#they've been friends first so they know each other's buttons and exactly how much they can push

[suga-kookiemonster]

Don’t mind me just passing here for my monthly delusion where oc from ego and taehyung actually end up falling in love after hooking up in the chronicles 🤸‍♂️

idk why it entertains me so much but it does they’d either be the Chernobyl toxic or a healthy chaotic evil together

LMAO! they'd definitely be chaotic evil, but they wouldn't last very long, because tae has a wandering eye and oc don't play that 😂 so it wouldn't even have time to get properly toxic because as we all know, our girl? she's a runner, she's a track star 🏃🏾‍♀️💨

[grimalkinmessor]

10, 11, 12, 19, 42, and 45 for Shimateru? 🥺

SHIMATERUUUU LET'S FUCKING GOOOO

♠️⚜️

10. Do they share any hobbies or interests? How do these things bring them together?

The girls are fiiightiiiiing 💅✨

Nah but fr, fist fighting and sparring with their powers are a big point of quality time for them. It's how they met, it's how they "made up" (read: became attracted to each other), it's how they start and resolve arguments, it's how they let off steam, and oftentimes how they start sex. Fighting as foreplay my beloved 🙏

It's cathartic for both of them Shimazaki finds it fun, a way to let loose, and Teruki feels the same, but with more relief, because Shimazaki is the only person he can go all out against. Not because he's strong, but because he knows Shimazaki's not afraid of hitting back and giving as good as he gets.

11. How do they feel about nicknames/pet names? If they like them, what pet names do they use? If they hate them, why do they feel that way?

Oohhh Shimazaki loves to use petnames for Teru, and Teru fucking hates it, especially in the beginning. Shimazaki's favorites to use are Kitten (and all it's variations), Sparky, and Sweetheart—all incredibly condescending. At first, anyway. He likes the way Teruki's aura flares when he says them, his little lightning bolt gets so pissed off >:3 He eventually adds on Lovely once they're closer and those nicknames don't sound quite so mean anymore; if anything, they're almost -gasp- affectionate? 👀

Teru himself has a few nicknames for Shimazaki that he uses later on, standard stuff like Love and Darling. He uses them sarcastically at first, much like Shimazaki, but then he too falls into the trap of affection 😔🙏 RIP unattached Teru he will be missed.

12. Do they have a difficult time when separated from each other, or are they fairly independent?

Ahh, not really? They've both been on their own so long that I don't see them ever really becoming codependent that way. They're people that like their space and need alone time, so they work pretty well together in that respect. So yes, fairly independent.

19. Do they wear each other’s clothes/jewelry?

THIS one is fun, because while Teruki absolutely probably steals Shimazaki's leather jackets and pants from time to time, Shimazaki can't really,,,,,see, what he's picking up when he handles Teru's clothes. He can see the shape and cut of it due to Teruki's aura being all over it, but he can't exactly see the colors or designs on them. He has no way of knowing that Teru has the brightest, neon fashion sense known to man unless someone tells him, and you can bet your ass that absolutely no one is going to.

Shimazaki steals Teru's jackets and scarves and even his shirts sometimes, maybe a watch or two, and then you have this intimidating emo-looking guy waltzing around with a neon yellow scarf with like green triangles all over it. An inverted blacklight Hawaiian button-up. Occasionally a bright, hot pink wrist watch. Teruki actually thinks he looks nice though, is the thing, so I guess it works for them 😭

42. What’s their relationship like with each other’s friends/families?

Well, Teruki is kind of a runaway? At least in my head he is, rather than his parents just,,,voluntarily letting their fifteen year old live alone. So Shimazaki likely never really meets Teru's family, unless he decides to take advantage of Shimazaki's teleportation abilities and send messages to them back and forth that they can't technically track. Even then I think it would be kind of awkward for Shimazaki to interact with them given how genuinely worried they seem for their son—I think it would skeeve him out.

As for Shimazaki's family....well, I kind of have an angsty headcanon for him where his mother actually purposefully blinded him as a kid and that's what sparked his psychic awakening, so he's ALSO been a little vagabond skirting from town to town so he doesn't get put in the system, so he knows what it's like. His father was out of the picture and his mother is still in jail for, you know, maiming her kid so Shimazaki doesn't really have any family for Teru to meet now beyond the Ultimate Five, and even they don't really fuck with Shimazaki much because of how much of a dick he was 😅

I guess in that vein Teru's Meet My Parents meeting would probably just involve the Kageyama brothers, Reigen, Tome, and Dimple :')

45. How do they support each other? How do they rely on each others support?

Ack, this one is weird for me. Because again, they're fairly independent and that's because they're both very prideful and they both needed to know how to survive on their own, which they do and think they do well. It woul be hard for either of them to support the other because both of them think they don't need support.

I think the biggest thing that Shimazaki "supports" Teru through is sparring. When his anger issues start flaring up, when the guilt starts creeping in, when he feels Old Teru start bubbling back up in sneers and insults, he can count on Shimazaki to run him through the wringer until he feels right again. To take every bit of his rage and aggression without flinching back from him or thinking he's weak for it.

For Shimazaki, I think Teru mostly supports him physically. Leaning against him when he gets all quiet, dragging his hands along the walls and furniture in the apartment to make sure Shimazaki can see the shape and limits of them, holding his hand when they walk through large crowds, sometimes even combing his fingers through Shimazaki's hair when the man can't get to sleep.

Neither of them acknowledge that they're helping the other out loud, and neither of them acknowledge that they're being helped, because that shit Embarrassing™

[asjjohnson]

What if Danny's and Vlad's accidents were reversed?

In college, Jack, Maddie, and Vlad were going big. They wanted a portal large enough to enter.

After that went wrong, Jack and Maddie decided it might be best to start small instead.

I just wanted to see Danny and Vlad as though they'd had each other's accidents—Danny with slightly lighter hair and ecto-acne, Vlad with... uh... slightly darker hair. (And maybe also do a little pondering about how Danny copes with his accident being plain on his face. Especially with how he'd already been bullied in school. And, would he be quarantined in a hospital for a year or two until the acne goes into remission? That would be tough. I'd always figured Vlad's accident happened just before graduation, since he must've graduated with Jack and Maddie to be part of their class reunion. But Danny's only a little way into his first year of high school.)

However... their appearances switching would also mean a lot of other things switching. Like... exactly how their accidents took place.

Vlad would've of course been inside the turned-off portal as he said it wasn't going to work, and it would have come on with him inside it. Maybe Jack would've plugged it in right after Vlad said it wouldn't work (and, well, with Vlad being involved with the project, he might've turned the on button on ahead of time or else had edited the schematics to not have a button there at all).

Twenty years later, Danny would have been in the basement with his friends, and peeked through the porthole portal. He's just looking around, telling his friends about his parents' project, glancing at it to see if he sees anything interesting. Maybe he had absently set his hand on its base as he leaned over to look through it, and that base happened to have an on button on it. And maybe Danny's parents hadn't tried turning it on earlier; hadn't walked away in disappointment. Maybe they've finished it, but they're waiting for a more special time to do a ceremonial 'turning it on' thing. Like when the whole family is together later in the day, rather than turning it on while the kids are at school and unable to witness the occasion. But Danny comes home with his friends, doesn't see his parents around, and assumes the porthole portal is still unfinished. He doesn't know it's plugged in and ready to turn on. So he ends up with a blast of contaminated ectoplasm to the face.

I've switched the 'on' method for the two portals so that Vlad's accident would have still been Jack's fault, and Danny's accident would still be his own accident. It would make sense, though. Maybe the on button had been Maddie's or Jack's idea, while the remote control had been Vlad's idea.

...Here's the part that would change everything, however... (Sigh, so much for a simple switch)

If the 1981 accident happened the way Danny's original accident had... then Vlad would've stumbled out of the portal in ghost form. Right in front of Jack and Maddie. (Originally, Vlad's hair had lightened and his eyes glowed icy blue, but the ghostliness seemed concentrated only to his face. With the portal shocking his whole body, everything's going to invert and he'll be noticeably a ghost.)

No matter how they react, it's going to change what happens twenty years later. They would be checking to see if Danny had become a halfa. They would know halfas are possible. They would instantly jump to that possibility when Danny ends up with physical effects from the porthole portal. Whether they'd stayed close friends with Vlad and became his version of Sam and Tucker, or whether they'd turned against him for being half ghost.

...I mean, unless you think they would see ghost-form!Vlad leaving the portal and assume this horrible ghost just so happened to exit the portal right after Vlad had disappeared into it... Then the timeline might remain the same...

---

In which case. If it's so hard to tell ghost-half and human-half are the same person... It would be pretty funny if, when Danny had accidentally pushed the on button in his original accident... some random ghost had coincidentally walked out of the portal, and Sam and Tucker just assumed it was Danny. Like... Tucker: (Gasp!) "The portal turned Danny into a ghost!" Ghost!Danny(?): "Hello, dearies. Would you like a piece of cherry pie?" Sam: (taking the ghost's arm) "Come on, Danny, you need to hide! Your parents could show up any minute!"

[the-way-of-words]

I'm Not Leaving 'Til You Leave First Part Two

Noah Sebastian x Holly (ofc), Noah Sebastian and Nick Ruffilo, mentions of Nick Ruffilo x Holly (ofc)

Content warnings: angst, Noah's got big feelings and he doesn't want to think about them

This contains sexual situations with fictionalized versions of real people. Not your jam? Back button is right there.

Summary: Noah's POV in I'd Trade The World For Your City Lights Part One and Two

Part of the PolyVerse // MasterList

Part One

Nick's already up and pacing next to the bed when Noah rouses. "Dude. I'm gonna need you to stop. I just woke up and you're already making me dizzy… wanna tell me what's wrong?" 

Nick stops pacing and sits himself down on the bed beside him, hands clenching on his knees. "I think I have feelings for Holly." The words are quiet, spoken into the other man's lap. 

Dread blooms inside him. Noah knew this was coming ever since Nick showed up at his door last night. It was easier then, to push the unease aside and fall into bed with his friend. He meant what he said. Holly isn't his girlfriend, and he isn’t jealous… not entirely. But if he's honest, Noah doesn't quite know where this leaves him. Clearing his throat, he hopes his voice sounds at ease as he says, "Yeah… kind of figured that out already, bud." 

"What?!" Nick exclaims, head jerking up to look at Noah.

He levels the other man with a look, "I'm sorry. Have you not been aware of yourself around her the last few times she's come to a gig?" 

Noah almost laughs at the embarrassed look on his friend's face, but because Nick's his best god damn friend, he doesn't. He's patient, staying quiet to let Nick ask, "Was it that obvious?"

"Only if you know what to look for, and I, in fact, do." 

"Does she know?" 

This time, Noah does laugh. "You guys may know each other like the back of your hands, but Holly wouldn't be able to tell you like her until you sit her down and spell it out for her," he pauses, "she's been trying so hard to respect Lys's boundaries, she hasn't even acknowledged the fact that she's got feelings for you too."

Despite the pit growing in his stomach, it's fun to watch the color rise on Nick's cheeks as he processes what Noah's just said. "Fuck off. She doesn't--"

"No, you fuck off," he cuts in. "I have seen the Nick and Holly show with my own two eyes and she might not want to admit it, but she's got it as bad for you as you do her." 

Nick’s quiet, as if he’s searching for what to say next. What he says, however, isn’t what Noah was expecting. "What about you two?"

His brows furrow. "What do you mean?"

Nick rolls his eyes. "Holly has feelings for you, too. She told me herself." 

Something akin to hope blooms in his chest, but he pushes it away before it can take root; this is about Nick and Holly right now. "Okay… and? Are you really saying you won’t do anything about it?" Noah pauses. "Holly is amazing and you're telling me you wouldn't take the opportunity to actually start something with her, given the chance?"

Nick doesn’t answer, opting instead to cross his arms stubbornly, "Stop avoiding the question."

"What do you want me to say, Nick? You knew exactly what you were doing when you got us involved with each other. I'm falling for her, hard. But if you want to have something more with Holly, you need to do it." Noah closes his eyes and scrubs his hands down his face. He doesn't want to have this conversation anymore, doesn't want to be in this room right now. Because no matter how much he thought he prepared himself for this, it still hurts. He has to be the bigger person and let whatever is growing between him and Holly go. Because he knows, he knows, they've got that big thing, Holly and Nick, and he doesn’t know if he could forgive himself if he stood in the way of that. Noah gathers his courage and tries to ignore the crack forming in his heart as he tells Nick, "I'm gonna break things off with her. Let you two figure things out."

"The fuck you are." His friend’s voice is hard, shocking him into silence as he continues, "I won’t come between the two of you, not when I know how you both feel about each other.”

"Then what do you suggest we do Nick? Because both of us just sitting here going in circles about it won’t solve anything."

"I'm," he pauses for a beat, "I'm going to tell her how I feel, and if she feels the same way, then yeah, I want to see where things go. But. I won’t stand in the way of you two either." 

