#we know nothing about her but I am confident in my statement

[miraclegemz]

Trip is the weirdgirl representation we need in the Sonic series.

[norrizzandpia]

Happy Birthday (LN4)

Summary: It’s his favorite person’s birthday

Warnings: literally none just language

Note: my bday being a few days ago has nothing to do with this!!!!!!!! I know it’s short but I got a late start to this tn 😭😭 hopefully I can get some much needed writing time tomorrow

landonorris happy birthday to my person! I told myself I would just say all of this to your face but on second thought I want the world to know just how much I care about you. To be honest, when we first met, I never thought we would be here; in love and prepared to spend the rest of our lives together. I just didn’t think you would like me that way. However, the day you said yes to going on a date with me will forever be one of the greatest days of my life. That was the day my life truly started because, as cliche as it is, you are my life. I’ve never cared or loved someone as hard as I do you and I’m eternally honored to be the person you come home to at the end of the day. Being your boyfriend over these past few years has taught me a few things. The first thing being that someone’s laugh actually can become your favorite sound. Always thought that was an over exaggeration but hearing you laugh and knowing I was the one to make you laugh is completely different from the happiness I feel when I win a race. The feeling’s better because you’re better. The second thing being that loving someone doesn’t have to be hard. I feel like people think love is a hard thing but with you it’s not. From the start, loving you has been easy because you understand me and you love me wholly for who I am. There has never been a time where I had to force myself to love you or work to strengthen the love I harbor for you, and there will never be a time that will happen. Loving you is like watching the sunrise. It’s peaceful and quiet, beautiful to look at and experience, and, most of all, it’s relieving because you know there’s going to be the hardships of the day, but that’s ok because you can always come back to the memory of waking up, starting your day, with such a gorgeous view. I don’t have to say that I think you’re the most stunning person to grace this Earth, you already know. But, if somehow you don’t, I’ll repeat it to you for the rest of our lives. Lastly, sorry I know this is long, the third thing you have taught me is to enjoy life. People seem to think that mentality came from my own mind, but, no, it didn’t. It came from you who said it to me one night when I had a panic attack over the stress of racing and performing well. You sat with me in our bed, held me as I freaked out, comforted me, and told me that I had forgotten to enjoy life. In the moment, you had related that statement to me enjoying the privilege of being able to do what I love as a profession especially when what I want to do is so hard to get in to. Although, after thinking on that statement, I realize that enjoying life has nothing to do with racing and everything to do with you. Enjoying life is cherishing the moments where I get to wake up to you, cherishing the times when you tell me you love me, cherishing the ability to love you, cherishing the calls I get in the middle of the night because you don’t care what time it is where I am, all you want do to is tell me the gossip you heard that day, cherishing the fact that I’m the person you want to spill those secrets to, cherishing the knowledge that I’m the person you trust enough to confide in, and cherishing you. Anyways, I should stop now because you’re actually calling my phone as I write this. Probably going to tell me something about your high school arch nemesis coming back into your life to ask for F1 tickets. Don’t worry, I’ll act surprised and tell you she’s out of her mind if she thinks she’s coming anywhere near a race circuit dressed in our colors. Happy birthday, baby.

Loved always by me,

Your biggest fan 🧡

Comments:

mclarensgirlyy SO BASICALLY ILL JUST GO THROW MYSELF OFF A CLIFF THEN

f1fan22 i will never recover.

ynnn LANDO THIS IS THE SWEETEST THING I HAVE EVER READ I AM FUCKING CRYING I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH LAN THANK YOU I LOVE YOU

- landonorris I love you more baby

- mclarenfan4 STOP THIS MADNESS 😭😭😭😭😭😭

ln4andop81 he is so gone for her like I just genuinely don’t even think winning is top priority for him anymore it’s her

- landonorris ofc I’m literally so in love with her she’s my end all, be all

- ynnn so I’ve passed away.

[luvacookie]

୨୧ thru ur phone.

connie leaves his phone unattended.

❥ warnings : cheating, threats, intended useage of lowercase, fem blk coded reader

❥ cookie for ur thoughts ? : sorry guys was in an angsty mood so i wrote an angsty drabble </3 but i am considering writing a follow up to this !

“the fuck is this connie ?”

he stares at his game, the lighting from the screen highlighting the contortion of his face.

“what’cha on about..” he says dazed, groaning as he gets killed again.

you throw his phone on top of his desk harshly, the device landing face up. he jumps at the unexpected, loud noise, his eyes finally cutting away from the screen and to you with a squint.

“what the fuck ? i’m in the middle of s’mthin’ ‘nd you throwin’ shit in my face,” he says with a huff, unaware of what almost hit him.

“ion give a fuck about your dumb fucking game ! who the fuck is that and why is she texting you about how she misses you in her fucking bed constance,” you shout at him, your hands fidgeting in annoyance.

his face drops at that statement, suddenly sitting up straight and realising that it was his phone that you were holding.

he snatches it up quickly, scrolling through all the notifications.

“the fuck you going through my shit for y/n—” he says annoyed, looking up at you with a scowl.

“don’t play that card with me right now, i’m so close to beating the living shit outta your ass !” you yell, the fidgeting turning into mild pacing.

he watches you move up and down with narrowed eyes, the words on his tongue struggling to find an exit. “it’s nobody, stop stressin’ over it.”

“ ‘nobody’ my fucking ass constance ! you think ‘cus you named the bitch ‘work’ in yo’ phone means i’m fuckin’ dumb ?” you snap at him, standing in one place.

he stands up out of his gaming chair, attempting to cross the room to you.

“don’t fuckin’ come near me connie. i swear to god, i will put hands on your scumbag ass—” you spew, taking steps backwards.

“y/n talk to me, we can talk about this,” he tries, his hands reaching for you.

you scoff. “fuck tha’ and fuck you. get your shit and fuckin’ go.”

he looks taken aback, not expecting those words out of your mouth. “huh ?”

“i’m not fucking repeating myself, find somewhere else to be ‘cus i do not want to see your fucking face right now,” you say firmly, watching him.

his eyes scan over you in mild disbelief. he tries to step towards you again and you step back, your mindset clear and decided. he stops and looks around for a brief moment before disappearing into your shared bedroom.

you exhale a shaky breath and the tears, that you didn’t know you were holding, start falling. you hold your mouth to silence the sounds of your cries, opting to move into the living room and sit on the couch as they continue to slide down your face.

you try to slow your heart rate and your breathing, desperate to keep your composure so that when he walks into the room you can keep your head held high.

you’re texting your best friend, informing her of the situation when connie appears in front of you from a distance, holding a duffle bag with a few random items in it and his shoes.

“i- i’m sorry y/n, i am,” he mumbles, rocking back and forth on his feet like a child.

“sorry isn’t fucking good enough,” you reply.

he opens his mouth to say something but decides not to, choosing to put his shoes on and unlock the front door.

he turns to look at you before leaving, the chain rattling as the door shuts.

when you feel confident enough that he’s out of range you start sobbing, the tears flowing consistently.

there’s nothing you can do but let the heartbreak consume you, ignoring the sound of his car racing down the street.

[kaita0]

Til the Day I Die One

Pairing: Logan Howlett x Reader Word Count: 2k

Summary: You have a big fat crush on the lone wolf and you try so hard to avoid and shove your feelings down. What happens when two people who clearly like each other constantly avoid their feelings and hide their emotions?

Warnings: Angst, Slow Burn,

Notes: Reader has wings/Eagle Mutant with Talons

“Jean I just found-” You cut yourself off with the sight before you. There sat a topless rugged man with dark brown hair with an equally dark-haired beard. Sweat glistening down his body, mouth agape at the sight before your eyes. You didn’t know what to say. What can you say at this moment? So many thoughts were going through your mind for miles at a time. 

You heard your name being called multiple times. A sheepish smile appeared on your lips. “I’m sorry!” You move your wings to shield your face. “I didn’t know you had a guest.” You could hear two pairs of chuckles coming from in front of you. “It's ok, There’s no need to worry. Just give me a few minutes to get this big guy settled.” You nod your head even though they are unable to see it. As you scurry out of the clinic, you fail to see the way the mysterious man’s eyes follow after you. 

Ever since you caught a glimpse of the man, you just couldn’t get him out of your head. From his muscular body to his strong jaw. Or even the protruding veins running along his big arms. The way he would saunter around the school, a smug grin on his face that was filled with confidence and arrogance. You kept your distance, choosing to always watch from a safe yet wonderful distance. 

You could already feel your face start to burn up and the big fat grin appearing on your face at the thought of him. You feel someone tap your shoulder, and your eyes meet with Storm’s as she has a small grin on her face. “What you thinking about?” She asks, her voice was playful. “Nothing important.” A small ‘sure’ leaves Ororo’s lips. You turn your whole body to her, tilting your head in confusion. “Is there something wrong?” She shakes her head at your words. “Nothing really, The professor wants you in his office.” 

You are confused on this information. As you haven’t been having any troubles with the students or with missions. So what could he possibly be asking you about now? “I guess, I will go now. See you later?” Your words come out more so as a question than a statement. Ororo smiles and nods her head, watching you go up the stairs of the mansion. Once you reach the professor’s door, you give it a light knock. Even though your mutant abilities are very animal-like, doesn’t mean you are actually one. 

You hear a soft ‘come in’ before you open the door. “I am sorry to interrupt, but I promise I did nothing wrong this time-“ You cut yourself off when your eyes lay on the other person in the office. There stood the man you had been thinking about for the past few days, arms crossed and a smug expression on his face. “Hello my dear, I have a small request of you.” You slowly step into the room and close the door softly behind you. “It’s time you officially met our guest, Logan.” Finally getting the name of the mysterious man, you reach your hand for a formal shake. At first, it seemed Logan was only going to sit there and stare at your hand but after a while, he eventually shakes your hands. 

He gave your hand a very firm shake before quickly letting go. “I need you to show Logan around. Let him get a bit more aquatinted with what we do here.” Your eyes quickly turn to the Professor. “I am confused. He’s been here for 2 days, surely others are better suited to be his guide around here. Like Ororo or even Jean. Hell, maybe even Scott. I just don’t think it's wise for me to do when I have only been here for a few months.” You explain, Charles nodding along with your words. 

“Don’t worry, you will do great. It is nothing major after all just a tour. As for your questions on Ororo, Jean, and Scott. I have them doing a mission we spoke of previously.” A small sigh escapes your lips. “Ok, I’ll show him around.” You can see the smile appearing on Charles’ face. “Perfect. Now run along you two. There is a lot to uncover.” Before long you and Logan stood outside of the professor’s door. You couldn’t shake the feeling that this was starting to feel like some sort of setup. “Well, Aren’t you going to show me around?” 

You glance in his direction, seeing how his eyes wander around the mansion. As you begin to explain the purpose of all of this. The reason why the Professor started this school for the gifted, is the reason the X-Men exist. You bother now outside of the mansion, taking a small stroll in the garden. “Do you have any questions?” You ask Logan, not really having your eyes on him but the pond in front of the both of you. There's no need to actually look at him since you see his reflection in the water. You weren’t ready to see the way his eyes trailed along your body as if examining you. 

“How do they work?” You raise an eyebrow in confusion, such as a vague question. You turn to look at him. “What are you talking about?” That's when you feel a slight tug on your wings, making them unconsciously spread. Logan’s eyes run along the wings, not to mention his surprise and fascination. Just silently listen to your words. “I mean, it's the same as when you control your arms.” You begin to demonstrate by folding and unfolding your wings. “It’s like when you take those claws you got.” Logan’s eyebrows scrunch together. “They are not claws.” 

A small smirk appears on your lips. “So what would you call them?” You watch as his mouth opens to close once again. A loud grunt leaves his lips as he turns away from you and begins to walk away. “Hold up, Don’t get mad at me because you don’t know. Mr. Claw.” If you thought he was moving quickly then, you couldn’t even describe the pace he was going now. Using your wings to float above him. “No need to get so angry! I was just trying to lighten the mood.” He continues to ignore you as he enters the mansion, leaving you in the air behind him. You gracefully land on the floor and continue following behind him. “I didn’t show you where your bedroom is. Unless you want to go back into the lab room where you have been.” Logan’s feet come to a stop, making the grin already on your face widen at his display. 

You only got to be around him for a few hours alone and honestly, he seems like a big grumpy old wolf to you. A little laugh escapes your lips as you think of the comparison. “What you laughing about?” You are startled by his words and shake your head. “Nothing just follow me.” You lead him to his room. “Well, Good night.” The awkwardness between you two is so thick you decide to just run along. You left without hearing your own good night from Logan. “Goodnight to you too, bub.”

As the night grew apparent, Logan lay in bed thinking of everything that had happened. The fight he got into with “Sabbertooth”, the impending doom of Magneto, and You. He obviously couldn’t sleep with these many things on his mind. Eyes land on the clock next to him reading ‘3:45 AM’  He grumbles under a “shit” under his breath as he slides out of the bed. His feet touched the cold tiles on the floor. He takes steady and long steps out the door and to the kitchen. 

In the kitchen, he sees the fridge door open. He raises an eyebrow and wonders who could possibly be in the kitchen at this time of night. He could see the feathers peaking out around the fridge door. “What are you doing up?” He could see you jump and quickly close the door to the fridge. He could see how rigid your body was from shock. He watched it sink into a more comfortable aura. The furrowed eyebrows fall and rest calmly back onto your face. 

Logan was so worried watching your facial features that he didn’t hear a word you said. “Huh?” He questions you. “I said I came for a small snack. What are you doing up?” You raise your eyebrow, curiosity was evident in your eyes as you search his whole body. He folds his arms together and leans against the kitchen doorframe. A cocky grin on his lips. “Hoping to find some beer. You can even say I’m also looking for a snack.” He watches the smile grow on your lips as you shake your head. “I don’t have any beer or any sort of liquor. This is still a school after all. I do have some Chamomile tea.” Logan scrunches his face up in confusion. “What is that?” You turn to go into one of the cabinets to pull out a yellow box. You open it to show him the many tea packets inside. 

