#yeah i know it's the weirdest compliment i have ever gotten in my life

[purplesurveys]

1834

Do you prefer hardly toasted at all or burnt toast? I generally enjoy the taste of certain foods more when it's on the burnt side, including toast. Also with fries and hotdogs. I like the crunch and the slight smoky flavor.

What time do you have to be out of bed by on a typical day? I work from home and if we're being extremely loose with the rules, I technically don't need to get up until 9 AM. But I like to have ample time to take a shower, make my coffee, pet the dogs, and clear the emails that came in the night before – all these let me get into the ~right mood for the day – so these days I've been waking up at 8 AM to be all ready at my work station by 8:30.

When was the last time you cleaned your bedroom? Start of the year when I did a hard restart to the room, especially after all the gift wrappers and paper bags from Christmas accumulated in one spot.

In real life do you laugh like 'haha', 'hehe' or something else? It depends exactly on the kind of laugh I'm making, or the context why I'm laughing. I can do anything from a hahaha to a hehehe to a hohoho lmao.

Do you know anyone who says things like 'lol' in real life? I know people who say it as 'lol' or as 'el-oh-el.' I do both of them.

Do you have any unusual skills? I have an abnormal amount of knowledge on the Twilight Saga...lol. I never realized how much info I've retained through the years till like 2 weeks ago when Angela, Hans, and I had this random ass trivia contest on the series.

Do you have any bug bites right now? On my legs, I'm sure there are. I've been at the rooftop a few times and mosquitoes have been lurking around there more than usual.

Is there anything annoying you at the moment? 1/2 of my glasses' frames has snapped open so I've had to DIY it with superglue for now so I can still see from both eyes, while I'm unable to get a new prescription altogether. DIY anything just puts me super on edge cause you never know when it's gonna fall apart, and if it does you don't want it happening in public where it can be embarrassing lol. 

Who's your favourite person? I'd go with my dad.

Are you more of a cat or dog person? Dog.

Do you live out of the nearest town? Not sure what exactly this is asking. I live in some part of town regardless? Hahaha.

Do you like to look at other peoples' houses? Sure, especially when they are obviously rich.

Are there any chores you actually enjoy doing? I have my mood where I'll like washing the dishes, but keyword there is mood because I don't always want to do it haha.

What's the weirdest compliment you've ever received? I've definitely gotten strange ones before but I'm usually quick to erase them from my memory so that I don't need to dwell on them anymore, so it's hard for me to remember off the top of my head.

Do you remember all those rhymes like 'i before e except after c'? We were taught this rule in English class, but not through a rhyme. The teacher just said it in plain sentence format – "If it follows a c, use ei" something like that hahaha.

When did you last have an 'Oh, I get it now!' moment? Earlier this week when I was reading the plot of Interstellar.

Would you say you're more witty or childish about jokes? Idk, I can appreciate both.

Do you get on with boys or girls better? Girls, 100%.

Do people often confide in you? Do you like it? Sure. Yeah, it makes me feel nice in a, "It's cool that they trust me" kind of way. I was most surprised when my mom asked me for advice two years ago about job options. She's never asked her own kids for advice for anything, so it was part heartwarming and part overwhelming when she did it with me. It was like...wow why are you pouring your feelings all of a sudden lol? This family has walls, where is it????? hahahahah.

Who is someone you really admire? My dad.

Do you prefer piano or guitar music? Piano.

Do you like helium balloons? I think they're slightly more entertaining than normal balloons lol.

Have your parents ever suspected something untrue about you? Yeah, at one point they were so convinced I was a smoker only because a cigarette got stuck under my shoe once. I didn't know how else to convince them otherwise so I just invited them to smell me as much as they want because they were never gonna get that nasty nicotine smell from me.

Do you have any fears that seem weird to others? I'm scared of cooking...it's more the fire I'm scared of, but yeah it makes me act weird around the kitchen and hypersensitive to any sparks and weird sizzling noises when someone is cooking. In short, I keep away from kitchens for world peace lol

Have you ever wished you'd been born someplace else? Yeah because nobody ever wishes they were born in the Philippines. Why would you hate yourself like that?

What d'you think about videogames? It's fascinating to see how far it's come. From blocks to open-world shit that's so close to resembling real life...it's really cool. I'm not a gamer per se but I grew up around gamers, so I have a soft spot for video games.

Are there any forms of art you personally find pointless? Maybe not pointless, but there are types of art that I don't particularly get drawn towards...like digital art, audio-visual pieces, pencil on paper.

What would you, or do you, study at college? I took up journalism.

Are you tired right now? A little bit, only cause I lack sleep.

Have you ever had, or wanted, a pet ferret? Nope.

Is there anything you find undeserving of the hype it received? Yes, I can think of a few things.

What's something you do a lot? Do these.

Are you currently on any other websites? I have YouTube turned on at the moment, but that's it.

Are you good at using Photoshop? Hard no. Tried tinkering around with it, never got the hang of it.

What were you last embarrassed about? My mom decided that loudly LOUDLY L O U D L Y blasting music at 7 AM earlier was the Best Idea Ever, so not only was that the reason I woke up with a pounding headache, but also why I was on edge the whole morning just waiting for some neighbor to knock on the door and ask her to knock it the fuck off. It wasn't even like jazz or lounge, it was party fucking anthems, the kind of shit you'd play at a bar at midnight.

Are there any clothing items you really want but can't find? I have a green top I haven't seen in a while.

Have you ever been told you naturally tilt your head a certain way? Nope.

What does your dream house look like? I want it extremely modern. Just a big concrete square, lol.

Do you wear a lot of make-up? I don't.

Do you have any projects on the go right now? I mean, just work projects.

What's a habit you find gross? Spitting.

Would you rather have a Poloroid or a Lomo camera? Lomo.

When was the last time you were jealous? Not sure, it's been a while since I've felt jealous.

Are you one of those people who see things for sale and say 'I could've come up with that!'? No.

Do you, or did you, really look forward to when you can finally move away? I do, but I'm not in a hurry either. Being able to move out would give me a sense of accomplishment more than anything else, but I would miss the comforts of the home I grew up in, of course.

Are you the one who holds everyone's bags at theme parks while they ride? Yes that is definitely me, I am that friend, I'd love to hold all your bags instead of wanting to feel like I left my stomach 100 feet in the air.

What's the worst tattoo you've ever seen? I don't think I've ever personally seen a bad tattoo.

What's your favourite name ever? I don't have an all-time favorite name. It always changes, depending on what I think sounds nice at that moment, or what's in style.

Are you a hat person? Mostly a bucket hat person, but sure!

When was the last time you were totally grossed out? Like a half hour ago when I ordered Monte Cristo at this restaurant I'm currently in – this place usually serves it with blueberry jam, so I requested if they can take it out...but when I got the order it had blueberry jam and actual blueberries all over the sandwich. Yes it's a first world problem I GET IT but ick ick ick, gross.

Have you ever forgotten how to do something simple? Sure.

Are you ever jealous when you see couples or friends together? No.

Has anyone ever approached you in the street and asked to take your picture? Nope.

Have you ever disliked something just because most people liked it? It only gets annoying when I see it everywhere, like when I go from one IG story to another and it's like 30 people in a row who went to The Eras tour or whatever it's called. But I don't judge The Actual Thing that people go crazy about.

Does anything hurt on you right now? I'm pretty fine right now.

What song's stuck in your head? Enhypen's Pass the Mic.

[servin-up-surveys]

survey #028

“i wear my blue jeans very tight; please the ladies every night  /  they put money in my hat, makes their husbands so upset”

Has anyone ever asked you if you were bipolar? Yes, because I am. Who’s the last person that slept over your house? My boyfriend. How would you feel if your last ex fell in love with someone else? I hope she does. Do you know anyone who died of breast cancer? No, but I know survivors. Which one of your friends is the funniest? Girt, always. Would you ever forgive your boyfriend/girlfriend for cheating on you? Nope, see ya. Would you date someone 8 years older than you? Yeah. That gap isn't my preference, but it's not too big a deal. Do you believe that there’s good in everybody? Sure don't. Are you the same person as you were at the beginning of the year? No. I usually deny myself this, but I have absolutely grown, at least a little bit. Who was the last person to compliment you? Uhhhh idk. Are you good at hiding your feelings? Nooooo, my face will say it. I'm BAD at keeping emotions entirely internalized. Would you fall apart if that last person you kissed walked out of your life? I absofuckinglutely would, I don't want to even picture that. Do you want your ex to be happy, even if it means not being with you? I've long since wanted this for him. I didn't once upon a time, but that hateful bitch is dead to me. Ever taken a picture kissing someone? Yes. Did you have a kaleidoscope when you were little? I did, I loved those. Would you ever go to the Galapagos Islands? If I had the chance, I absolutely would!! I would LOVE to see marine iguanas. Have you ever sent naked pictures of yourself to someone? No. I'm not against people doing it (so long as they are ADULTS and it is done completely consensually), I just sure as hell ain't doing it with the body I have. Have you ever been in a corn maze? I... think I have? Has one of your parents gotten laid off from their job? Yes. I think? Have you ever wondered what it’s like to have sex on a trampoline? ... Well NOW I have. Do you know anyone who got sent to a mental institution? Uh, me. I know I have at least two other friends who have been hospitalized as well. What do you think is the most beautiful language? In complete, total seriousness, I really do say German. I know people tend to think it sounds ugly and aggressive, but it's capable of just being beautiful, too. What is the weirdest music video you’ve ever seen? I don't have an insanely strong opinion, but I can very confidently say the one to Rammstein's "Mein Teil" is HIGH up there. I've watched the behind-the-scenes shit and everything and I STILL don't understand what the actual fuck is going on or how it relates to the song and I'm just,,,,,, confused lmao. Do you watch porn? Nah, it's not for me. Would you ever go to Mexico? I'd probably go, yeah. What do you think would be the most painful piercing to get? Genitalia or tongue, probably, with just how many nerves there are. I got my tongue pierced twice, and the first time I literally got dizzy, and the second time I actually got seriously nauseous from the pain. Man, I wish I hadn't kept chomping down on either of the balls and damaging teeth, because snake eyes are CUTE. I loved them. Would you ever have sex in a public place? No, because I have common decency. Have you ever swam naked? No. Have you ever spread a rumor? No. Have you ever written a short story? Yep. Have you ever used a fake ID? No. Have you ever ridden a 4-wheeler? I have, they're fun. Have you ever made your parents cry? Sadly. Can you whistle? Nope. I used to be able to. Can you touch your nose with your tongue? No. Can you lick your elbow? No. Would you ever have an abortion? Yes. It would honestly probably be a traumatic experience for me simply because of how long I was pro-life and how nightmarish the stigma is, but yes I would have one. i hope beyond hope I am never put into this situation, though. Would you ever go out with somebody of the same sex? I'm pan, I'd date someone no matter what they identified as. How about kiss your boy/girlfriend with your parents watching? Yeah, if it's just a quick, simple kiss. What about cuss in front of family? I know myself WAY too well to say no. I am very diligent about not cursing in front of my nieces and nephews, but if I was pissed off enough, I know I would. Did you kiss in any previous relationship? Jason and Sara, that was normal, and I also kissed Tyler once and very much regret it. Did you have sex in any previous relationship? Jason and I did practically every little thing you could do skirting around it, but ultimately still no. If not, what was the closet you got to sex? I'm not sharing. Did you meet any of the parents? I met Jason's and Sara's parents. If so, did they like you? Yes, fantastic people. Were you in love with any of them? I was madly fucking in love with Jason. Before I got serious with Girt and was reminded exactly what it felt like, I also thought that I'd experienced it with Sara, but I didn't. Have you had a long distance relationship? Yep. Whats the weirdest thing you’ve done on an elevator? Nothing? What do you think about most? I honestly think it's actually the future I pray I have with Girt. What is your youngest cousins name? No clue. Do say soda, soft drink, or pop? We say "soda" 'round here. What’s your crushes/bf's middle name? He doesn't have one actually, I'm assuming because he's already a Jr. Have you ever snuck someone in to your house? Nope. When was the last time you took painkillers? I take a daily painkiller for my legs that does absolutely nothing; I'm on like the minimum dose, and that needs to change. Have you ever picked flowers out of someone else’s garden without asking? No, that's very rude. What was your favorite thing to do as a little kid? I loved swimming. My little sister and I would sometimes convince our dad to put the pool up on the first day of spring, and even though the water was obviously freezing, we'd get in anyway, lol. Have you ever been close to drowning? No, thankfully. Who is your favorite philosopher? I don’t have one. If someone doesn’t like you, do you usually want to know the reason? Well yes, because I think we should always be willing to grow in the case that someone has a valid reason for disliking you. Hear 'em out, consider their point(s). What was the last picture you were in? Mom snapped a picture or my nephew Ryder and I sitting together in the recliner. Who in your family has been married the longest? (and how long?) Oh I have no clue. What was the first social media site you ever used? MySpace. Do you have any exes you really regret dating? Yes, Tyler. I wasn't into him and was just willing to try seeing where we went. I mean we were only together for like two weeks or so, but still, waste of time. Have you ever lied on a resume? Or even in a job interview? Oh, I've exaggerated. What brought about the end of the worst relationship you’ve been in? I consider my worst relationship to be with Jason when you consider how unhealthy it really was, and what ended it was him no longer being able to outlast my depression. Is there any drama currently going on with your family? Well my disowned uncle is in the process of getting sued by his own sisters and brother for being an absolute piece of fucking horse shit, so yes. Do you know anyone who practices Hinduism? Not that I know of. When was the last time you spoke to the first person you ever kissed? February of 2017. Wow... five whole years. When you take a nap, do you nap in bed or on the couch? My bed. Sleeping on couches is so uncomfortable imo. Who is the hardest working person you know? My mother, like holy shit. Can you name any songs by Godsmack? Yeah, I know a decent amount. "Voodoo" is a classic. Who’s one of the most talented people you know? What are they talented at? Oh, GOD. Who to even pick. You know what, I'm just going with idk, because I honestly know and/or am related to many talented individuals. Do you have one of those removable hand-held shower heads? Yes, I strongly prefer those for getting body wash off. What color is your best friend’s hair? It's black, but he's insecure about having a lot of gray for his age too because it apparently runs in the family, the poor thing hates it, haha. What was the last event that was a turning point in your life? Honestly? Ending Sara's and my friendship. It was an act of self-love, and it just helped me a lot mentally. What’s your favorite setting in nature? (mountains, beach, desert, etc…) Mountains. I would love to like, stand in a valley in-between ginormous mountains and just exist for a little while. Do you know anyone who got engaged while still in high school? You know, I'm quite sure Colleen got engaged in HS. Bless her fucking husband, I couldn't STAND how that bitch treated him. Are you friendly to retail employees? Always. This should not be as hard as people make it seem. What breed was the last dog you saw? Oakley is a purebred chocolate lab. Have you ever had a parrot sit on your shoulder? No. Do you know anyone in a relationship with someone who’s old enough to be their parent? I don’t think so. Do you have any Italian heritage? Not that I know of; I don't think my dad really knows much of his heritage, but our last name is Irish, so we know that much. What has been your favorite job you’ve ever had? I didn't like any job I've had. Did you ever set up a lemonade stand when you were a kid? No. When was the last time you spoke to someone in a different language? Like with both people speaking it, that would be my former German teacher. I want to say we had an over-the-phone test like... once a week or two? God, that was a long time ago. Mom likes to ask me what's being sung in Rammstein songs a lot though, and depending on how she phrases the question, sometimes I tell her the English translation as well as the actual lyrics. Has the last person you kissed ever treated you disrespectfully? No; he's always been considerate of my feelings. I can say he's asked something he really shouldn't have once, but it feels inaccurate to call it disrespectful. Do you know anyone who has had a miscarriage? I know too many people who have. It is sadly very common. What’s the most likes you’ve ever gotten on a tweet? (if you use Twitter) I don't use it. Do you know anyone who has lost their home in a natural disaster? A middle school classmate of mine lost his home to a fire.

[dream-a-little-bigger-x]

An Unforgettable Halloween | Luke Patterson

Requested by anon:  hiiiii! can i do a jatp luke x reader imagine where it’s halloween and reader runs into Luke and they spend the whole day making Luke forget he’s dead? thanks! <3 love your writing by the way

A/N: Thank you for this request, anon! I really enjoyed writing it! I hope you like it!! Idk why I always need to have the reader and Luke/Charlie singing together, but here ya go anyway. The song used is Favorite Place by All Time Low. :) 

