#we ride the rarepair train in this house so

[ashxketchum]

My Digi-posting has reduced greatly thanks to Anipoke (and Beyblade too I guess) so lemme take advantage of polls and try out something

[shinobimagpie]

Naruto Rarepair Week - Day 1 - Perfect Timing (ShikaTemaTayu)

My entry for day one of @narutorarepairweek I wrote like half of this on tumblr mobile only for the app to EAT MY DAMN DRAFT. The prompt wasn’t for YOU you stupid blue website! Anyway...

Perfect Timing 

for @narutorarepairweek 

Characters: Tayuya/Temari/Shikamaru

Prompt: Bad Things Happen/Good Things Happen

Warnings: Tayuya-typical language

“You can’t be serious!”

“Three WEEKS?!”

They are both on their feet immediately, speaking over each other in protest.

“Wh-that’s half the exam period! She can’t… they can't just...” Shikamaru tries to start.

“She’s going to laugh in your face when you tell her that.” Tayuya cuts in, jabbing her finger at the woman across the desk. “And when she realizes you mean it she’s going to try to kill you with her mind. She might even pull it off.”

“She can be as angry about it as she likes, but that doesn’t change the post-surgical requirements.” Shizune says sternly, crossing her arms and leaning back to stare them down calmly, nonplussed by either Tayuya’s upset or Shikamaru’s practically pleading look.

“Her injuries were extremely serious. If she doesn’t keep the leg raised over the course of recovery she risks losing the foot.”

Tayuya curses, running a hand roughly back through her hair, trying to form a protest that isn’t just a frustrated scream. Shikamaru has her back, as usual.

“We know it’s serious, Shizune-san, but her mental health is important too, isn’t it? She can’t have just an hour a day or something?”

“Bedrest.” Shizune repeats, though with a little more gentleness this time. “I don't put active shinobi on these kinds of restrictions lightly, I know this will be hard on her, but the activities she has to get up for like bathing and the bathroom will be enough stress as is. Her blood and chakra flows are in an extremely delicate state right now. I know I don’t need to tell you how important it is that she have a complete and uninterrupted recovery from her injuries.”

Shizune gives a pointed look to the arm-crutch that Tayuya is bearing half her weight into and the red-head rolls her eyes at the ceiling.

“I fucking KNOW, Shi, but… but you…”

“You don’t have to find a way to entertain her for 506 hours.” Shikamaru grumbles, pinching the bridge of his nose to stave off his instant headache.

Tayuya draws herself up straighter, adjusting the collar of her interrogator’s uniform with her free hand.

“Three whole weeks? You're SURE?"

“You can count today, since she was on the table so early.” Shizune concedes and Shikamaru and Tayuya heave a united sigh.

“Alright, just… better to let us tell her.”

-

“I could just put her in a genjutsu.” Tayuya says idly as they ride the elevator down to the inpatient floors.

“She won’t fall for that.” Shikamaru scoffs immediately, arms crossed as he leans on the opposite wall. “She’s done way too much training with you.”

“Where are all those Uchiha motherfuckers when you need them...?”

“Tayuya…”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding, fucking hell...” she sighs, feeling drained before the real conversation has even begun. Her shoulders sag and a moment later, Shikamaru has pushed off the far wall and come to put an arm around her, rubbing her back in small soothing circles.

“She’s gonna hate this.” Tayuya says miserably, pressing her forehead to his shoulder, guilt swamping her the more and more she thinks about it. "I shouldn’t have pushed her so much in training…"

“Don't do that to yourself." He says firmly, kissing her temple. "You couldn't know what was going to happen once she got in the field. It was supposed to be a B rank mission for godsakes."

Tayuya sighs, knowing he’s right but hardly feeling less guilty for it. Still she tips her head up to kiss his cheek in return, leans on him until the elevator doors open and they emerge onto the recovery floor.

"So, do you wanna break it to Tema or you gonna make me do it?" Tayuya asks as they turn down the hall.

"Break what to me?" Temari's voice cuts in from behind them. They both swing around to find their wife peering at them with concern, hands full of coffee for herself and a bottle of soda for their shared patient.

Shikamaru and Tayuya trade a look and Temari groans, knowing already what it means.

"Shit. For how long?"

Tayuya takes a deep breath.

"Three weeks."

"WEEKS?!" Temari's voice pitches up into a squeak of shock, blue-green eyes welling up as she takes in the gravity of it.

"It was really that bad? But, her exams…"

Shikamaru winces, nodding as he reaches out to rub Temari’s shoulder. Tayuya takes the coffee from her so she can put an arm around him in return.

"Asuna's gonna be so upset." The blonde sniffs as Shikamaru kisses her head, and Tayuya sighs, feeling helpless all over again.

"I know, sunshine..."

"We'll get her a really good present, see if we can't make it suck a bit less." Shikamaru suggests, squeezing Temari reassuringly.

Tayuya makes a thoughtful little sound that makes both her partners look at her.

"What?" Temari asks, one elegant brow raising.

"You better not be thinking what I think you are..." Shikamaru says, pinning her with his most suspicious of looks.

The redhead shrugs. "I'm just thinking. Now might be the perfect time to cave and get her that saxophone she’s been begging for. Let her get the first few weeks of screeching out while she's, you know, hospitalized? Instead of in our house?"

Temari can’t help the laugh that bursts out of her at the sly suggestion.

"Well, she's still gonna be mad but that will take the edge off for sure. The nurses might all hate us by the time she leaves though."

".....It's so hot when you're sneaky like that." Shikamaru adds with a dreamy sigh and Tayuya just grins, sipping a bit off the top of Temari's coffee.

"That's why you keep me around, no?"

[avenger-hawk]

(1) hello sweetie, love ur blog!! and holy cow, never realised anime discourse ran so deep. If I like something and it doesn't hurt you, why do you have to come to my house and throw shit at my stuff lmaooo. Of course, if it's something I need to be corrected about (aka r*cism etc etc) then yeh I get it. But if I like Dark NS and only see Sasuke as submissive in a realtionship, why does that hurt you so much that you have to come and be all "But hey no, AcTuAllY.." Like dude, I DONT CARE

(2) I'm not the type of person who can't form opinions for myself and only ride onto the hate train/delusional ships train. And I'm also not the type to be so insecure about my opinions and likes that having someone come over to shit on me will deter me and make me re-think everything. I also don't need other people to tell me they think like me to feel validated. So why can't people leave us alone when we say we like certain things and dislike others?

