#thanks people who's been following me through my Stages and new followers too

[i-seeaspaceshipinthe-sky]

im really really really too old to figure new sites

[wolfjackle-creates]

Answer My Call Chapter 2 Part 2

Happy WIP Wednesday! So last week, we had a tie between Bring Me Home and Answer My Call. The tie breaker didn't come in until Monday after I'd already finished the entire Bring Me Home chapter and half the Answer My Call one.

So y'all will be getting two fic upates today then I'm going to sleep. I'm tired after a full day of work with a call out. XP

If you want a say in next week's update, vote in the poll!

Story Summary: Jazz, Sam, and Tucker manage to help Danny escape the GIW, but they can't follow him and are under too much surveillance to communicate with each other. Sam snuck Danny a phone as he ran and Jazz sends him a text every day, hoping to hear he is all right. But he's not the one getting the texts.

Jason was away for several months on a mission with the Outlaws. When he finally returns home, he is surprised to find dozens of messages from an unknown number begging a Danny to tell her he's okay. Looks like there's not going to be a break between missions this time around.

Chapter 1: AO3 (user locked), Tumblr

Chapter 2: Part 1

Word Count: 1.3k

-----

After the performances—an odd mix where the main band yielded the stage to a poet or an accordionist when they needed a break—Jazz and Todd continued to mingle.

Jazz waited until about fifteen minutes had passed before reaching into her bag to search for her phone. “Todd!” she cried.

“Jazz? What’s wrong?”

“I can’t find my phone! Shit, what time is it?”

Todd pulled out his. “Eleven fifty. Did you have it when we arrived?”

“I don’t know! I haven’t checked it. Where could it have gone?”

One of the other attendees broke into the conversation. “Lost your phone? What does it look like? We can help you look.” She was a woman in her forties or fifties. Next to her was another woman who nodded her agreement.

“Thank you, that’d be great.” It didn’t take much effort to bring tears to her eyes—all she had to do was remember that Danny was still missing. “It’s a Samsung in an unfortunately standard black case. The lock screen has picture of and my brother. My name’s Jazz, by the way. And this is Todd.”

“I’m Mel and this is my wife Jayden. I’m sure we’ll find your phone soon enough.” Then, in a voice loud enough to cut through the chatter, “Oi! Anyone see an unattended phone lying around? Jazz here misplaced hers?”

Even Mel, though, had to admit defeat after half an hour of searching through the entire apartment yielded nothing.

Jazz sat down on the floor and let herself cry. “And by now we’ve missed the last train. I’m sorry, Todd. What a disaster.”

“Hey, no. None of that, now. Tonight’s been a blast. This sucks for sure, but I can get us an uber or something—”

“How far are you kids going?” asked Jayden.

“Too far,” cried Jazz. “I live out of the city. Parked at Alewife and took the red line in.”

Jayden winced. “Well, we parked nearby. Is there somewhere close we can drive you?”

Jazz blinked up at them. “You’d do that?” She turned to Todd. “I just want to go to sleep. Is there a motel nearby we could stay at?”

Todd pulled out his phone and searched. “Looks like there’s a Holiday inn just down the street or a La Quinta that’s a little cheaper just a bit further out.” He smiled ruefully at the women who’d been helping them. “If you could get us to either place, we’d be more than grateful.”

One of the residents, an older man named Rob, took a seat next to them. “Hey, kiddo. What’s your email? We can contact you if anyone finds it.”

Jazz smiled at him gratefully and gave it. If it wasn’t so necessary, she’d feel bad for lying to and worrying all these people. But they were in so much danger. To the women, she said, “Would the La Quinta be too far out of the way? If I end up having to get a new phone, I’d like to save as much money as possible. Thank God I still have my wallet.”

“Sweetie, it’s totally fine,” assured Mel. “We’d take you all the way home if we didn’t live on the opposite side of the city.”

“Thank you, but that’s really okay. I just want to go to bed and worry about it tomorrow.”

“Come on, dear.” Mel reached out a hand to help Jazz up. “Let’s get you cleaned up then we’ll be on our way.”

Jazz thanked Rob for his help before Mel led her towards the bathroom with an arm around her shoulder.

Less than forty minutes later, Todd and Jazz were alone in a hotel room together. She pulled the blinds shut and finally let herself relax.

When she turned back to the room, Todd was looking at her with one eyebrow raised. “Want to explain to me what all of”—he threw out his hands—“that was about?”

Jazz glared back at him. “You didn’t tell me you died! Damn it, if I’d known in advance—!” she cut herself off and took a deep breath. “Never mind. What’s done is done.”

Todd was deadly still. “How do you know that?”

Jazz threw her hands in the air. “It’s obvious to anyone who knows how to tell. Including the Guys in White who I told you are dangerous to ghosts and liminals! I had plans for what I’d say when they found us, but those won’t work if you’re dead!”

“Wait.” Todd held up his hands. “You’re saying I can be persecuted under those Anti-Ecto acts?”

“Yes! You’re more ghostly than me, and I am watched every minute of every day.”

Todd narrowed his eyes and stared at her for a moment before asking, “Have you heard of Lazarus Water or had any dealings with the League of Assassins?”

“No! I have no idea what you’re talking about. Quit changing the subject. My brother is the only thing that matters and you and Red Robin promised to help me find him.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do!” Jason’s eyes flashed green, and Jazz glared right back at him. “The League of Assassins are the ones who brought me back to life with Lazarus Water. I need to know if you and your brother are mixed up with them because that would change our approach. If it’s a rogue government agency, that’s one thing. If it’s also the league, we’ve got a whole set of other problems.”

Jazz sat down heavily on one of the bed. “Oh. Sorry, I didn’t— It’s been a long few months. After a long few years.”

Todd sat down across from her and nodded for her to continue. “Tell me what happened.”

“It started three years ago. My parents, they’re ghost hunters. Been building weapons to detect and hunt ghosts since before I was born. But three years ago is when they finally finished their life’s work: the ghost portal. Only it didn’t work at first. Then my brother Danny and his friends decided to be stupid. They went to check it out. I wasn’t there and the three of them don’t talk about it, but something happened down there that day.

“My brother died and the portal was working. Only, he didn’t die all the way. He became half-ghost, half-human. And that would have been bad enough, but with the portal open, ghosts came through from the Infinite Realms, sometimes called the Ghost Zone by humans. Some were benign, but many of them came to cause problems or hurt people. Danny stopped them.”

Todd held up a hand to stop her. “Your brother became a supehero? How didn’t the Justice League hear about this? How old was he?”

Jazz shrugged. “I don’t know about the Justice League. It could be that no one ever contacted them. It could be they didn’t believe us. And it could be that no one cared. Danny felt responsible though, since it was his fault the portal turned on. And he was the only one with the ability to stop the ghosts, so…” She held up her hands in a what-can-you-do gesture.

Todd closed his eyes and let out a careful breath. “I can guarantee you the JL didn’t know about your town. A fourteen-year-old would never have been left alone to monitor an interdimensional portal if we had.”

Jazz had no idea what she thought of that. Danny had done it all alone. So finding out he could have had help? She shook her head. What-ifs were a waste of time. “Well, he did. But the government didn’t like that a ghost was the main defense against ghosts. So the Ghost Investigation Ward, more commonly called the Guys in White or GIW was formed. At first, they were as incompetent as any other ghost hunter. But they didn’t stay that way.”

“What happened to your brother, Jazz?” asked Todd.

-----

Next

Sorry to end it there. But it's the right length and I need to go to bed. XP

Hope you enjoy!

I no longer do tag lists, but please check out the Subscription Post if you want notifications when I update.

Not much to say about this one. When I went to the event at this location, my friend and I very nearly missed the last train. It was pulling into the station as we entered. If we'd been 2 or 3 minutes later, we would've been stranded so far from my car, I don't even want to know what that uber or cab would've cost.

Luckily Jazz and Jason had a few good Samaritans nearby.

Next up: We learn more about what happened to Danny!

[lottins-only]

I love you, it's ruining my life | Part III

pairing: Kylian x black!fem!Reader

warnings: some nsfw (?) content

word count: 6.9k

part one, part two

A/N: this one is a bit long 🫠 Thank you to those who read the first two parts, and to those who sent me sweet messages🙏🏾Inbox is open, so please do let me know your thoughts !! <3

III. December 2022

“What are those for?” 

Y/N followed Ethan’s inquisitive gaze to the top of her tote bag . She quickly shoved down the bags of candy peeking out, trying to conceal their abundance. She knew she’d packed way too many, but more meant better options, she’d reasoned. Especially since the person they were meant for had the sweet tooth of a 5 year old. 

“Oh, you know me, I always have to have snacks on me” She lied.

Ethan looked at her like she was a madman, then shook his head before turning his attention to his phone. They were sitting outside at a luxurious hotel that served as the base camp of the French National Team for the duration of the World Cup. With the final only a few days away, the FFF had organized a “fun day” for the players to unwind with their loved ones. There were bouncy castles and inflatable slides littered around the lawn for children, while the irresistible aroma of barbecue wafted through the air. Kylian was somewhere entertaining his niece and nephew, and was hanging out with his parents as well. Y/N and Ethan, introverts as they were, spent most of their time chilling on the lounge chairs drinking mojitos (Virgin mojitos for Ethan; he’d tried to convince her to let him have a try from her drink but she’d refused). 

Y/N was enjoying herself. Truly savoring every moment. A one month-long, all-expenses-paid trip to watch her best friend play in the World Cup? She couldn’t have submitted her PTO request fast enough.  

 “It’s probably only going to be 2 weeks though”  Kylian had said to her half- jokingly when he’d proposed the idea over the phone. He was referring to the “winner's curse”, the jinx that often saw past winners exit the tournament in the group stages.  But against all odds, France was once again in the final of the World Cup. 

She opened her phone, dismayed to find zero new messages from her boyfriend of 8 months, Lucas. They had met when she moved to Madrid straight after graduating from university. She’d found a job at a small public health non-profit, and Lucas had been one of the few people working there that was her age. They’d quickly struck up a friendship,  and he’d immediately asked her out after he left that job a few years later. It was a no-brainer for Y/N to say yes. He was good looking, charming, and made her laugh. Besides, it was well past the time to move on from Kylian. 

For his part, Kylian had been ecstatic when she’d returned to Europe. They had grown closer after both of their moves,  despite the distance. They facetimed at least once a week, and it sort of became a tradition for Kylian to give her a quick call before games. They’d text regularly too, their conversations meandering from trivial topics to deep confessions. Once, she’d mentioned that she used “Study with me” YouTube videos for her study sessions, as it was a way to keep herself accountable. 

“I could do that with you, you don’t need stupid youtube videos” he’d said confidently over the phone. 

She’d laughed. “You can’t shut up for 2 minutes if your life depended on it, Ky”

“No, I can” he’d said seriously. “I want to, for you”

And so they’d formed another tradition. They’d sit silently on facetime for hours and hours, Y/N poring over her books and notes, and Kylian in his room alone doing god knows what. He’d check in on her every once in a while, always encouraging. She knew that he had a busy life and few precious hours to himself, so she was grateful that he’d decided to spend that time with her, doing something that had no immediate benefit to him whatsoever. 

They’d opened up more about their love lives as well, as they’d promised to each other back in Monaco. She didn’t volunteer any information herself, because it was still  a little weird, but she’d answer questions if he probed. It was a lot less easy for Kylian to hide things from her, thanks to his growing fame. She’d only have to scroll through her explore page on Instagram or go through gossip websites to find detailed information about any woman who so much as breathed next to him. He’d continued dating people after the breakup with Sophia, which had happened only a month after her visit in Monaco. But much to her relief, it was never serious with anyone. She’d once seen pictures of him in the stands at the Parc des Princes with a blonde actress, and that old feeling of jealousy had snuck up on her like it had never left.  But just two weeks later, Kylian informed her that it was over. 

She had mentioned  Lucas to him  pretty early on in the relationship. Like she expected, he’d made a bad joke out of it. Something about HR needing to be alerted. She’d reminded him, rather annoyed, that Lucas no longer worked at her workplace. He didn’t say anything after that, quickly changing the subject. One day, however, Lucas mentioned something that gave her pause.

“You know something crazy that happened to me today?” He’d laughed. They were lounging on her couch in her apartment, watching a movie. “Kylian Mbappe liked a picture of mine on Instagram, from like 6 years ago”

She’d furrowed her eyebrows. Lucas was a huge football fan, but Y/N still hadn’t mentioned her friendship with Kylian. It had only been a month of them seeing each other, and about 3 days after she’d told Kylian about him. 

“Yeah, look” Lucas brought out his phone and showed her a screenshot. Sure enough, Kylian’s username was under a picture of Lucas’ dated December 2016. Lucas was a regular poster on Instagram, so Kylian must have scrolled far back to find that picture. She raised her eyebrows in surprise. 

“I know right?” Lucas  had said. “Funny thing is, it disappeared just a few seconds after I got the notification. So random.”

She imagined THE Kylian Mbappe in his bed late at night, lurking on Instagram, accidentally liking an old picture and then hurriedly unliking. 

“Yeah” she had said, a smile tugging at her lips. “Random”

As Y/N’s thoughts drifted back to the present, she glanced at her phone again. Still empty. After a rocky couple weeks  of arguments, Y/N and Lucas decided to go on a break. Lucas had grown distant and less affectionate. He was less present when they spent time together, and was generally making less effort in the relationship. It had been a punch to the gut when he’d forgotten her birthday two weeks ago. She hadn’t said anything; he’d only realized when he saw the huge bouquet of flowers from Kylian sitting on her dining table. 

That was also another sore spot in their relationship; Lucas was not at all comfortable with her friendship with Kylian. He hadn’t mentioned it, and she had made a point to tone down the constant texting and calling as soon as they became official, but she could still see it in the way he behaved. The World Cup trip was the tipping point. She couldn’t blame him; Her male best friend, who was one of the most famous footballers in the world, was bankrolling a one month trip for her to watch him play on the world’s biggest stage. It would be a hit to the ego for any man. But frankly, she was tired. She was tired of him, and she wanted time away from him. And so the break began. 

She did not miss him, if she was being honest with herself. Yet, she couldn’t help checking her phone to see if he’d reached out.  Lucas was the only person she’d been seriously interested in, besides Kylian. Maybe it wasn’t wise to give up on something good over a bad month or so. A tiny, insecure part of her told her she’d never find someone who liked her just as much as Lucas.

“Hi there” A deep voice cut through her thoughts. She looked up to see a very handsome face.

He stood tall in the dark blue tracksuit of the French national team, smiling at her broadly. She recognized him immediately. 

“Hi” She responded shyly, having never spoken to Kylian’s national team teammates before. 

“Saw you from over there” Aurelien Tchouameni pointed to the mini basketball court, where some other players were shooting hoops. “And you’re really pretty”

Straight to the point, then. Ethan snorted from across the table. 

“Uh.. thanks” She said nervously. “I have a boyfriend though”

Aurelien glanced at Ethan, then at her. Realization dawned on his face, and he held up his hands apologetically. “Oh, you’re Y/N! I should’ve realized… So you and Kylian finally got together, huh?”

“W-What?” She blabbered. Ethan was now laughing. “No, we’re not dating. Just friends”

“Oh” Aurelien said, his eyebrows furrowing. “Sorry. It’s just that he always talks about you”

“Really?”

“Yeah, whenever we talk about shows and music and stuff, he’s always like Y/N recommended this, Y/N said that”

“Yeah, he basically stole my entire personality” She deadpanned, trying to feel less awkward.

He laughed, nodding in agreement. “Well, you guys have fun. And sorry about that, I just had to shoot my shot”

He winked and walked away as quickly as he’d appeared.

She turned to Ethan, who was no doubt opening his mouth to tease her. She held up her hand. “Don’t even”

Y/N unloaded the contents of her tote bag on the bed, spilling out every type of candy Kylian had ever enjoyed. She turned to him, smiling proudly. “There you go, Monsieur”

Kylian’s eyes lit up as he grabbed a bag of M&Ms and tore it open. “Thank you” he said with a dimpled grin.

He’d  texted her the day before asking her to grab him some candy, and she was happy to oblige. Kylian was the most disciplined person she’d ever met, but everyone deserves a cheat day—especially someone who’d made it to his second World Cup final at 23. She’d waited until they were alone in his room to give him the treats, careful to not be seen by any of the coaching staff. 

She leaned back on her chair and opened her phone, once again checking for new messages. 

“Stop that” Kylian scolded.

“Stop what?” She asked innocently.

“I know what you’re doing” he said. “I can’t believe you’re the one who’s hung up on him while he’s the asshole. It should be the other way around”

“I’m not hung up on him” She said, flustered. “I’m just…”

“You’re checking your phone every 5 minutes” He cut in. “You deserve someone who gives you their full attention and consideration, you know”

And why can’t that person be you?

The door burst open and Ethan walked in, his eyes immediately landing on all the candy.

“I knew it!” He pointed at her, accusatorial. “I knew it was for him”

She shrugged apologetically. 

Ethan happily opened a bag of Haribos, and turned to his brother, a mischievous look on his face. “Did she tell you about Tchouameni?”

“What about him?” Kylian responded absentmindedly, his attention on his phone. 

“He hit on her” Ethan said grinning “And then when he found out who she was he said he thought you two were dating”

An idea unfurled in Y/N’s head. “He’s so hot” she said. “Maybe I should ask for his number. Might as well, right? Since Lucas and I are basically done…”

“No” Kylian’s voice rose slightly. “No, don’t do that.”

“Why not?” She asked “You just said I deserve someone who gives me attention. Aurelien seems like the type”

He was fidgeting now, irritation clearly written on his face. “Athletes are assholes, haven’t you heard that before? Also, it would be weird for you to date my teammate”

“Are you saying you’re an asshole?” She asked

“No, but.. Just trust me” He turned his attention back to his phone, clearly uncomfortable. 

Y/N wasn’t much of a football fan, but she knew that the match she just witnessed was one of the best ever played. The highs and lows, the split second moments that changed the trajectory of the whole game, the sheer unpredictability of the whole thing. Every single movement made by the players felt like the tipping point. The atmosphere inside the stadium was electric, a living, breathing entity fueled by the passion and excitement of the fans watching. By the time the Argentinian player had kicked the final penalty to seal his country’s win, she was overwhelmed by a deep feeling of sadness. So much so, that she felt tears prick her eyes. She looked down at Kylian, only a small figure from her seat in the stands. His shoulder was slumped, his entire body deflated. He had given his all, and yet he had lost.  Teammates and coaching staff alike kept coming up to him to comfort him. She desperately wanted to go over to him, to hold him, but she knew she couldn’t enter the pitch until after the medal ceremony. 

She saw him and his teammates retreat into the tunnels just as Messi lifted up the World Cup to the cheer of thousands. She turned to his family and friends,  with whom she’d been cheering in elation at Kylian’s equalizing goal just a few minutes ago. 