Noah can't believe what he's hearing right now, and he says so, "I’m sorry, are you saying we both date her??… If that's what she wants?"

"Why not? We both have feelings for Holly. She has feelings for us. It's not like the two of us haven't ever hooked up before…" And for once in this bizarre conversation, Noah can't find any words, so he stays quiet, allowing Nick to continue, "I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but… why not?" 

~~

Why not? The words have been playing in his head almost constantly for the last few hours, and call him crazy, but Noah doesn't think Nick's off base. This whole thing started with the three of them, seems only natural that it could continue that way and grow into something that included all of them. He'd be a liar if he said the thought of Holly and Nick together does nothing for him, or that the thought of them all together again doesn't make him warm in all the right places. Noah pulls his phone out because even though Nick’s in the bunk across from him, secrets don’t stay secret for long on this bus and this isn't anyone's business but their own right now. 

<Noah> Do you really want to try this?

You and Holly and me?

<Nick> Wouldn't have said it if I didn't, dude. 

<Noah> It wouldn't be weird that she's seeing someone else at the same time?

<Nick> Was it weird when we both had sex with her?

<Noah> … You know it wasn't 

<Nick> Then why should this be any different?

…

If it was someone else, then yeah, it'd probably be weird. 

But it's you. So it's not.

Does that make sense?

He understands what Nick is trying to say because he's right; the thought of Holly being with anyone else stings. Anyone else, except Nick. When he turns to face Nick's bunk, his friend is already looking at him and it's this moment, right here, that changes everything. 

<Noah> Okay. 

If she's okay with this… Then I'm in.

Noah watches the smile form on Nick's face when he reads the message, and can only hope Holly's as into it as they are. Because he really doesn't want to know what it feels like to be without her, more than he already is. 

<Nick> Okay. 

Just… Please don't tell her.

I know you want to talk to her, just… let me tell her. 

Please. 

Even though he wants nothing more than to tell Holly everything, he gives her only the bare bones details of what’s happened; Nick’s single, and they hooked up after she left. He’s nervous, watching the three dots dance on the screen as she types her reply. Relief floods his bones and he releases a breath he didn’t quite realize he was holding when she doesn’t seem upset. Because if Nick is an exception for the two of them, does that mean he might be the same for Holly and Nick? His head is a mess; thoughts all over the place as he sees Nick off at the airport, sending him on his way to go meet their girl, because that’s what she is, isn’t it? Theirs.

~~

Noah sleeps until noon the next day, the post-tour exhaustion catching up quickly. While he's sure he could sleep longer, the ping of his phone pierces through the fog of sleep. He’s wide awake when he sees Holly's name flash across his notifications. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes, he steels himself for what he expects to be a break-up text waiting for him. What he sees when he opens the message, however, isn't at all what he expects.

It's a photo of Holly, lounging in what he knows to be Nick's bed, but that's not the most surprising part. She's not wearing much, most likely bare under the shirt that she almost wears like a dress, a shirt he recognizes as the one she grabbed from him days ago. His throat dries instantly when the next picture appears; it's a clear shot down her body and the shirt that covers it, bare thighs peeking through. But what really sends him over the edge is the tattooed hand that's disappearing under the fabric between her thighs.

<Noah> What are you doing, Holly?

<Holly> Just wanting to make sure you knew your shirt was being taken care of.

…

And maybe a little payback. 

You're not the only one who gets to screw around with Nick.

<Noah> Finally got his head out of his ass, did he?

<Holly> You could have warned me.

<Noah> I did. I told you "Incoming".

Was that not enough?

<Holly> … You know what I mean.

He runs a hand down his face, leaning back to brace himself against the headboard, because apparently this conversation is happening now. 

<Noah> So, does this mean you and Nick are together now?

<Holly> Yeah… I think so.

But…

<Noah> What is it Holly?

<Holly> You know what, Noah.

…

I just… I don’t want to stop whatever this thing between us is.

Hope stirs in his chest when he reads the message, but he needs to make sure.

<Noah> You don't think it'll be weird? 

Being with both of us?

<Holly> Noah. I'd like to think we both know that for the three of us, things are a bit different.

… Aren't they?

<Noah> Yeah… they are.

<Holly> So… would you still want to keep this going? 

Me and you?

<Noah> I don't think you need to ask, but yeah. I do.

They trade a few more messages back and forth before saying goodbye, and he can't keep the smile off his face. He's not naïve enough to think that this'll be easy, no matter how onboard with this they all are. For now, though, he's content to sink into this feeling that things might just work out for them. 

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

And now, some quick summaries of each below the cut:

Before the Last Petal Falls

A character study on Scarlet Briar; who she was, who she became, and how she got from point A to point B. Told from the fractured perspective of a mastermind who died burning the world she once used to love. Warnings for character death, blood, psychological horror, severe dissociation, unreality, and other related topics.

Hello World

Ceara returns to Lornar's Pass to fix another wrong of her past. Her steam creatures are still running amok even after all these years, and she's going to put an end to that-- one way or another. What she doesn't expect is to see just how far her creations have come. Maybe the dreams she once held weren't so far out of reach after all.

I Saw You Burning Like a Fallen Star

Set partway through Secrets of the Obscure, once Saoirse and Pirkko find themselves in Nayos for the first time. The more things change, the more they stay the same-- but sometimes new scenery can bring a fresh perspective, too, even on all the things you thought you knew.

The Illusion of Choice

Only one dragon remains; the great beast of the jungle, Mordremoth. Ceara knows now that it's all gone exactly according to its plan, but she never knew just how deeply they've all fallen into its claws. Nothing could have prepared her for what comes next. Mordremoth knows what her friends don't: Ceara's always been a monster... And now she knows it, too. Warnings for blood, death, implied cannibalism and psychological horror.

Every Genius's Dream

After living in an old Aetherblade Hideout for years in relative peace, Ceara has gotten quite used to turning away unexpected-- and generally unwanted-- guests. But this time the answer isn't quite so simple. One of the Commander's friends is knocking, and this one actually seems sincere. Or: Taimi and Scarlet finally have a much-needed talk about their history and where to go from here.

Loose Ends

Commander Pirkko doesn't get it. Saoirse could have killed her. Why did Scarlet's ghost stop her? What did she care? The spirit is a contradiction in every possible way, and her motives make Pirkko's head hurt. But as it turns out, the ghost doesn't intend to leave her without answers-- even if they aren't quite what she expects to hear. Warnings for dissociation, abstract violence, and unreality.

A Match Made in Hell

Ceara and Saoirse have no idea who these people camping on their front lawn are, but they aren't impressed. Gendarren Fields is supposed to be the middle of nowhere, what's their business here? Worse yet, they're weirdly perceptive of the pair and won't give any answers... And then the Commander shows up. That's when they know things are about to get interesting. Or: Ceara and Saoirse try to break into the Ward's camp at the beginning of Secrets of the Obscure and get a little bit more than they bargained for. Warnings for death, violence, and mild horror.

[zalrb]

You know the thing about djats is that I can understand not wanting to actually do a story about Fleetwood Mac. Writing a novel or show about real people who are still alive can get messy for a lot of reasons, and it can be limiting creatively. But from what I understand (I know nothing about the band’s history myself, I’m just basing this on what others have said lol), they really watered everything down compared to the irl events the book is based on. Like if you’re going the fictional route, why not go in the other direction and make shit even crazier? I thought this was supposed to be entertainment? I didn’t get past the first couple episodes cause I just found it all pretty boring tbh.

It absolutely can get messy and I don't necessarily fault the show or the book for not being about them, it's just my personal taste is I would be more interested in seeing an interpretation of events that led to an album, that led to songs that we still hear in shows, in commercials etc? And I think it's actually just because of the framing tbqh, like if it wasn't set up like a Behind The Music/series of interviews I don't think the inspiration for the book would be on my mind the way it is? Like even though Almost Famous is semi-autobiographical, it's about a teenage journalist writing about a fictional band for The Rolling Stone and I was totally cool with that and quite like the movie but it's just the framing of This Is A Documentary About A Famous Fictional Band that makes me go, you mean a band that's basically Fleetwood Mac but not actually Fleetwood Mac. Lmao.

And exactly, like, Fleetwood Mac was a lot lmao, like we're supposed to see this kind of tension between Billy and Daisy:

Many of the lyrics from the hit songs we know and love are Nicks and Buckingham taking swipes at each other.

Buckingham wrote 'Second Hand News', 'Never Going Back Again' and 'Go Your Own Way' about Nicks who duly responded with 'Dreams'.

Nicks says she was particularly insulted by a lyric in 'Go Your Own Way' which she's continually had to perform during her career, telling Rolling Stone: "I very much resented him telling the world that 'packing up, shacking up' with different men was all I wanted to do. He knew it wasn't true. It was just an angry thing he said. 

"Every time those words would come out onstage, I wanted to go over and kill him. He knew it, so he really pushed my buttons through that."

and then there was this

Stevie Nicks then fell madly in love with founding band member Mick Fleetwood, two years after she joined the band,

"Well, here's a big one for ya. I had started to see Mick Fleetwood romantically. I had a very dear friend whose name was Sara [Recor] who just went after Mick. And they fell in love, and the next thing, Sara's husband is calling me to say 'Sara moved in with Mick this morning. And I just thought you might wanna know.'

"That was three months into a 13-month album. So I lost Mick, which honestly wasn't that big of a deal because that was a rocky relationship. But losing my friend Sara? That was a huge blow. Sara was banished from the studio by the rest of the band... No one was speaking, and I wouldn't even look directly at Mick. That went on for months. And it was great fodder for writing! The songs poured out of us."

and then there was this

Christine McVie began an affair with Martin Birch, Fleetwood Mac's married sound engineer in 1973. The band then got rid of Birch (and Bob Weston, the aforementioned Fleetwood Mac guitarist who’d been having an affair with Fleetwood’s wife).

Christine started a relationship with the band’s lighting director, Curry Grant, which they've all admitted caused mega tension for the whole group. 

Now John McVie talks candidly about his struggles with alcohol at the time and how he doesn't blame Christine for leaving him.

Like everybody was with everybody and everybody caused tension for everybody, it wasn't just two members of the group having this meant-to-be explosive relationship that was great musically and terrible personally, everyone's entanglements permeated everything and having not read the book I expected it to have that kind of energy where it's just complete mess and that's not happening so I'm just like ... is this ever going to get messy or...?

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC Review: A Wicked Game by Kate Bateman

4/5. Releases 12/27/2022.

Morgan Davies and Harriet Montgomery have grown up in families that at odds--but while they don't get along, they aren't quite enemies. Before Morgan goes off to sea, Harriet promises him that if he comes back alive, he'll get to give her three kisses--wherever he wants. Years later, he returns after being imprisoned with a whole new perspective. He wants Harriet for his own, not as a friend or an enemy, and he'll use those three kisses as a good little jumping off point for his plans to win her.

So to be super real, this one doesn't have like, a huge PLOTTY PLOT PLOT thing. It's mostly a sexy romantic comedy that focuses on two people who are fun and likable and hot and don't have deep internal issues aside from not quite knowing how to go from friendly rivals to lovers. (I mean, he totally knows how, she's just a bit less experienced.) And normally, I think that would bug me, a supreme lover of angst and fucked upedness and drama. But here? It really didn't. It was pretty delightful. Why?

What Worked:

--Morgan and Harriet have great chemistry and read like two people who've known each other since childhood. And even if they've never been like, confidants, they know one another deeply due to that proximity, and know how to push each other's buttons.

--Tonally speaking, their relationship absolutely had the vibe of the "This Is My Idea" from The Swan Princess, which I know is deeply ingrained in the minds of many romance readers of a certain age. If you liked that, you'll like this. Morgan and Harriet are that without the arranged marriage, and with a good deal more emotional maturity (but not so much that the story is boring) and no insta-love. It's pretty clear that these two have had a thing for each other since they were kids, and it just took some good old-fashioned imprisonment for Morgan to go "ARRANGE THE MARRIAGE!!!"

--The supporting cast is hilarious (I assume we'll get a Rhys book... I mean his name is fucking Rhys and he doesn't wanna get married...?) and anyone who enjoys "everyone can see it" will have a good time with them.

--This is actually a pretty hot trad historical romance, I've gotta say, especially for one that's a bit lower angst. There's really good flirting, you get some light blindfold action, a lot of foreplay--I mean, the three kisses are essentially a sex bet. And it never feels like Harriet is in over her head, though Morgan is obviously much more experienced than she is and knows exactly what he's doing with this three kisses shit; Bateman does some maneuvering to make sure it feels super consensual. Which, honestly, isn't always a must for me as a reader, but it's a must for the tone of this book. And then you get some last minute shenanigans that I didn't expect but was super into.

--Great grand gesture, much appreciate.

