#the lawn is fun like you chill but you literally only get to listen and watch thru the screens

[kobrakids]

fuck the shoreline amphitheater for doubling the cost of lawn tickets. $25 was a fair price for the absolute lack of view you get it is NOT worth $50

[paintedperiwinkle]

plant dashboard simulator

🍁 nevergreen Following

when are we gonna talk about the superiority complex that evergreens have just because they don’t go dormant

🌱 sproutaloud Follow

IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE!!!

🌳 oakspoke Follow

um it’s quite literally the opposite actually?? evergreens are always ostracized because they don’t turn colors in autumn

🍁 nevergreen Following

found the evergreen apologist

#evergreens if i see u on this post ur getting blocked immediately

25,398 notes

🍌 fruitsalad Follow

just a reminder that imported produce take away from the desirability of locally grown produce!

🍓 berrysweet Following

what the fuck??

🥥 tropical-chill Follow

op i’m outside your house with a weedwhacker

#tw discourse #tw idiocy

36,294 notes

🥕 carrottop-deactivated10022023

demeaning crops who weren’t sowed with higher quality soil and fertilizer is elitist btw!

🍒 redandjuicy Following

literally who is doing that

🪴 homegrown Follow

flop post i fear

🍂 autumnbreeze Follow

bro deleted his whole account 💀

97,173 notes

🥀 wiltedbeauty Following

can we PLEASE talk about the pretty privilege of garden flowers?? weeds and wildflowers are always cast out just bc we aren’t “aesthetic”

🪻 violet-and-violent Following

and the most stuck up ones are ALWAYS roses and sunflowers

🥀 wiltedbeauty Following

YOU GET IT!!!

5,746 notes

🌻 de-flowered Follow

just got pollenated for the first time…

🌳 oakspoke Follow

some things can stay in the drafts op

🌷 pinkandpretty Following

don’t listen to them you go girl!

5,229 notes

🪴 homegrown Follow

dni if you think that kudzu shouldn’t be held accountable for the damage it’s done to native flora communities

🍌 fruitsalad Follow

op they aren’t gonna like this one…

🍁 nevergreen Following

your ass is always at the scene of the crime huh

57,385 notes

🍄 not-a-fun-guy Follow

do you guys ever feel like you don’t belong

0 notes

🌵 aloesoft Following

gentle reminder that the terms succulent and cacti are not interchangeable!! all cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti! it can be offensive to some of us to use them incorrectly!

🍓 berrysweet Following

reblogging so more people see this

#important

3,385 notes

🍃 soil-lover Following

all lawns are beautiful!! lawns with weeds! lawns with sparse grass and dirt patches! clover lawns! overgrown lawns! you are all beautiful!

🍂 autumnbreeze Follow

one of these things is not like the others…

🌾 gonewiththewind Follow

the real issue is that “lawns” exist in the first place. what happened to wide open fields?

🍃 soil-lover Following

can you make your own fucking post

17,220 notes

🌱 sproutaloud Follow

vegetables that can be grown throughout multiple seasons i love you <3

🥒 cute-cumber Follow

so just fuck single season veggies then huh?

🌱 sproutaloud Follow

that is literally not what i said. but now i am. fuck you

#??? #are you stupid on purpose or

6,383 notes

🪷 hightide Following

some of you guys need to start including aquatic plants in your advocacy. we are the most overlooked plant group

🌵 aloesoft Following

THIS!!!!

🪷 hightide Following

why are you the only one who understands me

#aquatic plants 🤝 desert plants

104 notes

🌿 fabulousfern Follow

no offense but indoor plants will literally never understand what wild plants go through

🎍 bamboozled Follow

you want a medal or something?? as a wild plant myself we’re not somehow better than them because we don’t need humans to take care of us. they didn’t ask to be born house plants

🌿 fabulousfern Follow

kiss ass

#did they pick you? #i hope they see this bro

9,385 notes

🍀 luckyday Following

shoutout to all of the big trees that share their nutrients with us little guys down here!! we love you!! 💚

11 notes

🌳 oakspoke Follow

no one tell the climbing plants but it makes me feel a bit claustrophobic when they grow up all over me

🌲 suburban-spruce Follow

HELP i thought i was the only one 😭

🍁 nevergreen Following

oh that’s not…

🌱 sproutaloud Follow

it’s not too late to delete this…

🍇 leavesfromthevine Following

like literally wtf???

#sorry that not all of us have a fucking trellis to grow on?? #we literally can not help how we grow??? #yall pretend to care about plants different from you but then post shit like this #did u think no one would see this? be honest #pathetic

62,590 notes

[silverandarsenic-hcs]

Ghost Slander

I know I’ve done this before sorta but this is the Finial List of all the shit that’s really just bad about them. the first half of each is serious bad stuff and the second half is just silly annoying shit they do. I am not apologizing for this so that’s that on that. I also still love them anyways.

Papa I:  too old to do anything. he may be strong and smart, but he’s old, and tired, and gets grumpy when he’s tired. and when he’s grumpy hes a fucking asshole. he really doesn’t want to do anything, like go out for a fun day in the city, or try new things. can’t teach an old dog ne w tricks, and he doesn’t even try tricks he’s known about for forty years. He can be boring, and he can be punchy and shitty when he’s annoying (I don’t mean like punchy as in hitting, just you know when you were grumpy as a kid and you get really irritated and annoyed and kind of just wanna have a hissy fit and cant control it???? that.)

Papa II:  Super emotionally unavailable and it just becomes taxing to try and get him to open up unless he’s ready and willing - which, spoiler alert, will never happen. He really does have a shitty temper and when he gets angry he sees red. Refuses to delegate tasks to other people around him because he thinks no one else can do it right. When he does, no matter what they do it’s never good enough and he makes all his interns cry and/or quit. for fun: he gets the “man flu” in which he will not take medication or go to the doctor until he literally has muscle dystrophy. thinks Advil or Tylenol is some hippy bullshit brainwashing pill invented by liberals that are trying to trick him into being happy. conspiracy theories. thinks aliens built the pyramids. watches ancient aliens in his spare time and never shuts up about it. Unable to use technology, and falls asleep in “special chair” at home. 

Papa III: cant take no for an answer. he doesn't understand when someone refuses his advances because all of the girls in the clergy falling all over him his whole life has made his head a little too big. if you want major fucking ego, he’s the brother for you. if you don’t want flowers, and you don’t want random extravagant things, he’s not the brother for you, because if you tell him you don’t like the things he’ll assume you hate him and decide that you shouldn’t be together anymore. sure, it comes from a place of caring and wanting to spoil his s/o, but fuck, bro, tone it down. He’ll also talk at you for hours even if you’re not listening just because he loves the sound of his own voice. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to do something else, or are tired, or you just don’t care, he’ll stop talking when he’s ready and only then. For fun:  at a kids soccer game he would be That Dad that screams at the other kids like hes the assistant coach and probably be drunk and fist fight the other drunk dads in their lawn chairs. makes his s/o wax his back before they go to the beach or anywhere he has to be shirtless. its gross and hairy and he wouldn't care if his s/o didn’t bully his persian-rug body into it so hard one time he canceled a vacation. 

Copia: He has no back bone. He’ll work until people give him what wants but he’ll never come right out and say it, in any kind of relationship or work. You’ll constantly be guessing whether or not what he said has a second meaning and if it’s really want he wants or he’s been waiting for you to figure it out the whole time. It’s fucking annoying. He’ll never be the one to put his foot down, or silence a room, or command attention like the other papa’s have, he just doesn’t have it in him. For fun: Calls his stomach his “spare tire” like what the fuck who says that?? Talks to everyone, you literally have to drag him away from talking to strangers. The person next to him at the cafe has their headphones in and he’s just chatting away. Small talk but just gets worse, and he subjects everyone to it.  rides one of those bikes where you're basically lying down and doesn't shut the fuck up about how low impact it is on your back and knees. thinks the government is out to get him and everyone else but doesn't put two and two together and still has a google home thing or an alexa, buys that facebook skype camera thing for your tv that literally follows you when he walks. he just thinks their neat.

Dewdrop: Has a hot temper and genuinely gets mean when he lashes out. He doesn’t care that everyone has to chase after him all the time and has no remorse for what they have to do for him or what he ruins for them. He’s gonna do whatever he want’s whenever he wants and no one can tell him otherwise - everyone thinks this is so fun and quirky and great until it’s been a few months and they’re wondering why Dew hasn’t calmed down even a little. He’s too self obsessed to even care what other people want for him. A total mess wherever he goes, eats all the soap and candles and doesn’t replace them. 

Swiss:  saying someone is too good at everything doesn't sound like an insult, but it does when they brag about it. Swiss has always been the multi ghoul, meaning hes always been pretty good at everything, but never specialized in something. so rather than do more to hide the fact he’s a jack of all trades but master of none, he just brags about every tiny little thing he does. hes like 6′ but his ego is like 8′4″. Insanely jealous in relationships which can cause problems. he’s a liar. there. i said it. unless he’s your s/o, if his mouth is moving, it’s probably a lie. whether hes bigging up his own adventures, or trying to cover his tracks about where he was and who he was with, its probably all bullshit. the only reason he doesn’t lie to his partners is because he HATES being lied to in return and if he has feelings for you its a little harder to just shut you out once you realize he’s full of it. He mostly lies for fun, and partly just to see what people will really believe, so it get’s wilder and wilder every time. Refuses to do anything that’s boring to him like clean or do laundry, but he hates disgusting messes so he’ll just pay someone else to do it. 

Mountain: Disgustingly messy. When I walk into a room i leave a hurricane of my shit everywhere, but if you took an actual hurricane and put it in his bedroom, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. No one in the whole church will go near his room, partly for the smell, partly for the fact of that there is no where to stand that isn’t a foot high with garbage and dirty clothes. If he cleaned his room i think a new disease would be unlocked. Super stubborn, and inpatient. He’s pretty chill, but refuses to wait for anything without getting super annoyed, and it’s impossible to change his mind about literally anything once it’s made up. Trying to debate him about anything is a fucking nightmare. 

Aether:  when you’ve been together for a while, and you’re comfortable with each other, things can get boring. he’ll stop taking you on dates every week, and stop thanking you profusely for everything you do, and stop treating you like a queen. things will get stale quickly, so unless you’re into routine, steer fucking clear or you're doomed.  when he’s in a shitty mood, he will say literally anything to you to get you away from him. he just wants to be left alone and if you wont let that happen he’ll break up with you, tell you to fuck off, tell you to get away from him, tell you to go fuck yourself, whatever it takes. he doesn’t mean it, and even if he knows that deep down, you’re still causing the problem by existing, in his mind. refuses to accept that there may be a different way to do things. it’s Aether’s way or the highway and that's it. he thinks that if somethings easier, or faster than the way he does it, then it’s not being done right, and it’s fucking annoying how he wastes so much time doing stupid simple tasks because its the way he was taught and its the way he’ll do them until he dies

Rain: A baby. An actual baby. Needy and clingy and even a little bit pathetic sometimes. Here and there it can be cute and you might feel the need to nurture him, but honestly most people can’t handle it all the time but for Aether. He constantly needs attention in the exact way he wants and if he doesn’t get it he’ll whine and cry and try and make you feel like shit. Maybe it’s manipulation, maybe it’s not. Who knows. But you have to make sure he eats properly, make sure he gets dressed properly, make sure he sleeps, pretty much be a parent to him half the time. The amount of emotional labor is borderline slavery. His attitude is insane, and he’s sassy and bossy all the time as if he’s actually in control, and if you tell him otherwise he’ll scream (at the top of his lungs). Uses baby talk at an inappropriate timing and makes people uncomfortable  sometimes.

Cumulus: Collects tiny little themed knick knacks that are literally everywhere and take up all the space in her and Cirrus’ little sapphic cottage. Nosey and wants to know everyone’s business all the time. The only person she tells is Cirrus but she won’t rest unless she knows every detail about a persons life and drama.

Cirrus: Leaves all the lights on wherever she goes. Leaves all the cupboards open. All the lights are on so much that it lights up the whole house all night, and people call them to tell them to either close their blinds or turn the fucking lights off.

[jewish-space-laser]

Miles & Black Coffee - Part Two

“If you’re thinking about taking the high road,

I can tell you that you’re doing it wrong,

There’s a better of way of letting it all go,

‘Cause you’ve been running from the feeling too long….”

-Highroad by Sir Woman

Hiya everyone! Sorry this is up a bit late, inspiration really just runs on its own clock. I’ll keep this short- giant thank you to @oh-honey-styles​ @andwhenshesays​ @for-fucks-sake-h​ for beta-ing and being so so SO supportive. If you haven’t read their fics yet, go check them out! As always, I adore feedback! (4.1k words)

xoxoxoxoxoXO Tile 

You and Harry would never be friends. You were up and down, night and day, oil and water. You just didn’t mesh. He was your roommate’s insufferable older brother, and that is all he would ever be. Well, at least that’s what you thought before….

or

the one with campfire conversations, cabin getaways, and enemies that were never really enemies after all.

Read Part One here!

TUESDAY

Charlie was still sleeping soundly on her side of the bed when your alarm went off, so you tried your hardest to sneak out of the room without making a sound. Spending all day in the sun yesterday had been amazing; your heart felt full, your muscles were relaxed, and you were ready to do it all over again. 

Unfortunately, you also felt a bit gross. Between the warm weather, lakewater, and sunscreen, your skin was feeling like it needed it a good rinse. The thought of showering in the showerhouse wasn’t exactly thrilling, but it was that or the garden hose, so you gathered up your shower caddy and a change of clothes before making your way out of the main cabin. 

It was a beautiful morning, the perfect setup for another day of summer. Dewy blades of grass tickled your ankles as you cut across the lawn, a pleasant chill running through you at the contact. You’d tried to wake up early enough to have the shower house to yourself, not wanting to have an awkward run-in with anyone before you’d had a chance to fully wake up. 

From the look of it, you’d succeeded. You listened for signs that anyone else was out and about, but all you could hear were the sounds of birds chirping and bugs buzzing, the nature around you having yet to be disturbed by rowdy college students. 

Smoking on the boat the night before had turned out to be a great idea. The group had stayed out till the moon was the only light in the sky, only turning in when none of you could stop yawning. You hadn’t slept that deeply in a long time; it felt amazing to be so rested after a full school year of late nights and early mornings. 

When you finally reached the shower house, you moved to pull the door open to have it swing forward and smack into you. You stumbled backwards, balancing yourself against the wall as you stared wide eyed at the person who’d nearly knocked you over. 

“Whoa, sorry,” Ryan rushed apologetically, “I didn’t think anyone else would be up this early.”

“That’s okay,” you gulped, “I didn’t think anyone else was awake, either. I wanted the showers to myself.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” he chuckled, running a hand through his wet hair, “I’m all finished though, so it’s all yours.”

“Thanks,” you giggled, “how was the water pressure?”

“Honestly?” He shrugged. “Better than I expected, but not great.”

“Lovely,” you sighed, slinging your towel over your shoulder. Ryan dragged his eyes down your frame quickly, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. You blushed as you realized that you were still in your pajamas. At least they were somewhat cute, little blue shorts with rubber duckies printed all over them and a plain white tank top. 

The two of you were quiet for a moment, switching places so you were standing in the threshold of the shower house. He was too cute, sleepy eyes squinting in the sun as it grew brighter out.

“So, um, I was thinking of checking out this hiking trail today,” he blurted, cheeks tinted red, “Archie was going to come with me, but he drank his weight in white claw last night, so I’m thinking he might be too hungover to stomach it.”

“Where’s the trail?” You questioned. 

“It’s on the other side of the lake, about two miles north. We were just gonna borrow a couple bikes from the shed,” he explained, playing with his hair some more, “but anyway, I was like, well, I was wondering if maybe you would wanna join me. I’d hate to go alone.”

“I’d love to!” You said eagerly. When he smirked at your excitement, you tried to play it cool. “I mean, uh, yeah. That sounds like it could be fun.”

“Great,” he chuckled, “I was thinking of leaving around eleven, gives us time to relax and have some breakfast. The trail itself should only take a couple hours, but there are a few detours I wanted to see. Is that cool with you?”

“Sounds awesome,” you nodded. 

“Fantastic. I’ll find you in a bit?”

You nodded, bidding him farewell as he made his way back to the guest cabin. The moment the door shut behind you, you let out a quiet squeal. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours, and already you had a date with a cute boy. Plus, you were genuinely interested in the hiking trail; if it was anything like the forest around the cabin, it was sure to be gorgeous. 

Ryan was right about the shower pressure. It was enough to make you feel clean and refreshed, but certainly left much to be desired. At least there was hot water. 

By the time you made it back to your room, Charlie was up and about, playing upbeat music on her phone speaker and digging her toothbrush out of her bag. 

“I can’t believe I forgot to brush my teeth last night,” she pretended to gag, “I literally passed out so hard. Didn’t even hear you get up this morning.”

“It was a long night,” you laughed, feeling amused as you watched her flit around the room to get ready for the day.

“And it’s gonna be another long day,” she sighed, “long, but fun. Olivia and I were gonna tan on the docks for a bit, if you wanna join?”

“Actually,” you tried to act nonchalant, “Ryan and I are going on a hike.”

You sat on the corner of the bed, sucking your lips into your mouth to keep your giddy smile at bay. You were really excited though, and Charlie seemed like just the right person to gush to.

“Ryan, huh?” She said, face scrunching up in confusion. “I would’ve thought you’d want to spend as much time with Harry as possible.”

You widened your eyes, letting out a loud burst of laughter that had you wheezing. “Harry? No way!”

“You and him aren’t a thing, then?” She asked, zipping her suitcase shut. “He was asking after you at the bonfire yesterday, and then insisted that he should check on you when you didn’t come down.”

A frown formed on your face. You specifically remember him saying that he’d just been using the restroom. Why would he want to check up on you, anyway? Surely he was just using it as an excuse to bother you. It was his favorite activity, after all. 

“Well, no, we’re not a thing,” you said firmly.

“Ryan’s cute, too,” Charlie shrugged, “James and I had a moment yesterday, too, so hopefully we both get our cute summer romance this week.”

“Ooooh, James?” You waggled your eyebrows, happy to change the subject. Charlie flushed, biting down on her lip.

The two of you gossipped for a while longer, with Charlie organizing all of her belongings while you lounged on the bed. It was nice chatting with her; you weren’t the closest, but you’d always gotten along really well. 

New romance, new friends, sunshine and nature. You could already tell that this was going to be a week to remember.

~~~

By the time you made your way into the kitchen, almost everyone had already had breakfast. Dishes were piled high in the small sink, streaks of what looked like pancake batter smeared across the countertop. You hated when people didn’t clean up after themselves, but you chose to ignore it for now. 

What you couldn’t ignore, however, was Harry, who was sitting by himself at the table. He was also pouring a bowl of cereal, which wouldn’t have been a problem if your name wasn’t written across the box in black sharpie. 

“Is that your cereal, Harry?” 

You had a hand planted on your hip, eyebrows raised expectantly as you awaited his answer. He lazily glanced up from his phone, looking you over from head to toe before shrugging. 

“Dunno, found it in the cupboard,” he muttered, jamming a spoonful into his mouth.

“Interesting, interesting,” you droned, biting the inside of your cheek, “did you stop for a moment to think that it might belong to somebody else?”

He shrugged again, not bothering to look away from his phone this time as he chewed slowly. You could tell he was holding back a smirk from the way his dimple indented into his cheek. He knew what he was doing, he always did.

With a huff, you walked over to him and snatched the box off of the table, turning it around and pointing at your name in bold letters. 

“I wish you’d asked,” you snapped, opening the cabinet with more force than necessary to grab a bowl. 

“Just figured we were all sharing food,” you heard him say. 

You wanted to rip his breakfast out from under him, anything to get a reaction, but you just took a deep breath insead. Getting you worked up is exactly what he wanted, and you’d never give him the satisfaction

“If you’d read your sister’s e-mail, you’d know that any food that isn’t labelled is up for grabs. That cereal has my name on it.”

“Sorry,” he shrugged again, “I don’t really look at my e-mail.”

“Clearly,” you rolled your eyes.

He didn’t respond, and even though your skin was crawling with irritation, you figured it was best if you stopped talking. Even though he was being a pest, this behavior was relatively tame for him, and it would be a shame to ruin a perfectly good morning with a fight.

Well, that’s what you told yourself before you opened the fridge. 

“Harry,” you warned through gritted teeth, “did you finish off the milk… and then put the empty carton back?”

“No,” he locked his phone, crossing his arms over his chest and grinning, “there are a few drops left in there.”

That was it. The absolute last straw. 

“You are literally the most inconsiderate person I’ve ever met,” you seethed, shaking the empty carton in his direction before throwing it into the recycling bin. It didn’t seem to phase him.

“I think-”

“I don’t really care what you think,” you interrupted. 

“-that you’re being dramatic.”

You were scowling so hard that your cheeks were beginning to hurt, but you couldn’t help it. Not when he was pushing your buttons in all the wrong ways. You dumped your bowl of dry cereal back into the box.

“I’m not being dramatic,” you hissed, “you’re just being a dick, but what else is new.”

“You really need to calm down,” he snorted, “a bunch of us were going to break out the kayak and race across the lake, do you wanna join?”

You weren’t sure where he’d gotten the idea that you’d want to spend more time with him, so you just shot him a dirty look, deciding to just skip breakfast. Sure, you were starving, but anything was better than spending one more second in Harry’s presence. 

“I have other plans,” you snarled, turning your back to him and leaving the room. 

“Really?” He asked, following you down the hallway. “Do they involve… I dunno, pulling the giant stick out of your ass?”

You practically growled, stopping so suddenly that Harry nearly ran into you.

“No,” your voice was strained, “Ryan asked me to go hiking with him, if you must know.”

For the first time all morning, the unbearable smirk on his face dropped into a frown. 

“Just the two of you?” He prodded. 

You narrowed your eyes at him. Why was he suddenly so interested? 

“Yes, just the two of us,” you sighed, turning to walk away again, “now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to be as far away from you as possible.”

He didn’t follow you this time, but you could feel him watching you go up the stairs. It bothered you to no end that he could get you so riled up. Next time, you would walk away at the first sign of trouble, because he truly wasn’t worth your energy. 

Once you finished packing up a drawstring backpack with the hiking essentials, it was just about to time to meet Ryan, so you made your way over to the guest cabin. On the way there, you saw Harry pulling a kayak off of a metal rack, passing it to James like it weighed nothing. He looked a bit ridiculous, with his tie-dye shirt and a bandana in his hair.

“Hey,” you jumped at Ryan’s voice, “you ready to head out?”

You didn’t spare Harry a second glance when Ryan started raving about this amazing waterfall that he wanted to see. The day could only go up from here.

~~~

The rain had come out of nowhere. 

It had been blue sky for miles for the entire hike, but the second you got back to the bikes at the trailhead, dark stormclouds had already started sprinkling. It had quickly turned into a downpour, soaking through your thin t-shirt in record time. Ryan wasn’t much better off as he pulled his helmet off, hair matted down on the top of his head. 

Not to mention, it had been extremely buggy. Even with bug spray, they had been relentless. You were sure you had at least twenty bug bites all down your arms and legs. 

Despite everything, you’d enjoyed yourself. You’d stayed out even longer than you planned, sitting by the waterfall and chatting. As soon as Ryan found out that you skipped breakfast, he’d given you half of his sandwich. He’d been a complete gentleman, taking your hand frequently to help you over a rough part of the trail, and even though neither of you specified, it felt like a date. 

Conversation with him was easy, which was a major improvement from your awful morning. In fact, you barely even thought about Harry all afternoon, so distracted by Ryan and his nature commentary. The only time he’d come up was when you stopped for lunch.

“So what’s the deal with you and Harry?” Ryan had asked.

“Ugh,” you’d snarled, taking a pull from your water bottle “can we talk about literally anything else?”

“Oh,” Ryan had raised his eyebrows, “so, you’re not together?”

Immediately, you had choked on your sip of water, slapping your chest until you stopped coughing. 

“Together?” You guffawed. “What on earth gave you that idea?”

He had blushed crimson, playing with the hair on the back of his head. “He talks about you a lot… and sometimes I notice you watching him.”

His comment had confused you, but you’d shrugged it off, assuring him that you and Harry weren’t, and never would be, together. 

Now, the two of you were ditching your bikes in front of the cabin and sprinting towards the door to escape the awful weather. You found yourself giggling as you stumbled into the kitchen, wet, muddy footprints trailing behind you as you dropped your pack to the ground. It landed with a loud squelch, which only made you laugh harder. 

“I had a lot of fun today,” you said, “I’m really glad you invited me.”

“Really?” He chuckled, catching his breath. “I thought it was a bit of a disaster, between the mosquitos, the rain… the mud….”

You both laughed, shaking your heads at your bad fortune. You were being truthful about having fun, though. Even though the day hadn’t gone according to plan, it was exactly the kind of adventure you’d wanted.

“Whatever,” you shrugged coyly, “I had good company.”

Ryan’s cheeks flushed crimson, and a sweet smile crept up his face. Even with mud caked across his neck, pine needles in his hair, and angry pink bug bites down his arms and legs, he still managed to look adorable. When his eyes darted down to your lips, you stepped forward.

“I’m really glad we’re both on this trip,” he said softly, placing a hand on your waist.

“Me too,” you whispered, leaning in closer. 

Just as your lips were a hair away from brushing together, a crash from behind you had you jumping apart in alarm. You yelped loudly, your heart stopping for a beat before you spun around to face the culprit. 

Of course it was Harry. 

