#so she rented a house and they planned the whole thing. got it all sorted. and no one told me

[wileys-russo]

the summer tenant (1) II j.hermoso

its missing jenni hours, little mini series incoming the summer tenant (1) II j.hermoso

"sí sí sí i am forever in your debt león. happy?" you laughed, phone wedged between your ear and shoulder as you weighed your carry on, breathing a sigh of relief when it didn't breach the limit for your flight.

"i will be happy when you finally come home!" your best friend whined making you roll your eyes. "my ass is on its way maría, and tu culo better pick me up later!" you warned, muting her for a moment as you stepped up to the front desk and gave your details, boarding pass printed and handed over.

"no i am not thanking you, i was getting my boarding pass. my stuff is all accounted for sí? it arrived safely?" you frowned in worry, this entire process having been anything but smooth.

"sí amiga, just like i told you yesterday and every other day you've asked everything is in boxes ready to be unpacked once you move, and there is just a few things and files and boxes still in storage at your old place in the garage." mapi promised as you exhaled, hovering by the security check knowing you'd need to hang up before going through, promising mapi to call her the moment you landed before ending the call.

you'd grown up in zaragoza, a few houses down from the dirty blonde you'd been practically attached to like a siamese twin almost your whole life. as you got older you'd moved to madrid to go to university, and then to barcelona for better career opportunities once you graduated.

though for the last three years you'd been living in portugal, a dream job when it arose far too tempting to pass as much as it hurt you to move away from your life, friends and family all still scattered around spain.

you of course returned home to visit but once you'd fallen in love the visits had been few and far between, your life becoming split in two as you had anchors tying you down in either country, admittedly maybe allowing the one in portugal a little too much influence.

which is why it hurt so much when that anchor was suddenly cut loose, almost drowning you in the aftermath of what you'd describe as your first real heartbreak.

so licking your wounds you found yourself with a choice, to stay and soldier through the tattered remains of your life in portugal or retreat back to spain with your tail between your legs and into the arms of the rest of your support circle.

the choice was one you probably made a little too fast once your best friend sweet talked the right people and popped up on her weekend off with a job offer and a plan, more than ready to drag you back home.

it hadn't been the easiest of processes, you'd given your two weeks in at your job which turned into four and then into six so you could adequately train your replacement and smoothly handover your client list.

right after the breakup mapi had convinced you to let her rent out your old place in barcelona for some extra income while you weren't sure how long you'd still be in portugal, your now ex quite the well respected lawyer meant you'd come off with much less than you deserved in assets after the split.

you were crashing with a coworker and slowly shipping your belongings home to meet you whenever you could finally leave all this mess behind you.

though really your old place was too large for just you and though you were returning home you wanted a fresh start which meant a new place, mapi offering for you to stay with her while you searched for the right one.

between her and her girlfriend they technically had an apartment each in the same building, though they spent majority of their time in ingrids which was set up best, mapi's used more as a storage locker which is why she was more than happy to let you stay there temporarily.

and with all sorts of tourists flocking to the warm beaches of barcelona for the summer it made sense that you wring out a little extra money from your old place before putting it on the market.

so now finally free from all that tied you to portugal bar a few friendships you suspected may eventually die out with the distance, and almost all of your belongings safely back in spain, it was time for you to join them.

"estás bromeando." you snickered in disbelief as you exited the terminal, spotting the sign and balloons right away and praying they weren't for you. but of course knowing your family, no such luck.

"i am suddenly wishing i lied about which flight i took." you called out with a shake of your head, a cheeky grin and a blur of tattoos and tan skin darting in front of you before a body was slamming you nearly to the ground.

"hola amiga." you exhaled happily, squeezing the footballer just as tightly as you gave her girlfriend a wave who was hanging back with a smile. "mejor amiga." mapi corrected, pulling away and sloppily kissing your cheek making you grimace and push her away.

"you drove all the way here to pick me up? i told you i could come see you on the weekend!" you laughed at your parents, knowing it was almost a four hour journey from your childhood home where they still lived to the airport they were stood in now.

"it has been many years we have prayed for this day hija, let us enjoy it." your mami smiled warmly as you hugged them both next, exhaling happily at the rapid spanish which floated around the air.

you greeted ingrid next, having met the girl many times despite no longer living here, often teasing your best friend that should they break up you'd actually take ingrids side since she was so lovely, but really you adored seeing her so loved up and well treated by the norweigan.

"welcome home from prison? maría!" you groaned, the defender hiding behind her girlfriend making both yours and ingrids eyes roll. "it was his idea!" her finger reached around and pointed to your papi who shrugged with a smile that said it all.

~

"and you told her i was coming to grab some things?" you clarified with mapi who hummed in confirmation. the footballer had been doing the majority of the communication with your tenant in your old place considering until now you'd been in another country and she had set the whole thing up anyway.

you'd tried to offer her some money for all of her help which all that earned you was a firm punch to the arm and a warning not to be stupid, reminding you that family always helps family and doesn't expect anything in return.

"sí sí she said she wouldn't be home anyway, and you are only needing to access the garage so you will not be entering the house." mapi assured as you nodded, telling her to text you what she wanted you to grab from the market on your way back before ending the call.

stupidly mislabeling a few boxes had meant you were missing a large amount of clothing, and though both ingrid and mapi assured you were free to wear anything of theirs you already felt like you were asking too much of them staying with them anyway.

besides a lot of your more work appropriate clothes were what was missing and due to start this new role in a few days time and anything but a patient woman you were quite eager to get your ducks in a line.

"oh come on!" you grunted, having twisted the key in the garage door but struggling to pull it open, something that had pained you for years. a waterfall of curse words fell from your lips as your frustration grew and you strained to tug it open, hope fasting fading.

"you know robbers do not usually make so much noise?" you jumped at a voice behind you, dropping the door and spinning around with a startled expression.

"lo siento. i am not a robber, i am-" you tried to explain but the taller girl waved off your words. "the owner, sí? i spoke to mapi this morning." she smiled charmingly, pearly white teeth bared in amusement.

"i am jenni, your tenant." she added on with a grin holding out a heavily tattooed hand as you nodded in understanding and properly introduced yourself. "trouble with the door? there is a trick." she held up a finger and nodding for you to move aside.

you frowned curiously but did as she asked, watching as she twisted the key and popped her shoulder into the door, your eyebrows shooting up nearly as fast as the door was opened. "fácil!" she winked and gestured inside.

"i lived here for nearly five years and-" you mumbled with an annoyed huff. "-and i live here for a few weeks and know all the tricks." jenni laughed, hovering just outside as you squatted down and began to move through boxes.

"something like that." you sent her a smile over your shoulder. "i promise i will get everything out soon, my car is still in portugal and its the last thing to come back and-" you stopped yourself realizing a complete stranger would be the last person to care.

"and i do not need to be wasting more of your time, lo siento." you shook your head, finding the box you needed and tugging it up and out. "no need to apologise. you are from barcelona?" jenni asked curiously as you shook your head.

"zaragoza, but i have been living in portugal for the last few years." you answered with a polite smile. "mm then how did you end up with a house in barcelona?" jenni questioned, lips curled upward and eyes scanning you up and down.

"my mami taught me not to talk to strangers." you teased making her laugh. "so did mine but here i am letting one into my garage." jenni pointed out as you now laughed. "my garage, technically." you shrugged, noticing a large motorcycle in the corner of the garage.

"pulling the landlord card querida? vale vale. well i have paperwork we both signed though that says for another four and a half months it is my garage." jenni reminded with a grin to which you couldn't argue.

"do you ride?" you asked nodding curiously toward the bike. "what happened to not talking to strangers? i cannot ask how you ended up in barcelona but you can ask me about my bike?" jenni gasped mockingly as you rolled your eyes.

"well you just answered my question anyway." you smiled picking up the box of clothes and moving back outside as jenni effortlessly reached up and grabbed the roller door to bring it back down, something you needed a ladder for which was oddly attractive.

jenni herself was quite attractive, the way her bright eyes followed you and rose pink links curved into an alluring smile, not to mention each of her long limbs covered in even more tattoos than mapi as she was wearing only a pair of shorts and a plain white oversized shirt.

you opened your mouth to speak but were cut off by a second stranger who came storming out of the house, flipping the girl in front of you off and practically diving into a car speeding away making you frown as the other girl in front of you rolled her eyes.

"friend of yours?" you asked with a raised eyebrow as jenni shrugged. "something like that. would you like to come in for a drink?" the abruptness of her question catching you off guard as you opened and closed your mouth.

"i don't think-" you started, placing down the box as jenni cut you off. "you know if you have a drink with me, i will not be a stranger anymore. didn't your mami also teach you about manners and hospitality?" jenni challenged making you scoff but smile.

"my plans for the evening just ditched me, i already started dinner. it is rude to make someone eat and drink alone you know!" jenni tutted, stepping forward and picking up the box for you before you could protest.

"vamos, i promise i am a good cook and an even better host."

~

and as you woke up that next morning in a bedroom both familiar and unfamiliar, you knew her words to be true.

you could smell coffee as you rubbed your eyes and sat up, you heard the door open and tugged the covers up to hide your naked chest, jenni strolling in with a steaming mug.

"how did you know?" you smiled, always starting your day with coffee as the taller girl gave you an add look. "how did i know i wanted coffee?" she chuckled taking a sip as your cheeks flushed with embarrassment at your assumption.

"what time is it?" you asked with a stretch, bending down and snaking your shirt from the floor, slipping it over your head. "eleven, you really slept in." jenni hummed, leaning against the doorframe as bright green eyes drunk you in.

"sorry." you chuckled, completely missing the slightly awkward silence in the air as jenni stepped forward. "your box of stuff is by the door, get dressed and you should go." the girl shrugged, turning on heel and heading out of the room as your mouth opened in shock.

none the less you hurried to collect your clothes, pulling them on and following after her.

"you know landlords should not really sleep with tenants." jenni tutted with a smirk, pulling herself up and onto the counter as you forced your eyes not to roam her half naked body, flashes of last night where it was pressed against you flickering through your mind.

you scoffed and crossed your arms, opening your mouth to let her have it but she spoke first. "whats wrong bebé? not the normal coffee and breakfast waiting for you afterwards that you are used to? i am not that type of girl." jenni chuckled sipping from her mug.

"but last night we talked about so many things and-" "had sex? sí, and we both got something out of that no? now you should really go, technically a landlord cannot be here without the tenants permission." jenni smirked as you could only scoff.

not gracing her with another word you turned on heel and headed for the front door, hearing her footsteps pad after you as you made a swift exit. you paused as you heard a sharp whistle, slowly turning around.

