#we had the cheapest seats too and the view was still great!

[petalsandpurity]

Ya’ll moulin rouge is fab. Jamie muscato was soooo good in it

[boysbellyrubs]

3C or 3D with any male sickie 🥺🥺🥺

perfect cause this man gets seasick whenever he goes on boats ;))) also New Zealand towns because I’m from New Zealand hehe. the vomiting in this story is a bit short which I'm kind of pissed about, but i literally could not write more without it being repetitive. Hope it's still good :).

prompt from this list HERE. 

—

Caine was already stressed out of his mind, and the prospect of getting sick on this boat was only worsening his state. Quinn and him were actually going to Caine’s parent’s house in Wellington for Christmas, and with the two of them staying in the South Island, the boat ride across the Cook Strait was the cheapest and only other way to get there. 

The funny thing was that Quinn got plane sick and Caine got seasick, and being Caine, he had neglected to tell Quinn about that. So they had booked the ferry and were waiting to board. Caine had sneakily taken some seasick pills before they arrived, but his anxiety was telling him that they weren’t going to kick in in time. 

Safe to say, he was panicking. 

Quinn seemed none the wiser. He was too excited to be able to be on a big boat for 3 and a half hours, taking in the sites and letting the smell of salt water wash away his worries. Caine was the complete opposite. The next three hours were going to be hell on Earth if these pills didn’t start working. 

“Do you wanna sit inside for a bit or go out on deck?” 

They had a morning ride, so the sun was out shining and there were heaps of people milling around. Caine froze, 

“Um, whatever you want babe. I don’t mind.” He answered, making little eye contact. 

Quinn nodded, “Well, I’m a bit tired from the drive so let's go sit down somewhere.” 

The ‘somewhere’ Quinn chose was actually the small cafeteria. It was technically breakfast time, but Caine didn’t feel like eating anything. He begrudgingly took a few hashbrowns and a muffin, praying to God that it would stay put inside him. 

The ferry was sailing smoothly so far. Caine had obsessively checked the weather forecast and it looked like it would be okay. 

“I hope it stays like this for the whole trip.” Quinn said, munching slowly on his bag of chips. Caine nodded, 

“Yeah, hopefully no big waves come and swallow the whole ship.” 

Quinn laughed, “Scared?” His voice went up, clearly teasing. 

Caine looked away, “Course not. I’m fine.” 

Quinn chuckled again, scrunching up the bag and sitting back in his seat. Caine picked at his own meal, barely eating the hashbrowns and not even touching the muffin. It was too sweet, he knew that would come immediately back up. 

They sat in the cafeteria for a bit longer and Caine had gained a little more confidence in the seasickness pills. Maybe because it was early in the trip and the water was flat, but he felt like he would be okay. 

He almost was enjoying himself; sitting in the cool air of the cafeteria and watching the glistening water out the windows. Quinn was also sitting silently, taking in the views with a soft smile. 

They left soon enough though, Caine was getting a bit restless with all the people flooding in so they moved to a better area. It was summer, so areas of the ship were bathed in sunlight and quickly heating up. Caine felt himself drawn to those areas, maybe he could sleep for the rest of the trip then he wouldn’t have to worry about getting ill. 

He tapped Quinn’s arm, “Can we sit down in that area over there?” He pointed at a less crowded corner of the room, well lit and with large windows, “I think I’m going to try to sleep.” 

Quinn moved his gaze from the map and nodded, “Great idea, I’m still a bit sleepy too.” 

The chairs were way more comfortable than expected and Caine sank into them with a sigh. He felt his exhaustion hit him then, and shut his eyes, dropping his head onto Quinn’s shoulder. 

His sleep didn’t come so easily though. His eyes were shut, yet sleep wasn’t hitting him. He sighed and opened his eyes. The boat was still packed with people and the area they were in was hot as. Stretching, he sat up and felt the ground tilt. Okay, maybe he did sleep because the waves were suddenly a lot larger. He looked outside the window and his assumptions were correct as hearty waves stared back at him, splashing into each other and making the boat fall up and down. 

Caine groaned, slumping back into his seat. He was so hot, and he was starting to feel a little sick. The measly bites of food in his stomach were sloshing with the boat and his head was spinning. Damn those pills, why the fuck didn’t they work. 

Quinn was still asleep next to him, and he debated waking him up. He felt okay, but maybe waking Quinn up before he was on the verge of spewing was a good idea. 

However, his idea was squashed as the next wave made Caine’s body freeze in place. Suddenly, it felt like every limb was jelly and he couldn’t even think properly. His belly swirled, sloshing like a knocked over water bottle. He shut his eyes, breathing heavily through his nose. 

The last time he was seasick was terrible. He didn’t know he got seasick and he had eaten a full dinner before getting on. It wasn’t pretty. 

And this time, he had barely eaten anything yet he still felt just as sick as the last time. The most awful thing about it though was that he couldn’t just get off the boat and take five, no, he was trapped with a bunch of strangers and still had another two hours to go. 

He brought one hand up to his mouth, pretending to rest his head on his hand, keeping his eyes closed. Seeing the waves made it worse. Caine felt like crying, he really did not want to throw up. He felt his belly churn, bubbling and gurgling like the water outside. 

Behind his eyelids, he felt the world spin and he groaned. He held his breath with another lurch of the boat. 

Opening his eyes, he scanned the room for the nearest bathroom. Thankfully, there was one just across the hall. He didn’t want to move, he felt if he stood up he would end up on the floor. Running his hand across his belly, he felt another warning flip inside him. 

But Caine felt another churn of his stomach, and with a wave of dizziness crashing over him as he pulled himself up. He groaned, holding back his tears as his illness suddenly became a whole lot worse. Before he knew it, he pushed the heavy bathroom door open and Caine found himself staring at toilet water. He sniffled, the beginnings of a few tears leaking from his eyes. 

Kneeling down, he swore he felt every time the boat went up and crashed into the water. He hugged his belly with both arms, needing something to hold him together. He spat into the toilet, saliva gathering quickly in his mouth. He groaned, knowing that this wouldn’t end until he was back on land, and land was miles away. 

He spat again, his belly growling angrily at him. Caine moaned, tapering off into the beginnings of a heave. The boat rose up again, and as it was falling Caine’s stomach finally had enough and he burped up the first wave. It wasn’t too thick, considering he had eaten barely anything, but it hurt. He heaved again, coughing to dislodge the vomit in his throat. 

Caine groaned out a grizzly sound, vomit and spit mixing in the back of his throat, burning his tonsils and leaving a rancid taste on his tongue. A dry heave cut him off, and more coughing followed. He felt like shit, and the constant rocking of the floor was only making it worse. 

Without thinking, he propped his elbow up on the toilet seat, grabbing his hair in a tight grip. He spat again, the awful taste filling his mouth. His hand was slowly rubbing side to side on his belly, doing nothing to help him feel better but it was a false comfort. He sniffed, sighing as the boat rocked again, it was going to be a long two hours. 

—

Dw after this Quinn found him and it was all happily ever after. Of course after a light scolding from Quinn for not telling him he got seasick. 

[billk128]

If Summer Has to End...

...why not spend a sundrenched day in a stadium parking lot? If you can then go see Bruce Springsteen and the E St Band rock the house, well, there could be worse fates. It was certainly better than the 2 weeks prior when friends and I gathered in the Philly area for a show only to learn Bruce called in sick, right when we were gearing up for that pre-show tailgate. I was a bit soured by that one, and the time it took to announce the new August 2024 make up dates. But with a larger crew of friends heading in for the 3rd nite of 3 in NJ's MetLife Stadium, I decided to pull the trigger on the cheapest ($45, though $64.50 after criminal Ticketmaster charges) seat available and take in another show.

Earlier this year during the US arena leg, a DJ on the great NYC Metro area WFMU (https://wfmu.org) noted that people were complaining about the static setlists of the shows, and he was a bit flummoxed by that noise, wondering how an artist you love playing songs you love, and some of the great rock songs to boot, could ever be a bad thing. As a setlist watcher (not just Bruce) myself, I took that advice into what was a great show in at the Rock in Newark, NJ in April (see: https://www.tumblr.com/billk128/714870079502925824/its-boss-time-once-again?source=share), and told any that asked to spare the flawed judgment of a show on its setlist alone.

Of course, New Jersey gets some hometown favor, particularly across multiple nights, but I was a little taken aback by song selections particularly in the more flexible first half of the show. The encore section had its own surprises, but the earliest treat for me was my seat: while at the very side of the stage (and mainly, the video screens), it had a very nice overhead view and plenty of visual depth, plus I had room to right and left of me, so I decided to stick it out there, even if I might have slipped down to join Terry and crew a couple of sections below. The breakneck pacing doesn't allow for much travel anyway.

The sound, while not as full rhythmically as it could be at that height and on the side, was still quite good: the vocals could be almost too up front at times, and the solos were as crystal clear as I could remember in a stadium. I don't know how it all carried to the other end of the stadium, but damn, it sounded mostly great to me.

The 3 hour show has lost none of it power or intensity (and perhaps added some), while trimming down some of the self-depreciating humor and time passage themes that were more featured in the arena shows. There is very little bloat to the songs that get played every night and every attempt to keep things light, even as darker thoughts pervade the music. And though I don't believe it was truly intentional, the alternate songs played on this night carried a lot of that weight.

All of which might have been lost on the crowd, of course, which was rightfully jubilant throughout. Each of the 3 nights in NJ opened with a Lonesome Day/Night couplet itself a departure from the standard No Surrender show opener (though I think indicative of shows to come), but the first real surprise was a driving Two Hearts, in its tour debut. One could ask why rockers from The River album have never gotten their fair share in Springsteen performances, and I might point to this rendition as a reason they should have, punctuated by the sublime and note-perfect rendering of the guitar fill between chorus lines by Nils Lofgren.

And those simple but wide open and chillingly relevant lyrics - if young people need some guidance, how about: Once I spent my time playing tough guy scenes/But I was living in a world of childish dreams/Someday these childish dreams must end/To become a man and grow up to dream again.

I got a bit lost in that one, nostalgic for my own youth perhaps, but was jolted back by another ravaging Prove It All Night, where Bruce's guitar solos danced in top of the sound and left you on your own to decide. Whereas Bruce's playing has always been visceral, it used to be part of the very direct "I got to prove it to you all night" ethos, also from a distant youth, while his playing now, even if similar, has a more sinuous feel that leaves the destination less clear. That is, until Max starts pounding those drums and it all comes cascading down into a cataclysmic finish...

And then a left turn was taken into Something in the Night, the first of the major vocal challenges Bruce presented himself, and if he was not as spot on vocally as the show I saw in April, he managed to bring the goods at the right times, as in the ending howls of this tortured, smoldering rocker. While never a favorite of mine over the years, the song has grown on me through strong live renderings during those same years, a sneak live treat that appears and penetrates; meanwhile, somehow these apocalyptic words are still as potent (and/or prescient?) as ever: When we found the things we loved/Were crushed and dying in the dirt/We tried to pick up the pieces/And get away without getting hurt/But they caught us at the state line/Burned our cars in one last fight/And left us running, burned and blind/Chasing something in the night.

Spirit in the Night appeared a couple of songs later but the last meaningful surprise was Atlantic City, coming after the well-played, with a nice (and new, I believe) Curtis King vocal moment, Nightshift, but why this remnant from the forgotten soul covers record is still included every night is kind of a mystery. Atlantic City (which eliminated the Max/Anthony Almonte percussion duel space in the set) was played with a horn-powered approach vs. the harder edged take sometimes employed, and if playing it in NJ might seem logical, it also perhaps vaguely alluded to yet another inept Bozo failure now torn down and forgotten in that city. But more directly again the lyrics painted another ominous and viably current picture: Now I been looking for a job, but it's hard to find/Down here, it's just winners and losers and "Don't get caught on the wrong side of that line"/Well, I'm tired of coming out on the losing end/So, honey, last night, I met this guy, and I'm gonna do a little favor for him...

From there we moved into the 2nd half of the show that changes very little each night, but rolls like a freight train and offers many highlights. I can't consider Mary's Place ever a high point, but people got up to dance immediately, so Bruce wins that battle once again. Backstreets was majestic, Bruce again finding the range on that last wordless vocal, bringing the emotions to a peak. And forget Tom Morello's spacey solo effects, the sound and patterns Nils devises on his Because the Night solo, again so crisply rendered on top of the sound, how can they be from this planet?

At the end of Thunder Road, I noticed the sax fills from Jake Clemons were off the charts - I mean, total Big Man level power. And I'll never know if this played a role, but it sure seemed like a good enough indicator to Bruce to start the encores with Jungleland. Talk about emotion - the violin/piano intro and opening crash led into Steve Van Zandt's riveting guitar solo, which stayed true to the original but shredded its perfection with guttural tones and danced all over its ending with string-bending clamor. Then of course the sax solo, which wavered only in a spot or 2 as Jake stepped it up quite nicely, and Bruce wrapped it up with one final, momentous (and smartly modulated) moan. He then hugged Jake, and it was clearly heartfelt and I do not doubt misty eyed. Between Jake, the nephew of Clarence, channeling his uncle, and Bruce, who sang every note of that solo to Clarence when recording, one can only imagine the feelings, and that made it even more of treat for me.

Hijinks proceeded from there - led by Steve, particularly in Rosalita, where the mobile band members gathered down the catwalk on a mini stage out front, and got to interact closely with each for a change away from that big stage, which is always a treat. Steve kept it up during another setlist turn into Detroit Medley, adding a counter melody to Bruce's vocal I think in the Jenny Jenny part, keeping it going with a smile until Bruce turned and gave him a chuckling WTF look, which was quite amusing (and yes, I could see all of this from the upper deck, it was right in front of me otherwise).

A wonderful and spirited show came to a close not with the typical Bruce solo version of I'll See You in My Dreams but with Jersey Girl - sure, another shout out to the locals, but not one I needed to hear again. "Dreams" is a much more fitting and resonating tune, and missed here, but there will be no quibbling with setlist changes from this source. And though the show proper retains its power and glory without them, I think the future bodes well for subtle curves and sublime surprises in shows down the road...

(And though Jimmy Buffett died, I predicted no cover song would be played, and there was none - why would there be? There is no connection.)

Setlist - 9/3/23:

Lonesome Day Night No Surrender Two Hearts (Tour debut, first time with the E Street Band since 2017) Prove It All Night Something in the Night Letter to You The Promised Land Spirit in the Night Kitty's Back Nightshift (Commodores cover) Atlantic City Mary's Place Last Man Standing (Acoustic with Barry Danielian on trumpet) Backstreets Because the Night She's the One Wrecking Ball The Rising Badlands Thunder Road Encore: Jungleland Born to Run Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) Detroit Medley Dancing in the Dark Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out Jersey Girl

[ijustreallylovethem]

too much

this is just kinda set whenever, i’ve been working on this for a while so NO SPOILERS FOR SEASON TWO!!! i hope you guys enjoy and let me know what you think!

jj maybank x reader

words: 1,765

masterlist

“because he has the koalafications!”

you rolled your eyes at the dumb joke kie had told the circle of people. it was the third time you had heard it at the party and the seventh time today. jj, who was half asleep and leaning on you, shifted his weight a bit so he could speak into your ear.

“bub, i don’t feel too good.” you didn’t even have time to look at him before he was standing from the washed up log you were both sitting on and running to the tree line. you didn’t think twice before sitting your drink down and running after him. he crouched over and dry heaved a few times before the contents of his stomach made a reappearance in the grass below him. you rubbed his back until he was finished but he stayed in his hunched over position. “fuck.” you laughed at his soft curse and lifted his shirt off of his back when you noticed how sweaty he was.

“yeah, that’s what happens when you have too much, j. i told you to slow down three drinks ago.”

“yeah, yeah.” he waved you off over his shoulder and sighed before standing back up. you watched as he squeezed his eyes shut and reached out to the nearest tree to steady himself. “holy fuck, we’re spinning.” you giggled as he slowly moved his head in a circle.

“how about we go find some water and go home, yeah?”

“water sounds great.” you nodded and grabbed his hand that wasn’t holding himself up on the tree, leading him back toward the crowd of people that were still occupying the beach. it didn’t take long to find pope and john b and you asked if they knew where to find water.

“there’s a few half empty bottles in the van i think. jj stashed them there for when he got high and dry.” you nodded, leading jj back to where the twinkie was parked. it was a slow walk, which made it much longer than it needed to be, but you finally made it. you slid the door open and leaned jj against it before climbing in and rummaging around for water bottles. you had just managed to find one under the seat when you heard jj dry heaving again. you clambered out fo the van just in time to see him puke all over the door.

“awe, jj! you couldn’t have turned literally ninety degrees?”

“sorry,” he called out weakly but you shook your head, dismissing it. you held the bottle out to him and he gladly took it from you, downing it all in one go.

“calm down j! you’re gonna upset your stomach even more if you drink that fast.” he sighed and dropped the empty bottle to the ground. “i’m only dismissing the fact that you just littered because it landed in your vomit and i’m not picking that back up.” he sighed, letting his head rest against the side of the van.

“i wanna go home,” he spoke quietly. you nodded and pulled out your phone.

“let me tell john b.” jj was silent as you typed out a message to john b and slipped your phone back in your pocket. “wanna sit?” jj groaned but nodded and shuffled his way over to you. you helped him sit down on the floor of the twinkie, his feet still flat on the pavement underneath you. he leaned forward, resting his elbows in his knees and his forehead on his hands.

“john b better hurry the fuck up.” you giggled silently at his words that sounded more like a long slur of sounds mixed with a groan.

“i’m sure he is,” you assured him, rubbing your hand up and down his back again. you stayed like that for a few moments until you heard footsteps approaching from the beach. you turned to find john b, kie, and pope slowly but surely making their way toward you and jj.

“couldn’t handle your stuff jj?” john b teased him as he walked to the driver door. jj just groaned and half heartedly flipped him off. kie climes in the passenger seat and pope stood in front of jj, waiting for him to move so he could get in the back.

“get in dude,” pope told him and jj slowly stood, causing pope to back up.

“careful, jj puked right there. i wouldn’t touch the outside of the door if i were you.” pope stepped slightly to his right as you and jj settled in and then quickly got in and closed the door from the inside.

“dude you’re cleaning the door in the morning,” john b spoke as he pulled onto the road.

“yeah, yeah,” jj mumbled and slumped over into your side. the ride back to the chateau wasn’t long but it was bumpy and contained a few curves. “jesus christ john b slow the fuck down.” john b looked at jj in the rear view mirror. it took everything in him not to brake check right then and there. when he finally pulled up to the chateau and parked, jj was the last one out.

“jj come on. we gotta go inside.” you stood watching him slide to the floor of the van and spread out best he could like a starfish.

“‘m comfy here.” you sighed.

“no, come on, you need a shower.”

“can’t.”

“i’ll help you wash your hair now come on.” he groaned as he got up but he finally made his way inside, stripping down to his boxers on his walk down the hallway. you sighed as you watched him nearly fall flat on his face trying to get his shorts off and then made your way after him.

“can i take a bath instead?” you nodded, moving past him to lean over and turn on the water.

“sit on the toilet and tell me when it’s a good temperature.” jj sat and you saw a shiver run down his spine at the feeling of the porcelain on his bare legs.

“it’s kinda cold.”

“the water, jj,” you rolled your eyes as he grinned at his own joke, turning and reaching out his hand to feel the water. after a few moments and a few turns of the knob, jj nodded.

“it’s good.” you reached down and pulled the plug up so the water would cease to drain and then stood up to face him again.

“want me to leave?” jj shook his head.

“want you to join me.” your eyes widened for a moment before you pulled yourself back together and shook your head.