(3) I'm sorry I just came at you with this rant out of nowhere, but man, am I pissed and stressed and anxious and on-edge all the time now because I've been involved and seen so mucg discourse around Naruto stuff I've gotten so, so damn tired. Delusional Sa*uS*ku fangirls, delusional SN fangirls, delusional itachi fans and then the ones who pretend they know everything. I'm tired, tired of having to be so guilt-tripped all the time for liking Sasuke. Seems like it's controversial to like him.

(4) But leaving all that sour and heavy stuff behind, I absolutely adore your blog!! I am so freaking glad it exists, you have no idea how many times I've checked your blog over the years only to be surprised at how similar our interpretations are. It felt like you were reading my mind and putting down thoughts that I didn't dare put down. Thank you so damn much for still being here despite all the shit you had to put up with. and alsooo..I can't stand anything new/b*ruto related so either 🙃

(5) Last one, but I hope you're doing good, staying safe and all that stuff. I realllly wish I could talk to you as a friend, feels like we would vibe so much given how similar our thought processes seem to be xD AHH!! I also adore your fics so damn much, I still remmeber the days I used to refresh ever day just to see if there was an update ;_; I'm so glad you even wrote those fics so I'm not begging or guiltripping for updates, just wanting to put out my thanks. Love you sweetie, tc  😭💕

First of all thanks for the nice words~

Aand...Anon I don’t get one thing. We all saw how crazy anime discourse (or fictional stuff one) can get. You are confident about your opinions (which are totally right because CANON Sas is passive in relationship, he’s the yin cuz kishi said so and ppl who say the opposite, especially SS, SN and SI shippers are just delusional) and you don’t need other ppl’s bullshit discourse...then why do you engage in N*ruto discourse even? I mean, you tried once, you saw how shitty ppl are then why insist? I get that ppl are social beings who want to discuss things they like, I really get it. But it’s obvious how this fandom (and all fandoms tbh) is, so wouldn’t it be better to keep it to yourself? Maybe do something creative like fic writing, drawing if you can, or writing your own essays about Sasuke&co, making sure you block everyone who bitches at you?

Cause idk, it feels the most rational option to stay in the fandom. Idk how long you’ve been into it but I was here when the ending came out and the word ‘discourse’ wasn’t used. I tried discussing, both ending and Sasuke related dynamics, then I realized it was useless, so I channeled my thoughts in my fics or whatever I have been doing since then, and I blocked everyone I found irritating. And it works. I just don’t care about what ppl think, I write for myself but opinions and fics, and the only moment I get angry is when my fics are criticized lol, cause ppl write in such a shitty way but they dare criticize openly or even worse, passive aggressively those who write better only because the fic is not how they’d like it to be lol. f*ck them. Actually I recently learned to ignore some person’s comments on a fic I wrote for another fandom, cause they are an author and they try so hard to be noticed by ‘constructively’ criticizing that fic for things that show they read it not attentively, so the best revenge is to ignore them. So I don’t understand why such simple thing doesn’t work for others.

Same for guilt...idk why someone would make someone feel guilty for liking Sasuke or certain dynamics. Cause if they succeed it means that they found some ‘internalized’ guilt that existed already, which I don’t get. I’m so very glad that reading my stuff you find it so similar to your thoughts...and this is smth that makes me think that if you write your own thoughts someone will feel the same and they’ll come to you. You never know who’s reading your stuff after all, and even though there’s plenty of ass*oles there are also fans who are desperate to find the good stuff lol. Lol it’s so cool to realize how some ppl appreciate something ‘controversial’ or weird, like a rarepair, or an opinion. And btw liking bottomSas isn’t either, it’s canon lol.

I’m glad you like my blog, as I was saying, and everything else, it’s cool to have the same thought process and thanks for not asking for updates, some fics like In Power...I won’t update anyway (I’m kinda bored of Itachicentric stuff and positive Itasasu), others I will when I have time and inspiration as I’m also writing for another fandom. But everything I left on hiatus had its ‘season ending’ so it’s ok I guess. Maybe lol. Ugh I’m sorry but I don’t understand how some authors can be so quick and productive while I need so much time lol

[snow-slayer]

A Bunch of Good Things from 2019

*I don’t do things consistently, so there’s chunks of time I just forgot to write. So the blank spaces are days where I could not recall the exact good things that happened.*

January 1: Started the year off right by hanging out with @nah-young, eating some delicious leftovers from New Year’s Eve and working on a puzzle. Also caught a shiny Delibird in Pokemon Go as the first catch of the year.  2: Had a headache at work, but went home to take care of myself. Dad and I talked for a long time about money and taxes without arguing. I have also discovered a future hobby I want to get into: 3D printing. 3: I cranked out four solid hours of studying. I’m going to ace the Auditing section of the CPA exam. I feel it in my bones (especially when I finally stood up and stretched). 4: My ‘other mom’ (one of my best friend’s mom) took me out for a belated Birthday lunch to our favorite Thai food place, and I enjoyed more mango sticky rice. It’s one of my new favorite desserts. 5: Did some epic New Year cleaning. Caught up on laundry, filed away my 2018 paperwork, and did some 2019 taxes. Finally on top of things! 6: A puzzle day! I connected a big piece of the sky to the side on the Lion King puzzle. I’ve still got a lot to go, but progress is being made. 7: As usual, I both surprised and pleased the teller at the bank when I moved some money from savings into my IRA. They wanted to know if it was for tax year 2018, but I could tell them last year was maxed out and it was for 2019. 8: Got to practice my training and supervising skills with @arrowhearts.  9: Spent the night at Lucy’s (she’s a cat). She’s the sweetest cat though, and was cuddling in my lap for so long! She even held my finger with her paw for like ten minutes. I love her. 10: It’s been forever, but I finally sat down and played some video games. I’m replaying Arkham Asylum again and really just exploring every nook and cranny I can find. 11: Might have started a new Francis story line ... Whoops :) 12: Helped Jane clear an apartment and acquired many new tools and art supplies to use. 13: Snow! It was snowing before bed, but I still woke up at 5 am to about 4 - 5 inches. Activated my dad gene and started shoveling at 5:30 am (sorry neighbors to the house I was dog sitting at). It’s so pretty out! 14: A quiet day, but I did some work for Jane and gamed some more. Can’t wait to start Arkham City when I get 100% on Arkham Asylum! 15: I took my coworker a basket of fun snacks from Lotte for her Birthday. She’s so excited to try them all! 16: Donated blood today and when I went to get dinner on the way home, I got a free salad! The entree was already free and I ordered a side salad. I pulled out my wallet to pay, but the coupon covered it, too!  17: Treated myself to breakfast on the way into preschool (my new volunteer place since the teacher I followed to several elementary schools is now at). Also ate some amazing home cooked food for lunch with @nah-young before going out for ice cream. 18: Did some very early spring cleaning to prep for my next yard sale and straighten up a bit. 19: Beat the storyline and finished gathering all of Riddler’s trophies in Arkham Asylum. I do still need to finish up the additional content for 100% completion. 20: Working with Jane to help clean out an apartment again and got stencils to use for my art (the ones with shapes of different sizes). I had wanted to get me a set, so I really lucked out. 21: Started reading a book for fun. Lol, I forgot that I can still read non-accounting things for fun. 22: Sent out 1099s at work. It’s always a dreaded part of the year, but it’s taken care of! 23: I started uploading my old Franmouche stories to AO3. I forgot that I’d written 185 pages of them. At least if someone else likes my rarepair, they have lots to read. No guarantees on the quality, but there is quantity. 24: Made fun penguin cutouts for the preschool class I volunteer at. Then studied for nine hours on campus. A busy, yet productive day. 25:  Finished watching all my lectures for the next portion of the CPA exam! So much auditing knowledge!!! 26: Panic alleviated. My check engine light had been on for a few days. Usually it’s just a gas cap issue so I was worried, but after readjusting the cap again (which usually fixes it) and an oil change, the light went out! 27: Played some Pokemon Go for four hours with @arrowhearts and Lyla. No Kyogre, but at least we each got a Groudon. Plus, the weather was beautiful for this time of year. 28: I found a dollar today while sweeping the parking lots with my dad! I’m gonna be riding this wave for a week. (Fun fact: my dad and I used to go bike riding on Sunday afternoons/evenings in the local parking garages and look for pennies. We’d always get bragging rights when we found a quarter or more. We still get excited and tell each other of the day’s finds when we find a few coins while we’re sweeping). 29: Had a bit of a headache, but managed to get through it so I could finish the workday. Then I get some well deserved rest. 30: Met up with @nah-young for some fries and ice cream! 31: My annual physical went well! Took care of a couple test we’ve been putting off, too, and they weren’t quite as bad as I thought they’d be.