"did you just whistle at me like a dog?" you asked in disbelief crossing your arms and making her chuckle where she leaned against the door. "you forgot your box." she nodded downward at her feet as you stiffened, swallowing your pride and making your way back toward her.

you glared at her as she simply smiled charmingly, sipping at her coffee as you picked up the box and turned again, storming down the path.

though a second wind brewing as you reached the end you shook your head, spinning to give her a piece of your mind but it was too late, the front door already clicking closed as you heard the turn of the lock.

"puta."

[solarmorrigan]

Hi! Could you possibly do 'You don't have to stay.' With Steddie from the angst writing prompt, please? Thank you in advance 😊

Hi! My apologies again for taking two weeks to get to this, but thank you for sending it! This one was fun to write :D

[No warnings; happier ending this time, I promise]

Angsty-ish Prompt List

-

Eddie feels like an idiot.

He just – he got so wrapped up in everything. In the way Steve has been keeping him company every evening, in the way they have dinner together and play cards together and watch movies together and fucking fall asleep together (Eddie and Wayne’s new place is bigger than their old one, but it’s not like the government sprung for a house with a goddamn guest room or anything). He just forgot that Steve isn’t really meant to be part of his life.

No, Eddie just has Steve on loan.

He is abruptly reminded of this fact one afternoon when he hits Family Video with the intent to pester Steve (and maybe even rent a movie) and instead stumbles right into the tail end of a conversation.

Maryellen Someone-or-Other from the year below Eddie (he’s never really seen the point in remembering names unless they’re a friend or a foe; he figures his brainspace has better uses than the names of people who don’t give a shit about him one way or the other) is leaning over the counter, making eyes at Steve. She’s practically batting her eyelashes and resting her weight in a way that puts the low-scooped neckline of her shirt prominently on display.

“Are you sure?” Maryellen is asking, bottom lip pouting out in a way that is, in Eddie’s opinion, far too obvious.

“Afraid so,” Steve replies with one of his softer smiles, like he might actually be sorry. “I already have plans tonight.”

And – plans? What plans? Eddie thought Steve would be coming over to his house tonight, like pretty much every night.

But then Steve’s eyes flick up from Maryellen and catch Eddie standing stupidly in front of the doors, and his smile widens a little, becomes something happier, sillier, and – oh. Eddie’s house is the plan. Right.

“Well,” Maryellen sighs, high and put-upon, pulling Steve’s attention back to her, “maybe next time.”

“Uh, yeah.” Steve nods. “Yeah, maybe.”

Maryellen glances Steve up and down one more time—and, seriously, obvious much?—before she straightens up and sashays past Eddie and out of the store. She doesn’t even seem to have a video with her. Had she come in just to ask Steve out?

And Steve had turned her down?

It’s not like Eddie is interested in what she’s selling, but he has eyes – Maryellen Whatserface isn’t the sort of date you just turn down. Not when she’s flirting and flashing her cleavage at you over the counter of your workplace. And she especially isn’t the type of date Steve Harrington turns down, certainly not to spend an evening sitting around in Eddie’s room doing a whole lot of nothing.

Of course, that’s not how Eddie sees it – not really. They’re not doing nothing if they’re talking, if they’re sharing stories or thoughts or even just dumb jokes. Not if they’re sitting quietly together because sometimes you can only be that type of quiet with someone who gets you. Not if Eddie is strumming random notes on his guitar and Steve is humming along, almost absently, like he doesn’t even notice he’s doing it.

It isn’t nothing to Eddie, but to Steve – well, now that Eddie thinks about it, Steve is probably just putting his life on hold so he can be a good friend to Eddie in the aftermath of all the Upside Down fuckery.

Which is very kind of him, obviously (which is apparently just the sort of person Steve actually is; sure, he complains a whole hell of a lot, but Eddie doubts if there’s a single damn thing Steve won’t do if he thinks he can help someone really in trouble), but Eddie doesn’t need him to do that. He doesn’t need any kind of pity friendship. He doesn’t need Steve to put all his shit on hold just to take care of him, only to end up resenting him because he can’t go anywhere or do anything because he’s too busy being the goddamn babysitter.

Eddie doesn’t need that.

“Hey.” Steve is the one leaning the counter now (and he doesn’t exactly have Maryellen’s assets, but damn if the position doesn’t make his shirt stretch appealingly over his chest, anyway) and making eyes at Eddie, except they’re sort of confused-and-concerned eyes, which makes sense, since Eddie still hasn’t moved out of the damn doorway. “You okay?”

“Just fine,” Eddie says, snapping back into motion. “I’m here to pick a movie for tonight.”

“Y’know, I work at the video store,” Steve says, arching one heavy brow. “I’m here right now, even. You could just let me pick something to bring home.”

Eddie almost twitches at the casual slip of the tongue – home. Like Steve doesn’t have other places to be, a better house to actually go home to.

“I could,” Eddie drawls, “but I have it on good authority—my own, in fact—that your taste in films is not to be trusted.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Just because you can’t appreciate Sly or a good underdog story–”

“Two hours of dudes punching each other, Steve.”

“That’s not all the movie was, and you know it!”

“Two hours!”

And just like that, they fall into their usual banter, but somewhere in the back of his mind, Eddie can’t quite let go of what he’s been reminded of.

It follows him back home (to his home) with the movie in his hand (a decidedly non-sports-related movie) and dogs his thoughts and winds him up, and by the time Steve has gotten off work and is leaving his shoes politely by the door, Eddie is – well, he’s a little on edge.

A bit twitchy.

Maybe more than a bit.

Maybe he might be watching Steve, looking for signs that he doesn’t want to be there, that he has better places to be, that Steve regrets turning down Maryellen (if that even was her name? Now that Eddie thinks about it, it might have been Marie. Hard to say).

Maybe he watches Steve carefully as they make dinner, and as they eat, and as Steve heckles his movie choice just for the hell of it, and maybe he jumps on it a little too hard when, as the evening gets later, Steve glances at the clock and sighs.

“You know, you don’t have to stay,” Eddie says, shooting for perfectly casual.

Steve, who had been partway through rubbing tiredly at his eyes (probably about time to get those contacts out; he always forgets, and Eddie is always reminding him), pauses and pulls his hand away from his face to look blearily at Eddie. “What?”

“Just, if you have other places to be, y’know?” Eddie shrugs. “You don’t have to stay.”

Steve blinks. “What other places would I be right now?”

Eddie shrugs. He’s very casual about this and not worked up at all, as evidenced by all the easy shrugging he’s doing. “Oh, I don’t know. With Maryellen, maybe? She seemed pretty interested in taking you out tonight.”

A confused sort of look is working its way onto Steve’s face, like he has no idea what the hell Eddie is talking about, like he hadn’t just turned down a date earlier today. “Do you mean Madeline?” Shit, right, that was it. “Why would I want to be with her? Dude, what the hell are you even talking about?”

“I don’t know, Steve!” Eddie snaps, tossing his arms up in hopes that it’ll get some of his nervous energy out. “I just know that you’ve been here babysitting me almost every night for weeks–”

“I’m not babysitting, what are you–”

“And I figure that maybe there’s other shit you’d rather be doing! Places to be, things to do, people to fuck, whatever.”

And– Oops.

Eddie hadn’t quite meant to let all that out. And now Steve looks offended.

“What the hell is your problem tonight?” Steve asks, sitting up from where he’d been slouching on Eddie’s bed. “Did I do something to make you think I don’t wanna be here, or what?”

“I – well – do you want to be here?” Eddie splutters. “You’re a popular guy, and you’re turning down dates to sit around in my room all night? Doesn’t check out, man!”

Unnervingly, Steve doesn’t immediately snap back. He just stares at Eddie for a long moment.

“So, what? You think I’d rather be at some high school party? Drunk off my ass? Making out with some girl who doesn’t know me or give a shit about me?” Steve finally asks, voice low and heavy. “What the hell have I done since you’ve actually gotten to know me that made you think I still want all that shit?”

Eddie opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. He doesn’t exactly have a specific defense.

Steve scoffs. “Did you ever think that I just want to spend time with you? That I like being here, that I like you? But fine, whatever.” He slides off the bed and stands up. “You want me to fuck off so badly, I’ll go.”

And with that, he stalks out of Eddie’s room.

Eddie is so busy reeling with the “I like you” of it all that it isn’t until he hears Steve shuffling with his shoes by the door that he manages to snap into action.

“Steve!” he calls down the hall, running full tilt for the entryway, because he doesn’t know much, but he knows he needs to stop Steve before he leaves, before some kind of irreparable damage is done.

Steve doesn’t pause, reaching for the door and pulling it open, and what Eddie means to do is step past him, put a hand on the door, keep Steve there just a little longer so they can talk.

What actually happens is that Eddie’s momentum carries him flying right past Steve, into the door, yanking the knob from Steve’s hand and slamming the whole thing shut.

“Eddie, what the fuck!” Steve exclaims, (rightfully) startled.

“I don’t actually want you to fuck off, okay?” Eddie insists, because he is a god of eloquence when under unexpected pressure. “I want… I really want the opposite of that, actually.”

Steve shoots him a disbelieving look. “So you were being a dick because you want me to stay,” he says flatly.

“Nooot exactly,” Eddie draws the words out, reaching up and twisting his fingers in his hair while he tries to think. “I was being a dick because I want you to stay but I was afraid you wouldn’t want to.”

Steve continues to stare at him. “Eddie, that makes no goddamn sense.”

“I didn’t say it did! I think we know each other well enough for you to know by now that I am barely in charge of my brain, Steve!” Eddie huffs. “I just – I don’t get why you would want to hang around here when you probably have better options.”

“No, see, that’s the part that doesn’t make sense,” Steve says, his voice going a little softer. “You thinking I wouldn’t want to stay, or that there’s anywhere better for me to be. I don’t want to be anywhere else, or with anyone else. I just… want to be here with you.”

“You…” Eddie looks over at Steve, really looks, and catches the anxiety sitting in his expression, and the hopeful spark in his wide eyes, and realizes that he’s absolutely had the wrong end of the stick. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” Steve says with a shrug that’s just about as casual as Eddie has been all night.

“Well then.” Eddie reaches up and slides the deadbolt back into place before giving the door a little pat; its services will no longer be required. Then, before he can think better of it, he reaches out and takes Steve’s hand, threading their fingers together and giving him a little tug back towards the hall. “Come on.”