“Go” his father urged her “The only person he’d want to see right now is you”

She didn’t need to be told twice. She weaved her way through the stadium, flashing her VIP access lanyard when met with security, and asking for directions once or twice. She passed through the final set of security before finding herself outside the French team’s locker rooms. She informed the guard outside who she was looking for. He went inside, and moments later, came back out with Kylian. 

Her heart nearly shattered at the sight of him. He kept his head down, but she could see his eyes were bloodshot. Without a word, she wrapped him in a tight hug, feeling him shake silently in her embrace. She had never seen Kylian cry before. 

“Hey” she murmured softly. “It’s okay”

He buried his face in her shoulder, his breath hitching with each silent sob. Her own tears slipped down her cheeks. He gently let go a few moments later, and they sat down on the floor, leaning against the hallway wall. 

“I thought we had it” He said, his voice cracking. 

“ I know you did” She said gently, wiping a tear falling down his cheeks. “ You gave your everything. Sometimes it just comes down to luck, Ky. There’s nothing you can do about it” She took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. 

Kylian nodded, but she knew he didn’t believe her. Knowing him, this night would haunt him for a long time. 

“Thank you for being here” His voice was steadier now. He leaned his head on her shoulder. 

“Always” She whispered. 

They sat there for some minutes, watching the hallway slowly become filled with the families of the other players. Her heart warmed at the sight of Griezmann’s daughters comforting their father. Her thumb was slowly caressing the back of Kylian’s hand. Turning slowly, she kissed his forehead. She wondered if they looked like a couple just then, with their hands joined in her lap and her lips on his forehead.

                        

It was 2 days after that disappointing night in Qatar,  and two nights since Y/N had been unceremoniously dumped over the phone.

The weight of the defeat had lingered that night, sucking the energy out of everyone. By the time Y/N and the Mbappes returned to the hotel, the atmosphere was thick with sadness and disappointment. She’d gotten the call just as she’d walked into her hotel room. Lucas’ voice had been calm and detached as he’d delivered the news she had dreaded: their relationship was over. The entire conversation was a blur, but there were bits and pieces that stung so much it still echoed in her head. “ I don’t feel that connection anymore” to “I’m clearly second choice here”  and “you’ve been lying to yourself all this time”. She’d cried herself to sleep, overwhelmed by a storm of heartache and confusion.

She had planned to go straight to Madrid after the final but decided to hide out with her parents in Paris for a couple days. It was now the 20th, Kylian’s birthday. She hadn’t spoken to him since coming back to Paris, caught up in her own heartbreak, but she’d received an invitation for a birthday dinner via his assistant. It took everything in her to drag herself out of bed and to get ready. 

The restaurant was one of the most famous in Paris, and Kylian’s personal favorite. He’d reserved the entire space for his friends and family. It was cozy, with dimmed lights and ambient music  blending in with the chatter of the guests. A single long table stretched across the room, dotted with candlelight. 

As Y/N made her way through the room, she greeted everyone –  Kylian’s parents, his brothers, his closest teammates, his close friends, and other acquaintances. To her embarrassment, she’d been the last guest to arrive. His assistant guided her to the only open seat left, right next to Kylian. 

“No one wants to sit next to the birthday boy?” She quipped as she took her place.

“Was saving it for you” He replied. He looked handsome in a blue Dior sweater and black denim jeans. His tan from Qatar was already fading, and he had a small smile playing on his face. They chatted for a bit, asking each other about their respective heartbreaks, before becoming engrossed in the lively conversations surrounding them. 

At one point, they caught each other’s eyes. The candlelight was casting strange shadows on his face. She smiled at him, and without thinking, poked at one of his dimples. “I’m really glad you were born, by the way”

“ I know” His eyes sparkled with amusement. His  arm was draped casually over the back of her chair, their faces close. He  gently tugged at a single braid of her hair with his other hand and murmured, “I like your hair like this. It’s new right?”

It was indeed new. She’d decided to try boho braids for the first time. 

You deserve someone who gives you their full attention and consideration, you know. 

Someone cleared their throat, and they sprung apart. It was the waitstaff, ready to serve appetizers. They spoke sparingly as they ate. Kylian, the menace that he was, kept reaching for bites from her plate. She elbowed him whenever he did, but she didn’t hesitate to steal from his plate as well. 

After everyone had eaten and all the food was cleared, a huge cake with 24 individual candles was brought out. She made sure to take a video of Kylian smiling as everyone sang Joyeux Anniversaire, giggling at how awkward he looked. 

“Make a wish first!” Someone called just as he was about to blow out the candles.

He paused,  his gaze locking with Y/N’s over her phone screen as he playfully pointed a finger at her. He continued blowing out his candles, never breaking eye contact with her. A chorus of laughter came from the guests at his antics, and Y/N felt her face burn as she put down her phone. 

“He’s so down bad for her…” She could hear Tchaga snigger. Another ripple of laughter broke out from the guests at his comment. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her at that moment. 

The laughter and celebration gradually tapered off after some time, and Y/N and some other friends were invited by Kylian to his apartment for some drinks. He had training the next day and didn’t want to do some heavy clubbing. 

The sound of easy laughter and the clinking of glasses filled Kylian’s apartment. Y/N and Kylian were sitting on the couch in his living room, their bodies close together despite them being the only occupants. They were reminiscing about the time Kylian had tried to convince her to play in a school tournament. There was a rule that the teams had to be mixed, and not a lot of girls wanted to play. He’d begged Y/N to join, and she’d reluctantly accepted on the condition that he’d buy her a teddy bear if they won.  They were playing for a plastic trophy that cost 2 euros, yet Kylian treated it like it was life or death. They won, and Y/N got her teddy bear.

“I still have that teddy bear, you know” she said.

“Yeah?”

“Uh-huh. It’s probably my favorite gift I’ve ever received”

He hummed, clearly pleased. She didn’t know when and how, but her leg was slung over his. His hand was on her, his fingers softly tracing lines up and down her calf. 

“So, I’m your birthday wish huh?” She knew she wouldn’t be bold enough to say those words any other time, but here they were. The physical proximity was like a promise of something greater happening. 

“Yup” He met her eyes confidently, his eyes shining. 

“Maybe you should’ve started small though. Like a kiss?” She tried her best to sound flirtatious.

He laughed, “Ok. Let me redo the wish”

He cleared his throat and closed his eyes, a small smile still playing on his lips. He put his palms together as if in prayer and said in a deep, affected voice, “ Dear Universe, for my 24th birthday, I wish to receive a kiss from Y/N”

Without skipping a beat, she leaned in and slanted her lips over his. She could feel his breath hitch, like he hadn’t expected her to do that. It hardly took a second for him to kiss back though. It was slow, sensual. Tender and exploratory. His tongue brushed her lips before slipping inside, and she welcomed him with a soft sigh. The hand that had been on her calf quickly moved to her hips, and his other hand gently cupped her face. Her stomach was a puddle, and she was glad that they were sitting down because she was sure her knees would’ve given out if they were standing. The kiss deepened and went on and on and on, until they had to break away for air. He looked dazed, his lips glistening from her shiny lipgloss.

He quickly put his lips back on her, but Y/N pulled away.

She pressed her lips over his ear and murmured, “You need to tell everyone to leave. Now”

Kylian quickly waved Tchaga over and whispered in his ear urgently. Y/N didn’t feel a trace of shame when Tchaga shot her a knowing, teasing look. She was just happy that he was making quick work of announcing  that the party was over and ushering everyone out of Kylian’s apartment.

No sooner had the apartment emptied and the door slammed behind Tchaga that she climbed his lap. She was able to get one sloppy kiss in before Kylian pulled away breathlessly. “We need to get to my room”

And so he hoisted her up and effortlessly walked them all the way up the stairs and into his bedroom. They kissed fiercely as he gently put her down on his bed. Kylian scrambled out of his sweater as she unbuttoned her shirt. He helped her out of her skirt and then her tights. 

She rolled over and climbed on top of him, finding him as ready as she was. Lustful brown eyes stared openly at her pale pink underwear. “Do you have?” She asked frantically. 

“Yeah, in the drawer”

She leaned sideways, stretching her body to reach the bedside drawer. She found the box pretty easily and grabbed one from it. He was still staring at her hungrily. With shaking hands, she unhooked her bra and took it off.

He kissed her neck, her breasts, her stomach. Her hands caressed his biceps, his chest, his torso. This was years of desire she’d harbored, finally unleashed. His mouth brushed over her lower torso before his fingers deftly removed the last remaining piece of clothing on her body. She unbuckled his belt buckle and removed his jeans and boxers at the same time. His breathing was shallow and rapid as she ripped the foil open and rolled it on him. She lowered herself onto him slowly, and they both gasped. 

They were chest to chest, their hearts drumming together. They moved together in a steady rhythm, watching each other, checking in on each other with their eyes. Is this okay? How about this? And this?

She wanted him closer, deeper. It was never enough. They breathed into each other's mouths, tongues meeting sloppily. Breaking apart, their foreheads met. Their eyes said a million little things at once. Time and space had no meaning anymore for Y/N. There was only Kylian.

* **************

It turned out that if you’d wanted something badly for a very long time, and then you finally got that thing, it didn’t necessarily mean that you'll have enough of that thing. Sometimes, it could leave you wanting more and more. Case in point: Y/N.

They woke up midday with bodies hot and sweaty and limbs tangled together in the sheets. They had laid there for an hour or so, kissing languidly. He somehow already knew what she liked, the moves that made her moan and gasp. 

“I could do this forever” he’d murmured as his lips softly trailed after hers.  But his alarm rang out just then, a stark reminder of real life. They both sighed reluctantly as they pulled away. He had to get up and get ready for his afternoon training. 

She laid there, silently watching him get dressed. She was mesmerized by every movement of his beautiful, lean yet muscular body. Her own personal Adonis. It was a wonder she’d been able to keep her hands off him. He caught her looking at him and smirked, winking at her. She just rolled her eyes.

Once he’d gotten ready and packed his bag, he came over to her on the bed and showered her face with affectionate kisses. “I’ll come back in the evening. Feel free to just chill here.”  He said between kisses on her forehead, lips, cheeks, chin.  “I’ll leave a spare key by the door though”

She nodded happily, giving him one last tender kiss. He stepped out, and she was left to bask in the lingering warmth of his affection. Her mind replayed the memories of the night before, and she felt like the happiest person alive. Now that she got a taste of him, she wanted more of him. As if on cue, her phone pinged with a text. 

Ky: I miss you already 🙁

She giggled, quickly typing out a I miss you tooo before getting up and hopping in the shower. It was only when she got out that she realized she didn’t have a change of clothes, and unless she wanted to walk into her parents apartment dressed the same way she’d left it yesterday, she needed to put on something else. She walked into Kylian’s closet and  grabbed the nearest T-shirt and sweatpants, as well as some slippers. She quickly snapped a mirror pic after changing and sent it to Kylian, typing heading to my parents for a bit.

The reply was almost instant.

Ky: 😍 😍

Ky: don’t forget to grab stuff you need.

She smiled, loving the implication she’d spend the night again. At her parents, she grabbed Kylian’s gift that she’d forgotten to take with her the night before, as well as a change of clothes. She came back to Kylian’s place and answered work emails and completed other miscellaneous tasks concerning her job.

He was back in the early evening, just as promised. The passion of the night before had faded and the afterglow of the morning had subsided, meaning there was nothing to embolden either of them. Thus, they treaded lightly around each other. Their looks were furtive, their touches tentative. Kylian, the least shy person she’d ever met, had somehow turned uncharacteristically quiet. Yet, they were both undeniably giddy. She could see it in the way he broke into an inexplicable smile whenever he caught her eye during dinner, and in the way she was in the best mood she’d been in for a long time. 

This illusion of coyness evaporated as they settled on the couch after dinner, Kylian turning on a tactical video the PSG staff had instructed him to view. The video was on for less than 2 minutes before their focus shifted entirely and they began to make out. 

“You’re too distracting,” he said between kisses as she giggled. 

“Yeah?”

His lips shifted to her neck. “I think kissing you is my favorite thing to do”

He was biting there, sure to leave a mark. 

“Well second favorite” he corrected himself.

She took off her T-shirt and straddled him. He continued, his hands softly gripping her waist “Second place is kissing you. First place is obviously playing football—”

He was momentarily interrupted as she took his own T-shirt off. “—tied with fucking you”

His shit eating grin was the last thing she saw before he flipped her over and sent her sprawling comfortably on the cushions. 

It was unfortunate that they had a game on new year’s eve, but Y/N liked the ambiance at the Parc des Princes. The stadium was buzzing with a special, festive energy for Kylian’s first match after the World Cup final. She was seated in the VIP section along with his parents, brother, and Tchaga and had jumped up and down when Kylian scored the last minute winner. He’d never say it, but she knew he needed that confidence boost. 

In the past week, she’d gotten to know a completely different part of him –  one her lovesick teenage self could only have dreamed of, and that her more cynical young adult self had never thought she’d experience. 

For example, she’d always known that he loved taking care of his loved ones, but she hadn’t spent a single dime during her stay with him. Any purchases she thought of making, he insisted on paying for. He’d even surprised her with a package containing everything from her wishlist after he saw her browsing her favorite store online. His generosity extended to small things like sharing food (which he was notoriously known for disliking), and thoughtful gestures like arranging a work space for her in one of his spare rooms. He endearingly loved using pet names, alternating  between “bébé” and “chérie”, and her heart did somersaults when she heard him use those in everyday conversation. 

She learned intimate details too, thanks to their newfound physical closeness. The birthmark on his lower back that she loved pressing kisses to. How scratching his head would put him to sleep almost instantly. She learned about his preferences as well; he was most definitely an ass man –  it was evident by the way he never passed up a chance to feel her up when they were by themselves.  Now, she committed everything she learned to memory, seeing Kylian in hues she never thought existed. 

The days after his birthday were perfect to her, it felt like she was living a dream. Lucas and Madrid were so far from her mind that it was as if the break up had happened a year ago. The person she’d been pining after for ages seemingly liked her back. She was at her happiest. 

There was one issue that gnawed at her, however. It bothered her that they had never spoken about what they were, or where their relationship was heading. She’d thought that the fact they had slept together was a mutual admission of serious feelings, that they had an unspoken agreement. Yet, the more she thought about it, the more she realized they hadn’t actually talked about it. The first two days or so, she’d been on cloud 9, swept away by the euphoria of it all. But now, as reality set it, it was torturing her. 

A buzz of excitement filled the VIP lounge as a small crowd gathered around the entrance. She suspected it was Kylian and his entourage; he’d promised to come up to the lounge after the game. Sure enough, in walked Kylian’s bodyguards, followed closely by the man of the match himself. 

He made the rounds first, meeting all the important people in the room, taking pictures and making small talk. He finally made his way to his family and friends. He came to Y/N last, and there was an awkward shuffle when he went in for a peck on the lips as a greeting, and Y/N instinctively aimed for his cheek. They laughed it off, and she gave him the kiss he’d wanted. Ethan let out a loud “ew!”, and Y/N flushed, looking at the ground. So far, none of their family and friends had had visible reactions to the recent developments in their relationship. No one had said anything when they’d shown up holding hands at Kylian's family Christmas party a week ago; it was almost like they expected it, as if they believed this was the natural culmination of Y/N and Kylian’s 10+ years long friendship and not an unexpected turn of events. 

“ I have something for you” she murmured after it was just the two of them speaking, indicating a small gift bag she was holding. 

He raised his eyebrows. “Oooh. What’s in there?”

“It's your birthday gift” She said as she handed it to him. “I was supposed to bring it to dinner but I forgot. I brought it to your apartment the next day but it slipped my mind again”

“And here I was thinking my gift was the mind blowing sex” He said grinning. 

She shoved him playfully, rolling her eyes. As he reached to open the bag, her stomach started fluttering. 

Someone slid up to him just then, whispering in his ear.

“ Give me one second, I’ll be back” he said apologetically as he dropped the bag on the nearest table and was whisked away, no doubt to meet some other important person that was there to see him. 

She sighed, her shoulders slumping. The gift was a scrapbook she’d made herself, chronicling their long friendship. She’d hoped it would help open up the conversation about their current situation.

“Fancy a drink?” 

It was one of the waiters, holding a tray of colorful looking drinks. She graciously took one.

“New here? I’m never seen you in the lounge before”

He seemed polite enough. “Uh, yes. I’m here with…my boyfriend” She tested the word on her lips, her eyes on Kylian across the room.

The waiter followed her gaze and snorted. “He has a girlfriend? I’d sooner believe Macron quit the presidency to be a mime”

He blanched as soon as he realized she was serious. “I- I meant-”

“What?”

He looked at the ground. “He just- I see a different model every other week here. They're almost always his guests”

She opened her mouth, but he beat her to it. “Look, just forget I said anything. It’s not my place.” He looked at her pleadingly. “Please don’t get me fired”

He scurried off before she could say anything. 

She glanced at her gift bag, left forgotten on the table. He was now taking pictures with a group of older people. Her eyes started to well up, and she walked out of the room. She kept going until she found herself outside, ordering an Uber. She sent him a text as she got in the car:

Y/N: going home to deal with some stuff, think I’ll spend the night there

She closed her eyes, tears now sliding down her cheeks.

She barely slept that night, spending hours on her phone looking up the many women Kylian had been linked with. She went through their instagrams, her mind treacherously comparing each one to herself, as if she could measure her worth against their curated, seemingly perfect lives. She came across photos of Kylian on yachts, laughing with bikini-clad blondes. The comments on the photos only twisted the knife deeper – some criticized him as a “playboy” , while others mocked him with a dismissive “typical footballer”.  Each photo was like a dagger to her heart.

But it was the final blow that left her breathless: blurry photos of Kylian leaving a club with a girl, taken just a month ago, in November. It was that recent. It all made sense now,  why he’d never made an effort to have a serious conversation about their relationship. He liked his current lifestyle, focusing completely on football while indulging in a fleeting series of flings from time to time. She was nothing special, just another name on the long list of women he entertained. 

What shattered her the most was that he had no consideration for their friendship, that he could throw it away just like that for some sex. He had traded something she deeply cherished for something else he considered transient, meaningless. 

By the time dawn broke and the first light filtered through her curtains, she was resolute. Dragging herself out of bed, she made her way to the kitchen and was shocked to find her parents sitting and laughing with Kylian. 

His face brightened as soon as he saw her. “Morning chérie” he greeted, the pet name failing to make her stomach flutter this time.

“Dropped by to check on you” he continued. “You weren’t answering my texts”

It was intentional, of course. Seeing the tired look on her face, her parents moved out of the kitchen to give them privacy. She sat down beside him slowly, and his face twisted into concern. 

“Is everything ok?” He went to grab her hand but she snatched it away quickly. She didn’t miss the hurt look on his face.

“I- uh. I’m ok” She didn’t know how to approach the conversation. “Did you finally open my gift?”

"What? Your gi- oh. Yeah. I did”  She could clearly see through the lie.