February

1: I had such a productive day in the office, even for a Friday. Special thanks to @arrowhearts for helping me move all (24  years worth) of our files. 2: Started off the day a little rough and feeling low, but I decided to go up to campus, and I’m so glad I did. I was able to help a bunch of people get to their destination. Also hung out with @nah-young and @arrowhearts in a sketchy room. 3: Technically today (starting at 1 am). Had a great talk with @nah-young about a lot of things including our friendship. Successfully avoided the Super Bowl (which I heard sucked, so that was a good use of my time). 4: Had a really good conversation with my dad for almost an hour. We had some fights earlier in the year, but it was nice to be able to connect some. 5: It’ll be silly to look back on, but I thought I lost a reference letter for a scholarship applicant, but realized I could find it on our shared drive. Such a relief! 6: I tried Duck Donuts for the first time today. One of our board members brought me and a coworker a half dozen each. 7: Caught a Miltank in Pokemon Go! I thought I missed my chance, but there was a special running, so I got it. 8: Just heard we got a new boss at work, so it’ll be nice to be full staffed again. 9: Started working on a painting for @arrowhearts. It might be my first completed artwork of the year. 10: A lazy day, but I flipped through a book on home decorating. You know, to plan for my future house. 11: Officially started working for Jane’s business. We’ll see how it goes, but at least it’s an extra couple of hours per week. 12: Finished a dog sitting job, and I’m super thankful to be sleeping in my own bed again. 13: I gave Lucy, the sweetest cat ever, a piggyback ride and it was the cutest thing ever. I was on my knees and forearms trying to get Lucy to boop my nose when she just climbed on my back and sat down. I rose up on my knees and hands and she did the “i’m not so sure but I’m going to stay here” stand and let me crawl across the floor a while before finally jumping off. I love this cat. 14: Took the auditing section of the CPA exam. I feel much better about this one than I have about the other two. We’ll see on the 26th. 15: Such a busy day at the office! It was productive, but just a lot of work. 16: Even though I just too the other exam, I managed to get a lot of studying done. 17: Mamaw and I got to chat and work on the puzzle for a while. It was nice to hang out with her since I haven’t done son in quite a while. 18: We had some really good food at our investment club meeting today. Sheppard’s pie (like meat and mashed potatoes), salad, this great cracker dip (I have no other details other than feels like sharp cheddar finally shredded with a hint of spice in some sort of sauce). 19: Our new executive director started today. I think I made a pretty good first impression! 20: Started playing Arkham City again. We had a snow day and even my office closed, so I made the most of my day. 21: Lol and today I finished the main storyline of Arkham City. Accidentally, because I was doing side quests, but Batman got mad when I tried to go finish some before the last mission. 24: I am obsessed with Excel, but I figured out a formula so that it would total certain categories even if they weren’t in order. Plus I learned how to make a drop down menu (on two versions of Excel). Guess who’s budget looks beautiful! 25: I caught a Latias in Pokemon Go. Not having much luck with the water legendaries. I wonder if they don’t like me because we picked the grass starter. 26: I passed the Auditing section! (and instead of keeping it quiet, I made a point to tell some people). Then @nah-young and I went to dinner to celebrate our successes of the day and just have a nice chat. 27: Good news: I starved off a migraine that was starting on Feb 26. Maybe this new method will help them from getting bad. Just took an Aleve with some hot tea. 28: Went on a Pokemon run, and I found $20 blowing across the yard when I got home! A nice find for the year.