Pairing: Luke x fem!reader

Warnings: fluff

Words: 4,447

Halloween. It’s never been my favorite holiday. My poor, feeble heart can’t handle all the scares and creepy stuff. And besides, it’s over commercialized, in my opinion. Capitalism just needed another reason to exploit a holiday. My best friend, Ava,  tells me I hate the holiday because it reminds me of two years ago when a Halloween party traumatized me for the rest of my life. “Just because Brent made that day terrible, doesn’t mean the day will forever be terrible, Y/N,” she’d always say. Though that might be true, I still like to believe that’s not the only reason why I  hate the holiday. “Just come with me to the party tonight, and you’ll see it’s not as bad as you think it is!” We’re on FaceTime while I’m doing homework and she’s trying to figure out what to wear to the annual Halloween party at Charlotte the popular girl’s house. Another reason to hate the holiday. Charlotte Parks is the typical popular girl trope in this story. Pretty, popular with the guys, a cheerleader. The cliché. “I don’t think I’m gonna do that, Av,” I say whilst tucking my pencil behind my ear and staring down the phone in front of me, balancing against my backpack on the end of my bed. “You know Charlotte and I don’t mix well together.” That’s true. Charlotte has always despised me, God knows why. For some reason unknown to me, she always has to find a way to ruin my life. “Her house is so big, you won’t even see her!” Ava reasons from her walk-in closet before walking back onto the screen, another dress in her hand. This one is a black bodycon number with a white collar at the top and fringes at the sleeves. “How about this one?” “That’s very Wednesday Adams!” I exclaim with a wide smile on my face, to which I receive a very impressed nod from my best friend. “You know Bobbi’s coming tonight, Av. Can’t cancel on her!” Roberta’s my cousin of 13, and she’s one of my best friends, no matter how lame that sounds. We’ve always been pretty good pals, since we’re the only girls in the family. We kind of had to stick together against the testosterone of our other cousins. She’s not actually coming tonight, but I needed a good excuse to get out of this party. “Take her with you!” she yells both excited and kind of desperate at the same  time. “Ooh! How about I wear my pleather pants with, like, a black body and cat ears?!” She disappears into the wardrobe again. “She’s 13, Av! I’m not going to take her to a high school party!” I yell back whilst shaking my head in disappointment. “Wear whatever you want, Ava. I’m sure you’ll look amazing.” She appears into the picture again, her pleather pants halfway her butt and her bra on show. “Hey, is that my bra?!” I recognize that black lace with the gold detailing down the bust anywhere and I’ve lost that bra three weeks ago. “What? No! This is mine!” she says, but I can tell she’s lying. “You are unbelievable, Av!” I shake my head, grinning at my best friend. “I’m gonna have to go though. Send me a snap of  your outfit once you’ve chosen!” She nods her head in response, walking up closer to her phone, which she had balanced somewhere on her drawers. “I really can’t convince you to come?” Her expression has suddenly turned serious. She really is bummed I don’t want to come out, but I don’t care. I can’t care. This is for my own good. At least then, I don’t have to see Charlotte. Or Brent. “I’m really sorry, Ava.... Maybe next year, yeah?” She sighs mournfully before nodding her head. “Have fun, okay? And be careful!” A smile appears on her face again. “I will, babes. Have fun with Bobbi!” She offers me a wave, which I return before yelling ‘bye’ and pressing the red button on my phone screen. Lying to my best friend is not my favorite thing to do, but she wouldn’t shut up when she found out what I’m actually gonna be doing. With a sharp exhale, I crawl off my bed and head downstairs where my parents are getting ready for their little get-together with their friends. Dad’s dressed in a pin-stripe suit, a fake mustache stuck on his upper lip and his hair gelled back tightly whilst mom’s wearing a black dress with a deeply cut V-neck and a large slit down the side. Gomez and Morticia Addams. Very spooky. “Don’t you two look dashing,” I compliment, watching them from the middle of the stairs, sitting down. Mom shoots me a kind smile as she fixes her slick hair. “What are you gonna do tonight, sweetie?” Dad asks, tightening his tie. “Probably gonna go get some food and watch some movies,” I shrug, placing my head in my hand, my elbow resting on my knee. “You know, the use.” Dad exhales sharply, smiling sympathetically. “Don’t give me that look, dad.” “I’m sorry, sweets. But I just wish you would act like a seventeen-year-old instead of an eighty  year old.” I scoff at his statement. We had this discussion last year too. Both of them know what happened and why it’s so hard for me to enjoy this day. But they still give me shit for it. “I’m gonna have plenty of fun by myself. Even more so than if I did go to the stupid party,” I reason with him. He raises his hands in defeat before turning to his wife. “Just make sure the kids get their candies, yeah?” mom says instead, climbing a couple of stairs to press a kiss to my head. “I love you,” she whispers and heads down again. “Love you too. Have fun, guys.” Dad comes up to kiss me too before heading to the door with mom. With his hand on the doorknob, he looks back at me. “You know we only want you to be happy, right?” he says. I nod my head, offering him a smile. “I love you, sweets.” He walks out and shuts the door behind him, leaving me alone in the empty house. I sigh deeply before heading down and grabbing my Vans. Once they’re on my feet, I grab my wallet and exit the house. The cool October air hits my sweater-clad arms, sending a chill down my spine. As my feet tread down the pavement, my mind wanders to this day two years ago. Around this time, everything seemed normal. I was happy and excited to get to the Charlotte Parks Halloween extravaganza with my boyfriend Brent. We’d picked out a great couples’ costume. He was a wolf, and I was dressed as Red Riding Hood. I’d even taken the liberty to go all out with makeup and put a slash near my eye as though I’d been attacked by the wolf. Ava was a fan of that costume, more than Brent was. But when we neared the end of the night, everything crumbled down into shreds of sadness and anger. The residue of that anger wells up again until it’s knocked out of me when I bump into someone, making me stumble backwards. I would’ve fallen on my ass if it wasn’t for the hands capturing my arms to keep me from doing so. “I am so sorry, I--” I stop in my tracks as I look up into the gorgeous green eyes that belong to the attractive brunette that saved me from landing on the cold pavement. “A-are you okay?” he asks, letting go of me. “I--wait…” He furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “You can see me? And you can touch me?” That’s the weirdest question I’d ever gotten. My eyebrows knit together now too, trying to figure out what’s happening and why this boy is so confused about our entire interaction. “Uhm, yeah? Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do with people?” “No. I mean -- yeah, but I’m not a person, technically,” he replies in a mumble. He cautiously looks up at me again. “I’m a ghost, actually.” I let the words sizzle through my brain until it decides to send me into a fit of laughter. “Right, yeah, it’s Halloween. Ghosts. I get it. Good one,” I say between laughs, patting the boy’s shoulder, which only sends him to more confusion. To be fair, he doesn’t feel like a normal person. His arms don’t feel like they’re made of flesh and blood, but rather something light and airy. He gapes at me with this inquisitive look on his face, which calms down the laughter abruptly. “You’re not really a ghost, are you?” I ask, just to be certain. “I am, actually…” he mutters and jams his hands into the pockets of his black jeans. “Me and my bandmates died in 1995 and this girl, Julie, brought us back as ghosts… She’s the only one who could see us… Until now,” he looks up at me with hope and confusion written all over his face. “But she can’t touch us… Are you sure you’re not dead either?” I snort at his last question. “Kinda wish I was today,” I blurt out. My eyes widen after the words left my mouth. “That sounds way too dark…” I chuckle, and the boy does too, but I think it’s more out of awkwardness than finding it funny. “Are you okay?” he asks. At first, I think about answering it superficially, but there’s this look on his face that makes me want to spill all the beans. He, too, seems lonely and distraught on this Halloween night. “I’m not actually,” I glance down at my feet, finding his feet are clad in the same shoes. I then let my eyes glide from his shoes all the way up to his face. He’s urging me to continue by tilting his head a little, shooting me a questioning glance. “Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday…” I clarify. The boy nods his head understandingly. “That explains the lack of costume,” he says, which makes me glance down at my doodled-on mom jeans and oversized sweater before chuckling. “You don’t do the dressing up either? Or is that not something ghosts do?” I query, pointing at his ensemble. He’s wearing black jeans with a shirt and long-lined jean jacket. “I mean, it’s not like anyone would see,” he jokingly says, which lets a giggle escape from my mouth. His smile widens upon hearing this ridiculous sound coming from me. “Where were you going so determinedly before I smashed into you?” he asks after a few beats of silence. “Oh, I was getting some food from the place on the end of our street. They got pretty decent sushi, and since I’m home alone tonight, I thought, why the heck not treat myself, right?” I curse at myself for sharing this much with a complete stranger, who is a ghost, nonetheless, but the chuckle that reaches my ears comforts me a little. “No parties to go to? Back in my day, Halloween parties were always the best.” I feel the smile on my face fade away at the reminder of the Halloween party I’m not attending tonight. “Yeah, no… I haven’t gone to any Halloween party in two years… Like I said, Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday.” He offers me a sympathetic smile. A silence then falls over us as we stand in the middle of the street, looking at each other, debating what to say. “So… I’m gonna go and get my sushi. Uhm… Sorry for bumping into you,” I apologize and lift a foot to start walking away, but his voice stops me. “Would you mind if I tagged along?” he asks, which renders me surprised. “I don’t eat, so you don’t have to buy me sushi, but I think I could use some company tonight… If you don’t mind, of course.” His eyes are filled with hope, and some sort of desire to hang out with someone other than those bandmates he was talking about. “Uhm, no… Yeah, sure. You can tag along. It might be a nice change from that lonely Halloween I always have,” I chuckle, and he does too. “I’m Y/N, by the way,” I say as he turns and falls into step with me. “Luke,” he introduces himself with a smile. “Why don’t you go to Halloween parties, Y/N?” I inhale sharply at this question. I was hoping he wouldn’t ask too much about it. But I guess I can never get out of that question anymore. Halloween is a big holiday around here. “Two years ago, I went to one with my boyfriend. It’s the party where I found out he was cheating on me with the one girl who always had it out for me.” It rolls off my lips with ease. Normally, I’d choke or start bawling my eyes out. But Luke’s aura is so calming and reassuring that I can’t help but feel okay telling the story. “I haven’t been able to go back since, much to my best friend’s dismay.” I roll my eyes amusedly thinking about Ava and her desperate attempts to get me to go each year. “That sucks, I’m sorry,” he says as we enter the sushi place. “You better grab your phone now if you wanna talk to me. People tend to give weird looks at people talking to themselves.” I get my phone from my back pocket and pretend to dial a number before pressing it to my ear, glancing up at Luke with a smile on my face. “Hey, how you doing?” I say into the phone, which makes Luke giggle. “Just know that your ex-boyfriend’s stupid for ever cheating on you,” he tells me before looking down at his feet. “I would never wanna hurt someone as pretty as you.”  I can feel a blush creeping its way onto my cheeks, but decide to conceal it by jokingly saying, “Aw, you think I’m pretty.” He rolls his eyes, an amused smile on his face. “Next!” the guy from the sushi place yells. “Oh, hold on,” I say into my phone before placing it on the counter and facing the employer. “Uhm, the Halloween surprise box, please,” I order politely. The man nods curtly before getting into action. I grab my phone again and press it to my ear to continue talking to Luke while we make our way to a couple of chairs and tables set up for waiting customers. I let my eyes wander around the room. It’s decorated to the max with spiders in spiderwebs, pumpkins, skeletons, ghosts,... The lot. Then, my eyes fall onto Luke. He’s glancing around the place, letting his eyes wander until they find their way back to me. A shimmer appears in them when he finds me already looking at him. “So, you said you were in a band?” I ask, pretending to talk to the person on the other side of the line. “Oh, yeah! Me and three of my best friends were in this band called Sunset Curve. Three of us died on the night we were supposed to play the Orpheum,” he explains, and my eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets upon hearing the name of the venue. “The Orpheum?! You’re kidding, right?” He shakes his head, smirking. “You would’ve been legends.” The words come out in a whisper, hoping it wouldn’t upset him too much. “Yea, we would’ve been,” he sighs, then suddenly perks up again like an excited puppy, “But the girl I told you about, Julie? She can make us visible whenever we play with her! We’re now a band with her called Julie and The Phantoms!” I giggle at his endearing enthusiasm. “We would’ve had a gig at this really cool party in the Bel Air, but Julie got sick and had to cancel.” My eyes widen upon the words ‘party’ and ‘Bel Air’. Charlotte Parks lives in Bel Air. “That would be the party I’m not going to tonight,” I tell him, chuckling. “So, we would’ve met tonight either way.” He adds with a cheeky smile, “Some would say it’s fate.”  I shake my head at him, but can’t help the smile on my face either. I want to add something to debunk his theory, but my name is called out by the sushi guy. I get up and take the box of sushi from him, shooting him a quick thank you before leaving the joint with Luke in tow. “Where do you wanna go?” he asks, bouncing up and down. “Oh, I was planning on watching some movies at home, but if you have a better idea to spend tonight? Anything is better than going to that Halloween party.” He purses his lips in ponder, his eyes darting up to the night sky. “Ooh! There’s this park I like to hang out at sometimes?” I raise my eyebrows at his suggestion, popping a piece of sushi in my mouth. I’m way too hungry to wait until we sit down to eat. “You haunt children’s playgrounds?” I ask after having swallowed the seafood. His eyebrows knit together at this as he narrows his eyes at me. “I don’t haunt children’s playgrounds. I hang out at them,” he corrects me. “You’re a ghost, sweetie. That’s haunting.” “It’s not!” he shouts. “It is so!” I laugh loudly, throwing my head back. “You’re lucky the kids are all trick or treating tonight, so we can go there. Might be a little more secluded for me to talk freely to you without worrying people will think I’m crazy.” He nods his head agreeingly. Once at the park, we take a seat in the grass. I have my legs crossed whilst Luke’s are spread out, his hands supporting the rest of his body behind him. “So, what do you do in life, Y/N? You know, besides avoiding parties,” he asks with a little smile plastered on his face. I look at him for a moment, chewing my sushi. This gives me the time to really look at him. He has really great bone structure. Sharp jawline, chiseled cheekbones, fine nose, deep-set, dreamy eyes. “Eating sushi,” I reply jokingly after I’d swallowed the piece of deliciousness. Luke lets out a laugh too. “I’m still in school, so I’m spending most of my time studying. And I like to think I’m a pretty decent writer.” He stares at me, giving me his undivided attention with the cutest smile plastered on his face. “What do you write?” he asks curiously as I pop another sushi in my mouth. I lift my hand to my mouth, and reply, “Poems,” before continuing to chew quickly. “Kinda like songs, then?” I shrug my shoulders. “They could be, but I don’t play any  instrument, so I haven’t tried,” I reply and place the half-eaten box of sushi to the side, pulling my legs up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. “Do you write your own music?” He nods his head. “I wrote most of the songs in our band and now, I write with Julie for the new band,” he answers. As I’m thinking how much I’d like to hear him and his band play, he cuts those thoughts in two by asking, “Can I see your work?” I open my mouth, then close it. Then open again. I must look like a goldfish breathing. “I’ve never really shown anyone my work…” I trail off, debating whether or not I should show him. “Besides, my notebook is at home.” Luke suddenly gets up from the grass and reaches out his hand for me to take. I hesitate. Am  I really going to take a complete stranger, a ghost, to my house to show my poetry, only to find out he hates it because it’s nothing like his songwriting? The answer is yes. I place my hand in his and let him pull me to my feet. Without letting go of my hand, he grabs the box of sushi and then guides me out of the park and lets me lead us towards my house. “Wait here,” I tell him as we’re in the foyer. He simply jams his hands into his pockets and nods his head curtly. I run up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and then go to grab my notebook from my room, quickly storming back downstairs where Luke’s still waiting. I make my way to the living room and sit down on the couch. The boy cautiously trails behind me, and only comes to sit down after I pat the spot beside me. “It’s not that great, but… You know, it’s fun to do and a great outlet for anything I may be feeling.” I hand him the notebook and let him flip through all the pages. He stops on a few, reading it a little more thoroughly. It’s building some suspense in me. What if he doesn’t even like them? What if he, a songwriter, hates them? “Ah! This one!” he exclaims, and suddenly, with a whoosh, there’s an acoustic guitar on his lap. “One of the perks of being a musician spirit,” he tells me with a grin before strumming the instrument a little. He abruptly stops, looks at the page in my notebook again, and then softly tickles the strings. A beautiful melody pours out of the instrument before his melodic voice joins in too with the words I wrote. “I saw your face in the fire again I touched the flames and burned down everything I hear the sirens west of 8th now” He looks at me with a questioning glance as if asking for encouragement of some sorts. I offer him a smile, unsure of anything else I could be doing right now. His voice has rendered me silent. I think I could listen to him sing for hours.  “Wonder if you're hearin' them too And I know you don't belong  Know you don't belong to anyone” He focuses on the instrument again, making sure he’s still playing the right chords.  “No you can't be tamed love Maybe I was wrong  Maybe I was wrong for this But you feel like the perfect escape now Just like the sun on my face” His voice grows a little stronger, almost sounding raspier and more like a growl as he looks up again. I always thought it’d be cliché to melt when an attractive boy sings to me, but it’s actually happening to me right now.  “So can we close the space between us now It's the distance we don't need  Yeah, you're everything I love about The things I hate in me  So come on, come on, come over now and Fix me with your grace 'Cause I'm not too far and you're my favorite place” “You sing this last part,” he tells me, pushing the notebook towards me before going back to playing his guitar.  “I can’t sing, Luke,” I tell him, slightly panicking.  “Sure you can. I’ll sing along, don’t worry,” he offers me a reassuring smile before putting more power behind his strumming while also leaning closer toward me to read the words.  “So come on, come on, come over now and Fix me with your grace 'Cause I'm not too far and you're my favorite place” He now quits playing, placing his hands flat on the strings, and for a while we just stare at each other in disbelief. Disbelief about the song we just made together. Disbelief about how beautiful a voice he has. Disbelief about how attractive he is.  I cough, breaking the eye contact, “That’s a great song, Luke… You can have it if you want,” I offer with a smile to try and hide the blush from heating up my cheeks.  “No, Y/N, I couldn’t. That’s yours. Those are your words. Your words made this a great song.”  “They’re just words without a melody,” I mutter, folding the edges of the paper nervously.  “A song is quite boring without words though, isn’t it?”  For some reason, I’m starting to think all of this could be a metaphor for us. Him being the melody and me being the words. I would be a plain and simple poem without him, and his life -- though I doubt it -- would be boring without me.  “It would still be a song though,” I add, looking up at him again. One corner of his mouth curls up into a smirk, which makes me think he caught onto that metaphor I was thinking about. He suddenly grabs my hand and laces our fingers together. Before I can even register what’s happening, the front door suddenly opens, revealing a distraught-looking Ava. I let go of Luke’s hand and get up to help my best friend.  “What’s wrong?” I ask her as she stumbles inside. I grab her just in time before she can hurt herself. She looks up at me, her makeup run out all the way to her chin and blood trickling down her nose, though I’m not sure if it’s real blood or part of her cat costume.  “I punched Brent in the face and Charlotte punched me back,” she get out through sobs and hiccups. My eyes dart over to Luke, who’s watching this from the sofa. I almost forgot she can’t even see him. He offers me a small smile.  “Why?” I ask and guide her to the couch. She nearly sits down on top of Luke, but I’m quick enough to guide her next to him while he vanishes. He pops back behind the couch, looking down at the drunk girl lying down on the sofa.  “Because he was boasting about how he even managed to wrap the prude around his finger two years ago and got her to anything he wanted,” I swallow, remember those times people called me a prude because I covered up unlike girls like Charlotte who wore short skirts and plunging necklines. “I really don’t get what you saw in him, Y/N,” she mumbles while cuddling up to the pillow and letting her eyes flutter shut. “I hope you find someone that looks at you like I look at pizza.” I giggle at her drunken words before looking up at Luke to find him already looking at me. Kind of the same way Ava looks at pizza. A smile then finds its way to my face. Maybe Halloween isn’t as bad as I always thought it was. 

Taglist: @hannahhistorian92 @marinettepotterandplagg @thequirkybookaholic @bookdealer5 @tenaciousperfectionunknown @hemmingsness @iainttakingshitfromnobody @ifilwtmfc @angryknightstatesmantrash @kiss-themoongoodbye @rudysbay @thedarkqueenofavalon @caitsymichelle13 @calamitykaty @parkeret @lukeys-giggle @gingerxarmy @lovesanimals @lolychu @perfectlywrongformend3s @luckylouiebug @camiladelrio98 @myfriendscallmebeans

[neverdoingmuch]

now hear me out,,, an au where lan wangji is an editor who works for an erotica publisher and wei wuxian is essentially chuck tingle. (also lwj writes romance novels on the side)

wei wuxian didn’t plan to write erotica he wants to make that really clear, he was actually studying like biomed or something equally “oh wow my parents can brag to the other parents about this”

but, as frequently happens in wwx’s life, he got drunk with nhs, like really drunk and they woke up the next morning with a laptop on the floor beside them and loose paper strewn everywhere

they don’t really remember what they were doing or thinking last night but they’ve both drawn a bunch of really shitty and weird porn (the less said about the anthropomorphic version of wen chao’s pet turtle the better) and wei wuxian has like 20,000 words of an erotica story on his laptop

when he starts reading it, at first he’s like haha what the fuck this is so weird but then it turned out to be really good??? and nhs blushed at some of the ~sexy~ scenes so that’s how wwx knew he was writing the good stuff

anyway they’re sitting there, eating their hangover food and wei wuxian goes so uh my story was good right? and nhs is like yeah it was, top stuff i would buy it and wei wuxian goes what if i actually wrote it,,, haha just kidding,,,,, unless?

and in his defence he doesn’t actually write anything for the story for another like three months but then he finds himself in the middle of exam season and he’s like fuck it stress relief let’s write some erotica

he finishes the book and his exams (which he does well in but whatever) and then spends his summer holidays editing the book

when he comes back, he slaps down a paper copy on nhs’ desk and is like i finished it. nhs, thinking he meant his latest lab write up, opens it up to a random page and starts reading it out loud which was a Mistake

he trails off mid-sentence, and whips around to glare at wwx with all the wrath he can muster. it’s raunchy nhs says and just read it wwx tells him so nhs does

like 2 hours later nhs turns to him and says if it wasnt for you and the librarian staring at me the whole time i definitely would’ve felt something and wwx is like so it’s good? and nhs is like fuck yeah it is but i dont get what you want from me?

pretty much wwx passed out after exams, slept for like 20 hours and then woke up and went i should publish this and decided that nhs should draw the cover art.

nhs agrees of course and a month later wwx self-publishes bc there’s no way he can walk into a publishing house with his porn and not just combust on the spot and he decides to go by the name yiling patriarch

wwx clicks the final button to upload the fic and nhs just toasts him and goes yknow what,, this is the closest you’ve ever gotten to having sex and i’m proud of you

wei wuxian is the man who guarded his first kiss for the first twenty years of his life for someone special,,,, wwx definitely wants his first time to be special and there’s no way he’s putting out for someone he doesn’t think is important & despite having dated before, he’s never gotten close enough to someone to go yeah let’s do it so our boy is still a virgin

so wwx’s entire erotica writing inspiration comes from porn, nhs’ way too in-depth answers as to how his latest date went and uh more porn

wwx blusters about a bit bc how is he meant to respond to that and nhs is like maybe you’ll finally move on from reading those trashy romance novels and read something more exciting and wwx is like how dare you call them trashy!! hanguang-jun is a master of the romance novels!! he understands the heart in a way that no other person has ever!! 

and nhs just chugs a bunch of wine and is like yeah hon okay, do you still blush when the main characters hold hands? and wwx is like no! of course not! (it’s a lie, he blushes a lot)

so nothing really happens with the book at first and wwx forgets about it for the most part but then he wakes up one morning and he’s got an extra like RMB 1000 (i dont actually know much about currency so it’s roughly $200 if my quick interneting is legit)

wwx is like wtf? and once he finds out it’s from his novel he’s doubly like wtf? but then he finds out that someone had purchased his book and did a dramatic reading on youtube bc wwx decided that regular erotica was boring and decided to make it satirical or whatever and people loved it??

he’s got nothing better to do so he just goes hm yeah remember that Author i dated who had an “incredible idea that would absolutely amaze The Critics and helped explore his own convoluted mind” let’s make something of that and he writes another book kinda mocking that idea in a very horny way.

he publishes it and someone writes a review of his two books on their blog and now he’s actually starting to get popular - he’s got more money from those two books than he did by working at the local cafe for the whole week

wwx is poor and broke and semi-disowned anyway by this point so he goes fuck it and spends every moment he’s not studying writing erotica. 

he publishes another like five books by the time the year is out (i know the maths isnt working here but this is a book world where wwx can just do that via the power of loneliness and friends who egg you on)

also?? he varies his books. some of them are porn parody things a la chuck tingle and some of them are genuine porn and one book was just him writing a recipe book but making it sound as horny as possible

by the time he’s published his like 8th book or so he starts getting reviews that are critiquing his book and most of them boil down to the fact that he needs an editor or something 

he ends up asking nhs for help and he’s like oh sweet my brother’s boyfriend works for a publisher who does that sort of thing

cloud recesses actually specialises in erotica and i hate the idea that lqr has spent years reading and editing erotica but sacrifices must be made

(side note that i know nothing about the writing or publishing process so pls don’t judge me too harshly)

wwx goes in with his latest manuscript and ends up arriving like ten minutes late, he rushes into the room sweaty and hot, takes one look at the guy sitting on the other side of the desk, flushes an even brighter red and runs back out of the room. he checks the plaque on the door and walks back in slowly and goes hm i didnt expect you to be so hot

cue lan wangji

lwj has always enjoyed being an editor. what do editor do specifically? idk? edit? regardless, he enjoys it. 

while most of the time he’s happy working from this side of things he also likes writing

lwj fucks. he deserves it tbh. but, while he’s had a tonne of one night stands and fuckbuddies, he’s never actually dated someone. so the fact that he’s writing romance novels under the pseudonym hanguang-jun makes his friend jzx laugh a lot

he tried writing porn once and he just couldn’t do it. it was always too clinical or vague and lacked any actual passion bc he was always going oh okay mc sucks a dick but the guy i slept with last week was like a 6.4/10 when it came to sucking dick so maybe mc should also be bad at it or whatever and it just ends up falling apart,,,, but romance he can do

as an editor lwj has pretty high standards for good erotica but he’s really found himself enjoying yiling patriarch’s work even though he’s clearly just been editing himself so when the guy sent cloud recesses an email asking whether they’d be interested in his latest book lwj was ecstatic. 

he also didnt expect wwx to be so hot

anyway,,, we now get to enjoy a week of lwj thinking that wwx is super hot but even more annoying and then him deciding that annoying is hot and now wwx is just absolutely amazing and wwx is just panicking the entire time 

i want my publisher to rail me so hard wwx texts nhs and nhs just responds has he read the bdsm scene with the alien who has a tentacle dick and a knot yet? and wwx is like no??? nhs just goes shame, it will give him so ideas for if you ever grow a backbone and just ask him out

they publish one book together and nothing happened between them the entire time other than yearning and horniness,, of the heart and body. 

when wwx realises this means that he won’t get to see lwj again he immediately writes a new book and like a month later he’s back in lwj’s office, lying on his couch while whining about the cafeteria prices at university

lwj is very enamoured by the fact that wwx is writing erotica and studying biomed bc wow

they do this for like another three books and wwx’s eroticas evolve from here’s a dinosaur man fucking a politician while a mary sue watches on to be like here’s a dinosaur man with black hair and golden eyes and a stern look to his face fucking a politician while a mary sue watches on

and hanguang-jun’s latest book?? i dont want to say that this au’s version of wangxian is hanguang-jun finally finding inspiration to write porn (his muse is wwx of course) and writing the most amazing porn with feelings and plot novel ever,, but it is. 