“Kylian” She warned, her tone sharp.

He rubbed the back of his neck, looking guilty. “I’m sorry, I completely forgot. But it still has to be there though, no one will take it”

“What the fuck, Kylian?” her voice rose, frustration spilling over. “You didn’t even take it home with you?”

He frantically reached for his phone. “I’ll call and get someone at the club to look for it. I’ll get it back, I promise”

She snatched the phone out of his hand, her eyes blazing  “I spent a lot of time on it. I can’t believe you did that, it's like you don’t even care”

He looked at her earnestly. “You know I care, I care about you a lot”

“Is that what you say to every girl you sleep with?” She couldn’t help it.

“What?” He looked at her incredulously. “ No. This is different. You’ve always been different”

“I find that hard to believe, Kylian” She muttered, her voice quivering.

“Why?” He challenged her, his confusion mingled with frustration. “Why would you think that?”

“Because” her tears spilled over “You’ve been uncommitted forever”

“Well maybe that’s because the one person I would’ve liked to be committed to was in another country, wasting her time on some asshole” 

“Then why not now?” She spoke through tears. “I’ve been sleeping in your bed for a while now, Ky.”

“I was trying to give you time” His voice shook. “You broke up with that idiot literally 3 days before we hooked up. I  thought you weren’t ready”

He looked at her pleadingly, his eyes desperate. 

“I don’t know, Kylian” She laughed bitterly. “you said it yourself, don’t trust athletes”

She saw a tear falling down his cheek, and she was struck by the sight. She never thought the second time she’d see him cry, it would be because of her.

She weighed the possibility of making it work – a long distance relationship, with her in Madrid and him in Paris. They’d see each other infrequently, her being tied to Madrid with work and him to Paris by the relentless demands of football. They’d miss birthdays, anniversaries. She’d never be able to take him to an office Christmas party. Maybe she’d be able to go with him to things that mattered to him, like award ceremonies, but only because his career would take precedence over hers. She’d hear whispers about his potential infidelities, but she wouldn’t say anything. Until the resentment feels so suffocating it bubbles up, and she’d have no choice but to end it. It would happen, whether months away or years down the line. And then they’d have to cut each other off forever.  She didn’t want that. She loved him too much. She’d rather have some of him than nothing at all. Perhaps if she ended it now, their friendship could be salvaged. 

She couldn’t meet his eyes. “I’m sorry, Kylian. I don’t think… I don’t think we should do this anymore”

They sat there silently for a few seconds. Then she heard a sniffle, and then the sound of his chair  scraping as he got up. She heard footsteps retreating, and then the sound of the apartment door open and slam shut. Only then did she let herself fall apart.

Her mother hurried into the room, looking very alarmed. “Y/N, what’s wrong?”

“Maman” she choked out between sobs. “I need to book a flight back to Madrid”

[eterut]

I wanna talk about the prehispanic and mesoamerican representation of music in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

The music was my main motivation to go see the film (alongside with the introducing of Tenoch, one of my favorite people inthe world).

The day of the Mexican premiere, my facebook feed was full of photos of musicians (whom I follow for their prehispanic instrumental and amazing work thru the years in the band TRIBU and colabs with musicians Arturo Meza, Jorge Reyes and Rastrillos) attending the premiere and revealing that they participated in the making of the music for the film!

The news clearly moved me to inexplicable levels because those musicians: Ramiro Ramirez Duarte and Alejandro Mendez Rojas, have spent decades working and promoting research, practice and recognition of prehispanic instruments and how mesoamerican music might have sounded.

In addition, these musicians (one with degree in ethnomusicology and anthropological research and the other as a member of the Otomi indigenous community in the north of the territory where I was born and live), have been and are part of projects and musical groups that have given original music and prehispanic instruments the place they deserve in the broad definition of Mexican music.

In an interview with La Silla Rota Guanajuato They explain that "Prehispanic music no longer exists, from that past only the instruments remain, their melodies".

Alejandro Méndez Rojas commented that is unknown how the music of that time was; everything was destroyed in the 16th century because the Spanish prohibited prehispanic musicians and everything that had to do with ancient culture, they stopped making the instruments, there were no longer any manufacturers.

Did you get chills when the Talokani first came out and hypnotized the ship's crew with their voices? This is what you hear:

Did you feel the love and pain through Namor's origin story? This was what accompanied that feeling:

The pieces Namor, Lost in the depths, Yucatán, Namor's Throne, Imperius Rex and Sink the ship also have remarkable elements from prehispanic instruments and voices.

Hearing the distinctive sounds of snails, flutes, rattles, drums, and canes at epic and emotional moments in the film made my heart race and pride prickle my skin.

About "Árboles bajo el mar", Alejandro Mendez Rojas explain in their social media:

"In this piece I composed all the sounds made with prehispanic instruments. I used a Tepehuano bow, tortoise shells percussed by Huave deer antlers, Mayan double-diaphragm whistle, Mayan trumpets, Tezcatlipoca flute, Mayan tunkul among other instruments made by me.

Thank you for allowing me to promote Mesoamerican musical instruments through their sounds in this film and thanks to all the people who collaborated on this piece."

With their work and passion for the music, they become heroes too:

“One way to ensure that instruments are not lost is to build them again, to execute them, to carry out work so that they last, so that they remain alive.

I think that the instruments of prehispanic Mexico deserve that boost, that promotion to enter a world where there is musical diffusion, the instruments deserve that stage to be better know, we have worked with them for many years, have cost us diffusion"

Because it is another form of representation, it is another way of saying "we are here", but on a large scale, it is an opportunity to continue preserving our culture, our roots and to allow it not to go out.

"Mexico has a wonderful ancestral legacy, worthy of being recovered and put into circulation again, the instruments will come to life in every human being who listens to them"

Gracias señores Ramiro y Alejandro por ser tan chingones y seguir trabajando por darle a nuestra herencia y a nuestras raíces la dignidad que merecen. Felicidades por este trabajo tan hermoso y emotivo. Y muchas gracias por ser parte de mi formación y herencia musical. Me siento orgullosa y feliz por todo eso 🫀

Please, listen all the music from the original soundtrack and give them a lot of love. Thank you Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson for let it be this wonderful dignity manifesto that is Wakanda Forever.

🖤🤎

[captainsophiestark]

Guest Appearance

Dick Grayson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for my personal fic writing challenge for 2024, Sophie's Year of Fic! Featuring a new fic being posted every Friday, all year long :)

Fandom: DC

Summary: As a PA on a nightly talk show with all kinds of celebrity guests, the job always comes with some level of unexpected chaos. But when Dick Grayson's interview is interrupted by a New York supervillain, the events of the night might reach a whole new level of wild adventure

Word Count: 2,967

Category: Fluff, Humor, maybe a little bit of Angst

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"Can you believe he's really here?"

"No. How is it possible that he's somehow hotter in person?"

I stifled a laugh behind my hand and turned to look at my coworker, Tara, who had an absolutely shameless grin on her face. I shook my head, but I couldn't stop a similar smile from spreading across my own face, too.

We'd become work besties since we got hired and added to the crew of the same talk show together at the same time. We'd worked with a laundry list of truly incredible guests (and some truly terrible ones), but today was officially the record best for the both of us.

Richard Grayson, the famous, charming philanthropist and eldest son of Bruce Wayne was our guest for today's show. My job was making sure talent knew where to go and that they got there on time, so even better, I'd actually been able to interact with him a bit.

"Was he nice?" asked Tara, keeping her voice low as we watched our host go through the interview as planned. "Please tell me he was nice. I don't think I could handle it if he was an asshole."

"Oh, Tara, he was so sweet. You should've seen the smile he gave me when we were introduced. And he remembered my name, he said thank you specifically to me when I got him to the stage earlier!"

Tara sighed. "I'm in love."

"Honestly? Same."

The two of us fell into comfortable silence as we returned our attention to the shoot before us. The host was asking about some charity work Dick Grayson and his dad had gotten behind recently, and every time the host tried to give him accolades, Dick deflected and turned all the attention back to the volunteers and the people they were trying to help.

I was quite literally melting. Next to me, Tara seemed to be having the same reaction.

"I wish he could come on every week," she muttered, shaking her head. "They're about to wrap this part though, I need to get in position to set up for the game they're gonna play. Continue this after the show?"

"You're on."

She shot me a wink, then headed over to where all the props were resting for the game our host was going to play with Grayson. I turned my attention back to the interview, then frowned. Something weird was going on with the backdrop of the set. The color was changing to an icier white, as if frost was spreading across it. I squinted, trying to get a closer look, when everything around me exploded.

Cold wind swept through the studio as the lights went out. Members of the audience screamed, and I whirled around a moment later to see exactly why. Killer Frost, one of the supervillains who sometimes operated here in New York, was at the top of the audience seats, sending ice and freezing wind through the entire studio.

I shook my head, taking a few steps backwards before I thought better of it. I turned to the main stage where our host, guest, and a few others had been, searching for anybody I could help out of here, only to find it empty. A moment later Tara rushed up to me, a panicked look in her eye.

"Tara! You have to get out of here!" I said, trying to be heard over the increasing commotion as Killer Frost slowly but surely made her way down the stairs and towards the main stage, moving as if she had all the time in the world. "Get anybody you can to follow you, go down the stairs and get the hell out of here as fast as you can! And call somebody for help on your way out!"

Tara nodded, her grip on my forearm still like iron.

"Are you coming with me?"

I glanced over her shoulder at Killer Frost with a grimace, then turned back to Tara and shook my head.

"I want to see if I can help anybody else get out of here, especially Grayson. Talent's supposed to be my responsibility, and it seems like she's probably after him for a ransom or something. Since he's not familiar with the studio, I don't want him getting lost or stuck somewhere if there's something I can do to help."

Tara shook her head, but I started pushing her towards the exit and moving in the opposite direction before she could stop me.

"Go! I'll meet you outside!"

With that, I turned on my heel and ran.

Thankfully, I'd gotten to know this place well enough in the time since I'd started working here that I was able to navigate quickly through the back hallways. Everything back here was deserted now, which hopefully meant that everyone else had already gotten out. I threw open every door I passed anyway, looking for stragglers trying to hide that I might be able to send out the back stairs instead, getting them further out of harm's way.

The temperature in the hallway dropped with every extra second I spent here, and I knew I was running out of time, but I was determined to finish checking this space. Every room so far had been empty, but the last door at the end of the hall was our guest dressing room. Once I cleared it, I could get the hell out of here myself. With one quick glance over my shoulder to make sure Killer Frost hadn't reached this place yet, I threw open the last door on my list.

I froze in the doorway, but not because of a supervillain. Basically the opposite, actually. Before me, in the middle of the room, was Dick Grayson. He was shirtless, but more notably, he was halfway into the very recognizable superhero costume of Nightwing.

We locked eyes, just staring at each other for a few long moments while my brain tried to compute what I was seeing. I blinked, thinking this had to be a prank or an illusion or something, but then the temperature dropped another few degrees and Dick Grayson—Nightwing—started moving.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked as he quickly pulled on the top half of his suit. I just shook my head, trying to get my brain engaged again.

"I... I was checking if anybody was still here, I wanted to make sure you got out the back stairs since Killer Frost is probably here for you... are you seriously Nightwing?"

Dick grimaced as he slipped on a domino mask, giving me all the confirmation I needed.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anybody. But right now, you need to get out of here."

"Right. Right, yeah, you're right."

Dick nodded, crossing the room to gently take my arm and lead me out of it. I turned to the door at the end of the hallway that would lead to the stairs and out of the building, but before I could take so much as a step towards it, a blast of ice exploded against the wall, sealing the door completely shut.

I heard Dick swear under his breath as he yanked me back against his chest, moving me out of harm's way just in time.

"Get in the dressing room and keep your head down," he muttered to me before gently pushing me in that direction. I paused in the doorway to watch as he slowly turned to face Killer Frost, who'd finally caught up to us.

Nightwing shot me a wink and a confident smile before stepping forward, past where I could see his face. I knew I needed to take cover; I couldn't do much against Killer Frost, and neither could Nightwing if he was worried about protecting me. But before I shut the door, I figured there was one last thing I could do to try to help him.

"Dick, take cover back there," I said, faking pushing someone just beyond sight of the doorway from the hallway. "Nightwing's here, he's going to take care of it. It's going to be okay."

I wasn't sure if that would convince Killer Frost, or if Nightwing's secret identity was even something I should be concerned about right now, but I figured it at least couldn't hurt to try to help him out. I chanced one last glance behind me, but couldn't see more than a blinding flash of light as the two supers collided and I shut the door.

I took a deep breath, trying to gather myself. It still didn't seem completely real—it felt like a mistake. Richard Grayson, the famous son of Bruce Wayne, was one of the last people I'd expect to be a vigilante. Yet the proof was pretty irrefutable.

I crossed the room, shakily easing down into the nearest chair. Hopefully Dick, or Nightwing, or whoever the hell he was would be able to beat Killer Frost. If he wasn't, this room would surely be her next stop, and she'd probably be pretty disappointed to just find me, without the billionaire's son she'd been looking for.

The clashing and shouting sounds of fighting continued outside, setting my nerves on edge with every second that passed. Finally, they came to a stop, and that was honestly worse. I perched on the edge of my seat, ready to jump up at a moment's notice, and watched the door like a hawk. I shot halfway to the ceiling when it came flying open, then collapsed back onto the couch when I saw it was just Nightwing.

"You scared the hell out of me," I breathed, putting a hand to my chest. He shot me a grin as he slammed the door shut behind him.

"Sorry about that. I don't have a lot of time to spare, here."

"You... won, right? You beat Killer Frost?"

He nodded before ducking behind a rack of clothes to one side of the room. I could still see his face as he slipped off the domino mask, revealing the kind but non-super guest of the show that I'd met earlier today.

"She's unconscious, and I made sure she was subdued for whichever authorities get here first. But I couldn't stay out there to wait for them, since it might make my identity a little obvious. Especially when they checked this room and found you alone in here."

I huffed a laugh. "Yeah, people might have a few questions about that, my boss included."

He shot me a smile that made me melt, then stepped out from behind the rack of clothes a moment later, his nice suit for the talk show looking as good as when he'd first come in this morning. I frowned.

"What?" he asked. I shook my head, gesturing to his overall appearance.

"You look too put together. You were almost kidnapped by Killer Frost, you got shoved into this room by a vigilante and me... I don't know, I think you're supposed to look a little more rumpled."

He laughed. "You know, that's a good point. Hold on."

He ran his hands through his hair a few times to mess it up, then ripped at his nice white button up shirt until it looked sufficiently messy. Once he'd finished, he turned back to me with a smile, arms out to his sides.

"How's this?"

I smiled. "So good you might need to start worrying about the threat our hair and wardrobe people might pose to your safety when they see you instead of Killer Frost."

"I'll take it," he said, still beaming. A moment later though, the smile melted off his face and he took a step towards me. "Look... I appreciate your help covering my identity with Killer Frost... can I trust you to keep doing that? Nobody knows this secret."

I stared at Dick, one of the nicest guests we'd ever had on this show and apparently secretly the superhero Nightwing, as he came to a stop just a few inches from me. His wide, sparkling blue eyes and messy black hair made my heart melt and race all at the same time. I still didn't really know him, although I now knew something pretty major about him, but nevertheless, I couldn't help feeling that my sense about him—that he was a good, kind person—was right on.

I took a deep breath to give him an answer when the door to the room came flying open. On instinct, I shoved Dick backwards and behind the couch, and stepped forward. My producer, the show's host, and someone I assumed was a detective here for Killer Frost stared back at me.

"What happened?" I demanded, trying to look scared and wary as I shifted slightly backwards towards Dick. "Where is... is she gone?"

Everyone in the room relaxed a little at my question, the detective nodding as Dick stepped up to stand next to me.

"Killer Frost has been neutralized," she said. "What happened to the two of you?"

I glanced at Dick, still making a show of being rattled, and he did the same. I took a deep breath and turned back to the trio before us.

"I ran down here to try to make sure everyone got out, but Killer Frost showed up before Dick and I could make a run for it. She would've..." I paused, letting my gaze go a little unfocused as I swallowed hard, doing my best to sell the fear of the experience, which really wasn't all that hard. "I think we would've been in some serious trouble, but Nightwing showed up in the nick of time. He told us to wait in here while he took care of Killer Frost. Is he... is he okay?"

The three people before us shared a look, before the detective's eyes slid over me and Dick standing beside me. I very intentionally didn't look at him, instead focusing on keeping my eyes wide and worried. After a moment, the detective sighed and shrugged.

"He's not here and Killer Frost is subdued on the floor, so I'd say it's safe to assume he's fine," she said. I sighed, letting my shoulders relax and leaning slightly into Dick. He slumped a little too, putting a hand on my shoulder, like the both of us were incredibly relieved. We sat down on the couch together while the detective made sure we were both alright, and then my producer and the show's host checked in as well. They'd obviously decided not to finish filming today, and Dick was kind enough and thankfully in town long enough that we were able to schedule an alternate filming day.

Once we'd finished going through plans and questions and being checked on, we were told to head outside and go home. Dick and I didn't say much to each other throughout the process, until we stepped outside the building together, the sun shining down on the both of us. I took a deep breath then turned to Dick, only to find him already watching me with a smile.

"Thanks for that," he said. I returned his smile.

"Thanks for saving the day," I replied. "And I know it wasn't really your choice to share... you know... with me, but I promise your secret's safe."

Dick met my eyes, the smile off his face and replaced by a much more serious expression. He took a breath, then slolwy nodded.

"I believe you. Thank you."

The corner of my mouth quirked up, and we just stayed there for a moment together, letting the new reality wash over us. Even though we'd only met today, and neither of us knew the other well, things felt different, and closer, than they had before, now that we'd shared such a wild experience today.

"So... I know tonight, you probably just want to go home and get some breathing room from everything," Dick started, his eyes drifting to the city around us as he spoke. I watched him carefully, one eyebrow raised. "But I was thinking... after I come back for our replacement shoot, maybe I could take you out to dinner once we're done? I at least owe you a drink for everything we just went through together."

I laughed. "You owe me a drink? I'm pretty sure Nightwing is the only reason I'm not a frozen popsicle in that studio right now."

Dick smiled, and I couldn't help mirroring his expression as my heart pounded in my chest.

"But... I'd love to take you up on dinner," I continued, ignoring the rush of blood and nerves in my ears. "As long as you know the first round of drinks is on me."

Dick absolutely beamed back at me.

"Deal. Here, let me get your number and we can coordinate the best place for dinner and drinks."

"Perfect," I said, somehow keeping my hand from shaking as I held out my phone to him and took his in return. We exchanged numbers, then shared another smile as we handed back each other's phones. "Well... I guess I'll see you soon, then?"

"Can't wait." He flashed a grin that made me melt, then took a step closer to me and lowered his voice. "And thanks again for all your help today. I really, really appreciate it."