March 1: I’ve been really getting into “Ghost Story” by Peter Straub and had so much time to just sit and read while it rained. 2: I watched “Spiderman: Enter the Spiderverse” today. An epic movie and I highly recommend it! I also have several new costume ideas... 3: Officially started working on my Library Comic Con cosplay. There’s not much to show, but it was nice to start costuming again. 4: Hiked up to the nearby bubble tea. It was good! I got a mango green tea creama. Next time I know I have to mix it up before I start drinking it. 5: 6:   7: 8: 9: 10: Started replaying Castlevania IV. It’s been a while since I beat it, so hopefully I can still finish it! 11: I have proven myself an Excel deity. Well, at least Jane thinks though. She needed a spreadsheet for something and had some ideas so I whipped it out in five minutes flat with a bunch of formulas she didn’t even know were possible. I’m quite proud of it. 12: Lol, speaking of excel, I was geeking out over my budget with one of our board members. She was showing me how she built her itinerary in excel for her next trip and I got to show off my budget. 13: 14: 15: It was fake St. Patrick’s day at work, so I got to show off my green Riddler suit. Apart from being mistaken as dressing like a leprechaun a few times, I received a bunch of compliments on it. I’ve gotten a lot of use out of that suit jacket. 16: Tagged along with @nah-young to her grandfather’s birthday party and watched Bohemian Rhapsody. Apart from the timeline inaccuracies, I really enjoyed it! Look at that: two new movies in one month. 17: First big leaf job of the season. I guess the first major landscaping job. Dad helped out, so it made life easier. 18: Investment club meeting went well, and I ended up staying late to chat and help clean up, but it was enjoyable. Also had some great tiramisu from Trader Joe’s. 19: 20: 21: It was a downpour today, but I also made a 20 minute Costco run. Parking was great, the lines were short, and I managed to balance everything without a cart. Success! 22: Finally got around to doing invoices. It’s such a weight off my chest to take care of them. 23: I had the house to myself, so got ample studying done, played some pokemon, and treated myself to some bubble tea. Got myself a bunch of good pokes from Community day. 24: Another lovely day to sit and hang out with @nah-young. I always enjoy our hour long conversations just sitting in my car in her driveway. I also finished the lectures for the BEC portion of the CPA exam. 25: I found a gift card loaded with $30 today. It had been thrown into the dumpster, so a little gross, but it washed off nicely. 26: Ran up to the local library to turn in my books (look @arrowhearts, I did it the day before they were due and didn’t have to make a midnight run). I wasn’t going to check out more books since I already had some checked out from another library visit (I go to many branches due to my job and often check out a book or two, resulting in cycles of books due at different times), but I did anyway. I started reading Area X, too, and so far, I’m really enjoying it. 27: Our family’s accountants think I’m a bit weird because I was so excited to get my tax papers back even though I owed money. I was just like “cool!” to all the facts and things on my sheets, which is apparently not what they’re used to, but one of the new tax laws works in my favor as small business income is taxed at a lower rate or something. 28:  29: 30: I love Annihilation in the Area X series! I haven’t plowed through a book that fast in years. 31: I was catching up on my business spreadsheets and it turns out I had the most profitable March since I started my business :)

April 1: No April Fools jokes, which is always a huge plus. 2: 3: 4: Took the BEC section of the exam and then clocked in a bunch of hours for the Foundation. Jubilee is almost here!!! 5: 6: The Jubilee is over!!! What a relief! A lot of things went well, and I heard it was a lot of people’s favorite. Not sure what actually happened because I was stationed at check in/out all night, but hopefully the silent auction results are good. Huge shout out to @arrowhearts and @nah-young for getting me through the night! 7:A quiet morning of returning the Jubilee to the Foundation. Plus some other landscaping. 8: I know everyone at work is saying I should take time off, and I didn’t, but I’m actually feeling blessed that I have the physical and mental stamina to keep working on things. Plus, I need to catch up with post Jubilee stuff. 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19:  Got to talking with my art dealer for a long while and we exchanged headcannons and ideas. 20: Had a nice Pokemon run with @arrowhearts‘ dog. Plus, enough work to keep me out of trouble X) 21: A very busy Easter. I moved a huge mound of mulch. It was half the size of my car. Hopefully the home owner will like it. 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31: I’ve been feeling behind, but I finally knocked out a really important thing at work today. Got our annual applications in!

May 1: 2: 3: My gauntlets for my comic con costume look so cool! They’re a little stabby (there’s staples on the inside, although I should be able to tape it down for safety), but overall look cool for a first draft. 4: A long day, but I feel like I was really able to help my friend and her family, which is nice considering how much they do for me. 5: The event that happened wasn’t good, but I’ve been humbled as to how well our house was kept and motivated to try and become more organized. 6:  Dad and I were chatting today, and we could even touch on topics in a civil manner. It was quite nice!  7: Just found out I passed the BEC section of the CPA exam! I’m 75% CPA!!! And no cavities were found after my dentist appointment :) 8: Frantically working on my costume, but my head piece looks really good! 9: Mom even chipped in to help. We rigged up a steampunk mask I have (which doesn’t fit on my head right) so that I can actually wear it. 10: I’ve been fasting for Ramadan and I think my body and I are finally on the same page. It was a rough start this year, but I’m looking forward to focusing on being thankful for what I have and working on self discipline. 11: Library Comic Con! My costume is a bit rough, so no final pictures, but I have plans to make it better! 12: It was a busy Sunday. Lots of lawns, but thankfully the weather was cool. 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: Had a nice meeting with my boss. I keep feeling like I’m not on top of things or she’s disappointed, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Plus, she said I did great at the finance committee meeting, so that was nice. 18: Although I scared everyone I worked with all day, I was able to donate blood even though I had been fasting.  19: I saw the tiniest inch worm while I was pulling weeds today. It was more like a quarter inch worm and it was just trying so hard to climb up my arm when I found it. I also saw the first lightening bugs of the year. As a bug type Pokemon trainer, I’m quite pleased with all of this (less so with the mosquitoes though, as I got my first bite of the season). 20: I have found a nice way to keep cool at the property Dad and I work at. I’m allowed to douse my head, neck, and hat with the hose, and man does it feel good! 21: I received many compliments at the executive committee meeting for all my hard work on the budget, the Jubilee, and finance committee. 22: Caught up on reconciliations at work (finally). It’s been just a nightmare, but I’m happy they’re done. 23: Another me day. I’ve been taking Thursdays off and got to game for a bit but also accomplish a lot of laundry and studying. 24: Had a good meeting at work to discuss the future of the nonprofit I work at. Plus I finally made a phone call I didn’t want to make. 25: Went to a foam helmet making class with a coworker. I’m super excited to start trying out this style, and I think the sample we made in class can easily be used to make a helmet for Vile. Might have purchased a few things to go with it :) 26: Found a new drink that I love from Kung Fu Tea! Also got to rewatch Coco, which is always good. 27: Part of my afternoon spent working with Jane was changing her screen saver. It was set up for one photo of pictures, but some were so fuzzy, so we set up new pictures and I got to add my fuzzball to the reel. 28: I visited one of Jane’s friends to discuss dog sitting and we had such a nice conversation afterwards. 29: I found a four leave clover today while mowing lawns. It’s been years since I’ve found one, so that was exciting. 30: I plowed through about 6 hours of studying for the FAR portion of the CPA exam. Only two more lectures and then onto multiple choice! 31: Filled out a form at work (finally). Now I just have to hope my boss will sign it and have it notarized.