“And where are you taking me, exactly?” Steve asks, amused and something a bit like relieved.

Eddie continues pulling him down the hall, heading for his room, and tosses a grin over his shoulder. “I am taking you exactly to where we both want to be.”

And if the way Steve crowds him over the threshold and into his bedroom is to be trusted, they are perfectly on the same page.

[fairylightsinthemist]

Sleepovers with the ‘96

Yellowjackets

Jackie Taylor

- Jackie loves any excuse to hang out with you, and having a spend the night at hers??? Ohh she’s so ready

- She made sure to get your favorite snacks, rent your favorite movies, and had all the festivities planned out

- when you get there she almost bursts of excitement, and you follow her up the stairs to her room

- the whole night is spent being very close, doing makeup (or doing just her makeup , she didn’t mind!), doing nails

- really any way Jackie could be close to you or touch you, whether that be holding your hand as she painted your nails, or doing your hair, or just sitting close to you while watching movies, she did

Shauna Shipman

- Shauna and you came up with the mutual idea for a sleepover at her place when you both didn’t want to go to a party on a Friday night

- You arrived at 7, and her parents had got y’all some pizza and soda!!! Yipeeee!!!!

- You and Shauna sort of felt awkward at first, but you soon got into the groove of things once you got to her room

- since you had to wait until her parents were asleep to watch the big tv in the living room, you guys mostly spent your time just talking about school or the future, and all that stuff

- Shauna was a great listener, and you made sure she felt heard as well

- You guys speculated on whether or not you’d make it to nationals this year, and got super hyped (oh lord we all know how that went 😔)

- It was a very mellow night , and you told Shauna that this should be a new thing you two do whenever you’re both free again

- Shauna, of course, agreed and said anytime!!

Taissa Turner

- Maybe it was Taissa’s serious demeanor, but you never imagined her having sleep overs

- But, when she invited you over to her house and said to bring a bag, you were really surprised and really excited

- Taissa kept a clean room, and everything was so organized that you were kinda scared to touch anything

- Taissa noticed that you were sort of stiff and smiled and started showing you around to ease the tension

- Once you were acquainted with her house and room, you felt better

- The conversations stayed on soccer, but soon it branched out to your personal lives, and you learned a lot about her that night

- The next day, you took a Togo plate of breakfast from her parents and a few fun Polaroids you and Taissa took the night before :))) yayyyy

Misty Quigley

- Misty was always inviting the girls over to hang out, so when you agreed to go one night, Misty was over the mooooon

- Not having much friends, she took extra special care of all the plans that she had for you

- Along with all of the usual sleepover stuff, she had even convinced her parents to let her borrow their car and y’all went out to eat

- Over dinner, you ended up getting to know Misty really well, and found that she wasn’t like everyone says she is

- Misty and you talked well into the night, and you don’t even remember falling asleep

- When you were back at school that Monday , you told all girls how much fun you had, but they just thought it was you being nice. It really wasn’t , you had fun!!

Natalie Scatorrcio

- Nat’s house wasn’t the best environment to be in, so when the idea of a sleepover was brought up, your house was the place to go

- You tidied everything up and made sure it looked great, and Natalie was impressed

- You both spent the night watching movies and spinning vinyls on your record player. She really liked your taste in music

- if there was a pet in your house, Natalie instantly loved it, you had no idea she liked animals like that!!

- you gave your bed to her and slept on the ground, but she wouldn’t have that, so you guys were side to side in your bed all night talking and laughing and having a great time

Van Palmer

- You had been dying to go over to Vans house forever, and when she finally asked you were pumped

- Her room was amazing, it was unique

- she had lots of movie posters on the wall , and funky antiques spread out all over the room

- Van and you played board games for a solid two hours , and you learned she was as competitive off the field as she was on

- it was her idea to prank call some of the girls, and you guys laughed so hard at their reactions

- Van also had a Nintendo 64, and she kicked ass at Diddy Kong Racing and Mario Kart. Don’t worry, you had her beat when it came to Pokemon Stadium 1 and 2.

Lottie Matthews

- Lottie wanted to come over to yours because she said her house was boring, so you didn’t argue

- She was fascinated with all your possessions, and how “lived in” your house was (you weren’t sure what that meant but whatevs)

- Lottie and you talked all night, and you were happy to get to know her better

- You had Dirty Dancing on VHS, so of course you both watched that

- after that, you were inspired to have a dance party, lots of Spice Girls, TLC, and Destiny’s Child was sung that night

- - -

AN: I swear I’ll make more content that isn’t sleep related but for now enjoy

[internet-ink]

Would you write a fic where LW and reader have been best friends for years, both play for arsenal. They’ve both been in relationships until this year. Reader thinks she’s straight until she realises she’s in love with her best friend

Confessions

Thank you for the request anon!

I haven’t wrote anything like this before but I hope you enjoy it :)

This past year had been a difficult one. It started out great - I was with a wonderful guy, I was doing well at Arsenal, and I had my best friends surrounding me.

Then it all went to shit.

In the space of a week I had caught my boyfriend in his bed with another girl and my childhood dog had passed away.

This was ten months ago and now there was another issue arising. My landlord had decided that now would be a great time to evict me. One night I had a few people round and apparently someone had complained about the noise. He said that he had past complaints about the noise from my flat which just wasn’t true but I really couldn’t be bothered to argue with him.

I had nine days to find a new place to live. Originally I had planned to just find another place to rent, however with the days going by and having no luck finding anything I was beginning to worry.

“Y/N! Pass the fucking ball!” Katie shouted, interrupting my thoughts. I snapped out of my day dream and quickly passed the ball to her.

“Sorry.” I replied.

She ran over to me and put her hands on her hips in a sort of ‘you better tell me what’s going on’ way.

With a sigh, my shoulders deflated as my mind went back to all the issues in my life. “I’m just stressing about this whole finding a place to live thing. You’d think in a big city like London there’d be at least somewhere that was available. But no…anything that is available is just ridiculously expensive and out of my budget. Like what am I meant to do? Live on the streets? If my stu-”

“You could stay with me?” A voice from behind me interrupted my rambling, and a smile took over my face as I saw it was Leah.

Leah and I had been close friends since I joined Arsenal three years ago, I mean we were literally inseparable from the first day of training. She was there for me through everything that had happened this year and I was there for her while she was going through her break up with Jordan.

Up until a couple of months ago everything was normal between us but then I started to get butterflies whenever she gave me a hug which then turned into feeling awkward whenever she’d hold my hand - everything that felt normal before now turned me into a complete mess. I had come to the realisation last month that I was in love with her…with Leah.

“Uhh…em. Do you have the room?” I stuttered, mentally kicking myself for acting so awkward around her.

“Yeah, Jordan moved out a couple of months ago so I’ve got a spare room.” She shrugged although I could still see that the mention of her ex-girlfriend’s name hurt her.

I scratched the back of my neck out of awkwardness before replying. “Only if you’re sure.” I said while scrunching my face up.

“Y/N we’ve been best friends for years, of course I’m sure.” She smiled. My heart sunk at the words ‘best friends’. That was all we would ever be and it hurt to think of that.

“Okay well if you insist.” I giggled.

———

“Is that all you’ve got?” Leah asked after I brought all the boxes with my stuff from my car and into my new house. There was a significantly smaller amount of things with me now than what Leah was used to seeing at my old place.

“Uh yeah, I donated some stuff. Decided to start over.” I laughed. Leah took a box and carried it into my new room, which was across the hall from hers.

“Well this is you. Feel free to decorate obviously…just don’t go knocking down any walls.” She deadpanned making me uncomfortable before she started to laugh at me. Leah was always like this.

With a roll of my eyes, I started to unpack the first of my boxes. As I turned to place my fake bonsai tree on the bedside table I noticed Leah staring at me with a small smile on her face, snapping out of it when she noticed I was looking at her.

“Takeaway pizza for dinner?” She asked.

“Yup. Plain cheese?” I replied. She nodded with a chuckle before turning to leave the room.

I spent the next hour or so unpacking everything and decorating the once plain room. It felt weird knowing that this room once belonged to her ex, I wasn’t entirely sure if they did sleep in the same bed while they were together, but I did know that this room was Jordan’s from the previous times I had come over. It just never once occurred to me that I would be living here with the girl that I had a fat crush on. How was I going to survive this? How would I manage if Leah ever brought home another girl or guy? I didn’t know how to feel.

“Y/N! Pizza’s here!” Leah called up to me from downstairs. I sighed to shake the doubts from my head before walking down to where Leah was waiting in the living room with one big box of pizza.

With a confused look on my face I opened the box, my confusion only growing as I confirmed that there was indeed only one pizza. “Where’s the other one?” I asked.

“Oh, I only ordered one. I thought we could share.” She shrugged as she sat on the couch and patted the cushion next to her, telling me to sit down.

My heart fluttered at the idea of sharing a pizza with her. “Cool. Sounds good.” I smiled, internally groaning at how weird I sounded. Leah returned a small smile before reaching over to take a slice.

Pull yourself together, it’s a pizza for Gods sake.

“You okay?” She asked with her hand covering her mouth to prevent the food from showing. I nodded before taking the seat that she had previously pointed at.

“Sorry, just in my own head.” I giggled as I grabbed a smaller slice than the one Leah had, letting out a small moan at the taste of it. Leah whipped her head to look at me with wide eyes as I blushed at the thought that I had actually done that out loud. “I’m so sorry, but holy shit where do you get this? This tastes better than most pizzas I’ve ate.” I exclaimed.

Leah laughed before shaking her head and wiping her hands with a napkin. “This chippy down the road. Discovered it when I was drunk and I’ve been loyal ever since. I can’t say I’ve ever moaned at the taste though.” She spoke, still laughing her head off. I rolled my eyes before taking another slice.

“Shut uppp.” I groaned. “It just slipped out.” I sighed, still feeling rather embarrassed about the whole situation. “Wait…you kept this delicacy from me this whole time?” I questioned, my mood now going from extreme embarrassment to confusion and slight betrayal.

“Guilty.” She put her hands up like she had been caught red handed before the both of us folded into each other in laughter. During our antics, Leah’s hand made its way onto the top of my thigh, making my breath hitch and my laughter halt. As her laughter stopped too, I looked up to see that she was already staring at me with a nervous look on her face and her eyes half closed, focusing on my lips.