wwx read it five times in the first week and when nhs finally tried to read it he was like uhhh wwx are you a narcissist, the love interest is exactly like you? and wwx is like ??? no???? he’s nothing like me??

anyway one day wwx gets called into lxc’s office and lxc is like so i’ve read your latest book (not the dinosaur man, a serious one with like normal people and not overly humorous thank fuck but still full of lwj yearning) and wwx is like okay? and lxc goes yes, see i was worried that you didn’t care very much for my brother but after reading your book i’m not so sure and wwx gets the weirdest shovel talk ever which is interspersed with like compliments for his porn writing skills

anyway lxc accidentally mentions that lwj writes books too and before he can take it back wwx is like who??? and lxc is like are you fucking stupid?? you told lwj to his face that you loved his books,,, he broke his theme of tender romance to write kinky sex with a character that’s a lot like you and wwx is like .,,,,,,,,, hanguang-jun??? HANGUANG-JUN???!!

lxc barely manages to confirm it before wwx is sprinting out of his office and across to find lwj.

regretfully for everyone else, lwj is in the lobby so thirty people get to hear it when wwx comes in and shouts LAN ZHAN!! back then, i really wanted write porn about you! ... i think i have actually? but i want to write porn about you and i want to be able to do the research to make it accurate! and i also want to go on dates and hold hands and feed each other food! and i love you a lot! 

lwj is dying inside bc his brother’s bf is there, his uncle is currently waiting for the elevators and a whole bunch of staff are also there but also wwx likes him??? dinosaur man was lwj??

he goes over and they make out for a really long time right there in the middle of the lobby but no one wants to get between them when they’ve been pining for so long

after that they start dating and they do all the romantic stuff but also,, let’s just say that the next book wwx publishes is a lot more creative than all of his previous books

and they become some writing power couple with horniness of the heart and body and sometimes wwx will be like hey lwj i don’t really know how the logistics of this sex scene will work and lwj will be like we could try it out ourselves? and wwx just pats him on the head and is like im sorry but you dont have enough dicks for it to work ),: better luck next time

[country-club]

Games #5

> Where Sarah tries to set you up with JJ but you end up texting with Rafe *gif not mine* Wordcount: 2.1k Warnings: none that i can think of, but let me know if you think of any

#1/#2/#3/#4

The sound of birds chirping woke you. Sunlight peeking through the curtains made the dark room light up. Your head and throat didn’t hurt as much as you thought, barely remembering last night. As you looked around the room, you noticed your clothes laying on a chair. You were wearing a shirt. Just not one you recall being yours. Though the room was big it didn’t look like much time was spent in here, as it seems to be rather empty. There was a big closet, a tv, a clean desk and a nightstand. Right, and the bed you were laying in. You sat up, finding the aspirin sitting on the nightstand next to a glass of water. Your phone was on there as well, charging. No texts or missed calls from your parents. Weird. There were rattling sounds coming from the door across the bed you were now sitting in. You froze in place as the door opened. You were at Rafe’s place; you remember that much. But to have Sarah walk in on you would be a hard thing to explain. This can’t be her room, it’s too plain. Maybe you slept in the guestroom, that would explain it. Luckily it wasn’t Sarah standing in the doorframe. It was a wet-haired Rafe wearing only boxers and holding a towel in his hands. Rafe quietly closed the door and froze when he noticed you were sitting on the bed.

“Morning.” You broke the silence between you two.

“Morning. I didn’t want to wake you.” The boy walked over the closet and put his towel down. Boy did he look good. He started grabbing clothes from his closet. Trying to be polite you looked away, having a few peaks, however.

“I hope I’m not a burden.” You said quietly, as you shoved aside the sheets and stepped out of bed.

“Don’t worry about it, I was just returning the favor. How’s your headache?” Rafe asked, buttoning his blouse.

“Lovely.” You joked, taking your clothes off the chair. It was awkward. Rafe stood there, almost completely dressed, his hair still wet. While you were holding your clothes, wearing what is probably a shirt of Rafe’s which looked like a dress on you, and your hair doing all kinds of things.

“Would, uh, would you like to take a shower?” You didn’t want to. But going home, looking like this and smelling like alcohol sounded worse. So, you nodded and Rafe opened the bathroom door for you.

“Thank you.” You whispered, before walking in. His bathroom looked like what you would expect it to look; swim shorts hanging on the towel rack, dirty clothes hanging over the laundry basket and a year’s supply of hair gel. You took a quick shower and got dressed. After putting the shirt you had slept in on his bed, you left his room. God would it be awkward if you walked into Ward or Rose right now. But staying in his room would suck as well. You found Rafe standing in the kitchen when you arrived downstairs.

“What’s cooking, good looking?” You regret the moment the words leave your mouth. Who says such a thing? What a pathetic way to flirt. Were you though, flirting? With Rafe Cameron?

“Cereal, would you like some?” You were starving, but it felt like asking too much. He didn’t stay for breakfast when he stayed the night.

“I was just about to head home.”

“Right.” He had a bit of sadness in the tone of his voice.

“Thanks, Rafe, for letting me sleep over and the shower.” Rafe nodded, as if to say, ‘you’re welcome’ or ‘I have stuff to do, please leave’. It was a shy nod, you’re uncertain.

“That’s what friends are for.”

Friendzone it is. You headed towards the door as you thanked Rafe once more.

“See you around, Y/n.” A smile formed on his face.

Little by little memories of last night came back to you. Over the course of the day bits and pieces popped up in your head, of the games you were playing with the Pogues and Rafe picking you up.

Your parents didn’t say anything about you not sleeping at home. They asked how your night had been and if you slept well.

Your mind was set on spending the day looking for a job and reading in the sun, questions forming in your head about last night. It was all hazy after you and JJ had finished the last bottle of alcohol at the chateau. JJ had asked you if you wanted to kiss him. The thought of kissing JJ didn’t sound bad at all. He has a good sense of humor and is very attractive. However, you spent the night at Rafe’s and that’s where most of your questions lie.

Your thoughts were interrupted by your sister’s yelling. Someone’s at the door for you. Once opening the door, you were greeted by Sarah.

“You must think I have nothing to do all day huh?” You joked.

“Do you?” You shook your head. “Exactly! I was just checking in; see how you were doing.” You told her you were doing fine and that you got home alright. Telling her about Rafe would probably not be the brightest idea.

Sarah and you hung out in your garden the rest of the afternoon. She had told you about how John B and her had gotten together and how she made up with Kiara after years. When it was your turn, you talked about your life before you moved; about your friends, school and your ‘ex’.

“Lucky for you, Outer Banks has some of the finest men.”

“You mean boys?” She laughed at your comment.

“Yeah I mean boys. What do you think of JJ, by the way?” There it was.

“We talked a couple of times, he’s cute.”

“He’s got a lot going on, but he’s a nice guy. He would totally treat you right.”

You knew that Sarah would try to set you up with JJ. He seemed like a nice guy, the few times you were with him. And you had promised to hang out with him sometime.

“Hey, Sarah, do you have JJ’s phone number?”

“Yeah of course, however, it’s faster to just go to his place or the chateau if you ever need him.” Sarah didn’t give you much information on the boy and went on about how Wheezie told her she found a trashy girl in her brother’s bed this morning.

It took you a second to realize that you were the girl. You tried to laugh it off.

“I just hope that whoever ends up dating my brother, knows what they’re getting into.” Sarah sighed. After a while your mother called for dinner.

“It was nice to hang out, just the two of us. I really enjoy hanging out with you, Y/n.”

You thanked her and returned the compliment. You walked with Sarah toward the front of the house and before she walked of, you asked: “What’s JJ’s address?”

After dinner you hung out in the living room. Going to the bathroom, a hazy memory popped up in your head; a little plastic bag with ‘white stuff’ falling out of Rafe’s pocket. It looked awfully familiar to cocaine. You didn’t want to ask him about it. Neither did you want to ask if he was the one to text your parents last night or undressed you. You already knew the answers. You didn’t resent him for it, you just wondered what’s going through his head.

Your phone lid up.

You should probably put a password on your phone

The text was from a random number.

It’s Rafe, by the way

Or not so random. Speaking of the devil. You opened the messages and replied:

Hello there, stranger

You stared at your screen for a minute. Nothing. As you put the phone back in your pocket you walked back to the couch and put on a movie. You parents and sister joined. You were focused on watching George Clooney and Brad Pitt finishing the heist in Ocean’s Eleven as your phone lit up. It was Rafe.

I hope I didn’t make it awkward this morning.

It was a bit tense, and him putting you in the friendzone made you a bit confused. You felt different around him and thought maybe he did too.

You move a lot when you sleep. I also didn’t think of you as a cuddler.

Hang on, what? This is probably the weirdest comment you have ever gotten. Should you like thank him? Wouldn’t that be even weirder? Eh, fuck it.

It’s fine and I’m sorry if I kept you up. I blame the cuddling on the alcohol..

That would have to do for now. Once you looked up, you noticed the film was over and your parents were getting up. You told them you would lock up tonight and told them goodnight. You put on some music and laid down on the couch, eyes focused on the screen in front of you.

Don’t worry bout it, y/n

The conversation barely started and was already dying. He must have felt the same way, you thought by his reply:

So, what are you up to?

You texted that you had just finished the movie and that you were hanging out by yourself. Followed by a text, asking him what he has been up to.

The sequel isn’t as good, tbh.

I’m by myself as well

Before you realized it, you had sent the text, telling him he should come over. Seeing as you’re minutes away, and it is summer anyways. He replies rather fast.

Be there in 5.

Your heart started beating faster. He was actually going to come over. In 5 minutes?! You were still wearing what was supposed to represent your pjs: an oversized shirt and yoga shorts. Okay, think. First clean up the couch. Brush your teeth and fix your hair, cause you’re looking a bit like Hagrid.

Instead of ringing the door, Rafe had texted you. Not wanting to wake your parents. You opened the door, seeing the boy wearing sweatpants and a shirt. Nothing special either.

“Hey”

“Good evening, y/n.”

You let him in and offered him a beer, which he denied.

“Just some water, please.” He walked around your living room, looking at the pictures your mom had put up.

After you had gotten two glasses of water, you walked back into the living room. Where you found Rafe already on the couch. You sat down next to him, unsure of what to say. Luckily, he did. Or so you thought.

“I, uh, I couldn’t get you off my mind today.” He didn’t make any eye contact. His bit his lips, right where your eyes were focused. “I don’t know why I said that, I’m sorry.” Now was your time to speak.

“Me neither.” His eyes made their way to yours. He didn’t look sad or tired, or under influence. He looked like a normal teenager, sitting next to the girl he wishes he has a shot with.

He placed his hand on your, his fingers dancing around on your skin. As if you had rehearsed it, the words left your lips at the same time: “Can I ask you something?” Rafe nodded, signing that you should go first.

“Why did you get in a fight the first night we met? When you were picking something up from a friend, were you.. you know, getting ‘stuff’.” The words left your mouth and Rafe’s expression changed. You didn’t expect him to tell you.

“I was picking up cocaine and got into a little argument with my dealer.” But he did. “Could you keep that between us?”

“Yeah, of course. I’m sorry that happened.” You were sorry he got into an argument, that he had a fight and was covered in bruises. Rafe looked confused at your apology.

“You don’t think I have a problem?”

“Everybody’s got problems, and everybody deals with them in different ways.” The corner of his mouth curled up, nodding at your comment.

“Thank you.” He mumbled.

You leaned over to him, fixing the sleeve of his shirt which had been curled up this entire time. Before you could sit back down, he held your arm in place.

“I was going to ask if I could kiss you.” He caught you off guard.

“Yes, please.”

And before you knew it, his hand made its way to your cheek. His upper body turned so you were almost opposite of each other. He placed his soft lips on yours and in that moment, you forgot all your worries, focusing purely on Rafe. Your hands made their way to his neck, pulling him closer as your tongues made their way out.

Your mouth made a ‘wow’ sound once his lips left yours. Rafe repeated the ‘wow’, only now pronouncing it like Owen Wilson would.

Your first kiss in Outer Banks surely was ‘wow’-worthy, and hopefully won’t be the last. A/N: Been gone for a while and i know this isn’t great but i’m trying, it’ll get better, i promise :) Will start uploading more again once my test period is over. Also, i wrote a Topper fic which got lost, but would rewrite if anybody is interested? (let me know please!)

Taglist @emmalvei-blog @sunwardsss @julialucena5​  @popesscholarship​ @thefangirl05​ @darlingchanse

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #351

“the writing on the wall  /  a psalm of napalm  /  abandon all hope, but try to stay calm”

Do you have bad posture? Oh yeah. Are your eyes sensitive to sunlight? VERY. How many miles can you run without stopping? An astonishing zero miles. Who is the most attractive person you know personally? My high school friend Alon, probably. Have you ever dated someone who was very vastly different from your “type”? No. When was the first time you said "I love you" to a significant other? When I dated my first real boyfriend Jason at 16. I actually said it very early in because I thought I was "supposed" to, and I did REALLY like him. How old were you when you first lived alone? If you’ve never lived alone, how old do you think you’ll be? I haven't yet, and idk. What do you wish you had been better prepared for? Ha, adulthood. Is there anything about you (physically) that you think turns people off of you right off the bat? My weight. Do you know anyone with a semicolon tattoo? I have a semicolon butterfly tattoo on my wrist, and while it's very subtle, my Mark tat features a semicolon, too. It's outlined by a quote he's said ("you are important, never forget that"), and the "i" is a semicolon. Idk if I know anyone else with one. Have you ever overdosed on a drug? Once accidentally, once purposefully. Have you ever kissed a guy you didn’t want to kiss? Yes. Who was the last guy you cuddled with? Girt. What is something you’ve had a toxic reaction to? The breakup with Jason. In the last picture taken of you, how did you pose? I just tilted my head, smiled, and gave a peace sign, haha. Mom wanted to show my sister how I looked with a dozen wires and other shit attached to me for my sleep study. Have you ever made a fake Facebook account? If so, why? No. If you were an Eevee, what would you wanna evolve into? Probably Espeon? They're so, so majestic and beautiful. I'd love to feel like that, lol. What flavor was the last piece of gum you chewed? Raspberry lemonade. Did you ever used to watch the show Teen Titans? Nah. When you were in school/if you are in school, do you actually share your grades with your parents? If you got/get a bad grade, do you hide it from them? My mom always stayed up-to-date with my grades. I never really had anything to hide. Have you ever been the designated driver? Once or twice, yeah. Were you obsessed with Webkinz when they first came out? "Obsessed" is an understatement. I was that kid with dozens upon dozens. They were pretty much my favorite thing. Who do you subscribe to on YouTube, if anybody? Oh Jesus, looooots. Are you wearing nail polish right now? What color? No. Neon colors, or pastel? Pastel. Are you currently pregnant? Do you wish you were/weren’t? I'm not and have zero desire to be. Have you ever had a dog? A good number of them throughout my life. Is there any drama going on right now in your life? No. Does your hair fall out a lot? No. What’s your favourite type of bird? Barn owls. I also love ravens and crows. How many friends do you have on Facebook? 126. What was on the last sandwich you ate? Pb&j. What sort of music did you listen to when you were in high school? The same as I do now: metal and its various subgenres. Have you ever gotten back together with an ex? No. How far away is the closest store to your house and what is it? I'm actually unsure which is the closest. We live in a cul-de-sac with a bunch of houses, and the street opens into just outside the main city, so there's a lot of stores. What is your favourite Thai dish? I've actually never tried Thai food. How many contacts do you have in your phone? Very few, but I don't feel like counting. Are there any candles in your bedroom, and what scent are they? No. What pet names do you use with your significant other? I'm single. Do you have to wear a name badge where you work? I don’t have a job. Can you hear anything right now? Yeah, I'm watching Gab Smolders play Skyrim. It's a game I've always wanted to play myself. Is there anybody else in the room you’re currently in? No. What’s the name of the store you usually get your groceries? Walmart. Does your house have a porch/balcony? It has a very, very small porch. What is your mother’s first name? Donna. Did you have a tree house as a kid? No. Are you afraid of speaking to large audiences? I'm terrified of it. Have you ever cried from being so mad? Oh yeah, it's very common for me to cry when I'm mad. Have you ever taken a bath with someone? As a kid, yes. Do you have any brothers? One older one. Does your family use coasters? Is anyone in your family excessively tidy? No. Do you wear pajamas to places other than at your house? Ha, yeah, just depends on where. Do you take showers in the morning or at night more? Morning. I used to be ALL about night showers, but I just love how refreshing they are in the morning. It's a good start to the day. Do you snore? Steal the covers? Roll around in your sleep? I steal the covers SO bad and roll around a lot. God bless whoever marries me. You see the person you fell hardest for. What do you do? I can guarantee I'd be a total deer in headlights and probably tear up or just straight-up cry. Have you been/are you depressed? It's nowhere near as bad as it was once upon a time, but I honestly am depressed these days. Who is the one person you can completely be yourself around? I only feel entirely "safe" doing that around Sara. Are your popups blocked on your computer? Yeah. Are your parents night owls or morning birds? My mom's a total night owl. She absolutely hates sleeping because it's "such a waste of time" to her, but of course she does it anyway. I haven't lived with my father since I was like 16, so idk what he's really like with this stuff now, but I'd call him an early bird, particularly because his job has him up early anyway. Do you have high blood pressure? No; my blood pressure is actually extremely low, so much so it scares every doctor who hasn't treated me before. It's a medication side effect and seriously sucks, because I am absolutely always light-headed and dizzy. Have you ever pumped gas? No. Are you affectionate? Very. What would a perfect yard look like for you? Hmmm... I'm going to include things I know I won't realistically have for maintenance reasons, but what's ideal. I would loooove love love at least one really big tree with maybe a birdhouse and like a bat box (is that what they're called?), and I'd love tons and tons of flowers to feed bees and other wildlife. A koi pond would be amazing, but that's one of those things I know I won't actually have. A pool would be really nice, preferably inground, and having a spot in the shade would be perfect. Some berry bushes would be cool, and grape vines... Man, I'm really fantasizing now, haha. What is a topic that you have just recently become interested in? Nothing very recently, but I'd say the most recent would be uhhhh tarantulas, though that's been a thing for many months now. What is a feel-good song that you’ve been listening to lately? None lately, anyway. I can tell you "Jump" by Van Halen is the staple "feel-good" song for me, though. What are some things you enjoy seeing pictures of? Meerkats... Mark... more meerkats and Mark... oh also meerkats and Mark... Is there anything you are scared/awkward about talking about in life? Don't talk to me about sex. Has a pet ever stolen food from you as you were eating it? AS I was eating it, no. What is the weirdest compliment you have ever been given? I have no idea. What’s stronger - your upper or lower body? Jesus, I couldn't tell you. I'm just weak, period. Women tend to have more lower body strength, so I GUESS maybe that, but given the fact my legs are horribly weak, I don't know. My arms aren't strong, either. Are you very careful with your technology (phone, laptop, etc) or do you take risks that could damage them? I try to be mindful and careful, but you could say the way I pick up my laptop sometimes is risky. Have you ever been in the newspaper? What for? I think so, as part of my graduating class? But that would be a LOT of people... so I actually don't know. I have this faint memory of being in it with other people, but idr. Would you say that the area you live in is particularly picturesque? Ew, no. What is your favorite type of cat? One does not simply pick ONE favorite kind of cat. I love Persians, Ragdolls, Siamese, sphynxes, bengals, Abyssinians, and I could go on and on. If you had your way, what color(s) would you dye your hair? I have A LOT of colors I want to dye my hair, but the ones I'm currently most interested in are pastel pink, creamsicle orange, and lilac. Do you like seafood? If so, what is your favorite? If not, what is your favorite type of food? I only like shrimp. What religion/spiritual path intrigues you the most, if any? Paganism. It's the one I think is closest to what I believe in, and I just find it all very interesting. I love the nature focus. Would you ever consider getting dreadlocks? Nooooo. How many times is your cartilage pierced in your ears? None anymore. :( I miss all my piercings that closed while hospitalized. Have you ever had a pet bird? Nah. It'd be cool, but I don't want one enough to actually get one. Do you like dinosaurs? I looooove dinos. They were my obsession as a kid. My first dream career was even a paleontologist. Do you like going for long walks with friends? If my legs worked like a healthy fucking human's, I would love to do that again. I would literally collapse if I tried to go on a long walk now. Do you miss anyone from school? I miss a lot of people from school. I'm thankful for Facebook for that, but even that's not enough, really. What is your favorite flavor of Jolly Ranchers? Watermelon, I think? Was there a strawberry one? How are your parents right now? I'm assuming Dad's fine, and Mom's okay, just stressed as she always is. Can you take naps, or does it make you feel horrible? Man, I love naps. They're like, mandatory for my existence, lol. If you celebrate Christmas, do you get a real tree or an artificial tree? A fake one. Have you ever been told you were a good writer? Yeah. Do you watch music videos? No. Do you own an account on Club Penguin? Haha awww, remember the worldwide heartbreak when that site shut down? Anyway, I did as a kid. Do you like lemonade? Sure do. Was your first kiss perfect? To me it was. How do you feel about the first person you kissed? I feel a lot of things about him. As of right now, how do you feel about your future? Nervous. Who is the last person you ran into unexpectedly? *shrugs* Is sex something special, or just for fun? It has to be something special for me personally. Do you follow fashion? If so, why? Not at all. Have you ever played a real pinball machine? No. Do you like the smell of BBQs? I love the smell, but don't like the food. Do wasps scare you? Yes. Are you currently trying to get over someone? I mean, yes and no. I don't think I'll ever be fully over Jason, but I feel like I'm as "over him" as I'll ever be, maybe. I hope I can even further let him go, but we'll just have to see. Have you ever dated someone with longer hair than yours? Yes. Have you ever worn flip flops in the snow? HA, oh yeah. If it's only a dusting, I don't care at all. I pretty much always wear flip flops. How old were you when you met your first love? I was 15. If you could have one more pet, what? JUST one? Probably a Brazilian Black tarantula, ideally. I technically want a western hognose snake more, but given I already have a snake, in this hypothetical situation, I'd take the spider. Would you rather have an owl or a snake? Ha, speaking of snakes. A snake, even though I adore owls. What do you order at Chic-Fil-A? I don't give my business to Chick-fil-A. They're reigned by homophobic, transphobic pieces of shit that have given monetary contributions to anti-LGBT foundations, including most disgustingly those that support conversion therapy. I admittedly looooove their chicken sandwiches, but I just can't in good conscience go there. Have you ever been addicted to cigarettes? No, given I've never smoked and will never. Which do you use more? Facebook or Instagram? Facebook. Did you enjoy your past relationships? Yeah. Do you like '80s music? '80s metal is great. Something you would NEVER buy? Drugs. Have you ever questioned your sexuality? I first questioned if I was bisexual in middle school, 8th grade I think, but I went into denial about it given I was Christian at the time. Looking back, there were many clear signs of me liking girls too, I just didn't notice them until a few years ago when I came out as bi. Do you like Star Wars? No. What is the best thing about life? Experiencing love, both platonic and romantic. Are you superstitious? No. What show/concert have you gone to that you didn’t like much? I haven't experienced a bad concert before, but then again I've only been to one. Is sex a must in your life? Nah. Have you watched porn alone before? I've never watched porn period. I have absolutely no desire to watch two random people go at each other. What do you think about weed? It should be legal everywhere, but treated similarly to alcohol in that there are legal repercussions to doing certain things, like driving, under the influence. There are just too many benefits for many health conditions to ignore. Have you read the entire Bible before? No. I've started to before, but I didn't get far.