“I don’t think I want that.” He grumbles. “I promise, this will have you sleep quicker than any brand of bee can.” Logan’s facial expression still doesn’t change as he isn’t convinced about the effects of the tea. “And how do I know I can trust you on these things? You are so bold to compare the two.” You send him a little smile. “Just because we are in a school, doesn't mean I don’t have a life outside of all this. Just trust me.” Logan was amused by this. His genuine first impression of you, cute, small, shy little thing. After all, Logan was twice your size and the first time he saw you covered your face with your wings. You just seemed so fragile. 

He decided he was going to trust you and sent you a small nod before sitting down at the table inside the kitchen. You clasp your hands together as you begin to bowl the water. Once you fixed up the cup, you set it in front of Logan, who eyed you suspiciously. You nudge the cup once more so he can take the hint. After a few minutes, he takes the cup and takes a few sips. He sets the cup down, eyes closed because of the warm feeling running down his throat. He would be lying if he said the tea didn’t taste good. You stand there awaiting his reaction. He gives a slight nod in acknowledgment. 

“See, it's good, isn’t it? We can sit and drink together.” You pull out your cup and sit next to him. You both sit in silence as you drink your cups of tea. It didn’t take long for you to finish your cup, Logan was done a while ago. He had even begun to drink the empty cup in hopes of just sitting here a little longer. Your presence just makes things go quiet. It makes it easier to just exist with this silence. “Well, I’m all done. Hope to see you tomorrow.” Logan watches you get up from your seat and leaves the kitchen. You stop before you fully leave. “Goodnight, Bub.” He was taken aback by the statement, he didn’t think you heard him. A smile forms on his lips at this. He too begins to get up to go to his room. The effects of the tea hit him as his eyelids began to feel heavy. He makes it to his room where he flops in and sleep takes him. 

Logan tosses and turns in the bed, broken memories going through his mind as a nightmare. He begins to mutter unknown words. There stood Rouge over his sleeping body, staring at him. Her expression stretched with worry as she looked down at Logan. Her hands slowly creeping to touch Logan. As if awoken by the small touch, Logan launches out of the bed and towards Rouge. His claws were already outstretched and stabbing into her upper chest. A loud gasp left Rouge's lips at the sudden pain etching through her body. Without much thought, her hands reach out to grab onto Logan’s arm. 

Almost as if Logan was under a spell, his eyes blink quickly before everything settles in. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.” He began to repeat over and over again. His words stopped once he too felt pain coursing through his body. Starting at his arm and leading up to his neck and head. A loud growl escapes his lips as he crumbles to the ground. The door to the room slams open and Storm and many others are behind her. “What’s going on in here?” Rouge guilty turns her head around and mutters, "It was an accident.” As You and Storm rush to Logan’s aid. 

[lovingksuki]

✰ SECRET ADMIRER

— highschoolers bakugo x fem!reader

synopsis: an anonymous love letter appears in your locker on valentine's day. surprised, you and your best friend start an investigation to uncover who was that person observing you from afar. meanwhile, a flushed bakugo tries to ruin your plans on the undercover alongside his shitty-haired buddy

cw: sfw; mostly fluff; lil angst; very insecure bakugo; romantic comedy; puberty; silly jokes; little swearing.

a/n: this is part one of three. let me know if you want this mini series to be continued :) and pls be patient since english is not my first language hehe ;;

word count: 1k

"oh c'mon! what if there's a heart shaped letter in your locker? you never know..."

"there's not."

"you can't be so certain about it. my girl is never looking her surroundings, who knows if someone got their heart pierced by an arrow?" mina pointed.

"shut up, every year the same thing..." you rushed and right after turning the corridor you captured by distance. "ok. maybe you were right." you said finding the metal compartment half closed.

then you grabbed the red paper in her hands, paying attention to the almost dry daisy taped lazily on the front; glanced around not spotting anything or anyone suspicious about it, then turned to your best friend.

"i got a feeling you're part of this." spurred.

"whoa, i was joking just now! even i am chocked. who's the sender?" the pink colored girl held her hands up in protest.

"i don't know, there's only my name." you stated carefully sticking the little flower out.

"let me search for a hint." mina took the letter from your hands suddenly, mumbling while quickly skimming through the words looking for something useful. she gasped before smirking at the content and then continued mumbling.

"enjoying yourself!?" you sighed waiting.

"mkay, done." handed the letter. "nothing between the lines. who wrote this sure is smart enough to not leak their identity."

"that's for me to decide. you ain't the smartest kind." you chuckled.

"hey!"

"more like the pretty girl type."

"you sly thing! you received a love letter, who's the pretty girl again?" both laughed at the statement and headed out to the cafeteria. "not reading it?"

"can't think when i am this hungry. we should hurry."

at the lunchtime the subject was the same. you two were discussing with your mouths full, sitting by yourselves on a table far enough from eavesdropping.

"hear me out. there's this line that seems to be rewritten over and over, it's a bit tattered." you mentioned. "it says: 'i'm still hesitant about what you think about me' and thanks to the pressure they put on paper seems to be 'afraid of who i am' underneath."

"adds a lot of nothing to our investigation. that's what everybody would say in a confession, i mean, nobody likes being dumped." pinky pointed out unfazed.

"yeah but, i don't think it's meaningless, what if this person is truly insecure about themselves." you pondered.

"or they're just ugly." mina chewed on her meal.

"i don't think that's the case... remember when you told me that thing you read about pretty boys' handwriting?" you brought up.

"did you actually believe that!? was just a discussion in a girl's meme forum." the pink one remarked.

"but there's some truth behind it. if you consider that people with a smaller hand can grip on a pen better when writing, also means the ones with big hands tend to have a sloppier handwriting!" you stated confident about your theory.

"girl, you're tripping... does this mean we're going across the school measuring boys' hands?" mina smirked unconvinced.

"precisely."

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦

"what a fucking waste of time..." said raging.

"dude, calm down. at least you poured your feelings out..." eijiro reassured his bestfriend trying to point out the bright side of things.

but while he's the bright side, katsuki was the dark side. they say a good relationship is based in balance, in this case it makes total sense.

"you even checked if she read it?" asked the red haired.

"when she and mina walked by me at the corridor they were whispering and giggling like little lambs. probably laughing at that letter though." pouted.

"you're being paranoid, they're always like that."

"they're up to something..." bakugo murmured.

whilst the two struggled to put up with the 'plan cupid', the other two were constructing the 'plan pretty boy's handwriting'.

"as i was saying, a pencil has six inches approximately, we're looking for a hand as big at least. if we measure our hands we can compare with theirs without them noticing." stated grabbing a pen off her case.

"you're truly a genius. i refuse to accept you failed strategic test last week." mina complimented.

"i was in a really bad mood that day... anyway!" justified while traced her own hand in a empty page of mina's notebook. "fifteen centimeters. do yours and we're good to go!" demanded agitated.

when looking for friends of theirs, the girls pretended to just have a walk around the school.

"what if it was a girl?" mina asked suddenly.

"i doubt. how many girls with large hands do we know?" claimed.

"mmm... asui-san?"

"you've got to be kidding...!" pulled her phone and dialed quickly a number. "hey!" you smiled. "no, nothing really urgent, i just wanted to ask... are you perhaps in love with me?" questioned without any filter.

"girl you gone mad?" mina whispered holding back a laughter.

"uh, ok. anyways, thank you. we talk later, kisses!" you hung up. "see? that's not her."

"woah you're so straightforward! it scares me sometimes..."

the boys exited the restroom still discussing, but when the blondie heard a certain voice he stepped back. pulled eijiro's tie to hide behind a pillar with him. "shut it!" mouthed.

"i just wanted to ask... are you perhaps in love with me?"

"uh, ok."

his face started to burn as he became more anxious. could only hear a few words, enough to bring the boy into complete state of panic.

after the girls left he released his breath.

"stop overthinking! she just received a love letter, of course she's curious!" kirishima said.

"i didn't say anything, shitty-hair!"

"your face shows!" sighed. "seriously, how can she be so oblivious? just look at you! you're terrible at hiding."

"i- i... she doesn't even talk to me that often..." katsuki pitied.

"bro, you're not the friendliest around here. but she doesn't seem to be afraid of you." kiri pondered. "have you ever tried to smile?"

he looked at the red spiked guy and opened a shy smile.

"a bit more."

every time bakugo tried to put on smiling face it looked creepy. "be more genuine." said eijiro.

trying his best, but even with so much effort... his buddy analyzed. "ok. it looks absolutely terrifying."

"shit."

[taesanluv3r]

chronicles of an overly in-love woonhak.

kim woonhak x reader

entirely in woonhak's pov (he's just yapping to himself the whole time), this is so dumb n stupid but i think it's silly cute idk 😓 cuss words!! lowercase intended, pls excuse any spelling mistakes / grammatical errors <3 enjoy :3

wc: 1,401

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖

"relax woonhak, it's not that hard"

all i needed to do was make a move. seriously, how hard could it be? i mean it was easy to help riwoo make a move on the girl he liked, so why would it be hard for me to make a move on someone myself?

but of course, the difference was that riwoo was hitting on someone random from his dance class while i, little pathetic old kim woonhak, just had to have a crush on the ever-so untouchable, and insanely stunning…

yn fucking ln.

i mean she's like- way way way out of my league, right? the other day i confided in taesan, i always talk to him when i feel lost...well only when i'm lost in the thoughts of her. that's only cause she's rather close to him, they're like siblings who aren't related at all- i think it's pretty sweet. otherwise, i wouldn't ever confide in that menace.

but he knows her very well, and he knows me very well, it's the perfect combination. anyways, i told him about my feelings for her, how she absolutely drove me insane. i mean who wouldn't go insane? she's just so effortlessly...her, in a good way, of course. god nothing bad about her would ever come out of my mouth...she's just perfect.

okay maybe I'm lying, she can be a little stubborn and bitchy sometimes...but that's just another thing I can go on and on and on talking about. i'm always talking about her.

taesan laughed at me, he told me i was oblivious and delusional if i couldn't see that she felt the exact same way. i mean can you believe that? she feels the same?! about me?! about kim woonhak?!

i don't believe it for a second...okay, i lied again. the statement did fuel my stomach up with butterflies and make my head spin and cheeks flush and all that…jazz.

and then he said one thing, the one thing that's making me think about everything all over again.

"if you love her so much, make a move!"

and so now here i am, sitting in bed at one o' clock in the morning. only eight hours until i have to go to school. which means that i only have eight hours to construct the most perfect plan to finally make my move. i mean how hard could it be? it's just like chess! not that i'm good at chess, i actually kinda suck at it…

"ugh cut it out woonhak, you're wasting your time!"

she probably doesn't even like me back. maybe she's just as nice as she is to me with everyone else. and surely that drawing she made me was just a friendly gift! and of course the poems she sent me were probably drafts for someone else…though she did send one with my name in it once…

wait.

wait a fucking minute.

SHE PROBABLY DOES LIKE ME BACK?!

OKAY, okay calm down woonhak. no need to get your hopes up too unecessarily high…

this does give me confidence though, just keep thinking positively and make your move at school FIRST THING IN THE MORNING!

"i got this!"

maybe i lied a little to my reflection in the mirror whilst getting ready for school this morning. cause she was right there when i arrived, alone and ready for me to go tell her I love her, but fear got the best of me…as per usual.

so now i'm here, in fucking science class having to listen to professor lee rant about whatever problem he had with lamarck's theory as opposed to darwin's. interesting one though, i know yn has a real interest in the theory of evolution and just about everything else biology related- maybe not plant biology, she didn't look too happy when we were told we're gonna study plant science next week.

just as i started thinking about her all over again, a piece of paper struck my head from behind. it landed in between my back and my chair, not very comfortable. i turned to reach for it, checking out whoever threw it at me as i did so.

yn ln shoots her unique smile at me, her lips tilting crookedly. she never smiled with her teeth because she doesn't quite like how it looks. i strongly disagree, i think it's adorable when her uneven fangs show, it's just another peculiar thing i get to love about her.

i stare too long, too long that she has to raise her eyebrows to remind me of the paper i was supposed to retrieve from behind me and read. my cheeks were probably redder than the ripest of strawberries- ironically, her favourite fruit.

the page was off-white, a cute rilakkuma print bordering the lined-sheet…classic yn ln and her cutesy stationary. i couldn't help but smile as i opened it to find her neat, yet absurdly tiny handwriting.

i admired it for a second, not quite reading the actual note just yet, but once i did…

the ink was pink, one of the gel-pens she usually used to write her overly pretty notes for literature. and the words she scribbled on the page were simple. well, as simple as such a complex and interesting girl like her could ever get.

"hi woonhak, i like you. like a lot. see you under the bleachers at lunch. :) <3 ★"

not even a question. if it weren't for the doodles of hearts, smiley faces, and stars all over the note i would've deemed it a threat.

another lie. i should stop lying. she could tell me to throw myself off a cliff or threaten me with a knife and i'd still be flustered and in love.

the lunch bell came a lot sooner than i calculated. perhaps my brain had been overstimulated by the test i had just finished, or maybe time is just that unpredictable when you're anxious.

i desperately needed to piss- another lie that i told myself to postpone the possible embarrassment i might encounter with my crush under the bleachers today. fuck. why am i so nervous?

i decided it's best to just YOLO and speed over to her usual spot under the bleachers. what's the worst that could happen? you know...besides her revealing it was all a prank and then totally making fun of me!!!!!!! ha ha...ha...

i'm cooked.

she was already there, a slight worry on her face as if she had been waiting and wondering where i had been. i was about to mutter an apology for being late, saying i needed to go to the bathroom and such but she didn't let me talk.

"i know you like me, woonhak"

at this point i was shitting sweat.

"um-"

i was interrupted.

"you took too long to say anything and frankly, i got impatient. cause i like you too- like- a lot. lol"

lol, she ended every serious sentence with that abbreviation to lighten the mood- cute.

all i could do was chuckle in relief.