“jj, you’re absolutely wasted and don’t know what you’re saying.”

“no, half of the alcohol i drank is on the twinkie. i may be a little slow but i know for a fact i’m going to remember this tomorrow.” you sighed.

“i’ll stay in the bathroom and help you clean up but i’m not getting in the tub with you ok?” he nodded and stood. “and your boxers stay on.” he whined but one stern look from you and he was climbing into the tub. he settled quickly and you reached forward to turn the water off. you grabbed a cup from under the sink and knelt down next to the side of the tub. “look up,” you spoke softly and jj happily obliged. the warm water ran over his head and you carded your fingers through his hair after a few times to make sure it was completely soaked.

“which one’s yours?” he pointed to the bottle of dove men’s three in one and you sighed but picked it up. “jj this stuff is terrible for your hair.” you squeezed just enough onto your palm and set the bottle back down, rubbing your hands together and letting your fingers begin to gently work it into his hair.

“it’s the cheapest i can find. and it’s been doing pretty damn good so far.” he hummed as you massaged his scalp, suds gathering on his forehead and your wrists.

“please, three in one is a mans most toxic trait.” he was silent after that as you rinsed your hands and reached for the cup again. he looked toward the ceiling without you having to tell him and you carefully rinsed the soap from his hair. “let me grab you a towel. pull the plug?” you stood from the side of the tub and reached into the cabinet for a towel. you dried your hands on it and then handed it to jj as he stood in the bath water.

“i’ll go change while you dry off, ok? it won’t take long.” he nodded and you left the bathroom, entering the spare room you and jj often shared. you pulled open your drawer and grabbed a pair of shorts, swapping out your jeans shorts for the softer ones. a quick search of jj’s shirt drawer found you one with sleeves and you quickly swapped it from your swimsuit top. there was a soft knock at the door and you quietly called out that it was ok. everyone else was most likely asleep by now due to the quietness of the chateau and you didn’t want to be the one to wake anyone. you climbed under the covers as jj entered and turned away from him so he could change in peace.

it was only moments later that the light was turned off and you felt the bed dip behind you. you felt jj get situated and then the room was silent. it wasn’t uncommon for you both to sleep in the same bed, it was however for jj’s arms to come around your front, pulling your back into his chest.

“jj, what are you doing?” you whispered.

“you’re warm.” his answer was fine with you, he was pretty warm too and you hadn’t been held in forever. it was silent and you closed your eyes, waiting for sleep to overtake you. “will you be my girlfriend?” your eyes opened immediately and you could tell jj felt your body stiffen.

“jj,”

“please don’t tell me we’re better off as friends. i know you’ve been flirting back with me and you’re way more touchy than you are with the other pogues and-“

“j, ask me again when you’re sober, ok?” you felt him let out a breath and you assume he nodded.

“yeah, ok.” you smiled as your eyes closed again and jj pulled you ever so slightly closer to him, making you feel safe and warm as you finally fell asleep.

[potrix-the-queerschlaeger]

joy in my heart - chapter 1

Or; What if Johnny had been forced to step up? [On AO3.]

 February 5th, 2002

“What do you mean she’s gone?” Johnny glances away from the awkwardly shifting nurse, over to the empty hospital bed. The sheets are rumpled, one of the tabloids Shannon loves to hate lying open on the pillow. Her favorite mug, the tag of the tea she’s started drinking against the morning sickness hanging over the rim, is sitting on the bedside table. “To the bathroom? The cafeteria?”

“Mr Lawrence,” Shannon’s doctor speaks up, and the pity in his voice that he doesn’t quite manage to hide makes something heavy settle in Johnny’s stomach, “your girlfriend left the hospital earlier this morning—”

Johnny’s shaking his head. “No, she—she gave birth a day ago? She—”

“Ms Keene discharged herself, against medical advice, about an hour ago.”

Before Johnny can even begin to wrap his head around any of that, there’s a soft knock on the door. The nurse goes to open it, gesturing for the woman on the other side to come in. She’s got a clipboard under her arm, and a no-nonsense expression on her face.

“Ah, right on time,” the doctor greets somberly. Then, addressing Johnny again, he says, “Mr Lawrence, allow me to introduce you to Mrs Porter.”

“Mr Lawrence,” Mrs Porter says, with a curt nod. “Francis Porter, Child Protective Services. Why don’t we take a seat?”

In his crib, Robby starts crying.

(Watch out for the break!)

 February 14th, 2002

They won’t let him take Robby home.

Johnny’s sitting on the old, dirty carpet floor in their—his, now, he supposes, with Shannon fucked off to who knows where—shitty little one-bedroom apartment, his back against the couch, and a mostly empty bottle of the cheapest whisky the gas station had to offer on the coffee table in front of him.

The foster family they’ve lined up has experience with babies like Robby, they’d said.

It’s too early to tell if there is going to be lasting damage, they’d said.

We can refer you to people who know how to help, they’d said.

No one is trying to take your son away from you, they keep saying.

Yeah, right.

Johnny reaches for the bottle again.

“Happy fuckin’ Valentine’s Day, Shan.”

 April 21st, 2002

Robby is asleep. He’s asleep in some strange woman’s arms, tiny chest rising and falling steadily, looking so damn peaceful—

Johnny turns around and walks away, ignoring Mrs Porter calling after him.

 June 13th, 2002

“Please, Mr Lawrence,” the guy who stole Robby, who’’s telling him he can’t see his own fucking kid says, blocking Johnny’s view into the house, “you can’t be here, not unsupervised. You know you can’t.”

Johnny takes a step forward, swaying on unsteady feet. “I just—I just wan’ to—only for a minute. One minute, okay? ‘S all I’m askin’, okay?”

In the distance, Johnny can hear sirens.

He blacks out before the cops arrive.

 July 8th, 2002

 “Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. Symptoms can include an abnormal appearance, short height, low body weight, small head size, poor coordination, behavioural problems, learning difficulties and problems with hearing or sight. Those affected are more likely to have trouble in school, legal problems, participate in high-risk activities and have problems with alcohol or other drugs. The most severe form of the condition—”

Johnny doesn’t bother putting  the book back before he stalks out of the library.

 July 9th, 2002

“My name’s Johnny. I’m—I’m an alcoholic? That’s what you’re supposed to start with, right? My kid, uh, Robby? He’s the reason I’m here, I guess? He’s not staying with me right now. For obvious reasons. His mom’s not in the picture. I—look, I don’t really know what the hell you want me to say? I just—I just want to see my kid, man.”

 August 4th, 2002

Robby is six months old. He looks at Johnny with big, curious, familiar blue eyes, thumb jammed into his mouth. He’s drooling all over his sleeve, wispy blond hair sticking up wildly from the nap he’s just woken up from. He’s still got pillow creases on his chubby little cheek.

“He’s been doing really well lately,” Helen tells Johnny, with a soft little smile. She bounces Robby, smoothing back his hair. “Isn’t that right, honey? Are you ready to say hi to your daddy?”

Johnny’s heart is in his throat.

His hands fumble, for a moment, when Helen passes Robby over, before he manages to settle on under Robby’s butt, and the other on his back. Slowly, carefully, Johnny lifts him out of Helen’s hold, pulling him close against his chest.

Robby makes a cooing baby noise, still staring at Johnny, and curls his free hand into the collar of Johnny’s shirt.

Johnny is holding his son.

For the very first time.

He is never letting go again.

Ever.

 October 25th, 2002

“—crying for, like, forty minutes now? That can’t be normal? Right? I’m—what the hell am I doing wrong, he won’t stop—”

“Johnny.” Helen, in Johnny’s less than expert opinion, sounds way too calm, considering the situation at hand. “We knew this was going to be an adjustment for him. First overnight visit with you, in an unfamiliar apartment, a complete deviation from his usual routine. He’s probably just a little confused.”

Confused because he’s staying with his deadbeat, piece of shit father.

Right.

“He’ll be fine, Johnny. You’re doing great,” Helen reassures him, as if reading his mind. Johnny squints suspiciously. “You’ve bathed him, fed him, changed him—”

Whatever she says after that, Johnny doesn’t hear, since Robby decides to add flailing to his sobbing, and yanks the phone right out of Johnny’s grasp.

“—some calming music,” Frank is suggesting, when Johnny manages to jam the receiver back between his ear and shoulder. “Helen is partial to ‘Stuck On You’, but anything slow will do, in a pinch. Put on some music, walk him around, bounce him. You’ll be fine.”

Music. Yes. Okay.

That’s definitely doable.

Only.

“Wait, Lionel Richie? What the hell have you been teaching my kid, oh my god, and they let you be foster parents? Unbelievable—”

“Johnny.” Helen’s clearly trying to hold back laughter, and not doing a very good job of it. And that, somehow, is enough to finally make Johnny listen. Really listen. She wouldn’t laugh at him if Robby was in actual danger. “You will be fine. Both of you. All right?”

Johnny doesn’t own anything Richie, obviously, but one of the boxes he hasn’t unpacked yet is stuffed full of all his mom’s old tapes. He rummages through it one-handed, while Robby attempts to make him go bald prematurely, until his fingers land on an old, well-loved copy of ‘Rumours’.

“Definitely beats Richie,” Johnny murmurs, and pops the tape into his cassette player.

Robby is probably just startled, when it starts in the middle of a not exactly slow song, but he does finally, blessedly, stop crying. He still looks like he’s thinking about it, though, so Johnny hugs him a little tighter, and starts singing along.

All I want is to see you smile. If it takes just a little while. I know you don't believe that it's true. I never meant any harm to you.

 February 4th, 2003

They’re celebrating Robby’s first birthday at Helen and Frank’s house.

There isn’t a huge crowd present, but Johnny had still been surprised at how many familiar faces were there to greet him.

“Like we’d miss this,” Tommy had scoffed, elbowing him in the ribs, while Jimmy’d nodded along. “Nowhere else we’d rather be, man.”

Bobby had just pulled him into an almost bone-crushing hug, and whispered quietly, “I am so proud of you, John.”

Because making someone cry at their kid’s birthday party was, apparently, a thing priests did.

Johnny is sipping his apple juice, squished onto the couch between Bobby and Tommy, when there’s a dull thud from the other side of the room. Helen is standing right by Robby, who’s looking mostly confused as to why he’s on the floor instead of toddling towards the gift table, frowning down at the carpet as if it’s personally offended him.

Then, his lower lip begins to wobble.

Helen is right there. Frank not five feet away.

Robby looks up at her, at Frank, then over at Johnny. Lifting up his arms, eyes wide and wet, he demands, “Dada?”

Johnny’s never moved faster in his life. “I’m right here, buddy. I’ve got you.”

[mymoonagedaydream]

Leather Jacket

Summary: Your genius business idea seemed to have attracted the wrong sort of people to your brother’s bar- at first

Pairing: Biker!Bucky Barnes x y/n

Word Count: 2.3k (one shot)

Warnings: Moderate smut, language

Author’s Note: This was supposed to be a shorter story but I got carried away :)

---

‘Same again, oh sweet goddess of the nectar.’

‘You keep that up George and I might have to take you home with me tonight.’ 

You smiled at the swaying, grey-bearded man supporting himself on the bar, before moving over to the beer tap and refilling his used pint glass. Most punters would get a fresh one each time, but George was never sober enough to care. Steve trudged towards you with a crate half-full of dirty glasses and dropped them on the counter exasperatedly. 

‘Everything alright?’ You asked.

‘Not really.’ He leant against the counter and crossed his arms. ‘It’s the same as last night and the night before- I’m barely making ends meet. When I bought this place we had at least twice as many regulars as we do now. What am I doing wrong?’

You’d worked in your brother’s bar for three years now and you hated to admit it, but the place had gone downhill. It was clean and the booze was cheap enough, but there was no real reason for someone to stop there instead of at the three other bars on the street. 

‘Maybe it’s not about what you’re doing wrong, maybe you’re just not doing enough things right...’ You were careful choosing your words, not wanting to upset him. 

‘What the hell does that mean?’ 

‘Well, the bar down the street seems to have a little monopoly on attracting those biker guys- if we could get some of them in here we’d be sorted.’ 

Steve actually seemed to be considering your idea, which was new. Usually he treated you like a child. 

‘I’ll think about it.’

---

When you arrived at the bar the next evening, you were taken aback by what you saw hanging in the window. A huge piece of neon-yellow card that’d been scrawled on in black marker.

‘Leather jacket = 20% off drinks’. 

Christ. No subtlety there. It wasn’t exactly what you had in mind, but at least he was trying. You noticed that there were no bikes parked outside, so it must not have worked yet. Opening the door, you saw an empty bar, as usual.

‘Just give it time.’ Steve said to you at least ten times during the first two hours of your shift. ‘It’s foolproof.’

Much to your annoyance, he was right. About half an hour later you heard a chorus of motorbike engines approach the bar and then shut off simultaneously. Steve gave you an excited grin. 

The door swung open and a dozen surly-looking guys in leather jackets spilled in. One of them, presumably their leader, approached the bar and asked Steve for twelve of his cheapest beers. 

You glanced over at him. He was handsome- really handsome. Slicked back hair, stubble and bright blue eyes. He spoke with a pretty thick Brooklyn accent, joking with his friends whilst passing round the bottles. You only realised how inconspicuously you’d been staring when he met your eyes and gave you a knowing smirk. Whoops. 

‘How soon is too soon to say I told you so?’ Steve propped himself next to you with a smug smile.

‘It’s still too soon.’ You feigned sadness, pushing past him to go on a glass run. ‘My feelings about the situation are very raw.’ 

Before you could move more than a few steps, Handsome stopped you in your tracks. 

‘Could we get a couple more beers darlin’?’ 

‘Sure’ you muttered, trying to avoid the eyes of both your smug brother and the attractive stranger. When he took the bottles from your hands he smirked at you again and your stomach flipped. 

Nah, you weren’t about to hook up with a random stranger at your brother’s dive bar- that’d be a terrible habit to get into. Next thing you knew you’d be waking up next to George. 

You collected a couple glasses, absentmindedly humming along to the rock music that Steve played because he thought it gave the place ‘an edge’, when someone grabbed your arm. They yanked it, hard, causing you to drop the crate. 

‘When you gonna marry me sweetheart?’ your captor slurred, uncomfortably close to your ear. 

‘Rumlow you fuckin’ asshole, you know you’re now allowed in here anymore.’ You tried to pull your arm out of his grasp but he squeezed tighter and drew you closer to him. ‘I swear to god let me go or else-’

‘Or else what, sweetheart?’ His hot liquor breath spread all over your face. You backed away, just about to shout for Steve. 

‘Or else you’ll be leaving on a stretcher.’ A gruff voice from behind you chimed in. You spun your head round. Handsome was still sitting on a bar-stool, holding his beer, but his head was turned and he was staring intently towards the two of you. Looking around, you saw that all of his leather-jacketed friends were doing the same.

Rumlow gave an indignant laugh. ‘You know who I am?’

‘I couldn’t give a fuck.’ Handsome stood up and approached the man who still had your arm grasped tightly. ‘Let her go and leave quietly, you don’t want any trouble.’ 

Your arm was finally released. The two of them were squaring up, you could see the shit heading towards the fan. 

‘Alright guys, break it up.’ Seemingly from nowhere, Steve placed himself between them, setting a hand firmly on each of their shoulders. Neither of them broke eye contact. ‘Rumlow, you need to go.’

You barely processed what was happening, it was so fast. Rumlow swung his fist up and hit your brother right on the cheekbone. Steve stumbled backwards, and less than a second later five guys in leather jackets had Rumlow pushed up against the bar, with Handsome’s hand firmly against his neck. You sprinted towards Steve, steadying him on his feet and examining the side of his face intently. 

Handsome didn’t take his eyes off his target. ‘You need him gone?’

‘That’d be great.’ Steve replied while you ushered him towards a bar-stool and found the first aid kit. 

Rumlow was lifted off the ground by a cluster of leather and unceremoniously thrown onto the street outside. 

Once the vigilantes had returned, Steve reached out to shake their leader’s hand. ‘Thanks for that. I appreciate you looking out for my sister. When she stops fussing she’ll grab you all a round of drinks, on the house.’ 

‘Anytime.’ Handsome replied, flashing you a wide smile. 

The rest of your shift was, thankfully, pretty quiet. The leather jackets stayed for hours and almost bought the bar out of cheap beer. Despite the throbbing pain in his face, Steve was thrilled. If this kind of business carried on he might even be able to open a chain. 

Closing time came, you grabbed your jacket and headed out, leaving Steve to happily cash up. When you opened the door you were marginally surprised that Rumlow wasn’t still lying in the gutter- he must’ve scuttled back to his cave. 

It was a beautiful evening. You stood outside and took a deep breath of fresh air.

‘You need a ride home?’ 

Startled, you turned to your left and saw Handsome, standing by a motorcycle and finishing off a cigarette.

‘How much have you had to drink?’

He chuckled and dropped the cigarette butt. ‘Probably too much. How about I walk you home?’

‘It’s three blocks and I’ve done it every night for three years- I think I’ll be alright. Thanks anyway.’

‘Well why don’t you let me take you for a ride? Tomorrow night?’ He was persistent, you’d give him that.

‘My mother told me not to trust strange men with motorbikes.’

‘Am I a strange man?’

You smiled and turned to walk away, adding over your shoulder ‘Jury’s out.’ 

‘The name’s Bucky by the way.’ He shouted after you. 

You didn’t look back, but you guessed that wouldn’t be the last you saw of Bucky.

---

As predicted, the leather jackets turned up at the bar again the next night, much to Steve’s delight. Bucky planted himself down on a bar stool in front of you. 

‘Eleven beers and a tap water.’ He passed the beers out amongst his friends, shooting you suggestive looks over the rim of his water glass. 

For the rest of the evening you fought an internal war. On the one hand, you were a grown-ass adult and you were allowed to hook up with devastatingly attractive men on motorbikes if you wanted to. On the other, you didn’t want to make a habit of hopping into bed with seasoned bar-dwellers. Christ, you wished you weren’t so susceptible to a deep voice and a good smile.

When you left, he was waiting outside for you again. 

‘I’m stone-cold darlin’. How about that ride?’ 

‘If I say no, will you give up?’

His smile widened into a grin and you went a bit wobbly. ‘What do you think?’

‘Alright. Just to shut you up.’ 

You approached his motorbike, grabbing the helmet he was holding out for you. He straddled the silver machine and patted the seat behind him. Cautiously, you joined him on the bike, making an effort to keep a pretty sizeable gap between his back and your body. 

‘You’ll want to hold on tight darlin’. I don’t hold back when I’m trying to impress.’

‘I think I’ll be alright.’ 

He gunned the engine and sped away from the bar. Less than a couple seconds after you’d set off, you found yourself swiftly closing the gap and grasping Bucky’s waist as tight as you could. He wasn’t joking about holding back. You buried your face in the back of his shoulder and felt his chest vibrating- he was laughing, obviously very pleased with himself. You stayed in that position for a while, sneaking peeks but quickly burying your face again when you saw how fast the landscape was whizzing past. 

Finally, he stopped.

‘You can look now.’ He whispered over his shoulder.

Slowly lifting your head, you saw the breath-taking view. The Brooklyn Bridge, lit up and shining against the East River.

‘Holy shit.’ You whispered. Bucky laughed again.

‘Thought you’d like it. Beautiful, right?’

‘I’ve never seen it like this before, it’s incredible.’ 

You rested your chin on his shoulder, in awe. Both of you sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes, bodies pressed together, feeling every breath and movement the other made. He closed his hands around yours, still resting at his midriff, and leaned his head back to look at you. You blushed, feeling his gaze resting on the side of your face.

