#good god i thought i was gonna vomit this morning

[brain-rot-central]

good news, everyone

the migraine i've had since 3 am finally seems to be going away (it's currently 1pm here) and i feel like a person again. i'm starting some soup for dinner and then will most likely resume writing!!

#idk where or why i ended up with such a bad migraine #i don't have cluster headaches but when i do get a migraine #i get one that lasts like 3-4 days in various intensities #good god i thought i was gonna vomit this morning #i feel like such trash overall though #my whole body hurts #i even took aleve and i still hurt lmao #neech's speeches #don't become an old bitch like me #stay young forever

[mattitties]

Boyfriend, pt 2 - matt sturniolo

you guys asked, so i delivered (hopefully)

part 1 here

I left the party last night feeling on top of the world. I recounted everything to my best friend the second Matt had left and she came back to me.

“I came back from the bathroom and saw you guys totally hitting it off, so I just stood back and watched. I thought he was about to bend you over the bar and fuck you right there,” she told me. 

It’s now the next morning and I’m trying to distract myself and not think about the fact that he hasn’t texted me yet. It’s only 10 AM, so I really shouldn’t be worried, but as someone who doesn’t talk to boys literally ever, I am naturally very worried. 

As the hours pass and it’s now 2 PM, I go into my roommate’s room. “Why hasn’t he texted me? Do you think he was just fucking with me? What if I didn’t give him the right number and he’s now texting some other hotter bitch instead of me? What if I was-” I start to ramble before she cuts me off.

“Oh my god, shut up! It’s been like 14 hours, chill out! He’s gonna text you, and if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. We don’t know anything about him, he could be sleeping still or he could be having a busy day. Take a Xanax or something, good gracious,” she tells me, finishing just as my phone vibrates.

I check it absentmindedly, fully expecting it to be my mom or a spam text, but instead I see an unknown number.

Hey it’s Matt, just wanted to see when your free to hang out?

I let out a shriek and show my roommate my screen.

“Fucking told you!” she says excitedly before her face changes. “Oh boy, he’s one of the fuckers who doesn’t know the difference between your and you’re. You gotta fix that.”

“Oh for sure,” I say, starting to type in my phone.

hey :) i’m free tonight or tmr if either of those work

Tonight is good, I can pick you up around 6 and we can get dinner. How does Boa sound?

“Oh my god. He wants to take me to Boa,” I tell my roommate. I’m just about on the verge of vomiting everywhere.

“Oh fuck yeah! Mr. Moneybags over here!” she cheers.

that sounds great!

Sick, whats your addy so I know where to pick up my gf ;)

I give him my address, turn off my phone, and immediately go to my room to take an everything shower and get ready.

I’m finishing up my hair at 5:30 when I get another text: Leaving now, be there in 15 min. I made reservation for 6

I don’t know why I’m so nervous. I was so confident around him last night, but now I feel like a completely different person. I’m terrified I’m gonna be an awkward mess when I get in the car and he’s gonna wonder what happened to the girl he met last night and I won’t even be able to eat I’m so nervous and–

Nope, I’m not worrying anymore. It’s gonna be fine. I triple check everything to make sure I look good, and finally he texts that he’s here.

I grab my bag, go downstairs, and open the front door to our apartment complex, where I’m met with a very familiar face standing next to it. He’s wearing a black short sleeve collared shirt, blue jeans, and a black baseball cap he put on backwards. Man, he looks good as fuck. 

He looks up when he sees me and smiles. “Hi,” he says. “Car’s right there. I was going to come in but then I saw I had to be buzzed into the building and I didn’t know which apartment was yours, so…” It seems that his confidence from last night has lessened quite a bit as well, as now he’s just awkwardly rambling. I find it adorable.

I shake my head and smile. “You’re fine, this is perfect.” I follow his lead to his car, and am surprised when he opens the passenger door for me. “Thank you,” I say as I get in, and he shoots me another quick smile before closing the door and going to the driver’s side. 

“So Boa, huh? You really are trying to show off your YouTube bucks,” I joke.

“Me and my brothers go there a lot, it’s not really that expensive,” he says. 

“Speak for yourself! I was looking at the menu and almost had an aneurysm at the prices!”

He laughs and glances at me. “Well lucky for you, you’re not the one paying, are you?”

We continue our banter for a few minutes before there’s a lull in the conversation. “Do you wanna put some music on? Here’s the aux cord,” he tells me, pulling out a cord.

“Oh,” I say, immediately regretting all my life choices. I am historically NEVER on aux in any situation because my music taste is comprised of Taylor Swift, dad rock, and depressing music. “Um… you may not like my music. We can just play whatever you like.”

He looks at me wearing a tiny frown. “What! You’re the passenger, you get aux. Whatever you play will be fine.”

I sigh dramatically as I plug my phone in and queue Taylor. “Okay, but if you don’t like it, just remember I gave you a chance to say no.” He nods. I watch his face to gauge his reaction as “The Story of Us” starts to play, and I roll my lips into my mouth to hide my laughter when he recognizes the voice. 

“Yayyyy,” he says sarcastically. “I love Taylor Swift…”

The rest of the drive consists of me explaining to him that if he was willing to give her music a try, he would definitely enjoy her music. I was fully expecting him to laugh it off and come back with some smart ass comment about her as nearly every other man does, but he seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying. “You’re right,” he told me. “Maybe we can listen together and you can show me more of her stuff!”

I think I fell in love right there.

When we arrive at Boa, the man nearly eats shit rushing around to open the passenger door for me, and walks slightly ahead of me to get the door for the restaurant. Neither of us have any ounce of the same flirty energy we had last night, but there’s no awkwardness at all. I still can’t believe this is happening. The hottest guy I’ve ever seen, he’s a perfect gentleman, we have so much in common, and he’s actually into me? It seems far too good to be true.

“So,” I say when we get seated, “what exactly made you feel the need to come up to me last night? Did I really look that uncomfortable?”

“Oh, you looked like you were about ready to sink into the floor. I mean, in all honesty, I was kind of eyeing you all night but I didn’t have the courage to come up to you, so I guess I sort of used that as an excuse to do something. Plus saving you from creepy guy and all,” he replies.

“Well, thank you, no matter what your reasoning was.” I look around the restaurant. I feel so out of place, it’s disgusting. I’ve only lived in LA for a couple months, so I still feel like I don’t belong, especially when I end up in the same restaurants that people get papped outside of. But somehow, even in a place like this, I feel oddly safe and at peace with a man that I met not even 24 hours prior. 

I’ve never been much of a great conversationalist; if I’m in a one on one conversation, the other person needs to be a rambler for it to not be awkward. But he’s not a rambler, and we both are just so invested in what the other person is saying that it’s somehow a never ending conversation. We have so much in common – our love for movies, Legos, journaling, us both attempting to get back into reading after going so long without it – I feel like I’ve known him my whole life. It’s so refreshing, and it’s terrifying. I know I’m going to fall for him fast. I may be already, but I can’t be. We just met. 

He pulls me out of my trance by repeating his question. “You ready to go?”

“What? Oh, yeah, sorry. Um, thanks for paying,” I smile as I get up. 

“Of course! What kind of a man would I be if I didn’t pay on our first date?” he jokes. 

“Ohhh, our first date? Does that imply there’ll be a second?” I ask as I get in the car.

“Would you like there to be a second?” 

“I mean I guess…” I smirk at him. We’re both looking at each other, smiling ever so slightly. I want nothing more than to kiss him right now, and I’m 99% sure he wants the same based on the way his eyes are shifting focus from my eyes to my lips. I’m about to lean in when –

“I should get you home.”

Oh. I nod. “Yeah… yeah, probably.” I sit back in my seat.

He turns on the car and Taylor Swift blasts through the speakers. “JESUS–” he yells, turning the volume down as we both start laughing. “I know I said you could show me her stuff but let’s take it down a notch, god damn!”

We don’t talk at all during the drive home, but it’s nice. Just the music in the background, and subtle glances between us every so often. When we pull up in front of my apartment complex, he parks the car and turns it off, then starts to get out.

“You don’t need to get out, it’s okay,” I tell him.

“Well I have to make sure you get into your apartment safe, don’t I?” Again, what a gentleman. I didn’t even think people like him existed anymore. I smile to myself and lead the way, taking him up to the 4th floor and down the hall to my door. “I guess this is where I leave you?” he asks.

“Unfortunately, this is where you leave me.” I’m looking up at him, he’s looking down at me. I can tell he wants to say something, and I hope it’s what I think it is.

He opens his mouth, takes a sharp inhale. “Can I kiss you?”

Bingo. I smile and nod, holding his jaw lightly in my hand. He takes my waist with one hand and the back of my head with the other, and our lips collide softly in a matter of seconds. I haven’t kissed many guys, but they’ve always felt just a little off and I never knew why. But this? This feels right. It’s gentle, but our tongues slip into each other's mouths as the kiss grows deeper. I know I need to stop this here, as much as I don’t want to. I give in for a few more seconds before I pull back. 

“I, um… I need to go inside,” I tell him, completely unable to wipe the smile off my face.

“Okay,” he says, pushing a piece of hair behind my ear. “I’ll text you, because yes, there definitely will be a second date.”

“Good.” I kiss him one last time before I unlock my door. “Goodnight, Matt.”

“Goodnight.”

———————————————————————

i probably won’t do a part 3 because idk how to keep it interesting from here but if you have other fic requests lmk and i’ll do my best 😚

#matt sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #matt sturniolo smut #matt sturniolo x reader #chris sturniolo #christopher sturniolo #sturniolo smut #nick sturniolo #chris sturniolo smut #sturniolo fanfic #matt sturniolo fanfic #matthew sturniolo #nicolas sturniolo

[underoospeterparker]

can we pleaseeee have a fic of Jade and fem reader being together on Tory's first day and Tory accidentally spills coffee on reader and when she tries to wipe it up Jade gets really pissed off and later just pulls Y/N to sit on her Lap.

this is so cute!

blurb, jade west x fem!reader, victorious

warnings: literally nothing except tiny bit of swearing

jade was forced to walk tori around the school to show her around by the guidance counsellor. apparently it would be good to 'broaden her horizons' by 'welcoming a new student to hollywood arts'. what a joke.

tori was, in short, the most basic girl jade had ever met. she was wearing the latest style, and of course, she carried a vanilla latte. her hair was platted to her face, clothes so bright it made jade want to vomit. disgusting.

"and.... here's the lockers. one last thing, and i swear to god, if you touch my girlfriend, i'll rip you to shreds-" jade was interrupted by a quiet voice.

"hi, baby!" you smiled up at your girlfriend. her usually angry eyes softened when she saw your smile. it never failed to brighten up her day.

"hi, sweetheart," your girlfriend murmured, letting out a small smile.

tori's annoying voice interrupted your conversation. "who's this?" she asked perkily, so cheerful it annoyed jade. in her eyes, you were the only one who could be bubbly in the mornings and she wouldn't get annoyed at you, ever. jade was a softie when it came to you.

jade rolled her eyes and proceeded to not respond, so you did it for her. "um, i'm (y/n), i'm, uh, jade's girlfriend." you stuck out your hand after your introduction, which tori took enthusiastically. "welcome to hollywood arts, i guess," you murmured.

you were kind of anxious introducing yourself to new people. you were scared of what they thought of you, which jade picked up on almost immediately. once people got to know you, they understood the person you really were.

jade grabbed your hand, squeezing it gently. her thumb gently stroked the back of your hand, trying to comfort you without words.

"you okay?" she said quietly.

"yeah, i'm good."

she smiled at you gently. "let's go eat?"

tori interrupted your conversation again. "do you mind if i join you guys? i don't really know anyone else yet, and-"

"sure, loser, you can hang with us."

the tables were crazy crowded, but you managed to find one outside. your table was you, jade, tori, beck, andre and robby.

while eating lunch, jade casually rested her hand on your thigh, and you loved the warmth of it. she always made you feel so safe with her.

tori suddenly stood up. "i'm just gonna go use the bathroom, i'll be right back-"

she got up from the table, but not before the remnants of her vanilla latte spilled all over you. the cup dropped to the floor and tori stood in shock. "oh my god, i am so sorry. here wait-"

she grabbed some tissues from a nearby table and tried to mop up the mess she had made on your clothes.

jade was watching the scene, infuriated with this girl who had just spilled a drink all over her girlfriend. "stop," she said calmly.

jade effortlessly pulled you onto her lap, where you rested comfortably as she tried to remove the stains on your shirt herself. she was so gentle. after trying her best, your shirt still looked like an absolute shit show.

you looked down, giggling at what you saw on your shirt. jade took the opportunity to plant a kiss on your forehead. she mumbled against your forehead, "i swear, i'm gonna kill that girl."

I have another jade west x reader fic coming soon!

#jade west #jade west x reader #fluff #victorious

[bellewintersroe]

Max Verstappen x HornerDaughter!

Part 8, here’s the LINK to part 7, how tf have I got so far already? Pls comment guys to let me know what you’re thinking or if you have any conspiracy’s about what’s gonna happen, I love the engagement, keeps me motivated lol. Also just a quick shout out I don’t dislike Kelly, I just used her for the story as it’s FICTION, if ya’ll hate desperately on peoples partners for no justified reason then leave pls cos it’s weird. Only a short chapter but I wanna get more of a build up before we reach more deeper into the story :)

Leni wakes up with one of the worst hangovers ever, plus, she’s on the bathroom floor? That would be the worst part of the night, but when her memory pieces back together and she has to deal with what happened the night before going back to sleep on the bathroom floor seems fine… Taglist: @ironmaiden1313 @callsignwidow @fangirl125reader @norassimpingzone @roseseraj @eugene-emt-roe @copper-boom @its-elias-world @cassiopeiia24 @larastark3107

“Ugh.” My voice cracked, eyes momentarily opening only to squeeze shut again when a blinding light, sunlight, stung my eyes. My first thought was, fuck, I’d left my contact lenses in, my second, why on earth was on the bathroom floor?

Momentarily I was dazed, my eyes feeling like they had cheese shredders in them. I peeled the dry lenses out of my eyes, dropping them in the toilet. Thankfully it was a clean toilet and I didn’t wake up to my own vomit. With a groan and a slight grace, I sat up straight, blinking around the room. My phone laid besides me, and shakily, I reached out to unlock it. As I did I wanted to curl up and DIE. A drunken text from Max only caused flashbacks from the night prior. We kissed, and I really fucking enjoyed it. Me and Max kissed. Max Verstappen and I, my long time FRIEND kissed. My heavy head dropped into my palm, groaning again. I’d broken every single rule I’d set myself, NOT to go there, or at least wait a few months. Drunken me seemingly had the control of a horny 18 year old. When I realised I had 0 underwear on that’s when I became even more confused.

We hadn’t had sex? No, no. For sure we hadn’t done that. I don’t think he fingered me? Turns out they were stuffed in my bag for some bizarre reason, and I couldn’t quite piece together why on earth they weren’t actually on me. I don’t even know if I wanted to know, thinking about it too much gave me a serious case of hangxiety, and my poor stomach couldn’t tolerate it. Pathetically, I wretched over the toilet and threw up even more contents from my nights intake.

Please God, stop me being sick and I will never drink again. Ever!

It was crazy how such an extreme hungover could bring an atheist to become religious, right? With last nights actions I couldn’t even bring myself to respond to Max, plus, his message made no sense, something about being too drunk and his birthday. I felt too much shame, he probably only kissed me because he was just as fucking plastered. I was confident he’d never want to do that sober, surely not?

The only thing I could do was sit down in the shower, contemplating every single action from the night before, letting the water cleanse my skin of the pure sins. What would my dad say if he knew I’d been snogging his golden boy? It would make it awkward to say the least.

I laid in bed, hair dripping onto the pillows but I didn’t have it in me to care. I’d added too much embarrassing shit to both my private and public Instagram story which had already been viewed and most likely screenshotted thousands of times. Mortified wasn’t even the right word, if it wasn’t for my empty stomach I would’ve vomited from that alone.

Max: sorry that made no sense, hope you’re not feeling too rough this morning? thank you for coming yesterday I had such a good time Max: I hope nothing makes you feel weird from last night, it’s fine between us right?

When I awoke at 2pm I felt my chest tighten at Max’s texts. I even smiled that he had acknowledged last night, a little weird of me seeing as I wanted to pass away earlier, but with my hangover relatively slept off, my feelings for Max were coming on strong.

