#thank you lexington

[shinneth]

Shout-out to my fellow Kentuckian crowd who attended SmackDown last night with the best-timed and most appropriate “You deserve it” chant ever~💙🤍

[uniquexusposts]

The politician's daughter

Main characters: James Beaufort x reader Genre: fanfiction, fluff, TV show  Word count: 1482 Requested by: @marjoriesemente Note: there will be a second part

Summary: Y/N is new to Maxton Hall and tries to start over again. But one person is making it difficult. What will happen next?

An unfamiliar black BNW stopped in front of the gates of Maxton Hall. It caught everybody’s attention since it didn’t belong to the Beaufort’s. Y/N L/N stepped out of the car. The driver, a very handsome man in a black suit, opened the door. Y/N took off her sunglasses and looked around; the school in the English countryside was a stark contrast to her former life in the bustling capital city. 

Her father, a prominent politician, insisted on this move since he was about to be elected president. He also hoped this elite school would provide a fresh start. 

Y/N took a deep breath, bracing herself for what was to come. She looked at her driver and gave him a nod as thank you. As she walked through the grand entrance, whispers followed her every step. Her unique beauty, sharp features, softened by a mysterious aura, captivated the students. Everybody knew who she was. Whispers about her father’s influence and her wealth swirled around, making her the centre of attention instantly. 

“Welcome, Miss L/N,” principal Lexington smiled and stuck out his hand. “It is a pleasure to have you here. I am direktor Lexington and I will show you around.” 

Y/N shook his hand with a polite smile. It looked like she had media training, she effortlessly spoke and moved. “Thank you, direktor Lexington. I appreciate it.” 

The first few hours of the day were a whirlwind of orientations and introductions. Principal Lexington navigated Y/N through the labyrinthine hallways. At the end of the tour, Y/N had to wait in front of Lexington’s office since he had to get some documents. 

Y/N was wandering around in the hallway, scanning everything. The old architecture impressed her. Her face softened; this felt like she entered a TV show or movie. If she was honest with herself, she didn’t mind being here. 

Just when Y/N turned around to walk back towards Lexington’s office, she bumped into James Beaufort. 

James, tall and striking with an air of confidence, looked down at her, irritation flashing in his eyes. His eyebrows raised. “Watch where you’re going,” he snapped, brushing past her. 

Y/N’s face straightened, and her eyes narrowed. “You bumped into me,” she retorted, her tone icy. 

Cyril, James’ best friend, snickered. “New girl with a temper. This will be interesting.”

The tension was palpable, setting the stage for their contentious relationship. 

Y/N sighed; it all was different from her previous school. She waited for Lexington, who quickly walked over to her. He led her to her new class and showed her the latest schedule. 

“I paired you with James Beaufort,” Lexington mentioned when he and Y/N were standing in the class, taking the attention for the moment. James slowly turned around on his stool, and he lowered his eyebrows. “He will be on your side for this week and guide you through the classes,” Lexington said, looking at James to make sure he would understand it. “You can sit right next to him, Miss L/N. Welcome, and have a wonderful time here.” He gave her a nod and walked away. 

The teacher warmly smiled. “Welcome. Please, take a seat. Mr. Beaufort will catch you up with the chapter.”

Y/N walked over to James, waiting for Cyril to pack his stuff and move to another table. Cyril raised his eyebrow, looking impressed and moved to the table behind them. Y/N hung her blazer over the chair and sat down next to James. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” James mumbled under his breath. 

Y/N clenched her jaw. “Trust me, I’m not thrilled either.” 

“You don’t even know me.”

“And you don’t even know me,” she whispered, getting her stuff from her bag. But the moment in the hallway said enough about him, Y/N thought. 

He sighed and focused on the class, pretending Y/N wasn’t even there. 

The hour went by, and it was time for lunch. Before Y/N could pack her bag and get up, James had already left with his friends. Y/N looked at how they left, pausing her packing. He was a douche, that was clear to her. Her eyes met a girl’s eyes, who walked up to her. 

“Don’t mind him,” she said. “He’s… just James Beaufort.” 

“He’s not interesting to me,” Y/N replied and carefully smiled. 

“Good,” the girl said. “I’m Amelia, by the way.” 

“Y/N.”

“I know,” the friendly-looking girl smiled. “I’ll show you around.”

Amelia and Y/N chatted about their lives and entered the grand dining hall. Y/N was aware of the eyes on her. She scanned the room, finding an empty sport at a table for her and Amelia. They got something to eat. Y/N learned about the school’s social hierarchy: James Beaufort was the unofficial king of Maxton Hall. His popularity and charm made him a leader, but his arrogance rubbed Y/N the wrong way. 

“So, what’s your story?” Amelia asked, curiosity in her eyes. 

Y/N hesitated. “My dad’s a politician, as you may know. And it looks like he will become the new prime minister.” She looked around, scanning the hall. “My dad didn’t want me to be in London anymore, something with security. So he sent me to my mum, and I moved to the countryside.”

Amelia nodded understandingly. “Must be tough.”

Y/N shrugged. “It has its moments. And what about you?”

“It sounds so awful, honestly, but my parents won the lottery, and they invested in big companies, so here I am.”

Y/N nodded impressively. “It’s the first time I’ve met someone who has won the lottery of her parents. What’s their secret?”

“If I know, I would tell.”

They shared a laugh, but they got overruled by a loud laugh from the table James Beaufort sat at. James was telling a story, and his friends were hanging on his every word. Y/N couldn’t help but feel a pang of irritation. 

“Don’t let him get to you,” Amelia said, noticing Y/N’s gaze. “He’s used to getting his way.”

Y/N smiled faintly. “I’m not worried. Giving those guys attention, makes them even worse.”

Amelia’s eyes squinted. “I like you,” she said like she wasn’t sure about it first. 

As the days passed, Y/N tried to settle into her new routine. Despite her best efforts to avoid James, their paths seemed to cross constantly. James didn’t want to be Y/N’s buddy, he didn’t want to be anyone’s buddy. Besides, other people were helping Y/N already. However, they met in classes, in the halls, and even during extracurricular activities. Each encounter was a reminder of the tension between them.

The first political debate about the presidency was on air during class. During lunchtime, everybody was watching and talking to Y/N since her father set up a very interesting debate. After lunch, Y/N’s class had an hour to spare. Y/N went to the library to study. She was struggling, deep in thought, when she heard a familiar voice. 

“Enjoying the attention?”

Y/N looked next to her; James Beaufort was standing against the stool next to her with his back. He didn’t bother to look at her, yet he was waiting for a reply. “I didn’t ask for it.”

“Clearly, you’re used to it,” he replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Whatever my dad has to do, is none of my business.”

James finally turned to face her, his expression unreadable. “Your dad’s a big deal, huh?”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “He’s just a politician.”

“Just a politician,” James repeated, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Must be nice.”

Y/N bristled at his condescending tone. “You think you know everything about me just because of who my dad is?”

James shrugged. “I don’t need to know everything. Just enough to know that you’re not as special as you think you are.”

Y/N’s jaw clenched. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“Maybe not,” James admitted, his gaze piercing. “But I know enough.”

“And what exactly are you doing here? Can I help you?”

James paused, his gaze flickering with uncertainty momentarily before he regained his composure. “I was just passing by,” he replied casually, though there was a hint of defensiveness in his tone. “Thought I’d see what the new girl was up to.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow, scepticism is evident in her expression. “Right,” she said, unconvinced. “Well, if you’re not here to help, then I suggest you leave me to my studies.”

James hesitated, his jaw tensing slightly. For a moment, it seemed as though he might argue, but then he simply nodded and turned to walk away. Y/N watched him go, a mixture of frustration and curiosity swirling inside her.

Click here to go to part 2

[sexhaver]

Boston driving tips:

if you're making an unprotected left at a stoplight and are the first one in line when the light turns green, your job is to gun it and make that left turn before any oncoming traffic has an opportunity to move. otherwise you will sit there throughout that entire fucking light, forcing everyone behind you who wants to go straight to merge to the right (which of course gums up both lanes), until it turns red again and you awkwardly finish up your turn while the entire intersection glares daggers at you. if you pull this shit on a one-lane road, then congratulations, you made it so you were the only one to make it through on that light cycle, and the drivers behind you are not only allowed but actively encouraged to pit manuever you off the road if they can catch up.

for optimal performance, you should be looking at the signal for the cross street + the walk signal. once you see the cross signal turn red, hold down your brake with your left foot to free up your right foot to hover over the gas pedal. that way, when your light turns green, you can simultaneously lift your left foot while dropping your right to instantly start moving. this maneuver has many names depending on where you learn it. i learned it as the "Worcester left" but ive also heard it referred to as a "Lexington left".

if you're in the left lane and one person passes you on your right, there's a 50/50 shot on which one of you is the asshole (you for driving too slow in the passing lane, or the passer for being a speed demon)

if two people pass you on your right, you are the asshole and need to merge right at the soonest opportunity to avoid further embarrassment

if THREE (or, god forbid, more) people pass you on your right, pull over to the nearest breakdown lane at your earliest convenience and commit seppuku with a tire iron

become intimately familiar with the exact size of your car and how close you can get to stuff without hitting it. this proprioception is helpful when parallel parking but is mostly for those times when someone is trying to turn left from a single-lane road, and they pull off as far to the left as they can without going into oncoming traffic to let people around them, and then the person behind them spends a few seconds trying to fit their 6-foot-wide car through a 9-foot-wide gap before concluding that this maneuver is sadly impossible. don't be that fucking guy

learn how to parallel park. yes i know it's stereotypically scary but there is a method you can learn and it will save your ass so many times. just line up your car's side mirror with the side mirror of the car in front of the spot you want, cut the wheel all the way towards the curb, move for a bit, stop, cut the wheel all the way the other way, resume, wham bam thank you ma'am

you can ignore like 80% of all "no parking" signs because they all say NO PARKING in huge bold letters and then under that in 8pt font they add "every second Tuesday of every month during lobster season on odd sides of the street only from 7-9pm". or it's "reserved" parking for an event that already happened or hasn't happened yet (they put the effective dates right there on the sign)

turning right on red is technically legal at a state level in MA, but most intersections in Boston will have a cheeky little "no turn on red" sign hidden somewhere as a fun Eye-Spy-type game for kids to play on road trips. if you don't see one of these signs, it's a coinflip whether you just missed it or if you can actually turn right

are you moving into Boston for college? you should definitely rent a moving van for your stuff and then follow your GPS directions that take you down Storrow Drive. nothing bad has ever happened to moving vans on Storrow Drive

[ladykailitha]

Grief (A Friend Indeed) Part 1

Hello! Sorry it's been nothing but one-shots lately, but as I said in this post here I haven't abandoned anything, my life has just got a little crazy lately.

This was conceived because my sister's former mother-in-law passed away due to massive heart failure a week ago and I chose to write this story as a way with dealing it. I didn't know her well, but I did know her and that's enough I think to feel some grief at her passing. She was a year younger than my dad.

Summary: Eddie and Wayne have to go back to Kentucky when Eddie's grandmother (and Wayne and Al's mother) passes. Steve comes along when Eddie suggests that he would feel better if he came. Along the way they learn about each other's pasts and find out that they are each other's future.