"can we kiss now?"

she asks, her words coming out a little stale and hasty, but sweet. in a way that made my heart break and melt into bits and pieces. who am i kidding though, she does anything and i'll melt into bits and pieces.

"yeah-"

her lips halted my chatter. she tastes like an odd mixture of banana milk and…honey garlic fried chicken- but it tasted kind of good...?

remind me to ask her where she got her lunch from cause...damn.

the kiss lasted longer than i would've earlier expected, her hands were in my hair and mine held her waist. i had to bend down a little, she's not that short but she's definitely not tall. not as tall as me, that is.

alas we seperated. she giggled softly and i can see a faint pink tint brushed against her cheeks as she caught her breath. then she looked up at me, with the most precious set of eyes. it didn't last long as her complexion changed completely in a matter of seconds before these words left her mouth:

"ask me out, loser"

and that's just the push i needed.

"yn ln, be my girlfriend and take me to whatever place you got the fried chicken your lips tasted like!"

she giggled again- i swear a braincell of mine disappears every time she so much as smiled- stepping forward to hug me, which i happily accepted by the way…she smells good. she smells like a...fresh...teddy bear? yeah.

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖

"i can't believe you actually like me back" i blurted out, watching as she stuck a chicken wing into her mouth. the sauce got on her face and i helped her wipe it off like the gentleman that i am.

"and i can't believe you confided in taesan, of all people!" her words were muffled as she chewed.

"whatever babe, now why don't you eat first and talk later"

she almost chokes as she stares at me with this bewildered look on her face. how could a person be so adorable? like? this???? this cutie??? SHES my girlfriend???!!!???

she speaks with half a drumstick in her mouth and her eyes were opened wide.

"DID YOU JUST CALL ME BABE?!"

lol.

the end.

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖

LMAOOO idek wht i was going for in this one 😭 i pulled this straight out of my drafts tbh </3 reblogs n feedbacks r vv appreciated!! love u tysm for reading. love, kona.

[cameronspecial]

Assisting In Deception (Part 2)

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of Sex and Assassinations.

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 2.8K 

Summary: Rafe makes an unusual offer that Y/N takes just to prove a point to her cousin.

Masterlist

Y/N enters Rafe’s office to see him scrolling on his phone at his desk. His coffee is left cold in its mug while his focus is on his phone. He looks in her direction at the sudden feeling of another presence in the room. She walks over to the chair in front of his desk and waits for him to put down his phone. “Yes, Ms. Y/L/N. What do you need?” he offers, giving her his full attention. She readjusts her posture with the sudden new gaze on her, “I know it’s a little early, but I was wondering if I could have March 18th off.” His eyebrows knit together in confusion. She isn’t one to request time off unless she is sick and he highly doubts she can predict being sick six months in advance. He knows she is a planner, but no one could schedule a sickness.

“Okay, may I ask why you need the day off?” 

“For my cousin’s wedding. I mean it would be great if I could have the whole six months just to look for a date, but I could do with just the day.”

“You need a date for the wedding?” 

“It’s not necessarily a need. It just would make my life a little easier to go to the wedding without being questioned by my relatives about why my romantic life is non-existent. It also doesn’t help that there are like a million parties before the actual wedding that I will be going to solo.” 

Rafe shifts his body weight forward, placing his elbow on his desk and his chin on his hand to show his interest. He feels as though fate plopped this opportunity in front of him. What are the chances that Y/N needs a boyfriend at the same time that he needs a girlfriend? “I have a proposition for you,” he states, calmy like what he is about to say is an everyday offer. Y/N’s head tilts, “What would that be?” He looks into her eyes and it feels as though he is about to reveal a deep dark secret. “I want you to be my girlfriend.” She sits there in shock for a solid minute; her mouth hangs open, saying nothing. Rafe worries, waving his hand in front of her face, “Ms. Y/L/N?” “I’m not sure what to say about that,” she admits with bewilderment all over her face. Rafe nods, “I should clarify. I would like for you to be my fake girlfriend. I would go to all of your family events and in exchange, you would let me use you to show the media that I’m not everything they say I am.”

“I see. So you want to use me.”

“Well, yes. But I shouldn’t have used that word. We would just make media appearances together and that’s it.”

“Theoretically, if I were to say yes, I need more details on what you would require me to do.” 

“Exactly what I said. You could flaunt me in front of your family. I’d go to the engagement party, bridal party, the wedding and any other thing related to the wedding. For me, you would just need to make one or two event appearances, be seen with me in public a few times and maybe one interview. That’s it. If you agree, we could write this all down in a contract.”

“What about the fact that you are my boss? Don’t you think people will say things about that?” 

“They probably will, but everyone will have criticism of who I say I’m dating anyway. I have full confidence that you can charm the public.” 

Y/N takes a second to ponder what he is saying. She weighs the pros and cons of his statement and in her mind, the cons come out on top. “I’m sorry, Mr. Cameron. But I don’t think I’m comfortable with the idea of being in the spotlight. Thank you for offering though.” She gets up from the chair and makes her way back outside.

——

It’s been a few hours since Y/N has been in his office and she can’t stop thinking about what he said. She turned down the offer because she wasn’t sure it was a smart idea with her crush on him. The relationship would be fake, but the possibility of her catching true feelings for him could be a risk. It would be too painful if that happened and then they had to stop dating. She would rather take the annoyance of being single than the pain of heartbreak. She still can’t believe how calm and collected he was throughout the whole conversation. He acted like he was asking her what she wanted for dinner, not like he was asking her to lie to the world about their relationship. The ringing of her phone snaps her out of her thoughts. 

She takes it out of her pocket to answer it. “Hey Y/N, how are you? Did you get Francine’s wedding invite?” Natalie asks through the phone. Y/N shakes her head at her cousin’s inability to hide what she really wants to know. Natalie has only ever had one interest in life and that is one-upping her cousin. “I did, Nat. Are you going?” she plays into her cousin’s game. 

“Of course, I’m going. I love Francine, so I would totally want to go to her wedding. Plus, Richard can take the day off. I’m thinking of getting us matching hats for the wedding. Well, a fascinator for me and a top hat for him.” 

“That sounds like a great idea. I’m glad that you are happy with Richard.”

“So… Are you going to be going to the wedding solo again?”

The hint of pity and patronizing in her tone irritates Y/N to no end. Y/N responds without another thought, “Actually, I do have a date. Not that it is your business really. Anyway, I have to go. My boss is calling me.” She hangs up the phone and sighs at what she has to do. She gets up from her desk, knocking on Rafe’s door. She enters at his approval and sits herself in the same chair again. “I accept,” she informs. “But I want a say as to what goes into the contract.” 

“I can work with that.” 

Rafe holds his hand out for her to shake. As she shakes it, worry floods through her. She realizes that this isn’t just going to be something her family is going to see, but the whole world is going to know about their relationship. What will they say when they learn she isn’t the heiress of some big company? What will they think if they learn she is his assistant? She buries her stress deep inside and promises to not let it out until this whole thing is over. 

——

The staff lounge is empty except for Topper sipping his tea whilst on his phone. He may be the head of legal at Cameron Development, but he always makes sure to get to know everyone in the company, no matter the rank of their job title. “Ahh, well if it isn’t the new Mrs. Cameron,” he jokes when he notices her at the door. She smiles at him and walks to the Nespresso machine, “That is not a new nickname that you are calling me. So I see you got the contract.” Topper laughs at the seriousness of her voice at what he called her. “That I did. I have to say I was not expecting to see a contract about your relationship with Rafe when I woke up this morning.”

“Me either. All I wanted was someone to go to my cousin’s wedding with me. And now, I am going to be paraded around his world.”

“Well, you could’ve just asked me. I’m always available to take you out.”

“Thanks but the only taking out I’m considering right now is the one where you would need a gun. All jokes aside, I think it’s going to be fine. Rafe is a good boss.”

“He is and if he ever gets on your nerves too much, you can always come to me.” 

“I’ll definitely keep that in mind.” 

——

Rafe looks around the subway station horrified about the state of the place. His expensive dark blue polo shirt and tan dress pants are a stark contrast to the hot and rat-infested platform. Y/N giggles at the look on his face, “It’s like you’ve never been on  the subway before.” “I haven’t,” he admits, looking at her with raised eyebrows. Her head moves from side to side and she hesitantly takes his hand to guide him onto the arriving subway.

One of the stipulations of the contract is that Y/N gets to take them on their first “outing” as a couple. She wanted to go out with him outside of work to get to know him more than the very little he’s allowed anyone he works with to get to know him; the exception being Topper and Kelce, who grew up with him and were given jobs when he took over the company. The other rule she stipulated is that she wants a soft launch of the relationship until it is necessary for her to be revealed as the mystery girl. At least, this way she can keep her privacy as long as she can. She had told Rafe to dress casually, but she really shouldn’t have been surprised that he still arrived looking like a million dollars. 

He keeps his sunglasses on as he pauses to sit down beside her on the subway seat. He takes a chance to glance at the costumed cookie monster and looks back at her. “Do you have to keep your sunglasses on? We are on the subway,” she questions, leaning in to talk to him. His eyes dart to the muppet beside him, “Yes, because me wearing sunglasses indoors is the strangest thing here. Why couldn’t we have taken my car?” She shoots him a playful glare. “Your fancy dancy car would bring too much attention to us and that is the last thing I want right now,” she explains, checking the subway screen to see how many stops until they get off. “Where are we going anyways?” he inquires, following her gaze. 

“It’s a surprise.” 

——

The pair exit the station and the sight before him is one he is familiar with. He isn’t sure what “regular” people restaurant is around Central Park, but he lets her steer them in the right direction. He looks down at their joint hand and he can’t help but notice how they interlace together perfectly. He shakes himself out of his observation and looks up to see the reason why she stopped. In front of him is a street cart that appears to be selling hot dogs. He looks over at her with a questioning look, “You want me to eat food that has come from a cart?” 

“Oh, come on. It’s not that bad. And this place has a permit. It’s fine.”

“You can eat that stuff, but I’m not risking it.”

“Stop being so snooty. Eating is part of a date. So you are going to go sit on that bench and eat whatever I get you. If you are a good boy, then maybe I’ll get you a Spider-Man or Spongebob ice cream. Dealers choice.” 

He stares at her in surprise that she talked to him in such an ordering manner. She always speaks her mind, but she normally does it in a less commanding way. He listens to what she says and goes to sit on a bench looking over the lake. After a few minutes, she comes back with two hot dogs and water bottles. She hands him one of each, “I have ketchup and mustard packets if you want. I didn’t get you a New York hot dog because I thought I would ease you into street food culture.” He takes the packets with thanks and adds the condiments to his meal. They eat in silence until she breaks the silence. “So you grew up in the Outer Banks. What’s that like?” He looks over at her, finishing chewing before answering, “Yeah. It was quiet.” 

“Wow, this has been a great conversation. Thank you for participating in it!”

“I don’t know what you expect, Ms. Y/L/N. I’ve never been much of a talker.” 

“First, when we are outside of the office, you can call me Y/N. Second, what I expect from you is to stop being Mr. Cameron, my boss, and to be Rafe, my boyfriend. If people are going to actually believe we are dating, then you have to separate those two.” 

“Okay, fine. I see your point. Ask me another question.” 

She grins at his offer and takes a second to think about it, “You are never playful or smile, so why do you tease me sometimes? It’s the least serious I’ve ever seen you.” 

“You’re the only one who isn’t afraid of me. Plus, it amuses me how flustered you get.”

Y/N is rendered speechless and she uses one hand to put her hair that is framing her face on both sides of her face behind her ear. The conversation flows in small talk while they finish their hot dogs. She takes their garbage and stands up, “You’ve been good. I guess I can get you an ice cream. Do you want Spider-Man or Spongebob?”

“Are those the only two options? What about the other flavours?” 

“Yes. Now, choose.” 

“Spongebob.”

She nods and heads back over to the stand. He watches as she pays for the sweet treats and returns to him. Rafe didn’t want her to pay for everything on the date, but she had put it as a requirement in the contract. He takes the package from her, opening it as soon as it makes contact with his hand. The disappointment on his face is evident on his face and she laughs. “This does not look like the picture,” his lips turn in a microscopic pout. Her head moves from side to side, “Things rarely do, Boss.” 

——

Y/N returns home from the date a little after five to find Juni sitting on the couch, watching TV.  “Where have you been? You didn’t tell me you were going out, Sweetie,” Juni interrogates, getting up from the couch to be closer to Y/N. She chuckles at her best friend worrying like her mother. She gives her a hug, “Did you forget that I told you about my fake date with Rafe today?” “Oh, yeah. I did. Sorry, I’ve been so busy with work that I forgot. How was your date with the Big C?”  she apologizes, sitting herself down at the kitchen island. 

“One. That cannot be your new nickname for him. Two. It was good. He opened up to me a little bit, so we are making progress. It was adorable, he was so disgruntled that the Spongebob ice cream wasn’t like the picture. Also, apparently, he teases me because he likes to see me flustered.” 

The loving look in Y/N’s eyes causes Juni to frown, “Just be careful with him. I don’t want you getting hurt in this whole fake dating thing, Sweetie. I’ve never seen these things end well.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t fall for him. He’s my boss and nothing more.” 

Alexander enters the apartment with no knock and an annoyed look on his face. “Why must people be so crude? Why does no one want a serious relationship anymore?” he complains, settling himself on the couch. The girls turn with concerned looks on their faces. “Another bad date?” Y/N poses, getting up from her stool to sit beside him. “Yes, this guy literally told me all he wants is a fuck buddy. And when I asked him why he still tried to match with me even though my profile said I wanted a relationship, he said that he just thought I was lying and would agree to just fucking when I saw his face,” he answers and lets himself be embraced by Y/N. Juni gets up to rub his back in reassurance, “Ugh, I hate men that are so cocky like that. I’m sorry the date went bad. He doesn’t realize what a great guy he is missing out on.” 

Heat rushes to his cheeks and he scratches the back of his neck. They look into each other's eyes. Anyone but them can see the obvious attraction between the two. Y/N looks between the pair with a slight bit of jealousy. She wishes that she could have chemistry like that with someone, but that would require believing in love first.