The moment was shattered when you heard shouting coming from behind you.

‘Hey! No bikes in the park, asshole! What the hell d’you think you’re doing?’ You turned to see a dark silhouette with a flashlight sprinting towards you.

‘That’s our cue to leave.’ Bucky declared as the motorbike roared back into life and sped away. You couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Where do you live?’ He shouted over his shoulder, and you shouted the answer back. 

A couple of blocks before your apartment, the heavens opened and rain battered down on the two of you. Still holding Bucky’s waist, you leaned your head back and closed your eyes- feeling the rain, the vibrations of the bike, the body pressed tight against yours. You’d never felt more alive. 

When the bike stopped, you hopped off and wiped the rain away from your face. Bucky stood up and moved towards you. Both of you were drenched, both breathing heavily and not taking your eyes off each other. 

He smiled, pulled you in by the waist and pressed his lips against yours.

Before you knew it, the two of you were spilling through your apartment door, mouths still locked, tearing at each other's clothes. He pulled your legs up to circle his waist and pushed your back against the inside of the door, moving his mouth down to your neck. Before you knew it you were down to just your underwear, feeling the wet fabric of his jeans scraping against your bare thighs.

‘You know’ he muttered, ‘you never even told me your name.’

You pulled his face back towards yours and, just before your mouth collided with his, you whispered, ‘y/n.’ 

‘Well, y/n’ he breathed between your lips, ‘where’s your bed?’ 

You slowly pushed him away before grabbing his wrist and tugging him towards your bedroom. Seeing the direction you were headed in, he grabbed your waist from behind and lifted you off the floor again, carrying you towards your bed. Your breath hitched and your head collapsed back onto his shoulder, your whole body going limp under his touch. 

‘You like that?’ He teased, softly biting at your ear.

You were flung onto the bed. Bucky watched as you flipped onto your back and gazed up at him in anticipation. He slowly undid his belt, stepped out of his trousers and, not moving his gaze from your face, pulled his t-shirt over his head. Climbing onto the bed, he pushed your legs apart, settling himself against you and lowering his head to your chest. 

Starting slow, building up your pleasure until you could barely think straight, he kissed and caressed every part of your body he could find. You occasionally heard a deep chuckle in response to your unbridled moaning, the gruffness of his voice and vibrations from his chest only sending you further into your spiral. You clawed at his back, feeling your climax approaching with every one of his increasingly vigorous movements. Feeling you come undone underneath him sent Bucky over the edge, and he collapsed onto your chest.

He rolled over onto his back, both of you panting and sweating. After he’d caught his breath, he moved in closer and snaked his arm around your shoulders, pulling you onto your side to rest against him.

‘I’ll be honest’ you smiled ‘I didn’t have you pegged as a cuddle-after-sex type guy.’

He kissed the top of your head, ‘I didn’t have you pegged as the kinda girl who’d end up in bed with a motorbike-riding stranger from a bar. Guess we’re both pleasantly surprised.’

---

[ma3fiore]

Just A Black Coffee - Ch.2

Warning(s) ⇾ profanity 

Pairing ⇾ Kuroo x!Reader

Genre ⇾ fluff and slight angst, college au,  mini-series

WC ⇾ 3.1k

Summary ⇾ You just got out of a toxic relationship and now you need a new place to stay. Your friend just so happens to know someone who’s looking for a roommate who can help out with the rent for the apartment.

AN ⇾ Idc if some things are cliché, let me write what I want :D 

j.a.b.c master list || previous chapter  || next chapter

Chapter 2: Moving In 

After the meeting with Kuroo, he agreed to you being his new roommate. His demeanor was not what you expected at all. You were afraid that he wouldn’t accept you, but thankfully he did. You were now sitting in the living room with Abby packing the few things you had. Kuroo had told you that the apartment was only halfway furnished. Abby had offered to go furniture shopping with you after checking the place out. You hear a knock on the door and assume that it was Bokuto. You open the door to let him in. “Hey hey hey, we all ready?” he asks excitedly. “You seem more excited to see the place than I am.” He goes over to Abby and gives her a quick peck on the cheek. “Well I have been wanting to come over, but he says the place isn’t ready yet so this is my excuse.” You put in the last few things in your suitcase and zip it up.

“Alright, I’m all set.” “Great let’s head out,” Abby says. All of you make your way to Bo’s car. He picks up your suitcase and puts it in the trunk. You get in the back seat and Abby hands you Bo’s phone to put in the address. “So how was the meeting?” Bo asks once he steps into the car. “It was...interesting,” you say hesitantly. “Interesting  how?” Abby questions. “Oh, you’ll see.” She looks at you through the front view mirror with curiosity. The rest of the car ride you listened to music while the couple in front had their little conversation. 

After a twenty-minute drive, you arrived at the address. You grab your suitcase out of the trunk and make your way into the building. You all head into the elevator and head up to the fifth floor. When you reached the floor, you walked over to the correct door and pulled out the keys Kuroo gave you. Unlocking the door you were unexpectedly met with a half-naked Kuroo and a towel barely hanging on. You stood there mouth agape. “I didn’t know my roomy was a perv,” he says in a teasing manner.  “Didn’t know my roommate couldn’t afford clothes,” you snap back. “Whoa, what’s with all this tension,” Bokuto jokes. Abby slaps Bo on his arm and he pouts. Kuroo walks to his room to get dressed while the rest of you walk in. 

“Now I see what you mean by interesting,” Abby comments. After regaining your composure, you decide to go look at your room to see how much space there was. It was a decently sized room. You noticed that there was a futon placed in the center of the room. “I placed it there so you could have something to sleep on until you get the furniture you need.” You jumped hearing a voice behind you. “Oh, thanks.” You walk back out to the kitchen to meet with the others. “Kuroo, this is Abby, my girlfriend, and y/n’s friend.” Abby walks up to introduce herself. “Hey I’m Abby and if you’re a bitch to y/n your dead to me,” she says with a grin. He chuckles at her intimidating warning. “I will keep that in mind.” 

“So when are you gonna get this place some furniture?” Bokuto asks. “I don’t know, I’ve been putting it off because I don’t know what to get.” You made eye contact with Abby and could see the mischievous look in her eye. “Why don’t you go with y/n? She was going to go look for some things today.” You look at her in disbelief, how dare she abandon you like that. “Wait babe I thou--” she elbows Bo making him go quiet. “That way you two can get to know each other better and get things you need for the apartment.” You sand there, silently shaking your head at your best friend. “Doesn’t sound bad, right?” Kuroo says as he turns to you. You look at him, eyes slightly wide, “Yeah...sure.” 

_______________________________________________  

      You arrived at Ikea, looking at different things for your room. Both of you decided on splitting the costs for the furniture in the living room. While Kuroo went to pick out the living room furniture, you looked for different bed frames and mattresses. Because you didn’t want to spend all your money, you opted for the cheapest options. You then went to look at the desks and other necessities for your room. Once you finished getting everything you needed, you texted Kuroo to see where he was to meet up.

Kuroo Tetsurō: “I’m in the couch section still trying to pick one out.”

You quickly make your way to the couches to help out Kuroo. “Dang, quite a lot of stuff you got,” he says as you walk up to him. “Obviously,” you roll your eyes. “Which ones did you have in mind?” you ask. After some careful consideration, you opted for the L-shaped couch and moved along. “Last thing we need is a coffee table and then we’re good to go.” You nod as you move your way to the tables. At the corner of your eye, a familiar figure, making you quickly turn around. 

“Uhh why don’t we look around for other things first?” you ask. “But we’re already here. We can look around after we pick a table,” he says walking past. You mentally sigh. You hoped your ex wouldn’t notice you. Even though a few weeks had already passed, you were still trying to heal. You walk up to Kuroo, trying to hide while helping him to choose a table. “What about this one?” You look at it for a second and quickly nod your head yes. “Great we have everything, let’s--” you were cut off by someone calling out Kuroo’s name. 

“Hey, Kuroo!” a familiar voice said. “Damn it is you. I haven’t seen you since high school.” ‘They know each other?’ you thought. You tried to hide behind Kuroo so that Daisho wouldn’t see you, but once he got closer he immediately took notice of your presence. “Oh...hey y/n…” You don’t lift your head from the ground, afraid to see his face. “Yea, hi.” Kuroo was confused about how you two know each other but doesn’t say anything. “Uhm...how ya been?” he asks you, forgetting about Kuroo. You take a deep breath and lift your head to meet his gaze. “I’ve been fine,” you say with a straight face. He nods and turns back to Kuroo. “How bout you, how have you been?” “Yea I’ve been good, uh how do you two know each other?” Kuroo asks curiously. “We were friends,” you say nonchalantly. Daisho was caught off guard by your response. “Just friends huh?” he smirks. “Well, then you shouldn’t have gotten all mad when I cheated on you then.” You were appalled by what he said. You watched as he turned his back and walked away. “Nice runnin’ into ya both.” he waves without looking back. A mix of anger and disgust could be seen on your face. You didn’t realize your hands were in fists before Kuroo tapped your shoulder. “You good?” he asks in a concerned tone. You look him in the eyes and say, “Yea I’m fine,” before turning around and walking away to the checkout area. 

After you both finished paying for everything, you loaded everything into the trunk of the truck that Kuroo had rented. The both of you were silent during the entire ride. You were visibly upset, but Kuroo didn’t know what to say. He too was surprised by Daisho’s appearance. “He was always full of himself during high school. Acting as if he could ever beat me and my amazing volleyball team,” he brags. A light chuckle escapes your lips hearing his attempt to cheer you up. “You sure you aren’t full of yourself?” He shakes his head while grinning. “I guess I have a habit of attracting guys with cocky attitudes,” you say as you fiddle with your fingers. “How dare you lump me in with him,” he jokes. You both start laughing. “All seriousness though, good call on dropping him.” You look at him and just nod in agreement. The rest of the ride home was spent in comfortable silence. 

_______________________________________________  

When you arrived back at the apartment, you text Abby telling her to get Bo to help bring the furniture up. They decided to stay at the apartment and make lunch, while you and Kuroo went shopping. “Damn you guys bought a lot,” Bo says as Kuroo opens the truck. All of you made multiple trips bringing things up to the apartment. Once that was done, you all sat in the kitchen to eat lunch. 

“Bo, guess you won’t believe who I ran into,” Kuroo starts. He looks up from his food, “Who?” Before he responds, he looks over to you, as if he was asking for your permission to speak. You give him a reassuring smile, signaling that it would be fine. “I ran into Daisho, from Nohebi.” Abby’s eyes go wide after hearing that. “Omg, what!” she exclaims. “What’d he say to you? I swear if he said some dumb shit--” “We just said hi,” you cut her off. “We wished him well and continued with our day.” You didn’t want to tell Abby what he said because you know she’d be livid. She would have called him and gone off on him if she knew what happened. ‘Ugh, that man, no boy, just pisses me off,” she pauses, “A man wouldn’t act like such a bitch.” You sigh, “Couldn’t agree more.”

After you all finish lunch, you and Abby go to set up the furniture in your room while the guys set up the living room. “Are you sure nothing else happened when you met Daisho?” she inquires. “Because the way you looked after, told me otherwise.” “I was just shocked to see him. It’s only been two weeks and I guess I’m still hurting.” However, you were hurting even more now since the whole run-in at Ikea. That whole situation made you think. How did you never notice how much of a douche he was? Were you so blinded by infatuation that you chose to ignore it? Or did you believe that you would be the one to ‘change’ him? Could you even call what you had with him a relationship? So many thoughts ran through your head. “Y/n!” Abby screams. “Can you hand me the instructions so we can build your bed?” You look at her and then grab the piece of paper and hand it to her. “You’re gonna have to stop daydreaming for a while so we can get your room set up before we become eighty,” she jokes. You shake the thoughts from your mind and focus on the task at hand. If you were gonna overthink, might as well do it in a comfortable space. 

It was now 5 pm, Abby and Bokuto had left after you all finished setting up the furniture. You were all extremely exhausted. At least now you have a bed to sleep on. You were gathering all the boxes in your room to go and throw them out. “Hey, are there any boxes you want me to throw out?” you ask Kuroo who’s sprawled out on the new couch. “Yea they’re over there by the doorway,” he replies. You pick them up and attempt to open the door. As Kuroo sits up he sees you struggling to try to carry all the boxes. “If you need my help you could just ask sweetheart,” he smirks to himself. “Haha, I’m perfectly capable of throwing out a couple of boxes,” you say trying to push the door open. He decided to play with you a little more. “Oh, well then if you don’t mind, could you throw out these other boxes from my room?” You turn your head and glare at him. “Why not take care of your own shit?” you question. “Well, just a minute ago you asked if I had boxes to throw out so…” You scowl at him. “You can be annoying at times,” you say as you walk out, hands full of cardboard. “You’ll learn to love me,” he calls out. 

When you return to the apartment you see Kuroo standing by the kitchen counter with a bunch of takeout menus spread around. “What are you doing?” you ask. “Trying to figure out what dinner should be.” You stand next to him and stare at the options. “Rock paper scissors to see who pays?” He looks at you and smirks, “Heh, oh you’re for sure paying.” You raise your eyebrows, “What’s got you so confident?” He shrugs, “Just cuz.” You roll your eyes. “Rock, paper scissors, shoot!” You threw up paper while he threw up scissors. You groan at your defeat. “Hah, better luck next time.” He grabs the pizza menu and calls the number to order. “I’m going to go broke.” Twenty minutes passed and you heard the doorbell ring. You got up from your desk and went to open the door. “Delivery for Kur-” The delivery guy looks up at you and stares in awe. “Uh- uhm..delivery for Kuroo?” “Yep, here you go,” you say, handing him the money. He puts the pizza in one hand and takes the money with the other. “This pizza’s a great choice,” he says. He hands you the pizza and you thank him with a smile. “Geez what took so long?” Kuroo asks. You set the pizza on the counter and went to grab the paper plates in the cupboard. As Kuroo went to open the pizza box, he noticed that the receipt had a number on it. 

“Hey what’s this?” he asks, holding up the receipt. You turned around and took the piece of paper from his hand to see what he was talking about. As you saw the number a little smile grew on your face and you let out a small chuckle. “No wonder he was so talkative.” You put the receipt in your pocket and bring the plates to the island. “Are you actually going to text him?” You smirk and shrug at his question. “Maybe, who knows. I might text him if I want some fun.” You tease grabbing a slice of pizza and leaving him there in the kitchen. Your response irked him for some reason. The thought of you texting that guy made him irritated, but he didn’t understand why. He brushed it off and sat in the living room to eat and turned on the T.V. 

_______________________________________________  

“Omg what!” your best friend screams through the phone. You decided to call Abby to tell her about what just happened with the pizza guy. 

“Jeez, you don’t have to yell,” you laugh. 

“So are you going to text him? Hold on, was he even cute?” 

“I am not texting him,” you reply, “and yea I guess.”

 You hear her gasp. “Why not?” You furrow your brows. “Gee I don’t know, maybe because I just got out of a  horrible relationship and I don’t want to jump into another one?”

 “Ok, but no one said you couldn’t have a friend with benefits” You shake your head at her comment. “Yea how about no.”

 “Ooo what did Kuroo think?” You tilt your head to the side, “What do you mean?” 

“Like did he seem bothered when he saw the number?” “Why would he be bothered if some random pizza guy gave me his number?”

 You can hear her holding back a chuckle. “J-E-A-L-O-U-S-Y,” she spells out.

 “Why would he be jealous? We’ve known each other for about a week and even then we barely talked to each other ‘till now.” 

“Maybe he developed feelings when you first met and doesn’t want to admit them yet,” she teases.

“Yea, I’m sure that totally happened.” 

“Okay well, I gotta go. Tell me how your budding romance with Kuroo goes.” 

As you hang up the call you lean back in your chair and rub your eyes. You ponder on the thought of you and Kuroo being in a relationship. ‘Yea right, we just got to know each other.’ you thought. You couldn’t see yourself being with him. Yes, he was attractive, but his mischievous personality and cocky attitude were not something you admired. You shake the thought away, not wanting to get too deep into it. You grab your empty plate to throw it away and went to go brush your teeth. As you enter the main room, you see Kuroo passed out on the couch. ‘Damn he must’ve been really tired to pass out at 9.’ You move to the coffee table to pick up his plate to throw it away. You go back to wake Kuroo and to tell him to sleep in his room.

“Psst, Kuroo. Heyy wake up.”

You nudge his arm to try and shake him awake. ‘He’s a deep sleeper’ “Kuroo, c’mon go sleep in your room.” Just as you were about to give up, you feel his hand wrap around your wrist and he tugs you toward him. You hear him mumble something. You lean in a little closer to hear what it was. In doing so, you accidentally slip, causing you to fall and jolting him awake. 

“Trying to take advantage of me hun? He snickers. You got back up and sneered at him. “No, I was trying to wake you up so you could go to your room.”

“Aww, no need to be embarrassed about it. If you wanted to be with me shoulda just said so,” he teases. 

You tilt your head to the side and cross your arms. “You are unbelievable.” You turn away and make your way to the bathroom to do your night routine. You could already feel the stress build up in you with his constant provocation. 

As you get out of the bathroom, Kuroo walks up to you. “Can I see the receipt real quick?” he asks. “Why?” He shrugs, “Just wanna see how much the pizza was.” You were skeptical, but you pulled the paper out of your pocket. Without a second’s warning, he yanks the receipt from your hand and goes to the kitchen. 

“Okay didn’t know you were so eager to see the price,” you gawk. You follow him to see what he was going to do with it. He dashes into his room and slams the door shut.“What the- I thought you were just gonna look at it?” “I’m too tired to look at right now. Night roomie!” You stand outside his door, baffled by his actions. ‘Weird’

Living with him was definitely not going to be boring.

[wanderinginksplot]

Warriors in Red Armor

Next | Masterlist

Chapter One

Hound I

"So, are we going to 79's tonight?" Hound asked. He had meant to be subtle about it, but the question burst out of him the moment his well-worn boots crossed the threshold of the small break space allotted to members of the Coruscant Guard.

As break spaces went, the one designated for the Coruscant Guard's clone troopers was an embarrassment. Some determined being had managed to cram a table and a handful of chairs inside, but it was a tight fit. If more than a few fully armored troopers went inside at the same time, none of them would get back out without removing some armor to clear the traffic jam. The lights flickered, the faucet leaked, the floor was always sticky, and the stuffy air held a hint of the chemicals that had been stored there years ago. Since then, the previous break space had been renovated into an office for one of the few nat-born commanding officers and this one had been created for the clone troopers.

Still, the smell of caf was stronger than the smell of chemicals most days and the light from a nearby advertisement screen lit the room so brightly that the flickering lights didn't give any of the troopers a migraine anymore. Hound always was a man who liked to see the glass as half-full. Maybe even a little more than half, if that glass was sitting under the dripping faucet.

Thire snorted at Hound's question, leaning back in his chair until gravity threatened to topple him. "Well, boys? Hound wants to know if we're going to 79's this lovely Friday evening. What do we think?"

Thorn glanced around the room, looking unamused by his brother's antics. "We think I'm the only other one here, di'kut."

"Exactly!" Thire said in triumph, obviously determined to ignore his fellow commander. "It's the weekend! Why wouldn't we go to 79's?"

"Because you've finally realized that it's a glorified zoo?" Thorn snapped, tone venomous. "79's is where civvies go to stare at clone troopers so they can feel like they're being daring. In reality, they're being irritating."

Having spoken his piece, Thorn tossed back the last of his cup of caf, always consumed as dark as his mood. Hound shuddered at the thought. Corrie Guard caf was brewed at the approximate concentration of speeder fuel and could eat through duracrete. Only a trooper who hated himself would drink it black.

