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#who's the birthday princess today? YOU ARE WESLEY!
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--WISHING YOU THE HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS WESLEY!--
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sunnydaleherald · 7 months
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The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Wednesday, November 22
GILES: I was a librarian for years. This is exactly the same, except people pay for the things they don't return. It'll give me focus. Increase my resources. And it'll prevent you lot from trampling all over my flat at all hours. There may even be some space for you to train in the back. BUFFY: Boy, you've really thought this through. How bored were you last year? GILES: I watched "Passions" with Spike. Let us never speak of it.
~~BtVS 5x02 “Real Me”~~
[Drabbles & Short Fiction]
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Invasion Of Privacy (Buffy, Ted, Joyce, Angel, PG) by badly_knitted
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make me hazy (Giles/Jenny, M) by CallMeVampy
Fledgeling Take Flight (Jenny Calendar, Phantom xover, T) by arcanedreamer
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Not a Dark Prince (Angel, Spike, G) by Stand with Ward and Queen
[French language] Vampire hollywoodienne (Buffy/Faith, T) by Friday Queen
[Chaptered Fiction]
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Breathe Again, Chapter 12/17 (Angel/Cordelia, M) by Califi62
New Blood, Chapter 7 (Xander, Naruto crossover, T) by danu40k
With Arms Wide Open, Chapters 13-14 (Buffy/Giles, E) by jaybird023
Days of Future Past, Chapter 31/34 (Buffy/OC, Angel/OC, Buffy/Angel, M) by a2zmom
New York, Chapter 19 (Giles/Xander, M) by drsquidlove
"The Sky's Gonna Open", Chapter 6 (Lindsey/OC, T) by lindseymcdonaldseyelashes
A Call From Beyond, Chapter 3/7 (Ensemble, G) by CoffeeMilkLuvr
I'm Only Your Darkness, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Faith, E) by Karnstein99
Moments that Make You: The Hero and The Princess, Chapter 93 (Cordelia/Doyle, T) by myheadsgonenumb
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Between The Shadow & The Soul, Chapter 3 (Angel/OC, T) by dreamingshores
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Spiderwebs, Chapter 43 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Willow25
The Transfer, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Blackmysteria
Fates Intertwined: A Second Chance, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Spikelover4ever
The Vision Quest, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by acb6293
Encased by Sunshine, Chapter 29 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by acb6293
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Buffy’s Spooky Birthday, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, R) by VeroNyxK84
What the Drabble?, Chapter 44 (Buffy/Spike, R) by VeroNyxK84
Encased in Sunshine, Chapter 30 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Acb6293
Twice Broken, Thrice Burnt, Chapter 19 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by ClowniestLivEver
[Images, Audio & Video]
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Artwork: Here’s a fun old one of the Master!! (drawing, worksafe) by foul-sorcery
Tattoo: [Tattoo design with BtVS quote from "The Gift"] (worksafe) by tattoos4mnd via tattoos4mnd
Gifset: PASSION is the source of our finest moments. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear (Wesley/Lilah, slightly NSFW) by gothamstreetcat
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Video: D&D | Podcast | Q&A | Buffy the Vampire Slayer by It's A Mimic!
[Reviews & Recaps]
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*SHOULD I BE LAUGHING!?* Buffy the Vampire Slayer S5 Ep 11 "Triangle" Reaction: FIRST TIME WATCHING by Nick Reacts
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 6X12 REACTION | First Time Watching by EvilQK
EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER - Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reaction - 3X8 - "Lovers Walk" ( Buffy Reaction ) by Java Java Reactions
Zombies and Reunions! | Buffy The Vampire Slayer 3x2 'Dead Man's Party' | Blind Reaction by Vic
Season 3 Begins! // Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode 3x01 Reaction // Buffy is My Hero! by Brooke Whipple
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PODCAST: Buffy Season 8: Part 3 by Buffy the Gilmore Slayer: A Buffy and Gilmore Girls Podcast
[Recs]
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spuffy fic rec, pt.2 recced by louisandjade
[Fandom Discussions]
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buffy season four will give you whiplash any time they cut from one romantic subplot to another by idkaguyorsomething
With all my Bangel VS Cangel talk recently it probably does come across like I hate Bangel. This isn’t true by girl4music
And I don’t hate Angel. Not anymore. I never really did actually by girl4music
Do any of yall think about how in Something Blue, Buffy tells Riley shes getting married to a guy named Spike and plays it off as ‘a joke.’ by spikes-left-eyebrow
Rewatching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and today’s new issue with the show is how Buffy is the “chosen” one who has no say in the matter by jenny-from-the-box
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Would you like a SMG celebrity memoir? by Taake
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The Nature of Willow's "Dark Magic" in Season Six by American Aurora, multiple posters
What Would a Buffy the Vampire Slayer Revival Look Like? - A MLC Retrospective by MyLoveableCrayon
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Yet another “Dead Man’s Party” thread: how would you have fixed it? by squidwardsaclarinet
Am I the only one that wishes they kept the more “case of the week” noir style of season 1 and 2 by SignificantBerry3837
Wrong answers only: What did Spike whisper in April the Robot's ear that she threw him out a window? by jdpm1991
Watching Buffy again- changed my opinion on Riley by EyCeeDedPpl
Xander as a character has not aged well or society has just evolved by Jockwarrior
Tired of the fandom? by Upbeat_Tone_2710
Would a high caliber bullet to the heart kill a vamp? by TheEbolaArrow
Everyone talks about the best and the worst… by duvet-cover
Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!
Join the editor team :)
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keanureevesisbae · 4 years
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Mister Cavill, your dog is kinda fat - Chapter 1
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Summary: Veterinarian Olivia Tran has zero time for bullshit. After becoming a mom at age twenty three, the one thing she wants is a good life for her daughter Vanessa. Her ex didn’t want anything to do with her nor the baby and she decided that man are officially banned out of her life. But then she meets Henry Cavill at her clinic and her ban slowly starts to crumble apart. Henry on the other hand is looking for one thing: a family. And when he meets Olivia Tran, he finds just that.
Henry Cavill x Olivia Tran (ofc)
Warnings: None
Wordcount: 2.4k
A/N: The beginnings of a new fic! It’s kind of a build up, so there isn’t a lot of Henry Cavill inthis chapter, but the next one is from his pov and more than 4.5k. I hope you like this new story 🤗
Masterlist // Next chapter
For fuck’s sake, I can still smell the fluids from those anal glands I have been popping all day. Even when you wear gloves every single time, that penetrating smell will just stay with you.
After a long day at the clinic, I can finally call it a day. Of course, I’m on call tonight, but other than that, I can relax now. Working as a vet has always been a dream of mine and now, at the ripe age of twenty nine, I have managed to become doctor Olivia Tran, one of the loved veterinarians here.
‘See you tomorrow, Belle,’ I yell to my best friend and other veterinarian at this clinic.
‘You on call tonight?’ Belle asks.
‘I am.’
‘If you need to go, I can’t watch Vanessa tonight,’ she tells me, while she is checking the ears of a pug, who seems to have severe breathing problems from the looks of it. ‘I have a date.’
‘No worries,’ I say to her with a smile. ‘I probably don’t need to go anyways. Hasn’t happened in the past months, so I highly doubt that something will change tonight. Please let me know how your date went tomorrow.’
Belle, the gorgeous brunette with legs for days and blue eyes as big as Rapunzel, flashes me a bright smile. ‘Of course, dear. Give Vanessa a big kiss for me, will you?’
‘Will do.’ I walk out of the clinic, give a sweet Jack Russell a scratch behind his ear and check my watch. I have twenty minutes before I have to pick up Vanessa, but it’s a fifteen minute walk if I hurry and if I just stroll around, it’s twenty minutes. Can I manage to buy myself some cookies or should I wait after I picked her up?
I think I would have a very happy six year old if I waited with the cookies after I picked her up from school.
I bury my hands in the pockets of my coat. Yesterday it was official: the summer has passed and autumn is here. I always love it when I see the green leaves slowly turning orange or brown and cover the pavement with a blanket of crunchy leaves. It’s Vanessa’s favorite season as well, but that’s mostly because it’s her birthday on November 12th.
I never planned on becoming a mother at twenty three. I never really gave it a big thought, the idea of having kids. In the far far far future I might’ve become one, but I always thought I had more cool aunt potential.
The day I found out I was pregnant, I was scared, but since I was in a pretty serious relationship with Wesley for almost three years, the man I thought I’d end up marrying, I figured we would make this work. We would marry, have this kid and live happily ever after, maybe even have a few more.
But Wesley broke up with me when I told him about the pregnancy and that I was going to keep the baby. I went to my parents for comfort, thinking that they and my two brothers would be supportive of this. We got through the time that I was partying all night, getting tattoos and smoked some weed out of my window. I mean, we would be able to handle this right?