Leni: hey I just woke up again sorry, I had such a good time, hope you had a good bday

Leni: I don’t feel weird, we’re all good Leni: do you? I caught myself smiling a little too hard, awaiting his reply, when I saw the speech bubble of him forming a response and started giggling, I knew that I was already a goner. I was so deep down afraid of getting my heart broke seeing as Max was fresh out of a relationship (even if he’d mentally checked out) I had to push myself away from any kind of intimate interaction. It had already gone way too far.

Max: no, no not at all

Max: probably the best birthday I’ve had I hated how hard I smiled, my heart kinda sunk when I began overthinking everything I didn’t need to. It all seemed fun now, but how would something between Max and I ever work. What if he decided one day this was all too soon, or if he didn’t actually like me? Our friendship would be screwed forever. I hesitantly locked my phone, staring off into space as I began imagining every scenario possible. I’d have no option but to revert whatever happened between Max and I back into how it was before, if that was even possible. What if Max suddenly thought I was super obsessed with him and I was bugging him by texting him too often?? I scratched my head uncomfortably at the thought, cringing down to my bones at the idea I could possibly be a nuisance to him.

One way to fix this??? Cut communication online from slim to nothing- or as least as I possibly could without growing attached or seeming rude. It was a plan, and it was a plan that commenced today, as much as I didn’t actually want to do it, as long as I didn’t have a sip of alcohol I’d be fine… right?

What could go wrong?

#max verstappen fanfic #max verstappen #max verstappen x oc #max verstappen x hornerdaughter #f1 x oc #f1 fanfic #f1 imagine

[writingreadinglurkingandsmirking]

But I Shine So Bright - Rafe Cameron x Reader

Dear Reader Duology: Part 1, Part 2

Summary: You wake up hungover from the previous night’s party, and are struck with the realization of the conversation you’d had with Rafe prior. You decide that, yes, you should actually have that conversation with him sober like he’d suggested. So, that’s what you two do. Word Count: 5.1k+ TWs/CWs: Adult/profane language, she/her pronouns used for reader, brief descriptions of a hangover, OOC Rafe in that he's only a little crazy and is actually willing to admit he was wrong, unrealistically fast relationship re-establishment, Rafe still wants to kill that guy lol, bad example of a healthy relationship but hi this is Rafe be so for real here, Rafe obviously has pretty privilege Note: Yeah so I just decided to do the part 2 lmao so here she is. And now it has me thinking Thoughts about doing more Dear Reader inspired fics for OBX babes...like a Dear Reader duology collection sounds like a fun little project hehehe

Waking up was more painful than you’d anticipated. When you’d gone out, you never intended to get that drunk. Decidedly, you’d drank more than you had in a long while. A stupid choice all around, but especially stupid considering you didn’t have the built-in protection of…him anymore. Your girlfriends had dutifully tried to slow you down, but you didn’t listen to them.

Fuck’s sake, even his friends had tried to stop you. To be fair, they’d been more successful. Yes, the first memory you woke up to was Topper and Kelce, your ex-boyfriend’s best friends, stopping you from doing a fucking keg stand. And that was just something special considering you knew damn well that you’d been wearing a skirt with nothing underneath. So clearly your night had been just full of good choices.

“God,” you groaned, rolling over on your side. Your eyes landed on a water bottle on the side of your bed. You blinked once, twice, a third time, and then lurched up into a sitting position. “Shit.” While the sudden movement made you nauseous for a moment, you managed to resist the urge to vomit. You scrambled for your phone. It was noon already. Fuck. You saw that a group chat with your friends had blown up and you had a slew of other texts.

Where the hell did you go?

Why did Topper come tell us that fucking RAFE took you home??

Hello?? Girl what the hell are you thinking?

You better call us and tell us that you’re safe.

Dude you better not fucking sleep with him I swear to God I am SO serious.

Be like Dua Lipa and remember the new rules bitch.

Be safe I swear to GOD bestie I’ll fuck you up if you get hurt.

If you fuck him you better not let him hit raw.

BYE don’t let him hit AT ALL.

“Shit,” you hissed.

You’d thought you’d had a dream that Rafe had been the one taking care of you. A pleasant dream minus the blubbering you’d been doing. But no. It turns out you actually had been blubbering on him. On the ex who left you for no reason and with no discernible guilt outwardly shown. This just had to be a joke. It had to be. The pit in your stomach wasn’t from the aggressive hangover, it was literally just the dread that had an iron grip on you. Looking down at your phone again, you saw a text from Kelce of all fucking people too.

Lmao I know you’re gonna be hurting this morning but let me or Top know if Rafe did anything stupid yesterday and we’ll beat the shit out of him fr.

You couldn’t help but let out a high-pitched, borderline hysterical laugh at the very idea. You run a hand down your face, grateful that Rafe had forced you to take the makeup off the night before. You felt sick and awful and still somehow better than you had before. It was pathetic somehow, on some level, that spending even an hour with Rafe had the ability to make you feel so much better and so much worse all at once. So, with trembling hands, you made a move to answer.

First, to your friends.

Not yall acting like you don’t have my location. I got home safe. Nothing happened fuck off.

You then immediately silenced the group chat so you wouldn’t have to deal with it. You looked at Kelce’s and cringed, letting your fingers move.

Yeah definitely got a hellish hungover. Thanks for keeping me from doing a keg stand like a dumbass last night btw? Idk what the fuck that was about. And nah, Rafe didn’t do anything. Even if he did you wouldn’t win that fight, Kelce, be so fr lol.

The response from him came quickly.

Ah, she lives. Well, you didn’t choke on your vomit so that’s good. And hurtful, I could definitely beat him.

You rolled your eyes.

Yeah, maybe if he were tied to a chair bro. But fr, thank you for helping me out. Thank Top too for me btw.

The response took longer this time. And was punctuated by an immediate follow-up.

Course. I’ll let him know. You’re still our friend. We weren’t gonna let you get that messed up.

You should talk to your boy though. Let him know you’re good. Pretty sure he’s worried about you.

You bit your lip. Instead of replying, you instead closed that text thread and looked back to the rest of your messages. But, you were thrown for a loop when you saw Rafe’s name appearing at the top, texting you just now. You weren’t proud of it, but you had to throw yourself from your bed and empty your stomach. You blamed the hangover, but you also knew that the anxiety of facing him after the night before was nerve-wracking enough to be the culprit alone.

Once you finally cleaned yourself up, you felt a bit more human again. Only then did you return to your phone. You stared at it for a few minutes before even daring to pick it up. Then, you stared at your background - still a picture of you and Rafe, one where his smile was so big from a laugh that it crinkled the corners of his eyes and you had buried your face in his neck while also laughing. You hated that you hadn’t changed it yet, but every single time you tried to, you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. You put the phone down again.

Sighing, you reached over and grabbed the water bottle he had left you. Then you noticed he’d also left out some meds for you to take. Not letting yourself think about it or the way it turned your stomach, you took the pills and drank the water completely before letting yourself even think about your phone again. At least that was the lie you spun yourself, ignoring the way that the stupid piece of technology wove through every thought and every damn breath you took.

In an effort to pretend like that wasn’t true, you walked down to your kitchen and got a Liquid I.V. knowing damn well that Rafe would be telling you to if he were here. And, yeah, even now, the little things he did to show he cared still stuck to your bones. You hated it. Or, at least you hated that he wasn’t actually here. Some days it was hard to tell which was true and which was the lie. You wanted him, you didn’t, you wanted him, you didn’t. You definitely did—that was the truth and you knew it.

Steeling yourself, you eventually went back upstairs and picked your phone back up. Clicking Rafe’s name, you were fully prepared to ignore whatever the message was like you knew you should if you were going to get over him. But somehow, you could feel the familiar love and affection punching you in the gut.

Take the pills I left. Drink some liquid iv or whatever if you have it. Don’t forget to eat.

You inhaled shakily, thinking if you should even respond or not, worrying at your lip and tapping your fingers anxiously against your knee. But, as you did, another text came through from him.

Lmk if you need anything.

Short, sweet, and to the point.

You, your brain supplied unhelpfully. I just fucking need you.

You thought about the night before. About the words he said. About the stark honesty in his voice that you hadn’t heard in months from him. You thought about the simple promise he made. He said that you could talk about it when you were sober if you still wanted to. Did you want to? Yes. So, before you could talk yourself out of it, you clicked his contact to call him and brought the phone to your ear.

“You okay?” were the words that Rafe greeted you with. Not hello. Just concern.

“I…yeah. I’m fine,” you said when your brain finally caught up with you again. “I…thanks for getting me home. You know, and everything else too,” You paused for a moment, finishing with, “You really didn’t have to do all that.”

“Of course I did,” Rafe said, sounding surprisingly serious. “I’d never leave you like that. Ever.”

“I’m sorry I was such a mess,” you said, reflexively apologizing. “And sorry I was like…pawing at you like some animal.”

Rafe let out a dry sort of chuckle that betrayed he was at least slightly amused by some of your antics the night prior. It made your heart flutter, which just felt utterly ridiculous. He made a noncommittal noise. “I just wanted to make sure you, you know, were good.”

“No. Seriously, I can’t imagine how much worse that would’ve gotten without you there. So really, uh, thanks. I was…not thinking last night obviously,” you said. There was a pregnant pause over the phone and you realized how that sounded. “I mean I, like, really don’t drink that much!” You were rushing to clarify, anxious to make sure that Rafe knew you didn’t mean your conversation with him. “I seriously don’t even know how much I drank. I’m lucky I didn’t, like, die in my sleep.”

“I’ve seen you worse,” he said flatly. “You’d have been fine.”

“That’s when I had you, though,” you pointed out before you could stop yourself. You heard Rafe inhale sharply, saying your name but you cut him off. “Did you mean what you said?”

Rafe paused. “What?” he asked cautiously.

“That we can actually talk,” you clarified.

“Are you not too hungover for this?” Rafe asked, sounding tired already.

“No,” you said bluntly. “I want to talk to you.” You huffed out a sigh. “Rafe, I need to talk to you.”

You heard him let out a sigh of his own. “Yeah,” he said. “I know.”

“I want to do it in person,” you said, willing to push your luck here. “I don’t want to do this on the phone. I want to see your face so I know if you’re lying to me.”

Rafe gave a similar sort of dry chuckle to before. “Have never lied to you, Princess, but sure. Fine. Today?” he asked shortly.

“Yes,” you agreed. “Today. I think waiting two months was long enough.” Rafe didn’t rise to the bait, which you were partially glad for and partially disappointed by. “How about we meet at the country club at like…six?”

“You want to do this in front of people?” Rafe asked, surprised.

“No. We’ll go down to the beach. Just easier to meet there,” you said vaguely.

The reality was the country club gave you a way to chicken out last minute that the beach didn’t. At the country club, you could hide in a bathroom. On the beach, unless you were planning on drowning yourself or burying yourself in the sand you were stuck with him.

“Okay, Gorgeous,” he said lazily, the nickname slipping easily from his tongue. “Do you want me to pick you up or…”

“I’m good,” you denied. “I’ll get there.”

“See you later then,” he said.

“Okay. See you,” you said, hurriedly hanging up before you said something stupid like I love you or just tell me now why you left me.

You spent the next few hours panicking about what you’d just done, torn between hating yourself for making that choice and being relieved that it was finally happening. You gave all of your friends in your group chat a short version of your plan. You were met with a mixture of approval and disapproval from everyone—mostly born of a desire to make sure that you were alright. They offered to come and do recon so you’d have an easy out, but you denied the need. Then, they offered to come and slash his truck tires, which you declined just like you had the first hundred times they’d offered over the past two months. After that, they settled and just insisted that you text them an update later to let them know what was going on. It was easy enough to agree to.

You make your way to the country club a little bit before six and were shocked to see Rafe already waiting there. He was sitting at the bar, knee bouncing with anxiety, tapping at an empty glass in front of him. His eyes met yours, and just for a moment, you froze in place. Slowly, you drifted over to his side and were pleasantly surprised to see that he appeared entirely sober.

“Hey,” he greeted when you found words hard to formulate.

“Hi, Rafe,” you replied after a few breaths.

He looked you up and down, an undercurrent of amusement passing through his eyes. “I’d ask if you want a drink but I have a feeling that you’d rather swallow a bucket of sand right now,” he said.

You nodded, grimacing. “Pretty much,” you confirmed. You glanced towards the door. “Wanna…go?”

God, how could this be so fucking awkward? you asked yourself. This was the man you fell in love with and knew like the back of your hand and still somehow this was wildly uncomfortable like you didn’t know each other at all.

Rafe nodded slowly, rising to his feet. He gestured for you to go first, eyes habitually roaming around the room. They landed on the guy who had been touching you the night before at the party, gross hand on your leg as if he had any form of claim to you. Rafe felt his blood boiling for a moment and had to resist the urge to go and pummel the guy’s face in. It was hard for him, at least until the guy looked over, noticing Rafe. Immediately, the creep paled to a near-ghostly white shade. Satisfied by the obvious fear, Rafe offered the guy a condescending smile, with a harsh edge to it, teeth set. He put his hand on the small of your back as you walked, guiding you forward and opening the door for you as he went. As he passed through, his eyes did not separate from the guy’s until you had exited. The message was clear, even though you hadn’t even noticed the interaction at all.

She is Rafe Cameron’s, she is not available.

As you started to walk down to the beach, almost immediately, Rafe began to feel guilty for thinking that. He’d already done enough to hurt you in his eyes. But, then again, he couldn’t deny the part of him that desperately did want a second chance to reach that famous happy end. The kind that he knew only you could give him. The kind that only came with you beside him. No, he couldn’t ignore that part of him. It made up most of him. And he knew that it made up most of you too. And that was the part that made him loathe himself all the more.

On and on down the beach the pair of you walked, alternating between a few feet and barely a few inches between you. The silence continued on until you realized you didn’t even know how to approach this conversation. You sighed, stopping in your trek, evidently having decided you were far enough from other people to have this conversation now. 

“I don’t know how to even start this,” you admitted quietly. “I miss you. I meant that. I meant everything I said last night except that I hate you. I don’t. I wish I could, sometimes. But I don’t. I love you. And…and last night you said that you loved me too, still.”

“I do,” he said, shrugging, then setting his jaw to shut himself up.

“Then why are we doing this? When we love each other and we both want to be together? Why?” you asked, the words simple but desperate.

“You’re better off without me,” Rafe said, staring at the horizon, refusing to look at you.

“I’m not,” you denied. “And you’re not better without me either. Don’t think I haven’t noticed that either.” He’d been spending an egregious amount of his time high or wasted since your break up and it was impossible not to notice. Rafe glanced down at you and then back out over the water. The sky above you was morphing from its crystalline blue to the golden hues that promised night was coming soon. “I think we’re past lying to ourselves about that, don’t you? Or at least we should be.”

“I know that I’m not. But you are,” he reiterated. “I’m…an absolute fuck up. And I am only going to drag you down. That is all that I will ever be good for. You may not get that now. But you will.” He sighed and looked over at you. “I’m trying to do the right thing here, Princess.”

“Well look at that, wrong as usual,” you muttered, shaking your head. “You’re not any of that! You’re not a fuck up. You’re not going to drag me down. You are…” You gesticulated wildly, trying to have your brain magically summon the words to describe how you felt. You settled for shaking your head and gesturing around you. “You’re like a…like a fucking beacon or something.”

Rafe snorted. “Fuck me, if you think I’m some sort of guiding light you’ve lost it, Princess,” he said sharply. “I’m literally the opposite of that. I don’t…I don’t help people. I just hurt them.” He gestured towards you. “Look at my family. Look at my friends. Dragged them all down. And…I mean, just look at you. How could you think that I’m anything good anymore?” He shook his head. “No, just…no. I’m not.”

You groaned. “Stop talking about yourself like you’re some hideous monster that has to hide in the dark,” you insisted, voice growing louder. “You’re not. You’re just a man! That’s it! A fucking stupid man, who I love more than anything…who I hate to see tearing himself apart like he does. An absolutely idiotic man who I miss so much it hurts to wake up in the morning.” You deflated, shoulders slumping, and this time you were the one looking out over the water while Rafe stared intently at you. “I’m not better off without you.” From the corner of your eye, you saw Rafe’s hand run over the bottom half of his face while he shook his head. You saw him bring his hand towards his lips and your head whipped over to look at him. “Don’t bite your damn nails, when was the last time you washed your hands? You’ve touched doors and railings! This is a public beach!”

It was like a bubble of tension cracked at that and Rafe laughed. Honest to God laughed. Laughed like you hadn’t heard in months from him. Laughed in a way that made your heart flutter and your lips turn up. The laugh kept going like he couldn’t stop it, and before you knew it you were chuckling yourself, which morphed into a hysterical laugh. You swatted at his arm in the midst of your laugh, but he caught your hand and held it. After a few moments longer, you both stared at each other, calming down. His easy smile and the crinkle of his eyes disappeared, replaced by a frown and concern.