Thorn always drank it black.

"So you don't want to go?" Hound asked again, sounding heartbroken.

"No, I'll go," Thorn told him. "Zoo or not, 79's still has the cheapest booze on Coruscant that doesn't use poison as a mixer."

"Well, that's the most excited I've heard Thorn get about anything for a week, at least," Thire smirked. "Commander Fox, you want in on this?"

The Head Commander of the Coruscant Guard, having just stepped into the break room to fill his mug with caf, shook his head. "No, I'm on duty tonight. The Clone Rights group has been cleared to march and the Chancellor wants an extra Guard presence. Stone will be stuck here as well, monitoring any new arrivals."

"Ugh," Hound said, summarizing everyone else's point of view. "Well, we'll be thinking of you both, Commander."

Fox lowered the datapad in his hand to shoot a look in Hound's direction. "Sergeant, don't you have that ARF PR stunt tomorrow at 0800?"

Hound shrugged. "Yeah, but I can do both."

"Make sure you don't miss it," Fox ordered sternly. "The last thing I need is to have to report to the Chancellor that you missed a chance to give the GAR a boost in civil opinion."

Hound saluted and Fox turned his attention to the other break room occupants. "Thorn, if you let your stubble get any longer, it'll be considered a beard and subject to facial hair regulations. Thire, sit on the chair like a normal being, would you?"

Thorn nodded and Thire grinned as he let the chair's legs slam onto the floor. Fox rolled his eyes at their antics, refilled his cup of caf, and left the break area. Hound idly wondered how many of the gray hairs appearing at the Head Commander's temples were due to the commanding officer team. Still, the Chancellor had let Fox choose his own team of COs, so there was no one to blame but himself.

"Meet at 2100?" Thire asked. "That's prime time for 79's and there'll be plenty of talent. I'll go ahead and apologize, vode. When you look this good, you automatically get your pick of the females."

Thire brushed a hand back across his hair - meticulously trimmed to maintain the subtle horizontal lines shaved into the otherwise regulation cut - and grinned at the other two. Hound and Thire rolled their eyes, but agreed anyway.

---

Kai I

"Hey, do you guys want to go to 79's tonight?" Kai asked, perched on the desk she was supposed to be sitting behind. She was always restless and neither of the other women blamed her for the odd choice of seat - even though it made inter-desk communication a bit of a pain.

Arkularia - who, for the sake of Kai's sanity, allowed the others to call her 'Ark' - was the first to respond. "79's? The clone bar?"

"Do you want to drink, dance, or find a one-night stand?" Ransom asked from behind her expansive tech setup. "Because there are better places for any of those. Closer, too."

"No, I want to go to 79's," Kai said, kicking up her chin. "And as for what I want… I want all of them. All three options, please and thank you."

"Did you just try to order a night out? Like from a menu?" Ransom asked. From the tone of her voice, Kai had managed to earn a rare smile from her boss. Of course, that was only a guess since Ransom didn't emerge from her den so Kai could verify the expression.

"No… but can you imagine how much easier that would be?" Kai asked in her own defense.

"It would take some of the fun out of it, I think," Ark said slowly.

Kai chucked a wad of flimsi at her friend and co-worker's head, cheering to herself as it connected and bounced off of Ark's white-blonde hair. "I know that, Ark! C'mon guys, do you want to come to 79's with me or not?"

"I'm out," Ransom said immediately, shutting down the projector option on her desk. She was still illuminated by the ambient light from the schematics on her datapad. The cybernetic implants in Ransom's arm gleamed in the blue glow as she dragged a hand over her shaved head. "I have to work late if we have any hope of finishing our next job on time."

"Ark?" Kai asked, not too proud to sound like she was begging.

Ark sighed, pale eyes hopeless in the face of Kai's wheedling. "Fine, I'll go along."

"Yes!"

"Ransom, are you sure you can't come, too?" Ark asked, her voice a bit desperate.

"I really do have to stay and work on this," Ransom apologized, gesturing at her assortment of datapads. "My condolences."

"We're going to a club, not facing a firing squad!" Kai admonished. "Besides, I just want to find someone fun."

"Like that last guy?" Ark asked, squinting a bit as she applied her prodigious memory to her own question. "What was his name?"

"Not sure," Kai admitted. "But he was so much fun! Great tattoos."

"So you are looking for a hookup! I knew it," Ransom crowed.

Ark frowned. "Why a clone trooper? They're never on-planet for long before they have to leave."

"Exactly," Kai said with a wink. "Love 'em and leave 'em."

"Didn't the last one stick around for a while? I thought I remembered seeing him more than a few times…" Ark pondered.

"Hardcase! His name was Hardcase," Ransom remembered. "He came by every day of his leave."

"Strange name," Ark commented.

"Strange guy," Ransom said with a shrug.

"But he was hot," Kai countered, folding a piece of flimsi to look like a tooka. At least it did in her imagination. "And so much fun. I need another someone like him."

"What happened to him?" Ark asked curiously.

Kai would have blushed if she had any shame - too bad for Coruscant that she didn't. Instead, she pouted. "He moved on with a Zeltron who works at GAR headquarters. That's the best place to meet troopers, but they don't give access to civilians unless they have official business."

"Hardcase didn't seem like the type to ghost you out of nowhere," Ransom mused.

"I… may have freaked out about him asking me to be his girlfriend," Kai admitted. "I don't want anything serious, you know? Besides, I'm the one who introduced him to the new girl. She's a sweetheart. He adores her and she's the same about him. Can't be too upset with that."

Ark and Ransom exchanged loaded glances, but Kai had no interest in a therapy session. "Right! So, Ransom, you're still out?"

"I have no interest in coming along and I have work to do here."

"Well, that was almost nice," Kai congratulated. "Ark, it's you and me. When should we go?"

Ark shrugged. "Why don't we just stop there on the way home from work?"

"Are you kidding?" Kai asked, aghast at the idea. "We aren't exactly wearing Senatorial dress, but we're still too professional for a club! No, we need to go home, change, and meet there. How long do you need?"

"I don't know… half an hour?"

"How long do you need to find an outfit that makes sense in a club setting?" Kai rephrased her question.

"Two hours," Ark corrected herself, sounding sheepish.

"That's more like it," Kai said, satisfied. Her look turned wicked as she said, "Now, let's talk about makeup…"

"Are you sure you don't need any help here, Ransom?" Ark asked their boss, her eyes widening with hidden significance.

"No, it's too late!" Kai denied. "Meet me at my apartment and I'll help you. Let's say eight."

Ark glanced back at Ransom, who gave a sympathetic shrug. Ark sighed. "Fine, eight."

---

A/N - Hello, and welcome to yet another Clone Wars-based story! I can't leave these poor guys alone. They deserve so much more than they got! So, you may have noticed that some of the characters are a bit different from the way they are normally portrayed in fan fiction. The first fic I read with the Coruscant Guard had Thire as a happy joking guy and Thorn as a serious doom-and-gloom trooper. I'm coming to realize that is not typical for fanon interpretations, but those characterizations are embedded in my mind. I hope you didn't find this too jarring!

I'm experimenting with a new Game of Thrones-style POV tracking format. Hopefully that will keep things from getting too confusing as we bounce back and forth across eight different POVs! I apologize for the short length of this chapter, but it's just a simple introduction of (most of) the characters.

[jaehotbuns]

make it count

rating: pg-13

word count: 4560

characters: you x doyoung ft. taeil + donghyuck

genre: officeworkers!au, fluff, slight angst

summary: every year there’s a competition at your marketing company to win a bonus and vacation and luckily for you, you’re paired with the star player of the company. as you get closer to him, you think the rumors might not be true. until he gives you a reason to believe he is as cold and professional as everyone makes him out to be. 

[monday, 10:54am]

“Kim Doyoung, of the Finance Department will be the first member of team B,” the director of NCT Marketing Co. announced loudly into the microphone which caused the other employees to mutter to their seatmates, you and Donghyuck also included. Doyoung walked up the small flight of wooden stairs up onto the middle of the stage and placed his hands neatly in front of him, one hand on top of the other. His face was stoic, with no expression, yet still confident. 

You leaned over to Donghyuck’s ears and started to whisper, “wow whoever’s going to be on his team is lucky.” Doyoung entered the company fresh eyed with only a Bachelor’s degree and two years of internship under his belt yet he was already highly regarded due to his consistent outstanding results, perfect work ethic, and professional attitude. Although he was teased often by some workers that he was close to at the office, with everyone else he never let down his guard. 

“No thank you,” Donghyuck chuckled and shook his head. He and the other employees that knew Doyoung personally all chuckled and elbowed each other while looking at him on the stage. 

You were confused, all of the older workers shared the same thoughts as you. The company held mid-year competitions that paired members from each department to create campaigns for their biggest sponsors. The team with the best results and sales would be awarded a 15% bonus on their paycheck and a week off of work. So it was out of the question that people were crossing their fingers to be on a team with one of the company’s star employees. “Why?” You asked. “Everyone knows he always gives the best results and he’s your friend too.”

Donghyuck leaned closer to you to give you more insight. “Last year I was on the team with him and Johnny and it was a mess.” 

Still confused, you tilted your head to the side and knitted your eyebrows together. “Why? Didn’t your team win last year?” 

“Correct,” Donghyuck said. He turned his gaze over to Doyoung and shook his head while waving a finger at him in disappointment. “But Johnny and I would always leave him to work and FaceTime us having beers pretending not to work that he was so annoyed that he went to HR to ask to work alone.” 

“Wait, so you left all the work to him?”

Donghyuck scoffed and shot you a glare, “of course not! We have morals too! We finished our work early to pretend we were slacking off to mess with him.” He slapped his knee and laughed remembering the ordeal, “I didn’t think he’d actually do something so drastic though. We had to show our completed work at the meeting with HR and he suddenly yelled, ‘wait! You had it done this whole time?’” He let out a sigh of air after continuously laughing, “I need someone that I can’t make fun of.” 

“You guys are too mean,” you chuckled at the thought of Doyoung, who never shows his emotions, being teased by his friends. While you and Donghyuck were talking, Taeil was called up to the stage. “Wow this is crazy, Taeil’s on the team too?” Taeil had 5 years of experience, a Master’s degree in Business Management, and on top of that he’s loved by all of the workers at the company for his kind and helpful character. 

“Having Taeil on the team does help make uptight Doyoung more bearable,” Donghyuck laughed with his hand covering his mouth. You rolled your eyes, Donghyuck always acted like a school kid at work but it seemed like he took particular joy from making fun of Doyoung. 

Your eyes travelled back to the stage and watched the director look back at his cue cards and pull the microphone back to his chin to announce the final member. “And the last member of team B will be… The newest addition of our company!” 

You blanked out, did he just call your name? You sat there confused until Donghyuck slapped your arm lightly and hissed, “that’s you dummy! Go up!” Snapping out of your daze, you walked over to the stage and next to Doyoung who eyed you from the corner of his eye. All of you bowed towards your coworkers and walked down the stage to seats that had sheets of paper with ‘team B’ on them. 

All of you introduced yourselves quietly and briefly as the other teams were being announced and you sat awkwardly next to Doyoung with Taeil on the left side of him while you on his right. As you were watching silently, Doyoung turned to you and asked softly, “so you’re the newest one in the company?” You nodded with your eyes still on the stage, too intimidated to look at him. “First competition then?” You nodded again. He held his slender hand out to you, “let’s work together well.” You placed your hand in his and he gave you a firm handshake. When you looked up at him you saw his eyes slightly smile and the corner of his mouth curl up to form a small smile. 

After every team was formed, everyone went into their respective meeting rooms and started to prep. Teams from previous years were given tasks of marketing fashion collections, sports drinks, or even ginseng and herbal supplements but this year everyone was given a piece of real estate. Yours was a beautiful guest house near Haeundae beach in Busan. 

With your roles already assigned according to the departments that you were in, you were prepping the project that was due in only a week’s time which would make the bonus worth more with how much overtime you were able to do. Taeil was in charge of operations, Doyoung with finance and budgeting, and you with creative control. 

You were all deep in thought with how you were going to market the beautiful property, as although it was in a great location and had modern and a chic interior; people usually took day trips or rented cheap hostels for the night as they only rented to sleep, not to spend time in rentals when they’d spend all day at the nearby attractions. Doyoung tapped his pen lightly against the marbled table surface. “How about we start with themes? That should give us an idea of which platform we can promote on.” Taeil looked up at the corner of the ceiling and hummed in thought.

Doyoung’s eyes caught yours, prompting you to pitch an idea. “How about we advertise to college students?” Both Taeil and Doyoung’s eyes were locked on you, totally immersed in what you were saying. “We can promote summer trips where they can have fun at the beach and amusement park and bring home food and enjoy the guest house.” 

They both nodded but you could tell they weren’t convinced. “College students probably want to barbecue and drink which in turn makes noise complaints and a bad reputation of the place in the community,” Taeil started softly. His kind eyes looked at you and you knew he didn’t want to shoot down your idea but it just wasn’t plausible. “Also, it’s quite high in price for each night so it’s out of budget for most college students.” You nodded in agreement, slightly disappointed in yourself at your quick suggestion. 

“Families are also a no-go,” Doyoung sighed. He placed his hands on the back of his neck in frustration. “Their kids won’t care about some fancy house, they’re most likely to stay with relatives or to just have a day trip.”

“Tourists?” You suggested. 

“They’re most likely to go to Seoul,” Doyoung sighed. 

“School orientations?” You said without confidence.

“Schools are going to budget and choose the cheapest option,” Doyoung refuted. “And this place can only house up to 4 people.” 

Every suggestion of yours was shot down and the morale of the group seemed like it was diminishing. You were all excited to get handed such a beautiful rental  until you realized why it was in need of marketing with all the difficulties that arose. You felt even more at fault as you were the one in charge of creative design and yet couldn’t come up with a theme. 

In your self-wallowing, you didn’t even notice that Doyoung left the room until he came back and set down a can of warm black coffee for Taeil, a cold can of milk coffee for himself and a cold iced mocha for you. “Did you go all the way to the Starbucks in the lobby?” Taeil asked as there were only vending machines with warm and cold coffee cans on the current floor.

Doyoung opened his can and started to sip his drink, “I met Donghyuck at the machines.” He handed you a straw and the coffee, “he said you didn’t like canned coffee.” 

Taeil nearly snorted the coffee out of his nose when he heard Doyoung’s last sentence, trying to repress his laughter while Doyoung shot daggers at him. “Thank you,” you said bashfully. 

Your cheeks were warming up from Doyoung’s sweet action while you were sipping on the sweet whipped cream topping until an idea popped into your head. “Couples!” Taeil and Doyoung looked up at you in surprise and confusion. “A guest house near the beach would be romantic! They’re not loud and will find tranquility in the silence and it’s less expensive than a hotel yet you get a better view and interior than a hostel.” 

The two men looked at each other in agreement. “That’s a great idea, rookie,” Doyoung smiled. 

The rest of the day went by like a blur. Making a bold move, Doyoung decided on creating a commercial compared to other teams who focused on making billboards or promotional events at food chains. A risky choice, but you trusted him. 

Taeil was glued to the phone all day with calls to directors, models, set designers, stylists, and everyone you needed for the commercial. You watched as the veins in his neck twitch slightly as he constantly negotiated outrageous offers when you would grab him water from the kitchen. 

And you were busy planning out the details of the commercial. The camera angles, the way the light hits, the clothing, the set, and most importantly the story. The first frame was of the couple cooking, eating, and in the hot tub to show the house’s interior. The second was of them along the beach, and b-rolls of nearby attractions to showcase the area. Finally the highlight was of the couple drifting off to sleep for a sentimental feel. 

As you were immersed in your sketch, you didn’t notice Doyoung peering through your shoulder. He was so close that his chin was nearly touching your shirt and you didn’t notice until he exhaled which travelled down your neck which the white shirt you wore exposed. You jumped and peered back at him, his face inches aways from yours as he didn’t move back. “Focused?” 

You nodded and whipped your head back in embarrassment. You could feel the blood rushing up to your cheeks and forehead, warming up your face. He sat onto the chair next to you and held your sketch in his hand to look at it closely. “This is great,” he said under his breath. He finally looked up and into your eyes. “Where’d you get the information for this?” 

“Hm, not information…” You began. “I wanted to show the benefits subtly while keeping the romantic aspect.” 

“It’ll work,” he said before standing up and walking over to the door. 

“How do you know?”

Doyoung didn’t turn around to answer you but he stopped in his tracks before replying. “Because it makes me want to go.” He left the room and shut the door but through the glass walls you could see the tips of his ears a bright red before he walked past the room. 

[thursday, 12:34pm] 

You looked at your watch nervously as staff scattered around the set of the guest house to get ready for the first shot of the commercial. The models were supposed to be on set at 9am sharp for makeup and hairstyling but they were nowhere to be seen. To fill up the time, the crew had shot b-roll first which put the schedule out of balance. 

Your hopes were up when Doyoung came into the door running straight to you until you saw that his eyebrows were twisted in disappointment and stress. “Taeil said they bailed,” he huffed. You saw beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He was running around the neighbourhood looking for possible agencies nearby but there was no luck. Even if there was a talent agency, they wouldn’t do well without the script or a contract. 

“Why would they do this to us?” You asked out of frustration. 

“They said that they had a better offer,” he stood up and controlled his breathing. “I have a feeling that another team might have poached them though.” You would like to believe someone at the company wouldn’t do that but considering the monetary bonus and time off you wouldn’t be surprised. It was even less surprising that they decided to do it to Doyoung and Taeil who had both won before. 

“What do we do now?” You searched his eyes for answers but they were shaking with uncertainty. 

“We can get b-roll and figure something out later, we can’t go by the script now.” He opened his phone and checked the date. “We have until Sunday, four days is enough to redo our plan.” 

In a hurry he was about to walk past you to tell the film director until you grabbed his arm to stop him. “We can’t stop now, we’d be wasting our money on makeup, hair, stylists, all these people.  And what about all the time I’ve spent on this?” 

“Our budget was tight but we can make it happen,” he shook his arm out of your grip, Although he calmed his breathing from running before, it was getting more rushed with his growing frustration. 

Before he could turn around you blurted out to him, “what about my plan? All my hours overtime working on this, is it going down the drain?” 

He rolled his eyes, taking you aback at how coldly he was treating you. “Yes, unfortunately but that’s how it is sometimes.” 

Heat spread across your body. You weren’t sure if it was hurt, anger, or sadness. Maybe a combination of all three. You couldn’t believe that you spent four days putting so much thought and care into your dream board and it was all going down the drain. You felt stupid thinking that Doyoung believed in you and your ideas. But you felt even more stupid working harder because he was the one that believed in you. 

You were about to make a call to gather the staff to the guest house until Taeil burst through the door with a couple. He brought them to you and Doyoung who simultaneously walked over to them. “Donghyuck had some friends he knew in the area.” You thanked them awkwardly as there was still tension in the air. 

For the rest of the day, filming went smoothly and according to schedule although it was rushed due to lost time. Taeil went back to the office to deal with the mess that the sabotagers left your team while you and Doyoung stayed on set to make sure things went according to plan. 

“Alright that’s a wrap!” The director clapped his hands which prompted you and Doyoung to bow and thank every staff that left the door. When every person left, you locked the door to gather your things which left only you and Doyoung. 

As you put your belongings into your bag, in the corner of your eye you could see Doyoung pacing back and forth awkwardly. When you were ready to go, you stood up and were headed towards the door until you heard Doyoung speak out softly. “Hey.” You turned around to face him with your hand on the door knob. “I’m sorry.” 

