearby, so you'll never be without some way to spend an evening together.

- That said, he can come across as flippant and non-committal. While he's certainly flirtatious, he's not going to drop the word "love" for quite some time into the relationship, and you may find yourself wondering from time to time how serious he really is about you. But the more time goes on, the more you'll grow to understand that this is more of a subconscious self-defense for him. With time and understanding, he'll find ways to assure you of his commitment- but he's always going to need a level of freedom and independence.

- One point of reassurance is that Yuri's friends (our other Ashen Wolves) can immediately tell how different he is around you compared to anyone else. They have a hard time putting it into words, but they'll all assure you that, make no mistake, Yuri absolutely adores you. There's a certain soft, warm smile that he only wears when he talks about you, and he fusses about your comfort and safety in a way he's never come close to with another. Plus, he may have blackmailed or threatened a few people who were rude or forward with you... not that you'll ever find out about this.

Felix:

- he's very cat-like in how he chooses to show his affection. He'll almost never verbally express it, and to many, he comes across as cold. But if you know what to look for, the signs are incredibly obvious. The mere fact that he goes out of his way to just be near you, the fact that he'll jump to your defense the moment someone dares to give you a hard time, small gifts that he'll give with a carefully neutral, "It's not a big deal, it just seemed like the kinda thing you'd like."

- Once you've been together for a bit though, he's extremely physically affectionate in private- only in private, mind you. Alone in your dorm or apartment, he's very cuddly, holding you close to him at any chance he gets and resting his chin on your shoulder, or nuzzling against your neck. Sometimes he doesn't even realize he's doing it, but he'll run a hand along your back or your waist when he moves by you, or his thumb will rub little circles along your thigh when you're sitting together. Don't call him out on it though- he'll lurch away immediately and be too shy to touch you for an hour or two.

- His friends definitely know he's developed a thing for someone very early on. He tends to be notorious among his friends for never checking his phone or responding to messages, and when he does respond, it's in five words or fewer. Once he's started getting close to you though, he keeps his phone in his hand while he's hanging out with the other Blue Lions, glancing down at the screen every ten seconds, and completely impossible to communicate with when he's thinking of what to send you when you do message him.

NSFW 18+ v

Yuri:

- I feel like I keep coming back to this with Yuri, but he's a big fan of teasing, or even outright sex in semi-public and risky locations. He'll absolutely finger/jerk you off in the back of a movie theater (or traditional theatre, for that matter), leaning in to murmur against your ear, "go ahead and moan for me, babe- show everyone here how good I make you feel..." He'll also totally send you lewd photos of his body when he knows you're with friends or family.

- Yuri owns an impressive range of toys, and can't wait to try out every single one with you. You're a sinfully gorgeous sight working a fleshlight or a cockring down onto his length, and he gets a bit of a "corrupting" thrill out of introducing you to something you've never tried before. Goddess help you if you have a class with him- he'll push a small vibrator inside of you before a lecture one day, then sit a little ways away from you and fiddle with the remote in his pocket. Once class wraps up and you're finally back in your room together, you're so desperate for him that you practically beg him to fill you with his cock- which is, of course, exactly the result he'd hoped for.

- Funnily enough, the first time Yuri is really 'tender' with you in bed is when you're both coming back from a party with friends. You're both a bit buzzed, and from the way you were dancing together that night, it's obvious that you want each other desperately. But once he has you to himself at last, his hands are slower and gentler than usual, and when he pushes the length of his cock into you and feels you warm and squeezing so nicely around him, he moans unabashedly, murmuring, "Damn, you're so good to me, Y/N... I love you so much, it drives me fucking insane..."

Felix:

- he's the type to feel most comfortable initiating sex when you're just relaxing in one of your rooms together. In the middle of a movie or playing video games together- or even just sitting quietly and studying together on his bed- he glances over at you and it just hits him that you're his, you chose him, and damnit he's just so crazy into you. He leans over and kisses you without a word, then slides his tongue past your lips, pulling you closer until you can very evidently feel that he needs you now.

- His roommate (Sylvain) is quite the renowned flirt on campus, and likes to tease Felix by openly hitting on you in front of him. All three of you know that it's genuinely in jest, and that Sylvain would never push things TOO far... but that doesn't stop Felix from fucking you extra hard and deep once you have the place to yourselves again. He's generally not very vocal during sex, but if his insecurities have been prodded a bit, he'll lift your legs into a mating press and pound his cock into you, groaning out, "tell me you're mine, Y/N. C'mon- again, louder-!"

- Overall, isn't much one for intimacy in public places- but once or twice, you'll encounter a bit of an exception. Gym dates with Felix are generally common and comfortable enough, and he's actually very helpful in improving your technique and efficiency when working out. But he won't let on for quite some time that it also turns him on immensely to see your body moving like this, and the scent of your sweat and pheromones drive him near feral. If it's late enough at night and there's no one else to overhear you, he'll drag you into one of the changing room showers and fuck you breathless against the wall, his tongue dragging along your neck and his hands groping every inch of you he can reach.

[androgynousblackbox]

Speaking about the very weird anti-queer headcanons takes in the Encanto fandom, so anyone going to say these people making these shit takes of "not everything has to be gay!" SOUNDS EXACTLY like how far-right anti sjw people whine when something isn't cishet. And the Encanto fandom is pikachu shocked when those bigots agree with their anti-queer headcanons takes. Or if, the anti sjws aren't overprotective over Encanto catching the "icky gay" like the fandom since none of the characters are white/look white.

I have been on the hispanic fandom for years and every time I hear "not everything has to be gay", I think about anti-fujoshis dudebros complaining about there being gay content AT ALL, people who would openly talk about how they aren't homophobic at all but still actually vomit at the sight of two male characters being affectionate with each other. I am too fucking old to fall for the "uwu but it's overshadowing the movie!!" when I have seen this attitude way too many fucking times and being justified on all ways possible. I have heard it all, I don't buy any of it. As far I am concerned, this is queerphobia, plain and simple, not a matter of latinidad, race or what the fuck, so OF COURSE you are going to attract even more queerphobes if you all keep uncritically repeating the same shit over and over again.

[khaleesiofalicante]

The Shadowhunters Chronicles time travel head cannons because I have ideas but no ideas.

ALSO PLEASE DONT STEAL THESE, BUT I WOULD LOVE ADD ONS

THL Meeting TMI

Charles coming to the future and being really conflicted on whether or not he should check old records to see if he’s council bc on one hand he’s Charles and he has a very big ego but on the other hand he also has a really big inferiority complex.

Matthew realizing that gender roles are very bent now and wearing skirts and make up and nail polish also having several piercings. Because she/they rights.

Also Matthew going to a bookstore in June and seeing the whole pride layout and just how many books there are about being LGBTQ and how explicit they are ans the wide demographics and generas and everything and just being by the way. 

Christopher realizing that there are way more elements in the periodic table now and just about micro organisms and flipping the fuck out. Like DNA was not discovered until 1980 this man would be having a field day.

We know that Alastair would watch so many Disney movies, just every musical he can get his hands on his watching. 

Also Alastair realizing that the Eiffel tower is now like one of the main things associated with Paris and everyone thinking it’s the coolest thing in the world. 

I propose the idea that Anna Lightwood would be actually be bad at hooking up with modern day women, because this one super hot lesbian would like ask for her Snapchat or something and she would have no clue what that is. 

Also Anna realizing that there are more modern day terms for gender and being able to finally identify as gender queer and maybe experimenting with pronouns. 

I don’t know why but I would love to see Cordelia in modern fashion. Or really any of them just, any of these kids going to a mall would be amazing. 

Lucie creating an AO3 account and immediately posting every single chapter of the beautiful Cordelia on there. Also her reading rpf fanfics.  

Will would later join her and make a Twitter account as well.

Kamala watching Bollywood movies. Also I feel like she get a really cool lesbian experience that she never really got and also I think she would love to know that gay marriage legalized and that there are opportunities for her to have children that don’t involve sex with a man. 