“You…you should really find another guiding light if that’s what you’re looking for. A real beacon. Someone you can count on,” he said.

“Rafe,” you said seriously, taking a step closer to him. “Look at me.” He sighed but met your eyes. You squeezed your still-joined hands and he looked down as if he’d forgotten you were even touching. “You kept me from making myself look like an idiot last night. You got me home when I actively was trying to make it difficult. You held me until I fell asleep. You owed me nothing and you did that. I didn’t even have to ask you to, fuck I didn’t even want you to be there, but you knew what was good for me. And you left out water and pills and then texted me in the morning.” You let out a short, weak laugh. “I don’t think that I can count on someone else more than you.” He looked at you as if to say your name without having to actually speak it and you rolled your eyes. “Tell me something. How often do you get second chances in life?”

Rafe looked away, tongue running over his cheek, and then he looked back. “More than I deserve,” he said shortly.

Again, you rolled your eyes. “Stop being a self-sacrificial bitch for a second,” you said. He looked at you, scandalized and you had to resist the urge to laugh, soldiering on with your point. “Tell me, without the shit, how often you get second chances in life for something that you really want?” 

“I don’t,” Rafe said after a moment.

“And yet here I am. And I know that you still want to be together. And I am trying to give us a second chance. Why are you trying to refuse it?” you demanded.

“Because you actually are a fucking beacon of light,” he snapped, hand flexing like he was about to squeeze yours but stopped himself. “And I don’t want to…to fucking ruin that. I would never forgive myself if I ruined you. If I…made that fucking light go out? No, I’d never forgive myself. And I don’t want to risk you like that. Ever. And considering I’m this fucking black hole of bullshit…that is definitely risking it.”

His words resonated as if they were a tuning fork that struck and vibrated at the exact frequency of your very soul. He sighed and let go of your hand. In your shock, you let him. He moved away a few steps and paced back and forth. This time, when he brought his nails to his lips, you didn’t speak for a moment. You saw the glint of tears in his eyes and you didn’t know if they were from frustration or from sadness—both most likely.

Your brain caught up with you after a few moments of just staring at him. You walked forward and took his hand away from his mouth, moving your hands to rest behind his neck, forcing him to stop moving. Reflexively, his hands landed on your hips, holding you rather firmly to ground himself. You played with the ends of his hair, waiting for him to measure his breath once more and meet your eyes with his own.

“You’re not a black hole, idiot,” you said fondly. “You are not an irredeemable monster. You’re just scared.”

Rafe’s jaw clenched and he looked away, then back again. “I’m not fucking scared. But if I were, Princess? It’d be for good reason,” he said. “I have a lot to lose if I keep fucking up.”

“Everyone does,” you pointed out. You moved one hand to cup his cheek. “For now, if you think that I’m some mythical fucking beacon of light, then let me do it for both of us…be it.” He shook his head, blinking away tears he didn’t want to fall. “Rafe…I can handle you being stupid. I can handle your fuck ups. I have this long. What I can’t handle is losing you.” He was silent and you shrugged. “Look at me and tell me that if I walked away right now and started dating someone else you’d be okay with that.”

His eyes snapped back to you, visibly disturbed and angry. “Fuck no,” he admitted, practically spitting the words out.

“Exactly,” you said softly. His hands moved slowly to wrap around your waist more, no longer just resting on your waist. “I know that there are things we have to work on. Believe me. But we make sense. We work together. Let’s try again, Rafe.” You took a deep, shaky breath. “If you tell me you don’t love me. If you don’t want this…I’ll walk away. I won’t bring this up…won’t bother you again.”

“No,” Rafe said immediately, more firmly than even the last time. “I do love you, of course I fucking do. And yes I want you.” His voice almost immediately became choked up. “I want us. I just…”

“Are the words you’re looking for ‘am scared?’” you suggested.

“No,” he denied, using what was obviously his new favorite word once more. “Not scared. Just…hesitant to risk hurting you.”

You gave him a flat look. “Rafe, is loving me worth the risk of me hurting you?” you asked.

“Yes,” he said. “I don’t care if you hurt me.”

“So then why can I not feel the same way about you?” you demanded. “It’s worth the risk. So let’s take it.”

“You’re more important than me,” he murmured, leaning your foreheads together, initiating the touch he obviously desperately craved.

The noise that escaped you was somewhere between a scoff and a snort. “That’s the dumbest thing you have ever said to me,” you declared. “And you told me that for two years you didn’t believe that dinosaurs were real.”

Rafe laughed, weak but true and a sweet sound to your ears. As he did so, he pulled back just enough that your eyes were able to meet. “I was a child,” he defended, a tiny smile on his lips.

“You were twelve,” you corrected. “You started high school not believing that dinosaurs existed. You had to take an earth science class to realize that fossils were real.”

Turning his head, Rafe moved one of his hands to your face, holding your cheek, just like you were doing to him. “Can I kiss you to stop you from making fun of me again?” he asked softly, eyes darting down to your lips and then back up. “Or is it too soon to tell you to shut up without being an ass?”

You smirked. “Don’t worry. I know you’re an ass,” you said, leaning forward.

He met you halfway, your lips brushing together. The kiss was soft at first, sweet and featherlight as if trying to ascertain if it was really happening. That didn’t last for very long though. Quickly, Rafe’s grip on you tightened and he pulled you closer and deepened the kiss. You happily let him take the lead, letting your hands travel to the back of his neck again, longing to just sink into his embrace. When you broke apart, you both were breathing unevenly, looking at each other with vulnerable gazes.

“I missed you,” you said, voice strangely shy considering who you were talking to and how well you knew him—not to mention the fact that his tongue had been practically down your throat moments earlier.

“I love you,” Rafe said. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to your forehead that lingered, then tipped your chin up to meet his gaze, his other hand keeping you pressed firmly to his body. “You gonna be my girl again, Gorgeous?”

Even though you rolled your eyes, your smile gave you away. “I never really stopped, did I?” you posed.

He hummed, half-frown on his face, and shrugged. “Dunno,” he admitted.

“I didn’t,” you said, wanting to wipe away the insecurity from him in one assurance even though you knew you couldn’t. “I never stopped. And, for the record, I love you too. Even though you’re a jackass.” You paused. “And a little bit on the stupid side.”

Rafe’s lips cracked back into a smile that grew into something far more relaxed. “Well that’s good to know,” he murmured. 

“You just have pretty privilege is all,” you murmured quietly, voice serious despite the words being joking. You looked at him as though you feared he might disappear. 

He stroked your cheek, wiping away a stray tear you hadn’t realized fell, and then reluctantly pulled away from you, forcing his hands into his pockets to keep from touching you. “We have a lot to talk about.”

“We do,” you confirmed. You offered him your hand. “Wanna go get something to eat and actually, you know, do that?”

Immediately, his hand was out of his pocket, and his fingers were laced with yours. “Yeah, Princess, I do,” he agreed. “Let’s go before it gets dark.”

“How could it get dark when I shine so bright as our beacon?” you asked, teasing, grabbing his arm with your free hand and squeezing it in a half-hug.

“Jesus Christ you’re lucky that you’re so damn easy to love,” Rafe said laughing. He pulled you closer, letting go of your hand in favor of throwing his arm over your shoulder. He pressed a kiss to your temple, lips lingering, his voice going serious this time. “I love you.”

“I know you do,” you assured him. “I love you too.” He nodded, still not moving away yet. “Come on, Cameron. Let’s get a move on here. You’ll be thrilled to know that I didn’t listen to you and drink or eat much of anything today, so I am desperately in need of water or something.”

Rafe groaned. “Of course you didn’t,” he said dryly. “Come on, can’t let my girl stay dehydrated or hungry.”

With that, he started pulling you back up the beach towards the country club. And, in the back of your mind, even with the lingering uncertainty and unsaid words, you felt better than you had in what felt like an eternity. You stared at Rafe’s face—your Rafe, your stupid, sweet, annoying, perfect boyfriend—as the golden hour’s light hit him. The angelic glow that it cast on his infuriatingly perfect face was always breathtaking. But, something about him at this moment, after being so vulnerable and honest, struck you differently. You took your phone out and snapped a picture of him before he could notice or refuse and smiled down at it, ignoring the delayed groan when Rafe realized you’d already captured it.

“Come on, Gorgeous,” he complained.

“Sorry, I just had to capture the day Rafe Cameron admitted he was wrong. It’s a historical event,” you said, grinning, sending the picture to your friend before turning the phone off wanting to focus only on him.

He rolled his eyes at the jab, but you were pleased to see the way that his lips twitched up in an amused smile. The sight lightened your heart and made your lips stretch into a wider version of your own smile you’d already been sporting. And in the slowly fading light of day, there were only two things that you were certain of.

Rafe didn’t give himself nearly enough credit.

You weren’t going to make the same mistake as him.

Taglist: @joselyn001 @caughtinthetides @proactivetypaperson @abbybarnesstuff @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @fangirlfree @antagonize-me-motherfucker

#rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron x you #rafe cameron imagine #rafe cameron fanfiction #rafe cameron fic #rafe cameron angst #rafe cameron one shot #obx x reader #obx x you #obx fic #obx fanfiction #obx angst #outer banks x reader #outer banks x you #outer banks fanfiction #outer banks fic #rafe imagine #rafe cameron outer banks #rafe cameron obx #rafe outer banks #rafe obx #my writing #obx

[the-offside-rule]

Mick Schumacher (Mercedes) - Euros

Requested: nope

Prompt: Mick drunk while watching the Euros in 2021

Warnings: dunk Mick

Mick was sat alongside his mechanics and engineers as he watched on painfully. England versus Germany. He had this lovely barbecue planned out, drinks and everything paid for and then the final whistle had gone, leaving Germany to lose. The team celebrated and sang countless football chants about how England is gonna bring it home and what not while Mick just watched on. It had been an hour or so since the match had finished and Mick just wanted to go back to his hotel room but the mechanics weren't exactly having nay of it. "How about you just drink mate?" One of his mechanics asked. "Oh no, I'm fine." Mick reassured him. "Why? Is something wrong?" Mick shook his head. "No, my girlfriend is going out with her friends from Alfa Romeo tomorrow so I don't want to keep her up too late worrying about me." Mick explained. His engineer understood but was persistant to have some fun with Mick, so was everyone else. "Okay, how about this? We'll stay until seven or eight and then you can go home. Sound like a good idea?" Mick thought for a while and agreed. "Okay, okay that's fine. Let me just text her first and we'll get to drinking."

It had just gone 1 in the morning whne the door to your hotel room was knocked. Your eyes flew open as your sleep was disrupted but you knew it must have been Mick. You got up and sluggishly walked towards the door before opening it, surprised to see his mehcnaics Ryan and Dylan there instead. "Thank God you answered. He's had a bit too much to drink." Dylan said. You looked over to see Mick half asleep and looking down. "Mick?" Hee loookeed up and smiled lazily upon sering you. "Heya Liebling. I missed you sooooo much." he slurred. You chuckled a bit and turned back to the mechanics. "How drunk is he?" you asked as he collapsed into your arms. "Very. He's had loads of Heineken, Budweiser, we aren't even gonna talk about the Jagermeister." Ryan said as he helped you bring Mick into the room and plopping him down onto the couch. "Well he's definitely gonna have a hangover." You sighed. "Yeah, probably. Look, we have to go but goodnight Y/n." Ryan said. "Goodnight, I'll talk to you later."

You closed the door and spotted your boyfriend on the couch, doing nothing but breathing. "You doing okay over theeree Mick? How about some water?" He lifted his hand and gave a thumbs up. He must have been shattered. "Right, here you go. Don't drink it too quickly though, just little sips." Mick took the glass and shakily brought it to his lips, sipping little by little as he was instructed to. "How are you feeling now?" you asked him. His head dropped onto your shoulder and his eyes closed a bit. "I'm sleepy." Mick whispered. "I know. Do you want to go to bed?" you asked. Mick shook his head but then, came a little spurt of vomit coming from his mouth and onto your hoodie. "Jesus christ." you muttered, a little annoyed. "I'm sorry." he mumbled. "It's okay, it's okay. This happens to everyone. Let's just get you somewhere to sit and throw up whatever you need to."

The toilet. That's where Mick sat for a good thirty minutes just vomiting and getting sick while you sat on or in the bath, it really depended. "This is horrible." Mick groaned before spitting into the toilet. "I know. That's why I don't get drunk as much anymore Mick." You replied. "Are you disappointed with me?" he asked. You were taken off guard by that question. "No, why would I?" you asked, moving his hair to the side a little. "Because you are supposed to be up and going to meet up with your friends really early tomorrow and you're here taking care of me like I'm a baby or a child." You smiled a bit and rubbed the side of his face. "That's my job." You chuckled. "Your job is to put a car together." Mick mumbled tiredly. "Wiring but okay." you replied. He smiled a bit. "No but seriously, your job is to love me." he said. "So caring for you falls into that category." Hee opened his eyes to look at your caring face. "But now you can't go out tomorrow morning because of me."

"I don't mind. I can always wait until Thursday. You've got media anyway." He nodded and began to doze off so he probably had thrown up everything there was. "Okay,ets go to bed Schumi." You said climbing out of the bath to help him up. "Can we have a sleepover?" he asked excitedly. "Of course we can." You replied. Youu opened the bedroom door and turned on the light, Mick barely standing and relying solely on your shoulder for balance. "Okay, into bed. Come on." Mick slumped onto the bed and curled in under the blankets to get warm. You just hope din beside him and turned the lights off since you could both only sleep in the dark. You were about to fall asleep when you heard a little German voice beside you.

"Hey Y/n?" Mick asked, his eyes closed as he prepared to go to sleep. "Yes?" you replied. "Do you have a boyfriend?" You made a face at the question, slightly confused but it made sense that his head wasn't in the right mindset at the time. "Mick, you're my boyfriend." You said. Mick scoffed. "That sucks." You were taken back by that remark. "Excuse me?" you asked, a little hurt by his last reaction. "Why aren't you my wife yet?" It took a few seconds for it to settle into your brain but it warmed your heart and set the butterflies swarming around your stomach when it eventually did. "Wait Mick, do you mean that?" you asked, turning around but by the time you had, he was already softly snoring, fast asleep.

#mick schumacher #mick schumacher x you #mick schumacher x reader #mick schumacher one shot #mick schumacher fanfiction #f1 oneshots #f1 oneshot #f1 blurb #f1 imagine

[ilovesjamesbb]

Please Don't Leave Me (Pt. 7)

Bucky x Reader

Warnings: Depression, suicide, depressing shit

“No. No no no no no no.” He grabbed my body pulling me out of the tub. He was struggling. What is happening? Our song, James. Our song is on. I feel sleepy. I feel good. All of a sudden there is a clatter and I feel something in my mouth. It's large and it makes its way down my throat. It's a terrible feeling. I feel myself starting to wake up. 

Bucky runs over to the tub pulling y/n out of the red water. The cuts aren't that deep but enough to bleed bad. He looks down and sees the pill bottle. He picks it up and it's empty. Fuck. 

What had she done? I left her alone. This is my fault. She needed me and I left her. I didn’t know what else to do but get those pills out. 

“You're not gonna like this, doll. I promise you will be okay. I’ll fix this.” I shove my fingers down her throat hoping to trigger her gag reflex. She’s barely conscious she's not really fighting back so I push further. 

“Come on. Come on!” Fuck this isn’t working. Right when I lost hope she started to gag and throw up. It's not enough. I keep my fingers down her throat. 

“There you go, doll. I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere.” She vomits until there is nothing left. The bath water is starting to overflow and red water finds its way onto the floor. I grab her head and rock her back and forth. Crying. 

“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” I harshly wiped her hair out of her face. 

“Our song is on, James.” She smiles but never opens her eyes. Thank god.

“Yes doll our song is on.” I say sweetly but I can hear the sadness in my voice as it cracks. 

“I wish this was real, James. I wish this is how it could've been.” She hums sadly. She thinks this isn’t real?

“This IS real doll. I’m right here.” I cry. The floor covered in vomit and bloody water is something I'll never forget. I rip the towel off the wall and cover her in it. I need to call someone but I don’t want to leave her. 

“I love you. I never wanted you to hate me for trying to kill myself. I thought I was doing the right thing. All I could see in that moment was your reaction to watching the tape the scientists would send you and I didn’t want you to end up how I am now.” She whispers. Still clearly not with it. 

“I wish you were real right now. I wish we got to have the future I dreamt of.”