***

Eddie walked into the Family Video and had to stop and gaze fondly at the sight before him. Steve was draped over the counter reading a magazine and steadfastly ignoring the bell above the door that announced his arrival.

He got up to the desk and greeted affectionately, “Hey, Stevie.”

Steve bolted straight up and ran his fingers through his hair. “Oh hi, Eds. I didn’t realize that it was you.”

Eddie smiled for the first time in days.

Steve grinned back. “You know, a boy could start to think you were avoiding him. You know, since I haven’t seen you around in days.”

Eddie winced, shoving his hands into his jean pockets. “Sorry, man. I had family stuff.”

Steve’s teasing grin slid off his face. “Shit. I’m sorry. That was a dick move.”

Eddie waved his hands. “No, no. There was no way for you to know. In fact, that’s why I’m here. To make sure you don’t think that I’m avoiding you. Because I wouldn’t. You see Wayne and I have to go back to Ashland for a funeral.”

Steve’s already contrite expression softened further. “Oh, Eds. That’s awful. Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

Eddie’s eyes welled up and before the first tear could fall, Steve was over that counter and wrapping him up in his arms.

“I’ve got you, Eds,” Steve murmured. “I’m here now.”

Eddie sobbed and sobbed as Steve just gently rubbed his back until he calmed down enough to talk.

“It’s Uncle Wayne’s mom, my grandma,” he explained, clutching Steve’s shirt like a life line. “She was just the sweetest old lady and now she’s gone. I’m going to miss her.”

“Oh, Eds,” Steve murmured. “I’m sorry. That must just be awful for you. If there is anything I can do, just let me know.”

Eddie chuckled into Steve’s work vest. “Too bad you can’t come with. I think I’d feel braver about seeing all Dad’s family again if you were there.”

Steve grabbed his biceps and pushed him back gently. “Done.”

Eddie stuttered and sputtered. “Stevie, no...”

Steve picked up the phone on the counter and dialed a number. “Stevie yes.”

And Eddie watched in awe horror as Steve’s eyes suddenly welled up with tears and he rubbed his nose.

“Keith?” Steve said, his voice rough as if he had been doing the crying. “Yeah, I just got a call from my mom. My grandmother has died and I have to go to Kentucky for the funeral.”

Eddie’s jaw dropped. He didn’t even know that Steve knew where Ashland was.

“Yeah, my mom is from Lexington,” Steve said with a wink at him. “A real southern belle. I’ve seen pictures of her debutante ball and everything.”

Eddie snorted, because of course she was.

“I would need at least a week,” Steve was saying. “With the reading of the will and all.”

Eddie scoffed. If there was a will, he very much doubted there would be anything as formal as a reading of the damn thing.

“Oh thank you so much,” Steve sniffled. “I’ll even call Robin and let her know about her needing to pick up a few shifts.”

And like that Steve had gotten the week off.

“And the award for best crocodile tears to get out of working goes to Steve Harrington!” Eddie said, waving his hands back and forth. “Holy shit, man, how did you do that?”

Steve snorted. “As any good actor will tell you in order to cry on command, you just need to think about something that makes you cry.”

Eddie frowned. “What did you think of?”

Steve just shrugged. “What time are you guys leaving?”

“Tomorrow, early,” he said. “But serious, dude, even after that stellar performance, you don’t really have to come. Take the week off. Enjoy life for a change.”

Steve shook his head. “I would just be at home worried about you. Don’t make me stay. Please. Not when you said you would feel better with me there.”

Eddie’s shoulders slumped as he gave in. “Of course I want you there, but I would be selfish to take you away from your family for so long. Robin, Dustin...the rest of the them all need you too.”

Steve sighed heavily. “You’re part of that family, Eds. And I’m not dumb enough to think that they aren’t going to make a run for it the second they’re able to. As they should. I have to live my own life and not be afraid to go places.”

Eddie threw his arms in the air. “I hate when you make sense.”

Steve grinned. “Now the only remaining question is which vehicle we’re taking, Wayne’s truck, your van, or my car?”

Eddie laughed. “God, Stevie. I am so glad you’re coming with me. I needed that. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Steve’s grin turned soft and fond. “Let’s hope you never have to find you.”

“Damn straight.”

*

“I can’t believe you’re leaving me,” Robin groused when Steve called her after Eddie left.

“What was I supposed to do when he asked?” Steve questioned, twirling the phone cord around his fingers. He leaned against the counter, keeping an eye on the door.

The last thing he needed was Keith finding out he fucked around after giving him the week off.

Robin scoffed. “Not go?” she questioned. “He obviously wasn’t serious about you coming with.”

"You know I would do the same for you," he said with a sigh. "For any of you. Plus his life has already been turned upside down enough, don't you think?"

Robin sighed. "I'm not really mad," she said. "It's just that this will be the longest we've been apart since the Russians under the mall."

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just think of it as a trial run for when you go to college."

"Yeah okay," she said resigned. "Just call me before you leave and again when you get there, okay?"

"Aye, aye, captain!" Steve said with a grin.

Robin giggled. "Shut up!" She paused for a moment. "I'll miss your stupid face, dingus."

“I’ll miss yours, too,” Steve said with a sigh. “I’ll call as often as I can okay?”

“You better.”

They talked a little bit longer until a customer came in and he had to hang up.

*

When he got home he started calling all the kids and packing for a week long trip. He wasn’t sure what he should bring in terms of clothes and ended up calling Eddie.

Eddie who laughed when he asked. “Just bring what you would normally wear this time of year.”

Steve chewed on his lip. “So I won’t get mercilessly teased about my preppy clothes?”

“Oh no, you will,” Eddie confirmed. “It’s just you don’t have to change yourself to fit in with a bunch of assholes who would make fun of you. Okay?”

Steve let out a slow breath and his anxiety went with it. He could handle that. Those assholes had never met a bitch like Steve Harrington before.

“Yeah, okay,” he said after a moment. “You and Wayne decide which vehicle we’re taking?”

“Yeah, he suggested we take his truck and your car,” Eddie said. “He knows he’s going to be taking a lot back and thinks your car will make it better than my van.”

“Sounds good,” Steve murmured, a little disappointed. “So who will you be riding with for the trip down?”

He could almost feel the grin from here. “With you, of course, darlin’.”

Steve laughed. “Yeah okay. What time do you need me at your house?”

There was a beat and then two before Eddie said, “I was thinking that you should spend the night so we could leave first thing in the morning.”

Steve’s heart sped up as his breath caught in his chest. “Yeah. Sure. That’s a good idea. I’ll show up at eight tonight, give myself a little bit more time to pack.”

“Sounds good,” Eddie replied. “Wayne suggested it because it’s a six hour drive and we want to leave as early as we can so it’s not too late when we get there.”

Steve felt a jumble of emotions at that statement. It was a relief that it was a practical reason, but at the same time it was a disappointment that it wasn’t Eddie’s idea.

He took a deep breath. “I hear that. I remember the trips to Lexington when I was kid before we started flying. They were a bitch.”

“It really surprises me that you have family in Kentucky. I don’t know why, a lot of people in Indiana do, it’s just...”

“Harringtons are so entrenched in Hawkins it’s weird to think we have connections outside of it?” Steve supplied.

Eddie laughed. “Yeah, that.”

“My parents met in college and I didn’t move to Hawkins until I was eight,” Steve said.

“Wait,” Eddie said. “No way. You aren’t a Hawkins native?”

Steve chuckled. “Nope. I’m more like you and Dustin then the Wheelers and the Byers. And the Sinclairs.”

“Huh,” Eddie said after a moment. “You certainly have hidden depths, my friend.”

“You have no idea,” Steve teased.

“Then I’ll just have to use this trip to dive deeper,” Eddie teased back.

“I have to pack, you dork,” Steve said fondly. “I’ll be over at eight.”

“See you then, Stevie.”

***

Part 2|Part 3|Part 4|Part 5|Part 6|Part 7|Part 8|Part 9|Part 10|Part 11|Part 12

Permanent tag list: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @goodolefashionedloverboi @messrs-weasley @maya-custodios-dionach @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @itsall-taken @bookbinderbitch @redfreckledwolf @littlewildflowerkitten @vecnuthy @scheodingers-muppet @mira-jadeamethyst

[hoziercriespower]

Hozier and Noah Kahan performing at Railbird Festival.

Hozier joining Noah Kahan on stage, June 1st '24 in Lexington at Rainlbird Festival to perform Northern Attitude.

❝ thank you for this hozier. ❞

[formosusiniquis]

my @steddiesummerexchange gift fic for @oh-stars! I was so excited to work on this prompt: penpals through childhood until they both graduate -- road trip to meet one another in person. Epistolary fics are always a favorite of mine. oh-stars is such a brilliant writer and bright spot in the fandom, I was excited to be able to write a little something for her, I hope you like it!

October 13, 1976 Dear Eddie,

Mrs. Simpson says I’m supposed to thank you for volunteering to be my partner even though you’re a fifth grader. I don’t know why I should though since now I actually have to do this stupid pen pal project. I know she only paired me with an older kid cause she thinks I’m dumb. But thanks for the extra work I guess.

She said she wasn’t gonna read these before she sent them off, just that she was gonna make sure they were a page front and back like they were supposed to be. But I don’t really believe her. So I guess I should actually write this right.

Hi Eddie. My name is Steve Harrington. I’m 10 years old because I got put in Kindergarten late cause my parents were too busy in wherever my dad does his business stuff and my au pair -- that’s fancy for babysitter who lives in your house -- couldn’t do it. My birthday is in September, almost at the end (the 27th), so I guess that’s why it was okay. When’s your birthday (Mrs. Simpson says a friendly letter is supposed to ask questions.)

My favorite things are yellow and sports. I’m the best at red rover and kickball, Tommy says it's cause I’m the oldest and biggest in our class but he’s a sore loser and couldn’t even break through the girl side of the red rover line. Do you play games? Mrs. Simpson talks about your Hawkins like it’s on a different planet but you’re just in Kentucky. It’s right across the river. I’ve been there a couple times when Dad likes me and we’ll go watch Louisville play basketball. Basketball is my favorite sport but the only outside court is at the park and the big teenagers are always on it.

When you write back you can tell me what sports and games you like. Does your Dad ever bring you to Indiana to watch stuff? The Pacers only played okay last season and they lost to Kentucky in the playoffs. Is that who you root for?

Oh and I’m supposed to ask you about school since this is like homework. I kinda already did that at the beginning, remember. Do you like English or something? Is that why you asked for extra work? Or was your pen pal last year just a super dud?

That’s front and back now.

Sincerely (cause we aren’t friends), Steve Harrington

October 25, 1976 Dear Steve,

First of all I didn’t ask to have to write a letter to some fourth grader. I was told because I’m the only kid who didn’t do it last year that I had to be your partner. I do like English but extra work isn’t fun for anybody. I’ve never had a pen pal before so you’re the best and the worst one I’ve ever had. Are teachers allowed to call people dumb at your school? Mine just look at me like a really weird bug on the road or something.

