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trashmouth-richie · 6 months

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Series summary: Hawkins Annual Halloween Festival is in town, and this year you and your friends were lucky enough to work the event. But when some of your co-workers are missing, and a trail of blood leads to the woods behind the festival. Your friends work together to find out what’s going on. A killer is on the loose but who could it be? Or is it the town’s spooky secret of what really happened at Hawkins Lab?

ch 2: A SCREAM AND A SLICE

ch 3: THE ROCKSTAR AND THE RED LIGHTS

ch 4: FAMILY VALUES

series trigger warnings: blood, character death, murder, smut, p in v, drinking & smoking pot, themes of misuse of prescription pills, character killer, stranger things canon events, light mentions of domestic abuse, neglect, etc.

BUY TICKETS

PROMO FLYER

part 1 summary: a movie night with friends ends with a very scared Nancy and you and your best friend getting high in your room, when the lights flicker across town— you + Eddie brush it off as nothing— because Hawkins Indiana has always been a little strange.

FLICKER

The popcorn bowl in your lap is nearly empty, only brown kernels left to shift noisily as Eddie’s hand scrapes around the bowl in chase of one last piece of the buttery snack.

Your eyes are glued to the screen, breath hitched in your throat as you watch Michael Myers stalk down the street. Even though you’ve seen it a dozen times, it still gets to you. Something about the rubbery, expressionless mask he dons as he chases and slashes through people's skin just rubs you the wrong way.

“Ohhh fuck!” Eddie gleams, Michael’s knife cutting through Annie’s throat, “did ya see that?!”

“Trying not to,” Nancy muffles, her face buried into the broad shoulder of Steve, small hand clasped around her eyes, Steve’s arms pulling her closer into him.

Movie nights in the Wheeler basement were a typical Friday for your group of friends. Something that you weren’t sure would continue to happen after you, Eddie and Steve graduated this past May. Being waitlisted for your dream school put your endeavors on hold and neither one of them had any grand plans of leaving Hawkins, especially since Steve and Nancy had rekindled their on-again-off-again relationship.

Currently they were on again, and dipping into near pornography whenever they thought no one was watching or listening.

“I gotcha,” Steve purred into Nancy’s mouse brown hair, rubbing her back, “c’mon Munson, turn this shit off.”

“No!” You and Eddie both say at once.

He smirks at you. The same dimpled closed mouth grin he had given you since you were thirteen years old. He clears his throat, “It’s almost over anyway.”

Eddie’s love for movies and music came at a young age. Anything to keep his mind busy while his parent’s fought. Anything to keep the noise of the screen door slapping shut as his mom fled their trailer again, his dad hot on her heels and swinging a fist through the dark night trying to make contact. Anything to drown out the noise and squeal of her tires kicking up rocks and dead grass against the aluminum trailer as she sped away, this time for the last time— without him.

He was your friend before his mom had left and any of that had started, and he had spent more nights sleeping on your couch than he had his own bed. You were comfortable with Eddie in ways that girls shouldn’t be with their best friends who were boys. But you could care less. It was always, and forever would be, platonic between you and Eddie Munson.

Reaching over the laps of both Eddie and Steve, you tug Nancy’s shirt until she peeks over Steve’s collar. You mouth bathroom? And she nods, getting up and following you, trying not to trip over a very drunk Robin or passed out Johnathan.

The light in the bathroom does absolutely nothing for Nancy’s complexion, playing on the peaked look of her skin and illuminating dark circles under her eyes that you normally had not seen. She sits on the sink and holds her arms against her chest as you finish up, washing your hands next to her.

“How can you guys watch that stuff?” She half whispers and sniffs, rubbing a petite hand under her red nose.

Drying your hands, you shrug, hanging the towel back up on the hook, looking back at your reflection and fixing your smudged eyeliner, “it’s just a movie Nance,” you say to her through the mirror, “besides, the possibility of something like that happening in Hawkins, are pretty damn slim.”

She shakes her head of ill thoughts, “yeah, o-‘f course, I just,” a chill runs through her, tickling her spine and making her skin goosebump, “the thought of it is… scary.”

“I think that’s the whole point.”

Opening the door, Steve audibly gasps at the next jump scare, and Eddie claps along hooting and hollering as Michael’s next victim joins the dead.

“I hate Halloween,”she mutters to herself, hopping down from the sink following you out to your friends.

Nancy spent the remainder of the movie with a lamp on, reading over her English paper for Mrs. Click’s class that was due in a few weeks, huffing in disapproval at either the movie or her paper you weren’t sure.

Robin wedges her way onto the couch with the four of you, whisper yelling about how stupid the characters are and how none of it makes any sense.

“You’re ruining it Buckley, shh!” Eddie says, placing a ringed hand over her mouth. And you can’t help but laugh at them both.

Robin licked the flat of his palm, her signature move, and Eddie squealed in disgust, “fucks sake Robin.”

“Aww,” Robin says, squeezing his cheeks with her long chip painted fingers, “don’t be jealous Eddie-bear.. you probably won’t know this but that smell is puss— ow!”

Your elbow digs into her ribs, “shh!” you sneer,

The ending credits roll and Eddie’s on his feet, ejecting the tape and slotting it into the paper protector. “Who’s up for the second one?”

He groans when the entire room yells no. Pouting and shoving the tape into his backpack. “What about you Byers?” he asks, kicking Jonathan’s leg to bring him back to life.

“Huh?” he asks through a yawn, rubbing his shocking red eyes, “nah man I’m cool, need to get home, mom is working late and Will’s by himself.”

He tosses the pillow he was using into the arm chair and trudges up the steps, saying see ya laters and thanks as he leaves.

Eddie shoots you a wink and you stand reaching for the blankets you were cuddling with and fold them neatly onto the couch.

Robin stumbles up the stairs behind Jonathan, trying to score a ride so she doesn't have to walk the three blocks to her place completely drunk.

Steve pulls Nancy in his lap. She’s whispering to him with tears brimming her bright blue eyes, but you can’t hear what she’s saying.

“Yeah, c’mon” he whispers against her hairline, holding her up so they can both stand, “still have your toothbrush at mine… hey, we’re going to my place,” he announces to you and Eddie, just turn the lights off and we’ll see you tomorrow for opening day right?”

The Annual Hawkins Halloween Carnival was in town, and after two years of working the county fair in Roane County, you had all been asked to work at the carnival this fall.

The carnival schedule was the weekend before Halloween to the weekend of Halloween.

Seven days of thrills and chills. Pumpkin carving, face painting, a corn maze that seemed to go for miles, the best food in the Midwest, and finally the usual carnival rides with a sick twist of Halloween themed frights.

Orientation was last week Saturday and Sunday a grueling 7am-7pm both days. Mr. Creel went over expectations and rules for you as staff to follow.

It seemed easy enough. You and Eddie were put on rides just like you had been all summer. Nancy and Argyle were in charge of games, Tina and one of her cheerleader friends were doing the pumpkin carving.

Steve and Robin would be set up in a small booth sponsored by Scoops Ahoy from morning until 5 pm, later taking over on rides for Eddie while he and Corroded Coffin made their debut on stage at night.

Steve was still pissed that they were insistent on him wearing the blue sailor uniform, even though the mall burned down last July— they managed to have Mrs. Sinclair sew the outfit for him.

Jonathan would help Argyle and Nancy with the nickel and dime games, ones designed to have parents shell out pockets of change to have their kids possibly win a stuffed animal that wasn’t even worth an entire dollar.

Billy Hargrove— who you were certain fled town after the mall fire, was apparently still in Hawkins and now in charge of the haunted hay ride at night and the corn maze during the day.

Him and Eddie used to be close during his senior year, but it all fell apart and you weren’t really sure why. When you asked, Eddie would shrug it off, claiming he had changed after graduation, and that was that.

You were surprised that the staff was minimal even though the festival was bigger and had more events going on than the summer carnival did, but you didn’t want to jinx your chances of working for it next year. Rumor was, Creel paid double for the Halloween event, Eddie called it the chance of a lifetime, and you knew it’d be stupid to mess it up by asking questions.

“Thanks for letting me stay again,” Eddie mumbles after you toss him the sleeping bag from your closet, “didn’t know he’d be home tonight.”

After you had drove home from Nancy’s you had barely gotten into your room when your phone rang, it was Eddie and he was at the payphone outside of Benny’s.

It’s me, can I stay over?

you didn’t think twice, telling Eddie yes and hanging up the phone.

His dad had been released from county two weeks ago after Eddie finally scraped enough bail money together to get him out. He swore this was the last time he’d do it but you knew better than that.

Eddie was a lot of things but he wouldn’t let his dad rot in some cell. Even though he deserved every single second of being there.

Al Munson had been in and out of jail since you could remember, petty crimes this and grand theft auto that. He was hardly a stable male figure for Eddie.

But to the doe eyed boy with brown curly hair— Al hung the moon.

It nearly killed Wayne Munson to see Eddie stick up for his old man, but he still offered his home to Al whenever he came through town on his next stunt, bleeding Eddie’s pockets dry and taking every emotional spark left in him when he tore out of the driveway, just before the blue and red lights could follow.

“Don’t worry about it,” you shrug tossing him one of your pillows, “you know you’re more than welcome here, anytime.”

Even though your parents hated the idea, you moved into the old apartments across town the week after graduation. Full of naive wonder and wanting some privacy you worked all the hours you could between Meldvald’s and Bradley’s Big Buy, earning just enough to have a couple hundred dollars left to go into savings after rent.

The faucets leaked, the paint was chipping and probably poisonous, the front door didn’t even lock properly, but you could care less: it was freedom.

Eddie grabs the hem of his shirt and drags it over his head, revealing his tattooed chest and silver bar nipples, wincing when his shirt grazes the new piercing. His curls tickling his shoulders.

“I know,” he grunts, unclasping his belt and chain from his jeans, tossing them to the floor beside his makeshift bed, “I just worry one day you’ll get sick of pitying the Munson charity case all the time.”

He scoffs when you throw a pillow at him, “what I’m serious!”

“Knock it off, Bam Bam, you’re my best friend, I’m never getting sick of you.”

“oh Christ, listen—” he began, shaking his head in disgust and holding up a ringed hand to stop you, “this game only goes one way, babe, and that’s me calling you the same name I have since we were six.”

You roll your eyes, a sudden heat to your cheeks that lately was becoming more and more prevalent each time Eddie used your nickname or an endearing name someone would use for a girlfriend.

But that was just how Eddie was, he even called Ms. O’Donnell “honey” once to ace a test but all he got was a big fat ‘F’ and a week’s worth of detentions.

Eddie reaches into his pocket for the plastic film, “besides, you only keep me around because you can smoke for free,” he says, presenting the pre-rolled joints and his trusty zippo.

“Ooh, and he brings gifts? you shouldn’t have,” you mock in a terrible accent, fanning yourself with your hand as if you were a true southern bell, “it's not even my birthday, mister.”

Eddie gets into the bit, sitting cross legged on your bed and dumping the contents of the bag onto your comforter, the skin of your knees touching, “well it’s not every day a lonely feller like me comes across a lady lookin’ as fine as you.”

Giggling he licks the end of the paper to seal it tight and you lick your own lips in greedy anticipation. You loved movie nights with all your friends, but there was always something special about being alone with Eddie.

It was calming, but maybe it was just having him around that made the stress of bills and everything else just fade away. He had that special way about him.

Holding the joint and lighter up for you his eyes locked with yours, and you swore his cheeks went pink, “ladies first, princess.”

—-

Across town, Steve was spending the evening with his lips on Nancy’s neck, huffing when she gasps when the bed creaks from his movement.

“Sorry— I’m still a little freaked out.”

Steve brushes a lock of hair behind her ear, “there’s nothing to worry about honey— I promise, I’ll keep you safe. You know that right?”

She takes a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. “I-I know that, I’m— it’s just this time of year that always gives me the creeps.”

Nancy Wheeler had gained minor popularity when she struck the fancy of the king of Hawkins High. She wasn’t used to it, finding the glory of being Steve’s girlfriend suffocating.

“Well I’ve got somethin that isn’t creepy,” he coos into the shell of her ear, “in fact, you always seem to like it.”

“Steve..”

He shushes her with his lips, and like she always did, Nancy found herself giving in to him.

—

Fingers twirled between the bouncy rings of a telephone cord, Robin waited patiently— well as patiently as she could— for Vickie to pick up.

Their relationship was secretive, only her closest friends knew of Vickie and Vickie didn’t tell a single soul about the nights spent tangled in the corn powder blue sheets with the pretty freckled faced clarinet player.

They had a system. Vickie dealt the cards and made the rules, while Robin had a hand of jokers and mismatched suits, only she didn’t—couldn’t— see it for what it was.

The phone rang and rang, and would continue to ring. Hard to answer the phone when you’re too busy being pressed into the mattress with your feet on your boyfriend's shoulders.

—

“Yeah mom, I’m home now.” Jonathan answered annoyingly into the phone, “… W—No he’s asleep.. I’m sure he did… yeah, fine..I’ll go check.”

The phone would have stretched easily into the small bathroom down the hallway of the Byers’ home so he could check that Will had taken his nightly medication, but instead he let the phone slap against the floor in a clankety thud.

Jonathan Byers had been the man of the house since his dad left in seventh grade. He cooked, he did the laundry, and worked part time wherever he could. His mom was barely able to keep it together since Lonnie had left. And most days, she couldn’t. Somehow the last year she had gotten worse.

She was rail thin, and never ate a thing. Absent minded. Constantly writing things out and scribbling nonsense onto scraps of paper. Strewn across the living room, the kitchen, any surface available.

She was always worrying if Will would be okay, but never reciprocating that same kind of love and care to Jonathan.

Joyce Byers loved her boys equally, but the youngest was given more attention, maybe it was because he was her last baby, or possibly because his father had rarely ever acknowledged his existence. Still, the relationship between mother and son was broken off, string rolling in on itself when it came to Jonathan.

The pills in the slot marked ‘friday’ were gone, just like Jonathan knew they would be. His brother took his medications religiously, never ever skippinga day, he had it clocked down to the hour, minute, and second— the same time every single day.

A routine he had since last year.

Jonathan looks back at his gaunt expression when he shuts the medicine cabinet, smiling fake and toothy, taking the usual freebie from the hoard of pills his mother was prescribed but never took.

His lips under the faucet he swallows the white oval pill down.

Will wasn’t the only one with his own pill routine.

—

“Eddie, turn the lights off already it’s fuckin 2 am,”

Without fully waking you throw a pillow down to where he was laying, it wasn’t unusual for him to get high and pass out with the lights still on, but it was annoying beyond belief.

A muffled groan is heard from beneath the tossed pillow before Eddie wrestled it from his face, “the fuck are you throwing shit at me for?”

“you left the lights on again.”

Head on a swivel Eddie looks from you, to the ceiling to the switch, “open your eyes Helen Keller, they’re not on.”

the sting of light is still shining bright in your face and when you peel your eyes open you see that he wasn’t lying. Your room was dark, but the street lamp was glowing brighter than usual.

Your toes curl around the plush fibers of your rug and you pull the cord to open the blinds. Eddie’s weight shifts onto your mattress as a loud yawn escapes his lips, followed by a scratching noise that you’re hoping is his nails against his skull instead of his balls.

“what the fuck?”

The street lamps up and down your street were buzzing and glowing in an emberred haze. The glow of yellow was straining brighter than could be deemed possible and it was pulsing with an ominous flicker.

You were tantalized by it’s beauty, like a moth to a flame hypnotized by the menacing doom— you couldn’t look away, and for a split second the welcoming sunshine of the lamp turned blood red, a warning of terror before being blown to bits and shattering to the ground below.

“Jesus Christ,” Eddie jumps behind your shoulder, “what the hell was that, you saw it right?”

You definitely had, it’s illuminating shadow still glowed bright when you blinked your eyes. You have heard of electric surges, currants going hot when wires were overloaded. But flickering like that then burning red before burning out? It was almost like a fallacy, something Eddie probably would have made up for Hellfire, it simply couldn’t have been true.

You rubbed at your eyes like a tired child, “told you that second joint smelled funny,” you said sitting on your knees facing him and shoving his shoulder, a look of shock on his face.

He scoffs and shoves your shoulder back, rolling his eyes playfully, “it’s a new strain Rick concocted himself, red…red somethin’…” he lays partly on the bed and stretches his body to the floor fumbling into his jeans pocket in search of the cellophane plastic of the baggy.

“Ah, here,” he says, shoving the bag into your hand, your thumb rubs over the black sharpie written in boy chicken scratch hand writing.

You read it the same time Eddie says it.

“Redrum.”

♡ hope you enjoyed, comment what you think will happen next; reblogs are appreciated

♡ part 2: A SLICE & A SCREAM ♡

♡tag list: @dashingdeb16 @emxxblog @mopeymopeymouse @pretendthisnameisclever @mommybaby-witch @eddies-acousticguitar @tlclick73 @figmentofquinn @eddies-stinky-battle-jacket @whenshelanded @micheledawn1975 @3rd-conchord * @leelei1980 @mopeymopeymouse @browneyes8288 @emilyslutface @mmunson86 @josephquinnsfreckles @eddiesxangel @elegantkoalapaper * @str4ngergirlw0rld * @corrodedcoffincumslut @nailbatanddungeon

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#eddie munson #eddie x fem!reader #eddie x you #eddie munson smut #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie fan fiction #stranger things #stranger things au #hide + scream series

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dollfacedsl1ut · 6 months

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Can I get a gp!mina with yandere promo 1 and 27?

prompt + “I’m doing this out of love” + “just take it”

content : abduction, groping, slight nipple play, dubcon

a/n : YALL college has been kicking my ass I’m so sorry pookies :((

૮꒰⸝⸝> ̫ <⸝⸝꒱ა ૮꒰⸝⸝> ̫ <⸝⸝꒱ა ૮꒰⸝⸝> ̫ <⸝⸝꒱ა ૮꒰⸝⸝> ̫ <⸝⸝꒱ა ૮꒰⸝⸝> ̫ <

The whole car trip was silent, you’re head rested on the window as you snored softly, car should’ve stopped by now, the party was only 12 miles away from your house, but the “party” mina was really taking you to was so much more twisted and stomach churning. When you eventually woke up it was midnight, your brows furrowed as you glanced over your shoulder seeing Mina driving whilst tapping her manicured nails on the steering wheel, you started to panic “where the fuck are we going Mina” a smile crept on her face “oh you’re awake-“ she turned the radio down as she squeezed your thigh tightly “don’t worry about where we’re going it’s just a trip” her hand started stroking your thigh softly as she retreated her hand before placing it back on the steering wheel “Mina take me home- I thought we were going to a party” “oh but we are y/n it’s my party but it’s not what you’re used too” she giggled as she turned into a eerie part of the woods following a trail, you tried to reach for your phone in your purse to find it missing “where’s my phone- mina this sick joke isn’t funny” you held out your hand expecting your phone to be returned “no one’s joking y/n we’re going away from civilization for a bit” “but what about my family and my other friends… you can’t just take away everything and everyone I’ve loved” tears began to fill your eyes as your bottom lip wobbled “you’re making this seem bad, I’m doing this out of love y/n why don’t you understand” the car finally stopped at a large cabin it looked like it could remodeled into a nice 2 story cottage, but it still gave off a eerie vibe, Mina got out the car as she pulled you out your seat, knowing you’d refuse to come inside the cabin “we can’t just leave our lives and move away from everyone” Mina groaned as she pulled out something from her front pocket.. it was your phone, she handed to you smiling, when you tried to turn it on it had no service, you also realized your SIM card wasn’t inside your phone either… she must’ve took it out and did something with it “you must be wondering about your SIM card don’t worry I threw it out the window a few miles back, and don’t worry about your parents i typed a lengthy text stating you decided to travel the world for a while and would break off all contact” you Jaw slacked hearing her, she really thought this through, her hands rubbed your shoulders as she pulled you close by your waist, you easily felt her bulge on your belly even if it was covered by many layers of clothing “don’t you love me y/n” these feelings were overwhelming you didn’t know what you felt sadness??, happiness??, it was all confusing “even if you don’t love me we can learn How to love each other even if it kills us…” you felt her smile at the end of the sentence you knew she’d kill you for not loving her, maybe even for falling in love with someone else, you felt Mina’s hand trail to her pants as she unbuckled them her bulge throbbing against your thigh, she lead you to the couch forcing you in her lap “you feel that y/n” her thick cock was against your ass just twitching you swore you felt some precum soak through her boxers, her hand crept to your breast as she kneaded them roughly, you tried to pull away but Mina was just too strong, her nail clawing at your sensitive nipples, your panties dampening as she toyed with you it just felt too good to ignore, you haven’t been touched like this by anyone in a long time, her hands crept to your your thighs as she yanked your panties off, the cold air adding to your arousal, her cold fingers rubbed your clit as she bent you over lining herself up “just take it y/n don’t try to fight me” you complied easily there was nothing else you could do, you couldn’t run away, call for help or anything, submitting was your best choice, well at least for right now right???

