#I can not think of a more lamer thing to be called then- | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lorre-verie · 1 year

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⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐡. 4 ࿐ྂ

summary: Ao’nung’s unbridled and seemingly nonsensical rage causes him to do the dumbest thing you’ve ever seen him do in your entire 15 years of living. The next time you talk to Neteyam, you realise it is you who must pay for the weight of your brother’s crimes.

word count: 2.1k

pairings: neteyam x gn! Ao’nung’s older twin! Reader

warnings: sadness, ao’nung and reader reconciling, i think there’s cussing somewhere, more sadness

“You’ve struck me down and thrown away my heart, and you dare laugh?” Neteyam grasped at his chest, mimicking heartbreak. You laughed harder at his amusing behaviour. He kept finding ways to cheer you up, and you were grateful to him for it.

The day after Ao’nung’s outburst, you came to Neteyam for comfort. You were both sitting on a tiny sandy island just a little ways from Awa’atlu, cracking jokes and teaching each other stuff.

He had taught you some more english lingo, and you taught him how to swim faster. Not too fast though, you worried that if you taught him too well he’d be faster than you.

You never told him about what Ao’nung had said the other night, you just wanted him to make you feel like everything was going to be okay again. You had gotten used to his presence and the way he made a deep buzzing sound in your heart.

“Okay okay, what’s a playboy again?” you tried to comprehend the language, but there were just so many rules and confusing terms. “A playboy is a guy who can get a lot of people pining for him, you know, like me,” he smiled smugly.

You laughed, slapping his elbow at his amazingly stupid words.“Yeah, right! The only person you talk to aside from your family is me! And I don’t like you in that way,” you retorted, stifling the rest of your laugh.

“Really?” he frowned, before leaning in closer to you, eyes flickering from your eyes to your lips. “Wanna test that theory?” he smiled.

This was the second time Neteyam had been this close, the distance between you two threatening to close ever so suddenly like a door in a room with an open window. You wanted to kiss him, but it just felt too soon.

You placed a hand gently on his chest, about to push him away, but before you could the sounds of an ilu splashing out of the water caught both your attention. Ao’nung leered at you two with immeasurable anger behind his eyes, something that Neteyam hadn’t been able to catch.

“Hey fish lips, give us some space, yeah?” Neteyam called out to him with a grin on his face. With that you quickly pushed Neteyam away, getting up on your feet. “Ao’nung,” you put your two hands out as if to defend yourself, “this isn’t what it looks like.”

Neteyam looked confused at your statement. He was still sitting down, looking at how Ao’nung practically leapt off the ilu, taking heavy steps towards you with a scowl on his face. “Really?” your brother spat. “Your excuses are getting lamer and lamer as the days go by, Y/N.”

Your ears flattened, clenching your jaw. “Ao’nung, let’s go talk somewhere else.” you avoided Neteyam’s gaze, continuing to look at your younger twin.

“No. We can talk right here, in front of him.” Ao’nung pointed at the still bewildered omaticayan who was getting up, his finger trembling with fury.

“Fine!” you snapped. “I still don’t get why you’re so hung up about me and Tsireya liking people. It’s not that serious!”

“It’s not about you liking people.” he snarled. “It’s about you liking them. They aren’t one of us!”

“Why the hell does that matter!” you shouted back. Your brother’s eyes widened when the foreign word spilled out of your mouth, before his expression turned hard.

“He’s brainwashing you.” he whispered to himself, as if he had come to a mind blowing realisation.

“Y/N, he’s one of those demons, we can’t trust them!” as he got closer to you, you backed away before Neteyam stopped him by the shoulder. “Don’t get any closer,” he warned, his voice low.

“Get off me, demon.” Ao’nung spat, grabbing Neteyam’s arm and throwing it off his own shoulder, seemingly appalled at the touch.

“I’ve already gotten rid of your brother, don’t make me do the same to you–” he stopped mid sentence, as if caught off guard. His body froze, lips still parted.

A short moment of silence followed that was almost unbearable.

“What did you say?” Neteyam spoke up, eyes turned to slits. Ao’nung couldn’t answer him, his frightened eyes fixed on you. You inhaled deeply, suppressing the anger that boiled under your skin. If your little brother had meant what he just said, he was in for it now.

“Ao’nung,” you seethed, your voice low.

“What did you do?”

(this would be a VERY appropriate time to play slipping through my fingers by ABBA)

You watched silently as Neteyam dragged your brother by the kuru, bringing him to his father. “Tell him what you told me,” he practically growled, tugging on Ao’nung’s kuru. Your brother fell silent for a bit, before confessing what he’d done.

He’d told the father of the boy he’d just doomed that he tricked his son into going out of the reef, leaving him to fend for himself for a ‘joke.’

The sky felt like it was crumbling as you sat there, legs dangling at the edge of your marui, watching people leave and return on their ilus in a desperate search for Neteyam’s brother. You were to stay back and assist any affairs unrelated to his disappearance, an order met by your protests at first.

You felt a shift in the atmosphere, the feeling of someone’s tenseness radiating through the air. “Ao’nung.” you called out, and you imagined him stiffening. “Come,” you patted the spot next to you. “Sit.”

Reluctantly, he dragged his heavy body towards you, sitting down without a word. He had expected you to start scolding him, to start screaming at him for his stupidity, but instead,

you snaked your arm around his shoulder, pulling him towards you.

“I don’t know what reason you had for doing what you did, but I just want you to know,” he sucked in a breath, awaiting his damnation.

“You’re going to be alright,” you smiled softly, nudging his head to rest on your shoulder.

Huh?

“You don’t have to say anything. Just know that when the time comes, I’ll be here for you.”

He was utterly baffled.

What were you doing?

Trying to guilt him into apologising?

Because you didn’t need to do that, he already would have to pay for his stupid crime for the rest of his life. He wanted to lift his head up, to reject your reassurance,

but he just couldn’t.

Instead, a single tear flowed down his cheek, landing softly on your skin.

With your hand placed softly on his shoulder, you rest your head upon his, gently rubbing soothing circles into his tense muscles.

“Y/N! The meanies kept on picking me today!” a tiny Ao’nung cried to you, his tears soaking your shoulder as he cried on it.

“Shh, baby bro. It’s going to be alright,” a little you hugged him tightly, leading him to sit where you both were sitting right now.

The silence was filled with his sniffles, both past and present.

“You’re going to be alright.” both little you and present you whispered, shutting your eyes tightly and squeezing his shoulder.

The memory of the promise you made to him rushed back to you, as clear as if it had happened yesterday. Despite being twins, he was much smaller than you at the time, which made him an easy target for others to tease.

Although the teasing was meant to be lighthearted, he struggled to find the humour in it, which was kind of ironic now.

“Nung,” the small you said, a serious look in your eyes.

You smiled to yourself, remembering your slurred words. You were only 5 years old at the time, your sentences barely coherent to adults. But being twins, you could understand each other perfectly.

“I will protect you, always.”

“No matter what?”

“No matter what.

nothing can ever,

ever,

take me away from you,

I. promise.”

Tears well up in your eyes as you realised, you had already broken that promise many times over.

Each time you retreated to your private little sanctuary, avoiding your problems, you were also avoiding him.

Perhaps, just perhaps, it was not escaping from your duties that made you guilty, but it was escaping from your brother.

You recollected a memory of returning home from a little escapade, having spent the time climbing trees. This was when you were 7, before you’d even found the cave.

As you arrived back home, you saw your mother attending to Ao'nung, who had a deep cut on his arm, crying loudly. A tiny Tsireya was there too, offering comfort by holding his hand. Apparently, it happened while he was in the water alone. “He said he wasn’t watching where he was going, and knocked into a rock,” your mother explained.

But the fear and confusion in his eyes as he looked up at you told you otherwise.

You never got to find out what truly happened, because you never really cared to ask. You were too obsessed with finding your own free time.

Unbeknownst to you, a dark silhouette creeped by the entrance of your marui. It leered at you comforting your little brother, ears flicking with contempt as it heard your small reassurances.

It's not your fault,

I’m so sorry,

Everything will be fine.

And as soon as the shadow appeared, it was gone.

Lo’ak came back past eclipse with one of your own people who’d found him just within the reef, you were able to hear the relieved sighs of your parents and his own as he approached the island.

You stood behind your father, his hand firmly on the back of Ao’nung’s neck. Lo’ak had a look of pure anger on his face when he looked at your brother, like he wanted to punt him in the face, only to be stopped by his father as he stomped up onto the woven deck.

Jake Sully inspected his son, checking his back for any bruises. “He’s fine, just a few scratches.” he said loudly, so that the crowd of metkayina would disperse quickly.

Neytiri hurried from behind the crowd, quickly checking to see that her son was alright. When she confirmed she wasn’t hurt, she quickly scolded him.

“I pray for the strength that I will not rip the eyeballs out of my youngest son!” she hissed, making a grabbing motion at Lo’ak’s eye, to which Tsireya next to you winced.

“No,” your father said, pushing Ao’nung down to kneel. “My son knows better than to take him outside of the reef. The blame is his.”

Jake nodded hesitantly, deciding he didn’t want to cause any more trouble with the Olo’eyktan. “Okay, let’s go.”

“No.”

“It’s not Ao’nung’s fault,” Lo’ak shook his head, looking up at your father. Ao’nung’s head turned up at this, both you and him (and your mother) were bewildered at this.

“It was my idea. Ao’nung tried to talk me out of it, really.”

Neteyam put a hand on Lo’ak’s arm, silently asking him with his eyes, What are you doing? He only gave his older brother a glance of the eye to respond.

Your mother and father exchanged looks. They always did this, communicating without even needing to speak to each other. Lo’ak was covering for their son, they knew it. But why, was the question.

Your father pulled up Ao’nung, turning to him. “Is this true?” he asked, disbelief laced between his words.

Although you admired your parents for their ability to see through such lies, you were also disappointed they didn’t believe their own son could be responsible for one moment. Your eyes darted towards Neteyam who was walking away with his family, and you quickly excused yourself.

As you approached, however, you heard his parents scolding him. “Where were you?” Neytiri asked. “Yeah, what happened to keep an eye on your brother?” Jake said in english, it seemed he noticed you were coming towards them, but he didn’t know you could understand their conversation.

You gulped, knowing that Neteyam was with you when Lo’ak was led outside the reef. “Sorry sir.” Neteyam muttered. You couldn’t see his face, but you could tell from his tone of voice that he was not happy.

Jake and Neytiri left him, Jake nodding to you before he left as some form of greeting. “Neteyam, how are you feeling?” you asked him softly.

He sighed, turning towards you. There was a glint of something you’d never seen before in his eyes, and you couldn’t quite figure out what it was. But as he narrowed them, it became clear.

He was glaring at you with utter distaste.

“I don’t feel like talking to you right now.” he said, his tone indicating that his anger was threatening to reach boiling, and you were the cause.

Your heart dropped all the way to your stomach as he stalked away, leaving you wondering.

What did I do?

Idk what to say except oh no angst 😨 this part is definitely shorter than the others and idk why, it just seemed that this was enough words to convey the message. i THINK that the next part is the finale, but we’ll just have to see. Also if you’ve been reading this series from the start, you’ll notice that all the chapters have undergone a design transformation cause I just thought it looked better <3

Taglist: @strawberryclouds22 @assistantquail @st4rrry @neteyamforlife @heaven1oo4 @spicycloudsalad @1ntefly @laylasbunbunny @fanboyluvr @xoxobabe @thecrazyswamp @amortencjja @lynbubble @jakesullyssluttt @gabithefanwriter @erenjaegerwifee @abbersreads

note: usernames in red are the ones i couldn't tag

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atlabeth · 1 year

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tis the damn season part 4 - rafe cameron

part 3 | masterlist | part 5

a/n: okay so. first of all im so so SO sorry that it has literally been a year since the last part. i said it wasnt going to take a month for this to come out and i guess i was right because a year isn't a month lmao. it's not even christmas season anymore but i just could not stop thinking about this all of a sudden so here we are again. i hope you guys still want this lmao.

it was just really hard for me to get through the cameron family part, i love writing sarah but for some reason i just could not get a handle on ward and rose. not a surprise that yn and rafe meeting in the library was the part that i flew through

anyways enjoy. sorry for it being a year since the last part and it not being christmas anymore<3 im a great and responsible writer. also because it has been so long i completely understand if you dont want to be on the taglist anymore, so just lmk and ill take you off!

wc: 7k

warning(s): the dreaded parent dinner. rose and ward being judgmental and yn being insecure ya know the vibes. but also a lot of fluff too

“How drunk are you?”

“Sober enough to get through this night,” Rafe said. “How high is your bullshit tolerance?”

“High enough to get through this night,” you repeated, and he smiled.

“Alright.” Rafe took a deep breath then nodded, and the two of you got out of his car. You handed him his keys and he, after putting them in his pocket, slipped his hand into yours as you started walking towards the house. The motion was starting to feel more natural than it should. “Rose’ll probably want my help setting up for dinner as an excuse to talk to me about you, but my dad will most likely be in his office until we’re done, so you don’t have to worry about another one-on-one thing.”

“I can handle that,” you said. “It’ll be easier in front of the rest of your family. But before we go in—” you turned to look at him, a slightly teasing smile on your lips. “I think we should talk about all that stuff your friends said back there.”

Rafe sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry about that. I promise, they were just exaggerating to embarrass me.”

“No, it’s fine,” you chuckled. “I like your friends; they were a lot different than I was expecting, but they were actually really cool. I just… well, I wanted to make sure it wouldn’t change anything with this.”

“No, no—” Rafe laughed a little as well and brushed it off with his hand. “Okay — all cards on the table, I did have a crush on you freshman year. But that was just freshman year, and now it’s gone! We’re— we’re just friends. I feel nothing for you anymore.”

You gave him a look. “Nothing?”

Rafe rolled his eyes playfully. “You know what I mean.”

“Just teasing you,” you agreed with a smile. “But it’s good to know that there is absolutely nothing between us. I mean, you did promise not to fall in love with me.”