The first thing you noticed was his sunburn; all he was wearing was a pair of light gray sweatpants, so you could see how pink his chest had gotten. He resembled a deer in headlights as he stared at the floor below him, which was currently covered in the broken remnants of a shattered plate.

“Sorry,” he slurred, tip-toeing out from where the ceramic shards had scattered. Once he was clear, he stumbled over to the broom closet, swinging it open harshly as you and Ryan watched on awkwardly. After digging for a few seconds, he emerged with a broom and dustpan that looked like they were older than you.

“You scared us,” you bit out, heart finally slowing down to a normal rate. 

“Oops,” his shoulders lifted in a shrug, He turned to start sweeping, but quickly did a double take. “What hap-… you guys look horrible. Why are you covered in mud?”

Irritation took over you as you watched him gape drunkenly at where you and Ryan were standing. Not only had he interrupted what was sure to be an epic kiss with Ryan, but then he’d nearly given you a heart attack by sneaking in and dropping the plate. Sure, it was an accident, but that didn’t make you feel any less angry. And now here he was, telling you that you looked horrible.Your foot started tapping against the floor rapidly on its own accord. 

Just as you were about to chew him out for being a complete thorn in your side, he stumbled forward and hissed, lifting his bare foot into the air. 

“Harry, you’re stepping on glass,” Ryan warned, rushing forward with a worried expression over his face, “and you’re barefoot. Why don’t you start getting ready for bed… I’ll clean this up, okay?”

He took the broom from Harry, shooing him away from the mess. You knew it was the responsible thing to do, but part of you was still disappointed that your moment with Ryan had been ruined.

“Will you help me up the stairs?” Harry asked you sheepishly, half-limping over to you, “can’t get the glass out of my foot….”

“Well, don’t try to take it out here,” you sighed with an eye roll, “let’s go up. We’ll have to clean it, too.”

“Aww, y’gonna take care of me?” He smirked.

“Don’t push your luck,” you snapped. He held his hands up in surrender, but you still wanted to slap the smug look off of his face. You turned to Ryan, who was still sweeping the plate shards into a pile, and shook your head apologetically. “See you tomorrow?”

He nodded, a sad little smile on his face. You made yourself a promise that you’d kiss him next time you were alone. It was only the second day, after all; you were positive that you’d find another moment. For now, though, you had to deal with a certain drunken fool, who was currently limping down the hall, tripping every other step as he tried to grip the wall for support. 

“Hold on, you dimwit,” you sighed, rushing forward and slipping a hand around his waist. 

“Ooh, we’re getting cosy,” he hummed. You weren’t going to dignify him with a response.

Harry’s skin was warm to the touch, a bit sticky with sunscreen but still smooth. You tried to ignore the shock that ran through you when you felt his back muscles shift… you knew he was in good shape, but you hadn’t expected him to be so… firm. Your mouth went dry.

He leaned practically his entire weight on you, nearly forcing your knees to buckle. Fortunately, you were able to find your balance and walk with him, taking one stair at a time.

“Now who’s being dramatic,” you muttered.

“What’s that s’posed to mean?” Harry slurred, frowning in your direction. He had one arm slung over your shoulder, and the other hand gripping the railing as he hopped on one foot.

“You called me dramatic this morning,” you reminded him, “and now here you are, needing help up the stairs because of a teeny piece of glass….”

“Heeeey,” he protested, stopping in his tracks to look down at you properly. 

A scoff escaped you as you rolled your eyes, gesturing for him to continue hopping. You were nearly at the top now.

“Is there a first aid kit somewhere?” You asked, relieved when he removed his arm.

“Yeah,” he scratched at his head, “I packed one, but it’s still in my room.”

Honestly, you were a bit surprised that Harry packed a first aid kit. You’d never stricken him as the responsible type; Callie had always seemed more put together despite being younger. 

You followed his hobbling figure into his room, which was much cleaner than you expected. He clearly hadn’t changed it much since he was young, evidenced by the lego figurines lined up on his shelves. There was also a cute framed photo of him and Callie at her high school graduation, which was admittedly adorable. 

Getting the splinter out of Harry’s foot hadn’t been a problem, but cleaning it was another story. First, he insisted that he could do it himself, but then he accidentally got neosporin all over his bedsheets. Then, he wouldn’t stop flinching away from you when you tried to stick on the bandage, claiming that he was ticklish. 

“Can you please just cooperate,” you sighed. 

“Can’t help that it tickles,” he giggled, twitching away from your hand again, “your hands are too soft.”

If he pulled away from you one more time, you’d rip your hair out. This was not how you foresaw ending your night.

Eventually, finally, he stayed still long enough for you to finish. You glared at him as you gathered up the bandage wrapper and used alcohol wipe. He was gazing at you with wide eyes, bandana slightly crooked on top of his head.

“Did I interrupt something downstairs?” He asked all of a sudden, sheepishly looking out the window.

“Yeah,” you exhaled, shaking your head in frustration. “You know, Harry? I don’t understand what I did for you to hate me so much.”

He squinted his eyes in confusion, as if he had no idea what you were talking about. As if he hadn’t spent countless hours intentionally getting on your nerves. 

“What’re you talking about?”

“Please,” you laughed sarcastically, “It hasn’t even been two full days here, and you’ve already called me a wet blanket, eaten my food, and ruined the end of my date. You do nothing but antagonize me… why?”

He opened and closed his mouth several times, and it was then that you remembered how truly drunk he was. He probably wouldn’t even remember this in the morning. You don’t know why you’d asked him about it in the first place.

“I mean, I…” He stuttered, apparently unable to articulate his thoughts. 

Truthfully, you didn’t even want to know.

“Maybe we should just stay away from each other,” you told him, “I’m not a huge fan of you, and you clearly have a problem with me….”

He looked completely taken aback.

“Just… go to sleep, okay?” You pinched the bridge of your nose. “I left the painkillers out, so… take those in the morning if you want.”

You were waiting for him to say something, but he just sat there, silently gaping at you with cloudy eyes, so that’s how you left him. He was still staring at you when you fleetingly made eye contact on your way out the door, but didn’t say a single word.

From what you knew about him, that was out of character. He always had something to say, another jab, another comeback, absolutely never letting you have the last word. And his eyes… the way he’d been staring at you, like he was offended and guilty and confused. You’d never seen him look like that before. 

As you got ready for bed, you tried to shake the entire interaction off. He was drunk, he probably had no idea what you were saying. The entire conversation wouldn’t even matter in the morning. 