--Going back to that sex stuff though... How refreshing to have a good bit of sex in the book, acknowledge Harriet's worries about ruination... and then go "well, shit happens". I'm so over historical romance reviewers (some of which I'm sure will dog this book out) acting as if nobody had sex before marriage in Days of Yore. And everyone who did was found out and ruined.

First off, as with today, money and the right connections can get you a fuckton of leeway. The Duchess of Devonshire literally had a child out of wedlock with a future prime minister, and with the right maneuvering, got back to her top spot in society in no time. And she was not the only one. People could be scandalous, and still received, because you had no choice but to receive them. And considering how much historical romance focuses on the upper crust...

Aside from that, it's just like--cool, so we'll accept all the dukes and the hot people with all their teeth and the lack of STIs but we won't accept people fucking out of wedlock just for fun? Okay!!!

But that's a huge digression, and I use it to say that I loved how this book treated sex. Harriet lets Morgan do stuff to her because she's curious and it's fun and let's be real, she's highkey in love with him even if she doesn't realize it at the moment. Harriet does some reckless shit because it feels good and she knows how to get away with it. One of my favorite parts of this book was someone realizing that Shit Went Down and going "listen, lots of people do that and we just don't talk about it, you're hardly the first one to go for it". Like... what a nice change of pace. Someone fucked out of wedlock in 18whatever it wasn't the end of the world.

What Didn't Work (For Me):

--There was a last minute plot device danger at the very end that lasted for like 30 seconds, and it felt pretty forced. This is an emotional book, not a plotty book. And that's cool! It wasn't a big detractor, it just didn't super work for me.

If you kinda wanna have fun and read about people who've known each other for years sniping at one another and then raw dogging in a fun environment, this is a great book for you. And a great series--I have yet to read the first, but I totally am, and A Daring Pursuit was really fun as well.

But for reals, don't dare a Davies if you want to keep your tender virginity intact.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[moochipeachey]

Dear Diary,

I’m officially ungrounded!!! So much for being grounded "for life". My dad held strong for a good 3 months before deciding my mom was being a tyrant. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me explain. Soooooo I was a little dishonest in my last post. I shared a lot more than just a kiss with Eric. What can I say? Cocktails and hormones. Truthfully, I just needed a distraction & Eric was eager to supply that.

When Eric left the next morning he had the unfortunate pleasure of running into the devil my mother 👿. She ripped me a new one when she came home from church. Lord only knows what she had to say to Eric. "Do you have to sl*t yourself out to every boy that looks in your direction?" Look, I know I had a boy in my room, and, yes he did end up spending the night, and we messed around…Okay this sounds soooo bad when I write it down and actually self reflect. She may have ate that *one* little thing. ANYWAY. Moving on. Since I’ve been set free a lot has happened…

Your girl is officially a Copperdale Womp Womp (please, don’t ask). The girls have been so nice and accommodating, especially with me missing out on crucial team bonding/basic high school socialization. I’ve gotten especially close to this girl named, Noemie.

We legit talk on the phone or face time every night, and no one knows how to find the best pieces at ThrifTea like she does. She’s my sister from another mister. Honestly, if it wasn’t for Noemie, I don’t think I would’ve survived Copperdale. As soon as I made the cheer team Noemie added me to a group chat, #ThotsAndJocks, consisting of mostly cheerleaders and football players w/ a few other people scattered in. She made sure I was still invited to parties, included me in discussions, and put my name out there. Don’t get me wrong everyone else is cool, but Noemie is my person. Well, almost everyone is cool. There’s this boy…

Matthew Felix. The hottest guy in the school. And also the biggest douche in the school. Who just happens to be Eric's best friend. From the moment I stepped foot on campus, he decided that his life's mission was to make mine a living hell.

I have no clue what the Creator was thinking when they decided to put us in homeroom together, but I hope they've been enjoying the show. Everyday I wake up and wonder what issue Matthew will find with me, and trust me when I say it's something new each day. The first time I met him, he thought pulling my chair from under me was a proper introduction. And that I obviously deserved it because "everyone knows he sits next to Eric". As if it wasn't my first week! He's "accidentally" thrown a football at my head during practice on more than one occasion. I get anxious anytime I have to use my locker because I don't know if it's going to be full of packing peanuts, marbles, confetti, you name it. Every time he flashes that stupid f*cking smirk I just want to smack it right off his silly little face. He knows exactly how to push my buttons and I fall for it every time. I know I shouldn't let it get to me but.....

Sometimes, on those ultra rare occasions, he's actually capable of being a decent human being.... And no matter how much he annoys me, I can't deny that there's something about him that draws me in, like this magnetic pull that I can't escape. I wish I could make sense of all these feelings, or at least ignore them altogether, truth be told I know I should stay away from him considering my situationship with Eric. That's easier said than done. Maybe if I stop giving him the satisfaction of knowing he gets under my skin, I'll be taken off his radar. Even though I'll never admit it outside of the confines of this diary ..... I really don't want that to happen. I'm almost late for cheer Until next time diary, XOXO Naomi ♡

Introduction | Meet the Characters | Previous | Next |

[bansheeoftheforest]

Transfem/Enby/Genderfluid gang Jekyll au:

(Unrelated, but I once I had a daydream au like this. Except minus the gang and just Lucy)

-

Does Rachel find out? (because I suppose it's a bit hard for her not too) she'd happily try to make dresses for Jekyll to wear when going out on heists

Also, you ever see those dolls where like uh a tutu would spin into a full dress? Like the dolls with the gimmick of "two in one outfit" and itd change somehow to a completely different look? (Usually a dress) I keep imagining that. Like exactly that. Hen presses a button on their suit and it spins into a dress. Is it impractical? Yes. Literally Impossible? Absolutely. But it's fun to imagine

-----

Update on my game progress: I killed springhill jack and was deeply disappointed to find that isn't an unlockable outfit, I mean come on! That evil lair literally had two mannequins wearing it, and you're telling me Jacob didn't yoink one? Smh 😔

In terms of main story, as of writing this I have received the Hallucinogenic(?) Darts and got the cargo cables, also got poisoned. Now looking in a pirate basement

Also, hatred towards B button ended. "Follow this 50km/h vehicle with your wimpy human legs" quests are my new worst enemy

And! I was looking through the dlc and saw some individual outfits were free! I dont use the Evie one due me thinking her original is better. But Jacobs outfit "The Creature's Rags" looks v good! And I get to keep my hat <3, a bit sad to discover both cant be colored though

I greatly appreciate the fact that Jacob and Evie sorta level up together, so you can just decide to play as another when you usually play one, and the other wouldn't be horrendously underleveled!

-

Also! I forgot to acknowledge it but Rexford Kaylock being somehow related to Jasper sounds very fun. They've probably never met and never will, as I simply enjoy the thought of him being related

Oooh! And now I'm imagining Lucy agreeing to help the Rooks at some point, she walks onto the train to discuss plans only to immediately stop. Because there's Dr. Henry fucking Jekyll. Just causally lounging on a couch wearing clearly too big clothes (he stole them from Jacob) and sipping tea. Jekyll is in too much panic and shock to say anything so Jacob just slaps his shoulder and says "Henry here makes some of strongest and most useful poisons! He also helps fix some of our real bad injuries AND He gives us information on people from the aristocracy if we need it! <3" but all in like a tone of sheer affection and "look at my person, hes so talented, I recruited him myself, be jealous of how good he is at everything"

Robert circus man keeps reminding me of Robert Lanyon, and before I even knew his name, just how he acted and what clothes he wore

Ned! Ned my beloved <3. At first I was confused on why the game felt the need to mention that it was made by people of many gender identities and etc. But then! Trans character! Canonically trans character! I dont really play video games that much, and certainly not recent ones, so this may be a decently common sight, but it made me really giddy and happy to see <3

Rachel would probably find out immediately. She goes to Lucy's house to visit her brother on a surprise visit, is very surprised to see her boss drinking tea with Patrin and Elise, in the most fancy and most lacy dress she has ever seen. Hen would be absolutely horrified to see Rachel, Patrin/Elise/Lucy would probably start bubbling about how they started to work for them and how good they are at the job and doesn't that dress just suit them perfectly and Hen would look like they would want to sink into the couch and disappear. Rachel would probably only need a moment to realize, then she would be Hen's biggest supporter and make SO MANY DRESSES for them <3

I know exactly what you mean and I want Hen to have at least 10 of those. Maybe not a suit but more like a short dress like Evie wears that turns into a longer dress, just yes pls <3

--

Oooooh I just did the sequel mission for that one yesterday! It's really annoying with he just poofs away like that but i still think it was v fun. Maybe there is a mod that adds that outfit? XD

...Y'know you can just steal a carriage and go after them most of the time, right? At least unless they specifically state "follow x by doing z" and stuff, so XD

I really like that outfit but I like Jacob to be a fancy fancy boi. I also have yet to find an outfit for Evie that I like, the only one I have found so far was the military outfit but you can't unlock that until you have done the WW1 missions and I promised to save those so my friend could watch me do those missions, you get to play as Jacob's granddaugther, I believe <3

Yess, only thing is you have to decide where to spend the points but eh, its just takes a minute or so XD

I like to imagine Rexford being Jasper's kinda-odd-but-also-very-protective uncle, prepared to beat anyone up who lays a hand on his nephew... Too bad Jacob killed him in cold blood lol

I love that point and I especially love the thought of that, too, being Jacob x Jekyll bc I have been having that brainrot for a fucking week at this point. I just... Adore the panic. Like, Henry just chilling, taking a break from the Lodgers, just getting to go on a lil vacation seeing the train move past London, catching up with friends and shit and flirt with Jacob, and all of a sudden Lucy walks in, they both stare at each other for such a long moment, Henry chokes on his tea, Lucy just goes like... "Uh... Dr. Jekyll? What the hell are you doing here?" bc lets say that they have met before, Jacob just being so proud of Henry and all he has done for them like look!! This is my person!!! He is so good for us and he is really just awesome!!!!!! I recruited him myself aren't I just the best!!! meanwhile Henry is just like... 👉👈🥺 XD

Man do you know how much I can relate to you rn. I love the thought of Robert being the one holding the fight clubs. I love the fight clubs but I absolutely hate all the races. The Lambeth Lap Race can go and die </3

Yess!!! It has always been really important for the team of AC to make sure to keep a diverse developer team and especially since they are working with history, it's important to have many different perspective on things, and it actually isn't until recently that they added sexualities and gender identities to that little pre-note on the loading screen! It was first just about races and ethnicities but I'm glad they are keeping it diverse and aren't afraid to show it. Jacob technically has a male love interest later on but... Spoilers <3

[siimjaeyun]

01: Immortality

Synopsis: it is part of human nature to be flawed and imperfect, maybe even vengeful when things don't go their way, and when seven boys find themselves in power to show those who are wrong that actions come with consequences, will they choose to keep their immortality?

masterlist

tw: mentions of blood, stabbing, murder, death and slight choking

-------

"Wait let me get this straight. Your solution to the problem is for us to get killed over and over again instead of reporting them to the police?" Sunoo stood at the edge of the room, completely baffled by the older boy's plan. 

"You don't get it Sunoo. This is part of the plan, it's always been. Why did you think we saved you?" Sunghoon took the glass of water from counter and gulped it down slowly before staring at Jungwon and Riki. 

"Your immortality is precious and it's a form of power. This is your new job." 

"What job? I don't want this job." Jay let a hefty sight escape from his lips before pulling the three minors closer to him. 

"I get you don't want to be immortal. None of us chose to be here. Come." Jay went to the nearest drawer and pulled out a scrapbook. 

"This is before we were eighteen." Jungwon furrowed his brows and didn't see a difference between them. 

"But you look the same?" 

"Immortality keeps you at this age. But we were normal teens too, we had dreams." Heeseung and Jake looked down, remembering the days from their own past as well. 

"Then what happened?" Riki asked. 

"We don't remember much of what happened. Memories fade eventually. It's been fifteen years since we entered this new world." Jake waited for a response but instead handed the three boys their belongings. 

"Go on or you'll be late. We'll keep an eye on you from afar, but just go with your mind got it?" The three youngest didn't have much to stay and reluctantly accepted the very non-existent plan. 

"Are we sure about this? What if this is a prank?" Jungwon and Sunoo stopped in their tracks and looked at Riki. 

"I clearly remember being dead so might as well suck it up. Team?" Jungwon put forward his hand and the others followed shouting a cheer before entering the room. 

"Sorry we're late, we got lost since we're not used to the campus grounds." Three heads instantly popped up at the sound of their voice. Impossible: it was impossible for them to be alive. 

"You said they were dead!" One of them whispered, close to entering into a panic. 

"They were! You saw they had no heartbeat." The other responded. Their legs began to shake left and right as well as up and down due to fear, nibbling on their nails and surrounding skin. 

"No worries, just take a seat." As if a feeling inside his heart was about to over take him, Sunoo felt a need to take a seat next to one of the three boys. He plopped his backpack onto the desk and gave a smile wave to the tall boy. 

This was the first trial.