Your teacher sounds like a real pain in the side, that’s what my Uncle Wayne would say. I think it’s cause he’s pretending he doesn’t know the word bitch. She talks about this Hawkins like it’s on another planet because it’s in the Appalachian Mountains and people think everyone here is stupid and marries their cousins.

Some of them are stupid but they would be like that anywhere it’s not because they live out here.

I’m actually from Lexington though so it isn’t even my Hawkins, but my Uncle Wayne lives here and he has to watch me for a little while.

You didn’t really ask me anything good about myself. I’m Eddie Munson, I’m going to be 11 when it’s my birthday this year (Halloween the coolest birthday cause everyone gives you candy). Red and black are my favorite colors. I don’t like any sports at all, they’re all stupid but everyone knows about basketball here, it's more important than church. Everywhere has games but when you get to fifth grade you learn which ones are for babies.

I like imagination games the best cause then I don’t have to worry about anyone else playing with me. There’s lots of woods here so I can go in them and hunt monsters or dragons or be an elf like in my favorite books.

Wayne’s looking over my shoulder and says I’m supposed to ask you a question. So what’s your favorite book? Do you like fantasy, that’s my favorite but the science fiction stuff with aliens is cool too.

I know you asked about my dad but since I live with Wayne I’m gonna use him instead. He hasn’t ever taken me to Indiana cause “his truck weren’t meant to leave these hills” whatever that means. He said he roots for The Colonels but he wishes your Pacers luck this season. What’s a Pacer anyway?

Do I have to ask you about school too? I don’t think this is homework for me more like extra credit. If you don’t like English what do you like? Don’t say recess or lunch those are cheating answers.

Not your friend either, Eddie Munson

Continue on AO3

[novvaable]

Hey again! Hope you don’t mind me asking another question. So I was wondering what are your must haves for when building a house? Like lights, specific furniture pieces that are your go to or something like that if that makes sense? Thanks! ❤️🫶

I went a little rouge when it came to answering this ask - there are SO many items of cc I love and so many creators that create amazing content, it’s hard to sit and list to every single thing.

I figured it would be best to showcase cc I use frequently within my builds; it helps to highlight which creators cc I tend to use most!

novvvas rahat set - table lamp converted by martassimsbook

charly pancakes - the candle converted by twinsimming

hydra small bookshelf by hydrangeachainsaw

lexington painting frame by onxyium (tsr)

novvvas kirsal set - candles converted by martassimsbook

hydra tulips vase by hydrangeachainsaw

awingedllama blooming rooms plants converted by martassimsbook

decor slippers by leosims converted by simstiful

novvvas desino poster horizontal v1 converted by martassimsbook

mechtasims frog planter -converted by martassimsbook

smaller tulips 2t3 by kirthri (mts)

aria bed bench by mutske (tsr)

mojito home collection living room single chair & couch by cemre (tsr)

madison sofa blanket by onyxium (tsr)

ikea ypperlig pillows by mxims converted by over-waxed bannister

novvvas kirsal set part 3 sofa cushion converted by martassimsbook

hunt dining wall panel widow high by mutske (tsr)

bouquet of rose by pixelfrogslegs

novvvas rahat set - candle open converted by martassimsbook

meinkatz platform tray converted by martassimsbook

mxims ironica dining chair converted by gruesim

dining aria table 2x1 by mutske (tsr)

orinoko reed diffuser by gosik (tsr)

sunday-sims ceramic jars converted by martassimsbook

??

hydra ugly vase by hydrangeachainsaw

novvvas rahat set - leaning poster converted by martassimsbook

madison painting frame by onyxium (tsr)

novvvas decor set marta sculpture converted by martassimsbook

chicklet mid century modern bar converted by martassimsbook

syb laundry - drying rack folded converted by pixelrabbit

tantalum refrigerator - by wondymoon (tsr)

ballard kitchen counter by gosik (tsr)

ballard kitchen stove by gosik (tsr)

pot by BCS3 (?)

pinkboxdesigns spring 23 set lily of the valley converted by martaassimsbook

nordica-sims paper towel converted by martassimsbook

soloyria hibo decor set cutting boards converted by martassimsbook

akira mug rack by sim_man123 (tsr)

utensils by BCS3 (?)

soloyria hibo decor set two bowls converted by martassimsbook

wooden dish rack by ats3

I think this really highlights that I LOVE all @martassimsbook creations! the tsr can also be quite neglected due to annoying dl times - but again there’s a lot of creators with some really quality content.

it’s defo worth checking out @wanderingsimsfinds / @pis3update / @emilyccfinds / @katsujiiccfinds :)

[wardenparker]

CONGRATS on 2.5k!! You deserve every follow! ❤️ For the co-writer (along with @absurdthirst) of the Whiskey fic that made brain go BRRRRR and got me into reading/writing our fave corndog, how about our Agent with the prompts: "Should we make it official?" and/or "Put me down!" Have fun!

Agent Jack 'Whiskey' Daniels. 2,300 words. "Put me down!"/"Should we make it official?" (Sequel to: "Wait! Please don't go!"/"There is no 'us'." ) Co-written with @absurdthirst

When Jack hits the door, heads turn. The sharp, confident gait of a man on a mission who will not be stopped just shimmers in the air around him. Eyes sharp and narrowed, they scan the floor, looking for someone. For you.

“Can I help you, sir?” It’s the weekend, so a greeter is stationed at the door of the upscale retail store, to help direct customers through the maze of shelves and displays. It is the middle of the city so there are plenty of different kinds who come in every day, but this is definitely the first cowboy that’s ever set foot inside the Lexington Avenue Sephora.

Jack says your name and throws the woman a charming grin. “She’s helped me before so I’m hoping to see her again.” He lies, knowing that you won’t talk to him otherwise.

"Sure! Of course." The new girl smiles warmly, blushing a little as she's easily taken in by the charm that drips off of Jack like dew drops. "She's in fragrances today. All the way at the back of the store."

“Thank you kindly.” He tips his hat like a gentleman and starts for the back of the store. The past two weeks have been miserable. He’s drank, he’s raged, he’s blamed you for expecting too much. Then, when you rejected the bouquet of flowers he had sent to your parent’s house after misusing Statesman resources to find where you were, he had come to a hard truth. He had done you wrong. He hadn’t spoken from heart, not made himself uncomfortable for the sake of growth. Holding onto the fear of losing you if he loved you had caused him to lose you. And no surprise, he had loved you, because he is miserable without your voice in his ear, your fragrance on his sheets and your love in his heart. Now, he’s here to get you back.

You're there in the last aisle, helping a young lady find a specific gift she came looking for, in the uniform dress that you hate but tolerate for the sake of your new job. It doesn't pay well enough and it doesn't distract you enough to dull the constant aching hurt inside you after having walked out of Jack's place, but that's why you had started it the second after arriving back at your parents' place. To try to forget him. It isn't working. Not at all.

"I'll be right wit—" The figure looming a few feet away was only a shadow. It's the second you look up that your mouth runs dry and you feel sick to your stomach all over again. "I'm not sure I can help you, sir," you manage, hating the way your heart wings with so much hope. Hope that he wouldn't be here unless he had come for a good goddamn reason. But you have to stay strong. "You might want to try elsewhere."

“But sugar—” Jack drawls, grinning in pure relief at seeing your pretty face again somewhere else than in his dreams or the photos that haunt his walls. “You’re the only one who can help me.”

“Then you’ll have to wait.” Jack’s appearance has thrown you off completely, but you manage to finish up with your customer and take a deep breath — even hide your shaking hands behind your back — before you look at him again. “You came to my work?” Your voice is incredulous. Quiet. “It had better because you’re out of cologne.”

“You blocked my number and your daddy— well, I didn’t think you’d want there to be a brawl on your parent’s front lawn.” He huffs, annoyed that the old man had waved a hammer at him. He knows he could disarm him, but that would make you even madder at him.

“Ginger helped you find me?” You guess with disappointment. But Ginger is his friend. You can’t blame her for being on his side. “I left Jack. And I did it on purpose. Hell, we didn’t even have enough of a relationship to call it a breakup.”

“We had a relationship.” Jack snorts. “We have one still, this ain’t over, sugar.” He promises, “Not by a long shot.”

"We can't do this here." If he wants to have it out all over again, the least he can do is pay you the courtesy of not getting you in trouble at work. This is definitely going to get you in trouble. "I'm not going to lose my job because you can't take no for an answer."

“I love you, sugar.” Jack breaths out, finally saying the words he’s needed to for a long time. The words you deserve.

If there had been anything in your hands, you would have dropped it immediately. As it is, you feel like crumbling – falling down on the spot or running to him – something utterly undignified that would definitely get you written up at minimum. Your eyes mist and your shaking hands tangle around each other, but you can't break down on the sales floor. And beyond that? As much as you want to believe him, to let the anger and the heartache drip away so you can just go home to him where you want to be? It seems completely unbelievable to you that you walking out his door was somehow the magic tonic he needed to learn those damn words.

"My manager is watching," you murmur to him, glancing past him to the petite ice queen several yard away who has zeroed in on an employee not forcing product on every single person in the store. "We can't—it's not—you have to go, Jack."

“I’m not leaving.” He frowns, tossing the overly made-up manager a single look before focusing on you. “Did you not hear what I said?” He asks. “I love you, sugar. I need you.”

"I heard you." The water pressing at the back of your eyes is proof of that, and the way your voice cracks, but you can feel your manager's eyes drilling into your face and that gaze is angry. "I heard you. And we will talk about this, but I can't afford to lose this job and that might happen if you don't go."

“You don’t need this job.” Jack reminds you. You hadn’t had it when you left, so it’s not like you’ve been here for years.

"I have bills to pay," you remind him, rolling that tick in your jaw backward a little and swallowing the bitter pill that you decided to take all on your own. The undefined thing you had going with Jack had come with a big allowance, but it wasn't a sugar situation. That would have at least been a title. "Therefore, I need to keep my job. And the girl who just got hired can get sent out the door just as easily."

“You don’t need to worry about that.” He shakes his head and reaches for your hand. “Come on, sugar.”

“Why, Jack?” You have to keep your voice down as you snatch your hand back, but it’s still a hiss. “So I can be your stay-at-home friend-with-benefits again?”

Jack has many, many faults and one of them is impatience. His jaw clenches and he knows that he needs to get you alone to talk to you, others starting to warily gaze your way. Instead of answering you, Jack drops his shoulder and scoops you up like it’s nothing.

“Oh my fucking god, Jack!” The screech it earns from you is nearly instant, knowing that you have absolutely just lost your job over his stunt and not really knowing what in the hell he plans to do now. “Put me down! Right now!” He’s stronger than you and you don’t stand a chance of wriggling free in the dress you’re wearing. It will be up over your head if you even try.

“Nope.” His gait is just as determined as he passes by your manager, her jaw on the floor. “She quits.” He tells her and continues on to the door and outside.

“JACK!” Your shit is still in your locker and that’s going to be a black mark on your resume, but right now all you can do is beat your fists on his back and shoulder in protest. “What the hell are you doing? Put me down!”

By his Bronco, Jack finally relents, bending down and setting you on your feet. “Now, we can talk.”