June 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: Took the (hopefully) last CPA exam. It was nice as I spoke to an elevator engineer before the exam and it helped to calm my nerves a bit.   7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: Wasn’t sure what day to put this on, but @nah-young and I hung out for hours just sitting and chatting on the cats’ back porch. 15: Successfully navigated into DC with the help of @arrowhearts (and had an interesting laugh about her being my son...? Oh well, at least we got to give the people sitting outside a show as we left the building with two rollie office chairs each). 16: Started working on my Halloween costume. I’ve abandoned the idea I originally had and will be switching to a different Mega Man X character (fun fact: it was a costume I originally intended to make before being introduced to Scaramouche back in 2017) 17: It was a scorcher, but had a slurpee for the first time in almost a year. I’m so thankful for the 7-11 within walking distance of where my dad and I work on Mondays. 18: I’ve officially passed the CPA exam! Now onto the next steps... 19: I have been struggling with telling people good news, but I did make an effort to inform some people about me passing the exam. 20: Told some more people about the CPA exam and just trying not to stress. I got celebratory milkshakes for my family after dinner. 21: My coworkers are so sweet. They brought me in a cake and we had a mini celebration. 22: 23: 24: 25: 26:Found a praying mantis while mowing. She kept standing where I wanted to mow, so I got to pick her up and put her somewhere safe (with lots of snacks for her!) 27: 28: 29: So glad I went to see Detective Pikachu with @nah-young and @arrowhearts! I really enjoyed it! 30: 31:

July 1: A new fiscal year! I did manage to get a good bit done on my latch hook. 2: A sudden thunderstorm took me off the weed pulling job early (i.e. a perfect opportunity to read). 3: It was quiet in the office. Too quiet ... yet super productive! I processed so many gifts and letters. 4: I don’t really celebrate, and spent a lot of it working, but played some pokemon in the rain. It was a warm day, so the cool rain felt so refreshing! 5: A jammed packed day with trashrooms, a bank run, and more pokemon quests! I completed another 15 and hatched a new pokemon. Plus I finished another book: Dr. Death. 6: A busy day, but I was able to finish everything so I can take the next day off completely (for once). Again, apologies to @arrowhearts  for dragging you out and getting caught in a downpour so I could get some bubble tea! 7: 8: 9: 10: Unboxed my unicycle! Not sure when I’ll ride, but it’s ready when I am. 11: 12: 13: 14: The vanity is back in my bathroom! Dad’s renovating it, and it’s been a slow process, but I finally have a sink! 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: Spent a few hours working on cleaning the basement, and I’m finally seeing some of the fruits of my labor. 21: 22: 23: 24: Officially finished the Vile helmet! 25: Just started a new dog sitting job, and the house is right on top of a pokestop. Guess I’m going to have a full item bag again! 26: Finally got myself a memory stick for my PSP. I’m replaying the Maverick Hunter X game ... because I can! 27: Got three team rocket grunts in one day at the one stop. 28: Plowed through the Vile portion of Maverick Hunter X. Lol, I probably make it harder on myself since I only use my favorites, regardless of if they’re good against the boss. 29: Had a huge crab and shrimp dinner at Jane’s house. 30: Hung out and ate delicious homemade butter chicken with my best friend’s mom (she’s basically like my other mother). We laughed and chatted, showed off our latest projects, probably kept the neighbors up, and just had a good time until like 2 in the morning.  31: Welp, it wasn’t a raid day for armored Mewtwo, but @arrowhearts and I did defeat more Team Rocket Go grunts in the rain.

August 1: Chatted with @nah-young for a few hours and I’ve got a new place to eat on my radar! 2: I kept feeling like I was letting my boss down because I couldn’t answer her questions/didn’t understand, but she insisted I was handling myself well, and found the information she needed later. Plus, she’s very complimentary of my work and appreciates my transparency and work ethic, both of which I work hard on and value. 3: 4: 5: 6:   7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31:

September 1: 2: 3: It’s official! We’re having a Halloween party at work. If my new schedule turns out, I’ll be at work on that day and will show off a costume. Not sure if it will be the one I’m working on, but I can always recycle an old one. 4: 5: 6:   7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: I had such a good ripstik run. @nah-young and I practiced for a good while yesterday (and she did her first trick, too!). I guess it’s nice to see the fruits of our practice since we’ve been working off and on for about a month. 16: Had the investment club meeting at my house. I didn’t get to cook everything, but I picked the recipe and it turned out well! 17: I finished “Every Tool’s a Hammer” by Adam Savage (from Mythbusters) and I really recommend it. It’s such a great book for anyone who makes or creates. It’s a fun read and chocked full of helpful hints. 18: I decided to start reading the Naruto series. I’m enjoying it so far! Now I just have to wait for the next to volumes to be available from the library. 19: I started replaying Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase. It’s amusing, although I’m a little rough. 20: 21: 22: 23: I’d been on the fence about taking a vacation early next year because I want to save up for a down payment, but after talking to my dad, I decided I’d do a little something. I still need to work out the plans (and make sure the people I want to visit are free), but I’m looking forward to it! 24: 25: 26: There’s a chance I might be going full time at my office job, so dad encouraged me to take the day off from trash rooms. I still got up early, but knocked out a bunch of chores, finished Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase, finished a drawing, and cleaned in the basement a bit. 27: Lol, I just realized I have three cycles of books checked out again. I started reading The Wicked Years series. I’m trying to set aside time each night so I can read a chapter or two before bed. 28: I made the pattern for my gauntlets! I’m actually trying to do it the right way and making measurements, creating an accurate template, and just generally taking my time. 29: Part 2 of the gauntlets: They’re made! My template worked and I spent a couple of hours slowly forming and shaping them. I still need some practice on the gluing component, but at least they feel sturdy. 30: Started replaying DK 64 again. I really love this game. Besides Gauntlet Legends, it’s probably my favorite N64 game we own. 31: Got rained out at work, but managed to take it easy in the afternoon and just generally keep ahead with laundry.

October 1: Today officially marks the first day of working full time at my office job. They added ten hours a week, so now I’m working 4 days at 10 hours each. It’ll take a little adjusting. I’m happy for the extra hours! 2: I sent out invoices on time for once! 3: It was my fuzzball’s 16th Birthday today! Someone also brought in some really yummy snacks to work that were leftover from a meeting. I also managed to create templates for the leg gauntlets and cut them out of  foam. I’m just rolling with the motivation now, and would like to have Vile finished by Halloween (keep reading to find out if it was finished). 4: Really just having a good time playing DK 64. Knocked out Gloomy Galleon, so all that’s left are my favorite levels! 5: 6:   7: I have leg gauntlets formed. Lol, I guess I should look up the name... All that’s left is the chest plate and cape! 8: I lucked out! My coworker can’t go to a book signing even this weekend and asked me to get her book signed since I’m going. It was the perfect opportunity to get my hands on a copy of “Where the Crawdads Sing” which I wanted to read before this weekend. 9: Making some headway on the costume again! Arm and leg gauntlets have the plating and base coat of plastidip. 10: I finished “Where the Crawdads Sing” within 48 hours of having it my possession. That’s such a huge accomplishment to read something so quickly and eagerly! 11: I was plowing through my to do list at work. I knocked out 11 items. Woo! 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: My Halloween costume is finished *gasp* before Halloween! Barely, but it counts. 31: I won the most creative costume at work! Well, tied for first, but that’s cool.