Yet, for some reason, the image of his wide eyes and crooked bandana were all you thought about until you drifted off to sleep.

~~~

If you made it this far, thank you! What do we think? Any thoughts, theories, questions, comments? Let me know! Until next time, xoxoxoxoxox Tile

[thegirlwhorunswithwinchesters]

Calm After the Storm

Summary: A storm brings back memories, and an unexpected gift.

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of past injury, anxiety, fluff.

Word count: 2.2K

Prompt: ‘Trampoline That Got Sucked Up in a Tornado’

A/N: This is for the Unfic Challenge from @spnfanficpond​ It’s my first time participating in a challenge and I had so much fun turning this prompt into the oneshot it’s become!

Beta: @princessmisery666​

|| JJ’s Masterlist ||

(gif)

An uneasy feeling took hold of you when the bare lightbulb above your head started flickering. It was simply a reminder that big storms had an influence on the town’s electricity, but you couldn’t help seeing it as a bad omen of sorts. As if every flicker went paired with a whispered warning.

Brace yourself. Brace yourself.

And so you did.

Dean had his arms wrapped around you, and at the feeling of your body tightening, he dipped his head to bring his lips to your ear. “You’re okay,” he whispered.

He was trying to soothe you but all you could do was whimper in response. “I hate this.”

Dean didn’t miss a beat. “I know, sweetheart.” One of his hands was in your hair, gently stroking. The other cupped your cheek and lifted your head so your eyes met. “I’m sure it’s not gonna be much longer.”

You knew he was right. Through the anxiety fogging your brain, you could grasp at some common sense. It told you to listen for the wind, or any other sounds coming from outside. The worst was over, you could tell.

It should have calmed you more, but you were still on edge. Ever since the storm a year before, the biggest one in a decade, you were a wreck whenever the weather reports said another was on its way.

Tornados weren’t uncommon where you lived. You were actually more used to them than Dean had been when you moved to this town. Unlike you, he hadn’t grown up in the area and dealt with extreme weather conditions like these for as long as he could remember.

However, your advantage had vanished the moment you got hurt during another one of those storms. It was right after you and Dean moved into the neighborhood. Most houses had still been under construction and it had been a loose wooden beam from one of those constructions that gave you the scare of your life.

You had been cleaning up in the kitchen, when a strong gust of wind forced the beam through the window you were standing only a few feet away from. The impact had shattered both the glass and your left shoulder.

Throughout your recovery, you had seen Dean go from feeling horrified, to being haunted by a heavy dose of guilt you failed to talk him out of, and, eventually, to being overtaken by a sense of determination that had led him to build a storm cellar in your backyard.

One in which you were currently hiding out once again.

“Las Vegas,” Dean spoke quietly into the dimly lit room. “Weekend trip, two years ago.”

Your mind needed a few seconds to catch up, but then you realized what he was doing. It was a game he had invented the first time you were hiding out in the storm cellar. A way to distract you from the fear wrapping tightly around your throat. He would mention a happy memory you two shared, and then you would take turns sharing a specific moment you loved most about it.

This time, you couldn’t respond. You were already finding it hard to focus again, and your body had started to shiver in Dean’s arms despite him already having taken off his jacket and tightly wrapped you in it earlier.

Dean went first instead, he wasn’t giving up. “You wanted to go on that hike,” he said, voice low and soothing. “I remember thinking, ‘A hike, really? There’s so many things to do in this city and she wants to go trekking in the desert?’”

You closed your eyes as you focused on his voice and the rhythm of his hand still stroking your hair.

“But then that sunset happened and the shades of orange light hit your face in a way that knocked the damn ground out right from under me. Even winning the biggest jackpot in town that night wouldn’t have compared to the way I felt when I looked at you on top of that hill.”

Dean kissed your forehead and you nuzzled into his neck. His breath was hot on your cheek, sending the first good kind of shivers down your back since entering the cellar.

“The first night.” Your voice was merely a whisper. You were afraid it would break if you attempted to speak any louder. “You spilled your drink at the restaurant and after you had left for the bathroom to get cleaned up, I heard the people at the table next to us talk about how they thought you peed your pants.”

For a moment, nothing could be heard but the wind outside. Then, Dean’s chest started rumbling beneath yours. His hearty laugh startled you at first, but then you found yourself joining in with a careful chuckle of your own.

“That’s your favorite part of the whole trip?” he asked, but he didn’t sound at all offended. Knowing Dean, he was probably just happy his distraction tactic had proven to be a success once again.

“Well,” you mumbled, already sitting up a bit straighter and feeling less like simply trying to breathe was using up all your energy, “there was also that thing we did afterwards, in the hotel room…”

Dean’s goofy grin sent surges of electricity through your body that made your heartbeat flicker like the lightbulb above your heads. He reached out to pull your face closer to his but right as your lips were about to touch, he paused.

“Listen,” he whispered.

You did as told and immediately understood what he was trying to tell you. Silence. That was all you could hear as the two of you held your breath. The storm outside had to have settled down enough for the noise to have stopped.

“Should-” You licked your lips because they had suddenly gotten dry at the realization you might be heading out into the open. “Should we go back to the house?”

“Only if you’re ready,” Dean said softly, sitting back a bit to give you room to breathe.

You took a moment to think about it. Of course you wanted to stay in the bunker for as long as possible, because you wanted to feel safe as long as possible. But if the storm was over, if the two of you could go into the house again, you’d rather spend the rest of the day there.

Dean stirred when you stayed quiet. “How about I go first?” he suggested gently. He was already moving away from you when he saw the worried look in your eyes. “I’ll only be a minute,” he assured you, placing his hand on yours for just a moment. “Promise.”

You nodded and squeezed his hand before he pulled it away. Within the next few seconds, Dean had gone up the steps and you were left alone. In the dim lighting, you could see your own fingers trembling.

At first you thought it would be a good idea to start counting. After all, Dean had said he would only need a minute. Though you knew that shouldn’t necessarily be taken literally, you thought counting to sixty might help keep you from going stir crazy.

You had to start over a few times because unhelpful thoughts, fueled by worry, tried taking over your brain. You had barely gotten to fifty after the third try when the sound of the latch opening almost made you jump out of your skin.

Light poured into the room and Dean’s head appeared in the opening at the top of the steps. He was smiling at first but when he saw you, hunched over and trembling, his face fell.

You closed your eyes and sighed in relief at the sight of him unhurt. His heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs and then he was next to you again. Arms wrapping around your body, hands covering yours. You could feel him trying to pry your fingers open and you opened your eyes in surprise at the realization you were clenching your hands into fists.

You blinked a few times, looking at the crescent moon imprints in the palms of your hands, where your nails had dug in deep. Dean brushed his large fingers over them, and though his skin was rough, the feeling was soothing.

Dean didn’t say anything, just held you until you eased up again. And that’s when you realized he had left the ledge open. There was still light pouring in, as well as the sound of the wind blowing outside. You took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air.

“It’s all good up there,” Dean finally spoke, his lips so close to your ear you could feel his breath tickle your skin. You weren’t sure that was the reason you got chills, or if it was the thought of going up. But you trusted Dean. If he said it was safe, you would follow him.

You didn’t let go of his hand as the two of you left the bunker. Dean closed the latch behind you while you took a moment to let your eyes adjust to the natural lighting. You took a look around the yard. The place was a bit of a mess. Some of the backyard furniture Dean had tried to secure before the storm, had gotten loose and made its way across the lawn. There was a bunch of trash that had blown over. And there, turned on its side, leaning against the back porch, was something else that didn’t belong in your yard.

“Is that…” you started, a frown on your face.

Dean turned around and followed your gaze. “Yup!” he said, a bit too excitedly for your taste. “Must’ve blown over from one of the neighbors’ backyards.”

You took in the giant trampoline and imagined it being forced up into the air and across multiple properties. The thought of such a dangerous thing caused you to shiver for the umpteenth time that day. Dean noticed and wrapped and arm around you, pulling you close against his warm body.

“Let’s get you inside,” he offered, already leading you over to the backdoor. “I’ll clean up out here. You look like you might enjoy a little nap.”

“That’s just your way of saying I look like crap, isn’t it?” you guessed while making your way through the hallway and up the stairs.

All you could hear was the sound of Dean’s laugh as he disappeared into the kitchen, but it was enough to answer your question.

You woke up feeling relaxed. All stress and anxiety from earlier seemed to have been erased from your muscles and mind. Turning over onto your other side, you spotted the empty teacup on your nightstand.

Dean had come up before you had fallen asleep, to bring you some calming chamomile tea, before he headed into the yard to tidy up. He always knew exactly how to take care of you.

You smiled at the thought of how lucky you were to have a man like Dean in your life, but your face fell the moment you had made your way downstairs and into the backyard. Despite knowing the storm was over, you felt uneasy at the sight of the dark sky. Your hair was swept up by a gust of wind and you shivered.

An unfamiliar sound made you turn your head to the left. There was that trampoline again, the one you noticed earlier before heading into the house. And from the looks of it, the journey which had led it into your yard, hadn’t caused any damage.

It was standing on its steel legs now, looking steady, and creaking steadily every time Dean landed in the middle of the surface, only to be launched back into the air. He twirled and did a backflip before his eyes finally landed on you and he stilled himself.

Dean was smiling from ear to ear, and as you walked closer, you noticed his eyes were twinkling with excitement. He walked over to the edge of the trampoline carefully and held out his hand for you.

“C’mon, give it a try,” he coaxed.

You looked up at him with uncertainty, and there was that beautiful smile again. It made you feel warm inside, chasing away every last bit of anxiety that was left.

The first bounce felt a little unsteady. You needed a moment to get used to it. The last time you jumped on a trampoline was so long ago, you couldn’t even remember when it had been exactly.

Dean joined in after a minute of letting you find your balance.

The two of you laughed and bounced around each other. At some point, Dean came down at the exact time you did, causing you to be thrown up into the air even higher. You squealed happily, closing your eyes as you felt weightless, like you could fly.

You both felt like little kids again. Everything else was long forgotten. The storm, the cellar and the tension. You were free of worry, without a care in the world.

[renaerys]

PPG One-Shot: You Going to Todd’s? (Brick/Blossom)

My Powerpufftober fic! Still rocking the high school AU for this, so consider it a part 5 to the Shooketh, Not Stirred series. As always, can be read alone, but happens in the same universe as part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4. This is also posted on my AO3.

Summary: Brick and Blossom go on a Halloween scavenger hunt. It sucks.

xxx

Blossom checked her watch for the fourth time in ten minutes. It was already a quarter past 9 p.m., her Frankentini was going flat in its plastic neon martini glass, and she was starting to regret coming to Todd’s overhyped Halloween party at all.

“Oh, hey Blossom,” said Harry Pitt, ferrying three bright glasses of the same watered down mixed drink Blossom was too preoccupied to enjoy. “You hanging out?”

Blossom smiled politely. “Hi, Harry. Just waiting for someone.”

Harry’s extra padded shoulders slumped in his pinstripe mafia boss costume. “Oh, let me guess.”

Blossom frowned, a reply on the tip of her tongue, but she bit it when precisely at that moment, Brick stormed through the front door like he was running from a zombie horde and desperate for a weapon. Todd himself spread his arms with a “What, your hairdresser keep you late?” and was almost mowed down with a cursory “Shut up, Todd.” Curiously, Brick made a beeline for the unpopulated second floor. He didn’t even see the other high school Seniors who barely dodged his path. Todd grimaced in his fake vampire fangs and chugged the rest of his beer. “Cool, catch up with you later, bruh!” he said, but no one was listening.

“Sorry, I have to go.” Blossom didn’t have time to feel bad about Harry’s dejected sigh as she ditched her drink and followed Brick upstairs. The Spotify Halloween playlist booming in the speakers faded to a low bass din as Blossom rounded the corner in the upstairs hallway. “Brick?” she called, a little annoyed.

No text, no call. He could have at least told her he’d be late so she could have timed her arrival better. With a mouthful of grievances and a heart full of him, she pushed open the lighted bathroom door at the end of the dark hall. “Brick, did you hear me calling—”

A fluttery and spine-chilling laugh slithered past the crack in the door and sank into her flesh like a snake bite. It arrested her where she stood halfway over the threshold, shackled in the throes of a very specific terror she could never forget.

Brick stood at the pedestal sink, his fingers attempting to fuse with the porcelain as he gripped it hard enough to crack and stared with manic focus at the mirror. All around them, the lyrical voice reverberated:

“Poor, angry boy, there’s yet no end to your suffering! For this next task, I want you on your knees groveling. Hide your tears And sharpen your shears— To save your brothers, make me a true offering.”

Brick snarled at his reflection, as if his demon might appear there in the mirror to throttle. But there was only him in the glass, furious and frothing under his red hoodie. “You have to be fucking kidding me.”

It took only a moment for Blossom to shake her stupor as instinct and training took over. “Brick,” she said, crossing the small bathroom to touch him.

Red eyes narrowed at her approach until the moment he recognized her beneath her smeared costume lipstick and dark eyeliner. “Blossom?” he rasped. His surprise made sense when she caught a glimpse of her own reflection in the mirror. Crop tops, fake bloodstains, and fishnets weren’t her normal style, but in a parallel nightmare universe perhaps they could have been.

The blushing eighteen-year-old boy in him went straight for her midriff, but his distress stayed his hand. “Fuck.” He rubbed his eyes.

“What’s going on?” she demanded.

“Nothing, just— Let me get in there.” He reached around her to pull open one of the drawers next to the sink in search of something.

“It’s not nothing.”

He didn’t answer as shut the drawer and checked the one below it.

“Brick, hey. You could have called me—”

With a snarl, he slammed the drawer closed and glared at her. “I was a little busy.”

“Talking to Him?” Blossom held his glare like a hand grenade with her thumb through the pin, ready to pull. “I’d never forget that repulsive lilt. Tell me what’s going on.”

He chickened out of answering her and dove for the drawers on the other side of the sink, where he found what he’d been looking for. Blossom barely had time to question the large scissors he’d pulled out before his hood was down and his man bun toppled into the sink with all the finality of a guillotined head.

Blossom gasped. “Brick!”

Somber as a corpse, he fished out his shorn bundle of hair from the sink, and Blossom watched as it burst into flame in his palm. Smoke curled through his fingers and rose high above them in an angry, red miasma. Its stink was saccharine and brought tears to Blossom’s eyes.

And then, it moved. In swirling, bloody tendrils, it slithered through the cracks above the bathroom door and down the hall as though it had a destination in mind.

“Oh, shit.” Brick dashed after it, and Blossom dashed after him down the stairs. His hand was hot in hers when she caught it and yanked him back. The split second in which their eyes met was an eon of understanding, bone-deep and cauldron-brewed. He looked like he’d seen a ghost. He looked like he needed a friend.

“I’m coming with you,” she said.

“Blossom,” he tried to argue.

“I’m coming with you.”

“Blossom, hey babe, wanna flip some cups on my team?” Todd sidled up to Blossom with a stack of solo cups. Then he noticed Brick’s serrated haircut. “Buddy, what the shit happened to your hair?”

“Please go away,” Blossom said at the same time as Brick said, “Choke on my dick.”

She grimaced at Brick’s vulgarity, but Todd took a step back. Before he could snap back, he noticed the red smoke wafting through his house out the open window. “Oh shit, fire?”

“There’s a fire?!” someone else exclaimed, and panic ensued.

Blossom was about to intervene when Brick snatched her hand and dragged out the front door. “Where did it go?” he said, squinting in the dark.

Blossom swallowed her instinct to calm down her fellow partygoers (there was no fire, they’d be fine, surely…) and looked around for the demonic smoke. “There! It’s heading east.” She rose into the air to fly after it, but paused when she noticed Brick hadn’t followed her. Instead, he jogged down Todd’s cul-de-sac toward the main road. “What are you—hey!”

She landed on the ground in front of him, cutting off his dash. He tried to go around her, but she easily blocked him. It was like he wasn’t even trying to move past her, unless…

“You’re powerless,” she said.

That was the wrong thing to say. “It’s just a temporary setback,” he said in the same choke-on-my-dick tone he usually reserved for Todd.

When he tried to get around Blossom again, she put her booted foot down and cracked the asphalt. He didn’t try to pass her again. “I’m not going to ask you again.” Then, more gently: “Please, let me help you.”

The last of Brick’s petulant pride dissolved to ashes just like his ruined hair she knew he loved, and yet he’d viciously cut it off anyway. Hesitant, yet stubbornly determined, he held her gaze. “It’s Him. He’s fucking with me. Sapped my powers and said my brothers and I will pay the ultimate price unless I solve this idiotic scavenger hunt by midnight.”

“…Wow.”

“Yeah, so it’s not like I have much of a choice.”

Blossom cupped his cheek. His chopped hair was not a total disaster, but it needed cleaning up. All that time he’d spent growing it out again…

Brick sucked in a sharp breath at her tender touch. He was as rigid as a pole, gritting his teeth hard enough to shatter. Blossom’s gaze hardened, and an old but fierce fire ignited in her Super-powered veins. “We’ll beat Him’s game. I promise you. Nothing’s going to happen to you or your brothers.”

Brick let his eyes fall closed as he touched his hand to hers, and that was probably the most intimacy she was going to get out of him in the middle of a murder-y scavenger hunt on Halloween. Maybe after they booted Him back to whatever pit he’d been living in all these years she could salvage what should have been a fun, romantic date with her sort-of boyfriend.

Blossom cleared her throat. “So, evil limericks?”

Brick just groaned from the bottom of his tortured soul. He took her hand and led the way after the demonic smoke before they could lose its trail. The smoke led them to Townsville High School a few blocks from Todd’s, specifically to the annual haunted house experience the Senior class spearheaded every year. Plenty of students dressed in their ghoulish finery crowded in the lawn socializing and lining up to take a turn through the haunted house.

Bubbles was on duty as part of the social committee in charge of managing the exhibit. When she spotted Brick and Blossom headed for the cafeteria door that had been transformed into the haunted house’s black-curtained foyer, she bounced over to them. “Hey, I didn’t expect to see you guys here tonight! I thought you were going to Todd’s. Wait, Brick, did you cut your hair?”

“It’s a long story,” Blossom said.

“Whoa! Slow down. You can’t go inside without a costume.” Bubbles blocked Brick’s single-minded steamroll inside after the last of the curling, red smoke slithered past.

“Bubbles, move,” Brick spat.

“No way. You can be a party pooper at Todd’s all you like, but you’re not bringing any of that into my super scary haunted house that I spent all day decorating.”

“I swear to god—”

“Bubbles, do you have any eye liner?” Blossom interrupted before Brick could say something to her sister she would make him regret for the rest of his life.

Bubbles, dressed in glam trash Powerpunk solidarity with her sisters for the night in fishnets and glitter, grinned as she dug in the pockets of her spider web-patterned black tutu. “Great idea, Blossom! C’mere, you.”

“What—hey!” Brick was literally powerless to stop Bubbles from manhandling him into a quick makeover. “There, it’s purr-fect!”

Despite the possibility of Brick’s gruesome end by satanic evisceration looming at the end of the night, Blossom could not help but laugh at the cute nose and whiskers that transformed Brick from grumpy boy to grumpy cat.

The flash on Bubbles’ phone went off.

“Hey!” Brick was redder in the face than his ruined hair.

Bubbles preened as she easily danced out of Brick’s reach before he could nab her phone and delete the evidence. “You look so cute!”

Brick turned to Blossom as his final saving grace, but there were tears in her eyes as she tried to pull herself together. “I’m so sorry, but she’s totally right. You look very cute right now.”

“Fuck this,” he grumbled, bright as a tomato as he shoved past a floating Bubbles and stormed inside the haunted house.

“Oh no—Brick, wait!” Blossom tried to tone down her giggles as she ran after him. “Bubbles, come on, this is actually serious.”

The sisters headed inside to a spooky banshee screams playlist past Ms. Keane’s bubbling cauldron and the football team zombified in a cardboard graveyard, until finally Mr. Green welcomed them to the final stop with a frightful flourish. “Step on up, boys and girls. See your future, if you dare. Mwahahahaha!”

Brick took one look at the over-eager demon teacher and tried to leave. “Maybe I should just let Him kill me while I have some dignity left.”

Blossom caught up to him and slipped her hand in his before he could turn back. The sobering reminder of why they were even here sent a chill all the way to her fingers, and she squeezed his hand in what she hoped was reassurance. “I’m not letting that happen.”

“What’s going on?” Bubbles asked, peering around Blossom’s shoulder.

But Blossom was too preoccupied by the unnatural red smoke swirling around the final, purple-draped room and its sole occupant: Robin Snyder in a truly rocking dead fortune teller costume. “Come in, come in! Let the spirits foretell your Halloween future!”

Bubbles giggled and skipped inside. She planted a very loud, very adorable kiss on Robin’s head.

“Bubbles, what’re you doing in here? You’re supposed to be on welcome duty!” Robin complained, but she reached for Bubbles’ hand and pulled her down into the chair next to her.

“I wanted to see you, obviously!”

Brick’s hand in Blossom’s squeezed uncomfortably tight, and she soon realized why: the red smoke had descended upon the ouija board set up on Robin’s table and absorbed inside it. Bubbles and Robin did not seem to notice it at all.

“All right, let’s get this shit over with,” Brick said, taking one of the empty seats across the table.

“Wow, such enthusiasm,” Robin said flatly.

Blossom took a seat next to Brick and asked their costumed host, “How does this work?”

“It’s a séance. We’ll ask the spirits what we want to know, and the board will do the rest. Everybody put a hand on the planchette.”

The moment everyone’s hands touched the plastic planchette, red smoke bubbled up from beneath it and swirled around them. In a panic, Robin tried to pull away, but found that she couldn’t. Everyone’s hands were stuck to the planchette.

“What—” Bubbles sputtered, but Him’s cotton candy creep show voice slithered from the smoke and stole her breath:

“This clue is not for the fainthearted: Unearth your next destination uncharted. Absent any confession, To the board pose your question And divine who among you just farted!”

“What the hell was that?!” Robin said at the same time as Bubbles wailed, “Oh nooooo!”

Before Blossom could respond to Robin’s very reasonable question, her arm was yanked across the board still stuck to the planchette: “B”.

Brick’s smoky cat-eyes were wide and slightly manic as he looked at Blossom, and she looked at him. She flushed so badly that she nearly swallowed her own tongue to say, “It wasn’t me!”

“Well, it sure as shit wasn’t me,” he shot back. And then, understanding dawning, they both looked across the table.

“Bubbles?” Blossom said.

“I DON’T WANT TO PLAY THIS GAME ANYMORE!” she screeched.

“Bubbles definitely farted,” Brick deadpanned. He dragged the planchette and everyone’s hands still stuck to it toward the “U” and then back to the “B” until the board spelled out Bubbles’ name. As soon as the planchette settled on the “S”, it released everyone’s hands in time for the heady, red smoke to engulf the board entirely.

Bubbles, distraught, shot out of her chair and covered her eyes in shame.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Robin tried to coax her back down from the high corner she’d flown to. “Come on down from there—Bubbles, really, I can’t even smell anything!”

“You’re just saying that because you love me!” Bubbles complained.

“Oh my god,” Blossom said, too preoccupied with the board to worry about her sister’s mortification. “Is that—”

“A map of the city?” Brick finished her sentence.

The ouija board was transformed into a mini map of Townsville, if a preschooler had drawn it in crayon.

“Here we are at THS.” Blossom pointed her finger to a collection of buildings scribbled in blue crayon. “And here…” She followed a crosshatch path to the edge of the map where a horned, red, devil face sticker grinned up at her. “The cemetery.”

Brick stood up so fast his chair fell over. He stood there for half a second, his face screwed up, and then: “Goddamnit!”

He’d forgotten he couldn’t fly.

“I can carry you.” Blossom held out her hand.

“Is everything okay in here? Robin, the next group is waiting.” Mr. Green poked his horned head through the thick drapes and sniffled. “Ew, what’s that smell?”

“Oh my god!” Bubbles turned beet red and disappeared in a flash of blue, knocking down the rest of the chairs and Brick too, if Blossom hadn’t caught his elbow before he could break his nose on the tiled floor.

“Bubbles! Sorry, Mr. Green.” Robin dashed after her.

“Wait just a minute—”

In the chaos, Blossom let Brick slip out of her grip, and he stormed out the opposite door back outside.  

“What are you doing?” Blossom asked when he stopped at the sidewalk.

“Calling a Lyft.”

“I just said I can fly us both.”

“Hard pass.”

Blossom crossed her arms over her chest. “What’s wrong with it? Flying would be faster, and it’s free.”

“I’m not letting you carry me like some damsel in distress.”

“Honestly, Brick. There’s a demon threatening to kill you and you’re worried about your masculinity?”

“No, I mean—look, this isn’t your problem, okay?”

“You did not just say that to me.”

He scowled so deeply that it should have given her pause, but the painted whiskers somewhat ruined his menace. He clenched his phone hard enough to crack if he’d still had his powers. “I didn’t mean it like I don’t want you here.”

Blossom materialized inches from his face in an unnecessary display of power that nonetheless felt fantastic. “That’s better.”

Brick flushed, but not from anger. When she slipped her hand over his, he eased his grip and relinquished his abused phone.

“That’s better,” she said again, more honey than venom this time.

Like hell was she going to send him off to his possible doom alone, powerless and with a really bad haircut painted like a cat.

“Blossom, I’m—”

Her kiss shut him up, and with it any further excuses to go it alone. And despite his increasingly desperate situation, he kissed her back like he’d never get the chance to again.

A car horn honked. “Hey, are you Brick?” asked an older guy in a Honda Civic with a fuzzy, pink mustache attached to the front bumper.

Brick very briefly broke their make-out session to reply, “No,” and then tightened his arms around Blossom’s waist and got right back to it.

The Lyft driver squinted between the profile picture on his phone and Brick. “Wait, really?”

“Never heard of the guy,” he mumbled against her lips, proving that if she wanted to get something done, she’d have to do it herself.

Blossom rolled her eyes and removed his hands from her. Before he could do anything about it, she hoisted him onto her back and hooked her arms under his knees. “Come on, let’s go thwart your imminent murder.”

The Lyft driver watched them take off in a blur of pink. “Goddamn teenagers.”

He canceled the Lyft order and left Brick a one star rating, which was probably fair.

xxx

When Blossom touched down near the entrance to the graveyard, it was back to business. “How much time do we have?”

Brick checked his phone. “About an hour and a half.”

She jogged to keep up with his longer stride as they made their way deeper into the graveyard. “Okay, that’s plenty of time to figure this out.”

A peal of laughter stopped them in their tracks on the gravel path for the split second it took them both to recognize that particular manic cadence.

“Butch,” Blossom said at the same time as Brick said, “Motherfucker.”

Beyond a small hill near the base of a huge oak tree, Brick’s brothers, Buttercup, and Mike Believe sat among the granite tombstones with a pillowcase full of candy passing a joint around. Buttercup had just blown a smoke ring in the shape of a star.

“Bitch, I’m too stoned for this fucking tongue witchcraft,” Butch said. He made an appropriately chilling sight all in black with his face painted black and white in the design of a skull.

“Hey, can you blow a heart?” Boomer asked.

“You sap.” But Buttercup took another drag and hopped off the tombstone she’d been sitting on. Moonlight glinted off the spikes on her black leather jacket as she reeled back and blew three perfect, concentric hearts from her red-painted lips.

Boomer sat up from his place under Mike’s arm and snapped a picture on his phone. “You officially have the greatest special power out of all of us, no contest.”

Mike laughed and accepted the joint when Buttercup passed it to him. “I’m gonna have to agree with that one.”

“That’s because you’re one hundred percent whipped,” Butch said.

Mike shrugged. “Eh.”

“Buttercup.” Blossom approached her sister. “You’re smoking here? What if someone catches you?”

“Somebody just did,” Boomer said under his breath.

“Damn, Blossom, you girls doing a three-way theme tonight?” Butch slipped off the tombstone he’d been draped over to admire her fishnets and then Buttercup’s matching set. “I like it.”

“Give me that.” Brick took the joint from Mike and snuffed it out under his foot.