“Tell me about it, doll.” I said trying to keep it together.

“We would live in a white house with a red door. There would be a white fence and flowers on the front lawn. A huge willow tree in the back where maybe we could put a swing. The paperboy would drop off the paper every morning and I would make you coffee and bring it to you in bed. We would read the paper together. Our favorite song is playing on one of the many record players we have in the house. You would wake me up with a kiss every day. We would talk about what we wanted to name our future baby. We would get to have kids and they would grow up to love the music we like almost as much as they would love you…” She trailed off. God I wanted that too. 

“What else? Tell me more.” I urged her on. I wanted to make her regain full consciousness. 

“I’m tired James. I can see it, can't you? I see the dog running in the backyard. You always throw his ball too far…he can’t find it. I can’t find you… James, where are you…” I can feel her start to slip again. She was panicking. 

“Y/n. Y/n!” I yell, shaking her.

“JARVIS. Call Steve, call Tony, call someone!” I screamed. The fear in my voice evident. 

“They are coming, Sergeant Barnes. I alerted Dr. Cho as well.” I held her in my arms whispering sweet nothings into her hair. I couldn't lose her for a third time. 

#bucky barnes #bucky x reader #depressing shit #james buchanan barnes #panic attack #please dont leave me

[steam-beasts]

Toby, my dear Toby...what will happen to you?

When the infection first popped up, Henrietta wasn't that worried, and neither was Toby...as much. Though, he was admittedly a bit on edge with the fact it was affecting engines. It wasn't even fully clear what the symptoms were. As far as they were told, it would just be boiler ache, coughing and a fever. Everything was gonna be fine

But when Toby ended up getting it, it was so much worse than she thought

_______________________________________

It was a lovely morning at Arlesdale End.

The birds were singing...

The flowers were blooming...

...and Henrietta woke up to Toby who was having another coughing fit. The old coach groaned tiredly and winced as she heard the old tram cough and wheeze. Despite her clear annoyance with being woken, she felt a pang of sympathy for Toby "Aw, Toby... getting any better?" She asked.

Toby coughed and sniffed "Ugh... afraid not, Henrietta. It...it feels like this infection is just getting worse and worse..." he croaked. Henrietta sighed "Oh dear...it's been nearly a month! Surely no illnesses take this long, do they?"

Toby's driver patted her buffer "On rare occasions, ol' girl. This is clearly one of them" He said. Several curses could be heard from inside the tram's cab. Then, out came the fireman

"Any joy?" Asked the driver.

Nothin'! Unless there's summin' wrong with the coal we're giving 'im, I can't see or find a bloody thing wrong!" The fireman grunted, wiping his forehead.

"Well, I don't think taking him to Crovan's gate for the 11th time in a row will help either. Not even they can find the cause" the driver sighed "Plus, he'll need to get better at some point. Topham can only keep the railway closed for so long"

"Bloody hell..."

Toby wasn't really comforted by his crew's conversation. He grimaced at the thought of going up to Crovan's gate for the 11th time in a row. His wheels were starting to ache more each week. Sure, he'd gotten ill before from coal, or bad water, but this was much different. It didn't really feel like the coal was the problem, nor any water. It felt so much worse...

He liked his shed, but he didn't want to stay in it forever...

It was then Toby felt an awful queasy sensation in his body. He couldn't pinpoint where it was, but it didn't feel good one bit. His firebox crackled and fizzed excessively, and that was when he felt nauseous. Suddenly, he felt something traveling up to his mouth, and then–

"BLEGHH!!" He vomited and gagged as a deep black fluid came rushing out of his mouth and splattered onto the rails below. His crew came rushing to his side and were taken back by the sight of him vomiting. As the last few drops of black fluid came out, Toby coughed and tried to spit out the bitter taste, all the while panting for breath and wincing as it left the back of his mouth with a stinging pain.

"Oh god..." The fireman whispered. The driver then ran back in the shed "I'll get the towels!"

"Toby?! Are you alright, Toby? What's happening?!" Henrietta exclaimed, silently cursing her inability to see what was happening.

The driver dashed back with a bundle of towels and proceeded to wipe up the old tram's face and buffers "It's alright, old boy. Take deep breaths..." he told him soothingly as he proceeded to clean him up. Henrietta felt herself pale a bit, knowing whatever was happening was bad.

A few hours later, Toby didn't stop vomiting now and then, his crew gave up and just placed a giant old tub in front of him as a bucket for him to empty his...ugh...

Henrietta always winced at the sounds of the steam tram gagging. All the while, she could hear his crew talking about him.

"Whatever's happenin' to him is beyond concernin'. I'll tell ya that"

"What did he even throw up?"

"I checked. I found little chunks o' coal in that stuff. Must be liquidated coal he brought up"

"But...people and animals only throw up stuff that upsets their stomach. Toby's a steam engine. He shouldn't have a stomach..."

"...fuck's sake. I don't wanna think about it"

Henrietta only grew even more concerned as they went on. Of course they don't have stomachs! They never had them, they shouldn't have them, Toby couldn't be growing a...a...

Henrietta felt sick even thinking about the possibilities. She could only listen as Toby vomited into the tub and whispered;

"Oh Toby...what's happening to you...?"

#thomas and friends #thomas the tank engine #ttte toby #toby x henrietta #toby the tram engine #ttte henrietta #infection lore

[eddie-van-munson]

Metallica Lullabies (Eddie Munson x Reader)

***********

Requested by: @jaiuneamesolitaiire

Summary: When the Reader finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, she debates whether or not to tell Eddie. Should she risk him feeling trapped? Or should she just disappear?

Warnings: Angst (Hurt to Comfort), Steve Sets the Reader Straight, Cursing, Refrences to Drugs, Non-Descript Mentions of Vomiting/Morning Sickness, Mentions of Hospitals/Doctors.

(I will get a "Read More" cut in this ASAP. Requests are OPEN.)

***********

"Y/N, you've got to tell him. He deserves to know."

Eddie hadn't meant to overhear. He really hadn't.

He normally drove home, but the van was temporarily out of commission, so he'd decided to walk through the woods to the trailer park. It was easier that way, and there was a trail he could follow through to the other side.

You'd told him you had tutoring, but there you were, sitting at a picnic table in the woods with Harrington. You didn't seem to be reviewing equations.

"You know I can't do that."

Steve ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "So what? You've already broken the poor guys heart and now you're just gonna leave town?"

Your voice cracked, "It's not like I have much of a choice, Steve! I've got about a month and then it becomes pretty fucking obvious!"

Eddie's heart plunged into his stomach. Leave town? A month?

"You do have a choice, Y/N! Sit down and talk to him! Tell him the truth like a goddamn grown up!"

You buried your head in your hands, expression crumbling a little. Eddie's head was spinning. He wanted to march out of the woods and ask what the hell was going on.

Steve sighed, seeing your eyes welling, and sat down. "Listen, Y/N..."

You quickly blinked away the evidence of your tears, trying to save face.

"Eddie's a good guy." Steve insisted. "A great guy. He loves you. He'd drop everything to take care of you, Y/N. You know that."

You shook your head, "That's what I'm afraid of."

Steve frowned.

You took a deep breath, "He'll drop out the minute I tell him. I know it. He'll want to try and get a better job." You paused, "He's worked seven years on that diploma. I'm not going to be the thing that keeps him from it."

Steve crossed his arms over his chest, thinking.

You swallowed the knot in your throat, "He'll put the band on hold and Hellfire and everything he loves. I can't let him put his whole life up in the attic because of this, Steve. He's got a million plans. Beautiful plans."

"Did you ever think those plans might involve you?"

You went silent, eyes welling again.

Steve took your hands, "Hey...look at me." You met his gaze, hesitantly. "This is a choice you're going to have to let him make, ok?"

You nodded pitifully, and Steve gave a soft smile.

"So, you're going to talk to him, right?"

You paused, taking a shakey breath, and nodded.

Steve grinned. "Atta girl."

***********

Wayne wasn't there when Eddie made it back to the trailer. He sighed, laying flat on his bed and looking up at the ceiling. What the fuck? What the fuck?

What hadn't you told him? He'd known you'd been distant since you'd broken things off, but he'd thought maybe you were busy or you felt awkward about it. But now you were leaving town? Because you'd had sex with your best friend and regretted it? Oh god, did you regret it?

What did you mean about putting his plans on hold to take care of you? Were you sick? Holy shit. What if you were sick? Like, really sick. Hospital sick.

 He worried himself until his eyes grew heavy, his stomach aching. He had a furrow in his dark brows when he finally drifted off to sleep.

***********

You couldn't keep any dinner down. The thought of going to Eddie's plagued your stomach, making it rocky and volatile.

Or maybe that was leftover morning sickness.

You'd been friends with Eddie since you were in 7th grade. You'd been in love with him since the 8th. You'd been pining after that curly headed, stupidly endearing boy since you were 14.

You'd finally cracked a few months ago. You'd been staying over for the weekend with him while Wayne was out of town, indulging in as much weed, junk food, and Family Video rentals as the two of you could possibly enjoy.

He'd looked so pretty there, his cheeks pink and flushed from the weed. You watched him for a long time, admiring the flutter of his thick lashes as his eyes grew heavy. He held you closer and closer as the night went on, and before you knew what had happened, you were kissing him. His lips were soft, and he tasted like candy and weed. His hands were warm as they traveled over you, and his touches were comforting. Familiar. It was as if he filled a deep ache as you finally took him inside you.

For two months, you made up for lost time. You slept in each others arms and whispered I love yous against one another's skin as you drifted off. You combed through his curls gently with your fingertips when he didn't take care of them well enough for your liking. He pulled you into needy kisses that ended too quickly because he was smiling too hard. You sat in his lap and let him teach you chords on his guitar until your un-callused fingers ached, and he kissed them better.

But then your period was late. The first time, you ignored it, assuming you'd tracked it wrong. The second month you missed, panic settled in your belly.

You took two drugstore tests, and each one marked itself with two little lines. Surely, it was a mistake. You and Eddie were safe. Well...you were most of the time.

It wasn't until a doctor pressed a sensor to your belly and a pulsing beat transmitted onto the screen that it sunk in. A heartbeat. A baby growing in your stomach. Yours and Eddie's.

You sat in your room and cried for the rest of the night, clutching your stomach. Not because you were angry or upset, but because the moment you'd heard the sound of the little heart beating inside you, you'd fallen in love with it. Deep in your chest, you knew you could never give it up.

You'd be a mom at nineteen. You'd have no money. You'd live paycheck to paycheck in shitty apartments and eat frozen dinners.

You couldn't ask Eddie to make the same decision. You couldn't let him make it out of guilt, either.

So, you didn't tell him. You broke up with him, trembling and holding back tears the entire time, and threw up behind the trailer on your way out. Thank god he hadn't heard.

You'd even planned to pack a few things in your car and drive to Indianapolis, hoping to get out of town before you started to show. Maybe you'd come back in a year or two when the baby was born. Maybe he'd understand. Maybe he wouldn't be angry.

No. Steve was right. You couldn't take that choice from him.

The more you thought about it, the more things you'd stared to imagine. You imagined Eddie holding a bundle of blankets, smiling down at a tiny face with a grin. You imagined him humming Metallica songs like they were lullabies. You imagined tiny, curious hands tugging at his curls, making him giggle.

You loved him. God, you loved him so much. You couldn't leave him. Not your best friend. Not your Eddie.

So there you were, trembling as you walked up the steps to the trailer. Wayne was gone. You'd noticed the missing truck in the driveway as you opened the front door with your spare key.  "Eds?....Eddie?"

You wandered around the silent trailer, your heart aching when you finally found him sprawled across his bed, fast asleep. You sat beside him, his eyes fluttering softly as you grazed your thumb over his cheek. Your perfect boy. He loved you so well. He always had. Eddie hummed, his gaze focusing on you, and you gave a soft smile, "Hey, baby..."

His hand drifted up to hold yours, cradling it to his cheek. His eyes closed again as he  enjoyed your touch. "I've missed you."

The corners of your eyes stung, "I've missed you too, Eds."

He snuck a hand around your back, giving your shirt a soft tug to guide you down into his arms. You rested your head on his chest, your forehead nudging into the crook of his shoulder.

There was a long silence, his hand rubbing up and down your back soothingly. He'd missed your body warmth. He'd missed the smell of your shampoo and the flutter of your eyelashes against his skin. He swallowed thickly, trying to bring himself back in.

"Why are you leaving town?" His voice was soft. Pitiful.

Your lips and words were warm against his throat when you spoke. "What?"

He sighed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with one hand. "The van broke down this morning. I had to walk to school and back through the woods."

Your eyes went wide, and you sat up to look at him in the eye. "You heard Steve and I talking?"

He nodded, giving your hip a squeeze. "Yeah...I did."

Your brain short circuited for a moment, unable to regroup your mental index cards to read off to him.

 He tucked some hair behind your ear, seeing the look on your face. "It's ok." He sounded so gentle. "I'm not upset with you. Not at all. I just..." His trailed off, eyes still heavy with sleep. "Can you start from the beginning for me?" He looked so sweet. So understanding and patient that you could have cried.

You gave a watery smile, admiring him for a moment in disbelief before leaning down to grant him a soft, shy kiss. He sighed happily against your lips, allowing himself to indulge in you for a moment. He pecked your lips one last time before you pulled away, looking so fondly at you. "Missed that too, you know..."

The smile you gave was so tender that he felt like he could faint. A longing settled in his throat. A desperation to keep you right here beside him. 

You took a deep breath, trying to let his body warmth seep down into your bones. It was Eddie. Sweet Eddie. He'd understand. He always did. He loved you.

"Eddie, I'm pregnant." You whispered, croakily. Your eyes shined with nervous tears.

You watched as he processed the words...an ever so slight furrow in his brow as he put two and two together. His eyes were wide when they met yours again, "A-Are you really?"

You nodded.

His heart skipped a beat as his head still struggled to comprehend. "And it's mine?" His voice broke, eyes glossing.

"It's yours, Eds." A tear rolled down your cheek as you watched his brain work through what you'd just thrown its way.

"You're really...I mean, you're not bullshitting me or anything? I'm gonna be a d-..." His words cut off, a tear finally rolling its way down his cheek.

"I don't...I don't want you to feel like you have to be, ok? I mean it." Your hands were shakey as you fiddled with the zipper of his jacket. "I don't want you to do this if it's not what you want. I know keeping it...it's going to be really fucking hard, Eds, and I'm not going to force that on you."

Eddie felt like his ears had been stuffed with cotton. Your words sounded fuzzy and distant to him now, his heart threatening to burst out of his chest. A baby. A baby.

"H-How big is the b-...?" He whispered, unable to find his a voice. "How far along?"

Your throat tightened as you watched his blank expression, tears streaming steadily from his big brown eyes. He was overwhelmed. You could see it. Really overwhelmed.

"About three months. Fifteen weeks." You held his trembling hand in your own, soothingly. "The doctor said it's about the size of an apple."

Eddie gave a soft sob at the information, sniffling as he scrubbed the tears from his face. "Does she kick yet? Can you feel her?"

You tucked some hair behind his ear, trying to soothe him. You smiled, chuckling softly. "We don't know if it's a girl or a boy yet, Eds."

"It's a girl." He croaked, giving a faint smile up at you.

You laughed, "How do you know?"

He shook his head, "I just know." His smile was more sure now, his thumb grazing over your knuckles passively.

You took a deep breath, letting your muscles relax a little. He wasn't angry.

"I haven't felt any kicks yet, but they're supposed to start in the next month or so."

He gave an amazed chuckle, holding his temples for a moment before looking back at you. He wrapped a hand around your arms, helping you sit up on your knees beside him. "I want to see you. Please let me see you."

He sounded so desperate. Your heart fluttered as you grabbed the bottom of your shirt and pulled it off. His eyes trailed over you so lovingly.

Your tummy looked almost the same, the only noticeable difference being an ever so slight swell to it. His expression was unreadable as he laid a gentle hand on you, his rings making you shiver.

"Holy shit, Y/N."

You swallowed the knot in your throat, insecurity creeping in. "I know I don't look the same. I understand if you-"

"I love you."

Your eyes widened at his groaned words, "What?"

"You look so fucking gorgeous. Jesus H. Christ, Y/N. Fuck..."  His hands were warm and big on your belly and he was looking at you like you hung the stars. "Look at you."

You gave a soft sob at his loving words and his heart ached, pulling you down again into a needy kiss.

"I don't understand." He hummed against your lips, hands exploring your hips. His words were breathy. "Why didn't you tell me? Why were you going to leave town?"