Huffing and puffing like you’re about to summon a personal tornado, you don’t even hear him for all the blood pounding in your ears. “What the fuck was that?! Do you know how embarrassed I’m going to be when I have to go back in there and get my purse?”

“It’ll be the last time you go in there.” He predicts and he smirks at you. “And you’ll be flustered too badly to even think about what those crusted old biddies think.”

It’s a reasonable threat, considering how good he is at flustering you. The whole reason you’ve been so upset is because you do love Jack and you wanted this to work out. But standing out there on the street pressed between him and his Bronco? You feel like you’re about to be sold a familiar looking head of cattle after your own just happened to go missing.

“So what’s the play here?” You work very hard to keep your tone skeptical. “You tell me how much you need me so that I’ll come back to you and then nothing really changes? As usual?” He did say the words, but you’re so scared to believe them. To believe him. There’s a chance he doesn’t mean it and that terrifies you.

His eyes narrow, aware that he deserves that little barb but he shakes his head. “No. That’s not what’s going to happen, baby girl.” He huffs. “You are going to go get your purse and then I’m taking you home, where you belong. And I’m going to make you scream my name before you fall asleep on my chest as we plan.”

That all sounds…ridiculously good, actually. It would be a relief to go back to him. To not have to miss him anymore and feel like your heart has been split in two. But all you do is raise one eyebrow in a show of disbelief. “Plan what, exactly?”

“You’re marrying me sugar, today, tomorrow, or the next day.” He growls, smashing his lips against yours and moaning in relief when you melt against him. Pulling away to caress your cheek. “What do you say, baby girl? Should we make it official?”

“Do you…really mean it?” Months of telling him that you wanted to know where you stood with him — wanted commitment from him — only to be sidelined or waylaid or otherwise put off for just a little while longer, they all melt away in the face of the biggest offer of commitment he could possibly make.

“Gotta ring in my pocket.” He confesses, leaning in and brushing your nose with his. “Sugar, I’ve been such a damn fool.” He murmurs. “I thought I could avoid losing you if I didn’t admit I love you. And I just hurt you, something I never wanted to do.”

“That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense cowboy.” It makes Jack Sense, which is not much at all, but still your arms twine around his waist right there on the sidewalk. “But I’m just gonna brush past how long it took you to show up at the party and embrace the fact you’re here at all. Because I didn’t want to leave. I miss the hell out of you.”

“I’m a damaged soul, sugar.” He admits softly. “But I want to be better, I want to give you everything.” He sighs and leans in to kiss you again. “Come home?”

“Everyone is damaged somehow, cowboy.” Melting measurably more with another press of his lips to yours, you lean into the solid wall of Jack’s body completely. “We just have to talk about things from now on, so we don’t get more damage along the way. Okay?”

“Whatever it takes, baby girl.” Jack promises, wrapping his arms around you and holding tight. “I’m never letting you go.”

You’ve cried so much these last few weeks, it’s almost startling to realize that the tears in your eyes now are happy ones. Ecstatic. Overjoyed at having your Jack back in your life, and for the right reasons. If you were separated by more than a few inches it would have been a lunge to kiss him again, but as it is you wrap up in him and hold on tight. “You really have that ring? Because I’m gonna flash it everywhere when I go back into that damn place to get my purse, and then you’re gonna take me home. Our home.”

“I sure do, baby girl.” He has to take one hand out from around you and it almost kills him, but he wants to prove how serious he is. Pulling a small black velvet box from his sports coat. “Tell me what you think. If you don’t like it, we can go pick out any ring you want.”

"How could I not like it?" It's from him and that's all that matters. But the second he pops the little velvet box open, the tears in your eyes spill over and your heart is in your throat. "Baby...it's...it's...I love it. I love you." It's beautiful, and it's real, and he means it.

Leaving was the hardest thing you ever had to do, but if it was the kick in the pants that you both needed to know that the love you have is real? Then it was worth a little ache.

______

Master Tags: @pixiedurango @chattychell @winter-fox-queen @lady-himbo @artsymaddie @princess76179 @paintballkid711 @missminkylove @pedrosbrat @ew-erin @sarahjkl82-blog @sharkbait77 @justanotherblonde23 @lv7867 @recklesswit @mylittlesenaar @f0rever15elf @gallowsjoker @steeevienicks @athalien @sherala007 @skvatnavle @thatpinkshirt @jaime1110 @girlimjusttryingtoreadfanfics @goodgriefitsawildworld @greeneyedblondie44 @littlemousedroid @harriedandharassed @churchill356 @ajathegreats-blog @haylzcyon   @beardsanddetectives @kirsteng42 @ladykatakuri @adancedivasmom @madiebear @tanzthompson @emilianamason @bigsdinger @xocalliexo @pedr0swh0r3 @avaleineandafryingpan @charlyrmv @avidreader73 @iceclaw101 @loveslide @elegantduckturtle @becsworld @julesonrecord @its-nebuleuse @itsrubberbisquit @mikeyswifie @guelyury @lizzie-cakes @for-a-longlongtime @vabeachazn @purplerain04 @weho2kcmo @madnessofadaydreamer

My Masterlist!

[plushyvi]

“it’s a common notion!”

game: fallout 4

characters: paladin danse, arthur maxson

summary: he gets a little jealous seeing someone else be interested in you the same way he is. he starts to wonder if it’s a common occurrence for you.

warnings: g/n! reader, they/them pronouns used, reader isn’t sole but you can read it as if they were, jealousy,

↣ paladin danse

“knight.”

you glance up from your seated position to see your sponsor, power armour and all, watching over you. “paladin danse. how was your search in lexington? find anything useful?”

“yes. recovered some brotherhood weapons and holotags for captain kells,” he explains to you as he watches you take your hands off the scribe in front of you, “what have you been doing since i left the prydwen?”

you think it was pretty obvious with how proctor cade has you running a mock infirmary in the armoury bay. you were given a white coat to show people you were acting as a second doctor to cade. the bay was filled with tens of soldiers who came back for a fight with the institute at a hold-out spot in the commonwealth, all injured and most near to death. cade’s office was packed and you offered your help since you worked closely with him a few times.

“are you blind, paladin?” you mumble out in a joking matter. danse shows a slightly embarrassed look. but you smile at him. “the most recent outpost the brotherhood established was overrun by synths. proctor cade cannot tend to all of these soldiers.”

“right…” he grumbles off as you turn back to scribe in front of you.

you hold his hand, wiping the blood off his palm and trying to clean his cut. he winces, but the obvious blush that patterns his pale cheeks is obvious. he cannot stop looking at you.

“i… i have some injuries i’d like you to look at,” danse suddenly speaks up. you look up at him from your seated position. “i know cade is busy.”

“oh, well, i’m also a bit preoccupied too, paladin,” you say and finish wrapping the scribe’s hand, “is it urgent? how badly does it hurt?”

“a ten,” he says without hesitation. you stare at him with a raised brow. “i, uh… just come see me when you have the time.”

you go to respond when proctor cade comes into the armoury in a hurry. his sleeves are tugged up to his elbows and he has dried blood on his fingertips. his eyes meet yours and he hurries over.

“thank you, knight y/n, i appreciate all your help,” he sincerely says. you finish off the bandages before sending the scribe off. he does so reluctantly and shakes your hand for a bit too long for danse’s liking. “i can handle the rest of the soldiers here. you need to get some rest yourself; elder maxson said that you had a tiring mission this morning.”

“are you sure, proctor?” you ask as you stand up. there were still a lot of patients here, albeit you had dealt with the more serious cases. many of the ones left were just injuries. “i can stay for another hour.”

danse stands behind you. cade, looking between the both of you, notices the paladin’s slightly furrowed brows. he only nods.

“yes, knight, do not worry. i’ve been the doctor on this ship for as long as i can remember, i know a thing or two,” he says to you. you nod your head and wipe off the blood on your own hands. “thank you for your help. i’m sure maxson is also grateful for your actions. now, go rest.”

you put the coat down on the box you were sitting on and take out the supplies from your pockets. the medkit was given to cade before you turned to danse.

“okay, leave your power armour here and i’ll meet you at your room.” you tell him. danse agrees and moves carefully around the patients to take off his armour.

as he removes it, the same scribe from before approaches him.

“paladin danse?” he mutters out quietly.

“yes, soldier?” danse replies, head held up tall.

“i wanted to say… thank you for teaching y/n the way of the brotherhood,” the scribe says to danse. his cheeks are tinted red and he plays with his fingers nervously. “they’re an incredible soldier, and they’re so nice… i admire them quite a lot—”

“that is ‘knight y/n’, scribe,” danse interrupts with a harsh tone. the scribe jumps a little at his words, and he slowly nods. “they are just doing their job, as they are ordered to.”

the scribe looks to the ground for a moment, a bit upset. danse feels like he should be apologetic, but he isn’t. he only keeps his stoic look on his face.

“right… i apologise, paladin danse, i did not mean to overstep my boundaries,” the scribe salutes to danse before looking away, “thank you, and knight y/n.”

danse lets the scribe go in silence.

“be easy on the kid, danse,” cade speaks up as he grabs some stimpacks from the box against the wall. danse turns his head to look at him. “it’s just a lil’ crush. knight y/n saved a lot of these soldiers, who wouldn’t be compelled to think about them?”

danse is quiet as he ponders the question. proctor cade goes to do his work as danse moves to his room.

he opens the door quietly to see you sleeping on his bed. your outer layer was taken off, jacket strewn on his desk and you laid on his bed, silently breathing. danse closes the door behind him and unzips the back of his uniform as quietly as he can without disturbing you.

truth be told, he wasn’t injured at all. his retrieval mission went as smooth as humanly possible, so he didn’t need to have anything looked over. he just wanted your attention on him.

he changes into a comfortable shirt and sweatpants before locking the door. it would be heinous is anyone caught you two together in his quarters. you yourself were in a tank top and your pants from your gear, shoes set by the bed. you looked peaceful.

danse sits on the bed as he stares at you.

cade had him thinking; did lots of people have a thing for you? if yes, then how many?

he feels as if it’s childish to wonder such a thing, but he couldn’t help himself. you were an intoxicating thought that clouded his mind.

he thinks that maybe you heard his thoughts, because you suddenly stir and turn around, now facing him. your eyes flutter open and danse feels his face heat up at how you look at him.

“ah, sorry,” you say and start sitting up and wiping your eyes, “i’m exhausted—”

danse leans forward and wraps an arm around your shoulders. he tugs you close before he lays down on the bed. his thin blanket is pulled on top of the both of you. your face is smushed against his chest and your hands press against his upper stomach, trapped.

“get some rest,” he tells you.

“danse…?” you murmur against his skin. he shivers. “what’s going on with you today? i don’t see any injuries.”

he doesn’t say anything in response at first, utterly embarrassed by how he’s acting. he would never tell off a scribe for something like that. perhaps he should apologise when he finds the time.

but for now, danse kisses the crown of tour forehead.

“nothing, soldier,” he sighs out quietly as he closes his eyes. he can feel your hands slowly circle around his waist before you tug him closer, “i was just concerned, is all.”