“Leah?” I whispered. The tension in the room grew as the distance between us shrunk until I could feel her warm breath on my lips. My heart rate rapidly increasing as her eyes fully closed and her lips moved closer so that they were millimetres away from my own, my chest finally felt like it exploded as I finally felt the weight of Leah’s lips on mine.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and she wrapped hers around the back of my neck as her tongue licked my bottom lip, sighing as I opened my mouth wider and felt her consume me. We broke apart as the need for oxygen overcame us.

“Wow.”

“Yeah.”

I panted as Leah looked intensely into my eyes, making me feel more nervous than I had ever felt. “Are you alright?” I finally asked as she had been quiet for quite some time.

She leant forward so that her elbows were resting on her knees and her head was in her hands. Feeling immediately off, I reached forward with her and placed a comforting hand on the back of her shoulder.

In all honesty I thought it would’ve been me that was like this if we ever kissed.

“What was that?” She finally asked, leaning back into the couch and staring at me again. I felt my heart sink as she asked that. She sounded annoyed.

“A kiss.” I deadpanned.

“Obviously.” She rolled her eyes. I let out a breath as I mentally prepared myself for the possible rejection that could come from my next statement.

“I like you.” I replied, now looking anywhere but Leah as I didn’t want to see the current look on her face. “No…I love you. I have for awhile - well, a couple of months anyway.” I continued.

“Really?”

I frowned as I stared into the wall behind Leah. “Yeah. I’m sorry.” I said.

As I was getting up, a hand on my knee prevented me from moving anywhere. I took a deep breath as I looked at Leah, not seeing the disgusted face I though I would, in fact she had a huge grin on her face.

“I love you too.” She stated, making my world feel like it crumbled. She actually liked me back? I sat back down next to her and looked at her with wide eyes.

“Really?” I replied.

She laughed and leant in closer to me. “Of course I do, I thought I made it obvious but maybe not? Ever since that night when you held me while I was drunk crying, not complaining once about the snot that I had gotten on your favourite jumper. I love you, Y/N.”

“I think that’s the most romantic thing someone has ever said to me.” I smiled, noticing the crinkles on her nose as she smiled and the small freckles that dotted her nose.

“Shut up and kiss me.”

[gayemeralds]

Whats your honest opinion aboutnthe fandoms love for sonic and tails brotherly bonding biven that canon is not as strong on that regard

sorry for waiting like. months. to answer this question i’ve been pondering the best way to answer this for literally. months.

i guess the thing is i’ve never really thought about the domesticity of their relationship? a lot of fan things that depict them as brothers are very domestic, the little interactions between them living together and all that. sonic brushing tails’s fur. sonic telling tails to eat his vegetables. them shopping together. things like that. like, i do think they are brothers, and that they view themself as brothers, but i guess i don’t see them as conventional brothers? i’m not quite sure how to articulate this. like they ARE brothers, and they care about each other, and have a different sort of relationship than knuckles and sonic, and sonic and amy, and sonic and cream. but i wouldnt say they’d be anything like ed and al from fma. hm. it took literally thirty years to hear sonic call tails his brother in a game.

like, when i think of them, i’m inclined to think of my sister and i’s relationship. we’re about six years apart, no siblings in between. we love each other a lot, but we don’t see each other a whole lot, because we’re just in super different parts of our lives. i don’t live with her, but i’ll crash on her couch every once in a while. i don’t see her often. i am excited to see her when she visits.

so like, i think sonic did raise tails, in a sense. i think sonic probably took care of him when they first started hanging out and tails was literally just four years old. but sonic’s independent by nature and older by a good chunk of years, and i don’t really think he’d actually enjoy taking care of someone. sonic CARES and loves tails but i would not say he’s a nurturer, and he doesn’t want to be tied down. so once tails got a workshop, assumedly around sonic adventure (at least, a stable one), sonic ditched. i don’t think the two of them live together. sonic’s literally homeless and loves to wander the world for like, months on end. i don’t think sonic and tails do chores together. i don’t think sonic’s at tails’s workshop for long periods of time. maybe to crash on his couch and read a book every once in a while.

sonic visits, yeah, but i also think there’s just long periods of time where they don’t see each other. early sonic games from adventure to the “dark” era of sonic games indicate they don’t see each other for long periods of time (”long time no see!”) and when they do see each other, its often because of a new scheme from eggman or a danger to the world. like, sonic 06- they didn’t even plan on meeting each other, they just happened to cross paths.

i don’t know if this particularly makes sense. i just don’t really see them being particularly domestic together. neither of them are conventional people, and sonic especially is the type to enjoy alone time and adventuring; tails is a little more inclined to stay in place so he can work on his new machines, traveling usually for research or to help sonic. they’ve got different motivations and hobbies so i think they don’t actually spend a lot of time together. it’s probably similar to how much time sonic and knuckles spend together, since knuckles is almost always stuck on angel island with the master emerald.

(plus, if we consider the timeline sega’s been trying to tell us, where every game seems to happen in the span of a year, and tails has always been eight and sonic’s always been 15, or something similar, where tails isn’t a literal toddler when they meet, i really don’t see them doing anything domestic together at all. sonic’s always on the road and tails is off doing inventing or occasionally helping sonic out. if tails wasn’t four-ish when they meet, i don’t really think sonic would... like, take care of him the same way a “parent” would. amy rents her own house in station square, and she’s like twelve. it seems to be the norm, at least in our perspective, that young mobians are allowed to be left to their own devices; like, we still don’t know what’s up with charmy and the chaotix. sure, he could ahve been adopted by vector i suppose, or are his parents just super chill with him hanging out with a bunch of detectives? lmao. and besides, tails is a pretty smart cookie. he really can take care of himself, and sonic would just leave him be since he seems “old enough”, at least in the sonic world, to do so.)

[bearlytolerant]

Fandom: mtas | chapter 3 excerpt | ch. rating: g | ao3

a farewell

Sage’s fingers grazed the knob of A and G Construction. With a deep breath, she gave it a twist, her last commission as a builder in a bag on her shoulder. The knob was cold to the touch, mid fall’s chill seeping into the metal. Into her bones. With a slight shiver she pushed the door open. A rush of air swept in and the bell above her head tingled too loud and obnoxious. She hated that bell.

“Sage!” Albert exclaimed and it prompted Gust to perk up.

“Hey,” she said, barely audible. “Got your rug.”

“Thank you!” There was a momentary pause as Albert rounded the desk to unravel the rug and have his fill of inspecting it. Then he said,”this will look perfect in my newly renovated bathroom.”

“I hope so,” she replied, holding onto the strap of her bag to keep it from sliding off her shoulder.

Though it was a simple rag rug design done in shades of blue, Albert seemed quite satisfied with her finished product. “Is there anything your hands touch that don’t come out perfect? Let me get you your fee.”

There were plenty of things she touched that she spoiled, actually, but she wasn’t in the mood to debate about it. She assumed he meant it as a compliment and she would accept it as such.

“Actually, just keep it. It’s on me.” After all, she had more than enough money to take with her.

“I can’t.”

“You can. Consider it a—gift.”

“You’re the best Sage.” Albert threw her a wink.

“Yeah, sure. If you say so.” She waved him off and took two steps to her right, bending down to give her favorite domestic pig a pat. He was Gust’s pig, a gift given many years ago now when he studied in Atara. “Hey QQ.” Sage’s tone pitched higher and more patronizing. “How’s the bestest, sweetest pig in Portia?” The pig offered no response to her rhetorical question. Didn’t even roll onto his back for a belly rub.

Gust stood, swiping his long strawberry blonde locks away from his face while waiting for her to make her rounds. He’d been her closest friend in Portia, as well as his whole family really but Gust knew secrets that the others didn’t. Her heart clenched at the idea of leaving them, but especially him, behind. They would be the most difficult to say goodbye to. As she fed QQ an aroma apple, she tried not to shrink herself under his watchful gaze.

“You have him spoiled, you know.”

Her voice came out unamused and apathetic. “He deserves to be spoiled.”

“Hmm.”

“Well, it’s certainly good to see you too, Gust.” But her sarcasm fell flat, her usual banter twinged with a bittersweet sadness. “What’s on the agenda today? Doing any painting?”

He often went down to the water at sunset, painting the horizon or a picturesque scene of some sort. His pieces always turned out marvelous too. He’d given her one of QQ playing in a pile of leaves for her birthday last year that she kept hung on the wall in her living room. There was a concerned twitch of his brow as he studied Sage. But he stuffed his hand into his pocket, crinkling his pristine blue trousers and smoothing out his expression.

“Drawing up plans for the latest project in Atara and then taking a stroll to gather inspiration. You could join me later—if you’d like?”

“I—” Her gaze passed over the floor tiles, noting a cracked corner near the step up to Gust’s desk, as she clasped her hands together. “I actually need to start packing.” She cringed. “Thank you though.”

It took Gust a second to process what she just said as she turned her attention back to Albert. “And you, Albert? Any plans?”

“I was just telling Gust here that I’ll be heading out to Sandrock tomorrow so I’ll have to pack my things after work today.”

“Oh, you’ll be staying there?”

“Yeah, it’ll be easier if I just rent a room out for a week.”

“Oh, well if you’d like, you could stay with me.”

“Sage, I hardly think your house is the—“

“You’re moving,” Gust interrupted, void of all emotion.

[star-shard]

Different Kind of Love (Chapter 1)

Cult Leader!Elvis x Y/N

Premise: AU, what if Elvis chose alternative spirituality over Hollywood. 

Y/N is new to California and still finding herself, you’d only every known Elvis Presley to be a rocker, you had no idea what he’d become after finding a whole new way of thinking.

Warning: mild religious themes 

Note: 1,900+ k words, Takes place in the mid 1960s 

__

Summer time in California. Your first time here but, you’d heard so much about the scene. Something special was going on. New music, new ideas, it was enough to get any young person to make a little pilgrimage. How could you stay away? Yes your family threw their worries. They said you’d turn into a useless druggie out there on your own. But you knew it was worth the hitchhiking that got you here. 

The breeze, the sky, the beach, it all made sense why they called it paradise. You had plans to do some waitressing to pay rent to get you by but work wasn’t really on your mind. While you still had some cash in your pocket you found a couch half good enough to call home to tide you over. 

You met beatniks, artists, every type of cat that hung around a club or two. But what made you feel most alive was a breeze in the dead of night that made everything go away.

“You haven’t heard of Elvis?” A voice suddenly brought you back to the present moment. Her hand had slapped the table in such a way that it was hard to ignore her. You shook yourself out of your passing thoughts. “Elvis. Come on now.” The woman across from you in this little coffee house not far from Hollywood had a face like a rat and a smile like a princess. She called herself Daisy. Sometimes Lavender, or Rose. As she put it ‘my flowers depend on the day’.