Rafe nodded seriously. “Of course. And you promised not to fall in love with me, so you can’t falter either.”

You placed your fist over your heart. “Hope to die.”

He snorted a laugh and tugged on your hand to get you walking again. “You’re so lame.”

“And you had a crush on me when I was even lamer,” you teased. But before you could do anymore, Rafe was saved by the bell as he opened the door and pulled you inside with a wink back at you.

“Rose, we’re home!” he called as he shut the door behind you. You heard the clatter of silverware in the distance followed by clicking heels on the tiled floor, and soon enough a blonde woman with an unnaturally bright smile came around the corner.

Her eyes lit up when she saw you and she said your name. “You must be the girlfriend!”

You offered a smile of your own and nodded. “In the flesh. It’s so nice to— oh!“

You didn’t get the chance to finish your sentence as she pulled you into a hug, and Rafe just gave you a knowing smile in response to your widened eyes.

“It‘s so nice to meet you too,” she gushed, and when she finally let go she kept her hands on your shoulders. “We’ve all tried to drill Rafe for information about you these past couple days, but he refused to open up — you can imagine how happy I am to finally get to meet ‘the girlfriend’.”

You laughed a bit at her mimed quotation, nodding along to her words. If only she knew how right she really was.

“I feel the same about meeting you all.” To drive home the point you reached for Rafe’s hand, and without hesitation he took it. “Rafe and I are really happy together, so I thought— we thought that it would be a good time for this to happen.”

Rose grinned and as she started walking, the two of you followed her. “Well, it is an absolute pleasure to have you here for the holidays. I’m sure Rafe has hardly been able to hold himself back from showing you everything Kildare has to offer.”

“Uh, yeah,” he piped in. “We just went to the country club and met up with Kelce and Topper, and we took the scenic route back. You liked it, right?”

You nodded. “It was great. Everything here is, really — your house, the beaches, the nature, the Outer Banks as a whole, it’s all beautiful. I can’t believe this is my first time visiting.”

Her eyebrows shot up as you all finally reached the kitchen, a mess of measuring cups, bowls, and a myriad of other kitchen supplies scattered around the island table. All it took was a gesture of her head for Rafe to let go of your hand and get to work with tidying up the area. You made a mental note to ask her how to acquire that kind of power.

“You’ve never been here?” she asked, and you shook your head. You didn’t know why that was so surprising to both his parents. “Well, that just means you have the chance to see everything with fresh eyes.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” you smiled.

Rafe gave you a warning look, one you knew very well that was telling you to stop talking, before he focused back on his stepmom with a smile. “We can handle the rest of this, right? Y/N can go relax a little in my room before dinner — uh, she didn’t sleep very well.”

Rose rolled her eyes, but the amusement was clear in her expression. “Fine. I’ll save the grilling for dinner.”

You gave her a polite nod as you turned to go, but when Rose wasn’t looking you mouthed a ‘thank you’ to Rafe that he answered with a smug smile. She was nicer than you had imagined, but you didn’t think you could handle all of her questions in addition to a family dinner. You had a feeling you were going to need every advantage you could get for tonight.

It just so happened though, that as soon as you turned the corner, you ran into Rafe’s younger sisters. You wondered if they always traveled as a pair.

“You guys are back already,” Sarah said with a pleasant smile, and you chuckled.

“Uh, yeah,” you nodded. “We just went out for lunch with his friends at the country club.”

Wheezie groaned as she leaned against the wall. “Kelce and Topper? God, they’re the worst.”

You frowned a bit. “I actually thought they were pretty nice. They like teasing Rafe just as much as I do, so it’s a plus.”

She shrugged. “I’m surprised they were so nice to you. A lot of people on this side of the island wouldn’t be that way towards you.”

“Wheezie!” Sarah scolded with a jab to her shoulder, but that only knit your brows further.

“What are you talking about?” you asked, and Sarah sighed.

“I’m guessing Rafe hasn’t really told you about the inner workings of the Outer Banks,” she said dryly, and you nodded. “Well…” she trailed off, and then shook her head. “It’s not the right time, and I don’t really think it should come from us. I don’t really want you to get all in your head right before the big dinner interrogation.”

“Are you always this mysterious with your brother’s girlfriends?” you asked after a beat of silence.

Sarah smiled as she started to back up. “How else am I supposed to keep my younger sister allure?”

“It’s not allure if you’re so open about it,” Wheezie said as she rolled her eyes. “I’m gonna go get some lemonade, want any?”

Sarah shook her head, and then she looked to you.

“Oh— uh, no. Thank you.”

Wheezie chuckled a bit. “Don’t act so surprised that we wanna get to know you. You’re pretty cool in terms of Rafe girlfriends.”

As she walked off, you turned to Sarah with an amused look. “Is she always like that?”

“It just means she likes you,” Sarah said with a smile. “And for the record, I do too.”

You stood there smiling at the ground for far too long after Sarah had already gone off on her own. They were charming in a very likable way, even if they did have their quirks.

At least your fake boyfriend’s sisters liked you — now, you just had to get his parents on your side.

“So…” Rose glanced over at Rafe with a smile as he mashed potatoes. “Are you gonna give me anything, or do I have to wait for dinner?”

He chuckled. “I think we can wait for dinner. She’ll be happy to tell you all about herself then.”

“You’ve been together for almost three years and we barely know anything about her!” she exclaimed. “What’s the reason for that kind of secrecy?”

Rafe bit the inside of his cheek, suddenly very interested in the potato masher. “We just wanted to make sure that we were solid before we started telling people outside of our friend group,” he said. “I… I really like her, so I wanted it all to go well.”

She raised her eyebrows. “You both wanted to keep it a secret, or just she did?”

He frowned. “We both did. Why does it matter?”

“She’s not like us,” Rose said after a moment of hesitation, and Rafe’s grip tightened against the handle. “How do you know she’s not just using you for your money?”

“Excuse me?” He turned to her with an incredulous expression, the thought so ridiculous to him that he could hardly even deal with it. “You’re not seriously calling my girlfriend a gold digger, are you?”

“It is a valid concern!” she defended, her voice becoming slightly higher from his reaction. “You’ve seen the way she looks at the house, the way she marvels at everything down here — for god’s sake Rafe, she’s never even been to the Outer Banks and she lives a couple hours away. Why else would she want to keep the two of you a secret?”

“Okay,” he said with a dry laugh, setting down the masher and walking over to the sink to wash his hands off. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. Just because she’s not crazy rich like every other person on Figure Eight doesn’t mean she’s after me for money. We’ve been friends even longer than we’ve been dating— I was the one who asked her out first. She’s actually a good person, Rose—and no matter what, you can’t insult her like that. She’s,” he swallowed and turned away for a second, “she’s my girlfriend. So you can’t say this kinda stuff about her.”

Rose stared at him for a moment before she sighed. “Okay. At least you actually care about her.”

“Of course I do,” he scoffed.

“I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting into,” she said, once again on the defensive. “You’ve always been hasty—”

“Do you want my help with this or do you just want to keep talking shit about her?” Rafe interrupted, his voice rising out of frustration. “Because if you keep this up you’re gonna be doing it alone.”

“Watch your mouth, Rafe,” she said, though mostly for virtue’s sake. “You just can’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“There’s nothing to warn me about,” he said sharply. “She’s a great person, and she’s one of my best friends. So lay off.”

She raised her hands, finally conceding. “Okay. You win.”

Rafe rolled his eyes, but he still moved onto his next job. That didn’t change the fact that the rest of their preparations were done in silence.

You spent your time alone in Rafe’s room very valuably — after relaxing for a little, you found Topper and Kelce’s instagrams and immediately started stalking them.

It was valuable, to be fair — you got to see pictures of Rafe when he was in high school, and some videos of him being the idiot he’d warned you about when you went through their pinned stories. They made you smile, seeing him like that — just from the pictures you could tell that he was a frat boy in training, but he was charming in a boyish sort of way. You also knew you would’ve completely fallen for high school Rafe if the two of you met at that age.

You cleared your throat as you shut off your phone and put it face down on the bed. Thank god for the distance between you then, because thoughts like that were definitely off limits.

It was just in time, because you heard a knock on the door and Rafe saying your name.

“Uh, come in!” you responded, and he came in the door as you sat up.

“Dinner’s all ready, if you’re ready.”

“Yeah,” you nodded, and you stood up from his bed as you smoothed out your dress. “This is fine for the first dinner with your family, right? How do I look?”

Rafe looked you up and down, his eyes raking across your body in the most exaggerated way possible as he whistled. “Babe, you look great. Super hot.”

You burst out into laughter at that, and he even cracked a smile. “You are completely ridiculous, Rafe. You cannot act this way in front of your parents.”

He brushed his hand through the air. “They can deal with it. My fake girlfriend’s only getting the best.”

You shook your head, a smile of your own growing. “Like I said: completely ridiculous.”

“I try.” Rafe’s grin faded a bit as he looked back at the door, and after a moment he shut it. He then turned back to you, his expression completely sobered. “I’m gonna be completely honest with you. This might be rough.”

You frowned a bit. “Rough in what kind of way?”

“Rough in a ‘making you doubt everything about yourself’ kinda way,” he said, and he sighed as shook his head. “Rose and I—we talked while we were setting everything up, and she thinks you’re some kind of golddigger. And,” Rafe huffed a dry laugh, “my dad’ll probably think the same thing. He’ll be a lot more covert with it, though.”

“Great,” you muttered, and you suddenly felt very self-conscious as you wrapped your arms around yourself. A part of you itched to put Rafe’s sweatshirt back on, the familiarity of it a comfort you were suddenly aching for. But you remained in place, letting out a deep sigh instead. “I thought you said that both of them were from blue collars before they ended up with all this.”

“They were,” Rafe confirmed, “but they’ve gone full kook over the years. They look down on the very same people they used to be, and… they’re probably gonna look down on you too.”

“Great!” you repeated, and you felt the heat rush to your cheeks. You and Rafe weren’t together so it shouldn’t have bothered you, the thought of not having his parents’ approval, but it was just the opposite. “That’s— that’s just great, Rafe.”

“Hey,” he said, his voice softer, “hey, it’s okay. I don’t want you to worry about them. Just— just be yourself, and we will make them like you. And if they say any out of pocket shit, don’t just take it, call them out on it. And if you don’t want to, I will.” Rafe gave you a genuine look. “I won’t let them do what they do to everyone else.”

You recalled your conversation with Ward earlier in the morning, when he, out of nowhere, told you that he didn’t think you were a good fit in Rafe’s life. The man barely knew you and he was already trying to scare you out of it.

And for some reason, just the thought of that brought your resolve back. If there was one thing you had in spades, it was spite.

You swallowed the lump in your throat and nodded, offering a smile that you hoped was convincing. “Right. We got this.”

“We got this,” he agreed, and he offered his hand. “You ready, fake girlfriend?”

You nodded again and took his hand, reveling in the warmth it provided as he squeezed your hand. “Ready, fake boyfriend.”

“There you two are,” Rose joked as you and Rafe entered the dining room together. “I was beginning to think you decided to abandon us.”

“I wouldn’t let him do that,” you said with a smile. “I’m just sorry we didn’t get to do this last night.”

“Oh, I am too,” she agreed, and she finished setting the last platter on the table. “I’m sorry that it’s taken us three years to finally have a family dinner.”

“Me too,” Wheezie said, looking up at you as she finished setting down the silverware. “I still don’t know what you see in him, but whatever.”

“Louisa, be nice.” You instinctively tensed up as Ward walked in, and you returned the gesture when he smiled at you. “We’re all happy to have you here, and we’re all sorry it took so long.” He looked at Rafe pointedly. “You should’ve brought her down sooner, Rafe.”

“We’ve already talked about this, Dad,” Rafe said. “We weren’t ready before, but now we are. You guys have to deal with that.”

“He just didn’t want to scare her off with his crazy family,” Sarah said dryly as she walked in, a stack of plates in her hands that she placed on the table. “Probably a good decision with all this interrogating.”

“I don’t mind,” you said, and it wasn’t completely a lie. You and Rafe might not have been together, but you were best friends. It was probably a good thing you were meeting his family, even if it was under this sort of guise. You laughed a bit. “I’d want to know about my son’s secret girlfriend too if I were you.”

“Well, you’re welcome here anytime you want, sweetie,” Rose said. “We have a lot of lost time to make up for.” She set the final dish on the table and held her hands out. “Feel free to help yourself.”

“It all looks wonderful, honey,” Ward said, pecking his wife on the cheek as he took his seat at the head of the table.

Your nerves evaporated slightly as you sat down, reveling in the silence you probably wouldn’t get much of as everyone served themselves. You were immediately proven right as Rose looked at you with a smile.

“So,” she said your name, “Rafe tells me you’re looking to become a doctor?”

You nodded. “I’ve been working towards it since middle school. It’s hard to believe that I’m getting so close to med school.”

“Are you applying?” Ward asked.

“Not yet, but I’m looking,” you said, and you chuckled. “I thought I would get a break from all the medical stuff after I took the MCAT, but between school hunting and classes, I think it’s gotten even busier.”

“She’s amazing,” Rafe said, “seriously. She and Melanie are both on pre-med tracks, and I swear, all they do is study.”

“Mel parties sometimes,” you joked, “but… yeah. I’ve become really well acquainted with the library.”

“That was actually how we met,” he said, glancing at you, and a smile immediately broke out on your lips. “Freshman year, remember?”

“How could I ever forget?”

You let out a haggard sigh as you held your head in your hands, staring at the textbook beneath you. You had an entire spread around you—laptop and charger, nearly empty water bottle, a bag of goldfish, a whole mess of highlighters and pens, and your bio 252 textbook open in front of you. You had been trying to read the same sentence for the past ten minutes, and your brain was not cooperating.

You screwed your eyes shut as you leaned back in your chair, pressing your hands against your forehead. At this point, you wondered if you were losing brain cells.

“Hey, uh— is this seat open?”

You cracked your eyes open to see a guy in sweatpants and a UNC tee standing, a backpack slung over one shoulder and very pretty eyes.