“i’m okay, danse,” you respond, “you didn’t have to lie.”

“i’m sorry…”

“it’s fine. let’s just sleep now.”

he keeps his eyes open for a bit longer, which prompts you to sigh and lift yourself up. he watches as you plant a kiss to his lips, gentle enough to try and lure him to sleep. he relaxed into you in seconds.

“just talk to me later.” you tell him with a small smile.

he manages to doze off not long after you. the whole entire time, he thinks about how the scribe is right — you are an amazing soldier, and you have the biggest heart. that’s why he fell in love with you.

could he really blame anyone else for doing the same?

↣ arthur maxson

he’s on the ground for a change as he decided he should accompany you on your next task: training the new initiates.

“keep your hands steady,” you say as you watch them attempt to shoot the glass bottles on the boxes. most shots miss. “and don’t hold your breath for so long. you want to pass out in front of the enemy?”

“no, knight-captain!” a call is heard from the firing team.

“i want to see a smashed bottle from each of you,” you say with crossed arms. you watch from the sidelines and see how confident they are with a weapon — which isn’t that much. “we aren’t moving on until we get a clean shot from each of you.”

elder maxson had taken it upon himself to come and watch how you trained them, and he’s impressed. you’re not bad at it, just the right mixture of tough and encouraging. however, he thinks maybe he should’ve asked someone else to do this.

“well done, initiate frieda,” you say as you walk behind her. she lowers her gun and looks back to you, big doe eyes. she was shorter than you and her eyes seemed like the glossiest thing in the world. “you’ll be a sharpshooter in no time. i’m impressed.”

maxson clenches his hands around his bicep. he's let you train initiates before. did you always act so friendly with them? no, you weren't even acting friendly, you were being... genuinely nice. it made maxson wonder how you survived out there.

as you continue to help the other initiates, the girl turns to her friend beside her and begins to squeal quietly.

“did you hear that? knight y/n likes me!” she giggles out, unaware of the looming presence behind her. her friend goes wide eyed before going back to shooting. “i hope i’m on their team when we’re ready for the field, they’re so nice and so pretty—”

“shoot initiate dina’s bottle, soldier.”

frieda slowly looks back behind her to see elder maxson’s glaring eyes. his presence shook her and made the poor girl panic. her laser pistol shoot in her hands before she gulped.

“y—yes, elder maxson, sir!” she replies loudly.

that grabs your attention. you stop mid-sentence as you were talking to another initiate. looking to see the commotion, you’re surprised when you get the scene of maxson standing a foot away from the initiate you had complimented, looking about as mad as ever. you let out a small sigh.

initiate frieda shakily aims at her friend’s bottle. it isn’t a surprise when she misses by a long shot. that makes her friend and all the other initiates, who witnessed you compliment the girl, cringe in fear. the girl swallows the lump of nervousness and carefully lowers her gun.

“if you cannot shoot the target on demand, or under any pressure at all, you are not a suitable candidate for not only the brotherhood, but for knight y/n’a team,” elder maxson’s booming voice reaches across the whole training ground. the initiate looks as if she’s about to cry. but the leader doesn’t let up. “their team is only filled with the ones i deem the best. if you wish to be chosen for such a task, you must work very hard.”

“yes, elder maxson.” initiate frieda mumbles. she wanted to shrivel up.

“and if i may give you a word for advice,” his voice goes quieter, but his glare is harsher. she feels like she’s seen a ghost. “keep you focus on the brotherhood’s goal of freeing the commonwealth. i assure you, knight y/n does not have the time or the interest in someone like you, the way you do for them.”

she’s silent for a moment before she nods her head. elder maxson lifts himself up high again before looking around to the older soldiers.

"take this as a warning to all of you," he shouts as he begins to march. you have to hold back from rolling your eyes. "the brotherhood is now your whole life. you have no time to think of anything other than the good of the commonwealth. if you have joined for any alterior motives," he takes the time to look at you up and down. you don't know whether to be offended or not. "it's best if you leave now while you still can."

the initiates are quiet before they call out a 'yes, sir!' to him. going back to their training, most of them are scared out of their minds. but frieda especially; all she even did was call you pretty.

"elder, may i speak with you for a moment?" you question with a clenched jaw. he stares at you and, without even confirmation, you grab the fur of his jacket and begin dragging him around the corner of a building. you turn back to the eavesdropping initiates. "continue your shooting. when i come back, i do not want to see a single bottle left standing. knight rhys, make sure no one is cheating!"

the knight standing to the side on watch duty at the airport perks up at his name. with a silent groan, he nods his head. he turns to face the initiates and calls out to them to begin. laser shooting fills your ears before you hide behind the corner with maxson.

"arthur!" you grumble out with furrowed brows. he raises a brow at you. "what are you doing? i told you that you could come and watch if it meant you were quiet and didn't scare off my initiates more than you needed to!"

he crosses his arms over his chest as if to show you that he was pissed off as well. you rest your hand on your hip.

"you need to get your initiates in check. you cannot have them thinking this way about you," he tells you with a shake of his head, "not only will they be fawning over you all the time instead of doing brotherhood work, they will be distracted on the battlefield. careless lives will be lost, knight."

"what are you even—arthur," you sigh as you rub your temple. it's not like he was wrong, you needed to whip them into shape, but it was so early. "this is my second lesson with these initiates. give me a week and i'll have soldiers. just... you need to calm down a bit. what happened?"

he holds back from telling you. maxson was only slightly above admitting that he was wrong, but he'd be damned if he had to admit this to you. the crease between his brows becomes more defined.

"initiate frieda will be under knight wagner's supervision. i don't believe she would be an asset to you."

"shouldn't i have a say in that, elder?" you inquire as you raised a brow, "she is becoming a good shooter, and she gets along well with other brotherhood soldiers. not only that, but she got the highest agility score on the first day. i'd say she is an acceptable candidate for my team."

maxson rolls his eyes at you. your eye twitches at his behaviour.

"arthur, seriously," you exhale slowly and take his gloved hand in yours. he finally drops his arms from his chest and slowly relaxes his shoulders. "what's wrong? you've never been so hostile towards an initiate before."

it takes him a moment to gather up the courage to tell you anything, but soon enough he does.

"it would seem that these new initiates have taken a liking to you," he admits, "and i... i don't intend on letting that go any further."

your heart melts at his words before you let the smile you were holding back now take over your face. it’s a little funny, which makes you cover your face with your free hand. maxson’s brow twitches at your reaction.

“alright, that’s enough, knight,” he scoffs at you. he yanks his hand out of yours and massages the back of his neck. “don’t coddle them, is my point. you have to be their commander, not their crush-magnet.”

“‘crush-magnet’? what are you, 12?” you joke with a hearty laugh. that makes his face turn pink with embarrassment. “it’s okay, arthur. i’ll make sure to keep them in line.”

he looks at your face a little longer before he nods his head. you smile again as he rests a hand on your shoulder. he’s always been sheepish when it comes to any form of affection towards you, even if it was just some kind words. you let him come closer to you and soon press a kiss to your cheek. an arm comes around to hold your waist and he sinks against you.

“captain y/n, they’ve successfully—” knight rhys comes around the corner to interrupt, only he widens his eyes at the scene. he stops on his tracks and clears his throat. maxson is quick to remove himself from you and you rake a step away from him. “ah, i apologise, i—i didn’t, uh… excuse me, but the initiates have cleared all the bottles.”

“thank you, rhys,” you say as you nod your head, “i’ll take it from here.”

he nods his head and walks away while rubbing his ear. you glance to maxson before you stretch your arms.

“okay, i have to get back to work,” you say as you straighten your jacket. maxson runs fingers through his hair and fixes his own overcoat too. “now if you’re going to stay, you need to keep quiet, arthur. they need to be scared of me too. the way you look at people is already enough to make them shit their pants.”

“alright, knight, i will still supervise.” he replies.

you flash him one last sweet smile before he hears you call out an order for combat training as you turn the corner. he stands there for a few seconds longer.

he’d have to get over the fact that you were as amazing to him as you were to others.

[neon-lights-and-glitter]

Single Hearts Part 3- Play Dates That Turn To Real Dates

Summary - Sage and Jack have a play date for their kids, Charlotte and Melody, and during the play date, Jack asks Sage on an actual date.

As much as Jack and Sage wanted Charlotte and Melody’s play date to be that weekend, Sage had already made plans to go to Lexington, Kentucky for the weekend with Charlotte to visit family. Luckily, they were both free the next weekend, and Jack ended up renting out a nearby children’s arcade for a couple of hours.

Jack and Sage pulled into the arcade’s parking lot at the same time, helping their kids out of the car before Charlotte and Melody ran to hug each other. They had recess together at school and ever since they learned about their play date they had been best friends. Jack and Sage followed closely behind their daughters.

“Hey, how are you?” Jack asked as he approached Sage.

“I’m good, how are you?” Sage asked.

“I’m great, Melody has been talking non-stop about this play date,” Jack said and Sage laughed softly.

“So has Charlotte. Are we here early?” Sage asked, since the usually full parking lot was empty.

“No, I uh, I rented out the arcade for a few hours. Since I’m in the music industry, sometimes people recognize me, and I didn’t want you or Charlotte to have to deal with that. Melody and I are used to it, but it can be weird at first.”

“You didn’t have to do that, but thank you. Can I pay you back for half?” Sage asked and Jack immediately shook his head.

“No, don’t worry about it.”

“Daddy, can we go in now?” Melody asked, pulling on Jack’s arm.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Jack said as Melody and Charlotte cheered, running to the door. 

Once they were inside, Jack confirmed their reservation, getting both kids their bands. They let the kids run around, playing whatever games they wanted, as they sat on a nearby bench so they could supervise.

“So, if I remember right, you said you were from Nashville?” Jack asked and Sage nodded.

“Yeah, I grew up there, my parents moved to Lexington when I was 19, and I stayed behind but ended up moving to Lexington shortly after I had Charlotte, then a couple of years later I’m living here now.”

“You know, I can totally hear a slight Tennessee accent when you talk,” Jack said, and Sage laughed.

“That’s so funny that you pointed it out because everyone else says I’ve lost my accent over time.”

“It’s slight, but it’s there.”

“So, you say you’re in the music industry, what exactly do you do?” Sage asked, bringing the topic off of herself.

“Uh, I’m a rapper,” Jack said. He wasn’t planning on telling Sage exactly what he did until she got to know him better. “It’s not a big deal or anything though.”

“That’s so cool, though, what’s the thing you’re most proud of? Or like your biggest achievement?” Sage asked.

“Off of the top of my head? Probably my Grammy nominations.”

“Wait, that’s so exciting and a huge deal Jack. Don’t underestimate yourself like that.”

“I just don’t want to, I don’t know, sometimes it’s hard to meet people when you’re famous.”

“Yeah, I understand that, but you still don’t have to downplay yourself. You’re allowed to brag about your accomplishments.”

Melody and Charlotte came running over to where Jack and Sage were sitting.

“Mommy, come play with us!” Charlotte said, pulling on Sage’s arm.

“Yeah, Daddy, help us with the basketball game,” Melody said. Jack and Sage got up, following their daughters. Once they reached the game the girls wanted to play, Jack picked up Melody so she was tall enough to throw the ball into the hoop.