[thewritewolf]

Four Times (And the Lucky One) Chapter 1: Understandable

Hello and welcome to this short, five chapter story about Adrien, where the universe tries its best to test the extent of his patience! I'll be updating this story once a week, so sit back and enjoy this little adventure.

Although it doesn’t bear a lot of symblance to the original source, this story was inspired by this comic by @sweetsweetsweetie! The concept of Adrien sneakily trying to get Marinette on a date really got my imagination running. I thought to myself: Why is he being so stealthy about this? What could have happened to make this his go-to idea? A long talk with my beta later, and the outline for this story was born!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Enjoy!

Read on Ao3

Adrien’s heart pounded in his chest as he vaulted over buildings in his haste to check on Marinette. Normally, he’d just accept that the Ladybug cure would have fixed anything that was wrong, but these last few months of frequent visits to her balcony as Chat Noir…

...Well, they’d helped him see her in a different light. A light where he got worried about her safety even when there was no logical reason to be besides her home being kind of close to an akuma battle. He was conflicted over it since his feelings for Ladybug certainly hadn’t gone away in the meantime, leaving him torn between two amazing women.

But that was a problem for later. For now, he just wanted to make sure that Marinette was alright.

He landed on a building across the street from Marinette’s home and took a moment to catch his breath in the shade of a rooftop umbrella. He snuck glances through her bedroom windows, trying to see if she was there. The akuma battle had been a tough one, and had even required that he recharge in the middle of the fight. Come to think of it, while he hadn’t used his cataclysm towards the end, Ladybug had definitely used her lucky charm. She should be transforming back any minute now. Hopefully she was alright.

A shadow passed over his hiding spot. As if summoned by his concern, Ladybug herself landed on Marinette’s balcony. Adrien frowned - were Ladybug and Marinette friends? Did Ladybug think Marinette was in danger? As he watched, there was a brief flash of red and Marinette was pacing her room, followed by a floating red and black creature.

His eyes flew open and he let out an involuntary ‘eep!’ before making a beeline for his home. All his energy was focused solely on getting him there. It was only once he rolled into his room through his window that he allowed himself to begin to process what he had just seen. Almost immediately, he became a panicked wreck. So much so, that it took him a few minutes to even realize that he’d been pacing his room as Chat Noir ever since he got back.

“Claws in.”

Plagg yawned and stretched before plastering a wicked grin on his face. “Well, well, well. Looks like loverboy has finally figured out who his dear sweet love is.” He watched Adrien pace before adding, “Sit down, kid! You’re going to drive me crazy.”

Adrien did as he was told and absently fidgeted with his ring. “This isn’t good, Plagg…”

“What?” The kwami scoffed. “I thought you’d be thrilled about this! You finally know who ladybug is - it’s like a dream come true for you!”

“She’ll be so mad when she finds out!”

“Oh like Ladybug hasn’t been mad at Chat Noir before.”

“Marinette doesn’t get mad at Adrien though!”

“...I guess?”

“Besides,” he said with growing dread. “I had a chance with Ladybug, you know? I figured maybe I could get her to fall for me eventually. We spend a lot of time together, we have great chemistry, we’re both heroes…”

“Yes,” Plagg drawled, “I am aware of this.”

“But Marinette…” Adrien stared off into the distance, ignoring Plagg. “I barely had a chance with Ladybug. But Marinette is totally out of my league.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me-”

“Plagg. Ladybug is one thing, but brave, selfless, kind, beautiful, student council president, helps everyone she meets, Ladybug-without-the-spots MARINETTE? How can I hope to be cool enough for her?” Adrien leaned back in his chair and whined, “Chat Noir isn’t cool enough for her!”

His eyes widened and he sprung out of his chair. "Wait... oh no, Plagg! Ladybug said she likes another boy, remember? What am I gonna do?!”

There was a long silence and eventually Adrien risked looking over at Plagg, who was staring at him in stunned disbelief.

"It's you.”

Adrien frowned. “No, she’s made it clear she doesn’t have feelings for Chat Noir-”

Plagg waved a paw irritably. “No, no. You. Adrien Agreste. She is crushing on you. Big time, kiddo.”

“No,” he said, crossing his arms, “She made it very clear that she isn’t. She’s even said as much.”

"Kid, she has photos of your face taped to her WALLS.”

"She likes my father’s label!"

"And I can’t believe you bought that the first time, let alone all the other times!" Plagg rolled his eyes. “Listen - trust me on this, pigtails has a big ol’ crush on you and the only one who doesn’t know it is you.”

Adrien was about to protest, but everything began to click into place. The stuttering that had gotten better during their friendship. The photos of him scattered throughout her room. The time she confessed that she loved him when she thought he was a statue. He’d brushed it all aside because she always assured him that she didn’t have feelings for him, but if he disregarded that… the evidence was clear.

Stunned, he collapsed into his desk chair, slack jawed. “She… loves me.” He lurched to a sitting up position. “I need to tell her that I’m Chat Noir.”

“I mean, yeah, probably.”

“But I can’t just tell her.”

Plagg gave a tired sigh. “Why not, kid?”

“Because she might get mad at me for finding out, but she can’t be mad if she finds out on her own too!”

“That… doesn’t make sense.”

“It makes plenty of sense! I just need to get her alone so only she gets the hints. I can’t give Alya clues too.”

“What about taking her on a date?” Plagg suggested half-heartedly. “Plenty of time alone there.”

“That’s perfect! This will be easier than I thought.”

“Maybe.”

“What do you mean ‘maybe’?”

“Well… you have been awfully insistent that you two are just friends. It might be tough to get her to think otherwise now.”

Adrien ran a hand through his hair and bit down on the rising panic. He could do this. He was Chat Noir, superhero and famous romantic. How hard could asking out one girl be?

------------------------

The next day, Adrien waited outside the school for Marinette. He wanted to be sure there were as few eavesdroppers around as possible. While there was the matter of secrecy, it was more the romance of it that Adrien was after. If he allowed himself to hope, then this first date would be the start of a long and loving relationship. It had to be absolutely perfect and that meant getting the perfect opportunity to ask her out. Even if he had practical matters to worry about when they were actually on that date, like delicately and subtly destroying their secret identities.

While he was lost in his thoughts, he very nearly missed Marinette leaving the school. Nino and Alya had already left together, which meant that Adrien had a golden moment where neither of their friends would be hovering over them. He could speak from his heart without being afraid of looking foolish.

“Hey, Marinette!” He called out to her as he rushed over to her. “I need to ask you-”

She turned around and his tongue stopped functioning. He became lost in her piercing blue eyes and he belatedly wondered how he had ever managed to talk to her before. Was she always this pretty? Had he just been too blinded by Ladybug to notice? Either way, his train of thought crashed and burned.

Her eyes became concerned. “H-hey, Adrien! Cool meeting you here.” She winced. “Not that I, uh, didn’t expect to see you here. At school, I mean. It’s just, uh, you- you usually leave. Pretty quick. Once school is done. So… y-yeah. Wh-what did you want?”

How could one person be so endearingly precious?

“I, uh… um, that is, you-”

Her face became clouded with concern “...Are you okay, Adrien?”

“Y-yes.” He took a deep breath. “I just wanted to ask-”

A roar interrupted him and he scanned the horizon. Screams were heard soon after and he narrowed his eyes. No doubt there was an akuma out there, but he had something important to do first. He turned back towards Marinette…

...Or, more appropriately, where Marinette had just been. No doubt, his dutiful lady was already on her way to the akuma. Better not keep her waiting. He ducked behind a bush. As his transformation washed over him, he kicked himself. It was so close, too!

Hopefully next time would be easier.

---------------

There was something definitely wrong with her kitty.

The fight was taking longer than it should, mostly because Chat Noir seemed distracted. That wasn’t anything too noteworthy. They were human beings, after all, with civilian lives and all that came with it. Sometimes they would have an off day, and that was nothing to get too worked up about. Both of them had plenty of those kinds of days

But the sudden lack of flirting from her partner? That was worrying. Even in life-or-death situations Chat Noir took the time to lay it on thick as he tried to woo her. There had been a few compliments from him, so she knew he hadn’t been replaced in some weird akuma scheme, but something definitely felt off-kilter.

The weirdest thing of all was the shyness, though. It wasn’t much - just a little tremor in his words, the way a blush would creep out from under his mask if their eyes made contact in the heat of the fight. It wasn’t something she was used to from her bold kitty. He was almost acting like she did out of the mask.

When the fight ended and the Ladybug cure had been released, she eschewed the usual fist bump in favor of pressing her hand to his forehead. He jumped at the unexpected contact.

“M-my lady?”

“No fever,” she mumbled. “So you probably aren’t sick.” She put her hands on her hips and watched him carefully, noticing the way his fingers twitched at his side and he could only steal glances at her. “What’s up, kitty? You usually aren’t this… skittish.”

He gave his most charming smile and she could see the nervousness dropping away from him like a cloak. “Sorry. I guess I’ve just had… things on my mind. Civilian things. You don’t need to worry about me, m’lady.”

The way he put emphasis on civilian made her curious, but she knew she couldn’t prod any further. If he wanted to talk about it, maybe she’d find out when he visited Marinette soon. For one reason or another, he was more open about his feelings then - at least, the feelings that weren’t his affection for Ladybug, which he always wore on his sleeve.

“If you’re sure…” She offered her fist, which he gladly bumped. “I’ll see you later, chaton. Take care of yourself.” Her yoyo flew out and soon she was flying above the city once again. She risked a glance behind her, expecting to see Chat Noir’s back as he made his way home, or wherever it was that he went.

To her surprise, he stood in the same spot and watched her leave.

-------------------------

Adrien landed in his room and called off his transformation.

“Well. That could’ve gone better,” Plagg commented drily.

“I’ll say. But I’m not worried. It just means I’ll have to try again - and next time, it will work.”

“Planning on being less of a stuttering mess next time around?”

Adrien shot Plagg a dirty look, but instead of being chastised the kwami simply cackled. “Yes, I will be. It’s just… been a lot to take in. I’ll be better next time. You can count on it.”

“What makes you think it will work any better?”

“I’ll have it planned out! With how my schedule is, I won’t have another opportunity for a while, so that means I have plenty of time to figure out my next move and set up the ideal scene. There’s no way anything can get in the way this time!”

While Adrien struck a pose and stared off into the horizon, full of hope and energy, Plagg rolled his eyes behind him. That boy’s romantic notions were gonna bite him in the butt really quickly.

[realactualfancontent]

No-Eyed Girl

Okay this is by far the weirdest and stupidest thing I’ve ever written. I still don’t know what possessed me to write it and I nearly gave up like 100 times, but here we are. I hope it gives you all a chuckle at least… even if I did make Lavinia sad in the end. Just know this could’ve been a lot worse- I almost made it a No-Eyed Girl songfic for shits and giggles. So enjoy realactualhighschool AU featuring a lot of Yog awkwardly trying to seduce a human and Lavinia being a useless monsterfucker.

From her unobtrusive corner in the room, Lavinia Whateley looked about at the dance around her.

It was well into the prom by now, and getting close to wrapping up. Most of the students who had started the event in casually chatting and laughing groups were now paired off in couples, dancing together, though quite a few also stood off to the side, eating snacks or drinking punch.

It was there that she spotted the student she was looking for- Wilbur, her son, who stood rather awkwardly sipping punch, with his “date” Emmaline by his side. The girl was apparently getting very animated about something as she talked, fairly bouncing on her toes and gesturing wildly.

As she watched the two for a moment, almost wistfully, Lavinia felt a glow of pride in her heart. She was happy for her son- for the fact that he’d been making friends, for the fact that he had gone to a school dance in the first place, and for the fact that he was behaving himself so well. Though the boy had rolled his eyes and complained earlier at all of the pictures his ma had taken of him, he’d otherwise been on his best behavior at the dance and around Emmaline. 

Emmaline was a nice girl, Lavinia thought. Unlike many, she didn’t seem particularly frightened or disgusted with Wilbur, and she’d been perfectly cheerful and polite when she’d visited the house earlier- though she had wrinkled her nose a bit at the smell of said house. Regardless, Lavinia was glad that her son was friendly with her.

As the woman continued to watch the pair, she found herself reminiscing about just how much Wilbur had grown up. And then- as she often foolishly did in such moments of reminiscing- she felt a pang in her heart at the thought that the boy’s father wouldn’t be here for him during such a moment.

Oh, of course he would know about it- Yog-Sothoth knew all, saw all, heard all, etc, etc- but… Lavinia somehow felt it wasn’t the same as him actually being there.

Wilbur seemed to finally notice his mother’s almost tearful gaze, and gave her a rather sour look in return, as if to tell her to stop staring. Shaking off her foolish sentimentality, Lavinia instead averted her eyes nonchalantly towards the corner opposite her. There, she saw two of the other chaperones for the dance- two teachers, Professor Mason and Mr. Hotep, who appeared to be smirking and whispering to each other about something.

Lavinia frowned, her brow furrowing, and made a move to approach the pair, planning to see what it was they were whispering about- but just as she was about to take a step, she nearly jumped at the feeling of a firm hand on her shoulder. Turning around to face whoever it was that had evidently approached her- likely while she was caught up in watching her son and Emmaline converse- Lavinia’s breath caught in her throat at what she saw.

The hand belonged to someone who, in all respects, appeared to be a normal middle-aged man- tall, graying hair, plain face. But there was something off about him, something strange and otherworldly and… familiar. 

Lavinia swallowed. Could it be…? Or was she merely getting her hopes up for something impossible?

“Yog-Sothoth…?” The woman whispered, her voice so soft she could barely even hear herself in her disbelief. Evidently he could hear her, however, for her question was met with a simple nod.

Lavinia blinked, looking from his face, to his hand on her shoulder, and back again. “I take it yew found a vessel fer the time bein’?” She asked in an undertone, gesturing vaguely at the body the outer god now inhabited.

“Yes.” His voice was a bit rough, almost clumsy, as Yog-Sothoth was hardly used to “talking” in such a way. 

“How-” Lavinia could not finish her question, however, as he seemed almost to read her mind.

“I found a cultist. A willing one.” Yog-Sothoth stated, simply.

Lavinia didn’t question further, but rather nodded, simply. Yog-Sothoth removed the vessel’s hand from her shoulder, almost tentatively, and stood at her side for a moment.

The woman’s eyes again wandered to Wilbur, who was now standing by the snack table, next to Emmaline who was sampling some of the snacks. The boy kept flicking quick glances over to where his parents stood, and then looking away equally quickly. Lavinia guessed by the look on his face that he knew his pa was about, as well.

“He is approaching adulthood now, isn’t he.” Lavinia started a bit at Yog-Sothoth’s comment, which was more of a statement than a question.

“Yeah…” Lavinia agreed with a nod. Then, softer, more tentatively, she added “I was just thinkin’ that et’d be nice ef his pa were here to see ‘im.” 

Yog-Sothoth replied with a slow nod, then cleared his throat, glancing almost sheepishly at Lavinia as if considering something. “I realize I may not have been… the most ideal parent to him, by human standards.”

Lavinia blinked. She almost could have laughed at the absurdity of such a statement, coming from an omniscient god. She wondered if that comment that Dagon had made had really gotten to him that much. “So I’m guessin’ yer here t’ see yer son, then? Didn’t expect that from yew.” It was true- Yog-Sothoth, as a rule, mostly just observed, rarely interacting. Perhaps he was simply bored, trapped beyond space and time?

“Yes.” There was another pause, and a sort of hesitation in his voice- or rather, the vessel’s voice- when he said the next words. “But I am also here to see you, Lavinia.”

Hearing the outer god say her name sent a sort of jolt of electricity through Lavinia’s body. “Me?” Lavinia gulped then, feeling a cold fear wash over her for a moment. Was it because she was having second thoughts about opening the gate? Had the outer god come to eliminate her, after all? But why, she wondered- it wasn’t like there was anything she could do about it now. She was powerless, and her role had already been fulfilled. “…What d’ yew mean by that?”

The two turned to each other, and for a moment Lavinia was staring into his eyes. The eyes of the vessel were, by all respects, unremarkable- a plain brown color, with slight crow’s feet at their corners. But when she looked deeply into them, Lavinia could almost sense the unfathomable knowledge and power of the being contained within said vessel.

“…I merely wished to see you.” The outer god stated enigmatically, after a pause. There was another pause, as he slowly looked the speechless Lavinia over for a moment. Then, in a soft tone, he added, to her surprise, “You look lovely tonight.”

Lavinia shifted, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She’d done her hair and worn a rather nice dress, but it suddenly didn’t feel enough, somehow. 

“Er…” Lavinia cleared her throat, feeling her face flush in embarrassment as she was unable to come up with an adequate response. “Uhh… thank yew…?” She replied, finally, thoroughly confused by the situation. She’d no idea what he was trying to achieve, complimenting her like that all of a sudden. 

Yog-Sothoth opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, the pair was suddenly startled as a new song started playing, suspiciously much louder than any other had played before at the dance.

“Knowing what we know, knowing what we don’t know, this is gonna change our world,

Feeling how I feel, I’ll accept the unreal… if you’ll be my no-eyed girl!”

Lavinia’s face flushed suddenly. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised- the students at the school all seemed to have a strange fascination with this song, and almost all of the songs that had played at their prom so far had either been by Taylor Swift or Lemon Demon, for some reason. Lavinia chalked it up to some sort of inside joke with the students and staff. So it shouldn’t be surprising that this song of all songs was playing at the dance- though the timing did seem awfully convenient… 

“Hear that, you two? It’s your song!” Mr. Hotep called over helpfully, all but confirming Lavinia’s suspicions with a wink. Professor Mason at his side gave a bit of a scoff and rolled her eyes.

Yog-Sothoth blinked, and then, to Lavinia’s surprise, extended an arm towards her.

“Would you like to… dance? Just for a moment?” He offered.

“I- uh…” Lavinia swallowed. Her heart was pounding, as she looked from the extended hand, to the face of the vessel that now contained Yog-Sothoth, and back again. Tentatively, she took that hand, deciding to play along with whatever was going on here. “Sure… why not.”

The woman found herself pulled closer in a rather awkward embrace. She’d never slow danced before in her life, and needless to say, the outer god hadn’t either, making their movements almost painfully awkward.

“…You seem surprised by my actions.” Yog-Sothoth pointed out the obvious, after a moment.

“Not everyday a hyuman gets t’ dance with an outer god.” Lavinia pointed out. “Didn’t think yew were one fer that sort a’ thing.”

“I’m not.” Yog-Sothoth replied simply, then paused again as if thinking. “…But I’m rather fond of you.”

Lavinia tilted her head. “Fond?” She asked, in a soft undertone, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. 

“…Yes.” The outer god confirmed, looking straight into Lavinia’s wide eyes. “I like you.”

There was a pause as Lavinia stared right back at him, her heart picking up speed. It wasn’t exactly a dreamy love confession, but… coming from an outer god beyond space and time, she felt this was some sort of a high honor. Back when she was younger, when she’d had notions of being “special” and “chosen” by the Beyond One, she had… admittedly dreamed of such a moment. The music seemed to be playing even louder now as the pair gazed at each other, neither of them sure what to say.

“Right before the kiss I noticed something in the air,

Molecules existed when there should have been none there! Chemical reactions with the surface of your skin,

Some will say my actions let the no-eyed people in…”

Before Lavinia could even process what was going on, she felt her lips touch the vessel’s, that vessel which contained one of the most powerful entities in the universe.

It was by all means an unremarkable kiss, lasting only a few seconds, and clumsy, but the woman felt another jolt of electricity run through her as it happened.

The pair pulled away from each other after a moment, and again stared into each other’s eyes, as if each was searching for something in the other.

“…And I’d do it all again…”

Lavinia suddenly felt her face flush as the song reached an end, and took a sudden step back from her partner. All around her, she was suddenly aware of murmurs from the students and staff alike.

“Is that her husband? Wilbur’s father?”

“He looks too normal to be the father of the goat kid…”

“If you ask me there’s something off about him…”

“Ma!” Lavinia suddenly gave a start and turned her head towards her son, who was now standing not too far in front of her with a bit of a scowl on his face. Emmaline behind him, however, was giving the vessel that held Yog-Sothoth a look of keen interest.

Wilbur cleared his throat and straightened up as his father turned to face him as well. “Uhh… maybe yew could do… whatever et is yer doin’ sumwhere else. People ‘re startin’ t’ stare.” 

“I think you’re embarrassing him!” Emmaline cut in helpfully, with a bit of a giggle. Wilbur shot her a look, and the girl made a gesture of sealing her lips.