Taglist: @loves0phelia @thelomlisrafecameron @wickedlovely121 @aprilrudgate @loving-and-dreaming @thepatriarchykeychain @maybankslover @abbybarnesstuff @wh0reforbucknasty @spencereidbasis

[milaisreading]

Random scenarios between the manager and Blue Lock (pt 1)

Characters: Isagi, Bachira, Chigiri, Kunigami, Gagamaru, Baro, Reo and Nagi

Pt II will include: Yukimiya, Otoya, Hiori, Karasu, Rin and Kurona

Idk, thought of this randomly and I am sorry that it's this long for no reason. Requests are open if anyone wants to!

Warning ⚠️: Y/n is used with she/her. Possible manga spoilers.

⚽️Blue Lock is owned by:  Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura⚽️

Part II

Isagi:

"Do you need help with that, (Y/n)?" The girl turned to look in the direction the familiar voice came from, shaking her head with a smile.

"It's alright, Isagi. The boxes aren't heavy, go and rest. It's not everyday Ego-san shows mercy and let's you rest." (Y/n) said as the boy frowned a little. Shaking his head, he walked to where one of the boxes was and took it.

"It's really nothing. Friends are there to help, and I do feel kind of guilty that you can't rest." He admitted with a blush. The statement surprised the girl and she smiled back softly.

"I don't mind, it's in my contract after all. And besides, I am trying to do my best to make it easy on you guys as well. Being the future champions of Japan is a big burden!"

"Champions? You think we have a chance at winning?" Isagi asked, surprised at how confident she was in them. It warmed his heart knowing there was someone who believed in him even if he didn't.

"Of course! You guys are doing great, and with the talents you all are polishing you will be unstoppable at the World Cup! Trust me." (Y/n)'s grin along with her words caused the boy's face to turn a brighter red and a new sense of confidence took over his body.

"Thanks! I promise to not disappoint your expectations!"

"I know you won't!" (Y/n) nodded her head.

'I promise to get the Cup! Then I will ask (Y/n) out.' Isagi nodded to himself, a new goal already formed in his head.

Bachira:

"Bachira, come on! It's getting late and you need to sleep too." (Y/n) said, trying to get the boy off of the ground, but he wouldn't budge. It was already late and (Y/n) just wanted to clean everything up and go to sleep. Knowing how Ego is, he was probably judging her behind one of the cameras.

"No! I want to still play and train!"

"Is your monster telling you that?" (Y/n) wondered out loud as the boy kept quiet. She already got used to the talk of the monster and in Blue Lock nothing can really surprise her anymore, so asking about the monster came like a 2nd instinct to her.

"No... I just want to do better." Bachira said, hiding a small blush. It still amazed him how little she cared about the monster and acted like it's a normal thing. Unlike all the other people he met out and in Blue Lock.

"You are already great! Bachira, you need to rest too. Wanting to become great is a good thing here, but with no rest you will never achieve it." (Y/n) argued, but the boy still wouldn't budge. The girl thought for a moment, then went to pick up a ball from nearby.

'If you can't beat him, then join in.' She thought, kicking the ball towards the boy.

"Huh?" Bachira thought, picking the balk up and looking at the girl.

"How about this, I will help you train everyday for 30 minutes and then you go to sleep? Is that good?" Bachira looked at her in confusion for a moment, but soon after grinned and jumped up, kicking the ball back.

"Alright! It's a deal!"

'She is all I need to keep calm... my monster loves her and so do I. I can't wait till I win the World Cup and ask her out!'

Chigiri:

Excitedly, (Y/n) ran down the hallway to look for her red haired friend, package held tightly against her chest. She had been waiting for the item for weeks, and she was more than happy to know it came before the U-20 match.

'It's here! Teieri-san was right when she said it will be fast! Chigiri will love this!' She thought, running to the cafeteria where she eventually found the boy eating.

"Chigiri! I got something for you!"

Surprised, the boy looked up from his plate as (Y/n) stood in front of him, holding out the mysterious box to him.

"What... what is that? I didn't order anything." Chigiri argued, his face going a bright red when he looked at (Y/n) more closely.

'She looks so pretty today...'

"I know! I ordered it... well Teieri-san did since she is the one with the money... but that doesn't matter! Here, open it please!"

Confused, Chigiri took the box and slowly opened it. His expression turned into a shocked one, inside was a red knee brace and he took it out to inspect it.

"Where... where did you find that?" Chigiri asked, noticing it had his initials on the inside.

"I showed it to Teieri-san after I looked for a way to make your running easier, and she agreed to use the funds to buy it! The company even offered some personal touches as well. Hope you like it!" (Y/n) grinned excitedly as Chigiri kept quiet for a moment, unsure what to say. He was really touched that someone outside his family cared this much, not to mention it was the same girl he had liked for the past few months.

"I... I love it. Thank you, I will make sure to wear it whenever I can."

As (Y/n) was cheering him on, Chigiri couldn't help a fond smile as he looked up at her.

'Yes, she is the one I want. Coming and staying in Blue Lock was the best decision. I love her so much that I don't think I can hold it in till the World Cup.' He sighed.

Kunigami:

"Why are you eating alone? I am used to seeing Isagi and Chigiri with you." (Y/n) said as she sat across Kunigami, who nervously swallowed his food down.

"They went to sleep, I stayed a little later than usually to train."

(Y/n) nodded her head, sliding her noodles to him.

"Huh?"

"You need the food more than I do right now. Besides, I ate a lot during lunch today." The girl explained as the boy looked around the place, then back at her.

"You sure Ego-san won't get mad?"

"It won't be the first time. I stopped counting the amount of times Nagi stole food from me." (Y/n) shrugged her shoulders as Kunigami took the bowl, grateful for the extra food.

"Thank you... and thanks for the help. We don't tell you that often." He said with a tint of red on his cheeks.

"You really don't need to thank me, watching you all play is rewarding enough. Can't wait till I see you guys bring Japanese football to the next level! That will be exciting!"

The answer surprised the boy and he slowly nodded his head. A comforting silence fell among them and Kunigami kept sending the girl a few short glances.

'She looks prettier than normally... I really hope we stay close after Blue Lock. Maybe in a year or so I could ask her out properly.'

Gagamaru:

"Good job, Gagamaru! You did great out there! The save was amazing!" The boy blushed as (Y/n) patted his back. It wasn't a everyday thing that anyone paid this much attention to him. He was mostly silent and on the goal, not scoring and usually out of the attention radar. Well, except from Ego and (Y/n)'s, who paid attention to him for different reasons. Ego to either point out his flaws or sometimes compliment him in a weird way. (Y/n) meanwhile watched him always in a encouraging and warm way, a way that made him want to do better, show off his skills.

"Y-you think so?" The boy wondered as he wiped off his sweat.

"Yeah! You are so ready for the U-20 match! They won't know what hit them when they see you on the goal!" (Y/n) told him. Her words meant a lot more to him than (Y/n) could imagine, and je was kind of greatful for Reo coming over to pull (Y/n) away for some reason. Gagamaru watched her and sighed dreamily.

'If only I wasn't so silent... but soon I will open up. I just need to prove myself first.' Gagamaru nodded to himself.

Baro:

"Why do the towels smell so differently?" Baro wondered and looked straight at (Y/n) as she picked up the empty water bottles. The girl stopped in her tracks and thought for a moment.

"Oh! I forgot that I am using a new detergent now. That's why it smells differently."

"A new detergent?" Baro questioned.

"You complained a week ago that the detergent smelled bad and made the towels rougher than necessary. After inspecting them I asked Ego-san to switch them out. Thank God Teieri-san was there to help me." Baro kept quiet for a moment as he stared at (Y/n), making the girl more nervous than needed.

"Is that not good either? I made sure to get the extra softening one."

"No! No it's fine, I just didn't expect you to care enough for it this much." Baro said, sounding genuinely dumbfounded.

"My job is to take care of your issues, and you are my friend. So why wouldn't I care." (Y/n) shrugged, going back to her previous duties as Baro sighed and smelled the towel a little more.

'My queen is always making sure I am doing great. Can't wait till I make everything official. She will have the best of the best.'

Reo:

Reo walked through the hallway as he held a box with some baked goods his parents had sent him. It wasn't normal for Ego to allow presents inside, but after the victory over U-20, he became more lenient. So now once a month they could get some baked goods from the outside.

'Where is she... I hope she will like them. I asked my mom to find the best bakery in the city.'

The boy opened the door to one of the training rooms and sighed in relief when he saw (Y/n) there taking notes.

"(Y/n)! Are you busy?" The boy asked as the girl turned around to look at Reo in surprise.

"Reo?! Not at all, did you need something?" (Y/n) wondered as the boy jogged over to her, handing her the box.

"Not really! I just wanted to give you this! Hope you like them." Reo said as he blushed. (Y/n) looked at the box in surprise and took it slowly.

"For me? Strange, I already got the package from my parents."

"This is from my parents. I asked them to get these for you... as a thank you gift." Reo said, sounding bashful as he watched (Y/n) open the box, gasping when she saw the cupcakes inside.

"Reo! This is too much! They look like those expensive ones advertised on the internet! Why would you do this?!" (Y/n) asked, sounding genuinely embarrassed.

"You do a lot for us...and I wanted to thank you in some way. And this is my way of doing so. Just take them, please." Reo insisted, and after a minute or two (Y/n) finally agreed.

"I owe you one." She muttered as she took a bite from one of the cupcakes and the boy shook his head as he ate one too, after (Y/n) forced him to take it.

'Typical... she never let's anyone take care of her. But I will show (Y/n) that she can always rely on me. I will keep doing it as long as it takes for her to realize she deserves it.' Reo sighed, already planning something else.

Nagi:

Nagi groaned as he hid in a nearby storage room. Out of Ego's short neglect, the boy had escaped the training room and found safety in the abandoned corner of the building. He really didn't wish to leave training today, since (Y/n) was there, but he barely got any sleep the past week. It was all because of his ever-growing crush on the girl, he felt like his heart would explode when he was around her, and at night it became hard to sleep because of it.

'Stupid feelings...' Nagi groaned, closing his eyes shut as he heard the doorknob rattle. He groaned inwardly, prepared for a scolding from Ego or whoever it was, but nothing came of it.

"Did you find him, (Y/n)?" Reo's voice was heard and Nagi resisted the urge to open his eyes and look at the girl.

'Great...' The boy thought, expecting her to say yes.

"Uhh... no. Just some old brooms."

'Huh? Did he just lie?' Nagi thought in shock as he heard Reo groan and walking off to a different place. He heard (Y/n) sigh and she walked closer to Nagi's frozen form.

"I know you are awake. Go and take a nap, I will deal with Ego-san."

"And why would you do that?" Nagi asked suspiciously, opening one eye as (Y/n) shrugged her shoulders.

"You need rest, that's quite obvious. I want you to be healthy and well-rested, not half dead. Just go, Nagi." (Y/n) said and walked out to go and talk with Ego.

The boy stared at the entrance as his face turned a bright red and he hid his face with his hands.

'I think I really do love her even more now!'

[queenie-official]

Chapter Two: ‘From Kingdom To Kingdom’ Bridgerton Au!Anakin

part 1

a/n: this one might be a little long 😀 but if we like the length let me know, anyway the palace/castle on the left is the kingdom of Tatooine and the castle on the right is Alderaan at least that’s how i picture it, thought y’all might want a visual 🫶🏼

a warm breeze swirled through the room, the faint smell of floral from the spring air providing a calming effect as you looked over the papers on your desk. for as long as you’d been doing so you truly didn’t have much to show for it. your mind to busy wandering back to the conversation with Barclay in the dinning room earlier.

that was when you heard it. two servants gossiping in the hallway clearly not knowing you where in your fathers study- well technically your study. “i heard there having a meeting right now” one of the servants said, piquing your interest. who where they talking about… “i don’t think her majesty even knows” oh no.

you where quick to stand up, the chair scratching against the floor alerting the two on the other side of the cracked door. making haste you push open the door making direct eye contact with two maids. “what do you know that i don’t?”

the sound of your heels clicking against the castle ground rung in your ears as it bounced off the walls. you could see the looks of confusion on the face of each guard and servant you passed but you paid no mind, continuing to speed down the halls. as soon as you approached the door to the meeting room you could hear voices, your stomach sank as you realized what the maids had told you was true.

a wave of anger flashed through you, giving you the confidence to slam open the two doors that separated you from the problem. “what’s going on here?” you demand whilst looking over each member of the royal council who sat at the table in front of you. once you found Barclay more anger ran through you and before you knew it you where marching down over to him. “what part of tell no one yet did you not understand Barclay.” you watch as he swallows nervously, before he answers but what he had to say was not at all what you’d expected nor was it what you asked.

“we’ve found you a suitor” he says cutting straight to the chase. “excuse me?” you say in absolute shock and confusion, it hadn’t even been more then 4 hours since you’d last spoken. he continued to say nothing unsure how to go on. “we were supposed to discuss this more later!” you can’t help but shout, feeling as if you wouldn’t be heard else wise. “i just figured i would help make your job easier-“ he begins but you quickly interject, “that is not your decision to make.” unbelievable this cannot be happening right now, just how far along had they gotten in this meeting before you arrived.

“i mean no disrespect your majesty-“ you scoff “i hear you say that more and more, yet i am increasingly failing to find truth in the statement” turning quick on your heel and moving to the head of the table where your seat is you attempt to address them all head on.

“you must at least see that i have the kingdoms best interests in mind” Barclay tries to reason his actions but you’re quick to shoot him down. “oh and i don’t? Barclay you repeatedly undermine my authority, i have half a mind to have you removed” you say with your voice still raised as you look him in the eye. to your surprise he doesn’t back down, the contrary actually. A firm look on his face as he puffs his chest up slightly “Need i remind you as of right now you do not have the authority.” you feel your face flush slightly at his reminder but your quick to push it down. taking a deep breath you clench your fist to redirect your embarrassment back to anger. “but i will and then what” you counter.

