#sorry yall hasn’t happened since ruin came out

[pixlokita]

When people keep correcting you on game lore and sometimes even insulting you for not knowing every single detail

[katie-writes24]

Cursed Blessings

Pairing: Thomas Jefferson x reader

Warnings: MAJOR MENTIONS/BRIEF SCENE OF RAPE! Language, angst, alcohol, suggestive material, and this is just really sad. 

Chpt. 2

Okay, PLEASE HEED THE WARNINGS! I don’t think the scene is graphic, however it’s there. If you feel that I should put a stronger warning, please don’t be afraid to dm me. 

So, my first ficlet, where do I begin? This story was supposed to be a cute little scene with Thomas and an ex lover but omg, I went so off track but I hope yall like it. I did lots of scheming with this fic and @tinywhim I cannot thank you enough for all the help! Brainstorming with you gives me so much more motivation to actually finish writing stories ngl. But yeah, please be wary. Next part will be much lighter I promise. Let me know if you want to be tagged, I’m tagging my original tjeff taglist. Feedback is always appreciated! And....hope you guys continue this story with me! Enjoy!

Y/N didn’t believe in soulmates, even if she was surrounded by so many people who seemed to be destined to each other. Her parents were married for 27 years, never once betrayed each other, they even died together. Even though her mother would call them soulmates, she didn’t believe it, she just thought they were two people who found an undeniable love. 

It was this phrase that was tossed around so much that it was starting to seem like a far off fantasy. 

That changed when she met Thomas. 

He was brilliant, charming, he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. He had little quirks about him that she knew was just for her to see. Y/N liked when he would tell a story and he would get this fond look in his eye, and start scrunching up his nose the faster he talked. To her it was adorable, to him it was stupid. 

Thomas made her feel safe, she’s never felt like that before. 

They met at an art exhibit, and the two spent the whole night talking about different pieces and ended up going to a small diner, looking ridiculously overdressed. She could see her mother gush about how romantic it was, how she could picture the wedding now. 

Y/N still didn’t believe in soulmates, but she did start to imagine a future with the man. 

Two years in, they were finally thinking about moving in together. Thomas found a nice place in Charlottesville, not too far from his family’s estate. It felt like a perfect dream. They were going to close on it at the end of summer. 

It was all perfect timing. The Jefferson's always threw a big charity event in July, the house would be filled with hundreds of snobby, rich attendees. Trying to fill in a conversation with any of them bored her to death, but Y/N couldn’t complain because while they had no genuine personality, they did have money. The event usually does really well each year, and this year was no different. 

Y/N spent that whole weekend at the Jefferson's estate, helping set up decorations and enjoying her time with him and his father. Ever since Thomas’s mother passed, Peter hasn’t been as social with outsiders. 

And even though she had heard some stories from the past that gave her dreaded chills, the man seemed to mean well. Thomas had told her that it was all in the past, and that he still cares for his father, so she shouldn’t hold it against him if Thomas wasn’t. 

The night after the fundraiser she learned more about Peter Jefferson. He liked to golf, he enjoyed telling awful jokes, and he liked to drink. 

He drank a lot that night. 

Y/N was in the study, reading the final chapter of her book on the couch. Thomas had gone out with James for the night, seeing that he would be leaving to go up to New York till the end of summer. It was peaceful; she was wrapped in a large blanket, feet on the table with a mug of coffee and a good book. 

The characters were clashing, it was something she hadn’t expected. She leaned forward and focused more on the words, not noticing the door open and shut quietly behind her. She only lifted her head when she felt cold fingertips run up her backside. 

Y/N turned around quickly, noticing Peter barely standing on his own. 

“Peter, are you alright? You don’t look too good.” His eyes were foggy, there was a stain across his shirt and he hiccupped to himself as he laughed. 

“Well, I think...you do, darling.”

“Do what?”

“You look..good, very-very good if I might add.” He staggered into the seat next to her and immediately put his hand on her thigh. 

“What are you doing?!” She pushed his hand off and he chuckled again. 

“You know, Thomas...my son he sure did pick out...a beautiful lady. And, heh, at least he did something right, he did something good in his life. But that boy, he still doesn't have the mindset yet...he doesn’t see that-” Peter drifted off as he looked like he was about to vomit all over himself. 

It was an opportunity, it was the perfect time to leave. 

“He’s so blinded by your wit that he doesn’t see that you’re taking as you please, and maybe not even to him alone, right huh?” He grabbed Y/N’s calf as he tucked himself into her neck. 

“He doesn’t see the way you dress, the way you look, how you’re just asking for it! Is he not giving you enough attention, darling?”

His hands felt slimy and unfamiliar, and they were certainly unwanted. 

But what was Y/N to do? She could’ve easily ran out the room. The man was drunk, she could’ve easily shoved him, hit him hard enough, and he would probably stumble and she could get out. She could call Thomas-

Thomas. 

Thomas kept her safe, Thomas promised her that she was his and nobody else’s. Thomas left the house, Thomas brought her into an abuser’s house. 

Thomas was going to be so upset. 

And she could avoid this, Y/N could put an end to this hand running up her shorts. 

But she was numb, she was lost. All she could see was Thomas, all she could think was Thomas. But that certainly wasn’t Thomas’s hands, not his soothing touch, not his caring praise. It was Peter’s, and it was disgusting. But if she ended this, what would he say to Thomas? 

By the time she could feel her feet, it was already over. 

Y/N sat up to her pants on the floor along with a spilled coffee and puke smears on the rug. Her bones were cold, but that blanket had a white stain that made her uncomfortable. She looked and found the door closed. 

As if he never even came in. 

Maybe it was seconds, maybe it was hours, but when she finally sat up her whole body weight caved in on her. 

She had to clean up the mess, she needed to get rid of the evidence. 

She had to clean herself, she felt like this wasn’t her body. She was violated, she was abused, she was used. 

Y/N took the longest shower of her life, whether it be from her crying or trying to disinfect the feeling of hands crossing her torso. 

She went to bed alone, and surprisingly, sleep caught her quick. When she woke up, she was still alone. No Thomas, no Peter. 

Her emotions ran over her again and she sobbed gently into her pillow. She was too afraid to leave the bed, too afraid to go downstairs and see what broke her, is breaking her. It was too much. 

When her tears finally ran dry, there was a knock on the door. Immediately, she pulled her knees up to her chest and felt her heart jump. She stopped breathing until she heard her boyfriend’s voice. 

As he walked in, he had bloodshot eyes, wearing the same clothes as the night before. 

“Sorry I didn’t come back home. I drank a little too much, crashed at James’s place.” 

I drank a little too much. 

“It’s okay,” Her voice cracked and she hoped he didn’t notice it. Y/N couldn’t bear with his overwhelming care right now, she wasn’t ready for questions. 

“Hey, so, turns out I do have to go in tomorrow, and early at that. So, what do you say getting a head start on the drive back?” Raising a brow, Thomas had a soft look on his face. He looked so different all of a sudden. 

“I would like that.” Y/N put on her best smile. 

But she couldn’t hold it forever, she would eventually give herself away, and of course after being together for a couple of years, Thomas would know a difference. The lack of hugs, the uncharacteristic quiet, working, what she claimed, “overtime.”

They were signs. 

The next few weeks, he made an effort to do better, try harder. Thomas booked reservations at the most expensive restaurants, he surprised her at work on Wednesday’s, he made sure to leave the office on time so he could cook dinner for Y/N, always asking how her day was. 

He said those three words at every chance he got because he needed her to know, he needed her to understand that whatever was happening, whoever she was seeing, they wouldn’t love her like him. 

It wasn’t enough. 

“Is there someone else?”  

Y/N turned to look at him, luggage in hand. She’s never seen him so broken, so lost. He had stopped crying, clinging to himself as if to hold him close to the ground. Those eyes, those deep brown eyes that she fell in love with...they were too similar. 

It was like she was back on that couch, seeing those drunken orbs that ruined her forever. 