You rest your forehead against his, memorizing how pretty his eyelashes looked when they were stuck together with tears. "I didn't want you to feel trapped. You shouldn't be forced to make the same decision I am. And you shouldn't make it out of guilt."

"Guilt..." He whispered, his eyes clouded with thought.

You pressed a kiss to his pink nose, "I-...I love you so much. I love you so much. I never wanted to leave you. I broke it off because..." You swallowed thickly. "I was scared of ruining your all of your plans. So, I decided to try and hide it. To break up with you and leave town before you could see the bump."

His brow was furrowed as you tried to explain yourself. He took your trembling hand, giving it a squeeze.

"I can still leave, if that's what you need."

"Y/N, no-"

"I mean it, Eddie. I won't be angry." He had so much sympathy and confusion in his eyes as he looked up at you. "You have so many beautiful dreams, Eds. I'm not going to take them from you-"

"Y/N. Stop talking."

You went silent, staring at beautiful Eddie Munson. Memorizing him as if you'd never see him again.

"You keep going on about my plans and my dreams, babe. This...You? You're a better dream than any of that shit, ok? It pales in comparison. Loving you? Loving a baby? That's a million times better than anything I could have possibly thought up."

Tears welled in your eyes and you gave a soft sob, he cradled your face, wiping your tears. "B-Better than The Garden?"

He grins, tears welling in his own eyes now. What did he ever do to deserve you? To deserve someone so protective over him and his dreams that they were willing to do anything to keep them alive?

"Fuck the Garden, babe. I'm gonna be a dad."

***********

#eddie munson #eddie the freak munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #stranger things #stranger things imagine #stranger things imagines #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson imagines #eddie imagine #eddie imagines #eddie x reader #eddie x you #stranger things x you #stranger things x reader #eddie munsen x reader #eddie munsen imagine #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munsen

[thegreencanary]

We’re ride or die baby, so let’s ride until we die

Based on this request!

Billy Hargrove x Y/N (Fem!)

A/N: This is my work and I don’t give anyone the permission to post it anywhere claiming to be someone else’s. I worked hard on this, if you enjoy it please interact. Requests are open.

Summary: You find out your pregnant and you’re terrified to tell your boyfriend Billy, but his response is different than you imagined.

TW: Teen pregnancy, vomit, Cursing, Mentions of abuse, bullying, bad parents…I think that’s it

It’s a somewhat a fluffy one! Some angst but not a lot. Reblog, like and comment if you like it! Feedback is always appreciated if you don’t! (Be kind please)

*Oh God, oh god, oh god, he’s gonna kill me*

You looked down at the three positive pregnancy tests. There is no way all three could be false positives…you were pregnant. Billy was going to kill you, definitely break up with you. The two of you had only been dating for a few months. You were the longest girlfriend he had but it wasn’t saying much, most of his girls were only for a night. He probably hasn’t dumped you because of Starcourt. You saved his life by taking some of the Mind Flayers fatal strikes. You both were in the hospital for months, having to finish out your school over the summer. This was surely going to be the end of your relationship, he never wanted kids; hell you never wanted kids. Yet here you were, having morning sickness and looking at proof of the baby.

19 and pregnant. Your mother was going to kick you out for sure, it felt like your life was ending. You heard a knock on the door, Billy was coming to pick you up. Oh god how were you going to tell him. Quickly brushing your teeth to get the morning sickness breath away you ran towards the door before your clueless mother could. Billy noticed something was off because you immediately pushed right past him and went to sit in his car. He rolled his eyes, trying to think what he already did to piss you off. You’d been on edge lately and he didn’t know what he was doing wrong. He had some really good news today too.

Sitting in the car he sighed and brought her to life. You flinched at the noise, you’ve never flinched at the noise. Driving down the road a bit he turned onto a dirt path. You didn’t know where he was going, you started to freak out. Did he know? Was he taking you somewhere to scream at you and dump you? What was going on?

Billy pulled into lovers lake, a much more secluded spot than they’d had before. You almost hurled from the sudden stopping of the car. He killed the engine and turns to look at you.

“What the fuck did I do?”

You winced as he raised his voice. Everything seemed so heightened.

“Nothing…what do you mean?”

Billy rolled his eyes and smacked his hand on the center console. This time you jumped for real, and he felt a bit bad for scaring you. You just seemed so out of focus.

“Come on Y/N. You’ve been so fucking distant, you barely want me to pick you up anymore, you’ve canceled our last two dates, you don’t go to parties anymore…what the fuck did I do?”

You could tell he was hurt. He masked most of his pain with anger; something he learned from his shit father. You learned how to deal with it and he appreciated you for it. No one else would stick around, no one else was like you. No one else loved him the he needed to be loved; the way you loved him. You gently rested your hand on top of his, you were shaking.

“Billy…something…I don’t know how to say this…but you’ve done nothing wrong. I think it was after the mall incident…maybe the meds were the issue.”

Billy was confused as hell. So many emotions ran though him. First, he thought you were going to say you’ve been cheating on him; but then you mentioned the mall. Second he thought the whole alternate dimension shit was too much for you; which he completely understood, but then you mentioned medication?

“Baby…what in the blue fuck are you talking about. Are you cheating on me?”

Again with the pain, this time it wasn’t even masked. He just straight up bled his hurting heart out onto you. Immediately you jumped back.

“Billy! No! Oh my god no! I could never. I would never!”

Seeing him visibly relax did nothing for your nerves.

“Billy…baby I’m pregnant.”

The air went cold. Billy was rigid, if you thought he was tense before, you were wrong. Tears welled up as you took your hand away from him. He needed to process, but you couldn’t watch it happen. Billy silently got out of the car and just walked away. You began to panic, he’d be back right? Of course he would, you’re in his car! Even if he hated you; Billy Hargrove loved his car. He would never just leave it by a lake.

An hour or so passed and you became nauseous. He still wasn’t back, you were supposed to go to the movies today; but that wasn’t happening. Getting out of his car you found yourself crying, and rushing to the lake to throw up. Falling to your knees at the edge of the lake you began to sob. Everything was going to fall apart, you’d be homeless when your family found out: and your boyfriend would have nothing to do with you.

Billy came back to find you out of the car, and fear clutched him. Had you tried to walk home? Was that bad for you or the baby? Oh god what had he done? But he heard a soft sniffle from down the hill and followed it to see your body curled up by the like. Quietly Billy walked over to you and gently lifted you so you were leaning against him. He kissed your forehead.

“Are you okay?”

You both asked at the same time. He chuckled and kissed your forehead again.

“Yea…I just needed to clear my head.”

You nodded.

“I threw up, but I’m ok.”

Billy sighed softly and pet your hair.

“What do you want to do?”

You shrugged. You knew you had options but it was all too much to handle. Billy gently picked you up and carried you back to the car. He placed your on the hood and stood in between your legs.

“We’ve been through a lot worse than this baby. We’re gonna do this together okay? Whatever you decide I’m going to be there. I’ll fight off every god damn person who has an issue with whatever you decide. I love you god damn it. I just got you back from that fucking demon, I’m not losing you again.”

His forehead was against yours, soft tears were coming out of his crystal blue eyes. Your face matching his, the words bringing tears to your eyes. You opted to kiss his cheek because of the vomit and he grunted.

“Let’s get you back home so you can brush your teeth and give me a real kiss.”

You chuckled, exhausted.

“I love you too Billy.”

He kissed your cheeks, where you cried.

“I love you too Y/N”

———————————

That’s it! I’m not the greatest with pregnancy stuff so I did my best. I hope y’all like it! It’s definitely a shorter one. I did write this at like 5am so if there are errors I’m sorry!

#billy could have been saved #billy hargrove x female reader #billy x reader #billy hargrove #daddy hargrove #stranger things #billy stranger things #billy hargrove x reader #billy hargove imagine #billy hargrove x you

[bunnydexterloveselvis]

Hiiii and welcome ✨🔆 If you are accepting prompts can i request one please, would you write cuddly fluff and / or agere with a baby BDE? especially a sick fic with a cg reader! Thank you ✨✨✨

Oh my god!!!!!!!!!!!! You're the first one to request a prompt!!! Thank you sooo much!!! Of course I'll write it!! How could I pass up such an amazing request? So cute!!! I've never wrote sick fics before so I'll try my best!!

Sick little baby.. (Agere!Big Daddy Elvis x reader)

summary: //elvis wakes up with a cold, is age regressed, and has you as his caregiver

type of fic: //age regression, tooth-rotting fluff, sickfic

warnings: //being sick?? the symptoms mentioned are sneezing, coughing, headache, mild fever, etc. no vomiting or anything like that. also it's pretty mild. he just sleeps it off, cuddling????? idk some people don't like being cuddled i guess, baby talk?? i don't think there's any serious warnings here besides being sick and age regression

word count: //675 (six-hundred and seventy-five) words

It was a fresh day, and you wake up in the morning, it’s around 8am. You look over at your sweet boy who is still sleeping. “What a cutie,” you thought to yourself. You chuckled and got out of bed to make breakfast. About 15 minutes later you come back, with Elvis still asleep in the bed. You smile warmly.

“Wake up, baby,” you whisper in his ear. He shuffles around a bit and lets out a whine. His eyes flutter open and he pouts. “Mamaaa- ’m sweepy!!!” He rolls onto his back. Oh. He woke up little! You almost giggle from how cute he is. He then sneezes three times and sniffles. “got da sneezies,” He mutters, with a short, reassuring giggle. Then he coughs a bunch. “Um, little one, are you okay??” You ask, caressing his shoulder. He looks up at you with sparkling eyes but very wet eyes. “M-mama I don’ feew so.. Good..” He wipes his forehead trickling with sweat, along with that, his soft chubby cheeks are red and his eyes are half-lidded.

He’s sick. But he has a concert today! “Awww.. What are we going to do?,” you thought. You’ll have to cancel it today. Can’t do a concert if you’re sick! So you make a call to explain that E is sick, and has to cancel the concert today. After that trouble, you run back to him. “Mamaaa…” he cries and makes grabby hands at you, implying he wants something. “What is it, E, baby??” you chuckle a bit from his overexpressed tone of voice. “Mmm.. t-tummy hurts..” he forces out while clenching his hands on his soft belly. “Awwww.. It’ll be okay. Mommy’s gonna help make your tummy feel better in no time!,” you tell him, sitting down next to him, massaging circles on his sore stomach. He looks up at you with the prettiest, sparkliest eyes ever. “Weawwy?” he asks softly. A small smile appears on his face. “Wiww mama make tummy free bettew?” “Of course honey, but you need to rest, I’ll be back with some stuff to keep you busy while I make you stuff to help you feel better! Sounds okay?” You murmur, making sure you don’t scare him. He gets scared when he hears loud noises, and you took note of that as soon as you found out. “Mhm!” he nods. You find his toybox and his paci and take it to him, pop the paci in his mouth while ruffling his hair very gently, remember he has a headache too.

So you give him all his gear, and as you walk away to go make him soup for his tummy, he cries out, “Mamaaa!! Don’ leave!!” You sigh. “E, baby, I have to make you soup so you’ll feel better. Do you wanna take the yucky red-coloured spoon medicine?” you threaten “No!! No yucky stuff!! Just wan’ mama..” he frowns and looks down. You slowly approach him and run your fingers through his hair, which usually calms him down. It did. He buries his face in your chest while hugging you tight. “I-I wuv you mama” he says into you. Making you smile sympathetically, you say, “Okay.. I’ll lie down and nap with you, but the first hurt noise I hear from you, I am getting the medicine,” half jokingly. He pouts as a joke, making you giggle. 

You pet his hair while trying not to get sick yourself. His eyes get half-lidded and sleepy. You pet his forehead in an attempt to calm his headache. It worked, weirdly, more like distracted him from his headache to your soothing touch. Elvis practically did something similar, he held you, his mama, close. Never letting go. Planting a kiss on his cheek, you whisper sweet nothings into his ear to lull him into a nap. Afterwards you make him some chicken noodle soup for when he wakes up in case he gets hungry.

You really hope he naps for a while, because you can’t seem to get this can of chicken soup open.

(i don't feel like this is good enough, i feel like it's too vague. let me know if you like it!! It was a teensy bit rushed and i wrote half of it when sleepy)

#elvis presley #elvis #dexter.txt #dexter posts #elvis x reader #big daddy elvis #70s elvis #elvis fandom #<3 #elvis the king #age regression #agere #sickfic #caretaking #agere fic #fic request

[naneun-no]

Ramble Thoughts on 3D ft. Jack Harlow:

- Feels like 3D is something that would have come out in 2006? I’m not mad about it but it does feel like Gen Z is taking this whole Y2K revival thing too seriously 🥹 like y’all have some big Air Force Ones to fill and I’d rather see a fresher take but okay

- Speaking of Nelly people are acting like they’ve never heard a rapper objectify a woman before and it’s kind of odd. I think maybe people haven’t listened to Jack Harlow before if they’re surprised by the contents of his verse. I’m not saying we can’t ask for more or expect more but the shock I’m seeing is kind of strange.

- JK does not sound that good...? To me. It seems like he’s maybe in too high of a register? Or maybe it’s too many minor chords for me. Not that he can’t hit the notes effortlessly but it’s just not a pleasant register to me? This is a song I can see getting stuck in my head in an annoying way and not a “omg I have to listen to it again turn it on” way, which is a bummer.

- I love the dancing, and the fire hydrant bit at the end was very cool visually.

- This whole thing reminds me strongly of some of Pharrell’s more controversial hits in the mid-aughts, especially Blurred Lines. Except… Blurred Lines was a better song 😬😬😬 if you’re gonna talk about women like they’re pleasure dolls in 2023, at least make sure your song is unusually good. Just my humble opinion.

- I think objectification is an interesting topic and we could go on about it, but some of the shocked and horrified responses I’m seeing on Twitter are from NSFW fan fiction writers (of which I am one full transparency) and artists and there is a blatant hypocrisy in that that I find somewhat amusing. Like. Very few of us are truly innocent of ever sexually objectifying someone else and let’s just be honest about that. Not to mention the objectification of Jung Kook’s every body part that has been happening recently, even up to as recently as the promotions for this specific song. Like… hang on a minute. We can all collectively drool over and go feral for and zoom in on his shirtless chest and talk about his waist and his nipples and his belly button but… god forbid he shares a song with someone doing the same thing? Idk maybe I’m oversimplifying.

- The “girl”!! Oh, people are gonna be mad. Why can’t he always only ever sing his songs to a faceless genderless “you”?! Because A) he is not writing these songs and requesting a gender change to a song that someone else wrote would be a declaration. B) I’ve said it before but it’s entirely possible he is into women. Again, he didn’t write this one but in a recent performance he did intentionally swap out a pronoun that he could have skipped and so let’s not make too much of it but let’s also not ignore him over and over again for the sake of our own beliefs. Not with bi visibility day still in the rear view 🥲 C) His behavior toward and about Jimin has not changed so I have not changed my attitude toward their relationship. Simple as that. D) he did not write this song. If he is queer he is closeted. Chill out.

- I want more for him, I’ll just say it! Lol. I think he has so much musical potential and right now it feels like we’re just waiting for him to actually come into it. But I do love the choreography, the boy band vibes, the confidence. I think I’m appreciating Left and Right more and more as time goes on; that seemed like a really excellent creative fit and the concept was so fun. But maybe I’m projecting my wishes onto him. It’s his career, not mine 😅 he is his own person, he doesn’t owe me a damn thing.

That’s all for now, just sort of felt like word vomiting this morning instead of doing anything productive. Would love to hear others’ thoughts!

#jeon jungkook #jungkook 3d #Jack Harlow and Jeon Jungkook

[ateezivy]

learn the alphabet with ivy (updated)

warning! jokes about drugs and killing (this is how she copes with her trauma😭)

A is for…

‘ass shakin on a tuesday?’

‘ask hongjoong if we can get mcdonald’s for dinner’

‘as a mingi enthusiast, i can confirm’

B is for…

‘but did i die?’

‘bonita’

‘boxing was fun until i almost broke my wrist-‘

C is for…

‘cause i said so’

‘cute is overrated, i like looking like i just killed someone-‘

‘call me when i actually care, wooyoung’

D is for…

‘don’t follow me, i won’t be running away. i’m going to the store…’

‘driving is easy, these losers are just lazy. AINT THAT RIGHT YUNHO???’

‘did someone say le sserafim?’

E is for…

‘eggplant emoji? boy what-‘

‘extra ice please’ ‘but seonghwa hyung asked for light-‘ ‘i said extra’

‘even if i die, keep performing’ ‘ivy no-‘

F is for…

‘frogs are innocent beings.’