I nodded. "Likewise. Happy I could help."

He shot me a wink and another smile, then backed away, heading down the street and away from the building that housed our studio. He waved over his head at me as he went.

"See you soon!" he called. I grinned and waved after him.

"See you soon!"

I watched him go until he turned a corner, then finally started making my own way home. I didn't expect to end the day with a date scheduled with Dick (no matter how many times Tara and I had joked about it), but I was certainly happy with the unexpected outcome, despite what it took to get here.

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen

[thetriplets3]

whispering to each other + searching for the other’s hand in bed like theyre both tired but cant fall asleep (matt or chris x y/n or smt)

❝𝐢’𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰❞

pairing: matt x reader (no defined relationship but mutual pining?)

warnings: brief mention of anxious thoughts, loneliness, depression, vague mention of suicidal wishes

a/n special thanks to @dwntwn-strnlo for editing this you’re the best and shoutout to whoever it was to color code dialogue i took that idea anyways enjoy 🍿

having my 3 best friends away on tour was hard enough but having a rough few weeks physically and mentally on top of that was really hard on me. since i've moved here i haven't really made any friends. parties, events, and crowded loud places aren't my thing which makes it hard to meet people. sure i've met people the odd time the boys dragged me out but i was never able to hold a conversation let alone willingly go up to people. which brings me to now.

the triplets asked if i wanted to come on tour with them but i was in the middle of the semester, the busiest time. so i've spent the past few weeks alone, only leaving when i had to work. it sucks having no one to be able to go do things with, to talk to, and to just be there.

mindlessly clicking through the stories of people i follow, just trying to distract myself from my own thoughts, my screen reveals the faces of the only people i wish i were with right now. my heart aches watching them have the time of their lives being able to explore places they always dreamed of and getting to show their personalities on stage. don't get me wrong i'm beyond happy for them and how successful they’ve become the last few years, but i just wish i were with them. quickly hearting matt’s story of him posing in front of the bean in chicago, i drop my phone beside me and get under my covers, curling up. he seemed so happy being on tour.

i lie there, thoughts wandering, and tears gently flowing as i realize how truly alone i am. my thoughts are disrupted when i feel my bed softly vibrate. lazily rolling over, i grab my phone only to be met with a text from the person i yearned for the most. matt.

heyyy look who’s alive!

where’ve ya been it’s been a while since any of us heard from you?

you doing okay?

unfortunately i've been busy, midterm term time sorry edited

i’m fine

looks like tour’s fun, you look happy

unfortunately? please take time for yourself too you can only do so much if you’re not at your best

you’ll do great on them don’t overwork yourself love

it’s a blast seeing new places, meeting new people, i just wish you were here

shoot i forgot you can see what the other person edited

i was kidding. i’ll try

i wish i was there i miss you but it makes me happy seeing you be successful

we’ll be home before you know it i miss you too

and with that i turn my phone off for the night and bury myself under my covers in a desperate attempt to shut my brain off from thinking things it shouldn't. as the hours passed i tossed more and more not able to fall asleep, stay asleep and get comfortable. peeking at my clock to see the glowing 6:44am, i roll over shoving my face into my pillow and let out an unnecessarily loud groan. seeing no point staying in bed just to not be able to sleep i pad my way to the living room, claiming it my spot for the day. i put on a random season of the office to fill the silence and loneliness that i've sadly become used to. having seen the office far too many times, it's become a comfort background show, making it easy for me to fall asleep.

i accidentally ordered a package to your house from the last time you used my amazon prime to order something. it says it’s been delivered could you just put it aside for me? have a good day

staring at my phone i reread matt's text a few times, my mind still fuzzy and confused thanks to my lack of sleep. finally understanding it after the 5th time, i wrap my blanket around my body and trudge over to the door to pick it up. opening the door and checking the ground for a package i'm met with beat up air forces instead. startled, my head whips just to confirm it's who i thought it was.

matt.

all the loneliness, emptiness, sadness, yearning to see you hit me at once, a wave of tears overcame me as i engulf you in a hug nearly sending you and i to the floor. no words have been spoken, there's no need to. i immediately bury my head into your chest, your one hand coming to cradle my head as the other holds me securely to your body. we stay like this for a few minutes before you slightly pull away grabbing my hands and placing them around your neck, sneaking a quick peck to my cheek as you do so. your hands snake around my waist and gently lift me, bringing both of us into my house. closing the front door we make our way to the living room sitting on the couch turning to face each other.

god i missed you. today was our last day of tour but we were gonna stay there and explore the city for a few days but i couldn’t wait any longer i needed to see you. i was worried about you and couldn't bare the thought of being away for another second.

i missed you more. things haven’t been right since you guys left

like what?

it feels stupid to say out loud but ive felt so alone. like i have no one other than you guys and that makes me feel so pathetic that i rely on you guys so much. i haven't been able to sleep that much my mind just won't shut up i kept thinking about you guys and worrying about something bad happening to you it's stupid i know. heavily sighing i roughly wipe my face drying the tears that i tried so desperately to not let fall.

hey what did we talk about? every thought and feeling is valid they’re not stupid don’t say that.

you stand and offer me your hand and lead me to my room where we crawl into bed. you pull me as close to you as you possibly can. my head on your chest with my arm loosely draped across your body, your cotton shirt carelessly balled up in my hand. your arms wrapped around my torso like your life depended on it. god i missed this

i’m here now okay? everything’s okay, i’m okay, my brothers are okay, nothing happened to us. we’re not going anywhere for a while and when we do your coming with us. and don’t try and say you won’t be able to because of school, you’re coming no matter what. i can’t go that long without you, nothings the same

i won’t put up a fight i don’t want to do this again this was horrible being alone for so long. i missed being in your arms, feeling like nothing bad will ever happen because i have you here

as you place a gentle kiss to the top of my head a comfortable silence falls over us and we bask in this moment of being in each others arms again. my eyes grow heavy but my body is still fighting sleep like it has for the past few weeks

you can sleep now i’m here i’m not going anywhere i promise. i love you so much sweet girl

with the hushed tone of your voice and gentle pecks on my forehead, i feel my body grow heavier with sleep. i blindly reach my hand around searching for yours which you seem to pick up on what i wanted, placing your hand on mine and give it a squeeze once and a while letting me know you're right there.

goodnight sweet girl. i’m right here

taglist: @antisocialties @iluvmatt @dwntwn-strnlo @fake-coolbeans @opheliaofficial07 @angelcake-222 @oneirophobic @strniolo @lollibumblebee @ssturniolo @20nugs

(i can’t remember who it was but i saw someone color coded the dialogue and that makes it so much easier to read so shoutout to you if it was you)

[noellawrites]

The Concert - Yandere!Marcus White x Younger!reader

summary: Marcus seizes an opportunity to join you at a concert, but gets jealous when he realizes you have a crush on the lead singer. Marcus does what he has to to make sure you go home with the right guy tonight.

warnings: alcohol use, non/dub-con touching, kissing and fingering, age gap (15-ish years), possessiveness

requested by: @wicked1will0sparkles

Ever since your first day at Cloud 9 when you had met Cheyenne, the two of you barely went anywhere without the other.

You two were close in age, always had weekly sleepovers and you had been right by her side when she took the pregnancy test that ended up positive.

So you were completely devastated when she bailed on your sacred, long-anticipated plans for Bo of all people.

“Cheyenne, come on! We bought these tickets like three months ago and my parents won’t let me go alone!” you whine, crossing your arms over your chest in frustration as you lean against the lockers.

“I’m sorry (y/n), but Bo needs me right now! Who else is gonna hype him up before he gets on stage at Kenny Roper’s bar mitzvah?” she explains with a frown as her hand rests on her bulging stomach.

“Ugh okay, I guess I’ll just sneak out and hope my parents don’t notice,” you shrug.

After Cheyenne walked away, you shove a hand into your locker and feel around for your blue vest, tugging it out angrily.

“Woah, hey, what’s wrong?” you hear a voice ask from behind you. You look to your side, then slightly up, where Marcus White stood next to you with his arms crossed across his broad chest, a concerned expression on his face.

“Oh, I was just supposed to see my favorite band tonight, Shattered Hearts. Chey and I were going together but she had to cancel,” you explain sourly.

“Oh man, I love Shattered Hearts!” Marcus exclaims with a dopey grin.

Truthfully, he'd never listened to the band before. But he wasn't going to miss out on his chance to spend an entire night alone with you.

After you both finished your shifts for the day, you parted ways. You had planned to meet at the small downtown venue once you got changed and ready for the night.

Later on, you gleefully rummaged through your closet, trying to pick out the perfect outfit. Shattered Hearts' lead singer, Tommy Valentine, would be front and center like always so of course you planned on wearing a Tommy-inspired outfit. Ripped white tights, short shorts and a low-cut top (covered by a long coat) and your favorite jewelry pieces to complete the look.

You went for a heavier makeup look than usual, as Shattered Hearts was in the pop-glam-rock vein. It couldn't hurt, making yourself look a bit older and hopefully catching Tommy's eye if you could get close enough to the stage.

"I'm going to the concert with my co-worker tonight so don't worry, I'll be safe!" you yell to your parents as you make your way out of the house and into the evening air.

Once you arrive at the venue, you see Marcus standing outside, leaning against the wall. He immediately brightens up and you don't miss the way his eyes rake over your body from top to bottom.

"Hey, (y/n)! You look... wow!" he laughs, a blush heating up his cheeks. He can't help but look your body up and down once more, taking in the way your white tights stretch over your thighs and your top hugs your body in just the right ways.

"Thanks, Marcus! Here's your ticket," you say, handing him the ticket that was supposed to be Cheyenne's.

"I'm really excited to hear Breathless," you sigh, walking up to the end of the line as Marcus follows.

"Uh, yeah, me too. I'm like— I'm just excited to hear their newest album," he laughs nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, I didn't tell you? This is the anniversary tour for the Rock Solid album, I don't think they'll be performing much of their new stuff," you frown.

Marcus is saved by the security personnel, approaching you both and patting you down as you entered the doorway and handed your tickets to the employee.

"Damn, this place is dark," Marcus laughs, looking around as you step in together.

"C'mon, I wanna get close to the front!" you exclaim, grabbing Marcus' hand and pulling him with you towards the stage.

He barely has time to process your hand on his as he follows you across the dirty, dim room.

"This is perfect, he'll definitely see me here," you say with a smile, looking up at the rusty light above you that illuminated your area. You leaned against the wooden pole next to you which supported the shabby balcony above.

Marcus raises an eyebrow. He? Who was he? Marcus was hoping to at least kiss you tonight, but were you already obsessed with some other guy?

"I'll go get us some drinks," he says, gesturing towards the bar.

"Oh, thanks! I'll keep our spot," you smile, looking down and adjusting your outfit to show off even more skin than it already was. Did you know what you were doing to Marcus? How his skin buzzed whenever you touched, how he imagined leaning down and kissing your lips? How desperately he wanted his hands all over you?

He fumed as he headed over to the bar, ordering some cheap beers and shots of vodka. Who was this asshole you were so obsessed with?

When Marcus returns, you knock back your shots together. Some men in black tee shirts bring equipment onto the stage as the sound of applause echoes through the room.

"So, uh, this guy you want to see you... did you invite someone else tonight?" he asks, trying not to sound like a jerk.

"No, I just think this is the best spot for Tommy Valentine to see me. He's single, just broke up with Maxine McDonald. Did you know the band's guitarist met his girlfriend because she was a fan at one of his shows?" you say excitedly, watching the stage.

Of course. The jerk you were obsessed with was the band's lead singer. Marcus couldn't help but roll his eyes, thankful that you were turned away from him.

"C'mon, drink up. I'll go grab us some more," Marcus says, playfully tilting your beer up in the direction of your mouth. He would need to be a lot drunker if he was gonna watch you lust over some punk poser all night.

By the time Shattered Hearts came onstage, you and Marcus had already finished several drinks. Marcus felt fine, but you already felt woozy, tipsy, almost falling over a few times. Marcus caught you of course, and you leaned on his body as to not embarrass yourself further.

Marcus went to grab another beer for himself, and when he returned, you were clinging onto the wooden pole.

"This one's my favorite," you mumble as Marcus cracks open his fourth beer.

"Yeah? Is it?" he asks, an amused expression on his face.

You nod dumbly and Marcus wraps his warm arm around your waist, the drinks emboldening him.

He looks down at you, your beautiful face illuminated by the dim lighting. He just couldn't help himself anymore. Marcus leans down, pressing his lips to yours and deepening the kiss into a make-out session as your brain catches up and you start to realize what's happening.

His tongue pushes into your mouth, silencing your protests as he traces his warm hands over your shirt. You almost think you're having a bad dream until you hear someone nearby say, "eww!"

It's only as his hands move into your shorts that you're able to push him off of you. He recoils, staring at you with a pissed-off expression.

"Wh-what was that, Marcus?" you exclaim, putting your hands out in front of you to keep him at a distance.

"I thought we—"

"I told you, I'm interested in Tommy!"

"He's way too old for you," Marcus hisses.

"So are you!" you huff, crossing your arms.

"I'll go get us more drinks," he sighs, realizing you've both sobered up a bit.

When he returns, you're miraculously still there, eyes fixed on Tommy.

Marcus keeps his hands to himself for the rest of the concert, suffering more and more as each song thrums and passes. The band wasn't even that good and Tommy Valentine was just some forty-something, washed-up guitarist with eyeliner.

After the concert, Marcus heads to the exit but is surprised that your small hand manages to pull him back.

"We're staying. Tommy usually comes out afterwards if he sees someone he likes. And I definitely seduced him with my eyes. Will you get us a round of shots for when he comes out?" you ask, waving Marcus away as you watch the curtains for any sign of movement.

Twenty minutes pass, the venue almost cleared out and heavy with the stink of sweat. Your shots sit untouched as you slump down in your seat.

"You wanna go outside?" Marcus asks tenatively.

You shake your head like a petulant toddler.

"You... wanna finish these off?" he asks, gesturing to the shots.

You nod, sitting upright and taking all three shots consecutively. It had sunk in now that Tommy didn't see anything special in you, hadn't been wowed by your sexy outfit or your eyes or how you knew every word to every song.

Almost immediately, you slump sideways against Marcus and he rests his arm against you comfortingly.

"Let's get some fresh air," he sighs, leading you outside where you lean against the brick wall, fighting the urge to pass out.

"You look amazing tonight. It's Tommy's loss," Marcus says, hand stroking your arm.

You look up at him, tears in your eyes, mouth framed in a pout to either keep the tears from falling or the vomit from escaping.

Marcus sighs, leaning down and bridging the gap between you. You return the kiss in your own sloppy, half-conscious way. One of his hands plunges into your shorts as the other makes it's way up underneath your shirt.

You're mumbling, moaning, making some sort of noise with your mouth but his mouth covering yours muffles it.

Marcus can't wait any longer, mouth drifting down your neck and chest, sucking and leaving marks of his affections.

"N-n—stop—" you mumble, hands awkwardly trying to pull him closer or push him away, you weren't fully sure.

"Fuck," Marcus mumbles against your chest, causing a gasp to rise up your throat. His fingers trace your hole, spreading around your wetness as you let out a whimper.

"God, I wanna fuck you so badly," he groans, grabbing your waist and sucking on a new spot of skin.

"M-marcus— I-I should go huh—home—" you mumble.

He pulls away and examines his work with a big, dopey smile. You were so messed up, clothing rumpled, hair undone, love bites all over your neck and chest.

He turns you and leads you to a reflective window, and you gasp at the look of yourself. So many hickeys that your coat couldn't even cover. You looked... like a slut.

"I—I can't go home like this! My parents will kill me!" you whimper.

"You can come to my place, my mom'll love you," Marcus offers.

"Uh— no, that's—“

"I'm not letting you walk somewhere alone. Come with me and we can take the bus to work tomorrow," Marcus suggests, raising his eyebrow.

"Ugh, fine," you sigh, leaning against Marcus as he walks the two of you to his mom's house.

You try your best to ignore Marcus' childish, messy room and dirty sheets as you undress and climb in next to him, still feeling drunk and used up.

You hold back a shriek as he pulls you into his chest, body flush against him. "This is nice, huh? My perfect toy," he laughs, kissing your bare shoulder. You shudder at his touches and objectification of you.

"Marcus, stop," you sigh, and his grasp loosens, but not forever. You know he'd be pulling you close in the middle of the night and you had half a mind to sleep on the dirty floor.

The next morning, you borrow one of Mrs. White's long-sleeved shirts for work but it still doesn't cover everything. You walk into Cloud 9 beside Marcus, embarrassed and red-faced.

Marcus throws an arm around you, and when you get to the break-room, he pulls you into his lap as all of your co-workers stare.

"Pretty epic, huh? Got 'em all to myself," Marcus grins, placing a big hand on your thigh and rubbing it creepily.

"Uh, (y/n), your neck—" Cheyenne stutters, eyes wide at the confusing scene before her.

"Yeah, it was all me. We had a pretty crazy night last night. You were all over me, begging for it, huh?" Marcus brags, leaning back and bumping fists with Isaac as he passes by the two of you.

You keep your eyes fixed on the ground, tears threatening to fall down your cheeks. You were quite a catch in the store, everyone knew it, and now Marcus was asserting his dominance at having made you his.

[mrghostrat]

"He needed an internet connection so he could download an app to draw with, but the whole point of setting the thing up in London was because he knew Crowley understood all of this a whole lot better than he did."

Okayyyyy I just got violent flashbacks to the s2 finale this is evil 😭😭

But in all seriousness, I LOVED the new bnf au chapter, I mean the kiss??? I audibly gasped, it was soooo good

I was wondering if the witch and the witchfinder are a canon couple in the nice and accurate prophecies? Or are they just a very popular fanon ship? Or is it like good omens, where people saw the romantic subtext in the book and where it was made explicitly canon in the show?

I just think all options would be really interesting, given that Crowley and Aziraphale are both middle-aged queer people and the book came out thirty years ago. So they either would have had some representation back then, or they recognised themselves in the story and even though it wasn't canon, maybe those ideas would later explicitly be confirmed by Agnes Nutter nonetheless? Since all these options have really interesting implications for the way they both interacted with the source material, I'm really curious what your thoughts on the matter are.

Thank you so much for all the beautiful things you create for the fandom, both your fics and your art give me life and I'm so grateful for them ❤

omg you have no idea how excited i am about this question 😭 as i've written BNF, i've been quietly fleshing out more about their fictional fandom, and accidentally gotten reeeeally invested and am dying to talk about it 😭😭

i'm actually tempted to make some fanart of the witch & the witchfinder, using michael and david as facecasts to go full meta thphptftf. in b4 i write it as a fuckin book series for real

buttttt i'll put all my N&A thoughts under a cut so i dont ramble too long on your dashes 💛

The Nice and Accurate Prophecy: Agnes Nutter's book series (turned play, turned film, turned tv series); the fandom in my fic Big Name Feelings

the idea of using Agnes Nutter's "Nice and Accurate" book for the in-fic fandom was taken from @tawnyontumblr's fic New Messages (i just thought that would be a fun fanon consistency to follow), but all the details about the story and characters are me.