November (whoops, I really forgot to write this month) 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6:   7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31:

December 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6:   7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: My coworker is back! She had been on extended leave for a while, but now she’s back. She bring such a positive and fun attitude to the workplace. 13: 14: I’m officially 25! I worked a few hours in the rain, but got a lot done (and saw Lucy, my favorite cat I cat sit). Instead of going to a steakhouse for dinner, which I’m not a fan of, we ended up going to somewhere I did enjoy. Overall, it was a nice and quiet celebration. 15: 16: 17: I finished the Naruto series today! It was a good series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Going to take a manga break to work on a few novels I have checked out and then  decide which series to start. 18:  19: A busy day again. Knocked out two leaf clients for the year and went to see three bands perform at a local music club. I stayed out way too late, but had a great time hanging with a friend, one of the performers, and the performer’s friend. 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: Hung out with my brother and grandmother. I crushed them in several games! 25: Went to my coworkers in the afternoon and dueled for the first time in quiet a while. They wiped the floor with me, but I had fun with my deck destruction deck. 26: 27: Ended up hanging out with Jane for a while and just chatting about everything. We’re seeing eye to eye on a lot of things, so it was nice.  28: Finished my leaf jobs for the year! Time to relax. 29: 30: 31: Welp, ended up being sick and missing out on the intended New Year plans. I guess I did start the year with a migraine, so here I am ending it with one. After I rested up, I did start playing my favorite video game. Plus, I frantically read “Hey, Kiddo!” before the end of the year

Notable stuff

Highlights: Passed the CPA exam Officially hired full time

Books read: “Ghost Stories” “Every Tool’s a Hammer” “Where the Crawdads Sing” “Wicked” Naruto series “Hey, Kiddo!”

Movies watched: Spiderman: Enter the Spiderverse Mary Poppins 2 The Princess and the Frog Pokemon Lucario

[spider--aye]

TWDG Rarepairs week, Day 4: Modern AU

Ship: lujavi (Luke x Javi)

Words: Oh shoot, 3 616, how is it even possible?!

Luke sighed deeply, sitting on a chair next to his friend's hospital bed. He glared over the man who looked away, avoiding Luke's gaze. Luke had a couple of scratches and bruises on his face, while his friend wasn't so lucky and except for those things he also had a broken leg. Eventually, the friend got bored with avoiding the gaze and turned his face in man's direction.

"Come on, Luke, it's not you who stays here for a couple of days," the black haired man mumbled.

"Your uncle is gonna be pissed, Nick," Luke pointed out.

"Honestly? I have no regrets," Nick smiled and looked at the ceiling.

"Okay, so do your thing, I guess. I'm getting out before Pete starts a riot," Luke sighed, getting up.

"You're a coward," Nick teased jokingly. Luke smiled and turned his head a couple of times.

"Nope, you're not getting me on the same trick twice. No way," the man answered.

"Damn it," Nick swore. He then sighed, eyeing Luke. "Try not to die while I'm away," he joked.

"Same goes to you, buddy!" Luke answered and waved goodbye before leaving the room.

As he was leaving, he passed Carlos, the doctor that lived a couple of houses from his own. They greeted each other and the man approached Nick with a face that was giving off that it wasn't the first time they were seeing each other in a situation like this. Luke was about to leave the hospital when he realized it was raining outside. With a sigh, he ran out from the building, yet by the time he found his car in the parking lot, he was already soaked. He sat in the driver's seat and felt stupid for not using the hospital's parking lot. He maybe would have to pay a little, but at least he'd be dry. He eventually started the car and it slowly rolled over to the road.

As he was passing the hospital, he saw someone. A man around his age, with brown hair and wearing a T-shirt with some logo. He was, of course, soaked because of the heavy rain and was trying to catch a taxi. Yet, another one passed him and splashed water all over him. He sighed and just stood there, waiting for another one to appear. After a moment of hesitation, Luke pulled over and rolled his window down.

"Trying to catch a ride?" he asked, and the stranger looked around uncomfortably.

"Yeah. Why?" the man asked, slightly eyeing Luke.

"I can drop you off somewhere if you want." Luke offered with a friendly smile. The man thought for a second.

"Yeah, that'd be nice. Thank you," he answered and slowly got around the car to sit next to Luke.

Luke started the car. They were driving in silence for a moment, while the stranger was trying to wipe the water off from his face with his clothing, that unluckily was soaked as well. With a sigh, he gave up.

"So, where should I drop you off?" Luke asked.

"Oh. Where will we be passing?" the stranger answered with another question.

"I'm going home, I live near the south side of the city, so we'll cross the center and head there. You live somewhere near?" Luke asked after explaining. The stranger took a moment to figure out where was south.

"Yeah, actually. A little more to the...left, I think, but yeah," he agreed.

"So I can basically drop you home," Luke offered.

"That'd be nice. Thanks," the stranger agreed again. "Hey, uh, not to be rude, but... what happened to your face?" he asked awkwardly after a moment of silence.

"Oh, this? It's a stupid story. Just, the dumbass I occasionally call 'my friend' figured it'd be a good idea to 'borrow' a shopping cart and ride in it down a hill. I was lucky, though, he has a broken leg," Luke answered, ashamed that he got tricked into that stupid idea. The stranger snickered.

"You did that? I heard something like this from my nephew but never would've guessed it'd be you," the stranger said surprised.

"And you? Did you got out of the hospital or something?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, but it was nothing serious, just a regular check-up," he answered.

"Check-up? You play sports?" Luke asked. The stranger smirked.

"Baseball," he answered simply.

"Oh, that's cool," Luke replied with a smile. "So, is it a hobby, or work?" he asked.

"Both," the stranger replied.

"Oh really? Why don't you have a car, then?" Luke questioned, causing the stranger to sigh.

"Brother dropped me off and didn't wait," he explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Should I turn left now?" Luke suddenly asked for directions.

"Yeah, that's here," he answered.