“Oh… yeah, of course I remember him. Still got a couple of his records,” you made a slight expression, “yeah, shame he never made any more music, don’t you think?” You pondered as you lifted a cup of coffee with too much sugar to your lips. You couldn’t help it, it’s how you liked it. Dark and sweet.

The woman across from you laughed right back, “oh, he still makes music alright,” she had a coy look on her face now, like she knew something you didn’t. Oh, she savored that too, you saw it on her lips.

“Don’t fool with me now,” you quipped back, “Elvis hasn’t laid down a track in years. He split with his manager and everything, it was big news.” You recalled the newspaper article clear as day, it was a big ruckus. Elvis Presley, rock superstar stepping back from the business, turning down a renewed contract. 

“Go down Orchard Avenue sometime, hm? Sunday night, you might just hear something you like.” the flower girl sipped her black coffee as if she was in on a joke you wouldn’t get. People like her were the sort that knew everything. Also the type that made you feel like you knew nothing.

And if she claimed Elvis Presley still made music? That was enough to get you heading out to Orchard Avenue on a Sunday night. 

__

It was a time of night when things cooled down, where you could really smell the air. Daisy, Posey, Marigold, whatever her name was right now, she told you all about how to find this street. It wasn’t too far out from LA, closer to the canyons. You hitched a ride like always and found yourself walking down the road, halfway wondering if she was fooling with you. Just picking on the new girl for a laugh.

You were this close to turning back when you heard it. 

A beat rocking, a guitar jumping. It sounded like gospel. 

And attached was a voice you couldn’t forget even if you tried. From crickets populating the night to nothing but jive grabbing the night around you. It dragged you down from the well kept picket fences one block back to the wire fences with colorful fabric and prayers tied around the outside. 

And the lyrics beckoned. 

You got to sing you children sing

Sing you children sing

I only know one thing, hey! hey! hey!

Sing you children sing, everybody

Sing you children sing

Sing your troubles away

It came from a good house, one bought with good money. You didn’t know a thing about real estate, but this place cost at some point in time. Though some of the foliage had been allowed to climb the walls up to the balcony. Like arms outstretched.

The lights shown out from every window like it was a party. But it didn’t sound like one, there weren’t any fights or random shouts leaking out from the window sills. Just something like harmony. 

You weren’t invited. But, you found for parties like this, less than half the people there were ‘invited’. The door was half open, they were in full swing. That was more than an invitation right? Surely they wouldn’t mind one more? That seemed the vibe you’d come across lately after all. 

As you found your way through the well kept garden, down to the door, getting in was a little hard than you thought. Not because anyone was keeping you out, no. But because people were in such a frenzy. Praising and calling.

From the inside you saw some pictures hung of various religious figures, but too hard to make out to place any names. But then, your local preacher had something similar on his walls. Nothing wrong with that. 

The parties you’d been to, involved people slumped over themselves doing cocaine and shots. But here, everyone seemed high on something else. Managing to get inside you saw the center of it all. All type of people your age, were hanging around, all hip and colorful. There was a man just by the wall, beating his guitar strings and singing out like it was a church service, right in the middle of the night.

It couldn’t be him… could it? There were too many jumping bodies near you, it was hard to get a look, you had to jostle and stumble to get a close enough look to the point where you tripped on someone’s jutted out leg and there you were landed just right at his feet of a man wearing a pair of perfect brown leather boots and a tall white suit.

You wondered if you ruined the night, if people would cast an ugly look… but the music didn’t stop. The only change was his now direct eye contact on you.

The last time you saw him was in a blurry picture in a newspaper article, a muddy sort of picture where you couldn’t make out a cheek bone from lips. But right here, right now. You saw it all. His black hair was just as tossed and falling down his forehead, his blue eyes just as twinkling like he stepped off an album cover. 

God, his smile, a joyous smile as he ramped into another chorus. His hand reached out and helped you up. Like you had been here in the crew all along. His hips jiving and shoulders grooving, it was infectious.

You couldn’t help your own little smile and shake and response. He laughed for half a moment, enjoying your response to his call. 

By the time it ended, you couldn’t help but give a semi curtsey to the clapping crowd as Elvis himself held your hand. “Ain’t she a natural, then?” He chuckled, “where’d you trip in from, honey?”

Usually you’d expect folk to get on with their own conversations, and a few did, but those closest to him stayed just as keyed in. You didn’t suspect anything for now, after all it was The Elvis Presley. Couldn’t blame them after a song like that.

“From the East coast… A girl named after flowers told me about all this, a real peach. Or, a peach blossom,” you pointed out, which got a big laugh from those around you. You’d never thought yourself to be funny. You’d never met a happier bunch. “I… Your’e really… Elvis Presley?” 

For a moment the vibe around you shifted, as if you’d said something in another language that didn’t sit quite right with the locals. But when Elvis’s kind expression didn’t falter, the moment passed. “You’re a fan of my early work then, darling?”

“Ha, I, guess I am,” you admitted, “but this was, I tell you what, you were better than any pastor I heard in church.” This one got a better reaction from those around you. 

One of the girls shouted out, “better than any radio!” With another, “better than any school teacher!” Thrown in by another in the crowd. They sure were enthusiastic at this time of night, you wondered how they did it.

“Better than god?” Elvis added on, which got a big laugh and a few whoops. Alright, flower girl had completely turned you in the right way, this was the best Sunday night since you got here.

You’d always hoped Elvis Presley had kept on with music, you knew that gospel had been a big part of his sound. So seeing him rocking out with a bunch of young people, doing some worship songs? Wasn’t that just about the best thing? And without the confines of a church it all felt so much more relaxed. It was a real scene to be in, that kinda space. 

It was well worth staying for a while. Not that you could leave. It’s not like anyone was keeping you from going. But it felt like very step you took, someone else got to chatting with you. Or asking about your life, or what you enjoyed. At some point you thought you’d want to talk with Elvis again, who’d gotten to strumming his guitar for the delight of those closest to him.

Every now and then he shot a grin your way. But it seemed every one else was just too chatty to let you linger back to him.

By now a handful of people had headed out, the group had dwindled. You wondered, did they live here?

By the time sunrise was coming, you couldn’t believe it. That everyone was still just as energetic. Clearly you had a lot to learn about California. “Hey now,” Elvis truly was a savior right now, putting an arm around the nosey guy that had been chatting with you for too long. “Let her breathe, man, let her breathe.” He leaned his head towards you, “why don’t you catch a bit of sleep here, darlin’… we got the room, hm?” To which clear agreement was shown.

“Oh, I couldn’t, I’m supposed to go job hunting tomorrow, I gotta get myself going,” you tired to say, but clearly no one here would have it. Especially Elvis. 

“Can’t go looking when your eyes are dark, can you?” The words got some snaps from the lingering folks in the room, a couple had passed out. You wondered if they had taken drugs or if they’d been awake for days. Either way, the fact that you’d only had coffee and a few bites today was hitting you and your knees were getting weak. Elvis must have noticed because he caught you before you could fall. “Come on now let me help you lay down…” 

Your eyes went to the door. It was incredible to be near a celebrity but, shouldn’t you be heading out on your own? They must have known everything about you but, what did you know about them?

Elvis must have got your look because he turned your gaze from the exit and back to the hallway he was leading you down.

“Let me help you get some sleep…” 

[justanothersimsblog]

Summary: Ibis’ childhood cont

At 11 Ibis got his first girlfriend, a girl from his class named Anna, because his older siblings got in relationships too and that made it cool. Uene inadvertently told Ibis that the house rule for girls was that they (he and Katra) had to meet them first before they could spend time over. Kiki couldn’t stand her so she was happy when they finally broke up later.

Another trip! This time the family went to Monte Vista. Both Ari and Eti now had boyfriends who also tagged along in this trip. Ulene rented a big house for the 11 of them. They met an old fae, Agatha, who recognized the pink hair. They discovered that she was related to them, sort of, she identified herself as the adoptive mother of a Lewis Notte, which was the family’s last name in Bridgeport. Lara changed it and then adopted Deadwyler after marrying Alan. Lewis didn’t have pink hair but his wife did and Agatha had a picture of them. Also during this trip Ibis met Francesca, who believed him to be 15 instead of almost 13. When Ulene found out he made him tell the truth which obviously meant she didn’t want to see him anymore. Before the trip ended Ulene and Ibis had a little chat about the responsibility of having a Pink haired heir.

Ibis’ more rebellious years begin. Before he’d broken rules and gotten punished but now he started taking things to new extremes. He got his piercings, eventually got his tattoos, started smoking, and making more drinks and the drugs him and his friends (Kiki and Pubert) would smoke. He didn’t care that he was breaking his mom’s biggest rule of absolutely no drugs or smoking. He also tried to date Kiki, and they hooked up for a bit, but when he wanted to take a step further she said no and everything ended.

10th grade and over the summer Ibis came up with a ridiculous plan that would end with him getting laid. His friends laughed when he told them and assured him they’d help but it wasn’t going to work. “No girl would fall for something so stupid!”. Well, one did. Ibis started ‘tutoring’ girls, first having lunch at school, then taking them home for dinner with the family so everyone would get a chance to meet, and finally ending in his room where he did everything he could to not open a book. Taia fell, hard, for him, and so their non-relationship relationship started. Saylor, Taia’s best friend, was vocally against this and even intimidated Ibis with her half-demon powers, but he took it in good stride because he had no intention of causing any harm. Because he lied he got grounded and punished, but he kept sneaking around to see her, and the whole thing started a vicious cycle. His mom was also on his ass for smoking which also kept extending his punishments. At the end of the year his school work had suffered so much due to absences that he had two choices, all boys military school, or Yinera Ealin Academy for genius occults. 

He chose the Academy. He boarded there in Moonlight Falls for the last two years of high school\, where he made new friends and ‘dated’ new interesting girls. His roommate Kayne (and his brother Kale) became his new best friends, along with twins Emma and Grace. Emma was a frequent visitor of Ibis’ bed while Grace dated Kayne. Ibis also secretly ‘dated’ prom queen, class president, and actual fairy princess Ella, and a bunch of other girls, much to her distaste.

Ibis returned home to a Graduation party where everyone, even from neighboring towns, attended. Benny finally sealed the deal with girlfriend Gen, Timmy found some courage and did his first magic show performance in front of a crowd, Blaze and her new buddies escaped town after killing a guy right outside the venue, and Ibis hooked up with Taia after not having seen her for two years. Then it was off to college for Benny and Timmy, but off to travel the world for Ibis. With either friends (Kayne mostly) or family (his grandma Lara) he went to many cities around the world and had fun. He even visited his siblings in college.