“…Should we go?” Yog-Sothoth questioned Lavinia after a moment, tentatively extending an arm for Lavinia to take. Lavinia’s eyes darted around the room. “Uhh… well, I’m s’pposed t’ be chaperonin’ here-”

“No, no, by all means, you should take your leave, Ms. Whateley!” Mr. Hotep made a show of striding over. “The rest of us have everything under control, here. Go out and enjoy your time with your husband!” He shot a bit of a smirk at said husband, as if hinting at something. Yog-Sothoth shifted a bit and nodded.

“Yes. Let us, er… enjoy our night together.” He offered, almost sheepishly. Lavinia gave a small smile, and tentatively took the arm he’d offered.

“Did yew set this up with ‘Mr. Hotep’ er sumthin’?” Lavinia asked, as the pair left the school and wandered out into the warm spring night.

“…I did take some advice from him, yes.” Yog-Sothoth admitted, in a tone that sounded almost bashful. “Him and Professor Mason. About… ‘how to treat a human woman’, or something.”

Lavinia had to resist the urge to laugh. “Didn’t think he was exactly a prince charmin’ himself. Guess he hangs around with hyumans enough t’ pick things like that up, though.” Her companion made a small noise of agreement.

The two of them walked in silence for a while. It was a beautiful night- the moon was full, the stars were bright and it was pleasantly warm outside. But there was something… something that was still nagging at Lavinia’s mind despite it all. Something she needed to ask.

“Did yew really mean all that?” She asked softly. The woman paused walking, to look up at the face of the vessel that contained Yog-Sothoth. To her surprise he was looking right back down at her attentively. “About… about bein’ fond of me… likin’ me?”

“I did.” Yog-Sothoth confirmed, in a voice that was equally quiet. He paused for a moment, as if searching for words. “I am fond of… your spirit.”

Lavinia turned her head away, not wanting him to see the way her face turned red. It was a vague compliment, but she figured it was a high compliment coming from Yog-Sothoth himself nonetheless. “Thank… thank yew. I, uh, I like yew tew.” It was a stupid, clumsy thing to say. She’d been worshipping this entity, this god from beyond the stars all of her life. Bearing his progeny was her entire reason for existence. And yet she was doing something as foolish as saying she “liked” him? Lavinia got the impression that that sort of phrase should be reserved for the young teenagers at the prom, not an outer god and the woman who’d borne his spawn for the purpose of summoning him and destroying the world as she knew it.

Lavinia blinked, realizing suddenly that tears were streaming down her cheeks. She snatched her hand away from her companion’s arm to swipe at them, and sniffed.

“You’re crying.” Yog-Sothoth gave her a look of mild surprise, tilting his head. “Why is that?”

“Dun know.” Lavinia muttered, with a bitter smile. “Guess et’s just my hyuman emotions gettin’ t’ me…” She gave a short, bitter laugh, but then frowned again quickly, her lip wobbling.

“Sumtimes… sumtimes I wish we were a normal hyuman family.” Lavinia confessed, so quietly she could barely be heard. “Me, the twins, an’… yew.”

Yog-Sothoth didn’t say anything in reply to that. Lavinia sniffed louder, wiping her tears on a sleeve. “Et’s awful stupid, but… I can’t help but feel an attachment t’ yew all. And I dun want…” I don’t want to die and leave you all behind. The words were left unsaid, as Lavinia’s throat suddenly felt choked up.

“…I know.” Yog-Sothoth suddenly moved closer, almost as if to comfort the woman. “And, I feel some sort of a… lingering attachment to you, as well.”

Lavinia gazed back up at him, wide-eyed and speechless, as he continued.

“…That’s why I wanted to be here for you tonight. Because, I enjoy your… company. And it will be a shame when… when I can no longer enjoy your company.”

Lavinia sniffed, then grinned suddenly. Her tears turned suddenly into a peal of laughter, which to some might sound rather unhinged. Indeed, Lavinia felt like she must surely be going truly insane, what with the unlikely events of the night. Yog-Sothoth studied the woman, his head tilted, as if he found her behavior fascinating. Suddenly, Lavinia stood up.

“…Thanks.” The woman smiled, and leaned in to give the vessel which held her ‘husband’ a quick peck on the cheek. “Yew sure made tonight special fer me, I’ll tell yew that. But, uhh… I should be headin’ home. We left that upstairs home alone, after all…” The woman bit her lip, rather guilty and apprehensive.

“…Goodbye, then, Lavinia.” For the first time, the vessel holding Yog-Sothoth gave a smile.

“Goodbye.” Lavinia whispered. Turning on her heel, she stole off into the night, with her heart feeling strangely lighter than it had in quite some time.

[jjkpls]

The Prince Charming (Harry Potter!AU #6) (G)

> genre : fluff, comedy

> pairing : kim seokjin x reader (f)

> words : 1.4k

> warning : bad pickup lines stolen from thetoptens ‘cheesiest pick up line’ list

> Kim Seokjin (Gryffindor, 7th yr) is super handsome, super interesting, super loved, super funny and overall super great (says he). So why don’t you want him back? (fluff, greasy *ss pick up lines)

“Are you from Tennessee? 'Cause you're the only ten I see.” There's a long pause following. You're standing there in front of him, sucking your upper lip in and tilting your head slightly.

“I'm not sure what you mean.” You admit quietly, throwing a side glance to your friend who is looking as perplexed as you.

Seokjin's eyes fidget between the two of you. He opens his mouth a few times, wondering if he should try and elaborate. Maybe he mispronounced slightly? Or slurred his words too much because of like, timidness? It's not really in his habits to be misunderstood. First of all, because a clear eloquence is one of the keys to a successful journey -his dad says that, he's a man who carries himself like a king, chin pointed to the sky at all times, and articulates his words with a comical fierceness; Seokjin has noticed and tries to not pick up on it too much because his peers don't speak like that but it's hard not to be tempted, when he sees the effect Seokjin Sr has on his world. The second reason for him not being misunderstood is that people just listen to him. They're hanging from his very breath and never, ever miss a word of his. They just won't miss a chance. So why are you...?

“I just- never mind.” Seokjin twirls around, flapping the folds of his robe quite theatrically as he leaves in a rush, heading for the first closet he'll be able to hide his growing blush in.

But soon enough, he has to try again. Because it's you. And also, he was not raised a quitter. “Do you have a band-aid?” Seokjin watches your cute little head dropping in a flash, hair bobbing adorably in the air, as you start patting furiously at your pockets. He adds, with a sleek smirk on his plushy lips, “I scraped my knee when I fell for you.”

When you look up, eyebrows dropped in sorrow, you shake your head. “I don't but you should go see Madam Pomfrey, she'll surely be able to help you.” Seokjin sighs, dragging two pale fingers along the expanse of the majestic golden thread embroidery adorning the neck of his uniform.

“I'm not really hurt, ___.” And in retrospect, he might be. The way his heart constricts in his chest both from disappointment and for witnessing, once again, the pureness of your soul and kindness, is kind of painful. He smiles stiffly. “It's- I was just kidding.”

And then your face turns into the most confused expression he's ever seen. You stare at him for a while, as he just stares at you blankly, arms hanging poorly from his shoulders, looking kind of ridiculous for a Hogwarts Prince, whose ground he walks on tend to be cherished and any once of attention treasured. “Oh.” You just say, nodding your head even though he can tell you don't know why you're doing it. And again, he aborts the mission, jumping on some kid passing by, wrapping an arm around their shoulders, pretending he's been looking for them when he's never actually seen their face before. Thankgully, the gleaming eyes raised to his handsome face seem to hint that the kid doesn't mind the assault, so there's that.

This time, Seokjin decides he's had enough beating around the bushes. Because clearly you're playing dumb. He knows you. He knows everything there is to know about you. You're one of the best students of your year. You're praised on the daily by professors who grant you prizes that had never even existed before you just because they're so smitten by the sweetness of your character wrapping up your incredible intelligence. He's going to be bold and assertive. The way he was taught to be if he meant to obtain anything he wanted in this life. “Do you work for UPS? Because I could swear I saw you checking out my package.” And Seokjin is so proud of himself. So full of it. He allows himself a greasy bite on his bottom lip, bringing the pale colour a bright pink, before letting a blinding smirk take over his face.

“No, I don't, uhm- You're always saying the weirdest things, Seokjin.” You're chuckling awkwardly, playing with your fingers. And as always, you're not just leaving. You're staying right in front of him, your pretty polished shoes pointing his way, and your expression so warm and inviting. And he doesn't get it. How can you seem so relatively into him yet so cold to his advances? He couldn't be more distinct than that!

“Are you stupid? She's lived all her life in an exclusively wizardry village. She probably never heard about UPS.”

“Oh... That's right.” Namjoon sees the light bulb turn on in his friend's head, bringing light through his quite sad-looking eyes. “But, see, that's exactly the problem: I am stupid!” Seokjin is aiming a mean pointer at himself, face suddenly illuminated by the most excited expression. The most excited Namjoon's ever seen on someone claiming this loud that they're stupid.

“Uh...” Because what is he supposed to say? He wouldn't say it out loud. He's a friend. Friends don't say stuff like that. But he does. He does think his friend is a little empty up there.

“I'm handsome, rich and funny, right?” He counts on his fingers, raising one up for each new self-offered compliment, shaking his hands around furiously. He doesn't seem to notice the deep distress facing him. “I'm very charming too. Old people love me! But she is so intelligent. Why would she want me?”

“Are you- serious?”

“Maybe I should try more intellectual pickup lines?” He mumbles, fumbling in the pocket of his robe for his smartphone -that he's not supposed to have but managed to keep in Hogwarts thanks to his “connections”.

Namjoon watches him, typing furiously on the screen, probably looking for a new source of lame pick up lines. Because on top of being hopeless and dumb, he's very uncreative.“I don't think- Seokjin, she doesn't seem sensible to these kinds of things.”

“Yeah but with this face on top!” Seokjin gives him his brightest smile and a wink. On that note, Namjoon simply runs away because he suddenly felt a rush of nausea hit him.

And this time is The Time. Now Seokjin knows everything that went wrong during the other attempts. You're not dense nor playing dense. He was just being the fucking moron in these episodes, assuming you'd understand when, obviously, you two don't have the same background. And Seokjin is so grateful for his friend, Namjoon, who might have not gotten the looks, the money, or the presence, but only so that he would get the brains and therefore, complete the one thing Seokjin is missing. “Are you a carbon sample? Because I want to date you.”

Immediately, he gets a brand new reaction from you. Not the blank fish stare. Nor the nervous nibbling on your lip and fidgety tapping of your shoes. Your pretty little eyelashes slap a couple of times on your pretty little cheekbones. There's a quiet blush colouring your cheeks where they shape in a smile. He just remains there, striking his known to be best-looking pose, not saying anything because he's not sure what else to say and it seems to be going great and it needs to keep getting better so he should probably shut up to not mess it all up.

“Are you asking me on a date?”

“Yes, I am.” He announces, voice firm and low-pitched, in an almost perfect imitation of a strong confident man who's definitely not freaking out because, for the first time, he's successfully managed to flirt with his crush. You visibly swoon and that ends to fuel him up and soon, he's saying in an overflooding of self-assurance, “I've promised to a bunch of roses in the field to show them how beautiful you are.”

There you clap your hands against your mouth, muffling the squeal that escapes without warning. “Oh, Merlin’s Beard! Seokjin...” Your eyes fold in the most charming of slits, and there he knows he's finally got you. Truth be told it wasn't the face on top nor the more “intellectual” pickup lines that made it work this time. It was mostly due to the implication of a very concerned and merciful Namjoon, who decided to take matters in his own hands and overly clarify Seokjin's feelings and intentions to you, that made the magic happen. But he doesn't need to know that when you like him back anyway.

[purplesurveys]

1213

Have you ever been in weather below 0 Fahrenheit (-17 Celsius)? Nah. The coldest I’ve experienced was probably something like 10 or 11ºC, when I was in Japan. At the time I still didn’t care too much for traveling and ended up being really underdressed for the weather, so I was extremely uncomfortable the whole time we were roaming around the city. Have you ever been caught outdoors away from shelter during a thunderstorm? LOL yes, notably on the last night of my college internship. My car was parked in another building so I had to walk outdoors, when all of a sudden it fucking poured. I ran to the nearest building for shelter but I was still absolutely drenched and ended up having to call my mom (who works in the same city) to ask her to come pick me up.

What’s your favorite macaron flavor? Chocnut or milk chocolate.

How often do you have friends over to your house? Once in a blue moon. I had my ex over all the time but since then I’ve only had one friend - Angela - come over once.

Have you ever had a boss who acted unprofessionally? I mean, we’re very open with each other with regard to our frustrations at work.  That could technically count as unprofessional but I’m honestly just glad we don’t have to be fake around one another and pretend like everything’s dandy.

How many times have you stayed at a hotel in the past year, and where? Just once, for my dad’s birthday. We stayed in Tagaytay for a weekend though we Airbnb’d a condo unit and not a hotel.

Have you ever done a flip on a trampoline? Nah. I could try but I’m too afraid of not being able to support myself and accidentally breaking my neck or something.

What about a flip off of a diving board? Nope.

Are you embarrassed by your school yearbook photos? No. I barely look at them and I’m sure people barely look at yearbooks too.

Who taught you to tie your shoelaces? My grandma.

Currently how many pictures are on your cellphone? 8,067. There used to be around 10,000 but I had a ‘huge’ deleting spree that brought it down to around 6,000 – but clearly I’ve brought it back up again lol.

Do you think dimples are cute? Yes, super.

Would you rather chew fruity or minty gum? It’s whatever. They all lost their taste anyway.

The last time you went to the mall, who did you go with? Just me. That’s usually the case nowadays.

What’s something you used to collect when you were younger? Pogs.

Have you watched a movie today? I haven’t watched a movie since like September.

Aside from your own, whose house did you last set foot into? Angela’s, but it was super brief as I only went in to greet her parents.

Do you love soft pretzels? Yep, that’s how I prefer my pretzels as well.

Who was the last person who cried around you? Why did they start crying? Was it unexpected? I really have no clue. I haven’t been around too many people in such a long time, much less people who’ve cried in front of me. I want to say maybe Gabie???? during one of our last meet-ups. The name feels so foreign now.

Are you more likely to like someone before you really know them, or do you feel you like them more after you know a lot about them? After.

Do you buy people cards on special occasions, or do you prefer to make your own? Giving people cards isn’t much of a tradition here. We’d much rather get you a physical gift altogether.

When was the last time you were being hypocritical? I probably do it without realizing, so I can’t say exactly when.

Where on your body was the last cramp you had? Why did you have this cramp? Fortunately I haven’t had one in a while but I usually get cramps on my neck and shoulders after a whole day at work.

What is the weirdest name you’ve ever heard? My sister went to school with this girl whose name was her surname in reverse.

Do you get embarrassed when people hear you sing/compliment you on your singing ability? If so, why is that? Yeah. I’m not confident in my singing, so I never sing around people and it would embarrass me if I was ever caught/heard.

Are you good at comforting people when they’re upset? I try to be. It works for some people.

Do you have any exercises you do everyday? Nah.

Do you own one of those singing fish? Do you think they are silly or funny? I don’t know what this is referring to.

Has anyone ever accused you of being bipolar or any other mental disorder? Do you really have any mental disorders? No one has accused me; at least not to my face. As for the second question, I’m sure I have one or two; I’ve just never gotten myself professionally checked.

Did you buy the last thing you bought with your own money? If not, whose money did you buy it with? Yabu because I was craving; paid with my own money. It actually feels pretty weird because Yabu had been mine and my ex’s thing, and I haven’t had their food since the breakup. I’m looking forward to having it again tonight and finally changing the narrative for it.

Do you like to put your feet up on the dashboards of cars? Do you parents yell at you if you do that in cars? I don’t like to do it but I’ll sometimes do it if I wanna feel relaxed. No, it wouldn’t bother them too much.

Which Beatle is your favorite, or do you love them all equally? I don’t listen to them.

Do you enjoy classic rock? If so, who are some of your favorite classic rock artists? Not really, but I have nothing against it.

Did you ever own a Tamagotchi? Yep.

Are you more of a dog or cat person? Dog.

Have you ever failed math? Just the advanced courses, like calculus, back in high school. I find math pretty fun and easy if I get the topic and know the formulas; but if I find something hard, it’s very difficult for me to keep up. There’s really no in between haha I either pass with flying colors or absolutely flop.

Skittles! What's your favorite color? Whichever’s not too sour. Idk, I never buy Skittles.

Have you ever had a dream of stabbing someone? Nope but I used to have nightmares of watching my loved ones get shot.

What would you want your last words to be if you could choose them? That I had fun.

Can you sleep with the light on? Only if I’m pissed tired. Otherwise bright lights would bother me.

What’s the most bizarre horror movie you’ve ever seen? I know my answer won’t count as it doesn’t technically fall under horror, but Eraserhead was just very bizarre and unsettling. I’ve never seen the whole film without pausing several times.

What band can’t you stand listening to? Again, this probably won’t count as they’re a boy band/group more than anything, but I cannot stand The Vamps.

Would you ever take a lie detector test for your significant other? Yeah, sure, I guess, for fun. I think those are mostly bullshit anyway so I’ll only take a test with bullshit questions as well.

What is your favorite Mystery/Crime/FBI related show? Those genres never really were my cup of tea.

Would you ever have a bird as a pet? We had two lovebirds some years ago. They were lovely, but idk if we’d do it again. No reason, just that we prefer dogs.

How's your relationship between you and your grandparents? It’s great, even with my maternal grandpa who’s already passed. But I’m well aware of the fact that they’re also a bit wary of me since I’m the most vocal and outspoken of all their grandchildren, whereas they’re intensely conservative and traditional. Still, I always feel their love, especially through food and how they always make sure to stuff me whenever I come over haha.

Ever had a forbidden love or lover? In a sense, yeah. I was in a same-sex relationship that I hid from my family for four years.

Have you ever had to speak at a funeral?  I’ve never been to a funeral but I doubt I could speak at one without breaking down.

Do you know someone who’s been cremated?  Yes, my grandpa was cremated.

What is your current problem?  Just some deliverables at work that I would rather not think about now.

Do you like canopy beds?  Eh, I don’t mind them.

What is your favorite animated movie?  Toy Story.

Would you rather live in a small town or a big city?  Big city. I need lots of noise, lots of activity and lights where I live. I’ve lived in suburban neighborhoods all my life and I would love a change in pace.

If you could summon any animal to come to your rescue, what animal would it be and why?  Idk.

Have you ever watched The Golden Girls?  I’ve watched snippets and it’s HILARIOUS. I’ve always wanted to start the series but never knew where to watch it.

Did you ever like the Ninja Turtles? Was never into it, no.

Last alcoholic drink you had?  Peach soju and plum soju that got me absolutely hammered.

What are you known for?  These days, probably for doing an extreme 180 and having my life be all about BTS now.

Has anyone ever threatened you?  Yes.

Have you ever gone frog hunting?  No? Doesn’t sound like my type of activity at all.

Do you ever suffer from dry skin?  Yeah my face is a little dry, but I don’t think it’s something I ‘suffer’ from since no issues have come out of it so far. It’s just the way it is.

Do you still sleep with a stuffed animal?  Not a stuffed animal but I need to hug a pillow to fall asleep.

What’s the weather like right this moment?  It’s weather that says “it’s gonna get really hot in an hour or so” and I’m not enjoying that very much.

Do you bite on straws, lollipop handles, or ice cream sticks?  If there’s no trash can around, I tend to.

In what type of area was your first sexual encounter?  It was in a hotel.

Where is your mother’s side of the family descended from?  Just somewhere in the Philippines.

What do you occupy your time with on flights?  I’m honestly really happy with just staring out the window. If not that, I bring something to read or listen to music. I haven’t had a flight that lasted 6+ hours, but I imagine I would also bring my laptop for a series or movies to watch if I find myself in that situation.

Do you dog-ear pages in books?  Yup.

What’s a made up word of yours?  I don’t think I have any.

Do you use Q-Tips?  I do.

Ever gone out with somebody you didn’t like?  No. I don’t think I could bring myself to do that.

What hero or heroine do you most relate to in history, fiction, or song?  I don’t really like content with a hero/ine plot.

What makes you dizzy?  Amusement park rides, car rides, headaches.

Are your parents liberal or conservative?  Conservative.

Do you like your teeth? Did you have braces?  Not my middle teeth, but in general yeah. I did have braces but I lost my retainers at one point so my teeth just went back to their original position eventually.

Are you happy with your height?  It’s fine. I’m small but it’s the average here so I don’t really complain.

[yoyoplisetsky]

HELLLOOOOOO WELCOME TO “CARY ACTUALLY WROTE SOMETHING!?!?” feat. a little i will go down with this ship! story about the “real” viktor nikiforov

this fic asks you to disregard a little bit of canon. we all change things in our creative decisions, of course! nothing too major ;) i’ve changed and grown a lot since i started writing iwgdwts

but! the moment y’all have been waiting for! i thought it would be best to reveal in a small drabble on tumblr bc y’all are great and it’s been so long since i posted yoi fic so you deserved something fun and exciting!!!

“Are you sure I should do this?” Yuuri mumbled, resting his head against Viktor’s shoulder. He had been thinking about it for a while, ever since he and Viktor had started dating. He kept talking to Vik, and Viktor encouraged it.

“Of course!” Viktor mused, kissing Yuuri’s hair softly. “You’ve gotten really close to her, right? I think it would be fun! I’ll come with you, we can tell her that we both like the fics. It’s cute!”

“Most people would find it creepy, Vitya,” Yuuri laughed.

“She’s never done anything rude. She’s always very sweet and gives you the love you deserve. And her fics are great. We should meet ‘therealviknik’.” Viktor always put airquotes around Vik’s username because he thought that it was hilarious that someone online was claiming to really be him (at least, by URL).

Viktor, of course, wasn’t Vik.

That was a frankly laughable scenario. The kind that Vik would write in her fanfiction. The shocking, romantic kind that would take her a thousand years between each update because she can’t decide what will make the chapter the best and gets buried in other work and other ideas. The kind that Yuuri and thousands (unbelievably, amazingly, something that Vik would eternally be incredibly grateful for) of people would read.