With a small conversation going on, Luke drove the man right to his house. He stopped the car near the sidewalk and turned it off.

"Thanks for the ride," the stranger thanked.

"No problem man," Luke answered with a smile.

"Oh, by the way, could you give me your phone number? I could return the money for the gas, then," the stranger offered.

"Uh, you don't have to," Luke answered.

"It's not much for me, I can pay," the stranger reassured and Luke nodded.

"Okay then," he answered and gave the man his phone number. After that, he saw the stranger nervously look at him and it took him a while to realize why was that. "My name's Luke," he introduced himself.

"Oookay, got it. And I'm Javier," he answered, shaking Luke's hand.

"All right, so see you later, I guess," Luke smiled.

"Yeah. Have a nice day," Javi wished.

Luke got home and returned to his daily routine. Ate some food, took his dog on a walk, fed it, read a chapter or two of a book that Sarah, Carlos' daughter had been recommending to everyone, did the dishes, ate dinner and without any issue fell asleep. In the morning, his routine was still undisturbed, followed by walking his dog and feeding it, eating breakfast, making the dishes and now instead of hanging out with his friend, Nick, he took his car and went to the hospital to check up on him.

By the time he left, it was afternoon and as he was making his way through the center, his phone rang. He stopped the car on a side of the road and picked up.

"Hey Luke, it's, uh, it's Javier. I wanted to give you back the money for gas," the speaker started.

"Oh, hi. Where are you?" Luke asked.

"Near the park in the center, but I have my car, so I can ride anywhere you need me to," Javier explained on the phone.

"All right, I'm just passing by, I'll be there in a couple of minutes," Luke assured.

"Oh, okay. So I'll wait here, I guess. See you in a minute!" Javi ended.

"Yeah, see ya'!" Luke answered and hang up.

He reached the park within' minutes, just as he promised and got out from the car, looking for Javier. When he spotted him he couldn't help but notice how different the man looked. He slowly approached.

"Hi, I'm here," Luke greeted.

"Oh, hi-" Javi answered and turned around, stopping midsentence as he saw Luke. "Oh, you look better when you're not, y' know, soaked," he said.

"Right back at you," Luke answered, smiling at the man.

"So, anyway, here's your money," Javi said, handing Luke money. Luke blinked.

"Are you sure? I mean- It's a lot more than I expected," Luke admitted.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Hey, by the way, maybe, I don't know, you wanna... go with me to eat something?" Javi offered.

"Well, I mean, sure. I'm free for over a week since my friend's in, y' know, hospital, so I'd be just bored home anyway," Luke agreed.

"All right then, come with me, I know a nice place selling burgers, if you're down t it," Javi smiled.

"Lead the way, man," Luke agreed once again.

They went into some small burger pub and ordered some food there. In the meantime, they talked to each other. Javi told Luke some stuff about baseball while Luke told him about his dog and the book he was reading. It turned out Javi was also in the middle of it, so the two found another topic to get on for some time. After the food arrived it turned out way better than Luke would've expected, he made a note to return there one day. Just as they were about to go their ways, Javi stopped him.

"Hey, I've been thinking, maybe you'd like to come to the baseball play I'm taking part in? IT's tomorrow and it'd be nice to have a friendly face in the crowd," he asked, scratching his neck.

"I'll try to be there," Luke promised and they went separate ways.

On his way home, Javi was thrilled. He was just so happy to happen to meet Luke the day earlier and even more happy to somehow have contact with him. He couldn't really tell why was that, but he just immediately liked the man. He walked into his house and took his bat. He then got back in the car and rode over to the place he was training at. There, he was practicing swings alongside his friends from his team.

The next day Javier and his teammates entered the stadium, all ready to defeat their today foes and go further in rankings. Yet Luke was nowhere to be seen. Javi sighed and tried to shake the man out from his head. He had to focus on the game. For his own sake.

The game began and Javi's team was roughly losing it. It was hard to keep up with their foes, who were probably training way longer than Javi and his teammates were. Things were going downhill since the very begging and it was almost guaranteed that Javi's team would lose. There were 15 minutes left. Javi was trying to be ready.

The ball was coming his way, he swung and... missed. He could hear some people laugh. Distracted, he tried to hit the other ball. Not only did he miss, but he lost his balance and fell to the ground, causing more people to laugh. He tightened his grip on the bat in annoyance, unsure if he should even bother to get up. That's when while running his eyes through the audience, he spotted a familiar, friendly face. He just lied for a moment, looking at Luke in the audience and then he got up, filled back with determination.

He stood his ground, turning his bat slowly, ready to swing. The last ball was coming to him with rapid speed, but he didn't hesitate. He just took a deep breath, thought of everyone watching him and took his shot. The ball crashed into the bat and was thrown away because of it. It was flying, flying, flying... it eventually got past the audience and out from the stadium. Javi stood there for a moment, admiring his work, before moving further.

Within those 15 minutes, Javi's sudden energy rush not only helped him but motivated his team that, in the end, won. The audience was cheering, but Javi was mostly glad to see Luke happily watching him. They waved to each other slightly, just like they were some spies giving each other a signal informing that they see each other.

Javi had never switched clothes this fast before. He wanted to catch Luke before he left for good. He just quickly laughed with the whole team of his and cleaned his face from dirt that got onto it when he fell and he was already wearing sunglasses to avoid fans and running outside, looking for Luke. It didn't take him long to find him, standing somewhere near the exit and seemingly looking through his phone while actually keeping an eye out, just like he'd expect someone to appear.

"Luke!" Javi cheered, waving his hands around and getting man's attention. Luke smiled as soon as he saw his friend run like this.

"Hey! Good game!" Luke complemented, keeping his smile up.

"How could I lose with you watching?" Javi joked.

They were standing so close to each other and Javi wasn't sure why'd he do that. Maybe because he was so thrilled, maybe because he was too tired to think, maybe there was any other reason for this, he really had no idea. But for some reason that was probably deep inside his head, he kissed Luke. He realized only a couple seconds after. As he pulled away he was getting pale, but his lack of color was soon enough replaced with blushing all over his face. He hid it in his hands and tried to mumble some explanation-apology, but wasn't really able to. When he was already making a plan to move to the other side of the country and trick his family into doing so, Luke laughed and slightly patted Javi's back.

"It's okay, man, I get it, you won," Luke smiled.

"Yeah, sorry, it's just... because of all these emotions and... yeah," Javi agreed and took a deep sigh on the inside.

"How about we go back to that burger place to celebrate?" Luke offered and Javi smiled, feeling like he just got out from a tight spot.

"I think that's for the best," he agreed and they went there.