“Whoa, whoa,” Mike said. He stood up, and at his full height in a 1920s-style adventurer’s costume, he was a Sight™ to behold, if Blossom was being completely honest.

“Brick, what’s the matter?” Boomer peered around Mike in his homemade mummy costume. “And why the hell are you wearing cat makeup?”

“Oh shit, he is,” Buttercup said with a snort.

Before Brick could lose his temper, Blossom said, “Brick, the clue. We don’t have all night.”

“What clue?” Boomer asked. He peered at them seriously. “What’re you two doing here, anyway?”

“Yeah, I thought you were going to Todd’s,” Mike said.

“Todd’s parties blow,” Buttercup said.

Blossom ignored them. “Something about unearthing a destination uncharted. What could it mean…?”

Brick made for quite the adorable pensive cat as he considered. He seemed to come to the answer at the same time as Blossom.

“No,” Blossom said. “There’s no way.”

“We’re going to have to,” Brick said. “What else could it mean?”

“It’s extremely illegal.”

“Yeah, well, I’m fucking cursed!”

“We can’t dig up a bunch of graves!”

“Wow, so that’s what that creepy limerick meant?” Robin approached the group with Bubbles looking windblown and totally ready to get her hands dirty digging up some goddamned graves.

“Bubbles,” Blossom said. “Look, I’m sorry about before—”

“This is Him’s doing,” Bubbles said flatly. “I recognized the voice when I calmed down and we followed you here. Just tell me what the plan is.”

“Did you say Him?” Boomer said soberly.

Buttercup put her hands up. “Okay, what the fuck is going on?”

Brick pulled down his hoodie and revealed his ridiculous haircut. “This is what the fuck’s going on.”

Boomer looked close to tears at the sight of Brick’s mangled hair.

“Him cursed Brick, and we have to solve a scavenger hunt before midnight or he and his brothers will pay the ultimate price,” Blossom said.

“The ultimate price?” Mike said, aghast.

“What the fuck.” Butch advanced on Brick. “What bullshit did you get us into this time—”

Blossom materialized in between Brick and Butch before the latter could carry out whatever violence he intended. She tapped him hard on the chest, and he stumbled back, probably too stoned to hold his normal balance against her Super strength. “Not today, Butch. Him took Brick’s powers.”

“Shit,” Boomer said. Blue sparks jumped in between his toilet paper-wrapped fists. “Okay, what’s the plan?”

Blossom looked to Brick, who was clearly outnumbered and they both knew it. With a groan, he ran his hands through what was left of his poor hair. “We’ll split up,” he said.

“And do what?” Buttercup said.

“Somewhere here, there’s bound to be a clue left by Him. I know that’s not a lot to go on, but it’s all we’ve got right now,” Blossom said. “Split up and cover as much ground as possible.”

“And what are we looking for?” Robin asked.

“Red smoke, demonic laughter, a general feeling of imminent disembowelment,” Brick said.

Bubbles cracked her knuckles and tightened her pigtails. “The usual, then.”

“Fuckin’ right.” Butch began to crackle with pent up green power.

With four other Supers plus Mike and Robin helping cover ground, Blossom hoped they could at least glean some inkling of what Him’s last clue meant. She stayed with Brick since he didn’t have his powers anymore, and together they wandered deeper into the graveyard. Lampposts along the gravel path cast a saturnine glow amidst the trees, fey and eerie on this most eerie of nights.

“Blossom,” Brick said softly. “If we don’t figure this out before midnight—”

“We will,” Blossom said.

He stopped, and Blossom turned to look back at him. Even powerless, there was a presence in his red eyes, beyond mortal and brimming with fire. Even as enemies, even when she couldn’t stand to breathe the same air as him, she had recognized that counterpoint in him, that tranquil confidence that there was nothing in this world he couldn’t overcome. It was a part of him and no one, not even Him, could take it away.

“But if we don’t,” he pressed.

Blossom’s throat wrenched to see him so calm. Not much scared Brick, not truly, but his softness spoke volumes here where only ghosts could hear them. Go, his eyes entreated her, forget about me and go before it gets you too.

She marched up to him and placed her hand on his chest. Ice froze her breath to mist as her anger clawed its way out of her, and she let him see it. “Then Hell will tremble to watch me drag you back out.”

Brick said nothing. He slipped his hand over hers and curled his fingers. Even now, he was far warmer than anyone she had ever known, and she clung to that certainty.

“Come on,” Blossom said, pulling him along after her. “Let’s solve this so we can go home.”

They followed the floating lamp lights east. Fog gathered at their feet, heavy and strange, but Brick held her hand, and secretly she was grateful not to be alone in such a creepy place. When a laughter they both wished they didn’t recognize reached them on the wind, Blossom’s heart leaped into her throat and she took off running with Brick hot on her heels.

The cachinnation petered out when they came across a man in a grey uniform and hat with a flashlight. “Hey, what’re you kids doing here?”

“We were just—” Blossom began.

“Enough,” Brick said, stepping forward. He put an arm out to block Blossom’s path. “I know it’s you.”

“Brick,” Blossom said.

“Son, I don’t know what you mean,” the graveyard worker said.

Brick ignored him. “I played your shitty game. This is the end. Stop hiding behind that pathetic mask and show yourself.”

The portly graveyard worker dropped his flashlight with a heavy crunch on the gravel. Watery, blue eyes bled to baleful red, and his pasty cheeks stretched to accommodate a smile far too wide for his human face. A low chuckle built deep in his chest like termites in a kicked mound, bubbling up through his throat to bursting.

“H͓̼̯ḭ̠̣d͜i̞᷊̯᷂͜n̨͇͟g̤̱͓,̼͎ a̮m̱̪̫͚͢ I̤̜̗?̨̞ T̨̳̻̜h͚̟̖̜͢a͖̻̠̜͇t̨̹ s͖i̹ṃp̨̟͈͕͢ļy̢͔͜ w̨̱o͈̜̟̠͟n̹̮̖’̳̝t̮ d̪̟̪̝o̹̠.͕̫̙̩”

The booming, sinister voice came from that mouth full of teeth, but it seemed to grow out of Blossom’s bones. She felt it in her lungs, her fingertips, as a tingle on her lips Brick had kissed. And she remembered he was vulnerable, under attack by this very thing standing before them now masquerading in a meat sack.

Well, screw that.

Blossom lowered Brick’s wrist and stepped around him. No matter how hard he pushed against her, he was no match for her power—power she leaked now like gasoline fumes hungry for a spark. The gravel at her feet froze, and her eyes faded to ghastly pink as she faced her childhood nightmare. “Hello, demon,” she said.

“Y̹o̬͟u̢̡̳.”

The lampposts flickered and popped, plunging the earthly ossuary into chilling shadows, but Blossom did not fear the cold. Her fists frosted over as she clenched them, and her step summoned an ice floe in the gravel that bridged the crevasse between her and the coward who dared to haunt Brick and his brothers on her watch.

“Well?” she said. “I’m waiting.”

His meat sack shrank back. This was no child Him was taunting, but a fully realized Super who was no longer afraid of his mind games. He closed that heinous mouth and cleared his throat with a dainty, sausage-fingered hand over his heart, and recited in Him’s more lyrical pitch:

“You’ve served all night at my gracious pleasure. Now the final test to determine your true measure: Find the lady who slumbers In her crypt sunk in umber. X marks the location of my precious treasure.”

No sooner had Him given them their last absurd clue than the graveyard worker seized and fell to his knees. Blossom dashed to catch him before he could injure himself. The man coughed and wheezed as if he’d held his breath for too long.

“What in tarnation…?” he muttered, dazed.

“Sir, you had a dizzy spell. You’re all right now,” Blossom said, clinically calm as she discreetly checked him for signs of blood or other wounds. She found none. “Maybe you should take a break.”

“Who… Hey, you kids shouldn’t be here!”

Brick growled and grabbed Blossom’s elbow to haul her back up. “Let’s go.”

“Take it easy, sir,” Blossom said, and let Brick drag her along before the man could think to call security on them.

When they were out of earshot, Brick whirled on her like he was about to get scary, but she held up a hand for silence.

“Before you get mad, I was just trying to—”

His kiss was not as unexpected as she once may have thought it would be. Feverish, frantic, like a boy about to die in twenty-odd minutes, sure, but not unexpected. “Fuck, Blossom,” he panted when they parted for a breath.

Blossom’s heart swelled at his raw emotion on full display, as rare as it was true, and she almost lost herself in it. But they had work yet to do. She tucked his too-long bangs behind his ear.

“So, a lady who slumbers,” she said. “I’m guessing it’s a special statue.”

“A crypt sunk in umber,” Brick said, licking his lips. “A mausoleum, maybe.”

“That narrows it down, for sure. Must be older if it’s sinking.”

“I saw a map of the cemetery at the entrance.”

Blossom grinned and put her fist in the air. She fired a pink blaster that lit up the night sky and would summon their siblings soon. “Let’s check it out.”

He didn’t complain this time when she carried him on her back for a speedy trip back to the entrance and a quick check of the map. There were four mausoleums in the cemetery.

“Found something, Leader Girl?” Buttercup, Butch, Bubbles, and Robin were the first to catch up to the Reds, and Blossom filled them in just as Boomer returned with Mike.

“Four mausoleums? Sounds like we need to split up again,” Mike said.

“If you find anything, send a signal,” Brick said.

Chance. Brick’s and his brothers’ lives were up to the one-in-four chance that they would find the right crypt. All around them, Him’s lollipop laughter followed them like a demented poltergeist.

“This isn’t it!” Brick slammed a fist against the innermost tomb in their chosen mausoleum. “There’s nothing here.”

Blossom was about to respond to that when a bright, blue spark crackled in the air. Boomer and Mike had found something. “Hurry!”

The mausoleum Boomer and Mike had picked was guarded by a lichen-infested statue of a woman with angel wings in a bed of grassless, brown soil, so dark it could have been umber in daylight. Bubbles, Robin, and the Greens arrived soon after Blossom and Brick charged inside.

“Check it out.” Boomer indicated the innermost tomb carved with two crossed sabers.

“X marks the spot,” Mike said grimly. “Oh crap, it’s almost midnight!”

“Move!” Brick tried to push the crypt open, but it was too heavy for him, so Blossom helped. The heavy stone slab groaned when she pushed it, and a plume of foul, red smoke burst from the opening.

Him’s maniacal laughter rose with the smoke that swirled on the domed ceiling and opened two glowing eyes and a cheshire smile. “My my, cutting it a bit close, aren’t you?”

Bubbles shoved her phone at the unholy miasma. “It’s midnight! We beat your stupid deadline, see?”

“Bubbles, please don’t antagonize the ancient evil,” Robin whispered nervously.

“Technically, Blossom met the deadline since Brick was too weak to open the tomb,” Him crooned.

“You took my powers!” Brick said.

Him’s sinister smile fell. “Oh…did I? My bad. Here you go.”

The red smoke converged on Brick and passed through him with the force of a sword through the gut, and he collapsed to his knees in a circle of fire, gagging. Bubbles and Boomer were lightning fast as they swept Robin and Mike as far away from the conflagration as possible.

“Butch, shield!” Blossom commanded, and Buttercup shoved him so hard he tripped and crashed against his own hastily-erected shield bubble. It contained the explosion of power well enough to keep the mausoleum standing.

“Tsk tsk tsk, this won’t do. All I wanted was to play a little father-son game with you, and you had to drag your girlfriend into it. Parenting is so hard these days. I’ll just have to teach you boys a lesson.”

Blossom’s heart twisted. If Him was truly serious about killing Brick and his brothers, he would have to go through her first.

“Like hell,” Buttercup spat, her fists glowing green.

Brick got to his feet groggily. He looked like he just survived a bad case of seasickness.

Him burst out laughing. “Choice words, Buttercup. Now boys, time to pay the ultimate price!”

The tomb lid slid to the ground on unseen forces, revealing the horror within. Blossom readied her pink blasters, and her sisters did the same. Brick took one look in there and recoiled. “What the fuck—”

When no hellspawn burst from the tomb to attack, Blossom approached and peered over the edge. Inside were hundreds of polaroids of young children in dresses with their hair styled as they posed like Victorian paintings. Blossom reached for one.

Buttercup burst out laughing. “Holy shit, is this you?!” She had two polaroids in her hands as she flapped them in Butch’s face.

“Give me those!” Butch snarled.

“Wow,” Robin said, torn between hysteria and horror as she gawked at a picture of six-year-old Butch with bunny clips in his hair wearing a frilly white dress. “Wait until my therapist hears about this.”

In the picture Blossom had selected, Brick’s hair was expertly braided over his shoulder as he sat on a stone throne surrounded by candelabras and horned skulls in a flowing, white dress. He did not look happy to be there. He looked even less happy to behold this childhood shame years later.

“I burned those,” he said in a voice from beyond the grave to no one in particular.

“I made copies!” Him sang. “And now, all of Townsville will get to see you in your pageantry finest!”

“I’m gonna fucking kill you!” Butch screeched as Buttercup took off flying with a fistful of polaroids laughing her ass off. “Get back here!”

“You know, I think I look pretty cute in these, actually,” Boomer said.

Mike laughed. “Yeah, you totally do.”

“This is what you meant by paying the ultimate price?” Blossom asked the incorporeal demon head floating above them.

Him grinned. “Why, of course. Oh! You didn’t think I would murder my own sons, did you?”

The sinister glint in those yellow eyes told a very different story, one that may have ended poorly if she hadn’t forced Brick to involve her in whatever was going on.

Or maybe Him was just bored of his perpetual existence in a hellish void where a cute photoshoot with his re-spawned Super sons was the most exciting thing that had happened in a millennium, and he was feeling nostalgic.

The tomb erupted in flames all of a sudden when Brick breathed fire over all the polaroids.

Bubbles gasped. “Brick! Those were a work of art, how could you?!”

Brick glared at her with glowing, red eyes. “We’re never speaking of this again. Give me those.” He snatched the photos Robin was holding and burned them too.

Blossom hastily pocketed the picture she’d nabbed of baby Brick before he could notice.

Him disappeared in a swirl of smoke and laughter. “Happy Halloween! Remember to brush your teeth…”

“I can’t believe I came all the way here for this,” Robin said. “Literally, the weirdest shit is always happening to you guys. Can we just have a normal Halloween, like, one time? Just once?”

Boomer laughed. “Tall order, Robin.”

A loud explosion outside told Blossom the Greens’ fighting was going too far, as usual.

“Brick? What’re you doing?” Blossom asked as she and the others followed him outside.

“Helping Butch destroy the evidence your sister stole.” He took off in a blaze of red.

“What a killjoy,” Bubbles pouted.

Blossom bit her lip and revealed her pilfered polaroid. Bubbles’ smile turned downright sinister as she greedily snatched it. “Blossom, I love you.”

“That’s for emergencies only. I mean it, or he’ll kill me.”

Boomer threw an arm around her shoulders and grinned. “Nah, he’d never turn on his girlfriend.”

Bubbles gasped. “Oh my gosh, you’re right!”

Blossom flushed. “But we’re not exactly—”

“Him said it, so it’s gotta be official by now,” Boomer teased.

“Ooh, true. There’s nothing more official than a primordial force of chaos acknowledging your relationship status,” Mike said.

“Hey, you damn kids! You’re not supposed to be here!” shouted the no-longer-possessed groundskeeper from before. He had a shovel that he shook at Brick, Butch, and Buttercup locked in a game of cat and mouse as the brothers tried to reclaim the evidence of their dignity.

“Time to go,” Blossom said.

“Hey, party at Todd’s?” Mike asked.

“Great idea!” Bubbles chirped as she gave Robin a leg up onto her back.

As Blossom found herself back at the same party where she’d begun the night on the sofa next to Buttercup regaling everyone who would listen with the story of Butch’s child beauty pageant past (sans evidence because Brick had managed to burn it, unfortunately), she found her gaze drawn back to Brick. He was up getting them drinks, his haircut cleaned up thanks to Boomer, snickering at something Mike had said.

“Blossom, where are you going?” Bubbles asked when she got up.

“Just going to talk to Brick,” she said. “Officially.”

Bubbles lit up and grabbed the nearest hand to crush her feelings into, which happened to be Butch’s. “What the—ow, woman, let go!”

Brick saw her coming and stared at her growing smile like the baffled teenager he was underneath it all. With all their friends’ eyes on her, she walked right up to him and kissed him in front of everyone.

Let them see, she thought. Let anyone who was watching and biding their time to strike see, and let them try.

Lyrical laughter echoed somewhere on the edges of hearing over their friends’ laudatory cheers and loud calls for celebratory shots, but Blossom tuned it out as she smiled into her kiss.  

xxx

Like Boomer, I am a sap who loves a happy ending. Reds are finally official in this AU?! Took us long enough. Also, I always saw Him as this weird dichotomy of ancient murder-y evil and chaotic good mom. I feel like trolling the Boys would be a favorite past time of his. Might write more Him in the future and explore that more.

Happy Halloween y’all. Get spooky, and stay safe!

[vilullabyy]

Incorrect Quotes Because It’s Fun To Make

The ships in this are Horrorlust, Crossmare, Kreme, Dustberry, Afterdeath and Errink

(because I have no chill and love these ships)

it's all incorrect quotes (no idea what the sources are lol)

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Error: You look nice, I want to kiss you

Ink: What?

Error: I SAID IF YOU DIED I WOULDN'T MISS YOU

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Cross, banging on the door: Nightmare, open up!

Nightmare: Well, it all started when I was a kid...

Horror: No, he meant-

Dream: Let him finish.

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Blue: My boyfriend is too tall for me to kiss him on the lips. What should I do?

Killer: Punch him in the stomach. Then, when he doubles over in pain, kiss him.

Lust: Tackle him.

Geno: Dump him.

Cross: Kick him in the shin.

Dust: NO TO ALL OF THOSE. JUST ASK ME TO LEAN DOWN.

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Geno: Did you eat my powdered doughnuts?

Reaper: *mouth full of doughnuts* no

Geno: Then what's that white powder on your cloak?

Reaper: That's cocaine.

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Killer: *gets down on one knee*

Dream: Oh my stars, it's finally happening.

Killer: *ties shoelace*

Dream, tearing up: He finally stopped wearing fucking crocs.

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Error: How does the Murder Trio get out of these messes?

Nightmare: They don't. They just make a bigger mess that cancels out the first one.

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Ink: I've done a lot of dumb stuff.

Lust: I witnessed the dumb stuff.

Blue: I recorded the dumb stuff.

Cross: I joined you in the dumb stuff.

Geno: I TRIED TO STOP YOU FROM DOING THE DUMB STUFF!

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Killer: It's really muggy out today.

Nightmare: If I go outside and all our mugs are on the front lawn I'm going to kill you.

Killer: *sips coffee from a bowl*

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Lust: There are seven chairs and ten kids. What do you do?

Error: Have everyone stand.

Dream: Bring three more chairs.

Reaper: The most important ones can sit down.

Horror: Kill three.

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Cross, praying: I need someone to be my friend, someone who won't run away from me.

Cross: Maybe send me an angel, the nicest angel you have.

Ink, emerging from a burning dumpster: *laughs manically*

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Dust: We gotta get to the hospital and we gotta get there fast.

Nightmare: Then I should drive.

Horror: Why you?

Nightmare: I have nothing to live for and drive like it.

Horror: Okay, let's do it.

(Later in the car)

Everyone: *screaming*

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Killer: I hate it when people ask "what's the stupidest thing you've ever done?" Like. Awfully bold of you to assume I've reached peak dumbass.

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Lust: I can't believe we're stuck in this room together.

Horror, swallowing the key: Truly unfortunate

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Cross: "Sleepy" is so much cuter than "tired." Everyone needs to stop saying "tired" and start saying "sleepy."

Nightmare: I'm so sleepy of your shit.

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Dream: If you took a shot for every time you made a bad decision, how drunk would you be?

Lust: Maybe a bit tipsy?

Reaper: Drunk.

Killer: Wasted.

Ink: Dead.

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Nightmare: You look like my first husband.

Cross: Oh, you've been married before?

Nightmare, smirking: No.

Cross: *awkward sputtering*

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*

Dream: Treat spiders the way you want to be treated.

Nightmare: Killed without hesitation.

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Geno: I personally don't think it's possible to come up with a crazier plan.

Ink: We attack the demons with hummus.

Geno:

Geno: I stand corrected.

Ink: Just keeping things in perspective.

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Dust: How much time did you spend on this, hm?

Killer: Irrelevant. I would spend any amount of time to properly shame you.

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Fresh: My criminal record? The only illegal thing I've done is absolutely killing it on the dance floor!

Fresh: Ha! Just kidding, I've killed a man.

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Fresh: Chillax!

Error: That's not a word.

Fresh: Sometimes the ones who deny "chillax" are the ones who need to chillax the most.

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Lust: I have flaws. What are they?

Lust: I sing in the shower.

Lust: Sometimes I spend to much time volunteering.

Lust: Occasionally I'll burn someone alive. So sue me.

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Blue: Why did the chicken cross the road?

Dust: Why?

Blue: To get to the idiot's house.

Blue: Knock knock.

Dust: Who's there?

Blue: The chicken.

Dust: Listen here you little fucker-

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Ink: Being gay isn't a choice, it's a game and I'm winning.

Lust, yelling from a passing golf cart: THINK AGAIN, BITCH

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Geno: Could you please pass the salt?

Blue: *throws Nightmare across the table*

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Dream: Tale as old as time-

Killer: Memes as old as vine

Dream: Beauty and the-

Killer: YEET

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Error: Sorry I'm late.

Nightmare: What happened?

Error: Nothing, I just really didn't want to come.

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Horror: Did it hurt?

Lust, sighing: When I fell from heaven-

Horror: When you fell from the vending machine

Lust:

Horror: 'Cause you're a snack

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Cross: I can't take this anymore, someone needs to take me out!

Nightmare: In a dating type of way or assassination type of way?

Cross: I don't know, surprise me!

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Geno: Can you recommend me a book that made you cry?

Killer: General Mathematics 6th Edition

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Reaper: I was made for this shit. Nothing catches me off guard.

Geno: *smiles*

Reaper:

Reaper, whispering: Holy shit

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Nightmare: If someone points at your black clothes

Nightmare: And asks whose funeral it is

Nightmare: A look around the room and a casual "Haven't decided yet" is always a good response.

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

(Sanscest Group Chat)

Killer: The first one to reply is gat

Killer: *gay

Killer: wait...

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Geno: There are no snacks left in the kitchen

Reaper: I'm literally right here

Geno: You're not a snack.

Reaper: What am I, then?

Geno: Annoying.

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Horror: *yawns*

Lust: I guess being pretty is tiring?

Horror: You must be exhausted then...

Lust: I- *attempts to hide oncoming blush*

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Nightmare: You better buckle down and do your work or you'll end up at McDonald's

Killer: We goin' to McDonald's if I don't do my work?

Nightmare No-

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

Dream: Say "roast" twice

Blue: Roast, roast

Dream: Now spell it

Blue: R-o-a-s-t

Dream: Now say it again twice

Blue: Roast, roast

Dream: Okay, so what do you put in a toaster?

Blue: A knife

Dream: Ha, gottem! Wait wha-

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥

[nisaadventures]

Silver Linings

My mood is very up and down, but its not sporadic. Its a transition from one emotion that hangs around like a shadow on a cloudy day. I feel grey for days, sometimes weeks at a time... and then it will change suddenly to bright and sunny. The sunny mood and energy stays for a while too. I feel productive and motivated. The bright light that peaks through the clouds. Warms your skin and gives you that relief from the chill...

So in the spirit of optimism and sunny disposition, I have to nod to the good feelings I’ve been having (even though as I’m writing this I’m listening to slow music and crying lol).

The good that has come out of this shelter in place:

1. Quality time with Kuya, Vaness, and the kids. I see them every day. Now we don’t live in the same house, but we live literally what? 6? 7? houses apart... We basically live together lol. Its been nice to spend time with the kids. They help me walk the dogs, they help me in the yard, and I even let them help me make curry. They’re little sponges, so smart and capable.

2. Daily yoga. Yes, I’ve quickly come to love it. You might think because I only post videos of workouts and heavy lifting that I’m some intense, heavy lifting athlete... which I can be LOL, but I think as I’m getting older I’m trying to transition a bit. I love the intensity of crossfit, but my knees don’t... Cross country and years of running, jumping, and working out are catching up! Because of all of the emphasis on strength, I have lost a lot of flexibility over the years, so I’ve been using this time to get back to it. Also, it just gives me time to clear my head of any unnecessary thinking... Focusing on breathing is great and makes me feel really relaxed.

3. Yard work. WTH, who am I? You know how they say as you get older, you become your parents? Its so true. I’m over here cleaning up Mom’s succulents, watering all the plants, planting vegetables, mowing the lawn, and picking weeds... WHO AM I?! hahaha I remember when I used to ask Mom why she had so many plants. Seriously, they’re exhausting.... Which is why I’m selling some... But, it would be a lie to say I don’t enjoy the feeling of achievement when I look at the yard and its clean. The bushes don’t look like they’re having a bad hair day and its just nice. I also feel this connection to Mom when I’m outside... Surrounded by her plants. Its nice to be able to share them with people. If you’re interested in adding some plants to your life, hit me up lol. Spring is the best season to plant new things.

4. Gratitude. Even though I’ve been sad a lot and I have all the reason to be, I’ve reminded myself of all the things I’m so so so grateful for. As we all should. There is so much we take for granted. I mean there are so many family members I miss being able to see... We couldn’t do Easter this year! I miss seeing all the little kids running around. I’m thankful for everyone. Thank you for checking in on me. I miss my friends and being able to workout together, laugh together, go eat haha. Simple things.

5. Creating. I’m usually really bad at finishing projects. Just like Mom... I want to do SO MUCH, so I start something and then start something else before I finish the first thing. But all and all its fun and I’m revisiting things that I didn’t make time for before. I almost wrote “now that I have time,” but really life is about MAKING TIME. So the things I’ve been doing? Picked up some old books I didn’t finish, picked up some yarn and my crochet hook (just the other day), started drawing here and there, still writing, and one of my favorite things, cooking. I’m still, for the most part, pescatarian. For special dishes, I will eat some meat... I mean homemade pho? I will definitely eat some beef for that lol. But regularly I eat fish, shrimp, and I still do eggs. I also do some soy products, but not too many. There are so many plant based options out there now, so I’ll do those too.

Anyways, its almost time to workout. Just remember the hardest step is sometimes just in getting started... Even if you don’t feel motivated, picking up and simply starting is the best place. Your mood is sometimes a little slow, but it will catch up.

[is-this-a-skam-account]

“Anything You Want”

5 Times Lucas Ran Into Eliott, and the One Time Eliott Runs Into Lucas

Or, Eliott is the really hot yard worker Mika has hired, and Lucas is trying to find a summer fling but may be way in over his head.

1.

Lucas is certain there is nothing to do in this small excuse for a town. Every year of his life, for every summer since he was five, he has been doing the same things over and over. Going to the movies, going to the pool, going to get ice cream, or, his personal favorite, spending a night in with his friends. With only one small village within a twenty mile radius, there really isn’t anything to do. Now he is eighteen, the summer before his college years, and he has never been more bored out of his mind. He is sitting in his room at 9:21 just staring blankly at the wall, mind completely empty.  

He already reached out to his friends, yet all of them were either at work or at a family-function.  Lucas was thankful, however, that his roommates were out for the day. That left Lucas alone to strut around the unbearably hot house in nothing more than one of Yann’s large t-shirts Lucas had stolen and his boxers.

Lucas finally finds the strength to get out of bed and get himself something cold to eat. Preferably ice cream.

He grabs his phone off the nightstand, opening Instagram as he walks into the kitchen. He swallows hard and his grip tightens on the phone when his ex-boyfriend’s account is the first thing he sees. Oliver and Lucas broke up just a couple months ago, around April. Well, really it was Oliver that broke up with him. Lucas was confused as to why Oliver chose to break up, but then, when Lucas saw Oliver holding hands with another guy two days later, Lucas realized how stupid he had been. Obviously, he had been seeing someone behind his back. Thinking back on it, Lucas should have seen the signs. He should have noticed that they hadn’t been hanging out as often together. Oliver stopped spending nights with Lucas, always making an excuse why he would have to go home so early. Leaving the relationship left Lucas feeling hollow. He was left feeling like he wasn’t good enough for Oliver, that he didn’t satisfy all his boyfriend’s needs, even when he knew that wasn’t true.

There is still a pang of hurt that runs through Lucas’ heart when he sees the newest photo Oliver posted with his new boyfriend. Oliver had been the one to stand by Lucas during his coming out, so obviously there is still some attachments there.

Lucas turns his phone off and places it face down on the counter as he reaches into the freezer. He fishes out his small tub of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream before grabbing a spoon and going to sit on the couch and watch some Netflix. He doesn’t mind these lazy days, where he doesn’t go out and do anything, where he can stay home, binge watch any show, and maybe make a couple stains on the couch that Mika will later complain about.