[pencilpat]

Misc tidbits about the college AU! I'm working on the first part of the fic, but I want to share something about them

Roman and Remus's parents are rich. Like "my brother lives in the five room west wing of our mansion and I have the whole six room east wing" rich. They pay for Roman's house where they all stay and give him a monthly allowance that's a ridiculous amount. Remus, however, has been mostly cut off from funds and is treated like an outcast and disappointment. He was staying with Roman behind their parents' backs before being kicked out.

Virgil is pretty much the only one with a happy home life. His mums are genuinely so supportive and kind to him. He haaaates it though, he's definitely an angsty teen about their love, "get out of my room" and "ugh I don't want a hug" are common phrases. One of his mums is a trans woman, and he's their biological child.

Janus is a tea drinker and Remus is a coffee drinker, and yes, they fight about it often.

Logan was an alcoholic through her entire teenagehood and for a year of college, too. She's currently on five months of no drinking, though! They keep most of it a secret from everyone but Roman. Roman is also completely sober in solidarity.

Janus and Logan have one law class that's the same time slot, and they find themselves sitting next to each other and chatting most days. It's strange, with the strife in their friend group you'd think they would avoid each other, but since Lo talks to Remus sometimes to check up on him, they sort of see Janus as a friend by proxy. 'Proxemity friends', if you know what I mean.

Lo is sort of Roman's unwilling sugar baby. Roman constantly offers to pay for every single expense she has from rent on her apartment to a candy bar. They promptly remind him, "I am an adult with my own damn job," to which he pouts exaggeratedly. Logan has occasional moments of anger and annoyance when Roman shows that he was raised rich, such as not cleaning up around his house because "the maid will get it" or buying hundreds of dollars worth of clothes in one shopping trip.

Patton has sworn one (1) time in a life-threatening situation. No I will not elaborate.

Roman is the only cis person in the group and he never hears the end of it.

Janus was alone through most of her early school life until she met Roman and Remus by chance. At first, they bonded over similar appearing skin conditions, which quickly developed into friendships. When she and Virgil met through the twins, they hit it off instantly. They genuinely got along and related on a lot, at least the things Jan would share. Her lack of sharing any details of her personal life was concerning to all three of the others. Whenever they'd ask to hang out at her house, she'd drive them to a random place instead and say there was a change of plans. Virgil definitely noticed the sleeping bag and clothes in the back of the car. He never brought it up.

Patton and Virgil are so different, it shocks most people that they're dating. But they love each other and love just watching each other engage in their hobbies. Patton will be knitting on the couch while Virgil cuddles them and just watches how good they are at their craft, admiring them. Patton goes to every show Virgil and Roman manage to book, and they cheer so loud they lose their voice! They may be different, but their love is built on watching each other create and grow. And cuddles. Plenty of cuddles.

[argentumcor]

The only thing I get from this is they are tossing all the Dark vs. Light related stuff into the pot, which feels a little anticlimactic given the campaigns are never that long and intricate. I don't even know why the Tree of Ruin and Wings seems to be in the mix, it always felt tangential to the conflict, but the track names indicate it will feature.

Ugh, I wanted this epic thing going on where we had Light and Dark versions of the species facing off- House Light vs. House Salvation, Cabal Empire vs. Shadow Legion, Asher's Light Vex vs. Sol Directive, Lucent Brood vs. the Hive, Ahsa vs. the Worm Gods. You'd have different fronts and battles, intrigues and plans and mysteries...but it's just going to be wrapped up in, what, less than fifteen missions, all important actions done by the player's camera-with-a-gun.

Wasted potential, the whole thing. The story promises to be a disappointment for this alone, because having allies from every species was set up, and just tossed aside because...I have no idea. Our allied kaiju just info-dumped and went to sleep, she didn't even do anything cool. The Mithrax vs. Eramis swordfight was blink and you miss it. Savathun went down so fast and undramatically that if you got a text during the cutscene you'd have missed nothing interesting. Asher, the man who kept fighting despite surely losing odds, just gave up because the odds said he would surely lose and all that in an exotic weapons sidequest. Rasputin was closed out in a sort of perfunctory "oh snap we left this here?!" way. I guess the Dreaming City curse can't be lifted and everyone just sort of seems to shrug about it, despite all the pain and sacrifice in the fight to keep it from fully falling. Neomuna was pointless and isn't even drumming up a shred of space opera drama. I'm sure I'm leaving something out.

You get handed- and paid to play in- this intriguing sandbox and you do the most boring things you can with it as a writer, as if it's something of no real value to you, just a boring project you have to do because your boss says so and rent needs paid. I'll never understand. What do these people want to work on? One of those quirky dating sims? A soap opera? Those no-combat tabletop RPGs?

[the-firebird69]

We have a few more things to discuss when is this living quarters. We need to increase in income if you're going to increase the rent and that's all it is.

-we are going to have to go to war with you if you refuse to you keep trying to kidnapping we're going to war with you and we're talking to the pseudo empire they just don't want to do anything that's normal either they went to retarded people that work for them. Unfortunately if you step it up the other guys get mad too he says what are we going to do wait until that power breaks because they can't handle it and have to have me in the hospital like George it's true too he screwed up big time and he was doing it and Jim Morrison but it really is mostly George so we have to start the articles of war on this winners who want Chris in the office to regain their stock like that would work and today I have housing and all sorts of s*** so he clings onto the job and what brain surgeons s*** pie s***'s pies with macasses that's what Mac has Mac Daddy and that's what his kids are shit pie. We are producing the documentation now and we're going to get much more strict with them and they're getting kicked out too probably before they finish the diamond mining and they don't intend to move him and they're ridiculous the empire wants to move him and we don't know how well they're going to do because they're under attack but these people led them to to their place and knew about it the long before our Sun did and one of her sit on it until it's built so they can take it over that's what they're saying and their actions are reflecting it I don't have any time for these people anymore this idiots pseudo empire wanted to do it too and they're getting beat up by fours and others but we are preparing the documents and we're going to start a series of them because of they're abuses. And they have ships we need and other things like that and foreigners are going to start fighting them

-right now there yeah and Timmy Doyle AKA Thanos cruises he's just going to sit on the car and it's not a team player now they're all planning on doing it and will eliminate themselves if needed but we need him to be able to move this is going to be quick

-there's a huge band of people trying to get into Florida and it's gigantic and it's a pretty good size crew it's probably 0.5% of the Mac warlock remaining percentage which is still about 19% or 20% or so and that is a lot because they're off Island on island is about 15% on Island and leaving five or six percent off Island there's a giant number and that is a lot of people if they get wiped out there going to come up again they're messing now and Alabama and Georgia in the whole state

-there's other things happening there's a giant Giants problem is brewing with Mac Daddy who doesn't like anything that's happening our son is very uppity he can see why. It doesn't care about it the sun says I can care less because you have everybody annoying me and they do too and you're going down just like the other stupid Max it's your jackass too buddy you got to pay for what you been doing in the past and we see it too he's upset with him every time he comes there and he gets madder and matter is brewing and he needs out of that business at the laundromat he can't handle it he's trying to kidnap him too people are stopping him by force and his crew is getting killed and we don't care she's stupid you want to hold him hostage military Hunta and he tells him I have all of you on me that's to be proof enough. The max are wheel of the top and don't treat us w respect either and they should but they don't. There's a few other things but our son doesn't like the guy is Mike bronder he was attacking him. And Ben Arnold's was to blame and they did figure it out no. Now Mac is taking a look at it and thinking Michael Green could be him who's Mr hand chet. And he's saying this is a horrible experience and I can see his point you're not online either so the empire is having their way with them but we can't stand it anymore let me know they're going to be out of here.

-that brings us to a couple of points about today number one the John remillard is a huge troublemaker. He got everybody in trouble and they ruined their master plan to call their armament and when they had a chance to intercept the empire before their rule was set in stone at the deserts they just sat there and fought Trump and they're still fighting the idiot and now they see what he was doing and he hasn't stopped and he lost last night and it's up to about 65% out getting ready to kill him no matter what he does it's what they said and her son and daughter says finally he's f****** stupid and it's saying it's a mac daddy and back Daddy finally gets it and you f***** her plan up and you want to bother us it's not his fault at all and he's ruining everyday and he's trying to say it's not that bad at the laundromat and doesn't seem to be angry at me and I'm not so he says good is this empire and this idiot can get to people and I'm alone and Mom wants to molest me Dracula doesn't want that. And yeah I was three year old child okay okay we'll go after this idiot again he needs it and he's a hero now and so we'll see about that it's out there now plowing out Tampa Bay think he's going to take advantage of us I guess we're going to become clones or Max that was him and it's better than Ben Arnold who's going to go have to check his work

-they're removing the skeletons from Tampa Bay the outlet and it's a very big one and they're blasting holes all over the place big ones small ones and the water is flowing fast and blowing them out now and they like it and they're continuing to do it they tried to get the ferry the big ship and it wouldn't let him and he didn't have good reasons it's not clothes or the pseudo empire so let's try to get military permission and Byron said I'm afraid to do that crazy and I can get him to do weird stuff and he heard it earlier. And Trump might be surprised but now they're fueling the ship. And Trump is not acting formally but Biden wants to is sick of his assholes the clothes and occasionally the max they should be arrested so we're going to come out and they're going to be surprised. And they're hearing it on the radio they're feeling that video they're feeling that ship up and they are going to hire him and Trump is hearing it he has a call from his Commander it's like what is this is he going to tell him to stop and stuff like that and it's getting the orders in his mouth is dropping and it's saying we have to try and do this so they think they're feeling it but I could be wrong and I also he says oh my God so he's checking and it's turning out to be true and it's going to pull in and they change. And it's going to work so we're going to publish

Thor Freya

Olympus

It's a big opening up there bigger than here and deeper and this will do it and it was just going to build up again I think they take it not me no we do too they're actually going to start doing that pretty soon

Hera

Zues

[softersinned-arc]

@gaveldefy said: ❛ tell me, what was life like on the other side? ❜

The words prompt a groan, and the sound of a pillow thumping against his face when Astoria swings it towards him is satisfying. "Other side of the Atlantic? Iceland was gorgeous. So was Sweden. The family estate in Venice is like a museum of Renaissance art and architecture. And London was... London." Cold. Rainy. Traumatizing, if you notice that sort of thing. She lifts the pillow and drops it back beside her, nestling into it as she rolls onto her side to face Jax. "Other side of the class divide? Decadent and hedonistic. Budgeting is a whole new world for me. Used to be that if I wanted something, I got it, no questions asked, no preparation necessary, and now, all I do is plan."