“your majesty, this is the best shot you’ll get. another opportunity will not fall so easily into your lap” the Lord high Chancellor pipes up, pulling your attention to him and away from Barclay. “what are you talking about?”

“we found the perfect kingdom that could be pressured into silence” The chancellor speaks again rather smugly.

“explain yourself Chancellor Valorum” you command. “well we need this whole ordeal to be kept secret do we not?” you resist the urge to roll your eyes at him “get to the point” you say curtly. the chancellor doesn’t seem effected by your attitude and continues like you hadn’t said anything to begin with. “im sure you’ve heard of the kingdom of Tatooine.”

you raise a brow “that kingdom? isnt it high in crime and poverty?” you had meant it to be a statement but both responses came off more as questions once they left your mouth. “yes- well i’m sure you can see where i’m going with this now” he gives a you a crooked smile.

“this is wrong” you state plainly not liking the way this was going at all. it wasn’t about the kingdom of tatooine and its many negative attributes, it was the fact the only reason the council wanted to try this with that kingdom was because they thought it insignificant enough to squash if needed. it was a disgusting way of thinking that you did not want you or Alderaan associated with.

“think of it as you helping a falling kingdom. you marry one of the sons for your kingdom to be happy and in turn they get our aid. their people can eat and the crime rate will go down in due time it’s a win, win” The more the Chancellor explained the worst the idea was in your mind. “it’s manipulative” you say with disgust, the entire council was corrupt if they thought this a good idea. you looked around the room again scanning their faces hoping for someone to agree with you, not one person- are these the people who are to aid you while you lead. you felt sick.

“have you any better ideas?” you wanted to scream how could he say that with a straight face. how did your father put up with these people, he was a good man and if something like this was suggested to him it would of been shut down immediately. “unlike you guys i’m smart enough to know this is not the way to do this. the idea of it makes my stomach twist! We are to drop this whole thing, it is not right and i will not tarnish the reputation of our kingdom”

“well… about that” Barclay began and you felt your heart drop. “what did you do?” you ask silently praying to anyone who would listen that whatever it was could be undone. “well me and the rest of the council here” he gestured around to the people around you both with his hand “decided it in your best interest to proceed without your approval. a letter has already been sent.” a deadly silence filled the air as you stared at them all, your mouth opening and closing unsure what to say.

not only had they gone behind your back to discuss such a matter but the proceeded without a care in the world as if nothing would happen if any of this got out and you wouldn’t be the one the people blamed. you where the head, the leader, the future queen. everything wrong is pointed to you and this would be no exception. even if they did find out the royal council did this the first conclusion they’d draw would be you being incompetent enough to let this happen without your knowledge. or that it was your fault for the councils corruption since nothing like this had happened before. “you what..” you finally spoke, hoping you heard Barclay wrong.

Chancellor Valorum piped up once more “your majesty you may concern yourself with your own personal worries but we on the other hand must place are worries with that of the people” you wanted to punch him, was he so deluded that he truly thought he was doing good with this. and to act like you don’t care for your people…it hurt, how could you be a good queen when you aren’t even being given the chance. you take a deep breath glaring at Valorum as you respond “so you go behind my back and practically blackmail a kingdom into handing over a prince for me to marry?” you try putting it into the same perspective the people will. “it’s a scandal” you add, pressing further into how bad their decision was.

“it’s only a scandal if people know, and those who do are not in the position to speak up” he quips, the way he can claim he cares for the people and then treat something like this as some kind of joke- i mean this whole situation was practically treason.

“this is so irresponsible, and wrong. honestly do any of you even have half a brain and are you sure what’s there is working properly” that statement seemed to irk them, good. what they’d done was stupid.

“it’s not about what’s right, it’s about what’s good for the people. And as the future Queen you have better start thinking in such a way or consequences are to come” oh so that’s how this was going to be, in that moment you swore as soon as your coronation happened you would call for the removal of the council members and replace them all. “you think i do not care for my people? you play a dangerous game Valorum. all of you do.” you say and make eye contact with each man seated at the table letting the hidden threat hang thickly in the air.

“your majesty” Barclay speaks up clearly wanting to defend himself for his actions. “Barclay this is low even for you” you say sternly.

“enough of this, what’s done is done” Chancellor Valorum says ending the whole argument. you stand up in an instant and storm out of the room, the weight of what just happened pulling you down the further you got.

you paced the entirety of your room, having just finished ranting to Eleanora about what just happened. she was one of your most trusted ladies-in-waiting which is why she stayed at the castle with you and aided in your daily routine. “i can’t believe they actually did this, i feel nauseous” you began again.

“should i get you some water your majesty?” Eleanora offered trying her best to help and offer you comfort. “no, no that’s alright. i don’t think i could drink or eat anything in all honesty” you say while taking a seat on the chair in front of your vanity, feeling dizzy.

“understandable, but your majesty you didn’t have breakfast i’m beginning to worry” you look up at the poor girl, she was right you needed to eat something maybe it would help. But truthfully the idea of eating anything felt repulsive at the moment, and you where sure anything you forced down would come right back up. she seemed to take your silence as an answer. “why not try to think about the positives from this.” she tried.

positives, where there even any positives? if everything went through you would be marrying a man you didn’t know. and then there was what got him to marry you- the letter what did they even write in that letter.

“god only knows what the letter contained…”you voice your thoughts aloud to Eleanora not wanting to keep her in silence. “and they had to of stamped it with the royal seal- oh i’m going to be sick” you place your head in your palms letting out a groan. “deep breaths” she says and gently rubs your back in a soothing motion. “this is so bad and the more i think about it i can only find it to be even worse.”

“it’ll be okay your majesty” she doesn’t sound to sure of herself as she says that though, so the reassurance falls flat. “that’s the thing it won’t be okay, not really anyway.” you groan again, dragging your hands down your face as you look up staring at yourself in the mirror. you looked a mess, the stress of the day clearly having got to you. ‘i need to speak with someone whos not afraid to speak there mind to me’ you think to yourself turning to look behind you at Eleanora. “can you send for Lady Padme?”

“yes of course your majesty”

as soon as Padme entered the tea room you quickly stood to greet her. Now Padme was your most trusted Lady-in-waiting overall, you both grew up together. she didn’t stay at the castle with you simply because she asked. she would rather be in her own manner with her husband and children, and you saw no problem in giving her what she wanted.

Padme’s smile warmed you and she quickly pulled you into a hug once you made it over to her. “is everything alright? you never send for me with such short notice unless it’s an emergency” she asks quickly, pulling away as she looks into your eyes searching for an answer. “it’s horrible Padme, i dont even know where to begin.” you sigh heavily, walking over to the tea table and taking your seat. Padme joins you sitting next to you rather then across. “what’s happened?” she asks as two servants pour you both a cup of tea before leaving the room to give you privacy.

“the entire royal council has gone behind my back” you begin, causing her brows to knit together in concern. the more you explain the more annoyed and disgusted she grows along with you. Padme was always politically head strong even though it was highly encouraged for most Ladies-in-waiting to stay out of politics. that’s one of the things you liked about her and one of the reasons you knew she’d be the best person to talk to about this.

“that’s horrible” she said as you finished telling her about everything that had happened so far that day, from the horrible conversation with Barclay first thing in the morning to you storming out of the council meeting room.

“i know, and i haven’t a clue what to do about it” you say frustratedly, neither one of you had touched your tea cups. the tea probably cold now but your throat felt impossibly dry so you forced yourself to take a sip as you waited for Padme to voice her opinion. “as much as i hate to say it Chancellor Valorum is right about one thing. what’s done is done” you practically choke on the tea you where sipping, which shockingly was still partially warm.

“so what i’m supposed to just sit here and let it all play out?” you ask her shocked that she of all People would suggest such a thing, it just wasn’t like her. “unfortunately, i think our best bet in all honesty is to hope the plans go through” she adds only furthering your confusion. “what?” you ask needing her to elaborate more and confirm what you where hearing. “as much as it is disgusting what’s been done, and i’m never one for doing what’s easy over what’s right but the worst outcome in this case would be Tatooine’s rulers declining.” you where speechless, having half expected Padme to suggest you hunt down the mail carrier and stop the letter from reaching the other kingdom before she ever agree with what Chancellor Valorum said. “i don’t understand.” was all you could say.

“the alternative of them declining means they’d lose more then if one of the princes married you. Alderaan is Well off y/n.” she says as if you should get what she’s saying already before continuing. “having an alliance to support them in need is one thing but an alliance built on marriage secures them even in the future. it’d be silly of them to decline” she finally finishes.

“that doesn’t make it okay” you counter, looking at her in disbelief. it’s not like what she said was crazy but more the fact that it was her that was saying it and not anyone else. “you’re right it doesn’t. but we’ll get nothing out of worrying over something we cannot change” she says and although what she’s saying is technically true you can’t shake that pit of a feeling in your stomach.

“i can’t help but think about it, it’s going to haunt me.” you say with a sigh, turning away from her as you continue “a decision that wasn’t even mine.” your eyes focus on the mostly full tea cup in front of you.

“we can worry more once we cross that bridge. but for now we have to wait it out” Padme says to you and she gently places her hand on your shoulder, pulling your attention away from the tea back to her face.

this wasn’t the outcome you where expecting from this conversation but Padme was correct and unfortunately so was Valorum there was not much else to say or do for that matter.

you tried to relax and enjoy the rest of your tea with Padme, not ready to face any more responsibilities for the day.

it had been days and your anxiety only worsened. pacing the length of your fathers old study as you tried to focus on the work you needed to get done, rereading the same pages of documents you had for the last hour. it was becoming increasingly difficult for you to get anything done.

"your majesty" Barclay barged into the study startling you enough to drop the papers in your hands. he looked apologetic and was about to speak when you cut him off. "I'm truly not in the mood to speak with you Barclay" you say still very rightfully mad at him for what he'd done. you reach down to pick up the papers you'd dropped when Barclay spoke again causing you to freeze.

"it's about the kingdom of Tatooine" he said quickly, hoping you would pay attention to what he had to say. you snapped up straight looking over his face trying to gauge wether he was being truthful or not.

"what" you ask but it was definitely more of a command for him to tell you what he knew.

"they've responded, their in agreement" he said quickly, lifting his arm up to show a a few letters in his hand. “you are to marry the second son Prince Anakin.” he finished and all you could do was stare blankly at him, frozen in place. this was really happening.

part 3

guys remember when i said Anakin would be introduced in this chapter 😀 SORRY LMAAOO, but hey at least we got padmé😋 i promise he will definitely be in the third chapter tho 💪 cuz i’ve set it up to lead into that- anyway that being said when he is introduced would you guys like if i did bonus chapters of his point of view? like this would be in the future of course but i want to know now so i could at the very least write them now and post em later 😗 so let me know huns 💋💋 hope you enjoyed Xx<3

tag list: @luvvfromme

[elderwisp]

The Creative Process ‧₊˚✩彡 

Because I love to be distracted

Hi! Ok, I wanted to share wif everyone my process in which I create a story post from conception to the final post. I would say I'm a very structured person when it comes to projects like these however, I've learned a lot and maybe someone could find something useful! We'll be referencing this scene. Oke, let's start!

✩ Rough Drafts

So, of course everything starts off with a vision. While I always say, write what feels authentic to you, I also know it makes things much more difficult if you don't have a solid ground to build from. I think I've scrapped this particular story about twice already and even reshot the first chunk of Tessellate so there was a better foundation. I like to start off with understanding a character before moving onto creating a plot, otherwise people start bleed into another. Greta Gerwig makes a really awesome statement about how characters come first to her before plot. OKE with that in mind, this particular scene, I wrote it well over a year ago, however there wasn't much flow in the initial draft. In fact, the two look nothing alike. This conversation was supposed to occur during France's concert, but I moved it to to this particular scene and I'm so glad. I felt like their current relationship was strong enough to have this conversation but also it allowed me to really focus in on the two. I am a huge advocate for jotting down dialogue even if things change because you can always expand on an idea. And if things don't work, scrapping is okay, but at least you gave it a shot! After that change, I didn't revisit that scene up until about a month and a half ago. I like to let things sit for a good while. In the initial draft, Taryn was reserved throughout a majority of the conversation. There was limitations in which how I wanted her to express things but things change in a year. When I looked at her as a character and how she's progressed throughout the story, the draft no longer aligned with her lack of response. And then that created the question of what the heck does one say? Because people aren't typically very graceful or eloquent when it comes to confrontation but also we're telling a story so how do I balance the two out? Since, I've followed these little blorbos for a while, knowing their characters and motives allowed me to flesh everything out. Atlas is much more cunning than he lets on and is excellent at painting a pretty picture for those around him if it means getting what he wants. Taryn on the other hand is perceptive and unwavering so being around someone like him, someone that she finds herself slowly falling for, is a complete, well, mind fuck. We can also see from this interaction that there's a hint of feeling inadequate and the lack of confidence to know that maybe he does like her. We also see that Atlas maybe isn't the most mature when it comes to developing something real so the two have plenty to work on just from this scene alone. Like Greta Gerwig says, writing is listening.

I also wanted to mention LocalScriptMan and this video all the time because it just about changed how I viewed dialogue in general. I think it's such a great tool! I've probably shared it a billion times.

✩ Blender & Posemaking

So I would like to preface this by saying, you do not need to use blender to achieve a vision. There are still scenes that I still use poses/animations from other creators! I wanted to list a few references! Rebouks, Rascgal and Simmireen have an amazing variety of poses to use! I literally use Becca's bumper packs RELIGOUSLY! However, if you need any suggestions, SurelySim's has an excellent breakdown on getting started with posemaking from tiny details, to SimRipper and using accessories! She also talks about Vyxated's Pose Helper which is a god send! For this scene I wanted to fully pose it. In my script, I italicize anything I want to pose, I'm such a sucker for the mannerisms that people have. When words fail, body language speaks. Are they fidget-y, or do I imagine them to be more composed? Taryn's stance is grounded, she doesn't move at all in the scene except for when she leaves and I think it's a great representation of her stubbornness. Whereas Atlas is watching every single move, up until he makes his incredibly bold (ridiculous!) statement. As for emotion when he made that statement, I wanted to go with shame but then I felt like his expression radiated ruthlessness. I personally enjoyed that 10x more because it represented two things for me, his character and that he felt comfortable enough to show that part of himself. When posing a scene from start to finish, it takes me about 1-3 days depending on how complex it is. I'm a huge advocate for using references! I love referencing hands, posture, how to grab a book ANYTHING! Because this was a conversation and not much action happened, it took me about a day.