‘for the LOVE OF GOD SAN SHUT UP’

‘felix said otherwise.’

G is for…

‘god would want me to’

‘going to the gym is so much work, but i’m forced to’

‘guys, i think i started my period…’ *cue panic*

H is for…

‘hongjoongie-oppa says i’m brilliant’ ‘he told you that so you would shut u-‘ ‘san no one asked for your input’

‘how did you manage to make jongho cry bruh-‘

‘how big is his-‘ ‘olivia!’ ‘-house…’

I is for…

‘i’m fearless’ *after getting scared by yunho*

‘i feel bonita’

‘if i have to dance to this song on more time-‘

J is for…

‘just say you hate me already’

‘jongho is my best friend, sometimes’

‘jimin would be my friend.’

K is for…

‘killing people is only okay sometimes’

‘kites still exist??’

‘KITTIES’

L is for…

‘lost me at the word running’

‘look at me’ *slaps san*

‘living is breathing.’

M is for…

‘mingi my dearest’

‘my type? mingi.’

‘my mom told me not to do it, but my mom is also a drug addict so-‘

N is for…

‘no money’

‘no ice cream for you mr. park’

‘nayeon-unnie is cooler than you’

O is for…

‘oh jolly pirate’

‘oh brother, this fool again’ *san walks in*

‘oh, i like yeosang more’

P is for…

‘people think im innocent. that’s cute’

‘pipe down’

‘poop doopy’

Q is for…

‘quit looking at me like that, you’re gonna make me vomit’

‘quiet, i think i hear god’

‘quit talking, i’m trying to listen to itzy!!!’

R is for…

‘right, and i’m beyoncé.’

‘right hand man, jongho. not you’ *cut to wooyoung frowning’

‘rings. blings. and all that’

S is for…

‘silence, who died?’

‘snow snow snow snow snow snow sno-‘ *yeosang throws a snowball at her*

‘sweet. can we go home now?’

T is for…

‘tomorrow is a new day, a new slay’

‘teen beach movie has one of the best soundtracks’

‘they see me rollin, they hatin-‘

U is for…

‘uvula shot’ *shows camera yunhos uvula*

‘under the seaaa. under the seeeaaa. darling is betTA down where it weTTA’

‘uhm, be so fucking for real right now…’

V is for…

‘very good morning my loves’

‘van… gogh’ *van starts moving*

‘valid point, too bad i don’t care’

W is for…

‘wow, and here i thought i was the idiot’

‘where is my food servants’ *acting a scene for a show*

‘why am i here. i need to go home. i, i need to go.’

X is for…

‘xoxo, go piss girl’

‘x-rays helped see the shape of dna’ ‘it’s 2 am. go to bed.’

x’s and the o o o’s they HAUNT me’

Y is for…

‘you have no idea what you’re talking about do you?’

‘yo, chill out brother’

‘yes, i do love my members. yes, i do hate my members. family.’

Z is for…

‘zoom zoom, hop in hotties’

‘zebras. are the white with black stripes. or black with white stripes’

‘zooweemama am i right?’

taglist: @atolua @skzfairies @itzy-eve @cixrosie @stopeatread @alixnsuperstxr @smh-anon

#ivy #ateez #kpop added member #ateez 9th member #kpop oc #ateez added member #hongjoong #jongho #mingi #san #kpop #kpopidol #kpop female member #kpop addition #ateez addition #ateez oc #ateez female member #ateez female addition #ateez female oc #oc addition #kpop female oc #fictional idol oc #fictional kpop community #fake kpop member #added member #additional member #addition

[filipinosamflynn]

It took me a few months, but I finally finished Iron Gold! Let me burn the kitchen down as I cook!

Note: I'm not the American education system, so I consider a 6/10 a good score. 6/10 to me means it's good but I don't think I want to read it again until years in the future.

Total Score: 8/10 - hard to read at the beginning, but phenomenonal second half. The multiple perspectives are fun, but kind of jarring to get into, some of the perspective shifts can get enfuriating by creating cliff hangers. That's obviously the intention, but come on, nobody's favorite part about a show are its cliffhangers.

Below is my tier list of all the characters:

Spoilers, unstructured thoughts, word vomit, and objectively incorrect opinions ahead. This review is based on my experience reading the book, the quality of it is obviously amazing.

Characters: 9.5/10 - Everybody is still amazing, and almost all of the new characters are so fun and well characterized! I would have given this 10/10 if not for Harmony not showing up at all in this book. I think the last time she was physically present is in Golden Son, then she is mentioned to have started the Red Hand in Morning Star but she does not show up, then when the Red Hand DOES show up in Iron Gold, she somehow still isn't there. HUH???? WASN'T THAT LYRIA'S WHOLE THING BEFORE THE TELEMANUS ADVENTURES AND THE FUNNY KIDNAPPING???? But ignoring that red bitch (and dano too, fuck that guy), Lyria is a surprising stand out to me, I love her so much and that's what surprises me. Literally all she does is be a victim, and honestly I'm here for it. It's so easy to root for an underdog character, and that's the reason why I wanted to read Red Rising in the first place, to watch an underdog character fight through their circumstances. Also, FUCKING HELL WHY DOES HER STORY END LIKE THAT???? SHE'S FUCKING INNOCENT GIVE MY GIRL A FUCKING BREAK 😭😭😭😭

Ephraim took like 70% of the book for me to like, but once the perspectives crossed over, we saw more development from him outside of his drug addiction, and him being ✨️GAY✨️ without it being the sole focus of his story being extremely awesome. Gay media doesn't get me, sometimes I just wanna see a dude who happens to be gay fuck shit up. He just needed to be more than just "the gruff mercenary", and him struggling to kill Lyria made me finally like him. I do wish we had moments of him being likable earlier, I mean I get we needed to establish him being grumpy, but I really wish we had scenes of Ephraim and Volga being friends earlier in the book. I was expecting them to be this fuck ass father daughter duo when I first started reading, but I guess not. I do love their bond a lot though, and him going through hell and back for Pax & Electra was everything I needed out of this character. Also as a side tangent, the Cyra being a spy plot just happens then goes nowhere? I mean, HUH????? I was so confused, I looked her up online, and nobody talks about Cyra. She just... exists to die and be a useless plot reveal? Unless I'm missing something, she feels like one of the most useless deaths in the series. Oh well, back to Ephraim. Yeah, I liked him a whole lot more after I realized he's into Japanese army men and footjobs.

Here's an obvious one: Darrow becomes slightly unlikable! Yeah, I didn't expect it, I still love him, but sometimes while reading this dude do war shit and ignore his wife makes me want to football kick him into a therapy chair. And then he teams up with Apollonius and, it's so fucking obvious him and Tharsus are gonna betray Darrow and curb stomp his ass. Darrow, you bitch ass motherfucker, just be with your god damn son you son of a bitch. 💀 His ending though, man you can really FEEL his absolute despair. It's not an exciting despair like at the ending of Golden Son, it's a slow, harsh, burning one you have to sit with. "It was all useless" is SUCH an awesome trope, I simply adore it. Poor Sevro.

Now onto our pathetic bitch boy of the hour: Lysander. I've known about his reputation amongst fans since I started the series, and I've been so excited to see this little shit fuck shit up and...! He's so pathetic. I'm a little disappointed by how pathetic he is compared to my expectations of him being this evil little shit. However, he turned out to be my favorite perspective. Just watching this little man who I know becomes horrible just grovel in himself, slowly rising to power, then avoiding almost every single action of good he can take is awesome. My enjoyment is also added by all of the Raas being so fun, especially Dido. This bitch... serve cunt and be evil is her motto and I love it 💅✨️

Perspectives Ranked: Lysander is my favorite perspective, him rising to power in the Rim from nothing is just satisfying, and excites me for what hell is to come in Dark Ages. I love a good villain.

Lyria is my second favorite, I just love underdogs, what can I say?

Third favorite is Ephraim. I didn't like him nor get what his deal was at the first half. I didn't know where his story would go, and I didn't give a shit about whatever the Duke of Hands wanted. Only when we got development did he become a very fun character.

Fourth favorite is Darrow. His perspective isn't bad, but it was just kind of disheartening to see my boy do all this shit and accidentally make the wrong decisions. Of course, his perspective is far from bad, it was just hard to root for him.

Personal Enjoyment: 7/10 - This was a hard book to get through in the beginning. They have to re-establish the world and you're forced to try and get through 4 different characters' perspectives. Establishing the new world, the characters, and their reason for being important is rather slow for a series with such a breakneck pace, so it was annoying to get through to be honest. Not to mention that the perspective shifts can be rough or annoying in that "TV Show cliffhanger" style. Another personal thing, because of all the re-establishing and the perspective shifting, I forgot a lot of plot points and motivations. I didn't know why Ephraim was speaking with the Duke of Hands nor what his purpose or deal was for quite a while, like I didn't know what Holiday had to do with Ephraim until the 2nd half when they said Trigg was Ephraim's fiance. I didn't even know Ephraim was going to steal until he kidnapped Pax & Electra. The story is great, but this is the first time I've read a book with multiple story lines in different perspectives, and added onto the complex web of connections and all sorts of other story bullshit, it's easy to see why I got lost and had to drop the book for a few months. However once I finally got used to everything in the 2nd half, it was an EXTREMELY fun read that made up for the hard to understand and read through first half. This is feels like a book I only appreciate on the prospect of a re-read where I know what happens since the blind read was, uh, annoying.

Plot: 8/10 - As I said, the beginning was kind of annoying to get through and I can't for the life of me remember anything that happened to Ephraim at the start, and 25% of Darrow's & Lysander's plotline. It's just a me thing. The story as a whole is extremely fun, all the twists and events are a blast to read (except for Ephraim's moping at the start of the book, if he even moped because as I said before, I can't remember shit about Ephraim from part 1 except that he has a fancy gun and the Duke of Hands wanted to cut off his hand if he didn't do the thing). Lyria's story was the most engaging for me from start to finish, so that's a plus. Really, my opinion on this book is kind of being carried by the 2nd half, which sucks because this is still a really great book! I just had a hard time following it. But the plot was great, and (obviously) the action scenes are a highlight. The Cassius kills a bunch of dudes and says his honor remains scene is badass as all hell, Lyria's desperate escape from the Red Hand + its aftermath is so visceral and everything I love about the series, Ephraim saving the kids is the best scene in the book in my opinion, and the realization of "it was all for nothing" upon the Ash Lord's reveal was just UGH 😭 I LOVE THAT SHIT!

My Expectations Heading Into Dark Ages:

• Cassius isn't dead, it's too obvious. Not only did we pull that shit off with Dancer and Uncle Narol, but we didn't see a body, and his death just felt weirdly unsatisfying for a series like Red Rising. Cassius didn't even get to talk to Pytha or his frot buddy Darrow once, so yeah, not dead.

• Victra is going to be this fuck ass antihero doing the wrong things for the right reason of finding her daughter. I can feel her getting a character arc in Dark Ages.

• Mustang's perspective is coming up in Dark Ages and OOOOOHHHHHHH IM SO FUCKING EXCITED TO READ THROUGH THEM, Mustang has remained strong of my favorite character in the series. Sevro is a very close 2nd favorite, but Mustang is the Beyonce of Red Rising.

• I know Darrow gets absolutely FUCKED in Dark Ages. Good. Let me whump.

• I have no clue what will happen with Lyria & Ephraim, but hopefully they don't die! I think Lyria doesn't get a perspective in Dark Ages so *i am scared*.

• Lysander will be so fucking fun to read through now that he's no longer just a pathetic hacky sack getting kicked around. I wanna finally despise and hate this little shit for fun, he looks like he's gonna have the same fuck ass stage presence as the Jackal. Just a feeling on the vibes Lysander will hold.

• I know Dark Ages will destroy me, so I already have Lightbringer ready as my detox, and a box of tissues bought for when I start.

• Harmony BETTER show up. She has literally done nothing since Golden Son (yeah she technically started Red Hand in Morning Star but RH literally did nothing there, and Harmony herself hasn't shown up for 2 straight books).

#sam flynn reads red rising #red rising #iron gold #review #tier list #book review

[thottie777]

college matt.

part 3.

the next morning you woke up to sound of matt and meg slightly bickering as they laid in bed together. you rolled over and slowly opened your eyes, revealing the couple in front of you, his arms wrapped around her affectionately as she was groaning about how hungover she felt.

“matt seriously get the fuck off me” she complained, tearing his arms away from her, “i’m so hot right now and you’re actually making me feel sick, get off, get off, get off” she leapt up from her bed and ran to the en suite, falling to her knees and projectile vomiting into the toilet. matt looked over at you and rolled his eyes, you laughed, shaking your head and grabbing your phone to do your morning scroll.

matt quickly went over to the bathroom and held meg’s hair as she puked her guts up, he stroked her back and shushed her, helping to calm down and relax her. this bitch did not deserve him, he was too kind for his own good. he grabbed meg a water bottle and helped her up off the floor, leading her back to her bed, kissing her forehead. “you can go now” she said as she sipped out of her oversized stanley, still in a mood, he obeyed and packed up his shit to leave, giving you a jokey salute as he closed the door.

half an hour later your phone lit up and you received an unexpected message from matt.

“there’s a party tomorrow evening at alpha phi, 10pm, hope ill see you there, it’s fancy dress” - matt s 11:00am

you contemplated it and guessed it would be good for you to get out every once in a while. before replying you double checked with your best friend that she could come too and she confirmed immediately, you sighed and replied to matt, dreading the idea of having to be at a frat for a whole night.

“see you then” - y/n 11:15am

-

the next evening you had the dorm to yourself, you presumed that meg was getting ready at matt’s which gave you the space to pre drink and get dolled up with your bestie. you fumbled around your closet looking for items that would make a costume, landing with a rough lara croft inspired outfit. you tugged on your chunky boots, and pulled up your tiny black shorts so high that your fat ass was falling out of them, hardly covering your cheeks at all. you found a khaki green tank that was small and tight enough that a bra was unnecessary, you’d had it long before your tits grew to dd’s so it automatically pushed them up, making your cleavage clear and your breasts look perky. you finished the costume with a messy plait and a leather thigh garter with a fake gun which you already had previously from a police costume.

before leaving for the party you applied some light makeup and dark, smudgy eyeliner, along with a deep lipstick that made your lips look puffy and kissable. you downed multiple shots of vodka to dull the inevitable pain of the party, losing count of how many went down your throat and finally leaving your dorm.

the second you entered the front door, eyes were on you, most guys eyes trailing from your pretty face, to your perfect tits, and then as you walked by them your ass that was practically suited for a pornstar.

you shuffled into the kitchen, pushing through crowds of people and holding onto your friends hand in order to not lose her. you finally made your way to the kitchen island, finding a full bottle of tequila and sharing it with your bestie, taking shot after shot, salt on one hand, lime slice in the other. you were both giggling and swaying as the lime juice trickled down your chin and alcohol burnt your throat. you looked up and saw matt stood directly in front of you with an unreadable expression on his face. he was dressed as flynn rider and meg dressed as rapunzel, you immediately guessed she got to pick the outfit and had no doubt in your mind you were wrong, he looked good though.

*look at that dripping down her chin fuck i’m gonna get hard god she’s so fucking hot i wish that was my cum* he thought to himself.

he shook his head from those thoughts and leaned in to give you a quick hug, introducing himself to your friend and telling megan to say hi as she stood close by. she flashed a fake smile, and mumbled something in his ear, provoking them to both leave the kitchen as he waved goodbye. you followed suit minutes later but quickly lost your friend, feeling suddenly very claustrophobic in this room full of sweaty men and girls in slutty costumes, not that you could say much.

your eyes scanned around and found a dingy sofa that had a spare seat, you sped forward, desperate for the spinning in your head to die down a bit and sat down on the cracked leather. a guy was sitting next you, he was tall and built and wearing an anakin skywalker costume which was fitting since the resemblance was honestly uncanny, he had a corona in one hand and a vape in the other, he was pretty hot, but you were unsure whether that was you or the alcohol talking.