Apparently, her silence was his answer. Thomas nodded his head sadly and walked back towards the bedroom, leaving Y/N stuck to the doorstep. 

~~~

“It could turn out to be a blessing.”

Her jaw was shut tight, hand over her mouth, restricting even the tiniest sob from letting loose. 

“No matter what happens, we’ll help you out….” 

This town wouldn’t let her live peacefully if she dared approach one of those buildings. 

“Have you at least called the father?”

Peter gave her a check and a note two days ago. 

“Why don’t you just come up here? We can figure this out together.”

Her phone dinged, and there was a ticket to New York staring at her. 

“Whatever you need, whatever you decide, we’ll support you, Y/N.”

She was gonna need it. 

Jefferson Taglist: @notebookgirl30 @dontblinkumightmiss @checkurwindow @einfachniemand @astralaffairs @daveeddiggsit @ramp-it-up @ohsoverykeri-blog @i-know-i-can

[e-milieeee]

tell me your heart—ladrien

Summary: Marinette finally works up the courage to tell Adrien her feelings. Except there’s one little problem: she accidentally does it as Ladybug, not as Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 

Notes: happy anniversary, APS! this is slightly messier than my usual fics but marinette is a mess and so is my brain and yall robbed me of my brain cells :( super glad i joined the server and ily all!! 

Or click here to read on AO3

Marinette Dupain-Cheng is going to confess today.

It’s not going to be like the twenty-second attempt, when she had left her water bottle’s lid screwed on too loosely and ended up digging out a soggy piece of paper in front of Adrien, which Marinette had stupidly dumped into his hands before running.

It’s not going to be like the thirty-sixth attempt, when she had slipped in front of a banana peel and tripped face first into Adrien’s chest and promptly told him to ‘stay peachy!’  

It’s definitely not going to be like the thirty-ninth attempt, one that was too embarrassing for her to recall. Marinette keeps that one in the cobwebbed crevices of her memories with caution tape layered all over the crime scene. No, this time will be perfect, because everything—every roadblock, every little thing that has the slightest potential to go wrong—has been dealt with.

Except, that is, the akuma attack that happens right after school.

By the time she purifies the akuma and bids Chat goodbye, Adrien’s schedule has moved from Chinese lessons to fencing. In a mad scramble, Marinette snatches her backpack up from the corner she’d tossed it right before the akuma attack. Inside, nestled carefully, are a pair knitted mittens. They’re less colorful than the rest of her inventions, but it’s been meticulously tailored to fit Adrien’s color scheme in a way that she hopes won’t clash with his other clothing (and, fingers crossed, will pass Gabriel Agreste’s critical eye). In a smaller box lies five passionfruit macarons that she’d woken up to bake at four in the morning.

It’s all perfect—every little bit—nothing can go wrong. Absolutely nothing.

She runs past one of the other fencing boys on the way, ignoring the strange look he sends her. Then, crossing her fingers that Adrien is still in the locker room, rushes inside.

It’s empty at first glance, and while Marinette’s heart drops, she isn’t deterred. She has a backup plan to the backup plan. And a backup plan to that. If she can’t catch Adrien before fencing, she’ll catch him after. If she can’t catch him after, she knows exactly where his Chinese lesson is—it’s all foolproof. No loopholes. No mushy notes, no banana peels.

Except she doesn’t need to find him after. Because there, at the last row of the lockers, stands Adrien Agreste.

He’s all dressed in his white fencing gear, arranging his shoes with the helmet tucked under his arms. Marinette practically barrels towards him, holding the gift-wrapped mittens and the box of passionfruit macarons. She’s out of breath, but it’s not from the running. Nervousness churns in her stomach, in her chest, until she feels like she’s going to barf.

No. She is not going to barf on Adrien Agreste attempting to confess to him. That would make it even worse than attempt thirty-nine.

“Adrien,” Marinette announces loudly.

Said boy looks up at her. His eyes widen, hands dropping from his shoes and leaving his laces untied, before he straightens. His mouth is open and does not close.

Is she that surprising? Maybe it’s because she’s in the boy’s locker room? But Marinette has long decided that doesn’t matter. She’s going to do it. She’s going to say it. Now.  

“I have something to tell you,” she continues. “Do you have a moment?”

“Yes,” Adrien replies. He hasn’t taken his eyes off her. “Um, definitely. Definitely have a moment.”

Mentally, Marinette congratulates herself. Her voice has remained even and confident, and she sounds like she knows what she’s talking about. Judging by the look of surprise that still hasn’t disappeared from Adrien’s face, she figures that she might be doing something right, finally. Or maybe something horribly, horribly wrong—

That thought drives out the eloquent speech she had prepared to deliver. Reverting back to her mess of words, Marinette thrusts out her arms, where the two packages lie.

“I like you,” she declares.

Oh, no.  

That was not how it was supposed to go. Marinette opens her mouth to amend, although she only ends up digging an even deeper hole. “Like, as in like-like you. Not as a friend. I mean—I mean, I do like you as a friend! But more than that too. I’ve liked you since you gave me your umbrella on the first day, and I realized you were such a compassionate, considerate person and you really care for your friends and you’re amazing and you smell good— argh.” She looks down at the gifts she’s still holding out to Adrien, tucked between red and black lined up her arms and tries to collect her words. “I like you a lot Adrien, and I know you might not feel the same, but I wanted to—”

The realization hits Marinette a second before Adrien manages out, sounding like he very much might faint, “Ladybug?”

They stare at each other. Then, like the idiot she is, Marinette blurts, “I’m not Ladybug, I’m Marinette.”

Oh, God.  

It's tragedy at it’s finest. This much, much worse than the time she’d dumped her yoghurt over his head.

Marinette knows that she should do something to fix the situation. Especially now, as Ladybug, who should be able to fix more than she ruins. Will it work if she summons a Lucky Charm? If she Miraculous Ladybug’s the situation, will Adrien forget about the very, very conspicuous slip-up?

No, probably not.

“Um,” Adrien manages. His face is as pale as a sheet. “Ladybug? I—I don’t—uh, are you sure you’ve got the wrong person? This is for—that’s for me?”  

Amidst the panic, Marinette’s heart still manages to drop even further. Of course. It’s a little vague, his reply, but it’s enough for her to understand the undertones in his voice.

“No,” she stammers, reverting right back to a stuttering mess she had been so certain she was long past. Then, as if she hasn’t contradicted herself enough today, she thrusts the bundle—macarons, mittens—into Adrien’s arms. He manages to catch it all, despite her shaky fumbling.

“I’m sorry,” Marinette tells him, because it’s the only thing she can think of saying.

Adrien doesn’t move. His mouth is open and Marinette can’t tell if the expression on his face is shock or confusion or worst—disgust.

The countless possibilities and the sheer terror of not-knowing throws Marinette into action. In one well-rehearsed action, she throws her yo-yo towards the window. It slams against the lock, opening a sliver.

And, like a coward, Marinette runs.  

***

She’s missing.

Adrien has searched everywhere.

He’s well aware of the fact that he skipped fencing; Nathalie will undoubtedly find out and therefore his father will too, but he can’t bring himself to care. He can spin another story about the akuma attack—it doesn’t matter, not when Ladybug— Marinette— is nowhere to be found.

He scours the whole school first, as Adrien Agreste. Then, without letting Plagg convince him into doing anything smarter, Adrien transforms into Chat Noir.

It’s very apparent he has lost his ability to think things clearly when he stops by at the Dupain-Cheng’s bakery to ask for Marinette’s whereabouts.

He’s hit with memories of his last visit here, as Chat Noir: standing in front of the door, imposingly large, with a single pink rose in hand. That might’ve been one of the most terrifying days of his life.

How ridiculous to think that it had been Ladybug—Ladybug, Marinette, Ladybug—that had welcomed him inside, Ladybug whom he had kissed so nervously on the cheek, Ladybug’s parents who…

Adrien’s head is spinning so much that he thinks he’s going to be sick.

The bakery isn’t very crowded when he enters, but he assumes it's because he came at an odd time. He sees Marinette’s mother behind the counter, straightening the displays. Her eyes widen when she sees him. Tom Dupain is nowhere in sight, which Adrien decides is most likely best for himself. They left on decent terms, but he doesn't want to explain to the man why his daughter might be possibly missing.

“Chat Noir!” she exclaims. “What a lovely surprise.”

He manages to return her smile, but it feels more like a wince. “Is La—Marinette home, Mrs. Cheng?”

“Sabine,” she corrects. “And no, not that I know of. School ended and she has yet to come back. Would you like me to pass a message for her?”

Adrien tries to hide his disappointment, but he’s pretty sure Sabine is too perceptive to have missed the way his ears drop. “That’s okay,” he tells her. “Any idea where she might be?”

A shake of her head. Adrien bids her farewell before rushing out, hoping to avoid any more questions.

His next destination is Alya’s house. She’s home, sitting in her room editing the formatting for the Ladyblog. Adrien doesn’t dare walk through their front door, but instead, taps on the window as he clings onto the side of the apartment.

Her eyes go wide when she sees him, and the window is thrown open in a moment and Alya practically sticks her head out. “Chat Noir!” she exclaims with her usual enthusiasm. “What can I help you with? Actually, do you think I could interview—”

“Not now.” He readjusts his grip. “I’m actually looking for Marinette. Do you know where she is?”

Alya frowns. “Marinette? I haven’t seen her since after school. She went looking for one of our classmates—Adrien Agreste? Maybe you’ll find her with him.”

Adrien’s heart stutters a little when he hears his name from her lips, an old nervousness about his identity. He does his best to make sure his expression doesn’t betray his thoughts, and instead offers Alya a tight-lipped smile. “Thank you, anyway,” he says. “I’ll just keep looking.”

He can see the question forming on her lips. Adrien practically flees to avoid questioning yet again.

He visits many places, everywhere he can imagine Marinette would go. He even turns up at the Couffaine’s boat, but the answer he receives is the same: no, she hasn't been here.

An hour into his search and Adrien finally . begins to look for spots he knew Ladybug would visit.

He scours Eiffel tower. The area around Notre Dame. He goes to the school again, for good measure. Neither Ladybug or Marinette are anywhere in sight.

It’s at the banks of the Seine that Adrien nearly gives up. He drops by at Andre’s ice cream stand, grudgingly heading over when the man beckons to him.

“Looking for somebody?” he asks.

“Yeah.” Adrien toes the ground. “Has Ladybug passed this area?”

Wordlessly, Andre points his hand towards the row of rooftop. Adrien follows his gaze to them, where bricks and stone dip and form into structures, and—

There.  

Red against blue, outlined against the sky.

There.  

Adrien sucks in a breath. “Thank you,” he breathes to Andre before leaping off.

He drops by behind Ladybug thirty seconds later, his throat closing and chest constricting. She doesn’t turn around even though she must’ve heard the thump of his landing.

She looks impossibly small sitting there. But of course. Ladybug is Marinette—short and cute and bright and generous Marinette, who’s adorably clumsy and sometimes stumbles with her words around him. Other times, she snaps at Chloe—Chloe, who no one else dares confront—without an ounce of fear. (Figures. After facing akumas as Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng probably wouldn’t be scared of Chloe.)

There, with her legs pulled to her chest and untouched ice cream melting in a couple next to her, Adrien finds himself reconciling the two people very easily in his mind, even if part of him still trembles with disbelief and anticipation.

Marinette—Ladybug—is in love with Adrien Agreste; Ladybug is in love with him.  

It’s that thought that gives him courage to take a step forward. “Hey,” he greets, throat dry.

“Hey,” she replies softly. “Why are you out right now, kitty?”

Adrien sits down beside her. “Something surprising happened to me today and I needed time to clear my head. You?”

She turns her head to look at him, and for the first time, Adrien takes her features in with the whole picture in mind. Blue eyes like the sky, black hair. They even had the same hairstyle. The same voice. Ladybug pouts like Marinette does when she’s trying to convince people, because God help him, Ladybug was Marinette.

“Remember the boy I told you I liked?” Ladybug mumbles.

The sting in his chest is gone when she mentions it. Mentions him.  

All those days of harbouring jealousy—jealousy Adrien had told himself many times was irrational yet could not let go of—at Ladybug’s unnamed crush, and it had been himself all along.

“Yeah.”

“Well, I made a mistake today.” She stretches her legs out in front of her and gives him a sad little smile. “I thought… I don’t know what I was thinking, but I thought I should finally tell him what I feel about him.”

“Did he reject you?” Adrien asks carefully.

“Yes—no, but I-I might’ve accidentally given away my identity. He isn’t the sort of person who would go around telling anybody, but I just—I mean, now he knows I’m Ladybug. And the worst part is that the first thing he said was are you sure you’ve got the wrong person. So maybe that was a rejection. Maybe—I mean, what if he was disappointed? To find out who Paris’ superhero really was?”

“Why would he be disappointed?”

Ladybug throws her arms up. “Because it’s me,” she says. “I’m just a normal girl underneath the suit. Maybe he was expecting…maybe he was expecting someone more phenomenal. Someone more…worthy? It’s just… yeah, the options could’ve been much worse. But they could’ve been much better, you know? Maybe if I hadn’t accidentally confessed as Ladybug, he wouldn’t have been…wouldn’t have been as disappointed.”

Her words hurt, the fact that this is what she thinks about herself and his opinion of her, but Adrien doesn’t let himself give in yet. The words and dancing on the tip of his tongue— Plagg, claws in— but he seals them away for later. “If this boy you like doesn’t think you’re worthy, then he’s not worthy,” he tells her. “Underneath the suit, whoever you are, I’m certain you’re just as amazing.”

She laughs, but it’s a little strained. “Thanks, kitty,” she whispers. “I wish he thought like that as well.”

Adrien can barely sit still. It must be black magic that his voice comes out without trembling. “Maybe he does.”

“If he did, why did he say that? He looked shocked, and it wasn't the sort of good shock?”

“Did you give him a chance to respond?”

“Well… no.”

“Maybe Adrien would’ve said something different if you stayed a little longer.”

“Or maybe he would’ve said even worse— wait. Did you just say Adrien?”

She looks at him now, and Adrien’s heart is beating so fast that he’s sure it’s going to rip right out of his ribcage. “Did you say Adrien?” she repeats when he doesn't immediately respond.

Adrien takes a deep breath. “Plagg, claws in.”

His transformation falls in a burst of green light, too quick for Ladybug to turn away, too sudden for her to remember to close her eyes.

Silence follows. Then, with a loud shriek, she practically leaps to her feet. “ Adrien?”  

Now that he’s reached the end of what’s been thought through, Adrien can only improvise. He opens his palms, which are sticky with sweat. “Ta-da?” he announces weakly.

Ladybug lets out a sound that sits between a sputter and a choke. She points a finger at him. “You’re Adrien,” she says.

“Yeah. And you’re—you’re Marinette.”

They stare at each other, both speechless, before Adrien says, “I wasn’t disappointed, you know. I was just… I wasn’t functioning properly because the girl I’ve been in love with for the past six months confessed to me. And because I was so used to you turning me down that it was just—uh, it was shocking. But I promise you it’s the best sort of shock. Not the bad kind you were talking about."

“Oh my God,” Ladybug manages. “ You’re Chat. Of course you’re Chat Noir. And…all those times—I dumped yoghurt on Chat Noir’s head?”  

Adrien can’t help the laughter that bursts out. “Ladybug dumped yoghurt on my head,” he confirms.

“I’ve… thrown Adrien Agreste off the Eiffel tower for fun.”

“I sit in front of Ladybug in class.”

“Adrien’s face is plastered all across the city and nobody suspects that you’re Chat Noir!”

At that, she bursts out laughing. It’s a little hysterical, but it’s laughter all the same, and she laughs until she has doubled over, clutching her stomach and shaking. “We’re so stupid,” Ladybug manages out between giggles. “All this time, and we’ve been idiots.”

He grins back at her. “To think that you’ve been the one grilling me about keeping my identity secret, yet you’re the one who gave it away in the end.”

Ladybug shakes her head. “What now?”

“What now?” Adrien echoes. “Well, the girl of my dreams just confessed to me, and I haven’t given her an answer yet.” He takes a deep breath. The words are well rehearsed as Chat; less so as Adrien Agreste. It’s strangely foreign now that their situation has shifted so drastically, but he plows on. “I like you as well, but I’ve made that abundantly clear. And I like you, Marinette too. N-not just Ladybug. Both sides of you. I’m not disappointed you’re Ladybug, because now that I see it, it could only be you. And I’m so, so glad you decided to tell me today. Even if it didn’t go as you planned in the beginning.”

A thrill runs through him when he sees the way her face lifts into a smile. They look at each other, wordless but not needing words, everything unspoken already laid out between them.

“There doesn’t need to be a what now,” Adrien adds. “I’m quite content with now.”  

He holds out his hand, and she takes it.

“I’m glad you’re my partner,” Ladybug says quietly, after a little bit of silence. “And I’m glad that today happened. And I’m really, really glad that it was you I dumped that yoghurt on. It's suddenly a lot less embarrassing.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

She nudges his hip playfully with her own. It’s a familiar action, but this time, Adrien swears his heart melts a little bit more at it. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, kitty.”

“Well, if I’ve got it right, you like me because I’m amazing and generous and smell good, so I don’t think I’m getting ahead of myself.”

When he sneaks a glance at her, her face is red. “Shut up.”

“Or else?”

“Or else,” she echoes, then shakes her head. “I just remembered. I gotta go before my parents start panicking.”

“Are you leaving on purpose?”

“Ye— no! No, I’m not. But my maman expected me home hours ago, and they’re bound to worry. I’ll—I’ll call you when I get back, and we can even meet tonight if you want.”

Adrien smiles at her. It's endearing, these little pieces of Marinette he sees in Ladybug that he's never noticed before. The slight stumbling over her words, the way she taps her feet on the ground. “It’s fine,” he reassures, “I get it. And tonight sounds good.”

“Tonight it is,” Ladybug agrees. “Eiffel tower?”

“Yeah. S-see you.”

She gives him a quick wave, pauses, then leans in and presses a chaste kiss against his cheek. Before Adrien can speak or react, she has thrown her yo-yo towards a nearby building and swung away.

His face is warm long after the red of Ladybug’s suit disappears. Adrien doesn’t know how long he continued staring after her if it’s not for Plagg, who zips out of his shirt and smacks his cheek, hard.

“Close your mouth before I barf,” his kwami groans. “Because I’m this close to cataclysming myself.”

“Ladybug likes me back,” Adrien tells Plagg for good measure.

“I’ve heard!”  

Despite his complaining, though, Plagg grants him silence as Adrien sits quietly on the rooftop. And everything is okay—everything is more than okay—because Ladybug is Marinette, Marinette is Ladybug, and Adrien has never been happier.

Notes: i tried my best ok pls accept my offering of good will :( 

(this is also the least angsty reveal fic i’ve done fhsjkfdhf) 

Fics masterlist

[willowistic22]

August - Javid

Ship : Javid

Genre : Angst

Song : August - Taylor Swift

Warnings : fighting (arguing), slap, cursing, if there’s more feel free to remind me to tag it :)

A/N : so long overdue i am sorry but school is a bitch quote me in that one idc lol. Anyways, this is an almost 5 k words of angsty javid songfic (thank you @nowisthetimetocarrythebanner for helping me choose which ship to write first :)) Hope yall like it and not get tired of me being a huge swiftie hehe

Salt air

And the rust on your door

This isn’t what he’s used to. Davey always tells his parents if he’ll be going out no matter what, even if he knows they wouldn’t like it because Davey will always find a way to get around their disapproval. This is out of his disciplined nature, and he knows it. Yet, he’s so drawn to this idea. Of course he’s drawn to this idea if it isn’t Jackie boy’s idea.

The moment he heard a tapping noise coming from his window, his mind is no longer in between the words of the book his father had lent him for the night. He saw the boy’s figure waving frantically on the rusty fire escape and he knows it only leads to a bizarre idea Davey will end up regretting.

I never needed anything more

“This better be worth it,”

Oh, but it’s always worth it. It’s Jack for crying out loud. When will it not be worth it for Davey when it’s Jack knocking on his window?

He folds the corner of the page and closes the book. Tossing the book on the rickety bed that he and Les share and takes a few steps across his packed bedroom to get to his window.

He slides the window open. The gust of the summer night wind instantly entering his room, along with the remaining sounds that can be heard down in the streets. But his focus is all on the boy that came to visit him. Crooked smile, dirty coarse cheeks, ruffled dark brown hair, and a lighter shade of brown in his twinkling eyes.

Whispers

Of "Are you sure?"

“What if we get caught?”

“We won’t”

“You don’t know that”

“Well, we will if ya keep standin’ around in the middle of the street like that!”

“Jack, I’m serious!”

“And so am I, Dave!”

The nickname. It caught Davey off guard. It instantly stops his jabbering. He hasn’t heard that name in awhile, Davey forgot the effect it has on him. A fast heart rate, stiffen posture, and an uncontrollable mind.

Jack being Jack, took his silence as compliance. He continues to lead him in Ms. Medda’s theatre through the back door. Ms. Medda wouldn’t mind Jack sneaking around the theatre for whatever reason. But he’s still frowned upon by the bulls, which would mean their shady looking actions would be a reason to capture him.

Davey is still standing in front of the doorway in the alleyway, whilst Jack is already a few feet ahead of him inside. Jack turns around to see if he was following and walks back to the door to convince him one last time. 

He gives him his hand and voices out gently, “It’ll be fun. I promise”

And just like that, Davey is lured in his schemes once again. He reluctantly places his hand in Jack’s palm, which was instantly pulled through the door and into the backstage of Ms. Medda’s theatre.

“Never have I ever before”

Ms. Medda couldn’t be found as the two bolts passed the people working backstage. She’s performing with the rest of the Bowery Beauties. Jack’s been hearing Ms. Medda and the other performers practice this new song and was told that it’s being performed in front of an audience for the first time tonight.

Jack pulls Davey up to the scaffolding backstage so they can have a better view of the performance and a place to sit down peacefully. They let their legs dangle freely under the railings since no one will be able to see it. As Jack expected, Davey was captivated. As he puts his hands on the railing and leans forward for a clearer view, his green eyes twinkle like the stars and his smile as pure as gold. He usually hides his emotions well, but this time it was obvious this was his first time watching a performance in a theatre.

“You do this often, huh?” Davey said, eyes still glued down to the stage.

“Yeah, I’se like to sneak out after puttin’ the littles to sleep,” Jack answered. A moment of silence followed. Then Jack flips his head to gaze back at Davey and says, “It’s just the first time I brought someone with me”

Davey twists his head to face Jack. He sees the boy staring back, but he can’t decipher what about this stare that made it different from the other times they’ve shared a gaze like this. A weird feeling settles in Davey’s stomach. The feeling heats his cheeks and he knows it’s a blush.

The sudden sound of applause pulled them away from their made up universe. A standing ovation full of cheers and whistles. Jack twirls his head first, clapping softly to the feathery and glimmering ladies bowing towards the audience.

Davey’s composure hasn’t returned yet, he couldn’t find the strength to clap. He can only gaze down upon the bowing and try to decipher what had happened.

And when he least expected, Jack places a hand on the railing right next to Davey’s. His pinky slowly brushes over Davey’s. He keeps his hands absolutely still, stiffening up his whole left arm as their pinky intertwine. All while avoiding each other’s gaze in hopes to not ruin this little moment they’re sharing.

Oh, God, not again…

Your back

Beneath the sun

There’s this love hate relationship he has with Jack Kelly. The obvious reason is that the good person and amazing leader side he has is hidden under all the stupidity and spontaneous decisions that mostly leads to a catastrophe. Sure, he’s a figure to look up to for younger newsies taking on the world. But when he gets some space to do something self-indulgent, it can get a bit out of hand.

And then there’s also the not-so obvious reasons. The gentleness, the vulnerability, the oddly intense moments, the small kind gestures, all of which only Davey gets to see. He turns into a nervous wreck but seems to be addicted for more. It’s a different treatment from his other newsie friends, even a different kind of gentleness the littles receive.

When these moments first started happening, Davey thought this was a gateway to project his real feelings towards the boy. And every time after they have those special private moments together, Jack always pretends it never happens the next time they meet each other. It confuses Davey to no end. One moment they’re alone on the fire escape sharing deep secrets they’ve never told anyone before, soaking up whatever’s left of the sun before it sets. The next moment, they’re just ‘your super close pals being normal pals’.

He still hasn’t fully decided what to feel about this game he’s playing with Jack. It’s obviously dangerous, physically and emotionally. But it’s the only soft interactions Davey has ever gotten from Jack. He’s been aching for it the moment he fell for him back when the Manhattan newsies dragged him to strike.

So here he is now, standing in the circulation gate with his stack of paper in one hand and Les’ hand in the other. Ready to play along with whatever game Jack has in store for the two today. He hasn’t seen him this morning, and maybe it’s better that way.

Wishing I could write my name on it

Davey watches Les run across the circulation gates towards where his own newsie friends were waiting for him before they can start marching towards their usual selling spot. He smiles and waves back at the ten year old who seems to already be having too much fun with his friends to notice.

“They grow up so fast, huh?”

Davey twists his head around towards the source of the voice. The same boy from last night stands in front of him, proudly wearing a smirk while carrying his stack of paper.

“Well, it’s bound to happen one way or another” Davey replied, somehow being able to keep his cool.

Jack lingers in his green eyes for a moment. Davey can sense there’s a hidden meaning behind his gaze. And if his gut serves him right, it’s the same kind from last night.