----- 

"Hey! You three come here." The basketball players waved their hands at them in a snapping manner and if on que, Heeseung smirks when he looks down at the time on his watch. 

"Humans really are predictable aren't they?" Jake agrees and continues to listen into the conversation. 

"We're having a party tonight, you should come." Again, right on time. 

"Uhh, I'm not sure…" Jungwon elbowed Riki in the stomach before accepting the kind invitation. 

"We'll be there!" Sunoo quickly answered before looking at Jungwon with confusion. 

"What are you thinking! This is a trap to clearly kill us!" Riki states in a distressed manner. 

"Something is telling me to do so, plus isn't that the plan?" Jay and Sunghoon were amused at Sunoo and Jungwon's quick adaptation to their life. 

"Seems like they've got this, but remember to get the car anyway." Sunghoon slung his backpack lazily over his shoulder and led the way as they waited for the second trial. 

------- 

The night had fallen and almost as if the stars had aligned, Heeseung glanced at his watch once more as Sunoo, Jungwon and Riki stepped into the home where the so-called party was being held. It took half an hour for the three school boys dressed in jerseys to drag out three black bags, body shaped to be exact. 

"Hurry the fuck up man, before we get caught!" The other two obeyed the orders and carried the bags into the trunk of the car with much speed. A small drive later and an empty lot awaited them. 

"Throw them there." The sound of shovels digging surrounded the nearby area, and with the rhythm of the sand and dirt hitting the floor, the three bodies were finally covered. 

"We take this until our death beds. This better get the job done." The car drove off; it allowed for Heeseung and Jay to approach the bodies underneath the ground. 

"5..4..3..2..1" The supposed to be dead boys came from behind the trees dusting themselves off from the sand. 

"That was even more terrible the second time. Drugging us and then stabbing us isn't exactly fun." 

"You did great. You're almost there." Jake complimented only for anger to resound in Jungwon. 

"Look no offense, but I don't know if we can continue this. I don't want to relive the trauma of being murdered over and over again." He loosened his tie and threw it onto the pavement. 

"I'm with Jungwon. Is this really the only way to get the job done?" 

"Yes, now let's go get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a very long day." Sunghoon patted their backs and led them back. 

Second trial was complete. 

------- 

"How are you boys holding up? Today's sort of the final trial." Jake walked into their room first thing in the morning, bearing food and other trinkets. 

"To be honest, I cried myself to sleep. I'd rather be dead than be doing this. Why were we saved?" Riki asked with slight hesitancy.

"Heeseung and I asked ourselves that every single day since our murder. We were the new kids and well, these two boys weren't exactly fond of us so their plan was to kill us and they were successful. We woke up to this new life and even though I've never been able to come with a clear answer, you'll find out in time. This is a lot. I get it, but you've got each other. This job isn't fun, but you get used to it. The pain isn't even that bad." He left the room almost immediately and went with the others. 

The same scenario repeated once more. Bewildered eyes met the three boys upon their entrance, and paranoia engulfed the three murderers. Heeseung went ahead and peered into the classroom. Shaky legs, check. Nail biting check. Sweat, check. 

"This can't be happening. This isn't real. What if this is a prank?" Sunoo once more waved at them slightly before leaning in towards them. 

"I had fun at the party last night, maybe we can do it again. Or maybe you'd like to rest since I'm sure digging and dragging must be hard work." With innocent eyes, he smiled slyly and gave a head nod to Jungwon and Riki. 

"What's next? I doubt that they'd be willing to get caught up again." It was lunch time, which gave them time to decide on their next move. 

"You go to them. After all, where else would you find your phone?" Riki began to feel into his pockets but found nothing. 

"Damn it." Satisfied, the four left the three kids on their own. 

The clock struck eight when Jungwon knocked on the familiar wooden door which was opened by the oldest school boy. 

"Y-you guys. Why are you here?" 

"We wanted to party like last night but I left my phone here." Jungwon went straight to the nearest bedroom and found his phone comfortably tucked away under a pillow with a recording. 

"Well what do have here? A memory from last night." Sunoo pressed the small play button and let the audio run though. 

"Hurry the hell up will you!" 

"Did you bring your dad's car like I told you? Get on with it." 

"I'm sad it had to come to this." 

"Get them!" Their hands became tightly wrapped around their necks and before they knew it, they had experienced their third death. 

They went back to the familiar lot, repeating the motions and excavating through the hard ground to create a burrow for the bodies. 

"Dump the brown haired one first." When they managed to pat the dirt neatly and move on to the rest of the bodies, they were gone. 

"Huh? Is this the end of the party? But I wanted to have more fun." Sunoo walked out first and showed a small pout while watching terror and horror overtake the players in their presence. Without a thought, the shovel was swung and he came down, falling unconscious. 

"Boooo, all we wanted was to become friends. Is this really it?" Now Riki emerged from the trees, crossing his arms while glancing at Sunoo's body. 

Another swing over took him, but it was time for the final show. 

"Hi! I'm Jungwon and these are my friends Sunoo and Riki. Please treat us well." Jungwon tried to approach them but they instead fled towards the car, struggling to understand what was occurring. 

"Get away you-you ahh!" Jungwon and Sunoo crept from behind while Riki dangled the car keys in front of them. 

"Have a safe ride! Stay safe!" With the final shouts, Heeseung, Jake, Sunghoon and Jay finally left the shadows. 

Jay let out a maniacal laughter, which caused confusion with the three youngest. 

"Good job boys. Good job." Those were the final words he told them before going home. 

As sleep entered their systems, they began to wonder about their actions and Sunghoon's words from two nights before.

Humans themselves were responsible for the consequences. They were complex creatures, sure, but driven by power and greed can betray the good of anyone. They never created the killer. 

Like a cycle, they went at a similar time to the school in the morning only to cause the three boys to break down in tears.

------- 

taglist: @the-moon-lost-in-joy @twntycm  

[porrokin]

“SAINTS BEFORE SIXTH”

i have actually never posted anything like this on my tumblr - i'm kinda nervous ngl.

below you can find the blurb and entire first chapter of the fantasy novel i'm writing! 🤎 i'm so incredibly proud and wanted to share it with you :)

Andy was almost an adult now, not once in the past decade had she been entirely sober. This hadn't been a choice of her own; she didn't get many of those anymore after becoming a permanent resident in the Institute. She'd been permanently deprived of direct sunlight ever since her sixth birthday, on December 30th.

Meanwhile, her best friend claims to speak with his deceased parents and the Keepers found her newest ally before she did. They've been forcing him to use his powers for their selfish winnings, cruel violations like this could go unseen since the Warden disappeared.

Escaping the Keepers is one thing; they're still worlds apart from getting home - considering there's anything to come back to in the first place.

story : all rights reserved ; @porrokin

don't copy or claim this in any way; it is my work and belongs entirely to me.

THE ENTIRE FIRST CHAPTER IS POSTED BELOW !

-

Never once during the past decade had Andy been entirely sober, that fact would, however, become even more disturbing when you considered she was barely eighteen years old. It hadn't been a conscious choice, at least not one of her own.

Ever since her sixth birthday - almost precisely twelve years ago - Keepers had taken the freedom of making decisions away from her. What she ate, where she slept, who she talked to, and whether or not she took her meds four times per day - which she did, much to her disliking.

The Keepers no longer informed Andy of their plans for her, they used to back when she was still enrolled in the program. Christiano was, though she wasn't sure if she always believed him when he talked about what he did during those three hours every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday. Nine hours each week, that's how much time they did want to spend with her roommate. She was on her own, once again.

The line scurried along. Andy hesitantly followed as she took in the newly arrived smell of potatoes and spinach. Lunch must start soon, meaning the clock could say 12:55 am anytime now. The rest of the world outside was sleeping, in contrast to this place - heavily lit by beaming, quietly zooming tubes. The grey ceiling was covered in them, leaving nothing to go by without catching the eye of at least one Keeper. Andy didn't know why they lived during the night, rather than when the sun could cast real and natural light into the long, empty hallways. Probably to keep the public from asking much-needed questions about this place, or perhaps they did know but couldn't care enough.

Another name was called out - not hers. The girl in front of the line had been injected, she swiftly turned around and started walking in against the direction of the line. Back to her room, she went, another day of the same, mundane routine. Day after day, twelve years before you got away.

Long ginger hair draped over her slim shoulders, curls bouncing up slightly with every step she took. Her face looked tense; not unusual for this place, but it was rather strange to see from this girl. When their eyes met, Andy was surprised to see an almost luminescent light grey shade. The girl's eyes were once green but now reminded her of the colour of freshly polished silverware reflecting in the light.

As she walked past her spot in line, electricity seemed to flow through Andy's spine; causing her entire body to shiver. Her eyebrows shaped themselves into a slight frown, for a moment she glanced behind her to look at this girl for an extra second. She wasn't allowed to speak to anyone in white but her roommate, though by now she'd been here long enough to recognize who slept in the same hallway and who didn't.

A loud crackling sound disrupted the silence, a moment later the automated voice began to talk through the speakers. Same time every day, the same voice at exactly five minutes before 1 am. 'Ten minutes before lunchtime, those who have not yet received their injections will be expected back in Hallway 162B in exactly 45 minutes'.

In a matter of seconds, their plan was about to be set in motion.

Right away, rummaging sounds rose from the back of the line. 'I need Andy!', a familiar voice shakily called out. 'My roommate, Andy Donahue!'

'Not up to you, get back in line or I'll make you.' Andy recognized his voice as the heavier Keeper with the bushy, unmanaged moustache. He sounded calm, he'd been quick to tase someone in the past and would most likely have his beefy fingers wrapped around the device already.

She raised her hand and started walking towards the back of the line, her body shaking entirely as if it was freezing and she walked into the cold without any clothes on her limbs.

Without expecting it, she was forcefully yanked back from behind. Before Andy even had time to blink, her arms were locked firmly behind her back, wrists pushing hard against her spine.

'You too, now? Don't think you're an exception to the rules.' Captain Keeper; not because he's the leader, but he sure did like trying to boss the others around. She didn't answer him right away but rather tried to stretch her body and spot Christiano in the hallway. She couldn't.

'I'm his roommate, that's Irvine. Sometimes he freaks out in the presence of many people-' A sweaty hand roughly pulled her head back by her hair, causing her to face the ceiling. Her body alarmed her of the pain this caused to her neck. The bright lights made her eyes tear and she struggled to swallow.

'Did I tell you to open your mouth?' Clammy Hands scoffed.

She attempted to reason with him: 'Let me take him to our room so he can calm down.'

'Get back in line. Otherwise, I'll make sure you don't get out of solitary until snow melts.'

She managed to free her arm from his clammy grasp. 'I can ensure you-'

He reached for her, his face caught between anger and frustration. He was getting impatient, little was he aware that this was exactly Andy's will. She stumbled backwards to avoid him this time, successfully, both of them were surprised by it.

'Christiano will throw up. Do you want that to happen when..' She ever so slightly raised her chin, dramatically pausing for a moment as she raised her boney finger.

Andy continued. 'About six hundred kids still need their injections in this hallway? That seems to be a big inconvenience — if I am allowed to voice my opinion.'

'Sir.' she added. The encounter would surely have been more entertaining would her head not be pounding, the shakiness of her knees increasing by the second. She knew her body needed the meds she managed to rid this morning - she would deny this dependence at any cost if someone were to ask.

He sighed and resultantly nodded in Christiano's direction. 'Go. I'll know where to find you in five minutes.'

She did as told, anxiously searching the hallway for her roommate. So far everything was going just as she so meticulously planned; she was okay.

By now she imagined the time creeping closer to 1:00 am, breaks for the Administration would start in ten minutes; she only needed three. The two minutes after that meant for racing back to their room, in case Captain Keeper was indeed determined to stick to his earlier promise.

Something as cold as ice grabbed her hand, effortlessly disrupting her thoughts. Chocolate brown eyes met hers, a feeling of relief washed over Andy's body. Squeezing his hand, they swiftly disappeared behind the corner at the end of the hallway.

'You got the key?' Andy hushed her voice. Administration breakrooms were still in the same hallway as their offices. She wondered whether they got as little sunlight as the kids here did.

'I do. Traded my last blanket for 15 minutes of borrowing the thing, this place leaks of greedy bastards.' He grinned, accentuating his sharp facial structure.

'If you're right about the Bidding we'll be out of here soon enough anyway.'

'I am right.'

'I believe you.' She extended her hand for him to hand her the key. 'I want to prepare for everything, that's all.'

While Andy gained access to Ad 348H, Christiano leaned nonchalantly against the drinking fountain, his finger push-ready on the button. If she caught the sound of water running, she needed to hide. Christiano would have to sneak her back out after their lunchtime. Not the desired option, as this would be too close for comfort with the Administration break ending at the same time.

Thanks to Christiano's contacts she knew immediately which cabinet to find; about twenty seconds had passed already. Her hands rummaged through the several files and envelopes, one of the many drawers containing surnames with "D" as their starting letter.