“here alone?” he asked, resting his hand that held his vape above your shoulder on the couch, “may as well be” you replied, taking a swig from your solo cup. “i’m surprised” a puzzled look grew on your face “no pretty girl like you should be left alone at a party as gross as this” you shrugged your shoulders and looked up at him “are you gonna fix that?” you questioned, a smirk creeping on your face as you took another sip, the confidence this vodka was giving you definitely helped in a situation like this, you hadn’t had action in a long time due to your irritating flatmate who had scared off every guy that had even stepped a foot in your dorm.

you grabbed another drink, this time with male company and he took your hand and dragged you back to the living room to where the speaker was the loudest and where couples were dancing together. you sang along to a song together, once it had finished and the next began you turned around as he placed his hands firmly on your hips, pushing your ass against him and swaying you with the music. his lips began to pepper kisses down the back of your neck, which sober you would’ve been embarrassed by since you were in front of so many people, but drunk you was too fazed to protest so you allowed his mouth to run along your skin, pressing your ass a little harder up against his dick and grinding against it.

if you were even slightly less drunk you would’ve instantly felt matt’s burning gaze on you as he sat on the sofa with meg to his side, jaw clenched, watching you be all over this random guy. meg was whispering in his ear but he wasn’t listening to a word of it, he didn’t care, his eyes remained solely on you and the way you danced with this rando. he watched as you turned your body back round to anakin, wrapping your hands round his neck whilst he held tightly onto your curvy hips, the guy was much taller than you, he was much taller than matt, which angered him more than he’d like to admit. matt continued to stare as you gazed up at the other guy, smiling at him before bringing your lips to his, initiating a heavy make out session, matt’s heart dropped as your hands began to grip at anakin’s hair, bringing him closer, watching as his tongue fought yours for dominance, slipping and sliding around around your mouth. he looked like an awful kisser, he was sloppy and out of rhythm, matt could tell by your face you were not feeling it but the alcohol in your system forced you to ignore it, as you continued to taste him, his hands all over you ass, squeezing roughly, which in front of this crowd left you feeling heavily embarrassed, you were not one for pda you didn’t know what had come over you.

you broke the kiss, stepping back and finally having sensible thoughts rush to your head, “i need the toilet” you shouted into his ear so that he would hear you over the blaring music. you had finally escaped him and managed to walk away quickly, you scanned the room again looking for the hallway for the toilet and settled your eyes briefly on the sofa where matt and meg were sat. matt made intense eye contact with you, a look of fury on his face for some reason. before you had time to look away he had grabbed meg from his side and planted her on his lap so that she was straddling him, only then did he break eye contact with you and pulled her into a deep and passionate kiss, both hands gripped onto her (flat) ass as he began to rock her back and forth so that she was practically riding him.

you couldn’t look any longer as you felt a dip in your stomach and a burning sensation in your throat, you immediately sprinted through the crowds of people to get to the garden and grabbed a plant pot to vomit in, not being able to shake the image of matt and meg out of your head. you didn’t understand why you cared so much, you never had before. he wasn’t yours and he never had been, from the day you had met him he was already exclusively megan’s, but the way she got the privilege to feel his lips against hers and have his hands all over her so publicly made you boil with anger. you had pondered so many times how good it would feel to be his, it was a strange feeling, one you constantly tried to shake away, but never fully managed to, around matt all sensibility of yours crumbled.

the outfits i imagined them wearing⬇️

also i didn’t give the best friend a name cos she’s literally never mentioned again, and i’m not giving anakin a name because it’s funnier that way and i can’t be bothered. 💋💋

#matt sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #smut #college #party #frat boy

[anticomedygarden]

solangelo marching band au part 3

epilogue

part 1 | 2 | ao3

so. it's been a bit longer than i thought it would be. but here it is. and it's about 3k more words than i thought it would be.

thanks to everyone who stuck this little au out until the end! and thanks for all the sweet comments and replies! y'all are awesome

tw brief mention of vomitting starts at, "He wasn't sure where they were when Will, holding the band at attention…" and ends at, "Horrible and disgusting incident avoided…"

-

One year later

Nico was sleeping soundly for once when his alarm went off at 3:30 in the goddamn morning, a criminal hour to wake up at if he did say so himself.

He was just contemplating what would happen if he stayed in bed when someone started banging on his door. "Nico! Get up! Will's gonna be here in a half hour!"

He got up.

It was still fucking night outside, so he stumbled around in the dark gathering clothes and his phone, keys, and wallet. Fortunately, he showered the night before, so he just changed in the bathroom and brushed his teeth, then went into the kitchen to make some cereal.

Hazel was already there, having gotten up before him. With dark circles under her eyes and a deadened expression, she didn't look much better than him. "Good morning."

Nico grumbled.

"Same."

And that was that.

Twenty minutes later, they were standing on the street outside their dad's house, and it was still fucking black as pitch outside and probably would be for another four hours or so. Next to him, Hazel was shivering slightly in her band tee and thermal undershirt.

Thankfully, that was when Will's old black Toyota Camry pulled around the corner, only seen by the headlights blaring out across the pavement.

Nico and Hazel walked down to the car and slid in, Nico into the passenger seat and Hazel into the back.

"Good morning," Will said, sounding more than a little groggy. The blond may have been more of a morning person than Nico, but he was very very diurnal. Only awake with the sun. The blond took a long sip from a McDonald's coffee cup before setting it in the cup holder. "How'd you sleep?"

A grumbled non-reply from both siblings was all the answer he needed.

"Me, too."

They drove in silence for a couple blocks. Then Will turned his head to look at Nico and seemed to do a double take. "What are you-stop drinking my coffee!"

"But I'm tired, and it's cold," Nico said as he finished his sip. "And my boyfriend didn't get me one."

Will turned to look at him for as long as it was safe while driving in the dark, mouth agape. "You don't even like coffee!"

Nico grinned into the cup. "It's four in the morning. Everyone likes coffee at four in the morning."

"I don't," Hazel said helpfully from the back. "But I wouldn't say no to some sweet tea."

Will groaned, a sound so full of longing that Nico would've believed he was dying of starvation had he not been able to see him. "God, I would kill for a good sweet tea right now."

"You two are so Southern," Nico said, though honestly his heart was warmed by the little exchange. He was glad that his boyfriend and sister could bond over something, even if it did make his heart ache for Italy a little.

"Yeah, yeah. You're just jealous that you've never tasted real Southern sweet tea," Will said, smiling. When Nico grumbled at him, he added, "Don't worry. We'll get you some this summer."

Right, because he was spending two weeks at the Solace family farm in June to meet his boyfriend's family before starting NRU in the fall. He was actually looking forward to it a lot despite the nerves. From what he'd heard, the Solaces were more like the Jacksons than any of his other friend's living parents, but still. It was going to be a lot. But for Will, he could do it. Maybe. Probably.

As they came up the hill to the school, Will spoke again. "Just out of curiosity, when did you go to bed last night?"

Nico's eyes widened. "Midnight," he said hesitantly. He hadn't done that on purpose, but seriously. What high schooler went to bed before midnight on a Friday night? Even the ones with a 4:15 a.m. call time?

Will's eyes swiveled to him. "That was four hours ago."

"Just be glad I went to bed at all." The last three years, he'd stayed up all night and slept on the bus which made last year's events all the more impressive. This year, he'd surely be more awake.

"Jesus christ," Will muttered, turning the car into the school parking lot. It was already about a fourth of the way full with band kids, so Will slid into a spot a few rows back. "That's not enough sleep."

"Yeah, Mr. I-probably-went-to-bed-at-seven-thirty-to-get-a-full-eight-hours."

Will's cheeks turned bright red. "That's not something to be ashamed of."

This time, even Hazel giggled from the back seat. "Yes, it is."

Will was still grumbling under his breath when they got out of the car and went into the band room. Inside, there were several teenagers ambling around, many of them practically sleepwalking. There were even a couple actually asleep in their chairs and at least one color guard member asleep under a flag silk. Nico was instantly jealous, even though he knew those silks were thin as fuck.

Will and Hazel went to their chairs at the front of the room because those overachievers were drum majors now, and Nico went to get his trombone from the instrument closet and set it by the door so that it was ready for the cargo drivers. When he came back, his uniform bag was already draped over the back of his chair. He frowned, then looked over at Will's spot to see his boyfriend smiling at him. Seeing Nico's eyes, Will cupped one hand in a half heart. In a moment of extreme sleep deprivation, Nico returned it.

More people continued to stream in as call time drew nearer, but Nico curled up on his chair and let his eyes close, at least until his phone buzzed in his pocket.

More than a little dazed, he blinked at Jason's contact.

Jason

Don't forget to go to the bathroom before you get on the bus

Nico closed his eyes and counted to ten.

Nico

did you really just get up to text me that

Without waiting for a response, he closed his eyes, then gave an annoyed curse as he opened them again and got up to go to the bathroom.

On his way back to the band room, he received a response from Jason that confirmed that, yes, he had gotten up specifically to text Nico to go pee. Good lord.

By the time he walked through the doors, it seemed most of the rest of the band had shown up, and Nico had to fight his way to his seat. A few minutes later, Will stood on his chair and blew his whistle to signal call time which meant Nico had 15 minutes to sit in his chair until they had to get on the buses, and that was exactly what he did. Sometime later, he vaguely registered the cargo guys coming in to put all their instruments in the storage truck and then the yellow buses pulling up outside the window.

When 4:30 rolled around, most everybody was ready in their chairs. Chiron, also suffering in a bright orange t-shirt and too little sleep, stepped up to the director's stand and said, "Buses are here! Let's go."

There was a collective groan as everybody stood up, rustling their uniform bags and clomping for the doors. Of course, as a low brass player, Nico was in the back. Hopefully Will got them a good spot.

Eventually, he made it outside into the cool night air, still behind the mob of orange t-shirts. Being the only people out at this time in their little bubble of lights, they cut a funny and kind of eerie sight, but Nico was too groggy to ponder that, so he instead followed the other seniors to the bus and found Will in a seat toward the middle back. He didn't even say hello, just threw his uniform bag on the floor and curled up on the seat with his head in Will's lap. The blond chuckled above him. "Sure, go ahead and take a nap. I'll wake you up for breakfast."

Without further ado, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Five months ago

Nico's dress pants crinkled uncomfortably on the metal folding chair beneath him as sweat dripped down his face, and he worried how he would play his trombone with the salty liquid in his mouth.

He ran out of time to figure it out, though, as the principal finished talking and started announcing names. In front of the band, the sun shining behind him, Chiron stepped onto the podium, raised his hands, and began conducting. Nico lifted his trombone to his mouth, then put it back down when he realized he had a long rest. The rest of the band dropped into pomp and circumstance, tucked away on the side of the football field.

The first few names, Nico didn't know, which meant they must've not been in band. They were barely through all of the B names when his rest was up, so, once again, he picked up his trombone and prepared to play. They hadn't practiced pomp and circumstance much in class, but this was his third time performing it, and it was an easy piece; he let his mind wander.

Somewhere out on the field, his friends were preparing to graduate in their caps and gowns, Jason, class president, preparing to give a speech to the crowd to say goodbye and send them off to the next big adventure, or whatever other euphemism he had chosen for his speech, and Nico was stuck behind a big yellow goalpost, literally on the sidelines.

It was a lot. Nico might even admit to having cried about it. But for once, he'd cried in the comfort of someone's arms, someone who wasn't about to leave him.

The song came back around to the beginning, and Nico let his trombone drop back to his knee. Over the years, the band had picked up the habit of clapping for each walking band member when they were resting, and this year was no different. As the flutes in the front row continued the melody, Nico listened for names he recognized. It would still be a while before any of his friends were called, though.

Unfortunately, that meant he stopped playing just as Octavian's name was called. He barely kept a boo from slipping out of his mouth, but when the freshman next to him - Macy, a strange coincidence - raised her hands to clap, he didn't refrain from lightly touching her arm and saying, "Don't clap for him, he sucks."

It was truly a testament to how much he'd grown into the section leader role (or how gullible freshmen were) that she nodded without question. He may have grinned a little.

Soon, the rest ended, and he was back in pomp and circumstance. The alphabet continued to pass, too, until Hannah Garrison was being called and eventually Jason Grace, met with the raucous sound of trumpet and drumline applause (plus some others that were definitely supposed to be playing) but which Nico only acknowledged with a huff into his mouthpiece and a stutter on his slide. He would feel that one later.

More names, more music. He was still playing when the Ms rolled around, and was thus able to pointedly ignore the announcement of Piper McLean, but his trombone wasn't up when the Rs started.

No, and he quickly realized it was much harder to ignore his feelings when there was nothing else to focus on, nothing but the pressing call of Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, especially not when his entire section erupted into applause. He weakly clapped his hands together, still refusing to look up at the stage.

The next time he started playing again, it was dark outside of the football stadium, and he was horrified to realize that his hands were shaking. He didn't bother trying to play. With the way his embouchure refused to take shape, it would just come out all breathy, anyway.

Objectively, he knew that he was reacting far better than he would've last year, far better than did at Percy and Annabeth's graduation, before getting together with Will, but the knowledge didn't stop the pain. It wasn't as bad as it could've been, but he still hurt, still felt just a little abandoned. He couldn't stop himself from thinking about what the next school year would be like without the backdrop of his cousins, when all their major presences were gone and he didn't get to see them everyday. And it wasn't just them. There were so many other faces he would miss: Clarisse, the Stolls, Rachel. It wouldn't be the same without them.

Leo was the final straw.

When the drummer's name was announced, the pressure behind Nico's eyes burst, and tears started rolling down his face. Somehow, he kept his trombone up, though his hand quit moving the slide, and next to him, Macy shot over an anxious glance. There was nothing he could do to reassure her. He didn't even have enough remaining focus to be embarrassed.

100 feet away, the principal kept plodding along, steadily making it through the list of names until he finally got to the last one - Frank Zhang, of course - and Chiron led the band into the finale.

Thank god. Nico immediately took his trombone apart with the rest of the band and shoved it in his case under his seat, then sat back, rubbing his wet eyes.

The tears were still coming. He couldn't stop that. But the big black empty chasm that had nearly consumed him last year wasn't there. Last year, the abyss had taken hold of him and terrified him, and he'd run away to his dark bedroom to wallow in despair and shame. This year, he could make it through.

The principal got up to say another few words, then introduced Jason, class president and valedictorian. Damn overachiever.

Anyway.

From all the way over on the track, Nico couldn't see his face, or anything defining of his features at all really except a bit of his blond hair. He also couldn't hear him too well, which was probably for the best. Even so, his eyes were still wet when 500 hats flew up into the air, and everyone stood, clapping and yelling and hugging.

The band also got up with the crowd, following the audience to go congratulate their kids. Nico looked around for Hazel, but she was already halfway across the field with her tuba. That at least brought the smallest of smiles to his face.

Trombone case in hand, he almost went to follow her. Then he caught sight of Will walking toward him.

It was easy to fall into his boyfriend's arms, easier to stifle his coming sobs in Will's white button down. He only gave himself a few seconds, though, because there were people everywhere, and he actually wanted to spend time with his friends before breaking down for the night.

But later, after everyone had gone home and Nico was in the safety of Will's arms in his bedroom, he did cry, a lot, and probably came out the other side better for it.

Now

"Breakfast in five!" Mr. D shouted from the front of the bus. Unsurprisingly, he said nothing else before sitting back down.

Nico groaned and sat up, blinking the early dawn light out of his tired eyes. "You said you were gonna wake me up."

When he didn't get an answer, he shifted on the cracked leather seat to face Will and barked out a laugh. His boyfriend was fast asleep against the window.

He took a second to admire how his hair shimmered in the new light like a halo. He was not ashamed to admit that he snapped a picture, but right after that, he shook Will's shoulder and said, "Wake up, Sunshine."

For a moment, he didn't do anything. Then, his eyes fluttered open, and he groaned. "Time's'it?"

Nico laughed at his hair sticking up on the window side as Will sat up. "A little before six."

Will yawned and stretched. "That's too early."

"Agreed."

Now that he could see out the window, Nico spied the bus coming up on a rest stop, and he could see that the BPO had already set up white folding tables full of snacks and whatnot.

The sight gave him pause. On the one hand, he and Will had first gotten close at a rest stop, and he would forever be grateful for that. On the other hand. On the other hand. They had been stuck there for six hours, and he didn't exactly enjoy their final moments there.

Before he could sort out his feelings, someone toward the front of the bus said, "Is it just me, or does anyone else not want to stop?"

Laughter rang through the seats, and more than a few people vocally agreed.

"Yeah, we might get stuck all day this time," Nico said, only half kidding. Will snorted.

Despite the trauma of the seniors, the bus continued on into the rest stop and settled in next to the other three big yellow vehicles. Slowly, as some people were still waking up, they all ambled out into the parking lot, leaving uniform bags behind. Most stopped to stretch on the way to the breakfast table, but some made a B-line for the bathroom.

Nico and Will followed the other seniors to the food. Calling it breakfast, of course, was a bit of a misnomer. It was more a display of what truckers might buy from a gas station if they were trying to be healthy: granola bars, fruit snacks, browning fruit, cereal bars, chip bags, and, because they weren't monsters, some fun size pieces of candy. At the end of the table were coolers of soda and water. Nico grabbed a granola bar and a Reese's, forgoing the drinks in favor of not pissing himself in the middle of the parade. Behind him, Will grabbed a bag of Doritos, and they made their way over to an empty parking spot to stand and eat.