Your hand gripped the smooth metal of the round door knob and grit your teeth to force out, “it’s okay. You said it happens.” 

He walked over with apologetic eyes and took your hand softly off the handle. “No, I was panicking and didn’t even ask you for your opinion or even Taeil’s before deciding to scrap your idea.” You were trying to avoid eye contact but he made it impossible as everywhere you looked he was trying to look into your eyes. You could see that he was earnest. “I know you worked hard on it.” 

You were left speechless. You wanted to forgive him but you were still hurt. You didn’t know what your feelings were, never mind how to verbalize them. He smiled softly, “how about we talk over a drink?” All you could do was nod. 

Once Doyoung got two bottles of soju out of the fridge, both of you sat on the wooden deck that faced the beach. The sky was a dark indigo blue and had tiny white stars scattering the sky. You felt the cool wind brush back your hair while the warm soju warmed your throat and stomach. “I worked hard on that story board.” You said it without thought and you didn’t look at him. The alcohol was lowering your inhibitions. 

Your eyes were fixed on the waves crashing onto the shore but from the corner of your eye you could see him facing you. “I didn’t do it with a lot of thought at first,” you turned to face him this time with a sad smile. “But I started to care about it because you said you liked it.” 

His eyes looked sad, “I really did.” Doyoung moved his body closer to you, his leg brushing over yours slightly. “I was being selfish when I thought I could fix it all myself.” You both listened to the soft sounds of the water in between moments of silence. “I’m glad it all worked out in the end though.”

“I reacted emotionally,” you sighed. “I should’ve stayed composed during the mess.” You laughed a little, “I’m sorry too.” 

You looked down at your thighs which were hanging off the wooden platform until you felt Doyoung lightly tap your head with his hand playfully, “why are you apologizing to me rookie? You don’t have anything to be sorry for.” He pat your hand reassuringly until he pulled away abruptly and placed it on the floor as he realized he let his guard down. 

You smiled and placed your hand on top of his, his surprised eyes met yours. “Thank you, for believing in me.” 

Doyoung laughed, it was the first time you’ve seen him laugh your whole year at the company. “Why wouldn’t I? I’m capable of having emotions too.” 

“So you’re aware that people think that you’re a cold robot that only works and doesn’t smile?” 

His bright smile turned into a pout with his eyes squinting at you at your teasingly harsh words, “I’m aware but that’s a little rough the way you put it.” He folded his arms across his chest, sulking slightly. 

You couldn’t help but laugh at his cute expression, “Donghyuck was right.” He turned to you again with the same pout and sharp eyes, “teasing you is fun.” 

Doyoung scoffed and shook his head in disbelief, “that little brat,” he muttered under his breath. 

“I think it’s cute,” you said to console him. He stopped in his fit and turned to look at you with an expression of amusement on his face. You instantly regretted saying that as the corner of his mouth upturned into a smirk with an eyebrow raised smuggly. You grabbed the soju next to you and took a long swig to try and calm your nerves. 

Once you turned to your right to set the bottle down, when you turned back to your right you said Doyoung’s face inches away from yours. You felt the warmth from his cheeks radiate next to yours and smelled his warm musky cologne from the nape of his neck. “That look on your face,” he said softly with his lips ghostly over yours. “It’s cute.” You closed your eyes as you felt him move in closer. 

His soft pink lips only grazed yours slightly until a phone call caused the both of you to jump back. Both of you patted your blazers down hastily to check your phones until he raised his hand up to you, “it’s mine.” 

He placed the phone up to his ear after accepting the call, “what,” he seethed into the phone annoyed at the caller and the fact that your moment was interrupted. 

Even though it wasn’t on speaker phone you could hear Donghyuck’s whiny voice blare through the phone’s speaker. “Doyoung-ah!” Doyoung muttered curse words under his breath and rolled his eyes. “Come play with me and Renjun, we need a ride home.”

“Am I your chauffeur?” Doyoung lectured over the phone. He placed his phone close to his eye with his hand covering his mouth to direct his voice over the phone and not to you, not realizing that he was talking loudly out of frustration making you laugh to yourself. “I’m on a business trip! I’m hanging up!” 

Before he could hang up, you heard Donghyuck slur out a teasing remark. “Oho, this late? Is it only with your ‘rookie?’ Hahaha I doubt you’d stay with Taeil this late-” Doyoung grit his teeth and hung up. 

Doyoung looked over at you and saw you trying to laugh quietly to yourself and his face heated up at the thought of you hearing their conversation. “So,” you began. “How are we supposed to make it back?” You held up your empty soju bottle, insinuating that you both couldn’t drive in your conditions. 

“There’s two rooms in this place,” Doyoung said while rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “We could each take a room.” He didn’t want you to take the wrong idea so he started to tipsily rambling, “there’s separate bathrooms too. I won’t leave my room and there’s locks on the door-”

“Sure, no problem,” you laughed. You stood up and brushed yourself off from the sand that wind blew through the patio. You held your hand out to Doyoung to help him up. His hand was warming up your cold hands as you pulled his sturdy frame up. “We can keep this a secret between us.”

[monday, 11:49am]

Applause filled the presentation room as team A with Yeri, Donghyuck, and Jeno finished their presentations. All of them were near your age yet presented their billboard design and pitch flawlessly with charisma and confidence. You watched them bow and walk off the stage while high-fiving each other and nervousness only grew in the pit of your stomach when you watched the stage engineer setting up your powerpoint. 

Doyoung looked down and saw your body shaking subconsciously. He placed his hand on your shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, “hey. Believe in yourself, you should be proud of everything you did.” 

Although you appreciated the sentiment, you were still terrified of messing up especially with Taeil and Doyoung on your team. If you messed up then everyone would think that you dragged the team down with you considering you were the one with the least experience. 

Doyoung placed his other hand on your shoulder and turned your body to face him. He leaned down so that you two were eye level now. Sincerity was written all over his face as he gazed into your eyes, “don’t think of winning, or losing, or me and Taeil. Think about how nice it felt at the beach house and think of how much you want other couples to experience it too.” He turned you back to face the stage before letting go of your shoulders and giving you an encouraging pat on the back. 

You breathed in deeply and let out a long exhale before squaring your shoulders and walking out on the stage on cue of the director. 

[monday, 9:26pm]

“Cheers!” Taeil shouted in glee as he raised his glass of beer. 

“Cheers!” Everyone else followed as they bumped their glasses into the middle, with white foam lightly spraying on your shirts as the heavy jugs collided with each other. 

After the director announced that your team had won the competition, Taeil invited your group and other close colleagues out to celebrate with the bill on him. 

“This is what happens when you put two geezers on a team together,” Donghyuck whined as he took a sip of his beer. He made a satisfying exhale after his swig and slammed the glass down on the wooden bar counter like an old man. “It’s unfair. You should the young ones win for once.”

Doyoung’s eyes fired up as he glared at Donghyuck, “hey, just because we’re older than you doesn’t mean we're the oldest in the company! What about the people in their 40’s and 50’s?!” 

Donghyuck slapped his back twice, adding more insult to injury, “okay gramps, calm down don’t want you to get too excited.” 

Everyone at the counter laughed, already used to this exchange but never getting old seeing Doyoung getting continuously frustrated. As the other people got on to their private conversations, Doyoung turned his chair to face you and held his glass up, giving you personal cheers. While you took a sip, he set his cup down. “What are you going to do with your week off?” 

You wiped the foam off of your lips with the tips of your fingers before setting your drink down on the counter. “I’m not sure,” you shrugged. “Since everyone’s still working I can’t really go out with other people, so I’ll probably just stay home.” 

Doyoung shook his head, “what’s the fun in that?” 

You laughed, “oho, you’re one to talk about fun.” You teased and he smiled at you, not even pretending to be annoyed. “What are you going to do?”

“Stay home too,” he said regretfully. “Unless you want to rent the guest house with me?”

“Didn’t we already go there together?” You asked, excited about what his proposal was going to lead to.

“That was different…” His legs were wrapped around the bar stool and he was swirling back and forth nervously. “I want to go there for what our commercial intended…”

You tilted your head to the side in thought, “‘what our commercial intended?’” His eyes were looking at you nervously as you tried to get where he was going. “For couples?” 

He nodded shyly, “how about we go there as a couple?” You noticed his tipsy habit of rambling when he was nervous. Or maybe rambling was his nervous habit whether he had alcohol or not. “I mean unless you don’t want to, that’s completely fine. I don’t want to pressure you or anything, you can use your free week however you want. I’m not saying we’re a couple-” 

You placed your hand on top of his, “let’s go then.” 

Doyoung’s eyes twinkled under the bar’s hazy yellow light, “let’s see where it takes us.”

[pepperchord82]

Travel Help Guide For Manchester

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[fuwafuwamedb]

Kishi Nami Services Pt 8 (Enkidu, Gilgamesh, Ishtar)

Previously: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

___

She entered the building before the time that they had agreed. He could see the dress, all lace and floral, flaring at the hips and tied carefully with a ribbon at the waist.

For Shinji?

The mop bucket of a boy was far too eager to grasp her hand and yank her the final bit of distance to the host’s podium near the door. There was too much in that look, far too many plans in the kid’s mind. He must have looked into her as well.

“Hello Moon Cell Heir,” he heard from Enkidu’s position in the restaurant.

“Matou… Why don’t we enjoy the evening together. I run my Kishi Nami services. That’s all.”

Good girl.

Skirt the subject, send him away.

She called for a table, the fool to the very end. Her hand motioned him deeper into the restaurant as he had feared she would do.

Damn.

There was time to scare one of them out and go to Hakuno. If Hakuno ran out, it would be more fortuitous. He could bring her home and fix this foolishness immediately. He could have her curled up in bed and pleading forgiveness for this whole mess. If Shinji ran first, well- he could skip to dessert with Hakuno and then take her home. She held more interest in desserts anyway. It wouldn’t be a loss.

“Gil,” Enkidu’s voice whispered.

“What is it?”

“He slipped something into Hakuno’s drink.”

Gilgamesh moved to shift his attention deeper into the restaurant, but there was no sign of the two anymore.

“She’s not drinking yet, but-“

“Tell the fool we hired to get the job done. Let’s be done with this. I have plans in place.”

His view shifted back to the door.

Ishtar had arrived.

No longer would he be able to simply coast in to get Hakuno and leave. If she came out, she would pass Ishtar and then find that he hadn’t arrived to meet her. As much as he disliked the prospect, if she found that he was avoiding the dates she had made for him, she would compare him to fools like Matou.

“Damn it.”

“What is it? I’m watching Hakuno’s table.”

Gilgamesh adjusted his suit, grimacing. “That useless fool is here. It looks like she coordinated her outfit with Hakuno as well.”

“What do you want to do about that?”

He glanced deeper into his car, towards the back seats.

There were a few garment bags.

“Did you pick up my dry cleaning?”

“Ah… I like the lady at the shop. She does this really cute wink when she thinks she’s being clever and I think she’s trying to figure out whether I’m a boy or a girl… as well as if I’m single.”

That was fine.

There was one shirt in particular that he’d left in his dry cleaning that he knew would suit the occasion. Rather than the blue shirt he had on, he swapped to the red one, the black jacket was swapped for white. He paused as he caught sight of a lacy pocket square.

“Enkidu, who’s pocket square?”

“Gil, you ass. I got that for Siduri to wipe her fake tears with during meetings with upset companies.”

“A pocket square?”

“Sometimes she gets those bored tears in her eyes and I thought it would be funny. She could tuck it into her jacket’s breast pocket.”

Gil lifted his head up, eyeing the restaurant as he quickly worked to fold the thing up and shove it into his jacket. “Enkidu, when’s the last time you saw a woman with a breast pocket? It’s impractical. The woman would have to be flat chested to manage it.”

“…We should bring breast pockets to women’s fashion.”

“We’ll discuss it later,” Gil agreed, climbing out of the car and looking both ways quickly before he hurried up to the restaurant door.

At least he’d opted for them both to be wearing Bluetooth. The small earpiece was barely out of sync with his attire, only looking odd because this was a place to eat and socialize.

“Ah,” the waiter recognized him immediately. “Sir, your table is-“

Gilgamesh pulled a hundred from his pocket. “Take me to the table and then find the cheapest, poorest swill in your restaurant and dilute it with vinegar. Fill our glasses with that.”

“…Sir, this is an honest restaurant.”

Gil pulled out two more bills.

“And we cater to all of our client’s needs. This way please.”

“Just a moment.”

Gilgamesh held the man back, opening his wallet a bit further and pulling out another couple bills.

“Tell the chef and the team working this evening that, in any way they can think of, if they can ruin the mood and this woman’s hope for any future communications between her and myself while at the same time continuing to look like a perfect professional restaurant, I will pay handsomely.”

A couple hosts nearby perked up, moving to his side.

“We have a violinist here tonight.”

“Perfect.”

“I do believe the fondue option in the appetizers can get a bit hot.”

“What a blessing to know you know how to shut such a useless mouth as hers up.”

The group rushed back, throwing open the doors and murmuring to the others. Gilgamesh smiled as he followed his host towards the table of absolute waste.

“Cheap,” Enkidu cooed in his ear. “So cheap, Gil.”

“I’ve been roped into three dates now with this woman.”

“I didn’t say it was wrong,” Enkidu argued, “I’m just saying this tactic is so cheap. It’s also luring away the hosts that I need on my end. You’re being far too extra today.”

He was being no such thing.

Ishtar stared up at him, frowning at the lack of blue in his attire.

“Ishtar.”

“Gilgamesh, what a pleasant surprise! Here I thought that my blind date would be with someone that I didn’t know at all. This must be fate.”

“The wine,” Gilgamesh called for.

“I already called for wine,” she told him.

“Yes, and I’m sure your choice was useless. Taste is not acquired, as one would be led to believe. Either you are capable of appreciating something from the start or you simply are not meant to be in the presence of something refined.”

The chairs were too comfortable, but he wouldn’t complain now. The restaurant was full on this side, which meant that they would be moved to Hakuno’s side if things went south.

He would spare her the sight of the failure here.

“Hakuno’s drinking her spiked drink,” Enkidu hissed

Damn.

How long would they have at this rate? He would need to take Hakuno directly home before something happened.

Straight face. Finish this.

“Appetizers, on the house,” the host nearby told them.

The first one returned, setting the glasses down on the table and making a show of uncorking the bottle and pouring their glasses. The elaborate song and dance, far too obvious in its innocence, was making Ishtar grin. Her hands took the glass before it could be handed to her. Her sip was not even close to a sip, but rather a chug.

She paused a second later, spluttering.

“O-oh god. WHAT IS THIS!?”

Gilgamesh accepted his glass, sipping at the foul concoction. “This is wine, is it not obvious? This is the 31’ merlot, if I’m not mistaken.”

“This is-agh- not! The merlot!”

She gagged as she spoke, moving to grab her napkin only to find it gone.

The host nearby handed it to her.

“Thank you,” she growled, wiping her tongue like a savage only to gasp. “OH GOD! WHAT IS- IS THIS WASHED WITH GARLIC?!”

Impressive. He hadn’t thought about that.

“Miss,” the hosts scowled at her. “What are you talking about?”

“I SMELL GARLIC ON THIS! IS THIS ONE OF THE KITCHEN TOWELS?!”

She threw the towel at them, leaving him the chance to pick it up and sniff it.

The smell was strong.

“Ishtar, this smells like it was freshly laundered… with vanilla?”

“Once again, great sense, sir!” The hosts smiled. “Most people would barely catch a whiff of the vanilla.”

“Bring me some juice then!” Ishtar slammed her glass down, ruining the tablecloth. “AND A NEW NAPKIN!”

The two hosts were already grinning like fools as they hurried back.

Ishtar reached for one of the sticks and forked some of the broccoli. She dunked it into the fondue, pulling it out and huffing a bit.

“…Anyway… It’s um… It’s good that this is happening, as I was saying before. You and I… We have this nice round and round history.”

She bit into her food, pausing a second later.

“AHH- AHH-“

Her whole face was paling, her mouth hanging open. She reached around, trying to grasp for his napkin as she whined and began to almost cry.

“Ah, yes.” Gilgamesh unfolded his napkin, setting it neatly on his lap. “Manners are important, aren’t they? I find that I have no desire to stay in the same proximity as someone who looked like a horse when partaking in something as mundane as a bit of cheese and broccoli.”

She spat the food onto the table, shrieking in outrage.

“THEY ARE TAMPERING WITH OUR FOOD!”

Gilgamesh took one of the sticks and coated another one of the pieces of broccoli, taking a bite of the half that hadn’t been coated in cheese.

“Wha- HOW ARE YOUR NOT SCREAMING?”

“Why would I scream over something this simple?” Gilgamesh set the rest of the broccoli on his plate, frowning at her. “Go home, woman. Do not seek me out again, not even by signing up for the same service that I am using. I’m assuming you got the number from Siduri’s desk during your visit the other week.”

“I-I don’t know what you me-“

“May I take your orders?” the host came, smiling proudly. “Miss, we brought your juice.”

Ishtar stared at the glass, then to him.

“Th-this is… tampered with.”

“Host,” Gilgamesh held his hand out.

He took a healthy swig, downing the apple juice a moment before he turned and tapped the shoulder of the person behind him.

“Is this to taste?”

The kid glanced to his parents before grinning and taking a sip. The boy, no older than six or seven, beamed happily.

“Well?”

“It’s the best apple juice!”

“Would you like the rest?”

Ishtar screeched again, storming off towards the exit.

“I HATE YOU!” she screamed his way.

“My apologies, sir,” the host told him, still smiling.

“…Can I still have the apple juice?” the boy asked.

“I’ll pay for your family’s whole meal,” Gilgamesh replied, ruffling the kid’s hair and leaning back in his own seat. “Host, bring me a water.”

He needed to get Hakuno out of here quickly, after all.

“Hakuno’s still upright,” Enkidu told him over his earpiece, “but she won’t last long. Shinji motioned for the check when Hakuno was looking towards the commotion that Ishtar made.”

Gilgamesh stood up, leaving a donation to the boy’s table before he went to pay at the front. 

There was no time to waste.

[wolf-n-bones]

'Saaannnsssss!'Pup yelled. 'Your boyfriend is here!' He called out over his shoulder. Viper quickly, almost tripping, made his way down the stairs, straightening his outfit. Did he look okay? Oh stars he hoped he did...

'It's only a date, Pap...' His words trailed off, looking at his said date. He could feel a blush creep on his cheeks. Wisp grinned watching Viper's cheeks dust a nice blue.

'I brought you flowers~' He smiled, handing the huge bouquet over to the flustered skeleton. 'But they don't compare to how lovely my date looks.' Wisp flashed a charming smile. Viper's skull was bright blue by now.

'T-thanks, I'll put them in a vase right now.' He briskly walked to the kitchen to find a vase. How was he going to survive this date if it already started with this?? Viper looked at the blue roses, putting them in the vase with a smile. He'd have to sort them out a little more carefully later. Wisp was making small talk with Pup when Viper got back. The adorable skeleton excitedly telling the horned one about the new game he was playing. 'I'm ready.' Viper grinned. 'Have fun with Iris Pap. Don't eat too much pizza.' Pup gasped looking offended.

'There's no such thing as too much pizza!' He exclaimed making Wisp chuckle. Viper sighed with a smirk, getting his coat and stepping out. 'Have fun on your date, Sans!' Pup smiled waving them off. For a few minutes they just walked in silence, Viper glanced up to Wisp. The nightmare had a soft smile on his fangs and a dreamy expression.

'So ehm.... Where are we going?' Viper asked trying to strike up a conversation. His date looked down at him and smiled.