I would like to see what Matthews opinion on abortion would be because of his backstory. I feel like there’s no correct answer to this but I would like to see some ideas.

But also I would love to see Matthew meeting like future!Magnus and either thinking that he’s still the coolest person in the world or have his vision of him be crushed. Because Magnus is a father of two teenage sons, he hasn’t been an aloof party animal for a long time, he’s a full on Dad.

I think Matthew would also try to live with Magnus for a while only for it to backfire the second he comes home drunk. 

I feel like Charles and Matthew would both get arrested, Matthew would obviously try to go to a bar or get drunk or something, English law and American law are very different even today so a lot of the things Matthew enjoys doing he would be banned from but he wouldn’t realize that until it’s too late. Charles on the other hand would probably say something intolerant, because he’s Charles and it’s the 21st-century now, and piss off the wrong person and end up getting thrown out of jail cell. The real tragedy would be for the poor inmates and policeman who have to listen to these two fight until Clary can come and pick them up. 

Also Matthew getting help for the bullshit he’s been through and everyone just being openly gay please I need it.



TWP Meets TLH

Max and Rafe going to the past and being absolutely terrified of what’s going on and meeting Magnus from the past and trying not to have a breakdown because they’re dad doesn’t know who they are and they can’t go to him 

Mina going with Max and Rafael to the past and playing at the Hell Rule because you know she would.

Also Will knowing that she is Jem and Tessa’s daughter because she’s so beautiful just like his Tess and he knows that the only other person Tessa would love enough to have a child with would be their Jem. 

Everyone knowing that Charles is gay and in the closet because they can read this bitch very well.

And Max and Ralph trying to like keep the whole “hey there are new rules now and downworlders and Shadowhunters can share powers thing” on the down low and failing during a big fight and it being reviled with like Max using the seriph blade or some thing and then Rafe just straight up using magic and everyone’s like “Wwwhhaaaaaattt”

They were getting like serious trouble for this in Lake Charlotte with interrogate the hell out of them because wtf was that.

Magness from their present coming back to pick up the kids and seeing Will and everyone again. And Will asking how Magnus is only to realize this man has a family!!

Or even better Alec Lightwood Bane coming back to the past, through a portal, to come get his kids real quick and him seeing Past!Magnus and then flirting with him and Magnus being interested while the kids are like,”Really, this again”.

Kit going into the past and them being confusion because there are two Christophers, also how are you a Herondale?! 

Ty stealing cats. 

I would love to see how Rafe, Tavvy, Max, and Mina react to Church being alive.

Tavvy, who I have somehow not yet mentioned, getting like separation anxiety from his siblings and Ralph just hanging out with him a lot more and cheering him up and just being a good Parabatai .

Also Tavvy spoiling the entire Blackthorne line whoops. 

Also I feel like Max, Rafael, and Tavvy would very much not going to drive to the toxic masculinity of the time, and be super affectionate and nice to each other and respectful of women and it would be quite shocking for people.

Rafe would go to a ball or party and totally teach people either the Cupid shuffle or a bunch of other modern dances.

I feel like someone would make a comment about Max being half demon and a warlock, especially after they realize he can have runes. Not sure what the comment would be, but it might involve Benedick having a thing for demons and it would make everyone super uncomfortable. 

Also just the Lightwood-Banes, and Tavvy, seeing Magnus with another person and being so upset over this.  Bc their dads in love with someone else and that shit hurts.

Arguments over who’s related who and which line everyone comes from because I don’t think the modern gang would know exactly who they’re related to so the relate would be pretty open.

Everyone staying at the institute because no one would take all three of them and then Mina just tagging alone because she wants to.

I feel like Max or Rafe or maybe even Tavvy would screw up and accidentally call Will Dad or Alec and this would cause a lot of panic.

Once again a shopping montage because you never have enough clothes.

The Merry thieves and the modern squad hanging out and just having fun together would be cool. They could all go to each other’s houses or the devils tavern and drink. -Which would probably be Max and Rafe’s first time drinking bc American laws are weird and different and Rafe wouldn’t break the rules.

Or Alternatively him getting in a drinking contest with someone, Matthew, and not knowing that he’s an alcoholic until way later. He would then demand that this boy go to therapy.

OMG THESE ARE ALL SO GOOD WTF FJKHFKADSFKA. AARON THESE ARE PERFECT AND SO WELL THOUGHT OUT I LOVE IT OMG.

[gshinisalesbian]

The Mistletoe in the Kitchen

| Modern AU fic, Aether x Venti and Lumine x Childe. ~5,000 words.

| Lumine didn’t think her last minute decision of hanging up mistletoe in the kitchen would end up with her brother kissing a guy Lumine didn’t even know that well, but what else is new?

"It looks crooked," Tartaglia's relaxed voice chimed, gazing up towards the top of the tree. Indeed, as if the ginger had ever been correct in his life, the star atop the tree was crooked.

Lumine made a soft "tsk" noise, shaking her head gently. Her amber eyes drifted over to stare at her brother, who had his arms crossed in speculation as he gazed up at the star with a contemplative look.

He, too, seemed to take Tartaglia's side, moving closer to the tallest male in the room. "You're right. For once..." he mumbled under his breath, seeming to share the same thoughts as his sister.

Tartaglia pouted at that, shooting Aether a pointed glare. "I came here to help, and yet all you two seem to do is ridicule me."

"Oh, we appreciate you very much. Especially your height, it's very helpful when someone wants their star placed crooked," Aether pipped up, playfully grinning up at him.

"Don't fight this close to Christmas, or I swear I will throw out both of your presents," Aether's sister interrupted, watching as the two gave her matching disbelieved looks.

"You wouldn't!"

"Ah- Lumine, wait!"

"I absolutely would. You two get it together before the others gets here."

Tartaglia and Aether nodded their heads solemnly, focusing their attention back on trying to correct the position of the star.

Lumine ran her hand through her hair with a gentle sigh, looking at her mental checklist.

The trio had baked cookies and cooked a decent meal. Check. They had set up the Christmas tree with only... minor issues involved. Check. She had prepared presents for everyone coming. Check. Now, all she needed was for the rest of the group to arrive.

She made another mental list in her head, a reminder of all to expect to arrive. The first guests to have been invited were Lumine and Aether's next door neighbors, a pair of brothers named Diluc and Kaeya. They barely knew each other, with the twins having just moved in, but Kaeya had welcomed them to their new house with a playful smirk when they first moved in. When Lumine decided to host a Christmas party, Kaeya was one of the first to pop in her head when thinking of who to invite. The blue-haired male had asked if he could bring along his roommate and brother, Diluc, which Lumine had openly agreed to.

The next to be invited was an upperclassman in Lumine's college. Her name was Jean, and she was incredibly popular at the school for her incredible knowledge, insanely good looks, and natural kindness. Men and women alike seemed to fall on their heels for her. For a while, Lumine was included. Despite having moved on from her small crush, Jean was another person Lumine was determined to invite.

Then, of course, was Tartaglia. Aether and Lumine had grown up with him (and his many siblings) so it was only natural that he came too. Tartaglia and Lumine had been close for many years, but it was only a few months ago that Tartaglia had finally got the nerve to ask her out. Despite now being her boyfriend, he could still be, well, quite a bit to handle. Still, he had offered to help with the preparations, so she was more than grateful.

Then, was Venti. Venti was quite the mystery to Lumine, as he was invited through Aether, but what Lumine did know was that Aether got incredibly flustered and fidgety when Venti's name was brought up. Lumine was especially excited to meet him for that reason. What she did know about the male was that he took many of the same classes as Aether, and they were both freshmen. It wasn't uncommon for Lumine to get random texts from Aether, saying he would be home late because he was spending time with Venti.

Amber and Lisa were Lumine's best friends in high school (and still were!) so it was only natural for them to come too. Lisa was a year above the two, but the three had quickly bonded and became lifelong friends. You can imagine how surprised Lumine was to find out that Jean and Lisa were actually dating. Lisa had mentioned her girlfriend many times, but Lumine never would have guess it was the Jean at the same school as her.