He’s eventually is pulled back to Instagram by the times he’s on episode 3 of Grace and Frankie. He has a few messages from Emma, as well as a few from the meme group chat he has with the guys. Lucas opens up Emma’s message and the first thing he sees is possibly the most gorgeous man he has ever laid eyes on. He immediately clicks on the post, pleasant to find that it’s a video. Lucas nearly laughs at how stupid it is, some guitar sound playing in the background as the guy zooms in on his eye. But, dear god, is that guy attractive. Lucas closes the post to see what else Emma sent him.

@em.brgs: i think he is the most gorgeous person i have ever seen.

Lucas laughs before responding.

@lucallemant: i second that notion.

@lucallemant: why don’t you slide into those DMs. Been a while since you got dicked down ever since Alex moved away.

Lucas doesn’t expect a response so fast, but before he knows it his phone is vibrating with notifications.

@em.brgs: oh you’re one to talk. You just think you’re soo funny.

@lucallemant: i am, thank you.

@em.brgs: he’s so hot he makes me want to stab a pencil in my eye.

@lucallemant: well if you do that i really don’t think you’ll have a chance with him.

@em.brgs: haha, that’s so funny Lucas thank you for the self esteem boost.

@lucallemant: what i’m here for.

@em.brgs: and anyways, even if i was going to DM him (which i’m not because i’m not that desperate, unlike some people Lucas) it seems like he just got out of a relationship. I don’t go after guys who are looking for a rebound

@lucallemant: right, you just go after guys who are already in a relationship.

@em.brgs: hey! That has happened only twice!

@lucallemant: round of applause for emma everybody.

@em.brgs: ugh, whatever, i’m going to go message Manon about your non existent love life.

@lucallemant: have fun!

Lucas snickers as he exits the messages. He trains his attention back on the TV and takes another scoop of ice cream. About thirty minutes, and a whole lot of chocolate, later a loud buzzing noise jolts Lucas out of whatever summer-induced-TV-show-daze he was under. Usually he is able to just brush off the noises of his neighbors getting the lawns mowed in the middle of the day, but this sounded like it was literally coming from right outside his window. He placed the ice cream on the coffee table before getting up (begrudgingly) from the Lucas shaped divett he had made in the couch. He leaned over the love seat in order to reach the curtains he had closed when settling down to watch TV. Lucas peeled them back just enough to peer outside into their front lawn. He furrowed his eyebrows when he saw a guy mowing their lawn; what the hell was the guy doing? Lucas ran to their front door, getting ready to tell the guy off and ask him to leave. He had his hand on the doorknob when he spotted the note taped to the door. It was written in Mika’s handwriting.

“Lucas,” it read, “don’t forget that I have hired someone to do work on our lawn/garden this summer.” Lucas had forgotten, “he is coming by today around noon and will be coming by every saturday for the next few weeks. The payment is on the back of this letter and he will ask for it when he’s done. Also, make sure to give him something to drink after, just to be polite. AND DON’T BE AN IDIOT.”

Lucas drew his lips in a line after he finished reading the letter. He had totally forgotten about that conversation with Mika. Though, in his defense, you really shouldn’t have important conversations with people who are obviously drunk and just gotten home from a party.

He flops back down with a huff, resting his head against the wall behind the couch. Part of Lucas really wants to go back to the window and watch the guy out in the yard. In those few moments Lucas was watching him, he seemed to be extremely attractive. Well, that much Lucas could tell from his toned arms and lean build, legs that seemed to go on forever, and high cheekbones somewhat hid from view by a worn-out baseball cap. (Don’t judge him, he hasn’t allowed himself to ogle any eye candy ever since his breakup with Oliver). Lucas scoffed at his inner monologue and instead opted to make some lemonade; try and take his mind off his meaningless existence. If Mika was going to make him give the guy something to drink, might as well be something sweet.  

Lucas hooked up to the speaker in the kitchen as he walked in. He immediately started blasting his favorite artists: Nirvana, the Stones, Beatles, and, of course, the Clash. His friends always call him cliche for his taste in “old-style” music, but Lucas doesn’t really care. He sways his hips and jumps around the kitchen as he gathers the supplies for lemonade. He’s practically belching out the songs as he mixes the drink together and adds the ice cubes to help chill it. Oliver never liked Lucas’s taste in music, so they would always listen to his playlist made up of rap and hip hop. Not that Lucas has anything against those genres, they just don’t happen to be his favorites.

He’s about to pour the lemonade into two glasses when there is a knock at the door. Lucas glances at the drink and the door a few times before deciding to just pour it into the cups later and get the door first. Lucas obviously doesn’t think before opening the door, because as soon as he does he becomes painfully aware he’s still just in his boxers and t-shirt. Lucas becomes even more embarrassed when he comes face-to-face with the most godly human he has ever seen. Well, actually he has seen the face once before. On Instagram. Just a couple hours earlier. Lucas has to mentally make sure his jaw doesn’t drop open. He didn’t think it was physically possible for someone to be more attractive in real life than on social media, but somehow this guy managed to pull it off. Truly, he had everything. The height which made Lucas feel small (usually Lucas would protest this, but honestly it was kind of a turn on). He had the eyes which pierced into Lucas and made him melt on the spot. He had the perfectly shaped lips, a sharp jawline, even fucking perfect eyes.

“Uh, hi,” the guy says after a couple seconds of silence (and, it might be Lucas’s subconscious, but he swears he sees the guy trail his eyes up and down, soaking in everything Lucas is presenting at the moment), “you must be Mika? We talked over the phone.” He offers his hand and Lucas takes it.

“Oh, no, sorry I’m Lucas. Mika is my roommate. Well, one of them.” Lucas says and leans against the doorway. Lucas tries his best not to choke as he now blatantly sees the guy drag his eyes up Lucas’s form. He feels like he could drown in that gaze.

“Did he happen to leave any, uh, money as payment? Sorry I hate to be so pushy…”

Lucas jumps like he’d been burned and reaches behind the door for the note, grabbing the money. “No don’t apologize. Sorry, I forgot,” Lucas laughs awkwardly as he hands the envelope over. He takes it gratefully, “I didn’t catch your name.” Lucas says after neither of them make a move to walk away.

“I’m Eliott.”

Pretty name for a pretty guy, Lucas thinks. There is a blush creeping onto Eliott’s face which makes Lucas painfully aware he had just said that aloud. Lucas coughs to try and clear up the tension, “um, I made some lemonade. Would you want a glass?”

“I would, but I actually need to get going. I have another lawn I need to be at.”

Lucas nods, “well, I could give it to you in a to-go cup?”

That makes Eliott chuckle, “guess I can’t say no to that.”

Lucas smiles and offers Eliott to come in. He does so and Lucas closes the door behind them. Eliott finds his way to the kitchen with Lucas following closely behind. He lunges for his phone to turn off the music that was still blaring, a blush creeping on his face. He fumbles with it for a few seconds before turning back to Eliott.

“Sorry, uh, I was getting hype in the kitchen making this lemonade I guess.” Lucas jokes.

Eliott laughs, “I know, I could hear you from outside.”

Lucas blushes at that and forces himself to look away and get out one of their cardboard coffee cups. “Well, at least I was giving you something good to listen to.” Lucas comments as he pours the lemonade into their respective cups. As he turns around he briefly catches Eliott staring at a place a little south from his head and shoulders, which makes Lucas cock his eyebrow and hand the drink over.

“Thank you, for the drink.” Eliott says as they walk back to the door, “not so much for the music.”

“What do you have against my music?” Lucas asks offended as he opens the door and Eliott walks out.

Eliott shrugs, “nothing, just a little corny is all.”

Lucas rolls his eyes, “guess you’ll just have to play me your superior music taste next them then.”

“Guess so,” he says it with a wink, “bye, Lucas.”

2.

Lucas regretfully wasn’t there the following Saturday when Eliott was supposed to come by. He had picked up an extra shift at the coffee shop after Imane said she had an emergency to take care of. The shift wasn’t too busy, since most people don’t want hot coffee on days when it’s over 100 degrees. He spent the majority of the time sitting up by the register and fooling around with his coworker, Tyler.

Tyler was actually how Oliver and Lucas had met, since they were friends and Oliver came in to get a cup of coffee during Tyler’s shift. Oliver started flirting with Lucas, Lucas left a little note on the coffee cup for Oliver and the rest is history. Lucas was terrified that the breakup would affect his relationship with Tyler as a coworker, but it turns out Tyler was super chill and didn’t really care. He even said that Oliver was a douche at times, and that Lucas deserved someone better.

“Any big summer plans?” Lucas asks.

Tyler sighs and leans against the opposing counter from Lucas, “not really, college starts pretty soon for me so I have to start getting all that stuff ready. What about you?”

“I wish I could say I had something big planned, like a road trip. But sadly this summer is just as boring as the rest.” Lucas groans and rolls his head back.

Tyler laughs, “how’s Yann and the gang?”

“Good, they’ve been pretty busy though. Basile just got together with Daphne-”

“What?! That loser finally got together with her? Damn, Basile.”

Lucas laughs, “I know, it was a long time coming to be honest. He’d been pining after her since second year.”

“Well,” Tyler pauses, “I guess if they make each other happy…”

Lucas nods, “I can’t say I’m not jealous. Last summer I was the part of the annoyingly touchy couple.”

Tyler draws his lips in a line, “maybe you can still find that this summer. Anybody catch your eye?”

Lucas shrugs, “I wish. I miss being in a relationship sometimes. What about you though? How’s Clare?”

“She’s good, little difficult with her studying in the US though. I miss-”

Tyler is cut off by the ringing of a doorbell which signals the entry of a customer. Lucas immediately goes into full customer mode saying on instinct “welcome to Coral Cafe, how may I help you?” as Tyler rushes over to the area where they actually assemble the drinks. Lucas doesn’t look up right away as he fiddles with something on the cash register screen, getting ready to place in the order. When he does finally look up he feels his stomach clench and heart pick up all at once.

“Oh, hey! Lucas, right?” Eliott says as he continues his track to the register. Lucas feels like his legs are giving out, “I didn’t know you work here.”

Lucas couldn’t stop his eyes from drifting over to the girl standing beside Eliott, his arm around her shoulders. She’s beautiful, is the first thing Lucas notices. She has seemingly silky hair, large chocolate colored eyes, amazing bone structure, and her smile lit up the room. He just got out of a long-term relationship, he hears Emma’s voice in his head. Lucas has to visibly shake his head, it’s not like Eliott was interested in him. He’s mowing their lawn for god sakes. They had one conversation that’s it.

“Lucas, you good?” He hears Tyler call from his station just about a few feet away.

Lucas looks over at him, smiling and nodding before turning back to his customers, “hey, Eliott. Uh, what can I get you?”

“I’ll take a caramel frappuccino,” Eliott says and Lucas has to look down to hide his smile. Of course, the sweetest thing on their menu. “And uh, Lucille, what do you want?”

Lucas looks up, waiting for the request. She hums for a second as she looks over the menu; taking about an eternity to decide. Lucas sighs quietly and his eyes automatically trail over to Eliott. He feels his breath catch at the gaze Eliott has locked him in, basically drilling him to the spot. Lucas’s heart picks up, and he doesn’t dare look away. He could stand there for hours. It doesn’t help that the backdrop lighting from the windows illuminates Eliott like some ethereal being. And Eliott knows the effect that he’s having on Lucas, he’s obviously not an idiot. What Lucas wouldn’t give to knock that smirk off his face...

“I’ll take a,” Lucille’s voice drags him back to reality, “brownie. I’m not a big coffee drinker.”

Lucas nods and puts the order into the register. He states their total and Eliott fishes out his credit card. As he’s passing it over, their fingers momentarily brush and that meer touch has Lucas spiraling. He isn’t even sure he can swipe their credit card his head is spinning so much. He does it successfully, however, and passes the card back before walking over to grab them a  brownie from their pastry selection. As he does so he can feel Tyler’s gaze on him.

Tyler takes a few steps closer to Lucas and bumps their shoulders, whispering a quick “you okay?”

God, am I that obvious? Lucas wonders to himself before giving a nod and walking back over. He passes the brownie to Lucille and gives Eliott a quick wave as they walk away. That was the longest two minutes of his entire life.

When the two finally leave the coffee shop, neither of them sending another glance Lucas’s way, he feels like he can finally breathe again.

He lets out an audible sigh, guess Eliott got back together with his girl is a brief thought that crosses Lucas’s mind. Then again, it wasn’t really his place to worry about it.

“Lucas, dude, you okay?” Tyler asks and walks back over.

Lucas takes a breath in before answering, “yeah, why?”

He shrugs, “nothing, you just totally stiffened up when that guy entered. Something happen between you two? A hookup?”

Lucas whips his head around, “a hookup?! Why would you think that?”

Tyler frowns, “that dude was totally fucking you with his eyes dude. Like, hardcore. And I’m not usually good at spotting that stuff but like holy shit. His gaze even had me affected.”

Lucas rolls his eyes, “whatever. My shift is about to end, so I won’t have to deal with your bullshit for that much longer,” he laughs.

Tyler scoffs, “c’mon, you like me.” Tyler sing-songs as he wraps his arms around Lucas from behind.

Lucas wriggles out of the grip with a laugh, “right, in your dreams.”

When Lucas gets home from his shift at the coffee shop he spends an hour or so chilling with Mika and a very quiet Lisa in the living room. They watch whatever comes on TV because they can’t find the remote, which Lucas finds hilarious. Mostly, though, Mika is walking Lucas through his dating app and trying to convince Lucas to download it to get a new boyfriend or “even a friends with benefits” as Mika put it. Lucas found it easier to tune him out the longer the conversation dragged on for.

It’s not like Lucas would mind a fling. He’s never been “flung” his whole eighteen years of life, only ever being in one long-term relationship. He wonders what it would be like in a fling. From what he’s gathered it’s mostly talking and sex and talking and sex, which Lucas would not mind. Something like that for the summer before his college years would be a-okay with him.

“Lucas,” Mika whistles and waves his hand in front of his face to grab his attention.

Lucas blinks and shifts his gaze over, “sorry, I got lost in thought. As you were saying?”

Mika raises an eyebrow, “what got you so wrapped up there, kitten?”

Lucas shrugs, “nothing really, I was just thinking about what it would be like in a ‘fling.’ What is it like?” Lucas asks, knowing that Mika wouldn’t have any problem sharing his oh-so-many stories.

Mika shifts and brings his legs up to his chin, “well, it’s really nice in the beginning. The flame lasts longer than just a one night stand, but not as long as a honeymoon phase of a long-term relationship if you can understand?” Lucas nods, “it’s nice because you both don’t get sick of each other, since you both sort of know it’s going to end soon. The sex is usually awesome, but so is the talking. Everything evens itself out.”

Lucas hums, “that sounds nice.”

Mika smirks, “oh, yeah? Well, the problem is you can’t really get attached, since you have to have a mutual understanding that it’s going to end. That’s been a problem with some of my past flings.”

“Oh, for you?” Lucas wonders.

Mika scoffs, “no, kitten, for the other guy. People just can’t stay away from me.”

Lucas rolls his eyes and stands from the couch, “alright, that’s enough for me, I’m heading in.”

“What?! But it’s only seven!” Mika complains.

Lucas shrugs, “sorry, guess you’ll just have to talk to Lisa about your dating profile. Night, guys.”

Lucas obviously doesn’t go to sleep right away. Nope, he spends a few minutes changing into sweats and then the next hour or so scrolling through and switching between the same six apps over and over. It isn’t until about ten that the group chat of him and the gang starts to get active, and begin discussing if they want to have a small get together at Arthur’s place since his parents are out of town. Lucas isn’t one to say no, especially after not seeing the gang for the past week or so. He quickly changes into his signature “romance” hoodie and faded jeans before sneaking out of the house and grabbing his bike to take to Arthur’s. By the time Lucas arrives the boys are already two beers in and in the middle of a very intense video game that looks like it would give Lucas a seizure if he concentrated on it for too long. Lucas, instead, opted for nursing a beer in the small loveseat adjacent to the couch, Yann next to him.

It isn’t until the pizza gets there that they actually start up a conversation, mostly about how Basile and Daphne are doing. Though, when that conversation goes under they turn to Lucas for amusement.

“Any guys catching your eyes this summer, Lucas?” Arthur wonders aloud.

Lucas groans at the question, “everyone’s been pestering me about relationships. What’s with that this summer?”

“Well, it is the summer before we all head of to college.” Yann comments.

“Yeah! We just want our Lucas to get some good dick so he isn’t all grumpy the coming school year!” Basile adds.

Arthur butts in, shaking his head disapprovingly at Basile, “bro, seriously, sense the conversation. It’s like you’re not even talking about the same thing.” Basile grumbles and downs his beer in retaliation.

Lucas laughs at his friends before sighing into his beer, “I mean I want to be in a relationship, but maybe that’s my problem. Maybe I’m just looking for it too hard.”

“I can help set you up with someone, I have a few acquaintances who would be more than happy to satisfy you, Lucas.” Arthur offers with a playful wink.

“No, no, I think what our boy needs is an old fashioned night in the town. How about we just chill here, have a few more beers, than head to that bar we all like,” Yann offers.

Lucas nods and reluctantly gets up from his spot on the couch, “I think we’re all out of beers. I’ll just run out real fast and get us some.” They all agree and pass Lucas a couple dollars to help split the coast.

Lucas takes his time walking to the store, even opting for the one that’s an extra block away. He loves his friends, he really does. But it’s not like he needs or wants their help in finding him a boyfriend. That’s always been a topic really private to him, at least in the beginning. Eventually everyone starts questioning “why do you have hickeys on your neck?” or “where were you over the weekend?” Which, granted, they should have those questions but usually Lucas likes to keep the beginning as much of a secret as possible, just in case anything goes under.

Lucas walks into the store, and nearly getting blinded by the overly bright fluorescent lights.  He immediately beelines for the back and grabs the cheapest case of beer available. He digs out his phone as he heads back to the register located at the front of the store. Lucas snickers when he sees he has a new message from Emma. He opens it up to find another shared post of the guy from before. Or the guy who now has a name: Eliott. Lucas feels his heart pick up as he opens the post. The lighting in this photo is even better than the last one. His bone structure is to die for, not to mention those eyes-

Lucas is sent flying backwards, his phone falling out of his hand and onto the ground when he accidentally collides with someone as he turns the corner. He frantically apologizes, trying to locate his phone as quickly as possible. As he sees the guy turn around. Lucas’ eyes shoot up and he feels his mouth run dry. This was not happening to him. It couldn’t be.

“Oh, Lucas! Long time no see,” Eliott chuckles.

Lucas gives an awkward laugh, “yeah sorry, uh, I guess I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

Eliott smirks and bends down to pick up his phone, “distracted I see.” Eliott glances at what is on the screen and Lucas feels like he is ready to implode, he was looking at Eliott! “Well, at least you were looking at something worthwhile, huh?” He passes the phone back over.

“You know, I would try to explain it, but I think I would just be digging my own grave,” Lucas blushes.

Eliott laughs, and the sound echoes in Lucas’ ears, “I always appreciate an admirer. Especially one as cute as you.” Lucas feels himself choke on nothing, if he tried to respond he isn’t sure anything would even come out. Eliott breaks the silence as he nods at what Lucas is carrying, “party tonight?”

“Oh, um, no not really. Just me and the guys are chilling at Arthur’s place.” Lucas pauses and glances at what Eliott is holding in the basket, “wow, big homecooked feast planned there?”

Eliott laughs, “no, no. I can’t cook to save my own life if I’m being honest. It’s actually Lucille who offered to cook dinner, but she’s vegan so...lots of greens and other things in this basket.”

Lucas feels his heart constrict at the mention of Lucille’s name. But just as the feeling came on Lucas had to remind himself that for the love of God he doesn’t have any reason to be jealous, it’s not like Eliott would even be interested in Lucas. “That’s nice of her,” Lucas manages to say.

Eliott nods, “we haven’t seen each other in a while. I just moved back into town so,”

“Oh, where’d you move from?” Lucas wonders.

“I went to Paris for a modelling gig, then came back here.”

A model, of course! “Oh, that’s awesome. Is modelling what you want to do?”

Eliott shrugs, “I guess it’s an option. What I really want to get into is art.”

Lucas raises his eyebrows in surprise, Eliott hadn’t really struck him as an artistic type, “that’s awesome, dude!”

Eliott smiles, “thanks. Y’know I can do art, but I can’t seem to find the stupid sugar in this place,” Eliott says exasperated.

Lucas laughs, “I can help you if you want?”

“Would you mind?”

Lucas shakes his head, “of course not! Is it just sugar?”

Eliott bites at his bottom lip, and Lucas can’t help but watch. His eyes finally manage their way back up to Eliott’s eyes and...is that...a blush on his cheeks? “Actually, it’s sugar, brown sugar, brussel sprouts and spinach.”

Lucas smirks, “wow, guess you really do suck at grocery shopping.”

“I told you,”

Lucas laughs and thinks for a couple moments, “so sugar and brown sugar should be in the isle…” he lets his voice trail off as his eyes scan the shelves, falling on what he was looking for. He jumps into action, grabbing both off the shelves before turning back to Eliott, “so here’s these two. You really didn’t see these?” Lucas laughs as Eliott places them in his cart.

Eliott scoffs, “I guess I was too distracted by a certain someone crashing into me.”

“Alright, point taken.” Lucas laughs, “I think that brussel sprouts would be in the frozen foods section, which is just two isles over. And...spinach should probably be there too.”

“Thanks, Lucas, don’t know what I would have done without you,” Eliott says.

He shrugs, “I guess you probably would have just been stuck here wandering around for the next hour or so.”

That made Eliott laugh, “you’re probably right.” Lucas is just about ready to say his goodbyes when Eliott stops him, holding his arm as he tries to walk past, “I’m hosting a somewhat small party at my place next sunday, would you want to come? You could bring your friends if you wanted to.”

Something inside Lucas almost wanted to tease Eliott, have himself play hard to get and just see what the other’s reaction would be. Instead Lucas smiles and says “of course, I can get the information from you next saturday. Sound good?”

Eliott nods, “sounds perfect. Bye, Lucas.”

3.

Next Saturday it’s raining cats and dogs outside. Lucas is immediately disappointed, knowing that Eliott probably won’t show up while it’s raining like this. Though, not that Lucas would object to that. He wouldn’t mind to have some eye candy today, he sorta needs a pick-me-up.  

Mika spent the night at a “friends” house and Manon had left early to have, what Lucas could only guess was, a heated discussion with Charles. Lisa had...disappeared. To be honest, Lucas never really knows where she is. When he got up he had no idea what time it was. The sun was shrouded by the dark clouds, casting even darker shadows over the bleak town.

It’s almost twelve by the time Lucas makes his way into the kitchen. His eyes are still half closed as he fumbles through their cupboards looking for the bread. Lucas gives up on his search after what feels like an eternity of looking. He opts for the couch instead, the ol’ reliable. As he sits down he doesn’t jump to turn on the TV, or to turn on his phone, instead he sits there listening to the rain. It sounds like someone pounding ruthlessly on the window with how hard the rain was hitting it. He lets his head roll back and his eyes drift close. He thinks about just falling asleep on the couch, it wouldn’t be the first time.  

He can feel his subconscious taking over, or actually he can pinpoint the exact moment his subconscious takes over, because of the image of Oliver that appears on his eyelids. Lucas can immediately recognize the memory. It’s of their first real date, they had gone to the park after Lucas got off work. Oliver had packed them a picnic, and Lucas thought it was the most romantic thing ever. They had laughed practically all day, not once was there an awkward silence or even a moment that passed where Lucas felt like he didn’t belong. It all just felt so right. That was the day that Lucas felt like he was falling in love for the first time.

His eyes fluttered open, tears streaming his cheeks. He wiped them away violently, and rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. He seriously had to get over that prick. He knew it, his friends knew it, even Tyler knew it. Yet Lucas found it so hard to let go. There is a difference between being in love and falling in love, it seems. Lucas is obviously in love with his mom and his friends, maybe even Mika (though that may be stretching it a little). That type of love is guaranteed. You are guaranteed to love your friends in a way that is indescribable. But with Oliver, it was like falling in love was brand new. It made Lucas’s heart beat faster and his pupils dilate. It made his palms sweat and hairs stand on end. And then it was all gone.

A loud knock at the door startled Lucas out of his daze. It audibly made him gasp and jump off of the couch. He took another second to compose himself, and wiped under his eyes a final time before walking to the door. He unlocks the deadbolt and swings the door open just as a large gust of wind and rain hits him in the face. He blinks his eyes back open against the rain, sort of waiting for the person at the door to say something.

“Lucas, you okay?”

He would recognize that voice anywhere, “Eliott,” Lucas breathes out, like it’s the first time saying his name.

When Lucas doesn’t say anything else Eliott laughs, “that is me. Uh, may I come in? I’m sort of getting soaked.”

Lucas nods frantically and opens the door wide enough for Eliott to step through. As he’s slipping off his shoes and hanging his jacket by the door, Lucas asks, “what are you doing here? You can’t really work on the yard in this weather.”

“I know, but, I told you that I would give you the information for my party tomorrow. I didn’t really want to disappoint.” Eliott smiles over his shoulder.

Lucas bites at his bottom lip, trying to remind himself he shouldn’t get too excited, that Eliott isn’t here to just hang out. “Oh, thanks,” Lucas mumbles and closes the door.

“Sorry, is it a bad time? I can go…”

“No! No! You’re fine, why do you ask?”

Eliott shrugs, “you’re eyes are a little red. Either you’ve been smoking something or you’ve been crying.”

Lucas cringes and, on instinct, goes to wipe his eyes. He isn’t really sure what he’s trying to do, maybe wipe the redness away, “oh, yeah. I wasn’t smoking anything,” Lucas laughs, though that just made him sound pathetic.

Eliott pauses and they are suddenly surrounded by a very tense silence in the middle of a very small entrance. “I won’t ask for any details, since we aren’t that close, but if you want to talk…”

Lucas smiles, “thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” Lucas nods his head in the direction of the living room and they start heading that way.

“It’s a nice place,” Eliott comments as they take their places on the couch.

Lucas laughs, “you’ve been in here before!”

“I know, but I didn’t really get to appreciate the structure and composition of the rooms-”

“Okay, okay, we get it you’re an artist.”

Eliott laughs, but slowly it dies away and they are left once again in a rough silence. “So, Sunday,” Eliott begins, finally breaking their pause, “it’s going to be super chill. It’s just going to be like thirty people tops, it starts around 7-8pm, though who knows when people will actually show up. And my house is just a couple streets away from here.”

Lucas smirks, “you came all the way over here to tell me that?”

Eliott shrugs, “no, I came all the way over here, in the rain, mind you, to hang out with the cute and devilishly handsome guy who lives in a house I work for.”

“Oh, you must be looking for Mika then,” Lucas jokes, “sorry he’s not in today-”

“Lucas!” Eliott exclaims in laughter, “I obviously meant you.”

Lucas bites his lip and looks away from the searing gaze Eliott has on him. Lucas doesn’t know how much more of this he can take before he combusts. “How do you do that?” Lucas asks. “Do what?”

“Flirt like that when you obviously still have a girlfriend?” Lucas asks. He nearly regrets the words as soon as they come out of his mouth because of the shocked look which appears on Eliott’s face.

“Lucas, I don’t-” Eliott begins, but then his words fade off into a very quiet “oooooh.” Lucas raises an eyebrow at him as he enters into a fit of laughter.

“What? What’d I say?” Lucas asks.

“Lucas, Lucille is not my girlfriend. She’s my adopted sister.” Eliott laughs again.

Lucas feels the color drain from his face as he mumbles a nearly quiet “oh my god,” followed by his cheeks erupting into flames. “I’m so stupid,” Lucas groans and goes to cover his face with his hands.

Lucas feels his face heat up even more and he rocks back and forth in embarrassment. “I can’t believe I just did that,” Lucas says as Eliott’s hands go to wrap around his wrists and pull his hands away from his face.

“You were jealous! That’s adorable.” Eliott laughs.

Lucas groans again, but this time can’t hide his face in his hands since Eliott still has grip on them, “I was not jealous! I’ve talked to you like three times before today! How could I be jealous?”  Lucas groans and pushes himself off the couch “what do you say we forget that all just happened and have a beer?”

“At 11 o’clock? Of course!”

Within just an hour they had both downed three beers, which actually isn’t too bad. But Lucas had ulterior motives. Because everytime he closed his eyes, Oliver appeared as a very real, very vivid image. He hoped that the alcohol would completely erase him from his mind. Luckily, Lucas had Eliott to help distract him as he told Lucas a story about one of his friends puking on a girl in a very animated way. Lucas appreciated the distraction, though he almost felt guilty in using Eliott to take his mind off Oliver.

