#and you are right that streams sometimes go down when fans are distracted voting - in this case: 612580 to 556025 daily streams

[louehvolution]

.

#mad. anon #it's frustrating. because these sorts of polls are essentially scams - the accounts get days or months of engagement. trending hashtags. etc #while the reward for Louis is minimal: radio stations playing one song from his album after promising a whole show / one spin late at night #for this. they didn't even promise the winner song will be played. did they? #and you are right that streams sometimes go down when fans are distracted voting - in this case: 612580 to 556025 daily streams #[thank you @LouisWTNews] #though it is temporary. and fans coming together to vote can be good for morale. sometimes. to some extent. if nothing else #but the situation as a whole is ridiculous - 4M votes in one poll!? #for a remote chance at something that would be nice and good. sure. but no gamechanger either? #also. that Louis has a sizeable and devoted fanbase has been proven again and again - and the relevant parties who should know #at this point. know it well #the problem is that most of the time. it's used for others to benefit. not Louis #in the end. this was a chance to make Louis happy - and that will always be worth it - but it shouldn't be like this #and fans should be aware that everyone WILL take advantage of his fans' love for him - and our desperation to give his music exposure #we will frequently end up giving them what they want. what else can we do #but there is a line - I just saw 965TDY is doing Artist of the Summer again. they gained followers and massive engagement last year #and then played BTY. WMYB. and WMI when he won #never even played him in their rotation of nominees - but played Niall and Harry x2 #and LTHQ... what can be said that hasn't been said before? #Louis deserves better :| #and we do what we can. with the best intentions #but I do hope every fan knows there's only so much we can do. and that Louis needs and deserves professional support #that he is not getting. at all

[formeitsalways-haylor1989]

We Come Back Every Time

Author's Note: Here we are again, another story in a space of a week woahza! Originally I was going to make this more than one chapter but since I’m only just getting back into the writing game I figured let's not make it too difficult for ourselves. ‘Cause of this, I’m sorry if the start is very in depth and the rest feels kinda rushed. I originally didn’t mean to go that deep and detailed to the start but it just happened. Anyway this starts of in the 1989 era and moves into the Reputation era with mentions of Calvin/Adam, Tom and Joe. I really really hope you enjoy this. The idea was one I originally had back in 2015 for a one shot that was going to turn smutty but like I said, it’s been a while. A smutty one may be coming up next before I take One Night can Change Everything. Anyway, you know the drill. Comment, vote, like etc. It really inspires me to write more when I know people are reading and enjoying my stuff. This is also the longest fic I’ve written in a LONG while.

*insert line break*

August 2016

Taylor scrolled through Instagram looking at fan posts while the car drove down the busy streets of London. They pulled up to a red light, at the same time receiving a text from Adam that read “ Goodnight beautiful.” She smiled, not responding to the message.

The car began to move again, taking her the remaining distance to the hotel that Adam was currently staying in. He was in town for some festival and Taylor was sad she couldn’t join him originally. With some work by her team, they were able to shift things around so she could surprise him on a last-minute flight to London.

The pop-star wore a trench coat and a pair of heels with a black lace dress underneath. She managed to get changed on the jet before stepping into the awaiting car. Pulling up to the Ritz-Carlton, she grabbed the Louis Vuitton duffle bag and made her way to the reception desk collecting the key that her team had already called ahead for. Taylor made her way up to the 14 th floor, excited and eager to surprise her boyfriend, little did she know that she was the one in for a bigger surprise.

After a good 5-minute walk from the elevator doors, she inserted the white key waiting for a click and its accompanying flashing green light. Taylor quietly opened the door, hoping not to wake Adam just yet but was surprised to see the main light on in the room. Gently closing the door behind her, she walked further into the room to reveal a sight she never hoped to see.

“Adam!?” she asked in shock and surprise.

There, on the bed was her boyfriend of just over a year on his back with brunette’s legs wrapped around him, naked.

“Taylor?” he said in complete surprise, trying to remove the girl who was bouncing on top of him.

“What the fuck Adam?!” Taylor’s voice was getting louder. “I loved you! How could you do this to me?” she asked while tears were running down her face.

“T I’m sorry,” he said while trying to grab his underwear. “I never meant to…”

Taylor scoffed, tears still flowing, “Never meant to what? Get caught!?” She shook her head.

The brunette began to move from her position on the bed, reaching for her clothes.

“No, don’t. You stay. I’ll leave,” Taylor said, wiping the tears off her face with the back of her hand.