Lastly, was Barbara and Klee. Barbara was Jean's little sister and had been invited by Lumine upon Lisa and Jean's request, and tagging along with Barbara was their younger cousin, Klee. Lumine didn't know much about Klee, but she was warned that she could be quite the handful at times. Well, Lumine was certain it was nothing that she couldn't handle.

Lumine let out a small sigh. Kaeya, Diluc, Jean, Venti, Amber, Lisa, Barbara, and Klee would be arriving soon, so Lumine simply hoped they were prepared enough.

As she left Tartaglia and Aether to fix the star, she focused herself on hanging up mistletoe in front of the doorway to the kitchen. If people wanted to kiss under it (with people meaning Lisa and Jean) than they could. Though of course, they didn't have to.

"Lumine! We fixed it!" She heard Aether's voice call, as she made her short way back to the living room to look at the tree.

Indeed, the star was fixed on top of the tree, though Lumine noticed the ruffled appearances of both Aether and Tartaglia. "Good job, boys," she acknowledged, giving them an amused smile.

"It was so hard," Tartaglia wined, falling backwards onto the couch. Lumine rolled her eyes at him, making her way to his side on the couch.

She poked his cheek coyly, peering down at him while trying to hold back her laughter. "Well, I'm afraid your work isn't over yet, dearest. You and Aether still need to get changed before everyone arrives."

Right as she spoke, the sound of the doorbell pierced through the house.

"Speak of the devil..." Lumine said with a frown, quickly pulling Tartaglia up. "Hurry, you two, go get dressed! I'll go greet the guest."

Lumine's boys quickly scurried upstairs to go change into their Christmas outfits while Lumine hurried over to the door. She adjusted her red Santa dress, making sure her hat was placed correctly on her head. With a gentle sigh, she turned the doorknob and opened the door.

Jean, Barbara, and Klee greeted her at the door, Klee practically bouncing in excitement when she saw Lumine. "Merry Christmas!" She cheered energetically.

Jean gave Lumine an apologetic smile, ruffling Klee's head. "Thank you for inviting us all." Barbara shyly nodded her head behind her older sister.

"Thank you all for coming," Lumine said politely, opening the door further to allow the trio in. "Make yourselves at home! There is cookies and food in the kitchen, and some alcohol for the older ones," Lumine said, shooting Jean a knowing look. "There are Christmas movies playing in the living room, and my brother and boyfriend will be downstairs soon if you want to mess with someone."

Jean let out a small laugh at her words as Klee curiously peaked around inside. Still having not said a word, Barbara clung to her sister's arm while watching Klee's actions. "Let me know if my cousin is being a bit... too much for you. Barbara and I can take care of her, right?" She said playfully, glancing down at Barbara and prompting her to speak.

Barbara timidly nodded her head, with a small, "Yeah."

Tartaglia and Aether announced their arrival downstairs by their arguing voices. Lumine held in a laugh as she saw Tartaglia in his elf costume and Aether in his reindeer getup, with colors matching Lumine. "Look at you two! So handsome," Lumine said with a small snort.

"Only for you, babe," Tartaglia said with a grin, grabbing Lumine's hands and pulling her close to his chest. Lumine gave him a skeptical look with a laugh in her voice.

"I really can't take you seriously when you look like a sunburnt elf." Tartaglia gasped in mock offense, pressing his forehead against her red Santa hat.

"I can't believe you don't love me, even as an elf. I thought we were forever, babe," Tartaglia said against her head, feigning sadness in his voice.

"I'm afraid not," she said with a small laugh, pulling away from Tartaglia's gentle hold. "I just keep you around so you can entertain our new friend, Klee." Lumine looked at the small red girl, shooting her a playful wink.

Klee beamed, nodding her head in agreement. "Yeah, what she said!"

Aether, who had been tiredly watching the interaction between his sister and her boyfriend, jumped when the doorbell rang. He shot Barbara and Jean an awkward smile, before pointing towards the door. "I'll- uh- just go get that."

Aether made his way to the door, opening it to the faces of Amber, Lisa, and Venti. Immediately flustered, Aether smiled gently at the group, who were talking energetically among each other. "I didn't know you two knew Venti," he said, with a certain fond softness.

"We just met!" Amber said with an ever happy smile, looking between Lisa and Venti. "We weirdly all arrived at your porch at the same time. Well, Lisa and I came together, Venti just happened to be here too."

"Aether, it's good to see you!" Venti said with a playful smile on her face, resting a hand on his hip. "You have alcohol here?" He teased.

"Of course. Had to make you come somehow. You better be grateful, because it took a whole lot of convincing to get Lumine to allow it."

"Ah, I see. Thank you, my hero," Venti teased, narrowing his eyes at Aether.

Aether smiled, flustered, watching his mint eyes. He momentarily found it a bit unfair that Lumine could be openly affectionate with Tartaglia, but because Aether wasn't confident enough to tell Venti how he felt, he couldn't do anything like that.

Lisa cleared her throat, sharing a look with Amber.

"Well, if you two are done, can we come inside? It's a bit cold out here, and I'm not getting any younger out here, darling."

"Oh! Of course!" Aether replied, embarrassment tainting his cheeks pink. Lisa, Amber, and Venti made their way inside, Lisa practically throwing herself on her girlfriend, Jean, when she saw her.

It didn't take long for everyone to make themselves comfortable in Aether and Lumine's house, Jean and Lisa cuddling up on the couch, Klee, Barbara, and Amber exploring the house together, Lumine and Tartaglia teasingly reenacting cringy scenes from the Christmas movies that were playing, finally leaving Aether to seek out Venti in the kitchen, who was helping himself to glasses of wine.

"You sure you can handle all that?" Aether asked him, leaning against the entryway of the kitchen. Venti glanced over at him with a grin, from where he sat atop the counter with a glass in his hand.

"Oh, I'm sure. I've had way more than this before. Remember the time we went to that bar together and you tried to copy how much I was drinking and passed out on me? Cause I definitely remember that," Venti said with a chuckle of laughter, watching the embarrassment take over Aether's face.

"You're never going to let me live that one down, are you?" Aether asked, crossing his arms over his chest (in maybe a small attempt to seem a bit cooler to the boy before him, but no one had to ever know that except for him).

"Absolutely not. That one is filed under stories to tell at your wedding. Better prepare your future wife," he continued nonchalantly, taking another chug of his glass.

"Actually, uh- Venti," Aether started uncertainly, looking down as he scuffed his foot against the hardwood floor. "Venti, I thought you knew, but I'm uh- I'm gay." His eyes immediately darted up to the boy who had paused in the middle of drinking, his face overtaken with surprise. Aether's head immediately started to panic. "I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable or anything! I'm not gonna like- weirdly hit on you or anything, so you don't have to worry about-"

"I'm gay." Venti interrupted, his face still covered in shock. He quickly cleared his throat, setting his drink on to the counter. "I mean, I'm gay too, Aether. You don't have to worry about me judging you or anything."

"You're- what? Really?"

"Yeah," Venti said with a small laugh. "I didn't ever tell you because I thought it would make you comfortable. But jokes on me, I guess."

"So your not, then? Uncomfortable?" Aether asked, noticing that he had been holding in his breath throughout the whole encounter. He felt a certain relief, knowing that his crush wasn’t completely unreachable, after all.

"No, I'm not. Are you?"

"No. I could never be," Aether said, letting out his breath as he took a cautious step closer to Venti.

"Good," Venti responded, sounding a bit more breathless than he had a second before, eyes taking in as Aether stepped closer and closer to him. "Good. Aether, I-"

"AETHER! It's so good to see you!" The two were interrupted by Kaeya's loud voice, as the blue-haired man wrapped his arms around Aether's waist and spun the small blond around.