N&A takes inspiration from Good Omens (as a story, and as a fandom) but isn't intended to be a direct copy of it. the original paperback series is a few books long, and each adaptation of the books are considered good, accurate, canonical content. the tv show (a HBO series) is the most recent, highest quality, and most popular. The Witcher style, high fantasy quality.

agnes is loudly supportive of the lgbt community just like neil/david/michael are. but i imagine that for the series to be so "marketable" over the last 30 years, there isn't an explicit queer relationship between the witch & finder. there are canon queer side characters but the witch & finder are a little more nuanced.

the witch and the witchfinder aid each other through time, working together to defeat the evils in the story (like Aziraphale and Crowley from GO). there's tension between them, but boundless love, and plenty of flirtation, despite the running "we shouldn't, we're meant to be enemies" theme. they would canonically get together at some point in the story, probably towards the end after they've spent some time dancing around each other.

the thing that makes this vague is: the witch reincarnates through the story, almost doctor who style. they're a trans icon, much like how the GO fandom looks at Crowley and all his gender ambiguity.

when they finally tryst with the witchfinder, they're female. it's by pure happenstance that they're female presenting at that stage of the story, but still widely critiqued over the years. the thing that canonises the mlm relationship is that the witch is said to carry their consciousness through each reincarnation— they're not a new person like The Doctor is when he regenerates.

the start of the book series spends more time on "Crowley and Aziraphale's favourite male reincarnation", while the movie and tv show only briefly montages through some of the witch's faces. the mlm side of the fandom most definitely lost their minds over the brief few minutes of screentime that they got of the male witch, and has absolutely gifsetted it to death.

i've done it like this because so much of (every) fandom has always been seeking out representation and filling gaps where the original content lacks. there's something to be said about the solidarity of queer fans creating more queer content for themselves. except, in the case of N&A, they're getting to work from a source material that is genuinely queer supportive, unlike fandoms like SPN and BBC Sherlock that are fighting against the tide of queerbaiting and buried gays.

it also gives aziraphale and crowley a chance to band together in the next chapter when they talk to a dickhead at the party:

i haven't exactly decided what happens with the witchfinder, like if the story takes place over hundreds of years and he keeps reincarnating as the same lookin dude (like how jack whitehall plays both Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery and Newton Pulsifer) or if it's set over one lifetime and the witch just gets killed and regenerates a lot. i do like the idea of there being some "through the ages" shenanigans, and a canonical "modern day" setting like GO has.

but i gotta be careful bc i genuinely can't stop thinking about this fake story that's barely mentioned in my fan fic or i'll end up writing the damn thing myself

[ladykailitha]

Can Anybody See Me? Part 21

Executive dysfunction is a bitch and can go to hell. I had something I could have posted yesterday while I was working on this, but no...

I am starting to wonder if maybe I shot myself in the foot with my tag rant as engagement for the last Reconnect AU was WAY down. But oh well. I can only continue to move on and hope I find new people who like my stuff.

All righty, my lovelies. We have gotten to the part where I was going to end it originally before you absolute menaces said you wanted me to continue it through season 4.

But here’s the deal, this story has reached nearly novel length of 40k. So what I’ve decided to do is call this the end of book one. And then I will start up book two, which will be through to the end of the school year and probably through the events of season 3. And then book 3 should take us the rest of the way.

I hope that’s acceptable to all of you. I want to continue it, but I think from here on out the title doesn’t fit Steve anymore and he needs a new one.

Now if you’ve followed me long enough, you know that I don’t start putting out a story until it’s done (if it’s short enough) or if I’m three to four chapters deep. So hopefully by the end of the month (if not sooner) you should start seeing book two.

I will run a poll on how you think I should do the tag list for it. But thank you all for coming with me on this absolutely wild ride. And hope you’ll stick around for the next two parts.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20

***

Word had been handed down, Mindy Jones, Ollie Anderson, and Kyle Carver had been suspended with word that Kyle being the instigator might be expelled. For sure he wasn’t going to be able to walk in his cap and gown at graduation.

Steve felt a sense of relief and strangely justice too. Yes, all right suspension wasn’t getting expelled, but the kids had been punished. They didn’t try to hand wave it away.

Steve had heard that Mr Vinke, the math teacher, Mr Cole, Miss Lucy, and Chief Hopper had all gone to the principal and superintendent for all three of them to be expelled.

The suspension was a given, but the school district wanted to do their own investigation and then expulsions might be handed out after it was complete.

Steve didn’t have much hope.

Marty, Gethin, and Janice all sat with the Corroded Coffin boys at lunch, something they didn’t normally do.

“Fuck,” Janice swore. “Why I am more nervous about tonight than I have all week?”

Steve nodded, poking at his food. “I haven’t been this queasy since I took a plate to the head.”

Everyone winced and murmured sympathetic platitudes and other noises of sympathy.

“I think it’s because it’s your last performance,” Gethin murmured. “Your last chance to completely biff it on stage.” Steve and Janice looked at him in wide-eyed fear. He waved his hands placatingly. “Not that I think you will. Just that your brain thinks you will.”

Steve and Janice looked at each other and then nodded.

“Yeah,” Steve agreed. “That tracks.”

Eddie slid his hand under the table and gripped Steve’s knee. Steve covered his hand with his own and gave it a squeeze of thank you.

*

Steve scanned the crowd the second night. He spotted Jeff and all his family, Gareth and Gethin and their parents, Brian and all of his younger siblings, and what looked like his dad. Wayne shuffled in his seat nervously, having never been to a musical before. But still no sign of his parents.

His mom promised that at least she would be there, even if his dad refused to come. And he held on to that. He managed to make it through the show and held it together.

He went out to be congratulated by his friends and their families. Wayne brought him flowers.

“You did good, boy,” he said gruffly, after giving him a hug. “I looked it up and flowers are the gift you give someone after a well-done performance.”

Steve looked down at the bouquet of wild flowers and smiled. “Thank you. I love them.”

Jeff clapped him on the shoulder. “They might be a tad wilted by the time we’re done, because we’re taking you out to eat in celebration.”

Steve teared up a bit. “Thanks, guys.”

Gareth smiled. “You deserve it, man. That was awesome!”

Gethin nudged his shoulder. “We’re just waiting for Janice and Eddie to get done.”

Steve nodded. Eddie had to reset the stage for tomorrow and Janice had to get out of a corset and that took some time.

“Yeah, no problem!” he enthused.

Eddie finished first and came out to meet them.

“Hey, Steve!” he said. “Feeling famous yet?”

Steve laughed. “I’m going to get fat if this keeps up. First ice cream last night and then dinner tonight.”

They all laughed. “It’s impossible for you to gain weight, man,” Brian huffed. “I’ve seen you eat a whole pizza and didn’t even get bloated.”

Steve laughed. “Playing three sports does that to you. Hell, I still life guard at the rec center every summer.”

Brian eyed his lean form skeptically. “I suppose so.”

“Swimming’s fun,” Steve said. “And it’s not just for us jock types.”

Janice finally came out. “Sorry to keep you waiting guys. Sharing with Tammy Thompson is hell let me tell you. I don’t know how someone so tiny can take up so much room.”

“At least you don’t have to share the choir room with twenty sweaty dudes that wouldn’t know deodorant if it bit them in the ass,” Steve grumped.

Gethin shook his head. “Shouldn’t you be used to that from sports?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “At least there are showers after basketball. Can’t say the same here.”

Gethin’s lips curled. “Fair.”

Wayne clapped his hands. “All right, I’ve got us a place reserved, so we need to hustle. Eddie and Steve are coming with me.”

Eddie and Steve filed out with the rest of them and followed Wayne out to his truck.

Steve slid into the middle between Eddie and Wayne.

“Thanks for this, Wayne,” he murmured. “And the flowers, too.”

“You’re welcome, Stevie,” he said. “I didn’t see your parents. Did they show up last night?”

Steve shared a glance with Eddie and then shook his head. “There’s still tomorrow.”

Wayne and Eddie shared a glance of concern over Steve’s head.

“I’m sure that’s the case,” Wayne agreed.

An uneasy silence settled on them as they drove to the restaurant. Wayne parked and turned to Steve.

He pulled him in for a great big hug and then opened the door. “It’ll be all right.”

Steve nodded and slid out after Eddie.

The dinner was just as ruckus as the ice cream parlor the night before. With just as many people. Steve looked around and smiled.

Yeah, 1985 was his year and it was just getting started.

*

Steve looked out to the audience and knew, even in the dimmed lights his parents weren’t there.

“Tell me, Mr Thomson, out of curiosity, do you stand with Mr Dickinson, or do you stand with me?” Vince asked.

Steve could feel the sting of tears in his eyes. He held up the dispatch. “I stand with the General. Lately–I’ve had the oddest feeling that he’s been–writing to me…”

He slowly rose to his feet as he sang,

“I have been in expectation Of receiving a reply On the subject of my last fifteen dispatches. Is anybody there?”

His voice cracked with emotion as he stepped half out of the spotlight.

“Does anybody care? Does anybody care? Y’r humble & ob’d’t–”

The drum rolled and Steve looked up into the eagle’s nest where Eddie was doing the spotlight. A single tear ran down his cheek.

Steve looked down at the paper in his hand and then back up at Eddie. And then he exited the scene on cue.

Eddie swore he saw more tears in that moment then for ‘Mama Look Sharp’ that night.

But that performance of Steve’s brought out something in Vince in that moment. Vince’s John Adams bid Hancock good night, but then it changed. All the emotion and fear of not being seen or heard. The loneliness that Adams must have been feeling in that moment, borrowed from the loneliness of both Washington and Thomson.

“Is anybody there–”

Silence.

“Does anybody care–?”

Again, nothing.

“Does anybody see–what I see?”

And then Kenny came on and delivered the line with a sharpness that hadn’t been there before.

“Yes, Mr Adams, I do.” As if to banish all the fears and insecurities that John was having in that moment.

And Steve could almost hear it as though it was coming from Eddie. As if it was coming from his friends. The party. Wayne.

Yes, his parents weren’t there. They never were. And probably never were going to be. But that didn’t mean that no one was listening to Steve. That no one cared.

They all cared. Every last one of the dozens of people that showed up the last two nights. They cared. They brought their families. Brought flowers. Thought he was worthy of celebrating. Worth treating.

For the boy with the bat.

The boy that never knew what love really was until he looked up from a god damned garbage can into those warm and friendly brown eyes. A warm hand on his back and a gentle ‘Are you okay?’

In that moment, Steve’s life had become changed. Different. Better. All because a teacher took pity on Steve and chose Eddie Munson of all people to be Steve’s protector.

And he looked up at Eddie in the rafters and though he couldn’t see him, he knew that Eddie was looking back at him. Smiling back at him. Loving him for all his worth.

And if you had asked Steve what his worth was back in December he would have told you nothing. He wasn’t worth anything but being the baby-sitter. But now?

Now Steve was a baby-sitter, chauffeur, groupie, actor, chef, swimmer, friend, brother, and most importantly boyfriend. And maybe if he was really lucky, someone’s son.

***

Fin.

Fuck, rereading this to add back in the formatting made me cry. My apologies if it makes you cry too.

Tag List: @shrimply-a-menace @strangersteddierthings @throwbackthrowaway @novelnovella @cursedfoxteeth @babyblender @garden-of-gay @anaibis @lifeisnotsobadonceyoustopcaring @swimmingbirdrunningrock @steve-the-hairrington @winterbuckwild @spectrum-spectre @matchingbatbites   @thing-a-ling @fandemonium-takes-its-toll @artiststarme @sundead  @nelotegreitic @gregre369 @butterflysandpeppermint @thedragonsaunt @kodaik97 @messrs-weasley @scarletzgo @deadlydodos @renaissan-vvitch @evix-syne666 @emly03 @justforthedead89 @ashwinmeird @huniibee @phantypurple @stevesbipanic @shucks-yuckyuck @lovelyscot @awkwardgravity1 @bookbinderbitch @reportinglivefromsoda @jinxjinn @chasinggeese @be-the-spark-bitch @kohlraedirectioner @cr0w-culture @xjessicafaithx @whimsicalwitchm @jaywhohasthegay @estrellami-1 @dangdirtydemons @howincrediblysapphicofyou @the-redthread

[waitimcomingtoo]

Your Kiss, My Cheek

Pairing: Tom Holland x best friend!Reader

Synopsis: after kissing Tom’s cheek one time for good luck, he tries to find ways to make you do it again

Masterlist

“I’m so nervous.” Tom said as he peeped through the curtain to look at the crowd. He was asked to give a speech at an awards ceremony and as his friend, you tagged along for emotional support. Tom gulped when he saw how many people were in the audience and walked over to you.

“Don’t be. What’s that thing you always say? Turn nerves into excitement?” You said as you straightened his tie and jacket.

“I know. It’s just hard to do that sometimes. Right now my nerves want to turn into diarrhea.” Tom mumbled out of the corner of his mouth.

“I’m so glad you told me that. Thank you. Truly.” You chuckled and patted his chest.

“You’re welcome.” He laughed shyly. You gave him a playful look before going into your pure and getting some antacids.

“Here. Take these for your tummy. And then take a breath. You’re gonna be great.” You assured him as he swallowed the antacids.

“If you say so.” He sighed and shook his nerves out.

“I do say so. Now go. I’ll be watching the whole time.” You gave him a reassuring smile and pushed him towards the stage. Tom started to walk towards the stage but then turned back to pull you into a hug.

“Thanks for being here.” He said as he squeezed you tightly.

“Wouldn’t miss it.” You chuckled and hugged him back. Tom pulled away after a minute and started it walk towards the stage but you pulled him back by his hand.

“Wait. Come here for a second.” You said and pulled him down to kiss his cheek. It wasn’t something you usually did, but something you felt he needed. Tom’s entire face burned red and he looked at you with wide eyes as he touched his cheek.

“What was that for?” He laughed shyly.

“A good luck kiss. To wish you luck out there.” You smiled timidly.

“Oh. Thanks.” Tom smiled as well and kept his fingers where your lips had been.

“You’re welcome. Now go kill it.” You patted his cheek before pushing him towards the stage again. You stood in the wings and watched Tom give his speech, giving him an excited wave every time he looked over at you. His speech was met with an standing ovation that included you clapping the loudest of all. He ran off the stage afterwards and scooped you up into a hug.

“Ah! You did great. That was amazing!” You hugged him tightly as he spun you around in a circle.

“I couldn’t have done it without you. I would’ve been rambling and stuttering and totally embarrassing myself out there if you weren’t here.” He said once he set you down.

“Oh, no. I can’t take the credit for your innate ability to charm a crowd.” You complimented him, making him blush again.

“I’m pretty sure you’re the only person in the world who finds my run on sentences charming.” Tom said with a shy smile.

“Good. I want to be your only one.” You smiled fondly at you before realizing you said too much. That confession along with the kiss from before put you in new territory for your friendship. There was an awkward silence between the two of you for a second until you changed the subject.

“Come on. Let’s go celebrate. You earned it.” You slipped your hand into his and pulled him towards the festivities. An hour later, you had drinks in your hands and the jacket around your shoulders was his. Tom kept sneaking glances at you all night, unable to stop thinking about the kiss. Even if it was just on the cheek, it was uncharted territory for you guys. He couldn’t stop thinking about what it meant and why you did it. Most of all, he thought about how much he wanted it to happen again. He really wanted to kiss you back, and not just on the cheek this time. You caught Tom looking at you and gave him a fond smile that almost gave him the confidence to kiss you. Before he could, he lost his nerve and the moment ended.

The following week, Tom asked you to join him at his celebrity golf tournament. The two of you got ready in his tent before the game started and put on the matching outfits you had brought. Tom watched you twirl around in front of the mirror in your white tennis skirt and shirt that had Tom’s last name on it and couldn’t help but smile.

“Golf skirts are so cute. I wish the sport itself wasn’t so boring so I could wear these more.” You said as you admired the way the skirt moved in the mirror. Tom was admiring it as well while feeling guilty for looking at his best friend that way.

“You know you could just wear them without playing golf.” He chuckled as his eyes followed the way you twirled.

“No I can’t. Everyone will know I’m not a real golf player.” You whined and turned away from the mirror.

“I believe the term is golfer, love.” Tom laughed again.

“Not for me it isn’t.” You sighed. Tom looked at the skirt again and gulped loudly. You suddenly noticed the way he was staring at you and you made awkward eye contact with each other. You both quickly looked away as Tom’s face turned pink.

“Are you excited to get out there and play?” You said to change the subject.

“I was when I woke up. I just didn’t realize how many people would be watching. The pressure is kinda getting to me now.” Tom admitted as he peaked his head out of the tent.

“Don’t worry about all those people. You’re gonna do great out there. You love golf. Which I really don’t understand because honestly I can’t imagine anything more boring than silently hitting balls towards holes in the ground but for some reason, it makes you happy. So don’t go out there and think about all the people watching. Think about how you get to do what makes you happy for a great cause.”

“Thanks. You always know what to say.” Tom smiled softly at you as he made he way over to you.

“Every now and then I do.” You laughed shyly, still flustered from the way he had been looking at you.

“No. You always do.” He corrected you while looking anywhere but in your eyes.

“I think you’re the only one who thinks that. But thanks for saying it.” You smiled fondly at him and finally met his gaze.

“You’re welcome.” He said in a quiet voice, practically a whisper. You stared at each other for a moment, only breaking apart when Tom’s name was called.

“Holland? They’re ready for you on the course.”

“Okay. Guess I better go.” Tom said and picked up his golf bag. It was a similar situation to the last time you kissed his cheek and he hoped you realized that too. He’s been yearning for another kiss every second since the last one and hoped this would prompt you to give him one.

“Good luck.” You smiled and gave him two thumbs up. You didn’t try to kiss his cheek again, which made Tom frown.

“Here I go.” He said and nodded towards the exit of the tent.

“All right. I’ll see you out there.” You laughed awkwardly, not sure what he was doing.

“Uh huh. I’m going now.” He repeated, making one last attempt to drop the hint that he wanted a kiss.

“Are you?” You teased him and the dropped the act. He started toying with the straps of his bag so that he didn’t have to look at you.

“Remember how the other day, before I gave my speech, I was feeling really nervous? So you kissed me on the cheek to wish me luck?”

“I remember.” You said quietly, feeling nervous now that he brought that up.

“Well it actually really calmed me down. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like you have calming powers in your lipstick or something.”

“Maybe I do. But then again, maybe not. Maybe it’s mabelline.”

“Maybe. Or maybe it’s just you.” He smiled shyly at you. “So, um, I was wondering -only if you want- you could maybe possibly do it again?”