It’s not the kind of thing that would happen in real life.

Yuuri swallowed and opened up tumblr.

katsukiforov: hey vik!

katsukiforov: i was thinking, and i know this is weird after all the anonymity and stuff, but i was thinking maybe… we could meet up?

katsukiforov: i get if you don’t want to!!! it’s a really weird request and sort of out of the blue…

katsukiforov: i just think … i should probably tell you about myself in person haha…

therealviknik: omg!!!! you want to meet? jsdalkfsa;;

therealviknik: i’m outta school rn and not working yet so i’m super free!!! are you coming here or there or

katsukiforov: i… don’t know where you are, but i can come to you. i don’t want you to have to pay for the trip when it was my idea

katuskiforov: plus my boyfriend wants to come with me and so he’ll find it fun to go somewhere new

therealviknik: i mean ohio is boring as Hell but you’re definitely welcome to come visit :)

therealviknik: i’ll show you the best of ohio ;)

therealviknik: so all of like… three things

katsukiforov: you’re in ohio, then?

therealviknik: 22 years here the real question is when am i Not in ohio asjldfas;;

Yuuri laughed at the messages and kept talking until he’d gathered a good date to meet up with Vik and the specific city in Ohio where she lived.

It was weirdly exciting, actually, that he was going to meet Vik. He’d pictured her a lot over the years of talking to her. He’d gotten what he thought was a pretty good image.

She never posted selfies, but he knew that she was in a wheelchair after many conversations about her frustrations with broken motors and dumb stories (like her tripping over it at 1 in the morning because she decided to push it with her feet instead of her hands).

She liked ants, loved Viktor, mostly owned the color purple, would die for Ant-Man, and had a lizard named Smaug, among other things.

And he was going to meet her in Ohio.

He supposed that explained the time that she edited Viktor’s face onto corncobs at like 3am. When he’d been in college in Detroit, he’d driven to multiple cities in Ohio (since it really wasn’t that far at all, driving from Ohio to Detroit was completely reasonable for a musical you really want to see, or something like that). And, well… once you got past Toledo, Ohio was pretty much all the same.

Corn.

Still, he was excited to go since it meant meeting Vik. Nervous, but Viktor did his best to help Yuuri keep his nerves down.

Before he knew it, he was in the airport, a ticket to Ohio in hand. He checked tumblr one last time before he boarded, sending a video of a lizard chasing after some crickets to Vik before messaging.

katsukiforov: getting on the plane now

therealviknik: !!!

therealviknik: i am So Hype kat omg jaslkdfas;;

therealviknik: i’ll be at the airport!

therealviknik: i’m the one in the wheelchair and the ant-man shirt probably Still crying about this lizard jsakldfas;;

katsukiforov: knew you’d like that one

katsukiforov: see you soon!

Yuuri turned off the phone as he stepped onto the plane. He tapped his fingers against his leg the whole ride, trying to keep breathing. This would be fine. Vik would probably freak out, but hopefully she’d be cool about it and not like… totally go crazy.

The plane landed and Yuuri went to gather his luggage before he could look for Vik. He held tight to the handle of his suitcase, each step feeling like a thousand as he approached.

There were a bunch of people in the airport, but after a second he was pretty sure that he saw her.

A girl sat there, pink earphones plugged into her phone as she watched some video, lost to the world. From the reflection in her purple and blue framed glasses, Yuuri was pretty sure it was something about… ants?

If the wheelchair and Ant-Man shirt weren’t dead giveaways that she’d told him herself¸ then crying about a video about ants in a crowded airport certainly would be.

That had to be Vik.

He walked up to her and she looked up, taking a second to untangle her earphone from her long and unruly ponytail. Her eyes widened as she made eye contact, opening and closing her mouth a few times before settling on just staring.

Yuuri awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “Um… Vik?”

“Oh my god,” Vik whispered, staring up at him. She set her phone down (and, yes, she was definitely watching some video about ants). “Yeah, but you can call me Cary. Wait, are you serious? Are you Kat?”

“Sorry,” Yuuri groaned, covering his face. “I know it’s weird.”

Cary waved her hands and her wheelchair started to move before she yelped, tapping her wrist against her leg with an awkward look. “I forgot my motor actually was working, sorry,” she laughed before looking up at him again. “Are you telling me that Yuuri Katsuki has read my fics?”

“I know it’s weird,” Yuuri repeated, groaning. “This is why I thought it would be better to tell you in person.”

“It’s super weird,” Cary said, fiddling with the end of her hair before shaking her head. “Oh my god,” she whispered, laughing softly. “Yuuri Katsuki sends me videos of lizards that make me cry because they’re so cute.”

Then her eyes hardened, glaring at him.

That wasn’t what he expected. Of course, it wasn’t entirely unexpected, considering the fact that he had lied to her, but he had sort of… expected that to be the first reaction, not some follow-up. “My characterization is great, thank you very much!” she finally said and Yuuri stared at her.

“It is, Viktor and I have joked that you write like you actually know us and – “

“No,” Cary cut in. “You kept commenting about how I made Yuuri too good at stuff. You’re amazing, and you deserve everything I give you in fics. Shut up.”

“Oh.” Yuuri stared at her, his eyes wide. He was never great at taking compliments, but he’d gotten used to them from Vik, even though she hadn’t known directly that she was complimenting him before… “Thank you?”

“You’re welcome,” Cary said, crossing her arms over her chest before her face filled with a  bright smile. “I still can’t believe it’s you. Oh my god. Lily and I were thinking about getting a photoshoot with you and Viktor at a convention together, and we wouldn’t have even known.”

“You’re… not going to tell anyone, right? I know I’ve dropped out of the fandom quite a bit since me and Viktor started dating, but I just… want to make sure that no one knows.”

“Let it out, and lose you online? No way! Your secret is safe with me,” Cary smiled, tapping her hand against her wheel. The motor turned on, rolling smoothly though making an odd clicking noise. Judging by past descriptions of the motor, he assumed it was almost pristine with only a small noise. Yuuri walked after her, having to walk a bit too quickly to keep up.

“Thank you,” he said gratefully, smiling at her. “I’d miss talking to you too. It’s weird. Phichit is totally open with who he is online, but I just… this is better.”

“Oh, especially. Wouldn’t want everyone finding out about you reading the weird stuff.” Cary turned to him and winked.

The weirdest thing he read was the time that she wrote a fic for her own birthday that featured him turning into a lizard at the full moon and keeping ants. He was pretty sure that no one would care about the “weird stuff.” He didn’t want to read any of the weird stuff.

They walked in almost silence for a little bit before Cary slammed her hand against her wheel, effectively stopping her motor. Cary glanced at Yuuri, a shockingly shy look on her face. “Wait if you’re Yuuri, does that mean when you said your boyfriend is coming, that means…” Cary trailed off, staring at him with wide eyes.

Right. Of course. That little detail was one she’d latch onto. Cary, as much as she wrote about both of them, had a habit to focus on Viktor and often posted compliments about him only. “Viktor’s showing up tomorrow.”

“Oh my god.” Yuuri could only describe the noise that Cary made as a shriek, her eyes wide and excited. Yuuri laughed, shaking his head. “Look, I love you, I love your love, you know I love that, but Viktor Nikiforov is my life.”

“I would have never known,” Yuuri laughed. Between Cary’s icon, blog description, URL, and everything else, her love of Viktor was hardly a secret.

He could relate.

After all, wasn’t that part of why he’d loved her fics?

happy april fool’s day 

i love you i’m gonna have a real update eventually i promise ajskldfa;;

[littlemister-roo]

BHP The Beast Within || Greg-a-Roo

TW werewolf violence, blood, umm...did I mention the werewolf?

In which Roo completely forgets to take his daily dose of wolfsbane potion on the night of the Yule Ball, yielding disastrous consequences when the full moon comes around.

@notmuchofatail

ROO

Wow this month had been crazy! Roo could hardly believe how great it had been! He had met some students from America, commentated the magical melee, gotten a date with literally the hottest girl in school and rescued an illusive endangered bird on the school grounds!

All of that great stuff had happened in spite of the furry little problem scheduled to rear it’s ugly head that very night. But before that, Roo had plans to go with his best friend see the new demiguise rumored to have arrived in the school paddock just that day.

Coming down the stairs to gryffindor Tower, Roo spotted Greg waiting for him in the entrance hall. Grinning, he ran over to his friend and called out, “Hey Greg! You ready to go see something amazing?”

GREG

Despite his initial concerns for this entire… Magical Melee event - Greg was actually quite pleased about how his time had been going. Sure… it wasn't always rainbows and butterflies but for the most part? Greg enjoyed having his American friends here to visit. The extra heads and passion at his clubs making for more excitement - more quidditch teams to face off against and more memories to hold close to his heart.

Especially those he'd been sharing with his fellow Hogwarts classmates and professors as well. The Golden Snidget for example, he was sure to rest member for a lifetime and… well, his time with Charlie at the Yule Ball? Don't even get him started.

The greatest thing however? Is that it wasn't even over. Here he was still planning future fun and adventure, meeting Roo within the hall as he fidgeted lightly with his robes. "You'd think we'd have run out of amazing things to see after these past few days huh?" He teased with a shake of his head, starting off across the hall with his friend - the excitement already clear in his demeanor. "Do you think we'll actually get to see it? Like… that it won't go invisible on us?..."

ROO

“Nah! They only go really invisible when spooked, right? And you have like the most calming presence with the creatures of anyone I know!” Roo assured his friend with a smile, nearly bouncing from eagerness even though physically he felt like he needed about a thousand hours of sleep. All part of that lovely little gift he received every month,

He had no intention of sleeping however. Not yet. He’d been doing this for years and thanks to the potion, knew exactly the hour and minute the change would come. It was like clockwork and he intended to get the most out of life before hiding himself away.

As it was, twilight had hit the grounds as the sun slowly set behind the mountains, the full moon already making an appearance as it peeked over the horizon.  

“Ok! We’ve got t-minus four hours and ten minutes to check out one of the coolest magical creatures ever before my mom and I have an appointment with the room of requirement. You ready?”

GREG

The young man could have laughed at that - but it was incredibly sweet to know that Roo thought that. In fact that might've been one of the best compliments he'd ever received. A calming presence was a big deal in that field of work, after all. Professor Tibbs? He was like that too. Now - Greg was terrified of ever pissing off the man but.. His general presence? Very peaceful.

As they strolled across the grounds, Eeyore's gaze tilted up towards the sky - the moon just peeking in at them as the younger man nodded his head. He trusted Roo - if the older student said he had four hours and ten minutes exactly? Greg believed it. It was both a responsibility and a whole process that Greg wasn't sure he would have ever been strong enough to endure but Roo? He always treated it like nothing. Never let it get him down or get in the way of him doing what he wanted.

Greg could respect that.

"Of course!" He finally spoke back, a smile planted on his features as they walked down and passed all too familiar areas. "I'm always ready to see new creatures. I'm almost a little mad actually that we weren't told sooner about this." He teased with a shake of his head. "I hated sitting through classes and dinner knowing we were going to go see it tonight. I wanted to leave already!"

ROO

Roo loved Hogwarts and counted himself lucky that he was even allowed to attend considering his condition. The school provided the magical education he required as well as a job for his mother when few other employers would even consider hiring her. Not only that, but Roo had made some amazing friends—present company especially included—and had helped him realize his care and passion for magical creatures.

The sweeping grounds spread before them as they made their way to the paddock where the creatures of Hogwarts were kept and cared for, the lake shimmering in the final rays of the sun.

They walked in companionable silence for a few moments. Things had been busy with prefect duties and new students and his job as competition commentator, so Roo hadn't really gotten to talk to Greg much over the past week. They had some stuff to catch up on.

“Sooooo….tell me...” Roo started, his mouth quirking into a playful smirk as they walked. “You and Charlie Little???”

GREG

The blush spread across Gregory’s features almost immediately, his eyes narrowing towards his friend with a small shake of his head. “Really - that’s what you’re going to ask about when you asked Ashley to the ball.” He shot back with a laugh; knowing he’d certainly had a good time overhearing all that during the task. However despite his words, Gregory did allow a short sigh, glancing towards Professor Tibbs’ place as they passed it.

“I uh… He’s nice, okay?” He started finally, gaze slipping back to Roo for a moment before he shrugged his shoulders again. Though it wasn’t like he had to explain himself to Roo - the older man wasn’t there to judge him. He was likely sincerely just curious and trying to kindly take the mickey out of him but… he still felt himself bristle slightly before he remembered there was nothing to get defensive over.

Roo wasn’t some rude Slytherin, Toulouse or any of the other bullies that dotted the school.

“Like….really nice. I didn’t even think he was gonna agree to going with me so.. I was just happy he said yes and.. Then we-” A pause to blush deeper. “Well.. uhm.. We had a good time. How was the ball for you? Was Ashley actually a good date?”

ROO

Yeah, Roo was being nosy, and he was totally going to take the Mickey out of Greg. But in a friendly sort of way, not at all like the bullies around school.

“I know he's nice,” Roo chuckled, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace. “Wasn't he in the COMC club back in our third year? Nice kid with an affinity for reptiles? Honest, I'm glad you guys had a great time. It was a very good time, if my sources are to be trusted.” The sly grin was back as he elbowed his friend playfully, stepping through the opening in the low stone wall halfway down the path to the magical creature paddock.

It was a mark of how good their friendship was that they could talk openly with one another. Greg knew Roo’s greatest secret, so what was a bit of teasing about love lives between friends?

It was Roo’s turn to blush. “Ashley’s—complicated,” he hedged, shrugging a bit. “She acts all tough and like she hates everything but every once in awhile she lets a small crack in her mask show and there's something else underneath, ya know?” He laughed, rubbing his neck as he added, “But yes, she was a great date. She called me an idiot the whole time but her actions told a completely different story.”

GREG

Gregory made a small affirmative hum at the question - though he made no move to correct his companion on the fact that he was younger than him and it was his second year that Charlie had been there. Gregory rarely hung out with the people in his year, anyways, after all and with most of his friends belonging to Fifth year? He might as well have been one. Often people talking with him about OWLs and classes he wasn’t even taking too. At least he’d be more prepared for them when they came.

“He’s great with herpetology. And herbology.” He agreed, knowing if there was something Charlie did well? It was caring for his little lizards and his toad. There was so much love and attention put into it and Greg was always impressed by it. “But..I guess your sources are right. Whatever extendable ears you’re using around me.” He teased back with a laugh, choosing to climb over a fallen log rather than walk around it (more fun that way).

“That’s good though! I mean - not that she called you an idiot or anything but… That you had a good time too.” He might not have expected it given Ashley being his date but… One could hope that perhaps they would have had a good night together. Even if it...was perhaps the weirdest pairing he could imagine. Even then - still happy for his friend. “Sooooooo.” He started teasingly, glancing over his shoulder and nearly tripping over a root the second he wasn’t paying attention. “You uh - Jesus - You think you’re gonna have a second date?” He recovered, playing it off with a cheeky grin.

ROO

“Weeeelllll….” Roo hedged, though his face went hot and he couldn't help the ridiculous grin. Technically, they'd been seeing each other in secret thanks to her strict family, but he had promised to keep it a secret, which felt really weird with his best friend, by the way. “We’ve hung out a few times since then.” True. “But I don't know that I'd call it a date, ya know?”

He kicked a stray stone down the hill ahead of the, and grinned back at his friend, his eyes dancing with laughter, “But my own weird love life aside, I'm crazy glad for you, mate. Having a great dance partner and a little action? Sounds like a recipe for a great night.” He clapped Greg genially on the back, laughing as he added, “So, have you two hung out much since then?”

Roo paused a split second, feeling a little odd. Like a burst of energy had drained away from his body. Like he needed to lie down. He blinked and shrugged. Thinking it was probably nothing and continued walking,

GREG

Greg certainly wasn’t into the idea of discussing his crazy weird love life either, but he had to suppose it was only fair to give back when he was asking the same things of Roo. Though unfortunately there wasn’t much to tell on that front. “Nah… We haven’t. I suppose time will tell though” He spoke with a gentle shrug - continuing quickly as he pressed on.

"Well maybe you should ask her out on another date though." He suggested, letting his head wander as they walked through the forest - keeping an eye on for any magical creatures on their way because well.. Gregory was always looking.

"Make it official or something, y'know?"

ROO

Roo shrugged noncommittally, though he smiled. “I dunno, maybe. Is it weird that I really like her? Like, like-like her?” He shook his head, eyes raised to the sky as he thought about everything that had happened throughout the month. And how much he appreciated his friend’s companionship and support.

The final dregs of afternoon warmth were fading, making way for the cool of night when his gaze snapped up and he grinned at his best friend.

“I think we both deserve happiness and would like to propose a pact,” he hopped up on a tree stump as if it were a stage, continuing, “That we both agree to shoot for the moon! That we'll both take the next step, whatever that may be, me with Ashley and you with Charlie. And we'll each be there cheering the other on, no matter what,” he grinned widely, holding his hand out to shake on it, “Whattya say?”

GREG

That was probably a pact that Greg was willing to agree to. Especially if it meant that his friend could shoot for his own happiness too. Though he was… uncertain about his future with Charlie - he had a lot of hope for Roo and Ashley. It was always the under-dog pairings that made it through right? And… well he liked to think that Ashley did have a heart underneath it all. Enough to see Roo as the great person that he truly was.

In fact, Gregory was certain that Roo would be an amazing boyfriend for anyone. They’d be lucky to have him.

The older boy’s hand was taken easily, a smile spreading across his lips as he shook on it firmly. “Agreed. And… I mean no matter what happens, no one can say we didn’t try, right?” Because in the end? That was all that really mattered - and even if things didn’t work out? At least they’d have each other there to support one another.

ROO

Roo grinned widely, clutching his friend’s hand and shaking. He was certain there were ways to be more dramatic about making a pact permanent and lasting, but he supposed just their word and a handshake would be enough. They were already best friends, right? If his friend couldn't trust him or the reverse, what was even the point?

The sun vanished behind the horizon, and something lurched inside Roo. He gasped, his heart nearly stopping in his chest.

No.

No. No. No. No. No. It wasn't time. He still had 3 hours and 23 minutes to go before—

Roo cringed away from his friend, grasping his head, struggling against the magic he could feel writhing inside, ready to take over his senses until dawn. A familiar burning tore through his body, sparking deep inside him and working its way out.

“Greg—” he gasped, his voice spiked with terror as he fell to the ground, “Run. Get away.”

GREG

It was easy to laugh as he pulled his hand back from his friends, nodding his promise to his friend and knowing that he didn’t have to worry about Roo backing out on his end of the deal. Maybe he’d talk to Charlie tomorrow - ask him to hang out or something. That would be nice…

“Roo?” Concern broke over his features as his friend stopped dead, Greg’s gaze looking over his shoulder before he turned towards him fully - a hand immediately reaching out as he fell to the grass below them. A cold sweat dotted his brow as he shook his head, even if Roo wasn’t watching him. “Roo - Roo what’s..what’s wrong?” He asked, his hand drawing back from his friend’s shoulder when he remembered what day it was. Slowly - his gaze slipped up to the sky; the full moon bearing down on them brightly, almost mocking them from its position as his eyes drew back to his friend.

Oh no.

Oh no, no, no. This shouldn’t be happening - this couldn’t be happening. Roo wouldn’t - he wouldn’t let himself turn in the woods. In front of him! He takes potions to prevent this! Did...did he forget?? “Roo - Please calm down. Just breathe okay.” He tried, taking a few careful steps back as he raised a shaky hand in a placating gesture - opposite moving to grip his wand within his robes. “It’s--- It’s gonna be okay! You’re fine, okay? Please just…” what? Not change?? Oh my god what was he going to do?

ROO

The change was coming, Roo could feel it. His mind, slipping out of his control. He wanted to cry, listening to Greg reassure him that he was going to be fine. But he wasn't, something had happened. He must have missed a dose of his potion in the excitement of everything that had happened.

But that's wasn't important right now. Greg was still there, a true friend, trying to comfort Roo, not caring he was in legitimate danger, one the change happened, Roo would cease to exist until dawn, a wild bloodthirsty beast left in his place.

“Greg! Get out of here! You have to save yourself!” he screamed, now thrashing as his body melted away into something else. And everything hurt. So much. He wanted it to be over, for the terror and the pain to be behind him.

Fur spring up on his neck, his back, his arms, everywhere. His bones morphing into a completely new shape, the shape of the wolf. Claws sprung from where his fingers had been and sharp fangs slid out in place of his teeth.

The more wolf like his body, the further his mind retreated into the farthest reaches of his consciousness until all that was left was the terror and rage and hunger of the wolf crouching in the grass, whimpering softly as it sniffed the air, trying to get its bearings.

GREG

This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. This couldn't have been happening. He knew about werewolves. He'd seen werewolves but - to watch Roo transform in front of him? To see his body tear itself apart and put itself back together?

It was terrifying.

He was terrified. And yet? As quick as it came it almost seemed over. Roo laid trembling and whimpering along the grass. He'd warned him. Told him to get away and yet Greg's feet remained planted to the ground - either from fear or concern he wasn't sure. The world felt so suddenly quiet and he was almost afraid to breathe.

"... R-Roo?" Finally came his voice, meeker than he'd expected as he pushed back upon the balls of his feet - ready to turn and run should this go badly.

ROO

The wolf bristled at the sound of the human voice, ignoring the ongoing struggle in the back of its mind. Only one thing mattered. The need to bite. To scratch. To howl and run and hunt.

It’s head snapped up, wide yellow eyes honing in on the boy that spoke, tense as it took on the stance of one preparing to flee.

The proper stance for prey.

Leaping to its feet, a snarl ripped from the wolf’s throat followed by a long howl, it’s nose pointed to the sky.

Finishing in a crouch the wolf turned its predatory gaze back in the boy foolish enough to still be standing there, it’s muscles tended, preparing to pounce when —

No! Don’t! Please!

A tiny weak voice cried out in the wolf’s mind struggling for control. The wolf shook its head, choosing to ignore it.  That voice held no power over the wolf.

The growl built in the wolf’s chest as it slowly stalked towards its prey, muscles tensing, preparing to go for the attack.