“Mommy, pick me up too!” Charlotte said and Sage picked her up. As soon as the game started counting down, the girls started throwing the basketballs. They both got one in.

“Mommy and Melody’s daddy’s turn!” Charlotte said.

“You can call me Jack,” Jack told Charlotte, and she nodded.

“Mommy and Jack’s turn,” Charlotte said. 

“Yeah!!” Melody agreed. Jack and Sage set their daughters down. 

“Just so you know, I’m a pretty good basketball player,” Jack said, teasingly.

“I haven’t played basketball since elementary school when we were forced to,” Sage said, both her and Jack laughing.

They started the game, both of their daughters cheering for them to win. Jack purposely missed a couple shots, letting Sage win. Charlotte cheered excitedly, celebrating with Sage, before the girls ran off to play another game.

“You let me win, didn’t you?” Sage asked Jack.

“I couldn’t let you lose in front of your daughter,” Jack said, pushing her shoulder jokingly. Sage leaned against the arcade machine.

“Yeah, or you’re not as good of a basketball player as you claim to be,” She teased.

“Okay, okay, now that’s going too far,” Jack joked.

“I’ll apologize when I see proof otherwise,” Sage joked.

“To be fair, I’m better at soccer, but I’ll prove it to you one day.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

“And I’ll be waiting for you to let me take you on a date. A proper date, without the kids.” Jack said, and Sage looked at him confused.

“Aren’t you and Penelope married, or dating, something?” Sage asked, and Jack laughed softly, shaking his head.

“No, we used to be married, but we got divorced about five years ago when Melody was two,” Jack explained.

“Oh, I just assumed since you two seem so, I don’t know the word, you just don’t seem divorced.”

“A lot of people think that at first, but nothing really happened between us, we just both realized we weren’t right for each other, I mean, it was awkward for a little while of course, but we’ve gotten over that now.”

“Well, in that case, I’ll go on a date with you.”

“How about tomorrow night? If Charlotte’s dad can’t watch her, or anyone else, since it's so last minute, Penelope offered to watch her, if you’re comfortable with that.”

“Yeah, if she’s okay with it, I think that would be best. Her dad’s not involved and all my family is in 

Lexington, I’m sure one of my friends would watch her, but Melody and her seem to be enjoying their time together, so I’m sure they’d love another play date.”

“Her dad isn’t in the picture at all? Sorry, that’s inappropriate of me to ask, forget I even said anything.”

“No, I don’t mind talking about it. Char’s dad and I broke up shortly after I found out I was pregnant, he had cheated on me. He stayed involved for most of my pregnancy, until maybe a month or so before I had her. He chose to not be involved since. I’ve given him several opportunities, I let him know when I was in labor, when she was born, everything, but I can’t force him to be involved. I still give him opportunities to this day to be involved, but he always chooses not to be, so I just don’t tell her about it.”

“I’m so sorry, I can’t even imagine doing that to someone and just living my life like my own child doesn’t exist.”

“I don’t get it either, but I can only do so much, and I guess it’s better that he’s not involved rather than being in and out so she doesn’t know about it.”

“Yeah, and I can already tell you are an amazing mom, neither you nor Charlotte need someone like him anyway.”

Before Sage could respond, Melody and Charlotte ran up to their parents.

“You ask.” Melody said to Charlotte.

“No, you. You’re older.” Charlotte argued and Melody sighed.

“Can we get ice cream?”

“Yeah, we can.” Jack agreed before looking over at you, you pulled out your phone to look at the time.

“Yeah, we have time to get ice cream,” Sage said, and the girls cheered.

“Want to go now? You can keep playing, but we only have about 10 more minutes here.”

“Now!” Both girls said excitedly. Jack and Sage nodded as Charlotte and Melody ran to the door. Jack held the door open for them and as Sage walked out the door, her hand brushed Jack’s, both of their hearts fluttering as they pretended not to notice.

Tag list @jackharloww @harlowcomehome @nattinatalia @hoodharlow @itsyagirljaz @heavyhitterheaux @harlowsbby @awhore4moree @harlowslefttoe @twerkforambrose @jackmans-poison @ilovenudy @taniapri @killatravtramp @easternparkway @macey234 @toocriticalharlow @lightsoutstyles @rachxc13 @iknowdatsrightbih @idktbh101 @blossomluvv @middlechild404 @hufflewhore128 @christinabae

[everydayyoulovemeless]

To Victory ↠ Danse x Reader

➼ Word Count » 0.8k ➼ Warnings » None ➼ Summary » Danse has a crush on you and doesn't know how to communicate that.

"Get behind me, soldier!" Danse shouted, clicking the safety off his gun as he moved to shield you from the hoard of ferals sprinting your way.

"Why do you keep doing that?" You asked once everything had been killed.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You keep stepping out in front of me. I've taken on ferals before, you know? I could've killed them." You smiled as you spoke. For a while now, Danse had been quick to defend you from any slight danger the two of you encountered on your mission. It was nice of him to do and you appreciated the gesture, but it wasn't at all necessary.

"I―uh, I do it for everyone." He sheepishly said.

"For squires maybe, but I've never seen you do it for any of the other knights." You were trying hard to meet his gaze, but he seemed to hold it strictly ahead.

Your statement seemed to fluster him as he started to stutter, "I―are you sure?"

"I'm sure." You giggled, "Maybe I'm just special." You teased, grinning when you saw how embarrassed he was quickly becoming. "Anyway," You began, "what's first on the list?"

"Maxson's sent us to clear out a building in Lexington. We wipe out everything in it, and then we're done for the day." He recited, messing with something on the side of his gun.

You shrugged, "Sounds simple enough. Are you doing anything after? Maybe we could go get a drink or something?"

"A―uh, a drink? From where?"

"The Prydwen I reckon. Unless you wanted to go all the way down to Diamond City, but that's a far walk. I'd rather just alert a Vertibird to our location and fly back home, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah―let's get a drink after this."

You nudged his shoulder with your own as you walked―or more so his side as he towered over you in his power armor, "No need to be so stiff, we've shared a bed before, remember? What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on, I'm perfectly fine, soldier." He answered, still avoiding your gaze.

You hummed, "If you so say."

You coughed as the smoke signal from the Vertibird grenade floated upward into the sky, calling the two of you a much-needed ride. The Super Duper Mart was packed full of ferals when you entered, and completely empty when you left. It was easy work for the two of you, even if Danse was on edge the entire time.

"Good work out there," Danse announced, hesitantly placing his hand on your shoulder once the two of you border the large machine.

"Thanks, Danse. We needed something easy after the last mission at Fort Strong."

The bar on the Prydwen was clustered, full of your coworkers as it usually is in the late afternoons. Tons of people stood together in the singular hallway where the weapon and drinks were being sold, the majority being there for both services. You felt yourself being pushed into Danse on multiple occasions, having to apologize after every shove.

"Cheers to another victory?" You spoke, holding your bottle out towards your companion, resting your hand on his arm to stabilize yourself in the overflowing crowd.

He grinned at you, clinking his glass with your own, "Yeah, cheers to our victory."

You stared at him expectantly for a moment, watching him take a sip of his drink, "So, you gonna tell me what's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon, Danse, don't act like you haven't been acting stranger lately, you're all awkward and shit. What's going on?"

"I just―have a lot on my mind." He vaguely admitted, focusing his gaze on his glass intently.

"Oh yeah? And what's the big thing you're keeping secret?" You asked, leaning closer to the bigger man.

"Ask me again later." He responded, "I rather not be around so many people when I tell you."

The subject was then forgotten about as you rambled to him about your week, him adding his input as you went before the two of you went off to your respective bunkers. Danse's heart ached for you every step of the way as he watched you disappear out of sight. He'd tell you how he felt one day, it just had to be the right time. He just prayed that time would come soon, or never at all, that'd be nice. He wished he could just sweep it all under the rug and forget about it. He hated the way he worried for you, it did nothing but make him tense. You both had a victory on your most recent mission, but he still didn't make any more progress on admitting his feelings for you, it'd have to remain a battle for another day.

[urbanism-and-transit]

How can we improve cities which are starting out with basically nothing? Cities like Louisville Kentucky for example which currently have .23 miles of protected bike lanes? Well we can start by allowing for less expensive kinds of protection like parking protected bike lanes, 2 which are currently under construction are shown here on Lexington and Ellison.

But the allowance of Parking protected bike lanes actually allows for significant improvements of other infrastructure projects because louisville has a lot of 1-way streets and many are currently getting redesigned, this gives a great opportunity to add in new protected bike lanes of major thoroughfares like 2nd and 3rd street which is what metro government is doing, adding parking protected lanes on both streets when the road is next repaved thanks to a federal grant

These kinds of changes are real and positive but require you to make your voice heard so that city governments know what you want and demand

-Josh

[ladykailitha]

Grief (A Friend Indeed) Part 3

Hello, hello. I am so grateful for the amount of support this story has gotten. It's been plotted out, it just needs to get written up. I'm not sure how long it's going to be, but if I know anything about myself, LONG.

Part 1 Part 2

***

Pulling into the truck stop was the hardest thing Eddie had ever done and he faced down dozens of demobats. He slowed to a stop, tires crunching on the gravel.

Thankfully Wayne was already there and waiting for them. He gently shook Steve awake.

“Hey,” he murmured. “You need to get up and walk around. Get the blood flowing again.”

Steve blinked at him blearily. “Yeah, okay.”

Eddie shook his head and climbed out the car. He walked over to Wayne as Steve stumbled out and onto the dust filled gravel.

“Your boy okay?” Wayne asked, watching Steve walk into the bathroom.

Eddie looked back at his friend and then back to him. “I don’t think so. But I don’t know how to fix it.”

Wayne just shook his head. “Don’t you be thinking about fixing shit, son. He’ll let you in when he’s ready. Just be there for him. That’s all you need to do.”

Eddie sighed. “I’m the one on my way to a fucking funeral but Steve seems like he’s grieving more than I am.”

“You told me last night that he had family in Kentucky?” Wayne asked.

He nodded. “I don’t know if any of Steve’s mom’s family is left, but his grandma used live in Lexington before she died when he was little.”

Wayne hummed. “Your dad went to school with Clint Harrington, a pleasure I thankfully missed out on, having already graduated by the time our parents moved to Indiana. I stayed in Kentucky until a social worker showed up on my doorstep with you. You were used to living in Indiana at that point so I moved out there. Went back to the town your grandparents raised Al to raise you.”

Eddie frowned. “Then how did Grandma move back to Kentucky?”

“After your grandfather died,” Wayne explained, “he wanted to buried in the family plot. She fully intended to move back to Hawkins to help with you, but she fell and broke her hip.”

Eddie sighed. “And since you were already taking care of me, it was Aunt Penny that took her in?”

Wayne nodded. “All this to say that family is complicated. And grief is a funny thing. You can think you’re over it and something: a smell, a piece of a song, a person walking down the street and suddenly it’s as fresh as the day it happened.”

He knew. He felt that way about his mom all the time. Sometimes it was as simple as picking up her old guitar and strumming a note. Sometimes it would something one of the kids did or said. He knew.