"Kaeya, would you put him down?" Diluc's monotone voice cut through, watching the interaction with bored eyes. He narrowed his eyes at Venti in recognition. "Oh, you're here."

"Diluc, it's so good to see you!" Venti said cheerfully, showing no trace of the breathlessness that he had only moments before. "I've been wondering when you would come pay me a visit, hehe!"

"You two know each other?" Aether asked, having now been released from Kaeya's arms.

"Yep!" Venti answered, picking up his glass from where he had put it down on the counter. "Diluc and I go way back. I work part time at his bar!"

"More like steal from my bar. You don't think I notice how you're drunk too every time you get off of work?" Diluc said with a huff, crossing his arms.

"Oh, humbug. You could never get rid of me," Venti responded cheekily.

Kaeya threw an arm around his brother's shoulders, shooting everyone in the room a large grin. "Hey, Christmas is no time for arguing, now is it? Let's enjoy the party! Get drunk, shake our asses, as you do."

"Yours and my idea of a party is drastically different," Diluc grumbled, but grumpily accepted his brother's words.

Kaeya blatantly ignored Diluc, pushing off of him. "Well, now that that is settled, Diluc and I were actually sent to come find you two. Lumy and Ginger Head are watching the Grinch, and they want everyone to join."

Aether nodded his head, shooting a glance at Venti. "Uh- yeah, sure, we'll come! Just give us a second, I need to make sure- uh- Venti has enough wine," Aether said, despite Venti's glass being clearly still very full.

Kaeya and Diluc shared a look. "Uh-huh," Kaeya said skeptically, before shrugging his shoulders. "Well, we'll see you there, yeah? It's starting in a few minutes."

Aether let out a long sigh as the two left, the room being left in the silence between him and Venti.

"So why'd you want those two to leave?" Venti asked, peering at the blond boy over the top of his glass. He was still sitting on the counter, Aether only a few steps away from him. The distance could easily be closed, but why would it need to be? And why did Venti want it so bad?

"Well... I figured we should probably talk out a few things, right?" Aether asked, dodging Venti's gaze.

"Like what?"

"You're really not going to make this easy for me, huh?"

"Hehe~!"

"Venti," Aether started, gazing up at him. "Look, Venti, I-" Aether looked for the words to tell him what he thought, or even what he felt, but the words got caught in his throat as he gazed into Venti's piercing gaze. "I-" He thought maybe Venti's eyes saw Aether the same way that Aether saw Venti, but how could he really know? He did he know that Venti wouldn't be disgusted if he told him? "I- I just wanted to get something to drink before we sat down for the movie, that's all." Aether sighed, defeated.

Venti let out a sigh too, disappointedly resting his head in the palm of his hand. "Oh. Well, there's plenty to go around, I guess." He jumped off the edge of the counter, eyes avoiding Aether's. "Well, I'll see you in the living room, yeah?"

"Uh- yeah." Aether responded, flustered by the conversation.

With that, Venti left to the living room, Aether harshly slapping his own head. He was so close to saying it- why did he have to overthink so much? Why couldn't he be more like Lumine? She was so much better with words and feelings, and she didn't have to worry about hiding how she felt towards Tartaglia.

It all just felt so frustrating to Aether, and all he wanted was to be able to tell Venti how he felt about him. With another sigh, he poured himself a glass of wine. He was definitely going to need it, to get through the night. With that, he walked to the living room, where everyone at the party had gathered on the long couch Lumine and Aether owned.

Aether sat down next to Jean and Lisa, who were still cuddling against each other. Barbara sat on the other side of him, Klee sitting in her lap while curiously watching everyone in the room. Kaeya sat on the floor near Aether's feet, talking about something to Amber, who sat beside him. Diluc, Lumine, and Tartgalia sat on the opposite end of the couch, with Venti sitting on the arm of the couch near Diluc. Aether and Lumine’s cat, Paimon, bounded onto the couch, curling up in Aether’s lap as soon as he sat down.

The quit ambiance of the room was startled by Klee, who started talking eagerly. "My friend will be here soon!"

Lumine blinked in confusion, sharing a glance with Jean, who looked equally confused. "What?"

"My friend was lonely and no one wanted him around for Christmas. So I invited him here! Is that okay? Am I in trouble?" Klee pouted, looking over at her older cousin.

"Of course not, he's welcome to come!" Lumine said, trying to pacify the girl. "The more than merrier, right?" She asked, holding in a sigh. Hopefully Klee's friend wouldn't be as... energetic as she was. Not that that was a bad thing, but there was only so much Lumine could handle.

"Okay!" Klee beamed. "He's actually here right now!”

"He's... already here?"

"Yep! I'll go get the door!" Klee bounced off of Barbara’s lap to go answer the door, Lumine following shortly behind her after untangling herself from Tartaglia's arms.

Klee opened the door to a boyish looking male with white hair, who blinked sheepishly up at Lumine when he saw her, simply saying, "Hello, I am Razor."

"Razor!" Klee said excitedly, grabbing his hand and practically dragging him inside the house. "Come on, we're about to watch the Grinch!"

Lumine watched as Klee and Razor hurried inside, letting out an exasperated breath. It wasn't that Razor was unwelcome, but it was simply an unexpected turn in what she had believed to be a calm night.

Lumine made her way back to the living room, taking back her seat next to Tartaglia. Razor laid down on the floor next to Klee, blinking innocent eyes around the room. Tartaglia leaned into Lumine's side.

"You enjoying your night?" He teasingly whispered into her ear. She could feel him smile against her skin as she let out a breathy laugh.

"It's definitely something," she responded in a whisper, turning her head to look at him. They were so close to each other, that she could feel his breath on her skin. It made her feel queasy but so, so alive at the same time. She supposed that was always how he made her feel. "I'm just glad your here."

"I'll always be here for you. And I've kept that promise since we were kids, haven't I?" He chuckled quietly, staring into her amber eyes. For a moment, it felt like it was just her and him in the room. Like everyone else had simply vanished and all she could feel was him right next to her.

"Of course you have." She leaned forward, pressing her lips against his, feeling his warmth become a part of her. She had kissed him many times before, but it always felt so new and surreal with him. Like she could do anything or be anything, as long as he was beside her.

The kiss was short, and they had pulled away from each other after only a few seconds, but it left Lumine feeling breathless and warm all over, like she could float away and never return. With a smile on her face, she snuggled against Tartaglia's chest, feeling his heart beat against her ear. And she simply felt so, so alive.

"If you two are done," Lumine heard Lisa say in a teasing voice, turning her attention to her. Lisa wiggled an eyebrow at the two. "The movie is starting, lovebirds."

Lumine rolled her eyes, but shot Tartaglia a mischievous smile as the two got comfortable against each other.

“I think Lumine and Aether could be the Grinch!” Klee shot up energetically only seconds after the movie started. The room shot her a strange glance, with Aether tilting his head curiously at the girl.

“Uh- why?” Aether asked, curiosity getting the best of him. He gently pet Paimon, who was purring in his lap.

“Well, you both have strange names!”

“Our names aren’t strange,” Aether said with a small pout, watching as Venti let out a breathy chuckle out of the corner of his amber eyes.

“Hm... well, Lumine and Aether aren’t our real names, you know. They’re actually Yíng and Kōng, but we go by Lumine and Aether since it’s generally easier for people to pronounce here. And we think it’s cool,” Lumine explained with a nonchalant shrug, amused by Klee’s words.

“Yíng and Kōng,” Razor repeated to himself, as if uncertain how to speak the names. Lumine noticed that the guy didn’t seem to have the biggest vocabulary either, not that that was a bad thing to Lumine anyways.

Klee seemed flabbergasted at this fact, seeming to have no response for the twins in her shock. With a humored smirk, Lumine turned her attention back to the movie. It was because of this, that Lumine didn’t notice her brother’s continued glances at Venti, and how his agitation grew until he eventually chose to excuse himself from the room.

“I’ll be back,” Aether promised apologetically, noticing how Lumine turned to look over at him when a questioning look when he sat up from his place at the couch.