✩ Taking Screenshots and Composition

I began taking photos for this scene on March 6th. I use to use this reshade preset by growfruit however, after tinkering with some settings I use like a mish-mash blorbo of a preset. Amobae and Sforz have some cool LUT's for download (I think of it like a filter? That's probably not what it is but MEH) and I love the qUINT's lightroom shader as well. Huge advocate of relight, I was today years old when I learn that you should load it at the top of your shaders order so you don't get like a weird whitecast. These spotlights though are super fun too if you don't use reshade! There are some photographers on instagram that even go over how to use lightroom and it can translate to game as well! For the most part, I try to keep screenshots pretty simple, editing-wise but there are moments when I doodle in little hairs, add in some texture and include shadows for, uh, DRAMAAA. Lately, I've been incorporating intricate fonts because idk sometimes my brain enjoys a little graphic design moment. Sometimes shooting conversation heavy scenes can get so repetitive so I like to look at film stills on pinterest or pay close attention to a film and how they present the camera work in a conversation. Rule of thirds is a great reference tool to use, I believe GShade has a shader for that. However it's okay to experiment, it's not an end all be all. I love looking at animators and how each frame is incredibly intentional, whether it's a shot from above or a really close frame. The beginning of this scene, I honestly didn't have a clue as to how I wanted to open it up since they were walking down a hall. Then I noticed the detail in the fencing and how the tiles were opposite. Using the TOOL mod, I was able to get them both in the center and it created a strong opening shot of how different these two are.

✩ Editing

My god, I love editing but also this is usually the moment where I get so freaking distracted. This process takes me a day if I am focused.... But realistically it takes three days.... That's why I try to keep things to a minimum. I do use Photoshop. I like to use this sharpening action (the other actions are awesome too!) for story posts, I crop each photo (I use a 9:5 ratio and a 16:6 ratio if I need to focus on something specific idk why i picked those numbers yo), and add in text. Dafont has a lot of different free fonts. I like to use these little guidelines if sentences needs to be centered.

For adding umph to text, I like to use two things: The warped text option when using the type tool or just going to the distort panel and using the wave option!

Also bottom right of your layers channel is an fx layer. I like to use stroke and drop shadow on all text so it doesn't get lost within a photo!

✩ Finalization and My Schedule

That story post was uploaded on March 29th. As of right now, I like to stay three weeks ahead so I have three weeks worth of story posts marinating in my queue LMAO. I always reread things like a bajillion times, sometimes I'll go back and tweak conversations if they feel a bit stiff. Having that three week buffer also gives me time to really dedicate myself to details and focus on being present with a future scene. Another perk is, it allows me to work on cleaning up the script, plotting for future arcs, and having fun with edits. When I used to upload story videos on youtube, I didn't really plan ahead and it was so chaotic for me. Sometimes I didn't have enough time to actually create a solid episode so things felt rushed because on top of that I had a schedule I committed to. This isn't necessary but structure and patterns is something my little brain needs.

I hope this maybe provided some tips for people wanting to start out or it was just a fun little thing to read! One final OP tip is to write about something that you enjoy, something that matters to you. I'm one mf that loves a fleshed out character arc, that doesn't like linear plots and for fucks sake I love a good slow burn and I think all of that reflects a lot which helps me be engaged.

[boobabietch]

Chapter II: "A Rookie’s Obsession, A Legend’s Indifference: Is Diana Taurasi ready for Victoria O’Hara?” | Diana Taurasi x OC

Warnings: fight fight fight!! And a tad bit narcissistic Diana

A/N: I’m having a shitload of fun writing this lmao, so here’s another chapter I hope you like. As always English is not my first language so if you find something wrong tell me so I can change it asap, I can’t wait for y’all to read this and the next chapters I’m so excited. Likes, comments (!!!) and reblogs are highly appreciated and my ask box is always open. Love Sof :))

Making headlines masterlist

There’s a funny thing about being the best in women’s sports. People either love you or wait for you to fall. But when you’ve been around long enough, it doesn’t matter what they think. You know your place. And you protect it.

That’s what I’ve been doing since my debut in the WNBA. Owning the court. Owning the pressure. Every game, every season, everyone expects the same thing from me: perfection. Winning is never enough because when your name is Diana Taurasi, nothing is ever enough.

Then, she showed up.

Victoria O’Hara. The rookie everyone wouldn’t shut up about. Reminded me of me, hungry, talented, a little too much attitude for her own good. The first time I saw her was just before our game against San Antonio. I’d heard her name, knew she had something. But there’s a difference between hype and reality.

May 19, 2017

Game day. I could feel her eyes on me during warm-ups, it was cute honestly, I could see the gears working hard on her mind, probably wondering what it’s like to be me, to dominate the way I have. They all wonder. But what she didn’t know yet is that being good in college doesn’t mean shit here. Welcome to the W, kid.

I didn’t give her a second glance. What was there to say? Another rookie trying to prove something. I’ve seen it all. I’ve been that girl. But this one, this woman, had something extra in her. I could see it the minute the game started. Every time she took a shot, it was like she was aiming at me, if I didn’t know she wanted to rip my throat out I’d say she was in love. Every drive, every step, was a challenge.

I could hear the yelling in the crowd, I’d hear her teammates tell her to relax, feel the energy shift. People loved watching us, golden veteran vs. golden rookie. A fucking classic. O’Hara wanted to make a statement. I could tell she was on the edge, burning herself out just to prove she belonged. And every time, I’d remind her, I’ve been there. I’ve fought harder battles. If she wanted to be the next big thing, she was going to have to earn it. She was good, but I wasn’t worried. I’ve dealt with players like her before. They rise fast, burn out faster. But this one... she kept pushing.

Every game we played after that, it was like she had a personal vendetta. I couldn’t walk on the court without feeling her eyes drilling into me. She was obsessed. It was funny, really. This kid was trying so hard to beat me, to make me see her.

I saw her. I always see them coming.

July 7, 2017

We were in San Antonio. Close game. O’Hara played her heart out, I’ll give her that. But we still won. After the game, I found her slumped on the bench, wiped out. I should’ve just left her there. But something in me couldn’t resist. The kid had fire. I respected that.

“Not bad, O’Hara. Keep it up, and you might actually be a challenge someday.”

Her face said it all. She was rattled, but she had that spark. I liked seeing it. She looked at me like she was trying to figure out if I was serious. I was. Kinda. Then, she shot back:

“Someday? I’m already a problem for you.”

I almost laughed. Her confidence was impressive, misplaced, but impressive. I glanced down, smirked. Let her have that moment.

“Of course you are,” I said, walking off.

Sometimes I wonder what things would be like if I never said that, lucky for everyone I did.

July 30, 2017

Maybe I overestimated how in control I am of everything; the game, the rookie, and my body.

We were playing again, tensions running high. It was bound to happen. O’Hara wanted her moment, wanted to prove herself. And me? I wasn’t giving her an inch. Then, somewhere in the third quarter, it happened.

I saw her coming, her eyes locked on me with a mix of defiance and determination. She made a quick drive, cutting to the basket with an intensity that almost made me respect her. But I wasn’t about to let a rookie get one over on me. I slammed into her, blocking her path with enough force to knock her off balance. She hit the floor hard, her elbows scraping against the court. The whistle blew, and for a moment, I watched her lay there, her frustration almost palpable.

“Get up,” I muttered, standing over her. “You’re gonna need more than that to take me down, rook”

I saw the anger in her eyes as she pushed herself up, pressing her chest on mine. Damn, was she this tall the whole time? The way she glared at me, it was almost as if she was daring me to push her further. “You think you’re untouchable? Just fucking wait.”

My smirk didn’t waver. I’d seen that fire in rookies before, puffed up, ready to prove themselves. “I don’t think, O’Hara. I know.” I said with the most arrogant tone I owned.

“Oh you’re just a fucking bitch, aren’t you?” Before I could react further, she shoved me hard. Everyone erupted into chaos. I felt the rush of adrenaline as I moved to shove her back, but the moment I lunged, my teammates were already there, hands gripping my arms and holding me back.

O’Hara wasn’t any better off. Many of her teammates were swarming around her, trying to pull her away from me. I could see the frustration in her eyes as she struggled against their hold, her fists clenched and ready to throw.

Fun fact about fights: when you need the strength of 4 pro basketball players to hold you back, it makes you look really fucking dangerous.

We both tried to break through the human barriers restraining us. I could almost feel the impact of our fists connecting, the unfinished fight burning in my veins. But with every struggle, every strained push against the hands holding us back, the reality set in: we were not going to get to finish this here.

I didn’t care. I didn’t care about the cameras, the refs, or the impending technical. All I cared about was feeling that fire she was throwing at me. I wanted her to know what it felt like to face me, to try and break through the wall I’d built around myself.

Eventually, the refs managed to get us both under control, leading us to opposite sides of the court. As I was pulled away, I couldn’t help but glance back at O’Hara, her eyes still blazing with that same fire. Despite the chaos, a small part of me felt a twisted respect for her, a rookie who was not just willing to challenge me, but was ready to throw down if necessary.

The arena buzzed with excitement and disbelief as we were separated, but the fight between us was far from over.

That was the moment I knew this kid wasn’t going anywhere. And maybe, just maybe, I’d finally met someone who could keep up.

Little did I know.

Fucking Victoria.

"Rivalry Ignites: O’Hara and Taurasi Get into Fiery Altercation During Friday Game"

"San Antonio Stars Victoria O’Hara Adidas Grey and Black Edition Player Jersey | SOLD OUT"

Requests are Open!

Masterlist

[junnieverse]

LOVE IS EMBARRASSING ➳ K. SUNOO

➙ synopsis: you felt like a complete fool. you told everyone he was 'the one' but seeing sunoo with someone else hit you like a truck. it was humiliating having to deal with the fact that you so easily fell for him and yet he had his eyes set on someone else. you knew you had to let him go and yet you were still holding on onto false hope.

pairing: kim sunoo x fem!reader (but i'm sure it's gn imo as far as I am concerned)

genre: angst, unrequited love au

word count: 1.6k

warnings: not proofread, reader cries, reader self hating, just alot of hurt

a/n: here is the next update. I haven't been writing much due to my final exams but I hope you still like this though :)

— GUTS X ENHYPEN SERIES MASTERLIST !

"Are you still waiting on him to call you?" you hear your roommate ask as she catches you checking your phone every few minutes as you laid sprawled across your bed.

Not that you wanted to admit it but it was true.

It had been a week or so since Sunoo had last spoken to you and asked for you to give him some 'space'.

It was more than obvious this was just his way of trying to get you to back off but on the other hand you wanted to think of this in a more positive light and assume he was simply busy in his own personal life.

"No, not at all. Sunoo isn't ignoring me or anything. He just has an extremely busy and demanding life." you try to defend not only yourself but try to excuse Sunoo's poor behaviour.

For hours and days you waited for some sort of communication from Sunoo and got nothing, you really were a fool.

Kim Sunoo was a close friend of yours you had been introduced to at school when you both joined the drama club at your college and his bright smile and pretty eyes instantly won you over.

It didn't take long for you to realise that you were deeply infatuated by the guy and slowly but surely, you were also falling in love with him too.

"I think he's the one." you admit to your best friend sitting on the bleachers watching Sunoo play rugby with a group of his friends and you hear her burst out in laughter to your statement leaving you puzzled.

"What's so funny?" you ask her as she calms down from her laughing.

"You haven't even known Sunoo for that long and you are so sure that this is end game? He'll you haven't even went out on a single date with him." she tells you factually not believing what you had just said but you nod in response to her previous question admiring as he played down by the field.

"Yeah I do think it's end game. How long I've known him or the fact that we haven't gone on a date doesn't matter, what does is I can definitely see myself walking down the aisle with him having the picture perfect wedding." you say confidently taking a sip of your drink.

It may have sounded incredibly delusional but you could really see it, Sunoo was everything you wanted in a partner and you were smitten to the point of imagining the possibility of tying the knot with him.

As if having heard you talking about him, Sunoo lifts his head up meeting your gaze before flashing his bright smile and throwing a friendly wave at you as you shyly waved back.

He truly seemed perfect in your eyes at the beginning, but you also knew Sunoo was unattainable.

He had been in an on and off relationship with a past lover of his and even when they weren't together, you could tell Sunoo wasn't completely over his ex either.

Although you didn't want that to stop you from still pursuing him.

You thought building a friendship with Sunoo first was a step in the right direction to getting to know him and before you knew it, you were a close friend in his group of friends, a confidant to him.

He could always turn to you even with his own relationship problems because it was just a friendship basis between the two of you… right?

Because of this, you somehow put your feelings on the back burner always being at Sunoo's beck and call for the days he wanted to celebrate with a few drinks because he got back together with his ex girlfriend, to the rainy nights he cried into your shoulder because they had yet again broken up and she had a new boyfriend.

You thought that just maybe through everything you had been through always being by his side, that just maybe Sunoo would finally notice you as more than just a friend he can go to after a rough patch with his ex.

You had finally mustered up the courage to confess to him at a party his friend was hosting but soon backed out last minute out of fear of rejection although later that very same night after a few drinks, you ended up telling Sunoo you liked him to which he simply thought you were too drunk and talking nonsense.

It had been a few days since that happened and you were too embarrassed to face Sunoo but you knew you would have to clear the air and reconfirm your feelings in a sober state and talking to Sunoo was your biggest priority at that moment.

Making your way to the music room where you had been informed he was, you take a deep breath stepping closer to the door as you heard the faint sound of Sunoo's voice and another girl laughing.