But my parents kicked me out when I told them I was pregnant and I was going to keep the baby. ‘But what about your degree?’ I can still hear my mother say those words, but what was maybe the worst thing, was seeing my brothers turning their backs to me. Their literal backs towards me. ‘You worked so hard and you just got a job as a vet,’ my mom began to yell.
To be fair, I was their only hope. My brothers dropped out of high school and are now sort of working in construction, but they can hardly finish a job ever. My mother never worked  a day in her life and my father was a lawyer. I told them that I could work something out, with a bit of help of them, but my mother just pushed me out of their house and told me to never bother them again, if I was going to have a kid out of wedlock.
So I had to do it by myself. I had to find a place for me and the baby to stay, but thankfully Belle was already working at the vet and decided that I needed a bit of help. I could stay with her, even after the baby was born. Belle went with me to the ultrasounds and when I went into labor, she was right there with me.
Belle is Vanessa’s one and only aunt and my best friend. When you get pregnant and not only your boyfriend leaves, your family disappears out of your life, you also notice how many people despise you. My friends from college all of the sudden seemed to have fallen off the earth and never checked in with me.
Now I have a happy six year old, a nice home for the two of us and a baby sitter Belle, who is becoming less and less available, since she has discovered the world of Tinder, because she wants a boyfriend.
I hear the bell ring when I step onto the schoolyard. It doesn’t take long before I see my daughter running towards me. Her baby blue coat is hanging open, her backpack in her hand and a rolled paper in the other. She insisted on wearing her boots to school today, but leave it to her to cover them in mud.
Entirely.
I catch her when she jumps in my arms. ‘I missed you, my lovely lady,’ I say to her.
Vanessa peppers my face with kisses, something she always does when I pick her up from school. I brush the hairs out of her face, including the sweet bangs that she insisted on having. Originally she wanted the same haircut as me from when I was the same age as her, but since I have severe traumas of the bowl cut, I had to spare her that and opt for some sweet thin bangs.
‘Mommy,’ she says, ‘I missed you a lot.’
‘Well, you want to go to the store, so we can buy some cookies?’ I ask her. ‘And maybe tonight we can order a pizza.’
‘Yes, yes, yes!’ She gives me a tight hug.
Sometimes I doubt my parenting skills, especially when I look around the schoolyard. I watch those mothers who are housewives, with very handsome husbands and kids that always look formidable and put together and probably only eat fatty snacks on their birthdays. Sometimes I wished I had that: a husband, a man that Vanessa could look up to.
I figured that when my ex Wesley couldn’t provide that, my brothers and father would step in and treat my daughter like they treated me: a princess.
Now I have to do that myself.
It can be tiring, being both the mother and the father for Vanessa, but if I could turn back time, I’d do it all over again.
With Vanessa’s tiny hand in mine, we walk towards the store, to buy some cookies that I desperately craved the entire day I was at work.
Vanessa looks a lot like me. She’s basically my clone. People often stop us, simply to tell us that Vanessa is like a miniature version of me. I always like compliments about my daughter. I mean, she is my world.
When we arrive at home, I help her change into something more comfy. ‘Mommy, can we please have a pajama night?’ Vanessa asks, while I help her out of her dress.
‘It’s four in the afternoon,’ I say, knowing exactly what she wants. ‘You want to wait two hours before you wear your pajamas?’
Vanessa shakes her head. ‘No, I want to wear my pjs now.’ Her bright smile nearly lights up the room. I watch her nose scrunch up as the corners of her mouth curl up, the only trait that she inherited from her biological father. ‘Are you going to wear yours too?’
I don’t have anywhere to go and besides, after all popping all those anal glands today, I desperately want to get out of these clothes. ‘Yes, sweetie, I’m going to wear mine too, but first I’m going to take a shower.’
‘No bath, mommy? Because I like baths.’ Her dark brown eyes start to gleam with enthusiasm. ‘Please, mommy, please.’ She pouts, knowing damn well I can’t say no to that.
≫≫≪≪
The second Vanessa is in bed, I have some time for myself. I love every second we get to spend together, but it’s nice to have a breather every now and then. I stare at my arms, to see how Vanessa has colored in my tattoos. She’s obsessed with them and when she’s in school, she sometimes tries to draw them on her own arms by memory, sometimes even drawing on others when they want to. A few weeks ago, her teacher asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. ‘Well, I want to be two things,’ Vanessa told her. ‘Like my mommy I want to be a vet, because I love animals, but I also want to draw tattoos on people.’
I sit up straight, looking at the drawing she made me today in school. She always makes drawings for me, but they are always the same. She draws a house, with me in it and herself. And outside she draws a dog and a man, with suitcases and moving boxes next to them. ‘Because,’ she explains every single time, ‘one day you meet a nice man who has a dog and he can become my new daddy. A daddy that does want me.’
Belle didn’t agree on me telling Vanessa her real dad didn’t want her, but I figured she needed to know the truth. Her biological father is a low life that disappeared into thin air and didn’t want to be involved in her life.
Vanessa understood, to the extent that was possible, but she really wants a dad, preferably one with a dog. Though she keeps pushing me, I can’t start dating again. Vanessa is the most important person in the world and men simply don’t fit into this—in my head—perfect picture. Vanessa is my life and men are big fat losers, so I don’t need them. I don’t want them, because the chance of them getting tired of maybe me, maybe Vanessa and leaving, is something I can’t risk.
Vanessa already lost her real father, what if a man that becomes really important to her, leaves too?
At around eleven I drag myself to bed, placing my work phone beside me. I hate being on call, but like I told Belle, I didn’t have a call in months, so I think I’m good.
I’m dreaming about Keanu Reeves (the only man on earth that I’d break my no man ban for) and how he takes me out on a lovely date, has Vanessa on his lap and helps her to cut her food, when the phone starts to ring.
‘Are you fucking kidding me?’ I mutter, before I click on my nightlight. It’s three in the fucking morning. I don’t want this. ‘Animal Clinic Westside, doctor Olivia Tran, how may I help you?’ I say when I pick up the phone.
‘Hello, I’m terribly sorry for calling at this hour, but my dog is vomiting and I see some blood in it.’ Oh, poor man, he sounds so panicked. ‘He collapsed and is breathing really heavily and I don’t know what to do.’
I sit up straight in bed and rub my eyes, as I try to be as alert as I can on this early morning. ‘Sir, it’s okay. Did your dog eat anything out of the ordinary today?’
‘Not that I know of.’
‘You think it’s possible for you to come to the clinic? I’d like to see the dog.’
‘Of course, of course.’ The man on the other side of the line has such a lovely and deep voice. He could become a voice actor or a narrator like Morgan Freeman. If liquid gold had a voice, it would sound like this.
‘I hope it’s not too much to ask, but could you take some of the vomit with you? Especially the part with some blood. I’d like to check it.’
‘I’ll bring it with me, of course.’
‘What kind of breed is your dog, sir?’ I ask, while writing it all down on a piece of paper.
‘An American Akita. His name is Kal.’
I don’t think he ever went to our clinic, I think to myself.
‘I’ll be at the clinic in about forty minutes, mister…’ I say, hoping that this man will say his name.
‘Cavill,’ he quickly says. ‘And I can be at the clinic in about an hour.’
That name does sound kind of familiar though, but I could’ve sworn that this man isn’t in our database. Maybe I went to college with him or to high school?
After we hang up the phone, I quickly get out of bed. I opt for a pair of tight fitted black leggings and an oversized sweater (after I put on a bra, because who knows mister Cavill is handsome and my nipples don’t want to keep that a secret) and I slip on some white sneakers. I put my hair into a bun. I freeze when I’m moisturizing my face.
I kind of forgot I had a daughter. I don’t like the idea of bringing Vanessa with me, especially since it’s three in the morning and she’s asleep, but then I realize that tomorrow it’s Saturday. Plenty of time for her to catch up on her sleep and plenty of time for me to feel less guilty about dragging her out of her dreams.
‘Sweetie,’ I whisper, when I gently wake her up. ‘Mommy has to go to the clinic, but you can’t stay at aunt Belle tonight, so you’re going with me to work.’
Vanessa was a groggy mess when I nudged her awake, but when she realizes she can go with me to work, her eyes light up. ‘Really?’
‘Yes, someone has a sick doggy, that needs to be taken care of.’
She gets up out of her bed and I help her with her socks, though she is perfectly capable of doing so herself. ‘You’re gonna save a doggy?’ Vanessa asks.
‘I’m going to try.’
I hand her a thick vest and while she puts it on, she says: ‘You’re a hero, mommy.’
With a smile on my face, I softly pinch her cheek. ‘I guess I am.’
Taglist: @thelastsock​ // @flhorah​ // @sausagefest1996​ // @laufeysodinson​ // @xxxkatxo​ // @memoriesat30​ // @henrythickcavill​ // @crimsonrae​ // @henryobsessed // @madbaddic7ed​ // @summersong69​
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yallreddieforthis · 6 years
Text
Believer
Fandom: It (2017)
Pairing: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Rating: T (for language and Richie being Richie)
Words: 7k
Soulmate AU. Takes place in 2004. Humor, banter, first meeting, first date, first kiss.