Wait, what’s he doing?

He’d usually initiate the play pretend game early in the morning. But asking Davey to sell with him? That’s not pretending. Even if that game is still on his agenda for today, selling together would only make things harder.

Could it be an idiotic move for Davey to accept this invitation? Most likely. But with that offer on the table, it sparks a small flame in Davey’s curiosity. He wants to know what Jack has in mind for them.

Will you call when you're back at school?

After the two were done selling, Davey thought they were going to Jacobi’s to meet up with the rest of the newsies. But Jack turns out to have a different plan of his own. One which, like most of his other plans, brought fear upon Davey.

He led the two back to Medda’s theatre, where everyone was working backstage. They’re too busy to notice two rapscallion looking teens sneaking in the theatre.

“Jack, where are we going?” Davey finally asked as Jack continued to drag him towards the rows of seats in front of the grand stage.

They stop once they arrive in front of two specific chairs on the very last row. Jack takes a seat on one and puts his newsie bag on his lap. Davey can see a shape forming in it, despite knowing Jack had sold all of his paper earlier.

“Come on, sit down with me” Jack said, patting the empty seat next to him. Davey froze for a second, eyeing Jack skeptically. He rolls his eye with a little chuckle before pulling out the item hidden in his bag, revealing a sandwich he bought from Jacobi’s, “I got us lunch. So come sit down!”

Despite complying to the invite, Davey can’t figure out what were his intentions behind this plan. They sit in silence for the first few seconds, taking a few bites in their own respective sandwiches while staring at the stage being redecorated for tonight’s show.

“I wanted to ask somethin’… but… wasn’t sure if you’se okay talkin’ about it in front of the others…” Jack started out slowly without meeting Davey’s eyes.

At this point, Davey’s heartbeat was getting faster and louder. He so badly wants to hide his face in his hands, but his muscles have frozen in place. He keeps control of his eyes from moving, not wanting to take one glimpse at Jack to avoid a long drawn out stare.

“What is it?” Davey’s lips seem to have a mind of his own, growing impatient at the excessive silence. He mentally slaps it from thinking it was a good idea to make any sort of move.

In the corner of his eyes, he can see Jack turning his head to face Davey. Though he still doesn’t dare to look back.

“Are ya still gonna come by the lodge once you’se back to school?”

A silent sigh of relief escaped his lips, though it did kind of hurt when the question wasn’t what he expected. Nonetheless, he answers, “Well, not as often as now. But I’ll definitely come back every now and again”

August is ending and all the newsies knows Davey and Les are bound to go back to school. They’ve grown comfortable with the brothers, so it’ll definitely feel weird not having them around as often.

Never in his wildest dreams would Davey expect Jack asking about that topic. But going out of his way to drag him all the way here? And buying the two lunch while he’s at it? There has to be more than that, right?

I remember thinking I had you

“Are you gonna miss me?” Davey rounds up the last bit of courage in him to ask.

He hears Jack scoff and can feel the eye roll directed towards him, “Keep dreamin’, Dave!”

He finds the strength to look back towards Jack. Seeing the brunet cracking up a laugh through his smile, he laughs along with him.

Their sandwiches are now left as crumbs, but they didn’t bother walking out of the theatre. They were too entertained with their conversation. Davey noticed how quiet they’re being, despite being too far from anyone to hear what stupid nonsense spilled out of their mouths. There’s also that oddly intense feeling between their breaths, giving all their stupid nonsense a double meaning to it.

As time passes on, things start to escalate even further. It could be just Davey, but there’s something about the way Jack looks at him. His brown eyes look more cheerful and his smile is wider. Unprompted hand touches, so soft and slow yet utterly meaningless. There was no reason for Jack’s hand to dance around the palm of Davey’s. Nor was there a reason for said hand to travel to playfully touch his cheeks. And could their heads be slowly gravitating towards each other? Or could that just be Davey’s head playing tricks with all of this happening to him?

“So… will you be able to run the lodge without my help?” Davey asked, filling in the little silence settling between the two after a fit of giggles turned into a lingering gaze.

“I’se ran the lodge just fine before you and Les showed up,” Jack started, “ I’ll be fine without you!”

“Sure glad I won’t be missed” Davey joked, turning his head down to his hands on his laps.

“What? No! That ain’t what I meant!”

He reaches over to grab his hands gently, causing the taller boy to go beet red. He draws reassuring circles on the back of Davey’s hand, the goosebumps returning once again as he watches it unfold on top of his lap.

“We’ll be fine, but we’se gonna miss you guys,” Jack said.

The hand reaches up to Davey’s chin, forcing him to properly face Jack. His green eyes grew wide at the sight of the brunet boy staring longingly at Davey. He was for certain that their heads are slowly gravitating towards each other. With every inch closer, his heartbeat grows louder and faster. He couldn’t bear to keep his eyes open the moment he could feel Jack’s hot breath dancing on his face. His lips, already parted and so ready to be able to welcome Jack’s—

BANG!

The door right beside them swung open, causing the two boys to jump and return back to their respectful seats.

“Funny seeing you boys here!” A femenine voice rang through their ears, high and pitchy but with a friendly tone. 

They turn their heads towards the sound. There stood a tall figure. Head full of long red curls and clever light brown eyes darting between the two. Cheeks with some freckles animated to form a smirk on the pearl white face.

“And you have a proper excuse to be here, Kath?” Jack challenged her, “I’se sure you’se smart enough to know the first show of the day doesn’t start till later in the evenin’”

Jack’s smile was no longer centralized towards Davey again. He gets himself lost in Kathrine as she makes her way towards the stage with her notepad and pencil, brushing his witty remarks off with a little eyeroll.

Davey watches as he smiles at Kathrine’s presence and remembers the reality. He shifts back in his seat, trying his absolute best to make sure Jack doesn’t hear his heart breaking. That would be embarrassing if he found out Davey thought this wasn’t a game after all.

Back when we were still changing for the better

He quickly departs from the scene, not wanting to meet Jack’s face as he gets up from his seat. He left the theatre quickly, recollecting himself with a deep breath as he made his walk.

Davey repeatedly beat himself up for being such an idiot. There’s been multiple times that happened. When he thought something was going to be different between the two, something around them would remind them that it’s all just a game. It isn’t different than those previous times and will never be different. It’s just a concept Davey still needs to get used to.

Wanting was enough

For me, it was enough

Oh, how badly he longed for the feeling. The feeling to be held by him. The feeling to share a loving kiss. To share more little moments with him. With that infuriating and equally charming Jack Kelly.

Davey would scream in his head, over and over again, how that’s not possible. He isn’t meant to love and be loved by Jack. His heart was already reserved for Kathrine. He knew that from the moment he saw the way Jack acts around her. He could see hearts in his eyes, a brighter smile, and maybe a cockier manner.

When Jack was around him, it felt just like that but slightly different. Jack would be more gentle, tamed, and shier. Davey made up so many excuses in his head for that contrasting behavior, all of which benefits his own feelings. Though, he’s smarter than to think that is what’s actually going on. So he’d usually proceed to make up more excuses of how happy he is that Jack found Kathrine. It did sort of help him through this wave of sadness. Without it, Davey might not be able to blend himself with the crowd of people rushing up and down the sidewalk.

Cancel plans just in case you'd call

And say "Meet me behind the mall"

“Dave!”

The sound of his name made him look back. His heart starts beating faster when he saw it was Jack Kelly. He shouldn’t be standing still like this, waiting for Jack to catch up to him. It’s obvious Jack has his heart for someone else. Davey can’t keep waiting for him to keep up and chase after him only to be tossed to the side once he’s bored with the little game they’re playing.

Jack stops in front of him, crouching down with both hands on his knees. He takes a moment to catch his breath before properly standing up to flash his slightly red and sweaty face.

“You forgot your bag,” Jack said, pulling out a dirty newsie bag out of his own and presenting it to him.

He didn’t realize it wasn’t strapped around his torso like usual till now. He takes it from Jack’s hand and chuckles out through his small smile, “Thanks, Jack”

Davey awkwardly turns around, back to focusing on his trek. Before he took a step further, something grabbed his arm from behind and stopped him.

Before he knows it, Davey finds himself in an alleyway. Backed up against the wall by Jack, uncertainty makes up the lines and curves of his face. But Davey isn’t focused on his face. Rather, the lips that had crashed onto him with no warning.

So much for summer love, and saying “Us”

A few days have passed and Davey could still feel the feeling of those lips against his own. How it remained frozen for a moment when they first connected, but soon moved together once they’ve registered to what’s happening. It creates a sweet feeling that makes the two tremble in each other's grasps. He couldn’t describe what Jack tastes like, mainly because he was too focused on the feeling caused by the movement, but it was addicting and he wants more of it.

The feeling buzzed through him for the rest of the day till the next morning. Sarah and Les noticed it and kept on bugging their brother to spill, but nothing worked. Davey was still feeling the high of it after a few days but was able to ground his feelings so it won’t show up to the surface all that much.

Though, he’s still unsure if he should make a move. Jack somehow acted a bit stranger than usual. The ‘pretending that nothing happened’ game was on again, but this time he was more distant than usual. While the others were smiling and properly greeted Davey and Les when they arrived at the circulation gate, Jack just waved and quickly got himself busy on his own.

'Cause you weren't mine to lose

After a long day of selling, Davey sits down on one of the empty chairs at Jacobi’s for some lunch. His rousing newsie friends filling in the, once peaceful, deli with their chattering and laughter. Davey stays silent while Crutchie, Finch, and Specs talk about their day.

In storms, Race comes running in followed by Albert and takes up the last two chairs on their table. Their energy contrasts with the previous four, but they’re always welcome with their stupid grins.

“You’se two are excited” Crutchie commented after putting down his glass of water, “What happened?”

“You’se guys would never believe what just happened!” Race started, followed by a fit of laughter with Albert. Confused glances were shared between the other four. Upon seeing this, Race and Albert stopped to tell the story.

But I can see us

Lost in the memory

Race was wrong. Davey would absolutely believe what just happened. Though, he wishes he didn’t believe it. Or that it was just a lie. Whatever he can say that can dismiss what Race and Albert just told him. Because Jack kissed Kathrine and Davey can’t believe it’s true to save his poor heart.

He didn’t want to make it noticeable that he was storming out of Jacobi’s, but he desperately needed to see Jack again. His heart is fully shattered this time, he can’t take it any longer. Davey waited for a few minutes before he walked out, trying his absolute best to not let his shattered heart appear to the surface.

August slipped away into a moment in time

It didn’t take long for him to reach the lodge, Albert and Race had briefly mentioned from his story where Jack was. For the most part, Davey had ground his emotions. The sorrowful note in his heart, and just a little bit of anger, was hidden in front of his friends to avoid any questions. But the further away he got from them, the more of his emotions started to seep out of his skin.

He steps into the completely empty lodge. If Jack isn’t found inside, he’d probably be up on the roof. Davey walks up the rusty fire escape. He pops his head up and sees Jack sitting on the other side of the roof, to what Davey suspects to be, sketching something on a piece of paper with the way his back is bent forwards.

Davey is completely perplexed, seeing Jack going about his day as if he didn’t do anything. The lines on his face are drawn by anger, green eyes glowing with fire, hand forming into a fist that’s ready to strike.

He makes Jack notice his presence by purposely stomping loudly as he steps on the roof. Jack turns around from his drawing. Once he noticed it was Davey, he put his drawing down and stood up with a bright and innocent face to greet his friend, a huge contrast to Davey’s. Jack takes a few steps closer to him but still left a good amount of space between the two.

“Dave!”

'Cause it was never mine

He didn’t act up towards that nickname. He simply walks past Jack and purposely bumps their shoulder in a fit of rage. It was Jack’s turn to be perplexed.

He takes a moment before he turns around to hear why Davey was here. Jack got a vague answer when he was met by a strong slap to the face from Davey.

“Do I mean nothing to you?!”

Jack stands completely still in front of Davey, rage visibly coursing through his veins. Jack was left speechless from that unprompted slap. The pain still stinging on his cheek as it slowly turns redder and redder as the second passes.

He looks down to his feet, propping his hands on his hips before looking back up to Jack. Davey’s green eyes now slowly overflowing with water and holding a sob in his throat.

“Why’dju do it?” Davey’s voice cracked a bit at the end, “Why did you set me up in this... game?”

Davey lets one sob escape his lips but holds back the rest in his throat. He blinks a few of the tears away and looks back to where Jack’s face slowly starts to crumble now that he knows what’s this all about.

“Kelly, why did you kiss me?!” Davey raised his voice a bit.

Jack looks at him with wide eyes. Fear in his gaze upon seeing this side of Davey for the first time. He can’t find the answers to those questions. Not even the words to excuse himself.

Davey wraps his arms around his torso to find some form of comfort in this situation. He turns to look past him because looking at him in the eye hurts.

“I don’t get it….Y-you held my hand, you shared secrets, you showed me remarkable things…” Davey went on, the memories flashing in his head like a movie, “... But then after a few days you act like you don’t even know me!”

Jack watches as Davey tries to hold himself together to continue. He watches as his heart crumbles in front of him. The sound ringing in his ears is painful, knowing that it was coming from Davey. And even worse: Jack was the reason.

Davey turns his head to face Jack again.

“Was it stupid of me to fall for you? Was it... stupid of me that when you started doing all of that…” Davey started, voice reflecting the state of his aching heart, “I thought that maybe... you actually returned my feelings?”

“No” Jack simply answered after taking some time to ponder over it.

“But you also kissed Kathrine” Davey brought up what Race and Albert said earlier, “I even heard… you’re going on a date together…”

“Davey… where’dju even get that from?” Jack asked.

“Race and Albert. Sounds like you’re pretty open about it…”

Jack couldn’t move a muscle. His brain fully blanks as it drives Jack’s focus all onto the sobbing boy in front of him.

Back when I was living for the hope of it all

“I should’ve known…” Davey breathes out, dropping his head to the floor, “I should’ve fucking known…”

“No… No, don’t say that” Jack takes a few steps closer, desperately reaching his hands towards him. But Davey violently steps away. Jack knows it means he’s close enough, so he drops his hands to his side again.

“I shouldn’tve hoped for much...” Davey continued, a little raise to his tone but laced with suffering, “I knew from the start you wouldn’t care…”

“Davey, wait! It’s not what you think!”, Jack tries to get closer but ends up stepping backwards as Davey forces him to back away.

“Oh, is it?!” Davey challenged. His face, now shattered in pieces by the tears he could no longer hold back, “Did you fucking forget all those stupid moments you spent with me?! Making me think I actually mean something to you?!”

“Of course you mean somethin’ to me!” Jack stops Davey from pushing him even further, standing his ground with his feet and words. Or whatever it is he can come up in his brain in this heated situation, “I-it’s just… it’s… I don’t know, okay?”

Davey recollects himself as best as he can, furiously sniffing his nose while wiping the tears off his cheeks and eyes. He slows his breathing down while cynically staring at Jack. He slowly makes his way towards the brunet, keeping just an inch of space between their faces.

“Then let’s find out”

His warm breath linger in the limited space between them. The two boys lock their eyes in an intense stare. Davey parts his lips slightly open, testing Jack’s words by pushing him to act up.

Davey aches for another kiss, but he only lets his head tilt to the side while he waits for Jack. But Jack didn’t move. No muscle in him acted up to what he said. He just stood there, staring. Once again making Davey look like an idiot.

He purses his lips, another drop of water falling down his cheek. Davey turns on his heel and walks away from the scene.

“No, wait, I can explain!” Jack chased after the boy, grabbing his arm and twirling him to get them to face each other once again. But Davey’s face is now in pieces, as he barely can hold it in any longer the moment he turned his face away from Jack.

“Let go, Jack,” His voice was shaky and breathy, “Please… I can’t do this anymore…”

The sound of his pressed down sob down his throat broke Jack’s heart even further. He loosens his grip from the boy, letting his hands slide down his sides. He watches as Davey sniffles and wipes his eyes with his sleeves.

“Take care, Jackie,” Davey said before turning around and walking away.

Watching Davey walk away like that left Jack speechless and heartbroken. A wave of guilt and regret rises from his stomach towards his eyes. It wells up with water, watching one of the most important people in his life walk away.

As Davey exits the empty lodging house, he takes in every detail of the house. Whether it’s a crack on the wall, a rust on the bunk bed, or even the precious little trinkets his friends left lying around, Davey examines it till it’s embedded in his brain. After this day, he might not have the strength to come back. Ever.

[wienerbarnes]

Injury

Pairing: Bucky x Reader (Cheek to Cheek)

Word Count: 3,127

Warnings: Mentions of injuries, self-deprecation, Bucky cooking

A/N: yall wanted some extended stories of cheek to cheek so i will deliver as long as the ideas come :) also the gif has absolutely no correlation to the oneshot im just obsessed with the new content we got today LOL anywayyyy if yall have any requests for this pair lmk!

MAIN MASTERLIST | CHEEK TO CHEEK MASTERLIST

Bubbles and foam stick to the curves of his palms, both flesh and metal, as Bucky finishes washing his dishes from dinner. He’s gotten closer and closer to perfecting his bao buns; he only tore open one dumpling when twisting them closed and he remembered to oil the parchment paper that lined the bamboo steamer Sharon got him for his birthday.

He shuts the water off and moves to the left side of his sink to begin drying his now clean china. It’s been a peaceful night in his apartment. Alpine shared the seat with him on the couch while Bucky ate his dinner, hoping some pork would slip out of Bucky’s mouth so he could catch the treat. He started watching some cheesy rom-com before getting bored and just shutting off the television altogether, opting to play some music while he completed his chores instead.

Ella Fitzgerald’s voice fades out and Bucky waits for the small silence in between songs to end. The towel pauses on the plate for a moment as the beginning tunes of Cheek to Cheek echo in his apartment. 

“Heaven, I’m in heaven…”

Bucky continues drying off his glass and remaining silverware as you flash in his mind. He hasn’t seen anything about you nor have you left him any other notes or clues since that day he saw you at the fresh market. He hopes you’re okay. Truly. You were thrown into a life you surely weren’t meant to live at such a young age, barely an adult, and then almost put to death for acting out due to trauma that was out of your control.

Almost immediately after Bucky puts the final dry glass in the cupboard, his ears perk up. He’s not entirely sure what the sound was; he pokes head out from the doorway of his kitchen to see a ball of white fluff still unmoving on his couch, the same position as he was ten minutes ago except tiny ears are standing tall and proud now.

Bucky glances at the windows that are visible and they all still have the lock in tact, the door is still locked as well. Bucky quickly examines the mental map in his head and realizes the only other spot having access to the alleyway next to the apartment building besides his living room windows is the large window in his bedroom. He steps back to the kitchen to grab ahold of one of the knives in the drawer.

As he slowly and silently creeps towards his slightly ajar bedroom door, his ears pick up another heartbeat. Quick, stressed beats hit his ears as he draws closer and closer to the door. He pushes the door open quickly to see his window still half open, lock broken and hanging on the sill, and his eyes meet your heaving frame on his carpeted bedroom floor.

Bucky lets out a sigh and tosses the knife onto his bed before crouching down to help you up.

“Geez, you couldn’t have left some sort of ominous note or another friendship bracelet before breaking into my place?” Bucky scolds as he rests his hands on the tops of your shoulders.

You flinch roughly and cough out a “Help,” that quickly catches Bucky’s attention. He’s able to twist your body slightly so your weight is on your bottom instead of your legs and his eyes immediately catch onto the deep gash along your ribs and the blood pouring around your hands. The blood is coming out of the cut so fast, Bucky can almost hear the gushes. Squirts of blood make there way out from in between your fingers and Bucky notices then just how pale you are. 

He stands and runs to his bathroom to grab his spare bath towels along with a first aid kit. You blood ruins his fluffy white towels and soaks them almost instantly as he pops open the first aid kid and grabs the bottle to sterilize your wound along with a needle and surgical thread to stitch you up. It won’t be the best, but it’ll be enough until he can get you to a hospital.

“N-no hospital.” You whimper. Did I say that out loud?

“Stop talking. Ignore me, just-just stop talking and don’t move.” Bucky stutters and soaks the other towel in alcohol to replace the now blood soaked one. 

This back and forth continues until the blood slows down enough for Bucky to get in there and cut away at your shirt to expose your rib area. 

“Christ, were you mauled by a fucking bear?” Bucky mumbles. The cut is bad. Really bad. He’s sorry for the nasty scar that the combination of this cut and his horrible stitching skills are about to leave on your smooth skin.

“I-I saw it coming, too. I saw it, and I-I still c-came over here…” You trail off, voice ragged and wet. He spares a glance at your face; your skin is wet with a mixture of sweat and tears and your brows are turned upwards in both exhaustion and defeat.

“And-and then I noticed this was your building,” A deep breath, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I couldn’t go to a, to a hospital, I’m sorry,” You voice gets more and more panicked with what little energy you have left.

“Hey, relax, alright? I’m gonna fix it, I just need you to relax, okay? Just relax for me, doll.” Bucky reassures you as he threads the needle. This is gonna fucking suck, I’m so sorry.

Bucky plunges the needle through your skin at one end of the cut and you merely tense; he can tell you’re using everything within you to stay as still as possible. 

The torture continues as Bucky tries to sew you up as quickly and delicately as possible. He finally finishes and goes to grab another towel to clean up any leftover blood that’s glued itself dry to your soft skin.

Bucky dabs gently at your skin and the color slowly comes back to your face. You’re staring straight at his ceiling, face seemingly emotionless, but he can sense the anger radiating off your body.  

“You gonna tell me what happened?”

“Stupid Hydra cunts; what the fuck do you think happened?” You snap. The emotion finally comes out in your voice and he glances at you once more. Your eyes are more wet than usual and his heart breaks for you. God, let this fucking girl rest.

“They get away?” 

��Fucking assholes.” You mumble to yourself, as though you didn’t hear him. Bucky watches a small tear exit through the corner of your eyes and he doesn’t need to ask you again to know that they did.

Bucky grabs your hands and pulls you up slowly as to not let you get lightheaded and his metal hand rises to push stray hairs out of your face. You flinch a little bit, but he continues anyway. Now that you’re sitting up on your own, he reaches his arms behind your head and pulls your hair into a loose ponytail with the hair-tie that’s stayed on his wrist even after his haircut.

He can feel you watching him with wide eyes, probably confused as to why he’s treating you with such caution and care when you’re a serial murderer and kidnapper wanted by the entire planet and you’ve just ruined his window and his carpet.

“I’ll give you some clothes to change into. When was the last time you ate?” Bucky whispers to you, voice remaining sweet and so, so, so gentle.

“What?” You ask, mouth twisting into a small, confused frown. Bucky scoffs and pulls you up by the tops of your arms and helps walk with you towards his bathroom. You lean against the wall and he disappears back into his bedroom and returns with a giant long sleeve shirt and soft pajama pants, a pair of socks rolled into a tight ball resting atop the stack of clothes. He rests the stack on the counter and says, “Holler if you need anything.” before closing the door behind him as he exits. 

Bucky likes the modern look, that’s for sure. Simple, grey and white tones with pops of gold to highlight different spots of the bathroom.You don’t even know when it was the last time you were in a bathroom this nice looking.  Definitely before Hydra, but everything good in your life was before Hydra. 

You take a deep breath and remove your clothes before staring at your reflection in the mirror. Your hair, that you’ve dyed a muted purple since the last time you saw Bucky, is faded towards the tips and your dark brown roots have grown out to your ears. You observe the scars and dark freckles that decorate your skin, spending a few extra seconds the new one you’ve collected tonight.

You did this on purpose. You didn’t see you getting stabbed, but you saw Bucky getting stabbed tonight in his apartment. You don’t know why you traveled two hours into this part of New York to rescue him, or whatever it is you think you did tonight. 

That was fucking stupid. You could’ve gotten yourself killed, or worse, caught. All for what, some fucking Avenger who showed you a little kindness while you were on death row? You’re so fucking dumb, you know that? You think you’re some big hero now or something? That this makes up for everything you’ve done? You’re no hero, you’re the farthest thing away from a hero. Who would even-

“Hey, you alright in there? You didn’t pass out on me did you?” Your self-deprecation is interrupted by a certain soldier’s deep voice coming through the door.