Peeping through the slightly open door you notice Sunoo sitting by the piano with his now ex girlfriend as they played the instrument together.

Watching the two, your eyes start filling up with tears and suddenly his ex now has her hand on his face pulling Sunoo closer as they shared an intimate kiss.

You felt your legs weaken as a soft gasp escaped your lips witnessing the scene in front of you but also capturing the attention of the two. Before they could notice you, with the little strength you had left, you ran to the nearest bathroom, locking yourself in the stall as you were crying as your chest ached.

You felt incredibly embarrassed as of right now, but more than ever, you felt hurt.

This was all so stupid, YOU felt stupid too!

For months you tried to express yourself and your feelings so vulnerably but it felt like you were talking to a wall.

Maybe you just weren't good enough for him… that no matter how much you sacrificed of yourself you still wouldn't be pretty, smart or good enough for Sunoo.

You were losing so much of yourself for him but no matter how much you gave up… you would only end up coming back to him.

Yes, Sunoo knew about your feelings for him but despite having confessed (drunkenly), it felt like he was slowly starting to push you away.

You felt like a fool for trying so hard to win someone over knowing very well his heart belonged to someone else but you still held onto this little grain of hope that maybe he could come around and realise he had to move on (and preferably to you).

You had tried to move on yourself as well, anything to distract you from Sunoo.

From join other clubs to even getting a 'second-string' weirdo to try forget about the unrequited love but to no avail. Even blatantly avoiding him worked against your favour when he came looking for you.

"Hey, (Y/n)! I haven't seen you in awhile, I almost thought you were avoiding me." Sunoo stops you in the hallway as he jokingly adds on that last part expecting you to laugh along to which you hadn't.

"I've just been busy I guess… see you another time." you respond blandly not even looking up at him.

Before you could turn around and take your leave Sunoo gently grabbed on your wrist stopping you from leaving as he quickly detected something was wrong.

"Are you okay? You've never-" he asks before you cut him off reassuring him you were perfectly fine as you managed to get your hand out of his grip.

"Are you sure? I can-" he double checks trying to look into your eyes as you still avoided eye contact.

"Sunoo please… please just stop okay. Everything between us is so confusing and I'm the one left hurting. One minute you act all sweet and caring around me then the next you need 'space' away from me and don't talk to me for weeks. I feel like a measly second option to you and it's so embarrassing. You know how i feel about you and you still haven't expressed how you feel, you just go back to talking to me like nothing happened at all when there's been this big elephant in the room. I don't want to just keep being the person you go to when you cry over your ex, I wanted to be yours but clearly we aren't on the same page with that." you let out holding back your tears.

All of this had been weighing heavily on your chest and finally being able to tell him felt like you no longer carried any burdens.

Sunoo on the other hand stood quietly in front of you looking down seemingly taking in what you had said.

Everything was starting to hit him and the guilt was seeping in too.

All this time he knew how you felt about him but he only put up a wall and avoided confronting the situation because he knew he still was too invested in his relationship with his ex.

"I-" Sunoo croaks out but was stopped by your words.

"Maybe this time I need some space from you." you say coldly as you looked him straight in the eye before turning around and leaving to go to your next class.

Breaking the strong facade after being out of his sight, you wipe the tear running down your cheek before shortly looking back then continuing on your way.

Love was a lot of things.

It could be a crazy adventure, a sweet dream, a heartbreaking experience and an intense whirlwind for some.

But love sure was just downright embarrassing for you.

SERIES TAGLIST: @enhastolemyheart @jungwonscafe @firstclassjaylee @bahiyyihina

[millie-mar]

the stranger things i hate about you

chapter five: the hideout pt2

| 1.5k words | 10 things i hate about you!steddie |

‘Fuck. What’d I get myself into?’ Steve mumbles, pacing back and forth. Robin is laying on his bed, fully stretched out, following him with her eyes, slowly starting to get dizzy from the boy’s constant movement.

‘Harrington, calm down.’ She sighs. ‘Nothing bad’s happened yet.’

Steve stops in his tracks, slowly turning to face the brown-haired girl. ‘Yet?’ he exclaims, ‘Yet?’ The word leaves his lips once more, pitch a bit higher, and he slowly shakes his head. ‘Can’t believe it.’

‘Oh, come on. That’s just a phrase.’ Robin sits up, tucks her hair behind her ears and claps to signal she has something to say. Steve looks at her, exasperated. ‘Listen. It’s gonna be alright. You’re just gonna have a friendly chat with him. It’s not like I expect you to seduce the guy.’

‘What do you expect from me, Robin?’ That question causes the girl to double back, her eyes wide, but expectant. Is that the Steve Harrington many have talked about? Confident, blunt, and a little bit clueless.

‘I-‘ Steve doesn’t even let the girl finish before he starts speaking again.

‘What is your motive? Why do you want me to do this? Wait, I've got another good question. Why me?’ Words fly out at such speed, Robin struggles to fully understand him, a weird grimace taking over her face.

‘You’re just a loner Steve, okay? Eddie was a loner too. I just thought you’d be able to connect because of that…’

‘You only answered the easiest question.' A pause. 'Why are you doing this, Robin?’ Steve sits down on the floor by the head of the bed, leaning his arms on the mattress, facing Robin. He makes eye contact with the girl, trying to get her to speak, but she breaks the contact and looks away.

‘You don’t have to know everything about me Steve. We’re not friends. And it’s personal.’ That statement gets Steve even more curious. No sarcasm. No jokes. This seems unlike her earlier behaviour.

‘I just want to know if I’m getting into deep shit I won’t be able to get out of.’ The boy exhales, a breath he has not even realised he was holding. He gets him arms off the bed and leans back, looking up at the ceiling, extremely tired, even though the night hasn’t started yet.

‘Don’t worry. You can dip any time you want to. Promise.’ Robin sticks out her pinky towards the blonde. He looks back at her, unsure.

‘Really? Pinky promise? What are we, five?’ Steve raises his eyebrow in amusement.

‘Steve, don’t be a prick.’ Robin smiles at him and shakes her hand to encourage Steve to go along with it.

Steve unwillingly gets up on his knees and reaches out to intertwine his pinky finger with hers. Robin taps her thumb on his and lays back down with a satisfied smile. ‘Did you forget you were supposed to help me get ready?’ Steve questions, an unwilling smile on his face.

She places a pillow over her mouth to muffle a whine, but gets off the bed anyway and takes her bag. ‘Sadly, I am not a punk, so I don’t have much, but I feel like overdoing it wouldn’t do you any good.’ She looks through her bag and takes out a small pink jewellery box.

‘Didn’t think you’d like pink.’ Steve points out, trying to engage in some small talk.

‘Why? Because I’m not girly enough for it?’ Robin giggles at Steve’s embarrassed expression, tempted to tease him further. ‘That’s sexist of you, Steve.’

‘No! I didn’t mean to- It’s just. I-‘ Steve enters panic mode and struggles to say anything reasonable.

‘I’m just joking.’ Robin looks at Steve’s shaky hands, and how he’s playing with his fingers and picks at the skin around his nails. ‘I got this box from my friend. They’re very important to me, so I didn’t have the heart to tell them that I hate pink.’ Robin explains, catching Steve’s attention.

Steve’s not sure what to say, surprised by Robin’s sudden urge to share something about her with him. Sensing the boy’s not going to say anything, she carries on. ‘Well, I keep my favourite pieces of jewellery in this box and it so happens I have a skull ring in here.’

‘I thought you said you’re not a punk?’

Robin throws a pillow at Steve’s face. ‘Doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate their aesthetic. Now shut up, put some black top, jeans on, and the ring. That should be good enough.’ She chucks the ring in Steve’s direction and he swiftly catches it.

‘What about my hair?’ Steve looks Robin dead in the eye, worried, since he’s never been to a bar like that.

‘There’s no way to save it anymore.’ She says getting off the bed and going towards the door. Her face serious, but her voice giving out that she’s just joking. Steve pretends to be offended as he follows her out of his room.

‘Okay, message me if you want me to pick you up.’ Robin parks in front of the Hideout, turns to Steve at the passenger’s seat and smiles at him.

‘Okay, mom.’ Steve rolls his eyes, unbuckles and opens the door to get out. As he closes the door behind him, he faintly hears Robin shouting ‘Have fun, sweetie’ before her voice gets muffled. He shakes his head, not turning back to look at the girl who’s probably giggling to herself.

Steve’s now standing in front of a pretty run down building; bits of paint coming off the walls, one of the windows blocked off with planks, the doors having graffiti on them. It looks much worse than he expected. He looks around the driveway, only two cars taking the already small space in front of the building; a black van, with some worn off logo on the side reading ‘Corroded Coffin’ and a grey Bentley.

Steve takes a breath in, and approaches the door, then breathes out and opens it slowly.

Loud music hits Steve’s ears immediately, a remix of pop songs, some that he recognises. He’s growing more uncertain with each step further into the club, a sea of heads bopping to music, people brushing against each other. He looks for Eddie in the crowd, which has proven to be easier than he expected, with the boy’s long, dark, curls catching Steve’s attention by the bar. He’s alone, holding a drink in his hand, leaning his head on his hand and talking excitedly with the bartender. It’s now or never.

Steve pushes through the crowd, apologising to every person he as much as grazes, slowly making his way towards Eddie, his heart beating faster the closer he got. When he finally stops by the boy, he isn't sure what to do. Should he say ‘hi’, tap him on the shoulder, sit next to him?

Eddie looks back, as if feeling Steve’s presence and his smile quickly falters when he locks eyes with the boy. ‘Oh, you came.’

Steve couldn’t miss the slight disappointment in Eddie’s voice. He doesn't want Steve to be here. ‘Yeah, can I sit down?’

‘If you want to. Ain’t gonna stop you Steven.’ Eddie says and takes a sip of his drink. Steve sits down, an awkward silence filling the air.

Get your shit together Steve.

‘Did you wait long?’ Steve initiates the conversation, and is met with a laugh from Eddie.

‘Don’t worry. Wasn’t expecting you to actually come, so technically, I didn’t wait at all.’ Steve can’t help but wonder what happened to cause so much hostility from the boy, he seemed fine last time they talked.

‘Oh, okay.’ Silence again. ‘Do you come here often?’

'Really, Steve? Do I come here often?' Eddie shakes his head and takes another sip of his drink. 'If you don't have anything to talk to me about, then why did you even come here?' He gets off his stool and blends into the crowd. Steve sighs, placing his face in his hands and gets off too, determination guiding him through the crowd and towards Eddie, who's now in the middle of the dance floor.

'I just wanted to get to know you. Properly.' Steve shouts through the noise, music and drunk people surrounding them. Eddie turns to face him, still dancing, very clumsily, but his movements are charming in some way. However, he doesn't say a word. ' Listen I know I've never properly apologised. I've only given you excuses, but I don't have a reason why I treated you that way. It was stupid and really inconsiderate. I was an asshole.' Eddie stops moving.

'What was that?' Eddie asks, when in reality he actually heard Steve. He just really wants to hear it again.

'I was an asshole!' Steve shouts as loud as his lungs let him, and doesn't realise the song's finished. The whole place goes quiet, as 'asshole' echoes through the room. All eyes are on Steve, including Eddie's, a smile spreading on his face. He snickers and covers his mouth to muffle the noise, leaning forward as a laugh escapes him. Eddie straightens up flicking his hair as he does so, and sighs.

'Oh, Harrington.' Eddie pats Steve's shoulder. 'You still have a long way to go, but that's a good start,' he says and walks away, leaving Steve dumbfounded in the middle of a dance floor, music coming on again, but it's muffled in his ears.

<- last | next ->

[sofasoap]

Love at first sight - 3

Pairing: Rodolfo “Rudy” Parra x F!reader ( aka Mini MacTavish)

Summary: The realisation, the denial, realisation and heartache. Part I, Part 2, Part 4, Part 5,Part 6,Epilogue

Warning: M rating. not beta'ed and proof read

My usual thanking @saltofmercury, mother of Mini, for lending me the character :) Please go and check out her fics!

“masterlist” for Mini MacTavish expanded verse

“So, how was the date?”

“Seriously? You too? You are the last person that I expect to ask me that question. Didn’t take you as a gossiper.” you winced slightly as you slam down your coffee mug on the table harder than intended, rubbing your forehead and side eyed Ghost. 

“It’s hard when everyone is talking about it, including Soap.” he pointed out. 

“I thought you knew ways to shut my brother up better than me, Simon.”

You can see his slight smile as he brings his cup of tea to his mouth, ignoring your statement. 

It’s been a few weeks since your, so-called date with Rudy, somehow two of you became the hot topic of the gossip session amongst Los Vaqueros and SpecGru. 

No, it wasn't a date, Yes, I did go to his house and his sister dressed me up. I met his mum. yes she cried. Yes, We had a good time. NO WE DID NOT SHAG.  By the end you are pretty much rattling off the answers out even before the others open their mouths. 

You keep convincing yourself it was nothing but a fun night out, getting to know the local culture. New experiences. Getting to know your new friend more. Getting attracted to him. Falling in love with him. Mentally slap yourself to stop yourself furthering on that train of thought, you turn your attention as the screeching noise of the table and chairs being moved caught your attention, where a group of Los Vaqueros sitting around their Colonel, sharing a few drinks as they excitedly celebrating the latest success of their mission. And there’s Rudy, sitting quietly beside Alejandro as per usual, listening in to the conversation with a smile on his face. 

“Why are you staring at him then?” 

“What?” your head snaps back at Ghost, even behind his mask, you are sure his eyebrows are raised. This man is just too observant. 

“I am not staring at him. I am just… “ you sighed. Can’t even find a good excuse for your behaviour. “ Just leave me be Simon. I have had enough teasing and questions from people the last few days, I really don’t need it from my brothers.” 

Patting your head as a silent apology before standing up, in search of his other teammates. 

You really weren't seeking him out intentionally, but you just can’t help it. Searching for his presence when you enter the room, searching for his honey brown eyes. He always returns it with that little soft smile as he spots you watching him. That little bit of comfort amongst the strangers. A little reassurance. It warms your heart. 