And wow. Wow and a half. Richie couldn’t have even dreamed up a guy this cute, although admittedly he’d been picturing some dude in baggy jeans and a beanie with a hacky sack this whole time. Which couldn’t be further from this...absolute snack of startled, prep-school perfection.
Oh my fucking god, I hate that song.
Y’know, Richie has seen worse. Some girl in his English class has damn, how you fit all that in them jeans? so really, anything after that is an improvement.
And it’s not like the soul mark is constantly on his mind or anything. It’s on his back—literally, he can’t see it without two mirrors and he had to have Bill read it out to him when it first showed up—but every once in awhile he remembers that someday he’s going to hear oh my fucking god, I hate that song and he’ll just know. Well, maybe more than every once in awhile. It’s kind of like a recurring daydream. That, and what he’d do if he suddenly became Cyclops from the X-Men.
Fifteen year old Richie was positive it was going to be like some punk-ass rocker chick standing outside Hot Topic and reacting to 98 Degrees over the loudspeaker. At least, that was his first thought. And it’s not like it’s going to be a problem if that’s what ends up happening—because no matter what or who else he’s into, Richie is positive he’ll always have a deep-down internal hard-on for punk-ass rocker chicks—but lately he’s had this nagging feeling in the back of his mind that… Well, it could just be like, a memory of a dream or some shit. And Richie certainly does not believe in dreams coming true, but it wasn’t until well after he got a soul mark that he admitted to himself that his secret thing for Chad Michael Murray is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Richie thinks it would’ve been easier to admit to being The Bi-est if it hadn’t been goddamn Chad that forced him to realize it. Like if it had been Orlando Bloom in Pirates or something when he’d been like alright, time to fuckin’ fess up . But he explained away his crush on Orlando as like, well, Orlando is cool as fuck. Duh. Who doesn’t want to blow him?
Same with like, David Boreanaz. Richie is convinced that even the straightest of straight guys fell desperately in love with Angel when they watched Buffy. He could stick his stake in anyone and they’d thank him.
But Chad...mm. Richie is the only guy he knows who watches One Tree Hill. He’s sure about that because every joke he’s ever made about Lucas Scott has been met by blank stares by Bill and Bev and even Ben, who, though ostensibly straight, would totally love One Tree Hill if Richie ever got the balls to ask him to watch it with him. The only people in the whole world he has to discuss it with are the group of girls who sit next to him in Physics. So actually, Richie blames One Tree Hill for his D in Physics. If he hadn’t started talking to those girls—and he probably wouldn’t have if they hadn’t been discussing the show—he might’ve been able to learn about science instead of playing Fuck Marry Kill every period. So even though it truly is the worst show he has ever watched on purpose, once a week, like clockwork, Richie sits his ass down in front of the computer to jerk it to Blondie McKenDoll because...what are you gonna do.
It ended up being a blessing in disguise because he decided to let his friends know he’s bi and a One Tree Hill fan in one fell swoop. He only got shit on about the One Tree Hill thing, especially because he was the one who used to give Ben shit about Dawson’s Creek. So really, that was only fair.
Still, that was nothing compared to the shit he got for having a soul mark that’s like...inches from being a tramp stamp. Secretly (and also not-so-secretly), Richie loves it. It’s deliciously tacky, the handwriting is almost as bad as his; really, he couldn’t have asked for something trashier. He might’ve died of shame if he’d gotten delicate, loopy cursive around his forearm like Bill it’s lovely to meet you, finally Denbrough. Anyway, anybody who writes that nicely would never be compatible with Richie. And god help whatever poor guy has a soul mark in Richie’s handwriting somewhere on his body. Richie can only pray it’s somewhere unobtrusive.
The messy printing is only a small part of what has convinced Richie his soulmate is a boy. It’s mostly just a gut feeling, something he doesn’t want to acknowledge because he can’t explain it. It feels stupid to bank on something like that.
Richie is low-key disappointed by the fact that he's never seen the handwriting from his soul mark crop up in any of the school graffiti. He's even gone and tagged the bathroom stalls a couple of times, in the hopes that whatever guy it is will see it. And deep down, Richie knows he probably wouldn't have done that if he'd thought his soulmate was a girl.
They're all reasonably convinced that Bill's soulmate is British, based on the whole lovely thing, and Richie has taken to mimicking the kind of accent he thinks she might have. Bill keeps being like I'm not gonna match with the qu-qu-queen, Richie, but if she's the kind of girl who goes around telling people it's lovely to meet you... Richie's not saying she will be like some kind of aristocratic socialite, just that she might be. He thinks Bill should probably be taking steps to prepare for that sort of scenario, although he's not sure what those steps might be. Cotillion? Cigar smoking? Tea making?
Either way, Bill has time. There aren’t any British girls in Derry. No way is he going to meet her until at least college.
In any case, thinking about what song he and his soulmate can hate together to be a lot better pastime than whatever the fuck Mr. Shulman is writing about on the whiteboard. Richie feels like he can't take a hundred percent of the blame for failing to pay attention. The green marker Mr. Shulman is using is frayed, fading, and praying for the sweet release of the trash can, and it's not like Richie can really see the board from the back of the room on the best of days. His parents have suggested, well, more like insisted he sit up front but like...Bev sits in the back, and sitting up front would put a damper on the bubble gum blowing contests they have when Mr. Shulman isn't looking. Tragically, his parents probably wouldn't agree with his reasoning. But whatever.
Richie has a list in the back of his notebook, which he relies on his inscrutable handwriting to protect from prying eyes, of every song he's ever heard that he immediately disliked. He started it on his fifteenth birthday with a list of past horrors and adds on every time Creed releases a new single.
  Titanic song—My Heart Will Go On
I Hope You Dance
Hero—Enrique Iglesias (although Richie has admittedly crossed out and rewritten this one several times because, you know, Enrique)
Soak Up the Sun—that chick that’s dating Lance Armstrong
Summer Girls
I Knew I Loved You
Your Body Is a Wonderland
I’m Like a Bird
Anything that has ever been on American Idol
 And so on. He's got 37 entries so far, and it's been two and a half years in the making. He's just in the process of deciding whether A Thousand Miles deserves a spot on the list when Bev nudges his shoulder and hands him a note under the desk, written in Ben's even, exacting printing.
  Tuesday: Circle one
- National Treasure
- Mean Girls
- The Passion? (probably not, I know)
- Saw
- Troy
 Richie truly sees no point in reading further because Bev has only circled National Treasure and Mean Girls and there is a zero percent chance Ben won't side with her , but he'll be damned if he's not going to give his opinion anyway. He scribbles a big fat line through The Passion, because although he knows Ben's AP history class will give him extra credit for seeing it, but he's not sure he loves Ben (or rather, Ben's history teacher) enough to sit through three hours of Jim Caviezel getting whumped.
Apropos of nothing, a song begins playing in Richie’s head; a good one, thankfully. Richie has very little control over his internal radio and sometimes it gets stuck on Radio Disney, so some Weird Al is a welcome reprieve.
  And the guide... Richie mutters while tapping on his desk.
  Said not to stand
But that’s a demand
That I couldn’t meet
I got on my feet
And stood up instead
And knocked of my head, you see
Tell meeee…
 From Richie’s other side, Bill’s elbow collides with his ribs.
“You’re doing the th-thing again,” he mutters under his breath. Richie rolls his eyes. He doesn’t understand why anyone— his math teacher included—would not be delighted by a surprise rendition of a Weird Al song, regardless of where in the song he happens to start singing. 
Back to the movie list. Everything else...hmm. Troy looks badass—and stars Richie's one true love, Orlando Bloom. There's a good chance he's gonna be naked in it too. Richie draws a dick next to Troy as part of the decision-making process. He knows Ben only put Saw on the list because he thought Richie would like it. There's no way Ben actually wants to watch Wesley from Princess Bride get chopped up. Richie scratches Saw out and writes you're not fooling me next to it.
He's heard good things about Mean Girls, but still... Bev probably only circled it because she knows it's Ben's first choice. Sometimes being best friends with a couple makes Richie want to spray them with projectile vomit. But, you know, in the best way. He has no particular objections to Mean Girls himself, except that National Treasure promises to be amazingly, spectacularly adventure-y and ridiculous, and Richie is always down for that kind of action. In fact, he would just as soon use the advantage of a half day where his parents are at work to watch Jumanji on the big TV in the living room, but...
Fuck it. He's feeling generous today, and he kind of wants to witness Ben vibrating with excitement when he sees the note so...he circles Mean Girls and passes it back.
Ben's gasp upon receiving it is worth it.