“Yea, I’m fine.” You reassure as you grab the clothes and begin pulling them on one by one.

When you exit the bathroom, you come face to face with the soldier himself. Noses are almost touching and you can smell the sweet and tangy scent of whatever he was cooking on his body. You can’t help but lick your lips at the delicious thought of something to eat and you notice his eyes flicker down to see your tongue poke out between your lips. His eyes meet yours again and he clears his throat before turning and returning back to the kitchen. You don’t waste time in following quickly behind.

… 

Bucky slowly stirs the sweet and spicy sauce with the leftover pork from his bao. He didn’t have the patience to sit for an hour twist small dumpling balls, but the least he could do was warm up what remains of the meat. He also threw in a small bag of frozen vegetables in the microwave, which have about three more minutes to them. Sure, definitely not as good as fresh vegetables, but he doubts you’ll care, or even notice for that matter.

It’s when the microwave beeps that he realizes you’ve been in his bathroom for too long. Maybe your stitches popped. Maybe you passed out from what a shitty job he did on your cut. Maybe you’ve been bleeding out on his bathroom floor this entire time and he’s been too busy stirring pork to notice. Maybe you snuck back out the window. Maybe you snuck back out the window but didn’t jump right and now you’re more hurt on the ground of a dirty alleyway.

Bucky switches the heat off and goes to the bathroom to check on you. 

As he nears the door he softly presses his ear against the wood and he relaxes when he can hear the rapid thump of your heart on the other side. He lifts his right middle finger knuckle to tap on the door, “Hey, you alright in there? You didn’t pass out on me did you?” Bucky teases, hoping to God that you didn’t. 

“Yea, I’m fine.” Comes your voice through the door and Bucky lets out a breath of relief.

The door opens and he feels a bit of heat on the back of his neck at the sight of his oversized clothes on you. He sees the stretch of your collarbones above the large head hole of the shirt he gave you and he sees the tips of your now bright yellow painted toes poking out from the sweatpants you’re wearing, which can confidently assume have the waistband string tied incredibly tight to keep from slipping down. His eyes catch your tongue slip out to wet your lips and his throat is suddenly very dry. He clears it and looks back up at your eyes. Jesus, you’ve just been blatantly staring and checking her out for who knows how long, you creep. Bucky turns and returns back to the kitchen to prepare your bowl of pork and vegetables.

He’s never seen someone eat so much so fast. Shoveling food into your mouth, small dribbles of saliva leaking out of the corners every once in a while, your tastebuds overwhelmed by the amount of flavor. You’re on your third serving already, glass of water barely touched and you continue to eat and eat and eat.

When you finally put the last forkful of pork and vegetables in your mouth is when you finally reach for the water and gulp down almost the entire thing. Bucky would be lying if he said he wasn’t impressed. Reminds him of himself when he had his first real meal after Hydra.

Bucky smiles as you let out a loud burp and he reaches to take your bowl and silverware. 

“Thanks, uh, for everything.” You say. Bucky looks over his shoulder from where he stands at the sink to see you looking at the ground.

“Don’t mention it. I, of all people, know what it’s like after, well, you know.” Bucky stumbles on his words.

“Yeah, well, it’s what I got to do, so,” You stand and he notices you look for anything you might’ve brought, even though you both know you had nothing on you.

“You goin’ somewhere? Got a place you’re staying at?” Bucky asks, shutting off the water and follows you as you pass through the living room and back into his bedroom.

“Is that a joke?”

You step back into the bathroom to grab your bloody clothes from the ground and you go back near the window to grab your shoes that you’re pretty sure flew off your feet when you flung yourself through Bucky’s window. Bucky’s hand stops your movement as it rests on your shoulder. He gently spins you around to face him.

“You nearly got yourself cut in half. With all the blood you lost, you should spend the night here.”

“Don’t you think it’s kinda dangerous to have two of America’s Most Wanted in the same apartment building?” You question, trying to find any excuse to get yourself out of here. You did what you wanted to here, even if it was stupid. Don’t go from stupid to moronic by getting comfortable. No matter how inviting those blue eyes are.

“Technically, I was pardoned by the government, so I'm no longer wanted. I can’t speak on your behalf though. But I’m sure two military trained killers can take care of themselves and each other.” 

“You take the guest room and I’ll take the couch. I’ll lock up the bedroom in case those baddies come back ‘round here and I’ll fix up the lock tomorrow.” Bucky walks over to his closet door and slides it open to grab two fluffy blankets from the very top shelf above his rack of clothes.

He turns back to face you and stares at you until you finally drop your shoes back on the ground. He gives you a small smile before walking out of his bedroom. You hear him lock his bedroom door after you exit and stand awkwardly until he can show you where his guest bedroom is.

Bucky can’t help the grin that spreads across his face when he turns around to see you, looking so small in his oversized clothes, folding your hands together, looking around the room, waiting for him to finish up. He chews on his lip hard to make the smile go away as he steps forward and down the hall to the guest bedroom door. He opens it for you and lets you step inside and glance around the room.

He notices the way you look around the room, making a mental note of everything in it, what can be used as a weapon, what can’t, as well as your eyebrow twitch at the realization that there’s no windows and no other means of emergency escape except through the main door. He doesn’t say anything about it, though. 

“I’ll, uh, be out in the living room, if you need anything. Uh, goodnight.” Bucky says awkwardly as you give him an equally awkward smile in return. 

Sleep comes easy to you that night, but you’re sure it has nothing to do with the supersoldier cuddled up with a little white kitten in the living room outside your door.

…

Bucky wakes up later than usual the next morning. Small claws stretch across his large chest as a very hungry kitten is awake and upset that there’s no food automatically in his bowl that morning. Bucky rubs his hands roughly against his face before swinging his feet over the edge of the couch and standing up. 

After peeling open a can of cat tuna and plopping it in Alpine’s cat dish, he leaves the now satisfied kitty to go see how you’re doing.

He gently knocks on the door and opts to slowly move it open when there’s no response. He opens it completely when he realizes the room is completely unoccupied. The bed is completely made and Bucky feels the sheets to feel them cold. He walks back across the apartment to his bedroom to see your shoes gone as well. 

Bucky won’t lie and say he’s not at least a little bummed out. He was hoping you’d stay a bit longer. So that your wound can heal up, of course. He’s not sure if Hydra experimented on you to make you super but everyone needs some good rest every once in a while. 

Bucky lets out a sigh before moving back into the kitchen to begin preparing his own breakfast. 

“Hey, uh, Alexa? Can you shuffle my music library, please?” Bucky asks politely.

He watches the blue circle shift around before familiar trumpets begin to fill the room. Bucky rolls his eyes and breathes out a humorless laugh as he reaches into the cabinet by his legs to take out a pan.

“Heaven, I’m in heaven,”

“And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak…” Bucky sings along softly.

[love-killed-the-superstar]

i finally finished cass week!! its been lots of late nights but so much fun. thank you everyone whos been reading these. tonight i have some real good cassunzel/unknighted dream content for yall, so enjoy if that’s your thing

CASSANDRA APPRECIATION WEEK DAY 7 - FINALE

How is one supposed to feel, showing up at their girlfriend's wedding to somebody else?

Cassandra has been through the whole spectrum of emotions in the run up to it all. There's been joy, of course, and in abundance – these are her best friends, taking that next important step in their lives. While she... takes her own next step. Alone.

She has poured over detailed illustrations Rapunzel sent her in letters of the various wedding patterns she's considered. It's amazing how much input Cass has had in the whole thing, considering it isn't even her wedding, especially when also factoring in the distance between them. She's helped pick out the flavour of punch while hunched over a campfire on a cold night; she's backed up Rapunzel's desire to forego shoes, even in the royal cathedral, in her underthings while her clothes hung up to dry after she got caught in a flash flood.

Half the time it doesn't feel like her place, and she withholds her opinion. Or she'll write back something along the lines of 'you should ask your future husband, not me'. But then Rapunzel counters that with 'well, you're like my future wife, so your opinion is equally important'. And... well, that just leads to other emotions that are even harder for her to deal with.

The flip side of the coin is the disappointment she feels, knowing that Rapunzel can only marry one person and Eugene is the clear winner, in both the royal family's favour and the court of public opinion. After all, who would come to a wedding where the princess marries the very person that nearly destroyed the kingdom? Cassandra can't fault Rapunzel for making the choice to marry Eugene; he was in Rapunzel's life first, he's begrudgingly grown on the people of Corona despite his shady past, and during the mess that she caused he stepped up and took responsibility. He loves her. He'll do anything for her.

She's happy for them, really. But the whole situation still feeds back into this complex she's worked so hard to overcome these last couple years. Marriage just a... a ceremony, a piece of paper, a legal contract. A wedding is a big, over-dramatic party that she would never in a million years want to take part in anyway. And hasn't she always told herself, since she was an angry little kid rolling her eyes at the Day of Hearts' puppet show, that romance, matrimony, all that bullshit, is something she's never wanted for herself?

It's petty, plain and simple, to have such a sting of jealousy at the idea of Rapunzel and Eugene marrying. They deserve their happy ending! More than anybody! Cass will just... have to figure out a way to be okay with that. Chasing destiny on the open road is her happy ending anyway, and that's no life for a... what would she even be? Princess consort? Duchess?

...Fine. She doesn't need a title or status to be happy. So much of her identity has been clinging to words other people might use to describe her and it can only end if she wishes it so.

All the same – it would be nice, just for a day, if she could be Rapunzel's bride.

…

Cass doesn't mean to show up late to the ceremony, although she's sure that Lance will slide up and make some comment at the reception anyway. Maybe she just didn't want to get up that morning. Maybe it's because she stayed up late last night, camping out at the lagoon, thinking about the vows they took all those years ago. After all, wasn't that modelled after a private wedding, between the two rulers who bound their kingdoms together? A marriage that is recognised in Corona's history books? By extension, aren't her and Rapunzel already married, in their own way?

That should be enough.

By the time Fidella and Owl rouse her, their casual annoyance morphing into urgency as the sun rises higher in the sky, she already knows she won't make it on time. She won't even have time to change, after Rapunzel spent weeks pestering her for her clothing measurements to have an appropriate outfit tailored. Thankfully, Raps knows her well enough not to commission a dress.

Cass rides like she's never ridden before, determined to get there before the vows. What will Rapunzel and Eugene think of her if they look out to the pews and see she isn't there, after all she's done to convince them she's fine with it all? She promised herself, the moment she held the pale lilac wedding invitation in her hands six months prior, that she wouldn't ruin their big day for them. Even if she shows up with windswept hair and yesterday's travelling clothes on, she has to be there, cheering them on.

With her and Fidella's combined determination they make the journey from the lagoon to the castle walls in record time. Standing at the gate, she purses her lips in annoyance as Stan and Pete, in a frustrating display of competence, ask for proof of ID and her invitation.

“Stan, Pete, this is ridiculous. You know me. You've known me since I was a kid.”

“Sorry, Cassandra,” Stan says sagely, as she begrudgingly hands over her Corona citizen identification card. “Rules are rules, and this is a big day for the princess.”

“Besides, we need to be on the lookout for shapeshifters,” Pete adds on, holding her invitation to the light to search for the subtly printed Corona emblem on the paper. “It's a recent thing we've been told to watch out for. A couple years ago there was an incident at the goodwill festival, see.”

“Pete, that was also me,” Cass says flatly.

“Never can be too careful,” he sighs, shaking his head. “Captain's orders and all. We good here, Stan?”

“Yup, everything looks legitimate. Welcome back to Corona, Cassandra!” Stan says, reverting back to his cheerful disposition.

“I am going to kill Eugene for this. Figuratively, of course.”

Stan motions for the gates to open, and as they do, a narrow stream of what looks to be wine rushes past Fidella's hooves. She moves aside slightly, snorting a little in confusion.

“Eww,” mutters Pete, exchanging a confused look with Stan before clearing his throat. “Well, you'd better hurry to the wedding if you don't want to miss the vows!”

“Yeah. Thanks.” Cass wrinkles her nose a little at the trail of wine leading across the bridge, eyes widening as it becomes apparent that there is much more where that came from. As the gates swing shut once again, Cass wonders to herself what the fuck they have just walked into.

The whole kingdom looks to be a mess. There are lanterns flying everywhere, and between them there are doves. Passing through the lower town, it looks like there's been some sort of roof collapse at the old tar works, and the stream of wine gradually becomes a shallow river. Fidella does her best to step around the mess, but it's nearly impossible; even the houses lining the street have been doused. At this rate, the reception will be an extremely sober affair.

Cass picks her way through the winding streets leading up to the palace, passing by a few torn up carts selling imitation merchandise of Rapunzel's wedding attire. She can't help but scoff at the broken shoe cart. As if Raps would wear shoes, even to her own wedding.

The crowd, all dressed in their Sunday bests, look shaken to their cores when she finally reaches the courtyard. The tables that were laid out for the reception are overturned, there is soup everywhere, and no one knows quite what to do with themselves.

She approaches a guard, looking flustered as he tries to set a nearby table upright, and asks, “Uh, what happened here?”

“Some – some horse burst through in a frenzy,” he explains, shaking like a leaf. “It, uh, from a distance it kinda looked like Maximus.”

Cassandra's brow furrows. “Is everything okay?”

“There are no reports of a disturbance in the throne room,” the guard continues. “But as you can see, the decorations have all been tarnished.”

“Yeah, I can see that. Look, I won't keep you, I just need access to the throne room. I have an invitation here, signed by the princess...”

After an excruciating second ID check (she was seriously going to maim Eugene for introducing this ridiculous 'shapeshifter' check) Cass is granted access to the venue, and figuring it's probably best not to draw attention to her tardiness, she slips in through one of the side entrances, with its door propped open to let in some cool air on such a hot day.

Cass hops down from Fidella's back, scratching the side of her head affectionately as Owl swoops down to take her place. He hoots at her curiously.

“Yeah, I don't know what the fuck just went down either,” Cass whispers. “I'm sure we'll find out later. For now, let's just not make a scene?”

Fate has other plans, however. She makes it barely two steps past the doorway before almost being bowled over by a runaway eight-tier wedding cake.

“Woah!” she gasps, stepping out of the way just in time to avoid getting a face full of cake. She reaches around, gripping the sides of the trolley to try and keep it from rolling all the way outside. Fidella steps in to help, blocking the exit with her body, and Cass heaves a sigh of relief as the trolley grinds to a halt, the cake wobbling precariously for several painful seconds before stabilising. Owl hoots in victory and Cass exhales loudly.

“Oh thank god. That could have been a disaster.”

“...Hey, where's the cake?” a voice, unmistakably Eugene's, calls from beyond the edge of the corridor. Cass cringes. So much for quietly watching from the sidelines.

Steeling herself, she slips around the back of the trolley and with some effort, pushes it around the corner and into the throne room. There's an audible ripple of uncertainty through the pews, as the confused guests mutter to one another about why some windswept vagrant is wheeling out a cake that was already in position at the beginning of the ceremony. There's a hoot of laughter (definitely Lance) at Cassandra's dishevelled appearance, a sharp “is that Cassandra?” from three rows away (her dad's voice, for sure), and a few giggles she's guessing are coming from Kiera and Catalina's direction. She can't even bear to look at the king and queen.

Instead, she sees two figures in white. Eugene, looking proud as can be in his very expensive wedding garb that he bragged about to her in several letters... and Rapunzel, face framed by the soft lace veil behind her, looking so beautiful Cass could cry. Her surprise melts into pure glee, and if it weren't for the colossal cake in between, Cass knows Raps would be launching herself at her right then and there, present company be damned.

She passes Max and Pascal and almost chokes. That would explain the sorry state of the tar works' roof, at least. From somewhere behind, she hears Fidella stifle a snort of laughter.

“Well well well,” Eugene says, with a click of the tongue and a lopsided grin. “If it isn't our favourite little gatecrasher.”

It's his teasing, strangely enough, that helps her to find her voice in front of all these people. “Well geez, somebody had to stop this cake from rolling down the hill.”

…

The wedding reception ends up being less of a party and more of a clean-up operation after Max and Pascal's prior mischief, but when the venue has been tidied up and the main courses have been served, Cass slips away right as the king stands up to give a tearful toast. If she times it right she can change into the outfit Rapunzel has had tailored for her and return before the speech is concluded, no problem.

At this point, her room is basically an empty shell with a bed and a wardrobe, so it takes no time to lay out her new outfit ready. Glancing around the empty husk of a room while she starts to undress, Cass wonders when exactly Corona stopped feeling like her home. Maybe about the time she realised it was the people, not the place, that she gravitated back to time and time again?

The new suit doesn't look all too different to Eugene's, minus his father's sash. It's white, with similar detailing, and even some of the same gold accents on the collar. Cass blanches a little the longer she stares at it. God, she's going to look like she's trying to steal his thunder. On his fucking wedding day.

“Why did I let you do this, Raps?” she groans. She can't deny once wearing it, however, that it makes her look really good.

She stares at her reflection in the mirror on her closet door, trying for a smile. This whole situation feels bizarre, and she still can't stop thinking about how stunning Rapunzel looks in her wedding dress.

I wish she was marrying me instead.

The admission, even inside her head, is enough to make her growl in frustration, slap her forehead.

“Enough,” she grits out. “You are going to go out there and be supportive and happy for them because this is their day and you love them so much. Enough throwing yourself a pity party, Cass.”

With nothing else to say to herself, she ties back her hair, shaggier from her foregoing a haircut in quite some time, neatly plaiting it and securing it with a short piece of string from her satchel. Pulling a pair of white gloves on to tie the whole outfit together, she glares at her reflection for a few seconds to compose herself before heading back towards the venue.

“Looking dapper, Cass,” Lance mutters in greeting as she slides up beside him, trying to pretend that she hadn't slipped out in the middle of the king's big speech. He glances over at Eugene, sat beside Rapunzel at the front table reserved for the royals, and then back to her again. “Tell me, which one of you is the groom again?”

“Don't you dare draw anyone's attention to this, Lance. Raps has no idea how petty this makes me look to onlookers.”

He bursts out laughing, which quickly dissolves into a fake cough to deter the few people who turn to stare at him disapprovingly. “Haha, hmm. Uh, you know that was definitely intentional on her part, right? She wants you to feel included.”

“Included? I just feel like I'm third-wheeling a wedding.”

“Isn't that exactly what's happening?”

She groans quietly, before bursting into polite applause as the king embraces Rapunzel tightly and then raises his glass, before taking his seat. Edmund rises, and she can already see Eugene looking nervous at the weird shit he's about to start spouting to the unsuspecting audience.

“I came back here to support them, not to upstage Eugene at the after party.” She chews her lip. “Maybe I should change. D'you think I should change?”

“Look, Cass, Eugene knew about the matching suits ahead of time. If he had a problem with it he would have said something, believe me.” Lance grins and shakes his head. “I was just messing with you before about the third wheel stuff. You're their equal, don't you get that? This might as well be your day too.”

Cass pinches the bridge of her nose. “Don't say this stuff to me, Lance, or I'll seriously start feeling depressed. I need a drink. Is there any booze left, or is it all out on the street?”

“Unless they're planning on breaking out the communion wine, I think we're out of luck.”

“Damn it. Maybe I should just hide in the bathroom for the next six hours.”

As the toasts conclude, Rapunzel and Eugene are called to the dance floor for the first wedding dance. The orchestra rise as Arianna removes the train from Rapunzel's hair, and she and Eugene make their way to the centre of the venue with their hands clasped. Rapunzel's eyes search in the crowd as she walks, finally locking in on Cass as the conductor motions for the band to play.

“I love you,” Rapunzel mouths, and Cass weakly nods before losing Rapunzel's attention to the sweep of the music and the arms of her new husband.

…

“Cass!”

Rapunzel finds her on the steps, having put some distance between her and the rest of the party about an hour ago. After a couple hours of shit-talking bad dancers with Lance from the sidelines, catching up briefly with her father, and downing about a third of the punch bowl in an attempt to avoid conversations with people, Cassandra is all partied out.

Rapunzel's hair is mussed from hours of relentless dancing as she patters down the steps and flops down beside her, uncaring if the dust from foot traffic leaves a mark on the fabric.

“Hey, newlywed. You having a good time?”

“Of course! Oh, Cass, aren't the orchestra just wonderful? They play the classics, for my parents, but the upbeat stuff was a great surprise! When I'm queen, we'll dance like this at every function, mark my words!” The gleam in her eyes only brightens as she adds, “Besides... I keep stopping mid-step and thinking, I'm married now. I get to spend the rest of my life with Eugene. Isn't that just – just wonderful?”

“It is.” Cass offers her the warmest smile she can muster. “I'm so happy for you, Raps, really. You and Fitzherbert are going to have a great life.”

“All three of us are.” Rapunzel scoots closer and rests her head against Cassandra's shoulder. If only time could stop right now, Cass wishes silently, she wouldn't ask for anything ever again. “Cass, you are both my future. It's been so hard to find time to be with you today, and it's driving me crazy! You deserved to be up there with us today, you know?”

“But Corona law doesn't allow it,” Cass says softly, as if saying the words delicately will shelter her heart from fully feeling the weight of them. Rapunzel swallows and nods.

“Mhm. Yeah, it... it doesn't.”

She reaches for Cassandra's hands and squeezes them in her own. Cass can feel Rapunzel's wedding band dig slightly into her index finger, and tears spring to her eyes.

“Well,” she forces herself to say, “it's okay. If you had to marry either one of us, it should be Eugene. He's the more stable presence in your life, after all. He can help you keep this place afloat, while I – while I'm off travelling.”

“Let's not talk about this,” Rapunzel whispers, a pleading tone creeping in. “This... this should be a happy day for us, Cass! The start of something new!”

“You're right. Raps, this is a happy day. And – and I mean it, Rapunzel, I am so happy for you both. My best friends get to be happy together forever. Why wouldn't I be?”

She stands up quickly and holds her hand out, pulling Rapunzel to her feet. Rapunzel stares at her for a heartbeat, face clouded with some emotion too tumultuous to unpack in this moment, before reaching over and wiping a tear away as it spills over from Cass's eyes.

“I know you are.” Her face softens into a smile. “Hey, dance with me? Please?”

“I don't know, Raps...”

“Just one dance?” she asks, biting her lip. “I'm about ready to turn in, but... it wouldn't feel right if I didn't share at least one dance with the woman I love the most.”

“That's sweet of you. How will the man you love the most feel if I take the last dance?” Cass asks, quirking an eyebrow as Rapunzel begins tugging her up the steps by her wrist. “And your father, for that matter?”

“Oh, Eugene won't mind, silly,” Rapunzel laughs airily, marching them both towards the centre of the dance floor as other party-goers begin to stare. “And my father isn't dancing with you, I am.”

There are some whispers as they begin to dance slowly, stepping in time to a waltz; it's more of an open secret than anything, the way Rapunzel and Cassandra are with each other, but it still feels pretty brazen all the same. Cass is a bit rusty on her feet, having gone years since she last danced ballroom-style, but as she stares lovingly at Rapunzel's face, counting the smattering of freckles on her nose and seeing her own flustered face in Rapunzel's eyes, she realises it doesn't really matter. The steps are bullshit; everything is, except the hand clasped in hers and the other curled around the back of her neck.

Out of the corner of her eye Cass spies Lance, grin a mile wide, offering his hand out to Eugene. They start their own dance, a little clumsier, a little more comical than their own. Rapunzel giggles as they waltz past, Lance almost knocking into them as they spin.

“See? Eugene and Lance can make their own fun.”

Cass smiles back, exhaling slowly. There are still a few people watching with rapt interest: Queen Arianna, looking misty-eyed; Cassandra's father, fidgeting a little, his anxieties no doubt feeding off of the nervousness in Cass's own body language; a little girl she doesn't even know, clad in a waistcoat and pants, looking like she's seeing someone who mirrors herself for the first time. But as interest in their dance begins to wane, so do her fears.

“Dancing still isn't really my thing,” she confesses, as they begin to slow down. “It feels... awkward.”

“Oh.” Rapunzel pouts. “But, you know, gotta try everything once?”