“You want a kiss on the cheek?” Your face lit up when you realized why he was acting so strange. You’d been worried about the kiss, thinking you had crossed a boundary, only to find out he had liked it.

“Yes. But only for good luck. No other reason.” He clarified as his eyes darted to the side.

“For luck? But I thought it calmed you down?” You tested him while walking towards him.

“It did both. It calmed me down and that’s why I was able to give a good speech.”

“I see. So you want another good luck kiss? For your nerves?” You raised and eyebrow and stood directly in front of him.

“Yeah. For my nerves.” He lied, heart pounding now that the kiss might happen again. Sure enough, you playfully rolled your eyes at him before going up on your tippy toes to kiss his cheek. This one lasted longer than the last but his face blushed just the same.

“Good luck.” You said sincerely once you pulled away. Tom’s entire face melted as he looked at you with the softest eyes you’d ever seen on him.

“Thanks, darling. I’m sure to win now.”

Before you could say anything else, Tom was called again and had to go this time. You watched him play from the sidelines (are there sidelines in golf idfk) and cheered him on whenever he hit the ball into the hole. Golf was a quiet sport (I’m just guessing at this point) so you were the only one cheering but you didn’t mind the looks you got. You only cared about supporting Tom. Tom ending up winning the tournament or something idk how golf works lolz he scored a three point shot in the hole woop he won yay. He met you back at the tent afterwards with his trophy/metal/golf prize and scooped you up in a hug.

“Congratulations! That went pretty well, right? I still have no idea how golf works. You wanted the least amount of points, right?” You said once he put you down.

“Darling, that was the best game I’ve ever played. Your kisses are like magic.” He exclaimed, making your face feel warm.

“I’m glad you think so.” You said in a quieter voice.

“I know so. I bet if you ever kissed me on the mouth, I’d get like, real superpowers or something.” Tom blurted. You both looked at each other, unsure who was more surprised that he said that. He normally wouldn’t have been so bold, but the high of winning had gotten to him.

“Yeah. Who knows what would happen?” You laughed to break the awkward silence that had settled. You looked at each other again and ever so slowly started to lean in. Before anything could happen, the moment was interrupted.

“Tom, you’re wanted outside for an interview.” Someone popped into your tent to say.

“I’m sorry.” He sighed. “The press is here.”

“Don’t be sorry. Go celebrate. I’ll be here when you get back.” You told him, equally disappointing that the moment was gone.

“I wish I didn’t have to leave you. Or if I could take you with me. There’s a lot of people out there and having you by my side makes these things a little easier. I don’t know. I guess you just make me brave.”

“Tommy, you got this. You don’t need me to make you brave. You just won the whole tournament tournament. If you can do that, you can totally talk to a few journalists.”

“Yeah. I guess so.” He nodded but didn’t seem convinced. You wanted to calm his nerves but it seemed like words weren’t working. Without thinking, you pulling him down by his shirt and kissed both of his cheeks.

“Both cheeks?” He smiled shyly when you leg go of his shirt.

“Extra luck.” You shrugged. “Not that you need it.”

“Thanks.” His smile widened as he touched his cheek.

After the golf tournament, Tom had a few weeks off from his usual busy schedule. While he usually welcomed time to himself, he couldn’t help but be disappointed that he had run out of opportunities to get you to kiss him again. He looked over at you after stopped to get gas and decided that if no opportunities presented themselves, he had to create them himself. He looked at the gas pump before sheepishly looking over at you.

“What are you waiting for?” You wondered when Tom didn’t get out of the car.

“Did you know that sometimes people put gas in their cars and blow up?” Tom said very matter of factly.

“Is that true?” You asked skeptically.

“Maybe. Who’s to say? Anyways, I’m kinda nervous it might happen to me right now.” He said as he looked at your out of the corner of his eye.

“You’re nervous you’re gonna put gas in the car and it’s gonna blow up?” You asked, catching on to what he was doing.

“Yes.”

“Ah. I see. And I’m guessing you want a kiss for good luck? In case you blow up?”

“In case I blow up, yes.” Tom nodded and looked at you hopefully.

“You’re too cute.” You chuckled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. He beamed in excitement before getting out of the car to pump the gas.

“Did you blow up?” You asked once he got back in.

“You would’ve known if I did.” He mumbled, making you laugh.

“I don’t know anything anymore, Tommy. Things I thought I knew have become the things I wonder about.” You sighed and looked out the window. Even thought he knew he shouldn’t, Tom thought into this. He’d been thinking a lot lately about your friendship and if it would ever move past platonic and he wondered if that’s what you’d been wondering about too.

“What do you mean by that?” He asked you, noticing the way you stiffened.

“I don’t know. Just like, things I thought were one thing are starting to look like they could be other things.” You shrugged. Your vague answer made Tom even more determined to unearth your true meaning.

“Interesting, interesting. And what if you elaborated on that?” He asked you.

“What if you drove away from this gas station and let the people in line behind us fill their tank?” You laughed and pointed to the cars behind you. Tom quickly put the car into park and drove away but didn’t stop thinking about what you had said.

A week later, Tom forced you to go to an Urgent care after spending the last few days feeling under the weather. You didn’t feel like you had to go, but went to put Tom’s Kim’s at ease.

“What’s taking them so long? I feel like we’ve been waiting for hours.” He asked as he paced the floor.

“It’s been three minutes.” You pointed out before blowing your nose.

“Longest three minutes of my life. What’s taking so long?” He whined and checked outside of the door again.

“The doctor said it would take at least 15 minutes to run the test. Just be patient.”

“I can’t. I can’t relax. Not until I know you’re okay.” Tom shook his head and started to chew on his nails. You felt bad that he was so worked up, so you pulled his hand out of his mouth and pulled him down to kiss his cheek.

“I’ll be okay, okay? You don’t need to worry about me.” You said in a soft tone.

“I’ll always worry about you, darling. Can’t help it.” He said with a pout. You smiled at him and patted his cheek just as the doctor came in.

“Oh thank God. Is she okay?” Tom asked the doctor.

“We got the results-“

“Oh God. It’s cancer. It’s cancer, isn’t it?” Tom cut her off.

“No. We didn’t even test for that. We were just testing for strep. Which she doesn’t have.” The doctor said flatly.

“What? So what’s wrong with her?”

“She’s fine. She just has a viral infection in her sinuses.” The doctor explained and handed you the lab work.

“A what?” Tom asked and took the lab work from your hands.

“Your girlfriend just has the sniffles.” The doctor sighed. You gave her an apologetic smile as Tom read your results.

“Oh. Okay. That’s not so bad. We can handle sniffles.” Tom nodded and put his hand on your back.

“I’m prescribing amoxicillin. You can pick it up in an hour at your pharmacy.” The doctor said as she wrote something out on her prescription pad. She held the prescription out and Tom took it.

“Thanks, doc.” He smiled gratefully at her.

“No problem. Feel better. For mine and your boyfriends sake.” She winked at you before leaving the room.

“This is such a relief. I really thought you were gonna die.” Tom sighed and pulled you into his chest.

“Why? My only symptom is a runny nose.” You chuckled.

“And crusty eyes and a cough and you haven’t heard anything I’ve said for the past few days which means clogged ears.”

“That’s just because I’ve been ignoring you.” You teased him. Tom playfully rolled his eyes at you before looking down at the prescription again.

“Did, uh, did you hear the doctor call you my girlfriend?” Tom asked coyly without looking at you.

“I didn’t hear anything with these clogged ears.”

“I definitely heard it. She also called me your boyfriend. Weird, right?” He forced a laugh but watched carefully for your reaction.

“So weird. I wonder why she thought we were a couple?”

“Maybe because you kissed me right before she walked in. Since you’re so infatuated with me and what not.” Tom shrugged before cracking a smile.

“Please. You needed that kiss. You were about to spin out and only these luscious lips could reel you back in.”

“Those luscious lips probably just gave me a sinus infection.” Tom laughed and wiped where your lips had been.

“Oh no. I got my sickness all over your cheek.” You pretended to pout while you wiped your hands all over his face.

“Ew. Get those germs hands away from me.” He laughed and swatted your hands away.

“I thought you liked me all over you.” You said, creating yet another awkward silence to fill the room. You exchanged awkward looks until Tom cleared his throat.

“Come on.” He said. “Let’s go get your medicine so I can finally have some peace.”

Tom had to wait until you weren’t contagious anymore before he could work up the nerve to ask for another kiss. He watched you struggling to open a jar of pickles for a while before deciding to test his luck with you.

“I can’t open this.” You whined and tried to open the jar again.

“Oh, I see. You need a big strong man, don’t you?” Tom said and flexed his biceps for you.

“Yeah. Do you know any?” You teased him as your eyed his biceps.

“Give it here, love. I’ll open it for you.” He winked at you and took the jar. He flexed for you again and you threw your hand over your forehead and pretended to swoon. Tom smiled shyly before trying to open the jar. He paused suddenly when he got an idea in his head.

“Before I do, how about a kiss for good luck?” He asked with a cheeky smile.

“They used to be for good luck. Before you started abusing their power.”

“This is for good luck.” He insisted. “I need the luck incase I cut myself on the lid.”

“Uh huh. Sure.” You playfully rolled your eyes at him before kissing his cheek. Tom smiled to himself before opening the jar for you.

As the weeks went on, Tom slowly got more comfortable asking for kisses and was soon asking for them nearly every day. They started off as infrequent kisses for good luck and soon became a daily occurrence any time Tom could think of an excuse to ask for one.

“Can I have a kiss before I go?” He asked before going to set.

“Wait! Come back! Kiss me!” He called after you when you got off the couch during a movie night.

“Gimme a kiss. Please? Just a little one?” He whined when you walked away from your cart at the grocery store.

“How about a kiss right here?” He asked and tapped his cheek when he stopped at a red light. You playfully rolled your eyes before leaning over the console to kiss his cheek.

“You really like being kissed on the cheek, huh?”

“From you, I do.”

“So no one else? Just me?” You raised an eyebrow at him.

“Only you, darling. If someone else tried to kiss my cheek, I’d kick them into the head so hard they saw the curvature of the earth.”

“Damn.” You laughed. “You could just move away.”

“Yeah but that wouldn’t send the message, would it?” Tom smiled as he looked over at you.

“And what is the message exactly?”

“That these cheeks belongs to another.” He said suavely and looked over at you. You laughed at his joke but kept your eyes on him as he continued to drive. When Tom noticed you staring at him, he felt his face flush and looked at you. He got so caught up in your eyes that he nearly ran the next red light.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” He asked as he stopped short.

“You almost ran that red.” You chuckled and looked away, pleased with the effect you had on him.

“Because you were staring at me like that scary picture of Miley Cyrus.” Tom said, making your smile fall.

“I wasn’t. I was just thinking.” You replied and playfully swatted his arm.

“About what?”

“You and me. Us.” You shrugged and turned to stare out Tom’s passenger window. Tom did a double take at you and struggled to keep his eyes on the road.

“Us?” He squeaked.

“Yeah. Us.”

“What about us?” He asked as his heart pounded in his ears.

“I don’t know. Do you ever feel like we’re more than friends?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, yeah, we’re friends. But we also do things that I would never do with my other friends. The number one example being kissing your cheek. But there’s a lot more than that, do you know what I mean? I feel like we’re always doing things that I would never do with any other of my friends. Only you.”

“Yeah. I know what you mean.” Tom smiled softly as he looked over at you.

“You do?” You asked hopefully.

“I do. I do feel like we’re more than friends. I know we’re not dating, but I also know that-“

“We’re not just friends?” You finished his sentence for him. He looked over at you again and nodded with a fond smile.

“Yeah. Exactly.” He replied. He turned his eyes back to the road but you continued to stare at him. Tom soon felt you put your hand on his left cheek to pull his face closer and kiss his right cheek.

“What was that one for? I didn’t even have to ask.” Tom blushed and touched his cheek.

“That was for understanding me.” You smiled and put your hand on his knee. You exchanged another fond look before driving in comfortable silence.

As the weeks went on, Tom continued to ask for kisses for random things and you continued to give them. What started as a sweet gesture for good luck became a common occurrence between the two of you. You often thought about the conversation you had about being more than friends and wondered what would happen if one day, you moved the kiss just a few inches over. These are the things you thought about while you waited for Tom to get out of his trailers bathroom so you could walk with him to set.

“All right. Come on. You’re first on the call sheet so you can’t be late.” You said as you knocked on Tom’s bathroom door. He opened it up and gave you a grumpy look until you handed him a cup of coffee. He gave you a grateful smile before slipping an arm around your waist to pull you closer and kiss the side of your head.

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Tom said through a yawn before sipping his coffee. You grabbed his scripts and a book to read while you waited for him on set before going to the door. Tom’s feet shuffled behind you but stopped once he reached the door. You went to open the trailer door but he reached over you and shut it.

“What are you doing? You’re gonna be late.” You turned to ask him.

“It’ll be fine. Before I go, can I have a kiss for good luck?” He asked with a cheeky smile.

“Good luck for what?” You raised an eyebrow at him.

“Just in general. For my day. Don’t you want me to have a lucky day?” Tom teased you and turned his face to the side so you could kiss his cheek. You looked into his eyes and thought about the conversation you had had with him the day before. If you were ever going to fully cross over from friends to something more, somebody had to make the first move. That move came in the form of you you cupping his chin between your fingers to turn his face towards yours. Tom looked confused so before you could overthink it, you pulled him down to kiss him. Tom’s eyes flew open before fluttering shut, tickling your face as they closed. He stepped closer to you and wrapped an arm around your waist to deepen the kiss. When you pulled away, he looked stunned for a minute, then smiled.

“Wow. It really was-“

“If you say it was your lucky day I’m gonna knock you out.” You cut him off.

“Psh. I wasn’t.” He scoffed and looked down at his fingernails. He thought about the kiss again and looked up at you with the biggest smile in the world.

“Okay, I was.” He admitted. “But how lucky am I? The loveliest girl in the world just kissed me.”

You couldn’t help but smile at his words before slipping your hand into his. You walked hand in hand to the set and went up to the director.

“Oh, hey Tom. Good to see you again. Who’s your friend?” The director smiled and pointed to you.

“Friend? Oh no, you just be mistaken.“ Tom smiled suavely as he wrapped an arm around you. You rolled your eyes with affection and wrapped your arms around his torso.

“See you after?” He asked in a soft voice.

“Yep. Good luck out there.” You replied before leaning up to kiss his cheek, just for old times sake.

“Psh.” He scoffed playfully. “Who needs luck?”

Tag list 🏷️

@awesomebooklover17 @thebookwormlife @imanativeofswlondondahling @serendipitous-amor @tom-hollands-wifey @20fandomfangirl

@lavender-writer @whatareyouhidingpeter @takenbyheartstrings @ultrunning @imyourliquor-youremypoison @andreasworlsboring101

@letsloveimagines @peterparkoure @a-villain-vying-for-attention @justcallmehitgirl

@jackiehollanderr @mara-twins @maryjanee23 @geeksareunique @emmamarshmellow @unbelievableholland @flixndchill @sovereignparker @thisisthebiplace @every-marveler-ever

@undiadeestos @caelestii-e @eridanuswave​ @itscaminow​ @fiantomartell @solarxmoonchild @canyouevencauseicant @illwritetomorrow

@thehappygrungelife @saysomethingspiderman @smilexcaptainx @quaksonhehe @kelieah @seasidecrowbar @lovelessdagger

@electraheart-3174 @unbelievableholland @yourtypicalhotmess @horanxholland @thesuitelifeofafangirl @marshxx @heyheycharlatte @nooneinvitedfascistbarbie @tomshufflepuff

@maybemona @alexxcorona113

[rafedaddy01]

Summary: you have been chosen to participate in a love game reality show, will you meet your soulmate?

A/n: trying something new

Not proof read

Congratulations! You have been accepted to star in America’s newest reality show. “Soulmates” In this show you will answer questions based on what you look for in a soulmate and our love scientists will calculate a perfect match, but the catch is you won’t know if Mr. Right is actually the real deal until you exchange I do’s at the alter. Pack a bag and fly over to our studio in Los Angeles so we can get you all started!

I read the acceptance letter I got and my heart starts thudding. I signed up for this as a joke! I didn’t think I’d actually get in. I can’t do this! I can’t be on tv in front of millions of people. My parents will see this, my grandma will see this!

I guess I have no choice. I could either find love or if worst comes to shove, I’ll walk away with a million dollars.

I pack a suitcase full of clothes that will last me a month and head to the airport.

The producers of this show paid for everything. My ticket, my room, my wardrobe, ect. The only thing I had to do was show up and make a fool of myself on camera.

“Miss Meyer?” I turn my head to see a girl standing with a clipboard and headset.

I clear my throat before I speak “yes”

“Perfect! We’ve been waiting for your arrival. Right this way!” She beams a smile at me and leads me through the studio to the back room where a bunch of other girls are gathered. They all look like supermodels, I definitely don’t fit in here.

One girl with blonde hair and blue eyes smiles at me “you must be Zoey! I’m Alia. Your the last girl that we were waiting for, I heard the staff talking about it” she smiles at me as she extends her right hand.

“Uh, yes, thank you” I smile back and shake her hand. “It’s nice to meet you Alia. This is-“

“Weird?” She asks as we both look over at the other girls chatting away with one another.

We burst into laughter after a moment of silence “I like you” she tells me.

“I like you too”

A few hours later we’re pulled into wardrobe and told we have 10 minutes to get ready for the cameras.

Each of us have our own personal stylist that chooses our clothes, hairstyle and makeup.

“Good afternoon Zoey. I am Makena, your personal stylist throughout the show.” A dark skinned lady with crazy curly hair and brown eyes smiles as I take a seat in her chair.

“Hello” I smile back.

“First things first, let’s choose you an outfit that will knock those men dead! I have the perfect thing!” She leaves for a second and when I look up in the mirror she’s walking back with the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen.

“Put this on” I stand up and grab the dress from her and walk over to the changing rooms.

Once the dress is on i a stare back at myself in the mirror.

The girl I see right now is not who I was 1 year ago.

When I signed up for the show I had just been cheated on by my ex, I was in a low place and I thought signing up for this would cheer me up. I never actually thought I’d get in but now that I am I’m gonna make the best of it.

I step out and Makena’s jaw drops. “Girrrl, you look fan-fuckin-tastic! I’ve done it again” she praises herself with a quick self-five and motions me to sit back down so she can do my hair and makeup.

My hair is all done and my makeup is done, just in time too. The staff call us out one by one, there’s about 8 girls and all of them look gorgeous. My anxiety starts acting up as we get closer and closer to going on stage.

I hear the host announcing our arrival as the girls in front of me start moving and I follow.

As I step out on stage I spot the cameras and the staff behind them making sure everything is perfect. “Here are our beautiful ladies!” The host turns the attention to us as we all have an opportunity to pose for the cameras.

He goes down the line and introduces all the girls along with some of the things they look for in a partner based on the quiz the producers had us take before coming here. Once he gets to me my heart beats louder as he reads my answers.