She gasped audibly when finally skimming across her own, "Andy Donahue" it said. As she attempted to pull it out, the cardboard folder ripped on one end; the contents spilling out like jelly beans at an overwhelmingly disorganized children's party.

She cursed to herself as she attempted to fish for whatever just got lost within the mass amount of documents and belongings. A soft texture brushed against her finger and with some effort, she managed to grab onto it.

Her journal! Andy's heart skipped a beat, who knew they would've collected this in here after confiscating it years ago. Without hesitation she dropped it into the neck of her jacket, holding it against her stomach with her other hand. What else did she need? Her file was too big to ever sneak out in its entirety and to take this heavy notebook was already a reach.

A loud cough echoed into the room as if she had her fingers in her ears this whole time to block out the noise. Finally, the sound of splashing water seemed to reach her. She slammed the cabinet shut, somehow getting her black sleeve stuck in the process. No, no, this was bad - this was so awfully bad.

While securing the journal with her other arm she put her body up against the heavy metal cabinet and made a desperate attempt at freeing herself from its hold.

'Yes!', slightly too loud.

Within a moment she smoothly turned around, slamming herself against something and stumbling onto the cold concrete flooring.

'We really don't have time anymore, why didn't you come out when I signalled for you?', Christiano grabbed her free arm and hurriedly pulled Andy back up on her feet.

'I'm sorry!'

She followed right behind him, both came to a sudden stop once they'd realized what was waiting behind the walls of Ad 348H. At least six Keepers surrounded them in the hallway, pointing that same amount of stun batons in their direction.

Captain Clammy Hands was the one to break the silence: "Such a shame, Donahue."

-

© PHOTOGRAPHY : @/k_reckd [ TWITTER ]

to read more, check out my story on wattpad @/porrokin [ same as on tumblr ]

CREDIT WHERE IT IS DUE ; THE COVER

© PHOTO - MODEL : @/iiphugs [ TWITTER ]

[katedrakeohd]

What Happens in Paris...(7)

Masterlist

Back at the train, the men and women separate to get ready for the tea party. Down in Max and Drake’s shared room, Drake is sitting on his bed watching Max do his primp and polish in front of the mirror. Impeccably dressed in his black Gucci dress shirt and trousers, Maxwell is running a comb through his neatly trimmed hair and whistling. If he wasn’t his friend, Drake could almost hate him for it. His clothing style rarely changed. His way of taking his day look into a night look usually involved the undoing of a button on his shirt, and the addition of a hair product to keep himself looking sharp when he broke out the moves on the dance floor. Drake knew though, even by day when Maxwell appeared to be calm and collected there was always a three ring circus, complete with peacocks, going on inside his head.

Drake looked down at Maxwell’s shiny black shoes, and then glanced at his own scuffed and worn looking brown ones. As much as Drake didn’t want to dress all fancy for a Royal tea party today, he knew that Kate was expected to be there. Plus he wanted to witness the look of envy on Maddy’s face when Kate walked in all dressed up and stole away attention from the future Queen. Although he usually wouldn’t give a damn how he looked when he skulked his way into events after everyone else important arrived. This time he knew Kate would be under Liam’s lustful eye, and it made his stomach ache at the thought. If he was going to escort Kate into this stupid party, even as her seemingly platonic friend, he had to make an effort to fit in for his own peace of mind. Drake cleared his throat to get Maxwell’s attention. I can’t believe I’m doing this again. Heaven help me.

“Uh, Max? About this party today… I can’t exactly show up looking like some bum off the street. Could you help me pick out something fit to wear?”  

Maxwell gasped, dropping the lint roller he was using to remove fluff and hair from his trouser leg. “Really?! You’ll let me dress you up for two events in a row?”

Drake sighs, getting up from the bed and running his hands through his hair. “Well don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“It is a big deal. My grumpy best friend wants to impress a girl!”

Drake grimaced, “Tone it down will ya? Besides, you are not my best friend.”

Maxwell is unfazed by the brush off and just raises his eyebrows, nodding, “Oh right! We’re even better than that now. We’re family!”

Drake opens his mouth to protest and then closes it again. Technically Max was right, as painful as it was for him to admit. He raises his hands and gives Max an impatient head shake, “Alright! Alright! Whatever! Are you gonna help me or not?”

“Of course I will. Show me what you got.”

Drake holds his hands out to the sides to display his current denim disaster.

“No, no silly.” Maxwell drags over Drake’s suitcase and flops it onto the bed. Drake places a protective hand on top, shakes his head.

“No point in looking in there," Drake grumbles.

“Okay then, to the Royal Closet we go.”

Kate sits in front of Hana’s portable makeup mirror, while Hana runs a round brush through her hair, coaxing it into soft waves. “I love your hair Kate, it’s so soft and manageable. What shampoo do you use?”

With a shrug, Kate admires her freshly painted fingernails. “Some kind of fruity scented stuff that I bought at the drugstore. Drake forgot to grab the matching conditioner when we showered, so I hope my hair doesn't get all full of static and frizz.”

Hana meets Kate's gaze in the mirror and they both giggle. “Oh my goodness, Kate. No wonder you two were late for breakfast.”

Trying to hide her blush in the lighted mirror was impossible, “Yeah, well I did interrupt him while he was shaving this morning. And damn he looked sexy in that bathrobe.”

Hana sighed with envy as she parted Kate’s hair and swept it behind her shoulder. Kate hands her the golden, flower embellished comb from the counter. “What’s it like Kate?”

“What?”

“Having a King and his best friend both in love with you?”

"It's not as fun as you might think. They've both staked their claim on me in some way and I hate being the rope in their tug of war. The worst part is that Liam has already lost me and he doesn't know it yet."

“Poor guy, he’s going to be crushed. What does Drake have that Liam doesn't?”

“He doesn't have the weight of the kingdom sitting on his head and shoulders, nor does he have a bunch of noble ladies fighting over him. Plus he’s nobody important to the press or tabloids. I’m not as worried about being seen with him, because I know he’ll protect me.”

“He’s not worried about being pulled into the Tariq scandal with you?” Hana asks, a look of concern on her face.

Kate shrugs, “I know he doesn't regret coming to my rescue, except for maybe the punches Tariq landed on his ribs. He was very much a gentleman about the whole thing, which is a lot more than I can say for Tariq.”

“But speaking of having two guys interested at the same time, what about Neville and Rashad?”

Hana wrinkles up her nose with a frown of disgust, “They're so boring. And neither were very nice to Penelope when we first met them.”

Kate applies a pale pink lip gloss to the center of her bottom lip to enhance her lipstick, pressing her lips together and then checking the results in the mirror, “Well frankly, since finding out she participated in the smear campaign against me, Penelope isn't one of my favorite people either. But I get what you’re saying, especially with Neville. He creeps me out in the same way Tariq does. Rashad seems to be marginally better than his friend as far as character goes, having made his own way as a businessman. He’s not depending on his Father’s money like Neville.”

Hana tilts her head, considering Kate’s thoughts. “I suppose you make a good point. But still, neither are as important, charismatic, charming or handsome as the King.”

Kate smirks, “Liam's definitely a charmer. I wonder sometimes what he sees in an ordinary barmaid like me. Or what Drake does either.”  Kate meets Hana's gaze in the mirror. "Am I really worth all this fuss? What's so special about me that loving one man must mean breaking the other's heart?"

"You mean besides your charisma, charm, intelligence and beauty? You're a genuinely nice person Kate, and everyone is drawn to you. The other women in the room envy you when the men all look your way."

Kate turns around to look up at Hana, seeing the admiration in her eyes. "You're all of these things and more, Hana."

Hana looks down at her shoes, shyly,  "I wish. My parents have invested so much into my training, refinement and education. But they've rarely praised me for any of my achievements. Sometimes I feel like they'd throw me at any available bachelor if it would raise my status on the social ladder, especially if it got our names in the media back home."

Standing up from her seat, Kate places her hands on Hana's shoulders. "Hey now, don't beat up on yourself. You're more than just some guy's arm candy or potential wife. You need to stand up and grab the future you want for yourself. To Hell with your parents’ expectations. I bet you could excel at anything you put your mind to. You don't need a man to raise your status. Be the strong independent woman I know you can be.”

Hana smiles, “Thanks Kate. I wish I’d met you years ago. You're the type of friend I've been missing all my life.”

Kate smiles back, “You’ve been here for me too, so it's only right that I return the favor.”

Stepping back from Hana, Kate strikes a pose with one hand on her hip, raising the other in a provocative sweep of her hair to highlight her face and bare shoulders. “So what do you think of my finished look?”

Hana smiles broadly, with a clap of approval at her stylish handiwork. “You're going to be hotter than the tea, that’s for sure.”

Kate winks, “Damn straight. We are.”

Drake stands outside of Kate's train compartment, fidgeting. Dressed in a crisp white dress shirt and dark grey trousers, with his hair combed and set with some of Maxwell's styling compound; he felt like a teenager on Prom night. Drying his sweaty hand on his thigh, he's reminded of how thin the fabric feels compared to his usual denim. The way the slim fit of the pant legs hugged his thighs made him feel so exposed, almost naked, and he was starting to regret not opting for his usual jeans. But Maxwell had assured him that he looked good, and that he’d fit in just fine at the party.

He hoped he looked good enough to escort Kate. The sudden absurdity of wanting to dress up for a tea party makes him chuckle and he shakes his head. Damn it Kate, what have you done to me?

Sucking in a deep breath he knocks on Kate’s door and waits.

…

Crouching down to secure the gold strap of her shoe around her ankle, Kate hears the buzzing sound of a text message coming from inside her purse. She glances up, “I bet that’s Drake.”

Hana gets a pinging sound on her phone seconds later, “It's a group text from Liam. The cars arranged to take us to the tea party have arrived. We're to meet in the dining car to coordinate who is traveling with whom.”

Kate breathes a sigh, picking up her clutch. “Ok, off we go then.”

.

Drake is leaning against the wall looking at his phone when he hears the sound of voices to his right, causing him to look up. Kate and Hana are giggling as they approach hand in hand, and then they stop as Kate sees Drake and gasps. “Oh..my...God! Look at you.”

With a smirk, Drake straightens up blushing. “What..do I look that bad?”

Kate shakes her head, then appraises Drake all over again with a head tilt and a slow look from head to toe and then back up again. “Nah, ah. Hardly. You’re looking like a tasty snack.”

Drake clears his throat, raising his eyebrows. “Heh, look who's talking. If I’m a snack you're definitely dessert.”

Hana grins at them both, rolling her eyes, “Ok lovebirds, quit with the flirty food talk and making eyes at each other we’ve got a party to get to.”

Stepping aside, Drake nods. “But of course, after you Ladies.”

Taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes as Kate passes him in the hall, Drake falls into step a few paces behind them. Damn she smells nice, this party isn’t going to be torture at all.

:::

tagging: @jovialyouthmusic @sirbeepsalot @emceesynonymroll @emichelle @mskaneko @speedyoperarascalparty @dcbbw @drakeandcamilleofvaltoria @drakexwillow @kingliam2019 @kimmiedoo5 @gardeningourmet @drakesensworld @mfackenthal @thequeenchoices @debramcg1106 @fluffy-marshmallow-heart @wickedgypsymoon @griselda1121 @indiacater @texaskitten30 @nikkis1983 @lynne1993 @bobasheebaby @drakesfiance @moonlightgem7 @princessleac1 @janezillow @jlpplays1 @walker7519 @drakesensworld @furiousherringoperatortoad @samihatuli @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore @rainbowsinthestorm @burnsoslow @bbrandy2002 @jessiembruno @msjpuddleduck @princess-andromeda-nazario @princess-geek @mom2000aggie @batgirlassociationofgothamcity @masterofbluff

[halcyonnhood]

Ramen, Baking and Glitter || l.h

Summary: Luke realizes he loves his best friend while on tour and confronts the feelings when he sees her again.

Word Count: 3.5k

Warnings: possibly a few curse words.

Authors note: The italics are Luke's memories of her! After the asterisks (***) is when they're back in LA and in present tense. I hope the format looks okay, I typed this out on my phone. Also the OC is very special to me (more about that in the tags.) I may write more about her and Luke.

- - -

The band 5 seconds of summer have travelled thousands of miles over the years. They've explored new countries, cities, and towns. They've met new fans, friends, and probably too many flirty humans. Luke enjoys every last bit of it, he thrives on the attention. Yet, no amount of love from fans manages to take his mind off one of his best friends waiting back in LA for him. Everything happens to remind him of Sarah.

When the boys stayed in Japan, Michael had demanded to stop for ‘proper’ ramen before they left the country. Of course, no one had the heart to deny him his love for traditional Japanese food. The four of them had been bantering and talking about plans when the longing had struck Luke. He was mid bite of his chicken ramen and all he can remember is the silly heated debate he and Sarah had before the tour.