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heart4reigns · 10 months

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GAME, roman reigns.

warnings: curse words, awkward moments, fluff, being trapped

tags: more stage names, just a fun fic woohoo

summary: you lost a bet... what could go wrong?

THE undisputed universal champion wasn’t hard to break. he was relatively easy to break, but with his current character role, it was rare for him to break character. so you, as the newest and youngest member of the bloodline, lost a bet with the twins (and their younger brother who was forced to join this bet). you were stupid enough to bet on who could do more pushups, of course they won. now all you had to do was make the tribal chief break character or you had to confess your feelings to him.

“your day tomorrow.” you immediately shook your head when you saw him. “i don’t wanna do it.” he mimicked your gesture. “you have to, remember our bet?” you pouted in annoyance. “that lil pout ain’t gonna work on me, sweetheart.” jey ruffled your hair. “what’s good, (y/n)?” “i’m gonna try to break him tomorrow.” you replied to jimmy. “damn, good luck.” jimmy patted your back. "what for?" a new voice trailed behind the three of you. "o- oh, nothing!" roman furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "okay then." he chuckled.

you were always intimidated by him, you were adopted by the bloodline since last month in a 'custody' match against the judgement day, leading the bloodline to win you over. the company saw your potential and decided to push you into their faction. "alright boys... and (y/n) rehearsal time." roman announced. you slid inside the ring, wrapping your hands with the tape. "(y/n), you read the script yet?" you nodded. "great, i pitched in the idea for you to cut a promo... you deserve this." your eyes widened in excitement as you felt butterflies in your stomach.

"thank you." you muttered, flustered as usual. jimmy saw your expression and began smirking. they all knew about your crush and admiration for their leader, except for him–he was just clueless, so you thought. you began stretching before hitting some moves. without you knowing, the tribal chief was studying you. he knew that you were a totally different person in and out of the ring.

in the ring, you were a menace–one of the fastest and youngest rising heel of your company. to say the least, people were quite skeptical with your skills at first. but after working your ass off to prove that you were worthy to be called 'the ace' inside the ring, no one doubted you anymore. you were one hell of a seller, always bringing the best for your fellow coworkers. even when you won, you made sure that your friends had their moment.

after watching your match against rhea, roman took a mental note to propose something to the company. he wanted you in his faction, roman knew you'd be a great addition as the faction needed a technical wrestler. of course he knew that you were still adapting to your new environment, but he couldn't help but to wonder why you were still too shy with him. sure, he was intimidating with his stage presence, but he was just doing his job.

he just wished that you were close to him the same way as you were with his own cousins. "this one goes the judgement day, you missed out an additional member because," you paused for a second, waiting for the answers. "you suck!" the twins shouted, posing as the audience. you smiled at them. "good job." roman smiled at you and you returned the gesture. "did i just miss (y/n)'s promo?" solo arrived, taking off his sunglasses. "yeah you did." jey replied. "aw, can you do it again for me?" you groaned, playfully punching him on his shoulders.

work came by and you were nervous. not because of the cameras surrounding you, but you had to make roman break character. you were up all night thinking about what you should do. you facetimed the twins and solo for advice, only to have them cursing you out as a joke. "i know you're not a jokester, that's why i want to see you try." jimmy's words rang in your ear. you huffed out the cold weather as you pushed the bloodline's locker room door open. "you ready for today, uce?" you flipped jimmy off, earning a laugh from him. "i wanna see you struggle today." he added. "how about you hit my head so i don't have to go out?"

everyone was already there and you were slightly panicking. you were pacing around the room, trying to find your new t-shirt that the crew gave you. jimmy and jey were out, grabbing coffee from the pantry–leaving you, solo, and roman alone in the locker room. "you alright?" solo asked, his face washed with confusion. "i swear i brought my t-shirt today, but i can't find it anywhere." you whispered, not wanting to catch roman's attention. "do you wanna use mine?" you immediately nodded. solo rummaged through his duffle bag to no avail. "shit, i forgot i always go out without a shirt, sorry dawg." you sighed loudly, capturing roman's attention.

"what's up?" he looked up from his phone. "n- nothing." "(y/n) lost her shirt for today." before you could say anything, roman walked over to the locker, opening it. "i have a spare hoodie but i think it's too oversized for you." you had no other option than to take it. "thank you." you muttered, taking it from his hands. and he was right, the black iconic 'we the ones' hoodie covered half of your legs, leaving you with your black boots. i look like i'm not wearing any gear, you thought. "you look cute though." the man complimented you, walking away from the scene to sit down.

the crew ushered you to the entrance. your heart was beating faster than usual. “can’t wait to see what you got under your sleeves.” jey nudged you with his elbow, a smirk plastered on his face. “i hate y’all.” you groaned. “awww, we love you too lil’ sister.” jimmy and jey crushed you with a hug, earning glances from the tribal chief. “something going on here?” you shook your head. “n- no, we’re just messing around.” he raised an eyebrow. “you nervous or something, pretty girl?” that nickname always got to you. you felt your cheeks heating up.

“you got this, your first promo will be amazing. you’re called the ace for a reason, chin up.” that left you even more flustered than before. his entrance song started and you had to keep your composure. “accompanied with the special counsel, paul heyman. the undisputed tag-team champions, the usos. solo sikoa and the smackdown women’s champion, the ace. and the undisputed wwe universal champion, roman reigns!” that was one hell of a long introduction, you thought.

you took a second to glance at the tribal chief being all-mighty and he looked hot with his black tracksuit. he lifted the belt and gave them back to paul for him to hold. “cincinnati,” he paused. “acknowledge me!” roman yelled to the crowd. everyone lifted their finger up, including you. “a special day today.” roman started the segment. “we’re joined by our newest member of the bloodline, ace.” everyone cheered. “now y’all cheering for her? whatever happened to ‘ace, join the judgement day’?” roman’s sentence was laced with sarcasm. “she’s too good to be in some faction without any belts… we have seven, what do they have? issues.” once again, the crowd cheered at your achievements.

“now, we got a lot of people fighting for her to be in their faction, but she’s with us now.” jey said as he slung his arm on your shoulders. “ay, ay. uce, think ace has something to say to y’all.” jimmy passed the microphone to you. you saw his look and you knew that he was trying his best not to break character as he waited for you to pull-off the bet tonight. you mouthed a ‘fuck you’ to him before taking the mic. “kill it, sis.” jimmy winked.

“cincinnati, what’s good?” you yelled into the mic. earning a ‘what’s good’ back as a response. “damn, y’all excited to see me today?” the crowd cheered. “okay, okay pipe down. i’m talking.” you rolled your eyes, staying true to your character. “alright, i see a lot of surprised faces out here tonight because i’m standing with the bloodline today.” you continued. “why am i here instead of being with the judgement day?” you earned a couple of ‘boo’s along the away. “because they’re bitches and they suck.” you grinned menacingly.

roman was watching you the entire time, he knew that you had good mic skills and he didn’t doubt you any second. he admired you from afar, leaning against the turnbuckle–smirking the entire time. you looked cute with his big hoodie that went down your thighs, exposing only your legs and the boots you wore. he couldn’t stop looking at you to the point where he was slowly tuning out the crowd voices, only focusing on you. sometimes he wondered why you were so distant to him, maybe you were scared of him? intimidated by his presence? all he wanted to do was to get to know you even better. of course you caught his attention, he had been interested in you since the first day you stepped inside the blue brand. everyone knew that you had this presence that made people turn around their heads when they saw you.

the twins stared at you and you knew it was time. you sighed as you dragged roman from the sides, hopping on to his back, catching him off-guard. “i don’t relate to people who suck, i relate to the top ones, like this dude right here.” you pointed at roman, who was still confused. “yeah you, tribal chief. i relate to you, because i’m strong as hell, cool as hell, and most importantly, sexy as hell.” he practically had to cover his face to stop himself from smiling. this was definitely the twins’s idea, he thought. “let’s hear it for the tribal chief, i say ‘sexy’ you say ‘yeah’!” you were still on top of his shoulders. “sexy!” “yeah!” the crowd replied. “THAT’S RIGHT!” roman broke out a smile for a couple of seconds. “damn it.” he muttered, holding your legs to protect you from falling.

needless to say, the walk back to the locker room was awkward for you. jimmy, jey, and solo were having the time of their lives. “I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE FUNNY LIKE THAT, DAWG!” jimmy grinned. you were still blushing from the segment. roman, on the other hand, was still confused with the situation. “okay, okay. calm down, think she’s going to cry anytime soon.” roman told the twins. you looked at him, avoiding his gaze. “thank you.” you replied.

the locker room was already empty when you got back. you were pulled over by creatives, they praised you as they showed tweets from people talking about your promo. you felt proud but embarrassed at the same time. you were playing with your phone, replying to your sister’s texts about your segment. you didn’t even notice the man sitting down on the locker room couch. you continued to play with your phone until you heard a familiar voice.

“and where do you think you’re going?” roman’s voice made you stop your tracks. “h- home?” you stuttered, still not brave enough to turn your back. “you made me break character…” your heart was beating faster than usual. “that’s new.” you nervously chuckled at his sentence. “i can… explain?” you awkwardly turned around. “i’ll explain later, i have to… uhm? go out?” you tried pushing the door open to no avail. your eyes widened in fear as the door wouldn’t budge. “oh god.” you muttered.

roman unknowingly saw your panic expression and tried to open the door. “it’s stuck.” he added. “oh god.” you repeated. “hey, calm down. you want me to bust this door open?” roman asked. “no, i think you’ve damaged enough properties.” you replied, remembering the sofa he broke last month. the man chuckled. “well, let me call jey.” “i’ll call paul.”

to your luck, the members of your faction didn’t answer. you were stuck with the man you last wanted to see after the entire segment. “we can actually break the door, but nah… you’re gonna get dragged by logistics and that’s gonna be a mess.” roman gave up trying to open the door and sat down on the couch again. “anyways, that whole segment you did? it was amazing. but i don’t know how you pulled that off… you never strike me as a comedic person.” you rubbed the nape of your neck in nervousness.

he was waiting for your answer. “sit down while we wait for people to notice that we’re gone. last time i was trapped with seth, i ended up playing an entire game of chess with him. there’s nothing to worry about, i don’t bite you know?” he teased you. “y- yeah.” you sat down in front of him, still avoiding his gaze. “who put you up with that promo?” he asked once again.

“i made a bet with the twins and solo… but i lost. it was either breaking you or…” you paused for a second. “or what?” your face reddened in embarrassment. “or i have to… do a backflip in the hallways.” you lied. “(y/n), we all know you’re a great actor and you’ve done countless backflips with kevin. you’re lying.” he commented. tension was there and you were nervous. “if you don’t feel comfortable talking about it, i understand. we’re not close yet and it’s fine-“ “it was either breaking you or i have to confess.” you blurted out, face still red.

“confess?” roman repeated. his attention shifted to you. you tried breaking eye-contact but he was still looking at you. “on what?” he continued. “i- i like you. it’s so weird to say that but yeah, i like you. that’s why i’m still awkward around you because when i like people i just can’t be myself. god, i sound like a loser now. i hope you don’t see me in a weird light or kick me out, i love being here, i’m sorry let me just-“

your sentence was cut-off by a pair of lips on top of your forehead. time went by slowly as you felt him towering over you. “now i know why you’re always so flustered around me, i thought you were scared of me. turns out you like me? that’s so cute.” the black-haired man chuckled. “you don’t have to say anything, i like you too.” before you could respond, you heard the door being unlocked. “FINALLY, WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR AN HOUR FOR THIS.” jimmy dangled the keys in front of your face.

“YOU LOCKED US IN?” you shouted, standing up from your seat. “y- yeah.” he stuttered. “COME HERE, LET ME BEAT YOUR ASS!” you sprinted to him, causing him to run out of the room. “GET YOUR ASS HERE, JONATHAN FATU!” roman shook his head and sighed in relief. “how did it go?” jey took your place. “it went well, she was nervous but i think we understand each other now.” the younger twin smiled hearing his sentence. “caught me off-guard though.” roman added. “really?” “yeah, i thought she was scared of me or something. it’s cute honestly, i can’t wait to see what’s in store for us.”

jey and roman walked outside the locker room, with their bags (and yours, because you didn’t come back to get it). the hallways were empty, but they could hear you and jimmy still going around. “COME BACK HERE, I SWEAR TO GOD JONATHAN FATU. I WILL KILL YOU.” “HELP! PLEASE HELP ME! (Y/N), HOW DO YOU NOT RUN OUT OF BREATH?” the staffs and stars were confused to see you chasing him. “what’s up with jon and (y/n)?” montez nudged roman. “oh, he locked (y/n) and i together in the locker room, forcing her to admit her feelings for me.” “wild.”

a/n: missing him… i miss writing roman… i hope you enjoyed this lighthearted fic! anyways like usual, feedbacks are highly appreciated and requests are open!

#the usos #wwe #wwe imagines #roman reigns #jey uso #cody rhodes #paul heyman #wrestling #jimmy uso #roman reigns imagines #roman reigns x reader #solo sikoa #wwe x reader

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astralexpressarchives · 7 months

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Dan Heng, the Imaginary, and the Lunarescent Depths

So I was recently discussing lore with a friend of mine and we came to a very interesting conclusion about Dan Heng that just makes a little too much sense for me to not make post about.

Dan Heng is an artist who uses the blood of Long to paint imaginary realms into existence and also Long is probably an Imaginary Aeon

Okay hear me out.

So everybody has the 4 star version of Dan Heng on their account. Everybody would have seen his ultimate ability and should be quite familiar with his line:

This sanctuary, is but a vision... Break!

The animation begins with a zoom in on his sphere - very likely the same sphere he uses in his Dan Heng: Imbibitor Lunae form for his spells. He closes his eyes.

Now, the camera zooms out quickly so that we can see the sanctuary that is but a vision.

Then he attacks the enemy, his weapon trailing black splatters of...

Ink!

Alright, now let me back it up a bit for a brief intermission and introduce you to the Judges of the 10 Lords Commission. The Undestroyed Notes makes this statement about the Judges:

A sister among the disciples once described to me one of the judge's brushes — it could write talismans out of thin air, which would make the written words come true.

Of course, we now know this is likely a reference to Hanya as her recent promo material shows her using a magic brush:

She specializes in reading the karma and sins of criminals, and records their crimes and punishments with the Oracle Brush.

It's unclear is this Oracle Brush is in fact the brush that can write things out of thin air, but it's worth noting regardless.

The point is that there is precedence in HSR for characters using brushes/painting/writing to make things real.

Back to Dan Heng, though. It doesn't stop at his 4 star variation, either. Dan Heng: Imbibitor Lunae's ultimate is a very similar story.

A zoom in towards his sphere, his eyes are closed - this time, the (drawn!) clouds are circling him.

Then a scene where the entire thing looks painted! But it doesn't stop there.

Dan Heng and Blade

Now, as with any analysis of Dan Heng, it's basically impossible to make one without also mentioning Blade since Hoyo is obsessed with them:

Blade's sword graveyard (the Hellscape, as he calls it) is very similar to Dan Heng's heavenly moon realm. I believe this is because these locations are mirror images of each other - that is to say, the mountainous area is a real location and one or both of their ultimates are mirror/s of this location.

Also note that he also accesses this location by "slicing" it out of thin air with his Blade.

Also note the drawn aesthetic of the spiderlilies, I think this is implying they are in another realm - same as when he is in his ult and the spiderlilies are projected on his attack! In that same scene, if you look very closely you can spot some lotus the water (extra credit to my friend for spotting this one!)

The realm keeping commission has this image of a dragon's face over the moon between two sets of mountains, one set is upside down mirroring the other set.

A few more examples of Dan Heng and Blade as mirrors:

Blade in the reflection of the water. Note the presence of the moon and leaves surrounding Dan Heng vs the Arbor roots surrounding Blade.

We also know the arbor roots are a real location because we fight Phantylia there beneath the Scalegorge:

The Azure Dragon enters through a circular cloud formation and arrives at the mountainous location on the Xianzhou.

Blade in his fansong shown at the circular clouds swapping identities of Blade vs Yingxing (this happens when he is "marastruck" as seen in his trailer). In his fansong, the clouds lead to the red moon.

This is important because Blade is the creator of Cloudpiercer - the weapon attached to the orb Dan Heng uses to paint his imaginary landscapes - and Blade also created the sword he uses that cuts open the portal to the hellscape. It's unclear if the connection is the weapons or something else, like Dragonheart theory would would mean Blade's blood contains Long's blood which could be the triggering tool.

Anyway, we know these mountains are a real location because Dan Feng was imprisoned there. I believe this location is the Lunarescent Depths Delve below the Scalegorge:

We also know there is a moon present at Blade's Hellscape:

Keep in mind that this splashart features the moon (piercing through the clouds, very subtle Hoyo), destroyed arbor roots, the sword graveyard, and the spiderlilies. Now compare these images:

This is the same area before and during/after the sedition. Note the arbor roots that were present in the reflection of Blade, the water, the chains, the moon (eclipsed, too) that he is drinking the power of...

To drive the point home even further, here's Blade seated during Kafka's companion quest, courtesy of my friend:

Doesn't that painting look... familiar??? Other than in this location, the painting only shows up in two other locations on the Xianzhou one of which is the Realm-Keeping Commission office (which is literally covered in Vidyadhara mountain references - seriously go check it out for yourself).

Hoyo is definitely hinting at something with this set up, lol.

Genshin

It's hard to talk about a Hoyo game without mentioning Genshin Impact. Honestly, a lot of the Vidyadhara story mirrors the story in Genshin, especially Fontaine, for example:

Special water, potentially people made of water

Water dragon making rain in idle animation

Small female child contained by local scientists might have the soul of a god or could be a scam

And more... but the point is people who play Genshin might be familiar with the story of the melusines who were created with the blood of a dead dragon and they live inside it's corpse and also one of them is a painter using the blood of said dead dragon and also fiction is real and they can enter it in an imaginary space?

Yeah... I think they might have copied that idea and applied it to Dan Heng, allowing him to paint using the special water (probably the Blood of Long) and allowing him to create imaginary spaces. "This sanctuary is but a vision" a vision he literally painted!

I swear I'm not crazy.

Long the Permanence

Now here's an additional theory I have about Long the Permanence.

Long could be an Aeon that exists within the Imaginary space.

By this I mean the reason noone has met him or knows where he is or what happened to him is because he's always been imaginary. His scions exist in the primary reality, of course, but Dan Heng's power comes from the Imaginary element in his Imbibitor Lunae form.

This is further supported by the fact that the moon in reality (outside of the mountain scenery) only shows up briefly at key moments for corresponding characters.

It shows up briefly in Fu Xuan's trailer when she recites lines from a poem about the moon but otherwise is absent. Note how she has Long's constellations on the back of her outfit and dragon heads on her tools.

Jingliu's power is also moon based and you also see the moon in the reflection of her ice/nearby water. The reflection of the moon is actually the real power behind her attacks and the moon that appears behind her is a mirage projected from the reflection (not the other way around!). And in the recent Jingliu Myriad you can tell at the start that the moon only just appeared because the moon flowers are only just blooming! IRL these flowers only bloom at night time, presumably in the moonlight, so the fact that they only just opened implies the moon was not present earlier in the scene. This is the same flower eternally bloomed on her shoulder.

Also note how both scenes where she is drawing upon the moon's power also becomes drawn in an inky art style! Just like Dan Heng.

I might stop here because this post is already very long but I might do a whole post dedicated to dissecting Jingliu's lore and symbolism in greater depth, especially as more Jingliu content is released over the coming days.