'You'll see~' He chuckled. 'I don't want to ruin the surprise.' A soft, reassuring smile curled on his fangs. He offered Viper his arm. The shorter skeleton took it without much thought, only to blush when he realised what he just did.

'Actually...' He started softly. 'I was surprised you asked me on a date?...' He looked up at the taller skeleton. Wisp blinked looking back at him a small 'hm?' escaping him. After a moment he seemed to snap out of his daze. 'Oh,' He responded, giving Viper a bashful grin. 'I suppose it was rather out of the blue.' He hummed. 'But I wouldn't have asked if I didn't like you.' Viper could feel his cheeks heat up his cheeks again. 'I actually quite like you.' A soft amused grin curled on Viper's face watching the nightmare's cheeks turn a soft yellow color.

'I thought you liked Blue?' He asked, Wisp nodded. 'I do...' He answered. 'But he's in the dog house right now and you deserved a nice date~' The tall skeleton beamed at him. Viper snorted and would have laughted if not for the 'OI' they heard behind them. Both turned around but... There was no one behind them?? They looked at each other and shrugged, continuing down the road. Viper's lights lit up when he saw the skating rink come into view. 'Ice skating?' He asked with an excited smile. It had been a while since he had. Wisp nodded, taking two tickets out of his pocket. They headed in, getting their skates from the clerk and hitting the ice. There weren't many people around so they pretty much had the run of the place. Viper smiled widely taking the first few strides. 'This is great!' He spoke looking back at Wisp. 'Than-' He couldn't finish his sentence watching his date fall face first on the ice. 'Oh shit! Are you okay?' He asked concerned skating over. Wisp chuckled looking up at him with an embarrassed expression.

'I'm a little more out of practice than I thought~' He laughed, showing Viper he wasn't hurt. The smaller laughed too, helping the other get up. 'Sorry you had to see that.' Wisp apologised. Viper chuckled. 'It's fine, I've never seen a guy fall flat on his face that fast.' He mused. The nightmare looked at him with a soft expression. 'Well I can't help it...' Wisp responded. 'I saw my cute date and just fell for him.' Viper was sure steam was coming from his skull. This guy really like to see him blush didn't he? He felt lanky digits gently take his hand. 'I'm glad he agreed to spend some time with me.' There was a warm smile on Wisp's fangs making Viper smile in return. Geez... This guy... Viper chuckled taking Wisp's hand and leading him around the rink. They enjoyed their time together, skating on the ice and sitting down for some hot chocolate when both got a bit chilly. 'We had a field of poppies in front of our house. Mother planted them by spreading the seeds after they and father found out they were having me.' Wisp told Viper, the other listening while sipping his hot chocolate. 'When I asked why mother told me the story of how they meet father. Those delicate flowers would remind him he deserved every bit of love they give him.' 'Wow...' Viper looked at his warm coco. 'That's really sweet... And here I thought they were just a pants stealing goblin.' He remarked. Wisp burst out into laughter, wiping a tear in amusement. 'Oh... They absolutely are~' Wisp grinned watching Viper almost spit out his drink. 'Usually they do it because it leaves the other stunned not knowing how to deal with the situation.' His grin widened. 'And sometimes they do it because it's the only thing octo-eggs can be incubated with.' Viper gave him a confused look. 'They're.... A particular kind of creature eggs. Let's leave it at that.' Wisp chuckled. He held out his hand. 'Shall we go for another round? Our dinner reservation isn't until another hour~' Viper blushed, fidgeting with the mug a little. 'Wait, you're taking me to dinner too?' He asked slightly surprised. 'I thought you'd only take me to one place?' Wisp stared at him then chuckled.

'That would be a pretty poor date now wouldn't it?' He answered, Viper grinned and took it. They skated a little while longer until it was time to go. The two skeletons strolled down the city center, lights brightening the cozy shops and restaurants. Viper was curious where his date was going to take him. Maybe is was the cozy dinner he and Pup once visited? Or maybe the new cafe? 'We're here~' He heard Wisp say, snapping him back to reality. His sockets widened at the sight of one of the most expensive restaurants in the city. He looked back at Wisp.

'Wisp...' He whispered. 'No, I-I can't accept this... This is one of the most expensive places!' Viper lightly tugged on the others sleeve. Wisp could see the concern in his sockets. The spirit gave his date a reassuring smile.

'I know.' He responded. 'But I heard they had the tastiest dishes in the city... And that you wanted to try them~' It wasn't a lie... The dishes this restaurant made looked extremely good... But still... Feeling Viper's hesitation the other softly sighed and leaned over. 'What if I promise to take Blue to have dinner here aswell?' Viper looked up in Wisp's lights. He wasn't going to give up on it. A soft chuckle and blush graced his cheeks. '... Promise?' He whispered. Wisp smiled. 'I promise~' He whispered, taking Viper by the arm and both entering the restaurant. It was different than Viper expected. He was expecting the fancy-smancy crystal chandeliers and crystal glasses but no... The restaurant was actually pretty intimate... Making him realise how serious the other took it. Wisp was talking to the host who nodded and showed them to their table. It was big enough to fit two, a lit candle in the middle and a rose in a small vase. 'Okay... Maybe this won't be Blue's thing.' He chuckled looking at the little vase. 'Too late, I'm taking him for dinner here after he's out of the doghouse~' Wisp responded with a chuckle. Viper smiled, taking the menu from the waiter. 'Pick whatever you want.' The nightmare insisted. So Viper did. It wasn't the most expensive, but it wasn't the cheapest either... He still felt a little guilty ordering... Until he had the first bite of his food. It was by far the most delicious dish he had ever tasted. He was grateful it wasn't those tiny amounts either. It was a decently sized meal and he enjoyed every bite of it. Wisp watched him, he didn't need to eat.... But it was rude to let his date eat alone... Plus he did enjoy mortal food once in a while. He was just glad to be with his date at the moment. 'That was amazing~' Viper chirped, having finished his meal. He looked at Wisp with a grateful look. 'Thank you...' Wisp smiled at him, the soft light of the candle flickering in his sockets.

'You're most welcome, Viper.' He handed the waiter the gold for the meal. 'Well then, let's go to the park viewing~' Viper looked at him stunned. 'E-even planned more?' He stammered. Wisp nodded. 'The stars are out tonight and the park is doing their viewing. I thought that would be a good close to our date?' Viper blushed, it was all he did at this point. 'Or did you want to go home?' The question was soft and careful. 'N-no!' He reacted looking at his date. He smiled and chuckled. 'I'd love to end it with the park viewing...' His soul was pounding in his ribcage. This had been one of the best dates ever. The park had some fairylights up in their trees along the pathways. Guiding the people going to the viewing to their spot. There were heated blankets laid out for them to sit on so they wouldn't get cold. The skeletons took a seat somewhere in the back on a small hill. 'So which movie are they going to play?' Viper asked, taking the bottle of soda Wisp handed him. 'The Princess Bride.' Wisp responded, getting a giggle out of Viper. 'Hey~ It's a good movie~' The spirit defended with a smirk. 'Besides, the Titanic seemed a bit too cliché.' Viper nodded, amusement playing in his lights. 'Oh, before the movie starts, how about dessert?' He asked. The other skeleton cocked his head confused. Dessert? They could have had that at the restaurant... His sockets widened when he saw Wisp pull out said dessert. Viper gasped, lights twinkling. 'PUDDI!!!' He gasped loudly, making other people whip around at them. 'S-sorry...' He blushed apologizing to the people he disturbed. Wisp chuckled and handed Viper the small bowl and spoon. The smaller eagerly devoured the custardy goodness. Enjoying the sweet notes and love that had been put into the dish. The movie started and at some point both were leaning  against each other, blanket wrapped around they shoulders to keep themselves warm. 'This date is great...' Viper softly sighed. He could feel the chuckle rumble in Wisp's chest. 'Would you like to go on another?' He asked. The smaller of the two snuggled closer into the other. 'Yes... But what about Blue?' He asked looking up at Wisp. 'I'm pretty sure he'd be hurt if you took me on another one when you haven't asked him yet...' He felt a tinge of guilt grip his soul. Wisp gently cupped Viper's cheek, the warmth of his bones banishing the cold. 'Don't worry...' The spirit whispered. 'He'll get a date he deserves.... Along with the attention he craves...' He placed a soft kiss on Viper's skull, making the other feel fuzzy. But a gasp and growl snapped them out of the moment. They looked up only to see Blue running from the 6-legged canine Wisp had as his familiar. ------------------------------ Blue managed to shake the large, angry canine after multiple rounds and crossing through the city center and woods. He was tired, aching and... Sad... He entered the house, heading up to his room. He didn't understand why the spirit took Viper on a date when he had displayed interest in Blue too. He noticed a small box on his bed, neatly wrapped with a label. Blue picked it up and looked at the label. 'To Blue from Wisp' a small smile curled his lips as he opened it... The box was filled with gummi dicks. A heart drawn on the inside of the box lid. THAT. BASTARD. If Blue had veins they would be popping up on his skull. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.        

Viper, Pup & Blue - @imjustalazycat Wisp - Me :V

[heywritersblock]

bed: g.d.

a broken down jeep, a shitty motel room and a bed sharing situation with a sleeping twin brother at the side of you. 

ethan mumbles sleepily from the bed next to you both, “if you’re gonna make a move gray, at least use protection,” before flopping onto his front, sleepy snuffles filling the room once again.

(i’m sorry i don’t know where this came from)

~5000 words

“hey, how are ya? our car’s broken down and the mechanic can’t fix it until the morning so, uh, we’re looking for rooms?” grayson says, tapping an uncomfortable fist on the dusty reception desk of the only motel in a twenty mile radius.

the young man behind the desk slides his tired eyes up away from his magazine to glance at the man interrupting him, gives him the once over and then leans to the left to see you and ethan slumped in the rickety, wooden chairs shoved up against the wall. hardly a welcoming lobby, but you weren’t expecting anything else from the outside of the motel. the young man lowers his magazine when he sees you and perks up slightly in his chair, eyes still resting on you. noticing this, grayson protectively steps in front of his line of sight, blocking you from his view.

“so about those rooms, dude?” he reminds.

the young man looks at grayson with disdain but gray’s just glad his greasy gaze isn’t focused on you anymore. with a few taps on the ancient computer keyboard, he drawls in a monotone voice, “we’ve got a suite available for three hundred dollars.”

“three hundred? are you for real? nah dude, we’re literally getting out of this shit show at like, 5am when the mechanic opens. we just need a basic room,” ethan adds from where he’s sprawled in the chair.

“we’re booked apart from the suite.”

“we’re in the asscrack of nowhere, man. we just need your cheapest room,” grayson tries to reason.

“that’s the thing about the asscrack of nowhere – there’s only one motel, and that’s us. all we’ve got is the suite. take it or leave it,” the guy shrugs. “she could always stay with me,” he adds, winking at you.

ethan’s about to jump up out of his seat and teach this guy a lesson for being so disrespectful when you hold out a hand to calm him down and keep him from causing a scene, just as grayson gruffly says, “we’ll take the suite.”

grayson signs the unreasonable amount of paperwork and then places his hand at the small of your back to guide you to the room, purposely creating a makeshift wall between you and the creepy guy whose eyes are still lingering a little too long despite the protective twins either side of you.

you smile gratefully at grayson as you finally reach the room. you step through after ethan opens the door and a shocked laugh erupts as you see the ‘suite’ that the guy had forced you to select.

a small corridor from the room door covered in a beige pattered wallpaper that would be at home in a grandma’s house leads you down to the main room. a small twin bed takes up most of the space, with a small nightstand separating it from a single sofa bed with springs that you swore you could see poking through. a dresser with a portable tv is propped against the far wall opposite the bed and long, floral curtains are tightly closed next to a dusty, blue arm chair. you walked across the dark blue, patterned carpet to open the drapes, interested to see if you could see across the desert that you’d been driving through despite the late hour. another laugh sounds out of you when you saw that in fact, there was no window at all – the curtains had been put there simply to make it look like there was.

you spin back around to see ethan staring around the room with a shocked look on his face and grayson popping his head out of the tiny bathroom by the door. “it feels like we’ve gone back to the fucking seventies. i can pee with more force than that shower,” he remarks, coming back to join you and his brother in the main room.

“it feels like we’ve been fucking scammed out of three hundred dollars. i’d hate to see what a fucking basic room looks like,” ethan replies.

always one to try and remain positive, you place your purse on the sideboard next to you and say, “ok, it’s pretty shitty. but we’re only here for like, ten hours at the most. if we don’t get murdered in our sleep that is.”

at your comment, ethan immediately turns on his heel, walks up to the room door, slides on the deadbolt and checks that the door won’t open eight times – just to be sure.

after a little more time investigating (and then mocking) what the ‘suite’ has to offer, the three of you make the decision to make yourselves as comfortable as possible and try to get through the night.

you find a take out menu from the one restaurant in the surrounding area (it turns out to be a truck joined onto the gas station a couple of minutes down the road where you’ve left the car ready for the mechanic to fix) and spend a few minutes arguing over who’s going to collect it after the lady on the phone tells grayson that the take out doesn’t deliver.

you quickly volunteer to collect it after the twins bicker with each other for a few minutes and they simultaneously spin to look at you where you’re toeing off your shoes. you wriggle your toes into the blue carpet as they both look at you like you’ve grown an extra head.

“you’ve got to be kidding me-“ grayson begins, before he’s quickly interrupted.

“oh yeah, great idea y/n! let’s send the hot, young girl out on her own into the night in the fucking deep, dark desert with the fucking creepy guy downstairs ready to pounce on you at any-“ ethan rants.

you hold a hand up to stop him, “first of all, i can defend myself so fuck off thinking you’re my protector and secondly, thanks for calling me hot,” you tease.

ethan’s eyes quickly flash to his brother who’s sat perched on the end of the twin bed, almost as if he’s judging his reaction about what you’ve just said, before realising you’re looking at them both with a curious, confused expression. ethan notices just how obvious he was and quickly agrees to pick up the food order just to get out of a potentially awkward situation he’s just caused.

before you can give him the cash to pay for the order, he’s shouting a quick, “no worries, i got it,” before he’s unlocking the deadbolt and slamming the door shut behind him.

you and gray are left in a weird sort of shocked silence, both staring at the door after such a sudden exit when you comment, “dude, your brother’s pretty weird,” and the tension lessens slightly as you both laugh when gray heartily agrees.

still a little confused about the awkward moment, you tell grayson that you’re going to shower before ethan comes back with the food, not able to stand the hours old make up still on your face for any longer. you wander into the tiny bathroom, silently hoping that there’s some sort of cleanser that you can use, after leaving gray scrolling through his phone and guarding the door.

you finally figure out how to turn on the shower and huff out a laugh at grayson’s earlier comparison. you say a silent thank you as you locate the free crappy toiletries that are left on the counter top, strip free of your clothes and stand under the slow stream of surprisingly hot water. as you stand there under the hot spray, thoughts of how grateful you are to be stranded in the middle of nowhere with these two strikes you and you feel fondness warm your body.

after meeting the twins over a year ago through one of your other friends, they’ve gradually become constants in your life. you’ve visited each other’s families, hung out with each other’s friends and intertwined yourselves in each other’s lives. ethan’s like the older brother you’ve always wanted; playful, teasing but undoubtedly protective. grayson, however, grayson was always slightly different. you notice the way your heart starts to pick up pace as you think of him, and your hands travelling down your body cause you to shiver.

grayson’s managed to get himself under your skin; he’s intoxicating, he makes you breathless and he causes reactions like the one your’e experiencing currently when you think of him. secretly – so, so secretly – you’re so gone for him. he’s the one who creeps into your dreams nightly - whether innocently or not so – he’s the one who you imagine when you’re alone in your bed; his hands, his mouth, his huge, veined c-. you stop yourself suddenly as you think of him waiting on the other side of the paper thin wall. you pull your hand away from where your brain was subconsciously sending it down your body and quickly push those thoughts to the back of your mind. you’re going to be stuck in a tiny, shitty motel room in very close quarters with them for the next few hours so you’re going to have to shut those thoughts down pretty fast to make this bearable.

finishing up your shower, you make quick work of washing your face, drying off and putting your oversized t-shirt back on over the top of your underwear. your consider putting your jeans back on but decide against it when you see that your t-shirt is plenty long enough to cover what needs covering.

you step out of the bathroom with flushed, red skin and see that ethan’s returned with the food. they’re sat on either side of the twin bed, both of them with their backs propped against the headboard with a pizza box each on their laps. gray smiles when he hears you emerge from the bathroom and pats the space in between him and ethan where they’ve clearly left space for you. he finally refocuses his gaze from his pizza box to you when he feels you begin to clamber up the bed in between them. upon seeing what you’re wearing, grayson quickly relocates his gaze back down to the pizza in his lap praying you don’t notice the red flush that’s dramatically climbed up his neck and spread across his cheeks.

as you settle, you mumble, “shower’s not that bad after all,” and then, “thanks bub,” as he lifts up your pizza box so you can get more comfortable, before passing it back to you. he still doesn’t make eye contact, just nods and shoves more pizza into his mouth in response to your comments.

ethan’s ranting about how fucking ancient the tv is and yelling at gray to call their grandma and ask how to work the fucking thing when he finally settles on a rerun of an old dance moms episode. the three of you devour your pizzas, gray finishing off yours and ethan’s left over slices when you announce that you’re going to move into the single bed at the side to try and get some sleep before your early start tomorrow. as you collect the boys’ empty pizza boxes to throw next to the trash can, the boys start to protest.

“y/n, we can’t let you sleep in there!” ethan yells, much louder than necessary.

“why not? it’ll be fine. i’m just glad we’re in the same room - that guy in the lobby seriously creeped me out.”

“y/n, come on. your back will be crippled – it gives you enough trouble as it is,” grayson reasons, but you’re having none of it.

“look, one of us has to sleep in here. there’s not enough room for all of us in that,” you say as you point to the bed where both boys are still sat up, gesturing to the slither of space you’d been squeezed into.

“fair point,” ethan acknowledges, then, “rock, paper, scissors! first loser sleeps in the shitty sofa bed.”

with a sigh, you realise that this is the only way a decision will be made, and so you prepare your hand into a fist.

“ready? rock, paper, scissors, shoot!” grayson commands.

ethan looks frantically at yours and grayson’s hands, both in scissors shapes, and then back at his own shaped like paper.

“shit. two out of three?” he asks, smiling innocently.

“nope! now fuck off to your prison cell bed, bro,” grayson jokes, giving ethan a quick but strong shove on his way.

ethan’s mumbling under his breath about how he won’t let you two forget this and how he’s absolutely not driving at all tomorrow even though it’s his car you’er in and how you’re paying for a massage when you’re all back home in LA as he stomps into the bathroom to prepare for bed.

you and gray are left giggling in the bedroom as you fold up the pizza boxes into smaller sizes so they’ll fit in the trash can. you can feel grayson looking awkwardly at you as commercials play fuzzily in the background. you look up at him as you complete your task and raise and eyebrow as if to say what? as you watch him open his mouth to speak and then close it several times.

he finally mutters, “are you ok with sharing? i can totally sleep on the floor or-“

you shove the final box into the garbage and say, “gray. it’s cool. i’m good with it if you are?” as you head back towards the bed.

he nods his head shyly, a little too quickly to be playing it cool, and then mumbles, “yeah, of course. just want to make sure you’re comfortable.”

your heart starts the fluttering movement again and you force yourself to change the conversation as you hear the sink faucet turn off in the bathroom. when ethan re-enters the small bedroom clad only in his boxers, you and gray are chatting mindlessly about the commercials that are still playing before gray stands up to get ready for bed himself. ethan makes a show of covering himself up from your gaze purely to make you laugh, before also checking that you’re good sharing a bed with gray for the night.