Next morning Luke woke up in his home, in his bed, with his head hurting. He ran his hand through his hair, making sure it was not because of hitting something overnight but couldn't find anything. He yawned and looked around. He finally realized that he was hungover after last night. The first thing he thought was if he took his dog on a walk, but as he saw it sleeping next to his bed he calmed down. Yet a moment later a more serious question ran through his mind, causing him to flinch.

"Did I drive drunk?" he asked himself in disbelief. "No. No, I wouldn't do that!" he calmed himself and then sighed. "I'm staying in bed today," he then decided and closed his eyes.

It wasn't long until his phone called. He somehow reached it and waited for the signal to almost end before picking up.

"Hello, you've almost reached Luke, but I can't talk now, so leave the message after the signal," he said and then made a sound with his mouth and put the phone away, listening.

"Hey man, I'm not sure if it's really your voicemail or you're just not up to a conversation, so I'll make this quick," Nick's voice rang out. "Carlos is letting me out tomorrow and I was wondering if you'd be willing to pick me up. Pete will most likely be in work and I have no way of getting home on my own," he explained. Luke sighed.

"I've got your back, Nick," Luke assured and he could hear Nick chuckle in the background.

"Thanks, man," he thanked and hang up.

Luke sighed and tried to fall back asleep as the phone rang again. Just like the last time, he waited until the very last moment before picking up and said the formula again. Yet, he wasn't interrupted by Nick. It was someone else. So Luke put the phone away and listened.

"Hey, uh, hi. It's Javi. I, uh, hope you're alright after last night. I'm calling to make sure and also to tell you that it was me who drove you home, so you have nothing to worry about. And also... I... I was thinking. Like, about what happened after the play yesterday. Y' know, when we met outside the stadium. I am now sort of glad you didn't pick up because I can just... talk. So, I... ugh, this is stupid. All right, so... I think- I- ugh... I like you, okay? Like, a lot. More than I probably should," he sighed " More than a friend," he finally let out. Luke's heart dropped. "And- and I get it if you now just wish you didn't pick me up that other day and that you'll most likely text me to say to stay away and that's how it'll end, but... just if there's a slight chance you don't hate me or even, I don't know, feel the same way? Just... just call back, please?" Javi ended, but before he hung up Luke shook out from his confusion and grabbed the phone.

"You're serious?" he asked quickly. A sudden gasp was to be heard, alongside with a sound of phone falling. Then, it was picked back up.

"L- Luke? You've... heard it?" Javi asked. He was trying to hide it, but he was terrified.

"Yeah. Yeah, I did," Luke confirmed and both men sat quietly for a moment.

"So... yeah. I guess I'll be going..." Javi awkwardly tried to end the conversation.

"No, wait!" Luke stopped him.

"Ooookay?" Javi asked.

"I- Ugh, figured it'd be easier to say after you did it, but, yeah, I- I think I might feel the same way...?" Luke said. He was now just praying it wasn't some prank.

"Wait, really?" Javi asked, not even able to believe it.

"Yeah. Yeah, really. So... maybe... I don't know, let's... meet around... 2 p.m.? If you're free? Where... ever... you'd... like?" Luke offered, getting more shyer with each second.

"Uh... Yeah! That'd be- That'd be amazing!" Javi cheered through his phone. "So, maybe... at that cinema near the train station? What do you say?" he suggested.

"Sure," Luke nodded, even though Javi couldn't see him.

"Sooo... see you there?" Javi asked with a smile, even though he was not to be seen either.

"Yeah, of course. Bye," Luke hung up and lied back in his bed processing everything.

It all happened so fast he couldn't even really understand what was going on during the conversation and he had to think fast, but now was the time to analyze what happened. As he was doing this, he was blushing more and more, his body was slightly shaking, his breath and heartbeat were out of control... This conversation happened. He lied there in denial. Did he just set up a date for himself? Okay, maybe not date exactly, but something close at least? His emotions were offsetting each other, he was thrilled, excited, terrified, confused, worried, amazed, surprised, full of energy, froze up... He was going crazy!

He got up and ran into his bathroom and eyed himself in the mirror. He looked like a hungover beetroot, red all over his face, with messy hair and empty gaze. He jumped under the shower and took a fast, cold one to get rid of all these symptoms. When he got out he quickly dried his hair and made sure it looked okay. He eyes himself in the mirror again and was proud to say, he was looking better. Just like a beetroot, because the blush was not coming off. He swore quietly and got back to his room, looking for something to wear. It wasn't an event requiring him to wear a suit or something, but not a one to which you come over dressed in T-shirt and a pair of worn out jeans. He ended up picking a shirt and a new pair of jeans he bought to himself recently.

He washed his face one last time, took his beloved dog for a walk and then, as he got back he washed his face one more time, still hoping to get rid of his reddish cheeks. When it failed he gave up and, checking the clock multiple times, got to the place 15 minutes early. To his surprise, Javi was also already there, also blushing as hell, which made Luke feel a little better about his own look. He approached awkwardly.

"H- hi!" he greeted and Javi almost jumped at his voice behind him.

"Oh, hi, you- you got here early!" Javi also greeted, with a smile that was hiding the panic.

"So did you. It's good to see you," Luke answered, also doing his best to hide that he was freaking out.

"Y- you too," Javi answered, nodding.

"I'm sorry if I'm awkward, I'm just... Still processing the who thing. I can't believe you actually... feel that way too." Luke went ahead and apologized. Javi snickered quietly.

"Then we'll be awkward together," he joked, bringing a smile to Luke's face.

"So it'll be. Any movie you want to see?" the man asked, slowly feeling more comfortable.

"No, and you?" Javi answered, also gaining confidence.

"Guess we'll look through the offers," Luke guessed.

"Seems like this. Let's go," Javi answered and then reached out to Luke with his shaking hand. Hesitantly at first, Luke took it and both men, blushing furiously, headed to the theater.

The next day Luke picked up Nick as nothing happened. He helped him to the car and started it, slowly driving off. Nick took out a water bottle he got from Carlos while he was leaving and took a couple of sips. He grinned and looked over to Luke.

"So, what'd I miss?" he asked, taking another sip.

"Oh, not much, man. I got myself a boyfriend..." Luke hummed and Nick choked on his water.

"You did WHAT?" he asked, wiping the water off his face.

"Started dating a man. Thanks for breaking a leg, that's how we met," Luke smiled, but kept his eyes on the road.

"Oh, so I'm involved? No take-backs, man, you gotta tell me everything now," Nick demanded and Luke chuckled.

"Fine, fine..." he agreed, starting the story.