It paused as the voice returned, begging and pleading for it to stop. It was a distracting nuisance and the wolf was annoyed, snarling and snapping at the air over its shoulder as if the owner of the voice was right there.

The wolf shook its head. No. It would not yield.

Forward it moved, slowly crouching, staring at its trembling prey, until—it pounced! Leaping through the air towards the boy!

GREG

The boy easily flinched at the howl, stumbling back a few steps with a gasp. Fear had him frozen to the core then - locking eyes once more and it didn't take a genius to know the signs. Crouched on its haunches, a tension rippling through its muscles…

Roo was poised to attack.

And yet he couldn't move. Feet remained planted firmly upon the ground, iron grip on his wand and curses repeating like a mantra in his head. Roo got closer - snarling and snapping: at him, at itself.

Move. Run. Wake up, wake up, wake up. Please just —

Instinct worked before he did, throwing himself to the side as the werewolf finally lunged forward. Gregory fell easily to the forest floor, his legs scrambling underneath him almost immediately as he pushed himself up. By the time he was even close to standing he was already running, a mad sprint towards the edge of the forest. Towards help.

He just needed to get that far.

ROO

The boy dodged, tumbling to one side just in time to avoid the snapping jaws of the wolf. The wolf skidded to a halt, howling it’s rage at the night sky before changing course and giving chase to its prey.

Bounding over the grassy hills, the forest called out to the wolf. It was the siren call of freedom and it was tempting. But the forest could wait, the predator must first satisfy the primal hunger burning inside—and the need to bite. To scratch. To destroy.

The prey was just ahead, still fleeing. Still putting up a fight. But the wolf was closing in. Just a few more bounds and—it leapt! Flying through the air it landed gracefully, it's front paws knocking the boy facefirst to the ground.

With a final snarl of victory, wolf sunk its teeth into the boy's flesh, the scent and taste of blood satisfying the beast within until another howl pierced the darkness, calling the wolf to it. The wolf howled in reply and bounded into the forest, leaving its prey curled up alone and bleeding at the edge of the forest.

GREG

Shoes pressed quickly over the uneven terrain of the forest, his balance slipping once more but he didn't fall. Instead his hand brushed over the dirt, pushing up as he fought to correct his balance - leaving his wand to snap right out of his hand at the contact and leaving him completely defenseless.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck.

Tears has long since sprung from his eyes, trailing down his face as he glanced over his shoulder and caught the beast (it sure wasn't his best friend anymore) speeding up behind him. Closer and closer. The snarls almost directly behind him now. The edge of the woods was close though! All he needed to do was reach it and — and well maybe he'd find help.

"Professor Tibbs!" He screamed, hoping, praying, the man was outside. That he'd hear him. That anyone would hear him. "Professor Tibbs please! Help me! He—" The call for help faltered as he felt the weight connect with his back, pain flaring through him as he fell roughly to the ground.

It was only in that moment that Gregory remembered himself. Remembered that werewolves wouldn't harm an animagus. He would have been fine if he'd have transformed and ran away - the wolf would have lost interest. All he had to do was concentrate and maybe he could still get away!

Too little too late.

All too soon, his gasp fell away to a scream of agony, hot white pain flaring in his shoulder as he felt the wolf's jaws clamp down and tear relentlessly into flesh. It was like a nightmare he wasn't waking up from - a scary movie he was merely acting it; except it was _real,_ and he could feel everything. Broken sobs slipped from his lips, a hand shakily pressing to his mangled mess of skin, the blood slicking his fingers as he heard the crunch of leaves and twigs around him. The wolf was leaving but Gregory couldn't have been less aware, panic flooding his mind as his heart pounded in his ears, the pain leaving him all but motionless.

Blackness dotted his vision and Gregory tried to call out - to move or do anything but his body failed him. Perhaps his mind too - almost imagining the silhouettes of people in the distance but heavy-lidded eyes simply wouldn't focus. Wouldn't dare tell him his fantasies from the harsh reality.

—and as the blackness took over, he couldn't help but think that might've been for the best.

ROO

A mighty gasp brought the boy back to the world of light. He jolted upright, sobs wracking his body as the dream replayed in his mind in great detail.

Another Swynlake dream. Great. He’d lived through enough of those over the past 16 years that he wasn’t surprised anymore. He usually didn’t put much stock in them.

But this one felt—different. Somehow. Like it could mean something.

The memory of the wolf taking over his body—the beast attacking his dream best friend who happened to be a good friend of his in real life—that disturbed him most. He couldn’t believe he was capable of such violence, even in a dream.

Especially a dream that had been so nice until the final moments. Memories of friendship, camaraderie, incredible magical creatures and an impossible first kiss were bright spots trying to outshine the darkness that was the beast he’d become.

Still trembling, Roo took a few calming breaths and, scrubbing his hands on his face, climbed from the couch where he’d apparently been when the magic took over the town, and went to find his mom. He might be nearly grown but sometime a kid just needed his mom. Besides if what he remembered of her status in the dream was correct, she might need him in that moment as much as he needed her.

[favouriteentertainer-blog]

Chapter 3 - I’m Bein Straight Up

“I know fake love”  

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 

“You definitely did not wake up on time,” Hailee laughed as I strolled into the living room.

“I’m sorry,” I groaned as I tapped my phone to double check the time—it was noon and like I’d anticipated, I’d slept for 10 hours.

“All good.” She perked up, “should we go get some coffee?” She was eyeing me strangely, a small smile plastered on her face.

“Stop.” I rolled my eyes, “I don’t need you to play Cupid.” Friends meddling in love lives never worked out, it always made both parties involved feel uncomfortable. Not to mention that I was certainly not looking for a love life with Zayn.

“Oh cmon,” she huffed, “I’m not trying to play Cupid! You always go for a coffee when you wake up, what’s stopping you now?”

“Shut up,” I took a big gulp from my water bottle. I was always so parched when I woke up, it was ridiculous. “No coffee.”

“Yes coffee.” She pulled me up from the couch, “brush your teeth and get dressed.”

“Wow.” I stared at her vacantly, “you’re really something else today.” I looked down at my tattered football jersey, I wished I could stay in it all day. “But whatever,” I turned away to walk back to my room.

“I just want my coffee.” She shrugged as she walked with me, that stupidly suspicious smile hinting on her face.

—

“Okay.” I covered my mouth with my scarf, “it’s fucking freezing.” Was my nose about to fall off? It sure as hell felt like it.

“Quit your whining,” Hailee snapped. “I’m cold too.” 

“Okay, well it’s not my fault Lily is taking 500 years to arrive.” I scanned the area hoping to see her little red face pop up.

Someone was limping down the path and I smiled knowingly “bloody, finally.” Hailee rubbed her hands together and I cheered internally.

“Took you long enough!” I shouted when she was close enough. 

“Sorry ladies,” she smiled as she approached, “you know me and my bad knee.”

“Can’t invite you anywhere Lil,” Hailee joked. 

“Shut up Amalfi.” Lily jabbed her in the ribs and I rolled my eyes. 

“Can we please just go inside, I’m about to become a human ice lolly.” 

“You’d be the tastiest looking ice lolly I’ve ever seen,” Lily complimented as I pushed open the cafe door.

“Thanks Lil,” I laughed as I took off my gloves—the heating inside was a relief, I felt human again.

“Okay, Lily, Kali has a crush on the waiter.” Hailee spoke in a hushed tone as she shimmied off her coat.

“What? Which waiter does she have a crush on?” Lily spoke loudly enough that Zayn perked up and smiled from behind the counter.

“Oh my god.” I groaned in pain, “shut up, both of you—oh my god, he’s heard.” I was dying inside and trying not to look over at the same time.

“Oh no,” Lily slapped her palm to her forehead, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.” She was genuine, I knew she was—Lily would never intentionally say or do anything to hurt anyone. She was so pure and so lovely, I couldn’t even be annoyed.

“That’s okay Lil, I’m sure he didn’t hear.” I wasn’t sure, but I was going to tell myself that anyway. “I’m gonna go up and order, shall I get yours as well?” I was biting the bullet, I really wanted my coffee as much as I was denying it.

“Yes please.” They both said in unison. 

“Be right back.” I mustered up every bit of courage I had and walked confidently towards the register. “Hey,” I said casually as I rifled through my purse for my card.

“Hey,” Zayn smirked, “so do you really have a crush on one of the waiters?”

My head shot up immediately, “what?!” I tried to pretend like I didn’t know what he was talking about.

“Let me guess,” he held his index finger to his chin and scanned the room quizzically. “It’s Lauren isn’t it?”

“Fuck off.” I said in a huff, every other waiter, or rather waitress in the place—besides him—was a woman. “No I don’t have a crush on anyone, I just broke up with my boyfriend and my friends are trying to be funny.”

“I think they’re hilarious.” He was smiling at my table, where both the idiots were trying and failing to look without making it obvious. He gave them a little wave and they both snapped their heads away. “You can tell me if you like me ya know.”

“Zayn,” I rolled my eyes, “I don’t like you, can I just order my coffees now?” Trying to lie to him was so hard—i just knew he could see right through me and i fucking hated it.

“Sure thing babe, what you after?” I knew him calling me babe was just a reflex but it still made me feel stupidly giddy.

“Three medium caps please.” I spoke bluntly as I handed him my card— I was trying to hold in the emotions that were ready to bubble out of me. If I had the ability to go red I would’ve been as vibrant as a tomato—to make matters worse, our fingertips brushed and I honestly felt like my life was flashing before my eyes.

He stared at me strangely as if he were going to say something, but seemingly decided against it. “Should be ready soon,” he handed my card back to me and I nodded in response.

“What was that?!” Hailee whispered aggressively as soon as I got back to the table.

“What was what?” I asked, I was truly hot and bothered. 

“That was such a strange interaction,” she seemed confused by the whole thing. I didn’t blame her, it would’ve been extremely hard to watch as a third party.

“I really couldn’t analyse anything, but you know how bad I am with stuff like this,” Lily also gave me her two cents worth.

“It is what it is.” I shrugged, “we are very weird around each other.” It was the truth, I didn’t think Zayn and I had quite gotten used to each other. The barista called out my name, I didn’t want to have to get up and go over to the counter so I made Lily go get the coffees. 

—

“Do you think—“ 

“Oh—“ Lily interrupted me “the hot waiter is coming this way.” 

“What?!” I almost choked on my coffee, not wanting to turn around to make myself obvious.

“Hello ladies.” Zayn said suavely as he pulled up a chair at our table. “What’s wrong with your leg?” He raised an eyebrow at Lily’s brace.

“Fell off a horse.” She shrugged as if it were a very normal thing. Her family owned a farm, so when she had time she was always over there.

“Ouch, doesn’t sound fun.” He shuddered as if he could feel her pain. 

“It’s not, I have to sit at home all day and—“ 

“What do you want Zayn?” I said exhaustedly—cutting Lily off before she could go on a tangent.

“Just wanted to meet your friends.” He smiled sheepishly. He was doing it because he knew it would annoy me.

“Okay,” I wasn’t even surprised, this was so on brand for him. He always did the weirdest shit at the weirdest of times. “This is Hailee,” I nodded over at her and she responded with a little hello, “and this is our resident cripple Lily.”

“Don’t you think cripple is a little harsh?” He let out a small laugh. 

“She gave herself that name, Hailee perked up. So—“ she took a sip of her coffee, “how did you two become friends?” She was digging in.

“I watched her break up with her boyfriend.” He turned to me, a sly smile plastered on his face.

“You finally broke up with that loser?” Lily’s mouth hung open. 

“Lily I told you in the group chat.” In her defence it was a one liner message that had probably gotten lost amongst Hailee and I talking.

“You know I don’t check it when there’s more than 30 messages.” She defended herself and Zayn snorted.

“That is true,” I nodded knowingly. I turned back to Zayn, “shouldn’t you be working?” I questioned him. I wished he’d get lost so I wouldn’t have to deal with the discomfort of everyone prying into my personal life.

“So did all of you hate her boyfriend?” Zayn completely ignored me and looked between the two girls.

“Yes.” They said simultaneously. I really hadn’t realised that they’d all hated Dan so much. Clearly I hadn’t been listening to their opinions—or they just hadn’t been giving them.

“He was bland, really bland.” Hailee shook her head in disappointment, “he really dulled her light you know?” She stroked my hair lovingly.

“Okay, can we not,” I groaned as I gently pushed her hand away, “and you.” I turned back to Zayn, “I asked you a question.”

“It’s 2pm Kali, some of us start work at 6am. I’m done for the day.” He leaned back in his chair, revealing the waistband of his boxers—I didn’t want to look but I definitely did, my eyes travelled up his snail trail—I wondered what the rest of his chest would look like for a split second, before I shook myself out of it. 

“Then go home and sleep.” I berated him, he didn’t have to make me feel bad. I worked too.

“I can’t,” he sighed, “I’ve gotta start moving my stuff into my cousins place.”

“You’re moving in with your cousin?” Lily asked, “where does he live?” She wasn’t looking at him as she spoke, she was too busy fiddling with a packet of sugar.

“Yeah,” he shrugged, “till I find a place, it’s real temporary for now. There’s an apartment complex maybe 1k north from here” he ran his fingers through his hair and I had to mentally stop myself from clenching my jaw.

“Our part of town, maybe we’ll see you round more than we do now.” Hailee nudged me under the table and I shot her a look that said to stop. I did not need her adding fuel to the fire.

“Yeah maybe,” he smiled softly, “anyway it was nice to meet you both. I don’t know how you put up with grumpy over here but I commend you for it.”

I flipped him the bird and he reached out to ruffle my hair. “Ugh.” I let out a groan of disgust as I tried to set it all back into place—I couldn’t understand why everyone was just touching my hair. “Get out.” I showed him away, part of me was relieved he was leaving, but the other part wished he would stay. 

-

When I took the elevator to AJ’s level I was surprised to see his apartment door was already open. I didn’t think anything of it and just headed on in, sometimes his flatmates left it open so they could take the bins down.

I was so ready to unload all my feelings into him—I knew he wouldn’t care, but it needed to be done. I had so much to say and he loved hearing about men, especially really beautiful ones.

I could hear the soft sound of music coming from inside his room as I knocked on his door. I wondered if he was in one of his moods, because I could hear Jhene Aiko and he never listened to her.

When the door flung open I was ready to launch into a tirade. “Oiiiii I’ve had the—oh my fucking god.” My stomach dropped, “you are not AJ.” I stated the obvious as my eyes met with a shirtless Zayn. All that wondering I’d been doing about his chest in the cafe had very quickly been answered. His skin was littered with tattoos, they seemed to make no sense, but something told me he’d been using his body as a diary and I heavily vibed with it. He had three shirts balanced on his arm and I assumed had been unpacking. The cogs in my head finally decided to turn—AJ was his cousin, and he was the cousin AJ had warned me about.

“Are you following me?” He asked, not bothering to step aside so that I could at least enter the damn room.

I rolled my eyes at his audacity. “Am I following you?! This is MY apartment building!” I was irrationally annoyed—mainly because he’d now invaded my safe space. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t pieced it together when he’d mentioned it at the café—I’d been too busy thinking about his perfect face. 

“AJ is in the shower.” He looked past me and nodded towards the bathroom door.

“Well I’m not gonna join him in there, so let me into the damn room.” I pushed past him and flung myself onto AJ’s bed. He took a seat on the office chair and stared at me for a few seconds.

“This is really weird huh?” He asked as he put his feet up beside me. I pushed them away—I hated feet.

“You’re just popping up everywhere,” I groaned into one of the pillows. “I have seen you more than I’ve seen your damn cousin this week and he’s one of my best friends.” I didn’t know what sort of sick game the universe was playing with me but I was not enjoying it. There was no escaping him, everywhere I turned, he was there. 

“You need to calm down, I’m not going to eat you—“ 

“Eat her?” AJ strolled into the room in his towel. “You’ve only known her for two seconds Zayn.”

“You haven’t told your best friend about me?!” Zayn pretended to gasp. 

I finally lifted my head from the pillow. “There’s nothing to tell, why would I tell him about a waiter I’d just met.”

“I thought we were friends?” He stared at me quizzically. 

I realised that my statement might have hurt him and quickly tried to recover. “We are, but AJ does not care about that.” I looked to AJ for some support.

“I’m so confused, but also I don’t care. It’s good that you know each other—But you can both leave the room so I can get changed, thanks.” He used his eyes to signal down at the bright yellow towel that was covering his waist.

I let out another exasperated groan and trudged towards the door. 

“Out,” he urged Zayn who reluctantly followed. 

“I’ve seen your willy before,” Zayn reminded him. 

“Don’t get me started.” AJ warned him before shutting the door. 

The two of us made our way into the lounge. He made it a point to sit next to me on the couch, despite there being one with more space right next to me.

“Why are you so weird around me?” He questioned. 

“I don’t know,” the question struck me, but for once I answered truthfully. “I really don’t know.” I wanted so badly to be okay around him, but for the most part I was a mess.

“At least you’re being honest.” He made sure to point that fact out. “You lie to me half the time.” 

“I lie to myself half the time.” I had no idea where our conversation was going, but words were just falling out of my mouth.

“You’re so strange,” he reminded me for the millionth time. 

“So you keep saying,” I sighed. My phone buzzed from inside my jacket pocket and I rushed to pull it out to save myself from the awkward encounter.

A message from Hailee popped up asking if I wanted to watch a movie. I quickly replied saying I’d be up soon—I couldn’t tell AJ what I wanted to and he was probably on his way out anyway.

“Do you wanna come up to my flat an watch a movie?” I proposed the idea to Zayn. I decided that I was going to do my best to try and be a good friend—regardless of the fact that I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

A real smile found it’s way onto his face, “yeah sure.” 

“Let me ask your cousin if he wants to join.” I pushed myself off the couch and banged on AJ’s door.

“What?” He groaned. 

“Do you wanna come up and watch a movie?!” I pressed my face to his door as I spoke so he could hear me clearly.

“Nah, gonna go meet a boy.” I wasn’t surprised by his answer, I’d felt it in my bones that he was going out.

“Okay, I’m stealing your cousin, promise to return him.” I turned back to Zayn and waved for him to get up and come with me. I headed towards the apartment door before turning on my heels. “Wait,” I stared at him for a second, “you should probably put a shirt on.” 

—

“Kali doesn’t like scary movies,” Hailee smirked as Zayn took a seat next to me on the couch. He had no other option, she was sprawled out along the three-seater and there was no room for him to sit. I knew for a fact she was doing it on purpose. She had been pleasantly surprised when I’d brought him up to the apartment with me—and even more surprised when she’d found out he was our best friend’s cousin. She hadn’t had time to speak to me privately, but I knew I’d be hearing about it once he was gone. 

“With good reason,” I shuddered as she loaded up the conjuring. “Would you mind turning off the lights Z?” He’d gotten up to get a glass of water and I was too busy making myself comfortable with my blanket. I was fully clothed in a set of flannel pyjamas, but movies called for extra warmth—especially horror movies. 

“Sure,” he, backtracked a few steps and flicked the switch before continuing on his path back to the couch. “What’s the reason?” He asked curiously, the glare of the TV casting a beautifully ominous light against his skin as he got closer.

“For what?” I raised an eyebrow. 

“Not liking scary movies? Do you believe in ghosts?” He plopped himself back onto the couch and took it upon himself to steal half my blanket. He was lucky it was large enough for four people.

“100% I believe in ghosts, and I’m really fucking terrified of the dark.” I hated to admit it, it felt childish, but it wasn’t irrational. We had no idea what went on in the dark, it was far too mysterious for my liking, just like the ocean.

“I’m afraid of clowns,” he leaned over and whispered it in my ear so that only I could hear. 

“I won’t lie, I also am—“ I didn’t bother to move away despite his closeness, I was uncomfortable but I was trying not to be weird—we were sharing a moment and I needed to allow that to happen. 

“Are we ready for me to press play?” Hailee turned around—the two of us moved apart like lightening, but I knew in my heart there was no way she didn’t see how close we were.

“Yeah go on,” Zayn urged her, picking up his glass to take an awkward sip. 

She turned away, but I could see her smiling to herself from the angle I was sitting. She normally hated people getting irrationally close during movie time—she preferred everyone focused, but something told me she was extremely happy with our proximity. 

—

I could feel my heart beating in my chest as the movie ran its course. I always tried my best to be vigilant when watching horror films, because there was no escaping them, especially when my friends loved them—but I knew for a fact that I wasn’t going to be able to sleep. I wished I could reach over and grab Zayn’s hand, I almost did—but he was loving it and I couldn’t interrupt. Instead, I kept them balled into fists and hid them under the blanket.

His knee brushed against mine just as a loud bang scared the shit out of me—I had to hold back a scream and managed to whither it down into a startled gasp. Zayn turned to me for a second, but then quickly turned away. I wondered if he was laughing at me on the inside, I sighed internally—I was such a loser. 

I felt him move slightly and without warning he slid his hand into mine and squeezed—my poor heart began to speed up, if I didn’t know better I would’ve said that I was at risk of going into cardiac arrest. However, I held my ground, I didn’t even flinch, instead I continued to hold on for dear life—because friends could hold hands too.

We sat like that for a solid hour, our hands just entwined, not a word spoken. It was comfortable and dare I say it felt right. The movie finally ended, much to my relief and when Hailee got up to switch the light on we finally broke free from each other.

“You good?” He smiled lazily as he stretched out his back. 

“Yeah,” I nodded wearily, “I don’t know why I allow myself to sit through those—on one hand I’m kinda excited, and on the other I’m absolutely shitting bricks.” I pulled the collar of my shirt up to my mouth and brought my knees to my chest, I needed to reflect about what I’d just seen on the screen. 

He laughed lightly, “Yeah,” he leaned into me, “you gave my hand a workout.” He was speaking quietly enough so that Hailee, who’d scurried off into the kitchen couldn’t hear.

“Would you both like a cup of tea?” She shouted over the tap. 

“Yes please—“ I never said no to a tea and I damn well needed one after the terrifying experience.  

“Zayn?” She popped her head around the wall. 

“I’m good thank you, I’m gonna have to get back downstairs.” He moved off of me as he pulled his phone from his pocket. “Let me see where my stupid—“ he scanned over a text and flung his head back in agony. “Here—“ he passed me the phone.