She has cash hidden throughout the house. She's told Jax where to find some of it, though not all. She could sell the bike in a pinch, but she's gotten too attached to it to even consider it in most cases. Rent is low, and she's learned how to put together furniture with relatively few fuck-ups, all things considered, even if her desk is inexplicably wobbly unless she's put some folded-up index cards underneath one of the legs.

"The hardest part has been getting used to cheap wine," she says, only half-joking, and she lets out a quiet, contented sigh. "You know, I didn't think I'd be able to do it? Survive without the name or the money. But at the same time, I mean, either shit kills you or it doesn't, and if the options were this or end up dead, what else was there to do? There's this new level of accountability, too. Once upon a time I could throw money at a problem until it went away. Now, I'm on my own to deal with it."

She smiles, then, catches his fingers with her own and offers a gentle squeeze. "Well," she corrects, voice soft, "mostly on my own." (It's not what she'd expected, not even close, but she's not sorry for it.)

[fierceautie]

Having a Hard Time Transitioning Isn't Just For Children

Having trouble transitioning is a common characteristic of an autistic child. What does this look like for an adult? It is not the same but it's similar. For adults, it's transitioning to a big life change. For example, in my life is a huge move, and having to shut down my business that I have been building for almost 9 years. Decision to Move My husband and I made the decision to move our large neurodivergent family from South Florida to the Adirondack Mountains due to the cost of living. Our rent went up by close to $1000 in one year. If we stay, we would not afford to live. Moving will cause a huge change for our family. Soon after we made this decision, I applied for my old job that I had before we relocated to Florida. I got hired immediately. I have a job for when we move. That is a good thing. I hadn't worked for them in 15 years, though. Why This is difficult When It Is the Right Thing My husband and I have lived in South Florida for 15 years. I built a business over the past 9 years. I poured my whole life into building my pet care business. I am a veterinary technologist. Most vets could not relate to me and fired me. Florida is a right-to-work state so they did not need a reason to fire me. I have built an extensive client list. My clients have treated me like family. A few years ago I had tendonitis of the Achilles tendon. One of my clients is a doctor in a nearby hospital and told me to take a short walk behind her condo so I don't overdo it. As I was walking her dogs, her neighbor was freaking out that the dogs were pooping in the grass and I was picking it up. He then started yelling at me. I said I was sorry and I went back to my client's house. Then I texted my client to warn her about what happened. She then proceeded to scream at this neighbor because of what he did. He subsequently moved out. So when it comes to my business, it's a piece of me. The other day, it hit me that I will be closing it down. It caused many meltdowns and shutdowns. I build this. It was a part of me. It feels like I am losing a child. How It has Effected Us I started to pack and sort everything. This started over 6 weeks before our move. I first started with the garage, then our bedroom. I packed up the china cabinet and other chatskis. I was doing all of this way before we move and it started to freak the kids out. After this was said to me, of course, I internalized it all and thought I was an awful parent. I am always wondering if I am doing the right thing. I have a strong support system to reassure me and I really need that. I am having a lot more PTSD episodes. Everything the kids do have been causing a flashback. It's nothing that they did, I am just more sensitive now to triggers that cause these flashbacks. Just joking around with my oldest child, I have flashbacks of being the scared little child waiting for my father to come to abuse me. My mother never put her hands on me but my father did. My mother just said things over and over again to make me feel bad about myself. After being talked to by my partner, we scheduled a psychiatrist's appointment. I talked to the doctor and she said she can help me with medication to help with this. I start it tomorrow. We will see how it helps. What I Realized I recognized that I have a hard time with transitions. The process of moving is extremely stressful. When I have the plan to do anything, I am in a hurry to get it done so I am not in a transition period. The transition period is the hardest for me and a lot of the members of my family. I am sure we are not the only neurodivergent family that experiences it. We always tell the kids that we will be much happier after the move takes place and we are in our bigger house. If you are going through a big transition, give yourself some grace. I did not do that and it affected everyone around me. Read the full article

[pollen]

:|

[fraddit]

This is the first post in a series of three four about Eddie’s house on 9-1-1.

part two, part three, part four | Buck’s loft

Okay! So! I’m a bit of an architecture and interior design enthusiast, which means I’m constantly paying too much attention to the living quarters of characters in shows I’m obsessed with. I decided to put that to use and make up a floor plan for Eddie’s house and got a bit carried away. Anyway, a-thousand-something screenshots and three weeks of effort later, we have what I would normally make just one long post but is instead a series of three posts, because of the tumblr image limit.

Also, sorry in advance if this is just way too much information. I figured, since I’ve got it in my brain, I might as well put it in the post.

Anyway, here’s the floor plan as a whole. I’m going to focus on each individual room in later sections of the post. This section kind of covers the house in general.

The first thing to note is that Eddie’s house in s2 is an actual real house and his house from s3 onward is a set, and there are some differences between the two. Because the Set House was actually built for the show, I’ve interpreted it as the “more canon” house and used the details from the Set House over the S2 House whenever possible.

That being said, the Set House is still very much based on the S2 House, so it’s still worth discussing. The S2 House is a stand alone, single-family, single-story residential home with yard all the way around, and is roughly 1,200 - 1,500 square feet. It’s architectural details include a closed floor plan, arched doorways, paneled doors, glass door knobs with brass plates and keyholes, wall-mounted light fixtures, ornate furnace vents, custom built-in storage, wood floors, and a stucco exterior that features a deep porch with arches and iron scrollwork. All of this leads me to believe that Eddie’s house is a Mission Revival style house and was likely built in the 1920s or 1930s when that style was popular in Los Angeles.

Also, if it matters, based on the current reality of the Los Angeles real estate market, it’s possible Eddie’s in the 64% of people who rent instead of own there. That being said, if he were to buy, houses equivalent to the one he lives in are currently on the market starting at roughly $700k and going all the way up to well over $1,000,000. Yikes. Now, Eddie is a veteran, so he has access to VA loans, which means he only needs 5% down for a mortgage, but that’s still $35k for a $700k house.

According to a very helpful anon:

VA loans have a 0% down with a 0% funding fee for disabled veterans rated 10% or more and with Eddie being shot 3 times and in a helicopter crash I’d say he’d definitely be at more than 10%. So he would possibly only have to pay closing costs if he couldn’t roll it into the loan. He could, if the loan was structured right, walk in without any out of pocket expense.

Edit: After watching Eddie Begins again, it seems likely they owned their house in Texas.  So, selling that would’ve given him enough for a down payment for the new house, regardless of VA status.  (Now, I’m curious about what that process was like with regards to Shannon, since she was likely on the mortgage and probably got half the resulting money from the sale.  What sort of communication were they in?)

The biggest difference between the S2 House and the Set House is that, instead of the continuous hallway from the living to the back of the house, the S2 House has two back to back closets between the walls of dining room and Chris’s room. One faces the hallway between Chris’s door and the dining room doorway.  One faces the living room by the front door. Additionally, there’s a strange wall in the kitchen in the original house that has been removed for the Set House, and the bathroom has been updated. You can see one of the closets behind Chris in the lower left of the above image and the other is peeking out from behind Shannon’s hair in the upper left image.

We’ve yet to see a full view of the exterior, but if you picture something like the following, you’ll probably be pretty close. Note the lush plantings around the house perimeter. There are plants visible out of pretty much every window in the Set House, so Eddie’s yard is likely similarly planted. Also note the lovely terracotta roof tiles. Basically what I'm saying is Eddie likely has a beautiful house.

Eddie’s specific porch looks something like this:

Do me a favor and pretend I added the pretty roof and everything. The S2 House has extra stairs closer to the front door as well, but it’s simplified for the set version. In actuality, there’s probably no stairs at all for the set, but any irl version of the house would likely have at least a few steps to the porch, which you can see on those example images above.

There's a potted plant in the corner by the stairs, and it seems like there might be other plants on the ledges of the other archways, but I couldn't get clear enough shots to bother placing any. In at least one shot there's a chair across from the living room window. If I had to guess, I'd assume it's more likely a sitting arrangement of two chairs and maybe a little table. But, I've only for sure seen one chair, so one chair it is.

It doesn’t really matter, but the house number on the S2 House is 319, and there was a period of about 40 minutes where I was attempting to look at every house in LA with that house number to try and find the actual house they used, but then I came to my senses, thank god. Sometimes I’m capable of showing restraint in my research...

The other thing of note about the S2 House are the kitchen and bathroom which both appear to have been updated/remodeled in the (probably late) 1950s. I’m basing this on the style and construction of the cabinets, the louvered windows, the yellow and green tile in the bathroom, and the lovely vintage blue appliances in the kitchen, which are all elements that were popular during that decade. Plus, it would’ve made sense that the homeowners at the time wanted to update those two rooms with newly available technologies.

You can see the weird wall in the kitchen I mentioned earlier. Obviously, I can’t be sure why it’s there, but my working theory is that that used to be the actual back wall of the house and the bit beyond the wall started life as a back porch until the 50s homeowners decided to wall it in and make the kitchen bigger, adding the corner desk and the closet where the laundry likely lives. But I digress…

Anyway, that's all for the first part.  

part two, part three, part four | Buck’s loft

[jishyucks]

I Lilac You. ‣ lfl

‣ genre: f2l, fluffyyy, female reader

‣ wc: 2.2k

‣ summary: He sticks the flowers out to you and grins, “I got these for you?”; alternatively where Felix decides to be the first-ever person to get you flowers, but his plan isn't as perfect as he wanted it to be

‣ warnings?: one mention of blood (scraped knees), nothing too detailed or graphic

‣ an: I know that the flowers in the header pic aren't tulips or lilacs but this whole fic is mainly flower-themed ♡(◕ᗜ◕✿) thought this was cute, so hope you enjoy it!

“I wonder what getting flowers from a significant other feels like.”

Your words echo at the back of Felix’s head every time he bikes past the flower shop at the plaza. It’s been about 3 weeks since you had mindlessly murmured the words while he and you were watching a movie on the TV, but just the sight of a bouquet still causes you to pop up rent-free in his head. 

He wants to get you flowers—he’s specifically set aside money to do so—but the only thing was that he wasn’t your significant other. 

And although that probably would not have mattered to you at all, he still can’t help but think that there’s a definitive difference between a guy friend gifting you a bouquet of flowers and your boyfriend giving it to you out of love. 