With that, Aether left the group in the living room, heading upstairs to open the balcony door. He closed it behind him, letting out a long breath as he gripped the railing with his tan hands.

It was so frustrating. Why couldn’t he just tell him? Why did his tongue get caught in his throat when he ever he considered the possibility of telling him? It was so unfair. He watched as Venti’s mint eyes would go from watching the movie to shooting Aether a laughing smirk when a funny scene happened. It was like he was whispering a small secret to him with just his eyes, words meant for just him.

He knew it wasn’t just the wine talking, either. He had been feeling this way for so long, had nights were he woke in surprise, flustered about his dream were Venti’s hands ran up his chest and his lips were pressed against his. He felt so silly, and embarrassed, and shy whenever he thought about those nights, nor could he get rid of those feelings when he was around Venti.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the door open as someone came to join him on the balcony.

“Aether?” Lumine asked quietly, softly joining his side against the railings. He could sense his sister’s worry, gratitude and fondness instantly running through his body at the thought of his sister coming to check on him. What did he do to deserve being born with someone as amazing as her?

“Yeah?” He questioned, playing oblivious despite knowing exactly why she had came out to see him. Besides, Lumine always seemed to understand what he was thinking someway or another.

“What’s wrong?” She pressed, turning her gaze to stare up at the darkened sky and stars. Aether thought the world felt still around them, as if seeming to understand Aether’s frustration with himself.

“It’s... nothing, really. Nothing important.” Aether let out a small sigh, setting his elbow on the railing and resting his head in his hand. “Just- have you ever felt like you want one thing but... don’t deserve to get it, no matter how hard you try and how much you long for it?”

Lumine turned her head to look at her brother, her eyes seeming to see through him as he spoke.

“Whenever I try to convince myself to reach for it, it’s like my whole body just stops. I guess it just feels like I’m not good enough or I don’t have what it takes, so my body just... stops while it’s ahead.”

“Kōng,” Lumine started, her amber gaze piercing through him. “Kōng, you are more than enough. Remember when we were eleven and my bike broke, and I was so sad about it? You let me use yours everyday, despite that meaning that you wouldn’t be able to go ride around with your friends anymore after school because you knew I liked riding my bike around the park for hours until it was dark. Remember when we were sixteen and sitting on the couch and I started my period without realizing it? I had gotten blood on the couch and I was so embarrassed, and when mom and dad found out, they were so mad. But you said that you had spilt a drink and took the blame for me, getting grounded for weeks. Remember back when we lived in China, but I wanted to travel around the world so badly? You worked your ass off, helping me save up the money so we could move. You even helped me to convince Tartaglia to come with us. You’ve always been there for me, and you’ve always been so selfless, Kōng. If anyone deserves to be happy or to get what they want in life, it’s you. Don’t say that you aren’t good enough for something, brother, because you deserve so much in this life.”

“Thank you, Yíng. I’m... I’m so grateful to have you. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Probably die from your lack of survival skills,” Lumine said playfully, quickly switching back into her teasing mode. She pulled away from Aether, amusement glistening in her eyes as she gazed up at her brother. “Now, get get ‘em, tiger.”

Aether gawked at her, mindless noises slipping through his lips. “I- How did you know?!”

“We aren’t twins for nothing, Aether. He wanted to come up here and see you, actually, but I told him I wanted to talk to you first. So, if you don’t mind. I’ll be sending him up now. Good luck!”

With that, Lumine left the balcony, her gremlin laughter ringing through the still night air. Aether let out a nervous breath, anticipating Venti’s arrival on the balcony.

Just as Lumine promised, Venti came up shortly after, looking at Aether with an indistinguishable look in his eyes. Venti lifted himself up on the railing, kicking his feet over it and sitting on it.

For once in his life, the male seemed to be thinking about what to say to Aether as he watched his legs kick through the chilly night air.

“Look, Aether, I-”

“Venti, I have to tell you something-”

The two started at the same time, before bursting into laughter as they gazed at each other. Aether clutched the railing, a large grin refusing to fade from his face. “You first.”

Venti wrinkled his nose, surprising Aether by gently leaning against him on his side. Venti stared down at the houses around him, Aether noting with affection that Venti’s legs continued to kick through the air.

“Look, Aether. There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time, but- Well, at first I thought maybe you felt the same too, but now, I mean I don’t really know- anyways, Aether, my point is, I really like you. A lot. Like more than Diluc’s wine, a lot. And I get it if you don’t feel the same, but I don’t like seeing you all... upset, you know?” Venti said, Aether noticing as his hands fidgeted in his lap.

The words finally sunk in, Aether snapping his head over to stare at Venti. “Wait- you- you like me? Like... like like me?”

Venti blinked at him with a blunt look, with a “Yes, Aether, that’s what I said.” His face relaxed again, looking almost apologetic at him. “You don’t have to like me back or anything, so don’t feel as if I’m trying to pressure you. I just wanted to get it off my chest, I guess.”

“What? No, no, no, Venti, I... I really, really like you. I like like you,” Aether said, seriousness painted on his face as he stared intently at Venti.

The boy on the railing let out a loud laugh in the night, watching Aether’s face with amusement. “That’s one way to say it but good to know.”

He leaned closer against Aether’s side, with the blond noting that he could almost count the specks in Venti’s eyes at this distance.

“Remember the mistletoe in the kitchen? I wasn’t going to say anything, but I really, really wanted to kiss you when I saw you under it earlier,” Venti said softly, letting out a breathy laugh against Aether. “Mind if I make up for that now?”

“I would love you to,” Aether replied, barely getting the words out before Venti was kissing him, his hair reaching up into Aether’s blond hair, skimming through it.

Aether placed one hand against Venti’s face, the other around his side, hands burning to touch him, and hold him.

The angle was messy, the kiss was sloppy, but neither Aether nor Venti could bring themselves the care. Aether only knew the burning desire in his chest- the rest of the world was nonexistent and invisible.

Eventually they had to pull away, gasping for air with delighted smiles on their lips. Aether pressed his head against Venti’s, closing his eyes and basking in his presence. “You know, I was just about to confess to you, but you just had to come and do it first. My sister even hyped me up and everything.”

“What a shame. You know, I’m not stopping you from doing it now.”

“I like you. I like you so much that I don’t even know what to do sometimes. You make me feel like I’m flying in the wind, Venti. Does that make sense?” Aether whispered to him, the cold air encouraging him.

“Yeah. Yeah, it does,” Venti responded, eyes open as he gazed at Aether’s tan face. “I understand perfectly.”

Aether laughed softly, opening his eyes to gaze into Venti’s. “Merry Christmas, Venti.”

Venti smiled, his nose wrinkling with the movement. “Merry Christmas, Aether.”

[rosy-cheekx]

Peeling Labels

Aspec Week, Day 7: Something New-- @aspecarchivesweek

an exploration of Jon and demisexuality! As a demisexual mspec person, a lot of this is based on my own anxieties as an aspec person and not being “ace enough.” (thanks to @ombreblossom for listening to me try to parse out how being demi feels and how to word it for the fic.)

Rated T for reference to a sex dream, but no explicit language/smut words used!

-

Jon has a weird relationship with labels. Labels are good, they categorize and compartmentalize feelings, situations, states of being. An archivist’s dream, really. But when they are applied to Jon, either by himself or someone else, they feel non-Newtonian, as if holding onto the word for too long causes it to slip through his fingers.

Usually, it’s fine. He knows that labels don’t really matter, but they still feel good. It’s comforting to know that he isn’t broken or a liar or confused; there are people in the world who share a word with him. They are bonded under a flag of black, white, purple, and grey.

Jon had set the precedent quickly, with Martin, on the first night they had been in Jon’s flat, pressed against a doorframe and exploring each other with gentle urgency. “I-ah, Martin,” he had broken away from Martin’s lips, eyes shining with a mix of adoration and anxiety. “I don’t think I’ve told you before, but I’m asexual. Just-uh, well. Thought you should know.”