Noticing a group of soldiers came behind Rudy, nudging him as they handed him a guitar, he shook his head at first, but after some encouragement from Alejandro, he shyly accepted. 

You see how demeanour changes as he holds onto the guitar. Plucking a few notes as he tunes it, getting a feel of the instrument, he launches into an intense, fast pace melody.  Another player joined in with a harmonica and improvised drumming on the table as the crowd started cheering and clapping to the beat of the music. 

Fingers moving, hands strumming and slapping. Totally mesmerised with his playing and skills, another surprise hits you as he joins the chorus of singing, his resonant voice, easily recognisable above all others. How beautiful he looks when he sings, the confidence he exudes. The agile fingers moving along the fretboard of the guitar. This is definitely an unexpected side of him you have never seen before. 

Suddenly, his eyes found yours, and followed you as some fellow medics pulled you in the middle of the room, where there were few people already dancing. Remembering what you have learnt from the ladies at the festival, and following others, you immerse yourself in the music, as you twirl and stomp your feet to the rhythm, flaring your imaginary skirt. Trying hard to ignore his gaze. Yet with every turn, you always see him, looking at you longingly, focusing all his attention on you, as if you are the only dancer in the room, putting on a private performance for him. 

As the song draws to a close, you feel like you are suffocating, the need to get out of the mess hall, get away from the crowd,

Away from him. 

Excusing yourself from your friends for needing to get some fresh air ,you half ran out the door, towards the back, into the shade of the building. 

A light crunching footstep approaches a few minutes later as you crouching in the shadow, hiding your face between your legs,trying to settle yourself from the confusing and flustering state. You tenses as you turn your head towards the owner of the foot step, you notice Rudy approaching, holding a bottle of water, with concern showing on his face. 

Shaking your head to decline his extended hand, offering to pull you up, pushing yourself up to a standing position, you murmured words of thanks after he passed the bottle of cooling water to you instead. He looks at you, wrangling his hand, all the confidence from before has suddenly slid off into the background, his nervousness and shyness making its way back out. You can feel he wants to ask you something, yet holding back, not wanting to break the little moment you two are sharing right now. You have a fair feeling about what he wants to ask. 

That push and shove between the burning lust of pushing him into the wall, needing your body impossibly close to yours, his lips on yours, letting him know how much your body is desiring him, how you long for him as much he does to you.  Accepting him and be damned the consequences and thought of the long term future.

And the rational part of your brain warns you, to walk away from him, to cut off any tie off from him. He’s just another passerby in your life, working together towards the same goal, eliminating the threats, winning the war against the cartels. 

You unscrew the bottle of water, taking a few big gulps, cooling yourself down from the dancing session from before, and trying to distract you from the conflicting thought that is battling in your mind right now. 

Closing the cap, you suddenly blurted out. “It’s better we stay as friends.” That’s for the best. Cut off any hope before it starts. But why does it hurt so much?

Too many sacrifices will be made. The different priorities.  The distance. 

“But.. friends can still keep in touch right?” he asked in a quiet voice, looking into your eyes, searching for that last little hope. But the sadness laced in his voice and the eyes, he knows what you mean behind the words. Both of you know this is probably a love that will go nowhere. Impossible by many means. 

You try to smile, but it turns out to be more like a grimace as you try hard to hold back that ache. Breaking the eye contact, you look down, biting your lower lip between the teeth, tightening your grip on the bottle, trying to stop the tears that are currently welling up in your eyes from bursting from its dam. 

He took a step forward, you heard him suck in a deep breath before tentatively putting his strong arm around yours, drawing you into his embrace awkwardly, trying to comfort you. 

Instinctively burying your face into the crook of his neck, you finally let the tears flow freely. You only knew him for a few weeks, and even turning him down just now, you knew you would not fall in love with another person like how you fell in love with him, ever again. 

Tag list: @kaplerrr @captainpriceslover @homicidal-slvt @floral-force @deadbranch @a-small-writer-in-a-big-world @iwannabeinthesequalmrghostface

[maxislvt]

Silent Night

Summary: Even rock stars get caught up in the holiday rush.

Warnings: R being gay, Wanda being a mommy, me projecting a tiny bit but that's what y'all are here for!

A/N: No, I am not addicted to popstar Wanda at all!! (I'm lying)

Event Masterlist

❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃

The Christmas rush was not something to be ignored, especially if you were a musician. Where most people only had to start worrying around mid-November, you were forced to start all the way in October. Halloween had come and gone, but you were on crunch time in your studio.

Despite the weeks-long headstart, you had nothing ready to spark holiday cheer. You did technically have some songs. Several fully completed songs. It was just that none of them satisfied you. The Thunderbolts was a band filled with magnificently talented people. Your music had to be perfect. You didn't care if that meant you spent long hours in your studio. Your girlfriend, on the other hand, did care. Wanda was a festive woman and refused to celebrate the holiday without you.

Originally, you two had compromised. You'd do all your lyric writing at home and then spend a few hours at your studio mixing and sampling as needed. Regardless of what you did, you had to be done by 6 pm and spend the rest of the night at home with Wanda. The lack of your familiar hums and empty driveway upon her return home told Wanda you hadn't kept your end of the deal. One slightly annoying drive later, her suspicion had been confirmed.

"I know the fingerprint lock on the outside is to keep people from getting in, but I didn't know it stopped you from getting out."

Wanda's voice made you stop in your tracks. For a moment, you just sat there. There was no way it had been past 6 o’clock. You left the house at 12 that evening and only wrote about 12 lines you were proud of. Checking your phone to see it was 9:46 pm was a major blow to your confidence. "I, uh, I thought I had another hour?" The statement sounded more like a question. Mostly because you were genuinely confused. You slowly turned around in your chair. "I'm sorry, I think I just lost track of time. I —"

Wanda cupped your checks and slowly examined your face. "Baby, how long have you been here? You look like you haven't slept in days." The bags under your eyes were genetic, but they somehow looked heavier. The once perfectly soft skin on your lips had been chewed and rubbed raw. She pulled you close and forced you to rest your head on her stomach. This wasn't the first time Wanda watched you overwork yourself, but she was happy to be the one to pull you out of your habits. "Why don't we go home and rest up for a bit? I brought back some of that hot chocolate you like."

Normally, the promise of good hot chocolate and cuddles would be enough to get you to do anything, but you were far too stressed. You shook your head and pulled away. "I can't, I gotta finish at least one of these songs before we go home." Pulling away from Wanda's touch was near impossible, but you forced yourself to do it anyway. "Just give me another hour, I promise I'll be done."

Wanda sighed. This was clearly important to you and dragging you away from your studio wouldn't do any good. She’d lost count of how many times you’d snuck out to work on music. "Fine, but I have to help and you have to sit in my lap." She giggled at the embarrassed face you made. "It's either that or I take you home and wrap you up in blankets like a newborn cat."

You huffed in disapproval but stood up and allowed Wanda to sit in your chair. It was hard to tell what you were feeling exactly. Either stress had entirely consumed you or you were falling into Wanda's trap. Part of you hoped it was the second option. "I wrote a bunch of stuff earlier, but these are the only complete songs I have." You opened some files on your laptop. "Only two have music behind them right now."

Wanda nodded along as you spoke. Her hand slipped underneath your shirt and rubbed small circles on the skin of your stomach. Sure, Wanda had promised you an hour but she was going to get you home as fast as she could. "Lemme hear the two with music, we can work on the 3rd one last." She put on the headphones attached to your laptop. She tentatively listened to the song as she rocked you side to side in her lap. "This is beautiful, baby! Why don't you like it?"

A heavy yawn fell from your lips. "It just doesn't sound festive enough! I feel like I'm not hitting these notes right." Staying awake in Wanda's grasp was an endless uphill climb. Keeping your will to fight was even harder. "I was thinking of giving it to someone else, but I don't wanna let it go."

"We can make a duet." Wanda smiled when you excitedly turned around towards her. "Tamper with the notes a bit and split up the lyrics and we'll have our first song together." She peppered your excited face with kisses. "We can record it next weekend and then the company can release it on Christmas day if you want. "

The longer Wanda kissed you, the harder it was to ignore that familiar warm buzz underneath your skin. Sleep was calling your name, but you wouldn't give in unless Wanda prompted you to do so. "That's fine with me…just highlight the parts you wanna sing." Your eyelids felt heavier than the metal you made a living singing. Your highlighting and annotating were so hard to read, Wanda had to guide your head through the rest of it. You didn't even register the fact Wanda moved on to the other song until you saw a new file opened. "Wait, I don't remember…"

Wanda hummed softly. "Hey, I think you've done enough for today. Why don't we head home?" Her arms wrapped around your stomach, pulling you impossibly closer. She had you wrapped around her fingers. There was no way you'd say no to her now. "We can watch that reindeer musical you like so much. Then I can wrap you up in your favorite blankets. Doesn't that sound nice?"

That was it. You had fallen under another one of Wanda's magical spells. "You mean the one about Rudolph and the dentist elf?" The confirmation was all you needed. "Okay, I'm ready to go home now."

Wanda gave you another kiss before letting you stand up. "Don't worry about your car, I'll have someone come pick it up in the morning."

❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃

The promise of a movie night and hot chocolate had seemingly reinvigorated you. Though you were hesitant and sluggish when leaving your studio, you couldn't sit still during the car ride. Wanda thought it was adorable.

"How did you get the shavings so small? Mine are all big and chunky." The lack of a break was still clearly affecting your performance a bit. Cooking had always been Wanda's thing. You were always her little lab rat or dish cleaner, never an assistant. Even if you were a mess in the kitchen, you were proud of yourself for making your fancy hot chocolate without much help.

Wanda giggled as she took a sip from her mug. "I told you to use the other side of the grater." Being famous came with its perks, but nothing would ever top having you all to herself. To Wanda, you were perfect. All your odd preferences and little quirks only added to said perfection. "Y'know, I think I might have my own little Rudolph just like Santa does."

You turned your head around so fast, you got whipped cream on your nose. "Really? Wait, did you buy the reindeer antler for Sparky!?"

Wanda laughed and shook her head. "No, I just meant you." She playfully licked the cream off your nose. "Every time I give you a compliment, you hop around repeating it for days." She placed her mug on the nightstand. "I'm cute! I'm cute! She thinks I'm cute," Wanda said, recreating the scene that had played just a few minutes ago.

You huffed your chest out in defense. "I don't sound like that! If anyone does, it's you…or maybe Bucky, he's been a real simp these past few weeks."

"Oh no, don't bring your little friends into this! You wrote an entire EP after I started publicly calling you my partner, lord knows what you'll do when we get married." Wanda turned away to take another sip of her hot chocolate. When she turned back, she was met with the cutest puppy dog eyes she'd ever seen.

"You wanna marry me?"

Wanda could only laugh. "Of course, I wanna marry you! You're too perfect to slip through my fingers." She cupped your face and kissed you on the lips. "Also, this totally proves my point."

[dustedmagazine]

Wendy Eisenberg — Viewfinder (American Dreams)

The experimental guitarist and songwriter Wendy Eisenberg has been everywhere for the last couple of years, popping up in Bill Orcutt’s Four Guitars ensemble and shredding in the post-hardcore Editrix, flirting with twang in the company of Mari Maurice and Ryan Sawyer and expanding the range of the electric axe with Christian Wolff and Morton Feldman. There is nothing wrong with Eisenberg’s work ethic, their courage to explore new territory or their ears, but apparently, their eyesight has long been a problem. Viewfinder convenes a team of young but very capable New York City improvisers to enact a cycle of songs about Eisenberg’s recent decision to undergo laser surgery.

Of the nine compositions, six are jazz-flavored art songs, prominently featuring voice and narrative, while the remaining three are largely instrumental. The 25-minute-long “Afterimage,” recorded live and about a year after the rest of the tracks, comes the closest to straight instrumental jazz. A slinkly Latin cadence pulses under acoustic upright bass (Carmen Q. Rothwell, but just for this cut) and fiery piano (Andrew Links). It is quite wonderful—the trumpet solo five minutes in (Chris Williams) reminds me a good bit of Jaime Branch’s work with Fly or Die—but, except for the title, wholly untethered to Eisenberg’s theme of seeing and not seeing.

Not so, the opening salvo “Lasik” which describes the artist’s ordeal in some detail. “Sent home to rest, I stayed awake, and watched my eyes grow stronger,” Eisenberg croons in her soft, off-kilter soprano, as the guitar builds staccato tension and a trombone blares ominously (that’s Zekereyya el-Magharbel who adds a really nice flavor to this and other tracks). The track shifts midway into an antic, jittery cadence, as a piano natters nervously in the upper registers. The music is full of half-steps and unexpected sequences; it fragments and stutters and blurs. And then Eisenberg closes with a verse that seems like a thesis statement, singing, “If this wasn’t true, it would be the most heavy-handed metaphor, but yes, I changed my eyesight, and yes, my eyes are blurry, I am surprised that healing takes forever, but changing isn’t healing.”

Other cuts pick up the concept to one degree or another, though never again as directly as in “Lasik.” “Set a Course” is sung a capella at first, then embellished with bass, drums and piano. It pushes past the known, but braver and more visceral as it goes. It’s as if Eisenberg is gaining confidence with her ability to see. The two-parter, “Viewfinder” juxtaposes the clarity of trumpet and high wordless vocals with murkier dissonance. The lyrics, too, concern what can be made out (and what can’t) in eerie couplets shadowed by trumpet tones. “Threaten me by telling me how you see the way I’m living,” sings Eisenberg, poking at the limits of even 20/20 vision.

Still with all due respect to Eisenberg and her new sharper sight, Viewfinder works because of the way it sounds, at times bright and harsh as neon, at others soft and ambiguous and elusive. You may not be able to discern exactly what it means, but the colors are bright, the edges sharp and the turns often surprising. We knew before that Eisenberg was a massive, multi-faceted talent, and now we know they’re capable of pulling off a concept album about eye surgery. Not everybody could.

Jennifer Kelly