“Zoey wants someone who is Empathetic, Honest, and Caring. Zoey had also mentioned that she got cheated on a year ago and is looking for someone to mend her broken heart. She is an gallant, creative, and compassionate soul. Let’s give it up for Zoey Meyer, anything to add Miss Meyers’s” he aims the mic at me and I swallow my never as I speak.

“I want to say that although I may seem like damaged goods I’m here looking for a fresh start just like all of these lovely ladies are, I’m excited to be a apart of this and I can’t wait to see where it takes me. Thank you for having me America!” I end my little speech with a confident smile.

The host nods his head and walks back to his original position before exposing how the game works to the camera and to us once more.

After a few minutes of explaining he announces that it’s time to meet the guys and we will get 30 minutes to speed date as many of them as we can.

We all stand in a vertical like as the men are presented before us and the timer starts.

I lock eyes with a brown haired boy whose body is ripped with muscles, not my usual type but he’s pretty handsome, he stalks his way over to me and I smile at him.

“Hello pretty girl, my names Amir. And you are?” He bows in front of me like I’m a princess and it causes me to giggle.

“Zoey” I say as my cheeks flush. I haven’t flirted in over a year and I really need to up my game.

“So, Zoey, I heard your looking for someone empathetic.?”

“Yes. I think it’s important in a relationship to understand the persons feelings even if you might not agree with them, to be able to be understanding and empathetic is very important to me” I say confidently, I need to establish my boundaries so I don’t get stuck with a abusive prick like my ex was. These guys need to know that I won’t settle.

“That’s very understandable, I agree with you 100%, you should never make someone feel bad about having their own feelings. Especially in a relationship.”

I smile at his response.

There’s a moment of silence before I ask him a question.

“So what are you looking for in a girl? Any special features she has to have?” I snort at my own comment and quickly cover my nose up in embarrassment.

Amir shoots me a cheeky smile and winks

“No special features but I do like women who are brilliant and can keep a conversation going, you don’t have to be smart but to be intellectual about things and able to hold a conversation is very attractive to me” he says as he eyes me up and down.

I nod at his answer, it’s both respectable and honest. I think I like him already.

“You look very beautiful by the way, I love that color on you, it really brings out your brown eyes.” He looks into my eyes and smiles.

I feel my cheeks grow hotter as I blush “thank you” he pushes a strand of my brown hair behind my ear and winks.

“We have a couple minutes on the clock. I hate to depart from you but I can’t hold up the line of guys wanting to talk to a gorgeous girl like you” he leans in and presses a soft kiss to my cheek before walking away.

I stand there flustered for a moment before glancing at the clock, 20 minutes left. Focus.

I talk to a few more guys, some I can’t remember the names of and some were just so boring and trying way to hard.

I have one more guy I have to talk too and honestly I hope he makes up for the try hards that were before him.

“Hi, I’m Rafe” the handsome man smiles at me with his pearly white teeth and as I stare into his ocean blue eyes that twinkle, a bit of mischief and a bit of pain in them.

“Zoey” I say slowly as I shake his hand and feel a spark between us instantly. The room fades away as I stare back at this beautiful god of a man and watch him smile at me.

“You.. okay?” He asks as I come back to reality.

“Huh? Oh, sorry. Think I’m just a little overwhelmed from today. It’s been a long day I think my brains fried” I babble on anxiously as I tend to do and I catch myself “sorry, I talk a lot when I get nervous. People tend to just ignore me, I-“

“Zoey?” Rafe interrupts me and stares at me with a huge smile.

“Hmm?” I say, my cheeks flushing. Great, I already fucked this up.

“I don’t mind the babbling, I think it’s cute. But we only have 5 minutes and I have been trying to walk up to you for the past 25 now” he says as he flashes me his pearly whites.

“Right, sorry” I say hanging my head down in Shame.

“So, question. If you don’t mind me asking. You said you’re looking for someone honest and caring, so why come to a reality show were there’s only people trying to get famous and make money” he asks as he crosses his arms over his body, there not too muscular but there’s enough. Just the right amount.

“Your right. It seems stupid to think you could find actual love on a game show, but I believe in hope, and honestly I signed up for this when I was wasted and drowning my sorrows in chocolate chip ice cream” I laugh at my own sadness.

Just as Rafe opens his mouth to say something the timer goes off.

“That’s time Ladies and Gents! Please find your way back” the host announces as we all scramble back to our original spots.

“Now tonight you will have a chance to couple up with one person that you found a liking too, but before we decide which lady will be picking her soulmate there is an catch. If the guy chosen does not like the girl that picked him and thinks there’s a chance with another one he may turn her down”

We all look at each other and I swallow my nerves, trying to calm the damn butterflies in my stomach.

“Well be back after this short break” the host announces and the camera cut out.

“You all have 5 minutes to drink water, get a snack or use the bathroom” one of the staff members says as we disperse

“Any idea on who you’ll pick?” A brunette with glasses says next to me. “Names Melina, you can call me Mel” she says smiling.

“Zoey, and no. I have no idea who I’m going to pick. There was a few interesting guys I talked too but it’s too early to tell if their just here for money or for something serious” I tell her with a sigh.

“Agreed, anyone of these guys could be a douch bag. But that won’t stop me from climbing into bed with them. Have you seen then? Girl, they are HOT”

We both laugh at her comment and the host announces our 5 minutes are up

“Good luck” Mel squeezes me hand encouragingly before going to stand on her mark.

“Were back, your watching Soulmates. The newest reality dating show and we are just about to let the ladies pick their first couple!”

I twist my hands in anticipation as the host explains how when we were doing to speed dating the audience watching was placing votes on who their favorite girl was and that girl would go first.

“In first place we have… Zoey Meyers! Congratulations Zoey. Come make your choice”

He smiles at me as I stare back in shock. He calls me over with his hand and I walk up slowly. I stare at the men before me and they all smile at me.

I lock eyes with one and I instantly know who I’m picking.

“I pick… Amir”

Everybody claps as Amir walks out of the line.

“I’m glad you picked me, I was hoping you would” he flashes me a smile before intertwining his fingers in mine and walking us back to the line up.

The rest of the girls choose their couple and Rafe ends up with Carolina, a brunette with perfect cheekbones, perfect nose and plump lips that aren’t too big but also aren’t too small. Her eyebrows are arched and frame her face beautifully. Honestly I’m jealous, I don’t know why. I could have chose him but I just felt like he would have turned me down. Plus, he and Carolina look like the dream couple paired up together.

“Now that all our ladies and gents have been coupled up its time to announce phase 2 of our game. You all will be flying to the Bahamas, were you’ll be living on a remote island for one month!” The host says.

I turn to Mel and Alia and see them with their boys and smile. They look like a perfect match. I’m glad to have made some friends here already.

I look up at Amir and he smiles down at me, “you excited to live with me for a month?” He asks.

I tighten my grip on his hand and squeeze “of course”

“Until next time on… Soulmates”

@f4ll-for-you @v21sstuff @rafeysworldim19 @baby19sthings @eventualoptimism @drewstarkeysbae @sevenwivesofrafecameron @rxfecameronsslut @findapenny @r1vrsefx

[mustainegf]

—masterpost

—𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖 ★ 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐄

A month and a half later, the first day of school had arrived. Grade 12.

As I got ready that morning, my mind buzzed with excitement and a bit of anxiety.

This wasn’t just the beginning of our final year; it was also Felicity’s first day back at school in years. The thought filled me with so much happiness for her.

I pulled on my favorite band shirt, hoping it would bring me some luck, and grabbed my backpack. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, taking a deep breath to steady myself.

I ran my hand through my wavy long blonde hair.

Felicity always complimented my long hair, and I wanted to grow it out like some of the guys in my favorite bands.

This year was going to be different, special in so many ways. With one last look, I headed downstairs.

I stepped outside, the crisp morning air waking me up fully. As I walked towards school, my thoughts kept drifting to Felicity.

I knew today would be overwhelming for her, but I also knew how strong she was. She’d faced so much and come out the other side with a resilience that amazed me.

When I arrived at school, the buzz of excitement was palpable. Students milled around, catching up with friends and sharing their summer stories. I scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face. Then I saw her.

Felicity stood by the entrance, her eyes wide with both wonder and nerves.

She looked beautiful, her hair blowing gently in her face. She looked nervous, with her bag slung around her shoulder, the outfit I knew she had spent days picking out. Seeing her there, ready to face this new chapter, filled me with pride.

"Liss!" I called out, waving as I made my way through the many students.

Her face lit up when she saw me, and she waved back, a bit shyly. "James! Hi!"

I reached her side, and I gave her a quick peck on the cheek, not caring who saw. "You ready for this?" I asked, my voice gentle.

She took a deep breath, her eyes meeting mine with determination. "I think so. It’s a little scary, but I’m excited too."

"You’ve got this," I said, squeezing her hand. "And I’m here with you. Every step of the way."

She smiled, the nervousness easing a bit. "Thanks, James,” she giggled, squeezing my hand back.

We walked into the school together, the familiar hallways suddenly feeling new and different with Felicity by my side.

As we navigated through the crowd, I could feel the curious stares and whispers.

I knew people were curious about Felicity’s return, as well as me, a bit of a loser, suddenly walking the halls with a girlfriend.

I didn’t care, I always thought school drama was dumb. I was just glad to be here, and even more grateful to have Felicity by my side. Alive.

— 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟖

Nine years had passed since that first day of Grade 12.

It was now 1988, and life had taken us on an incredible journey. Felicity and I were now 26, and happily married.

We had been through so much together, and every step of the way had only strengthened our bond.

I had started a band with my best friend, and against all odds, it had taken off in ways we could have never imagined.

We called ourselves Metallica, and over the years, our music had found a passionate audience. The fame and recognition had come fast, but Felicity was the constant in my life that kept me sane.

Tonight, we were playing a sold-out show, and as we finished our set, the roar of the crowd was deafening.

The stage lights dimmed, and I wiped the sweat from my brow, feeling the rush of adrenaline that always followed a performance.

As the final notes echoed through the venue, I glanced backstage and saw her, there she was, Felicity, the woman I loved so dearly.

She stood there, her face lit up with pride and love, her smile as radiant as ever. Despite all the changes and the chaos of our lives, Felicity remained my everything, my biggest supporter, and my best friend.

As I made my way off stage, the noise of the crowd still buzzing in my ears, I thought back to the moments that had led us here.

When the band started gaining traction, Felicity was there every step of the way.

She encouraged me when I doubted everything I was doing and celebrated every success with a kiss and smile.

Our relationship grew stronger with each passing second, and before we knew it, we were planning our wedding.

Our wedding day was the happiest day of my life. Surrounded by friends and family, we exchanged vows that reflected our journey, promises to support each other, to cherish the moments, and to always be there no matter what.

Felicity looked stunning in her dress, her eyes sparkling with tears of happiness.

As we danced that night, I knew that this was just the beginning of a beautiful life together.

The real dance I’d always promised to give her.

With the band’s success, life became a whirlwind of tours, recording sessions, and media appearances. Yet, through it all, Felicity remained. We made a home together, a place that was our sanctuary amidst the chaos.

And now, standing there after another successful show, I felt the weight of all those memories. I reached Felicity and pulled her into a tight embrace, the noise and the lights fading away as I focused on her.

"You were amazing," she whispered, her voice filled with pride. "As always."

"Thanks, honey," I replied, kissing her forehead tiredly. "I couldn’t have done any of this without you, you know."

One of the biggest hurdles had been Felicity's health. I remembered the fear and uncertainty we had felt when she had needed a transplant.

But Felicity had fought with a courage and that left me in awe. And when she had finally come through it, scarred but alive, I had never been more happy.

I loved her transplant scar, it was a reminder of everything she had overcome, a testament to her strength and determination.

Whenever she felt insecure about it, I would kiss up the length of it, letting her know just how beautiful I found her, scars and all.

But not all our memories were happy ones. Halfway through Grade 12, my world had been shattered when my mother passed away from cancer.

It had been a devastating blow, leaving me orphaned and adrift.

My mother had refused medical care because of her religion, and by the time we realized how serious her condition was, it was too late anyways.

I always wondered if I could’ve done something, said something more, raised my voice again.

But I knew in my heart that no sentence I could string together would diminish my mothers dedication to her faith.

Her passing had left a void in my life that could never be filled. But in the midst of my grief, that same beautiful woman was by my side, Felicity. And when I moved in with my half-brother, she had been there every step of the way.

As I looked at Felicity now, her smile lighting up the room, I felt a surge of gratitude for everything she had done for me.

We had been so young, so full of dreams. I smiled to myself, remembering the late nights we spent sharing secrets, our whispered conversations stretching into the early hours of the morning.

Those moments had been our escape, our way of creating something for just the two of us.

We would talk about everything-our hopes, our fears, the future we wanted to build together.

Felicity would often curl up next to me, her head resting on my shoulder as we lay in my bed, the dim light of my bedside lamp casting a warm glow over us. We would laugh, sometimes cry, but always, we were there for each other.

Those nights were filled with a kind of magic that only young love can bring.

I remembered the first time we made out, our kisses hesitant at first, then growing more confident as we learned each other's rhythms.

The feel of her lips on mine, the way her breath would catch when I held her waist.

And then there was the first time we had sex, when we were 17.

It had been awkward, clumsy, and beautiful all at once. We had giggled nervously, unsure of ourselves but eager to explore this new level of intimacy.

There was a sweetness to it, a sense of discovery that was only ours. Afterward, we lay in each other's arms, laughing softly at our inexperience, feeling closer than ever.

Another memory bubbled up, one that still made me laugh every time I thought about it. We were nineteen, young and in love, and we were together in my room in my brother’s basement.

One evening, we were caught up in the heat of the moment, tangled in each other’s arms. Just as we were about to take things to the next level, the door burst open.

In walked my brother, oblivious to what he was interrupting. The shock hit us like a jolt of electricity. Felicity and I jumped nearly a foot in the air, scrambling to cover ourselves, our faces flushed with a mix of embarrassment and adrenaline.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” my brother stammered, his eyes wide as he realized what he’d walked in on. He quickly backed out of the room, closing the door behind him with a muttered apology.

Felicity and I sat there in stunned silence for a moment, the tension hanging thick in the air. Then, the absurdity hit us, and we burst into laughter, the sound echoing off the walls of my room.

“Did you see his face?” Felicity giggled, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

“I thought my heart was going to stop,” I admitted, still chuckling. “Talk about a mood killer.”

It became one of those stories we’d tell over the years, a funny, awkward moment.

I remember that night vividly, the one when Felicity slept over at my place. Everything had been perfect. We'd stayed up late, talking about everything and nothing, the room filled with our quiet laughter. Eventually, we fell asleep, her head resting on my shoulder, my arm wrapped around her. It felt so right.

But the next morning was different. I woke up to find her already awake, sitting up and staring at the sheets with a look of pure horror. It took me a second to realize what had happened.

There was a small red stain on the sheet and a bit on my sweatpants. Felicity had gotten her period during the night.

She looked at me with wide, tear-filled eyes. "I'm so sorry, James," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I didn't mean to—"

Before she could finish, tears started streaming down her face. She looked so embarrassed, so vulnerable, and my heart ached for her. Without thinking, I pulled her into my arms, holding her close as she cried into my chest.

"Hey, it's okay," I murmured, stroking her hair gently. "It's perfectly fine, I promise."

"But I ruined your sheets and your pants," she sobbed, her words muffled against my shirt, trying to hide.

"Don't worry about it," I reassured her. "It's not a big deal. Really."

I kissed the top of her head, hoping it would help calm her down. After a moment, I gently pulled away and told her I'd be right back. I went to my sister's room, rummaging through her things until I found what Felicity needed. Thank God for sisters.

Being a teenage boy, I knew little to nothing about periods, but I did my very best.

I handed Felicity the supplies and started stripping the bed. She watched me with wide, red-rimmed eyes, still sniffling. I tossed the sheets and my pants into the laundry basket, then quickly put fresh sheets on the bed.

"See? All taken care of," I said, trying to keep my voice light.

She gave me a weak smile, still looking a bit guilty. I took her hand and led her back to the bed, urging her to lie down.

I slid in beside her, pulling her close again, her head resting on my chest. She was still sniffling, but I could feel her starting to relax. “I’m so gross, I’m sorry..” She whimpered.

"You're not gross, Felicity," I said softly, kissing her forehead. “Don’t ever think that.”

Another memory drifted into my mind, a memory so vivid and emotional that it felt like it had just happened yesterday. It was our wedding day, the day I had officially committed my life to the woman who had been my everything since I was a teenager.

I could still remember the exact moment I first saw her in her wedding dress. I stood at the altar, my heart pounding in my chest, waiting for the doors to open and reveal Felicity.

When they did, and she began to walk down the aisle, time seemed to slow.

She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Her dress was simple yet elegant, perfectly complimenting her natural grace. Her hair was styled just the way I loved, soft waves framing her face, just like when we’d met.

I felt a lump form in my throat, my vision blurring as tears welled up in my eyes.

I had always known that Felicity was beautiful, but in that moment, she was radiant, a vision of perfection that seemed almost otherworldly.

The emotions hit me all at once, and I couldn't help but cry at the sight of her.

Seeing her in that dress, knowing that she was about to become my wife, was overwhelming in the best possible way.

When we were teenagers, I used to daydream about our future. I imagined us growing up together, marriage, a house, a child.

They gave me hope and something to look forward to when everything else seemed uncertain. Now, looking at Felicity, I realized that those dreams were no longer just figments of my imagination; they were becoming our reality.

And then there was the success of the band. Starting Metallica with my best friend had been a leap of faith, a dream we both shared.

We had no idea if it would work out, but we poured our hearts and souls into our music. Seeing our band take off, playing sold-out shows, and connecting with fans all over the world was beyond anything I had ever imagined.

But through all of this, Felicity remained the center of my universe.

My everything.

Taking a deep breath, I let my hands trail carefully down her body, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my fingers.

Every touch was a reminder of the countless moments we had shared, moments of laughter, tears, triumph, and sorrow.

She smiled softly, her hand reaching up to gently cup my cheek.

I nodded, my throat tight with unspoken words.

My hands rested on her hips, and I pulled her closer, feeling the gentle swell of her stomach against me. It was a subtle change, but one that carried the weight of a new chapter in our lives.

Pride swelled in my chest as I thought about Felicity being pregnant. It was all I had ever wanted, and soon we would have a little baby, a sweet little one of our own.

The love that had carried us through was now bringing new life into the world.

We're really going to have a baby, my heart whispered.

I kissed her gently, my heart swelling with love and anticipation. As we stood there, the memories of our past mingling with the promise of our future, I felt gratitude for the life we had built together.

Looking into her eyes, I saw not just the love of my life, but the future mother of our child.

In that moment, holding her close, feeling the tiny life growing inside her, I felt a love and fulfillment I had never known before.

The space between us filled with an unspoken promise of the life we were about to welcome into the world.