The more Lucas drank, the more easy-going he became. He was able to laugh and joke around with Eliott. He told him a couple things he’d never told anyone, not even Yann.

“I’m still trying to get over my ex, who broke up with me and was fucking someone on the side the whole time,” Lucas says.

“I’m bipolar.”

“I broke up my best friend and his girlfriend because I thought I had a crush on him,” Lucas takes of sip of his current beer.

“I cheated on my ex-girlfriend more times than I can count.”

Lucas scoffs, “okay, at least you’re a worse human than I am.” He snickers when Eliott chucks a pillow at him. “I used a girl as a beard for a while,” Lucas mumbles.

“What do you mean?” Eliott asks and looks at Lucas through his half closed eyes.

“You know, when a gay guy uses a girl to pretend that he’s still straight? Wow, you didn’t know what that was/?”

Eliott shakes his head, “oh, I knew what it meant. I just wanted to be certain you were gay before I did this.” Eliott says and pulls out a joint from his pocket. Lucas tries not to think how long that’s been in there. He lights it using a lighter that had been left out of their coffee table.

Lucas watches as Eliott leans forward, closing the distance between them. Lucas doesn’t go to turn away, too caught up in everything Eliott. Eliott’s eyes holding him in place. Eliott’s hand snaking around his waist. Eliott’s other hand placing the lit joint between his soft lips. Eliott as he blows out, releasing a vast amount of smoke between them. Lucas opens his mouth and breathes in, holding the smoke as Eliott pulls the joint from his lips, and only releasing when he knows for sure Eliott is watching.

Lucas takes the initiative, pulling Eliott’s head down to meet his. Their kiss is chaotic. It’s messy. Full of lips and tongue. Lucas barely registers Eliott grounding the lit joint into the ashtray until both of Eliott’s hands are free and they come up to Lucas’s waist, pulling them closer. There is absolutely nothing soft in their movements as Eliott lays Lucas on his back. Eliott nips at the soft skin of Lucas’s neck, trailing hot kisses back up to Lucas’s jaw. Lucas doesn’t think through his movements as he pulls Eliott’s shirt off, followed by his own. Their mouths crash together, as if the mere two seconds they were separated was a decade. A moan is pulled from Lucas’s lips as Eliott grinds down, providing much needed friction. Lucas can feel Eliott’s boner pressed against his thigh, and Lucas is sure Eliott feels his.

Lucas finally decides that just kissing isn’t enough anymore and pushes them upwards with a force that sends Eliott on his back and Lucas straddling his lap. “Fuck, you’re beautiful,” Eliott mumbles and brings his hands up to Lucas’s hips, gripping them with enough pressure to leave possible bruising there the next day.

Lucas slowly starts moving down, pressing kisses over the expanse of Eliott’s toned chest until he gets to his denim jeans. Lucas quickly unbuttons, unzips, and pulls them away to reveal Eliott’s impressive erection. He spends no time in taking Eliott into his mouth, pushing him all the way to the back of his throat. Lucas gags a couple times (he wasn’t lucky enough to be born without a gag reflex) but he forces himself down. The moans coming from Eliott is enough of a reward. He pulls himself off, stroking up and down a couple times before kissing up his length.

“Fuck, Lucas, where did you learn to do that?” Eliott asks breathless.

Lucas smirks, “not my first time, baby.”

Eliott’s eyes roll back as Lucas goes down again, this time bobbing his head and twirling his tongue around the tip of Eliott’s cock. “Shit, you need to stop,” Eliott moans and moves a hand through Lucas’s hair to pull him off.

Lucas pants for a few seconds, trying to decode what Eliott had just said to him, his mind completely elsewhere. “Right, yeah,” Lucas begins, voice already hoarse.

Before Lucas can say anything else Eliott is pushing them back to their original position, Lucas underneath him. Lucas normally likes the more dominating position of riding, but he has to admit that Eliott’s broad shoulders and just their vast size difference makes Lucas feel more secure. Eliott works on Lucas’s jeans for only a couple minutes before they are tossed to the side and they are finally connected skin to skin. Lucas moans at the feeling, and he is so, so glad that his roommates aren’t home.

Eliott’s lips are roaming Lucas’s chest and he mumbles, “I’ve been dying to do this every since I first saw you that day in your loose-fitting shirt when you opened the door for me,” Lucas bites his lip when Eliott leaves a good sized hickey on his neck, just above where any shirt could cover it, “I just knew I had to see that pretty mouth wrapped around my cock.”

Lucas moans, he tries and fails to grind upwards, whining when it doesn’t work. Eliott chuckles, “you want me that bad?” Lucas nods and wraps his arms around Eliott’s neck. “Well, you’re going to have to tell me, babe, or else I won’t know what to do.”

“You know what I want, asshole,” Lucas rushes out as Eliott roams his hands down his chest, lifting up when they get close to Lucas’s crotch.

“I don’t think I do.”

“Oh, fuck you.” Lucas hisses when Eliott’s hands move to roam his backside, “I want you to fuck me, Eliott.”

Lucas can feel Eliott’s smile against his chest. Lucas closes his eyes when he hears Eliott spit into his hand, making impromptu lube, “I don’t have anything, don’t worry,” Eliott mumbles before sliding in a finger. Lucas’s toes curl and he grinds his jaw at the feeling. He hasn’t had sex in a while, so it’s gotten really tight. A few minutes later and Eliott has three fingers in, creating a steady pumping motion that has Lucas moaning for more. Every so often Eliott’s fingers will curl up, hitting the place that sends waves of pleasure and shivers through Lucas.

“Are you okay?” Eliott asks, and Lucas nods. He’s glad that Eliott keeps checking in. He never knew sex could be so pleasurable. With Oliver it was only every about satisfying his needs, rather than Lucas’s.

Eliott removed his fingers allowing Lucas some breathing time before Eliott starting aligning himself. “Ready?” Eliott asks. Lucas nods frantically and wraps his arms a little tighter around Eliott’s neck. Slowly he starts to push in, and Lucas sees stars. It’s centimeter by centimeter, but it’s seems to go on forever. When Eliott is finally flush against Lucas, he lets out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding.

A few tears fall from Lucas’s eyes, but he has always been the guy to cry during sex. Something in his nature apparently. Slowly, Eliott starts moving, a much slower rhythm than his fingers carried. However, he still managed to hit Lucas’s prostate repeatedly. Everytime he pushed in Lucas would moan with pleasure. Pretty soon Eliott’s rhythm started to become erratic and Lucas knows they were both close. Stars were shooting across his vision as the pressure built up in his abdomen. He didn’t even need to touch his cock before he was screaming out and coming onto his chest. Eliott following only a couple seconds after.

Eliott collapsed on top of Lucas, panting heavily and sweat making hairs stick to his forehead. Lucas doesn’t think twice about moving some hair out of the way and placing kisses onto the sweaty skin. Finally, once their breathing patterns return to normal, Eliott asks, “did you dry come?”

Lucas laughs and brushes his fingers through Eliott’s hair. “I guess I did.”

Eliott positions his head on Lucas’s chest so they can make eye contact with each other, “you are unbelievable, Lucas.”

Lucas hums, “I guess I am. But props to you for hitting my prostate every time.”

Eliott laughs, “I guess that’s my specialty.”

“I’m going to go grab us some towels,” Lucas says and slowly shifts out from under Eliott until he’s back on his feet. He shimies into his underwear before marching through the house to find their cupboard of towels.

When he walks into the kitchen he tosses one to Eliott and begins wiping himself down. He sits beside Eliott on the couch, a silence falling over them. It’s charged with a question neither of them are ready to ask.

It’s a couple more minutes before Eliott speaks up, “so, what is this?” Lucas refuses to meet his eyes, looking everywhere but at Eliott. “Is it casual?”

Lucas’s eyes finally flick up to find Eliott’s, “casual, yeah. Sounds good.”

Lucas feels like he’s a hollow shell as he watches Eliott get dressed back into his jeans and t-shirt. He slips his own shirt on to walk Eliott out. Lucas opens the door for them and Eliott walks through. The problem is you can’t really get attached, since you have to have a mutual understanding that it’s going to end. That’s been a problem with some of my past flings, Lucas hear’s Mika’s voice in his head. They pause in the threshold as Eliott hands over his phone, and Lucas fills in his contact info before handing it back over. No words exchanged.

He closes the door without waiting for Eliott to get all the way to his car. Once he hears the truck drive away, he falls to his knees, breaking down into tears.

4.

Lucas purposefully evades the house next Saturday, trying his best to avoid Eliott because he knows as soon as he lays eyes on him his heart will melt. So, when Lucas gets a text from Eliott Monday night asking if he wants to go for a ride, he can’t refuse.

Mika gives Lucas a wary look when he walks past them in the living room. Lucas didn’t dress “to the nines” for a booty call from Eliott, which is exactly what it was. Though, Lucas isn’t necessarily complaining, the sex is really good. And as Mika said, so is the talking, though they do less of that. By the time Lucas is walking out the front door, Eliott is pulling up in his truck. He rolls down his window as Lucas walks up, and pokes his head down to give Lucas a beaming grin. Don’t smile like that if you don’t mean it, Lucas wants to say as he climbs into the passenger seat.

“Hey, baby,” Eliott says and gives Lucas a little peck on the cheek.

Lucas can’t help but smile, and he hates himself for it. “Hey,” he replies and buckles himself in, “where are we going?”

Eliott hums as he puts the car into drive, “you’ll see.”

The drive there is silent. Lucas stares out the window and watches as the suburbs become farmland. Even when they are barely any houses, they keep driving. They could have gone on forever, and Lucas would not have minded. Finally Eliott pulls over as the sun is setting over the horizon. They are in an empty cornfield that seems to stretch on for miles. It’s almost breathtaking.

“Where are we?” Lucas asks as he hops out of the car and walks around to the front, Eliott mirroring his movements.

“Well, my family used to live out here. We only recently moved to the city. But, anytime I got overwhelmed or scared I would come here.” Eliott shrugs and his eyes survey the horizon. “I know it looks like every other corn field out there, and to be honest it is, but there is something more peaceful here. More serene.”

Lucas smiles up at Eliott and takes his time in studying his expression. It only lasts a few seconds before Eliott glances down, locking eyes with Lucas. A hand snakes around Lucas’s neck and he’s being pulled into a kiss. It’s softer this time, less rushed. The feel of each other’s lips is familiar, and Lucas melts into the feeling.

He didn’t really get a chance to before, because it was so hectic, but Lucas studied the way Eliott kisses. He kisses like Lucas is air and he’s been drowning for years. He kisses like he’s never tasted or felt anything more beautiful.

And Lucas’s heart breaks knowing that Eliott has kissed others in the same way.

Lucas pulls away from the kiss, cutting it short. Eliott seems confused and pants for a couple seconds before running a hand through Lucas’s hair. “You okay?” He asks.

Lucas forces a smile, “yeah, yeah. Let’s get in the car.” He says and grabs Eliott’s hands, pulling him to the back seat.

Lucas pushed Eliott in first, making him land on his back. Lucas crawls in afterwards, closes the door behind him and he straddles Eliott’s lap. He quickly strips himself of his shirt, throwing it out of the way.

“Lucas…” Eliott whispers and starts to sit upright.

Lucas shakes his head and presses a hand to Eliott’s chest, pushing him back down. Eliott doesn’t protest, but keeps his hands positioned on Lucas’s waist.

Riding Eliott felt like an awakening. Being able to watch him slowly unravel and fall apart underneath had Lucas moaning. As they reached their end Eliott grabbed a tight hold onto Lucas’s waist, halting Lucas’s rhythm. He started thrusting hard upwards and Lucas completely unraveled. He came with a moan loud enough it could have been mistaken for a scream.

Afterwards they wrap themselves in a blanket Eliott had in the back seat. Lucas laid his head down on Eliott’s chest. To be honest, Lucas was practically laying on top of Eliott because of the thin seats. But neither were complaining. It was actually nice being able to rest his head on Eliott’s chest and trace different shapes over and across the large expanse of skin. Eliott had his arms wrapped around Lucas protectively, yet gentle as if he pressed any harder Lucas would shatter.

“I think you left some bruises on my hips,” Lucas jones after a little while of silence.

Eliott laughs, “good, everyone will know you’re already fucking someone.”

“That hickey you gave me has barely faded away and it’s been over a week.”

“You just bruise like a peach, it’s not my fault,” Eliott laughs again as Lucas punches his chest playfully.

After a while Lucas goes to shift his position, to take some of the pressure off of his left arm. But a rush of soreness shoots up Lucas’s back making utter a soft “ow!”

“You okay?” Eliott asks.

Lucas nods, “yeah, just sore.”

Eliott wiggles his eyebrows at Lucas as he lays back down, “I guess I did my job well then.”

“Shut up, idiot.”

Eliott grins and loops an arm up around Lucas’s head, pressing him impossibly closer. Eventually they both drift off to sleep. Eliott’s heart acting as a soft metronome.

When Lucas next woke his head was spinning. He tried to get a sense of his bearings, but it took him a good few minutes to figure out he was in a car. He groaned as he stretched out his legs and arms, only then realizing that he was being spooned by another person on the narrow car seats. Memories of the night before comes back to him all at once as he shifts his hips and groans out in pain. Damn, Eliott really did him rough.

“Lucas?” a husky voice asks from behind him.

“Morning,” he replies, and smirks as he rubs backwards into Eliott eliciting a low groan from the older boy.

“Mm, don’t do that, baby. I might just jump you,” Eliott mumbles into the soft skin of Lucas’s neck.

“Well, I wouldn’t necessarily refuse,” Lucas jokes and Eliott laughs.

“Okay, I definitely would but I think we should probably leave pretty soon.”

“Wow, you don’t have any balls anymore do you?” Lucas laugh and he can practically feel Eliott’s eye roll. “There is definitely an Eliott in some parallel universe who decides to ravish Lucas in this car, right here right now.”

“‘Some parallel universe?’” Eliott asks.

“It’s my theory,” Lucas explains, “that every time we have to make a decision, there is a different version of me in another universe who made the other choice. So in every life, I’ve tried everything.”

“I don’t know if I believe that.”

Lucas hums, “well, you’re wrong. Because there are multiple Eliott’s and Lucas’s laying together right now like we are. There are some who are still pining after each other. There’s one version where Eliott didn’t come in for a drink of lemonade the first day they saw each other. There’s another Eliott and Lucas who met at school.” Lucas pauses, and shuffles backwards to press his back against Eliott’s chest, “and there is an Eliott and Lucas who aren’t just having casual sex. Instead, they are telling one another that they love each other for the first time.”

5.

It’s been nearly a month since Lucas and Eliott started their “friends with benefits” relationship, and Lucas knows he’s in way over his head. Ever since that car ride with Eliott, slowly but surely, he’s feeling have grown from attraction to love. He tries to ignore it, he really does. Because they have a ton of fun together. And at times it is easier to forget, like when they are just talking normally or when Eliott is balls deep inside of him and Lucas is screaming to come. Those times are easier.

But then there is time in between. When Eliott presses gentle kisses to Lucas’s forehead, lulling him to sleep as he massages his scalp. Or when they stay awake afterwards and watch a cheesy Disney movie. Or when Lucas is having post-sex cravings, but his joints are too sore to move so Eliott offers to go get him whatever he wants.

It hurts because even if Lucas were to move on from Eliott, he knows he would never be able to find someone who satisfies him as much as Eliott does. And not just physically. Yes, their bodies match so well together, but also mentally. They can laugh and just enjoy each other’s company without it always having to be about the sex. So, Lucas drew himself a line, at least until his crush passes. That’s all it is, a crush. At least that’s what Lucas tries to convince himself.

He won’t allow any kisses on the lips from this point onward, he’s decided. It sounds stupid, since people would argue that getting kissed on the lips is less intimate than having sex until the early hours of the morning like Lucas and Eliott have been doing. But sex with Eliott is almost animalistic. Sure, there are days when he is calm and builds Lucas up to his climax, but really it’s all about satisfaction. Kissing on the lips is much more intimate than just seeking release. Kissing each other slowly is almost like telling the person “I like you, I like you a lot.” And Lucas doesn’t think he could hold himself back from murmuring a soft “I love you” against Eliott’s lips if they ever kissed again.

“Lucas is probably going to be with his newest fuck buddy this weekend,” Arthur says as he repeadtedly smashes a button on the controller pointed at the TV.

He had decided to hang with the Gang for the first time in about two weeks. Lucas actually turned Eliott down on an offer to make time for his friends, which Lucas saw as growth. Slowly trying to separate himself from everything Eliott.

Yet, here he was. Making himself into the conversation of his tight friend group.

“WHA- I don’t have a fuck buddy!” Lucas protests and sits up in his chair.

Yann rolls his eyes, “dude, even if you say that you have about ten hickeys on your neck. Obviously you’re fucking somebody.”

“Or you’re the one getting fucked…?” Basile adds, more as a question.

Arthur sighs in exasperation, “seriously, Basile. Sense the conversation.” Arthur shakes his head as he turns back to Lucas, “so who is he?”

Lucas sighs in defeat, “you guys don’t know him.”

“Try us,” Yann says.

“Fine, his name is Eliott. And before any of you say anything about it, we both agreed that it was something casual. Just like a, a summer fling if you will.”

Yann pauses and narrows his eyes at Lucas, “you like him don’t you?”

“What, Yann! You can’t just ask him-”

“Ugh, yeah! Okay I do!” Lucas juts in, cutting Arthur off. “He’s everything I’ve ever looked for in a guy. He’s nice to talk to, he’s funny, we have a crap ton in common, he’s hot, and, of course, to top it all off he’s actually really, really fucking good in bed. It’s just unfair!” Lucas groans, “at the beginning I was just using him to get over Oliver, but now it’s like I’m falling in love with him and I just can’t stop!”

“Have you considered the possibility that Eliott is falling for you too?” Basile asks.

Lucas shakes his head, “no, I mean he was the one who proposed we do it casual.”

“Well, wait,” Yann says and shifts forward on the couch, “did he propose it or did he just ask you if you wanted it casual.”

Lucas pauses, “I can’t...remember.”

Yann raises an eyebrow at him, smile growing wider, “okay, so. So far we have that he may or may not have proposed a casual relationship, but also that he obviously spends a lot of time around you, and he obviously likes to leave hickeys on you where he knows other people will be able to see them.” Yann pauses. “Maybe he doesn’t want the relationship to remain casual anymore?”

Lucas isn’t entirely sure how to respond, so he doesn’t.

“Right,” Yann breathes in, “so, why don’t you contact him?”

Lucas rolls his eyes at his friend, “I’m not going to confess my love to him over text, Yann.”

“Right, you shouldn’t.” Arthur jumps in, “why don’t you ask Eliott where he is? Then maybe you can meet him and have a talk with him.”

“Yeah! Do that, do that!” Basile says all too ecstatically.

Eventually all of them are chanting for Lucas to text Eliott. Lucas laughs as he pulls out his phone and types in Eliott’s contact. The idiot had named himself in Lucas’s phone: love of my life, my one and only with a few heart emojis to boot.

To: Hey, where are you right now?

From: Awe, does my baby miss me that much?

From: May I remind you that you were the one who said no sex tonight? ;) Cockblocked yourself, mister.

To: Jesus, you are too much to handle.

From: Mm, well obviously, I had you biting your arm so hard last time to hold back your shouts.

To: That isn’t what I meant, ugh! Nevermind, forget it

From: No, no, I’m sorry. What’s up?

To: Nothing, I just wanted to know what you were up to.

From: Well, since you turned me down :( I went to a party at a Idriss’ house.

To: Ah, okay.

From: ??

From: That’s it?

To: Yeah

From: You are very weird, Monsieur Lallemant.

To: Thanks

“He’s at a party hosted by Idriss.” Lucas reports.

Yann claps his hands in excitement, “well let’s go then! I know his apartment!”

When they walk into the party, they look like a group of deer in headlights. Lucas has never been a big drinker, so parties are not really his thing. And this party was...chaotic. Every person looked like they were drunk out of their minds and just about ready to pass out. Or there were the people in one room passing around the thickest joint Lucas has ever seen.

He grabs himself a beer, to at least look like he’s doing something, before walking around and looking for Eliott. He checks all the downstairs rooms, even in the basement. Still no sign of Eliott. Maybe he went home?

The deep bass of the songs playing starts getting to Lucas’s head, and he knows if he doesn’t leave soon he has the high possibility of passing out. He’s grabbing his jacket and slipping it on when he takes a glance up the stairs. He feels his heart stop.

“Lucas, where’s your man?” Arthur asks excitedly as he comes up beside Lucas. Obviously he doesn’t see the tears streaming down Lucas’s face or the slight flashes of anger as they pass through him. Lucas can’t form any words, so all he can do is motion his head up the stairs. Lucas watches as Arthur follows his gaze, and he watches as his smile fades away. There Eliott stands, pressing himself against a guy who clearly wasn’t Lucas. Because Lucas is the one watching them. Arthur turns away when they see Eliott and the other guy disappear into the closest room. “Lucas…” Arthur begins.

He shakes his head, “nah, it’s okay.” He knows he isn’t convincing either of them as another tear runs the length of his cheek, “I mean, we’re casual. He’s probably been...he’s probably been fucking other people this whole time, right? I’m not special. I’m just a toy. I knew that. It’s fine. It’s okay.” Lucas rushes out of the house. Everything suddenly becoming too overwhelming.

He makes it past the driveway and down the street before he’s kicking and screaming at a metal gate. He slams himself against it, punches it, and curses at it until his fingers are bleeding.

+1

To Lucas: Hey, what are you doing later?

To Lucas: Did you ever come to Idriss’ party?

To Lucas: Hey, haven’t heard from you in a while. Everything okay?

To Lucas: Did I do something?

To Lucas: Lucas?

To Lucas: Okay, you’re sort of freaking me out, are you safe?

To Lucas: Lucas, why aren’t you responding. I saw your instagram post.

It’s been two weeks since the night of Idriss’ party. Eliott had been repeatedly calling and texting Lucas, yet to no avail. Maybe Lucas was done with him. Well, ever since Lucas’s most recent post on Instagram, it’s been made clear that Lucas moved on. In the photo Lucas has his arms wrapped around a guy Eliott would describe as...decent looking. They’re both smiling and gazing into each other’s eyes. It almost makes Eliott sick. The caption ties the whole thing together: he thinks because we’re on a date he gets to eat my fries. It’s cheesy, and Eliott nearly smiled at it the first time he read it.

But then his heart was ripped out of his chest. Because it meant that Lucas was cutting all ties with Eliott. It made sense, especially if he’s gotten a boyfriend. He wouldn’t want a fuck-buddy around. But that was the issue.

Eliott was so caught up in their friends with benefits relationship he hadn’t even realized he was falling for Lucas. And he had been falling hard. When Lucas began cutting ties with him, he was plunged into a period of depression. He locked himself in his room, cancelled the job he had with Mika to avoid contact with Lucas, and even turned his phone off. It wasn’t until Idriss and Sofiane burst into his room that he actually got out of bed. They had demanded to know what was going on. Eliott explained to them the situation: Lucas had cut ties, he’d gotten himself a boyfriend, and Eliott is slowly dying without him

“Wait, Lucas as in Lucas Lallemant?” Idriss asks.

Eliott nods his head while shooting his friend a questioning look.

“Well, he’s friends with Yann, uh, yeah Yann that’s his name. I saw them at my party Friday, and Yann and I were talking when all of a sudden Lucas came rushing past us, he looked super upset. It looked like he had been crying. We overheard some of the conversation between Lucas and his other friend, blonde hair, glasses guy.” Idriss pauses, “anyways, we heard them him something about ‘Lucas, I’m sorry. I can’t believe he did that’ and Lucas responded with something along the lines of ‘well, I’m his fuck toy so I don’t know what I expected.’”

Eliott frowns, trying to understand what they could have been talking about. Then it dawned on him, he had been making out with a guy before going into a room together. Eliott was so drunk he honestly doesn’t remember half of it. He does remember than he ended up throwing up on the guy, so obviously they didn’t end up doing anything. But, shit, Lucas doesn’t know that. “Oh, fuck,” Eliott groans and runs his hands through his hair. “They must have seen me go into the room with that guy. Shit.”

Sofiane frowned, “what guy? Did something happen?”

Eliott shook his head, “no, no. I...I ended up not going through with it. I felt...guilty.” Which was part of the truth, his friends didn’t need to know the more embarrassing details.

Sofiane lifted his eyebrows, “bro, you need to text Lucas. Tell him what you just told us. He obviously has deeper feelings for you as well, he was super upset it sounds like.”

Eliott pauses, “you think so?”

Idriss and Sofiane nod their head frantically.

Eliott laughs at his friends, but his smile fades almost immediately after, “but what if he doesn’t feel the same way? Or just doesn’t respond to this text either.”

Idriss places a gentle hand on Eliott’s shoulder, “you don’t know until you try, do you?”

He gives his friends a parting smile as they slowly make their way out of the room. It takes Eliott a couple more minutes to make his hands stop shaking and reach to unplug his phones. He opens his messages to Lucas, his heart slightly breaking at all the messages Lucas has still yet to respond to. Eliott takes a deep breath, his fingers typing out a message. He doesn’t want to scare Lucas off with a sudden barrage of all of his emotions. So he opts for a simple: Hey, Lucas, I miss you and I really want to talk. Just talk. I have some stuff I need to tell you.

It takes a day for Lucas to respond. It was shocking to Eliott that Lucas actually read it and responded to his message. He thought he was going to have radio silence forever.

He had holed himself in his room, turning off all notifications except for ones coming from Lucas. So when he heard his phone ping from his bedside he scrambles to grab his phone. His eyes finally focus on the screen, and he can practically hear his heart shattering.

From Lucas: Please stop contacting me, Eliott. I’m trying to move on from you. I saw you with that guy at Idriss’ party and I realized that I can’t do this casual thing forever. I realized I was falling in love with you, and obviously those are emotions that would get tangled in your whole ‘no strings attached’ thing. You contacting me isn’t making it any easier. Just stop.

Eliott feels like he is going to throw up. That was it. He lost his chance. Lucas doesn’t want to see him anymore. Sure, he’d gotten a confession, “I realized I was falling in love with you.” But Lucas already moved on. Lucas now has that guy who he flaunts on Instagram. Eliott briefly thinks about contacting that guy via Instagram and telling him that Lucas’s been fucking someone on the side, but he isn’t that evil. Instead he goes back to hiding himself in his room. Drawing pages upon pages of a raccoon and a hedgehog, smiling, holding hands, hugging, kissing, watching TV, moving in together, sleeping together, everything that their alternate universe selves could go doing at this very moment.

But of course he’s in the one universe where they go their separate ways.

Eliott’s forced out of his apartment when he runs out of milk around 10pm. He had been making  cereal but was sourly disappointed when he found they didn’t have any milk. And neither Idriss or Sofiane are home to go get him some. He forces his legs into sweatpants and throws on his one sweatshirt before heading out the door. He looks like shit, he realizes, but he can’t find it in him to care. It’s now been a week since Lucas responded to his message. And in that week Lucas has posted another photo with his boyfriend on a dinner date. A dinner date Eliott wishes he could have been on with Lucas.

It’s slowly eating him alive, he thinks. The fact that he’s lost Lucas feels like it’s tearing him limb from limb. He regrets every waking moment that Lucas isn’t with him. That Lucas isn’t in his arms. Or when he can’t run out at one in the morning to go grab Lucas what he’s craving that very moment.

Eliott walks in like a zombie, barely having enough energy to pick up his feet as he walks to the back of the store. He grabs a random jug of milk, the weight of the carton pulling him forward. He watches his feet as he walks. He blinks slowly as the ground moves underneath him, and it begins to feel as if he isn’t even walking himself. Eliott bumps into something, and mutters a soft “sorry.” It’s when he hears a reply that he realizes he hadn’t bumped into something, but rather someone. He picks his head up to give an honest apology, but is met with the image of Lucas standing in front of the cereal. Their eyes lock for just a second before Lucas turns to run away.

“Lucas.” His voice halts Lucas dead in his tracks.

Lucas spins on his heels, coming face to face with a very disgruntled looking Eliott. He is probably the most worn-out looking Lucas has ever seen him. He’s in nothing but sweats, which Lucas didn’t even know he owned, his hair is more messy than usual, the dark circles under his eyes speak volumes on how little sleep he’s gotten, and he looks even thinner, almost like a shell of an Eliott he once was.

Lucas cradles the carton of orange juice in his arm and grips the box of cookies a little tighter, “hey, Eliott.”

Eliott doesn’t smile as he steps closer, but he tries to make a joke nonetheless, “big night I see.”

Lucas smiles, “well, Victor is over, so.”

Eliott feels his blood run cold. Victor. Most likely the boyfriend. “Ah, okay. Guess you had to find someone to replace me,” the joke runs flat. It doesn’t come out as a joke at all. All it does is make Lucas shift uncomfortably where he stands.

“Well, I don’t know about that,” Lucas mutters and Eliott feels his heart flutter for just a second. “He’s nice, though. Yann introduced us. But, uh, there is one major issue with him.”

“And what’s that?” Eliott smiles.

“He likes dipping oreos in orange juice.” Lucas nearly whispers it and quirks an eyebrow up at him.

Eliott shakes his head in disbelief, “well, that is obviously inhumane. Are you sure he’s human?”