Picking up her bag, she took one last look at Adam. Shaking her head again she spoke, “And after all that, I told you. How I felt, what I’ve gone through. For you to do this to me. I can’t believe you would stoop this low. If you wanted me out of your life, you could’ve just said it.”

Walking to the door, she didn’t look back. She didn’t want Adam to have the satisfaction of seeing her cry even more or how her heart was now broken into two. Slamming the door behind her, Taylor made her way to the elevator with her head held high.

I will not break down in this elevator. I will not break down in this elevator, was the mantra she said to herself over and over again.

In her hurry and daze, Taylor realised she hadn’t called her driver when she made it to the lobby. She was in too much pain to pick up her phone and wanting to get far away from the hotel as quickly as she could. It was at that moment, a London cab pulled up dropping guests. She made a b-line to the opened car door and placed her bag on the seat next to her.

“Where to miss?” the driver asked in his North London accent.

“I don’t know, just drive. Anywhere.” Taylor handed him $200 pounds.

The driver stared at her through the rear-view mirror, shrugged and started the engine.

*insert line break*

Sitting in the back of the taxi, Taylor thought about where she could go. She could get a room somewhere, that was always an option but she didn’t want to be alone with her thoughts. She needed a friend. A distraction. She mentally ran through all of the people she knew in London. Ed was currently on tour in Australia and Cara was walking some runway in Belgium. The only person she knew could potentially be in the same city was Harry.

Taylor gave the driver the address of what she hoped would be her final destination for the night. She considered texting him in the 35 minutes it would take for her to reach his place. They had become friends again in a way. They texted each other from time to time. Saw each other here or there. She knew that Harry would always be there for her and she would for him too. They didn’t talk much but the little speaking they did do, became even less when Taylor started dating Adam. She didn’t really understand why.

Pulling up at the house, she thanked the driver before handing him another $300 pounds.

“Thanks for this sir. Also sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused. I’d also really appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about tonight.”

“No problem. I’ll take your secret to my grave.”

Taylor smiled at him, thanking him once more before exiting the cab. Walking the stone driveway, she was grateful to see lights on. She also hoped he didn’t have company. Or if he did, it was someone she knew. Taylor didn’t want to walk in on two people in one night. Tentatively knocking on the door, she waited for what felt like forever until it opened, revealing a shirtless Harry Styles with his hair up in a bun and a toothbrush in his hand.

“Taylor?”

“Hi,” she said quietly. Clearing her throat, she continued, “I’m really sorry to do this to you, and it’s late and unexpected…”

She began to ramble, which gave Harry the chance to look at her face. She had been crying. He knew what Taylor looked like after she was upset all too well. He was sometimes responsible for those tears.

“It’s ok,” he said, stopping her from rambling on further. He motioned for her to come inside. “Is everything ok? You look like you’ve been crying.”

“Is it that obvious?” she asked while dropping her bag in the corner.

“Not to everyone, but to me it is.”

Harry stared at her, he could tell she was trying to put on a brave face.

“Taylor, you know you can always talk to me, right? My guess is, you needed someone to talk to otherwise you would’ve found yourself a hotel room.”

She looked at him and gave a small chuckle trying to put on a brave face. However, it didn’t last long. She felt Harry’s green eyes knocking down her walls and began to cry again. Tears started streaming down her face again. Before she could say or move Harry was beside her, scooping her into his arm and holding her tightly. He felt her hot tears on his skin, running his hand up and down her back in an attempt to soothe her.

He didn’t expect that his night would turn out like this.

The tears begin to subside, she’s no longer shaking his arms.

“I walked in on Adam cheating on me,” she reveals by pulling away from the hug to look at his face.

“Tay,” he says in a whisper. He moves the hair that has fallen in front of her face behind her ear. “I’m so sorry.”

“He said he loved me you know. For him to go and do that! I mean, I gave him a hit single for goodness sake. I loved him and that’s how he repays me!” Taylor starts to shout out of anger and disgust about what happened. Harry heads over to his bar to make her an Old Fashioned in an attempt that it will calm her.

He hands her the drink and she downs it quickly.

“Thanks.” Taylor wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. She takes a seat on her couch and stares at the artwork on his wall. There’s silence between the two for a while.

“Thanks for letting me in,” she says. Her eyes had moved from the artwork to her fidgeting hands in her lap. “I just needed someone to talk to and I don’t know a distraction. I figured I shouldn’t be left alone with my thoughts in case I decide to do something stupid like wait for him to fall asleep and go back and chop his balls off.”

Harry chuckles at the mental image.

“It’s no drama, Taylor. You’re welcome here anytime. You are my friend after all.”