The space between us,

Keeps the memory of my mother's faith.

The faith that tore her away.

The space between us,

holds the teenage love,

A bond forged on sandy shores.

The space between us,

Carries the rhythm of the dance on the beach.

Fumbling feet mix with water and sand.

The space between us,

still feels the ache of Felicity's near-death.

Life’s thread almost cut short.

The space between us,

Holds the pain of grief,

A shadow we carry, hand in hand.

The space between us,

Brings the sweetness of kisses shared,

A taste of forever on our lips.

The space between us,

Carries a baby,

A life built from an awkward conversation on the lake.

The space between us,

Carries a life,

A life we’ve conceived.

The space between us,

Hurts

Sometimes.

The space between us,

resides the quiet girl at the lake,

A reminder that sometimes, the greatest love stories begin with an awkward hello.

In the end,

What brings us closer together,

Is the space between us.

Taglist: @whatsupvic

[ohmotherwhereartthou-if]

How would the ros react to mc wanting to break things off in the relationship stage?

So very sorry I took forever to answer this!

Oh how you hurt me, I like a pinch of angst but break ups always wreak me. Kinda funny since I have actually never been through one myself yet.

Their specific reactions I gotta keep saved for when I present this option in game but for now I will summarize.

Cassandra: Hurt but much too prideful to show it. She is calm and collected as she calmly asks why and if there is anything that can be done to avoid this. If there is no saving the relationship she thanks you for the time/memories you have given her, she then bids you farewell and wishes you the best. She will be a crying mess in private and her dad will take her out hunting to comfort her, he may or not tell her to visualize that she is shooting you instead. It will take time but she will eventually move on, however MC will sadly always be her first love.

Valeria: Tries to reason with you and begs you not to go. Cries a whole lot and yells for you just to leave then, before she calls her brothers. MC better not come around her village anymore, Valeria is the town's ray of sunshine and nobody will tolerate you breaking her heart. Her brother's least of all, it's on sight if they see you. The breakups hurt lingers for majority of the following year, Valeria is young and like young people do; she does eventually grows up. She moves on in time and finds someone else, her time with MC was a learning experience. One she does grow from because the next time MC sees her she will be tougher, less naive and trusting.

Tomas: For the love of God, please do not break my son's heart. I honestly don't even want to think about this but if he let you in and you decide to leave? Congrats, you are an asshole and just cemented the fact that he will never be vulnerable or let anybody else in for the rest of his life. Assuming you did not cheat on him; he will hate you but still long for you. He keeps everything he has of you and curses your name as he holds the last remaining bits of your memory for dear life. He would take you back in a heartbeat, curses God while silently praying you would change your mind and come back home to him. If you did cheat?... You are absolutely dead to him. He loathes you and curses the day he ever met you, prays daily for your demise.

-

Ludovica: My poor brain child. Begs you not to go and promises to do absolutely anything you could ever ask of her, if it means you will stay. MC was the last light in her life, the one she prayed for. The knight in shining armor who was supposed to save her and love her truly. She always knew deep down that those sort of fairy tales were mere fantasy but she really saw you as something right out of a storybook. If MC leaves her after she lets them in, she would probably have a really bad mental break as you just shattered her hopes and dreams. Her servants would become her caretakers as she would likely become completely catatonic as a result.

Aurelio: Doesn't seem too bothered, looks somewhat disappointed but honestly understands. He wishes you well and lets you go, the local news for the next couple of months will be filled with his scandalous escapades as he tries to take his mind off of you the only way he knows how. Him and relationships never last so he can't say he is exactly surprised but he is hurting because he had really hoped this time would be different. He really did like you.

Elio: Um, you taught him how to feel emotions and truly love another person besides himself; and now you wanna leave? That's cute, you might think your relationship is over but he sure as hell doesn't. He will follow you around like a lost puppy and act as if you never wanted to end things, flat out ignores you when you mention breaking up. In time, he might let some physical distance grow between you; he might even let you think you 'fell in love' with someone else. But he knows you're still his, and soon you will too.

[writtenbymisunderstoodnerds]

It's time they knew (Tobin Heath x Reader)

Based on this request. I'm sorry for how long this has taken me to finish, but I hope you like it!

I'm slowly working my way through my requests. Things might take a little while now that I'm studying for the next couple of months and it's getting closer to winter which is the busy season at work. Please bear with me!

Words: 1.6k

Tobin and I were kicking the ball around as I told her about my plans to reveal my identity. I was predominately a soccer player, but I was also a singer. No one knew who I was, no one knew I was the person behind anónima. We did songs ranging from pop to country, millions of people followed us, came to our concerts and bought our music, but no one knew who I was, who my band was. It had started as a way to put my music out there without drawing attention because I had massive stage fright. However, I was starting to entertain the idea of revealing who I was. 

"Are you sure about this baby? It's going to bring a lot of attention."

"I think so, I mean I already get attention and I'll get even more once I start with the team and when we go public. It feels like it's time, but I'll decide for sure tomorrow."

"Whatever you decide, I'll support you 100%. Can I bring the team? I know you're starting with us next week, but I would love for them to finally meet you as my girlfriend. If you decided to reveal yourself that it. Also they love you."

"Of course you can Toby. I would love to finally meet the team properly." Due to mostly playing internationally and only recently deciding to return to the US, I hadn't been called up until now. Not that I really minded too much, I was only 26, there would be the opportunity for plenty more camps in my career. It did mean I hadn't really met any of the national team. I guess it would be good to meet them before camp. 

My concerts had always worked on a trust sort of system. I didn't wear a mask or anything. The stage was dark, only just light enough that my band could see, but no one could see them. I stood at the back, away from the light. All it would take was a torch or light source to reveal our identities. Over the years I had gotten more comfortable on a stage and with my fans. Moving around and interacting with them more. I still hadn't decided if I was going to reveal myself, but the stage crew knew that if I moved to a certain point on the stage then they would turn the lights on. Of course I had also discussed it with my band since they weren't known either. They had left it up to me to decide which made it even harder. 

As I sung the first couple of songs, I watched the crowd dance and sing along. Seeing the happiness on peoples faces and knowing it was because of us was my favourite part of concerts. I found myself wishing I could join in dancing around and interacting with them more, instead of trying to stay in an area they wouldn't see me. 

Once the song ended, I spoke up, "Let's talk for a minute. I wanted to thank each and everyone of you for coming out and supporting us even though you have no idea who we are. None of this would have happened without you guys. So, as a way of thanking you, here's a new song I've been working on."

I always thought I'd be a rambling girl Living in the moment, never making plans Finding love was just a dream I was having Written in the movies, never thought it would happen

I try to fill my loneliness with whiskey And empty nights with different girls that never missed me Funny how when you least expect it Everything can change

Baby, it's you I've been looking for I knew right from the second you came walking through that door It feels so right when you're in my arms Darling, it's you I've been looking for

During the brief instrumental, I took a deep breath, moving forward on the stage. As I started singing the next line the stage lit up, cheers and screams louder than I had ever heard filled the stadium. 

You know I love it when your hair's a mess The way you shine when you wear that dress Girl, I don't think that you understand You make me a better person

Baby, it's you I've been looking for I knew right from the second you came walking through that door It feels so right when you're in my arms Darling, it's you I've been looking for

Just like blue on the sea Our love won't fade, it's evergreen Girl, the best part of me Is you

My attention was solely on Tobin as I sung the last verse. None of this would be happening if it wasn't for her. My first concert would never have happened without her encouragement and support. The many nights spent with her sitting quietly beside me as I wrote new songs because she knew it helped calm my mind enough to let my ideas flow. She had been by my side through it all, without hesitation or judgement. 

Baby, it's you I've been looking for I knew right from the second you came walking through that door It feels so right when you're in my arms Darling, it's you I've been looking for I sat down on the edge of the stage, taking a moment to compose myself as the cheering started to die down. "Surprise! That happened. Honestly, I was kind of torn about doing this. The secrecy behind it makes it fun, it keeps things interesting, but I also wanted to do something to thank you for the unwavering support I receive. Enough of my droning on though, I think it's time to introduce myself. I'm Y/n, behind me I have my amazing band. Guys, give a wave with your name so they know who you are. We've got Jason, Mason, yes they're twins, last but not least we have Abby. Thank you for coming to our show. Stick around because we're just getting started."

---

The show had ended a little while ago. The band and I had finished our post show debrief and showers. They had gone to pack up their gear while I waited for Tobin. She was going to wait for the crowd to calm down before making her way out the back with the team. I had played with or met a few of them through club matches in the limited time I played in the states, but a lot of my professional career was international. 

Before my nerves could grow any further, voices from down the hall caught my attention, "Tobin what's going on? I don't think we're allowed back here."

"Just wait and see."

I laughed to myself at the irritation lacing Tobin's voice before the nerves started rising again. I could sing in front of thousands of people without worrying, but I was terrified to meet them. They were important to her, they were going to be my team soon and I wanted to make a good impression. I took a deep breath, before putting on a smile as the numerous girls walked through the door, most of them freezing when they saw me. 

Tobin wrapped her arms around me, placing a kiss on my lower neck, "You did amazing, I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you my love."

"Wha-" One of the girls started but cut herself off. I chuckled quietly, pulling away from Tobin. 

Christen hugged me quickly. With her being Tobin's bestfriend, I had met her pretty early on in our relationship. We got along great, but she also didn't know about my singing career, "Well this is a surprise."

"Yeeah, sorry I didn't tell you soon-"

"You don't need to apologise Y/n. I get it."

I was reminded of the people behind me when the sound of slapping started. Many of the girls still looked stunned, while a few of them were hitting each other and pointing at me. It was actually quite entertaining, but I decided to speak up and put them out of their misery, "Hey, I'm Y/n."

"Don't just stand there, introduce yourselves." Tobin spoke up making some of the girls snap out of it and introduce themselves one at a time. Then they launched into multiple different questions, "Slow down, you'll be seeing Y/n often. You don't have to ask a million questions right now."

"Wait what? How? Why?'

"Y/n is my girlfriend and she's the newest addition to the team as of next week."

"She is?" Emily asked still looking like a deer in headlights, "You're a soccer player?"

"Yes."

"You've known who she is and you didn't tell us? We talk about her all the time."

Tobin shrugged, arm wrapping around my waist, "It wasn't my place to tell you who she was. I know you love her music, but just remember Y/n will be your teammate and friend, don't just treat her like the singer you love."

"We will, it's great to meet you Y/n. Although I think we've played against each other a couple of times."

"You too Ali. I'm pretty sure we have, quite a few years ago now."

We talked for a while. The girls getting all the questions they had about me as a singer before moving on to questions about Tobin and I, my soccer career and anything else they could think of. I was a bit surprised how fast they went from being amazed at meeting me to just treating me like someone on the team. Honestly, it was a relief. I had been worried about how they would react and treat me if they knew who I was. I guess that was another thing I should be thanking Tobin for. The band had come and talked with us for a while before we all parted ways. There was only so much social interaction I could handle. With the show and meeting the team, I was exhausted. 

I crawled into bed as soon as we got back to our apartment while Tobin went to shower. Arms wrapped around me from behind as I was on the verge of sleep. "I'd say that went pretty well."

All I could do was mumble out a 'it did' before pulling Tobin closer. I could feel Tobin laughing as she placed a kiss on my cheek, "I love you baby."

[saltyfish64]

💥 MARS IN 8TH HOUSE - GENIUS OR CRAZY

👉 Yeah, just like the title, with Mars in 8th house in astrology, you can become a successful person or a murderer, depending on what you want to choose -)))).

👉 Why do I say that?

💫 First a little bit about 8th house : governing death, our approach to transformation, deep connections and mysteries or taboos. Ummm, frankly speaking, it's extremely complicated and mysterious, because 8th house is ruled by Scorpio (lol).

💫 As for Mars, it was mentioned in the previous post so I'm too lazy to say it again. In general, it is also related to Scorpio.

🤏 Combining these two things together, Mars in 8th house is like coal meeting fire, burning brightly but releasing CO gas, yes -))) which is a toxic gas. So for me, well, Mars in 8th house is not a very good placement.

👉 Talking about the characteristics of Mars in 8th house:

💫 Mars in 8th house just born seems to be able to read other people's thoughts, so it's not easy to trick them, you can even be spun around like a pinwheel without even knowing it. When they get tired of playing, maybe you will realize -)))).

💫 Although Mars in 8th house is a person with the ability to see far, they are not as calculating as God, they often encounter unexpected things but they are not afraid to face problems -)))) Instead of avoiding it, they prefer to solve it quickly and concisely.

💫 Mars in 8th house also has a trust issue -))), basically, it's quite difficult to get them to trust completely, but once they trust, it's very common to get stabbed in the back 🤡.

🙏 A real example is me, I've been betrayed by a few people before so I know it very well -)))), I played with friends wholeheartedly, and friends stabbed and shocked my brain 🤡.

💫 Mars in 8th house came into contact with death quite early. I remember when I was in 3rd or 4th grade, I already knew about these things. At first, I was afraid of death -))), well, I was simply afraid that my parents would die and I would be alone, but later I thought that death is not really the end but just a new beginning.

💫 Mars in 8th house loves to explore and learn about what interests them 🤔, especially about spirituality and death, um with dramas and also cases, human psychology and crime for example. Moreover, they are also talented in finding the truth, so if you are in love with them, don't do anything wrong to them, they know everything, it's just that they want revenge so they still let you free 💀.

💫 If they are determined to do something, Mars in 8th house will do it to the end, even mountains of swords and seas of fire cannot stop them -))). I remember how many times just looking for a picture or a series of stories, I spent several hours scrolling through all the pages I followed 🤡.

💫 Mars in 8th house in the early stages is a bit lost, they don't know what they want to do and what to do, their psychology is always unstable, they tend to self-destruct or destroy others💀, maybe even will have the intention of "ruining" with those who hurt them deeply. But if they can overcome that stage, find their ego, understand what they want and need to do, then they will be a successful person 🫶.

💫 On the contrary, like the title -))))) I also said above, Mars in 8th house emits CO gas -)))). Really, if the person with this position does not use energy well, they will most likely go down the wrong path (such as addiction, gambling, etc).

👉 In general, if they grow up, they will become people who protect and help others, then you will feel lucky to have them by your side.

💫 Well, Mars in 8th house has a short lifespan -))))) Talented people often die early 🤡 (just kidding, don't throw stones), people with this position like to learn about death, and death also likes to come with them -))))), they will often encounter unexpected accidents without any prediction.

💓 This is the end of this article, thank you for watching me babble 🤭.

💦 Btw, My English is not very good, so if I make any grammatical mistakes, please let me know.

📌 Anyway, this article is personal and written based on my own analysis.

🍀 Wishing you success and luck will come to you.

📍Dành cho bạn nào người Việt thì mình có đăng bài này bằng tiếng Việt trên FB, link mình để ở dưới

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/yR3J9Sn4mYXXrFDX/?mibextid=oFDknk

[avianyuh]

Heyyy❣️ can i get one where Taeyong is the MC for mnet countdown and he gets to interview the reader (which was his ex) and she went on hiatus for several years and makes a huge comeback

Thanks

Ooooo this sounds interesting!

---------

In the time I was away from promoting I really tried to work on myself. I felt like before my break that I was spiraling. I had ignored it all for as long as I could.

The sleepless nights and the deprivation that came along with it. The paranoia of being watched 24/7, being followed. The nasty comments under my pictures, music videos, stages and interviews. This all became too much to ignore, especially when I lost him.

Two busy people in a relationship is never a good idea. Especially when one of you has a highly female, protective fanbase. No one knew we were ever dating, Taeyong and I.

But the constant fear of getting exposed, revealed and having our careers derailed left a gaping hole between us. This was why wehn he called it off, I didn't even feel like fighting for him, though a part of me deep down wanted to.

I felt like I could never allow myself to get overly attached to him. I think he felt the same way.

We met through a friend. Someone who had worked in the makeup department for both of us at different times. It wasn't a set up or anything, but when we were introduced. When our eyes met and we shook hands, the connection was immediate.

We exchanged numbers, texted for weeks and finally made time to see each other.

We dated for about a year and a half. He was my favorite person. He became my support system. He drowned out the hate comments, the negativity, I slept better with him in my bed at night.

It all blew up in our faces when someone took pictures of us and sent them to both of our companies.

Mine didn't seem to care, but SM was adamant that the pictures could never get leaked. They argued that he was the leader of his group and that it would cause too many problems. He fought with the company as long as he could but ultimately they won.

Taeyong showed up at my door, tears in his eyes and all he said was, "I'm so sorry".

I felt my heart sink and with that last visit from him, my support system was gone. Suddenly I felt alone again.

I took some time off. I had no drive to write any music, let alone sit and record it.

My company kept me busy with some brand deals, some variety show appearances and soundtracks for shows.

But eventually the show must go on. My company sat me down and laid out a comeback for me.

It was a summer song, a song about love.

So I recorded it, learned a choreography and filmed a music video.

Then came the big day to promote it. All went well, the song was doing great on the charts, but as I sat in my car with my manager on the way to MC Countdown, I felt sick to my stomach after hearing an important piece of news.

"Taeyong is the MC..."

Shit, I thought.

I hadn't seen him in over a year by that point. Now I had to face him.

*

By the time I had finished my performance. I had to do the interview.

"Y/n, I hear this song is about a summer romance? Do you have any wishes for the summer?", the other MC asked.

I looked at her and tried to not notice Taeyong's stare as I answered back with, "The love I'm looking for is the love of my fans." I tried to keep my composure for the remainder of the interview.

*

By the time we finished, I tried to rush off as fast as I could. But I could hear his foot steps behind me as I walk back towards the dressing room.

"Y/n, why'd you stop returning my calls?", he questioned when he finally caught up to me. When I stopped to look at him, I could see the pain in his expression.

"I couldn't continue talking to you. I couldn't be your friend Taeyong. It would've been too painful."

"It was more painful having to go on without you", he said, moving closer towards me. I stepped backwards, trying to keep my distance.

"You're not allowed to be with me. Us together would cause too many problems. I can't be friends with you because I still have feelings for you.", I thought that maybe if I explained why we couldn't stay in contact he'd back off but it just made him inch closer.

"I still have feelings for you", he whispered, cupping my face with his hands. I tried to back up again, but found myself hitting a wall.

"No Taeyong. You broke up with me. I'm surprised they even let you come on here knowing I was performing. It's been a year and I'm trying to move on. Nothing's changed, you're still not available." , I explained, lightly pushing him back. "I'd be willing to try this again when you don't have to sneak around", I said. I looked up at him and caressed his cheek, giving him a sad smile before I maneuvered around him and walked away.

**

{A/N: Not a happy ending for this couple. Maybe I'll do a follow up/part two??? Anyways, thank you to anon. Also guys sorry for any typos, I speed wrote this lol. Okay, I love you all so much!!!!!!!!, Mwah💋💋💋💋💋💋💋}