“It’s 2:35 in the morning,” you said. “Half the library is open.”

“I know, but,” he chuckled, “you look smart. I feel like being around you will make me do my work.”

That got a dry laugh out of you, and you just shrugged. “Sit away, I guess. As long as you’re quiet.”

He nodded and took a seat on the other end of the table, leaving enough space to be polite. “I’m Rafe, by the way.”

You nodded as well. “Cool.”

“What,” he said, setting his backpack on the ground, “I don’t get a name?”

“If I survive these midterms, you can get my name,” you said wryly, and your focus fell back to your textbook.

Though you couldn’t see him, you heard the smile in his words, could feel his eyes on you. “Deal.”

“Never thought that you would be living the rom-com life, Rafe,” Sarah said, very tongue-in-cheek. “Makes sense that she was annoyed by you at first.”

“To be fair, I was kind of losing my mind,” you said with a laugh. “Word of advice for your freshman year, Sarah, learn the meaning of school-life balance, and learn it before you’re knee deep in midterms.”

She chuckled, nodding sagely. “You don’t have to worry about that. I won’t be in the library that late no matter what time of year it is.”

“Very studious of you, Rafe,” Rose said, and she smiled. “What were you doing in there anyways?”

He shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep, so I went to the library. Maybe it was fate.”

“I think it was just persistence,” you said dryly. “Because you came in every single night after that.”

“This seat open?”

You blinked at the voice, the words from your laptop screen swimming in the air as you looked back up. To your surprise, it was the same guy from the other day, with the same words. Rafe, if you remembered.

“Why are you here again?”

“Because I took my econ midterm yesterday afternoon and killed it,” he said, “and I think it’s because you’re good luck.”

You raised your eyebrows. “I’m good luck?”

Rafe nodded. “My hypothesis is that being around you is giving me good luck, so I’m testing it by hanging around you before each of my midterms.”

That actually got a laugh out of you. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s not stupid if it works, is it?” He set down his bag and shot you a grin. “Besides— I gotta make sure you get through the season alive so I can get your name.”

You just shook your head, though you were unable to hide your own smile. “Fine. House rules still apply.”

Rafe held up his hands. “Absolute silence. You got it.”

Ten minutes passed in keyboard clacks and page turns before you couldn’t help yourself, and you looked back up at Rafe.

“Are you really going to come here every night?”

“As long as you’re here,” Rafe said, “I’m here.”

“And he did,” you said. “He came back every night that week, sat in the same spot in complete silence, and we did our work together. At 2AM, no less.”

“And I passed every single one of my midterms with flying colors,” he said. “I still think it’s because of you.”

“That is so sweet,” Rose crooned. “Who knew our Rafe was such a charmer?”

“Rose—” he started, his cheeks flushing, but you chuckled.

“He certainly was,” you said. “Anyone else, and I think I might’ve kicked them out. But I couldn’t say no to those eyes.”

And it’s not like you were lying—that really was how you met. It just wasn’t the love story that you were making it out to be. It was a week of the library, and then you didn’t see each other again until Melanie dragged you out to an end of the semester party—the party that Kelce mentioned, the party that you ran into Rafe again.

That was certainly a night. And not one you could really detail at a family dinner.

“If we have you to thank for Rafe’s performance in his freshman midterms, then I’m certainly in your debt,” Ward said with a slight smile.

“I don’t think it was because of me,” you said. “I think it’s because he actually sat down and studied for once in his life.”

Rafe rolled his eyes. “Say that all you want, but you’re my good luck charm. I know it.”

“I assume that you’ve always done well in school?” Ward asked.

“I have to,” you said honestly. “I’m on a huge scholarship at Chapel Hill, and if my grades drop below a certain point, it gets taken away. I literally can’t afford for that to happen,” you chuckled nervously, “not to mention the hit my career prospects would take.”

“You seem really serious about all of this,” Ward said, and he clasped his hands together. “Why do you want to be a doctor so badly?”

“It’s the only thing I can imagine myself doing,” you responded. “I’ve always loved science, and the human body has fascinated me even when I was a kid. Growing up, I’ve seen a lot of bad things happen to a lot of good people, and it’s… it’s just not fair. So I guess becoming a doctor would be my way of helping those people and putting some good back in the world.”

“Oh, that is so sweet,” Rose said, her eyes softening. “Rafe, honey, you really picked a good one.”

Wheezie snorted a laugh. “Yeah. Now I know for a fact she’s too good for you.”

“Louisa,” Ward admonished, and he looked back at you. “That’s a very noble goal. I can only imagine the hard work you’ve described is but a fraction of the full picture. I mean, my senior year was busy as all get-out, don’t get me wrong, but I was in business. Pre-med is a whole different thing to navigate.”

“It is,” you agreed. “Right now I’m juggling classes and labs, an internship, a part time job, and trying to have a social life all at the same time.” You laughed a bit. “It’s a lot, and sometimes it gets overwhelming. But when that happens, I take a step back and try to remember what I’m doing all this for, and that almost always gets me back on track. And when it doesn’t—” you glanced at Rafe with a smile— “he’s always there for me.”

Rafe returned your smile and took your hand under the table, and it filled you with some confidence. You certainly weren’t lying about the last part.

“She’s amazing all on her own,” Rafe said. “I’m only her cheerleader.”

“Maybe it wasn’t a good idea for you and Rafe to get together,” Sarah said, frowning. “You’re setting the bar way too high.” She looked at her parents. “I hope you don’t expect me to do all that when I get to college.”

“You’ll do whatever you have to do, sweetie,” Rose said with a smile. “I’m sure you had to work up to all of this.”

“Oh, definitely,” you nodded. “I applied to get into my high school’s health science specialty center in eighth grade, and it all went from there. It’s always busy, but it’s the most fulfilling work someone can do.”

“Are you sure you can handle it?” Ward asked. His tone was noncommittal, but you knew what he was after. You weren’t going to give it to him.

“Dad—” Rafe started, glancing at you for a second, but you spoke up.

“I’ve been working towards this since my freshman year of high school. Everything’s gone to plan up until now, and I don’t plan for that to change.” Both your smile and your grip on Rafe’s hand tightened. “I know I can handle it.”

“Well,” he said, his eyes far too calculating as he looked right at you, “I wish you all the best.”

“Thank you,” you said smoothly.

The tension at the table had been steadily rising ever since Ward looked in your direction, and it was starting to get to you. Rafe, as attentive as ever, immediately took over.

“Dad,” he said, drawing the attention back to him, “we did an investment project in my 407 course for the final. It was actually really interesting, and my professor said that my group had one of the best projects she’s seen in her career. Do you wanna hear about it?”

“Sure.” The smile he offered to his son was the same you’d seen since the moment of your arrival, and some of the pressure dissolved from your shoulders. You made a mental note to thank Rafe profusely at the end of the night. “Your professor was Dr. Waters, right?”

He nodded. “She said you know each other.”

“We do,” he said, and you felt like you could breathe again as he looked away from you. “I’d love to hear it, son.”

Rafe wasn’t lying when he said he was skilled at navigating the waters of his family, because he kept the limelight off of you for the entire rest of the dinner. He talked about his own classes and directed it towards his sisters, and though you chimed in to answer the occasional question or add to one of his stories, you didn’t feel like your entire life was on blast.

You and Rafe ended up helping Rose clean up, and she smiled at you as you handed her a plate.

“Tonight was lovely, sweetie,” she said. “I can’t wait to hear about everything you accomplish in the future.”

“You’re too kind,” you said, biting back a smile that was actually genuine. “I really enjoyed tonight.”

“I’m glad.” She started the dishwasher and sighed as she looked at you. “I know my husband can be heavy-handed sometimes, but it’s not personal, trust me. We want the best for Rafe—Ward just has his own way of showing it.”

“C’mon, Rose,” Rafe grumbled. “You saw what he was doing, and you went along with it. That’s not okay.”

“He wasn’t doing anything,” she said pointedly. “He wanted to know more about Y/N, so he asked her. That’s all.”

“You know that’s not—”

“Rafe,” you interrupted, and you held up your phone, “Mel’s calling. C’mon, let’s go catch her up on everything.”

He hesitated as he looked at you, but you just raised your eyebrows a little bit and gestured towards the hallway. Rafe sighed and nodded, glancing back at his step-mother.

“Rose—”

“You two enjoy yourself,” she said. “Cleanup’s already almost done—thank you for your help.”

“Of course,” you said. “Have a good night, Mrs. C— Rose.”

She smiled and nodded, waving the two of you off as you practically dragged Rafe into the hallway.

“What was that for?” he complained once you were in the safety of his room, door shut.

“You were about to get into a completely unnecessary argument.”

“I was defending your honor, babe,” he said austerely.

You laughed a bit, shaking your head as you sat down on the side of his bed, and Rafe leaned against the wall. “And I appreciate it, Sir Cameron, but I want this to be as drama-free as possible. Don’t get into arguments with your parents for me.”

“I get into arguments with my parents all the time,” he said. “Doing it for you makes it better.”

“Rafe.”

He sighed and shrugged. “Fine. Drama-free break.”

“Thank you.”

“But not if my dad starts coming for you like that again,” he added with a pointed finger.

You chuckled and nodded. “Fine.”

You then looked at the clock on his bedside table and blew out a loose sigh. “God, it’s way later than I thought. You, get on my phone and call Mel. I lied about her calling, but I actually do want to talk to her tonight, and she definitely wants to catch up with you. I’m showering and getting ready for the night.”

“Aye aye, captain,” he said, catching your phone as you tossed it to him. “But you know you don’t have to change in private. I have a very big room.”

You gave him a look as you grabbed your bag. “Very subtle, Rafe. Behave.”

He laughed and went back to your phone as you shut the door.

You went through your routine as usual, the warm water helping to relieve the tension that had built up in your muscles. It was nice to have some alone time after the rollercoaster that the day had been, from Kelce’s bombshell conversation to the choppy waters of Ward Cameron—you had no idea the Outer Banks were going to be so complicated.

It was only two weeks. Two weeks, and then you and Rafe were back to being nothing more than roommates and friends. Easy.

You dried yourself off when you were done and slipped into a pair of shorts and an old Raleigh tee. After finishing the rest of your night routine, you opened the door again, smiling a bit to see Rafe laying upside down on his bed on the phone.

His eyes flickered over to you and he smiled as well as he sat up. “You can ask her that yourself, actually—she just got out. You’re goin’ on speaker, Mel.”

She cheered your name and you laughed as you settled on the bed with Rafe, picking up the phone so you could look at the little Mel on your screen. “You already look great. The OBX air is good for you, I swear.”

“Better than city air,” you chuckled. “How have you been? Are you devastatingly bored without Rafe and I?”

“You know I am,” she said with mock austerity. “Ayden’s already gone back to Richmond, so I’m all on my lonesome. You guys are all the worst for leaving me.”

“Sorry,” Rafe said. “Should’ve asked you to be my girlfriend too—then we all could’ve had a great time with my parents.”

She snorted and shook her head. “I love you Rafe, but I prefer the empty apartment.”

He shook his head with a sigh. “So mean to me.”

“It’s for your own good,” she chided, and she looked back at you. “How’s he treating you? Like a queen, I hope.”

You laughed. “Mel, I am seriously living the life of luxury here. His room is the size of our freshman dorm. Honestly, it’s probably the size of my apartment back home. I would be Rafe’s permanent fake girlfriend if it meant a house like this.”

Rafe shrugged. “We do have a couple more holidays coming up.”

“Joking,” you said, and you sighed. “His family is… something.”

“I told you I would fight them for you!” he defended. “I am fully ready to argue with my dad for you, but someone said she doesn’t want me to defend her honor.”

Mel laughed, her eyes twinkling. “You beautiful knight. At least you’re trying to protect my girl.”

“Always,” Rafe said, and then he stood up from his bed. “I’m gonna get ready—don’t gossip about me.”

You gasped, scandalized. “We would never.”

“Perish the thought,” Mel said simultaneously.

Rafe rolled his eyes with a smile as he left, and you picked up the phone. “He sure is something.”

“Yeah,” Mel said, something in her voice, “he is. And now that we’re alone, we can gossip about him.”

You chuckled and shook your head. “There’s nothing to gossip about. What did he even talk to you about?”

“Just basic stuff,” she said. “Told me about Kelce and Topper, and said some very choice words about his dad. But he mostly just talked about you, which is why we get to talk about him.”

You frowned a bit—you couldn’t help but wonder what that entailed. “What did he say?”

“Nothing important,” she said, brushing it off. “So, how’s the gig? How’re you liking the Banks?”

“This honestly isn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” you admitted. “Sure, his dad can be a lot, but Rafe is great. He’s always making sure that I’m okay, and it’s really sweet. I think that I can maybe see what all those girls see in him.”

“Oh, wow,” she said. “You’re already in the falling in love with him stage?”

“No!” you exclaimed, maybe a little too hastily. “No, god— where did you get that from?”

“Someone’s a little defensive—”

“Mel,” you said, staring at the bathroom door hoping Rafe couldn’t hear the conversation, “I’m not in love with him. We’re friends that are fake-dating each other. There’s a very big difference.”

“If you say so,” she mused.

“You’ve been watching too many rom-coms,” you said dryly. “Enough about me—how’s holding down the fort?”

“I already told you that it’s boring,” Mel said. “I’m going back to Charlotte in a couple days, but that is also boring, which is why I want to talk about you!”

“And I already told you, there’s nothing to talk about!” you defended. “We had a chill night yesterday, I hung out with his friends this morning, and we had dinner tonight. Standard girlfriend stuff—nothing to worry about.”

“Fine,” she relented, and she laid back on the sofa. “But you have to keep me updated on everything.”

“Of course. Now, I know you were talking to some guy in November. How’s that going?”

Mel went on for a while about the guy—his name is Paolo, he’s an engineering major, he’s the hottest man she’s ever seen, but she’s definitely not interested in him, along with a lot of other things—and while you were about to ask something else in a rare pause, you lost your chance when Rafe came out of the bathroom.

Wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants with his hair still wet and messy in just the right way, you just stared at him. It was embarrassing how speechless you were.

“You good?” Mel asked, and that snapped you out of your reverie, but not before Rafe noticed you looking.

He just shook his head. “Can’t compliment you but you can objectify me. Your hypocrisy is insulting, babe.”

“I’m so sorry Rafe,” you said austerely. “I can hardly control myself around you, you’ve got to understand.”

He sighed as he pulled a shirt on. “It’s a burden I’ve got to bear, unfortunately. But I’m strong enough to do it.”

“Okay, you two are gross,” Mel said. “I would say get a room, but you have one, and I’m clearly overstaying my welcome. So I’m just gonna hang up. Have fun, lovebirds!”

“Mel—” you started, but she was gone before you could continue. You laughed as you turned your phone off, glancing at Rafe. “Uh, sorry. You didn’t miss much, just her talking about some guy.”

“Oh, Paolo!” Rafe nodded. “I introduced those two, actually. He was in my finance class last semester, and he talked about her a lot. I hope they work out.” He smiled a bit as he sat down next to you. “Mel and her dream guy aside, what d’you wanna do for the rest of the night? After the dinner you sat through, I think you deserve a break.”

“How do you feel about watching TV and doing nothing?” you asked.

“Sounds perfect.” Rafe leaned over and picked up the remote from the side table, flipping it over in his hands as he talked. “What are you feeling? Grey’s Anatomy?”

“God, no. It’s not accurate, and I need at least one second where I’m not thinking about school.”

He chuckled. “Then what d’you suggest?”

“Law and Order,” you said, “but we pick a random season and start halfway through it.”

“You know that’s not accurate either?”

“I haven’t spent years going over the law,” you said, “therefore it’s accurate to me.”

Rafe laughed and handed you the remote, shaking his head. “Sounds perfect. Want some popcorn?”

“Nothing I love more than lawyers and popcorn,” you said. “Except for you, fake boyfriend.”

Rafe pressed his hand to his heart as he went over to the door. “I feel the same way, fake girlfriend.”

You started cracking up, and Rafe’s small smile sent heat rushing to your cheeks. “Oh, and the second drawer on my dresser has a bunch of sweatshirts in case you want one.”

You frowned. “Why would I need one of your hoodies?”

He shrugged. “You’ve been shivering this whole time.”

And he walked off, wholly nonchalant, but you couldn’t tear your eyes away.

Apparently, Rafe paid more attention than you thought. Even when there wasn’t an audience.

You snapped yourself out of your reverie, wandering over to said drawer, and you rifled through until you found a suitable one. Nothing like being a walking advertisement for the Kenan-Flagler school.

You pulled it on then settled against the pillows as you picked up the remote again. After a bit of scrolling you decided on season 13, episode 11, and Rafe came back in with a big bowl of popcorn right when the title card played.

“Perfect timing,” you smiled.

“I try,” he said, and he shut the door behind him as he sat down next to you. His gaze moved to your sweatshirt and he grinned. “Nice choice. I’ll make a business major of you yet.”

“God, no,” you muttered, and he just laughed.

The two of you settled in and got comfortable for a night of lawyers and detectives and murder and popcorn, fought over through swatted hands and playful shoves, and maybe it was something about the day that just had you not thinking clearly.

Because you didn’t mind when your hands touched in the popcorn bowl, and you didn’t mind when he slung his arm over your shoulder, and you didn’t mind when you fell asleep on Rafe’s shoulder 23 minutes into episode 15.

And Rafe didn’t really mind either.

rafe does mind that it took a year for him to be seen again though. sorry man

perm tags: @dv0412 @siriuslyslyslytherin @maruchan77 @simonsbluee @kwyloz @masteroperator

obx tags: @milkiane @lilgoddesshines @sexytholland

ttds tags: @aaleksmorozova @everyonesannoyedwithme @sunnysidee-up @onlygetaway @itsalexwin @hanniebee33 @grimesrheee @lurkymurker

#rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron x you #rafe x reader #rafe cameron obx #rafe cameron fic #rafe fic #outer banks x reader #obx x reader #rafe cameron series #sadie writes #AGAIN I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG #like how many times do you apologize for ghosting your readers #because ill do it

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kimnjss · 2 years

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dangerous territory | jhs

⤑ series: candy girl ⤑ pairing: rapper!hoseok x stripper!reader ⤑ genre: club scene. slight smut. sex work… night life(?) ⤑ rating: explicit (18+) ⤑ word count: 3.6K // unedited. ⤑ warnings: some more shy hoseok... but random spouts of confidence! hinting at family issues, yn is still very much abt her money! ⤑ A/N: and we’re back! i hope y’all are imagining hobipalooza hobi while you’re reading this bc that’s exactly what i’m doing LOL - anyway ., let me know what you thinkkk x

[ feel free to buy me a coffee! ]

MARCH 15TH, 2022 | 14:47

The club is different at this time of day. You look different. Still in a relatively revealing outfit, but you seem a lot more relaxed walking around. He even spots you laughing along with one of the guys at a table as you set his plate of food down in front of him. It's a genuine laugh too, cheeks going all round and pretty and your eyes squinting. And Hoseok's positive he's never seen you like that at night.

He's waving you over as soon as he gets the chance. You're standing at the bar, laughing with the girl behind there as you refill your water pitcher. And he loves the way your smile doesn't fall when your eyes find his. Hoseok has found himself a spot further from the stage than he'd normally choose, a tall table close to the kitchen he had seen you coming out of when he first walked in. He ignores how pathetic that makes him sound too.

Just like you had done the last time he was here, you're greeting him with a bright smile – setting a napkin down in front of him before you're filling his glass up with water. “You do know we just opened, right?” You're saying through a laugh and he doesn't miss the bit of familiarity in your tone. “Only alchies and cheating husbands show up this early.” With one look around the dimly lit club, your point is proven.

There are a total of five other people in this club, besides himself and the staff. Two guys sat far from each other at the bar, both looking like this is not their first drink – though it was still early afternoon. A man sat up close to the stage, watching the amateur dancers and whooping each time they stumble. And two more at the table you had just served, scarfing down those weird zucchini poppers and he makes a mental note to tell Yoongi that people do actually come here for the food.

Right now, though, he's searching for a reason for showing up so early that didn't make him sound like a complete creep. 'I had lunch nearby and I knew you'd be working, so I wanted to say hi.' That would earn him a slap across the face no doubt. 'I was in the neighborhood', sounds even lamer. He wished he had thought about this before he had called you over because now you were looking at him with an expectant look in your eye – clearly waiting for an answer... so he's saying the only thing he can think of.

“I wanted to see you.” You feel the warmth spread throughout your body as soon as the words leave his lips. Not sure if it's the way he's looking at you as he says it or the fact that he's managed to make you curious in the few times that you've met, but you don't bother to hide the giggle that falls from your lips – brow cocking slightly as you move to close the space between your bodies. You catch the way his Adam's Apple bobs as you near him, so you don't hesitate with dropping your hand on his thigh.

Hoseok uses the hands farthest from you to reach for his water, gulping it back as he tries to act like your tits aren't pressed against his arm. But also thanking all that is Holy that they are. You're so close that he can smell the sweetness of your perfume and he's thankful he sprayed a bit more before leaving his car to come in here. He smells expensive to you, a familiar scent which name you never cared to remember the name of. He smelt the same way when he had come for a dance the other night too.

You hadn't realized how much you liked it until now. Convincing yourself you're only playing the part, you lean in... dragging the tip of your nose over his cheek until your lips are just inches from his ear. Cool breath brushing over the shell of it. “You wanted to see me do what?” You're mumbling and he's shooting you that same wide-eyed stare that he had the other day at lunch.

He seemed to always be looking at you in that way. As if he couldn't believe you were real and actually that close to him. And he never bothered to mask it either, no matter how much his friend teased him about it. You thought it was cute in a way. He was this big star, according to Jungkook, and the unbelievably long and unsolicited origin story he had given you on the way to lunch – and yet here he was, starstruck over just you.

It was cute. That dazed look in his eye is paired with a pink tint to his cheeks, long fingers tapping against his cool glass. “You're gonna kill me,” He's saying through a chuckle, head shaking slightly. “Can I buy a dance?” His forwardness shocks you, but you try not to let it show. You can't help but wonder how long it took him to gain the courage to ask, not like you were going to refuse either way. You're backing away with a shrug of your shoulders, stretching your arm out to him – fingers wiggling in invitation.

“It's your money. I'll take you back, right now. You'll let me finish serving me tables, right?” He's nodding dumbly, fingers intertwining with yours as he lets you lead him back. It's not a far walk in the slightest bit, but you can't ignore the warmth that spreads throughout your palm and up your arm. As well as the soothing way he strokes his thumb over the back of your hand the entire way.

You're quick to drop his hand as soon as you're entering the room, pointing in the direction of the couch. Shaking off the fuzzy feeling that's taken up your chest. Expression stoic as you stare at him. “Wait here for me, I'll be back in five.” You're turning before he's able to acknowledge his words, making your way back onto the floor. Taking your time finishing up your tables and at the same time trying to calm your mind.

MARCH 15TH, 2022 | 15:13

Hoseok is waiting exactly where you left him when you're reentering the room. Body leaned comfortably against the couch as he scrolls through his phone. He's perking up when he hears you entering, a pretty smile spreading across his lips. One that you're quick to return, pulling the curtain closed behind you as you step further into the room.

“Look at you waiting so nicely,” You tease. “Can you give me a second to undress?” Pointing in the direction of the dressing room and his eyes follow your hand. Already moving to walk that way, assuming his answer. So imagine your surprise when you're a few inches from the room and he's speaking up before you can lift your shirt.

He sounds just as shy as he always does. “You can keep that on, actually...” Instinctively, you're peaking down at what you're wearing. Uniform much different than what you're required to wear during your nightshifts. Right now you were in a checkered black and white cropped shirt, stopped just below your breasts, and a pair of shorts that could easily be classified as underwear. Not exactly the most modest of outfits, but wouldn't he much rather prefer you naked?

Unless... “A strip tease costs more, you know.” You're clarifying because a lot of people don't know it. Strip teases take a lot more effort and energy than a regular lap dance, so they cost more – simple. The laugh he's letting out confuses you, even more, head shaking from side to side, the long strands of hair following the movement. It looks soft, but you don't let your mind wander any further than that.

“No like... Can we talk for a minute?” What could he possibly want to talk about when the chance to see you naked was on the table? If that's all he wanted, you could've stayed with your tables and made some more money on tips while talking to him. But, the customer is always right – so you're quick to shrug your shoulders. “It's your money.” You say easily, making your way over to where he sits.

It's almost too natural, the way you slip into his lap. As if that was your seat and you were just claiming it. Not sure when you started to feel so comfortable around him or even why, and you're not sure if you should fight it or not. It had to be the fact that he was so clearly into you – but did very little about it. He was shy... and kinda sweet, nothing like the guys of his status that you met on the day-to-day. It was refreshing.

So you're sitting in your lap and just like you expected, he doesn't push his luck. Hesitant before he's lifting an arm to wrap around your waist. Loosely, until he's sure that you're not going to protest – then he's tightening his grip a bit – pulling your body further into his lap. And you're instantly engulfed in his expensive scent.

“What do you want to talk about?” Your legs swing back and forth between his, an arm lifting to wrap around the back of his neck and his stomach does as many flips as he expects. Maybe he's finally starting to gain some confidence around you or the sight of your tits peaking from the hem of your shirt was too distracting... one of those two. He's shaking the dirty thought away, reminding himself why he came here in the first place.

To see you, yes. But also to get to know you. He couldn't do much of that under the arrangement the two of you had, so this was the next best option. Even if he had to fork up a great amount of cash just to get you alone. You were interesting to him. He wanted to know you, inside and out. “Tell me how you got here,” He starts, catching the slight wrinkle of your brow – head cocking to the side.

“I drove... in a car,” You say it like it's the most obvious thing in the world and he's rolling his eyes because he knows you know what he meant. A low laugh falling from his lips, the tips of his fingers brushing against your waist. It sends shivers down your spine for some reason. “You know what I mean,” His head tilts so he can get a better look at your face and you're only now realizing this is the first time you've actually looked at him this close.

He's a lot more handsome than you thought. “What made you want to become a dancer?” He tries to be more direct, figuring that was the best approach when it came to you. And then instantly regretting it with the weird look you're giving him. “You mean, do I have daddy issues or what I an orphan or something crazy like that?” You don't mean to sound as annoyed as you do, it's a reflex.

People always made the same assumption after you told them what you did for work. 'What are you a high school dropout or something?'. Which was true, but never nice to hear with the animosity that came with it. And even though, Hoseok didn't have a bit of judgment in his tone – you couldn't help but prepare for what was to come next. Though, he looks like he genuinely didn't mean any harm by his question.

He thinks of his next words carefully. “Yeah... but no, since you're looking at me crazy.” Nervous laughter bubbles in his chest and you're deciding to give him the benefit of doubt. “It would be shallow to say I like the attention,” You're smiling and he's taking that as a sign that he's still in your good graces. Relief washes over his body because the last thing he wanted to do was offend you.

“I'm a shallow guy, I wouldn't even blink twice.” He says through a laugh, loving the way your smile grows. “It's fun. And a great sport...” You continue. Shifting a bit further onto his lap, an arm lifting to wrap around his front, fingers clasped at the back of his neck. It takes everything in him not to pinch himself because there's no way you're this close – this comfortable in his lap right now. He doesn't dare move, though, to keep from ruining this for himself.

Breath hitching in his throat as you lean into him, “...with a bit of daddy issues mixed in there,” You're whispering like it's some big secret, lips brushing against the shell of his ear before you're moving back to put some space between your bodies again. “What about you?” Half of him is hearing you, the other half is wracking his brain for ideas on how to get you this close to him again.