“Of course. I can stand it if I'm with you.” She leans in to press a kiss to Rapunzel's forehead, but thinks better of it, leaning back again. “I, uh... yeah, it might be time for me to turn in, Raps.”

Rapunzel's smile fades a little in disappointment, but she nods. “Yeah. It's about time for us to leave too, so...”

“You're leaving tonight?”

“Yeah. No time like the present, right?” Rapunzel winds her arm around Cassandra's, clinging on as she calls over the din of the music. “Eugene! Are you ready?”

“Sunshine, I'll be right with you,” he calls back, in the midst of being dipped by Lance. Once he's back on his feet and says his goodbyes in a bone-crushing hug, he joins the two of them as they make their way to the edge of the dance floor.

“Is... is it okay for us to just leave like this?” Cass asks suspiciously. “You two don't need to make some kind of big announcement, or anything?”

“...Nah,” Eugene says after a long pause, exchanging a look with Rapunzel. “We can let the king and queen deal with that, right? Besides, the ship won't wait forever.”

Before Cass can protest further, Eugene slides up to the other side of her and links his arm in hers, and the two effectively march her down the steps and towards the docks.

“This is lovely and all, but I can't help the feeling that you two are kidnapping me,” she points out, as the three of them march on in silence.

“What! No! We – we just think you should see the boat! It's really gorgeous, and there's apparently an ice sculpture on board,” Rapunzel gabbles, starting to wax poetic in her ear as Eugene stands on the other side of her, equally enthusiastic.

“And get this – they didn't screw up my nose this time!! That's a huge deal, you absolutely cannot miss it-”

This weird pimping of the boat continues as they follow the path down to the harbour, greeting a few puzzled guards on the way as they tag along for protection. Cass can't shake the feeling that something extremely weird is going on. Eugene and Rapunzel have been shooting her odd looks all day, and she thought it was because her complicated feelings were obvious to everyone around her, but as they get closer and the ship comes into view, it definitely feels like there's a bigger story than that.

The boat is beautiful – the wood is dyed a deep cherry red, and the sails are the same rich purple as the Coronan flag, complete with the golden sun crest. On board, true to their words, is an ice sculpture, but as she strains her eyes, the sculpture depicting the happy couple looks suspiciously like a happy throuple, instead.

“Raps... Eugene... what exactly is going on here?”

“Oh, you'll see,” Eugene says under his breath, while Rapunzel giggles gleefully and gives no further answer.

Trunks of their belongings are already being loaded onto the ship when they arrive, and Cass notices a familiar satchel and carry on pack nestled beside one of Rapunzel's cases.

“Are – are those my things? Guys, what is going on?”

Finally, the two of them release her arms and she takes a step back, eyes darting all over as she tries to comprehend what the fuck is happening right now.

“Cassandra,” Rapunzel begins, clasping her hands together joyfully, “we're boarding the ship for our honeymoon, and... we were hoping you would like to come with us.”

She stares. “...But why?”

“Why?” Eugene scoffs. “Why indeed, Cass, let me think. You're our best friend, you're in a relationship with my wife – something as intimate as a honeymoon doesn't just happen with two out of three when it comes to us, you understand?”

“But – but this wedding isn't for us, it's for you,” splutters Cass, still wondering if she knocked her head at some point and woke up in a parallel universe, where things like a honeymoon for three were commonplace. He rolls his eyes, hard.

“Cass, look at us. We're wearing the same freaking suit. You do the math.”

“And we had our own wedding dance,” Rapunzel chimes in. “Even if you didn't really like it.”

“All right, just... stop, okay? Give me a minute to think.” Cass is starting to feel dizzy. “I – I know you both love me – in different ways,” she adds sharply, as Eugene opens his mouth. “But this is... pretty crazy. Even for us. I mean, people will talk about this, guys.”

Rapunzel and Eugene exchange amused glances. “Cass, everyone who knows us knows, and everyone who doesn't have a pretty good guess about what goes on between us three,” Rapunzel says slowly. “You don't have to worry about that anymore, do you understand?”

“It's different now!” Cassandra protests, shaking her head in pure, unfiltered amazement. “You two are married now and it's – adulterous. Probably. Maybe even treasonous? God, my head hurts.”

“So it's not a cut and dry situation, that's fine!” Eugene throws up his hands in exasperation. “But damn it, Cass, you're acting like this is the end of days. If you stuck around more than a few days at a time, you'd realise that the people of Corona really don't care as much as you think they do.”

Cass opens and closes her mouth a few times, unsure of where to even start with protesting everything they've been saying to her. She loses the train of thought anyway once she lays eyes on Rapunzel, with a desperate look in her eyes as she watches Cass, fidgeting with her hands.

“Cass,” she says quietly, taking a tentative step forward, “we can't force you to come with us, but we would really like you to. So we can right this – this rigid law that stops us all from being happy.”

“...Okay, now you've definitely lost me.”

Rapunzel makes a frustrated noise in her throat, running her fingers back through her hair and resting both hands on the back of her neck, like she so often does when she's trying to think.

“Cassandra – once we are outside of Coronan waters, the laws don't apply anymore.”

“...And?”

Eugene half-laughs, half-coughs, and Rapunzel shoots him a pointed look before continuing more gently, “And, when we're out at sea, certain... marriage laws... don't apply either.”

She bites her lip, hoping this will be enough to get the gears turning in Cassandra's head, but she stares on blankly.

“Oh, for christ's sake!” Eugene slaps his forehead and pulls Cass along to stand beside Rapunzel, staring them both down with folded arms. “Cass, I don't know how many times we have to spell it out for you, but this has always been your wedding day too. If you want it to be, anyway.”

The words finally seem to hit home, and she stares between them with eyes as wide as a deer being stalked.

“What?” she squeaks.

“Cassandra, I have wanted to marry the both of you for as long as this has even been a conversation,” Rapunzel explains, and her voice shakes a little with her next words. “Of course this is crazy, everything we do together is crazy! And, Cass? If you don't want to get on the boat and do this... I'll accept that. But – but I hope, after all that we've been through together, that you want to be my wife as much as I want to be yours.”

Time moves slowly as the weight of these words sink in, and Cass glances between Eugene, who is beginning to look emotional just in the presence of this proposal, and Rapunzel, laying her heart on the line just to show Cass how much she matters.

“You'd really do that? For me?”

“With you,” Rapunzel corrects, mouth splitting into a grin as her eyes gloss over with tears. “Cass, I would sail to the ends of the Earth if it meant I could marry you when we get there.”

“Oh god,” Eugene says in a hushed voice. He turns away, hand over his eyes. “You're both killing me here.”

“Can it, Fitzherbert,” Cass says on instinct, before a laugh bubbles up from her throat. “Raps, I – what do I even say to that?!”

“Say yes already, oh my god!”

“Eugene!” Rapunzel shakes her head, giggling helplessly. “Sorry, proposals get to him.”

Cass gives a watery laugh. “I'll bet. What's he going to do when we actually get married, huh?”

Rapunzel blinks a few times, then gasps in delight. “So it's a yes?!”

All Cass can do is nod before Rapunzel throws herself at her, hugging her tight enough to choke. Even with all the oxygen being squeezed from her lungs, Cass feels like she can breathe for the first time all day.

There's the sound of a throat being cleared behind them, and they turn to see a guard looking a little awkward to interrupt.

“Excuse me. Um... the smaller bags, should we load them on the ship, or...?”

“Yes, you should,” Cass says, barely able to contain her cheer. “Wherever these two go, I'm going with them.”

The guard shrugs, quickly turning back to the remaining luggage, and Cass cups Rapunzel's jaw, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before hiding her face in the top of Rapunzel's hair.

“Aww, don't be shy! I loved that!” Rapunzel giggles, pulling her in closer. “I loved that so much. Wherever we go, you're coming too. Yep... that's going in my journal for sure.”

“No,” groans Cass, still giggling despite herself. “Please, no record of anything sappy I say ever again.”

“Too late. See, you should know by now, Cass. Everything mushy we ever say will be immortalised in our wife's notebooks for the rest of our lives,” Eugene sighs, slinging an arm around her. Cass nods, keeping close as they steer her towards the boarding plank.

Our wife. It feels too fucking good to be real.

“This isn't a dream, right?” she asks suddenly, as they're halfway up the plank. “This is really happening?”

“Of course it's real, art can't imitate life!” scoffs Eugene, looking a little offended. “This face can't simply be replicated in dreams, Cassandra.”

“No one is saying anything about your face, Eugene,” Rapunzel sighs, shaking her head fondly.

“You know what, Fitzherbert? You've got a point. If this were a dream your nose would be a totally different shape, for a start.”

“I don't get it! How hard can it be to draw somebody's nose in accurate proportion to their face?!”

As they take their first steps onto the boat and the plank is removed, they turn to see a few familiar faces have gathered. The parents have come to wave their children off, in a quiet moment of finality before the next chapter begins. Arianna waves to them, her aura simply overflowing with joy, Frederic watches on with a stiffer wave, clearly still coming to grips with what's about to happen once the boat leaves Corona. Edmund, stood off to the side, is loudly asking Hamuel why their good friend is tagging along for the journey.

A little further back, Cassandra's father watches on. Upon first glance, she freezes; Rapunzel's arm is still holding her in close, and she nods towards him, trying for a smile. He nods back, slowly at first, before raising his arms to wave.

He is called over by Arianna and sheepishly joins her, his eyes never fully leaving Cass as he does so. Overwhelmed, she glances down at Rapunzel, who is leaning with her head against her shoulder, still beaming and waving at her parents.

“My father knew about this, then?” she asks quietly. Rapunzel shrugs, a shy smile on her face.

“I know we don't need it, but I wanted his blessing. I wanted him to know that you're loved, and you're gonna live a long life and be okay.”

The regal trill of trumpets fill the air, as the small cluster of guards on the dock stand to attention. A few words are read from a prepared scroll, carried away by the ocean breeze before Cass can hear, and then suddenly they're moving. The faces of their parents are growing smaller, the stretch of ocean growing larger, and Cass exhales shakily before turning to Rapunzel and Eugene.

“I think I'm going to puke,” she confesses.

“What?!” squeaks Rapunzel, alarmed.

“Well, now would be a terrible time to tell us you get seasick,” Eugene jokes, clapping her on the back. “Seriously though. You okay?”

“I'm fine. I just... realised how much of what was said happened in front of all those strangers. And then our parents. God, I'm gonna jump.”

“Yeah, no jumping,” Eugene says firmly, tugging her away from the boat's edge by her shoulders. “How long until we're out of Coronan waters.”

“Less than an hour.” The tremors are back in Rapunzel's voice again.

“And there are... aha! Three hours until the clock strikes midnight. You're in luck, ladies. If we play our cards right, this day will go down in history as both our anniversaries. How's that sound, huh?”

“Sounds like everything I've dreamed of,” Rapunzel sighs, melting against Cass. “Doesn't it feel good just to be here and not having to hide it?”

“I mean, we're embarking with a very small crew for a private ceremony outside of Coronan waters,” Cass points out. “Feels pretty hidden to me.”

Rapunzel pouts. “Ah, you're right.”

“You know... I think it's better this way. I wouldn't want it to be some public affair anyway,” Cass says quickly. “But yeah, this still feels like I'm in some sort of fever dream.”

“Want me to pinch you to be sure?”

“If you pinch me I will kill you. And hey, what was all this about a shapeshifter check at the gates, huh, Fitzherbert? I missed your wedding vows just so you could mess with me?!”

“Oh, that. I thought it would be funny!”

The ship sails off, disappearing into the evening sky, and even as she's bickering with Eugene and being held back by an exasperated Rapunzel, Cass can't help believing that this might be the start of her own happily ever after, after all.

[mysteryofren]

The First Order Is Going Camping

chapter 31 of So Happy Together

chapter 30: https://mysteryofren.tumblr.com/post/619884938162995200/meet-my-brother

note: i finally got it out i had so much fun at my protest yesterday and i cant wait for yall to read this chapter bc we get to see everyone act like kids and reader has a little interaction with someone special!!

 “What's wrong?” you ran over to Hux while he was sitting on the table when you noticed what he had in his other hand.

“I didnt know you smoked.” you said looking at the cigarette he held. He snuffed it out on the bottom of his shoe, and threw it to the ground. You heard his sniffles as he tried to clear his nose up.

“Nobody knows. I started when I was 13. I stole one of my fathers, and I've been hooked to it ever since.” He sighed and you sat next to him. Taking him into your arms you asked him what was wrong again.

“Phasmas right. What if the first order doesn't make it through college?” He said through his tears.

“We’ll make it. We love each other too much to not make it.” just then another clap of thunder was heard over your voice.

“I just don't want to lose you all. You’re the closest thing I have to a family.”

“Yeah but Hux we still have holidays.”

“Phasmas family is in California, Matt and Elaine live far away. You and I are the only ones who live in Tatooine.” he said

“Well technically I live in Mos Eisley since that's where my parents are.” he looked at you with a sad, and scared look on his face.

“If it helps I’ll end up living here with pop pop.” you said trying to comfort him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his carton of cigarettes. Out of everything you’ve heard of Hux doing smoking was the one thing you never expected. It made sense, but you still never thought he would. You leaned your head against his shoulder and stared out into the forest. It was dark. Really dark. More so than usual with the rain coming.

 You thought for a second while you heard the sound of him taking a drag. He was scared. The great Armitage Hux was terrified of the thought that he may lose his friends. You’ve known him for so long, but you only just got to really know him. Before you had only known the basics about him. Now you knew who he really was. What he feared. What he stood for. What he loved. You learned he wasn't just another Hux. He stood out from the rest of the Hux family. He was Armitage. He was better than any Hux there was. Part of you wonders if he even wants to be a Hux. you decided to take a risk and ask a question you've always wanted to ask.

“Why do you hate your name?” he released the smoke from his lungs, and placed a hand on your knee. 

“My mother loved it. My real mother. My father raised me to think she was a good for nothing whore. He told me how much he hated the name, and wished she had never chosen it. Part of me hates it because he does.”

“And the other part of you?”

“The other part of me likes it, because it's one of the few things of hers that I have. I wish I had met her. Known her. but I don't even know where to look for her.”

“Maybe you should try. It would be worth a shot. I mean someone has to know who she is.”

 Just then the back door opened. He quickly put the cigarette out under his shoe again and threw it to the ground. 

“We thought we saw you guys out here.” Matt said. He came around to you guys, and you saw him hand in hand with Elaine.

“What's wrong red? You look like hell.” Elaine asked. He simply smiled, and opened his arms for her to hug him. She let go of Matts hand and walked into his arms.

“You know I'm going to miss you calling me red when I'm off at college.”

“You’ll always be red to me.” she pulled away and messed up his hair before going back to Matt. you all started talking again when the back door opened once more.

“What are we all doing out here?” Phasma asked.

“Just talking.” you wrapped one of your arms around Hux, and lifted your head up.

“Well since we are all here why don't we take a vote on the last day's activities.”  Hux suggested.

“Great idea!” Phasma exclaimed. “Ok so all in favor of going skating, then camping for the last days hang out raise your hand.” 

You raised your hand along with everyone else in the group. It was clear this was the only choice. 

“Then it's settled. The first order is going camping.” you all cheered and laughed when you felt something fall on your face. It was a single drop of rain. Almost instantly it began pouring and you all were getting soaked. Hux gasped as the rain came down. Surprisingly the rain washed out the product from his hair, and it flopped over his face. You laughed at the sight, and ran your fingers through the red strands. Matt started running around letting the rain wash over his body. Elaine did the same as they chased each other and played. 

You got up from your spot next to Hux and joined them. After a minute you decided to stop, and you reached your hands out to him and Phasma. They both took your hands, and you dragged them along with you so you all could mess around. You all ran around, and played for only a few minutes before you heard your name get called out. You turned to the door, and saw your parents standing at the door. Everyone was looking outside at all 5 of you. Through heavy breaths you stared at them before your grandfather pushed past them. He slowly walked out into the rain too. 

“Let them be kids.” he said before pushing them back inside. You smiled at him through the window, and you all continued playing as the storm raged on. You heard thunder, and soon a bolt of lightning lit up the sky. Matt had tackled Hux and they played on the ground. Gideon finally found some energy, and started playing with you guys too. You felt like the kid you never got to be. Elaine, and you chased the boys before she tripped and fell in the grass. You joined her wanting to make as big of a mess as you could. Phasma and the boys soon joined you on the ground. You all held hands as the rain came down on you guys. Gideon had enough after a few minutes and sat by the door. 

 The cold from the rain was finally settling into your bones, but you didn't care. You were having so much fun with them. It wasn't until an hour after you all started playing that your grandfather walked out with an umbrella. He looked down at you all on the ground. You all were laughing, and holding hands. He smiled at the image.

“As much as I hate to ruin your fun, you all will catch your deaths out here.” he held his hand out to you, and helped you up. You all walked in where he had towels sitting for you all. 

“I got clothes you guys can wear.” You said to Phasma, and Elaine.

“And I too, have some clothing you boys can wear.” your Grandfather said. you all went up stairs, and you took the girls to your room to change. The boys went off with your grandfather, and you and the girls started getting changed. You gathered up all their clothes, to take them to wash. On your way to the washroom you stopped at your grandfather's door and knocked. The door opened, and behind your grandfather you saw Hux, and Matt changing. 

“Can I get their clothes so I can wash them?” you asked. He smiled, and closed the door, opening it again with a ball of wet clothes in his hand. 

You walked downstairs to get to the laundry room, and while passing a window you notice it's still raining, and hard too. When you finally get to the laundry room you see Gideon sitting.your grandfather must have put him there to dry off. Quickly you stick everything in the washer, and start the load. After you grab one of the towels from the basket sitting on the dryer, and begin to dry the old dog. He lets out a low groan as you begin to rub him down all over. You make sure to get his paws really good so he can't track mud into the house. Once you stop drying him he gives off a sad whimper. You took that as him not wanting you to stop. You sit down, and he puts his head in your lap. While petting him you decided to talk to him.

“I don't know what i'm gonna do. What happens after they leave us huh?” grabbing his muzzle you bring his face to eye level with yours and give his nose a kiss. 

“On top of that, the whole Ben thing hasn't gotten better. Rey wasn't at graduation so I talked to him like a supreme dumbass. I mean I know she didn't want to walk, but she didn't even show up to see him walk. Do you think somethings wrong?” he gives you another groan as a response. 

“Yeah. I should text her.” without any hesitation you bring your phone out, and look for her number. Staring at it you wonder if you should bother. If she didn't show up that must mean something, right? Something could also be wrong. The sound of you typing fills the small room you and Gideon sat in. 

‘Hey! You weren't at graduation today, Elaine was really looking forward to you being at her party, and I thought for sure you would be there for Ben. I hope everythings alright. Call me? Let me know you’re okay.’ putting the phone to your side you continue to pet Gideon. About 5 minutes later your phone lights up. The photo on the screen was you, and Rey at Amilyns which let you know who was calling. 

“Rey! What's wrong? Is everything okay?” you said upon picking up.

“Yeah everything's fine.” her voice hinted otherwise.

“I can tell it's not. Talk to me Rey, I'm worried.” 

 She stayed silent. Anxiety ran through your body as you wondered what could have been wrong.

“We broke up. 2 days ago.” 

“Oh Rey. i'm so sorry. Do you want to hang out? We can do something to take your mind off of it.” 

“No need, I left town.” 

“You what? Where are you? Are you okay?” 

“Im fine, I'm with Finn and Poe. Were in Jakku since festival season is about to start.” 

“Will you be back in time for Yale?”

“Of course I will. I just can't be in that town right now. Not with him roaming around.”

“I'm so sorry Rey. if there's anything you want me to do please let me know.”

“I will.” Neither of you said anything, but stayed on the phone when you finally decided to say goodbye. 

“Before you go..” she said

“Yeah what's up?” 

“I love you. I never said it before, but I should have. You're a good friend.”

“I love you too Rey.” after the words left your mouth you heard the sound of her hanging up. 

 They were done. Really done. What happened between them? There were A LOT of problems, but you never would have thought they would break up. You leaned your head against the washer, and wondered how it could have gone down. Did he dump her? Did she dump him? Was it mutual? The questions raced through your mind, and you figured she would tell you when she's ready. 

“Guess everyones leaving buddy.” Gideon responded by licking your face. You didn't even get to say goodbye to her. She just. Left. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe had she stayed things would've gotten worse between Ben, and her. Slowly you got up from where you were with Gideon, and went back to hang out with everyone. You saw Matt, and Hux had changed. Hux fit into your grandfather's clothes well. Matt on the other hand was much bigger. It looked like he was wearing kids clothes almost. 

 You stayed back not wanting to get caught up in the crowd. Soon you felt like someone else was with you. The older man stood next to you as you both watched the party from a distance.

“I don't like things like this either kid.” 

“I know. It seems like no matter what kind of party it is we always end up this way.” you looked up, and Han smiled at you.

“Ya know I always liked you. You always had this lively energy to you that none of us have. It was always refreshing to have around at those stupid parties.”

“Thanks Han.” You look over to another corner, and see Kylo, and Ben talking.

“So what's the deal with Kylo? He seems. Odd.” 

“He's a good kid. Studying journalism. He’s in one of those stupid biker gangs.”  you let out a laugh when he said that.

“Really? A biker gang?”

“Yup. The knights of Ren. Dumbest name I've ever heard.”

“I only had like a minute long conversation with him, but I can tell he takes after you.

“What gave you that idea?” he asked while taking a drink from the cup in his hand.

“Well the first thing he did when I met him was try to embarrass Ben. Also Matt, and Ben are so much like Leia. I mean one of em has to be like you. My guess would be the one who's using his time to travel in a biker gang.”

“Good guess. Leia thinks it's why we don't get along.” 

“You guys don't get along?” 

“No. ever since he was 15 it felt like we were constantly at war with each other.” 

“Never too late to change that.” 

“I guess kid.” Leia looked over to you two, and he gave her a wink, and a smile. 

“Let's get back before we get dragged back.” He walked off, and made his way over to where Leia and your parents were. You watched as he awkwardly interacted with your dad. Guess he was right. It's better to go back now than have someone look for you. You walked out from the room you both were in, and looked around. Elaine was introducing Matt to more of her family. They looked so happy. He kept staring at her with nothing but absolute love in his eyes. He finally had the girl he had been after for years. 

 Hux, Phasma, and your grandfather were talking with Elaine's parents. You just wish Rey was here. She had become almost an unofficial member of the first order. She would have loved this. She loved parties. Now she's in the wasteland that is Jakku with a broken heart. The only thing making you feel better about it was that Finn, and Poe had gone with her. You decide to go where your grandfather was. You walk over, and listen to the conversation they were having. Absentmindedly you stared off. Not looking at anything particular, just staring. You realized you were staring at Ben. How was he doing with the break up? Was he hurting? Or was he glad it was over? You watched as he and Kylo talked. They must be close. Closer than Matt, and Ben were. You never really saw Ben and Matt hang out. Matt was always with you guys, and Ben had always been with Rey, or Finn, or Poe. Kylo looked over to you, and smiled weakly. You smiled back, and he winked at you without Ben noticing. He was like Han.

tags: @wumboho @pylopenpolo @duty-isnt-always-honour @wondering-wishing-well

[ironcaptainnataliabarnes]

Red Roses (A Harry Hook x Reader/OC)

A/N: Yall. This chapter is hella long. I hope you all enjoyed it!! If you see any mistakes at all please let me know so I can fix it pronto! This is such a fun story to write and I'm glad people are liking it! If you have any ideas or requests you would like me to add in future chapters, let me know! This is for you guys! <3 :)

Summary: Ruby Hearts, daughter of the infamous Queen of Hearts, was abandoned by her mother when she was young and forced to live with her father, the King of Hearts, in Auradon.  Harry Hook himself may be the only one who finds her madness enchanting. Will Ruby find her self falling for the rugged pirate, or will the roses bleed red?

Prologue / Chapter 1 / Chapter 2: The Pool of Tears

It only made perfect, logical sense that Uma, Gil, and Harry managed to weasel their way into every single one of Ruby's classes. Suddenly she wasn't a person made of stone hidden in the back of the class anymore. She had friends. Friends that legitimately either didn't care that she was mildly insane or refused to believe she was crazy at all. Surprisingly, Ruby found herself enjoying her newfound gang of friends.

At first, Ruby thought her little mind palace she enjoyed in Art 101 would be ultimately ruined, but she enjoyed teaching Uma and Harry how to paint and keeping Gil from drinking another bottle of paint. (He claimed the white paint was milk, and continued to drink it all until he got sick.) The boys had even joined the Tourney team, and even though Harry dissed the game everyday, Ruby knew he liked having a way to expel his own frustrations.