Martin had nodded, eyes soft and full of understanding. “Okay. Do we have a boundary I should know?” The answer was yes: anything below the belt was strictly off limits, to give or to receive. And that was that. Martin was the perfect gentleman, checking in constantly whenever they were in the heat of a moment. The rule remained and was never crossed. Rules have labels and that label was: asexual.

 Except, it wasn’t that easy. God forbid anything was easy for Jon. Labels are nice and they’re helpful to the part of Jon that craves structure, order. He’d found his ace identity while dating Georgie, after she gently asked him what was up after his third gentlemanly refusal of her advances. He had stammered out that he liked her, but didn’t want sex, at all, and he didn’t want her to be upset with him. And of course she wasn’t, because she’s Georgie, and she helped him find the word asexual, that glorious, blessed word that made so many frustrations and doubts slot into place.

Their romance didn’t end because of his aceness, far from it in fact. In fact, honestly, they were probably together as long as they were because their friendship was the strongest part of their relationship. But god, they were too similar to be in love. They were both too stubborn, too determined, unable to reach compromise when it came to the silliest things like movie nights (Jon found Georgie’s Lord of the Rings box set far too long and far too pretentious for his taste) or how their cupboards should be arranged. Their relationship was something they could win, and they were both determined to be the victor.

In the end, they both lost.

--

While Jon and Georgie had been a couple first, friends second, he and Martin had a foundation. There was friendship, shared trauma, a love that surpassed romantic and dug into something deeper. When they’re in bed and the dark is warm and heavy, limbs intertwined, Jon is reminded of the Greek myth of soulmates: a four armed, four legged being split in two, deemed to be too powerful by the gods. Sharing an essence, completing each other, making two halves whole. It makes Jon smile and kiss Martin’s forehead affectionately. They had been too powerful for the gods, hadn’t they? Unstoppable, really.

All this to say…what he has with Martin? It’s new. Something he has never experienced before. And it’s leading to a host of new, confusing experiences. He’s been in a relationship with Martin for nearly six months now. Jon really thought that at 32 years old, after battling down fear entity after fear entity in an apocalyptic hellscape, there were no new feelings he could experience. But here he was, lying awake, trying to trace patterns in the ceiling and understand the dream he had woken up from.

Not a nightmare. No, quite the opposite. Nightmares he knows how to deal with: slip out of bed, make a cup of tea or a glass of water, slip on the lamp by the bed, and cuddle into bed, reading quietly until sleep steals him away. But he does not know how to deal with this new dream of Martin, hovering above him, low voice stealing his breath and pressing kisses along his jaw, collarbone, shoulder as delicate, warm, strong hands brushed his body, dipping low with confidence. Jon woke up to a heat pooling in his core, tight and powerful, one he hadn’t experienced in such a way.

Jon has a libido, sure, but it’s always been a bodily desire, not a…what would you call this? Emotional one? He certainly never fantasized about another person, especially not someone he knew, that felt so invasive. He felt a flush heat his cheeks and chest as he pictured that image of Martin his subconscious has supplied him, above and around him with that concentration face he wears whenever he’s starting a puzzle or stuck on a particular difficult crossword, the one that always makes Jon grin and kiss his wrinkled forehead. But this one looked more heated, more filled with lust. And it… it affected him. Jon realized with a dawning that he liked it. A lot.

Jon glanced at the bedside clock and sighed at the blinking green 5:15 on the LED screen. Good a time as any to get a hot shower and let his feelings wash away with the soapy water. He extracted himself carefully from Martin’s warm arms and slipped into the ensuite, stripping to the sounds of water pounding from the showerhead and letting the steam and hot water envelop him. He scrubbed himself down harshly, watching suds rinse down his legs and down the drain, trying desperately to keep his mind off whatever that had been.

Once his skin was blotchy from heat, Jon decided he had enough. He slid into the flannel trousers he’d left abandoned on the floor of the loo and slipped back to bed, trying to do so without disrupting his sleeping boyfriend. Martin looked so lovely like this, auburn curls streaked with white plastered against the pillow and his forehead, mouth hung open and naked torso splayed so openly, so unguarded. He looked so lovely, the freckles smattered on his shoulders and stretch marks carving beautiful lines across his skin; the stars and the rivers below, a whole world in the work of art that is Martin Blackwood. How would he feel if he knew Jon had had that dream about him?

Jon’s staring, the lowercase-b-beholding of the man he loved was broken by Martin sleepily opening his eyes, a moment of confusion followed by focusing on Jon, who was kneeling on the edge of his side of the bed, captivated.

“Mmm. Hi there, love,” Martin mumbled, running a hand through his hair and sleepily glancing over at the clock. “You alright? Bad dream?”

Jon nodded; the spell broken. “Ah, yeah.” He couldn’t tell Martin, it was just a dream; he didn’t want to confuse Martin or worse, convince him he was a liar, that he wasn’t asexual, that it had all been to avoid-

Oh. Martin had spoken. He was staring at him expectantly, waiting for a response. “Sorry, say it again?” Jon asked meekly, sliding back under the covers.

“Do you want to talk about it, Jon?” The voice was patient, so patient. Jon shook his head and tucked himself into Martin’s side, tying up his damp, freshly brushed hair out of the way.

“I don’t really remember it anymore.” Lies. “It mustn’t have been that bad.” Martin’s hands were cool on his skin, still warm from the shower, as they brushed over the planes of his face in a slow way, stroking his nose and cheeks and forehead in the way Martin always did when he wanted Jon to go back to sleep. With some reservation, Jon let himself fall back against the pillows.

--

Jon thought about “The Dream” quite a bit in the week that followed. He wanted to understand it: why it had happened at all, but also, why it was still affecting him. Every so often, between emails sent and papers graded, his mind would drift back to the image of Martin, cheeks ruddy and eyes glassy, gazing down at him with such affection and Jon’s whole body would freeze up. Why was he suddenly attracted to Martin in such a new way? He loved that man with his whole being and yet, there was suddenly a new element, something unexpected, coming over the horizon. It’s been almost six months with Martin; why now?

The implications scared Jon. He had always identified as asexual; it was a core part of who he knew himself to be. Had it all been an unknowing lie? Had he just never been attracted to Georgie properly? Was it like when people get STIs; would he have to ring Georgie up and say, “hey, sorry to bother, I was never asexual, oops!”? He really didn’t want to have to do that. Would Martin be upset, angry that he had missed out on six months of potential sex just because Jon was…what? Prudish? Naïve? Afraid?

The worst part was that this…desire hadn’t come on all at once, he realized. He hadn’t even noticed the way his stomach would flip when Martin’s hands brushed his thighs, blaming his touch-based love language. It was in the way he stared at Martin when he couldn’t see it; eyes tracing his form and wondering what it would be like to feel every inch of him, in a way he had yet to experience. 

God he…had to tell Martin, didn’t he? He didn’t want to feel like a pervert in his own relationship, observing and imagining from afar without Martin’s knowledge. It felt…dirty.

--

Jon made dinner, nine days after the dream. Nothing extreme, tikka masala, rice, and garlic naan. Martin’s favorite. As he cooked, he vacillated between trying to plan out what he wanted to say and very-much-not-thinking about how the evening could end. The worst outcome, he imagined, was Martin storming out, betrayed and heartbroken. That…that probably wouldn’t happen. No, he knew Martin Blackwood. Better than anyone else in the world. That definitely wouldn’t happen. Lo-fi techno crooned through the speakers as Jon cooked and he let his thoughts float away with the music, trying to focus on the spices of dish he was making and not the knowledge that Martin would be home in ten-

Oh. Jon heard the shhlik of the door sliding against the welcome mat and felt his whole body tense up.

“Jon? You making dinner?” Martin’s voice was warm as he called through the entrance, he didn’t know yet what Jon was going to tell him, that it was all a lie-

“Yes!” Jon called back, determined to keep his voice light and casual. “Your favorite. Be ready in five, so get out of your work clothes.”