#honkai star rail #dan heng #Long the Permanence #hsr lore #jingliu #blade

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all-risejd · 10 months

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A New Judgment Chapter 12: A DDT and a Request (Poly Judgment Day)

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. Part 8. Part 9. Part 10. Part 11.

The rest of the week leading up to Smackdown was much the same. Finn and Nessa building Legos for stress relief, the boys doing interviews online, training almost every day to take bumps and maybe eventually fight and Rhea calling when she can with the time difference, Nessa secretly staying up to never miss the calls.

Early Friday morning Nessa gets one of these. Thankfully she was in Dominiks kitchen cleaning, unable to sleep so she snuck out to grab a snack then clean. She answers the phone.

"Hey Dems, any news?' Nessa asks quietly leaning on the counter and she hears Rhea whimper on the other line.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry Demi, what do you need?" Nessa asks grabbing a bag of marshmallows out of Dominik's cupboard and popping one in her mouth.

"I just need to talk to you, the boys will try to fix things you will just let me feel," Rhea answers and sniffles again trying to not sob into the phone.

"Of course mamela, do you want to tell me how you feel or just tell me about your Nonna? Whatever you need babe" Nessa offers and sits on the ground eating another marshmallow.

"My Nonna would have loved you. She always encouraged me to follow my dreams and to unapologetically be me..." Rheas voice cracks.

"I would have loved to have met her Dems. You are amazing and kind and sweet and an inspiration to many. Your Nonna was an incredible woman to be such an inspiration to you." Nessa praises leaning her head against the counter. "Would you like me to tell the boys?" Nessa asks knowing this isn't an easy topic to talk about. Rhea is silent on the other end for a moment.

"No, I think I need to call and tell them. I just can't at the moment it's like admitting it makes it too real.. You already know how to read me so well... I don't have to actually say the words..." Rhea trails off and Nessa's heart breaks for the woman.

"Of course, anytime you need anything I'm here Dems. I know what that is like..." Nessa yawns.

"Oh Bunny I'm sorry for keeping you up it must be 3 am there" Rhea apologizes, sadness still thick in her voice.

"No Dem's it's fine, I told you I'd be here for you and I will be for as long as you need me..." Nessa tries to reassure Rhea.

"Ok, Bunny. Thank you for everything." Rhea softly thanks Nessa.

"I haven't done anything, Darling." Nessa shakes her head even though Rhea can't see it.

"Bunny you have done so much without even realizing it, you have been so good and I don't know how I could handle this without you," Rhea praises making Nessa blush.

"Look, when you get back and we are at your house I am cooking for you. I am going to show you how I learned how to grieve and we will see if it helps you yeah?" Nessa offers wanting to help not fix.

"Yeah, that sounds nice. I'm going to let you sleep I have to go, I'm getting on a plane so I can be at Smackdown tonight. Goodnight Bunny, see you soon." Rhea says goodbye and Nessa does as well and they hang up.

___________________________________________________________________________

Flying out the morning of Smackdown Nessa clearly tired, the atmosphere sad in the car as they drive to the venue. Rhea had called and told the boys the news. They get there 30 minutes before filming starts, The cameras already filming their first promo which is just them entering, Damien escorting Nessa with her holding his elbow as she did in previous shows since he is rolling in both their bags, security opening the doors for them. Dominik and Finn trailing close behind. Damien pauses and leans down to talk to Nessa his face close to hers, cameras catching every moment. Dom and Finn are behind the cameras, letting this Promo be shot.

"Mamita it has been such a pleasure getting to know you better." Nessa twirls her hair and giggles,

"It really has been great, especially the other night" Nessa strokes her finger up and down Damiens's chest, looking up at him even though he is leaning down to be closer to her.

"Well Hermosa, we can have a repeat tonight if you want" His voice deepens and Nessa wraps her arms around his neck and plays with his hair,

"I would like that very much" She answers and he wraps his arms around her waist. The cameraman raises his hand to signal the end of filming and Nessa breaks the embrace resuming the previous position where she grabs his elbow and they all walk to their assigned locker room. Nessa leaning more on Damien than before.

_________________________________________________________________________

Once in the locker room, Nessa takes a seat on Damien's lap on the bench, this being a less cozy room than previous shows. She feels that he is still apprehensive about touching her since the signing but not all the time and she is so confused.

"Luis, have I done something wrong?" She asks her voice sounding soft and little. Damien glances down to Nessa and sighs wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Of course not Mariposa. I'm just trying to learn when certain touches are ok with you I can tell when you are starting to get uncomfortable like now... and you are forcing it. Don't force something that doesn't feel ok." Damien rests his chin on her shoulder and she leans into the embrace.

"Im just trying to work through touch aversion. You are safe, I know that. Finn is safe, I know that too. It's just sometimes it gets scrambled and I don't know how to stop it. I don't want you to feel like you messed up so I try to power through it." She bites her lip and Damien sighs again,

"Nessa, you powering through it makes it seem worse. Remember to communicate I need to know what is and isn't ok this isn't just about me." He tells her seriously and she deflates.

"I'm sorry, I just want to prove you didn't, and don't go too far because you assume you do. Just trust that I'll tell you when you do ok?" Nessa asks tapping her fingers on Damiens's arms.

"Ok, ill work on that and you promise to communicate when the touch is too much. Are you ok with this?" Damien asks and Nessa closes her eyes and nods her head. His hand travels up and grabs her chin turning her head to look at him.

"Words Nessa, I need words." Damien orders.

"Yes, I am ok with this. I promise I will tell you when it is too much" Nessa promises and Damien smiles in relief and tightens his arms around her, Dominik glancing over and smiling at them while Finn is stretching preparing for his match. Nessa pats Damiens's hands and he releases her and she gets off his lap and stretches. Damien reaches out and tickles her exposed stomach, her shirt riding up as she stretched. Nessa giggles and jumps back.

"I'm going to change and since there is no privacy in here I'm going into the bathroom." Nessa grabs her bag and enters the bathroom quickly changing and doing her makeup, going with a purple lipstick to better match the colors of the Judgment day. She walks out of the bathroom to see Rhea standing there already in her makeup and just needing to change her clothes. Nessa runs over and wraps her arms around Rhea's waist. Nessa doesn't say anything, just squeezes tighter as Rhea wraps her arms around Nessa's shoulders, the boys joining the hug and squashing Nessa between them.

"Help me" She squeeks almost unable to breathe making Rhea laugh and the boys break the embrace.

"I'm gonna change and get ready we have a promo in a bit" Rhea announces, just grabbing her clothes and starting to change in front of everyone.

"Woah, Woah, Woah..." Damien holds out his hands to stop her.

"Is Nessa ok with this? Have you asked her if she is comfortable with this she just went in the bathroom to change" He starts to fret glancing between Nessa and Rhea. Nessa shrugs and plops down on the bench.

"I have no issue with her changing in front of me, that is her choice if she is comfortable. We talked about it when we shared our hotel room this week." Nessa crosses her arms and smiles as Rhea finishes getting in her ring gear.

"You look good Mami" Nessa calls out and Rhea blushes doing a little turn just for Nessa's amusement, grateful she is trying to act normal and not treat her with kid gloves like the rest of the locker room and her partners. Rhea was annoyed at being stopped every 5 seconds by people apologizing for her loss but she is thankful they care for her.

Rhea holds out her hand for Nessa to grab and pulls her into another hug and places a quick kiss on her lips muttering thanks before breaking the hug and grabbing her title belt and Dom's hand. Nessa grabs Damiens's elbow and follows them out to go meet Kayla at Gorilla for their Interview. They all smirk as Kayla introduces them. Damien throwing his arm over Nessa's shoulders and pulls her close to him to the point where she braces her hand on his chest.

"Now, Damien, Dom last week you picked up a victory over Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar... Despite Zelina Kind of embarrassing you, Nessa and Rhea..." Kayla starts and Rhea leans over and interrupts Kayla who puts the microphone in front of Rhea's face to capture what she is saying,

"Excuse me, Kayla! Embarrassed are you kidding me right now? She attacked our Nessa really!" Rhea rants and Kayla tries to say something but Dominik interrupts her as well.

"Kayla, just stop ok...You don't wanna make Mami mad. She is a little protective of our Nessa" Dom smirks and winks at Nessa. Damien speaks up, Kayla putting the Mic towards him careful not to bonk Nessa in the head.

"Kayla look, here's the deal. Santos Escobar, we all know he can go. What he can't do is pick friends. Rey Mysterio, The LWO, They shouldn't be getting involved in our business" He waves around the hand he isn't holding her with and Nessa bites her lower lip enjoying his accent that comes through when pronouncing their names and stares up at him as he continues talking, "And I know you are going to ask me about Bad Bunny, but I'm going to address that in the ring." He says and The Judgement Day's entrance music starts and he turns towards the curtain, Nessa still under his arm. Rhea and Dom following close behind after glaring down Kayla. Nessa steps out from under his arm once on the top of the ramp and stands between Rhea and Damien, her thumbs through her belt loop as the pyro goes off and they make their way down the ramp their names being announced and Damien doing his normal entrance moves. They reach the bottom of the ramp and he bumps forearms with Rhea before holding out his arm for Nessa again and strutting around the ring to the backside, Damien holds Nessa's hand as she climbs the steps before he joins her on the apron. This time stepping on the bottom rope and pulling up the middle rope to make it easier for her to get in since she struggled the last few times. This elicits cheers from the crowd. Once all four of them are in the ring the other three do their signature poses where Nessa does the belt loop thing similar to when Dom crosses his arms in front of himself before pyro. Damien goes to grab a mic and starts pacing around the ring, raising the mic to his lips, Nessa stepping back with Dominik and Rhea.

"Backlash is in San Juan Puerto Rico" Damien almost growls into the mic making Nessa shiver and smirk at Damien as he continues, " And the host, my friend Bad Bunny " Damien steps forward and grabs the top rope for a moment. "Now Bunny you wanna attend the show, sit in the front row again thats fine, have a great time. But if you put your hands on my family again" Rhea pats Doms shoulder and Nessa nods her head approvingly at Damiens Message as he continues "I mean we all know what can happen" Damien gestures to the Titantron. They all turn to watch the replay. Nessa and Dom clap watching Bunny go back through the table Rhea smiles in glee at what she saw and laughing doing a little jump in the ring as Damien lifts the mic to his lips again.

"I know that was bad" Nessa wipes away fake tears, "But I need you all to watch that again, can you play it in slow motion please" Damien asks gesturing to the Titantron again. Rhea laughs hard telling Damien, "that was amazing" And Nessa nods in agreement and claps again thanking Damien for defend Dom and her since Bunny wanted to mention her to goad Dom.

The LWO's entrance music comes on and Zelina comes out, Damien unzips his trenchcoat and takes it off, Rhea steps out of the ring onto the apron as Zelina waves a chancla and Rhea jumps down, Nessa leans on the ropes facing them. She jumps as Damien and Dominik fall to her feet having been attacked by other members of the LWO who after the one hit slid back out of the ring celebrating getting the jump on them. Damien whips around and glares them down, Dom doing the same as Rhea slides back into the ring to check on Nessa before also glaring.

Damien holds open the ropes where Nessa stands for her to get out, Dom does the same for Rhea and the three of them get out of the ring so the match can start between Damien and Santos.

Nessa claps and jumps up and down as Damien punches Santos after he tried to jump on Damien from the apron, Rhea calling out "You look like an idiot Santos." Before Damien throws Santos back in the ring and gets back in there as well. Damien gets a pin on Santos who kicks out at 2 and Rhea yells at the ref to learn how to count and Nessa yells out her agreement Dominik smiles like an idiot at the both of them. Nessa winces as Santos turns the match around and drop-kicks Damien.

"Come on Damien," Nessa yells out smacking the apron frustrated. Glad when Damien kicks out. Nessa cheers as Damien powers out of the corner and superkicks Santos out of the ring.

"That's right babe, Show him who is boss!"

Damien smiles at the encouragement and gets out of the ring and runs about delivering another hit to Santos that knocks him down and dazes him. Once back in the ring, Damien gets another pin on Santos who kicks out again causing Nessa and Damien to growl in frustration. Dominik whispers something in Rhea's ear that makes her laugh. Dominik stands on the steps raising his arms and Rhea and Nessa cheer as Damien stomps down on Santos maintaining control of the match and pulls Santos onto the lower rope from the apron. Santos gains control and lands a hurricanrana leaving Damien seemingly out in the middle of the ring.

"Damien" Nessa Calls out jumping on the apron only for Rhea to pull her off.

"Don't get ejected Bunny" Rhea whispers in Nessa's ear who relaxes in the hold so Rhea lets go. All three of them looking worried. Santos goes for the pin and Nessa sighs out in relief when Damien kicks out, Rhea on her knees looking relieved. Rhea gets up and the three of them bang on the apron trying to boost Damien and will him to regain control. Santos and Damien begin exchanging blows, Santos getting control, and ending in another pin which Damien kicks out of.

Santos picks up Damien who holds the top rope, Rhea pats Nessa's shoulder telling her it's time. Nessa and Dominik head over to that side of the ring while Rhea jumps up on the apron distracting the ref, Nessa and Dominik get on the apron, Nessa scratching Santos's thigh while Dominik hits his back causing Santos to Drop Damien and stumble into the ring gripping at both areas that were attacked. Nessa and Dominik dropping back off the apron, Nessa putting on her best innocent face as Damien hits the clothesline. Nessa gets pulled behind Dominik as the other two men from the LWO run toward them and start attacking Dominik. Nessa runs to Rhea to get to relative safety, eyeing where Zelina is. Rhea and Nessa look on concerned, thankful Damien hops out of the ring to save Dominik. Nessa throws up her arms as Santos dives out the ring shoving Damien onto the announce table and goes to grip her back which is still a little sore from her mishap.

Santos throws Damien back in the ring. Santos goes to the corner and Rhea grabs his ankle to stop whatever move he was going to do. Nessa backs up as Zelina slinks over knowing she isn't supposed to be physical this match. Rhea is prepared for this and turns int to it getting flung headfirst into the barricade. Nessa runs to check on Rhea seeing that Dominik is already back to his feet. Rhea is still on the ground gripping her head. Nessa grabs her face and looks into her eyes checking her pupils seeing they are the correct size and reactive. Once satisfied there is not a major head injury she kneels next to Rhea as Damien's entrance music plays signaling his win. Damien isn't finished punishing Santos yet, he throws Santos out of the ring and then Jumps out himself and goes over to the announce table. He rips everything off the table and gets ready to put Santos through the table as he did Bad Bunny but stops when Rey Mysterios music comes on.

Nessa and Dom turn to look at the Entrance ramp, Dom on one side of the ring and Nessa still kneeling next to Rhea who is clutching her head. Rhea powers through it to move in front of Nessa as Rey jumps over the barricade and attacks Damien and Dominik slides into the ring. Rey sets his sights on Dominik and gets in the ring. Nessa tries to move from behind Rhea only for Rhea to stop her until Rey throws the first punch, Dom fighting back, eventually Rey setting up the 619. Rhea and Nessa run around the ring to where Damien pulled Dom down out of the way and out of the ring, Nessa standing in front of them squaring her shoulders as the LWO start rolling into the ring, Rhea grabs her arm and switches places, putting Nessa under Damiens arm and then clutching her head as they back up the ramp, Damiens other arm over Doms shoulders. The two groups taunt each other Nessa holds up her hand to her hip taunting how short Zelina is even compared to her. Zelina sees and points to her,

"I'm coming for you again!" And Nessa Rolls her eyes and fakes scared again before waving off the threat as they disappear behind the curtain. Thankful they don't have to do anymore camera work they sigh in relief and Rhea stops clutching her head.

"Zelina is going to make me pay for that short joke next time we train together" Nessa groans leaning more into Damien and Rhea laughs.

"Hey Bunny if she goes too far let me know I'll take care of it" Rhea grabs Nessa's hand and they walk back to their locker room getting curious glances from a few people along the way. Nessa sees AJ sneer and she sneers back. Damien glances over and pulls Nessa closer.

"Ignore him Mariposa, he has a problem with anyone openly not straight." Damien whispers in her ear not knowing how angry that would make Nessa. Nessa spins out from under Damiens arm and Dominik is quick to grab her having heard what Damien said to her.

"Reinita it's not worth it, he's not worth it." Dominik struggles as she flails trying to kick out of his grip on her. Damien sighs and takes her from Dominik and throws her over his shoulder. She deflates knowing she isn't getting out of that and points to her eyes then towards AJ who just scoffs and rolls his eyes turning away from them. Nessa rests her elbows on Damiens's back and her chin on her hands just bouncing about as they walk back some other wrestlers laughing at the scene others waving at Nessa. Asuka waves joyfully at her, Nessa waves back and holds her hands in a praying position making Asuka laugh and shake her head, and Nessa pouts. Once they are in the locker room Damien puts her down and she huffs.

"I know Mamita but we can't go attacking people with different views from ours" Damien rolls his eyes.

"The difference of views is one thing but when he treats others differently and would celebrate and fight for the loss of our rights is another." Nessa grumbles adding on "may someone name a child after him and soon" She switches to yiddish she is so angry, "Lign in drerd un bakn beygl!"

"Uh what is that Mariposa?" Damien asks a little apprehensive seeing her so angry and pacing about the room.

"Basically wishing he would drop dead and burn in hell. The literal translation is may you lay in the ground and bake bagels" Dominik shrugs and laughs knowing she will burn through it soon enough. Nessa stops pacing about the room when there is a sharp knock on the door. Damien opens it and Zelina pushes in and heads straight to Nessa Rhea jumping in between them.

"It's ok Rhea, I got this" Nessa gently puts her hand on Rhea's arm and pushes so Rhea gets out of the way.

"Sorry, Thea got carried away out there. I know it is a sore subject." Nessa apologizes scratching her head.

"No that's fine the crowd loved it but now Vince is fighting with Paul about you wrestling me" Zelina warns and the rest of the people in the room start flipping out. The blood drains from Nessa's face.

"Hey no remember contractually that can't happen unless you agree." Dominik comes over and rubs Nessa's lower back trying to keep her calm.

"No, but he can try to punish you if I don't agree," Nessa says to the room and looks at Zelina who smiles sadly.

"Nooo Thea what did you do..." Nessa trails off.

"I told him I wouldn't do it you aren't ready and it is too dangerous. Little stunts here and there are fine because we practice those and you are learning the basics. You barely know how to take a bump let alone a match. So Paul and Vince are having it out about that too. I just wanted to warn you. And Jefe wants to talk to you." Zelina warns and Dominik violently shakes his head.

"Hell no, after last week he can't even come near her I won't allow it." He states as a matter of fact. Zelina and Nessa move in unison, leaning back and looking at him like "is he serious".

"While I agree I don't even want to see him right now you don't get to dictate what I do and do not do." Nessa pokes Dominik's chest who holds his hands up in surrender. "Thea thank you for looking after me and helping train me. You don't have to I know how you felt about mine and Doms relationship." Nessa genuinely thanks Zelina who glares at Dominik.

"You told her! Eres un comemierda!" She shoves him back. Nessa steps between them, knowing she can't win against Zelina but wanting to protect him nonetheless.

"Of course, he told me. What you said hurt him and he needed comfort." Nessa holds out her arm creating space between them.

"Wait and you aren't upset?" Zelina asks shocked and glances between the two of them.

"No, it is how you feel and you are allowed to feel that. You didn't try to break us up or come between us. You just stated your opinion and left it at that. It doesn't make you a bad person. You decided to take your own time to train me, you didn't have to do that." Nessa explains like it is the most obvious thing in the world. "Though I know Jefe probably asked you to train me" Nessa adds on knowing she is right. Rhea, Damien, Dominik and Finn smile at Nessa, at how kind and forgiving she truly is.

"Wow... Uh... Thank you. Just so you know I have no problem with you or people dating outside of their culture in general, It is just when those they date appropriate the culture and act like it is theirs. You are unapologetically you and you honor their culture while honoring your own and don't claim it as your own." Zelina steps forward placing a hand on Nessa's shoulder and continues "And this dynamic is weird, I don't understand it but I don't think any less of any of you because of it like some others. You be you" Zelina finishes, Nessa nods in thanks. Zelina takes that as her moment to leave.

Once Zelina is gone Nessa throws her head back and groans,

"I'm going to have to up the training, maybe Asuka will help me.."

"You know we can help you too? We are right here Luv?" Finn asks, partially offended.