Thankfully, he's paying enough attention to answer you properly. “Me? No daddy issues here... some mommy issues, though.” Your brow quirks slightly and he's letting out a laugh. “Don't worry, I”m not gonna have you swaddle me or change my diaper... maybe some breastfeeding, though.” The last part was not supposed to come out, and neither was the way his eyes dart to your chest – quickly realizing the way your nipples pebble against the fabric.

You weren't wearing anything under that tiny shirt and it didn't help that he knew exactly what you would look like if you decided to ditch everything. He's asked you enough times to play with them in the pictures and videos you'd send and now that's all he can think about with you on his lap. He barely hears the way you gasp, hand dropping to hit against your chest. And he's sure that he's fucked it all until he hears the giggles that you're letting out.

“That's not what I meant! You're sick.” You're dramatic with the way you cross your arms over your chest, turning your body away from him. And he can tell you're kidding, not really put off by how gross he's being – so he's deciding to be bold. Large hands reaching out to wrap around your wrists, easily pulling your arms away and wrapping them back around his neck. “You're cute. Let me look...” He's mumbling out and the deepness of his voice turns you on like mad.

You're blushing. Like a lot. All the way down your neck and he's proud of himself – figuring you don't look like that often. Especially with how quick you are to change the topic, bringing his attention back up to your face as you speak. “I meant, how did you end up where you are? Making music and all that,” His free hand is lifting to meet his other one, both resting at the small of your back and it's weird how comforting you find it.

He gives your question some real thought before his shoulders are lifting in a shrug. “I won't pretend that I haven't had an easy ride,” He's saying with a nod of his head. “I just like music. My best friend did all the heavy lifting of starting his own label and then hired me. Now I get to do what I like...” He can't help but feel bad, not knowing you well enough yet to guess what you've been through, and saying that he's had it easy seems dick-ish to him.

So he's quick to shift the attention back onto you. “And now I make enough money to spend it on you.” He coos, hand lifting so he's able to tap his finger against your nose. You're rolling your eyes at the cheesiness, despite the flutter in your chest. Hand reaching up to swat his away, as you lean back to put some distance between your bodies. “Got any more? Your time is almost up,” You're saying, though you haven't been timing it.

Which was so weird for you. Usually, you weren't even a second over. Wouldn't even consider sitting around and talking when you could be making much more money doing something else. But being around Hoseok was different and you didn't have the energy to explore what that could possibly mean. Instead, you're choosing to focus on the scandalized expression he's giving you – a loud gasp leaving his lips.

“You haven't even started dancing yet!” He protests and you're shrugging, moving to stand from his lap. “Hey. No one told you to talk my ear off,” He's quick to tighten his arms around your waist, keeping you from moving off completely – before digging in his pocket to fish out his wallet.

You're not even a little bit ashamed of how your eyes light up at the sight of the bills inside. He's pulling out three. “Here's three hundred. Tell me about your awkward teen years,” He says with a grin, pulling your body further into his lap.

MARCH 15TH, 2022 | 16:53

You're not sure how long you spend back here with Hoseok, the topics the two of you touched upon seeming to bounce around aimlessly. But you were enjoying yourself, really. He was much funnier than you, thought – actually interested in getting to know you and that wasn't something that you were used to. He wanted to know you and despite how weird it felt talking about yourself for that long – it was kinda nice.

He even got you to reveal your most embarrassing moment, bribing you with a story of his own. And that's how you started trading stories, laughing loudly at each other as if there wasn't a whole club on the other side of the curtain. Tables most likely filling up, considering how much time you've been back here. Tips to be made, yet, you couldn't bring yourself to get off of his lap.

“What's your ideal type?” He's asking moments after you've finished recounting the time you met Usher and refused his offer to follow him on tour. Jimin was pissed. And you know exactly what you're talking about, but you don't like what the question could lead to so you're playing dumb – brows furrowed as you tilt your head to the side. “For what?”

Hoseok doesn't mind further explaining himself, because he wants to know your answer. “For dating,” There it was. You're brushing off the question, the same way you did with the ones about your family. “I don't date,” You say simply with a shrug. And he knows that he should probably leave it alone. He was doing so well and had managed to learn a lot more about you than most. He should quit while he was ahead.

But he, like every other guy in the world, was greedy. So he's pushing on. “Why's that?” You're an expert at not giving more than you're willing to. A little silly that a dating question is where you draw the line when just a little while ago you were ready to get naked for this man. But your boundaries were yours. “I don't have the energy,”

“What's that mean?” His response is immediate and you're ready to give him another non-answer when the curtain is being pushed back. A cloud of messy blue curls popping through the entrance, Deb's dark eyes finding you. “Yn! What the fuck? We've been looking for you. Times up.” It's only now that you notice how much louder it is out there than it had been when you first entered the room.

You were so lost in the time you spent with him, you hadn't realized how busy it had gotten. Money walking in and out of the door. And to make matters worse, you had forgotten to charge him for the extra time you spent here with him. Now that was a problem. You're quick to stand from his lap and he's right behind you. “Wait.” His hand reaches out to wrap around your wrist, your gaze dropping.

He's quick to let go once he notices the wrinkle of your nose. You had just been all over him a second ago, so he doesn't understand the sudden shift in your demeanor – but he tries not to let it stunt him. Otherwise, the hour and forty minutes he spent in here with you – getting closer to you, would've been a waste. “Where can I find you when you're not here?” He'd keep coming here to see you if that was his only option, though, he was hoping it wasn't.

“You can't.” You were entering dangerous territory, but you were too distracted earlier to realize the direction this was taking. He was a client, a customer, and blurring those lines never ended well. “I mean... can I call you out?” He's trying again and you have to force yourself to ignore the tone of his voice, his shyness slowly creeping back and you hate that you find that cute.

Cute didn't pay the bills, though. Cute had every intention to raise your hopes past the moon only to shatter them as soon as you let your guard down. Yeah, you didn't need cute. What you needed was to get out there and focus. Forget cute. “Same answer.” You're saying dully, not allowing yourself to look at his face. Instead, you're turning away from him – shoving the curtain back once more as you step out onto the floor.

— you met online with him requesting to fund your lifestyle. no idea who he is or what he looks like, but his offer is too appealing to deny. so you agree, sure you’ll never meet this man in person. but what happens when a regular at your club seems to feel a bit too familiar…

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A/N: timestamps make sense throughout the fic. if u want to be added to the tag list, send me an ask! + if you’ve asked to be on my permanent taglist, you do not need to ask to be added to this one !!

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formulawrite · 2 years

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Sharing is caring PT. 1 // F. D.

Summary: Things get weird after an event

Warning: None

My first formal event was doing better than i expected, as a the first female f2 driver in history being 2nd in the middle of the championship i got a lot of backlash online and around the paddock, from coworkers and crew. some of the boys are nice and i managed to make a few friends, so when the planner was deciding the sitting arrangement, of course i ended up sandwiched between Felipe and clement. we raced each other since we were 12, we had a close bond, and when i joined f2 they followed me everywhere. i love those two.

the evening was nice, the boys looked cute in that suit, specially Felipe my stomach turned weirdly when i saw him, ever since we met i had a small crush on him but that went away as quickly as it came. my job tonight was play nice and find sponsors for myself, my dress was modest enough to be taken seriously, yet open enough so i can move around easily. something i didn't think it through, Monaco at night is really cold if you have spaghetti straps and a leg slit on you dress. Felipe obviously noticed, he always does, makes him a little more special in my heart.

"are you cold?" "yeah, this dress was not meant for the Monaco night breeze" i responded still shivering "here take my jacket" "no you don't ha-" i didn't even finished my sentence when i felt the warm material on my shoulders

"thank you"

“sharing is caring” he shrugged

i smiled in relief, the material felt warm on my skin, and filled with his strong perfume, that made me shiver again but not from the cold what was wrong with me today?

The night went on with some lame jokes made by a few team principals, even lamer jokes from the boys and a lot of walking around to meet everyone i could. Holding my heels on my hands by the end of it i decided to call it a night and give Felipe his jacket back. He was at our table talking to Clem and some blonde girl. Something turned inside me, maybe my feet are too sore?

"...sorry to interrupt i'm going back to the hotel, thank you for the jacket" i said in a tough tone and already sleeping the tux off of my shoulders

"you don't have to give it back now, aren't you cold?" he said pushing the tux back on me

"yes... so?" why did came out so bitchy?

"what are you going to freeze to death until you get to the hotel? you're already barefoot... you can give back to me later" he said with a sweet smile

"i think we're staying a while more" Clem chimed in looking at the girl "we are on the same floor, you'll hear us coming back" giving me a weird smile

"it is pretty cold here" the girl pointed out looking at me

"fine, i'll give take it to your room later" i say ignoring her, i'm tired and in pain i have the right to be a bitch just for one night

"...ok... i'll see you later then?" Felipe smiled happily at me, stupid smile, stupid hair, stupid brown eyes

"sure, bye" i don't even know if they listened i was already on my way to the door

The hotel was only two blocks from the party so i decided to walk back, they were right, it was cold, even with the jacket i was freezing. I got into my room i threw myself onto the bed so tired i started to drift to sleep. I was awoken by either a parade passing through the hallway or the party was officially over, i got up to opened the door, yep, second option. A lot of drunk people were getting into their rooms, mine was across from Mick Schumacher room, his girlfriend was singing an unidentified song and clinging onto him while he tried to get the door open, we exchanged a look and chuckle as she entered the room spinning and still singing. I walked to Felipe's room a down the hall hoping he was already back, i knocked once and heard footsteps rushing trough the small hallway inside, oh fuck me, the girl the boys were talking to opened the door with a wishful look on her that quickly turned into a disappointed one, my heart dropped to the floor looking at her at his door, in his room, no shoes, with the tv on, why do i care so much?

"hi i'm-" she started but i cut her of mid sentence

"i'm just here to return this have a nice night" almost throwing the jacket at her and storming off, i heard running behind me but i was already close to the elevators by then

"wait it's not what it looks like" Felipe jumped in front of me making me stop walking

"I'm sorry to interrupt your date, i'll text next time" i tried to get past him but he held me by my shoulders

"no no i wasn't doing anything i just- Clem is at the front desk" he said looking at me like he just solved a riddle

"good for him?"

"no i- he lost his key card and had to get another from he front desk so he asked me to take her to my room so she wouldn't be alone in the hallway so she's in there waiting for him to get back i was just trying to make her comfortable while waiting for him that's all" he spat it all at once not even breathing between sentences

"you don't have explain anything to me" it came out as a whisper, i started to get nervous, he was still holding onto my shoulders and he was close, way to close

"i know but i wanted to" he whispered back looking at my lips, yeah we were too close. he look into my eyes and closed the gap between us, the kiss was better than i imagined, i filled my hands with his soft hair when he pressed me against the wall next to the elevator and touched my tongue with his, he'll be the death of me, one of his hands firm on my waist while the other slipping inside the slit of my dress to grab my thigh and hook it around his waist, he'll definitely be the death of me, the kiss got more deep and urgent as his hand on my waist started to lift up my dress to my breasts. We heard the ding of the elevator and quickly separated, when the doors opened Clem got out playing with his new card, he stopped to look at Felipe and me back and forth

"well goodnight to both of you, having fun?" he said smirking, i looked everywhere but his face to hide my red burning one

"we... where... just talking" I couldn't help but chuckled, his hair was messed up, shirt fumbled, he was clearly hiding his bulge with hands and his lips were smudged by my red lipstick, Clem laughed too looking at him up and down

"anyway i'll go pick up my girlfriend if you don't mind " he said still amused, girlfriend?

"uhm ok sure she's yeah ok" his face almost matched the shade of the smudges

"great, Have fun children" Clem left winking at me.

We didn't talked we just stayed there without speaking when it hit me, i just made out with my friend, a coworker, a rival kind of in a hallway with cameras for the world to see, i panicked

"i have to go" i scrambled wide eyed lifting my dress a bit

"hold on" he tried to stop me but i was faster

"sorry i'll see you tomorrow" i yelled back while running inside my own room and slamming the door behind me stupid, stupid, stupid i threw myself on the bed and screamed into my pillow, what was i thinking? clearly i wasn't or this wouldn't have happened. Not even a second later the card at the door took me back to reality, Maxine, my PR and roommate comes in running

"you have to go" Wait i just said that "like now"

"why?"

"i met this girl at the event and she is really hot and really into me BUT her roommate isn't much of an ally like you" she told me smiling desperately

"you know i'm straight right?"

"no?"

"no? you’ve seen me kiss girls before"

"well i thought it was in a fun-straight-girl party-way-whatever, no offense, but i don't a threesome with you right now so can you please go?"

i sighed already getting up

"fine, but keep things in your bed, and if something happens in the bathtub please clean it before i use it" she gave a little scream and ran out of the room, before i even walk out the door, a tall redhead who gave me a sweet smile and a shy hi before being dragged inside

"I LOVE YOU" she screamed and waved before shutting the door

"yeah yeah me too" waving back.

shit

i sat on the floor, i had nowhere to go,

well, i had one place i could go, no.

but sitting on this gross hotel floor is the better option?

if i go there things will get very weird very fast. so the floor it is.

but after that kiss i want things to get weird fast.

i kept debating with myself before i even realized i was knocking on the door

"hey"

"hi"

Note: This is my first fic i ever posted in my life so... there you go, i do have a part 2 unfinished where thing get a bit spicy

#felipe drugovich #felipe drugovich fic #f2 #f2 fic

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rwby-encrusted-blog · 1 year

Text

Ruby: The main four factions of Fallout 4 are all garbage!

Ruby: The Minute Men? Militaristically the weakest when you start, being literally One Guy, and the group of survivors that are sticking around him! Then you save One Little settlement of TWO PEOPLE, and ALL of a sudden he thinks you're hot shit. And y'know what? They can become arguably the strongest faction in the game. They get Artillery, you can build robots, and they get access to the Mechanist Facility, which one could feasibly just Reprogram the robots idea of 'Safety', but Bethesda are cowards, and same could be said of Nuka-World, but like. Whatever, even without that, you can build the Minutemen up anyway!

Ruby: The problem is that it's UP TO YOU!