Apparently, Derry High isn't the only school having a minimum day because the mall is fucking packed with teenagers. The concession stand line is super long, but where else is Richie supposed to find a nauseating selection of overpriced candy and a bucket of popcorn that could feed a small village? After dousing the popcorn with butter to the point where Ben almost gags, they make their way into the theater to find seats. Which are shitty almost-front-row ones because it took them so goddamn long to get snacks that those are the only four seats together by the time they get in there. Lucky the guy sitting in front of Richie is super short. Bev and Ben aren't so lucky—the curls of the guy to his left are almost as impressive as Richie's, and the guy in front of Bev is just obviously really tall.
The previews haven't even started yet—it's just the shitty like don't talk in the theater ads and dumb TV trivia questions.
Richie feels incumbent to entertain his friends at all times, but especially in moments like this, where nothing else entertaining is forthcoming.
Uh huh, he whispers, starting up a beat on his thigh. Uh huh. Extra Cheese.
Bill sighs in a long-suffering sort of way beside him.
  Uh huh. Uh huh. Save a piece for meeeee…
 He turns to Bev and starts whispering the rest of the lyrics directly into her ear because he can’t not.
  Pizza party at your house
I went just to check it out
Nineteen extra-larges, what a shame
No one came
We sat eatin’ all alone
You said, take the pizza—
 “Shh!” Bev puts a finger over his mouth. “You’re going to get us kicked out again.” 
That’s fair. Although, in Richie’s defense, it’s not like they missed out on much last time. The Village was supposed to be shitty anyway.
Mean Girls is, as it turns out, almost as interesting as the antics of the people in the row in front of them. Curly and the tall one are  a couple, clearly, and Richie feels for Shorty The Third Wheel, whose face he has yet to get a good look at. His hair is as neat as Richie’s is messy though—the kind of perfect where Richie can’t tell if he tried to make it look like that or if that’s just how it is. It’s just long enough to sweep over the tips of his ears and to almost touch the back collar of the polo shirt he’s wearing. He sits with his legs crossed in front of him, which Richie hasn’t been able to do since eighth grade.
The couple is cute, like stupid cute. The tall one is black and like, easily a ten no matter what your taste is; Curly is white with defined cheekbones and a cardigan. Tall has his arm around Curly, who has leaned into his neck. It makes Richie at least ten times gayer than he was before he walked into this theater.
Halfway through the movie, Richie has finished his monster popcorn and started in on the Milk Duds. He’s getting intense gay vibes from Aaron, who is supposed to be hot but is a little too Mister Muscles for Richie’s taste. Of course, Richie also likes Chad Michael Murray so… Even Richie’s taste doesn’t match with Richie’s taste. Whatever. At least his mouth and brain are in agreement on the subject of Sour Patch Kids, which is what really matters in the end.
But anyway, Richie prepares to come away from this movie a changed man with a new appreciation for Jingle Bell Rock by the time the credits roll. He’s definitely going to have to see this at least four to sixteen more times—or however many he can get away with before his friends threaten to kill him—because he missed a lot of the jokes being distracted by the way Shorty was craning his neck to look up at the screen. Richie pops the last of his Starburst into his mouth without unwrapping it. If there was an Olympics category for unwrapping a starburst with your tongue, Richie would be a gold medalist.
“Did you finish all that?” Ben gasps, leaning over and gaping at the graveyard of candy wrappers across Richie’s lap. Richie nods, burps, and rubs his belly like a proud expectant mother. He spits out the Starburst wrapper and hands it to Ben with a wink because he knows Ben’s too polite to drop that shit on the floor for the ushers to clean up.
“Well,” says Beverly, taking a final, bubbly sip of her Icee, “when you give birth to that thing later tonight, don’t call me to cry about it.”
And because she gave him such a perfect opportunity—and because he absolutely will be calling her from the bathroom later tonight—Richie decides to finally finish his song.
  Why’d you have to go and make me so constipated?
This really is a—
 He doesn’t get any further because a sharp voice cuts in from directly in front of him.
“Oh my fucking god, I hate that song.”
And then Richie’s back is attacked by a thousand mosquitos at once—or at least that’s what it feels like. He overheard a guy on the quad once say that the sensation from his mark when he met his soulmate gave him a boner, but apparently it’s different for everyone because all this does is make Richie want to light himself on fire. 
Which is why when Shorty in the J. Crew polo wheels around to look at him, Richie is awkwardly shifting, trying to find a way to itch his back on the seat. Maybe not the first impression he was going for, but just then, Shorty’s eyes lock on to Richie’s as he locates the source of the song, so yeah. There it is.
And wow. Wow and a half. Richie couldn’t have even dreamed up a guy this cute, although admittedly he’d been picturing some dude in baggy jeans and a beanie with a hacky sack this whole time. Which couldn’t be further from this...absolute snack of startled, prep-school perfection.
Before either of them can say anything else, Shorty yelps and grabs at one of his legs. That’s when he seems to regain the power of speech.
“It’s you?” he says, glaring sharply at Richie. “You’re the reason I haven’t been able to wear shorts for three fucking years?”
People are starting to leave the theater, which Richie hardly registers because he is having a full-on, swear to god Disney moment. This guy is like a...a bear cub. Not like hairy— he’s actually noticeably not hairy—but in the sense that he’s small and huggable-looking and Richie wants to pick him up and squeeze him but would probably get mauled if he tried to do so.
“Do you even—oh, sorry,” Shorty says, apologizing to the person who is trying to scoot past him. Then he turns back to Richie and flicks his eyes over him; just like a quick once-over. It’s impossible to tell if he likes what he sees. Richie notices he is still rubbing his calf.
“Itches like a motherfucker, doesn’t it?” he says, giving up on his seat-wiggling and reaching behind himself to scratch at his soul mark. Unfortunately, it turns out to be one of those itches that hurts when you scratch it, so he pulls his fingers back with an, “ow, son of a bitch!”
Shorty hisses.
“What’s wrong, Eddie?” Tall leans over Curly to ask Shorty—Eddie. Eddie.
“Fuck,” says Eddie, then he takes in a deep breath, rubbing his leg like he’s dying to scratch it. “This asshole—” he points an accusing finger in Richie’s direction, “—is the reason I’ve had those Weird Al lyrics about being—sorry, excuse us—about being constipated on my leg since before the goddamn song even came out.”
Tall and Curly both swivel around to stare at Richie. That gets Bev’s attention.
“Wait, Richie,” she says, grabbing his arm. “Is this—” 
“The love of my life,” Richie announces proudly, leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees, chin in his hands. “Eddie.”  
There is silence for a second during which Richie can almost see smoke coming out of Eddie’s ears.
“Fuck,” he says again. For all his preppy khakis and neatly combed hair and pristine white sneakers, he sure has a potty mouth. Richie couldn’t imagine anything better.
Bev gapes too, tapping Ben rapidly on the knee to get his attention. Curly’s eyes narrow as he examines Richie critically.
“Eddie, are you sure this is him?” he asks, still staring.
“Yeah,” Eddie nods, pulling up his pant leg and peering at his leg. “Yeah, cause—you know what? You can’t really see it in—”
“Excuse me,” calls an usher from the end of the aisle. “Is there a problem?”
“No,” Richie calls back cheerfully. “This is my soulmate! Isn’t he—”
“Right,” says the usher, blank faced in spite of this being the greatest of all possible happenings. “You think maybe you can move this party out to the lobby? I need to get the floor cleaned before the next showing.”
Eddie practically disappears into his friends during the awkward group shuffle out of the theater, but Richie walks backwards, keeping his eyes on all five feet and...four inches? three? of the gorgeousness that is Eddie.
Out in the light of the lobby he’s even better. Soft-looking brown hair, lightly freckled cheeks and arms, and—once he pulls up his pant leg—a soul mark that looks like the logo for someone’s z-list death metal band. The skin around it is pink and blotchy, but Richie can see the lines already fading. The only word that’s really fully legible is constipated. Which is hilarious, so Richie can’t understand why Eddie seems so ticked off.
Not that it fazes him in the slightest. It is actually written in the stars or the Book of Fate or whatever that he and Eddie are meant for each other. They’re destined to fall in love. If Eddie is mad at him now, he won’t be later.
“Whoa,” says Curly, tracing his fingers over Eddie’s soul mark. “Yeah. There it goes.”
“I’m Mike,” says Tall, who, now that they’re all standing, is actually the same height as Richie. He extends a hand, which Richie takes and then uses to yank him in for a hug. He smells amazing.
“Richie,” he says into Mike’s shoulder, before next trying to plaster himself to Curly. He hears Ben start to make introductions with Mike before Eddie’s voice cuts in.
“Stop,” he orders, running both hands through his hair, which bounces immediately back into its immaculate style. “Okay? Just—this is not happening right now.”
“Tell that to my heart, cutie,” says Richie. “And by my heart I mean my—”
“My mom?” Eddie says, like he’s name-dropping—like that should mean anything to Richie.