“E, it’s fine, honestly.”

“are you sure? he can get a little clingy. if you feel uncomfortable, just shout and i’ll make him sleep on that chair in the corner.”

you laugh at how serious he looks before reassuring him, “E, it’s just gray. i can handle a little clinginess for one night if i need to.”

whilst gray’s in the bathroom, you’re cracking up with laughter as ethan rips apart his bed looking for any bugs or questionable stains that might be lurking there before he decides that although this place is pretty shitty, at least it’s sort of clean so he dives into the sofa bed, wincing as it creaks and groans under his weight.

the bathroom door opens and the light switches off as grayson appears from around the corner, making sure the room door is bolted and flicking off other lights as he makes his way around to the side of the bed by the wall he was sat on before. you purposely busy yourself with grabbing your phone charger from your purse and tossing ethan’s to him from his backpack when you notice that grayson, too, is only in his boxers. if you let it, your mind would be freaking out about the fact that you’re about to spend a night under the same covers as a near naked grayson.

ethan’s busy scrolling away on his phone as you pull back the covers and settle in as best you can when grayson says, “let me just grab my shirt.”

ethan pipes up, not looking away from his phone, “dude. you’ll fucking stink tomorrow if you wear that shirt to bed and then again tomorrow. as someone who’ll be stuck in a car with you for x amount of hours, i’m vetoing you wearing it to bed. y/n, i’m telling you – from previous experience – we’re all better off if he doesn’t wear it.”

grayson looks awkwardly at you and you smile, shrugging your shoulders and say, “i mean, it sounds like he’s had a horrific experience in the past. i don’t mind if you want to sleep without it.”

grayson carefully takes in your expression to ensure that you really mean what you’re saying and you desperately try to control your face, chanting play it cool, play it cool in your head. it seems to work as he sighs, nods minutely and then climbs under the covers beside you.

he sets his alarm on his phone and throws it onto the nightstand, turning off the light next to the bed that plunges the room into darkness save from the glow of the old tv and ethan’s phone light.

“get some sleep kids, it’s an early start tomorrow,” grayson comments as he pulls the covers up to his chin, facing the wall away from you.

ethan’s whining about how he’s not even that tired now whilst you switch off the tv using the remote and then settle down into the bed further, pulling the covers up and trying hard to not move too much so you’re not irritating your bed mate. you lay on your side, back to grayson’s with as much room between you both as possible. you can see the glow of ethan’s phone next to you as he waves it around in his rant.

after the fifth time ethan starts talking into the dark of the room about how grayson is absolutely not the boss of everyone and he doesn’t make the rules about when people go to sleep, gray flings his arm out of the covers to place into the gap between you on the bed, holding up his weight as he yells across the room to his brother, “fuck off, ethan! you’re not the only one in the room! go to fucking sleep and stop annoying the fuck out of us! grow the fuck up!”

ethan picks up quickly that his brother is not in the mood to be teased and for the first time in a while, ethan listens to him. he locks his phone, shoves his charger cable in and then throws it onto the nightstand between you and him. you can almost feel the look he’s throwing at his brother who’s shuffling around behind you which makes you giggle silently to yourself.

eventually, the room falls silent. your tiredness from the dramatic events of the day must catch up on you because before you know it, your eyes are fluttering closed and, before your mind can think too deeply about sharing a bed with the boy who makes your heart race, you fall to sleep.

it must be a few hours later when your eyes blink open slowly and then close again; the tired weight of them too much to fight against. your mind confusedly tries to piece together where you are and why you’re awake. ah, the motel. desperate to regain your much needed slumber, you try to snuggle further down into the slightly scratchy pillow when you realise that you’ve been laid on your arm. giving it a quick wiggle to try and get some feeling back, you turn onto your right side so you’re not laying on your fuzzy arm again. as soon as you turn and settle, eyes still resting shut, you feel the warmth of the body beside you much closer than it was when you drifted off to sleep.

curiosity gets the better of you and you can’t help but crack your left eye open to peek at the man beside you. your stomach feels like it’s about to drop when you take in the view directly in front of you. laying on his side, you realise that you’re both subconsciously mirroring each other’s positions; one arm under a pillow, the other resting lightly in the tiny gap between your bodies. if you moved your hand a whisper down, it would be holding his. 

before the temptation grows too much, you shamelessly cast your eyes upwards. the white of the scratchy sheets makes his skin look even more golden and tanned than usual, and you can see the texture to his usual glowing skin; that’s how close you are. long, fluttering eyelashes rest lightly on the tops of his sleep flushed cheeks. his perfect nose twitches slightly in his sleep and you smile to yourself, a bizarre sense of calm covering you despite your racing heart. 

his fluffy hair droops over his forehead and you force yourself to look away, just in case you reach in to push it back to where he prefers it to be when it’s styled. your eyes travel downwards this time and fall onto his plush, delectable lips that are parted slightly in his sleep. your mind swirls at being so, so close to those lips that you’ve dreamed about so often and if you focus, you can feel his breaths caressing your own lips. a rustle sounds from next to you and you feel the bed move slightly under his strong frame. shit. you slam your eyes closed and try your best to force your breathing to even out to convince him you’re sleeping and absolutely not being a fucking creeper watching him sleep. you feel his arm move from next to yours – probably to rub at his eyes – and then as it lands back on the covers, it’s touching yours. breathe, breathe, breathe.

“watchin’ me sleep?” he mumbles, no louder than a whisper and you consider your options: ignore him and continue with your pretence of being asleep, or admit it, teasing him and steadfastly ignore the wild beating of your heart.

“i know you’re ‘wake,” he whispers again with a small huff of laughter, placing his hand directly on top of yours and giving it a tiny shake. that’s your decision made for you then.

you slowly crack your left eye open again, then quickly close it and bury your head into the pillow when you see his sleepy, grinning face a whisper away from yours. “nope, m’fast asleep,” you retort, refusing to look at him.

“no fair,” he murmurs.

intrigued by what he means, hand still held in his, you slowly remove most of your face from the pillow, or at least enough that he can see you raise an eyebrow at him, and then you speak.

“why no fair?”

he swallows, playing delicately with the fingers on your hand and says, “you got to stare at me. i wanna join in.”

you huff out a laugh; teasing you can do. teasing is safe, familiar territory. the implications of what he just said – what you know he meant - is not. “you wanna join in lookin’ at you? narcissist.”

“nah, not nearly as interesting as lookin’ at you.”

your cheeks flush immediately and you feel your eyes close in order to retain some order of control over yourself in this situation. you swallow as you feel his rough, calloused fingers dance over your wrist, hovering over your pulse point and you feel weak at how exposed he’s got you emotionally.

a whisper of, “y/n,” makes your eyes flutter open and face him. the soft smile he sends you as he meets your eyes makes your pulse race even faster – something he is well aware of judging from his deep intake of breath as he still hovers over your pulse point.

you lay completely still on your side whilst the man in front of you leaves no stone of your face unturned. his eyes scatter wildly across some areas of you like he hasn’t got enough time in the world to look at all of the points of you he desires. other times, his gaze locks on one particular area, eyes slowly unblinking as he drinks you in.

his gaze eventually fixates on your mouth and his golden eyes turn dark, hand still around your wrist flexing slightly as if he wants to touch. your lips feel dry at the intense gaze on them and you push out your tongue to lick at them, releasing a sigh as grayson’s eyes drop closed and he subconsciously mirrors your movement his with his own mouth.

self control hanging on by a thread, you lift the hand he’s got you grasped by and bring it up to his mouth, lightly following the path of his tongue with your pointer finger. his eyes have fully closed and his breathing feels as though it’s almost come to a stop, but when you drag your hand lightly upwards to dance over his eyebrow and smooth out his furrowed brow, you feel the rush of air release from him. you lick your lips again without thinking and grayson sighs deeply, bringing up his hand this time to feel your lips with his fingertips. you grasp his forearm at the intensity that is cocooning the two of you, at the look of awe spread over his features.

you lick at your lips again but this time your tongue accidentally brushes against his fingertips and the silent groan from both of you is unmistakable. time stops for a second as you both stare at each other, frozen, until you kitten lick at his finger tip once more; the thread of self control snapped. eyes rolling back, and then forcing them to open again to witness this, grayson pushes two of his fingers even closer to your tongue, whimpering slightly as he feels you lap and suck at them.

eventually, when he can take no more, he withdraws his fingers, dragging down your swollen lower lip as he retreats and trails them down your shoulder and arm. when he reaches your waist, he pulls you towards him effortlessly, needing to be even closer to you. his hand roams delicately over your back, sides and stomach, leaving paths of goose bumps wherever he’s danced his fingers. your hand is resting on his chest, fingernails scratching lightly at his flushed skin. a fleeting thought crosses through your mind that this feels incredibly intimate.

you open your eyes that have closed through the feelings of pleasure he’s making swirl through your body and see that his eyes are still fixated on your lips. desperate to feel his lips on yours, you nudge your nose against his as a silent request. his lips brush against yours and you both pause again, breathing in the same air as each other, nerves standing on end at the feeling of electricity charging between you both.

you’re just about to move forward to connect your lips properly when a shuffling noise comes from the sofa bed next to you. you freeze immediately, eyes immediately blinking open in surprise until grayson places his pointer finger over your lips, imploring you not to speak, his eyes staring directly into yours. the shuffling continues but the both of you stay frozen, even when ethan mumbles sleepily:

“if you two are going to fuck then at least make sure you use protection,” and then flops onto his front, sleepy snuffles filling the room once again.

grayson slowly removes his finger from your lips, looking deeply into your eyes as if to ask, ok? and you nod minutely in response. he moves forward silently, head fully sharing your pillow now and leans in to brush his lips against yours again, leaving you in control to connect them fully. you listen again for any indications that ethan is still awake, and when you’re convinced that he’s fast asleep, you lose yourself in grayson once again.

the feather touch of his lips against yours slowly gives way into a deeper, more hungry kiss, tongues slowly intertwining, both desperately not making too much noise for fear this waited for moment will be over before it’s time. 

kissing grayson felt like levitating off the ground, floating carefree through the charged air; the soft, repeated motion of his lips and teeth and tongue hypnotising you into this delicious feeling of want. you plant your hand back onto his bare chest, needing to feel him more, and as you brush your nails over his nipple, he shifts forward, jolting the feeling of electricity in you to an even higher charge. the moan he makes is muffled by the sound of your mouth and the flick of his tongue against yours forces you to replicate it due to the euphoric feeling it gives you. you made this man moan; the same moan you hear in your dreams, in your fantasies but oh god, this was so much better.

you break your lips away from his in a silent pant and he moves his lips along your neck, suckling and licking and biting his way down. eventually, he buries his head in the crook of your neck and breathes in deeply. you move your hand to cradle his head softly, caressing his head as if to say i know.

a decision is quickly made in your mind and you place your hand on his sharp jaw to bring his face back up to yours. keeping your eyes locked onto his, you drag your fingers sensually down his chest, over his belly button, through the dark hair dotted at the top of his underwear. when you reach there, you raise your eyebrow to ask for permission and the way his eyes roll into the back of his head and he nods his head in a deep sigh makes it clear your decision was the best you’d made in a long time.

keeping your fingers over the cotton of his boxers, you gracefully dance your fingers down over the prominent bulge resting impatiently there and you both let out a gasp at the touch. grayson leans forward to rest his forehead against yours as you cup him in your hand, quickly establishing a smooth rhythm and feeling him grow even harder in your hand. soft puffs escape his mouth and his hips begin to shift towards you, rocking into your rhythm whilst still being careful to remain as silent as possible so as not to wake his sleeping brother.

slowly, you drag your hand away, smiling to yourself at the almost inaudible displeased groan grayson gives you as you push him slowly onto his back. the bed creaks under his weight and you both wince at the noise, freezing again. when ethan’s sleepy breaths continue solidly, you fit yourself against grayson’s side; his arm resting under you, cradling your waist and hip; your head pressed into the crook of his neck and shoulder; your hand free to roam back down his chest to where he desires you most.

you waste no time in sliding your hand under the cotton underwear to feel the heady heat of him bare. you take a deep intake of breath as you wrap your hand around him and start to pump, pressing a sloppy kiss to his neck as you feel him throw his other arm over his eyes in pleasure, then slide his fist into his mouth to muffle any noises that threatened to escape.

the room still remained silent, save for the slick slide of your teasing hand grayson’s hard length and the movement of his restless legs against the scratchy sheets, unable to stay completely still at the feeling of euphoria you’re giving him. he desperately wants his mouth to be connected to yours but moans of pleasure threaten to overflow in you both so he frantically flits between capturing your lips between his own and covering his mouth with his hand or the edge of his pillow.

the intensity of the mixture of hard and soft, fast and slow, teasing and sure moments you’re giving him becomes too much for grayson to handle and his hips start to involuntarily thrust upwards into your clasped fist. the gasps that are escaping his mouth are growing louder as he gradually starts to come undone and you throw a leg over his to rest your body on his side, leaving your other hand free to slide two fingers into his opened mouth. this simple movement to mute his noises causes his hips to thrust up two, three times more and his jaw to slacken before he falls over the edge into euphoria. you can’t believe the sight you’ve just been able to watch and you daren’t blink, afraid that you’ll miss something that you’ll never get to see again.

eventually, he becomes too sensitive and winces, grabbing your hand off him and intertwining your fingers together. wiping quickly at his stomach with an edge of the sheet, he tugs at your waist so you fall back into his side, directly into his waiting lips that capture yours in a deep, slow kiss.

you feel his hand start to travel down your side, sliding under your oversized t-shirt and hovering just over your soaked panties. from behind you, shuffling occurs again and you grab hold of grayson’s hand to halt his motions. with a minute shake of your head, he retracts his hand, placing it onto your back instead and nods in understanding. he presses his forehead up against yours as if to telepathically communicate his thoughts – not now, not here. when we’re home.

he envelops your lips in another thorough kiss that leaves you breathless and secretly cursing that fact his twin brother is laid in the bed next to you both, rather than leaving you both alone. almost as if he can read your thoughts, grayson pulls away and smirks, whispering, “fuckin’ E,” before lightly shoving you over onto your other side and pulling you backwards so your back meets his bare chest. into your ear, he murmurs, “get some sleep, angel. sooner we’re awake, the sooner we can get back home and i can get you alone.”

the next morning, if ethan notices anything different between you and his twin brother, he’s subtle enough not to comment. although, the wink he throws you and the mouthed, finally! when grayson climbs out of ethan’s jeep at your apartment rather than at their house might tell at different story.

serious question from an english person - what do americans call goose bumps? nothing sounded right so sorry about that!

[catsworldlytravels]

Gooooooood morning Vietnam

It’s actually over 3 years since I went to Vietnam, better late than never in writing up about it! This trip was March 2017.

I had a direct flight from London to Hanoi with Vietnam Airlines, an extremely reasonable flight price of around £450 return if I remember rightly. After a 12+ hour flight, I landed at 4.30am local time, and after swiftly clearing immigration (British citizens didn’t – at time of travel – require a visa for stays under 15 days) I had quite a long wait for my bag as it was basically the last one round the carousel – always a slightly worrying time! I’d arranged a transfer to my hotel in central Hanoi, and after arriving at the hotel at around 6.30am I took myself off to bed. Top tip, especially when travelling somewhere where accommodation is cheap by western standards – if you are arriving somewhere first thing in the morning, book a hotel room for the previous night so you can check in and either get some kip for a few hours, or freshen up before you start exploring. The hotel I was staying in was approx £30 per night which was worth every penny to be able to crash for a few hours.

As it turned out, I was absolutely knackered, the product of being in a job I didn’t enjoy (part of the reason I’d gone on sabbatical the year before), and at the time I’d actually just been successful in interviewing for another job in the same company which I would start shortly after returning from this trip. Much less stress and a better work/life balance, but that isn’t the topic of this blog, and as such I pretty much slept through the entire day. Fortunately I’d arrived a day early to join the trip so I didn’t miss out on that much, and it gave my body clock a chance to adjust.

After a long sleep, I awoke refreshed on the second day and after breakfasting in the hotel, I set off exploring Hanoi. One thing I had been warned about prior to this trip was that attempting to cross the street in Hanoi would be an interesting experience, certainly if you waited as you would in the U.K. for a break in the traffic, I’d still be stuck on the wrong side of the street now! It is a little unnerving basically having to walk out into traffic but, unbelievably, it works. Most people in Vietnam ride scooters as the taxes on (usually imported) cars are prohibitively expensive, and they are used to adjusting their speeds for pedestrians. After building up confidence to cross the street, I made my way to Hoan Kiam Lake and walked around it, enjoying the early morning sights including the locals enjoying some early morning yoga/meditation along the shores.

Hoan Kiam Lake, Hanoi

After some more wandering to a temple and to the market, I headed back to my hotel for some much needed air-con. After a short break from the heat, I ventured back outside and grabbed lunch – a delicious Bánh Mì from Banh Mi 25, one of the top-rated places for Bánh Mì in Hanoi. Bánh Mì are a delicious fusion sandwich, a baguette-style bread roll filled with pate, grilled meat, cucumber and pickled veg, and an absolute bargain with a Bánh Mì and bottle of water costing the equivalent of 75p!

In the afternoon I walked to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum complex and around the botanical gardens before retreating back to the hotel. In the evening I met the rest of the group (a G Adventures trip) and we headed out for dinner.

An early start the next morning as we headed to Halong Bay. It was a 4 hour drive punctuated by a stop at a project which creates employment for disabled people by teaching them crafts and needlework which is then sold. A very interesting idea.

We arrived at Halong Bay and boarded our overnight junk boat in time for lunch. As we set sail through the bay, the limestone karsts that we passed through reminded me a little bit of Milford Sound. I’ve since also been to Khao Sok in Thailand which was very reminiscent of Halong Bay. We sailed through the bay in the afternoon, stopping off in a couple of places including Ti Top Island where we climbed up 400 steps to take in the views.

Halong Bay

We had dinner on the boat, all freshly made on board and plate after plate of delicious food was served up. After enjoying the stars with a couple of drinks, I retreated to bed. Another early start the following morning with breakfast at 7am before we visited a Sung Sot Cave, the largest cave in Halong Bay, which had this amazing, wave-like ceiling.

Sung Sot Cave, Halong Bay

We then headed back to land and late morning got off the boat and headed on the 4 hour journey back to Hanoi. We were taking the overnight train south to Hue but had a few hours spare before then, so I went on a street food tour. If you haven’t already gathered, I absolutely loved the food in Vietnam. I think it’s the best food I’ve had anywhere, and certainly the cheapest. We wandered the streets of Hanoi, sampling lots of delicious food before ending up in Hanoi Food Culture where we had the Vietnamese speciality of egg coffee (or egg chocolate in my case as I’m not a coffee drinker)

Egg chocolate – an alternate version of the Vietnamese speciality egg coffee

We boarded the train in the evening, around 9pm. We were travelling in first class which comprised of 4-berth bunks with shared toilets/squats at the ends of the carriages. Second class was 6-berth bunks, followed by soft seats and hard seats (as you might recall from the Top Gear Vietnam special). I took a top bunk. The journey itself was very loud and the train was very shaky, and I don’t remember sleeping too much. The overnight train I’ve since been on in Thailand was a much more comfortable ride.