Ruby: YOU'RE THE ONLY THING BETWEEN THEM AND OBLIVION!

Ruby: And their also just 'Generally Good Guys' with nothing more than 'I wanna Help People' as a motive, but I suppose I'm one to talk, but for all those settlements to just agree? Kinda lame.

She drinks a glass of water, before taking a deep breathe.

Ruby: Now, the Railroad? Ignoring the very blatant and very poor - I can't Even call it a Ripoff! It straight up is just taking directly from the actual, historical underground railroad! But ignoring that major, somewhat probably racist copying of an important part of history, They just suck.

Ruby: Tunnel-Visioned on, yes a noble cause, but wholly uncaring about the after effects of their actions on those they save, or making the Commonwealth better so they can really give the synths a new life, BUT NO!

Ruby: They sit in their little hovel, preaching about freeing slaves, but not helping anyone around them, and as such making themselves weaker. Now I get that they need to be stealthy, but they are just so bad in terms of effectiveness, and you know, changing their keys and Signs, and passwords, that they aren't good at the whole espionage thing!

Ruby: They don't even operate in cells! A big part of resisting something is being able to survive despite a section missing! Like splitting an army to force the enemy to fight on two fronts! But they maintain a generic centralized power structure, Severely Weakening their ability to recuperate from any losses of leaders!

Ruby Groans, pinching her nose, preparing for another rant.

Ruby: The Brotherhood, I refuse to waste much breathe on. They are just a racist, selfish military force, effectively the goddamn Imperium of Man from Warhammer, but like, way lamer.

Ruby: They live in a goddamn Zeppelin -

Ruby: and it is a Zeppelin due to the rigid structure that maintains its shape-

Ruby: filled with Hydrogen. I suppose large supplies of helium would probably be hard to come by in post apocalypse, but, bearing in mind I'm not a particle physicist, when you have FUSION TECHNOLOGY, Could you possibly fuse Helium into Hydrogen? Maybe try something like that? or possibly not keep your Elder in a ticking time bomb? If a storm rolls in, and some grounding equipment fails, KABLOOEY! DEAD! GONE!

Ruby takes another sip of water

Ruby: Honestly the biggest fault of those three was the fact they decided to blow up the Institute, instead of using it's teleportation tech, it's computer and medical resources, or even just taking fresh clothes?

Ruby: *Sigh*

Ruby: Which leads into the worst of the factions.

Ruby: The Institute. The Cowardly, Self-Centered, Hypocritical, Ham-Fisted, Hot-Headed Institute.

Ruby: The first attempt at communication and working with the Commonwealth fell through, so they kill whoever, they want to take over the commonwealth so they start replacing people with high-quality synths, they're supposed to be smart, but can hardly work together, They rely heavily on using force to communicate with the outside, while relying upon outside resources to stay alive.

Ruby: And the worst part?

Ruby: They constantly Contradict themselves.

Ruby: The Institute wants to be "Mankind: Redefined" But when the very human Synths begin to show humanity, they kill those synths.

Ruby: The creation made with the express purpose to be a better mankind, is often destoyed, because they show signs of humanity.

Ruby: So that's mostly what's wrong with the Fallout 4 base game Factions.

Weiss, Tied to a chair and Crying: Please! I Just wanted to play a Dress-Up game in the computer!

Ruby: NOW THE DLC FACTIONS-

#rwby #ruby rose #weiss schnee #long post #rwby shitpost #incorrect rwby quotes #rwby incorrect quotes

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aretaix · 5 months

Text

Don't Go Where I Can't Follow

Chapter 1: A Reunion

A few years after graduating from the School of Sorcery, Lala receives a letter from an old friend requesting her aid in a dungeon-crawl. Set in an canon-divergent universe following Final Exam.

Read on SqWA

Topics: Lala/Arle, Lala & Camus, Camus & Arle, unrequited love, canon divergence, canon typical violence

There will still be some references to the Puyo Puyo continuity.

Word count: 1.6k

It all started with a letter. A letter from beyond the village, at that. Lala had never stepped foot outside of the village all of her life -- nothing besides a few odd jobs on errands to nearby villages. So a letter from outside of town, addressed to her of all people, was quite unusual. Though now she was regretting even opening the thing in the first place. Sitting in a dingy, dark pub wasn't how she'd been planning on spending her afternoon off. But... It's not like she really had plans.

Her life had devolved into a monotonous routine: help her parents at the temple, help out at the school, do errands and run deliveries here and there, and on it went.

It really had become dull without Arle to entertain everyone with tales of her adventures. ...Lala didn't realize just how long she was going to be away.

"Is Lala here?" A familiar voice came from the entrance. It wasn't the voice of the blue armor clad girl she was thinking of, but the voice of a dashing young man with dark hair and blue eyes that matched his magical earpieces. "Thank you," he thanked the barkeep and approached Lala's table, waving at her. "Lala! It's good to see you." He approached her for a hug, which Lala awkwardly returned after scrambling to her feet.

"Camus!" Lala blushed, "Wh-what are you doing here?" Camus let go of her and pat her head, causing her cheeks to redden more. "I received a letter in the mail today, can you guess who it was from?" Lala hid her dumbfounded expression, she thought Arle had only asked for her! Her letter never mentioned Camus!

"Uhh, was it your grandma?"

"Hahah! An excellent guess, but no, no, it was from our friend Arle! She's coming back after all this time, and she wants me to help her on a nearby dungeon crawl!" Camus looked like he was about to burst with excitement. Sometimes, Lala felt like she was the older between the two. He really hadn't changed even after all this time, always bombastic and wearing that stupid, silly, dreamy smile on his face. He had been their senior at the School of Sorcery, but he never had any dreams of exploring beyond his village to expand his knowledge. Somehow, he seemed perfectly happy staying behind to assist with running the school, and at this rate, he was on track to become the next headmaster.

"Oh, what a coincidence!" Lala turned around to hide her reddening face and pulled her own letter from her satchel. "She sent me one too!"

"She mentioned you in my letter, that's why I was looking for you." Lala's head turned around quick as lightning.

"She what?! She never mentioned you in my letter..." Lala frantically skimmed it again. This was so embarrassing...!

“I think she wrote mine after yours, haha, it sounded like she was worried that you wouldn't come along without...some kind of incentive?" He shrugged.

"Not sure what I have to offer you, though." Lala grinned in an effort to disguise her gritted teeth.

"Great," she said sarcastically. "Damn it Arle! And damn it Camus! How can you both be so boneheaded in two different ways?!" she thought to herself.

"Well, it'll be fun to see her! Let's both do our best, Lala!" He struck a pose that could be called...heroic if it wasn't so lame. She sighed, dreamily as she could. Though she couldn't shake the feeling that he'd just become lamer and lamer as the years went by.

"Yeah, let's give it our all," Lala said halfheartedly.

"Hey, you two!" The two mages turned around to see a familiar face. Arle grabbed Camus' hand and pulled him into a one-armed hug, who returned it gladly, and then did the same for Lala, who returned it...awkwardly.

"It's so great to see you after so long!" Arle beamed at them. Her skin had tanned from being in the sun so long, and her hair had a certain glow to it that it lacked before. She looked the same and yet, something about her almost blinded Lala.

"So, how have things been? I've really wanted to write more, but you know how I am."

"Things have been peaceful around here," Camus said. "A bit too peaceful, if you ask me. I was delighted to receive your letter the other day."

"Good!" Arle clapped her hands in delight. "I saw this dungeon was just nearby, so I knew it'd be perfect to invite you two along. And it's the best way to catch up."

"Guu!" A mysterious voice chimed in, and Lala realized that a small, furry creature with long ears and a strange jewel set into its forehead was standing attentively at Arle's feet.

"You're still hanging out with that...thing?" Lala pointed hesitantly to the yellow-furred creature.

"Huh? You mean Carby? Of course it's still with me!" Arle scratched its forehead. "I go everywhere with it. I don't think I could imagine adventuring without the little guy anymore."

"It's excellent to have a companion with you on your travels, I say," Camus exclaimed and raised a tankard. "Arle, would you like a drink as well?"

"Camus! This isn't a time to be drinking," Lala scolded before Arle could respond.

"What? It's a special occasion to see an old friend. Besides, we're old enough now." Camus nudged one of the containers against Lala's shoulder, but her nose wrinkled at the bitter smell of the alcohol.

"Haha, well, I suppose it wouldn't be any good for a temple girl to be caught drinking in the middle of the day." Lala rolled her eyes while Camus and Arle both laughed, her ears turning red from the conversation topic.

"Hahaha! Man this really brings me back, but I'll have to turn you down on the drink offer, I'm kind of getting sick of the stuff really..." Arle refrained from saying more when she felt the daggers from Lala’s glare.

"A-Anyway, let's get down to what I really wanted to ask you guys about!" From her worn bag, she pulled out a map covered in familiar and unfamiliar runes. Evidently, a ruin was unearthed near their home village and word was traveling fast! Adventurers were already flocking to it by the dozens, and Arle wanted to be among the first to get there before everything cool about it was snatched up by treasure hunters and merchants. It was unusual for her to dungeon crawl with others, Arle had always been a solo player, but it seemed that she wanted some extra muscle and support to back her up in case things got hairy.

"So? What do you guys think?" Lala and Camus looked at each other, then nodded back at Arle.

"Of course we'll help you," Lala reassured her.

"Yes, yes, anything for a friend of ours," Camus chimed in.

"Thanks, I knew I could count on you guys!" The three cheered and joined hands, and Carbuncle jumped onto the table and put his paw in with the rest.

******

The sun sunk below the treeline, tinting the sky a rich red. Together the party of three adventurers left the pub and walked to their respective homes. Arle was eager to see her mother again, so she dashed on without the other two. With Carbuncle in tow, the other two mages watched her bound off with the energy of a 6 year old girl. She found herself almost wanting to chase after her, but stopped when she realized she was with Camus. Her. Alone with Camus. She just registered the situation she was in. With her hands gripping her skirt, she looked up at him and smiled, grateful that the low light was hiding her flushed expression.

"Shall we head home?"

"Yes, let's." They walked side by side, occasionally interrupted by other villagers making their way home and by children playing in the low light, trying to make the most of the sun before it went to bed. Lala's breathing gradually steadied and she stole another glance at his face. He'd grown into such a fine young man, and her parents had always asked her if her childhood crush would ever bloom into a true romance, but...she'd never managed to work up the courage. The question could just never come up naturally, and there was always an apprehensive feeling that followed her when she thought of her love for Camus...

"She's certainly grown, hasn't she?" Camus broke the silence.

“Huh?"

"Arle," he clarified. "She's the same at her core, of course but it seems her time away from home has truly honed her into a fine sorceress."

"I suppose so... She could still stand to learn some manners," Lala harrumphed and turned her nose up, only for Camus to laugh.

"Ah, but then she wouldn't be Arle, would she?" "...You're right," Lala murmured dejectedly. The tomboy who just won the spirits' favor by sheer luck was really Arle, through and through, always going wherever the wind took her -- but something about her now really blinded Lala...metaphorically.

Somehow, the way she had grown in the few years she was away from the village made Lala want to see more of her. Unlike Camus, who had stayed in the village his whole life and was right there for Lala to have a life with, there was an urgency for her to be with Arle's side. Where had this come from?

“Ah, here I am. I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early!" Her train of thought was interrupted by Camus taking his leave and walking down the path to his home. She waved wordlessly to him with a small smile stuck on her rosy cheeks, but unlike earlier, she felt no desire to chase him down the path.

#puyo puyo #madou monogatari #arle nadja #lala #camus #fanfic #don't go where I can't follow #sfw

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randomwriteronline · 1 year

Text

"Still snowing?"

"Still snowing."

"Hm."

Ingo watched from where he laid on the floor, cheeks warm from a glass of liquor, as Melli stoked the fire a bit more.

"You know," he said suddenly, "On evenings like this Gaeric goes out and grabs a handful of snow, and puts it in the water."

"Well, I'm not Gaeric." Melli replied bitterly.

"Neither am I," Ingo just responded, missing the animosity completely in his tipsy state: "I haven't got the faintest idea as to why he would do such a thing. Making the water cold when it's already cold outside. I should ask him, but it keeps evading my mind."

"You should go to sleep."

"I'd like to talk to you, though."

"About what?"

"In general. I like talking. I like talking to you. We can talk about Gliscors if you want. I know you think they're nice. Did you know that they rip the fur off of where they're biting with their tongue and spit it out so it doesn't get in their mouth? I saw it on a Swinub. It was a lot of fur."

A hum that was more like a grunt came to his ear.

The younger warden tapped his foot impatiently while looking into the flames. He stood, walking barefoot up to his lover, and laid face down next to him with his mouth buried between his arms.

Ah, the foreigner thought lazily.

He's angry.

He waited in silence, without complaining, because the hut was warm and his mind pleasantly fuzzy, and he could smell the faintest flowery scent come from his beloved's tangled hair. Oh, he must have been seriously angry, if he wasn't even quietly asking to be preened.

Lilac blue eyes refused to meet his gaze and pointedly stared right ahead. Then he huffed, hid his face completely, pulled it back out in the open.

"I don't like this."

"This being?"

"This. You and me and him."

"Ah. The... Arrangement, that we have?"

He nodded.

With a whine, he shoved his eyes back down against his arms: "I can't stand hearing about him," he whimpered. "Even when it's only you and me and he's miles away he still manages to snivel into any conversation we have like a damn Ghastly slipping through the cracks of a wall. It makes me want to scream. I detest him. It feels like even when it's my turn I'm just the lamer option. Second best as usual. I can't get a damn victory for myself even when my opponent agreed on a tie by proxy."

A stout white arm reached beneath his stomach and pulled him as if to invite him a little closer. He didn't resist it, down in the dumps and filled with an uneasy anger as he was feeling; he allowed himself to be pulled onto Ingo's chest and rested his head between his lover's clavicles. Somewhat humid lips pressed gently kiss after kiss on his head, accompanied by a slow hand carefully smoothing the long hair falling all over his back, and allowed a sniffle to escape him.