Taylor smiles at him. “Yes, that you are. And friends, don’t let friends drink alone at times like this.” She makes her way off the couch over to his bar to begin making a drink for both of them.

Harry laughs and watches from his spot of the couch. He notices that despite what she’s just been through, Taylor still looks beautiful. Her gorgeous face, beautiful blue eyes accompanied by her signature red lipstick she wore. He eyes the black dress she wears that was obviously meant for Adam’s eyes only. He notices the way it clings to her and how painfully thin she looks. She wasn’t the same Taylor he dated years ago. Granted, he wasn’t the same Harry. She seemed like a ghost of her past self.

Taylor makes her way over and hands him his drink. She holds it up to toast, “To friends being there for friends during shitty times”.

Their glasses clink and Harry took a sip before getting up to grab a shirt.

Taylor was a little disappointed at the view that had just disappeared.

“The bedroom is through there,” he said, pointing to the right of the corridor.

She shakes her head, “Harry, this is your house. I don’t expect to show up in the middle of the night and for you to sacrifice your bed for me. The couch is just fine.”

Harry looks at her and figures it’s best not to argue with her.

“Fine,” he says picking up his glass. “Just don’t complain to me in the morning when you have a sore back.

Taylor gestures a zip and locking a lock next to her mouth.

Harry laughs before he decides to get up and grab a beer for himself and a glass of red wine for Taylor.

She thanks him for the drink before he sets off down the hall and comes back with a scrabble board. Harry figures while she’s here, he might as well have a worthy Scrabble opponent.

They play well into the night in between making cocktails and light conversation. Taylor gets changed into a pair of sweatpants and borrows one of Harry’s many white t-shirts.

They fall asleep next to each other on the couch, with Harry’s arms wrapped tightly around Taylor. It’s the best sleep Harry’s had in months.

*insert line break*

The next morning Taylor extracts herself from Harry’s arms and makes breakfast as a thank you for letting her stay. Harry laughs when he wakes up, realising that it’s such a Taylor thing to do.

She makes arrangements for her driver to collect and take her to the jet, wanting to get home to the company of her cats and eating all the ice cream and chocolate she can find in her New York apartment.

“Thank you again, Harry,” she says while pulling away from another hug. “It means a lot.”

“I’m here anytime you need me. Remember that. After all, we’re friends.”

“Friends,” Taylor replied with a nod and smile on her face .

Harry watches the car until it’s no longer in sight.

*insert line break*

The two start to talk more and more as the days go by. Facetime video calls and text messages back and forth about anything and everything. From cats to music, Harry even facetimes her on the set of the movie he’s staring in.

“Am I going to see you up there winning an Academy Award one day?” Taylor asks while turning the camera around so he can see Olivia doing her classic Meerkat pose

“Ha. I don’t think so Tay but who knows.”

They talk the longest when they’re in a crisis. She vents to him about her problems with Tom. How her team is wanting them to make everything so public. Taylor’s ears are open anytime whenever he and current girlfriend are having dramas. They figure they’re the only two that truly understand what it’s like having their respective partners get thrust into the spotlight. Taylor was all too familiar with it while Harry experienced it himself during his career.

Meetups happen as much as they can, though they’re sparse. With constant traveling on Harry’s end to Taylor’s current reclusiveness from the media, it’s hard. The majority of the time it’s in London, usually hanging out with Ed and Cherry.

He’s one of the first to find out apart from Ed and Selena that she’s got a new boyfriend. Another English actor only this time he’s younger than her. Harry’s happy for her as much as he can be, his true feelings for her being pushed down as much as he can so they can remain friends. Harry came to the conclusion that he wanted Taylor in his life. If he had to have her only as a friend, then so be it.

Harry released his debut album and Taylor is the first to send him flowers and a congratulatory bottle of champagne. “I’m so proud of you,” the note read in her cursive handwriting. “ I always knew you could do it. P.S. Kiwi is a killer track.”

He shoots her a message thanking her for the gift. He never tells her outright that Two Ghosts and Woman were about her. It was self-explanatory.

*insert line break*

July 2018

Harry’s wearing a black Reputation Stadium Tour hoodie and jeans, standing the sound booth watching the crowd go wild at FedEx Field.

He hadn’t physically seen in her a while but that was normal for them. However, Taylor’s calls and sending of memes grew less frequent by the day. He thought nothing of it but it occasionally chewed at the back of his mind.

Taylor’s glowing all over, not just from the body glitter she has on nor from the thrill and adrenaline from performing on stage. She’s glowing just in general and notices how she’s filled out. No longer is she painfully thin but she looks like the Taylor he dated at 18 just a little older.