But he still does want to get you flowers. 

Maybe he will. 

On the way to your house on the morning he finally decided to do so, Felix takes the long way through the plaza, making a detour through free alleyways and past the small fountain that was surrounded by tens and tens of birds. He dodged gatherings of people crowded around some buskers and those who walked a bit slower than he biked. The weather was perfect, a slight breeze accompanying the sunshine. 

This was a sign. 

Slowing down at the flower shop he has grown familiar with, he quickly locks his bike at the bike rack by the small building before nodding in approval. On the way in, he pats his pocket gently, smiling at the feeling of his money sitting safely in his jacket. 

“Good afternoon, young man,” an older lady was sitting comfortably behind the front desk, a small TV sitting to the side to keep her entertained. Felix glanced briefly to find that she was watching a drama that he may have seen you watching when he comes over. 

“Good afternoon,” Felix gives her a genuine smile as he approaches the desk, “I’m here to buy some flowers… with your guidance, of course.” 

The woman smiles excitedly, only turning down the drama instead of completely turning it off (because she wants to know what’s going to happen next), before waving Felix over to follow her. “Very first—and most important—question. Who are the flowers for?” 

“It’s for my best frie–“ 

“A girl?” She interrupts. 

Felix gulps, “Yes… but she’s just a frie–“

“Do you have feelings for your friend?” The lady continues to round the store, pretending to eye the flowers as she interrogates Felix. 

He stops in his tracks, “Well, yes, but she doesn’t like me.” 

The lady stops to look back at Felix, “Continue….”

“But I want to get flowers for her… you see, she’s never gotten flowers before, from someone other than family, so I wanted to–“

“You really like her, don’t you?”

Felix doesn’t know if he feels comforted or creeped out by the fact that this lady is practically reading him like a book. Is he that much of an open book, or is this woman some kind of psychic? He’s suddenly afraid that you were able to read him as well as this lady. 

“I-I do, but this is only to give her as a gift,” Felix insists. 

The lady turns to look at Felix, “Confess!” 

“Huh?”

“My flowers are perfect for this sort of occasion!” She begins gathering some tulips, specifically pink and red tulips. After she gathered them, she began arranging them to look pleasing to the eye, a smile on her face throughout the entire process. “Pink for confidence, happiness, affection… red for passionate love. Tulips for perfect love!”

“But… but I’m not so sure that she returns the feelings,” Felix speaks up. Although the lady may be misunderstanding the occasion, he doesn’t stop her from doing her job. The bouquet she was creating was actually stunning, and Felix knew it was something you would adore. Maybe it’ll be fine as long as you don’t know the meaning of the flowers. 

“Ridiculous!” She exclaims, “Use these flowers to help you confess! I promise you, all will go well. No one who’s ever gotten flowers from me has been rejected.”

Again, Felix is getting mixed feelings from this woman. Either she was telling the truth, or she was really good at promoting her flowers. Maybe both. 

Once she was finished creating the bouquet, she waddled her way back to the front desk, already knowing that Felix was at her tail. She calculated the total for the bouquet, tapping away at her calculator. 

“How much?” Felix pulls out the cash from his pocket, ready to put down how ever many won it was worth. 

“Twenty-thousand,” she states.

“Just twenty?” Felix was surprised. He fully expected the bouquet to be at least thirty thousand.

The woman raises a brow, “Why? Want me to raise the price?” She chuckles to indicate it was a joke before taking the money Felix slips onto the counter. In turn, she pushes the nicely wrapped bouquet towards Felix. “Good luck, young man.”

“Thank you.” Felix is unsure whether he was thanking the lady for the bouquet or for wishing him luck. But then again, he wasn’t even planning on telling you how he feels. 

Before he knew it, Felix was back on his bike, riding through the familiar path he always took towards your house. He had a tight grasp around tulip stems, darting his eyes between the pathway and the flowers, hoping they’d stay intact. 

“Almost there,” he mutters underneath his breath, a smile slowly growing on his face at the thought of your reaction when he hands you the flowers. He can’t wait to see your beam of a smile—the one that made his heart burst with warmth.

He could almost imagine how it would go down (or at least how he wanted it to go down). He’d arrive at your place, bouquet behind his back like all the boys did in the movies. Then he’d ring the doorbell, trying to keep a straight face so he wouldn’t give the surprise away. When you answer the door, he would speak to you as usual, and when you ask what he’s hiding, he’d reveal the flowers. 

Felix’s daydreaming gets ahead of him… so ahead that while he is running through the situation in his head, he doesn’t notice one of the neighbourhood cats resting in the middle of the sidewalk. It wasn’t until the last minute that Felix swerved to avoid the cat, throwing the front wheel of his bike off its course and into a weird angle. 

Without any warning, Felix’s bike slips to the side, causing him to fall likewise. 

“Shit,” he mutters under his breath, “Shitshitshit.”

His mind doesn’t bother paying attention to his two scraped knees. Instead, his eyes flew towards the bouquet of flowers that had fallen a few yards from him and onto the road. He gets up slowly, knees sharp with pain, but again, he doesn’t care. The flowers were all that mattered right now. 

Limping towards the edge of the road, he tries his best to reach for the bouquet, but right as he reaches the curb, a car carelessly drives past him, squashing half of it. 

Felix gasps and shakes his head. Looking both ways, he quickly grabs the bottom of the bouquet, picking up what was left of the, well, what was a beautiful bouquet. He cradles the flowers in one arm, picking up his bike with the other. Your house was just around the corner. 

Ringing the doorbell, Felix frowns down at the semi-destroyed bouquet. He’s mad at himself for not paying enough attention to what had been in his way. Now his entire plan is ruined.

“Felix?” You answer the door. Your eyes meet his first, then you notice how disheveled he looks, then the red of his knees. You gasped—although it wasn’t because of the flowers—you didn’t even see the flowers Felix was holding. 

“Y/N,” Felix takes a deep breath before deciding to spit it all out at once, “I’m sorry, I really wanted to get you flowers because you told me the other day how you wondered what it felt like, and I got you them, but on the way here a cat made me fall my bike and now they’re all rui—”

“Felix,” you gently grab his arm, “Your knees… they’re bleeding… We need to cover them up before they get infected. Why didn’t you just call me? Why did you walk all the way here?” He limps into your house with you staying at his side. 

“It was just…” he gestures elsewhere, “It was around the corner. I’m fine. I promise.”

You help him sit on your living room couch, a sad smile on your face, “You’re still hurt, Lix. It doesn’t matter how close it was. I could’ve helped you.” You turn away from him and go to the cabinet in your kitchen that held the first aid supplies. You quickly grab some alcohol, cotton pads, and the biggest band-aids you can find, swinging the door closed before returning to the scuffed-up boy sitting on your couch. 

Without another word, you level yourself down to his knees and screw open the bottle of hydrogen peroxide, pouring a bit onto the cotton pad. “This’ll sting for a sec.” You pat it onto his knee with no warning. The wetness of the alcohol lets the pad stick to his knee, which gives you time to open the band-aid. 

Felix watched you from above, feeling his heartbeat grow stronger at how focused you looked. Your brows were slightly furrowed, eyes trained on his scraped knee and pursed lips. You looked extra cute. He had to admit this to himself. 

“What even happened?” You moved onto the next knee once you were satisfied with how you bandaged the first, “You bike every single day. This has never happened to you.”

“A cat,” he replies.

You couldn’t help but snicker, “A cat?”

“Yeah, I wasn’t really paying attention,” he mumbles, “I’m more bummed that the flowers are ruined, though.”

You paused mid-bandaging, “Flowers?” You finally look up at Felix, whose cheeks heat up at your gaze, “What flowers?” Without even thinking, you finish sticking the band-aid onto Felix’s knee and shifting positions to sit on your heels. 

“You didn’t see them?... Or hear me? I said—” He pulls the bouquet of flowers onto his lap and glances over them for a brief moment, “Never mind that….” He sticks the flowers out to you and grins, “I got these for you?”

You sit there, rather surprised at Felix’s gesture. 

“I know, they look horrible, but I promise you they were pretty before I—“

You practically snatch the bouquet out of his hold and marvel at them, “They’re beautiful!” And to you, they truly were. The only part of the bouquet that was ruined was the top half, but you could easily tell what it would have looked like before it was run over. 

“They are?” Felix brings a hand up to scratch his head.

You nod, ecstatic, “They are!”

There’s a quick moment of silence as you continue to admire the bouquet. But you speak up again, “Thank you, Felix. So much.”

No one who’s ever gotten flowers from me has been rejected, the lady’s voice echoed in Felix’s head. Should he take this chance and test what she claimed? Or should he leave this situation as is? Confess!

“I… uh…”

“What do the pink and red tulips mean?” You look up at him again, head tilting slightly to the side. 

“The lady told me at the flower shop,” Felix twiddles his thumbs, “When I was talking about you and why I was getting them.”

“What did she say?”

“Pink for…” he tried to recall, “Happiness… confidence… and love?”

You don’t reply, a bit too speechless. You start playing with the ribbons wrapped tightly around the stems, trying to keep yourself busy. 

“Red for love,” he mumbles, “The tulips themselves mean love.” He gulps, “Perfect love.”

“Love?” 

“Out of all the words, that’s the one that you decide to weed out?” Felix laughs nervously, running his hands over the bandages you just applied.

“Love,” you giggled, “Felix, do you love me?” It comes out as if you were teasing him, but you were being serious. It’s easy for anyone to understand. If Felix was talking to the florist about you, and she ends up picking flowers that have the intent of expressing love, what did that mean? 

“Yes,” he nods, “I do.” It was a simple yet sweet response. 

“Wait, you do?” you were taken aback, “A-as a friend? Or–”

“More than that,” he interrupts, a surge of confidence taking over him. Felix waits on you for a reply, afraid to add anything else that could potentially scare you away. There’s an almost suffocating silence in the air as he watches you continue playing with the ribbons. They’re starting to untie completely, but the bouquet is still loosely held together with a wire hidden underneath the ribbon. 

Your heart is racing, noticing through your peripheral that Felix is staring at you. You’re staring at the tulip petals. A specific red tulip catches your eye. Red for love… perfect love.

You hum and reach for the base of the flower, tugging up to pull out that specific red tulip. You slide your hand down so that you’re holding the flower at the bottom of its stem, then you hold it out to Felix, urging him to take it. 

“Wha–” he takes it but holds it awkwardly, confused, “Y/N?”

“I love you, too,” you grinned, “As more than a friend.”