"No I know but I am small and you guys are tall and can powerhouse. I'm not that strong or at least as strong as you guys but I can move. Their styles are more likely to work for me. I just don't want you guys to think I am trying to be too clingy with you all by spending all that time with you." Nessa fidgets with her fingers.

"We will help train you too if that is what you want Bunny, as will Asuka if you ask her. We want each other to be safe out there... for the most part..." Rhea explains and Finn looks happier with her response.

"Luv we have got to work on your self-esteem don't we." Finn shakes his head and goes to grab Nessa's bag so she can actually hold Damien's hand when they leave.

______________________________________________________________________________________

They return to the hotel that night, Rhea is quiet unsurprisingly with what she is dealing with. They are in the hallway, their rooms across from each other again, Rhea's hand in Nessa's. Rhea squeezes Nessa's hand before speaking up.

"I want us all to sleep together tonight, please." Rhea looks to Nessa her eyes pleading.

"Yeah of course, I've been sleeping in a room with them all week for the most part...." Nessa admits as they all pile into the boy's room.

"What is for the most part?" Rhea asks plopping on the bed and spreading out. Nessa doesn't answer she just joins her on the bed laying her head on Rhea's shoulder not realizing how much she had been missing Rhea's cuddles.

"We found Nessa on the kitchen floor this morning asleep with a bag of marshmallows in her hand." Dominik snickers stripping down to his boxers and jumping on the bed, ignoring the completely empty bed. Damien stands at the edge of the bed and crosses his arms.

"If we are all going to cuddle Rhea then we need to be on the floor or have Paul start booking us a king-size bed again" He starts stripping the covers and pillows off the other bed and tossing them on the floor. "Ooh" Nessa exclaims and jumps out of the bed and grabs her key card and disappears for a few minutes leaving the door open. She comes back with a bunch of pillows and blankets in her arms, piled high above her head and kicks the door closed.

"Hey can one of you macho men help me please I can't see where I am going" She calls out to the room causing Rhea to laugh and Nessa sighs in relief as the pillows and blankets get taken of of her. They make what can only be described as a nest of pillows and blankets on the floor. Nessa is the first to plop down and calls out to Rhea holding out her hand. Rhea smiles and joins Nessa, laying down and pulling Nessa onto her chest again. The rest of the group joining the cuddle pile.

The next morning they catch their flight to Arkansas for Raw the following day

______________________________________________________________________________________

All members of the Judgement Day are in their locker room getting ready for that nights Raw which starts airing soon. Nessa was quieter than usual and sitting off by herself after asking for a bit of personal space. The other members glance at her with concern, the young woman having been quieter than usual and just seeming off. Nessa looks around at them and sees their looks of concern.

"I just have a lot on my mind I am trying to sort through I promise it is nothing bad." Nessa gives a soft smile to the group who finishes getting ready, Rhea putting on leather pants which makes Nessa pout.

"I know Bunny, but I'm not wrestling tonight so there is no need for my ring gear" Rhea laughs and shakes her head at Nessa pouting, that pout changing when she sees Damien come out of the bathroom in a suit. He does a little twirl.

"Like what you see Mariposa" She nods and he chuckles as he walks over and kisses her forehead before continuing to let her have her space.

"All right looks like we are all ready and the dark match is over and the show is about to start. We need to head to Gorilla" Finn announces to the room gesturing to the door. Nessa gets up and grabs Damiens's arm, wearing one of Dom's flannels over her Judgement day shirt that is tied in the back to expose a sliver of skin and her shorts over ripped-up fishnets like Rhea normally wears.

"I wanted us to match Mami" Nessa pouts as they make their way to Gorilla, getting there just as the bloodline head out to their music.

"We can match next week Bunny. God I can't wait to be home and see my puppies." Rhea groans leaning against Nessa and Damien.

"I can't wait to meet them and make you some Kugel and Challah." Nessa momentarily grabs Rhea's hand.

"You don't have to do that Nes, I'm ok really." Rhea feels bad about how much Nessa has been doing for her so she tries to make her relax.

"I know I don't have to but I want to. It helps me so please" Nessa asks, fluttering her eyelashes so Rhea agrees.

"I thought Ojitos don't work on you Mami" Dominik pouts gesturing between Nessa and Rhea.

"Normally they don't, but who can deny this pretty face" Rhea coos while grabbing Nessa's chin making the people backstage laugh at them used to their antics and not at all surprised at the new member fitting in so well.

"Yeah yeah, let's not bruise that pretty face, right Hermosa" Damien gently pries Rhea's hand off Nessa's face as their music starts and he grabs a mic with his free hand.

"Yeah bruises are meant for below the chin" Nessa announces as they walk out smirking to herself knowing they have to control their reaction to what she said. They make their way down the ramp to cheers from the crowd, goosebumps rising up Nessa's spine. They reach the front of the ring and the other four just step up on the apron, Damien grabbing her hand and pulling her up to stand next to him. The other three get in the ring and face off against the bloodline while Damien sits on the ropes to give Nessa easier access to the ring. Once she is in she stands on the edge of the line Next to Damien so they are all staring down a member of the Bloodline except her. They stand like that for a minute, Jimmy pacing back and forth until Damien raises the mic to his lips.

"Paul." Damien turns to look at Paul before stepping in front of his partners and standing in front of Solo staring him down, Paul putting a hand on Solos chest trying to calm him down. The crowd chanting you suck. Paul holds out his hand to Damien,

"Mr Priest" He smiles his smarmy smile. Damien smirks and shakes his hand as Paul continues speaking, Damien resuming his position Next to Nessa

"Sir, an honor. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's a very good day to be a very bad buy. If there is a heaven none of us are getting into it except maybe Nessa and that is iff at best. A short-term deal engineered by the tribal chief Roman Reigns." Jey takes the mic from Paul,

"Hey OG we don't know anything about what you are talking about". He states and Paul takes the Mic back as Jey continues on about Roman not texting or calling him to tell him.

"I know, your tribal chief didn't want anyone on our side... well except for Solo" Paul explains and continues "You know because there aren't any raised voices or sudden moves from Solo because the tribal chief wanted his Usos to almost be caught off guard by the enormity of this short term deal. You see, Even mister Balor isn't that happy about this because mr Balor has deep-seated anger issues. Mr Balor is going to put aside his deep personal feelings about us aside in the name of good short-term villainy. Speaking of which the Judgment day has a concern a bunny concern a bad bunny concern and Solo is an expert in assuaging concerns." Paul praises Solo as Rhea just glares Solo down and he returns the glare. Paul noticing the tension asks Jey to switch with Solo and they do, but Rhea switches with Finn to stay in front of Solo.

"Is uh... is everything ok here?" Paul leans between them asking and Rhea leans forward to answer,

"For now" and Paul sighs,

"Let me get to this before this whole situation goes the wrong way. The Judgment day needs something taken care of that is the name of Bad Bunny, Solo will handle that before your concerns become a problem because we in the bloodline have problems, we have a Kevin Owens problem a Sami Zayn problem, we have a Riddle to solve. We all know at backlash a first-ever 6 man tag team match...." Nessa zones out getting annoyed at how long-winded this man is. She zooms back in when she hears the Judgment day but rolls her eyes when he just keeps talking. She has to bite her cheek to keep from laughing when Paul grabs Dom's wrist apologizing that he has to see Rey up close again and nods towards Nessa as Rey's music starts. Damien guides Nessa to the ropes and holds them open for her to step out which she does and stands there as he does the same. He jumps down and grabs her hips and picks her up off the apron and lowers her to the ground before offering his elbow again, their partners right beside them as they leave while Rey gets in the ring.

____________________________________________________________________________________

They go back to the next area they are supposed to be in for their next segment after the next 2 matches and just relaxing. Damien is leaning up against the wall Nessa leaning up against his chest, his arms wrapped around her. Dom and Rhea sitting in the two chairs provided, Finn lounging on their laps.

"What was that before we went out there Princesa" Damien whispers in her ear tightening his grip on her, and Nessa lets out a little embarrassed whine. Dominik glanced over and smirking not going to explain this one that has to be on Nessa.

"Sometimes, I like to... with... when...." Nessa struggles to form a coherent sentence and Damien kisses the top of her head. Nessa pauses and takes a deep breath steadying herself.

"Once I am more comfortable... I like to be handled a little roughly sometimes. sometimes I like the bruises because I can control when, where and who they came from..." Nessa blushes and turns to hide her face in Damiens's chest. He pats her head trying and failing to not laugh because if he did what he was thinking he would cross a line.

"Is that what has been on your mind all day." Rhea asks from her seat and Nessa groans and shakes her head no, careful to not rub her makeup off on Damiens's suit jacket.

"Then what is Mariposa?" Damien places his finger under Nessa's chin making her look up at him and she licks her lips trying to regain the moisture her anxiety has zapped from her.

"Can we table that until we are in Florida, I want to talk to you all together in private?" Nessa asks her voice cracking from the nerves.

"Why can't you when we get back to the hotel tonight?" Finn asks curiously.

"Oh,... I see," Rhea says out loud after seeing Nessa's expression.

"What?! What do you see?" Dominik asks, freaking out that he might have missed something when normally he is the one able to read Nessa.

"She has made her decision and wants us in a place familiar to us so we are more comfortable which will make her more comfortable" Rhea explains and Nessa looks at her grateful.

"Oh,..." Dominik softly responds, tension and worry filling his body.

"Oh calm down Dom Dom, I'm sure it is good news and she just wants to discuss some more boundaries with it" Rhea grabs Dom's thigh, Finn having hopped off previously to pace about the room. Nessa fights every muscle in her body to not nod and agree, wanting to discuss everything at once and not have to field a bunch of questions for the rest of the night.

"Ok the conversation is tabled as Mamita asked, don't pester her about it. Let her bring it up when she is ready" Damien announces to the group. He releases Nessa and pushes off the wall as the Cameraman enters signaling their segment is about to start. Nessa leans up against Dominik, Rhea looking at her nails and smirking before resting her hand back on Dominiks thigh.. Damien starts talking as the cameraman signals the start of the promo, Finn slapping Doms shoulders and squeezing them a maniacle smile on his face.

"Isn't that something huh guys? Bad Bunny returning to Raw next week. As long as he returns with a different attitude though..."

"Thats true" Finn agrees, the rest of them nodding along and Damien continues,

" For one he knows what can happen" Nessa cocks her head and raises her eyebrows like she is impressed looking Damien up and down. "And I'll just stop being his friend" Damien shruggs and Dominik scoffs and speaks up.

"Priest, You don't need to be Bad Bunnys friend, Just like I don't need Rey Mysterio to be my father." Finn puts one hand on Rheas shoulder keeping the other on Doms as he continues speaking, " But watching Solo rip piece by piece until there isn't any Rey mysterio left..." He trails off as they see Paul walk in.

Paul eyes them all, Nodding to Nessa who just maintains her stare.

"Satisfied?" He asks his phone in his hand. Damien turns to Finn and aks, "Finn what do you think?" Most of the members of the Judgement still looking at Paul who is smiling smugly. Rhea keeping her eyes on Dom and glancing to Nessa.

"Ehh" Finn answers crinkling up his nose and the smile falls off of Pauls face,

"Ehh?" Paul mimics back shocked and Nessa responds.

"Yeah Ehh", Paul rubs his palm on his chest thinking of how to respond,

"Allright I'll live with Eh, but now it is your turn to do Ehh, But do Ehh to Kevin Owens, Sammy Zayne and Matt Riddle tonight so you don't fall in to debt with your tibal chief." Paul explains and Nessah sighs in annoyance.

"In debt, no that sounds like an issue between Roman and the Usos, As far as the Judgement day goes we handle our business" Damien answers as he grabs Nessas hand and pulls her closer to him.

"The Tribal Cheif would also like to have a meeting with Miss Nessa, there is some business he wishes to discuss with her that is not for your ears." Paul announces. Damien tightens his grip on her and Rhea stands up blocking Nessa from Pauls view and gets in his face.

"Bye Paul" She nearly growls, getting protective of their newest member. Paul begins to side step away telling his phone to call Roman Reigns. They hear him explain what they said and that there is going to be a problem getting a meeting with Nessa. The camerman signals that the camera is off.

"Come on lets get ready for our match." Damien orders this time which surprises Nessa as it is normally Finn who keeps them moving. They all return to their locker room quickly only to be stopped before they enter it. Hunter leaning up against the door to the locker room.

"Ah Nessa perfect, I need to speak to you privately please. He pushes off of where he was leaning and gestures down the hallway. Damien gives her hand a squeeze for encouragement before letting go, Nessa following him down the hallway.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Nessa comes back about 15 minutes later, paler than before and knowing the news isn't going to go over well with the group who is already overprotective of her. She just walks in the locker room knowing they are already changed.

"Finally Mamita... Mariposa what's wrong" Damien gets up from where he was stretching and gently grabs Nessa's hand.

"Uh, please promise you won't get upset and you will not try to interfere with the decision." Nessa announces to the room but stays looking into Damiens eyes. Damien clenches his jaw but nods in agreement.

"Next week Bunny is going to come out with a kendo stick and attack you which you know,... I am to take a hit or two ." Nessa squeezes Damiens hand as he pops his neck clearly trying to control his temper, his jaw so taut she is afraid he is going to break some teeth.

"There is something else Princesa what is it?" Dominik asks coming over, Rhea and Finn doing the same. Nessa stares at the ground as she answers Dominik,

"There is going to be a fight ringside between me and Zelina instead of Zelina and Rhea. Rhea is going to get ejected because I won't do a match yet so I have to get physical. Vince is having a dick measuring contest with Hunter right now so if I play along nicely there may be more title opportunities, If I don't the draft may not go our way..."

"Nessa, I need to go for a quick walk, I am not upset with you but I need to calm down before our match so I don't go too far and hurt someone." Damien informs Nessa before storming out the room, the door slamming behind him making Nessa jump. Rhea grabs Nessas hand comfortingly. Nessa stands up on her toes to place a kiss on Rheas cheek.

"I think we are going to have to meet him at Gorilla because he will not be calmed down enough until then" Nessa says more so to herself than to the others but they hear and make varying noises of agreement.

"Nessa are you ok Luv?" Finn asks, remembering the last time Damien got that angry.

"Hmm... oh yeah, I was expecting and ready for that. I'm not as fragile as I seem not everything is going to trigger me. So please don't act like it. I will tell you or signal in some way if I am." Nessa sits down on Rheas lap as Finn and Dominik return to stretching and warming up.

"Thats fair Luv. When we get to Florida would you like to help me with some of the sets I have at Rheas place?" Finn asks trying to steer the conversation to something they have in common. Nessa's eyes light up at the invitation and she eagerly nods her head.

Eventually they get a knock on the door signalling it is time for them to head to Gorilla and as Nessa said Damien was there waiting for them. Clearly still upset but it is not radiating off of him as much. He relaxes more as he sees his partners and Nessa who bounces over to him and grabs his hand and tugging down making him bend over for her. She steals a quick peck on the lips before their music starts and they go out onto the top of the ramp, lights low and smoke billowing out at their feet. As the music swells Rhea lifts her title and Damien does his normal entrance moves before grabbing Nessas waist and pulling her close to him possesively as they reach the bottom of the ramp.

Rhea and Dom split to one side of the Ring, Finn goes to the immediate corner opposite and Damien and Nessa go to the far corner. Damien holds Nessa's hand as she walks up the steps then ascends them as well holding up the edge of his coat so he doesn't trip. Damien and Finn on the same side of the apron sit on the middle rope for Nessa who still has to hop over a little and is glad she doesn't stumble. Finn and Damien quickly join her in the ring and cross it so they can pose behind Dom and Rhea. Nessa standing between Finn and Damien holding the top rope and smirking glancing up at Damien and biting her lower lip appreciating how his arms flex and move when he bounces on the ropes and does his poses. Nessa and Rhea get out of the ring, Rhea tossing her arm around Nessas shoulders to keep her close and to drive home the point that Nessa is a full member of the Judgement day. Nessa and Rhea cheer on their men as the match continues on, Rhea and Nessa standing at the corner with Rhea as Finn kicks Kevin repeatedly until he rolls out of the ring.

"Oooooooh" Nessa giggles and jumps up and down as Rhea looks at him predatorially and drops her title as he rolls out on to his feet. She runs over and clotheslines him making him nearly do a flip. She keeps moving over to the barricade and sits against it smiling maniacally. Finn gets out of the ring and throws Kevin back in. Rhea gets back up once she is sure she isn't going to be ejected. Rhea struts back over to Nessa and pulls her in to her side and does her little running and jumping thing.

The match continues on with people getting tagged in and out leading to Sammy being the legal man with Dominik in the ring, Sammy getting on the top rope and Rhea jumping up and pulling his leg making him rack himself on the top rope and fall to the mat. Kevin seeing this picks up a shirt and throws it at Rhea.

"Hey don't you throw stuff at Mami!" Nessa yells at him as Dominik lands the frog splash and pins Sammy only for Kevin to slide in the ring and break up the pin. Finn gets in and drop kicks Kevin and Riddle gets in and knees Finn, only for Damien to get in the ring and hit the elevated flat liner. Sammy gets up and clotheslines Damien out of the ring. Sammy goes to slingshot off the ropes but Rhea grabs his leg and the ref sees ejecting her.

Nessa wants to plead Rheas case but Rhea is Yelling at the ref. Rhea storms out. Nessa tries to keep her hands from shaking knowing no matter how the match ends what comes after. Nessa groans as Kevin, Sammy and Riddle get the win. The Usos come out and before long there is an all out brawl with the LWO joining Zelina running straight to Nessa. Nessa is able to block a few hits and actually land a punch on Zelina who pauses shocked for a moment before preceding to land hit after hit on Nessa before landing a DDT leaving Nessa writhing on the ground in pain grasping her neck and head.

Finally the attacks end and the filming is over. Nessa knows she still has to sell the attack so she stays down on the ground, Damien and Dom helping her up, them also limping and selling their injuries. Damien picking her up holding her in both arms Nessa throwing her arms around Damiens neck and laying her head on his shoulder closing her eyes as they go up the ramp and backstage. Once they are safely backstage Damien gently sets Nessa down, Rhea already there waiting starts checking her over for injuries.

"Guys, i'm fine I landed right and she took care of me" Nessa tries to shrug off their hands and stretching to help with the tension she gained from the physical altercation.

She isn't shocked when Hunter comes up to them looking proud.

"Hey Nessa, you did great out there. He shouldn't be a problem going forward there have been some things brought to light again to the powers that be. That being said great job out there with having so little training you have a natural tallent for selling and potentially holding your own. In light of recent events I am cancelling your live events this week, you guys only have to do a few online interviews. So go enjoy a few days off and Rhea we are sorry for your loss. Take the time you need, we appreciate you coming back so fast after what happened." He shakes all of their hands individually before turning to walk away.

"Sir" Nessa calls out. He turns and she pops her neck before speaking.

"I need serious training, not just for bumps but for a potential future match that doesnt end with me getting my ass beat. I jumped in to this full time no training no clue what I am doing. I am a nurse not a fighter not a wrestler. If I am going to be expected to do these things to protect them then I need a new trainer. The current trainer is great but I Need more serious training than what he can offer. The judgement day will help but I need you to pair me with someone as well. I trust your judgement on that."

"I think I can swing that Miss Klein. After that excellent show you put on out there yeah we can swing that. I'll be in touch or Adam will be in touch if not me" Hunter smiles almost gleefully as he walks away.

"Come on the show is over lets pack up and head out so we can go get some sleep and be up early for our flight to florida tomorrow morning" Finn tries to herd the group who grumbles but follows along.

#judgment day x reader #rhea ripley x reader #damian priest fanfic #finn balor fanfiction #dominik mysterio x reader #the judgment day fanfic

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brighter-by-the-daly · 1 year

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Rachel Daly x Reader

Part Ten - What Are You Scared Of? 🔞

Starting to come to you rolled over and felt the empty space on the the mattress next you, rubbing the sleep from your eyes to confirm you were alone. Sadness soon drifted as you found a note written by your lover - “Good morning beautiful, I can’t wait to see you later. Have a great day 💜”. You decided to make tonight the night you tell her you’re going to the tournament with her and got ready to go to town. Buying balloons, petals, candles and a new sexy red lingerie set, you also picked up a suitcases and some clothes for the holiday and put everything in the back of your car to head to Rachel’s house; hoping she wouldn’t be home yet. Turning the last corner to see her car wasn’t on the driveway, you hurried indoors to sort everything out before she arrived. You made a trail of petals from the door, placed candles up the stairs and put heart shaped balloons in the bedroom.