“God, if she’s half as cute as you, then hell yes.”
“No,” says Eddie. “I mean like, my mom. Does not know. That I’m gay. Fuck. Like, she has no fucking idea. And she’s gonna have a shit fit when she finds out. I keep telling her I don’t even have a soul mark yet—she never would’ve let me out of the house again if she’d seen it.”
“So?” says Richie. “Now it’s going away; now she doesn’t have to see it.” Seems more like a solution than a problem if you ask him.
“Honestly I was hoping not to even have to deal with any of this shit until like after college,” Eddie says. He looks like he’s considering just making a fucking break for the door. Like, don’t want to deal with this now, bye! Which, fair.
It’s a lot to roll with, especially just out of fucking nowhere like that. Richie probably should be freaking out way more than he is right now.
The idea of not seeing Eddie again until after college sounds terrible, but he doesn’t want to admit that. Going around like, yeah, I met my soulmate but he had a meltdown and ran away so… Like, he could do it if it’s what Eddie wanted. But he really hopes Eddie changes his mind.
“Do you want me to just like...fuck off?” he asks Eddie, quietly enough that the others won’t hear him.
Eddie frowns. “I don’t—”
“I mean...I guess we don’t have to like, you know, go for it now. Like. If you’re not into it, it’s cool. No offense taken. Maybe I’ll… I dunno, find you on Friendster in a few years? When things are easier? Or you can look for me. It’s Richie T-O-Z-”
Eddie cringes, checks his phone. “Shit, I have to go. My mom left me three messages; she’s probably already in the parking lot.”
And before Richie can even get upset about the idea that his soulmate is about to walk off into the sunset without so much as a dramatic monologue about how he’ll never give up on their eventual theoretical love, Eddie bites his lip and looks up into Richie’s face. His eyes are big and brown and make Richie feel like his ribcage is liquefying.
“Gimme your phone,” he says. Richie’s heart leaps into his throat as he pulls it out of his pocket.
Eddie takes it from him. “You should really get a case for this thing,” he says, clicking away on the number pad.
Their fingers brush as Eddie hands back his phone, with one last long look back as he scampers away.
Richie starts typing before he’s even left the lobby.
 From: Richie
hi its richie, the actual love of ur life
 From: Eddie
jesus i havent even reached the parking lot
dont text me too much its 15c a text, my mom will catch on
 From: Richie
can i see u again
i miss u already
 From: Eddie
i can probably get out again saturday
 From: Richie
saturday? what about tmrw?
 From: Eddie
im lucky if i get saturday
saturday, yes or no
 From: Richie
YES OF COURSE
meet me in front of the arcade 1st and Adams
ok?
 From: Eddie
Yeah 2pm stop texting me 
Eddie—god even thinking his name brings up a rush of butterflies—is standing outside the arcade looking about as comfortable as if it were a strip club. He’s wearing shorts, apparently for the first time in years. Something tells Richie that Eddie’s not going to be one of those people who gets their soul mark tattooed on after meeting their soulmate. The jury is still out on Richie—he kinda misses his already.
In the five days since they met, Richie has outlined itineraries for at least three different honeymoons and started a shortlist of names their adoptive children. He hopes Eddie also dreams of naming his sons after the kids from South Park.
“So,” says Richie, leaning down and looking Eddie in the eye, “yes or no to kissing on the first date?”
“Who said this was a date?” Eddie scoffs, opening the door to the arcade and rolling his eyes.
Richie has as much of a plan as he’s ever made in his life for this afternoon. First it’s the arcade where he can show off his bitchin’ Dance Dance Revolution skills, then to Johnny Rockets next door for a burger to remember, then hopefully back to Richie’s car to make out if they really hit it off.
Richie honestly cannot wait to show Eddie his car. It’s super impressive, even though it’s missing a bumper and the back passenger side door is held on with duct tape. Is a handjob too much to hope for on the first date? He doesn’t want to pressure Eddie or anything, but Richie is ready to give Eddie a handjob yesterday. So as soon as Eddie’s ready to rumble, they can get down.
Richie brought both his windshield covers just in case—the blue one and the Ren and Stimpy.
Turns out there’s a long line for DDR, which Richie probably should have counted on since it’s Saturday. Perfect opportunity for getting to know each other though. If Eddie would just like, you know, talk. He’s silently chewing on his lip instead, brow furrowed.
“Come here often?” Richie asks him.
Eddie shakes his head. “More like never. My mom won’t let me. Says the arcade is full of germs. She thinks I’m at Stan’s house watching High Society again . ”
“What’s High Society?”
“Really?” Eddie looks up at him. “You haven’t seen—like, with Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra? Bing Crosby? No?”
“So it’s like...a super old movie?”
“Yeah,” Eddie says slowly. “What—I’m just curious—what’s your favorite movie?”
“Definitely The Big Lebowski,” says Richie right away. “That’s easy. Best movie of all time. Oh, except maybe White Chicks. Pulp Fiction. Scary Movie 3.”
“Oh my god,” Eddie whispers, apparently to his shoes.
“Please don’t tell me you preferred Scary Movie 2. That might be a dealbreaker. Soulmate or not.”
“But you do like scary movies?” Eddie perks up a little. “Have you seen Wait Until Dark with Audrey Hepburn? It’s super scary.”
“Audrey Hepburn? Ohhhh, that chick in The Philadelphia Story? My grandma makes us watch that every year when we come over for Thanksgiving.”
Eddie purses his lips. “That’s Katharine Hepburn.”
“Are they sisters?” Richie asks.
“No.”
Richie isn’t worried. Eddie probably just hasn’t seen, like, Dude Where’s My Car yet. Easily fixed. His parents will be out of town next weekend; Eddie can stay over and they can watch it. That and definitely Catch Me If You Can.
He pitches the idea to Eddie, whose eyes light up at the mention of Catch Me If You Can.
“Oh my god,” Eddie groans, “Leonardo DiCaprio was like, my sexual awakening.”
“For sure,” says Richie. “He was such a badass in Gangs of New York. Which one did it for you? Was it The Man In the Iron Mask?”
Eddie looks at him like he’s being an idiot. “Uh, you’re guessing The Man In the Iron Mask before Titanic?”
“Really?” Richie winces, super disappointed and unable to hide it. “Titanic, Eddie?”
Eddie smirks. “No. Romeo and Juliet. You’re up.”
Richie tries to decide whether Romeo and Juliet is a better or worse sexual awakening than Titanic as he chooses a song. Richie practices DDR every weekend the way some people faithfully go to church, so he’s pretty confident he’ll blow Eddie away no matter what.
Still, just to be safe, he picks easy mode when he thinks Eddie isn’t looking. Eddie’s never been here. He doesn’t need to know that it took Richie six months of practice before he finished a song without failing out. It’s gonna look cool either way.
And, okay, in hindsight...these brand-new Dickies are still kind of stiff. They might not have been the best choice for DDR. He just figured they’d make a better impression than the old ripped ones he was wearing when they met. Eddie strikes Richie as the kind of guy who doesn’t wear the same pants two days in a row; he doesn’t need to know that Richie (up until the day before yesterday) only had the one pair. Richie has decided he might even be convinced to break his strict rule of not throwing out pants until they’ve worn through in the crotch. All for love.
Eddie smiles brightly at his abysmal score. “Wow, that was pretty good. Can I try?”
Damn, that smile. Whipped already and they haven’t even kissed yet. Richie steps down with a bow.
Eddie stands tentatively on the DDR platform.
“Um…” He looks at the screen. “This one?”
And before Richie can stop him, he’s picked a crazy song on hard mode. If it were Bill, Richie would settle in and prepare laugh his ass off. Maybe even try to grab his camera from the car.
“So you just like, step on the arrows when they show up on the screen?” Eddie asks while the game loads.
“Uh, yeah,” says Richie. “But you know—don’t worry if you fail out. Took me awhile to get the hang of it.” He winks. 
“Okay,” says Eddie. He rolls his neck and shakes out his arms and… Whoa, why does Richie suddenly feel like he’s about to pop a boner?
And then, uh. And then Eddie is nothing but a flurry of legs, jumping, twirling, hopping back and forth. He claps and snaps with the beat—god, he knows how to use his fucking body. Thank god for Richie’s stiff new pants. He bends a little at the knee, letting his sweater drape down over his lap. Other people in the arcade are stopping what they’re doing to watch—he’s that good.
After what could have been either ten seconds or ten years—but nothing in between—the song ends and Eddie bounces lightly off the mat. Richie’s throat goes dry.
“How’d I do?” Eddie’s little smirk is positively edible.  
“Marry me,” Richie croaks. “I was gonna offer to teach you to play but, uh…”
Eddie laughs. “Mike has that game,” he says, still smiling. “We play it all the time at his house. It’s even harder with the shitty fold-out mat.”