Ruby and Uma became close friends after they shared their mutual hatred of Mal. The purple haired girl had given a particularly nasty glare at Uma when Ruby asked if she had disliked Uma.

"Dislike?" Uma had scoffed. "That girl hates me. And trust me when I say the feeling is mutual."

"What happened between you two? Does it...is that why you were crying that day?"

Uma had nodded and told the story of how she earned the nickname Shrimpy from the daughter of Maleficent. The normally calm and collected pirate even broke down into tears, and Ruby had held her in the comfort of Uma's dorm room, consoling the girl like she had wanted to years ago.

But that had been weeks ago. Uma had now made Ruby an official part of her pirate crew, not considering the fact the majority of her crew was still on the Isle, but that didn't seem to bother Uma. The two girls were sitting on the bleachers, waiting for the Tourney game between Auradon Prep and Hogwarts High to start.  

"Goddd it's so hot," Uma complained, fanning herself with her hand.

"It's a good thing I told you to ditch all the leather. You'd be fried like a walrus in winter by now if you were still wearing it," Ruby replied, giggling at the thought of a walrus covered in snow.

Uma snorted, "Right. You'd think this place being full of magic, someone would come up with a way to fix the heat."

"Exactly," Ruby nodded in agreement. "This weather is not the best for tea time. Unless it's iced tea. But then it wouldn't really be tea at all would it?"

Uma made a confused yet amused face and jumped in surprise when Auradon's band began to play, trumpets and drums echoing across the field as the Tourney team ran out. The crowd began to cheer and clap, but of course Ruby and Uma were mainly cheering for Harry and Gil.

The game had gone by quickly, Auradon beating Hogwarts High to a pulp, winning 16-3. Of course it was only possible for Ben and Jay to score because Harry was basically mauling down every enemy in his way.

As Uma and Ruby stepped off the bleachers to go find Harry and Gil, they were stopped by Evie, ever present smile on her face.

"Hey!" She greeted cheerfully. "Sorry to bother you, but Ruby I was wondering if you were free Friday?"

"Next Friday?" Ruby cocked her head in question. What was Friday? It would be the 24th of the month then, the only thing she would be doing was-

The 24th.

Friday was Ruby's birthday.

She told only Evie of her dislike for her birthday last year. Why was she bringing it up? Did she tell anyone else?

"U-um, no I wasn't really planning anything I guess. Why?"

"Just checking! Toodaloo!" Evie skipped off, locking her elbow with Doug as the band walked back towards the school.

"What's Friday?" Uma asked Ruby, shaking the girl from her thoughts.

"Oh, nothing important." Ruby dismissed the question. It wasn't a lie.

Just then, Harry and Gil ran up, helmets off and sweating from the game. Ruby somewhat hated her mind for even thinking it, but she couldn't help but find Harry even more attractive after he finished a game. Something about how his muscles glistened, and his blue eyes seemed brighter with the rush of the game-

They were looking at her. Shoot. She had been ogling at Harry for what felt like ages that her mind blocked out any and all conversation around her.

"W-what?" Ruby asked, ignoring the way she felt her cheeks flush when Harry smirked slightly. It was as if the pirate could read her thoughts. How scary that would be.

"Uma just told us about the special Friday," Gil told her, still exuberant even after an exhausting game.

Ruby flashed Uma a glare. Clearly her dismissal of the day didn't work on the girl.

"Tell us, Heart," Ruby felt an involuntary shiver at Harry's given nickname for her. "Wha's so special about that particular Friday, hmm?"

"Honestly, you guys, it's nothing. 'A tea party with iced tea instead of tea tea' nothing," Ruby covered her nose in mock disgust. "Now you two need a serious shower. You smell worse than the freezing walrus."

Jay ran up to the group, having been talking to the coach, and gave a pat on the back to Gil. "Nice work, man! When you dodged that guy in the second half, dude that was epic!" he exclaimed.

"Dude, no way! When you spun off of Ben to make that shot, that was so incredible!" Gil jumped with excitement.

"We totally deserve a celebratory drink for that win. Whaddya say, man? You down?"

"Definitely, dude! I'll catch up with you guys later," Gil said before running off with Jay.

Harry scoffed, and ran a hand through his hair. "Hones'ly. 'S like I didn't just batter down half the enemy's team to win. I LIKE DRINKING TOO!" He yelled towards the boys, though they were already out of earshot.

Ruby giggled while Uma rolled her eyes at her first mate. "You can drink in the shower for all I care, you really smell like dog."

"Ughhh fineeee," Harry complained head thrown back in defeat as they walked back to the dormitories.

It was ritual by now for the gang to meet up in one of their dorm rooms at least once a week for no particular reason other than to be stupid in the confines of their own rooms. Ruby's curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she actually brought four iced teas for the group. Not a one of them enjoyed, especially Gil, who's knack of liking everything had its limits. Uma had the marvelous idea of sneaking into the kitchen, it was late after all and no one would be there. Needless to say, the school food storage needed to be replenished, and soon.

Thursday classes had come and gone, and Ruby's illusion of her vase of roses singing a sweet tune was broken by knocks at her door. She had expected Harry, of all people, but was quite surprised by Ben's form in her doorway. It had been a while since she and been had talked; ever since Uma and the boys showed up and Ben having to take on more kingly activities, there hadn't been much time for the two friends to hang out. Ruby instantly felt guilt at not having at least tried to find time to hang out with her first friend.

"Ben! Hey, what, uh, what can I do for ya?" Ruby asked, pushing down her guilt and putting a smile on her face. Her hair probably looked a mess, and her clothes were most definitely wrinkled, but she knew Ben really didn't care.

"Hey, Ruby. It's been a short while, hasn't it?" He greeted her back. He seemed kind of nervous, his hands wringing together in front of him.

Ruby's guilt instantly resurfaced. "Ben, I'm so sorry-"

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Ruby. I actually came to ask you something," He said, smiling at the shorter girl.

Ruby raised an eyebrow in question.

"I was wondering if you could paint something for me?" Ben asked her, hope in is voice.

"Oh, OH. Yeah, of course, sure!" Ruby paced back into her room excitedly, images already running through her head of what she could paint for Auradon's king. "What were you thinking? Because I've been having this idea of like a half beast thing that-"

"No actually, Ruby uh," Ben's eyes flicked towards Ruby hesitantly, as if he was scared of her. That's odd, Ruby thought.

"I was hoping you could paint Mal for me," Ben finished.

Ruby stopped her mind's ideas and stood frozen on her rug. She looked at Ben somewhat accusingly. "What."

"I know, I know," Ben said, arms out and moving to stand in front of Ruby. "I know you two don't really get along but I want to do something nice for her and she mentioned to me about how all the royalty here have their portraits hanging everywhere and I thought it would be nice if I could do that for her and well you're the best painter there is Ruby and I just-"

"Ben, oh my aces, calm down!" Ruby told him, effectively stopping Ben's rambling. She put a hand to her head. She did have a hatred for Mal, but Ben had tried hard to be Ruby's friend since she was first brought to Auradon. She couldn't just tell him no.

She sighed, "Okay. Okay, I'll do it. But I'm going to need a picture or something. I don't find myself gazing misty eyed at your girlfriend all that much, Mr Benjamin."

Ben had already turned to walk back out of Ruby's dorm. "No, it's okay I get it- wait, you'll do it?" Ruby nodded. "Oh, this is great! Here-" he pulled out his wallet and handed her a picture of said girlfriend. "Thank you so much Ruby. You really are the best."

Ben pulled her in for a hug as she answered with a smile. "No problem."

Friday morning Ruby rolled out of bed sluggishly, gasping when she saw the time. She dressed quickly in a simple red top with black jeans, and threw her long hair up in a pony tail before practically running to her first class. As her classes rolled on, she tried not to think about what shenanigans Evie was up to.

Ever since Ruby had moved to Auradon, her father saw her birthday as a spectacular event. He tried throwing her birthday parties, but of course no one would come. He tried taking her out for ice cream, but it was unbearably hot and the ice cream melted. Birthday's just weren't meant for Ruby. In her time on the Isle, birthdays were treated as every other day, nothing special in it whatsoever. She used to wake up hoping her mother would have something special for her, but Ruby was greeted with the same fear as always. Ruby was used to this, and never saw any importance in her birthday anyway. After all, it was just like every other unbirthday, wasn't it? In her first year at Auradon Prep, Evie had questioned her, claiming it odd a whole year had gone and she never celebrated on any single day. Of course, Evie found out the truth, but Ruby eventually convinced her to not make a big deal out of it, and made the blue haired girl promise to not tell a soul. "No one would want to come to a party for me anyway," Ruby had claimed. "They'll be too scared I'll go off with their tiny hatless heads."

Evidently, this year, Evie had different plans. And Ruby was slightly scared.

Ruby had barely been in her room for five minutes after classes were finished before Evie materialized at her door.

"You, my wonderful friend, are coming with me," the overly excited girl said.

Ruby blindly threw her bag on her bed as Evie grabbed her arm and tugged her along to Evie's dorm. Ruby marveled at the clothes along one of the walls; Evie's room was always filled with outfits she had designed, and they were always incredible.

"Any particular reason you dragged me to your fashion show of a room, E?" Ruby asked, feeling the silk of white skirt with black patterns.

"Yes, actually," Evie answered, grabbing Ruby by the shoulders and spinning her around.

The sight of the dress in front of Ruby made every coherent thought leave her brain.

She must have gasped, or made some sort of awestruck face because Evie smiled and wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders. "Do you like it?" the blue haired girl asked.

"Evie," Ruby started, taking slow steps toward the wonder of a ball gown and cautiously ran a hand over the intricate rose design on the front. "I honestly don't have the words. I think the Hare must have put some sort of drug in my tea today. I can't- Evie this is beautiful."

"Good. I'm glad you love it!" Evie clapped her hands excitedly. She walked to the back of the dress and unzipped it from the mannequin. "Now let's get it on you."

"Yes, let's- wait, what?" Ruby shook from her daze.

"Come on, no time to lose. Undress, Ruby!" Evie exclaimed.

Despite Ruby's confusion, she really wanted to wear the gorgeous dress. Maybe this was what Evie was planning. To make a gown for Ruby. Any thoughts about her birthday disappeared once Ruby saw herself in the dress.

Evie danced around her, making last minute adjustments while Ruby gaped at herself in the mirror. Evie stepped away, looking proud. "Give us a spin," she said.

Ruby lifted the sides of the dress slightly and twirled. The gown was light and it swirled around her legs as she came to a stop. Ruby couldn't help the huge smile on her face. "This is so amazing, Evie," she turned to her friend, "but what exactly is this for?"

Evie's eyes sparkled mischievously. "You'll see. Now come, sit."

Ruby did as told, and watched as Evie deftly pinned a braid to the crown of Ruby's hair and brushed the tangles out of the rest. It was when Evie placed a small crown inlaid with a heart-shaped ruby that Ruby became nervous. "Evie, really, what's going on?" she hated how her voice shook with the question.

"Put on these shoes, and let's go find out," Evie answered, handing Ruby a pair of dark red heels.

Ruby quickly slipped on the heels and tried not to trip as Evie rushed her out of the door. She led the girl to what was unmistakably the school's ball room. Ben was waiting outside the doors, dressed immaculately in a deep blue suit. Evie gave him a nod before disappearing, not before smiling widely at Ruby.

"Ben, maybe you'll give me some answers?" Ruby looked up at her friend, and saw the same glint she had seen in Evie's eyes. Ruby was hopeful, clearly Ben wouldn't keep her in the dark, would he? But her hope simmered as Ben kept his mouth loyally shut.

Suddenly, Fairy Godmother opened the doors. "It's time!"

Ben gave a bow to Ruby, gesturing towards the open doors with a hand, "Shall we?"

Ruby hooked her hand onto Ben's outstretched elbow, and he led her through the doors. Ruby put a hand to her mouth to stifle another gasp as they walked out to the top of the ballroom steps.

The filled room collectively yelled "Happy birthday!" upon seeing Ruby enter. She couldn't believe it. There were actual people here, for her.

"Ben, what-"

"Welcome, dear Ruby, to your birthday party," Ben bowed once more. Ruby caught sight of Uma, Gil and Harry at the bottom of the stairs, but her eyes found themselves stuck on Harry.

He was dressed like a gentleman but still looked ruggedly handsome with his black tousled hair and smudged eyeliner, his hook hanging from his belt loop. He winked at Ruby, shamelessly devouring how gorgeous she looked in her ball gown.

Ruby would have been stuck at the top of the stairs all day had Evie not once again materialized next to her, dressed in a beautiful blue gown. She grabbed Ruby's hand. "Come on, it's much more fun at the bottom of these stairs," she whispered to her. They made it to Uma and the boys on the ballroom floor, Evie leaving Ruby with a hug and a "Happy birthday, Ruby" before disappearing to find Doug. Ruby turned towards her gang of friends accusingly.

"Did you guys know?" She asked.

"Since las' week, Heart," Harry answered, ever present smirk on his face.

"Yeah, Evie told us the whole deal and had us outfits made. I honestly didn't think I'd look this good in a dress," Uma said. She was right. Her sea green dress was really alluring.

"This place is so amazing, there's tables full of food!" Gil exclaimed, charming in his suit.

"Guys, I-"

"It's okay, Ruby," Uma assured her, giving her a hug. "It's your first birthday party. Let's have some fun," she smiled and winked at her friend. Ruby hesitantly smiled back.

Suddenly trumpets blared as Ben appeared on the overhead balcony, Mal at his side.

"Thank you everyone for coming! As you all know, today is our very own Ruby Hearts' birthday! I think it's about time we get this party started!" He announced, earning cheers from the crowd.

Ruby just stared, silent and still shocked at the whole ordeal. Were these people really here for her?

"'S alright, Heart," Harry's unmistakable voice whispered behind her. His breath was hot on her ear as he spoke, "You deserve this, lass."

She turned around and saw a genuine smile playing at Harry's lips that somehow eased her own fear. She smiled broadly at the pirate. "Thank you, Harry," she whispered back.

"Whoooo!" Gil's cheer broke the moment, the boy jumped in and began dancing wildly to the music. Laughing, Ruby and Harry joined in, Uma reluctantly joining the sway.

The night flew by, song after song, the gang stayed dancing together the entire time. Ruby could tell it was late in the night, but no one at the party seemed to care. She felt a poke at her shoulder and turned to see Carlos, Jay, and Evie. She gave each of them a hug as they wished her happy birthday.

"Evie, you know I'm so thankful for this," Ruby started, as she waved to Carlos and Jay who were whisked away by the crowd. "But a whole ball?"

"You know I would only have the best for you," She answered, giving Ruby a smile. "Besides, it wasn't just my idea."

Ruby's curiosity was instantly piqued. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Ben and I might have let it slip to Uma and Harry about your birthday coming up and how we really wanted to do something for you and Harry came up with this marvelous idea to have a ball since you're technically a princess so Uma and her gang helped us set all this up and we invited literally the entire school and-"

"Whoa, whoa wait," Ruby interrupted her. "This was Harry's idea?"

Evie nodded right as a slow song started. She was pulled away by Doug but winked at Ruby when she noticed Harry showed up at the girl's side.

"Ruby," Harry greeted, dipping into a bow, amused look on his face. "Will ye do me the 'onor of dancin' with me?" He held out his hand for her to take.

Ruby knew her face was flushed. She was still processing how this was Harry's idea, and what did Evie say about him saying she was a princess? She didn't know if her brain would function enough to be so close to Harry Hook, gazing into his eyes as she danced with him to the slow tune-

Ruby blinked out of her daze. She could do this. Her hand met Harry's outstretched one and his smirk grew to a smile as he pulled her closer. Her breath hitched when his other hand came to her waist, and he immediately pulled her into the dance steps.

"Don't tell me Harry Hook's been taking dancing lessons, now?" Ruby questioned amusingly, fighting down her blush.

Harry spun Ruby with the waltz, pulling her closer so that she could feel his breath when he spoke. "'S almost like sword fighting, really."

A blur of blue captured Ruby's eye, and she craned her neck to peer behind Harry. Uma stood, watching the two dance and Ruby almost missed the wink she gave her. At the food table behind Uma, Ruby caught sight of Gil chugging down the entire punch bowl and Jay seemingly egging him on. She snorted and turned her gaze back to Harry, feeling bold.

"So, Mr. Hook," Ruby danced her fingers up Harry's arm. His jaw tensed ever so slightly. "What's this I hear about you planning this whole thing?"

Harry's ears immediately turned pink. "Well, er," he cleared his throat. "Uma an' Gil came up with the plan too, ye know."

Harry let go of Ruby's hand to come rest at her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck. The waltz was over by now, but neither seemed to notice or care. "How kind," she looked up at the pirate. "You know, this party is kind of for you too," she said.

"How so, Heart?"

"Well, it's my birthday, but that means it's also you're unbirthday! And really that's just as worthy as celebrating in my opinion." Ruby's tone was joking, but Harry's eyes were piercing as they held each other. He moved his head so that his mouth was next to Ruby's ear. Her arms tightened around him, fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Ye've no idea how beautiful ye are, Ruby," Harry whispered, husky voice making a shiver course through Ruby's body. "All these other goons are jealous of my own little princess,"

Her breathing hitched, and she pulled her head back to peer at Harry's face. His eyes seemed filled with that same sensation Ruby felt but couldn't quite name. His striking blue eyes darted to her lips as his left hand cupped her face. Ruby was quite aware of the almost nonexistent space between them, of the erratic beating of both of their hearts. She whispered his name, not believing her eyes as the moment played out.

"UGH! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" a girl's voice yelled, causing Ruby and Harry to jump apart. They shared a look and made their way to were the commotion was.

There was a circle around Uma and Mal, the former's dress covered in punch.

"You ran into me!" Mal yelled at Uma. "Maybe you should watch where you're going!"

"Look, I know time in Boradon has made you insane, but I would think you know how to walk," Uma snapped back, giving up at wiping off punch from her dress.

Mal scoffed. "If you're so uncomfortable here then you should have stayed in that sandbox where you belong!"

In the blink of an eye Uma pounced on Mal, snarling with her arms outstretched. A full on girl fight broke out, hair being pulled and dresses being torn. It lasted all of two seconds before Ben and Gil rushed in pulling the two girls apart. They continued to yell insults at each other, but all Ruby could see was the floor covered in ice. She watched as every step and stomp of feet caused it to move to the brink of shattering. Ruby had had enough.

"STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU!" She yelled, effectively surprising and silencing everyone in the room. "It's PUNCH! You're not dying and if you don't stop this petty little fight then the frozen floor with collapse and we'll all be eaten by the Jabborwock!"

"Just as insane as ever! You should have stayed with your crazy mother," Mal scoffed before marching out, Ben casting an apologetic look before running after her. Uma tried to apologize to Ruby, but she couldn't hear a thing over the cracking ice.

"Just-..no," was all Ruby could say before she too left the ballroom. She couldn't make it to her room before the tears came.

She fell down onto her bed, letting the water flow. She knew a party was a horrible idea. No one wanted to be there for her, they were there because it was just a party. Maybe Mal was right. Maybe she should have stayed on the Isle with her mother. Maybe she would have learned how to scare everyone away and build a wall around her heart, so maybe then she wouldn't be hurt as easily.

After what felt like ages, Ruby heard a knock at her door. She sniffled as whoever it was walked in and sat next to her on the bed.

"Tears don't belong on that pretty face, lass," Harry said, pulling Ruby up and wiping said tears from her face. She sniffled as he did so.

"I just don't understand, Harry."

"I know, Heart," he said, sad to see her so upset. "Some things are jus' too hard to understand."

Ruby nodded, her mind just registering her sore feet and legs.

"Oh! I, erm, I've got something for ye, Heart," Harry said, changing the mood of the conversation with just a singe sentence. He had something for her?

"What is it?" Ruby asked, rubbing an eye.

"Well, I've been wanting to give it back to ye for a while, but it jus' never seemed like the right moment," Harry told her, ears turning pink as he pulled out something from behind his back.

It was a little stuffed rabbit.

Ruby gasped, new tears forming at her eyes as she recognized her old toy, the one she had lost that fated day.

"Look at ye, getting all happy over a wee toy," Harry joked, happy to see the light in Ruby's eyes again.

"Harry Hook, you thief!" Ruby exclaimed, tackling the boy in a hug. He fell back on the bed, arms wrapping around Ruby's form.

They laid on the bed holding each other for a while, Harry's hand making mindless patterns on Ruby's scarred arm. Ruby had never been more happy than she was in his arms. What is happening? She thought.

"D'ye think they're mad?" Harry asked.

Ruby wasn't sure who exactly he was talking about. "They can't help it," she answered anyway. "We're all a bit mad here."

[marvel-lously]

Angel

Words: 1360

Pairing: Harrison Osterfield x reader

A/N: This was requested from the prompt list by anon. It probably isn’t what yall expected, still I hope you like it! Tell me what you think please!

Prompt: “Is that my shirt?”

He could still remember the night when you two became official. He came home after spending weeks away on a tour with Tom. When he entered your shared apartment he found you in a kitchen, swirling around to the beat of Girls just wanna have fun by Cindy Lauper, your singing completely off tune. You had a bowl in one hand and spatula in another.

He coughed.

»Holy shit! Haz, don't scare me like that.« Y/N said out of breath.

»Sorry, you just looked so cute dancing around and all.« he smiled.

You felt your cheeks getting warm.

»What are you making?« he asked.

»Well, I decided that after a month or so after traveling around, living on nothing but burgers and sandwiches, you must be missing some good food and so I am making my delicious, homemade pancakes, your favorite.« you said grinning.

»Also because you don't have a clue on how to make them yourself.« you added.

»Ouch, I am hurt.« he chuckled.

»Well, the truth is known not to be too pleasant.« she said cheekily.

»I see your wittiness hasn't worn off a bit when I was gone.« he laughed.

»Oh shush now, or I'll eat all the pancakes myself.« she hit his shoulders playfully.

»Wow, I get back after weeks of being gone and what I get is a punch? I expected a hug at least, but no, what I get is a punch.« he joked.

»Sensitive are we?« she chuckled again. »Well come here then.« she said, wrapping her arms around him, enveloping him in a tight hug.

»I really did miss you, you know?« he sighed.

»Oh come on, I am sure you had plenty of girls throwing themselves at you.« you said, a pinch of jealousy could be sensed in your voice.

»Maybe, but none of them was the one I wanted her to be.« he said, looking you straight in the eyes.

»Huh« she coughed »and who is the lucky girl?«

»Well, I am looking at her right now.« he said, still keeping his eyes on you.

You were taken aback by his sudden outburst of feelings.

»I am sorry, I don't know what got into me.« his hand went through his hair in flustration.

And then you kissed him. Just like that, you kissed him and it seemed like a piece of puzzle in his world finally fell in place.

When she broke away from the kiss, he just looked at her. Finally, he got to call her his girl.

»I hate to ruin the moment, but Haz, you need to take a shower, you stink.« she  chuckled sheepishly.

»Oh, so you already want to get rid of me now?«

»Mhm, definitely.« she retorted jokingly.

»And there you go, breaking my heart again.« Haz put a hand over his chest mockingly.

He was just about to leave to the bathroom, when he took a notice of it.

»Hey Y/N, is that my shirt?« he asked.

She felt her cheeks getting warm. »Maybe.«

»And why are you wearing my shirt?« he asked, genuinely curious.

»Well, what can I say, I really did miss you too.« she said, a smile spreading over her cheeks.

 That must've been one of the best nights of his life and now he was scared. He was scared that he might never get to see that smile again, that he will never hear her off tune singing, that he will never see her dancing around and then wrapping her arms around his neck pulling him along to dance with her. He was afraid that he might never get to kiss her soft lips again, or feel her gentle hands going through his hair. He was afraid that he will never get to wipe away the tears and caress her cheek, that she will never get close to him to cuddle at chilly London nights. He was afraid of losing a memory of her smell, her voice, her touch. He was afraid he will never get to gaze into her eyes, always so full of love and yet the last thing he saw reflecting in them was hatred and he was the one to blame for it.

»I told you so many times Haz, we are nothing but friends.« she screamed.

»Oh yeah? Since when are friend more important than your own boyfriend Y/N, huh?« he yelled back.

»Since that friend is the one I hadn't seen for years Haz. He was my best friend in Elementary School. We used to hang out all the time before he moved and now he's here in town Haz, I had to go see him! What kind of a shitty friend would I have to be not to?«

»What kind of a shitty girlfriend would you have to be, not to go with me on a day of my audition? Instead, you're hanging out with your 'friends' from past like some slut!« he said, in a heat of a moment not even realizing how much his words had hurt her.

»A slut huh?« tears were welling up in her eyes.

»Well then, I guess I should get my slutty ass out of your face.« And that was the last thing she said to him.

 She was in a car crash. It all happened so quickly. A tired truck driver, dark road and it was enough to take her away. The doctors had tried. They had tried everything, they said. She was brain dead, they had said. That was the moment his world fell apart, his pieces of puzzle were shattered and there was no one to put them back together, not anymore. He was broken. What pained him the most was, that he never got to say how much he loved her. His last words to her were ruthless and hurtful and he blamed it on himself that she got in that car crash. Maybe, if he didn't say those things she wouldn't have left and maybe she would just now be sitting in his lap while watching some cheesy movies. If he just hadn't said those stupid words. And now, he will never get to tell her. He will never get get to show her just how very much he loved her.