They didn't say anything, still groggy and eager to not be at a rest stop. A glance across the lot said most of the other seniors were in the same boat.

It was kinda funny to think that their entire graduating class in marching band had rest stop related trauma. Trauma bonding, and all that.

A couple parking spots away, he spotted Hazel standing with her junior friends. She waved to him, and he smiled back but continued to glance around nervously like one of the buses was about to start smoking or something.

Back in front of him, Will finished off his Doritos, crumpled up the bag, and said, "I kinda hate it here."

Nico breathed a sigh of relief. "Me, too."

"It's stupid, but I'm terrified we're gonna get stuck," Will said. He tossed his bag in a nearby trash can.

"I know." The worst thing was, he meant it.

Will wasn't done, though. "I mean, I'm not mad it happened, because, obviously-" he gestured at Nico "-it turned out pretty great, but I never want to be trapped in the middle of nowhere for-"

"-for six hours, I know," Nico finished for him. "Yeah, I get it." He blushed, preparing himself for embarrassing vulnerability. "Besides, the great thing already happened, so if we get stuck again, it'll never turn out like last time. It'll just suck."

"Right." Will gave him a sickeningly fond look, then a smug grin overtook his face. "But it'll suck with you."

Nico's mouth dropped open as he processed Will's terribly romantic line, and he gently smacked his boyfriend on the arm. "That was so bad, you sappy bastard." Even so, he was smiling.

Will just smirked. "Wanna see if we can convince Chiron to head out early?"

"God, yes." I love you so much.

*Four months ago*

It was very odd being at band camp without any of his older cousins and friends. Objectively, he knew that they had each been there for the same four years and he was about to be, but something about them, following them around and succeeding them, gave them the impression of looming figures that had been there forever, almost like elementary kids thinking their teachers lived at school. They were eternal, perpetual; it was hard to believe they would never be in that position again, harder still to believe this was Nico's last time in this position, though, honestly it helped that Nico knew that Jason, Percy, and the others were asleep a couple blocks over at Percy's apartment because Nico and Hazel had come from there after a sleepover at Percy's insistence

They were at band camp. It was July 25, 9:30 a.m. Nico was the most powerful student in his vicinity since Hazel left him for drum major and no one applied for the other low brass section leader position. He hated it. But he also kinda loved it. But he also kinda felt like the roof had been ripped from over his head, leaving him to hold back the elements, because Mr. D was in charge of fundies for brass today, and his only instruction was, "Listen to your section leaders," before he sat down in a lawn chair in the shade of a large cedar tree.

Now, 19 kids were staring at him expectantly, 7 of them freshmen that had never marched before in their lives. He sighed. "Everybody put your instruments down, we're gonna learn basics."

Now

They did not convince Chiron to leave the rest stop early.

("We have let people stretch their legs this early in the morning," he said, looking a little amused.

"Actually, I'm really looking forward to getting back on the bus and going back to sleep," Nico countered, and Will agreed with a perfunctory, "Yeah." He didn't see why people needed to move around when they were all still dreaming of their beds at home.

Chiron shook his head. "Sorry, boys. Not gonna happen.")

But that was a bit over an hour ago, and, after a short nap, they were now at NRU, milling around, sort of in parade block, while they waited for the marching to start. They were in the middle of Greek Town with frat houses on either side of the road they were standing on. The only difference? Olympus was leading the high school bands instead of bringing up the back.

"Nico?" Reyna yelled from her place in NRU's color guard block. She jogged over to him. "What are you doing in front? I thought I wouldn't get to see you until the end." The other trombones next to him glanced over curiously, then turned away in disinterest, but Will and Hazel, in their white and orange drum major uniforms, walked over to say hi.

Nico took a wild second to take in Reyna's NRU guard uniform: glittery purple sequins, set against bright orange over a short black skirt, hair pulled back into two tight braids. Her face was also covered in orange and purple glitter. She was probably going insane. At least in high school, they let her wear a men's uniform. "Yeah, they put us in front."

She opened her mouth, and Nico thought she was about to tell him something. Instead, she turned around and screamed, "Piper! Look who they put in front this year?"

It was hard to see through the color guard, but distantly, he saw someone vaguely Piper shaped in the flute section turn around, drop her jaw in shock, and turn back around to yell at someone in front of her. Then, she sprinted over and said, "Hey guys! How's band been without us this year?"

"Well, the freshmen-"

"Nico! Hazel! Hey!" This one was Percy, Leo close behind him. "And Will! How was the ride down?"

Before he could answer, Jason jogged over, and said, "Percy, unzip me."

What? Nico almost asked if he'd heard right, then Percy said, "I got you."

Nico's eyes widened, and he looked around the group. Will and Hazel had similar expressions of confusion on their faces, but Reyna, Piper, and Leo just looked amused. Frank came over then, and he and Hazel broke off to talk.

While Jason and Percy were doing...whatever they were doing, Annabeth wandered over, hair tucked up into her hat, and immediately got a look of exasperation on her face. "You two were serious about that?"

If Nico thought she would clear anything up, he was wrong.

Percy finished unhooking and unzipping Jason's marching band jacket which was somehow even uglier than the high school ones: overlapping purple N and R on thick orange and black horizontal stripes. Olympus' were simple orange with some purple whorls. (Olympus had struck some sort of deal with NRU for them to be allowed to use the same colors and logo as the college, resulting in the worst color scheme known to man.)

Then, Jason took the jacket off, and Nico stared. There were chip bags, water bottles, and other snacks taped to the inside of the garment.

"What the hell did you two do?" Nico asked wearily. Will looked like he was trying not to laugh.

"We brought you food," Percy said helpfully.

Nico gestured helplessly. "Why, exactly?"

Jason started pulling the food off the jacket and handing it to Nico and Will. "In case your bus breaks down again."

"Oh my god." Nico almost fumbled a granola bar. "What the hell are we supposed to do with all this?"

Jason stood and looked at Nico like he was the one being weird. "Tape it to your jackets."

That was the last straw for Leo apparently, who busted out laughing.

Annabeth eyed her boyfriend. "We told them not to do that, just so you know."

Will grinned at her. "We figured."

"Oh, and Thalia said she's in the crowd somewhere by Jupiter's."

Cool, Nico looked forward to seeing his oldest cousin. After graduating high school, she decided to go to a local automotive program instead of enrolling in NRU. Her dad had been pissed, but Nico knew that was probably one of her goals. "I'll keep a lookout for her."

Then, he looked down at the food in his arms and sighed, then reached over to unzip Will's jacket to start taping things to it.

Chiron and Mr. D were nowhere to be found, so they should still have plenty of time for this bullshit before the parade started.

When he was done, he looked up to see Frank handing Hazel food a few feet away. How come *she* didn't have to tape it to her clothes?

Then, because they weren't finished, of course, Percy took his hat off, careful of the plume, and took a Ziploc bag full of cold pizza out. "Put this in your hat."

Nico stared dumbfounded, and Will gave him a look that Nico assumed to mean, Your family is fucking weird. "Are you serious?"

Percy rolled his eyes and shook the bag. "Yeah, take it."

Internally cursing every single event that led him to this, Nico grabbed the bag and shoved it up into his hat. The hats were tall but tight, so it should stay fine. He'd once marched an entire half-time show with a Kit-Kat in it.

Finally, Reyna patted him on the back and said, "We should probably all get in line. Good luck today."

The others gave them similar messages as they filed back into their lines until just Nico, Will, Hazel, and Percy were left standing there.

Percy looked at Nico. "Hey, you guys are gonna do great today, alright?"

Nico nodded, confused. "Okay."

"Percy! Come on!" Annabeth yelled from somewhere in the clarinet section.

He ignored her, and Nico knew whatever he said next would be both important and uncomfortable. "We're all really proud and can't wait for you to be here next year." Nico opened his mouth, but Percy turned around and started running away. "Okay bye!"

With that, he ran off, and Nico huffed after him. What an annoying turd. Nico kinda loved him.

"That was sweet," Hazel said.

Nico was about to ask her where she put the stuff Frank gave her when Chiron walked up to the front of the band with two juniors Nico didn't know and Olympus' banner. That meant they were about to start marching. He stepped into line with his trombone.

Chiron turned to face the band, though he was really talking to Will and Hazel. "Everybody ready? We should be going soon."

They nodded. Now, it was just a matter of waiting.

While they were standing there, Will turned to Nico and said, "I can't believe I'm about to march four miles with Cheetos poking me in the chest."

"Same," Hazel said. "Although I think mine are Cheez-Its."

Nico had to laugh at that. "Well, I've got pizza on my head. I don't think any of us thought we'd be here."

Will and Hazel laughed, giving Nico a warm, fuzzy feeling. "Hey, how'd you get it to stay without falling out of your pants?" Nico asked.

Hazel looked at him oddly. "It's in my bra, Nico."

Nico wasn't sure how to respond to that. Thankfully, he didn't have to as NRU's band chose that moment to call everyone to attention. Will and Hazel started their beat clapping, and almost immediately, the drum line started in.

"Band!" Will and Hazel yelled. "Ten-hut!"

The whole band went rigid, everyone standing at attention. For the trombones, that meant holding the instrument horn pointing down, elbows at about a 90-degree angle. Their heels were together, toes apart. They were hyped and ready.

A minute later, they started walking. Contrary to popular belief, marching bands didn't actually walk with their knees up to their chests because that would not only be ridiculous, but it would make it harder to play their instruments. Instead, they did glide stepping which just meant walking with immaculate posture, keeping toes up, and moving hips as little as possible. It was the best way to walk while blowing into an instrument, and the best way to not break a tooth on a mouthpiece which had been known to happen.

They were still in Greek Town, so there was probably some time before they played any music. For now, it was just cadences, so Nico got to watch NERO's color guard. Their flags were just orange and purple blurs. It was awesome.

Eventually, they started playing music: the school theme song and their show song that year, 'We Will Rock You' interspersed with cadences.

They passed hordes and horses of people, many of which were pushing the boundaries of the road, and NRU guard member almost hit a kid. It was all part of the game, though. Happened every year.

They made it into the main part of campus by the library, then looped back out to go into the city. Pizza bouncing on his head, they passed apartments and restaurants, thrift stores and bodegas. At one point, they passed Jupiter's, and he thought he saw Thalia's dark head, but he couldn't be certain. It was hard to parse out anyone on the sidelines while playing.

He wasn't sure where they were when Will, holding the band at attention, suddenly gave him an urgent look and pointed over his shoulder. Nico turned and somehow managed to stay in step without whacking anyone with his instrument, and his eyes widened.

The freshman behind him - he couldn't tell which one it was beneath the hat - was way too pale and sweaty, and Nico knew exactly what was about to happen.

"Step out to the side and find Chiron," he said firmly.

Thankfully, the kid managed to step out of the block a second before vomiting and even avoided all the bystanders. Nico stayed turned around just long enough to see Chiron walk up next to the poor kid. They should be fine, but he made a mental note to check on them later.

Horrible and disgusting incident avoided, he went back to watching Will.

A few more turns later, they came up on the judges' table, and Will and Hazel started them on "We Will Rock You" for the final time. Nico did one last check of his posture and feet, called guide and cover down - they should be perfect.

And then that was it. They had passed the judges' table. The competition was over. They had two blocks left before they were done forever.

It was the first time that thought filled him with dread. For years, he'd been looking forward to leaving his shitty past behind. He wanted to go to college to be with his friends even though he still has no idea what he wanted to do, to finally leave the place that felt like it had been dragging him down. He was endlessly excited to start making a real life with Will where they had the freedom to think about their future away from the pressure and expectations of their looming parents. He already had a dorm lined up with his boyfriend, scholarships, an orientation date, he'd even finally scheduled his driver's test, but now? He was scared. What if he wasn't ready to leave Olympus?

Who was he kidding? The only thing still here for him was Hazel. Memories, old and new, were waiting for him with his cousins. He could cherish his last year here, but even with the overwhelming feeling of an ending, he knew he wouldn't miss it. Not that much, at least.

They turned the corner onto an empty street, one bordered by dorms with a big lawn in the middle dotted with trees. Drumline played the 'end march' beat. They stopped walking and dispersed across the grass, some people already tearing off their jackets and hats. NRU's band continued on toward the football field.

Nico walked right up to Will. "I can't wait to go here with you next year."

Will's eyes widened, clearly not expecting such honesty. "Me, too. Any particular reason?"

Across the field, a clarinet in a blue uniform crashed into a trumpet in a green uniform, sending them both tumbling into the grass, both giggling and shrieking the other's name. "No. I just really fucking love you."

Will's expression went unbearably soft. "I really fucking love you, too."

One week, one day before

As Lou Ellen Blackstone stepped out of the circle, Will glanced up at the scoreboard, lit up bright against the night sky. "Three minutes until halftime."

Nico didn't quite know how, but he somehow ended up in the middle of the circle. Now, he hadn't been planning on giving a senior speech since, honestly, he didn't think he was involved enough for anyone to care what he had to say, but, evidently, he was wrong because what felt like a dozen pairs of hands pushed him into the circle. His first thought was to panic; he couldn't find Will, and he hated public speaking. Then, he caught sight of his sweet, sweet boyfriend and managed to find his breath, even if getting the words out past the lump in his throat after the previous speeches was a struggle. "Hi, I'm Nico."

"Hi, Nico."

Despite it all, he grinned. "I have no idea how many of you know me because I never try to talk to anyone, but, but holy shit, I am so fucking ready to graduate." There were a few snorts, but he kept looking at Will who looked exasperated, if a bit sad. "But I have loved marching band, and I will probably miss you guys."

At that, Will's face took on a proud look as the people around them cheered. He even heard someone shout, "Mr. D-ass goodbye, di Angelo!"

Whatever. He was too focused on the tears in his boyfriend's eyes to care what anyone else thought of his speech. As far as he was concerned, it was the best one, at least until Will went.

And that one. Boy did that one make him cry. It might've been the worst half time show he'd ever marched.

But to him, it was damn good.

Now

"Third place drumline goes to Othrys High School with 89 points," one of the judges, a sweet looking older woman, said as she read off her clipboard to the several marching bands gathered on the lawn. "Second place is Pelion High School with 92 points." Everyone held their breath. "And first place with 98 points is Olympus High School."

Energy thrummed across the orange and purple-clad teens, but they refrained from celebrating. There were still two more categories to go. However, Nico did grab Will's hand in suspense. He was only human.

"Third place in visuals goes to Ithaca High School with 87 points, second to Othrys High School with 94 points, and first to Olympus High School with 95 points."

They were cutting it close with that score but thankfully still in the lead. Nico squeezed Will's hand tighter. The next category would be the decider.

"Third place in musicality goes to Pelion High School for 91 points, second to Othrys High School with 96 points, and third to Olympus High School with a whopping 99 points!"

They still didn't celebrate, waiting for the final call, but Nico and Will did glance at each other in excitement. They won.

The judge flipped the page on her clipboard. "Honorable mention for overall performance goes to Ithaca High School with 245 points; third to Pelion High School with 265 points; second to Othrys High School with 279 points." She paused, clearly drumming up drama even though they all knew who won by now. "And first place with the best high school marching band in southern New York goes to Olympus High School with 292 points!"

Now, they celebrated, jumping up and down and yelling, pumping fists in the air, the whole shebang. They had fucking earned this.

Someone at the front of the lawn handed Chiron the trophy (and it wasn't a small one, either, probably the size of Nico's entire arm), and Mr. D held up a hand. They quieted.

He didn't speak right away, taking a deep breath like he was going to give a lengthy speech. "You did good today."

When it became apparent he wasn't going to say anything else, they erupted in screams, possibly more raucous than before.

Nico looked up at Will and did a double take. "Are you crying?"

Will sniffled. "It's-it's a lot."

"Oh my god, come here." Nico pulled his head down to cradle in his neck. Chip bags crinkled under the uniform. "I'm gonna miss it, too."

They didn't stay like that long, constantly aware of where they were, so when they pulled away, Will's eyes were still red-rimmed and leaking, but thankfully not as wet as before.

The blond gazed up at the buildings in front of them, one of them to be their home next year, and never once let go of Nico's hand. "Are you ready?"

Nico followed his sightline. "Yep."

And this year, their bus didn't break down.

#solangelo #solangelo fic #solangelo fanfic #nico di angelo #will solace #my writing #my fic #pjo #pjo hoo toa #pjo fic