Sarah tosses the bright orange bag back at Luke and scrunched her nose in disgust. She hadn't eaten all day and upon arriving at Luke's house, she decided she wanted to fix something easy. So naturally, she rummaged through his cabinets and made Luke reach the ramen shoved on the top shelf. When he handed the orange bag to her with “chicken flavored” printed across the top, she felt like she was going to have a brain hemorrhage. Now she just stares up at the top shelf in disappointment, as if red bags would magically appear instead.

“I want ramen.” Sarah tells him with pouted lips.

“You just threw the ramen at me,” Luke says. He points at the bag on the counter.

“Yeah, because that's disgusting.” She makes sure to enunciate the word disgusting. “It's chicken.”

“What do you have against chicken ramen? You like chicken, we literally just had some last night.” Luke questions.

“Ya, we had grilled chicken. It's the flavoring in the ramen, it's weird.”

“What kind do you like then?”

“Beef.” Sarah says. She gives him a playful smile when he rolls his eyes at her, “It is the only acceptable ramen.”

“It is not!” He argues. “You're just wrong, you monster. Chicken is a classic,”

She fake gags, “I have taste buds, you giant oaf. Now we have to go to the store because you're wrong.”

Luke spent the rest of the Japan trip thinking about Sarah. He thought about how much he missed her randomly dropping by his house and pretending she owned it. He thought about how she would've really enjoyed eating traditional ramen instead of the instant kind, she would never want to leave the foreign country. Lastly, he made a mental note to buy the girl all the beef ramen she could ever want and to find a restaurant that serves the real stuff. He knows something so small would make her whole day and he just wants her to smile.  

Japan isn't the only time Luke is reminded of the strong willed girl. They had met a fan in Munich who looked uncannily like Sarah and he hadn't been the only one who noticed. If Luke's being honest, he hadn't been paying much attention to the girl at first. She had won some radio station competition and the whole band had greeted her at once before she turned to talk to Michael first. He had taken more of a notice to her after catching Michael's not so subtle glance at the boys and the first thing he had connected was the hair. The fan had her hair honey blonde hair pulled back into a French braid, so what? It wasn't uncommon to see the almost brown hair color and the style was popular. It's not like he hadn't seen it on anyone other than Sarah, he had. It was just such a common sight around his household that he automatically associated it with her.

When the fan had made it to him and pulled away from the hug, Luke felt bad for not paying attention to anything she said. He wanted to, but he was captivated by how she could be a perfect doppelganger. Dark olive green eyes, freckles spotted across flushed cheeks, and a small button nose. All things that looked eerily similar and one look at the boys showed that they had seen it too.

“Holy shit,” Michael said as soon as she had left “That kid looked exactly like Sarah,”

“It's weird,” Calum added. “I mean, all of the features just matched,”

Ashton had chuckled at their surprise, “They do say everyone has lookalikes,”

“Still so weird, especially after not seeing Sarah in months.” Luke said with a shrug. He tried not to think about it too hard.

Three different shows went by without Luke being reminded of her. He thinks it's because he made more of an effort to facetime her at the end of his nights and fulfill his longing to talk to her. When they stop in Paris, he's proven wrong. Luke wishes he could be cheesy and say it's because he realized he was in love with her while in the city of love. Except he realized his love was more than platonic weeks ago.

Ashton had suggested that they go somewhere local for breakfast. So, the duo set out on an adventure for the best place that served breakfast. They ended up in a bakery, ordering an abundance of baked goods and iced coffee. The savory scent of bread mingling with the sweet scent of pastries and cookies reminded him of none other than the girl that he may or may not be in love with. More often than not, she'd spend her extra time using new recipes to bake cookies, cake, and bread. Most of the time she subjected the boys to taste testing, but none of them seemed to mind. There would be days that Calum would be sad to come over to Luke's and find no treats. It was even sadder on recording days when she couldn't make it to the studio to visit and drop off her baked goods. The best days were always when she stopped by.

“Booooys,” Sarah sing songs, “I made some cookies!”  

She sits the plate covered with aluminum foil on the desk and sits next to Michael on the couch. Ashton's listening to the producer play back their latest song while both Luke and Calum are diving for the plate to see who gets a cookie first. The sight just reminds her of how childish they can both be and it makes her laugh.

"What kind are they today?” Michael asks.

Luke sits back and looks at the cookie in his hand while waiting for her to respond with her normal rambles about the recipe. Usually she'll tell them all about how the website lied about the amount of butter or come up with an excuse to why ‘the first batch is bad’. He has to admit that he loves hearing her get so passionate over her baking skills.

“I made two. Can you believe it? TWO!” Sarah excitedly tells him. “I made salted caramel and raspberry with white chocolate chips. AND the caramel is homemade!”

"Wait, you know how to make caramel? This is so good” Calum says while waving around the half eaten cookie.  

"It's so easy, it's just cream, sugar, and butter. But it burns if you don't take it off the heat fast enough. I may have ruined a pan,” She explains the last part timidly.

Some time during her explaining how to make caramel, Ashton had also grabbed one of the cookies. He just shakes his head at the girl with a chuckle, “Sarah, you'd be a good baker if you didn't burn everything,”

"Says the man who is on his second cookie,” Sarah says with a glare.

"This is the third time you've burnt something,”

“I'm betting that other bakers have burnt things before!” She argues.

The other three stay quiet as the two go at it, both of them living for the argument. For a minute, Luke thinks that Ashton is enjoying it too much. That is until Sarah's expression softens from the furrowed brow to a relaxed and playful one instead. Sometimes he thinks they're both too argumentative and honest for their own good, but it always ends in good fun. He could never understand why they actually enjoyed arguing and often times egged each other on, but as long as no one ends up in tears, everyone let's them hash it out.

“The cookies are really good, Sarah.” Luke tells her honestly. His insides feel melty and gooey as her eyes light up at the compliment.

"Thank you, Luke!” She thanks him in an overly sweet tone, “You know how to be a GOOD best friend. That's why I love you,”

It's possible that Luke had fallen hopelessly in love, not that he'd admit it. He had spent the entire world tour consumed with thoughts about Sarah, always seeking out bits and pieces of her in every place they visited. He even associated her with ramen out of all things. Ramen. He knew he'd have to deal with the conflicting emotions eventually, but he still opted to push them away to have a clear head for the rest of tour. A mostly clear head. All he knew was that it was a future Luke problem.

*  * *

“Are you really bringing up the brownies I made in 2017?”

“They were MEMORABLE! Gosh, I remember how bitter they were. It feels like it happened yesterday,”

“Cocoa powder is bitter, you little shit!”

The argument can be heard throughout the hallway leading up to the dressing rooms in the Forum. Luke hadn't been expecting to hear the bright voice until later tonight, so naturally when he hears her, it makes his heart soar. Her words towards Ashton sounds harsh, but he can hear the playful hints in her tone. He isn't even to the door and can already visualize her darkened blonde hair falling past her shoulders, her usual makeup, and a smile tugging at her pink lips. He feels like he might explode with excitement.

Luke is right. He leans against the doorframe and watches two of his favorite people argue. She has half of her hair pulled back in a ponytail, purple glitter tapped onto her cheekbones, and the light catches on her shiny lip gloss. Neither of them acknowledge his presence, but Michael gives him a knowing grin from one of the chairs. He doesn't mind, he's just happy to see her again and admittedly he missed their playful fights. It gives him time to think about how he'd admit his love.

Girls are usually the ones to secretly fall in love with their best friends, at least that's how it's always portrayed in shows. Is it weird for guys to do that? Luke isn't sure how he's supposed to tell her, should there be some grand gesture? Just be straight up with no frilly things? He should've bought her flowers on the way here from their last promo video. He just wants her to feel appreciated whether or not she holds the same feelings towards him.

Luke is brought out of his daze by a smaller body colliding with his and warm arms wrapping around his midsection. He envelopes the smaller girl in his arms and gives her the tight squeeze that he's been waiting months for. She pulls back and he smooths down her frizzy hair with a small smile.

“I missed you so much, Luke.” Sarah smiles brightly up at him. The sight is enough to turn his heart to mush.

He just returns the warm smile, “I missed you more,”

“Now that you're here,’ Sarah turns around dramatically and points a manicured finger at Ashton before continuing, “You can protect me from bullies!”

“What's he bullying you bout’ this time?”

“My brownies! He can never be nice to me. I slaved all night for y'all and he brings up the disaster of 2017. I'm so much better now.” Sarah huffs.

She snatches the Tupperware bowl off of Ashtons lap and twirls around to push it into Luke's hands instead. He takes one out and savors the first bite, Sarah watching his every move for a reaction. She isn't wrong, it's much better than the first time when she forgot to add enough sugar. When he makes a noise of appreciation for the sweet treat, her face lights up and she sticks her tongue out at Ashton with a laugh. Luke swears that he could watch her soft features all evening, but he could settle for a bit of time before the concert. The last concert of the tour. Then he could spend the rest of his days talking to and watching her when she visits.

Sarah points her nose up in a mocking way, “See, Luke agrees that they are good brownies. I'm right. Now if you excuse us, I've got to paint Luke's nails!” .

“Luke's opinion doesn't mean you're right,” Ashton tuts.

"It does too! Accept defeat, Ash.” She calls out while dragging Luke out of the room with her.

Luke almost forgot that he had texted asking her to repaint his nails. Between potentially obsessive thoughts, promo, concerts, and trying to be a real tourist; Luke hadn't found the time to find someone to keep up with his nails. He definitely wants them done for the show, so he doesn't complain about their abrupt departure from the boys. Sarah leads him a few rooms down to one of the unoccupied dressing rooms and points at the lineup of polish bottles on the makeup desk.

"I didn't know what color you wanted this time, so I bought nearly half of my collection with me,” She says.

"You didn't have to bring all this, Sarah. You could've just picked one for me,”

“I wanted to have a choice! I think you should pick something new though. No black or red.”

“You're really going to do that to me?” Luke asks in mock distress.

It makes Sarah let out a giggle and roll her eyes, “I'm so horrible, I know.”

It only takes Luke a moment to narrow down which colors he liked best. He really wanted the sparkly red, but he couldn't ignore her opinion when he valued it so much. She wants something different, so he hands her the pastel  pink polish and gives her a sheepish glance. She doesn't react badly though, she just gives him a wide smile with her pretty lips and motions for him to sit in the chair.

Sarah gets to work with painting his nails, making precise strokes to avoid a mess of polish. He admires the patience and steadiness required to do such a simple task, because the last time he tried it looked like a toddlers handy work. After watching three nails being covered in pink, he turns his attention back to taking in her features. Her brows dip down into a tiny furrow as she concentrates and he notices the new freckles dotted around her forehead and nose. He figures that she must've been in the sun recently, he's always known that the spots darken with exposure to sunlight. He likes how it just adds more depth to her complexion.

Luke also enjoys the glitter. She tends to save the bold look for festivals and he wants to tease her about how their show must be important. He just finds himself fascinated by how it looks on her and how it instantly brightens all of her features. Of course he wouldn't tease her about it when he thinks she looks so effortlessly pretty. Although the thought of him being the reason for her flushed cheeks is tempting enough.

When Sarah sets the closed bottle back onto the desk, Luke notices her makeup sitting neatly in the corner, probably so she can freshen up throughout the night. He wonders if the glitter would have the same effect on him. Plus, he just wants her close to him.

“What's going on in that brain of yours?” Sarah waves a hand in front of his face.

“I was just thinking,”

She purses her lips at him, “No shit, sherlock. Elaborate,”

"You know how you do your makeup? I was thinking about if I'd look good in it and if the fans would like it” Luke tells her honestly.

“The fans would love it, lu. And we'd be matching!” She gushes. He can tell she's already visualizing the look on him.

"Can you do mine too then?”

"I don't think you could afford my services,” She answers, while already reaching for her makeup.

There's more steps to the makeup look than Luke had originally anticipated. She explains each and every step to him and somehow listening to her explain bb cream ends up being the softest thing in the world. She promised that it'd only even out the redness and he does like how natural he looks. After contouring and adding blush, she finally moves onto his eyeshadow and glitter. He catches a glance at himself in the mirror as she pulls back his hair into a half ponytail and he likes how pretty he looks. The glitter looks nice on him and he matches Sarah perfectly.

Sarah pulls out the gloss wand with a ‘pop' sound and smiles at the man, “One last thing.”

"Thank you. I almost look as pretty as you,” He tells her. He likes how her face flushes a darker pink at his compliment.

"Oh, stop that. You could rock it better than me any day,”

Luke studies Sarah's expression for a moment while she puts her makeup away and he's never wanted to kiss someone more. He's spent months away and he's been consumed by his newfound romantic love for her. Now that she's in front of him again, he wants to kiss her and take her out for authentic beef ramen like he had planned. He wants to watch her bake and compliment all of her new recipes. He wants to hold her tight and never leave her again. He's just afraid that she'll never see him as anything other than a friend. He'd accept any love over none at all, but he'll never know the difference until he tries.