 »Hello darling, I brought you flowers. They're roses, your favorite you know? Cream and peach for appreciation and gratitude. You thought me about that remember? It was this one time when I bought you yellow roses, hoping you would see that to me you were like a sun. Bright and warm and I couldn't possibly live without you, you know? Well you then told me that they mean friendshi...« Harrison choked on his tears.

He squeezed your hands, but that just brought more tears to his eyes. Her hand was no longer warm and she no longer squeezed back. »God Y/N, I am so sorry. I have no other way to put this.« he tried to muffle his cries.

»I never told you how much you meant to me. I think that's one of my biggest regrets, you know? But you do Y/N, you mean so much to me. You were like an angel, showing me the right way, standing by me, loving me unconditionally. And I do to, I love you, so much and I wish...« he swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat. »I wish these were my last words to you, so you would get to hear them you know? I guess I am gonna say them anyway, hoping that maybe, just maybe, you get to hear them somehow. I love you Y/N, I love you unconditionally, but I was no angel. I was like a rock tied to you, pulling you down when you wanted to fly. But I still love you and I am not gonna be a rock to you anymore.« he sobbed.

»They say that if you really love someone you're gonna let them go. So I am letting you go Y/N, I am letting you, to finally fly.« he kissed her forehead and squeezed her hand tighter, tears streaming down his face.

»Goodbye Y/N. This is the last time.«

[yesbabyjiminie]

My Wings Tour Experience: Santiago, Saturday 11th

I had the chance to go to both dates. Since I’m from Argentina and I was going to spend all that money on travelling tickets and accommodation, I decided to spend all I could on the concerts as well lol.

I got second floor tickets for Saturday 11th and first floor tickets for Sunday 12th. The date on Sunday was supposed to be the first date of the tour, but the boys sold out the tickets in less than 5 hours and when they needed to add a second date the only choice was Saturday. Hence, the first date became the second. I was so excited both days that I kind of forgot some details, so I’ll try to remember as much as possible.

Something I would like to mention is that even though the show was in Santiago, there were A LOT of fans from different Latinamerican countries. I personally know around 20 other people just from my city (Córdoba) that were in the show, but there were a lot of ARMYs from Buenos Aires and smaller cities in Argentina. I also saw a big group of fans from Bolivia and then there were a lot of fans carrying Uruguayan, Paraguayan, Peruvian flags. The woman that rented the apartment me and my friends stayed in said that she owned 13 apartments and had 8 of them rented to ARMYs from a lot of countries, including Colombia (she was really surprised because she said that it was the first time something like that had happened to her, having so many people renting her apartments for the same date, from so many different places and all for the same reason).

I was also surprised to see that the media in Chile was covering all about it, and everyone I talked to in Chile seemed to know that we were there because of “that Korean band” lol. I even visited a different city in Chile (Valparaiso) after the concert and the Uber driver was like “Oh you are here for BTS right? people hasn’t stopped talking about it”. Bangtan is huge.

Saturday 11th

They started with Not Today. The moment when the music started playing and the curtain fell, the stadium went crazy. The one I remember to most from Not Today is Taehyung, because that bandana increases his looks a 3547%, it’s been proved by scientists, I kid you not.

After Not Today came the intro talk. The guys introduced themselves in English and Spanish. They just said “Hola” in Spanish and everything that followed in English. Yoongi did his classic taking-his-in-ear-off and listening to the cheers, but couldn’t help smiling because the cheers were seriously crazy.

Jimin tried to speak some English during the first talk, but nobody understood a word, his English was too broken. I’m not saying this as a critic, but more as something that happened because later during the show the guys kept laughing at him ‘cause it was clear that nobody could understand what he was trying to say but ARMYs would still cheer for him and the guys laughed harder at that haha. Hobi and Jungkook talked in English a lot. Kookie has improved SO MUCH, our boy has been studying hard, I’m so proud of him. Yoongi thanked us for coming to the show and then screamed “THANK YOU-SO- MUCH-ARMY” and then threw a kiss -Jin Style- and got all shy, it was the cutest thing ever. Hobi kept waving and smiling to the fans next to the stage. I’m proud to say that during the first talk people cheered for all the boys with the same excitement and you could see that they were kind of surprised with the loudness, we were really REALLY loud (if you know a Latino person, then you probably can imagine what an stadium filled with 20 thousand Chilean, Peruvian, Bolivian, Argentinian, Paraguayan, Uruguayan and Colombian fans can sound like).

There was a project to rise a banner and sing Happy birthday to Yoongi after they finished speaking, but everything was so fast that unfortunately we didn’t have the chance :/ as soon as fans were getting ready to start singing, they lowered the lights and moved on with the show.

The guys were perfect and on point on every single song after that. The crowd went crazy with Hobi’s solo during Baepsae. J-Hope was, to my opinion, the star of the night. Latinamerican ARMYs really love Hoseok and we showed it. We cheered really loud for all of them, but Hoseok got the biggest amount of screams. He looked so happy the whole night, it was priceless. I’ve never seen someone with a more beautiful smile in my entire life.

During his part on the bridge in Dope, Jimin didn’t sing. He just opened his arms really wide and did a few spins like he was Heidi on the hills, holding his microphone up high and listening to the fans singing. He smiled like he was having the time of his life; Park Jimin is so adorable I can barely contain myself and my love for this little cutie. He also made a heart with his arms when the song finished (damn camera man didn’t capture it alright xD)

They played a VCR and then Jungkook sang Begin, the first solo of the night. How this kid can sing and dance like that without missing a note is still a mistery to me.

Lie received a crazy reaction. The public sang along the whole song, and Jimin’s voice was amazing. The choreography is so good, the whole stage is so breath taking… as a Jimin biased, I was a little bit disappointed that I couldn’t see it as close as I would’ve liked, since the first day I was really far from the main stage and the second day I could only see chunks of it (I’m so short TT.TT people kept covering my line of vision, fuck my life honestly). I still could rely on the screens, but I didn’t want to look at the screens, I see BTS on a screen every day of my life. I wanted to see them with my own eyes even if it meant seeing them the size of an ant. You can watch my video here if you like. (I know the quality is shit, but if you listen with earphones you can listen clearly how loud ARMYs were singing).

First Love. Min Yoongi. The piano. The passion this guy has for music gives you chills. As part of the project for his birthday, fans were given other banners that we were supposed to raise during First Love. The silver one that says Agust D is my favorite, it’s really shiny and pretty. I hope Yoongi saw them.

During Lost, a group of fans held a huge sign that said “ARMY says SORRY” for the invasion of privacy the guys suffered when they went out to eat and during his stay at the hotel. Taehyung, Jungkook and Jin saw the sign (I’m not sure, but I think Jimin did too). I felt really sad for that. It’s really unfair that because of a group of disrespectful and inconsiderate people, Chilean ARMYs ended up looking so bad they needed to apologize to the boys during the concert. I think is a good thing that fans recognize when they do something wrong and try to fix it, but being honest, I’m sure that the people holding the sign weren’t the ones that did it. Chilean ARMY worked really hard organizing projects and even prepared a flyer with a “Manual to be a good ARMY” that specifically asked for people to have good manners and respect the boys. They even did a campaign about it like a month before the show. Unfortunately, there’s always selfish people that don’t think about the boys or the way they end up making their country look just for a picture.

Save me was flawless. I couldn’t take my eyes off Yoongi. No matter how much the boys like to drag his dancing skills, I’m no fool. Min Yoongi can dance.

During I Need U I felt like an earthquake was happening or something because ARMYs were singing so loud I swear everything was moving. Another prove I have of that is the short video I could record that was ruined because the sound was so damn loud that my stupid camera saturated the sound and all you can hear is the bass. But you can still notice how during the last part, the boys barely sang and let ARMY do all the singing. Jeon Jungkook jumped so high I was impressed. It was a very emotional song, but it was as if all of us felt energized and happy to see them perform this song that’s so important for all of us.

Reflection’s stage was so pretty!!! It was all full of stars, beautiful colors and feelings. Namjoon’s voice is so clear and beautiful and he didn’t need to do much more that stand there and hold his mic to own that stage. Kim Namjoon is so damn talented that I swear if yall don’t start appreciating him now, you’ll regret it when he’s even more succesfull and amazing than he is today.

Stigma was amazing as well. Taehyung reached his high notes like a goddamn pro and everyone went wild. My videos don’t make him justice at all, so I really hope one of the fansites got to film it. Tae really killed his solo stage.

Ok, now MAMA. I already said that Hobi was the star of the night, and I need to say it again. Jung Hoseok received so much love that after the concert finished, it was all me and my friends could talk about. Hobi shined so bright one of my friends even switched biases. She said “I always liked Hobi, but after seeing him with my own eyes he just escalated so high into my heart and there’s no way he’s leaving”. MAMA is a song that is so full of love and significance, but still has that cheerful thing that is so Hoseok that you can’t help feeling happy when you listen to it. Everybody was singing along, and when the lights went down during the bridge, everybody started chanting “J-HOPE! J-HOPE! J-HOPE!”. He does his rap acapella, the lights go up again and everybody was singing the Chorus like it was on Spanish. Hobi was definitely surprised. His smile was so SO big, you know that thankful and full of happiness smile Hoseok does? That was what was decorating his face at that moment. Then he started harmonizing while ARMYs kept singing “Hey MAMA, ijen naege gidaedo dwae eonjena yeope, hey mama…” and it was slkdfjskldf it was one of those moments that you need to live and share to know what I’m talking about.

Again, I hope one of the fansites got a recording of that moment because my video is not enough for my soul. You can watch it here. I know the quality is not the best, but the sound is not bad and you can clearly hear how great Hoseok voice was, how loud ARMYs were cheering and singing, how happy everybody was watching the sun shining on stage. To me, it was the highlight of the night.

After MAMA, and as if we hadn’t had enough quality performances that night, came AWAKE. Now, after how hyped and amazing Hoseok stage was I think it would have been hard for any other performance to follow it. Nevertheless, Seokjin owned it. Next time Bighit pulls any of the shit they do with Jin (like what happened with Not Today) I’m going to shove a copy of Awake up their asses because KIM SEOKJIN CAN FUCKING SING. When AWAKE started, everyone was singing along. Jin’s voice was so clear, stable and beautiful I felt like it was some sort of luxury to be able to hear it with my own ears. The whole stadium sang the song with Seokjin and by the second verse, Jin started tearing up. Yeap, our boy was crying. I always thought that it was a little impossible for international fans to make them cry (I guess I have an inferiority complex when compared with K-Armys), but I’m guessing Jin was moved by the fact that people was singing along with him and screaming his name with so much passion. Still, his voice didn’t crack for one second and he composed himself real quick. He reached his high notes like it was nothing and pretty much became the king of ballads, thank you very much.

Jin deserves so much more than we give him, I hope one day he can have his justice. I can’t wait to hear more of his songs. 

Cypher was the moment my soul was cleansed, I gained like 20 years of life after that performance. Namjoon was totally excited, Hoseok looked like some sort of sexy gangster and I’m telling you, listening Min Yoongi rap “Fuck you and you” is a once in a lifetime experience, 100% recomended.

All the songs that came after that are kind of like a blur to me, I can’t remember much. I was so into the concert, singing so hard that at one point I remember that I felt my chest aching lol

I remember that fans tried singing Happy Birthday to Yoongi many times during the talks but for different reasons we couldn’t and everyone was so frustrated lol Who would’ve thought that it was going to be so hard? haha. I also remember that the guys did a talk in Spanish and we could barely hear them ‘cause fans wouldn’t shut up -.- Jimin was struggling so much, I couldn’t understand much of what he was trying to say, but I in a moment he did say one sentence really clearly and fans cheered extra loud for him and he said “HA!” on the mic, like he was super proud of himself and I died. Park Jimin is so cute, I kid you not, he’s smol, adorable and an angel. He really is an angel.

Hobi danced Boy Meets Evil and once again fans cheered his name so loudly, it gave me chills. Also, seeing him dance that choreo was extreme. He’s so good. I wish I could’ve paid more attention to B,S&T but I was partying so hard...

Then 2!3! happened. The stadium looked so pretty filled with all the banners. There was also a strong campaign encouraging fans to learn the lyrics to 2!3! and the lyrics of the chrous were printed on the back of the sign, but honestly, fans knew the lyrics <3

As later we found out, the sign had a typo lol but thankfully it wasn’t somehting that changed the meaning or anything, and the guys found it cute, so I think it was a success.

The sang Wings, played around and then finished with Spring Day. The choreo is beautiful.

The guys were extremely sweet. Also, I happened to see the whole thing about the giant ARMY Bomb haha. Yoongi saw it first. He started motioning to Hoseok and laughing like crazy and then the fans gave them the ARMY Bomb. Hoseok grabbed it and started ruuning around with the thing and Yoongi was running after him haha. It was super cute.

I don’t know if I’m biased or what, but I feel that the ones that enjoyed the show the most were Hoseok, Yoongi and Jungkook. RM and Jimin are a lot more composed, but super sweet anyways. Their voices sound so good live, like I died a hundred times listening to Namjoon’s English. Jin is a tease!!! He kept coming next to the borders of the stage and throwing kisses and winking and smiling and saghjsjhfd he’s so handsome. Personally, I felt like V was a little bit absent? my friend, a V biased said that it’s not that he was serious, but he was acting coy. I don’t know. I don’t remember much about him more than his amazing voice during Stigma, his killer looks with the bandana and that at one point he was dancing for some fans and I nearly died lol.

It was an amazing concert experience. I was bursting with happiness. I didn’t feel like I was watching a show from celebrities tho. It felt like I was watching my friends being awesome on stage, like they were this people i hadn’t seen in a really long time (even tho it was my first time seeing them ever) and after they left I didn’t feel so bad ‘cause I still had the show next day.

I will write an entry about the show on the 12th as soon as possible. That experience was a 100% different from the one on Saturday because I saw them up close. They are so gorgeous.

[bughxadlives]

Meet Me in the Middle-Chapter 2

hope y'all enjoyed the last chapter! :) I can't wait to write more! love yall ❤️                 Riley yawned as her English Composition professor assigned the latest essay. She had gotten a good night sleep, but she was still bit tired considering she woke up an hour ago. "it will be due on the 17th, and that's all for today. Have a good rest of your day!" The professor dismissed. Riley slid the assignment guy into her folder before putting that along with her other supplies into her bag. She stood, turning to look at Farkle, who was also in her class. "So, you want to come to my dorm to brainstorm later?" he asked. Riley nodded. "Of course! I'll stop by after lunch." This was Riley's only class for the day, so she had the rest of the day free to study and such. Farkle nodded and two walked out together. Riley smiled when she saw Lucas on a bench a few feet away. "Hey, I'll catch you later?" She asked. Farkle nodded and went on his way. Riley walked up to the bench, waving. "Hey, Lucas. How are you?" He jumped a bit, not expecting her. She smiled small. "Ah, sorry." "Nah, no worries I'm doing pretty well, how about you?" He asked. "I'm doing pretty well, just finished my only class for the day so feeling pretty good about that." She said with a smile. He nodded, patting the spot next to him. Riley took a seat, her hands in her coat pockets. "How was class?" Lucas asked.  "Went well. It's English Composition so a bit boring, but overall it went well." "That's good to hear. What's your major?" He asked, pulling his phone out when he felt a text vibration. "I'm working on my bachelor's in secondary education. You?" Riley asked. "Ah, very nice. I'm currently majoring in biochemistry!" Oh wow, that was definitely impressive. "Ah, very nice. Are you a first year?" Lucas shook his head. "I'm not, this is my fourth semester." Ah, so him and Riley were in the same year. "Oh, me as well!" "Ah nice! Well hey, this was very nice, but I have to get to my next class. See you later?" Lucas asked. Riley nodded with a smile. "'Great, have a nice day!" He said, standing and headed to class. Riley just sat and smiled. Biochemistry. That's so impressive and he is probably so smart, Riley loved that. She stood, heading to the union building where the Starbucks was. She always liked to get Starbucks after this class since it was so close to the building her class was in. She ended up getting a venti iced caramel macchiato with a tomato and mozzarella panini. Once she had her snack, she headed to Farkle's dorm room.                 Once there, she knocked with the hand she was holding the sandwich bag in. Zay had opened the door. "Zay! How are you?" She asked, excited to see him since she hasn't seen him in a couple days. "Hey, Riley! Doing pretty well. How about you? How's your semester so far?" He asked, stepping aside so she could walk in. She did just that, sitting on Farkle's bed. "It's going pretty well! I like my classes, professors are great. Only downside is that Ben broke up with me."  "Aw, sorry to hear." Zay said sympathetically. "Ah, it's alright. He's with some girl he met at a frat party now." Riley shrugged. "Well hey, you deserve better." Zay assured her as Farkle walked in. "Hey guys, hope you're not talking bad about me!" He joked. Riley giggled "Oh it's all we did!" She joked, Zay nodding and smiling. "Ah, well dang!" Farkle chuckled. "Well with that, I'm going to go meet Vanessa for lunch. See you guys!" Riley and Farkle said goodbye and Zay was out the door, shutting it behind him. Farkle looked at Riley with a small smirk. "What?" Riley asked. "That guy sitting on the bench outside our class, was that the Lucas from yesterday?" Farkle asked. Riley blushed lightly, nodding. "Did he end up being Charlie's roommate?" Riley nodded. Farkle smiled. He was happy to see Riley interacting with someone new. The whole Ben thing really hurt her heart. It would any girl. All it took was one night at a frat party for it to be over between Ben and Riley. "Well hey, it's good to see you with him. Do you two get along well?" Farkle asked, sitting next to Riley on his bed. "Yeah, he's really nice. He's majoring in biochemistry!" "Oh really? That's awesome, I'll have to look out for him in one of my classes." Farkle was also a biochemistry major. "Yeah! Now let's brainstorm?" Farkle nodded, grabbing his supplies.                 The two brainstormed and worked for a good hour before deciding to stop for the day. "Well I think we were pretty productive!" Riley said, standing and stretching. Farkle nodded, taking that chance to poke her side. "Eeep!" She said, stepping back, a giggle escaping. "Gotcha!" Farkle said, laughing. "That tickled!" Riley pouted. Farkle chuckled, nodding. "That was the point, silly bean!" "I see. Anyways, I'll see you later!" He nodded and Riley stepped out, making her way down the hall to the staircase. However, when she was almost to the staircase, she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned around, sighing when she saw it was Ben.  "Can I help you, Ben" She asked, not really wanting to talk to him. "Just saying hi. Saw you talking to a new guy earlier. What's his name?" Ben asked, crossing his arms. "His name is Lucas. Can I go now?" She answered, getting a bit impatient. "What? Don't want to answer my questions? That's pretty rude, Riley." Riley was starting to get a little angry that Ben wasn't letting her go. She was about to respond when she felt someone put an arm around her. "This guy bothering you, babe?" Riley looked up to see Lucas. A feeling of relief washed over her and she went along with it. "Yeah, I'm just trying to go back to my room and he won't let me go." "I see. Listen buddy, just walk away and we can pretend this whole run in never happened." Lucas said, glaring at Ben. Ben just rolled his eyes, walking past the duo.          Riley smiled. "Thanks, he was getting annoying." "No problem, do you know him?" Lucas asked, keeping his arm around Riley.  "Yeah. He's my ex, actually." She explained. "Ah, I see. What happened between you two? If you don't mind me asking, of course."  "Well, he went to this party and met this girl Lucy. The next morning, he broke up with me for her. It happened at the beginning of the semester, and it did hurt. Three semesters just ruined by one party that I didn't even go to." Riley said, sighing as she thought about that whole week in general. How upset she was, Maya comforting her, Farkle threatening to beat him up, Farkle not actually beating him up. It was definitely a wild one. "Ah, I see. I'm really sorry. You really deserve better. May I walk you to your dorm?" Riley blushed hearing that. He was so sweet. She smiled, nodding. "Yeah, I'd like that." Lucas nodded, opening the door to the staircase, holding it. "After you, miss!" Riley giggled, walking through it. "Why thank you, sir!" "Anytime!" They both laughed as they walked down the stairs. "It's 213, so it's not too far. Speak of the devil!" She said as they came to the door leading to the second floor. Lucas smiled, opening that one for her as well. She thanked him and walked through, leading him to her room. "Here we are! Hey, thanks for walking me." She said, turning to look at Lucas.  "No problem, is your roommate in?" "I'm actually not sure." Riley said, knocking to see. A few seconds later the door opened, revealing Maya behind it. "She is! Lucas, this is my roommate Maya. Maya, this is Lucas." Lucas smiled, shaking Maya's hand. "Well hello Maya, it is very nice to meet you." He said politely. "You as well. I'm trusting you to treat Riley here right. Last thing we need is another Ben." She responded, causing Riley to blush. "Thanks mom..." Riley said, just joking. Maya just giggled. "Well, thank you Lucas!' "No problem, Riley. Hey, would you maybe want to go grab some pizza downtown lately? Perhaps around 7?" Lucas asked. Riley looked at     Maya, then back to Lucas. Was he asking her out? It seemed like he was. Riley wasn't going to pass it up. "Yeah, I would love to, that would be fun." She said, nodding. "Great! I'll see you then. It was nice meeting you, Maya!" He smiled, walking back towards the staircase as Riley walked into the room. Maya smirked shutting the door. "Someone has a date!" She teased. "Oh hush. I'm nervous." "Ah, don't be nervous. He seems like a nice guy. Now come on, lets figure out what you're going to wear!" Maya said, opening Riley's closet. She just smiled and nodded, becoming more excited by the second. eee hope you enjoyed❤ please vote, like, commnent, and share! I love you all so much yay! Kinsley

[survivorathena-allstars]

Episode #9: “I Don't Want to Play Duck Duck Goose Anymore; It's Time to Play All Stars” ~ Emily

WE MADE MERGE BABY

I just PM'd everyone from the other tribe I am SO happy for merge.  This came at the perfect time! Now I just have to make sure I win immunity and hopefully get pulled into an alliance or something.  I don't even know who I want to WORK WITH!! But I'm glad that there is a possibility to get numbers. Seriously I don't think I've ever PM'd so many people at a merge before, I usually wait for people to come to me but NOT TODAY BUCKAROOS.  it's time to show that i can be a social queen and get myself out of some sticky situations that could be coming my way with the old ata la la la la de dah tribe.

Merge! Woo! We are going into this merge split 6-6 even for tribal lines on both original tribes and swap tribes, which is kind of incredible. I don't know who I want to trust. I just know that if ruthie was willing to vote Lily before, she'll do it again. And that's the tea.

i'm bad at naming things um I DON'T KNOW BUT I NEED TO BE QUIET I'M SPILLING WAY TOO MUCH TO THESE PEOPLE AT THIS MERGE PARTY. I'm about to let it slip to Will that my old tribe has an alliance 0:) 

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO WE FUCKING MERGED!!!! LETS DO THIS YALL!!!! Okay, so here's the status of things. Obviously, I'm glad to be united with a few people again, but I'm already starting to form a potential boot order in my head. It clearly won't work this way for real, but there are a few people that I don't want to see getting much further. Ali is definitely one of them, for two main reasons. First of all, he's a challenge beast that is not at all to be doubted, and if he went on an immunity streak, it could throw not just a wrench, but an entire toolbox into the rest of my game. So he's got to go for that alone. But also, he's being so unreasonably bitter? Apparently, this doesn't apply to just him, but Emily and Owen both said that he was refusing to talk to them because of their challenge performance. Y'know, the challenge that was an entire day ago. You really would think they'd be a BIT less bitter at this point, but alas... apparently not. Dana and Will could be logical next boots after that, along with Ashvika. Not sure about that order, though. And... As much as I love Cameron, I don't know if I'd want to work with him. Every time I work with him, it never ends up going right, and he betrays me by relaying information to another alliance, never voting with me, or something of the sort. So he might be on that list earlier than my out-of-game self would want. Kevin could also be a boot opportunity early on, as his paranoia is so hard to deal with, and it makes him as unpredictable as going on Omegle's video mode. I don't know where I stand on Ruthie, though. It's hard to put an accurate gauge on where I want her in this game, as she could possibly be brought onto my side as an ally, but the Autumn vote may have ruined that. So I'll have to let that sit for a while. Ideal F3 (if it IS F3) is me, Emily (hehe), and Zach. Ideal F2 is me and Emily (duh <3). Ideal F1 is me.

I'm so sad about Jack going I'm like really sad. I miss him wtf I wouldn't have done him so dirty BRING BACK JACK 2K18