Rachel’s perspective:

Pulling up a St James I parked next to Millie who waved a cup of coffee at me through the window, shuffling into her passenger seat to chat before going in. I didn’t mean to let out a huge sigh as I opened the door which caused my best friend to ask what was wrong. “I’m in love with her” I breathed out, questioning everything that had happened leading up to this “wow” is all Mills could manage in response to my early morning admission. “Did she say it back?” she asked genuinely intrigued “No! I haven’t told her! It’s way too soon!” my tone of voice quickly turned defensive “Rach, sometimes you meet a person and they make you feel more in a week than others have in a year. If you love her after a day, a week, a month - who cares! Tomorrow is never promised, you know that” my tall friend prodded me lovingly, I looked up at her kind eyes knowing her speech was very valid. “What are you scared of?” was her next question. “Nothing! I’m not scared at all Mill! I’m sure she feels the same way” looking out the window thinking about (y/n). “Then what are you waiting for you silly goose?!” Millie exclaimed slapping my thigh gently. I didn’t know what I was waiting for, I’ve just always thought you had to date someone for at least a few months before definitely knowing you loved them. Throughout the promo shoots my mind was elsewhere, breaking down the social barriers of when it’s appropriate to say ‘I love you’ in a new relationship and conjuring up ways to make it special.

Picking up some flowers before the drive home “I have a surprise for you 😘” I text my girl hoping for her to say she was waiting for me at my house. My phone pinged as I started the car, “me too 😍” her response was. I drove home excited, hoping she’ll be there to meet me and when I pulled into my road seeing (y/n)’s car was outside, I couldn’t wait to see her.

As I slipped the key in the door and pushed it open, I was greeted by candlelight and petals everywhere - immediately taken back by what my girl had done. I heard The Weeknd playing upstairs so followed the music and the petals on the floor, as I nudged open the bedroom door I dropped the flowers at the sight of her. Standing by the window with her long hair blowing in the wind, my mouth and eyes wide scanning the goddess that I get to call my girlfriend. Black heels, stockings rising up her beautiful legs with suspenders holding them in place. My shirt covering the rest, god she is the sexiest person I’ve ever seen, she’s making it hard for me to not say I love her. “You’re fucking gorgeous” I managed to stutter out of my mouth, still in awe that I get to call this woman mine. “I’ve been waiting for you” she slowly strutted towards me, placing my hands around her waist before lifting my shirt above her head and letting it fall to the floor. Taking in the rest of her outfit, I was speechless. Biting my bottom lip taking in every second and every curve of her body. Her perfect breasts spilling out of her sexy bra that had a chain running down her midriff and around her hips. My hands slid down her shoulders to her finger tips then lifted one arm up to spin her round so I could take a good look at her. No words were shared but it felt like our eyes said everything. My hand stroked her cheek as my finger tips slipped to the back of her neck pulling her into me. Kissing her felt like the first time - nervous sharp intakes of breaths, slow passionate kisses, hands fumbling. Butterflies in my stomach as I felt her tongue lightly stroke my bottom lip. I parted my lips to let her in, our tongues danced around together making my knees weak and my clit pulsate. Just as it was becoming intense she pulled away from our kiss, allowing me to look into her eyes with lust and adoration.

The way she makes me feel, there is no doubt in my mind that I love her. I clutched her face with both my hands and pressed my forehead against hers “you’re so perfect” I spoke quiet with breathlessness. She smiled back at me with her gorgeous eyes, “this isn’t your surprise Rach” she teased me, “baby, I don’t think my heart can take much more” I laughed shyly wondering what she was going to say. “You better sit down then” as she lead me to the bed. “My annual leave has been approved” watching the words leave her gorgeous red lips I couldn’t contain my emotions “oh my god! You’re gonna come for the final!” I jumped up wrapping my arms around her “Rachel, there’s more” she hushed me. “I’m coming for the whole thing” I slapped my hands over my mouth convinced she was joking “seriously?” I asked her close to tears. She smiled nodding her head. “You done that for me?” I managed to say through the tears that I couldn’t hold back anymore. “I done it for us, I love spending time with you and I’m excited for where we’re going but you’re going to the other side of the world and I wanna follow you wherever you go” she said crouching down to my level and taking my hands in hers. I was speechless, she wiped my tears away and took my head in her hands “you’re gonna make history Rachy and I wanna be there to see it” she smiled at me, her eyes watery now too. Finally the news had sunk in, I jumped up grabbing her waist to pick her up. She wrapped her legs around me and we embraced in the most passionate kiss ever.

I battled with saying I love you out loud, I desperately wanted to tell her but wanted to make it special. Laying her down on the bed “tonight’s all about you baby” kissing her neck then taking her perfect nipples into my mouth. I wanted to show her how much I love her without actually saying it. Kissing down her stomach entangling the lingerie in my fingers. Running my tongue along her waistband then dragging the tip of my finger between her lips feeling how wet she was, I parted them and slowly swirled my finger around her clit, enjoying the cute little moans escaping her mouth. Gazing up at her I wondered how I had got so fucking lucky to have a woman go to this much effort just to be with me. I had to tell her and found the perfect way to do so, moving the lingerie to one side I gently licked her slowly before spelling out I LOVE YOU over her clit. She didn’t know it, but I did. Paying attention to the way she reacted when I made certain moves to make sure she lasted as long as possible until her hand reached down and grabbed my hair telling me she was close. I carried on stroking her until she started clenching her thighs around my head and grabbing the sheets. Knowing I had the best thing I’ve ever had, I helped her finish, lapping up her efforts into to my mouth. I kissed her thighs leaving a trail up to her breasts before holding her to kiss her passionately and tracing a heart on her hand. “I was going to make love to you tonight” she said gazing longingly up at me. “You’ve already done enough today baby” I said running my tongue along her bottom lip continuing to kiss her. She shook her head as she climbed on top of me holding my arms down onto the mattress. Her long hair tickling my chest, my shirt open exposing my breasts, she leant back to undo my jeans and slid her hand between my legs. She smiled as she felt how wet I was “it’s what you do to me (y/n/n)” as she kissed me deeply until I climaxed underneath her. Pulling her hand out of my pants she ran her finger tips up and down the side of my body “You make me so happy” I told her as she laid her head on my chest. I stroked her hair until she fell asleep.

You woke up later that evening to the sun shining through the window, feeling next to you Rachel wasn’t there, you picked up your phone and questioned why you had so many notifications. You opened insta to see the first post on your feed from Rachel’s page “Me and mine 💜” of your first ever photo together, she’d tagged you letting the whole world finally know you’re officially dating. Your followers had climbed to 10k within hours. Comments left right and centre asking who you are and how you met, most assuming you played football too and asking what team you play for. You scrolled your photos and found one Katie had sent of you both kissing after the game last week, you posted with “falling for her Daly 😍” tagging Rachel and immediately the first like and comment was from Millie simply “💙💙💙”. England and Villa girls commented saying how happy they were for us which was adorable.

Rachel appeared at the door looking gorgeous in grey joggers and an oversized t shirt with two cups of tea. “The secret is out now” you smiled at your girl who climbed on top of your lap. “I couldn’t keep it any longer! I want everyone to know you’re mine and I’m yours” which built up a huge butterfly in your stomach as you blushed into your tea.

“How did you get your manager to give you over a month off?” she asked. “Well she is Georgia so… the more time I spend with you the more gossip she gets - it’s a win win situation really” she laughed and picked up your phone to voice note her and screamed “THANK YOU GEORGE!” down the phone. “She actually gave me two months in case you wanted to go on holiday after. But I can cancel that if you have commitments” you told her. She explained that if they win they’ll have to come home and do some fan celebrations and stuff but they will get a month off after and would love to go away. You sat in bed scrolling through holiday websites deciding where you both wanted to go. You said you’ve always fancied Norway and Maldives, she wanted to do Norway too and Paris but decided to wait and see how far they go before booking anything. Rachel said she’ll need to find out what hotel the team are staying at so she can book the same one for you, you won’t be allowed to stay in a team room but there’s nothing stopping you from staying in the same hotel. She said she’d talk to Sarina about getting you on the team plane too as she didn’t want you travelling that far by yourself - your anxiety didn’t want that either but excitement had taken over. “I’m so excited you’re coming! My family won’t be as my mum’s afraid of flying so having you there means the world! You might get a bit bored though, it’s an intense month with all the games, camp and training” “well I’ll come to what I’m allowed to and for the rest of the time I’ll explore Australia, I’ve always wanted to visit there!” “We’ll get days off too and Sarina usually plans some fun days out, I’m sure she’ll let you join us.. Oh, there’s also a no sex rule too so we better make the most of what time we have” she winked at you.

Part Eleven - Job Centre / I Didn’t Say That

#rachel daly #rachel daly x reader #woso masterlist #woso x reader #lionesses #millie bright

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hey-there-ghouls · 1 year

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I’ve been dragging on promoing this here because my workplace is metaphorically on fire, but it’s that time of year again! The time where I update my fic and then shamelessly ask for praise on the fun website!

Check out my fic For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)

Special Agent Shane Madej is a gifted profiler with the FBI who is sent to a small town in Colorado after a series of strange deaths. While trying to get into the mind of the killer, he falls into an unlikely friendship with barista-turned-reporter Ryan Bergara.

But as the bodies mount up and pressure builds, it seems the killer is closer than Shane may think.

Chapter Twelve: With Shane still reeling from his unexpected contact from the unsub, Ryan suggests a quiet evening at his favourite lookout.

And no earth shattering revelations happen.

“Go put that weirdly portioned body of yours between me and anything spooky on that trail up there.”

“Didn’t you just say you come here all the time by yourself?”

“Yeah but…it feels creepier with two people here.”

Shane shakes his head. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“That’s because you don’t know your horror movie tropes, my man,” Ryan says. He points to himself, “I go off into the woods alone, I’m the lead in a survival horror.” He points between the two men. “We go into the woods and suddenly this is an ensemble piece and my chances of being the final girl gets cut in half.”

“And how do those odds work in your favor when you put yourself at the back of the line, which is usually prime pickings for any ookie spookie ghostie?”

Ryan pats Shane on the back and nudges him towards the trail entrance in one motion. “Ain’t going to be that kind of horror movie, slick.”

#ghost files #buzzfeed unsolved #buzzfeed unsolved supernatural #Buzzfeed Unsolved True Crime #bfu #watcher #watcher entertainment #my fic #writing #ao3 #fic

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5sosfanfictioncatalogue · 1 year

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Omega!Luke Masterlist

A little too much to handle (ao3) - Abbypd ot4 M, 15k

Summary:

“Cal’s an Omega too.” Ashton said after swallowing and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Okay, now I definitely feel sorry for Ash.” Luke mumbled to no one in particular and Ashton didn’t know if he should agree with him or not.

Or where Calum turns out to be an Omega as well and Ashton can't keep up with their heats anymore.

Building a Family (ao3) - FayeHunter luke/ashton E, 37k

Summary: The little plastic stick in Luke’s hands is mocking him. The little two lines on display, stark and unavoidable, are staring back at him, clear despite the fact that his hands are shaking.

Luke's an unmated omega werewolf in a not quite wolf pack. One accident leads to him and Ashton becoming expectant parents. Nothing is ever as simple as Luke hopes it to be.

Daddy's Little Pup (ao3) - IfWallsCouldMuke michael/luke, minor calum/ashton E, 3k

Summary: Luke is in heat and needs his daddy Alpha for next few days...

FutureSex/LoveSounds (ao3) - Migs luke/calum, michael/luke, calum/ashton E, 47k

Summary: Luke is Med student/camboy with a crush on the Footie captain with a secret.

OR: Cake have a lot of hot sex for money whilst trying to pursue romantic relationships with other boys.

Heat (ao3) - FayeHunter michael/luke E, 1k

Summary: Luke goes into heat. Luckily he has his mate, Michael

he's got blue eyes deep like the sea (ao3) - orphan_account luke/ashton M, 5k

Summary: He groans, a sickening pain shooting through him. He can feel something wet beginning to trail down his leg, and in his hazy mind, he just barely manages to put together that it's slick, and he's just presented.

Fuck, he's an omega.

(or, the one where luke goes into his first heat at a party, and it all goes downhill from there.)

Hold me close and fast. (ao3) - orphan_account luke/ashton E, 5k

Summary: Or the one where Luke goes into his first heat, and Ashton is there to take care of him.

i belong with you, you belong with me - @sup3rbloom (haveufoundwhaturlookingfor) ot4, michael/calum/ashton, luke/calum T, 12k

Summary: Luke presents as an omega during their Youngblood promo. It's a rollercoaster of emotions, but the boys have his back in the end.

I Didn't Come Here To Party (I Only Came For The Cake) (ao3) - Migs luke/ashton E, 5k

Summary: Luke goes in heat.

Let Me Know When I’m Needed Home (You Call Me Up With A Head Full Of Filth) (ao3) - Migs luke/calum, michael/luke E, 6k

Summary: Whilst alphas and female omegas can be found from time to time, male omegas are kind of like unicorns. Mythical creatures no one has seen in ages.

Or: Luke presents as an omega and Calum as the only alpha of the band offers to help him out.

Lies I Feed Myself (ao3) - Grace_Williams michael/crystal, sierra/luke, michael/calum T, 25k

Summary: Michael should be grateful he found out he was an omega when he did. Sure he was 24, which, given he went through puberty early, is so astonishingly late he had accepted he was a beta. Still, it was in the middle of the pandemic. (Though technically speaking, not the middle, actually closer to the start). It was an ideal time to find out he was an omega, all things considered.

or the story where Michael finds out he’s an omega long past when he should’ve, makes some irresponsible decisions, and is then forced to rethink every emotion he’s ever felt about Calum while lying in a hospital bed

Making a Pack (ao3) - fbiagentdipper calum/ashton, michael/luke T, 33k

Summary: When Luke is put on bed rest because of problems with his heat, he needs his friends and bandmates to help see him through.

Patience (ao3) - FayeHunter michael/luke E, 2k

Summary: Luke's in heat and wants his boyfriend to fuck him nice and good

road to happiness - @sup3rbloom (haveufoundwhaturlookingfor) luke/ashton, michael/calum T, 12k

Summary: Calum and Michael get drunk one night before Ashton's birthday, panicking about a birthday gift.

When Ashton wakes up the morning of his birthday, he really didn't expect to find an omega standing at his door, looking terrified. Ashton had no idea that this omega would change his life.

Take A Stand - @sup3rbloom (haveufoundwhaturlookingfor) luke/ashton, michael/calum T, 1k

Summary: Luke encounters a rude alpha during a radio interview, and takes a stand for himself. The boys back him. The day ends with pack cuddles.

These Shades Can Hide Us From The Streets (ao3) - LahraTeigh ot4 G, 1k

Summary: Luke has a birthday and presented as an omega. That's 3 omegas to one Alpha. Michael tries to make things easier for Ashton and tries to act like a Beta. Which can cause a lot of problems.

#5sosfanfictioncatalogue #5sos #luke hemmings #omegaverse #omega!luke #omega!luke masterlist #omegaverse masterlist #masterlists

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tessandscottforever18 · 2 years

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May 17

Being Connor Brashier: Meet the 22-Year-Old Boy Wonder Shaping Shawn Mendes’ New Vibe

In just a few years, Brashier has already worked on some of the biggest projects of Mendes' career, from art directing the single cover for 'Senorita' to serving as creative director for the singer's 'Wonder World Tour'

On the First Monday of May, Shawn Mendes strolled out of New York’s Mark Hotel and into a waiting car for the roughly half-mile drive to the Met. A gala red carpet was awaiting him.

Wearing a custom Tommy Hilfiger jacket and suit, the singer drew comparisons to everyone from Lord Bridgerton to a Disney prince. Whatever the comparison, his regal presence was palpable. And though Mendes stepped onto the Met carpet solo this year, he wasn’t entirely alone. On this night, as on most nights, Mendes was trailed closely by Connor Brashier, the singer’s friend-cum-confidante-turned-creative director. If Mendes’ Met Gala look saw him crowned as fashion royalty, consider the camera-toting Brashier his charming courtier.

At just 22 years old, Brashier has already worked on some of the biggest projects of Mendes’ career, from art directing the single cover and promo materials for Mendes’ “Senorita” collab with Camila Cabello, to serving as creative director for the singer’s upcoming “Wonder World Tour.” The Laguna Beach native is responsible for much of Mendes’ merch too, and advises him on everything from styling to social media.

In the same short years, the self-taught photographer and videographer has also worked on projects with artists ranging from Kygo to Madison Beer, while helming campaigns for brands like Flow Water and Frankies Bikinis (starring Mendes and Sofia Richie respectively, natch). To hear Brashier talk about it though, the lines have always been blurred between work and play.

“I would always be the person in my group of friends who would just go out and get the camera, shoot whatever I shot, capture whatever I captured and then come back and edit it,” he says, hands cupped over an Americano on a recent afternoon back in LA. “But it never crossed my mind that that could lead to a career.”

After tailing Beer on tour — shooting behind-the-scenes videos and photos for the singer’s social media channels — Brashier landed a gig with the DJ Frank Walker, who wanted help with concepts for his tour and album covers. Brashier and Walker worked together for about a year before a chance meeting with Mendes’ manager led to Brashier shooting the singer’s Global Citizen Festival set in 2018. “I did it and kind of like instantly bonded with Shawn and they liked the video and the next thing you know I was on tour,” Brashier recalls. When the tour (the aptly-named “Shawn Mendes: The Tour”) ended in 2019, “[Shawn] kind of approached me and he was like, ‘Hey dude, I want you to have more of a creative director role.’ I was texting my friends to be like, ‘Whoa, this is crazy,'” Brashier says. It was the first time he had been approached for an official “creative director” role. He was 20 years old.

Since then, Brashier has been a constant presence by Mendes’ side, most recently working on the music video for the singer’s new single, “When You’re Gone,” in addition to consulting on Mendes’ Met Gala look (the two were also spotted high-tailing it to Miami recently for the Miami Grand Prix). But Brashier has been a welcome presence for Mendes as well, serving as a sounding board and companion in the midst of music industry madness. It’s something Mendes says he appreciates the most about his teammate, colleague, and now, best friend.

“Connor is brilliant,” Mendes tells Rolling Stone over text. “I feel he is deeply tapped into what it means to be an artist. Everything he creates is a reflection of his heart and I’m constantly blown away by the beauty he’s able to pull out of things.”

“The thing I admire most about Connor though,” Mendes says, “is his ability to support and inspire the people around him to be the artists we know deep down we truly are.”

Over coffee with Rolling Stone, Brashier — on this day dressed in a faded oversized hoodie and baggy jeans — talks about how he landed his dream job, his connection with Mendes and why you don’t have to know it all to succeed — as long as you know your worth.

Rolling Stone: Congrats on Shawn’s new single. What was the thought process behind the video and the single artwork?

Brashier: “When You’re Gone” is really the first time we have gone into a release without any “world” we wanted to live in. Instead, we aimed to bring back the Shawn that fans and viewers in general don’t get to usually see, or at least hadn’t in a while — just Shawn in his natural element writing, rehearsing, performing.

What about the cover art?

The artwork is an especially interesting story. We actually had a plethora of ideas inspired by old Sixties and Seventies photos and covers of Bob Dylan, The Beatles, etc. and had a design we all thought was strong. About a week later, after announcing the song, our tour photographer, Miranda McDonald, shot this super cool frame of Shawn on stage at SXSW silhouetted by one of the screen visuals. The next day, I saw a fan edit on Instagram of that shot mocked as cover art and Shawn, myself, and the rest of the team instantly knew we had to use it. Shoutout to @distorted.vinyl on Instagram for making my job easier than ever! (laughs)

It’s pretty incredible that you get to work with one of the biggest artists in the world right now. Did you always want to get into the music and creative industry?

When I younger, I was a big surfer and skater and everything you do in Southern California. I think as soon as I picked up a little GoPro — not even an HD one — I started realizing like, “Hey, my friends are a lot better at surfing than I am and a lot cooler than me, so I’m going to start filming them [instead].” And I think after that, I found a passion specifically for editing videos. But it never crossed my mind that that could lead to a career.