“What am I supposed to—“ 

“Read the message,” he prompted me. 

“Not coming home tonight. Stay with Kali.” I rolled my eyes in frustration as I read the message from my stupid other half. I checked the time—if it wasn’t 1am I would’ve suggested he go down there and bang on the door till someone let him in, but it was just inappropriate at 1:45am. 

“Do you mind if I crash on your couch?” He asked as I handed him back the phone.

“You can’t—“ Hailee answered for me as she set my mug down in front of me. “Our flatmate and her two friends from Italy will be home soon and they’ve got dibs on both the couches.” They were out clubbing on a Tuesday night, international students just did not know when to stop. 

“Fuck—“ he muttered under his breath, “I knew I should’ve stolen his spare key.” He held his head in his hands as he contemplated what to do. 

“It’s fine,” I patted him on the back, “I’ve got a blow-up mattress, but you’re gonna have to use those biceps of yours to pump it up.” I squeezed on his practically non-existent bicep. There was no way we were using the automatic pump at 1am. 

“Yeah no dramas,” he turned to Hailee with an exasperated look on his face, “I don’t suppose I could get that tea?”

[scullysexual]

@purrykat ask: All the even numbers. 

I was a nob and deleted the original ask like a noob.

2) What Is The Stupidest Way You’ve Gotten Hurt? 

I was dancing in my room (like any normal person would) and I waved my hands in the air and jumped, knocked my glass light shade and sliced my finger. I looked down at my bloody finger then back up at the light shade and thought oh shit...

4) What was the first R rated movie you watched?

By R I’m gonna go off an age 18 rating because...welcome to the UK! Probably a horror film I watched that was 18. I dunno, I don’t watch a lot of films.

6) What is a band you can always reliably love? 

I don’t know if I love them per se but I go back to Imagine Dragons a lot.

8) What is something from your childhood you wish you still had?

My imagination. Just not as big as it used to be and I miss it. 

10) What is the longest friendship you’ve ever had?

My friend I met in Year 8 of high school (so that’s going on 6 years now) She’s the only one of my friends from high school that I still stay in contact with.

12) Do you believe in ghosts?

100%. I’m convinced I have saw one, I’ve had a toilet stall door slam next door to the one I was in when no one else was in the bathroom, I can sense them around, and just earlier my TV turned on by itself. I believe in ghosts.

14) How old were you when you learned to swim?

Seven maybe? Didn’t do me a whole load of good because a year later I nearly drowned!

16) Are you an adrenaline junky?

Meaning am I addicted to adrenaline? No, I wouldn’t say so. I like feeling it but I wouldn’t go out of my way to make it.

18) What is your favourite word?

Gonna go on the word I use the most and that is probably fab. 

20) What scent reminds you of your childhood?

I’m not sure. I don’t remember a lot of smells from my childhood tbf so I can’t really answer this.

22) When in life did you laugh the hardest?

Maybe when all my family is together. We’re quite the funny lot.

24) Do you come from a big family?

Nope. We’re pretty small in comparison and I don’t have a lot of extended family. All together there’s only 9 (for a majority of my life. Then we became 11 when my nieces were born)

26) What is the worst pain you’ve ever felt.

Emotional pain. The day after my birthday when I was hit with this wave of depression after being extremely happy. I think it was made worst by the happiness I felt the previous day. 

28) Do you get confused for being older or younger than you are?

Younger. I’ve been asked if I’m 14 before. Oldest I’ve currently been asked is 17. I’m 20. But cheaper bus tickets :P

30) What is the best compliment you ever received?

Probably when my Year 11 English teacher told me I had written the best story out of the entire class. That is the reason I write 4 years later.

32) What is the worst insult you’ve ever received?

I don’t remember the exact thing said but I remember another girl’s (who I believed was my friend at the time because, you know, be friends with everyone in the class) reply: “Yeah, I know.” And while I can’t remember what the first person said, it bothered me enough that I still think about it ten years later and feel hurt. There was another time when we had these things called worry worms and we were told to take them home and bring them back a week later. I had the reputation of always being worried and I would eat at my sleeves. My teacher told me not to bring mine back because “it would be chewed to pieces by the end of the week”. That same teacher also shouted at me for attempting to save my fellow almost drownee (re: the swimming question) 

34) Do you collect anything?

I am a hoarder. I hoard train tickets and plane tickets. In terms of what I collect legitimately, I collect funko pops. (and some would argue Mickey Mouse jumpers)

36) Weirdest food you have ever eaten.

I haven’t, ngl.

38) Most people you have shared a bed with in a non sexual manner.

Five, I believe. Maybe one doesn’t count because we liked each other.

40) Did your parents ever accidentally lose or forget you?

Not that I’m aware of. 

42) What food reminds you of home?

Not many. I’m really detached when it comes to tastes or smell apparently. Sounds however...that’s a different story.

44) Cold room with loads of blankets, hot room with no blankets?

Cold room all the way. I can’t sleep in heat. If I want to sleep I must sleep in a cold (or normal temp) room. Get away with your heat.

46) Do you run hot or cold?

Neither. I react to the temperature around. If it’s cold, I’m cold. If it’s hot, I’m hot.

50) If you could be good at one things what would it be?

Maths. Or anything logical based for that matter. Stupidity doesn’t exist but when it comes to maths or anything logical I feel stupid and it’s really hurtful. 

[mias97]

Q&A Tag

I was tagged by @spooky-with-woo thank you dear 💓 and sorry this is so late, I am horrible 😭

Since you tagged me twice in this I am gonna put all 22 questions in one post, and I am gonna put it under keep reading because I am considerate 😂

You have to answer 11 questions and write 11 new questions. And tag others to do the same! It’ll be fun!!

1st tag questions:

🌱 What’s the best memory you can think of from the past 5 years?

Most definitely meeting one of my best friends about 5 years ago, she means a lot to me

🌱 What’s your life motto and do you follow it often?

My motto has been the same my entire life : Worry about nothing, pray about everything. But can I say I live by that motto? not really, I can’t say I don’t worry much

🌱 What’s the best/worst phrase you’ve heard before?

Honestly, the best phrase ever is shit happens, I love that phrase

🌱 You can only describe yourself with 1 book, 1 song and 1 movie. Which do you choose?

Book - I don’t think I read a book to which I relate

Song - Reflection - RM

Movie - Same as book

🌱Have you ever listened to a song that made you cry a bunch? Which?

It would be too long of a list, but some are Our Page by SHINee, Haru Haru by Bigbang, Sea by BTS, Awake by Jin

🌱 Where’s your favorite place to just be alone?

A place in my hometown near my grandmas house where I can see my entre hometown, it is perfect especially at night when I can only see street lights, stars and moon and it’s just me and my cigarette

🌱 If you could take one trait from your bias, which would it be?

From Bobby, always being positive and bright, no matter what happens, and being less shy

🌱 What’s the most exciting thing that’s happened this past year?

2017? getting into kpop, hanging out with friends constantly, regular partying and drinking, finding out a great boy is falling for me, and me falling for him

🌱 If you could do one thing without suffering the consequences, what would you do?

Rob a bank obviously 😂

🌱 What’s something you wish people you cared about dearly would tell you more often?

I would like to hear more how much I mean to them and of course more compliments because I am insecure hoe 😂

🌱You have a one time chance to spend a day with your bias. What would you two do?

I shall do this with my bias, but honestly I wanna spend a day with Siwon or Hanbin, or both at the same time, like I wanna take a walk with them besides Han river and just talk, deep late night talks would be perfect. I never imagined what would a day with my bias look like but I always imagined talks with those two, they are just so fanscinating and I wanna talk with them about our beliefs, how we see the world, everything, like that’s all I want

2nd tag questions:

🌱 What’s the “weirdest” song that stands out from your library?

Idk if I have that one song that stands out from my library, my library is just old rock music and kpop, only thing that could possibly stand out is a few croatian songs

🌱 Do you have a piece of clothing or jewelry that you hold dearly?

I can’t think of anything special right now, but like anything I get I hold it dearly, it is hard for me to get rid of things I got for myself let alone if somebody else gets me something

🌱 Have you ever gotten something autographed? How’d you get it?

Yes, few things, nothing special aside of one thing. I have always loved football, but almost 10 years ago I had that one football player that I really loved. He played for croatian club (that was not in my town) and my biggest wish was to see him playing in person but I never got the chance. Family’s friend knew about my wish and how much I loved him, that friend worked for croatian television channel. So one day that friend was filming the match where that player played and after match he got his pic and behind the pic he asked him to write a dedication to me. It was so cute and it meant so much to me. Even greater was the fact that that player didn’t know croatian that well but still wrote a dedication to me in croatian

🌱 What concert/festival did you really want to go to this year but had to miss?

I really wanted to go see Got7 with my friend on this world tour in Europe, but every country they held concert in was too far from Croatia so we had to miss it 😭

🌱 What’s the hardest thing for you to do alone?

Going on important exams, somebody has to go through my panic attacks before an exam with me. Honestly i am not a person that like to be alone too much either

🌱 Would you rather stay in your hometown for the rest of your life but have everyone you love and appreciate live near you or move to your dream location and have a stable life but leave everyone you know behind?

I don’t even want to move out of my part of town let alone move outside of my town so yeah I would rather stay here with my loved ones

🌱 Favorite thing to do during this lovely month of Halloween?

I am not a Halloween kind of person so october is just a month for me, but the thing I like to do in october, just like every other winter month, lying in cozy sweater under a blanket

🌱 Are you a trick or treating kind of person or someone who would rather hand out the candy?

I don’t even know what is this lmaooo, Halloween is definitely not a thing in my country

🌱 Do you have any crazy Halloween stories? Break into anything? Throw an insane party? Spill.

As I said, most people in my country don’t even know when is Halloween let alone partying on Halloween being a regular thing, so nah, I spend that that like any other

🌱 What’s the craziest thing you’ve done that when you look back you;re just like “wow who possessed me and made me do that?”

Hmmm, writing a grade for myself and few other classmates when professor wasn’t looking. That professor had a drinking and possibly drugs problem so she wouldn’t notice that we haven’t had an oral exam but still had grades. She never noticed when others did it but she noticed my grade because I wrote it with a blue pen and not her usual black pen, I was in such a trouble, almost got myself kicked out of school, but yeah

🌱 If you could spend a date night on Halloween and just eat candy and watch horror movies, which idol would you want to do it with?

Hmmm definitely not a type for horror movies, but doing it with my idol? I am in 😂 I can definitely imagine myself and some easily scared idol so we would have a contest who is going to scream more at scenes that are not even scary. Someone like BTS’ Hobi, iKON’s Yunhyeong or Chanwoo, Monsta X’s Jooheon or Got7′s Jackson or Youngjae

My questions:

Which idol do you consider your ideal type and why?

What is that one thing you have to do before you die?

Which idols do you think you wouldn’t get along well if you knew them in real life?

You have to listen to only one group for the rest of your life, which one are you choosing?

If you could be any idol for a month, who would you choose and why?

Last book you read, last song you listened and last movie you saw?

Of all the idols which one do you consider best looking?

You have only one chance to travel, where would you go?

You can have one superpower, which one do you want?

What is your favourite memory?

Which idol is most similar to you?

I am tagging @myblogisanark @mochi-bambam @confetti-cake-key @shineekeylover, @min-baby-boy-yoongi @yongghuk, @igneousstrayer,  @leigh-darling

[eightmakar]

Fingers Crossed / Two

Teaser // One // Two // Three

Summary: Peter return and explains himself

Word Count: 2.1k

(A/n: this is was way longer!! CONTAINS INFINITY WAR SPOILERS AND MY IDEAS OF POST-INFINITY WAR. Message me to be tagged! xx)

Gods. Aliens. Robots. Guys in suits. Magicians. Tony Stark. Each day the news covered something new about whatever was going on. That Tony was missing, but nothing about Peter.

Even though every Midtown student lived for this type of thing, school was cancelled due to the terror of people disappearing. There were reports all over that people randomly dissolved; luckily, none of your immediate family had. Your mom told you a few other family members you had very little connection to dissolved, and Ned said he knew a bunch of people that did, but you and May were fine. You were just praying that Peter wasn’t one of the ones who had dissolved.

Pepper still hadn’t heard anything from Tony. The two of you were keeping your fingers crossed that they would come back whole. When a week had passed and they were still missing, she came to visit May.

She brought dinner, the nicest dinner you and May had had in a while. Steak, seafood, anything you could imagine. It seemed normal to you; Pepper Potts, the CEO of Stark Industries, was casually having dinner in the Parker’s kitchen.

In the midst of your meal, her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID, then shot out of her chair.

“It’s Tony!” She cried.

You crossed your fingers, hoping that Mr. Tony Stark would have an answer for you and May.

“Tony?” Pepper answered her phone. “Tony? Where the hell are you?”

You could hear his voice, but not make out the words. You looked at May anxiously, your hands shaking, a wave of nausea running over you. It felt like Pepper and Tony’s conversation went on forever before she asked him what you were dying to hear: “Is the kid with you?”

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, waiting.

“If he’s with you put him on the damn phone right now, Tony! I’m with his aunt and girlfriend and they have been in shambles. Put him on the phone right now.”

Your heart jumped. Pepper turned her phone on speaker phone, and you and May simultaneously cried Peter’s name.

“Hey hey hey, there’s no need to yell now.”

You burst into tears. He’s there. He’s alive, and alive enough to be talking to you. You jumped up and grabbed Pepper’s phone.

“Peter Benjamin Parker I’m going to beat the sh—“

“Baby, I know, I’ll explain everything later. I love you.”

“Where are you?”

“We’re at the facility upstate. The one I told you about.”

Tony took over the phone. “He’s safe here. Pepper—“

“Safe?” You echoed. “I’m sorry, since when has Peter been safe with you Mr. Stark?”

“Hey, honey....” Pepper tried to stop you. You didn’t care.

“Listen,” Tony said, calculated. “I know you’re mad, so please give me the chance to explain.”

“Mad is an understatement.” The voice in the back of your head was screaming at you. Why were you talking to one of the world’s richest and smartest men like that?

“Pepper? Are you there?”

“I’m here,” Pepper replied, stepping closer to you.

“Just bring them upstate.”

“I will. See you soon.”

“Bye.”

Pepper took the phone from you and ended the call. She immediately dialed another number, and said “Happy, it’s me. I’m coming down right now with May and (Y/N), and you need to take us to the Upstate Facility right away. Tony finally called. Great, be there in a second.” She turned to you and May. “Follow me, we’re going upstate.”

The car ride felt endless. You were itching to hold Peter in your arms, to kiss his face, to see that he’s okay. To actually see, not just hear his voice.

You couldn’t believe your eyes when you pulled into the Avenger’s Facility. It was enormous, just like Peter had told you. You were ushered inside by Happy and Pepper and you didn’t have time to look around because Peter was waiting in the lobby for you and May to arrive.

You froze when you saw him. There he was, in the flesh, standing just a few feet from you. May took advantage of your hesitation and ran to Peter, hugging him tighter than you’d ever seen. She whispered things to him like “are you okay?” and “I missed you so much” and “please don’t do that to us ever again.”

When May was finished greeting him, you finally processed that he was back, your best friend was back, your love was back. She had barely gotten out of the way when you barreled into Peter.

You began sobbing into his chest the moment you touched him. He was here, with you, and you were with him, hugging him, smelling him, feeling him. You held him as tight as you could, knowing you couldn’t hurt him no matter how hard you squeezed. Your Peter was back.

You pulled back from the hug. Peter leaned down to kiss you, and instead of accepting his kiss you punched his arm over and over. “Where did you go, Peter? You had us worried to death!”

“Hey hey hey baby stop stop!” He put his arms up in front of his face to protect it. “Let me explain. But first, this is Mr. Stark.”

You didn’t even realize Pepper and Tony Stark were having their own reunion next to you. It was much quieter than yours and Peter’s; you supposed they’d done this many more times than you, plus you and Peter were just 17.

You pursed your lips looking at Tony. He greeted May, complimenting her on her looks, and turned to you. “You must be the girlfriend who yelled at me on the phone,” he said calmly.

“You bet your ass I was. Where did you drag Peter and why did you drag him into this?”

“Baby,” Peter interjected. “It wasn’t Mr. Stark’s fault. I snuck on the spaceship. He tried to send me away. He tried to parachute me away and I snuck on. It’s not his fault.”

You turned your glare to Peter. “PETER.”

“Why don’t we have a seat?” Pepper suggested, obviously trying to calm the situation down.

“That would be great,” you agreed. Pepper and Tony led the way to a comfortable seating area, where you sat protectively next to Peter, holding his hand tightly. Pepper and Tony sat across from you both, with May on the corner, perpendicular to you both.

“Alright,” Tony began. “You saw the spaceship, correct?”

“Yeah. At school, on the news,” you replied haughtily.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Listen sassy girlfriend, I did my absolute best to protect Peter and I feel like I failed. So if you could just, like, give me a break, that would be great.”

You looked stunned, but nodded. Tony continued, “So that ship had a couple of ugly, Squidward-looking aliens that were asking about a stone that controls time that was locked in a wizard’s necklace so their genocidal father could control the universe. Apparently there are these things called Infinity Stones, each that control a different aspect of life: reality, soul, mind, time, space, and power. If you can harness the power of all six, you can essentially eliminate half of the universe with a snap of your fingers.

“The wizard with the Time Stone called himself Dr. strange, and got kidnapped by Squidward. I got onto the ship AFTER I activated Peter’s parachute and sent him back to Earth, because I had just SAVED him from choking to death from lack of oxygen because he was on the outside of the ship without protection. I had made an iron spider suit for him, and activated it to save him. By the time I realized he was on the ship, we were in the middle of space and I couldn’t do anything.”

“Sweetheart, I promise he didn’t make me go,” Peter piped in. “I went because I wanted to help.”

You shot Peter daggers through your glare. “Peter, if Mr. stark kept trying to send you away, then why did you go back?”

Peter shrugged. “I thought they might need my help,” he said a little sheepishly.

You turned to Mr. Stark. “Mr. Stark,” you began.

“Please call me Tony. When I hear Mr. Stark I look for my grandfather.”

“Got it. Tony, I apologize for blaming you. It appears that this is all Peter’s doing and I shouldn’t have blamed you.”

“Apology accepted. Can I finish?”

“Of course.”

Tony continued. “We arrived on this weird planet and met these other guys who were also looking for the genocidal alien, who apparently is named Thanos.”

“Babe,” Peter interrupted, “an alien tried to lay its eggs in me. Just like that old movie Alien!”

You sighed. “Peter, quit interrupting. Unless you’re going to finish his story.”

“Well, I mean, Thanos was this big really ugly guy that had the weirdest chin I’ve ever seen. We were on an alien planet and we fought him and it was so awesome!”

“Kid,” Tony said. “It was not awesome. You died.”

You were silenced, shocked beyond belief. May had to speak for you. “What... what do you mean, Peter died?”

“Died. Disintegrated. Disappeared. Along with the wizard, and almost every other alien with us.” You gaped at Peter.

May explained that many other people had dissolved and it had caused a mass panic. You were stunned. How was Peter one of the ones who dissolved?

“I don’t know where I was,” Peter explained. “But wherever I went, the process of going there was the worst thing I’ve ever felt. I can’t explain it.”

“He dissolved in my arms,” Tony said. You swore you could hear him choking up. “There was nothing I could do.”

“Well, obviously he’s not dissolved anymore so what happened after that?” May demanded.

“That’s all on Mr. Stark,” Peter said, turning to look at him. You felt him squeeze your hand three times; it was something you two had come up with a long time ago. Three squeezes meant “I love you.” You squeezes back four times, saying “I love you too.” All you wanted to do was hold onto Peter, especially hearing he dissolved like so many other people. You lifted up your entertained hands and kissed the back of Peter’s.

“Well, Nick Fury seemed to have called in some backup. Long story short, Cap, Banner, Clint, Natasha, Thor, and I teamed up with this Air Force Pilot-turned superhero, plus some aliens and some Wakandans and Rhodey, and we were able to undo whatever it was Thanos the Angry Grape did. The wizard, Strange, seems to think they were all trapped inside the Soul Stone, in some kind of world created for taking souls. I don’t know, I just shoot where I’m told.” Tony finished his story, leaned back, and propped his feet up on the coffee table that separated you and Peter from him and Pepper.

It stayed quiet for several minutes. You, May, and Pepper were just taking everything in. Peter had died? But also not really? It was a lot to process in a short time. You simply laid your head on Peter’s shoulder.

Pepper finally broke the silence. “You got on an alien ship ALONE without a plan or backup or any idea where it was going? Tony, what the hell were you thinking?”

“Listen, honey, I—.”

“No, you listen to me. Before you flew off to fight aliens, you suggested we have a baby, but how can we take care of a child together when you’re running off every ten minutes to try and save the world? AND you hung up on me?”

“Pepper, honey, I didn’t hang up on you, I lost signal in space, but—.”

“No sir, no more ‘buts’. You need to think about how that affected me, okay?”

“Can we take this somewhere more private? I hate to have the kid see mom and dad fight,” Tony suggested, motioning at Peter.

“Mr. Stark, c’mon now....”

“Happy, can you take these folks back to Queens?”

“You got it boss. Let’s go, Queens folks.”

You all stood up. You inched over to Pepper and gave her a huge hug. “Thank you for everything, Pepper. We owe you.”

“I know how it feels to be on your end. Call me any time.” She smiled at you.

You thanked her and moved to shake Tony’s hand. “Thanks for doing your best to keep him safe,” you said. “I know he can be a pain in the ass sometimes.”

“He’s a good kid, and having someone like you who fights for him is great. Keep it up. Maybe one day you’ll get a Stark Internship too.”

You laughed. “Maybe.”

With that, you reconnected your hand with Peter’s, followed Happy to the car, and rode back to Queens. Your crossed fingers had worked.

Tags: @upsidedownparker @justbetomholland @spiderlingss @bi-writes @loserparker @tomhollandwritings @scarlettxspider @im-a-witchy-author @tomsfireheart @holland-ish @beautiful-holland @freckledskittles @jellalyrancher