“Well there go my plans,” Richie says, throwing his arms in the air. “It was gonna be a DDR lesson. A sexy one. And you’ve gone and totally schooled me, so now I’m just gonna have to try to impress you with Halo.”
Mercifully, Eddie turns out to be absolute shit at first-person shooters, so Richie isn’t totally humiliated on his home turf. But Eddie creams him at the driving games almost as bad as he did at DDR. 
“Jesus, dude,” Richie says, watching Eddie punch his initials into the hi score list. EFK. “What kind of car do you drive?”
“Pffft,” Eddie shakes his head. “My mom won’t even let my get my permit yet.” 
“Wait,” says Richie. “How old are you?”
“I’m eighteen,” Eddie tells him. Shut the fuck up. No way.
“You’re older than me?! But you’re so short! I thought you were like sixteen.”
Eddie shoots him a baffled glare. “You know that’s not how it works, right?”
“Well, how old did you think I was?” Richie asks. 
“I guess I thought you were eighteen too?” says Eddie, shrugging. “I mean…” he gestures vaguely upward.
Richie raises his eyebrows.
“Alright, touche,” Eddie admits. “But seriously, how old are you? I’m gonna feel really weird if you’re just like, the world’s tallest freshman and you’re hitting on me.”
“Seventeen. I’ll be eighteen next month. So we’re practically the same age.”
Eddie nods. “But as far as driving, yeah. I don’t like, have my own car. So yeah, technically I could get a license but I don’t have anything to actually drive yet.”
“My dad gave me his old car and basically let me destroy it while I was practicing,” says Richie. “Your parents don’t trust you with their cars?”
Eddie hesitates for a second before looking away. “It’s just me and my mom,” he says quickly.
“Oh,” says Richie stupidly, feeling like an absolute tool. “Oh yeah, sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Eddie tells him, and it sounds like he mostly means it. “I was so young when he died, I don’t even remember him. It’s just that my mom…”
“She sounds like a hardass,” says Richie, drumming on the Whack-a-Mole console while Eddie grabs the mallet.
“It’s not— wham— that,” he says, eyes darting between the moles. “It’s like… My mom acts like she wishes she’d never even —wham— given birth to me.”
“Ow,” Richie grimaces. “Harsh.”
“No,” Eddie corrects. “I don’t mean it like— wham —that. Just that like I think she would rather they’d never— wham —cut the umbilical cord. Like she wishes we were still— wham wham wham —attached.”
“Yikes,” says Richie, because that’s all he can think of to say. 
“Big yikes,” Eddie agrees.
“I’m guessing you don’t go to Derry High, then,” says Richie, resting his head against the machine while Eddie continues to annihilate moles. “Makes sense that I never saw you around, cause I totally would’ve remembered seeing that ass before.”  
He hesitates before adding, “I even wrote some graffiti in the bathroom stalls so you’d recognize my handwriting.”
Eddie’s nose crinkles adorably at that. “First of all—no. I’m homeschooled. Maybe because my mom doesn’t want me making too many friends, or maybe even just to keep me from using public bathrooms.” 
“How do you know Mike and Curly then?” Richie asks.
“Cur—Stanley? Shit,” Eddie says as he misses a mole. “Mike and Stan are homeschooled too. We go to the same testing center in Bangor. And—ha!—I dunno? I sensed their gayness?”
“Yeah I sensed their gayness too,” Richie says. “By the way they were all over each other.”
“No, actually. It wasn’t like that. I knew both of them before they knew each other,” says Eddie. “I was there when they met.”
“Wow.” Richie uses his fist to hit a mole he thinks Eddie’s about to miss. “soul mark surprise?”
“Not really,” says Eddie. “Stan had a thing on his wrist that said, hi, I’m Mike , in Mike’s handwriting, so I kind of connected the dots and introduced them.”
“I’m the third wheel with Bev and Ben all the time,” Richie tells him, leaning over to collect tickets from the Whack-a-Mole.
“They’re not usually too—wait, what’s that?” Eddie asks, snatching something out of Richie’s back pocket. He unfolds the piece of paper.
“Oh, well, uh,” Richie says, thinking for the first time that it’s kind of embarrassing that he kept the list in the first place, “I just… Well, my soul mark said oh my fucking god, I hate that song, so I kind of like kept a list of songs I thought he—they might be talking about.”
Eddie snorts. “I have every single one of these on my iPod,” he says. “And that’s like, my all-time favorite song.” He points at I Knew I Loved You by Savage Garden. Oh god.
“Do you really hate Weird Al?” Richie asks him on their way to the air hockey table. “Cause I gotta say, I don’t know if this,” he gestures between them, “is gonna work out if you don’t want to hear the Angry White Boy Polka at least three times a day.”
“No,” says Eddie quickly. “Weird Al is great. It’s just, you know, the soul mark thing. Like I got it and I was like, what the fuck is this shit? And I guess it was kind of a relief when the song came out because I really hadn’t figured out like...what context I might hear that in. But then I just got sick of associating the song with like...true love. Cause it’s like, ridiculous and gross, you know?”
“I guess,” says Richie. “I dunno. I thought that was pretty fuckin’ romantic.”
“Yeah, I bet you did,” says Eddie. “That’s the kind of romance I’d expect from anyone who hasn’t watched Bing Crosby serenade Grace Kelly.”
“Damn, Eddie. You’re a pretentious little dick, you know that?” Richie says, picking up the puck.
“And you’re a goddamn mess,” Eddie shoots back without pausing. “Your serve.”
Richie is already balls deep in love by the the game ends. To be fair, he’s not sure how he was supposed to concentrate on the game with Eddie giggling and doing a little dance every time he scored. Eddie may have kicked his ass, but Richie walks out the door of the arcade feeling like he’s the one who came out on top. 
“What’s next?” Eddie asks, backing out the door of the arcade, catching his new sticky hand toy on Richie’s glasses on purpose.
“Road head?” Richie asks hopefully, jutting his chin in the direction of his car and grabbing onto his glasses to keep them from being pulled right off his face.
“You wish,” Eddie rolls his eyes. “I haven’t even decided if I want a second date yet.”
“Ah ha!” Richie points at him. “So you admit this is a first date?”
Eddie laughs and raises his eyebrows. “I dunno. Is it?”
“Let’s ask Johnny Rocket,” says Richie, cocking his head to the right. “Got time for a burger? We can split a milkshake.”
Eddie gives him a considering sort of look. “I could probably squeeze it into my schedule.”
Ohhhhhh the things Richie wants to squeeze… With great mental fortitude, he refrains from commenting. Instead Eddie opens the door for him and they grab two menus and a booth. 
“What are you gonna get?” Richie asks.
Eddie peers at him from over the menu. “Depends who’s paying. But we’re definitely not sharing a milkshake. I can already tell you’re a dessert hog. I’d end up getting like one sip.”
Richie laughs, running a hand through his hair. “God.”
“What?” asks Eddie, eyes already fixed back on the menu.
“Honestly? You.”
“Me what?”
Richie hesitates because it’s something he’s never talked to anyone about before. And for good reason—it’s fucking stupid. But right now, sitting in this Johnny Rockets…
“You know…” he starts, drumming his knuckles on the table, “I’m like, super bisexual. But I knew my soulmate was going to be a guy.”
Eddie puts the menu down. “Huh. Really? How?”
Richie shakes his head. “I dunno. It sounds really stupid but like… I don’t know if it was a dream I had or… you just. Like when I heard your voice and then you turned around in the theater…”
It’s so corny. He can’t say it. He’s playing with the straw dispenser on the table like it’s the most fascinating thing in the world. How do you say you make me feel like, gooey inside and it’s fuckin’ nasty but also I don’t ever want it to end? Without sounding like a pussy, of course.
“Thanks? I guess?” says Eddie. “I mean, I still have no idea what you’re talking about but—”
“I’m really glad you’re my soulmate,” Richie blurts out. “Not just to have one, I mean. I’m glad it’s you. You’re awesome. Like...you’re totally knocking me off my fuckin’ feet here. And I hope you—”
The rest of his sentence is drowned out by Eddie leaning over the table and kissing him. Not like, full-on tongue kissing or anything. Just kind of a peck. But longer. Something in between. Soft, but definitely real.
And afterwards Eddie draws back, a little pinker than he was a second ago and then digs into his pocket, fishing out some quarters. He puts two in the little jukebox at their table, punches in a number and letter combo, and then sits back in his seat, shredding a straw wrapper between his fingers.
  I thought love was only true in fairy tales
Meant for someone else, but not for me
 Eddie looks like he’s trying as hard as he can not to grin, going even redder. Richie leans in and offers his hand. Eddie drops his straw wrapper.
  Love was out to get me, that’s the way it seemed
Disappointment haunted all my dreams
But then I saw her face—
 “You know,” Richie says, looking Eddie in the eye, “I like the Smash Mouth version better.”
  Now I’m a believer
 Eddie laughs and takes his outstretched hand. “I think I can live with that.”