"I like talking about you two, you know," Ingo murmured. "You're great and I adore you. I have to share that with someone. But the only people I can talk about you two with... It's always just you two again. And it seems like... It's really that neither of you enjoy that."

"So he told you first?"

"Hm, no, no. He's an open book, but he doesn't say those things plainly..."

He combed through a lilac blue knot and felt his darling curl up a little more on him, wrapping slender arms around his shoulders.

"You should meet up more often."

"I'd rather die," Melli immediately hissed.

"That might be a bit drastic."

"I don't want anything to do with him."

A scarred finger curled one of his locks around itself and gently pulled until it all fell off once more: "You're both lovely men," the older warden argued softly, "Lovely men to be around, lovely to get to know. You would see that, if you met more often. You wouldn't even have to talk if you don't want to."

"And what do you think we should do, then? Just stand around each other like laundry poles?"

"Yes!"

"You're drunk."

"Not at all. It's called... I don't know how it's called. Socializing, I think. It's when you - hold on, it's when you take... Two, uh... Hm..."

"Take your time."

"Yes, with time -"

"No, I meant you take your time."

"Ah! No, no, I've got it. It's... Not a Glameow, but close."

"Purugly."

"Not a Purugly either."

"Stunky."

"No, not - Umbreon? I think it might be Umbreons. Are Umbreons canine or feline? Anyways. Socializing. It's when you get, you get two Umbreons, and you teach them to get along. And you put them somewhere together and don't do anything."

"And how would that help?"

"Because they get used to each other. If they try to attack each other you stop them of course, but the trick is to leave them be, so they each go around minding their business around the house, or around wherever it is you put them to be, and that's how they get used to each other and learn to get along."

Melli huffed, thoroughly unconvinced: "He'd start growling at me after five minutes. No way a guy like him could get socialized."

"Yes, I figure you'd know. Your clan didn't do that well with you either."

Ingo allowed himself a couple somewhat raucous laughs when a slender hand hit his cheeks with little force and his darling shoved his angry face deeper into his sternum, obviously wanting to sulk alone in a corner all piqued as he was, yet at the same time unwilling to leave the comfortable warm human mattress in favor of sitting on the cold pavement all by himself.

He interrupted his chuckling to sink his nose into the smooth silky hair, giving a gentle sigh. His arms tightened a little more around the lean body in his hold as he hummed, his tone a mixture of feelings being stirred slowly in a pan.

"I love you so very terribly," he murmured.

"Well, I don't see that," the younger man replied maybe a tad too harsh.

His annoyance melted when a hand cupped his nape with all the fondness in the world, and he regretted lashing out.

The foreigner leaned his jaw against the other's head: "I love you so, so much and I don't want you to be miserable because of me," he continued ever so softly: "You've already done so much - both of you, you've done so much to adapt for me and it still feels bad and it breaks my heart. I was so happy when you said you'd- when you told me you talked and figured it out. It surprised me a lot. I was really, really happy. It means a lot that you did, it really does. But if you aren't happy with this, I can't be happy if you two aren't, I can't... I don't want you to be miserable because of - because I can't choose."

Him not managing to choose was the only reason Melli even got the chance to be like this, warmed up on a cold night held by and holding the man he had fallen for despite his stupid superiority charade, or at least that was how he saw it; so he tightened his embrace a little and thought twice before complaining about that.

For a short while the hut was only filled by the soft crackling of fire and silent kisses on lilac hair.

"I can stop talking about him if you want me to," Ingo spoke up again very softly. "I can catch myself doing that and stop it."

"... You'd do that?"

Maybe it wasn't the right thing to say in such a hopeful tone at that moment.

"Sure," the other still replied earnestly.

Melli deflated with a sigh: "Thank you."

The chest he was laying on reverberated with a low sleepy hum, buzzing against his cheek without a real melody but soothing him all the same.

With his eyes closed he felt his beloved first gently tug at his long locks as he wrapped tham around his fingers, then play the back of his ribs like a drum with gentle pats, evidently unable to keep his hands idle now that conversation topics were languishing.

The younger warden's mind wandered for a short while instead; it rotated the words within his skull with a mixture of guilt and some kind of pouting emotion he didn't manage to put a name to it, something that whined and lamented a lot on several things like a spoiled Eevee. He shoved it away with his foot half-heartedly, only for it to start whimpering louder into his ear and stomping its paws on his face with an insistence that grated his nerves into fine dust in no time at all.

Sinnoh bless him! Was this how it felt to be nagged so much by something so bothersome? It almost convinced him to give up on his haughty mask out of pity for humanity as a whole.

It shrieked and threw another tantrum, and he swatted at it so angrily that it was launched right out the window.

"The other side of the mountain would be closer to him," he finally settled on mumbling, still half hoping he wouldn't be heard out of scornful pride.

"Him who?"

"Him. For meeting."

His human mattress had a jolt, white eyes opening wide in a flash to look at him in utter surprise: "You'd do that?" he asked with a voice that despite the alcohol's dizziness was terribly excited.

"Only to try," Melli replied as fast as he could. "And if nothing changes after three times I'll give up on it completely."

Fine by Ingo, if the way his frowning face lit up was any indication.

His darling managed to reply to his brilliant gaze for a handful of quiet minutes; then, overwhelmed by the blinding enthusiastic joy it was emitting, he pushed slender pale hands over the cheeks and eyes and nose and lips to cover up the entirety of that so loved visage, complaining with a groaning hiss of it being 'too bright!'.

He was squeezed just tightly enough in stouter arms with a guttural, overjoyed laugh.

#pokémon #pokemon legends arceus #submas ingo #warden melli #highlandsshipping #random writing #snowmobileshipping #its not the focus but it plays a fairly important role even if gaeric is only ever mentioned #WELCOME TO ANOTHER installment of Ingo And His Boyfriends today i bring you: keeping the policule healthy #and by that i mean planning to socialize your bfs like cats so theyll hopefully get along better #and have a generally healthier relationship between each other #since a polyamory cannot flourish unless all parties are comfy with being in it #melli and gaeric hearing ingo talk abt each to the other: i need to wrangle that fucker like a shammie #melli and gaeric after actually getting to know each other a little: wow suddenly im feeling so much better

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ac-liveblogs · 2 months

Note

Tbf we're very rarely called "trailblazer" as an exclusive title in the dub, it's always he/she/they big sister/brother or just skipping over our name entirely. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm p sure every time we're referred to as a trailblazer in the text as part of AN expedition of trailblazers?

As for us being called trailblazers when we're actually just retreading Akivili's journey…to be fair some worlds the crew has never been to in their lifetimes, even if they do have info about them in the archives (belobog, penacony), and even then they've changed in the meantime.

But you have a point. It really takes the wind out of my sails when I'm the only one in the crew who doesn't know what's going on in a new planet... Where's the fun if we're not discovering it together?

And bring back the broken tracks! I miss that plot point, at least it'd make a bit more sense if we were focusing on reconnecting the universe before making new paths (not that it has been explained how non-trailblazers make use of those paths, I don't think. We know inter-world travel isn't possible without them, but I want specifics!!)

That's true, but it is intended to be our title. And like, we're not trailblazers. Being a trailblazer implies you're discovering somewhere new or opening a new path, being some level of revolutionary - us going to Belobog and reintroducing it to the rest of the universe was one thing, but Penacony is a tourist trap and the Xianzhou Luofu is part of a huge and well-established interstellar fleet, we're not exactly treading new ground here. You're not doing anything revolutionary or 'blazing a trail for others to follow' by going to Disneyland even if it was for the first time.

I think you're right that this would feel a lot better if we were reconnecting all these planets so people can travel between them. Honestly this game reminds me a lot of Kingdom Hearts - opening the pathways between worlds was a big part of that series, and there was definitely a sense of discovery because we often had no idea where we were going and those worlds had no or very little idea about other worlds.

It's something I really loved about the first Kingdom Hearts, to be honest - seeing people displaced from their own destroyed worlds and trying to build a new life somewhere else while you tried to save the universe was fun. The Legion really are just a lamer version of the Heartless...

#replies #ac plays hsr

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rjshepherd · 2 years

Text

Billy Hargrove SFW Alphabet

so i tried to have this done last night and then fell asleep at W. oops.

long post below the cut

Billy SFW

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

As I'm sure we’re all aware, Billy is incredibly touch starved. Actually, the poor boy is affection starved in general. He doesn't really know how to show affection that isn't in a transactional way. i.e you make him feel good and he’ll do the same thing for you. He can be affectionate in a very superficial way, charming words and small presents and little touches. To Billy this isn't really affection, this is just what's expected of him by the people who want him. It's just a script he follows, he doesn't get any real enjoyment out of it.

I think of him like a skittish cat. You need to warm him up a little with your affection before he feels safe enough to give it back. Be genuine and start small and don't expect anything back. EVENTUALLY he will realise this relationship is different and let his walls down a little. Billy likes to share as his love language: he gives you his jacket, some of his food, his tapes, a sip of his drink etc. he likes to share space with you but only you're alone, pda squicks him out.

Once he's comfortable, Billy will literally take any affection you want to give. You wanna softly squidge his face and give him kisses? Cool! wanna call him over to taste what you're cooking? Nice! You got him something dumb from a gift shop in another state? Sweet it's going on his fireplace forever now. I will say that since he is so unaccustomed to affection, it's going to take a while for him to realise what you're doing IS affection and probably even longer for him to start reciprocating. But when he does? Oh boy you won't be able to get away from it.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Absolute nightmare lets get that straight right away. Billy would treat you like any other friend at the start: you go to parties neither of you are really interested in, kicking your ass at basketball and generally making a nuisance of himself at your house. But the more he does it, the lamer his excuses get. It’s obvious that it's not you he really wants to hang out with, at least not at first. He just wants an out, an excuse not to go back to cherry lane and be stuck in the house with neil. Of course you know he’s only prolonging the inevitable, and staying out all night with the excuse he had one beer at dinner at yours and didn't want to drive home was never going to fly for long.

After a while he does genuinely start to enjoy hanging with you. It's a nice change of pace from always having to be ‘on’ in front of the others. You're his person, the first to hear news good or bad, his one phone call and the place he goes when things are bad at home. He comes by all hours of the day and night looking for company or even just a place to lay his head. He's over so often you might as well get him his own key.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Billy is a little afraid of physical contact for obvious reasons, particularly when he's not in control. For that reason I think you should let him do most of the initiating of contact, at least at the start. The way he flinches or jumps when someone or something touches him without warning is heartbreaking. Even before you hear the whole story, it's obvious something is up. At first I imagine he only cuddles in his sleep, subconsciously reaching out for comfort when he's under but pulling away again as soon as he wakes up. Eventually however he’ll want to purposefully fall asleep and wake up in contact with you. He likes being little spoon and if he's decided you can be trusted he’ll rarely be out of your space. Even if there's seats available you'll find him gradually creeping towards you until he winds up on your lap (or you on his). Maybe he’ll lean against your legs on the sofa or put his head in your lap. Any excuse to sit and chill with you.

I mentioned above he doesn't like any kind of pda but sometimes if he's feeling anxious, he’ll reach out and link pinky fingers with you. Just a little weight for reassurance and so you can't feel how clammy his hands are, he gets embarrassed by it.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Billy is very domestic but it's not really by choice. He learned by watching his mom essentially be a maid for his father, but being a child he didn't realise what was going on: he was just happy to spend time with her and I doubt she’d complain about having company or another pair of hands to do the laundry or cook dinner. When she left, Billy took over the majority of the housework. At first it was an attempt to keep the peace; Neil cant be angry if everything is perfect right? House tidy and dinner on the table and everything will be good. It never worked that way, Neil always found something to complain about and even if he didn't outright punish Billy he certainly knew how to make an atmosphere to the point Billy just stopped bothering by the time susan was on the scene.

In Hawkins, Billy goes out of his way to help as little around the house as possible. He can do all of the chores, probably better than max, and could probably even cook better than Susan ( i canon billy's mom was hispanic /native or of hispanic/native descent so she knew a lot of traditional dishes) but given he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn't, he’d rather just not waste the effort.

The only chore he does religiously is tidying things up. Nothing on the counter tops, no trash sitting in the bin, no laundry piling up on chairs or in baskets. Again, he doesn't enjoy this, he's just doing it to keep the peace because he knows neil will absolutely fly off the handle if he finds anything that could be considered “mess”

Alone, in his own place? He can be kind of a slob but only at the start of living there, he eventually gets tired of it and tidies up but only because HE wants to, not because he's being forced.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Billy is a ghoster at best and a “we were never REALLY dating” dudebro at worst. Most of his relationships have been so short lived that the other person has no comeback, they usually don't argue with him. He has a tendency to call things off when he starts catching feelings. Trauma response i guess, ‘you can't leave me if i leave first’ sort of thing. I imagine if you wanted to be in it for the long haul you’d need to (gently) call him on his bullshit. He's not emotionally intelligent enough to realise that's why he's doing what he's doing. If you were done with him too, then no harm no foul, let him call things off. But if you really care about him you're going to have to fight for it. Honestly I think he might love you all the more for it.

That being said, if you two really weren't happy together, he would absolutely make you be the one to break up with him, not the other way around.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Hmm. not positive feelings if i'm honest. Maybe that's because he’s got literally no model or frame of reference for a healthy relationship, but he's not really game for the kind of commitment where you have to get the government involved. Something purely symbolic? Sure he can do that, he doesn't need to have a piece of paper to say he’s yours and you're his. If I'm being totally honest he might propose and then get cold feet about the whole thing. He has anxiety about relationships breaking down and having no one left AND anxiety about losing his freedom to leave if he needs too. Basically the man has a lot of anxiety.