“I wish I hadn’t asked him to come,” he groused.

“I don’t,” Wayne said fiercely. “I think we all need this trip for one reason or another.”

Steve walked back out of the gas station looking a little more lively. Eddie waved and Steve smiled, breaking into a jog to join them.

“Hey,” he said a little winded. “You didn’t have to let me sleep like that.”

Eddie smiled back. “Nah, you needed it.” He pulled Steve’s keys out of his pocket and tossed it to him. “It’s your turn to drive.”

Steve laughed. “Yeah, okay.”

“Eddie was just telling me your mom came from Kentucky,” Wayne said gently.

Steve smile faltered a bit. “From Lexington. She’s a Lexington Kincade.”

Wayne blinked a moment. “Holy shit, son. When you said you were wealthy I didn’t realize you meant that kind of money.”

Steve shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t like talking about it. I haven’t seen that side of my family since I was little. Her two older brothers, one got the business, the other got the house, but my mom got all the money. They never forgave her for that.”

Wayne nodded. “Even though the house and the business were worth more than the cash, money makes good people go mad.”

Steve looked him in the eye. “I know.”

“Never said you didn’t, son,” he assured him. “I’m sure you know better than most. I’m just commiserating.”

“Thank you,” Steve murmured. “Most people try to tell me to stop whining about it. I can have whatever I want, so that means I can’t miss the simpler things.”

“Go get gassed up,” Wayne said with a smile, “and then we’ll hop back on the road.”

Steve nodded.

“And stay close behind me,” he warned. “I don’t want you getting lost. Ed knows the way but it’ll be better if you don’t beat me there, okay?”

“Outsiders get met with shot guns,” Steve muttered darkly. “I’m aware.”

He pounded Steve on the shoulder and slipped back into his truck. He watched as Steve and Eddie chatted as Steve filled up the car. They walked in together and were back out with more sodas.

When they were securely nestled in Steve’s BMW, Wayne pulled back out into traffic, Steve following close behind.

Every time he glanced in his review mirror, a small smile crept on his face. Those two boys were good for each other.

*

They pulled into a old white house with a large front porch. There was a beat up brass colored 1972 F150 on the lawn and dark blue Chevy Cavalier in the drive way.

The steps sagged and the paint was peeling. Steve was in love. He adored places like this. Because it was someone’s home and not just their house.

There was a woman standing on the front porch, leaning against the supports at the top of the stairs. Her hair was dark and straight, she had brown eyes and a round form. Steve could tell she had worked hard her whole life.

And without a doubt she was going to judge him for not having done the same.

Wayne and Eddie were by his side in an instant though, closing ranks against the woman on the porch. Which meant this was the fabled Aunt Penny.

Steve couldn’t help but wonder how in the hell did Wayne turn out the way he did with siblings like Penny and Al.

“Penny,” Wayne greeted.

“Wayne,” she greeted back dryly. “I wasn’t too keen about you bringing a stranger along. Still can’t say I am on the sight of him.”

Steve popped his hip. “Oh bless your heart, I didn’t realize that I had to be blood-related to want to be there for Eddie and Wayne in their time of mourning.”

Wayne’s eyes went wide as he slowly turned to Steve with his whole body.

Eddie’s jaw dropped before he began cackling.

Penny looked him up and down again. “You’ll do.” And walked back into the house.

“Boy, you got a death wish?” Wayne asked after his sister went inside.

Steve scoffed. “No, but I wasn’t going to let her set the tone for this trip. If I didn’t stick up for myself now, she would spend the trip walking over me, and I haven’t been through hell to have some woman completely unrelated to me be that fucking rude.”

Eddie clasped his hands to his chest and fluttered his eyelashes at Steve. “My hero!” He swooned against the car causing Steve to laugh.

“Come on, you menace,” he said shaking his head fondly. He held out his hand to help Eddie up, but he popped up like a daisy and swanned past him.

Wayne gripped Steve’s shoulder again. “She’s a tough old bird, my sister, but I think you’ll get along with her kids just fine.”

“You want to give me a rundown before I go charging into the hornets’ nest?”

He cocked his head to the side and then cheerfully chirped. “No.” He turned on his heel and walked into the house without preamble.

Steve shook his head. It was looking like it was going to be really long week.

*

Steve walked into a room that would have barely fit in his kitchen. But the furniture looked comfortable and the room itself, inviting.

What wasn’t so inviting was the glares he was getting from half the people in the room. These must be the cousins. There were three girls and a boy.

The oldest of the girls was a curly-haired redhead about his age or a little younger. But unlike the orange color of Max’s hair it was more like a rich auburn. It was piled on her freckled head in an untidy mass to try and beat the last of the summer heat. She wore a pair of cutoff jean shorts and a white t-shirt tied up under her chest.

The younger of the two girls and clearly the youngest, had dark hair and eyes. She looked to be Holly’s age. She wore a rainbow shirt and coveralls that had been drawn and colored on. Her hair was in two braids that did remind him of Max.

The only boy wore an expression that would have put Mike’s surly sneer to shame. Like his younger sister, his hair and eyes were dark, but his hair was curly like his older sister’s. He was in that awkward middle stage of growth where everything all at once too big and too small.

His style matched that of Eddie’s, ripped black jeans and band shirt that Steve couldn’t read the name of because of the swirling font. He knew Eddie would scoff at him about that later.

Eddie bounced up to Steve with a grin. “Let’s get you to a phone so you can call Robin.”

Steve nodded as Eddie led the way to the kitchen. They came back out a minute later and Eddie waved his arm at the assembled family.

“Stevie, these are the Nelsons. The Mike wannabe is Oliver, the cutie-patootie is Abigail, call her Gale, not Abby. She kicks.” Steve snorted. He could believe it. She reminded him a bit of Erica in that way. “And the eldest and smartest of my aunt’s brood is Lauren. She is the best person you’ll ever meet.”

Steve scoffed. “I think Robin would fight her for that title.”

Eddie laughed.

Oliver glared at him. “Who’s Mike?”

Steve looked him up and down. “He’s one of the kids I used to babysit. Smart kid with a barbed tongue. He’s in Eddie’s old club, Hellfire. Plays a level thirteen paladin.”

Eddie raised an eyebrow, impressed.

Oliver rolled his eyes. “Yeah and just how old is this wizkid?”

“Fifteen,” Steve said with a shrug. “But I’m not sure he’s the smartest of his Party. Dustin built a CV tower from scraps in his basement. Then there’s Will who is a DM like Eddie. Really creative. Can paint and draw. And there’s Lucas. He’s just as smart as Mike, but he also helped his basketball team win the championship as a freshman. They all are in Hellfire, in fact.”

Oliver narrowed his eyes. “I don’t believe you. You just made them up.”

Eddie licked the top of his teeth slowly. “Nope, they’re really real.”

Steve pulled out his wallet and took out a picture. He handed it to Oliver. He pointed to each one in turn, naming them and then snatched the picture back.

“Why would you need to babysit?” Oliver asked, knowing he couldn’t win the argument about them being real. “I know designer clothes when I see them. You clearly don’t need the money.”

“I like kids, but especially those kids.”

Eddie smirked. “They like you, too.” He paused and tapped his lips for a second. “Well...except Mike.”

“Comes with dating his older sister at one point,” Steve said with a shrug.

“I still don’t know why you guys never could make it work,” Eddie said with a frown. It was something he couldn’t get out of... well, any of them really.

Steve looked down at the picture. He put it away and then pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed the end. “Her best friend died in my pool while we were dating. It was a party at my house. She blamed herself, but I think she mostly blamed me.”

The room went deathly silent. A pin landing on the soft carpet would have sounded like a bomb going off.

“Aaaannnddd...” Lauren said bouncing up from her chair, “that’s about enough of that.” She smacked the back of Oliver’s head. “You were begging for trouble with that one, dipshit.”

She grabbed Steve’s arm and started dragging him over to the sofa. “You’re going to come over here with me and tell me all about Robin so I can be the judge of who is more awesome and why it’s obviously me.”

Eddie breathed a sigh of relief as Lauren defused the situation. Because holy fucking shit. Now he knew why no one wanted to talk about it.

Wayne came up beside him. “Who’s he talking about, son?”

Eddie chewed on his lip. “I think he’s talking about Barb Holland. Nancy and her were pretty tight before she died.”

“Another bullshit cover up?” Wayne murmured.

Eddie nodded and Wayne nodded back.

“A boy that young shouldn’t have seen as much death as he has,” Wayne murmured.

Eddie could only agree. Especially from white-bred middle America.

***

Pt 4|Pt 5|Pt 6|Pt 7|Pt 8|Pt 9|Pt 10|Pt 11|Pt 12

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @goodolefashionedloverboi @messrs-weasley @maya-custodios-dionach @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @itsall-taken @bookbinderbitch @redfreckledwolf @littlewildflowerkitten @vecnuthy @scheodingers-muppet @mira-jadeamethyst @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @gutterflower77 @genderless-spoon @hel-spawn

[hoziercriespower]

Hozier performing in Lexington at the Railbird Festival.

❝ Lexington @RailbirdFest, Thank you 🖤 ❞ 📸 @ruthlessimagery

[harlowtales]

PART 2

Jack faces a glitch in his master plan but can he turn things around?

📍See Part 1: Jack decides to teach his friends a lesson for how they treat Y/N

18+ Adult Themes - Drama/Language

It was all over town. Drake and JCole were coming to Lexington and of course Jack wouldn’t miss it. His two idols couldn’t pass through Kentucky without paying homage to the King of Kentucky. The buzz was crazy and there was already thousands of people on a Ticketmaster wait list.

Everyone in Jack’s crew looked forward to going. No question Jack would perform Churchill Downs with Drake and the afterparty would be legendary. Immediately his team went into preparation putting out promo. Jack started getting calls from his inner circle. “Of course you’re all coming” He said on his 20th call for the morning. Even his mother called. “Really mom?” He said incredulously.

As part of Jack’s team you flew into prep mode to support Neelam with anything she needed to coordinate the perfect experience with Drake and Cole’s teams. You got to FaceTime with both of them and realized Jack must have a nickname for you that he was telling everybody to call you by.

When Drake got on the phone with you he said the same thing as JCole “Sup lil Mama.” They endearingly said.

“Jackman.” You said seriously to Jack one morning, why’s everyone starting to call me “Lil Mama?”

“Cuz pups is Lil Yo and you Lil Mama.” He said as he pecked you on the forehead preparing to head to the studio for the day.

“Ah ok thanks for clearing that up.” You said smiling to yourself that he considered you, him, and the puppy such a unit. You didn’t live with him but you may as well. You had a lot of stuff at his place like clothes and a toothbrush. Technically you actually lived on campus.

Since the incident with you telling him about his female friends being two-faced with you Jack had a plan to fuck with them for fucking with you and you couldn’t wait.

You took “Lil Yo” a.k.a Lou Lou for a walk, went to the gym, and headed to art class. The bartender from the club Jack DJ’d at was in your class and always held a spot for you. “Hey girl” he said “You ready to present today?”