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klaroline-4ever · 5 years
Text
Chapter 57
It was finally Rebekah's birthday and everyone agreed on acting like they didn't remember it was her birthday to be a bigger surprise.
Rebekah woke up, smiling to herself, because it was the first birthday she had since she became a vampire where she was in good terms with her brothers, where she actually had friends she felt close to and was able to trust and where she had a guy who seemed to like her.
Rebekah went to the kitchen and saw Kol eating cereals.
"Good morning, Kol!"
"Hey, Bekah! You know what today is?" Kol asked with a smirk.
"What?" She asked, acting like she didn't know what day was.
"Prank day!"
"What?!" Rebekah asked now upset.
"I decided that for us to stop having such normal lives, we should have a prank day when everything is fair and the winner by the end of the day chooses what gets. I already know what it will be."
"Normal lives? We are Originals! Nothing about our lives is normal." Rebekah said upset and before she could leave, Elijah appeared.
"No prank days. Not after what Damon did to Stefan." Elijah said.
"Elijah, you know what day is it?"
"Of course I know. It's Sunday." Elijah said.
"Ugh!" Rebekah said and left the kitchen, making Elijah and Kol smirk to each other, glad they were making the plan work.
***
Rebekah got a text from Stefan, asking to have a movie marathon with him, and it would be all 80s movies. She needed to get busy to not think about her brothers forgetting her birthday, so she went to the Salvatore Boarding House and saw Stefan wearing a black jacket with things in it, a t-shirt, some jeans, and black sneakers.
"Why are you dressing like that?"
"Because I've been missing the 80s. I got a dress for you too. Go get it so we can appreciate the 80s."
"Stefan..."
"Please..." Stefan said and Rebekah rolled her eyes but went to a room to get in the outfit he chose for her.
"I gotta admit. It's not completely awful." Rebekah said and Stefan smirked.
"Let's watch this movie. I think you'll like it." Stefan said.
"Okay..." Rebekah said.
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***
Elena and Elijah brought their cupcakes, their mini-quiches, cool ranch Doritos and Cheeto puffs, seven layer dip, Ben&Jerry ice cream and the sodas of the time.
Kol put a boom box in the table near the stage where there was also a laptop and some sound equipment, while Bonnie and Damon put some posters of the celebrities and movies of the time and April would help Caroline with the small details left, finally there was Klaus who was making sure the bartender wouldn't mess up everything.
"Do you think she will like it?" Caroline asked Klaus, feeling a bit nervous.
"She will love it. It's perfect. Just like you..." Klaus whispered and kissed Caroline passionately.
"Hey! Keep in your pants! I don't want to throw up today, thank you very much. I have an important task to do."
"Isn't just clicking play for the songs to start playing?" Damon asked, with his arm wrapped around Bonnie, as she hides her face on his chest to not laugh.
"It's way more than that. I also have to..."
"Press pause?" Bonnie asked and started laughing along with Damon.
"Oh... you guys think you're so funny... well... shut up!" Kol said upset.
"Kol, they are just playing. No need to get upset." April said, walking over to Kol and hugged him.
"Okay... I'm gonna text, Stefan. We need to be ready." Caroline said.
***
Stefan convinced Rebekah to go with him to high school, making her think it was to go to the roof.
"I think I saw a horror movie that started just like this." Rebekah said as they walked around the empty and dark hallway. "Did you know they play movies all night long now? Hundreds of them! So much better than those silly black-and-white pictures shows we used to go to."
"I don't know I kinda miss the old ones." Stefan said.
"Of course you'd say that. You've been obsessed with the 80s these last few days." Rebekah said rolling her eyes, but secretly liking to know more about the decade.
"You gotta admit it had its charm. Say Anything - Lloyd Dobler standing outside of a bedroom window with a boombox, desperately trying to get back the girl of his dreams." Stefan said looking at her, stopping walking and focusing only on her, the girl of his dreams. "Princess Bride - Wesley slays giants rats for love; Breakfast Club - one detention turns a bunch of outcasts into allies. It was a decade of love, friendship... the possibility of anything happening. I know you would love to live in that time..."
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Stefan opened the gym door, making her get into the dark gym and then he turns on the lights and everyone yelled happy birthday.
"Oh my God! You guys remembered?" Rebekah asked in disbelief.
"It was all part of the plan, sister." Elijah said.
"I don't know how you didn't figure it out. I mean, everybody knows prank day is April 1st."
"And because you never were here for the 80s we decided to bring the 80s to you. It was Stefan's idea." Caroline said.
"Yet, Caroline put that idea into something real. Like a goddess she created what she wished to make." Klaus said, admiring Caroline.
"Everybody help."
"Like if we had another choice..." Damon mumbled.
"I love it! You guys are amazing!" Rebekah said and hugged them, then Kol started to play the playlist he had made and Rebekah used the fact everyone was dancing to talk with Stefan.
"I hope you liked the idea." Stefan said.
"I loved it. Thank you... for everything." Rebekah whispered.
"I have something for you." Stefan said taking a small box from his pocket.
"That better not be a corsage." Rebekah said and Stefan opened the box, revealing it was a koala corsage.
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"These were all the rage in the 80s" Stefan said, making her smile as he clipped it on her dress.
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"I guess it isn't that bad." Rebekah smiled. "Now let's dance."
to be continued...
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keanureevesisbae · 4 years
Text
Mister Cavill, your dog is kinda fat - Chapter 17
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Summary: Veterinarian Olivia Tran has zero time for bullshit. After becoming a mom at age twenty three, the one thing she wants is a good life for her daughter Vanessa. Her ex didn’t want anything to do with her nor the baby and she decided that man are officially banned out of her life. But then she meets Henry Cavill at her clinic and her ban slowly starts to crumble apart. Henry on the other hand is looking for one thing: a family. And when he meets Olivia Tran, he finds just that.
Henry Cavill x Olivia Tran (ofc)
Warnings: None
Wordcount: 2.4k
Masterlist // Previous chapter // Next chapter
Henry’s life is slowly but surely becoming what he originally wanted. He adopted Vanessa a few weeks ago and he never thought he could be so emotional. He cried while he had to sign the papers, he cried the entire way back to the car, to a point where Olivia decided it would be best if she drove back to his parents’ place. He sat in the back of the car, right next to Vanessa, who wasn’t crying, but went out of her way to comfort him. He was just so happy that it was official now.
If—God forbids—something happen to Olivia, Vanessa goes right to him. They don’t have to bother with that low life of a Wesley, she is going right to him. They even changed their will. If something happens to the both of them, Vanessa goes to his family.
But right now Olivia is officially thirteen weeks pregnant and it’s getting harder and harder now to hide her belly. Since she is out of her first trimester, she is been feeling a lot better. She told him that during her pregnancy with Vanessa, she puked quite a lot, but that was nothing compared to how she is feeling with this baby.
But right now, her glow is mesmerizing. She was always beautiful, but seeing her in her underwear before she trows on his shirt at night, he realizes that she is a whole different kind of breathtaking now. After she steps into the bed, he lays behind her, wraps his arm around her waist and sneaks a hand under her shirt. He loves feeling her tiny bump. It’s still beyond him that this is happening, that they’ve created an already beautiful human. He cannot wait to see the more definite changes of her body, the further she gets into this pregnancy.
It’s Friday and they are waiting for Vanessa to walk out of the school. Henry wraps his fingers around her hand and pulls Olivia closer to his body. The weather is getting nicer and nicer, making it even harder for her to hide her little bump. She opted for a pretty midi skirt with a large shirt over it, that doesn’t show anything yet.
Today they are not only going to tell Vanessa about the baby when they are at home, but they are going to tell his entire family, since they are having a little dinner at his mom’s. The school bell rings and it doesn’t take long, before Vanessa rushes out of the school. Thankfully she has adopted a new normal by jumping into Henry’s arms, instead of Olivia’s, like she used to do. She presses tons of kisses on his cheeks, before she leans down to give Olivia a kiss.
Keeping this a secret has been the hardest thing, especially since Henry wants to share this with everyone.
‘Ready to go home, sunshine?’ Henry asks her and she nods. While he carries her to the car, she keeps on talking about how wonderful school was. Though he doesn’t quite understand that she likes school this much (especially with the witch that calls herself miss Sue in front of the class), he likes her stories. He could listen to her for hours on end and not be bored for a second.
Henry helps his official daughter in her carseat and while he drives back home, he holds Olivia’s hand. Once they are home, Olivia pulls Vanessa with her and the two of them sit on the couch.
He leans against the doorframe, wanting to see everything that is going to happen, but also allowing them to experience this. He might be officially Vanessa’s dad now, it’ll take a long time before they will have the bond that Vanessa has with her mother. Their bond is so tight, it’s mesmerizing. ‘Vanessa, sweetheart,’ Olivia says, ‘I have something to tell you.’
Vanessa looks at her mom with a frown between her brows. ‘Okay… What is it, mommy?’