In an ideal world, maybe 10 years post vecna nonsense when everyone has had a LOT of therapy I can see him settling down with someone, maybe somewhere along the west coast. I imagine it’d be a small affair, maybe even just rings, max as flower girl and a closed ceremony in city hall . I imagine if you had the kind of money to splurge, he’d rather you did it on the honeymoon than just the wedding: maybe a week in Bali? Sidney? Somewhere he can go surf and look at you being cute on the beach.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

He's trying his best and all things considered he’s doing pretty good. 5 outta 10 but an A for effort. Post starcourt he's the one who needs a gentle approach. You need to be clever about it though because if he thinks you're treating him like glass he's going to throw a shitfit. Treat him like normal with a little extra patience and softness and you'll get the best reaction from him. Normal Billy is rough the way most young men are, a little bit crude, a little boisterous etc. he’ll calm down with age but if that's not your jam you’ll need to be direct and tell him it's not on.

I can't see him being physical with you, even in an argument. Billy never throws the first punch even when he's on the back foot and he’ll be damned if he ever raises his hand to someone he loves. He can be mean but he's not as bitchy as say, Steve harrington or as cutting and to the point as Murry, but his words still have edge, mostly because they hit close to home.

He’ll usually apologise after he calms down though.

We know Billy has a temper but I imagine with age and therapy that will fade too; even when he’s at his worst he's more likely to implode rather than explode. On his bad days he is sharp and quiet, so gentle and slow moving you might mistake him for a statue. On his best days he’s rowdy but oh so soft, bursting with big energy and bigger emotions. He’ll blast his music at full volume and dance around the living room and his happy smile is contagious even when things have been rough for you. Don't mistake a calm Billy for docility or apathy. Just because he's sitting quietly for a change doesn't mean he isn't ready to jump up and greet you like a dog seeing its owner after work.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Billy is reluctant to hug at first, he’s just not used to physical contact that doesn't cause some sort of pain or discomfort for him. His hugs are a little rough around the edges; he doesn't quite know when it's gone on for long enough to be awkward, what kind of strength to use that's not “i don't want to touch you” or “ i'm going to crush you”. His hugs are very warm and he always smells of aftershave or some fancy hair product. He does that thing that some folks do when hugging where he wiggles you both back and forth like a little dance, which I think is very cute. I will say after Neil is gone he starts to enjoy hugs more and more; he hugs as a greeting and as a goodbye and no matter who he’s sitting beside on the sofa it's almost a guarantee he’ll throw his arm around their shoulders at some point. There aren't many people in the Party who are taller or heavier than him, at least not until the starcourt incident. After that he has a habit of backpacking people when they aren't expecting it or doing that “if i jump, surely (name) will catch me” when people are already holding things. If Billy decides he wants your affection, he wants it then and there, no waiting for silly things like putting down hot coffee or perishable objects.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

He says it super fast in a superficial sense. It's hard to unlearn some of his manipulative tactics to get what he wants from people. Dropping an L bomb or peppering it into his compliments is a good way to endear people to him. As for saying it and actually meaning it? That takes a long time and it's going to come out of left field. He’s most likely to mutter it while half asleep, dozing off beside you while watching a movie or something. He’s voted most likely to blurt it out will having sex and imediatly regretting it, too embarassed to explain himself.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Billy is very jealous at times but i dont think it's out of malice or a need to control, at least not like Neil. He's afraid of having the rug pulled out from under him again, afraid to lose someone and something that is finally just his and his alone. He can come off controlling and manipulative but again, I don't think he means to be toxic. It comes from a place of fear and pointing it out to him is likely to make him mad in the immediate and then introspective when he calms down. He’s not stupid, he doesnt want to be like Neil and he certainly doesnt want to drive his partner or new friends away. His need to control things is another anxiety response. It's not an excuse but talking with him I'm sure you can at least empathise with his reasoning, talk to him calmly when he's being jealous or paranoid about you or relationships with other people. He’s a work in progress, give him grace.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Pda is a no no for him but at home? He is never away from you. If he doesn't give you a kiss, even on the top of the head as he passes your chair, assume he is unwell. His kisses are always fleeting and a little brisk but they are many and often. He’ll kiss anywhere in range but cheeks, forehead and top of the head (if you are a lot smaller than him) are his favourite targets. He likes forehead kisses but also nose bumps/nose kisses. His hands are often sore after starcourt so he likes when you hold them to your warm face and pepper little soft kisses on them. He's not big on you kissing his scars. The wounds are still a little fresh in both the literal and figurative sense, but he enjoys kissing yours and he’s happy to let you give the birthmark on his shoulder a lil smooch.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Post starcourt Billy is practically a second babysitter for the younger teens. Ok he can't drive them around like Steve can since the camaro is a scrap heap, but he’s got good advice and he’s a good listener. I think its fandom consensus that Billy gets the girls and steve takes the boys but they get joint custody of Will which i wholeheartedly agree with. He’s good at doing the girls hair, happy to let them paint his nails and listen to them bitch about their boyfriends. Ok 90% of his advice is “just throw the whole boyfriend out” or “ok who are we burying? lemme get my shovel” but he means well. He offers to teach the kids how to drive when they want their licence because he's a much better and far more patient teacher than Steve and after everything he’s been through he won't even blink when one of the kids spins out in the denny's parking lot.

I don't think he’d have as much patience for little kids, at least not until he’s old enough to want some of his own. He likes to tease and he likes it when he gets back as good as he gives from little sass pots like max and Erica.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Billy is not a morning person, he only gets out of bed before noon on sufferance. Part of that is the fact he is usually so anxious he’s exhausted from the tension and nervous energy. The other part is just not wanting to start the day with Neil in the house. It's hard to unlearn so expect to see him shuffling around like a blanket wrapped zombie with his 3rd cup of coffee when he has to get up in the morning for work or therapy or something. If he has the choice he likes to lie late and go to bed late, even if he’s not sleeping just being able to spend uninterrupted time in bed is one of his favourite things, even better if he can spend it with you.

When he does finally get up it takes him an age to get ready. Post starcourt he’s let it slide a little for sheer lack of energy but normally he’s in the bathroom for at least 30 minutes, washing, shaving and getting his hair into the exact right shape. It's not just a vanity thing, he likes to look his best, he feels less anxious when he does. It's a small thing he can control about his life. He’s quite happy for you to help him with some of it if you really wanted to speed things along but you might find he goes even slower to spite you.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Billy loves the night. The dark can be scary but with enough lights and blankets there's few things that can make him feel more comfortable (except you maybe). There are no expectations at night, he can go out and party till dawn or he can sit in his pyjamas at 3am and eat cereal while watching goosebumps on vhs. The world is his oyster. There is another side to this that Billy refuses to admit most of the time: he suffers from nightmares, night terrors and even occasional sleep walking. It's got to the point that the first two are just annoying more than frightening but the sleepwalking still gets to him. He's never done anything more than sleep in the bathtub or pour entire jugs of milk out into the sink but he's terrified one day the mindflayer will come back and he’ll be sleepwalking through life. There's no amount of reassurance that will convince him otherwise, you really just need to get him to focus, breathe and come down by himself until the logic portion of his brain starts working again.

On a lighter note some of his favourite things to do are even better at night. He loves swimming in the moonlight, going for a drive somewhere quiet and watching the stars, maybe camping out and watching the sunrise. If the weather is bad he likes to open all the windows so the room is freezing, grab his thickest blanket and hunker down while listening to the rain or snow plink off the roof.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Billy is very closed off, even to those closest to him. He’s learned over the years that having your heart on your sleeve is a good way to get hurt. He won't tell you things directly, maybe once in a blue moon you'll get something cryptic out of him about his past or certain triggers but that's it. I will say he’s not exactly hard to read; he doesn't have a great deal of emotional intelligence to understand what he's feeling a lot of the time (before therapy at least), so he’s not exactly skilled at hiding it. A reasonably intelligent person could probably piece things together without much prompting. Billy is always surprised when his partners show so much knowledge of what he's thinking or feeling without him telling them what's up. He just doesn't get it ??? how can you know him so well??? He loves you very much for it, helping him to put words to the feelings he can't.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Billy has so much patience for many things for someone with a short fuse. He's worked on himself over the years to just know when to take a deep breath and unclench his jaw. People hassling the select group of people he's elected to give a shit about still brings out his mean streak, he's got no patience for people who shout and don't have inside voices and he has had to be physically restrained by max el and will when they saw some parent make their kid cry at a restaurant because they spilled their drink. He spent the rest of the night complaining that they should have AT LEAST given the kid a sippy cup and WHO MAKES SUCH A BIG DEAL ABOUT SPILLED SODA IT'S LIKE $0.50. El nods along even though she's not 100% sure how much 50 cents is. Max is considering pouring salt in their drinks when they aren't looking and Will is trying to be the adult and stop Billy from taking it a step further by slashing their tires.

Billy's anger to me is generally a slow burn. He can get pissy about things for days but it's little more than bluster that blows out like a birthday candle once it's addressed. When he does get really mad it's like a firecracker, a short sharp burst that's gone in an instant. It's not sustainable to be so angry for so long and frankly he’d rather spend his energy elsewhere these days.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Billy gives the air of someone who couldn't give a shit if he tried but we all know it's just a show, he cares so much and feels things so deeply. He tries so hard to remember every little thing but it's just not possible because he has so many thoughts in his head already. Bless his cotton socks he does try, even if he can't be exactly he guesses and usually gets pretty close, making a mental note to try really really hard to remember for next time.

R = Remember (What is their favourite moment in your relationship?)

I think that all things considered, Billy remembers time at school with you most fondly. Things were terrible back then, even before shit hit the starcourt fan. But having you around always gave him a reason to smile, even if it was only for a moment. You weren't a couple or even had many classes together but seeing you by the lockers, maybe in the cafeteria at lunch, occasionally catching each other's eye. He hated how sickly sweet it all was but he couldn't deny there was something different, maybe even nice about exchanging glances with you, like you weren't just looking at him like another piece of ass and if either of you ever just talked he might actually enjoy the conversation . I guess that's why his yearbook says lunch was his favourite period.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Billy is an incredibly protective person. It's an instinct ingrained into his bones to throw himself between the danger and the other person. He doesn't think, he just does it and it's only ever ended badly for him. Still he won't be dissuaded, he's a protector at heart and he always will be. With him around you have scary dog privileges. Him just being there is usually enough to protect you from most things but he is always ready to throw hands for your sake. He never starts the fights but he damn well finishes them.

Billy takes protection hard. He’s afraid if he admits he wants to be protected he’ll come across as weak and you won't want to be around him anymore. He sees weakness in himself in any form and just starts hearing neils voice telling him he's not good enough for anyone to even want to protect him. He tries his hardest to shrug it off but when he's already down or in a panic attack what he really needs is to just sit by you, hear your comforting voice, smell your scent and feel even just a hand on his shoulder to ground him in reality where none of those terrible things are true.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

As mentioned above he has the air of someone who doesn't give a shit about anything but it really isn't true. He is sort of a low maintenance kind of person when it comes to dates and presents and I imagine he’d expect you to be the same. He's not one for grandiose displays, little and often is the way to go with him. Get him something ‘just because’ or treat him for no reason. When special dates do come up he makes some sort of effort, but he's usually so anxious it's hard for him to enjoy things. He can be sort of one note, he likes to stick to things he knows have worked in the past so if you want something different you’ll need to be the instigator .

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Billy has a terrible habit of self deprecating when things go wrong. He burns something and suddenly he's “the worst cook ever” he forgets something on a day out and it's all “ shit, can't do anything right can i?” and honestly i would be getting a spray bottle and spritzing him like a cat every time he starts that shit. You could take it as a joke maybe the first few times but when you realise he’s serious about this and trying to get you to agree with him on top of it all? It's time for some serious intervention.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Billy is vain but I think such things are a reflection of his mental state. When the mind flayer gets to him his curls and skin are the first thing to go. Appearance wise he looks a mess both inside and out. I think such things continue after the mindflayer. He’s too tired to care about anything and so his appearance slips. He looks thinner and drawn, skin grey and eyes dull. It doesn't bother him like he knows it should but he's just so freaking tired. I think the day you see him spray a little aquanet should be taken as a positive sign, he’s feeling more like himself and ready to start looking after himself again.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Billy is obviously a very damaged man. Damaged but not broken. Neil did a number of him and the mindflayer nearly finished him off, but they never broke his spirit. He doesn't know what it's like to be whole, the empty feeling of his mom leaving and neils lack of love is all he’s ever known. Maybe he’ll never feel whole but it's better to feel empty with someone than alone.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

I know Billy doesn't seem musical but he actually knows how to play a few different things. He can do a few tunes and scales on the piano, his mother used to play when Neil was out of the house. She got him a little ukulele when he was young but that got lost during a move. When he was a teen he got a guitar from school to practice over the summer and actually got pretty good. One day he and Neil got into an argument and the guitar was forfeit. He spent the rest of the year trying to pay back the school for lost property and hasn't played since.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Listen, Billy is kind of a bully, or at least he used to be. I can't excuse the things he's done even if I understand why he did them. But things are different now, Neil is gone, Billy is in therapy and he’s actually happy for the first time in a long while. Because of that, when he sees the person he used to be in others he can't stand it. Logically he understands that they're probably in some sort of pain too, a small part of him wants to help if he can. But then again some people are just assholes. Billy cannot stand bullies or people who make themselves feel big by making others feel small. He would have gone through Angela for a shortcut if he’d seen what she did to El. As I mentioned, he doesn't like to lose his temper anymore, he likes to give people a chance to back off , only if they're just being verbally rude, mind you. But if things get physical, he's ready to throw hands especially where you or the kids are concerned.

Z = Zzz (What are their sleep habits?)

Billy starfishes while he sleeps but contrary to popular belief, he only snores softly not like Steven with his repeatedly broken nose who snores like a moose drowning in a tin bath. He likes to sleep in freezing cold rooms with all the windows open in a mountain of blankets and pillows but honestly, he's a sleepy guy and could fall asleep just about anywhere. He likes naps, particularly outside. In Cali he had a little hammock as a kid in his treehouse and he would doze off in there all the time listening to the ocean. When he sleeps normally he’s dead to the world but since starcourt he's an incredibly light sleeper. He could really benefit from one of those little white noise machines and he always sleeps better with someone else in the room or even just in the house making a little ambient noise from the other room.

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