Lucas laughs, god, how Eliott missed that sound. “Sometimes I wonder. Anyways, I should probably, uh, head out. Don’t want to keep him waiting too long.”

Eliott nods, sucking in a breath, “yeah, of course.” He wants to scream when Lucas turns back around, walking slowly towards the front of the store. Eliott wants to beg Lucas to stay. To talk. Even for just another minute. Just long enough to tell him how much he regrets every choice he’s made up till now. How much he wants to kiss him and tell him he loves him. And cuddle and watch stupid cheesy movies togther. He wants to eat oreos with milk, like a normal human does. He wants to just kiss those lips one more time. He wants to brush his hands through Lucas’s hair one more time.

He wants to whisper a soft “I love you” in the morning before Lucas has woken up because Eliott was too ecstatic to fall asleep with an absolute angel sleeping next to him. Just one more time.

But Eliott was stupid enough to go into that room with a guy he can’t even remember the name of. A guy whose face is just a blur. Lucas could be his, and yet he still managed to fuck it up.

Before Eliott can stop himself he is sprinting out of the store, dropping things on random shelves as he goes. When he breaks out into the street he frantically looks from side to side, searching for the brown hair that sticks up every which way. It’s pouring outside, a storm passing overhead, and it blurs his vision. He spots him, moving in and out of the crowd. Eliott feels his throat constrict and heart rate pick up as he frantically moves after him. But it feels like the closer he gets, the faster Lucas is moving.

Eliott almost thinks it’s a lost battle, about to give up when he shouts a quick “Lucas!” not even sure if the boy will hear it over the pouring of the rain.

Eliott can do nothing but watch as Lucas slows down and looks over the sea of people, finally locking eyes with Eliott. Eliott’s face breaks into a grin, and he doesn’t care how stupid he looks as he trips over himself trying to reach the man of his dreams.

“Eliott?” Lucas asks, as if he isn’t sure if Eliott is really in front of him.

“Sorry, I-” Eliott swallows. He didn’t plan out anything to say.

Lucas waits patiently, searching Eliott’s face for any clue as to what is coming next.

“Lucas, I just, I need you to know,” Eliott can’t get the words out.

Lucas rolls his eyes, “Eliott, saying sorry isn’t going to get me back in your bed. I need you to understand that I fell in love with you, and it’s just too painful for me to continue this friends with benefits thing we have going on if I can’t actually have you in my life. You can’t just be some drifter who comes in and out whenever he pleases. I’m sorry if you don’t feel the same way, but I need a foundation. And, and it breaks my heart that you aren’t ready to offer me that.”

Lucas is about to turn away, but Eliott grabs his arm before he really has the opportunity, “no, Lucas. I-that wasn’t what I was going to say. Sure, I am sorry. I made so many choices that I regret. But, God, it’s killing me every second you aren’t with me. To be honest I’ve never felt this way with anyone before you.” Lucas is about to roll his eyes, so Eliott laughs and says, “and before you roll your eyes at how cheesy I sound, just know it’s true. I made poor decisions because I was falling in love with you. And I still am. I’m continuously falling for you, Lucas. I love you.”

Eliott can see the shocked expression flicker across Lucas’s face. And then an expression that says “I don’t know how to respond to that.” Lucas takes a breath in, “but, I...It’s too late, Eliott.” Eliott bites his bottom lip, hard enough so that it distracts him from the breaking of his heart. “I can’t just leave Victor…”

“But you can, Lucas!” Eliott pleads and grabs hold of Lucas’s free hand, “I want to be your boyfriend. I want to have a life with you. I want to see where our lives are headed, together. I could even see myself marrying you, Lucas. Which sounds crazy, I know, but it’s true.”

Lucas searches in Eliott’s eyes, maybe he is searching for the answer to their problems, he isn’t really sure. “I need some time,” Lucas mumbles and slowly slips his hand out of Eliott’s reach.

Eliott shakes his head as he watches Lucas’s gaze turn away. In one last attempt Eliott uses his hands to cup Lucas’s face, forcing them to face each other. Lucas is about to say something, but doesn’t have a chance before Eliott’s lips on his. Eliott melts into the kiss. Lucas tastes like honey, sweetness must pump throat his very veins. Lucas responds, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Eliott hears Lucas drop his bag of groceries in order to wrap both his arms around Eliott’s neck.

Eliott knows he needs to stop the kiss, because he’s trying to prove to Lucas he’s not just a sex toy, but the man that stole his heart. So Eliott slowly takes his lips away, and rests their foreheads together. “I love you, Lucas.” Eliott mutters against Lucas’s lips, “take all the time you need. But...preferably sooner than later. Because it’s killing me, Lucas.”

Lucas laughs breathily, and Eliott can tell neither of them are ready to pull away just yet, so he forces himself to make the first move. He steps away, untangling his fingers from Lucas’s hair. He walks backwards until Lucas is lost in the sea of people.

It’s another week before Lucas contacts Eliott. He’s just lounging around his house after his lectures at his university, obviously trying not to think about Lucas. But failing miserably. He practically jumps to his phone at the notification from Lucas. Next thing he knows he’s sitting in his car parked outside of Lucas’s house, trying to build up the courage to actually walk to the front door.

But before Eliott can unbuckle his seat belt Lucas is opening the door and standing in his doorway. Eliott notes that he looks positively ethereal standing there. Hips cocked outwards, hair a spikey mess, eyes red and puffy, and those lips mouthing Eliott’s name. Then Eliott realizes that Lucas is crying, and he’s only mouthing his name because he isn’t able to actually form any words without fear of his voice breaking.

That sends Eliott flying out of his car, rushing to cup Lucas’s head in his hands. They crash into the hug and Eliott feels Lucas smile against his shoulder, which eases away some of his worry. They stand there for what could have been eternity before Lucas whispers,

“I ended things with Victor, neither of us took it well.”

Eliott smiles, “well, I guess I’ll just have to take responsibility than.” He lifts his head off Lucas’s shoulder in order to cup his head in his hands and wipe away his tears. “I love you, Lallemant, so you better at least take responsibility for that.”

Lucas laughs, and the glassiness in his eyes fade. “Oh, I plan to.”

Eliott melts at the sight of Lucas’s smile. All he wants is for his boy to feel better. “Want to go watch a movie?” Eliott asks.

Lucas nods, “but only if it’s Oui-Oui.”

Eliott laughs, “whatever you want, baby.”

[mybrainistoofull]

June 18, 2020: S (Part 1 ((probably)))

I met S last year when I came home to get a job.

I lived overseas and I can’t get a job there so I came home. I spent the summer living with my grandparents in middle-of-nowhere Alabama, 10 minutes from the state-line with Mississippi. I went to church with my Aunt and Uncle and while there I decided it would be fun if I got involved with the youth group.

I’m a fairly shy person so this was like a haha I’m going to push myself and make friends thing! Then I realized that youth was pretty much out for the summer and basically consisted of 5 guys sitting around a table playing uno and stopping for a 10 minute lesson by one of their dads. Turned out to be the best thing ever but when I walked in I almost freaked out and left.

I kinda just found a seat in the corner and sat there pretending to read on my phone for awhile... Nobody talked to me other than to say hi when I walked in and listen when my Uncle’s friend introduced me to them.

Then S showed up.

Not totally sure what happened but next thing I know I’m being taught how to play their insane version of uno.

If you have never played loco uno with a bunch of sugar high freshmen and sophomore guys you have never had true fun.

I still wasn’t totally comfortable though. I had talked and laughed with them but I didn’t belong and I felt out of my depth so as soon as the lesson was over I grabbed my stuff and headed out of the room. I was nervous and high strung. I was ready to leave and calm down and process all that had happened.

“HEY -------- you wanna stay and play another round of Uno?”

Not gonna lie, I panicked. I continued to walk out of the room and called over my shoulder “No thanks!” and then sprinted up the stairs. I mentally beat myself up as I ran to my car. OF COURSE I WANTED TO STAY! I had the time of my life and someone asked me to stick around! Nobody ever asks me to stay. Why did I say no!!! Because I”m an idiot who has a one track mind and can’t handle social interaction *facedesk*

I got distracted. I didn’t mean to tell this whole story.

Basically S was the only person who put any effort into hanging out with and getting to know me. He always invited me to uno, gave me tips on how to play better, hung out with me at the cookout, joked around with me, made fun of the middle schoolers on the water slide. He was super cool and super fun and he was great. Also was kind of very very attractive and I might have had a crush on him last year... He has always done certain things that I don’t know how to interpret because I haven’t been able to watch how he interacts with other people. When ever I showed up for an event he’d appear and spend the rest of the evening with me and whoever else was with me. My cousin M started coming with me after a while and he’d hang out with both of us. I could never figure out how he worked and why he was spending time with us instead of with his friends. I DON”T EVEN KNOW IF HE REALLY HAS FRIENDS! He and I only ever hung out with other people during sunday school and they were all his little brothers friends. There were a bunch of other people at the cookout and he ate dinner with those guys but after that he just sat around with me and M. It’s weird and I can’t explain it and my memories from last year are stained by my over analyzing mind that was very turned on by how freaking hot he was and how nice he was being.

But now it is a whole year later. I didn’t talk to him after I went back home and every now and then my cousin would mention that she’d seen S at a football game and he’d waved or something.  

It’s quarantine so church has changed a bit and youth group isn’t meeting but the youth director decided to do a movie on the lawn thing. People could come see their friends, be socially distanced, have fun. I was like I’m not doing anything else so might as well go.

Went with M and my brother. It was super fun. We didn’t really know anybody because M is bad at making friends and J has never been to this youth group and I haven’t been around in a year. I’m a lot more confident than I was back then but that doesn’t mean I can walk up to a group of strangers and introduce myself.

I saw S as we walked up because he kind of stands out and I was looking for him. He was talking to a friend so I didn’t go over. I picked a spot for us all to sit and we chilled and joked around while we waited for the movie to start. Had to move because they moved the screen to try and make it easier to see. Been kinda watching S the whole time trying to figure out if he remembered me and see how he’d changed and how he acts around other people.

Like two minutes after we had moved and max 15 minutes after we had showed up S walks over and just starts talking to us. I just role with it because what else am I going to do. He eventually is like “Yeah I recognized you when you walked up. I was like YO IT”S AFRICA CHICK! Sorry I can’t actually remember your na--”

“It’s --------”

“Ah I was close. Thought it was -----.”

“Ha that’s fine.”

Then we don’t talk for what felt like a minute or two but was probably only 30 seconds. Eventually one of us says something and we start a small conversation again. Then silence. This goes on for a little bit until finally a topic sticks.

Y’all... He loves to read and his favorite genre is sci-fi. I KID YOU NOT THOSE ARE LITERALLY TWO OF MY FAVORITE THINGS EVER! How did I not learn that last year?! He’s read Wheel of Time! Granted I wasn’t able to finish that series because it got too boring but J has read the whole thing and told me everything about it. Plus that series was finished by my favorite author EVER! Brandon Sanderson is the best you should go check him out. Highly recommend. He has something for almost everyone.

Long story short he spends the entire evening with us. He gets his chair and plops it down next to ours and watches the movie with us. Who does that? Who leaves their friends to sit with the girl you met a year ago, her brother, and a freshmen? I was impressed.

I did have a crush on him last year. I do not have a crush on him this year. Yes he has become way more attractive. Yes, he shares one of my greatest passions and seems to show interest in being my friend. But I don’t like him like that. I’m just not interested in having a relationship that is more than friendly. Besides I barely know him and I’m moving 6 hours away in the fall and won’t be back until Christmas. There is literally no point.

However that won’t stop me from analyzing because I’m stupid and he did some slightly weird stuff.

First: There were a number of times during the beginning where there were some rather long pauses and he didn’t leave. He showed no interest in leaving. Most people would leave. Why didn’t he?

Second: He acted like he had known us for ages. He just casually joined our conversation, and would commentate on the movie, and make jokes like we were old friends. HOW? I want to know how he does this. I want to be able to do this!

Third: I asked J to go get me some candy from the bucket and I told him I’d prefer Reeses or Snickers but if those weren’t there I’d take Skittles. He came back with Skittles and was like there were also Starbursts but I didn’t think you’d like those. I would definitely have preferred Starburst and I told him so but I didn’t want to make him walk all the way back over there so I took the skittles and they were pretty good. Like 10 minutes later S passes me some starbursts and is like here take the rest I only wanted the reds. Am I over thinking? Probably.

Fourth: He recognized me from across the parking lot! Enough said. 

Basically I don’t know who this guy really is. M isn’t any help because she’s a freshmen who thinks that this super attractive junior talking to her is the coolest thing to walk on the face of the earth and is super smitten. Which, I can’t blame her he’s cool but like COME ON she was supposed to be my inside info. I need her to tell me if he’s normally this friendly. If he normally comes over to talk to her. Who does he normally hang out with? I don’t know these things and I want to know these things.

I also really want to get to know him more and be his friend. My definition of friend is more than I talk to you when I see you and we can joke around or whatever. A friend is someone you intentionally try and communicate with and hang out with. You text or dm or whatever with them on semi regular basis. You plan times to meet up. Also other things that I can’t think of now. But I’m not S’s friend yet and I will be. Probably.

[hadeestown]

i watched the heathers on riverdale episode and listened to the soundtrack on spotify and i have a lot of things to say

FIRST OF ALL @ riverdale fandom dont freaking attack me for saying these. just being frank with yall

also the only actors whose names i know of are kj apa, cole sprouse, lili reinhart, camila mendes, and casey cott

BEAUTIFUL

- CASEY COTT,,,,he saved this song he should’ve just sang it alone - they made it so PG they didnt even include the fREAK SLUT CRIPPLE HOMO HOMO HOMO - okay camila sounded okay - kj apa,,,honey youre cute but pls stop singing - josie can sing but like,,,not for musicals - can everyone pls get the emotions right in this song thEYRE LITERALLY SINGING ABOUT HOW HIGH SCHOOL FREAKING SUCKS AND THEYRE ALL "just not today! :D" or "just not today *seductive wink*" - the autotune in lili's verse knjkACN - cole's voice is so deep he sounds like he wants to die - "why do i act like such a creep" whoever sang that im sorry but youre terribly fla t - so many wasted harmonies - "aHhh HEAther hEAther aNd hEATher" why falsetto - "lets make her beautiful" rip harmonies "okAY? okay?" rip falsetto uGh - cheryl can sing but i dont know something's wrong,,, probably autotune - "you hope you dream you pray ANd you GEt yoUR wAY" autotune count: ive lost count - The riverdale producers giving casey cott the high veronica notes is one of the few things they got right in this episode

CANDY STORE - heathers 101 lyrics knAKJCNJA i want to die - they can say biotch but not dick huh - the orchestration's weird,,,but okay - GO PLAY DUCK DUCK GOOSE - ICE CREAM - the first verse was okay then autotuned kicked in - the verses are pretty okay - i want more emotion pls just,,, sound bitchier - "SEE YOU DONT HAVE IT WATCH THIS" HACKNASCKJA IM CACKLING - rip harmonies in 2nd chorus,,,,those were great but they probably didnt find a person who can do the crazy mcnamara notes huh - DOORKNOB - cheryl youre struggling with the bridge - "kEEP ON TESTING ME *lower octave* and end up like her" oof whERE ARE THE HIGH MCNAMARA NOTES - i didnt understand the chandler riff what was that about - rip harmonies aGAIN this song had a lOT of amazing harmonies and they,,,threw it away

FIGHT FOR ME - josie honey youre terribly autotuned - kj apa kjnSCJNKANCKJA why - everything's so autotuned i dont even know what's real and what's not - i kinda like the end harmonies,,that's it tho

BIG FUN - okay orchestration's great - again with the heathers 101 lyrics jNCKSNAJC dont do heathers if you arent bold enough to curse on tv - rip harmonies,,,,,,,,,nobody did like the high notes jesus christ - convenient that they have a character named "Veronica" in the show - i dont know if thats camila's real voice but it did sound nice,,,however, i still believe it's autotUNED - once again, they gave casey cott the high veronica notes "i FEEL LIKE BONO AT LIVE AID" - "take a picTURE I'LL NEED PROOF" who the hell said that he sounded so monotone and emotionless like he forgot at the last minute he had to say a line - awkward silence for the part "i broUGHT SPARKLING CIDER :D" - no context "danG DANG DIGGITY DANG DANG" hAJKCSJNAC me initimidating my enemies - once again, akward silence for the dialogues - dang dang diggity dang dang everything's so autotuned - thE INSTRUMENTAL'S SO LOUD probably to mask the fact that most of the cast werent *cough* vocally trained

DEAD GIRL WALKING - what THE HELL IS UP WITH THAT TINY HARP SOUND AT THE INTRO OF DGW ANKCSJACI CHOKED - a u t o t u n e d  girl walking - the instrumental got better - i see they went with like pianos and shit and not mostly electric guitar for the guitar solo riffs - "ALL HOPE IS GONE IM A DEAD GIRL WALKING IM ON YOUR LAWN" gurl,,,youre in school,,,and there is no window lock,,,,,,, - heATHERS 101 lYRICS KASNKCJANSCKA - "had to see yOU HOPE I DIDNT WAKE YOU" bitch youre all awake in school - i cant listen to this song anymore without hearing the weird hair swishes and sound effects - "that works for me" yall monotone as hELL like yall dont wanna have intense sex just,,,okay sex - "hoWD YOU FIND MY ADDRESS" none of the lyrics make sense bc uhm,,,,theyRE IN SCHOOL - "i think you tore my mattress" gurl is chill as hell where is the concern over the mattress AHAHFANKCC - at least the guy sounded a bit hornier than the other girl - goodbye intense barrett notes - AHAHAHHAA they yeeted away from the G#5 - it's just like G#4??? - the other girl doesnt sound shes enjoying the sex huh - the guy who did the jd riff at the end,,,,hMMM pretty good but is it auTOTUNED??? the question remains - i can tell the whole song's like,,,autotuned but if just a little bit, toni sounded actually great

OUR LOVE IS GOD - the cult girl is not showing any emotion,,,,she's like reciting the lyrics hDJCKAJ - casey cott sounds great but autotuned ruined his voice - harmonies sound great actually - the instrumental is inTENSELY loud as HELL again - "they die becauSE THEY SAY THEY MUST" no context bc jD did not kill anyone in this scene - the ending harmonies were great

SEVENTEEN - fuck me i liked this the first time i heard it - im biased probably bc i love seventeen knKSCAJ - intro instrumental sounded a bit off key - cole pls dont sound dead - lili sounds great - SEVANTEEN - cole redeemed himself in the harmony chorus - is this shit autotuned???? bitch - SEvANTEEN (Cole Sprouse, 2019) - okay one thing's for sure, the tonight part is dEFINITELY AuTOTUnED - the toni girl is intensely autotuned wtf

LIFEBOAT - WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS INSTRUMENTAL - IT SOUNDS LIKE A NEW SONG LIKE LIFEBOAT WHO?? - I HATE IT - camila you dont sound oppressed - where's the emotion,,,,,elle mclemore who???? - i think the high notes are autotuned???????????????? whats new - I THOUGHT I WAS CAPTAIN - okay lyric change to fit the plot but,,,weird nonetheless - again,,,fuck this instrumental

SEVENTEEN REPRISE - in the episode, it looks weird as hell bc like random cast members are singing it when VERONICA and MARTHA should be singing it - hello??? chandler kurt and ram should be dead yet theyre still on stage???? fully clothed??? singing with everyone else????? - the producers DID NOT watch the musical - "martha are you free tonight?" - the girl playing veronica sawyer sings as she stares out into the audience and not at martha bc riverdale isnt about to cast a fat girl and give a fat girl some screentime on their show - KJ APA PLS - also cheryl,,,pls - a u t o tu n e - the song doesnt make any sense anymore bc it's taken out of context to fit the plot,,, - theyre all singing to an invisible martha - at least the harmonies sound decent fiNALLY - hello head voice - "TAKE oFF OUR SHOES AND DANCe" - the ending "BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL" i could not hear the girls bc they were all. singing. in. head. voice. or was it falsetto??? - im so done with this

OVERALL - what's the point of doing a heathers episode if yall aint gonna stick to the musical - i get that it has to be aligned with the show's plot but,,,,okay you do you - the people playing JD and Veronica were totally ignored bc like some songs meant for them werent even sung by them lmaooOOOO what is this - to summarize: AUTOTUNE - heathers kidz bop version by riverdale (2019) - im honestly just thirsty for new heathers content so i forced myself to live through this - costumes look cute tho - ALSO in their heathers promo poster, josie is wearing her veronica sawyer costume,,,,i dont recall seeing her wear that except for the last scene in seventeen (reprise) - basically seventeen (reprise) was a mess,,, - im judging them so much as if i can do better,,,,,,,,but whatever

IN CONCLUSION - they shouldve learned from their carie episode that musical episodes arent meant for riverdale - at this point, i dont even know what's autotuned and what's real

[w0rm-king]

for the cat meme: literally every single one

Oh lord oh christ alrighty!

meow: who is your favorite artist at the moment?

oh I really like Betty Jiangs stuff and also clicckbaitcowboy and 13mo stuff is realy cool,,, I like a lot of artists tbh!

 tabby: do you have any weird/hidden/obscure talents?

I can eat an inhuman amount of potstickers.

 treats: favorite snack? favorite drink? favorite snack-drink combo? 

I love matcha drinks so much! and i have so many snacks i like,,, like bread and synthetic crab meat.

siamese: any tattoos/piercings? (if so: which? if not: which would you get?) 

I have pierced ears and 2 tattoos! A leetle dr zed on my ankle and a bee on the back of my neck :D

paw: what movie could you watch 1000 times and not get bored of?

Mayhaps Big Eden? It’s just,,, so good,,,

 calico: what’s your favorite app on your phone? 

I just redownloaded pocket camp the other day and have been having a lot of fun with that! Feel free to ask for my friend code add thingy

purr: what was your best halloween costume? 

I was jeff the killer one year when i was in middle school and the slit mouth makeup I did for it was pretty cool, my friend at the time ripped it off for me at the end of the night

munchkin: top 10 songs rn! 

no particular order but lately i’ve been listening to :

Wild Side-ALI

Kids-The Frights

We Will Commit Wolf Murder - of Montreal

Before I Forget - Slipknot

Best Clockmaker on Mars - Sturgill Simpson

Roses Are Falling - Orville Peck

Brutus - The Buttress

Rodeo - Lil Nas X

Sing Along - Sturgill Simpson

Buffalo Run - Orville Peck

whiskers: what is your current background/lockscreen?

Art of me and my bfs Starfinder characters he did!

 tortoiseshell: if your house was on fire, what one object would you grab? (your pets and family are safe and chilling on the front lawn) 

Probably my laptop lol all my art and game shits on it ;-;)

claws: what are your biggest pet peeves? 

Loud noises esp when sudden make me see red, also when people casually use slurs and shit.

bobtail: what is the best fruit? what is the worst fruit?

Grapefruit and pomegranite god tier, bananas worst their texture is so bad to me (their flavor is good tho, i love a banana smoothie)

 catnip: do you smoke, drink, or do drugs? (which drugs?)

Not really and i only drink occasionally with friends

 scottish fold: favorite animal? (it’s a cat, right? right??) 

I love cats yees,,, 

collar: do you have a nickname? (what is it?) do you give other people nicknames? (what are they?)

Some of my friends call me Zeddy or Zedler instead of Zed :3c

I dont really give tons of nicknames, i call my bf jimmy or babe a lot tho

 persian: do you play any instruments? (if so: which ones? if not: are there any you’d like to play?) 

Nah I tried to play bass when i was younger but it didnt stick. Honestly idk if it counts but id love to make vocaloid music it seems so cool...

toy mouse: what are your hobbies? what do you do for fun? 

I draw and play video games and also make games! (U should play them if you havent wink wink)

russian blue: what would you describe your aesthetic/style as?

Very specific shade of green only i truly see and bright wacky prints, also kitty paws.

 tail: order these from best to worst: energy drinks, slushies, smoothies, juice, tea, milkshakes, hot cocoa, coffee, water, soda

water, tea, smoothie, juice, milkshake, slushie, hot cocoa, coffee, energy drink, soda

 ragdoll: what’s something you wish you could like or get into, but you just can’t?

Podcasts, i just cant do audio stuff like that, it doesnt click with me which sucks cause i know theres a lot of really cool ones :((( 

pounce: what is your weirdest fear? 

if i do not cross my fingers and knock on wood often enough bad things will happen

maine coone: do you have any strange/odd/obscure interests? (what are they?) 

i think so yes, i really love more obscure ps2 horror games,,, and obscure horror games in general tbh

kneading: what comforts you or calms you down? 

laying my face on my cats soft fur, especially when he’s purring, its just so pleasant,,,

sphynx: if you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

id have cat ears or be a werewolf!! or liek be 7 feet tall yes yes

 hissing: give a controversial opinion!

I only follow normal people so idk what of my opinions are actually controversial to the general public but i did not like tales from the borderlands very much and am dissapointed that rhys bitch is in borderlands 3 and doctor zed isnt!!!

 selkirk rex: what are 3 things you associate yourself with? 

light green, kitty men, king crowns

grooming: what are your favorite blogs?

i love orvillepeckdaily,,,, also windup-estinien and all my friends blogs :3c  

turkish van: granted three wishes by a cat. what do you wish for?

Endless money 4 me, give me cat ears, world peace

 cat nap: choose between ________ and _________! 

nyan applicable

ty for the ask!

[supernaturalfreewill]

Your name: submit What is this?

Words: 2,287 Sam x Reader Reader sex/gender: unspecified Warnings: none! FLUFF A/N: Just a sweet little Sammy fluff fic for you all on this autumn Friday! Happy weekend ya'll!

“Wow,” you said, climbing the front steps to your parents’ house. “There are kind of a lot of cars parked here. I wonder what’s going on,” you thought aloud.

Sam just followed behind you a foot and shrugged.

“Maybe I should have called first,” you said with a laugh. “But my mom seemed really insistent I come and pick up whatever this mail is they’ve been holding for me.” You rang the doorbell, peeking in through the window beside the door.

Sam shrugged his hands into his pockets, studying the neighborhood and your childhood home. Wondering if you had climbed the maple tree in the front yard as a kid, or run barefoot along the fence. There was a crisp autumn chill in the air and the lawn was carpeted with golden and yellow and crimson leaves. “Kind of fun to see a little bit of your roots,” he commented, looking at you warmly.

“Hey, as long as you don’t start psychoanalyzing me,” you joked.

The door pulled open abruptly and you were exuberantly welcomed inside by your sister. “Oh my God! Look who it is! MOM!” she screamed over her shoulder. Her eyes drifted over and landed on Sam standing beside you and you watched her mouth fall open for a split second before she literally tugged you in off the front step and crushed you in a hug.

“Ow,” you said with a laugh, but you returned the squeeze. “What is going on? What’s with all the cars? And why are you home?”

She rolled her eyes. There was a lot of noise and chaos in the background. “Dad is having all ‘the boys’ over for poker night so mom invited all the wives. Brenden and I just happen to be visiting for the weekend.” Her eyes drifted over to Sam again, who was hovering a little awkwardly behind you on the step still.

“I wasn’t even expecting you and the hubby to be home. Mom never tells me anything! I just came to pick up some mail she’s been telling me to get out of here--Hi Mom!” Your mom came bustling up the hallway and grabbed you into a hug.

“Mom, this is Sam,” your sister said pointedly. Your mom’s eyes traveled up Sam’s height and settled on his handsome face.

“Hi,” Sam said with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Your mom didn’t respond for a moment, continuing to stare at him with a curious expression on her face. “Oh my gosh! It is SO nice to meet you---HUN!” Your mom screamed back up the hallway, calling for your dad. You winced at the yelling and laughed, looking over at Sam.

You cringed. “Sorry... we’re loud I guess,” you said, shaking your head.

“Oh, he doesn’t hear anything when he’s playing poker--HONEY!” your mom screamed again.

“Mom--”

“HUN! COME SAY HELLO!”

“MOM!” you interrupted. “Geez, I just came to grab that mail. You don’t have to interrupt the entire evening.”

“Oh, right! The mail! Well, come on in! Come in, Sam!” she said, smiling broadly at him again.

You fell into step next to your sister, following your mom up the hallway, Sam a step behind you. “Are. You. Kidding. Me?!” your sister whispered to you.

“What?”

“Oh, come on!” she said. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she pressed.

You gave her a perplexed look. “...Tell you what--?”

“Here you go, honey,” your mom said, shoving a stack of papers and envelopes into your hands and then bustling over next to Sam. “Geez--what even is all this...” you said, trying to gain control of the stack.

“Now, Sam, tell us where you’re from!” your mom asked.

“Oh, uhh, I’m from Kansas,” he said.

“A down home Midwesterner!” your mom said, beaming up at him still. “And what do you do?”

“Umm. I work in, uhh--consulting,” he said, stuttering a little. You caught his eye and managed an amused smile, still trying to straighten the papers in your hands into a manageable pile. Your sister and mom were both staring at him intently with smiles frozen on their faces, clearly waiting for him to say more. “I’m a problem solver,” he added with a nervous laugh.

“What kind of problems?” your sister asked.

Sam’s hazel eyes flitted over to catch yours and you pressed your lips into a thin line, trying hard not to laugh. “Oh, any kind really. It’s the stuff of nightmares, let me tell you,” he replied with a laugh. You bit your tongue to keep from breaking into laughter. Your mom and your sister continued just to peer at him.