We arrived in Hue at 10.30am the next morning. It was noticeably hotter and more humid. Despite arriving early, we were able to check in to our hotel where I promptly showered before heading out for a quick wander before we went on our included trips in the afternoon. I ventured for a walk along the Perfume River before retreating to the air con ahead of our afternoon tours. Firstly we went to the Tien Mu Pagoda:

Tien Mu Pagoda, Hue

We then went to the main attraction in Hue, the Imperial Citadel. An imposing collection of buildings, and much, much larger than I imagined. The citadel was built in the early 1800s and was targeted during the Vietnam War. You can see the bullet holes from the Vietnam War in some of the walls.

Imperial citadel, Hue

We also squeezed in a visit to the Royal Tombs on an busy sightseeing afternoon.

At the Royal Tombs, Hue

The next morning I did a motorbike tour (as backseat passenger!) – an absolute must-do in a country where motorbikes/scooters are the primary form of transport. We were taken out to the countryside outside of Hue, seeing rice fields, monasteries and a colosseum where elephants and tigers once fought. We had an included vegetarian lunch at the monastery which was, once again, absolutely delicious.

Colosseum; Biker pose; River views

We arrived back in Hue after lunch and then headed south over the Hai Van Pass towards Hoi An. Unfortunately it was a bit cloudier than ideal which didn’t make for the best photos, but we still saw some great views.

Views on the drive to Hoi An.

We arrived in Hoi An in the late afternoon. Our guide took us on a brief orientation tour as we had 3 nights here to explore. We bumped into Jack Whitehall and his dad filming their Netflix travel series whilst we were wandering down tailors row – an unexpected sight! Hoi An is famous for getting cheap tailoring which can be ready in as little as 24 hours, but I didn’t partake on this occasion.

The following day we had an included excursion in the morning to Planeterra’s project here, Oodles of Noodles. This project taught local kids both the skills of cooking in a professional environment, as well as some English language. We learned to make rice pancakes, and then enjoyed a delicious bowl of noodles for lunch:

Lunch at Oodles of Noodles, Hoi An

We had a free afternoon where I enjoyed walking around Hoi An old town. Sincerely the prettiest place I’ve ever been.

Sights of Hoi An, the prettiest place I’ve ever been

The next day was a free day. The weather was a bit dodgy, grey with the occasionally downpour but still very warm, so after a relaxing morning at the hotel, I went for a hot stone massage in the afternoon. £20 for a 90 minute massage was an absolute bargain, even if I was a bit sore the following day! In the evening we enjoyed a walk (and some bargains) in the night markets.

The next morning was an early start for a flight from nearby Danang to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), formerly Saigon. Even hotter and more sticky than Hue. After checking in to the hotel mid morning, and then going for lunch to have pho (finally!), we then had a free afternoon. Ho Chi Minh City has some pretty spectacular architecture, including many remnants of the French colonial era:

Notre Dame Cathedral, HCMC; City Hall; The Post Office, HCMC

The following day we had an included trip out to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a network of tunnels built by the Viet Cong outside of Saigon during the Vietnam War. It was fascinating to learn about the guerilla tactics used by the Viet Cong, and amazing to see the size of the tunnels, which were utterly minuscule.

Cu Chi Tunnels, barely big enough for a body to fit through

We came back to HCMC for lunch and then had a free afternoon. I decided to go to the War Remnants museum which is is a sobering affair. Be warned – there are some very graphic pictures of the effects of the chemical warfare. It was also horrifying to learn that people still live with the effects having been exposed at the time, but also because some of the effects can be passed on to offspring. A sobering reminder of the legacy of war, and well worth a visit.

That evening was our final group dinner before I left the following day. More delicious food, this time Vietnamese barbecue.

Vietnamese BBQ – cook your own dinner!

I had most of the next day free before an evening flight back to London via Hanoi. It was extremely hot and sticky again, and after a walk in the morning to the Reunification Palace and a failed attempt to find the Jade Emperor Pagoda, I retreated back to the hotel and air con and a shower before heading to the airport in the late afternoon.

So, what were my impressions of Vietnam? Genuinely part of the reason I went was after I’d seen the Top Gear Vietnam show, it looked a beautiful and fascinating country. A few people I’d met on my previous travels had also been and talked about what a wonderful country it is. And it certainly was. Everyone was friendly, I didn’t feel afraid walking around by myself, a solo female traveller (albeit on a group tour). It was very cheap – obviously I’d paid for the trip and accommodation/transport beforehand, and so all I had to buy whilst there was food, drinks, excursions and souvenirs. I was there for 10 days and spent less than £150 – and that included a $40 motorbike trip and a £20 massage. The absolute best food I’ve had anywhere I’ve been either before or since (with Peru close behind). And a fascinating, and devastating, recent history. Would absolutely recommend, and when I do go back again to South East Asia, I wouldn’t think twice about going back.

from WordPress https://catsgreatadventure.wordpress.com/2020/07/25/gooooooood-morning-vietnam/

[weekleegeography]

Story Telling #1: Be Double Triple Sure of Your Stuffs

This story taught me to be more attentive and alert not only in my planning but also throughout my travels.

Somewhere somehow, you have heard how travelling allows you to discover yourself and how it teaches you many things that school cannot teach. As I solo-travelled more and more often, I have made mistakes which serves me a lesson today. Travel will not be memorable without some slips and errors. Humans are amazing to respond to stress and critical situations no matter how big or small. I have made many mistakes throughout my travels, and I am growing from it. I would like to share with you a particular incident (or rather incidents) on my first solo travel which taught me wonderful life experience.

My first solo travel came about in 2017 when I was 19 years old. I was scheduled to travel to Singapore to meet some friends and to experience solo travel for the first time. Singapore is an amazing place to start solo travelling as it is not only very safe, but also very convenient with its modern infrastructure, public transport, and internet access. If you're looking for a safe, comfortable platform to start solo travelling, I highly recommend Singapore. I'm getting off-topic, so let's go back.

Being my first time planning a solo trip on my own, I was responsible for booking my transportation, accommodation, and a rough itinerary during my stay in Singapore. Anything you do for the first time is definitely nervous, and I was no exception. I decided to book a bus ride to Singapore as it was the cheapest option to travel to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur with only roughly RM50 per ticket per way. A bus ride from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore takes roughly 7 hours to arrive, and I thought to myself that the bus ride itself is an adventure.

My first mistake happened when I was booking the bus ticket. After booking the tickets, I was proud of myself for making that bold move to travel on my own when I suddenly realized that I booked the wrong day. I got the ticket from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur correctly, but I have accidentally booked my bus ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on a wrong date, which back then, was tomorrow. Frantically, I called the bus operator to ask if I was able to change, but they said no because the bus was scheduled to leave in a few hours, and it was too late. I painstakingly rebooked a new bus ticket with RM45 burned. As I just entered university at that time, RM45 was a lot and it was painful to lose the money due to my carelessness. I thought that was the time that I have learned my mistake but little did I know it was just the beginning of my travel woes.

[How I was so careless]

Fast forward to 21st June 2017, it is my travel day to Singapore! “This is it, Henri! You’re gonna do this today. You are solo-travelling and you should be proud!” I checked my bus departure time, it shows 8.30 am. Great! My mom dropped me off at the nearest LRT station from my house at 7 am at the crack of dawn and I took the LRT to KL Sentral (Malaysia's largest transit hub) where I will be boarding the bus. I arrived at 7.40 am. It was the rush hour and many people are heading to their workplace. I went to McDonald's and had a filling breakfast of Sausage McMuffin with Eggs and a cup of coffee. I sat and enjoyed my breakfast as I wait for the time to pass.  

[Oh my! I was using Snapchat back then.]

"Ah, nice breakfast! It's 8.10 am, I should start walking to the bus," I told myself. I took out the paper to check where exactly should I gather to board the bus. "Kiosk AK-01 blah blah blah Berjaya Times Square Jalan Imbi…….”

“Wait what?”

[Oh......... crap.]

I froze. I could not believe my eyes. I read and read and read again to make sure I was not dreaming. I was supposed to gather in Berjaya Times Square, not KL Sentral. I WAS SUPPOSED TO GATHER IN BERJAYA TIMES SQUARE, NOT KL SENTRAL.

[How far is Berjaya Times Square from KL Sentral]

Adrenaline kicked in, I looked at the time, it was 8.12 am. I panicked, I did not know what to do and for a moment I thought I will miss the bus and say goodbye to my adventures and money. There was no way travelling on the road will bring me to Berjaya Times Square fast. It is the rush hour after all and the roads will not be movable. I can’t run there as well it is almost 6km away. Is there some kind of train which I can take-

The monorail.

[This looks like the fastest viable option]

I don't remember sprinting so fast in my life. I was quite certain at that point that I would have missed the bus or to be more dramatic, reaching Berjaya Times Square to see my bus leaving me behind. However, I gave a shot. I ran to the monorail station and just managed to grab a train right on time before it shuts. If I missed that train, I would have missed my bus for sure as the next train will take some time to arrive given Malaysia's public transport system back at that time. I was restless in the monorail train. Jalan Imbi, the station which I need to get down from, was the fourth stop and for the first two stops, things were quick and fast as only a little passenger alight and entered the train.

THEN HERE COMES HANG TUAH STATION (STATION 3).

As the train enters the station, I felt a small part of my heart died when I saw the wave of people waiting at the station to sandwich their way into the train. I looked at the time, it was 8.24 am. "I have made it this far, please don't slow me down," I was begging and stressing. The train stopped and the doors were opened. The phrase “packed in like sardines” came to life as I was immensely squeezed in the train by boarding passengers.

THEN HERE COMES AN OLD LADY.

The train was so packed I could smell the armpits of the dude next to me. This old lady (let’s call her Nenek) was determined to join the sardine squad and insisted of going in. “Let me in, squeeze in, I want to go in,” says Nenek. “Nenek, wait for the next train, we can’t squeeze anymore,” one of the passengers told her. However, she was determined to enter, and the brawl between her and the sardines lasted for a full 30 seconds before she managed to squeeze in. I was internally dying, knowing that the 30 seconds lost could be the deciding factor that I will miss the bus.

“Anda kini tiba di Stesen Jalan Imbi, you have reached Jalan Imbi Station" I sprinted out from that sardine and looked at my watch. It was 8.29 am. I was honestly so shocked that I could even reach Jalan Imbi station in 20 minutes. I continued sprinting to Berjaya Times Square, running down the mall, exiting the mall and started finding for my bus.

And there I saw it.

The magnificent beast was still there waiting for me. I ran to the bus, showed my ticket and boarded the bus. I sat in my seat and looked at the time. It was 8.33 am. Within a minute, the bus closed its doors and left. There I was, drenched in sweat, panting my lungs out, but I made it. I was on my way to Singapore. I can't believe I beat the clock and raced all the way and managed to board the bus. I leaned on my chair and took a deep breath. “That was intense. Glad that’s over. I have learned my lesson to check my ticket carefully.”

Little did I know there was more to come. Oh, how wrong was I. How very wrong was I. I was 19, so naïve and innocent.

Anyways, I went to Singapore and met my Vietnamese friends. They brought me around, and I had an amazing time wandering around Singapore for 4 days and 3 nights. It was a pack 4 days of activities from attending an exhibition to massive long walks around Singapore, to enjoying the night view of this marvellous country. I felt contented and happy.

[Singapore skyline at night]

[My Vietnamese friends in Singapore]

[Another skyline of Singapore]

At last, we have reached the final day. My friend, Vanessa, agreed to accompany me until I board the bus and head back to Malaysia. I checked my departure location (carefully this time) and made it to the area. “The Plaza @ Beach Road,” I told myself. I looked at my watch, and I still had 1 hour to go before boarding the bus. I wanted to visit one more place before leaving. Vanessa said that we can visit the National Library, which is supposedly only a 10-minute walk from The Plaza. I agreed, and we went to the National Library. We spent around 40 minutes in the library, and I was fascinated at the size of the library. After that, we began walking to The Plaza.

[My view when Google Maps says I have reached my destination]

"You have reached your destination," says Google Maps. I looked at the venue. There wasn't any bus around. I looked at my watch, and sure enough, it is 10 minutes from the departure time. "The bus can't have already taken off right?" I wondered. I began walking around, but I still did not see any bus nor any sign of people around. To make things worse, I did not see "The Plaza", but instead I was greeted with ParkRoyal building. As I started wandering around and find, I began to panic. “No, not this again.”

I looked at my watch. 6 pm. I still fail to locate the bus and the venue. I was already imagining how I will have to sleep at the roadside for a night and fork out more money to buy another bus ticket back to Kuala Lumpur. In the end, I found the location. I did not venture in the building deep enough and it was somewhere behind ParkRoyal building. I frantically reached The Plaza, and a security guard looked at me.

[The Plaza, located behind ParkRoyal building]

"Excuse me, sir, there is supposed to be a bus to Kuala Lumpur here," I said.

“You’re late, the bus just left about a minute or two ago,” the guard replied me.  

Dead. I missed the bus, and now I have to sleep at the roadside and buy a new bus ticket tomorrow. Nice, Henri. You could have come and just waited for the bus instead of racing against time like this. Or you know, confirm and know exactly where your boarding place is before wandering off elsewhere. You messed up.

“However, I think you can try running to the bus stop at Beach Road outside ParkRoyal. The bus will pass there and if you made it before the bus passes there, they will let you in,” the guard continued.

That was enough to set me back to reality. “Thank you,” I replied. I looked at Vanessa and said “this is a terrible way to say bye, but bye thank you so much I’ll text you,” before sprinting off to the bus stop. I ran like a mad person, once again. The most dramatic moment came. I literally reached the bus stop at the same time as the bus was about to reach the bus stop. I waved my hands frantically to stop the bus, and thankfully the bus stopped for me. The bus driver was not too keen and scolded me for being late and delaying the bus. I apologized and grabbed my seat. Again, I was drenched in sweat, panting my lungs out…

But I made it.

As the gentleman beside me starts to scoot away from me due to my sweat odour, I texted Vanessa that I made it into the bus. I then just sat down and processed everything that has happened. I bought the wrong ticket, then I nearly missed my bus to Singapore, and I missed my bus back to Kuala Lumpur but managed to save it at the very end. Did that just happen? Yes, it did. It was a 6-hour bus journey home, and I reached KL Sentral at midnight.

Each travel taught me something, and this was no exception. It is common to mess and screw up during your travels. Things may not go according to plan, and stress is bound to happen at times. This is why some of the greatest travellers can adapt quickly to whatever situations that they suddenly face. Every traveller will have stories to share, and every travel will teach us something. For this trip, it taught me to be more attentive to the details.

[jessiewre]

Day 54

Thurs 27th Feb

🏖Watamu to Mombasa 🕌

The day had finally arrived and we were leaving Watamu. We'd been totally sucked in and it was easy to see why - beautiful beaches, cheap but decent hotel with AC, tasty Italian food, super nice and helpful hotel staff that greeted us like old friends, and lets not forget the absolute jewel in the crown, Barry. 

We'd planned on 4 days, which had somehow turned into 10, and although the draw of more time with Barry was overwhelming (maybe for Phil), we couldn't delay it any longer. Phil's marathon was looming.

So we went down for breakfast, hiding the mustard from view incase Wendy was around, and chatted to Edwin our waiter while watching the Man City vs Real Madrid highlights. The food selection that morning was a little different - what I thought was a chickpea curry turned out to be a maize stew. Phil was not keen. But we got our Spanish omelettes to order so PANIC OVER. 

Check out was mildly emotional as the staff waved goodbye to their favourite ever guests (probably) with tears in their eyes (maybe) and pain in their hearts (definitely). They told us to keep in touch and to make sure we came back - yeah, it was intense. They must have some really dull guests normally...that reminds me, Barry rocked up to say bye and made sure he got Phil's number no doubt so he could share his hilarious memes and top lad BANTER.

Our tuc tuc driver took us to Gede and helped us find a bus going to Mombasa. Phil's height got him the Vip front seat and I squashed in the back like the peasant that I am. The ticket man was a full on hustler, getting the bus to collect people on the street who didn't even seem to want to go to Mombasa. But despite this, the journey was quick and the best bit was I realised we were going to drive past our hostel area 20 minutes before we got to Mombasa centre - so we got off the bus at Bob's bar corner and only had a 5 minute walk to get there. 

And what did we pass on the way? A JAVA CAFE. A symbol of reliability and AC. Once we'd got through the super high tech security of a plastic table in a car park, Phil ordered his favourite tomato soup with masala fries and I ordered a Greek salad, safe in the knowledge that I would be tucking into Phil's masala fries whether he liked it or not. 

The hostel Tuliahouse showed us two rooms - one large room near the pool, with high ceilings and an amazing mosquito net, plus an ensuite, for $35 and then one small room tucked awkwardly upstairs with NO bathroom and a pathetic mozi net for $31. Umm let me think, which one to have...

Ok so some people might think we went for the cheap one to save ourselves 4 whole dollars and it does sound like something we might do. But not this time guys. We splashed out. Not that this big room was perfect by any means. The shower head flew off as soon as the water was turned on and then I realised there was no bath mat or toilet roll. Sweet. God knows what would have been wrong in the other room.

We went straight to the pool for a chill out (it had been a tough day already) and Phil read some blog. He's just reached the night bus journey where he ate old Mexican food and it made us laugh a lot. Hope you're enjoying this moment reading a blog about reading a blog that you’ve already read. 

Phil suggested we go to explore the Old Town of Mombasa before sunset, so we jumped into an Uber with a slightly depressed driver and got out at Fort Jesus, a big old fort by the coast. There was a load of young teens playing a game of football right near it and in the evening light with the fort in the background, it looked pretty epic.

The Old Town was mildly interesting to walk round but had a weird vibe. One person told Phil to be careful with his phone then another told us to walk a different way as it was dodgy. The best bit was coming across a small tea shop by the waters edge where a man had three pots going with different hot drinks and loads of cups, plus a large group of customers sat around enjoying the view. I was about to go into the order area when I suddenly noticed there were only men there. As it was a Muslim area, I checked with the guy if I could come in. He looked at me like I was mental and said Yes of course. Phil also looked at me like I was mental. I was just trying to make sure I didn't offend anyone! And by doing so, I may have offended someone. FFS.

A small cup of ginger coffee was handed to me while Phil walked off to watch the kids who were fishing off the rocks. The tea was extremely sweet and extremely gingery, stinging the throat with ginger spice, but not actually bad. I had some small talk with the men sat around and then called over to Phil to get change to pay

15ksh for my tea. I looked back at the men and said 'He carries the wallet, but the money inside is mine'.

Oh my God these men HOWLED with laughter like it was the funniest thing they'd ever heard. Maybe it actually was poor things.  

The rest of the walk was pretty forgettable and we got in another Uber (with another extremely depressed driver) to get to a restaurant. It was still early but I'd found a place called Bollywood Bites (thats right people) that said it opened ‪at 6pm. We definitely didn’t expect to be eating so much Indian food on this trip but we are certainly not unhappy about it‬. Got dropped off to a mall complex and found this bizarre Bollywood themed place with no one in it and blasting cold AC. Perfect! Cool air and fast service is a Philly Tours Thursday special.

The cheapest rice on the menu was $4.90 - which is mental of course - so we decided to go rogue and try to have our first ever curry with no rice (!). It's funny the things we refuse to pay for - but it worked out great. Paneer Tikka masala, aloo tiki Chaat and garlic naan with some potato ball starters was yummmmmy. Phil was like 'Ya know what, I'm not gonna have a beer I'm just gonna have a coke and take it easy'.

At which point I let me know that I was fully aware that the restaurant didn't even sell beer and he wasn't fooling anyone.

We got a small doggy bag and got another Uber, crossing our fingers for someone a little more joyful. Francis was a young guy who actually let us have the AC on and stopped off for us to buy water too (I bought him a lemon drink to say thanks). So we booked him for our morning pick up and went straight to watch the Crown in our boiling hot room.