Was there a moment where that thought changed?

It wasn’t until I think I was 17 or 18 that I started connecting the dots. I started to be like, “Okay, like I really love something about movies and something about film.” And so I posted my videos to YouTube and then kind of made an Instagram video account, eventually posting like 15-second clips cause that was the limit back then. I did the whole Vine thing too and I remember I had to hack into Vine to be able to upload a video back then (laughs). And I guess it all started there.

Do you remember what your first “big break” was?

My first real industry opportunity, I would say, came through Madison Beer. We were both kids — I was 17, she was 18. I met her when I was assisting on a photoshoot that one of my best friends Sam Dameshek was doing, and she just loved us and we started hanging out and she took me on her U.S. and European tour. It was the first tour I ever went on. It was also my first time in Europe.

Madison Beer: When I first met Connor, I instantly knew he had a natural and undeniable eye and talent. I was lucky enough to meet him at his very early stages and take him on my first tour with me. His progression through the month-long tour alone was so impressive, let alone the last four years since then. He is also just one of the most kind-hearted and fun-loving people [that] I’m lucky enough to call a friend. Seeing him blossom into such a visionary and impressive talent has been such a gift.

What do you remember about your first time working with Shawn?

He asked me to put together a little deck or mood board for a few of the songs for Wonder. On the second page, I brought back a memory that we had of talking about David Bowie’s big stadium rock anthems, and Shawn just went like, “I don’t know how to describe it but it’s like wonder,” and that became the theme for the album. After that deck it was like, “Here we go, us two — let’s figure it out.”

What Bowie reference did you use in the deck?

The iconic album cover with Aladdin Sane. He’s one of the best references anyone could include.

How would you describe your role on Shawn’s team versus other teams you’ve been a part of?

It’s tough because to this day, I don’t think anyone entirely knows what the word “creative director” means. With Frank [Walker] I was able to be like, “Okay, let’s make this a little cooler, a little more like fresh, and you know, more youthful.” It was about establishing a brand and so [the job] felt like it was more of an overall branding opportunity more than anything. And when we started with Shawn, it was about the same process and helping with the same content. But if the pool was four-feet deep with Frank, it was 20-feet deep with Shawn and I was learning how to swim.

What’s the process like when working with Shawn?

When I joined the team, I noticed that we were always on the road. For a full year, Shawn was very focused on touring, but he had a few singles come out and he’s always like hovering over what everyone’s doing or working on, and I’ve never seen him so involved in the creative process in general. So it’s good that I can report directly to him because he’s the one who approves things, not the lawyers, the people at the label, or managers, or whatever you want to call it.

“Connor is brilliant,” Mendes says. “I’m constantly blown away by the beauty he’s able to pull out of things”

Do you think people were skeptical of you at first, like, “Who is this kid and how did he get this job?”

A hundred percent. I think it’s always been that way for me. I’ve always been the youngest kid on set and the youngest kid on tour. And you know, to a certain extent, you have to like step up in the chair. You can be a kid — Shawn and I, we’re the same age, we’re both kids and we love to be kids — but when you’re put in a very professional setting I think you can make up for a lack of experience with just being a good person. Carry your name with the good reputation, build strong relationships and be kind to everyone in the industry. You know, that goes longer than any form of my opinion.

Also, all these guys on Shawn’s team don’t treat me as inferior — they treat me as equal. I am very lucky that I can say that, and I think it comes from being friendly and wanting to reach out and also just being honest, like, “Look, I don’t really know what the fuck I’m doing, I want to learn from you and see what you do.”

What’s your day-to-day like?

It depends on what we’re working on. There are two things that really stand out when someone releases a song: cover photo and music video, and so those are the first two things that kind of get in the back of our mind. Everything unravels from there. I try to be very involved with the treatments and work with Shawn and with the director. And then we just start shooting and see what feels right. A lot of stuff goes on behind the scenes that’s hard to describe. Like, my roommates are two of my friends that I grew up with and even they’re like, “Dude what do you even do?”

But there’s lot that goes on behind the scenes, a lot of long-term projects that don’t see the light of day for a year. We’ve been working on Shawn’s tour designs for a year now. So some of these things take a lot more patience than I’ve been used to. You know, so many ideas get thrown out and then we have to start over. Sure, some weeks I’m not doing much, but other weeks I’m working 16 hours.

What is your creative process like?

I believe creativity is not a method nor magic, but a combination of both. I set my intentions to patiently learn the method, while allowing the unpredictable and unexpected (magic) to come.

I try not to approach anything too heady as far as like, you have to offer the craziest, most creative, original idea of all time. Because I don’t think that’s the right way to do it, and I don’t think that serves Shawn’s music. To answer you: Shawn and I will both say it’s all about the vibe, the emotion.

For the “Wonder” video, some of it is based on a TikTok I saw of this guy dancing in a storm. I was like, “Wait, these are two opposite things” — like there’s this dark storm and this guy’s just out there dancing, having a good time, right? It looks so free. And I was like, “That’s pretty cool.” And so that music video is like a parallel, contrasting the rain and storm with freedom and expressing yourself.

A lot has been made about you working with this huge global superstar. Do you feel any pressure to succeed?

As an artist, Shawn’s pressure is different than for me. I don’t feel pressure to deliver anything good ever as an artist. I believe in myself and I feel capable of a lot of things. But I think more than that, it’s just the relationship I have with Shawn. You know, he’s one of my best friends and he’s my boss and the best boss I could ever ask for, and that honest sort of dialogue that we’re able to have is because we’re so close. We trust each other and it’s stripped away all the pressure because it’s not like I’m spending two weeks on a PDF of cover options and sending it to him. We’re talking about it day after day and going back and forth and, you know, before the cover’s even established, we already know what it’s going to be. And if it doesn’t work out we’ll go try it again.

“I believe creativity is not a method nor magic, but a combination of both”

At times we have felt a little bit of pressure on things like “Okay, this has to be marketable,” or like, “Make the text a little bigger.” But as far as pressure to perform, I’ve never felt that and I attribute that all to Shawn; he protects everyone under him really well.

Anything you’ve had to learn quickly?

I think I could be better at my expenses and my payroll (laughs).

You’ve talked about how your vision for a video treatment or photoshoot is usually aligned with Shawn’s. But have there been times where you haven’t seen eye to eye?

There have been times where like, me and Shawn have been on set and we have our opinions, but we’re all so tightly knit, like a family, that we can give each other attitude, and bounce back in ten minutes. I have such an open conversation with Shawn at all times. Once I’m proud of something, it’s easy to be like, “Shawn what do you think?” and he’s like “Love!” or “Hmm, I’m not really feeling this.”

I’m definitely stubborn and I love hearing my opinion, and it took me a while to realize like, “Hey, Shawn knows his fans better than I think any artist [does].” So whatever he says, he must be connecting to them in the right way and in a way that I am not.

What’s a concept or idea you pitched to Shawn that never went through?

At one point I remember he had long hair and I was like, “Let’s do something crazy with your hair: let’s dye it, let’s spike it up, put on some makeup; it’ll become your new look, like the Bowie look!” And he was like, “I think it’s really cool but I love my hair the way it is and I’m not going to change it.”

I think a few of my ideas took a little bit too much commitment. Plus Shawn knows how to do his hair really well.

Aside from the failed Bowie idea, how have you helped to evolve Shawn’s image and branding since you started working with him?

I think I had to mature up to Shawn. Because he started in the industry so young, but he’s also raised so incredibly well and he’s an old soul. And the music also progressed and that helped a lot. A lot of his younger pop hits were written when he was young, and now he’s looking to constantly evolve his sonic landscape and I think that’s always the outline and framework for what we can do – does it match the music?

Considering the music got more mature, it made it easy for us to try more artistic, left-of-center videos and photos. But I think there are two sides of artistry, and I appreciate both. There’s like very honest songwriting about what you’re doing [and] how you feel today. And then there’s the sort-of fantasy world where artists might lie a bit to push [an idea or aesthetic].

Some songwriters can only write what they’re feeling in a honest way and I think that has to be mimicked in an honest visual way. You know, I couldn’t have been like “Okay Shawn, let’s go emo,” right when he got the girlfriend and he was on top of the world. That wouldn’t have made any sense.

But we also change things up. I mean, he wore skinny jeans for like 105 shows straight. He was very excited to go more like, Sixties and Seventies, with a little bit more flair, and go a little bit more baggy, while still maintaining the integrity of who he is and what he likes with the classic tank top that he wears.

I feel like Shawn’s 2021 Met Gala look was a big departure for him.

It was Michael Kors. I remember I went to the fitting and we had some amazing custom fit suits and they all looked great and then they took us to the archive section and there were all these black suits, which is not something Shawn would really wear but something he’s always wanted to wear, to be like the rock star. And then we were like “Shirt? No shirt?” Shawn was like “What do you mean? I want to take my jacket off; I want to go fully shirtless.”

You don’t get that edgy side of Shawn too often because that’s not him, but I think he loves to play dress up and push his artistry like, “Here’s my look today, let’s have fun today.” Shawn loves to play around and put on makeup or eye shadow for a shoot or be shirtless or something like that. He knows what people want.

What other creatives are you inspired by?

I’ve been very lucky that I’ve been surrounded by some of my favorite creatives in the world. Like Glen Lutchford shot Shawn’s cover photo and he’s one of my favorite photographers of all time. I’m on set with Matty Peacock who’s a jack-of-all-trades who’s been doing so many things for so long. I really look up to David Fincher, who’s a director that’s really created his own style.

Artist-wise, I like Tame Impala, Playboi Carti, I love what the Dominic Fike team does – I think it’s all very special. I love Olivia [Rodrigo’s] stuff; I think her stuff is amazing.

But I also think there’s a really dangerous trap when you’re uninspired, to look at what other people are doing. I think that’s a really dangerous thing to do, and whenever I’m out of ideas, it sounds weird, but I honestly like to just literally put on my AirPods, get up and move around my room, close my eyes listening to the song [and] just feel it and get into it.

What advice do you have for people who want to do what you’re doing?

Use your youth and inspiration that you get as a kid and that jittery feeling you get. When you produce something that you love, run with that and fucking fly with that, because it runs out and that is when you’ll make the most progression as an artist and as a person. And don’t let one bad experience or a few bad experiences drag you down and pull away that inspiration. Use it to fuel you to do something bigger.

But I would also say to treat every situation with a sense of gratitude and try to learn from everything and don’t come on set thinking you’re the big guy. But come on set with a professional demeanor, a chill demeanor and if you don’t have that yet, go on set and learn it. You’re going to learn it quick.

Can I add something else?

Of course.

I can’t claim anything as my own. It’s all about the big grand operation, you know? All of Shawn’s team is like one big family and they took me in. I’ve been so lucky that I trust the team a lot and there are really really cool young people who work with us.

I’m also lucky that I’m surrounded by people who are so good at what they do to the point that even if I disagree, I can trust that their opinion.

Anything else to add?

You know, I wanted to come to this interview acting like I knew my shit and the truth is, I really still don’t. I’m still figuring it out. But I actually think there is something about that process. And like I said about being thrown in the deep end and learning what it meant to be a creative director, I’m very lucky that I didn’t know what to fear. So that stripped away a sense of pressure and I was just focused on approaching every situation like, “Here I am, I’m giving it my all and I’m not looking back.”

I think that can apply to a lot of young people, if they choose to see it like, “Wow, I lack experience but I balance that with extreme gratitude and inspiration.” That’s priceless.

#shawn mendes #connor brashier #rolling stone #interview: rolling stone

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vrankup · 7 months

Text

Art of affiliate marketing ! |vrankup|

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erodasfishtacos · 3 years

Text

#HendallReunited

prompt: request was to write broad but to write something angsty

Word count: 5.2k

Warnings: language, sexual content, angst

Harry always had issues with saying ‘no’ to people. He never quite grew out of his manners even when he should have.

He said ‘yes’ to way too many things- signing autographs for rude fans and paparazzi, and agreed to way too many things Jeff suggested.

Saying yes to everything didn’t make his life any easier is the thing. Especially when it came to his wife. She was usually left with the aftermath of him being too nice.

The media painted Y/N in a negative light occasionally and so did the fans because she would stand up for Harry and not let him say ‘yes’ to every single request.

She would tell disrespectful fans he’s not signing autographs because of the way they were screaming and interrupting his work.

Harry wished he could do it himself - admired that his wife didn’t give a fuck what people thought about her. He cared entirely too much what the world would think.

The couple didn’t fight about much - no, not really. Normal couple stuff for the most part. But this was the exception, this is where Y/N found most of their turmoil.

Every few months it would rear it’s ugly head and they’d find themselves in the same position over and over again.

This time - it was really fucking bad.

The couple had been staying in their Los Angeles home for the last few months whilst the singer finalized his album and began promotion.

It was boring meeting among boring lunch outings to get all their ducks in a row. Jeff - his manager the main orchestrator.

He was a great manager and a good friend, but it was also business too which Harry didn’t always comprehend.

At the end of the day, Harry was making Jeff millions upon millions of dollars. But Harry didn’t think that way.

Harry was in a stuffy conference room at the The Late Late Show to work on the script and ideas for the show. Promo had been nonstop.

He was a bit tired as it was nearly just hitting eight in the morning and he had been up late with you - having some late night loving in the hot tub.

“As for guest - Kendall Jenner,” James Corden’s producer states. All the men agree but Harry is taken aback.

“Why...why would we have my ex-girlfriend as one of my guests?” Harry interrupts, confusion knitting his brows.

Kendall and him didn’t end on a bad note - not at all. They hooked up a few times after their ‘break-up’ but once he’d met Y/N she was understanding when he cut it off.

Y/N wasn’t necessarily jealous of the model, but didn’t love when they’d run into each other at events. She was still overtly flirty with Harry without much shame.

Harry also didn’t have an desire to see her or host her as a guest on the show. She was nice but he wasn’t interested in being friends with her. They didn’t have much in common and he was head over heels for his wife.

“The media will eat it up, dude. Harry Styles and Kendall Jenner reunited on a show after four years?” Jeff smiles, the others nodding in amicable agreement.

This is one of this times where Harry needs to say “no,” that it’s disrespectful to his significant other to use an old flame for promo for his album.

He already knows ‘hendall’ will be trending within minutes and he can’t imagine how that would make his parter feel.

“I just...this doesn’t seem like a good idea?” Harry begins hesitantly, making it sound more like a question than a statement.

“Why not?” Eric, one of the writers asks.

“Y’know, I’m married. I don’t think m’missus would appreciate if I did somethin’ like that just for promotion,” he states, scratching at his jaw uncomfortably.

“Look Styles, we’re not asking you to fuck the girl. It just a interview, c’mon,” The executive producer gruffs - wanting those guaranteed views.

Harry swallows - looking at his manager and then at everyone else at the table looking at him for an affirmative answer.

“Uh-sure,” Harry fumbles, feeling anxiety rise into his throat. Fuck, he’s such a god damn pushover.

He’s trying to find his voice to go back on his agreement but the meeting wrapping up and people are leaving with final handshakes.

Harry doesn’t know how to tell Y/N what is going on. He’d been keeping in stored in the back of his mind, not ready to have a blowout.

He never found the perfect time to bring it up and now it was too late. It was the morning of the show and he was due to be at the rehearsals this afternoon.

Harry had finally decided he was going to tell her this morning over coffee but forgot that she had a girl’s day planned with a few friends.

She was already out to breakfast with them when he woke up. His phone had one text from you.

Hi baby. I’m out with the girls. See you at the show tonight. I’ll meet you there around six! Love you!

He was fucked royally and he had no one to blame but himself. Maybe it’d be okay, maybe she’d roll her eyes and tell him he’s an idiot.

Realistically he knew that was just a sweet dream at this point.

—

Harry was fidgety and kept mucking up his lines during rehearsal as it got closer to the showtime and his missus arriving.

Kendall had arrived for hair and makeup without seeing her ex-boyfriend yet. He dreaded seeing the model.

Kendall and Y/N had met a few times at different events. It was always cordial. Kendall was always casual - their relationship was never more than a couple fun dates and sex.

They were kind to each other when they met but he couldn’t deny how much harder his partner kissed him on the mouth afterwards.

Before he know it, his wife is hugging him from behind as he talks to a producer about which cameras to look at.

Y/N noticed the way he tensed up at first and thought about how unusual that was for him. Normally, he’d lean back into her with his full weight causing them both to stumble and laugh.

He slowly, cautiously turns around and his face relaxes a little bit but not completely. “Hi baby,” he hums, leaning in for a kiss.

“You look so handsome,” she replies, admiring his brown pinstriped suit and her pearl necklace that he’d snagged awhile back. She thought it looked better on him anyways.

“You look even better, s’fuckin’ pretty, love,” he gushes, coming back in for another kiss - a little too sensual for the setting.

She was donned in a cropped white shirt, showing of the smooth expanse of her tummy. An oversized blazer of Harry’s, ripped jeans, and heels.

Harry thought fleetingly he couldn’t wait to fuck her after the show. Then remembered that mostly wouldn’t happen.

Reggie, the musical lead, slides up to you two. He smiles wide at you, saying, “Can’t believe you agreed to the guest this evening.”

Her eyebrows furrow in confusion, Harry’s raise nearly to his forehead, but when she opens her mouth to ask him to explain they’re interrupted.

“Harry!” The leggy model trots over to the little group. Dressed in an interesting one-piece suit that has sewn in heels. She looked beautiful as ever, of course she was a model.

Both of them turn towards the oblivious girl, “Kendall,” Harry replies with a twinge of anxiety - eyes repeatedly looking at his significant other’s profile as multiple emotions flash.

“Hiya, you’re Y/N right?” Kendall smiles kindly, offering her manicured hand.

She accepts, “Yeah, uh-good to see you again.”

Harry knew she had connected the dots quickly in her head. The hurt, confusion, had hit her eyes before narrowing into full-blown rage at her partner.

“I promise I’ll go easy on him,” Kendall jokes before pinching at Harry’s cheek teasingly. The model was a natural flirt with everyone she got along with.

“Oh, sure,” she replies lamely, attempting to not let her feelings burst out in that moment with her husband . She knew it wasn’t Kendall’s fault.

“I’m going to go grab a bite to eat. I’m probably gonna puke when we do ‘spill or fill’. See you guys soon,” the model waves before trailing off with her assistant.

“Did you kn- of course you knew she was your guest,” Y/N seethes, turning to fully face the guilt-stricken-singer.

He rubs the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact, “I did.”

“How long have you known for?” She demands to know, keeping her voice at an angry whisper to not draw attention.

Harry wasn’t going to lie to his love, “About two weeks.”

Y/N replies with a laugh, “let me guess, you let Jeffrey talk you into this bullshit, again.”

His silence is all she needs to know it’s true.

“For Christ’s sake, of course,” She huffs bitterly, “what’s even worse is you didn’t fucking tell me. What the fuck?”

Harry bites his lip, not able to rasp out anything but a pathetic, “m’sorry, love.”

He wasn’t usually good at taking responsibility during a fight. He was stubborn at best but he couldn’t deny his way out of this.

“You will be, you-“

They were cut off by the staff, the audience was trailing in and Harry needed to get mic’d up now.

“This conversation isn’t over,” she points her finger at his chest before storming off to the side of the stage where she’d watch from.

Fucking shit.

Harry was a performer. It’s easy for him to push things to the back of his mind so he can entertain a enamored audience.

But tonight, he was struggling. Eyes flicking over to the teleprompter more than usual, his demeanor not as vivid and carefree.

Not when his wife was glaring daggers at him from stage right. Her hand constantly at her mouth, biting at her nails - a nervous tick of hers.

“Next up, the one, the only, the beautiful model and one of my good friends, Kendall Jenner!” Harry introduces when she walks out and waves at the crowd.

They hug and when they pull apart they step over to where they were playing the game. Either answer the question or eat a nasty food picked out by the other.

They weren’t allowed to see each other’s questions before the game started- both going on blind which put Harry more on edge.

“Okay, Kendall. Rank the members of One Direction on most to least attractive or you will be eating...” Harry spins the table, “Cow tongue.”

She flinched at the disgusting plate, smirking up at Harry before considering her course of action, “I think I can answer this one.”

He wasn’t looking forward to her answer. Neither was Y/N by the way she nearly shaking her foot off her leg.