“Smells delicious,” Martin was behind him now, voice low against the shell of his ear. Jon felt a shiver run down his spine, to where his stomach and pelvis met and a ball of electricity crackled there, unbidden. Martin kissed the crook of his neck chastely and Jon froze, unsure how to reciprocate.

“You okay?” Martin’s chin was on his shoulder now, voice soft.

“Fine, fine. You smell like crayons. The cerulean one.” Jon nudged Martin away casually, trying to pass off a witty remark.

“Hazard of the job, I suppose. You know you love it,” Martin mercifully pulled his hands from Jon’s waist and retreated to the bedroom, and Jon exhaled in relief.

Jon plated the masala. Martin poured the wine. They sat down to dinner. Jon felt it all happen, was there for it all, but it passed in strange jerky stop-motion, and he couldn’t seem to slow it down. He couldn’t see to find the words, so elected for none at all, eating silently. Eye-contact would give away the anxiety brimming inside him, so he kept his eyes on his plate and the wine and the sleeve of Martin’s sweatshirt, anything but Martin’s warm hazel eyes that he knew so well.

“Jon.” He could hear it in Martin’s voice, the gentle prompting. He could hear the worry, the confusion. God, it was going to happen wasn’t it? He was going to tell Martin and what happened happened and he couldn’t do anything to change that. “How was your day?”

“I-ah. Martin.” He said, voice jerky, unable to find a rhythm that felt right. “I have something to tell you.” The words fell from his mouth in a tumble.

“Oh?”

“I. I had a dream?” Martin’s eyes widened and he set his fork down. “N-not one of the Eye’s dreams,” Jon reassures quickly. He really wished dreams weren’t such a theme in his life. “Not a statement dream, but a… different kind of dream.”

“I…I don’t follow.” Martin was confused, eyes searching Jon’s face.

“A dream…about you?” he tried, unable to add the words “sex dream” into his vocabulary quite yet.

“Oh. Oh!” Martin understood at last, eyebrows raised and forehead that adorable, confused wrinkle. “That’s, well, nice, I guess?” Jon’s face must have given way to his thoughts, as Martin tried again. “O-or maybe not?”

“Martin,” Jon steeled himself. “I…I think I’m maybe not asexual.” The words rang sharp in his ears, grating; they didn’t feel right. But it was true, wasn’t it? He didn’t know what sort of explanation there could be.

When Jon dared to look into Martin’s face, he saw an expression he didn’t know how to parse. Furrowed eyebrows, eyes searching Jon’s face, head cocked slightly. “Okay. Because of the dream?”

“Um-kind of? But also…” Jon felt blood rush through his cheeks, was certain the Desolation had picked now to tear its way through him, and was grateful. “I’ve been thinking a lot. About you. In-in ways asexual people shouldn’t. A-and I thought you should know, because I didn’t want you to think I was lying to you and I don’t want to be having those thoughts without you knowing because that feels rude, in a way? Like I set a boundary but have been crossing it in my head this whole time?” Tears stung the corners of his eyes.

Martin’s voice was even, level, hard to parse as he spoke. “Jon, can I ask you a question? Only because you seem upset and I want to try to help you.” Jon was frustrated. Why wouldn’t he have the decency to be upset? At a nod, Martin’s chair scraped backwards, and Jon found Martin kneeling him beside him, hands on his knees as Jon swiveled to face him. Taking his pockmarked hands in his own, Martin rubbed Jon’s knuckles slowly, tenderly.

“Have you ever felt those feelings before?” Jon shook his head meekly, certain the lump in his throat would betray him. “Have you had those feelings the whole time we’ve known each other? Like, since the Institute?”

This time, Jon shook his head. “Not-not until after we were dating. The safehouse, maybe?”

“This one’s gonna sound a little rude, Jon, but bear with me. Do you think you’ve ever been as emotionally close to anyone else as you are with me?” He squeezed Jon’s hands warmly, adding: “And I am with you?”

Jon shook his head. Of course not. Martin was something new to him, something untapped in the world. A treasure, a diamond in the rough. There was nothing that compared to their relationship.

“Jon. I don’t want to tell you how you identify, that’s not my place, but I, I think you’re still asexual.” Jon’s eyes snapped to meet Martin’s; it was his turn to furrow his brow. “After you came out to me, remember? I started looking into asexuality. I wanted to be able to impress you at Pride this summer,” Martin ducked his head, wincing at the cheesiness of his words. “But did you know there’s a bunch of subtypes of asexuality?”

What? This was news to Jon. There’s wanting sex and not wanting sex, right? He shook his head numbly and felt a comforting, grounding squeeze of his hands again.

“There was one I researched a little extra, because it confused me, and I wanted to understand the difference,” Martin continued, moving a hand to stroke Jon’s cheekbone, to guide his face to meet his. “Demisexual, Jon. It’s a subtype of asexuality, and it’s when-” Martin’s eyes rolled back in his head, as they were want to do when he was struggling to recite something from memory. “-you don’t even have to option to feel sexual attraction until an emotional bond is established. And it’s not, like, a one-to-one thing, either. There was a woman talking about her experience on a forum and she basically explained it like sex being a door, right? And the door has a padlock on it. Emotional connection opens the padlock, but you still have to open the door.”

Jon’s mouth was agape. He…there were so many things to parse out here. “You…you looked all this up for me?”

Martin’s cheeks pinked slightly. “I wanted to make sure I understood asexuality. It’s a whole subgroup of its own; it was interesting.” Martin had been a Researcher for a reason, Jon supposed dimly.

“I. I want to research for myself, but demisexuality?” He rolled the word in his mouth as he spoke. It felt nice, weighty. “And it’s still asexual?”

Martin nodded, vehemently, pulling out his phone as he spoke. “Yeah! Its flag is the same colors too, just arranged differently.” He showed him the white and grey flag, divided with a smooth purple stripe and a black triangle on the edge. “A-and, I mean, if you realize you’re not asexual, or you’re something else, you know I’ll still support you regardless, right? I don’t love you because of your sexuality, or your identity. I love you because you’re Jonathan Sims, and everything else besides that is bonus.”

Jon exhaled, feeling the Choke release the hold on his chest. “Demisexual. I…Thank you, Martin. For listening and believing me. I love you too.” He pressed a kiss to Martin’s forehead, carding fingers through the tumbled curls. “Let’s eat, and maybe you can show me that forum afterwards?”

[jerrylevitch]

I just watched Three Ring Circus. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Dean and Jerry looked like theyreally cared about each other and Dean was quite affectionate. Were they a antagonistic towards each other or did the press play on the negative? Harsh words are spoken in the best of relationships. Why is there this need to try and make everything okay when all of this really happened a lifetime ago. Or does their relationship reflect the feelings of so many of us in our relationships?

I happen to enjoy 3 Ring Circus, and don't think it's as bad as some people think. I don't understand when people can't watch it, because of the tension between Dean and Jerry. It's sad in those moments, but I find it all the more captivating. Then they make up at the end of the movie as their characters, and it feels real. That's satisfying.

Why is there this need to try and make everything okay when all of this really happened a lifetime ago. Or does their relationship reflect the feelings of so many of us in our relationships?

That is an interesting question. Perhaps part of it is the desire to fix our friendships/relationships that have gone wrong, and the hope that we can have a happy reunion/ending. Honestly, I feel the same way about Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow's relationship. They had a similar relationship and break up within a band. They've long since made up, but analyzing their relationship and all the negativity that happened, is fascinating. Same thing with John Lennon and Paul McCartney. These pairs mirror each other in a lot of ways. But Jerry expressed and bragged about his love more openly about Dean than the other pairs, though they all loved each other. Dean and Jerry were one of a kind. I keep going back to talk about their relationship year after year, and I will be here until I'm 120 yrs old.