"Sarah, can I be honest with you?” Luke questions.

She looks up at him with wide eyes, “Always. What's up?”

"I think I love you,” Luke tells her carefully. “Tour gave me a lot of time to think about how I feel about you.”

"Romantically?” Sarah looks at him in awe and points at herself, “Me?”

"Yes, you.”

“I'm really not sure what to say in this situation,”

"You don't have to say anything,” Luke rubs his sweaty palms against his pants, “We can just pretend this never happened.”

"No, I mean…I think I like you too. It's just that you're my best friend and you were gone. So I don't know how I really feel? It's easy to think one thing without the person around. Now you're here and what if I just missed you?”

"We can always wait to talk about this,” He assures her, “I was just going to ask you to go on a date with me after the show,”

She gives him a lopsided smile, “What kind of date?”

“I figured I'd ask you to a Japanese restaurant, but no weird seafood since you hate that. I thought you'd like some traditional ramen. We had it in Japan and it reminded me of you.”

"The real stuff? Michael talks about how good it is all the time!”

Luke smiles at her reaction, “Would you like to go with me?”

"You know what? Yes! It'll be fun.”

The boys are finishing up last second preparations backstage when Sarah joins them. Michael and Calum are talking with each other and she doesn't see Ashton with them yet, so she takes it as a chance to talk to Luke. He's fidgeting with his in-ear monitors when he notices her walking up to him, a sneaky expression across her features.

"Being a troublemaker?” Luke raises an eyebrow at her.

"You know it! I just took a break to wish you luck,”

"I always need that,” He chuckles.

The stage managers are rushing around and one speeds by calling out that they'll be on in one minute. Luke gives her a frown, sad to leave in the middle of a conversation. Sarah on the other hand just smiles instead and motions for him to lean down. When the tall boy does, she stands on her toes and places a soft kiss against his lips. His blue eyes widened at the unexpected kiss, but softened after the initial shock. She pulls her lip gloss out and touches up his gloss that she had messed up, not wanting to ruin his look. Luke didn't expect Sarah to make the first move, yet he's the one blushing.

“I-” He starts.

Sarah doesn't let him get a word in edgewise and pushes him lightly towards their other three friends, “I think you're going on now,”

"You look pretty. I'll see you after!” She adds again with a smile at the shocked man.

Luke is definitely in love with her, there's not a single doubt in his mind. All he can think about through the concert is the fact that he's never been so excited for noodles in his entire life. Noodles and his favorite girl.  

[derireo]

Wilting Lotus / CH. 3

Flashback Three: The Guardian Angels to a Glutton

Coming together to create theories of why this all happened in the first place, Izumi learns a couple things or two about the men that saved her that night.

「 Read it on AO3 」 「 2.7k words 」

.・゜-: ✧ :-　　-: ✧ :-゜・．

Izumi was in the middle of eating a snack when Itaru and the stranger came back to her room, causing a slight ruckus as the door was violently swung upon. The door handle slammed into the wall, resulting in a faint cracking noise that startled Itaru and Izumi, and they quickly glanced at the man who was in the middle of readjusting his tie.

Quietly, Itaru slinked around and checked the wall where the door hit, and did his best to keep his face neutral so that the man wouldn't know that there was a huge ass hole in the dry partition.

Izumi was kind of glad she asked the guards to stay outside otherwise one of them would've died on the spot.

The young blond held a finger to his lips when she glanced his way, causing her to hide her smile behind the treat she was eating as the man in the glasses went to sit down in the chair by her bed.

Slowly, her smile faded away when the stranger caught her attention just by sitting there, hands falling to her lap to show respect while doing her best to swallow the rest of the food that was in her mouth.

The drip of the IV was the only sound in the room, and the way the silence permeated throughout had Izumi clenching her fingers. The man that sat in Itaru's former spot was sitting with his leg crossed over the other, and he was staring at her in thought while he pinched his lower lip between his fingers; as if wondering about what he should do with her.

Helpless, Izumi looked over at Itaru who was also doing the same thing by the wall he broke, his eyes squinting at her.

"Guo Dian and Li Xiahouji, huh?" The stranger pondered under his breath, but peered straight into Izumi's eyes. His irises were a light purple, but with how intense his stare was it looked menacingly dark. The young woman frowned.

Izumi nodded at the mention of the familiar names and felt her heart squeeze painfully tight. She kept her lips sealed to prevent the two men in the room from hearing her strained voice, and instead weakly lifted her arm to motion for the man to continue.

"They've fled to the outskirts of the city; too far for the cops to reach and definitely too far for us." He informed, and mirrored the frown that was on Izumi's face. They had moved so fast that even Itaru was surprised when they first received the news– it looked like they started heading out not too long after the men found her in that alleyway.

The news was disheartening enough to make Izumi slump in her bed despite her injuries screaming at her to be careful. She cringed at the sharp pain that stabbed her in the side, and the ache in her lower back as the man by her bed watched on in silence, going back to his wondering state.

"Do you have any idea why this happened?" Itaru wondered aloud and kicked the door to the room closed, stepping to the side to hide the hole that was still there in the wall. He was also frowning, puzzled by the unusual act of unorganised crime.

Izumi shook her head. "Not any good ones."

Both men sighed in slight exasperation and looked at each other with a shrug, their lips pursed. They didn't know much about Guo Dian and Li Xiahouji despite their notorious monikers and how they moved in clubs, and for some reason whenever they looked deeper to latch onto something, only Izumi's name and information would show up.

Itaru couldn't wrap his head around it. He had no idea how they were able to hide everything about them that was important for their search.

› Tachibana, Izumi.

› 21, Freelancer.

› Originally residing in Ki Village, now lives in Yunliong City in pursuit of a man named [ REDACTED ].

› Head of a small notorious group called Hanbei.

› Only connections in city are two others, Dian, Guo & Li, Xiahouji.

› Dian, Guo.

› 23, Part-Time Tutor, Freelancer.

› Permanent resident of Yunliong. Former resident of [ CONFIDENTIAL ] and [ CONFIDENTIAL ].

› Reason for coming to the city: UNKNOWN

› [ REDACTED ]

› Has connections with [ CONFIDENTIAL ], [ REDACTED ].

› Li, Xiahouji.

› 22, [ BLANK ]

› Permanent resident of Yunliong. Former resident of [ CONFIDENTIAL ] and [ CONFIDENTIAL ]

› [ REDACTED ]

› Reason for coming to the city: UNKNOWN

› Has connections with [ CONFIDENTIAL ] and [ CONFIDENTIAL ].

Deep down, they knew that one of those two had something against her. With all of their presumed locations classified or removed, there was no way they would be able to find that duo so easily. Despite having the power of this city, the government only saw them as a nuisance, and never acknowledged them so they had no chance of getting their help.

Gently biting into his thumb, Itaru glared at the back of the other man's head in thought, his arm curled around his waist while he leaned against the wall to rest.

"Don't you think they were just using her, Sakyo?" The young blond asked, curious. If he took a look back at their files, he'd see the name Hanbei, and the place she used to live. She was also said to be in pursuit of a man whose name is redacted on the document, and her only connections were Guo Dian and Xiahouji, whose files were mainly wiped out or not available to the public.

The man in the glasses, Sakyo, turned his head halfway to send a sidelong glance at Itaru who was still biting at his thumb, eyebrows furrowed as he stared back.

"We know Hanbei. We've seen those three at clubs many times already," Itaru frowned, "and as much as her file wants to say that she was the leader of them – we never saw her do anything other than drink and be left alone by those two."

Offended by the accurate observation from Itaru, Izumi stayed silent and huffily crossed her arms over her chest, doing her best to ignore the searing pain that burnt through her body as she agitated her injuries.

Sakyo's steely eyes flickered back to her as he stood up to press a button that was above her bed, going back to sitting after the light flashed red.

"It doesn't make sense to me why they tried to kill her though." The older man rumbled lowly. His sharp gaze stayed on Izumi as she sighed, and he watched as she looked at him with a soft frown on her face, uncrossing her arms and resting her hands in her lap.

"I don't know how I got mixed up in this," she murmured, picking at her hospital gown, "but maybe they're planning something and I was the diversion?"

"That is exactly what I had in mind." Itaru wagged his finger lazily and pushed himself off the wall to stand beside Sakyo, who was mulling over the idea. Itaru's kimono shook violently as he slapped a hand onto the pondering man's shoulder, earning him an icy glare that he happily ignored. "Her 'death' gave them an excuse to escape because they have no 'leader'. They are definitely planning something." He complained and shook Sakyo's frame.

With a strong grip, the stoic man held onto Itaru's hand with a crease popping up between his eyebrows, nearly throwing the younger man off of him before smoothing his hand down the lapel of his coat.

"They could have easily left the city without trying to kill her." Sakyo argued, checking his watch to how long it had been since he pressed the assistance button. "It seems either one or both of them didn't want you in the picture at all." He said, finally addressing Izumi.

The young woman scoffed and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. There was no reason to be so rude to Sakyo anyways when she's mostly upset at the fact that her former boyfriend and friend decided to just off her. What the fuck?

"Obviously, considering they were doing this behind my back."

Her sullen expression made Itaru frown in sympathy, and he bumped Sakyo to the side so that he could sit down on the armrest that he wasn't using, arms going back to crossing over his chest.

She really had the short end of the stick and to be fairly honest, Sakyo and Itaru both immediately knew who she was when they found her in the alleyway. They had been keeping their eyes on her two years after she came to the city due to the request of a former member of their gang, but never approached her. They watched as she hung out with her friends at the clubs, and had others trail her during the day to see she made it home okay.

But they never saw this coming; meeting her in that alleyway. The only thing they knew was that they had a bad feeling about the two who were around her, and noticed that there was something off-kilter about that relationship with the other girl.

It was also quite obvious that there was a side thing happening between her and Izumi's boyfriend, but it looked like their girl was a little too dense to even notice.

"Now that we've got that out of the way, how do you feel about moving abroad for a little while after you've recovered?" Itaru asked and clapped his hands together with a sharp smile, head tilted as he watched an expression between confusion and shock took place on Izumi's face. The question was out of the blue and all too sudden; it had Sakyo sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose between his index and thumb.

"I don't.. really have enough money to do that." She murmured sheepishly, cheeks burning. As much as she'd like to go and travel overseas, her humble education and difficulty with finding a stable job prevented her from earning enough. Sure, there was also the variable that she partied a lot with her friends which resulted in a lot of money going down the drain, but she at least had enough to pay rent on time.

Both Sakyo and Itaru eyed each other before turning back to Izumi who was avoiding their gazes, and both men shrugged their shoulders indifferently.

"We'll take care of expenses." Sakyo flicked off an imaginary piece of lint from his pants while Itaru nodded enthusiastically at the offer (statement, really). "All you have to do is stay safe, and we'll pay for everything you need."

It was curious -- having two of these men offer her a way out of the country while not knowing who they were. Her quizzical gaze switched between the two of them as she tried to muster up the courage to ask why they were giving her a chance to leave, and who they were to so easily pay for her travels. She again picked at her gown and looked away, still unsure of whether to accept or decline their offer.

Itaru harrumphed, obviously amused once he picked up the awkward feeling she was giving off.

"You do know the names Itaru Chigasaki and Sakyo Furuichi, right? He teased gently. It was a bit silly to be asking, but when he revealed his name to Izumi a few hours prior, the weight of it didn't seem to sink into her brain, and neither when he called for Sakyo did she pause and think.

"Presumably they're your names." She answered, much to their amusement. Itaru covered a smile behind his hand while Sakyo turned his head to the side to hide the corner of his mouth tilting up, much to Izumi's annoyance. She really wished they would just get to the point with these things, honestly.

"You're correct," Itaru said, muffled behind his hand as he tried not to giggle, "and do you know what is under those names?"

Izumi nearly threw her hands up in the air out of frustration, but held herself back. The stab wounds on her body were still fresh and she probably reopened them earlier with her childish arm cross, so she bit her lip instead and scrunched her nose in distaste to show Itaru that she wasn't amused.

Sakyo's hand jumped up to hit Itaru square in the back of the head causing a loud thunk to be heard, causing Izumi to choke on a laugh. The young blond almost flew off the chair.

"Ugh, jeez. Fine. You two are no fun." He muttered under his breath with slouched shoulders and tried to soothe the ache that spread through his head.

"We run Heaven on Earth, Silly. These clubs and pleasure districts you're always going to? They're ours." He chuckled and obnoxiously held his arms out in a show-off gesture, causing Sakyo to roll his eyes as Izumi paused in her tiny giggle fest, her eyebrows furrowing together in shock as she looked between the two men that sat in front of her.

"Uh? I don't think I should be receiving help from you guys then--" She started, but was quickly cut off by Itaru who shushed her by holding a finger to his lips and shaking his head, his eyes closing. The corners of his mouth were twitching up into a smile as he willed his heart to stay calm. He didn't really want to mention that person, but it may be the only thing that convinces her to agree.