“Okay, I got this. You - the most attractive, then uh- Zayn....Louis...Niall...Liam,” she laughs, “but all of you are hot!”

Harry fake laughs and acts like he’s impressed by her answer as the crowd roars and cheers.

When Kendall picks up her notecard - she laughs in surprise at the question before looking at him with bright eyes.

“Okay, um, bull penis!” She giggles before starting the question, “I’m dying to know this answer. So...your first album HS1 was released four years ago, correct?”

He nods, apprehensive.

“Which songs were about me? Especially was only angel?” She laughs at Harry’s pale expression before without another thought he shovels the rancid food into his mouth.

Harry looks off to the side to see that his missus is no longer sitting there. Just Jeff - who gives him a thumbs up.

The first thing he did when the show ended and the lights dimmed was bolt off to Jeff - ignoring Kendall who was about to say something to him.

“Where’d Y/N go?”

He thought she might have went out to get a breathe of fresh air but for the next hour and a half he hasn’t seen her once.

“She said she wasn’t feeling very good. She told me to tell you she’d meet you at home,” Jeff shrugs unbothered.

“Damnit!” Harry curses loudly, ripping out of the microphone and the little pack in his back waistband.

“Harry,” Jeff scolds at his unprofessionalism that was abnormal for him.

“No! Don’t fucking ever ask me to do shit like this again. You fucking knew what questions were on those notecards and you said it wasn’t anything about our previous relationship.”

“Harry-“

“Don’t fucking talk to me. You’re a real shit manager sometimes, you know that? Do not contact me tonight or tomorrow for that matter, you douchebag,” Harry barks before storming off towards the dressing rooms.

All the employees were standing around in shock, staring at the popstar as he ignored everyone around him.

Harry was famously known for being a kind, amicable guy. So it took everyone by surprise to hear him speak like that. Even Jeff was shaken up a little.

—

The house was pitch-black as Harry pulled up. The house’s first floor was lined with large, bay windows and not a single light was on.

He could find one room illuminated which was your bedroom. A dim side lamp must have been flicked on. He imagined her purposely turning off all the lights on the trek up the staircase.

Harry didn’t want to admit how much he was trembling with awful nerves and anticipation as he slowly turns the knob of the shared bedroom.

Y/N wasn’t laying in bed as he expected but found the bathroom door shut tightly. He noticed a little yellow bag with tissue paper off to the side by a dresser.

He knocks on the oak door, not daring to enter without permission.

“What do you want?” Y/N answers, tone flat and emotionless.

“Can I come in, baby? Please...” He wasn’t ashamed to beg for forgiveness at this point. Hearing the emptiness in her tone scared him shitless.

“I really could care less,” She replies coldly from her spot in the scalding water decorated with bubbles.

Harry had never felt more unsure in his life as he enters the bathroom. Y/N had gotten proper pissed at him or vice versa before - right before a concert, an award ceremony but she’d never left without him.

Her head was laying against the foam headrest and her body was covered by the soap water. She looked tired and her eyes were puffy from crying.

Harry kneels next to the tub, “look at me, please pet.”

Y/N takes a moment before turning her head and opening her eyes. They were distant, disappointed in the man in front of her.

“I should have told you about Kendall. I should have put up more of a fight to get someone else on instead,” Harry admits, his hands desperately wanting to reach out for her.

She shakes her head with a heart-wrenching sniffle, “it’s not just tonight, Harry. We’ve had this conversation continuously for three and a half fucking years. You try to please everyone, despite them giving no fucks about you.”

“Are you that much of a pushover? You let your ex-girlfriend flirt with you in front of millions. Do you know how embarrassing and unfair that it to me?” She wipes at her eyes to stop the tears spilling over.

Harry hadn’t thought of it like that - to be honest. But he agrees, it wasn’t fair and downright cruel to do that to her.

What? All because he couldn’t say ‘no’ because he didn’t want people to be mad at him? It was pathetic and ridiculous.

“I-I won’t let it happen again, lovie. I mean it, I truly do,” Harry whimpers reaching over to cup her cheek and wants to cry when she pushes him away.

“You’re a broken record. You’ve said that a million times before but don’t change,” Y/N points out, eyes boring furiously into his wife’s.

“I’m goi-“

She cuts him off with a sharp edge in her tone, “Just leave me alone, get out.”

The man’s face crumbles and for a second, she wants to just end the fight and makeup but then nothing would change.

“Baby-“

“Get out!” She finally bellows, tears streaming down her face steadily.

He obliges, head hung in defeat as he closes the door behind him. He stands there’s blankly for a second before going to the walk-in closet.

He’s pulling out a fresh pair of cotton underwear and a large sleepshirt for his partner, laying them neatly on the bed.

Harry doesn’t know what to do with himself while he waits so he pulls out his phone to mindlessly scroll.

He throws it against the wall when he sees #hendallreunited is trending number one on Twitter at the moment.

The singer strips down to his briefs and sits with his back against the tufted headboard, staring blankly at the wall.

His eyes catch a neon pink pair of his swimshorts tossed carelessly on the decorative vase in the corner of the room from the night before .

“Fuck, baby - no need to rush,” Harry groans into Y/N ‘s mouth as she pushes him until he’s sat on the edge of their California king.

She reaches impatiently for the tie on his neon pink swimshorts and yanks them off his slim, peach-fuzz thighs before throwing them onto the vase without a care that it was worth over twenty-thousand pounds.

After edging her in the hot tub with his fingers and mouth, she wasn’t waiting any longer before clambering onto his lap, pulling her swim bottoms to the side, and sinking onto him.

He felt guilty when his cock twitched at the thought of it. But when reality set back in, the arousal with the memory evaporated.

It isn’t much longer until the door is pulled open and Y/N’s padding into the room with a towel secured around her.

She looks at the clothes Harry set out for her and pointedly walks past them to pick out her own nightwear.

That really shouldn’t make his eyes tear up as he watches her slide on a similar pair of panties and an oversized shirt. Spotting a purpling bruise on her upper in thigh from his mouth.

Y/N silently walks past the bed and to the bedroom door, looking back before bleakly stating, “I’m going to sleep in the guest room.”

He frowns, wrinkles appearing on his forehead, “You can sleep in here, love. I’ll take the guest room.”

Harry doesn’t get a reply as she just shakes her head and closes the door loudly behind her.

It’s just - he’s never seen her this upset. She was usually fantastic at communicating her feelings and hashing things out.

She wasn’t one for the silent treatment or ignoring the topic. It had his chest rising faster than usual with anxiety. The serious of it overwhelming him.

He states at the wall for a very long time without wiping the fat tears brimming over his trembling lips.

He couldn’t sleep - it was half past three and he hadn’t even laid down or clicked off the lamp.

Harry accepted sleep wasn’t coming so he begins to tidy the already clean room. He picks up the shorts and tossing them in the hamper.

He refolds some joggers he’d carelessly shoved in a drawer and when he went to move the little yellow bag - curiosity got the best of him.

There was no card and he wasn’t sure who it was for or if it had been a gift already give to Y/N that she had returned home with.

Harry really shouldn’t - but he does. Gently tugging out the paper and reaching in to feel fabric.

Pulling it out, it takes him a minute to identify what it is - two baby onesie. Who was having a baby?

He lays them in front of him, eyes widening in surprise as he reads what is printed across the black cotton.

The first one was the colors and font of his upcoming tour merch with the photo he used on his tour announcement with the heeled boot and white pants.

Love on Tour - Due Date: September 2025

With Special Guest Appearance from Baby Styles

The second one was simple and read across the chest:

I’m having your baby (and it is your business) with embroidered kiwis all of over it.

He frantically reached back into the bag to pull out a bundle of pregnancy tests tied with a silk bow.

They weren’t necessarily trying for a baby but they’re weren’t not trying either. Harry wanted a baby as soon as his missus was willing to give him one.

“No, no, don’t one,” she’d whined into his mouth when he’d reached over to grab a condom off the nightstand.

“Oh sweet thing, you want me bare? Fill you up?” He croons happily, coming back to grip at his thick base and tease at her entrance.

“Ye-yeah, H. Please,” (Y/N) whimpers, bucking her hips in the hope he’d slip inside her.

Harry hums, “Might give you a baby though, y’want me to knock you up?”

“Want it, wan-“

He cuts her off with a hard, blissful kiss as he thrusts all the way inside before pulling out to do it again.

“Gonna give it to you, whatever you want, lovie,” he promises.

The two had never used protection afterwards. It had start about seven months ago and from his knowledge she’d still been getting her periods regularly.

Occasionally, he would palm at her flat tummy and pout, “Haven’t put a baby in you yet, ‘ave I?”

He was so ecstatic but disappointed in himself for ruining everything and pleasing everyone other than who he should be.

Harry needed to fix this. He didn’t want Y/N to lose the excitement of having their baby over a dumb choice of his.

The man’s out of the room and not knocking before entering their guest room. His now pregnant love is laying on-top of the covers.

One hand subconsciously on her belly - which she removes and places next to her when her wife walks in.

The television was on but the volume was low and Y/N wasn’t watching it in the first place anyways.

Harry sits on the edge of the bed, “I opened the yellow bag.”

She looks at him with wide eyes, a little taken aback. she was going to surprise him tonight and forgot to store it away for another time after the fight.

Harry has happy tears dribbling down his cheeks, “you’re having my baby?”

Y/N nods, running a slight hand through his curls. She still had a nasty knot of anger and uncertainty in the pit of her stomach.

It pains her, wanting to share this moment of excitement with Harry but she just couldn’t. The uncertainty of whether Harry would put everybody’s needs before his own baby.

“Come back to bed, want t’talk and celebrate. M’so bloody excited,” Harry murmurs, a large smile decorating his face as he smooths a palm over the expanse of her tummy.

His wife shakes her head and places a hand over his, feeling the cold metal of all of them. “I want to be left alone.”

The twinkle in Harry’s eye diminishes to devastation as he realizes that he’s fucked up so badly that she doesn’t even want to celebrate.

“Pet, can...we just forget about it tonight and be happy ‘bout the baby?” Harry asks selfishly, knowing it was unlikely she’d agree.

She didn’t, a firm expression on her face, “no, I have a lot to think about.”

“Like wha’?” He asks anxiously, unknowing of quite the reason she was so furious.

“Like how you say yes to everything and everyone. We talk and talk about how you need to say ‘no’ and do what’s best for you - for us. You agree to and never follow through”

She takes a shaky breath and continues, “it’s affected our relationship before when you’ve had to cancel our vacation away from all this for a charity concert you’d agree to perform at last minute, dinner reservations because you told your friend we’d be at their art showing they wanted you at.”

Harry knew she was right. He did those things. He wanted everyone to be happy with him - to a fault.

“Tonight was just icing on the cake, you allowed your manager to talk you into hosting your ex on that show. Out of all the people in the world - her. With flirty questions and jabs from her. You let that happen. You care about making everyone happy but in return you don’t care how it affects me. That’s pretty shitty.”

“I’m...I’m really fucking scared you’ll do that even when we have the baby. I need you to put them first and right now...I’m not sure if you’re going to. You can’t put the person you want to spend the rest of your life with first now, how do I know you’ll do it with the baby?”

Harry chokes out a sob as he presses his forehead against the bed, his broad shoulders shaking. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d cried this hard - years ago maybe. He felt like his wife didn’t have any faith in him and he was to blame.

He looks up at her with swollen eyes - at a loss for what to do or say. He loved her so much and was over the moon that they were going to have a baby.

“How do I fix this, darling? You’re right, I really fucked up. M’sorry,” Harry cries, grabbing at her hands and she allows it.

“Just saying you’re sorry won’t fix it,” Y/N replies flatly, letting Harry squeeze and kiss at the backs of her hands.

“Then what do I bloody do to fix this?” Harry raises his voice in frustration, staring in bewilderment at his wife.

Y/N narrows her eyes at him, “Do not raise your voice at me, Harry. Actions speak louder than words.”

Harry swallows harshly, pressing one finally kiss to her hand. “Okay.”

“Okay?” She repeats.

“I love you, I’ll fix this,” he promises with conviction. He knew what he needed to do and do it tomorrow. So he and his wife could enjoy her new pregnancy.

“I need space tonight, I just...please”Y/N says quietly, rubbing at his shoulder.

It wasn’t the first time they’ve slept in separate rooms because they weren’t getting along but they normally found their way back to each other before sunrise.

Harry nods, lip still tremble with the residual anxiety of the conversation. She allows him to press a soft kiss to her mouth before leaving the room.

—-

Cafe Habana was busy - but no one was paying much attention to Harry and Jeff. It was the morning after and Harry had demanded a meeting over breakfast with his manager.

“Y/N pregnant,” Harry states bluntly after their drinks arrive.

“Oh? Congratulations, dude. That’s exciting!” Jeff leans over to pat him on the shoulder, a big smile.

“The baby is due in September. My next tour starts in next July. The baby will be about nine months. I want to be at home with them for the first year.”

Jeff doesn’t look pleased, “what are you getting at Harry?”

“Reschedule the July and August tour dates. Tack them on to the end of the tour,” Harry lays out flat.

He hadn’t talk to his wife about this but he knew this was how he could prove that he could say ‘no’ and not be a pushover.

“No Harry. Look I get you’re excited about the baby - but that will be such a fucking hassle,” Jeff frowns, sipping his mimosa.

“I’m not asking, Jeff. I’m telling you that’s what needs to happen,” Harry replies firmly, tone strong and unwavering.

Jeff is definitely taken aback by his client’s conviction.

“While we’re on the topic, do not ever put me in a situation like you did yesterday. It affected my wife and I. And I will choose her over this career any day.”

The manager nods in surprise, “Harry, I’m sorry.”

“I’m not asking for an apology but if you ever pull something like then I’ll be looking for a new management team. Are we clear?”

Jeff once again nods, unsure of where this is coming from but at the thought of losing his biggest client would be disastrous so he’d do whatever to accommodate him.

“Consider it done,” he tells Harry before clearing his throat in a slight panic.

—

Y/N woke up to an empty house. She was restless, she asked Harry to prove to her that he could be what she needed. However, it was a bit unfair because she didn’t know how he could do it.

It’s just…she had a baby to think about. They both needed to be put first and if it took a gnarly fight for Harry to realize it...so be it.

“Baby? Love, where are you?” She hears Harry echo through the whole house. She was sat in the kitchen, on a stool by the island, idly sorting through mail.

“In here!”

Harry jogs in, panting like he sprinted from the garage up to the kitchen. He comes to stand in front of the love of his life.

“I might have not completely fixed everything but...I tried,” Harry tells her, cradling her face in his large palms. “ I just got back from lunch with Jeff. I told him about the baby.”

He takes a deep breath before continuing, “I rescheduled tour dates so I can be with you guys at home in London for the first year. Then...maybe you guys can join me after?”

“Harry…” she’s at a loss for words.

“And I told Jeff that if he ever puts me in a situation like that again, I’m firing him.”

Y/N stares at him, in awe and admiration of the man she chose to marry and keep forever. His face was so sincere and vulnerable.

Harry didn’t know whether it would be enough. If it wasn’t he’d keep trying but all he could do was hope. He waited with bated breath as she processed his words.

“Baby, you-for me?” She murmurs as she stands up and crowds into his space. He instantly wraps her up into a tight hug, missing her touch.

“Of course, pet. I’d do anything for you, I mean it. I’d quit this whole career if you wanted tha’,” he tells her truthfully - lips brushing her forehead.

“I love you, so so much,” Y/N murmurs, pressing a kiss to his lips.

“We’re havin’ a baby,'' Harry sighs dreamily into her mouth, tongue sliding against hers. A large hand came to palm at her belly.

“Yeah, m‘having your baby,” She giggles as he begins to trail the kisses down her jaw and neck - pressing her into the marble countertop.

“Should we name it Kiwi?” Harry rasps as he slides the tank top strap off her shoulder so his lips can meet the cap of her warm shoulder.

“We are not going to be that celebrity couple who names their baby something weird,” Y/N groans as he grounds his hips into hers with intent.

THE END

#harry styles #harry styles fic rec #fic rec #harry styles masterlist #harry styles writing #harrystylesfanfic #harry styles imagine #fanpic harry #harry styles prompt #harry styles x you #harry styles x y/n #harry styles x reader #harry styles smut #harry styles drabble #harry styles blurb

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themand0lorian · 2 years

Text

BEHIND THE MASK // 3 // SOCIAL DISTANCING

Summary: You get to see a different side of Dieter Bravo.

Pairing: Dieter Bravo x F!Reader (no Y/N)

Rating: Teen

Words: ~5100 (AO3)

Tags: enemies to lovers, miscommunications, lots of Pandemic talk, Reader gets sick so lots of mention of illness/vomit/pills/doctors, the real Dieter Bravo™️

no movie spoilers (unless unintentional)

Notes: Had to make up some scenes/dialogue for Cliff Beasts as well as Dieter’s backstory, so assume none of it is real. But I used some lines from recent promos, see if you can spot them :)

Bravo does not show up back on set in ten. Or twenty, or thirty. By forty, Nick insists you go look for him, and you trudge back down dutifully, not quite ready to face him after your blow ups. You let yourself into his suite; he’s dressed and ready, and for once, not looking at his phone. He’s just staring at his hands in his lap, twiddling his thumbs, barely registering your presence.

“Mr. Bravo?” you ask gently, and he startles to attention. You can practically see his shift in demeanor, painting the douchebag picture once again as he stands, but it feels half-hearted.

“Sorry, sweetheart—I lost track of time.” You nod, watching as he gathers his things in silence and then making your way upstairs with him. The tension between you is thick, and you fight your better judgement to break the silence.

“I’m sorry I overstepped, Mr. Bravo.” “You didn’t,” he replies smally. “I needed to hear it.” You nod, not expecting an apology from him, and you don’t get one; but you still hold your breath when he turns to you to speak. “Sweetheart? If—if you want to leave, you can. I know this isn’t what you signed up for.” You look up at him, stopped on the stairs below entering the set.

“I don’t leave when things get hard, Mr. Bravo.” He nods, accepting the answer. You suppose it would be easier for him if you left, too, and you don’t want to give him the satisfaction.

“Maybe we could start over?”

“Okay, Mr. Bravo,” you agree tentatively, still awaiting an apology you know you won’t get.

“Would you call me Dieter?”

“Sure, Mr. Bravo. Whatever you want,” you sigh, appeasing him, and he only nods, masking his own disappointment as he turns to set. He promptly turns on the Dieter Bravo façade you’ve come to expect, schmoozing with the first woman he sees—a boom operator--while you deflate out of sight.

They end up finishing up relatively quickly, Hailey trying to communicate with wide eyes when Dieter approaches you where you sit with the other PAs, waiting quietly until you’re finished to lead him back downstairs. He trails behind you a bit, and you think you may have punched the wind out of his sails too much, but before you can even leave the floor, the boom operator from earlier is slipping into his room, and you leave with a roll of your eyes.

Hailey is waiting for you at your door, hands full of Pete’s cookies and mouth full of questions. What happened, what you said, what he said; you had never been fully forthcoming about your relationship with each other, or things he said to you, but they all spill out now, like some kind of reverent confession. By the end, you’re exhausted, sprawled horizontally on the bed and full of cookies. Hailey lays next to you, hand intertwined.

“He doesn’t know who he’s messing with, sweetie.” “I know,” you sigh. “I just—I don’t know.” Hailey waits quietly for you to expand. “Sometimes I get tired of being the bad guy, you know? The ‘ball buster.’” You can practically feel her roll her eyes. “It’s just—It would be nice to feel wanted. Appreciated. Cared about.”

“Well, I care about you,” Hailey interjects.

“I know. I just—it’s hard to explain I guess. I’ll never look like you. I’ll never be pretty enough, or smart enough, or good enough to him. And I don’t know why I care, I just—”

“It’s dehumanizing,” Hailey offers, and you nod solemnly, not making eye contact. “I guess now you know why so many of his PAs have quit.”

“I’m not going to do that,” you offer smally. “I just—I’ll suffer through it. I have so far, I can continue.”

“You don’t think he changed after today? He certainly looked pitiful.”

“He didn’t even say sorry, Hail. I apologized, and when it was his turn he just—gave me another demand. I’ll never be anything more to him than a servant.” She hums, but you both go quiet. The endless cookies you ate are starting to get to you, the heavy weight of all your issues making your head pound. You end up saying goodnight early, skipping crew dinner entirely to go to bed, hoping to turn off your brain.