Olivia takes Vanessa’s hand and places it onto her stomach. ‘Mommy is growing a baby in her stomach right now,’ she says in a soft voice. ‘And that means you are going to be a big sister.’
Henry had looked online on how to tell your kids that they are going to be a brother or sister. He saw all those sweet and funny videos online, with cakes, balloons and other stuff, but when he showed Olivia, she simply frowned and said that she just wants to tell Vanessa.
And now when he sees this moment happening in front of his eyes, he knows damn well that it shouldn’t happen any other way than this one.
Vanessa’s eyes light up, as her hand rests on Olivia’s bump. ‘I’m going to be a big sister?’ she asks, just in case.
‘Yes, sweetheart.’
And for the first time since he met Vanessa, she is crying happy tears. They drip over her cheeks, yet a smile is evident on her face. ‘I’m doing the happy tears thing,’ she sniffles.
‘Oh sweetie,’ Olivia says, a few tears in her eyes as well. She pulls her daughter closer to her body and presses kisses on her cheek. She ushers Henry over and he walks over to his two favorite girls.
He takes place on the other side of Olivia and looks at the two of them and he can’t hide his smile.
‘Daddy,’ Vanessa says, looking up, ‘I’m going to be a big sister.’
He wipes the tears from her face. ‘I know, sunshine. You are going to be a wonderful sister,’ he tells her.
She takes his hand from her face and places it on Olivia’s bump, just like her own. ‘Are we going to tell grandma, grandpa and everyone today?’
‘We are,’ Olivia says, stroking through the soft hairs of Vanessa.
‘We do have to tell you something,’ he says to Vanessa.
‘And what’s that?’
He clears his throat. He really wants to tell her this, because he thinks it’s important. He talked about this with Olivia and she agreed to it. ‘We love you so much and we always will, sunshine, but you have to know that a new baby is hard work. Both me and your mom will be pretty tired. There is also a chance that we will not have as much time for you as we usually have.’
Vanessa nods. ‘I know,’ she tells him. ‘Bettie’s mom is usually pretty tired too, when she is pregnant and when she just had a new baby. I can help around the house and otherwise, I can sleep at grandma’s place. I think she and grandpa want to babysit, so you can maybe sleep in.
How is he going to be an excellent father, if Olivia has managed to do this by herself? He is so lucky that this amazing woman is going to be the mother of their kids.
‘Then we have nothing to worry about,’ Olivia chuckles, kissing Vanessa’s cheek. ‘You are such an angel.’
Vanessa smiles. ‘So when is this baby going to be born? Bettie’s mom always knows, but she said something about a flu date?’
Olivia chuckles. ‘Due date, sweetheart. The doctor can guess a little bit. So the due date for this baby is the twenty first of November.’
‘That’s near my birthday.’ She smiles even brighter than before. ‘I kind of hope that the baby will be born on my birthday. That means we are going to have an even bigger party.’ Vanessa looks at Olivia’s stomach and asks: ‘When do we know if it’s a boy or girl?’
‘Somewhere in August,’ Henry says.
‘How can they know?’
Olivia gestures that she should stay put, as she walks over to her purse. ‘The doctors have a machine and what that one basically does is that it can make pictures from what’s inside my stomach.’
‘Oh,’ Vanessa says, ‘like the pictures daddy makes?’
Olivia chuckles. ‘Absolutely not.’ She plops back on the couch and shows Vanessa the picture of the ultrasound.
‘I don’t get it. There is nothing on here.’
Henry places his arm on the back of the couch and explains: ‘This little bean right here,’—he points to the same spot that the doctor showed him, because if he is being fair, he can’t see it—‘is your brother or sister and when we go back there in August, the baby is a little bigger. Right now he or she is as big as… what was it again, sweetheart?’
‘A lemon, so there isn’t much to see yet.’
Vanessa nods. ‘When you go to the doctor to see if I get a baby brother or sister, can I come with you?’
Olivia nods. ‘Of course you can,’ she says.
Vanessa leans down, pushes up her mom’s shirt, as she whispers against the tiny bump: ‘When you are older, you and I are going to eat chocolates at night, but don’t tell mommy and daddy, because I don’t think they’ll allow it.’
≫≫≪≪
Henry is insanely nervous for meeting his family. He knows that they will love it, he is absolutely sure of that. Though it doesn’t stop him from being nervous though. His family definitely knows how babies are made, but exposing the fact that they have been having sex and now she is pregnant…
He holds onto Olivia’s hand so tightly, that she has to whisper that he needs to chill, because he is hurting her.
And he never wants to do that of course.
Olivia came with the idea to involve Vanessa in the reveal to his family and he honestly couldn’t agree more. Vanessa was and will always be his first baby and she means the absolute world to him. The fact that she was already thinking about how she is going to be the best daughter in the world to them, how she is going to help not only her mom, but also himself out whenever she can, speaks volumes about how she is going to handle this big sister thing.
They walk around the house, to enter the garden and everyone seems to be totally happy that they have finally arrived. Vanessa continues to look at Olivia, waiting for the right moment. ‘Everybody,’ Olivia finally says. ‘Our little Vanessa has a little surprise.’
‘Little princess, what you got?’ Charlie says.
She unzips her vest and shows everyone her shirt. ‘I’m going to be a— Oh my God!’ Belle screams, running towards Olivia. The rest is further away from Vanessa, so they haven’t even read it yet, by the time Belle has pulled Olivia in a hug. ‘I’m so happy for you, babe.’
Henry watches as the rest of the family has yet to catch on, but his mother is the first to notice. She starts to tear up and Henry quickly walks over to her, to engulf her into a tight hug.
While his brothers and father are the first to congratulate Vanessa, giving her big hugs and saying how she is going to be such an amazing big sister, he hears his mother sniffle: ‘This is wonderful news, my dear.’
Since he officially adopted Vanessa, he realized that his mother was finally getting what she wanted. A big family, where she would be the grandma of the entire clan, a role that she had been wanting ever since his brothers and he reached the age of twenty. She never pushed them to get married and to have kids, but now she is finally getting the larger family she always wanted. It’s long overdue.
The fact that Olivia already had a wonderful daughter and him being really serious about having kids, made it easier for them to get pregnant, though it wasn’t necessarily planned. A couple like Simon and Belle are not even thinking about children. Well, they are, as in: we don’t want them right now.
After everyone gave him one hug, Vanessa at least two and Olivia a big hug and a kiss on her cheek, he can finally stand next to his beautiful girlfriend again. ‘Can I?’ he asks, letting his hand hover over her stomach.
‘You can always do that,’ she whispers, pressing a kiss on his jaw.
He gently places his hand on her tiny bump and she places her hand on top of his. ‘God, you are so amazing,’ he chuckles.
‘Don’t forget to give yourself credit, Henry,’ she says. ‘Remember, you are going to be a wonderful father, I just know it. You have already proven how much of an excellent dad you are with Vanessa.’
‘Can I take you with me for just a second?’ he asks, looking over at how Piers and Niki are showing off their football skills, though Vanessa doesn’t seem impressed at all.
Henry carefully pulls Olivia with him, until they are inside. He clears his throat and asks: ‘Should I share this with my fans?’ It has been a question that has been running through his thoughts for quite a while now.
Since he met Olivia, he posted pictures of course. After he first met her, he took a picture of Kal on the couch, looking a little sad and he wrote in the caption: Thanks to the greatest veterinarian who did pick up at three in the morning, Kal is all okay now after he vomited over my new carpet, though I was informed that he was kinda fat, so I have to work on that.
After that he posted pictures of Kal, of the Christmas tree and the cookies that he attempted to make for them. But he kept both of them out of the picture and since Valentines Day, he didn’t post anything.
Olivia smiles before she nods. ‘You can, as long as my face or Vanessa’s isn’t splattered on the news.’
Henry scoffs. ‘You think I’d allow that?’ He leans in to press a kiss on her forehead. ‘I just feel like I should tell them that we are expecting.’
‘You should tell the whole story,’ she tells him, grabbing his hands. ‘That you have a girlfriend, adopted Vanessa and that we are expecting.’
‘Are you sure?’ he asks. ‘I mean, I know that you two didn’t ask to be in the spotlights like that and I don’t want to force it on you.’
She pulls him closer and gives him a long kiss on his lips. ‘I am one hundred percent sure, sweetheart.’
≫≫≪≪
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girlygirlx2: OH MY GOD?!?! THIS IS SO FUCKING UNEXPECTED!!!
kieralee: sooooo, we are getting Dad!Henry content? because i’m up for it!!!!
julia5487: hold up… he adopted someones kid and now they are having a kid on their own? wth happened?
muziarealm: I really want to see the lucky ass lady who is giving him babies.
kittycat421: OMG THIS IS SO AWESOME?!?!?!?!?!?!
ursula_9903: HOLY CRAP!!!!!! congratulations are in order!!!
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