“So ready, I did a ton of research for this art history project. How about You?” You asked him.

“I’m not as prepared as you which is no surprise.” He replied with a sigh. “So has Mr. Lovin on Me proposed yet?”

You were surprised at the randomness of the question.

“Is there something you know that I don’t?” You said slightly irritated.

“Just think it’s been awhile. From what you’ve told me there’s no shortage of competition.” He said. Word in Jack’s circles was a proposal was coming.

Jack was going to pop the question and his female friends were saying in secret chat rooms that Jack could do better. Your friend was in that chat and you had no idea. He got chummy with some of them the night you ditched them to talk to him at the bar for so long. Finding out they had the same goals of hating you and Jack as a couple, they invited him into their inner circle of witches.

He wanted you badly since first year of college. The mission they gave him was to get things on you they could use and provoke a situation where you kiss, or even sleep with him and they get Jack back as an eligible bachelor. When Jack was single they believed one of them had a shot at landing him and they would all share the benefits in money, clothes, gifts, or trips, and have access to other rich men.

Jack was FaceTiming you which he often did when you were in class. He didn’t care about timing. Class hadn’t started yet so you picked up.

“Hey babe!” You said “what’s up?”

“Just wishing you good luck today.” He said but his smile soon faded.

“Hey What’s Poppin?” The bartender appeared and waved.

“Sup.” Jack said unceremoniously

You caught the change in Jack’s tone. “Babe are you good?” You asked concerned

“Why wouldn’t I be?” He said in a bit of a snarky way

“Ok either you’re suddenly bi-polar or I’m trippin.” You said about his complete switch up.

“He always sit next to you?” Jack asked

“Yeah of course, he saves me a seat most times cuz you know I’m always late.” You explained

“Oh of COURSE he saves a seat for you.” Jack repeated in a mocking way.

“Uh I gotta go hun. I love you, and don’t forget to call Drizzy this afternoon, we need everything to be perfect for the show.” You were a bit troubled by Jack’s change in behaviour all of a sudden and decided to bring him back to business.

After your presentation you were standing outside talking with your bartender friend and some other classmates who were congratulating you on a great presentation when a White Jeep rolled up with heavy bass thumping. Once people caught on who it was they swarmed the jeep screaming and whipped out their phones. Urban, Nemo, and Nicki waved to you as Jack jumped out with the puppy and came towards you. He had on jeans, a white tank top, and shades. A simple but deadly combination. He signed some autographs and took a few selfies on his way over to you and your friends.

“Baby.” He said handing you Lou Lou and planting a deep kiss on you making girls on campus wish they were you.

“Ummm hi” you said a bit embarrassed and a bit mesmerized as your lips parted. He always had that effect on you. “What a pleasant surprise.”

“Well I thought I’d come see my girl and take her shopping.” He said glancing nonchalantly at the bartender who stood there with his arms folded.

“So as I was saying Y/N I think your point about Van Gough was spot on.” The bartender continued completely ignoring Jack Harlow just appeared. “Your work is amazing. I can’t wait to see it at a gallery one day. With all Jack’s connections I’m sure that’ll happen for you.” Bartender guy said. “Jack what’s your favourite piece Y/N has ever painted?”

Jack knew what this guy was trying to do but fact of the matter was Jack couldn’t really answer him. He was so absorbed in his career he didn’t know what your best work was.

“I can’t pick a favourite.” Jack said “Y/N is so talented, she can get her own opportunities and I’ll support whatever she does.”

“Wow, can’t even get a little hook up? That’s kinda rough Y/N.” The bartender said getting on Jack’s last nerve.

You watched the exchange in silence. Finally understanding what was going on. You decided to defend Jack. “You know if I was touring the globe I don’t think I’d have enough time to know all of my work either. Jack doesn’t have to know what his favourite painting of mine is. He supports me 100%.” You said lovingly looking up at Jack.

“Yeah well you’re an artist. Why did some other artist do his album cover? Drake’s 5 year old drew his album cover. Do you know all the words to Jack’s songs? I bet you know your favourite Jack Harlow song but he can’t tell us what his favourite painting is of his “Lil Mama?”” He dug into your deepest insecurities as you confided in him that you thought Jack was not selfish but self-absorbed.

Everyone was staring and a crowd was gathering. Jack didn’t want to make a scene and get you in trouble at school.

“Let’s go baby before someone gets hurt.” Jack said looking at the guy and then at his friends in the Jeep, sending a clear message. Jack’s radar went up. Only inner circle knew he called you his “Lil Mama”.

“Yeah Jack I agree let’s go” You said and looked disappointedly at who you thought was a good friend as you walked away.

“Why did you come to my school?” You said snapping your seat belt angrily.

“I thought you were happy to see me.” Jack said sarcastically.

“Since when do you show up at my school in your fucking sunglasses acting like you just showed up to some red carpet just to take me shopping? You don’t do shopping sprees, and I don’t want them. What douche bag is impersonating my boyfriend? And you should know my paintings and have a favourite!!! Everything is not about you!”

“You see what this fucking asshole is trying to do and it’s working!” Jack yelled as he hit the road. All the guys were quiet in the Jeep as you argued.

“Take me to my dorm.” You demanded.

Jack did want to take you shopping…for a ring. The thought of some other guy that shared your passion in life and could get into your head was not ok. He had to make a major move, but now he was just mad.

“Fine. Go back to your little dorm.” Jack said furiously

“I don’t even know who you are anymore.” You said bawling and slammed the Jeep door. You handed Lou Lou over to Urban and ran to your dorm. You weren’t even at the front door before you unfriended Jack on IG.

Jack’s female friends saw the unfollow as soon as it happened.

“You ok buddy?” One of them said as soon as he put them on speaker in the car.

“I’m fine why?” Jack said bewildered

“Y/N just unfollowed you.” She said

“What?” Jack said shocked “We had a fight, but why would she do that?”

“I never liked her. You don’t deserve that.” The girl said

“Naw you got it twisted. I don’t deserve Y/N” he said.

Jack couldn’t believe all the snakes in the grass and saw what everyone was trying to do to you and him. “Fellas, you wanna shut down a jewelry store so we can buy a ring in peace?” He said to his guys.

“A ring? After that just happened?” Urban said thinking his bestie had lost his mind.

“I need it now more than ever. Everyone tryna fuck me and Y/N up got it coming” Jack said determined.

“I’m down” Nemo said

“Let’s go fuck it up” Nicki agreed

“I think you’re crazy but count me in.” Said Urban

@itsyagirljaz @okaaay-mice @ride4harlow

[almost-a-class-act]

hi I saw your recent post in the tag, so um are you taking Givenson prompts? bc if you are can I request a "9. . .out of fear" from that "things you said" list please? I hope that's okay!

Hello! Thanks for the request! I am just now finding my way in the Justified fandom so I'm excited to hear from new pals.

The prompt was: "Things you said out of fear"

--

It’s the second hat Raylan has lost to a bullet, an “if I had a nickel” sort of situation if ever there was one – except that he’d been able to play down the first one pretty effectively on account of no one currently alive in Harlan County having been there to see it except Loretta.

The second time, he isn’t so lucky.

The sequence of events, as described to him afterward – they’re somewhat muddled in his own recollection, for obvious reasons – are as follows. The bullet passes through his hat, not quite clean, grazing his head. Raylan goes down, as does the fellow who took the shot (cheap, through a window while Raylan stood on the porch), because taking the shot had given him away and Tim needs less than that to punch a ticket at four hundred meters.

By the time he sits up, people are running, which is a relief because it means the situation is going to be handled by someone other than him. Getting shot in the head is no less disorienting than it had been the first time, the sort of thing where you’re scared to touch it in case it’s so much worse than you think. Tim is running, too, and he hurtles up onto the porch, one knee coming down hard on the wood so that he can hunch in and comb away the hair that’s hiding the wound spilling blood down Raylan’s face.

“Think you’re gonna live?” Tim asks, tone as even as it always is, even as his fingertips press into Raylan’s scalp, checking for himself.

“For my sins,” Raylan replies. “Ouch. Do you mind?”

“Looks okay,” Tim says, ignoring him. “Some stitches, maybe.”

Everything is a churn around them, and Raylan patiently lets an EMT with much gentler hands deal with the wound while Tim leaves the porch to congregate in a group with Art and Rachel, within eyesight. Once the bandage is in place, Raylan figures he’s got the okay to do the paperwork on this one tomorrow, and catches Tim’s eye.

They’re only just outside of Lexington, which means the drive isn’t the long slog from Harlan County, and they’re home in twenty minutes. Raylan has a hunch that Tim has a rant locked and loaded, but on the drive all he engages in is a smattering of shop talk – not uncommon for them, to be fair.

In the apartment, Raylan makes his way in the dark to the kitchen, searching out bourbon to cure what ails him. He can see Tim through the doorway to the living room out of the corner of his eye, yanking the curtains across, stopping to scratch the cat behind the ears.

Tim used to closed the curtains on Raylan’s bedroom window every time he came by, too. There aren’t any sightlines to worry about in the apartment they live in now, but it seems to be a force of habit anyway.

And then the light comes on, and Tim is leaning in the kitchen doorway.

“Shoot,” Raylan says, holding up the bottle mutely to ask if Tim wants a pour. He shakes his head.

“Don’t ask me to cover you and then do dumbass shit like stand out in the open.”

“I wasn’t doing dumbass shit,” Raylan says patiently.

“You could teach a college course in doing dumbass shit. Do you think if I wanted to live with anyone else, I’d be living with you?” Tim demands. “You use my mouthwash and you keep letting the cat out.”

“By accident.”

“The circumstances of the situation don’t matter. The cat is still outside at the end.”

Raylan is not going to smile, because Tim is clearly very serious about this, but sometimes the things that come out of Tim’s mouth are very… well, Tim. “Are you telling me not to get myself killed because I’m your last resort?”

“I’m telling you not to get shot in the head.”

He turns and vanishes from the doorway. Raylan has stopped with his glass halfway to his mouth.

“Tim.”

There’s no response, and Raylan drains his glass and follows after. He finds him in the bedroom, enacting the same routine as every night, the same things he would do in the same order no matter the circumstances: Boots, watch, clothes come off, putting on that soft, worn-in Dragonriders of Pern t-shirt and shorts, disappearing into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He always looks young in pajamas, standing at the sink with toothbrush in hand, and Raylan starts to reach for him because sometimes those odd, tense lines in his body don’t go away on their own.

“Don’t touch me,” Tim says pointedly, around his toothbrush, and Raylan redirects.

When they get into bed, sometimes Tim stays up to read while Raylan dozes next to him, but tonight he braces up on his elbow and turns off the light. There might be forty-five seconds of silence, and then Tim rolls over and tucks a proprietary arm around Raylan’s middle, tugging him in until he has Raylan bundled in clumsily against his chest. Raylan lets himself be big-spooned, though he can’t help his bemusement.

“I thought you didn’t want me to touch you.”

“This is me touching you,” Tim mumbles into the back of his neck.

“Got it.”

“Go to sleep." The edge in Tim's voice from before has gone down a little. Now I can keep you where I can see you. “You do less dumbass shit when you’re sleeping.”