Merge time means tea time, which means everyone gets a little too comfortable and says things they shouldn't! I love how Ruthie is so willing to throw the other tribe under the bus and flip to our side, we LOVE a queen and we LOVE a Will warrior like her. Owen....idk what you were thinking siding with Emily and Lily when you had literally the perfect opportunity to take them out but ok work. Like I genuinely don't care if y'all felt bad for Lily feeling left out, that's the game we're playing. You need to check your feelings at the door or you will not win this game. As far as I'm concerned, Lily or Emily is next to go - whoever doesn't win immunity is gonna be gone. A good split vote will work there too just in case of an idol, but it's time to cut the threats loose and let the non-recruits take control. Sorry about it! ________________________________________________________________ And when I tell people it's gonna be a bloodbath, know that I'm not gonna be the one bleeding - I'll be the one left standing.

Okay merge time! Lots to confess on! Firstly, I am so ready for Sandra Diashvika Twine winning again, like wooOoOoOO! Otherwise, I am..... conflicted about who I wanna work with from atalaia. The majority on their tribe was Emily/Owen/Zach as a core group, with Lily and Kevin as 4th and 5th and Ruthie firmly in the minority. I definitely want to work with Ruthie, she clicks well into our group since she is a self proclaimed Will Warrior. The issue is however that I don't know if I can then work with Ruthie and then also Zach/Owen/Emily, because that leaves us with voting out Kevin which I don't think I necessarily want to do and Lily who I do want to go, but I don't know if Emily will. With that said, I think my goal boot order for the merge going forward would be: 12th = Lily 11th to 9th = Preferably maybe Zach > Emily > Owen as an order? That gives us a top 8 of the six from Loronha + Ruthie/Kevin. That might then (unfortunately) be the opportunity to turn on Cameron/Dana/Will as right now I feel like I'm probably number four in that alliance? I wanna really assess that because I do feel good about going really far with Dana,Cameron and Will provided I'm not just the clear cut 4th in that alliance. AHH, we will see eek. I think the four immediate targets should be Lily 1st, then Emily,Owen & Zach. The issue is however, is like a fool, Emily knows about my alliance, so if I do want to get her out, it needs to be a _major_ blindside, so if Lily wins immunity, maybe Emily needs to go? I love murdering my own children

merge!!!! thank god i was not going to survive another round in that tribe so i'm reunited with my favs Cameron and duncan. i just went on a call with dunc and received a PIPING cup of a tea from him: 1. first of all i spilled the beans to him on what happened at our tribe pretty much instantly. i also spilled the beans to will because keeping a secret to myself? not familiar with that concept #RatsOnly 2. apparently i played in lazio with duncan and he was bitter at me for 3 months??? skdkdkd 3. duncan and i want to be a #dynamicduo bc we think no one would expect it and since we haven't actually been on a tribe together we'll have different connections which will allow us to get more info and do stuff with that 4. duncan has a treehouse hideout thing which allows him to skip a tribal up until f10. also Cameron has an idol??? okay 5. some BITCHES on LORANHA apparently threw my name and lily's name out as easy merge boots. which is honestly realistic bc i haven't been in any alliance so i'm like the hali of this game but not as hot. but like...am i a threat??? neaux sir. i couldn't hear what duncan was saying but i think he said Cameron threw my name out???? not sure. whoever it is is a RAT. duncan suggested voting out ruthie instead which will like be chill i guess. anyways i need to try hard in immunity i guess 

Owen snatched immunity before I could even get started 

I'm a flop hi! I'm confessing I'm being a good castaway I promise! I did like twenty puzzles in total which took maybe a total of three hours... I fucking hate puzzles. But of course Owen won. He's here to PLAY. I'm just really concerned for Lily and I at this point. I KNOW that people are going to target us at some point because they've already started? I think people are just coming for my friends like Madison? Gone. Jack? Gone. Lily? Almost gone thank god we saved her in that tie revote. I dont understand??? Don't come for my boys tho. Protect Ali, Zach, and Duncan AT ALL COSTS!!! Also I have no clue why I have such a HARD ASS TIME trusting Owen? Like there's just.... I CAN'T TRUST HIM! He's proven to me time and time again that he's trustworthy but for some reason... HE'S NOT! I'm just happy to be back with Ali and Duncan though because like... I trust them a whole whole lot. A whole lot. And they have powers! Duncan has that hideaway he needs to use soon and he also has an idol. Ali has an idol. Also me thinking back to that idol that Ali and I didn't get after having to be quiet in the time chat for forever... I think Will has it. Sneaky sneaky snake that Will. I love him, but he's a SNAKE!!! OH speak of the devil he just messaged me fdjkfjaksdfa I LOVE WILL I PROMISE I just haven't gotten to be on a tribe with him yet and like I don't know where his head is at or his allegiances and stuff. Also Zach hasn't talked to me in a while and I DON'T WANT HIM TO ABANDON ME I love Zach!! And I literally wanna go to final three with him!!! Heck!! talk TO ME also I don't buy that not talking in the tribe chat is like ... only a disadvantage. I played this game before BUDDY!!! It got me nothing but I think it's gonna get him something so fajsdkfjasdkf UGH anyways I'm gonna go get Greek food this is the end of my confessional bye

Checking in as the worst player in all stars. I am mad at myself because I'm literally making all the same mistakes and am in this messy spiral that I can't get out of. Emily knows about my idol, which gets tricky for voting out her or Lily, Duncan knows *everything* including too much I said about Cameron, when I was still assessing whether to work with him and I've just boxed myself into a tricky spot. I'm literally making the same mistakes, like I'm just bad at this and it makes me so sad. I'm gonna get dragged to the end as a goat again and that makes me so sad, ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I wanted to rewrite my Athena experience, but instead of playing a terrible game without realising like last time, I am playing an even worse game but this time i can tell and it makes me sad. I cant wait to be dragged to the end as a goat again, this is gonna like crush my self-esteem even further into the swamp ajlfkajldfk. god I hate myself, and these games makes it so much worse

Ladies... we merged! I am honestly so happy I made merge, and that's my first of three goals, the other two being jury and 100 days. I really like everyone on our tribe. Like there's people who I worked with and will continue to work with, such as Emily and Owen, then there are people who I haven't worked with, that i'm excited and hopeful to work with, such as Dana, Cameron and Will. Overall everyone's great! There's only a few people who'd I enjoy seeing leave. Kevin - we don't have a superior connection. Sure, he's friendly and nice, but compared to my other conversations it's just... dull. Sweet kid though. Lily - I like Lily and would love to work with her, but she's close with Emily, has many advantages and similarly to Kevin, we just don't connect. Duncan is fine too. I like him and would love to work with him, and Dana said there's beef between him and Will so keeping them both in the game keeps us under the radar. Ashvika's a queen, and I love her. Ruthie's sweet but also like kind of AFK. Ali? A legend. If I had to, right now, predict a final three, it'd be: Ali, Will, and either Ruthie/Dana. We'll see how wrong I am sometime!! WOOH!! Also i can't talk in chats right now i'm so sad.

I'm.... literally the worst player left I'm screeching. Everyone is talking strategy and like I'm very out of it, like its interesting seeing Zach say (admittedly it wasn't exactly shocking) that he is close with Emily and Owen, as well as Dana & Cameron. Like... that's a lot of people, when me/Zach/Emily were a three person alliance, like.... yikes. Anyways, I am trying to see where I stand rn. I think I am still number four in the Dana/Will/Cameron/I alliance, so I'm thinking if I can get down to the nitty gritty with Ashvika/Duncan like that's actually a solid workable opportunity. I think I'd like to go to F5 with Ashvika/Duncan/Kevin/Ruthie? I just like the sound of that, and then I can figure it out from there... We will see I think I really want Lily out this vote, and then just one of the extended numbers for my L.A.W.D alliance, just so they can't flip away from me. I just feel really uncertain right now, so I wanna start eliminating numbers that are gonna cause issues for me, and Lily is the prime target for that. I really feel like I'm the worst player in the game and wanna try and resolve that somehow, but like... you can't fix a player as terrible as me hsjkdfajsdfa ________________________________________________________________ Who is ready for ali the goat the sequel! I sure am ________________________________________________________________ me: cries about telling too many people about my idol me: tells two more people making the number of people that know now equal 6 but its fun, and the aim of these games is to have fun and leaving sad confessionals isn't good, so lets just have fun with it.

Honestly, please self-vote out of this game if you're "close with Emily." If i have to hear that phrase one more time I WILL choke. Stop playing this game like you're close with Emily because unless you're me NEWS FLASH LADIES you're close with Emily!!! Her name is literally starting to sound weird to me because I'm hearing it so much. Like am I jealous of her? YOU BET. How do I make my mist as strong as Emily. I am sick of pacifying miss Emily. Ok on another note, my main bff Ali Bee told me he HAS THE IDOL that I told everyone Lily has and honestly im wigged. I'm so happy he has the idol. Also Cameron told me that someone good had an idol the other day, and I confirmed tonigt that this person he told me about was Ali so yee we love tea! The other good thing about that all going down as it did, is that later down the line (assuming I don't get murdered) I can be like "Will Ali and Cameron are vv close, Cameron got idol tea before us!!!" and use that as leverage. Right now apparently all the names out there are Ali, Lily, Ruthie, and Kevin. Owen, I just don't trust, and I really tried to sell my loyalty to him on call and if Owen were 5% less smart he probably would have bought it. I delivered an outstanding an emotionally confusing performance tonight and she deserves recognition.  Also I would like to thank everyone for nominating me for the role of village idiot of the season. It means a lot to me accepting this award. I'd like to thank Cameron for helping me really sell it to the people that i'm an illiterate meme just looking 4 a home amongst all these intimidating players I can't keep up with. Like UTR whommmm. Me? It's unlikely but apparently also working. Like i don't want people thinking it's worth their time to vote miss me out of this game when all the scary smart people are around. Keep me around for jokes and fake drama pls.

this was like before immunity results were even posted ________________________________________________________________

Alright team, here's the deal: merge boot, it can either be simple or it can be a mess. And this time it's gonna be a grade A mess. We have 6 people from each of the swapped tribes, and 6 people from each of the starting tribes, which means there's a whole messy web of connections between everyone going every which way. I have my core four of me, Ali, Cameron, and Dana (which has an even stronger core of just me and Dana) and we have connections with Duncan and Ashvika (the Loronha squad/Charlotte's Angels), with Owen (from the Elaenia days), with Zach (our cracked king) and with Emily (because who the fuck isn't connected with Emily). The thing is, EmiLily NEEDS to get broken up and everyone knows it, but we have people literally saying they won't vote Emily out until F5 but....guess what? If we let her get that far, she's LITERALLY GOING TO WIN like are you KIDDING ME. So since nobody wants to vote out Emily right now, and we need to break up that duo, the obvious target is Lily. But again, people are SO worried about burning Emily as a potential ally that they won't vote Lily. Like honestly props to Emily for literally smothering everyone with her mist to the point where they won't even try to play the fucking game anymore. We can't just vote out the outsiders forever, like we're at a point where the only "easy vote" left is Kevin (sorry king) and, according to some people, Ruthie (love u queen) - but the thing is, why would you take out an easy vote NOW when you have a chance to take a shot at a big threat? And honestly, I don't even know if Lily is really a threat to win this game since she doesn't speak to anyone when it isn't right before tribal so like....I'm talking about taking a shot at Emily by taking out Lily. If you wanna overthrow the queen, you have to take down her loyal aide first. Dana, Cameron, Ali, and Ruthie are the only people that seem to have completely detached themselves from the idea that "we need to play with our friends and we need to go for the easy votes" because let's see... what happens at F10 when you've taken out Ruthie/Kevin and all your "friends" are left? It's Survivor, you have to burn someone at some point. If you don't burn someone else, you're the one getting burned. I think I can convince Owen that it's better for his game to burn just Emily than to burn all three of me, Cameron, and Dana but... I really don't know. I love Zach but if he's saying he won't vote out Emily until F5.... then do you really deserve to be playing this game? If the jury really does start tonight, I also need to start playing a selfish game and figure out how I can get these people that we're gonna be voting out to vote for me. I have a lot of plans and big ideas, but I don't know for sure if or how they're gonna work. Right now we need to get at least one or two people onboard with voting out Lily...like that is going to happen tonight I am going to make sure she goes home.

Tag yourself I’m me exposing my whole friend group as friends but not including myself as a part of it #wig I love strategy!!!!!! No I don’t I’m just stupid

Everyone's so fucking dumb they act as if there aren't only 12 people on this tribe (10 technically since Lily never speaks to anyone apparently and nobody knows who Kevin is) like you can't be like "omg I only heard it was Ruthie" and not expect that I already heard your plan to divert from Lily going home by throwing Ruthie's name out there like what the fuck lmao

Okay so yesterday the options for voting were like Ruthie Lily and Kevin. I did not want to vote any of these people because I wanted to work/reconnect with the first two and the third person is me. BUT it appears the options are Ruthie and me so...my hand's been forced. I wanted to try reconnecting with Ruthie after that last tribal but I guess not hm. If I survive this tribal it'll be the third tribal in a row I've received votes so that'll be cute! I don't know who the source of my name is, I don't know if I want to know but I'd appreciate the information so I don't go rattling all my secrets to my own killer!! Wish me luck!!! :,)

DUNCAN WHAT THE HECK WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO VOTE ME OUT??? WHY ARE YOU THE ONE PUSHING ME, I DO NOT GET IT, WHY???

Everyone is being super shady rn I don’t understand who started with wanting ruthie out but I don’t trust lily and I’m working on flipping the vote that way. Also wHY is everyone so concerned about defying Emily?? People wouldn’t be down to vote Emily rn so it’s imperative we vote out lily bc they’re close 

If anything, the way people are acting about this vote is VERY telling about how they're playing this game and a lot of people? Aren't playing very good games. Shame, isn't it?

yeah so....this is a lot. a lot a lot. A LOT. First of all, when we merged let me just say I was so happy to be with that whole other tribe again. DUNCAN AND ASHVIKA and I? legends only. Ali? A king. BUT MY TRU BBYS DANA WILL AND Cameron??? A++++++++++++++++++++++ holy SHOOT. I love everyone in this game and it's so nice to be working with those people again. I had some explaining to do about the tied vote and the autumn vote....so that was fun. idk. the real fun started later. first of second of all, the fucking immunity challenge. ruthie and I were talking before it got posted and I was like hahaha I hope it's a puzzle!!!!! hahahaahahahahahahahaHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA man i rlly fucked up with that wish, huh? :') puzzles are my thing so when I saw it was puzzle comp I was like YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! it was my time to shine. well.... :) hehe :) be careful what you wish for in the athena series, folks, bc this genie is a savage :') i came into the comp just wanting to be cute. i wanted a fun time and all I got? cramps. and FATIGUE. and torture. i was so paranoid ali or emily would stay up all night doing them but seems like  was the only one truly crazy enough to ignore the fact that I had school starting the next day fakjsfjk but oh well. a win is a win, and the further I went the more I told myself that if I didnt win all the work would be for nothing. SO I DID IT! second of second of all, boy has this tribe gone to shit. lets get all the he said she said out of the way first. so I went on call with Duncan, he said he didnt wanna do Kevin and didnt wanna piss emily off so he landed on ruthie. he wants ruthie gone I was like ok. then i got on the call with will and he and I talked about maybe doing the easier thing like ruthie or kevin. then I get on call with will dana Cameron and,....fajskhjfk Cameron doesnt wanna do kevin or ruthie bc that's too easy. Cameron wants lily out as a move first, and I was ok with that, so were dana and will. basically like...we don't have sny reason to vote zach or ali yet, they dont wanna do emily yet, and duncan/ashvika didnt really come up as targets which left kevin ruthie and lily, the usual suspects. but then I talked to zach and he said he'd much rather do kevin. ok wig. then I talked to emily today and she wants to do kevin too. but then apparently lily found out from DUNCAN her name coulda gone around. I talk to lily aqnd first lily wants to do ali???? ok mood. but then fkasdhfkjds she was like everyone is doin ruthie. SO NOW, lily, duncan, and presumably ashvika were gonna do ruthie, emily doin ???? maybe kevin maybe ruthie, and will dana Cameron zach ruthie myself doin lily, and idk what ali's doin he told me he's thinking about going vegetarian and that's the biggest move he's told me about so far this round so fkshdfj ok ali. but like......uhg idk. ashvika doesnt want ruthie out, but ashvika apparently knows ppl are voting lily? god. GOD. third of all! some of my actual thoughts about all of this huge ass info dump..... I really really still love Dana, Will, and Cameron, but looking down the line, I am worried they will all be closer to each other than to me. They spent a lot of time together on that other tribe, and of the four of us they might pin me as a threat and kick me out. Cameron and I called privately as well and I told Cameron some additional things and he said that the other two might be a little sketched out by me rn but that if I vote with them it'll be fine. I also still....really love Will bye :'( what a king. I have talked to him a lot one on one about everything going on, and I just hope he trusts me too. It's just that of the four of us, I have a lot of the connections like outside ofour alliance (emily and lily, zach, duncan/ashvika, etc) which is GOOD FOR ME but also....playing both sides is not gonna be fun when sides come, and also I don't want them to freak out about my loyalty. I also still REALLY want to work with Zach and he might even be one of my closest allies rn as well. I don't want to be on a separate page from him. he's good. and he still really wants to work with emily too. NOW. I messaged Ali a lot about how like he might be seen as a threat down the line and that I might start to be one too and that we should have each other's backs and he agreed. He claims he doesn't think of himself as a threat and also like every time he speaks it's something about how he thinks his game is awful.... fskjdf i wish he would spend more time talking to me about his thoughts this time around and not his thoughts about how he played in emathia but! that's ok. Cameron also apparently has some tea on him....? That he didnt want to tell me.... Could Ali have an idol idk. Also it's really clear that Ali and Cameron are VERY close after that swap. But I like them both and want to move forward with both of them. I also called Emily one on one and told her the same thing - we're both gonna be threats soon, and we need each other. And I think that's true. So when I look ahead, it doesn't make sense for me to get Lily out at this vote. There's going to come a time when everyone who loves each other is gonna blow tf up and start targeting the threats. Which is why I'm trying to build mini-groups outside of my core alliance. My group with Duncan and Ashvika is good. But my group with Lily and Emily is another one. If Kevin left, then I would literally be good with so many people and they'd all be hopefully targeting each other. Emily and Lily are targets over me, Will wants Duncan out pretty bad and Duncan wants Will.... idk where Zach and Dana fit in but I love them and I don't think Zach would turn on me yet. But the closer it gets to voting, the more Will wants to do Lily, and I'm really at a crossroads here bc I don't want to make Emily mad or anything... Basically my main alliance wants Lily gone bad, which isn't necessarily bad for me but it's not best. And the people outside that alliance are split between Ruthie and Kevin and idk. If I really want to come out and say it, I could try to get dana Cameron and will to vote kevin. but they're just gonna think it's bc I wanna work with lily which is....not necessarily wrong. idk there's just a wheel that keeps spinning and I don't know when or where it's gonna stop. right now I'm thinking Lily. but how do I move forward from that? how am I going to get to the end of this game? I don't think I can unless I get to a point where I can win out. idk yall im still a mess rn but isn't that what we were all expecting dflfdk at least it wont be me. ________________________________________________________________ in other news will and I will be going as wario and waluigi for halloween so watch out

it's over luigi i'm going home tonight duncan was like "well most people have said ruthie" and that's like cool or whatever but then i'm like "well who said my name" bc i don't wanna like talk to the wrong ppl and then duncan has gone SILENT sjsjs if i survive it'll be a miracle sent from god our father

Wowowowow this is a mess. Here's how i presume the vote going down tonight. 

We (oh good l.a.w.d) are trying to save ruthie and kill lily. We have us 4 plus ashvika and ruthie, which is 6. I believe owen, zach, emily, and lily will likely vote kevin. Thats 4. I think kevin and duncan will probably vote ruthie. Thats 2. Lily goes, barring further complications. Bless up. 

I love starting the plan to get lily out and securing votes and then having someone else come tell me that we’re voting lily tonight! 

90% of the time I have no idea what the fuck this tribe is talking about. Okay, so, picture this. It's around 6:30, I've been talking with Cameron and a few others, and what I hear is that the vote is for Ruthie. I think this is alright, and I set my phone down, diverting my attention towards the delicious tacos I prepared for myself. At 6:55-ish, I get back on Skype, and now Cameron is telling me that everyone is voting for Kevin! I don't know about y'all, but it seems a BIT suspicious that the vote would change like that in less than a half an hour with no explanation to it at all! It just feels like this is some elaborate ploy, so that people can get me distracted with these two options and just blindside me. I thought this would be unanimous, but Perhaps The Fuck Not, My Good Sirs

this is how i'm looking at everyone in this tribe rn I trust NO ONE. Cameron told me "oh yeah the majority's voting ruthie" and so did duncan and then i talk to some people to whom i say "you know i'm voting ruthie probably" and then they're like "oh okay cool haha you do you!" which is the most blatantly transparently WISHY WASHY response you could give like they'll say "well who knows what could happen" like you might as well stab me because that'd be more enjoyable than this!!! and then i talk to lily later and lily's REAL with me and she says the majority WAS to Ruthie but now it seems like everyone's voting me?? and then i talk to emily and she's like "oh the majority's voting ruthie" and i'm like WHAT RHE FUCK IS FOING ON. Cameron says he has no idea what's going on. tonight's mood is paranoia, betrayal, and utter confusion to sum up my mental state in one word...fuck 

This is going to be a fun one 

This is a letter put in a time capsule for Dana, Will & Cameron. I just want to confess about how much I love you three. Dana, you always describe yourself as upsetting, but in reality I think you are one of the funniest and most genuine people in this community. Your pep talk you gave me on call was so nice, and its been a pleasure to actually work with you this time alkjdfa. Will, you are TOO HARD ON YOURSELF. You put so much energy in helping me build myself up, but remain too critical of yourself. You don't realise how popular you actually are and how much time people have for you. Cameron, m'fave. I love you so much, you and Captain are the most iconic duo (I'm done waiting) and I think you are the best. anywho, soppyness over. I felt they deserved that because on call yesterday they were so nice to me and I wanted to return the favour. ________________________________________________________________ OKAY SO THIS VOTE. I.... highkey have wanted Lily to be merge boot since we merged, so this is going a way I support. Also, I am forever an Ashvika warrior, we have decided to stan forever. Right now, Me/Ashvika/Dana/Will/Cameron/Ruthie are all voting Ruthie, which is 6/12. It looks like the other 6 aren't gonna be united or one of the 6 is gonna vote with us, so it looks like Lily is going. Unfortunately, that requires upsetting Emily, so I'm trying to very delicately clue her in that Lily is in jeopardy. Its not even that I wanna lie to her, Im more just concerned about upsetting her. Its a mess! whewie whewie whew. owenlol fkasdjhfkjsdhfkjs so now like I'm confident Lily is going, Ali, Ashvika, and now Ruthie are all voting her even though Zach isn't, but it now comes down to whether or not I tell Emily and idk. I just wish Kevin could gtfo because he's not a number for me. I'm hating my life rn fskjfhjds but ! oh well! maybe I'll just vote kevin and deal with it later.

whatever it isn't the end of the world I don't think....but damn if Lily has an idol now would be the time to play it huh

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people are voting for lily apparently or something i'm too young to think this much idk

There's nothing better than playing the absolute DUMBEST when shit hits the fan, thank you Queen Dana for telling Emily it was gonna be Lily, because now Emily thinks I'm just as confused as she is. We love a good ruse.

EMILY WHY. I tried to like subtly clue you in (as did Dana) and you just sent everyone's pms everywhere askjdfafaf I love you so much but Lily is a sinking ship and you are drowning with her

But for real, Dana leaking like that accidentally and creating the last minute chaos is really an Ashley's Idol 2.0 because I may be able to lie my way through this and hold onto Emily's trust at least for one round...or so...Who knows!

I recorded both of these before the vote and I just uploaded them

I recorded another one of me going crazy but honestly it's not cute and y'all would fear for my sanity so i'm not uploading it

Lily becomes the 9th person voted out of Athena All Stars in a 8-3-1 votes. You can see Lily’s preseason interview here.

After being voted out and placed on the jury, Lily decided to walk from jury. Charlotte, being the more recently voted out player, became the first member of the jury.