Despite the extra sleep, you feel awful the next day. Your last virus test came back negative, so you figure it’s probably just the stress—and the diet of cookies and coffee—and soldier on, ready to start the day like usual. You’re surprised when you walk in to find Dieter’s quarters neatened up; not quite clean, but dishes are put in the sink, and there isn’t much for you to wipe down. You figure the maids had made it in before you today. You notice only one wine glass, but decide not to dwell on it, figuring you’ll see the boom operator sooner or later anyway. You pull the wardrobe for the day, pin the schedule up—then your eyes land on the tabletop. The script is open on top, some notes scribbled in the margins. Looking closer, it seems like the scenes are on deck for today. Maybe you did get to him.

When Dieter emerges from his cave, you’re almost surprised a woman isn’t following behind him. He’s still disheveled from sleep, but he wears normal glasses instead of his usual sunglasses, overall seeming a bit brighter and more clear-headed than usual. He actually greets you with a curt “good morning,” walking to the coffee pot, and you watch in awe.

“You okay?” You must have been spacing out too long, caught in your own thoughts, and you nod quickly.

“Yeah, yeah—tired I guess.” You quickly finish up what you were doing before heading for the door, the hair and makeup team on their way in; Dieter even greets them. “I’ll see you on set--”

“In 30?” He finishes.

“In 30,” you confirm, leaving him to his morning.

The boom operator gives Dieter a dirty look when he enters set, looking wholly and utterly—prepared. He smiles smally at people, sits in his chair with his name on it but faces it toward the poor guy who has to give the morning meetings, instead of gracing him with his broad back. He pays attention, he says his lines in that stupid fucking accent and the few times he messes up, it’s minor stuff. He even gives you a small wave, like a kid on his first day of kindergarten, when he catches your attention across set, which you return sheepishly. He’s not quite eager to make friends, but he is at least cordial, and you think you finally set his path straight.

One day, on an extended break, he sits running lines while you return a few emails on his phone. It’s quiet when you’re both immersed like this, though he’s been attempting to say the word “feathers” in that stupid accent, but it’s not all that unpleasant—the melodic repetition of “fey-ethers” almost like background music as you work. His normal voice makes you jolt from your concentration.

“What was your favorite consulting job you’ve ever done?” “What?”

“You said you were a consultant before. Did you have a favorite place you worked?” He…remembered that? Dieter Bravo remembered something about you…and now was asking you about it? You blinked at him, your original rules blaring like an alarm in your head, but you saw it for what it was—an olive branch.

“A florist.” So you took it.

“Why?” “Well, for one, they didn’t need to change much. The hired me before things got too bad. But, I don’t know—I guess being around flowers all day was nice. Better than an office.”

“You’re into flowers?” You give a more playful roll of your eyes. You can tell he’s done practicing lines, easily bored by the task. He never quite nailed his “feathers” pronunciation.

“Not really. Just—being surrounded by beautiful things all the time. It was nice to just get lost among them.” He nods, pinning you in his stare.

“I can relate to that.” You look away under his gaze, then decide to extend your proverbial olive branch back.

“I’m sure. You’re surrounded by beautiful people all the time. What’s your favorite role you’ve done?” When he doesn’t immediately answer, you add on. “It certainly can’t be this one.” That earns you a laugh, whole and pure, which makes you smile in return.

“Joe. In Sailing into Fire,” he admits. You quirk your brow.

“An indie film? That’s surprising.” “You know it?” He smiles, then frowns when he realizes what you said. “Why is that surprising?”

“Just—not as much pomp and circumstance as I expected.” He shrugs.

“I—I’m not so into that stuff as it may seem.” He looks to his fingers, toying with them. “It was my first leading role in a movie. It—it felt like I made it.”

“And look at you now,” you offer, only somewhat sarcastically. “Leading man in the Moondust trilogy, critically acclaimed for Hunger Strike--” “You watched them?”

“I told you, I do my research,” you reply. It’s well past five now, so you move to finish up for the day, but not before revealing your own admission.

“But I think Joe was my favorite, too. Even though his character was sad, you really brought him to life. You just seemed—passionate. Happy.” Dieter only nods, watching as you walk out the door for the night.

The next morning, he’s awake before you even get to his suite, coffee already brewed. He asks about your night, reads over the schedule you pin up. When he sees his later call time, he even starts to ask to run lines with you, which is comical, but you give it your all. Each character gets a different silly voice—Colt Rockwell gets a gruff, adventurey voice. Dr. Lacey gets a ditzy twang. Dr. Packard gets a gruff voice as well, though slightly deeper, the deepest you can go. Dolly gets just about the worst Southern accent you can manage, drawing on your experience with Hailey.

“Stay-tus up-dayte. We. Are. Fucked.” Dieter looks at you a long moment, composed, before breaking into raucous laughter. You’ve honestly never heard him laugh so hard; sound so genuine. But it still feels a little hurtful, and you roll your copy of the scene, whacking him with it.

“Hey! I’m trying here!” “No, no—I know. It was great.” He finishes laughing. “Please. Continue.” You scrunch your nose, then read the next few lines of the short monologue.

“Eet looks like this is eet. I’m sorry I couldn’t save ya’ll. I’m supposed to know all about these beasts, and they damn near snuck up on me.”

“Well—I have to tell you. I don’t know about any beasts. I don’t know about any cliffs. But I do know a beautiful woman when I see one, and I can’t—no, I won’t--let these creatures take you away from me.”

Dieter reads his own back to you, and for a moment, you’re entranced. You’re actually at the top of a cliff, there are actually beasts. It all sounds so ridiculous in that accent, but just watching him give the lines--despite the obvious writing flaws—with such emotion and depth really bring something out of him. A passion you think Dieter Bravo has learned to hide over the years. A humanizing element he brought to Joe coming back through.

A dream where maybe, Dieter Bravo is actually calling you beautiful.

You realize he’s done talking, looking at you expectantly, but you falter, closing the script as you glance at your watch.

“Sorry Mr. Bravo, looks like that’s all we have time for today, your call time is in fifteen—” “Oh, before you go, wait—” He stands with you, pulling a laptop out of his bag and typing something in. He turns the computer to show you a necklace with two gaudy, bejeweled hearts interlocked. The price almost makes you gag. “What do you think?” You grimace, then try to save face.

“It’s—it’s expensive,” you offer, trying to be truthful.

“What? Okay, but—what do you think? Tell me the truth,” he pleads gently. You swallow.

“Uh—well. In times like this, it’d be better if you supported a small business instead of a chain. I’m sure they’re struggling.” He nods thoughtfully. “And, uh, I obviously don’t know this person--but generally, women don’t like heart necklaces.” “Even if you want to show them you love them?” “Especially then,” you counter, and he nods like he’s never heard of this before. “They’re kind of tacky.”

“What do you recommend then?” You take the computer for him, typing a new website and clicking a few times before choosing something and handing it back. The necklace is similar; still gold, still more expensive than you’d ever spend. Instead of intertwining hearts, it has intertwining rings.

“Rings? I’m not trying to marry—” “I know,” you roll your eyes. “But it’s a metaphor. Unity. Wholeness.” He nods lightly. “Endless love that can’t be broken.” You click a new picture over his shoulder. “It can even be engraved on the inside—you can write a message only she will see.” He opens his mouth, but you cut him off. “That’s all you—I’m not coming up with that. But really just--something simple. Timeless. That's what women want.” With that, you begin to leave, the stylists making their way in, but his voice stops you.

“Sweetheart?” You turn to him. “Thanks. For everything.”

“Of course, Mr. Bravo.” He smiles, lips in a thin line, and you exit, trying not to think about the woman he’s buying jewelry for, or the fluttering his stupid accent as his stupid explorer with his stupid lines made you feel. None of this is real.

Dieter’s only scene that day is a solo monologue, so you don’t see much of anyone else on the sound stage; you’re thankful, since you’re starting to get drowsy with such a late start to the day. Dieter films his monologue in two takes, though they get a third just in case, and then you’re done for the day, parting at his door as always, though there feels like there’s some invisible string tethering you to him. You don’t know why, or when it started, but part of you is wont to let him go, and the rest of you tampers that feeling, deciding to file it away until you’re back in your shoebox apartment and out of Dieter Bravo’s path.

When you get to your floor, there’s a sign outside the kitchen announcing crew dinner is cancelled for the night, and that filming is paused for the weekend as the studio gets a “deep clean.” You grumble a bit, grabbing some of whatever you can find in the fridge, then head to your room, where a note from Nick is stuck to the door.

Filming’s cancelled over the weekend to clean the studio—you’re off the Bravo hook until Monday. Enjoy :)

You bring the sticky note in with you, exhaustion finally settling into your bones as you enter your own space. The food and drink you brought in suddenly seems less appetizing than before, and you store it away before falling into bed, hoping that a weekend away from Dieter Bravo will help lighten the load you’ve felt on your chest since your argument-though now, the load feels less like loathing and more like confusion. Your feelings are allowed to change—but have his? Or is this just the pinnacle of his acting career, fooling a smart, confident woman into believing he cares, only to get what he wants? You groan as you flip to the other side of the bed,

No one steps in Dieter’s path as he angrily stomps down the stairs Monday morning, and into the crew hallway. The housekeepers don’t bat an eye, and the crew—they’re all upstairs, filming newsreels and interviews and other small scenes while a few of the actors are down for the count—exactly where Dieter was supposed to be.

An hour ago.

But you hadn’t come to his room, pinned his schedule, made his coffee. His whole morning was off-kilter, and he missed his interview, and his agent had called seven times trying to figure out what happened to Hollywood superstar Dieter Bravo, and it all felt like too much and not enough and pressure and feelings and everything was culminating in the pound of his fist on your door, labelled smally with your last name. When there’s no answer, he tries again, a hand on the handle finding it unlocked, and takes it upon himself to take out his anger on the only other person he has—you.

He shouts your name angrily as he opens the door, still pounding on it. “Hey! Where have you been, I missed—” taking a moment to look around, he stops in his spot. He’s surprised at how small the room feels; barely room for the bed and the kitchenette. So where could you even be? He calls your name again, worry starting to lace his tone as he steps around the room.

It’s a mess, which seems unlike you, always quick to clean up his space. The bed is unmade and the sheets are thrown off the top, there are dishes and cups scattered around and half-full of liquid. The entire room feels stale and musty, and when he rounds the bed to glance into the bathroom, he understands why.

He finds you laying on the grimy tile floor, rushing up to you to kneel at your side, turning you until you’re flat on your back.

“Sweetheart?” His voice wavers, barely audible, but your eyes flicker open, some vague recognition behind them.

“M’Bravo—s’Monday?--the interview—phone—” He shushes you gently.

“Why are you on the floor?” “Cold. Tiles. Nice.” You groan a bit, trying to roll over again to press your cheek to it. He can see you’ve been throwing up, and your face is hot to the touch when he runs a hand over it. Still, you keen into him, mumbling. “Hands cold too.”

“How long have you been sick?” He coaxes gently, helping you to sit up and lean against the wall.

“Few days.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” “Was busy,” you murmur. “Interview. Beasts.” That seems to make something click for you. “M’Bravo, phone interview—” “Stop,” he pleads gently. “Don’t think about work. Just—c’mon.” You move with him as he stands with a groan.

“Old,” you mutter, and he releases a light chuckle, holding you to his side and placing your hand over his shoulder to guide you.

“And I thought you didn’t have a filter before.” You manage a weak roll of your eyes, which he appreciates all the more now, before he leads you out into the hall. No one is really around; everyone on set or in meetings or giving press tours. When you climb the stairs at Dieter’s behest, each one feels worse than the last, you practically pushing him over by the top of them, but he remains strong and steady, leading you by the hip as your head rests on his shoulder. You think about Cliff Beasts, if only for a moment—deciding this is your version of Mount Everest—which makes you snort, but Dieter’s not in on the joke, and he just grins quietly when you look at him with a stunted, delirious chuckle.

You’ve walked this path every day since you’ve been here, but you’re so out of it you don’t recognize it until you see the door labeled “Bravo.” When you try to turn away, thinking he led you astray, he gently guides you back, entering the room you’ve become well accustomed to, before bringing you to the interior door. He pulls keys as you sway next to him, unlocking it to let you in first.

The first, and only thing you register is bright. Windows are thrown open with gauzy curtains swaying in the light breeze, but the sunlight makes your head pound, and when you curl away from it, you end up curled into Dieter’s arms.

“S’Bright,” you moan, burying your face into his shoulder. He holds you cautiously, not quite encircling you.

“I know,” he coos. “Let’s get you into bed and I’ll close the blinds.” You whine lightly in response, but let him guide you through the room. It’s much larger than yours, with several doors you can’t figure out in your haze. The sheets are cool and plush, and you practically melt into them the second you hit the fluffy bed.

You come in and out of sleep over the next few minutes, eyes struggling to follow Dieter’s moves as he flits about. The blinds get closed, though fresh air still billows in. A glass of water appears, then a trash can, then some crackers. You can hear him talking, vaguely—in that voice you hate.

“I don’t care, get a doctor up here right fucking now—” You flip to the cool side of the bed, but get no relief. Suddenly, a hand appears on your face. “Yeah, she feels hot—fever, I don’t know, this is why we need the doctor—” When he tries to pull away, you grab his hand again, replacing it on your cheek in contentment.

“Feelsnice,” you murmur, leaning into it.

“And she’s delirious,” Dieter adds. “Get a doctor here, now, or I’m quitting the movie.” When you open your eyes again, he has his phone in his hand, but you hold his other to you still.

“A doctor will be here soon, sweetheart,” he assures you, his voice back to the tender version you prefer.

“Why?” you ask quietly.

“You’re really sick—”

“Nooo,” you whine, taking a drink of water when he offers it to you. He doesn’t even let you hold the cup, gently lifting it to your lips with one hand while the other cradles the back of your head. It lingers there after the cup has been brought back down “Why are you taking care of me?” He looks into your eyes, trying to communicate something without words, but instead pulls his hands away.

“They’ll be here soon. Get some rest.” You pout at his lack of answer, but fall back asleep by the time he reaches the door.

When you awake the next time, it’s to the doctor, though you don’t remember much. She did her normal tests, tsked at your temperature and lung function, you gagged a bit when she swabbed your throat. All this time, Dieter was nowhere to be found—and somehow, you missed his presence. Sure, he was an ass—but he also saved you from death-by-vomit, and this side of him, this tender, soft, human side, you wanted to see more of.

By the time the doctor diagnosed you with the “normal” flu—which had apparently been going around some of the other cast and crew, hence the cancelled weekend shoots—you were exhausted, eyes barely open, but you still startled to attention when Dieter opened the door, a mug and several pill bottles in his hands.

“Oh, lemme help you—” He stops you almost instantly from standing up, coming over with the items instead.

“I got it,” he hums, placing the pills in front of you as he sits on the edge of the bed. “I got your prescriptions—and some tea. Here.” You nod gratefully, letting him help you dose it out before taking the pills. He leaves the tea, standing up. “She said they might make you a little drowsy. Is there anything else you need? Blankets, pillows? Bathroom’s over there—it’s the only one so I’ll be in and out.” You nod, still barely coherent, drifting almost back to sleep as he leaves you to rest. “But I’ve got bad news for you sweetheart—we’re both gonna be stuck in here for quarantine together.”

“Why?” “Because you’re sick and I’ve been exposed—” “Noo,” you complain. “Why is that bad?” He looks at you a long moment, trying to figure out if you’re serious, if you’ll even remember this.

“You hate me,” he supplies smally. You roll your eyes again, but the action allows them to fall shut as you speak.

“I don’t hate you,” you murmur. “I hate Dieter Bravo.” He huffs.

“We’re one in the same.”

“Are you?” you question with a yawn, snuggling into a pillow. It smells vaguely of chocolate and sage and musk, but you revel in it, falling asleep too quickly to hear Dieter’s response.

“I’m not sure anymore.”

When he reenters a few hours later, you stir again, groaning as you see him. You had been restless all afternoon, sleeping in fits, but he has the next round of pills with him, and you’re thankful for the next cup of tea, taking it only somewhat greedily when he sits on the edge of the bed next to you.

“I’m sorry I took your bed,” you croak.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m glad I’m here to help.” He takes the mug from you to put it on the nightstand.

“Why are you helping me?” you ask again, a moment of clarity before the next wave of sickness or medicine-induced sleepiness kicks in. He seems to think a moment before responding. “I don’t leave when things get hard,” he replies simply, quoting you. “And you’re certainly a tough nut to crack.” You grimace at him.

“M’sorry.” “Don’t be. That’s what I like about you.” You grin, and even reeking of sick and sleep, feeble, sweaty and disgusting, it blinds him with radiance.

“No one’s ever said that before.” “That you’re tough?” “That they like that about me,” you clarify sleepily.

“Well they should. You’re one of the strongest people I know—you deal with me.” That earns him a quiet giggle, which makes him smile too. “You’re not so bad,” you reply. “When you’re quiet.” That makes him bark a laugh.

“Bold for someone who’s lying sick in my bed.” With that, he stands. “Get some rest—” You stop him with a hand to his wrist, making him turn to face you.

“Thank you, Dieter. Really.” He swallows audibly, looking to your hand before back into your eyes.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

You follow your regimen gratefully, allowing Dieter to bring you medicine at the assigned intervals, dozing and barely watching the large tv on the wall when you realize it’s been turned on over the next day or so. You barely acknowledge him when he enters, but he doesn’t press, accepting the little conversations and quips you give when you’re up to it. The doctor had told him not to worry when things got worse before they got better, the general course of the flu apparently ravaging the entire set almost set out in front of him, but he wasn’t quite ready to see you suffer more than you already are.

Dieter startles from his sleep to hear you retching in his room. He hadn’t slept much on the shitty couch anyway—more for decoration than comfort—but didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. That seems to go out the window when he walks into his room, finding you groaning over the toilet. Almost immediately, he’s at your side, rubbing your back as you whimper.

“Go away. I’m disgusting.”

“I’m not going to do that,” he replies gently, letting you glare at him from the other side of the toilet.

“I’m going to throw up on you.” “Then I’ll change.” “I’m gonna get you sick.”

“Then you’ll get a few days off.”

“I’m gonna—” “Sweetheart.” You look at him, earnestness over his face. “I’m not leaving.” You accept it, finally.

“Then distract me from how miserable I am.”

“How?” “I don’t know. Tell me a story from your fancy movie star life. Like why do you wear this?” You murmur, flicking his gold hoop earring. The small piece flies off his ear, clattering somewhere across the bathroom, and your eyes go wide as he suppresses a smile.

“I broke your ear,” you whisper in awe.

“It’s fake,” he admits quietly. You narrow your eyes at him, examining his ears, which move as he smiles more broadly. “Just—started as a joke. Kind of stuck.”

“Like it better like this,” you mutter, leaning to rest your head on the toilet, but he quickly steps in, leaning you backwards instead until your head rests on his shoulder. He straddles you in front of the toilet, your back warm against the undone buttons on his shirt as you wiggle to get them more comfortable. “Like you better like this.”

“Like what?”

“Human.” You seem to doze off a moment, but come back to him with a start when he blots your face with a cool washcloth. “M’Bravo?” “I told you to call me Dieter, sweetheart.”

“No,” you mumble. “This isn’t Dieter.” He looks at you for a long moment, and you continue to ramble. “This is the real you. You when no one is watching. Not Dieter.”

“Diego,” he offers, and you look up at him. “Dieter’s a stage name. My real name is Diego.”

“Fucking knew it," you mutter under your breath, but when he laughs, you come back to yourself. "I like it,” you run a hand across his coarse beard, each hair prickling your palm as he hums contentedly. “I’m glad I got to know you, Diego,” you murmur, holding hazy eye contact. “That I gave you—this--a chance.”

“I’m glad I get to know you,” he specifies, closing with your name; no sweetheart, no demands. Just your name, from his lips. The two of you stay embraced for a long moment, you cradled to him, holding his eyes with yours. He leans in for a moment, and your eyes close, hoping, hoping, but his plush lips press a gentle kiss to your forehead, off-target from where you expected.

“You’re gonna get sick,” you offer weakly, but he only shrugs, rinsing the washcloth in the water he brought over.

“That’s okay,” he hums. “I already am.” You get the feeling he isn’t talking about the flu.

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