Just then your dad wandered in and clapped you hard on the back. “Didn’t know you would be making an appearance!” he said.

You rocked a little on your feet from his strong hand and gave him a half-annoyed look, which only made him smile wider. Suddenly, he noticed Sam standing there and his entire demeanor changed. “Who’s this?” he asked, his brow furrowing.

“This is Sam,” your mom said, catching your dad’s eyes and lifting her eyebrows.

This was the first moment you keyed in on some sort of secondary communication your family seemed to be having, and hints of what it clearly was implying. You squinted at your mom. “Why did you say it like that?” you asked in an undertone.

“Hey, come say hi to my hubs while you’re here,” your sister said, practically dragging you away.

“Wait—why—” You looked back at Sam, apologetic. “Uhh... I’ll be right back?” you said over your shoulder, given no choice but to be pulled into the next room.

He looked a little wide-eyed standing there with your parents but before he could respond you had disappeared around the corner.

“So,” your dad said, looking Sam up and down, rocking a bit on his feet. “What do you do?”

“He’s in consulting,” your mom said.

“Let the man talk,” your dad replied. He looked back at Sam expectantly.

“Uhh, yes, I am in consulting,” he said.

Your dad narrowed your eyes at Sam, and Sam couldn’t believe it, couldn’t understand why, but he felt nervous. He’d been face to face with every goddamn dark thing that walked, crawled, or flew but there--right then--standing alone with your parents? It was the most damn nervous he’d been in a long time.

“You got a last name, Sam?” your dad asked.

“Right! Yes, sir. Sam Winchester,” he said, extending a hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Your dad gripped Sam’s extended hand hard and shook it for slightly longer than was comfortable. He seemed to soften somewhat after that. “You’ve got a good firm handshake,” he commented. “Consulting, huh? Lot of office work in that?” he asked.

Images of salting and burning bones, decapitating vampires, exorcising demons, and struggles with any number of other monsters flashed through his mind. “Not as much as you’d think actually,” he said.

“Would you like something to drink?” your mom asked, before your dad could ask the next question.

“Oh no, really. That’s okay. I’m fine,” he said. “Thank you, though.”

“You sure?” your mom pressed. “Nothing at all? Tea? We’ve got hot cider!”

“No, really. I’m fine. That’s very kind of you to offer, though. Thank you.” Sam glanced hopefully toward the doorway you had disappeared through, but was quickly asked another question.

_ _ _ _ _ _

“Okay, I’m mad at you,” your sister said.

“What?”

“I’m your sibling. We’re supposed to tell each other things,” she continued, crossing her arms and giving you a scolding look.

You stared back at her. You were finally sick of holding all your mail and you dropped it onto the nearest table. “What are you even talking about?”

“Where the hell did you find him?”

“...what? Find?” You squinted at her and she stared back intently. You held a hand up. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Sam isn’t--He’s just--we’re not--”

She was giving you a skeptical look. “Uh huh...”

“We’re friends!” You felt your face grow warm, knowing you were blushing.

“Then why are you blushing so much right now!”

“Because you’re extremely embarrassing!” you countered. “It doesn’t mean--we’re just friends!”

“Uh huh.... Methinks thou doth protest too much!”

“UGH! Jesus! You made me leave him alone with mom and dad!” you said, suddenly struck with realization.

“Well, yeah... Let them chat! They should get to know him!”

You threw your hands up. “Why?! AGH! We’re friends!” you repeated.

“Can you say anything else right now besides ‘we’re friends’?” your sister teased you. “And even if that’s true, why? He seems super nice, smart, and HELLOOOO he’s gorgeous. What is stopping you?”

“Just--we’re not--it isn’t like that!” You sighed and stormed back into the kitchen to find Sam listening to a story from your mom.

“--and wouldn’t you know it, he cheated on her during their junior prom!”

You felt your cheeks grow warm again. “Mom! Why the hell are you talking about my high school boyfriend? That’s ancient history! Anyway, we have to go,” you said abruptly.

“So soon? You just got here, sweetie!” your mom said.

“Yep! We gotta go. Sorry to interrupt the evening,” you said. You quickly hugged your mom.

“Honey, he’s a keeper,” she whispered as she gave you a squeeze.

“Oh my God,” you muttered, praying to God, any god, whatever god, that Sam hadn’t heard that. “Okay. Okay! Bye, dad!” You grabbed him into a quick hug too and started for the front door. If you’d rushed anymore you would have been running out of the house.

“It was really nice to meet you,” Sam said with a wave to your parents and your sister who had just come back into the kitchen. He followed you back to the entryway.

“SO nice to meet you,” your sister said, giving you a pointed look. “Please come back soon.”

“BYE,” you announced again, stepping out into the cool air and letting out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding in in a rush of air.

Sam caught up with you and matched your stride. “Are you okay? We kinda rushed out of there.”

Your face burned. “Yep! Yep. Fine...”

“...Are you sure?”

You stopped abruptly and turned to face him. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t know everyone was going to be there. I wouldn’t have dragged you along if I knew.”

Sam shrugged. “It’s alright. You don’t need to apologize for that. It was kind of fun to meet your family,” he said, copying you as you started walking again back toward the car. “It explains some things,” he joked. “Your dad can be terrifying,” he added with a laugh.

“Oh, God.” You put a hand to your face and you felt that familiar heat blooming on your cheeks. “I’m really sorry. They can be--they’re a bit much sometimes.”

“They were great,” Sam said.

You continued down the driveway toward your car.

“So, is that true?” Sam asked. You gave him a questioning glance. “The only guy you’ve ever brought home was your high school boyfriend?” he asked.

You were mortified, feeling the now all-too-familiar burn of a blush on your face. “Uhh,” you cleared your throat nervously. “Heh… Yeah, I guess it is.”

“I’m surprised,” Sam said, almost to himself.

”I’m not,” you said, your tone distinctly self-deprecating.

”Are you serious?” he asked, almost stopping dead to peer at you. “Why?”

You shrugged and shook your head, ignoring Sam’s eyes fixated on you. You dodged the question. “I don’t know… You know… the life got in the way I guess…” You knew it was a weak and not entirely valid reason, but Sam let it slide.

You stopped at the driver-side door and peered at Sam one more time over the roof of the car. He was looking back at you, earnest and sweet, his eyes and smile warm. “I’m--I just want you to know that I didn’t... if they said anything to you about, uhh... I think they just assumed--”

“Hey. Would you stop worrying? You want to know what I think? Honestly?”

You nodded, a little apprehensive.

“Being mistaken for your boyfriend for 15 minutes? It was a pretty okay alternate reality,” he said, his expression earnest and unafraid.

Now you KNEW, no doubt, 100% that your entire face (and probably your chest and ears) were bright red. You didn’t have any adequate response to that. So you resigned yourself to being brave enough to catch Sam’s eyes and hold them for a moment, chewing your bottom lip absently, before climbing into the car.

As soon as you had settled in behind the steering wheel and Sam settled in beside you, you cranked the ignition, and that’s when the final realization hit you.

“Ohhhhhhhh, shit...” You leaned forward and hung your head so your forehead was pressed against the steering wheel.

“What’s the matter?”

“I forgot the goddamn mail...”

[idreamof-music]

Grad Night is for Lovers

Pairing: Peter Parker x Female Reader

Word Count: 1.9k

Warnings: Slight one-sided angst and tons of terrible writing! 

Prompt: “Hey Cutie”

Summary: Alcohol is just liquid courage and Katherine needs that courage to face Peter Parker. Grad night is the best time for last chance confessions.

A/N: This was written for @hillsnholland’s birthday writing challenge. This is my first writing piece EVER so please prepare for tons of terrible writing. Constructive criticism is completely welcomed.

“Katherine, you need to put that book down and live a little.”I looked up from the novel in my lap, meeting MJ’s stare with my uninterested eyes. Rolling them, I put my book in the bag next to me and stood up. “Says the girl who can’t seem to put her books down long enough to socialize during lunch. I didn’t even want to come to this party, MJ. All I see are a bunch of drunk eighteen-year-olds sucking face with one another. That’s fun? That’s living?”

“Dude, we just graduated. We deserve to let loose a little.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes right back at me, handing me a plastic cup.

Scoffing, I peered into the red Solo cup, a subtle coconut scent hitting my nostrils. Deciding she had a point; I took a large sip. We all literally just graduated earlier in the day and most of us would be leaving for college over the summer, some further away than others. It was our chance to be young and dumb before we were thrown into what I assumed would be hell compared to high school. After four years of being a good child, keeping textbooks practically glued to my face and busting my ass at after-school jobs to save up for college, I sure as hell deserved this. With that thought in mind, I downed the drink in my hand and followed MJ to find something a bit stronger.

A couple hours and a few drinks later, MJ and I had found ourselves sitting next to a pool out back, giggling at the cringey couples “dancing” inside. My eyes shifted to a pair of boys exiting the house and making their way through the yard. Brown hair, brown eyes, and a signature science pun tee caught my eye. Naturally, MJ had noticed my silence and craned her neck to find what was currently holding my attention.

Peter Parker was probably the only guy at school to have piqued my interest. We shared a majority of our classes. He was also MJ’s best friend, or at least male best friend, which meant he was around a lot. Peter was always so clueless, but constantly happy which was the complete opposite of who I was, and it honestly got under my skin. At first. At some point in our friendship, my irritation turned into a fascination with the boy.

“So…You gonna make a move on Parker before he goes off to MIT?” MJ shakes my shoulder as I laugh at her.

“It’s three hours away, that’s barely considered “going off to,” I reminded her. She mumbled a whatever and I sighed. “You really think I should? She nodded frantically, grinning ear to ear. I brushed my hair over my shoulder before getting onto slightly unbalanced feet and fixing my skirt. “Ok, how do I look?”

“Hot. You look hot. Now go get him, tiger!” She cheered me on as I shakily made my way to Peter, who was seated near Ned on a lawn swing, animatedly talking. 

I watched his hands fly around the air as he talked, a smile gracing the edges of his lips. It was cute, that boyish charm of his. That charm was what ended up being the metaphorical nail in the coffin for my crush on him. My heart skipped a beat as I got closer to them, the quickly fading alcohol in my system is the only courage keeping me going.

“Hey, cutie! Can I sit here?” I motioned to the open spot next to Peter. He snapped his head up and upon recognizing me, smiled.

“Yeah, um, just let me move a little.” Before he could move closer to Ned, the boy stood up, quickly shuffling his body away from the swing.

“Don’t worry about it, I think I saw MJ waving at me. I’m gonna go talk to her a bit. Catch up with you guys later!” With that, Ned bounded off in search of MJ, leaving a disgruntled Peter and a confused look on my face.

I sat down in the now empty seat that Ned had previously been sat in and pulled on the sleeves of my sweater. A small, shy peek over at Peter proved he was just as nervous as I was. Kicking my feet at the ground, I sighed. “How is Aunt May doing? It’s been a while since I’ve been over.” Peter shot me a smile, breaking the ice between us, ice that had never been there before.

“She’s good. Ya know, same old Aunt May. With me leaving soon, she’s been pretty mopey.” That last part held sadness to it, just a slight bit.

“You’ll only be a few hours away though. I’m sure you’ll visit whenever you can, right? I mean, I’ll be in town still and can keep her company. It’s not the same as if you were to visit her, I’m sure...” I took a deep breath at the end of my rambling, looking at Peter through the bangs that had fallen in my face. 

He smiled at me, a smile that made my heart melt. “I think she’d like that. She’s always bugging me about when you’re coming over next.” A blush formed across my cheeks at that. “Of course, I plan to visit as much as I can. She would literally kill me if I didn’t. We laughed together at that accurate statement.  

Aunt May was not one to cross. She had proved that when she caught me sneaking out of Peter’s room after a late-night movie marathon back in sophomore year. It was a school night, and with all that Peter had going on, she had strict rules about friends staying over during the weeknights. That rule had been broken many times by the two of us, but that was the first time we had been caught. Definitely not the last time though.

“Are you excited for NYU?” I looked over at Peter and gave a small shrug.

“Yeah, I guess so. Mom is still pissed I’m not choosing something science related that can make “big bucks”. Dad is on board though, but I don’t know. I worry too much about what she thinks of me.” I wrung my hands together in my lap, looking down at the cracked polish on my nails.

“You decided to go the writing route, right?” I nodded and kicked my feet a little. “I think that’s a cool thing to do. Your mom will probably come around once she sees how happy it makes you. Don’t worry too much,” he reassured me. I mumbled thanks, shooting him a small smile before letting it grow silent between us.

I leaned my head back against the swing, closing my eyes and listening to the party still in full swing around us. The chill air hitting my face cooled the heat in my cheeks from our close proximity. At this point, any alcohol that was in my system had faded. Here I was, sitting on a lawn swing with Peter Parker, the guy I had fallen for. All the times we had been alone in the past never felt like this. There was a new electrical charge in the air between us. 

A warm hand on my knee jolted me from my thoughts. Whipping my head to the side, a pair of wide, brown eyes met my hazel ones. When had Peter gotten so close? I blinked a few times and smiled at him. “Have I ever told you how adorable you are?” Well, there went the filter on my mouth. 

Peter chuckled, shaking his head. “No, I don’t think you have. It’s not too late though,” he playfully whispered, leaning closer to me. 

In mock shock, I slapped a hand to my chest and gaped at him. “Peter Parker, are you flirting with me?” A grin spread across his face, cheeks turning a rosy shade that accentuated the freckles across them. A shrug of his shoulders and he had turned his attention to the hand still on my lap.

I watched as wheels seemed to be turning in his head, his thumb rubbing circles into the fabric of the socks covering my knee. Oh, how I wished I could have seen or heard what was going on in there. His bottom lip was caught between his teeth, something that happened when he was nervous or thinking. The sweet innocence he had was just the icing to the cake. A man normally wouldn’t be called beautiful, but when it comes to Peter, that just goes right out the window.

“Peter?” I whispered. I was almost hoping that he couldn’t hear me over the music that was playing, but he did. He lifted his head, brown eyes searching my face. There was a softness to them that I swear I had seen before. Before I lost all confidence, I made my move. Smacking my lips into his, I nearly knocked the boy off the swing. 

Strong arms wrapped around my waist, steadying me before I could completely fall on him. His lips were still beneath my mine and I had faintly heard the squeak of surprise slip past them. The lack of positive reaction caused a million negative thoughts to run through my mind, each one filled with regret. How could I have been so stupid to misread him like that? Sure, we had flirted a ton throughout the years, but that didn’t necessarily mean he was into me. 

As I started to pull away Peter sprung into action. His arms tightened around me and his lips parted sucking my bottom lip into his mouth. I couldn’t hold back the gasp that left my throat. And that was all it took for me to throw myself into him and this kiss. Our lips melted together into a perfect rhythm, nipping gently at each other’s lips, and hands finding their places in each other’s hair or wrapped around someone’s neck. This was it. This had to be what heaven felt like.

After what felt like ages, yelling from across the yard broke us apart. Both of us looked around out of breath, trying to find the yelling, only to spot MJ and Ned by the back door. The excitement written on their faces said they had watched a good portion of what just went down. “About time, you dorks!” MJ yelled at us. I flipped her off, laughing and shaking my head. When I turned to look at Peter, he was smiling, nose and cheeks pink from our kissing. I placed my hand on his neck and pressed a sweet kiss onto his cheek.

“You’ll be visiting me at MIT when I leave, right?” He asked nervously. That pure look on his face made me smile. 

“Of course, I will, Peter. You’re not getting rid of me now.” I pulled him towards me by the fabric of his shirt, picking up where we left off, our lips meeting much slower this time.

This was never how I imagined grad night to go. It was a million times better than expected. With Peter’s lips on mine and his arms around me, I felt safe. The world couldn’t touch us. Our summer was bound to be just as amazing as tonight was. The future seemed optimistic despite the setbacks we had over our years of friendship. I couldn’t wait to see what was in store for us.

[sauveteen]

like this | s.m

note: so i had this idea, and it isn't really a one shot, just a... concept? if enough people like it/are intrigued i might turn it into a series of slow burn shawn and a soft boy in love. so please lmk if you'd like that! (:

if u like it, just reply & i'll add you to a taglist for chapters wayyy longer than this thingy

“Wha’ d’you mean Aayat likes Noémie?”

“What I just said,” Calum presses, “Aayat. Likes. Noémie. Do I need to spell it out for you? Like in those weddings, all glittery and big on a styrofoam heart? AAYAT WEDS NOÉMIE. SHAWN GETS ROYALLY FUCKED.”

“Shut up,” Shawn seethes, waving his hand around to dismiss his friend, “God, just fucking shut up, Calum.”

“Don't shoot the messenger, dude.”

“M’about to more than shoot you. M’going to…”

“Yeah, think it over,” Calum smirks, bringing his cigarette to his lips, “Your preferred mode of murder is probably tickling. Pussy.”

When Shawn smacks Calum on the head, he simply chuckles, taking a long drag and blowing the smoke back into Shawn's face, who makes a face and leans away, too wasted to do anything else. He feels faint, and not the I'm-drunk-off-my-ass kind, but the numb kind. Like that feeling you get when you know something has gone terribly wrong, and you know there's absolutely nothing you can do about it. Nada. Zilch. Probably mourn, though, like Shawn currently is. And then decide to shoot the messenger even further, also like Shawn currently is.

“S’you're telling me..,” Bringing a hand up to his head, he runs a hand through his hair, pushing the unruly curls away from his face. He bites into his bottom lip, really craving another bottle of beer as he says, “That Aayat likes Noémie.”

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ,” Calum mumbles, shaking his head, already regretting being the one who had to bring this up to him. All of his and Shawn’s friends had had a lengthy debate (sans Shawn, of course) about who would be the one to bite the bullet and just tell it to Shawn like it is. Calum, like the dumbass he is, had volunteered. Volunteered. The others weren't willing to do it even when threatened with a stick up their ass. “Yes, Shawn. The girl you're in love with likes your best friend. There, I said it.”

“Uhh..” Shawn scrunches his face, scoffing, “I'm not in love with her?”

“Sure, dude, whatever you say.”

“I am not in love with her. I'm not. I just… think she's cute. But I'm not in love with her.”

“Maybe saying it enough times will help you fool yourself, huh? Heard that's good strategy.”

“Oh my God, Cal,” Shawn’s head drops to his propped up hands as he mumbles into his palms, “Am I in love with her?”

“Would you get her name tattooed on your right ass cheek?”

Shawn lifts his head to give Calum a weird look, like this isn't something they've discussed before. Calum doesn't think Shawn remembers, though, because he was black out drunk when the gang had sat around a patio table and given their two cents about What is Love? Not like any of them had any sort of worthy experience, whatsoever, but it was fun while it lasted. Shawn's contribution had been on the wilder side, proudly claiming, ‘If I fall in love, I'll get her name tattooed on both ass cheeks.’ Calum’s glad he refrained from drinking that night.

“Would you?”

“No?” Shawn sounds unsure, eyebrows furrowed.

“Then you're not in love,” Comes Calum’s simple reply. He taps his cigarette on the lip of the ashtray, watching the gears slowly turn in his friend's head. He knows he should've broken the news at a better time — perhaps a time when Shawn hadn't downed two glasses of vodka and God knows how many bottles of beers, a time when he at least had some of his mental faculties together. Thing is, though, that Calum is shit with emotions. Had he managed to catch Shawn at just the perfect time and made him cry — which he really, really can't put past Shawn — then he would've also done the shittiest job at consoling his friend.

Now, however, Shawn is barely conscious. Some of his words slur together when he talks, cheeks and the tip of his nose rosy and warm. His actions are delayed, soft, like you're looking at him through a vaseline covered screen. The realisation of what Calum’s telling him takes a while to settle in, and even then, he doesn't really grasp the concept in all its shitty, fucked up glory.

“And Aayat wants me to help her win over Noémie?” Shawn echoes what Calum had told him earlier, blinking dazedly to keep his eyes open.

“And Aayat wants you to help her win over Noémie,” Calum nods, confirming his worst suspicions, "She says no one knows Noémie better than you."

“S’fucked up, man,” Shawn mutters, running a hand over his face. He rubs his eyes while softly shaking his head, repeating, “S’fucked up. S’all fucked up.”

“I mean… it could be worse?”

Shawn's eyes fly up to meet Calum’s at a speed he didn't know was possible, squinted in accusation, “How could it be worse? Lit-eral-lly my worst case scenario. Sure, s’also the fear that I'm way out of her league… but this?” His head tilts to the side, helpless gaze focused on nowhere in particular, “Fuck, dude."

"Maybe this is for the best the best. You could try to.. woo her in the process?"

"Woo her with what? My lanky ass body and average personality? M'only defining character trait s'that I can whistle through my ears. And then there's Noémie... fuck. Mie's just.... Mie. I stand zero chance next to her?"

“I don't think you should be comparing yourself to your best friend. Kinda unhealthy.”

“And I don't care you what you think!” Shawn screeches, wagging his finger in Calum’s face, “I really don't. You've got me fucked up real good here, bud-die. Now shut up.”

“But like…”

“Wha’ d’you not get about.. shutting up?” Shawn mutters, “It's literally so easy. You just.. don't talk.”

“Shawn,” Calum exhales heavily through his nose, dropping his cigarette butt to the ground and crushing it under his shoe, “I know this sucks, but chill the fuck out for a second and listen to me. There's no point wailing like a baby if you won't even remember this tomorrow morning.”

“Morning,” Shawn echoes, muttering to himself, “I am mourning.”

“No — morning. Like sunrise, morning. Like AM morning.”

“Yeah, AM,” Shawn muses, “Aayat Mendes.”

“Sometimes I wonder why I bother,” Calum mumbles, and then reminds himself why. He bothers because he loves his friends, and he loves Shawn, and if ever found himself in a situation like this, he'd want his friends to try and console him. The only difference would be the fact that his friends are good at consoling, unlike Calum, who wants to punch anyone who shows any sort of emotion in the throat.

Sometimes he thinks his violent tendencies stem from being around a bunch of meatheads. And then he reminds himself that he's also around Aayat and Shawn just as often, and if their soft asses can't influence him, then nothing can.

“Hey, you,” Calum leans over the table, putting a pause in Shawn's mumbling by softly poking him in the chest, “Now you listen to me.”

Shawn gives him a half hearted hum in reply, pretending to focus his gaze on his friend while his mind wanders. Makes up scenarios. He almost throws up when a picture of Aayat and Noémie holding hands is conjured up in his head. Holding hands — not even kissing, or making out, or sleeping together — just holding hands like two middle schoolers too afraid to do anything else. Or two people in love — that makes Shawn's stomach turn. So yeah, perhaps he is a goner. Perhaps he will die alone with no one no to care for him. Perhaps Calum is shouting in his face right now, and so he really should try to focus.

“....And so what if they're sleeping together, you know? Fucking doesn't equal feelings, believe me—”

The scream that leaves Shawn's lips then has Calum tumbling off his lawn chair, chin hitting the edge of the patio table in the process. His body hits the ground with a loud thud, and groaning, he makes absolutely no effort to get back up.

Shawn's head peeks under the table, eyebrows on the top of his face. Pink, swollen lips parted in surprise. His grip on the table is strong, knuckles turning white in the process as he screeches, “They're also fucking?!”

“I thought you knew that!”

“Does my reaction make you think I knew that!” Shawn all but roars, nudging Calum’s shin with his pointy shoe.

“Everybody fucking knew!”

“Fuck this shit, Calum,” Shawn shakes his head, holding his hand out to help him up, “Fuck everything. And fuck Aayat.”

“Oh, we all know you want to.”

Shawn lets Calum’s hand go and watches his head hit the ground again, a loud shout of protest following soon after, “Dude, fuck you too!”

“Life already has.”

if you're confused please read this!

[domhnutwick]

Star Wars - Halloween Theme:

Poe: always proud of his costume Finn: always proud of his friends and their costumes Padmé: always keeps her costume a secret and makes sure she's the best dressed. Makes sure she socializes with everyone Lando: always competing to be the best dressed Scorch: ordering pizza, cracking jokes, playing pranks Jyn: no chill or time for this night Leia: supportive of friends and helps them prepare their outfits before completing hers Revan: dresses up as the bad guy, but is an absolute marshmallow underneath handing out their sweets to their friends Boss: was paid to babysit Bastila: bitches all night Cassian: has a house party with his friends and keeps his home open for others to join in Rey: the perfect time to hang out with friends late at night Han: "What do you mean it's not an actual costume? I'm sexy, aren't I?" Atton: "What do you mean it's not an actual costume? I'm sexy, aren't I?" Chewie: doesn't brush hair for a week and claims that's his costume Bodhi: always worried what people are going to think of his costume but as soon as he sees someone else with a bad costume he relaxes Sev: in on a prank with Scorch, gets drunk, tries to hitchhike his way home, is kidnapped Kreia: chases kids all night off her lawn - always gets TP'd Zaalbar: just adds an extra weapon each year Phasma: wears the same costume every Halloween T3-M4: keeps telling everyone how they can improve their costumes next year, can’t understand why people get angry Rae: makes sure everyone is being responsible, always makes a costume for Armitage. HK-47: literally threatens to kill everyone who questions his costume Krennic: planned for the event months ago with close friends. Sulks the entire night when Galen cancels last minute. Galen: always prefers to stay at home and cook something special. Can only think of a proper excuse at the last minute to avoid seeing Krennic. Atris: criticizes everyone, gets drunk, goes full SJW Fixer: dresses up with friends, tells on them when they're up to shit Nihilus: makes up a language, claiming to be possessed Brendol: constantly receiving a bitch slap from Rae Sion: always shirtless to show how much he's been going to the gym. Always messes up Kreia's house Chirrut: dresses up as Blind Al Qui-Gon: hands people health snacks and tells them why he wishes his parents didn't give him sweets on Halloween. Points out cavities that could have been fixed long ago, but then he wouldn’t be able to tell the story next year. Canderous: always dresses up as different variations of Cable from the X-Men Anakin: always forgets Halloween until the day before. always tries to find out what Padmé is wearing the night before. Always sneaks into her room to find out what she's working on. Always puts together a costume on the day. Always says "Wow, Padmé. We match. What a coincidence" Carth: another year dressed as a soldier, but with a different heart-breaking story Luke: "I didn't have the money to fully dress up, but I made use of what I had around the house" Bao-Dur: always takes suggestions from friends K-2SO: tells everyone he's having a miserable time, is actually having fun Mira: "I know my cosplay is amazing. I have taken photographs and will be selling them all night. I charge extra for a signature." Malak: loses his shit when everyone pays more attention to Revan. Rex: "I dressed like my brother" Mical: doesn't believe this day is good for the soul and stays away Saw: everyone's outside. No one's gonna bother him. Vape time. Maul: Pissed because Obi-Wan doesn't hang out with him on this night anymore. Runs around screaming "KENOBI!" Armitage: the kid who was never allowed to go Trick or Treating until Rae shows up, bitch slaps his father and is allowed out by Rae. Has to deal with Kylo bitching through texts all the night. Hanharr: only goes out on the night if he can get something out of it. R2-D2: trash can Mission: "what do you mean I'm too young to dress like this? I'm 14!" Obi-Wan: doesn't put much effort into a costume - focuses more on what candy he can buy his friends. Baze: warns everyone that if they plan on giving Chirrut a jumpscare he'll murder them. Ends up giving Chirrut more sweets at the end of the night. Juhani: tries to pick fights, is given a snickers bar Sheev: spreads rumors all night about a kid he got expelled from school. Ahsoka: puts a little more effort into costume each year, but helps Obi-Wan's cause Brianna: just wants to show off what she learned in martial arts this year Visas: whips out the crystal ball, tarot cards, and incense to get people to come over and tell them their future Tarkin: sits on a lawn chair all night sipping on tea under his home's front tree - which is covered in toilet paper. no more fucks given. Grievous: tries to pick fights all night, asthma kicks in Mothma: spends the night communicating with everyone's parents to get to know them. Avoids Krennic, Brendol, Rae, Anakin, Tarkin, and Sheev. G0-T0: sits in the dark in the attic, watching everyone from the window BB-8: each year a different kind of dog Meetra: wears a fake sword that looks as if they've been stabbed from behind. Walks around all night with a look of horror on face. Kylo: the kid who was once grounded on Halloween, wasn't allowed out and got TP'd by Finn and Poe where Rey witnessed it all. Reads Stephen King and listens to Lacuna Coil all night. Dooku: forced to hang out another year with Sheev. Done with life. C-3PO: "You probably don't recognize me because of the red ___" a different red limb each year Jolee: goes on about how Halloween was back in his day Beru and Owen: reigning champs.