They were antagonistic towards each other on the set, yes, and tensions flared up. But they jointly were pissed off at Hal Wallis, and I guess Don Maguire too, since he was the writer. Scenes had to be shot again later, because their earlier scenes together showed the tension.

The press did make the tension even bigger and wouldn't leave them alone. Dean said, if people would just leave them alone, things would get sorted out. These quotes I think might be the same interview, but I forget. Definitely the bottom quote was from on the set of 3 Ring Circus.

"On the road for six years, while we were mainly doing nightclubs, we roomed together much of the time. We never had a difference of opinion we couldn’t resolve by ourselves and quickly.

Indeed, until a bunch of outsiders got into the act, we never had an argument which wasn’t settled by sundown.” - Dean Martin

"When we shook hands on our partnership, I said in my heart, this is forever, ‘til death do us part. It still goes! Sometimes he makes mistakes. Sometimes I make mistakes. But as long as people let us alone, the team of Martin & Lewis will go on." - Dean Martin

[kitkatopinions]

Seeing how this pairing is usually in Freezerburn fanfics, what are your thoughts on Ladybug? Is it as bad as Bumblebee?

I feel like Blake x Ruby is better in some ways than Bumblebee, around the same level in others, and worse in some. PLEASE NOTE: This post is meant to compare one ship I don't really like to another ship I don't really like. And while I'll be talking about merits to both ships, I'll also be talking about things I don't like in both ships. So if you don't want to see that, this post isn't for you. I'm not trying to ruin these ships for anyone, just giving my opinion on them.

Pro: Ruby was clearly drawn to and interested in Blake during their first meeting, laughing when Blake called out Weiss's company, saying "that girl..." in nearly a whisper when she spots Blake again later, acting nervous, but also nice, and is interested in hearing about Blake's book. You can compare that to Yang and Blake, where Yang talks to Blake for Ruby's sake, quickly dismisses her as a lost cause, and then winds up paired with her later out of a coincidence. In terms of 'interest from the start,' Ruby and Blake as a ship wins this.

Con: I complain that there isn't enough development for Blake and Yang in the early seasons, and that gets so much more prevalent in the relationship between Blake and Ruby. They barely talk after introducing themselves. They mostly interact with the team at large, or other people, with their emotional conversations and connections being formed with others. This carried on to the point where it's a meme that Ruby doesn't really know Blake, and when they did have an emotional moment in volume eight, it felt really out of place and shallow. Compare that to Yang and Blake, who have had significant and meaningful interactions a couple different times, who spend time together due to the fact that they're teammates, who spend a lot of time together in volumes six, seven, and eight, and started having more casual interactions with each other during that time despite it generally feeling a bit forced.

Pro: They share interests and have similarities despite being very different people, both things that can fuel an interesting ship. They're book lovers, they're action driven, they're both more introverted, they're justice driven, they both came to Beacon for similar reasons... And yet Ruby is meant to be the optimistic opposite of Blake's more pessimistic tendencies, she's vocal and out there while Blake is more pragmatic and contained, she's openly affectionate and trusting (for the first five seasons,) while Blake is hesitant and takes a while to open up to others. While Blake and Yang also have a lot of similarities and differences, they don't have a lot of interests in common. Ruby and Blake could probably talk about morals for ages, or they could talk about their favorite movie adaptions of books... Idk, they don't have a lot in common, but it's still more than nothing. Compare that to Yang and Blake, who are very different people who don't share many similarities.

Con: Blake has seriously conformed to Ruby's wants and desires and morals more than she's conformed to Yang's. Yes, Blake and Yang's relationship is unhealthy and co-dependent, but Blake hasn't conformed to Yang's morality and her leadership. In fact, she's disagreed with and argued with Yang, specifically to go with Ruby and do the things Ruby wants to do. the doylist reason for this; Blake's character has been hugely altered, she's barely recognizable to the character she was for the first five seasons, and she's now being used as one half of a ship and Ruby's cheerleader. But trying to look at things in a watsonian way, it feels like Blake is over-reliant on Ruby, depending on her to tell her what she wants and even what she believes in. She's willing to go against and argue with Yang, but not because she believes in something; because she's following Ruby's lead. Add onto that that Blake was specifically written to be fine with a lack of action in the face of a literal warzone because she thought Ruby would eventually decide what they should do and she also can't defend herself anymore and must beg Ruby to save her. To add onto that, Ruby clearly doesn't need more pressure on her shoulders and having her friends reliant on her every step of the way is clearly helping to wreck her mental health. Canon Blake and Ruby are a recipe for co-dependency and unhealthiness too, it's just of a different sort than Bumblebee and... I might consider it worse. Idk, it's a toss up.

Pro: Ruby is consistently upset when Blake isn't around or is hurt or self-destructing. She's literally, visibly angry at Weiss and snapping at her after Weiss's behavior and fighting caused Blake to run away.

During this exact time, Yang did challenge Weiss, but seems more casual about the entire situation. Ruby also explicitly says she's not mad at Blake, though she's clearly sad that Blake didn't talk to her about what was going on. She's also very concerned about Blake in the dance arc, to the point where she's clearly not interested in what her other teammates are doing or about the dance at all.

And yes, Yang is confident and casual because she thinks she can convince Blake to go to the dance, and is clearly bothered too in her conversation with Blake, but she still does seem to be a bit less personally impacted? And also, I'm having trouble finding a screen grab of the exact moments, but Ruby is clearly distraught and really missing Blake in volume five. And again, Yang has a reason for acting dismissive and cold, and her circumstances are different than Ruby's, but it's still worth noting that Blake and Yang have these big conflicts that don't get addressed that give roadblocks - like Yang having tried to force herself to not care about Blake - whereas Ruby has always cared about Blake and wanted her around and never tried to convince herself otherwise.

Con: Ruby feels significantly less mature than Blake. Ruby feels naïve, untested, and younger than her age, whereas Blake feels more adult, weathered, and older than her age. There's not anything wrong with shipping them, obviously, but it does make a romantic relationship between them a little bit harder for me to like personally. Yang and Blake feel like they're more on each other's level.

Pro: Ruby has made microaggression statements about Blake's faunus traits before ("She does like tuna a lot," "She has kitty ears and they're actually really cute,") but her statements feel less mocking and less pointed than Yang trying to lure Blake around with a laser pointer. It doesn't feel as mean spirited. It's still hard to get past as a ship and I prefer shipping Blake with people that haven't been anti-faunus without an apology, but I still consider it better than Bumblebee and less of a hurdle to get past.

Con: They didn't have anything going for them as a ship if I remember correctly for season three, season four, season six, and season seven, and the shipping moments in volume two, five, and eight were few and far between. They were at their prime as a ship in volume one, and that was eight years ago. Blake and Yang's first significant moment was in volume two, they had a bit in volume three, volumes four and five heavily included them dealing with being apart, they started being easily read as romantic in volume six, and that's continued up to volume eight. I know I've already touched on Ruby and Blake’s lack of content outstripping the lack of Bumblebee content, but Blake and Yang as a potential couple has just been more consistently included as well.

Pro: Ruby has not canonically reminded Blake of her abuser. No, I'm not trying to say that Yang is the new Adam and I do think that Ruby and Blake's dynamic in the current canon is also unhealthy. But Blake would be hard pressed to not be reminded of Adam when standing next to the explosive, passionate, aggressive, anger issues ridden Yang who's eyes turn Adam's central color when she lets her temper overtake her - which is often. And the show writing did not fully address the problems there, by having Blake swear to never leave and Yang being happy with that and then them disregarding the growth Yang had gone through in terms of working on her anger issues and had her explode for very little reason and snap at everyone in the recent seasons. Ruby - despite being rose themed and sharing Adam's color scheme - still doesn't get close to being the temperament of Adam.

In short... It's a really big toss up. Because I think that I find Bumblebee much better in terms of concept and potential, but Ladybug - while still having major problems - might be better currently as far as canon goes, yet that might be because of their lack of content, and they're... Boring for me personally. XD So yeah, both ships have major flaws, but also upsides.