"Someone who used to be close to us requested a long while back that we look after you, and that's what we're doing. Wouldn't it be terrible of us if we broke that promise when all this has happened already?"

It was obvious with the tone in his voice that he was trying to persuade her into agreeing, but with how he pouted as his yellow tinted circle shades slid down his nose, Izumi found it difficult to resist. It also made her curious as to who would be looking after her. She's been in Yunliong for only three years, and she barely made any new friends; let alone acquaintances.

Izumi sighed, slumping back into her bed with a resigned nod. "Alright."

"Great! You'll leave once you're fully recovered, so make sure you take care of yourself!" He badgered. "I want to teach you a few self-defence things before you go though, so leave your schedule open for me." He batted his eyelashes prettily.

Sakyo and Izumi cringed at the display of shameless cuteness and looked at each other silently, somehow having a conversation with just their stares while Itaru tilted his head dumbly, his smile still etched onto his face. After a few seconds of staring, Izumi quietly burst into laughter as the older man's lips twitched, and he made a move to stand up from his seat just as a nurse had carefully slipped into the room with a new roll of gauze and alcohol.

"You'll also learn how to hold a gun, so rest well." He murmured gently, reaching over the hospital bed's barrier to pet Izumi's messy hair. "I don't know how dangerous your friends are and how far their reach is. I'm not willing to risk anything." He continued and absently brushed his fingers down her face to pinch her squishy cheek between his fingers, causing the girl to grumble at the sudden affection between them.

"We'll come back to visit again when we're not busy!" Itaru said enthusiastically and stood up from his spot on the arm rest, not minding when Sakyo bumped into him as he turned away. His shades dimly glared in the light as he bent down to print a cheeky kiss to her temple, but Sakyo swiftly grabbed him by the collar to tug him away from her, giving the nurse space to help the young girl up from her resting position.

Izumi sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth as sparks of pain flew throughout her body, but still managed to wave at the two men as they headed towards the door, receiving help from the nurse to lift up her gown to tend to the wounds that she had reopened.

"See you." She spoke softly, which earned her a wave from Itaru and a nod from Sakyo as they closed the door behind them.

And thank goodness Sakyo didn't notice the hole in the wall.

[ohmygoodnessgraciouss]

Hello there! 😀 Can I request a Steve Rogers one-shot, where he wants to propose to Stark!Daughter!Reader? They've been together since the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., and after Endgame, Steve realizes that he can't wait any longer (after the wedding, the R gets pregnant with twin girls). Steve is so in love with R that he completely moves on from Peggy and even replaces her photo with R's in his compass. Also: R is a super-soldier and an enhanced + with a genius intellect.

Hello!!  I figured I’d post it here as well without tags!  A big part of my account is my writing anyway, and I was the dummy that forgot to post about requests on my writing account, oops!  Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, and thanks for sending in a request! <3

Words: 2224

Bucky Barnes had not seen his best friend this happy since Peggy Carter.  In fact, he seemed happier than ever.  Bucky was surprised by this, especially since it had only been a year since the final battle that destroyed the Avengers Compound.  With the death of Tony Stark, Steve was left to cope with the idea of a world without Tony as well as helping his girlfriend, Y/N Stark, recover.  Y/N was Tony’s daughter and Morgan’s half-sister.  Although Y/N did not know Tony all her life, she was still closely tied with the playboy and loved him.

She was involved in the final battle along with everyone else due to her powers.  Being a super-soldier like Steve and an enhanced like Wanda, she was a powerful asset to the Avengers.  She helped Clint distract Thanos when the Mad Titan nearly grabbed the gauntlet.  If it wasn’t for her, the world may have been destroyed.  Either way, she knew she had to prepare for the worst.  She knew Tony would die for this cause as soon as he figured out how time travel worked, but she couldn’t prepare herself for when it happened.  

That’s where Steve came in.  Steve, her boyfriend of several years, comforted and helped her through it all along with Pepper and Morgan.  He knew exactly what to do considering the two stayed in touch after the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D, and quickly started dating.  They were the other’s support for five years after the snap occurred.  Steve thought that he could never love someone as much as he loved Peggy, but he learned with Y/N that he was completely wrong.  She was everything to him.  She helped him see that there’s always hope, that the world is still the same as it was 75 years ago, and that maybe someone can have more than one true love.

Shortly after the funeral, Steve had thrown the compass with Peggy’s picture into a box and up in the closet of his shared bedroom with Y/N.  It was a box filled with items either from the 1940s or objects that reminded him of it.  Amongst other things, a pack of Captain America trading cards was inside.  Steve decided that he didn’t want to hold onto the past or what it could’ve been any longer, so he tucked it away.  It was time to face the future.  A future with his best friends and loved ones, and more importantly, with  Y/N.  

When a year had passed and everything seemed to be going back to normal, Steve knew that he wanted to propose to Y/N.  He was only mad at himself for not doing it sooner.  He wanted to be able to ask for Tony’s permission.  He may have adjusted to the 21st century, but he still wanted to keep some of his old-fashioned traditions.  Y/N agreed with him on that tradition, believing that it was sweet that he’d want to do that anyway.  

With the help of the Avengers, Steve was able to plan a proposal.  The perfect proposal.  It may have been simplistic, it may have been considered cheap, but he knew it wouldn’t matter to Y/N as long as he asked the question. It took only a few days to set up, and Pepper chipped in a little as well.  She even went as far as pulling Steve aside to tell him that Tony would’ve said yes.  

Y/N and Steve were going on a date that night of the proposal.  It was going to be a fancy dinner and catching the latest movie in the theater.  Y/N loved the idea and agreed to it immediately.  She was excited considering it had been so long since the two of them had had a date.  With missions going on by the newly formed S.H.I.E.L.D, it seemed impossible for the couple to catch a break.  She was grateful for the small moments the two had before catching a plane to somewhere far away.  

Tonight it’d be so much different.  Steve and Y/N caught up, explaining some of the funny moments that happened in their missions.  Steve told her the story of Sam’s wings malfunctioning while he was trying to fly up to a vantage point while Bucky made fun of him.  Y/N told him about the story of Stephen going off on a rant about how the mystic arts should be taken seriously while Peter was playing with his cape.  When the stories ran out, the two super-soldiers admitted to missing each other so much for the past few weeks.  It wasn’t unusual for them to do so, which is why Bucky and Peter stayed far away when they were together.  They lost track of time and didn’t realize how late it was getting until dessert came around, where the couple shared a chocolate lava cake that was on the house.

The next part of the evening involved a movie.  It wasn’t your typical movie night, however, as Steve was able to find an old drive-in theater nearby.  They were playing a classic horror film night, which they called a “creature double feature.”  Y/N was excited to watch as she found a love for drive-ins when they saw it on a travel brochure once, and Steve was pleased that he could find something that played movies close to his time.  

What they weren’t expecting was for a pop-up thunderstorm to boom in during the end of the second movie.  The thunderstorm disrupted the entire theater and caused them to shut down shortly after it started.  The cracks of thunder and the bolts were striking the ground nearby. It didn’t take long for the power to go out because of it.  

This wasn’t on Steve’s itinerary at all.  He was supposed to take Y/N home and show her the dimly-lit room, scattering pictures and memories across the sitting room whose furniture had been moved out of the way.  Towards the end of the line of pictures, there would be a single frame holding the picture of you two kissing on a “Good-Luck Bridge” as the national park called it, with a single note that asked her to marry him.  While she was distracted, he’d get down on one knee and hold the ring behind her.

Things don’t always end up the way they were supposed to.  Honestly, Steve was more than frustrated by it. He had the entire evening planned out and it still failed.  He couldn’t wait any longer to become engaged to his girlfriend.  

When he opened the door to the apartment, he was ready to explain everything.  The two were using their flashlights on their phones to make sure they didn’t trip over anything.  It didn’t look like it’d work out for him tonight.  He was hoping maybe explaining things would still end up with an engagement tonight, but then he received a text from Pepper, who was apparently watching the hallway camera.

The single text read:

“Don’t worry about anything, Steve.  There’s a transmitter that Peter and I made in case anything went wrong.  Take care of her for Tony.”  

Inside the room, several candles were lined up across the shelves on the wall.  They were lit, casting enough light in the room to be able to see some of the pictures here and there.  Right in the center laid a small plate-like computer.  "What’s this all about?“  Y/N asked Steve, knowing something was up.

"Just turn it on,” He smiled at her, allowing her to walk up to it and click on the button.  It started up a hologram on the wall, casting the pictures on the plaster instead of being in the frames.  

From pictures to working in S.H.I.E.L.D to pictures from their first date to the very present, there had to be dozens of photos lined up in the presentation.  Y/N smiled at the display, tears springing to her eyes as memories started to replay in her mind.  The final picture had the question written below the bridge, on top of the water.  The girl gasped and turned around to see Steve on his knee.  

He couldn’t even ask the question himself before he was kissed.  

~

The wedding quickly happened after that.  News spread around like wildfire that the two were engaged, and everyone could see it coming anyway.  It became known to the world that Captain America was finally marrying someone.  Fury couldn’t believe it when he heard it, but he was happy for the two despite showing it.  Everyone was invited to the wedding from the Starks to the Avengers.  Some from S.H.I.E.L.D came along as well.  Bucky was Steve’s best man while Pepper walked Y/N down the aisle.  Morgan was the flower girl while Peter had to be the ring bearer.  

The wedding would be considered the wedding of the century for more than a few reasons.  One of the biggest reasons being how simplistically extravagant it was.  Decorated with purple flowers and ribbons, the wedding gave beautiful a new definition.  Especially because of the love shared between the bride and groom.  

It was clear to all that those two shared a love that people dreamt of finding in their lives.  They were only lucky enough to find it.  Steve couldn’t even imagine picturing Peggy in Y/N’s place.  The only thing that mattered was Y/N.  

When they approached their first anniversary as a married couple, Y/N knew she had the best gift to tell him.  They were trying to start a family for so long, but now was the time to reveal the perfect news.  

Right as Steve came home from a tough mission over in Budapest, Y/N finished preparing everything.  She had the papers from a doctor to confirm it because she was worried that the at-home pregnancy tests were wrong.  Steve would be pleasantly surprised by it.  

He wasn’t pleasantly surprised by it actually.  He was elated, excited, and could barely keep his cool for more than a minute.  All Steve wanted to do was hug his currently pregnant wife and tell the world that they would be parents.  

A few short months later they found out that they were going to have children.  Not just a child, but children.  The doctor told them that Y/N was pregnant with twin girls.  They nearly cried that day from happiness.  The next day, due to her hormones, Y/N cried from fear.  

She realized that she had no idea what it’d be like to be a parent, even if Pepper assured her that she’d be able to help.  Y/N’s big problem though was that she and Steve were moving that day.  They decided that the apartment would be too small for their family.  They were able to find an affordable home in upstate New York, and quickly took the advantage and bought it.   Moving day was rough because Y/N was starting to have some trouble picking up boxes off the ground.  Her bump was becoming more noticeable and she’d start to have problems with leaning down.  Steve didn’t mind at all and had a few of their friends come over to help them out.  Y/N made sure to thank them all later that day.  

While moving, Steve and Y/N were cleaning out the closet a little bit.  Besides the clothes, they kept a few boxes in there, and one of those boxes included Steve’s box of the 1940s.  Y/N didn’t know what exactly was in there, but she left it to Steve to go through and decide if he wanted to keep it.  She trusted him and didn’t feel the need to go through it, which is why she walked back in to see him pick up his compass with Peggy’s picture at one point.  

Steve looked at it for only a single moment, but Y/N was intrigued about what he’d do.  Some days the woman wondered whether or not he still loved Peggy despite it being years ago.  Those thoughts would disappear completely today.  

Steve opened the glass door that kept Peggy’s picture inside.  Pulling it out, he stared at her picture before placing it aside in a bin that was being used for trash.  Then, he pulled a small picture of Y/N out of his pocket.  It was one of his favorites.  She looked beautiful in the photo, especially with one of her favorite outfits on.  

He placed the picture in carefully, shutting the glass door and locking it into place.  He was proud of it after that.  The compass kept him grounded, reminding him of the time period he once lived in.  The picture reminded him of what he has now, and the compass connected with her by always showing him that he can find his way to her no matter what.  

Y/N walked over to him with a smile on her face.  "Steve, are you sure you want to get rid of the picture?“  She asked him, wanting to make sure he wasn’t making a mistake.  

Steve looked up at her and smiled slightly.  "I’m positive.  There’s no need for it anymore.”  

Steve stood up to turn and look at Y/N, shutting the compass in the process.  He snaked his arms around his wife’s waist, bringing her closer to him.  She smiled back at him and glanced at his lips.  

“I love you, Steve Rogers,” She said as she gave him a peck on the lips.  

“I love you too, Y/N Rogers.”