He heads backstage to see her, congratulating her on a fantastic show.

“Thanks Harry, I’m glad you came.” Taylor hugs him tightly. “Thanks for taking the time to come see the show. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to make it out to one of yours.”

“Not to worry love,” he responds while pulling away. Harry sees a blond haired man walking towards them.

The blond wraps his arms tightly around Taylor’s waist. “Great show tonight,” he says before giving her a chaste kiss to the lips.

“Thanks babe.” She turns to face Harry.

“Harry, I would like you to meet Joe. Joe this Harry.”

The two Englishman shake hands and exchange pleasantries.

“Nice to meet you, big fan of the movie you did,” Joe says with an awkward smile on her face.

“Thanks mate, nice to meet you too.”

Taylor thanks Harry again before giving Joe a quick kiss on the cheek before heading off to change for Rep Room. The two boys stand there awkwardly in the hallway backstage of the stadium before Harry’s phone buzzes telling him that his driver is here.

“Nice to meet you again,” he says before giving him another awkward handshake. “Tell Taylor I say bye and to enjoy the rest of her tour.”

“Will do.”

Harry can feel a set of eyes burn a hole in his back as he leaves.

*insert line break*

“She’s keeping the conversation to a minimum ‘cause it’s interfering with her relationship apparently.”

Ed tells him over a glass of whiskey.

“What do you mean interfering?”

Ed shrugs, setting down his glass. “Don’t know man. I’m guessing it’s more coming from Joe than from her.” Ed grabs the bottle of whiskey and starts pouring them both another drink. “She told me that she was happy when you started talking again. Despite knowing that you’re not responsible for her happiness, I know that you haven’t been happier since becoming friends with T again.”

“Well, it’s not my fault if he feels so insecure about his relationship that our friendship should impact it.”

Ed stares at him. “You are her ex, mate.”

Harry just sits there not knowing what to say. Ed was always the one friend they both shared that helped and understood their relationship. Ed was always in Harry’s corner but he would never admit it to Taylor.

“Who told you this?” he says sipping on a drink.

“Selena.”

Harry looks up in confusion. “Selena? Since when did you two start being all buddy buddy.”

“Well we always have been somewhat friends, but it was ‘because she was here with Niall the other day.”

“Wait. Selena and Niall?”

“Yep,” Ed responds, taking a sip from his drink and ignoring the cat brushing up against his feet.

“I’m not entirely sure what they are. I found it too awkward to ask.”

*insert line break*

Taylor doesn’t know what to do. The one person she would normally talk to about this was off limits, as it involved him. Taylor was a little heartbroken when Joe approached her after the night of the concert in the car to the hotel.

“I don’t really feel comfortable with you talking to him, to be honest.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s your ex, Tay. It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just…”

“You just what?” Taylor asked, a little annoyed.

“I don’t trust him. Look, you said it yourself when we talked about things early on when we were getting to know each other. He was a big part of your life and how am I supposed to know he’s not here trying to win you back?”

“Harry’s my friend Joe. What am I supposed to do?”

“I’m not asking you to not be his friend. Can you maybe keep the conversation light? Don’t go messaging him constantly and meeting up with me? Please? For me?”

Taylor stayed quiet for a moment before nodding her head. “Ok,” she replied quietly.

Joe kissed her on the cheek, “Thanks babe.”

*insert line break*

Taylor decided to confide in Selena. She thought about talking to Ed but figured he would have a more bias opinion with Harry being one of his best friends and all.

“I don’t know what to do Sel. I love Joe. I’m happy with him. But he’s asking me to do something big that doesn’t feel right.”

“Well, he’s not asking you to not be Harry’s friend T.”

Taylor switches the phone to her other ear.

“No, but he’s asking me to keep it a minimum. Harry and I don’t talk much to begin with. Just here and there, I send him a meme or a funny tumblr post about him on occasion. It’s not like I spend every night staying up late talking to him.”

Selena stays silent.

“It feels like he’s asking me to not be his friend without saying the words.”

Selena doesn’t respond.

“Come on, I know you. Spit it out Gomez. Give it to me straight.”

She hears Selena sigh. “Ok, I love you just know that. I also love that you’re happy and I love that Joe makes you happy. I mean he’s a great guy, got no doubt about it. I mean he’s holding the record for not getting in my bad books yet but…”

“Buuttttt…” Taylor responds trying to coax an answer out of her.

“I’ve always felt that guys shouldn’t dictate a girls life. I know from experience after everything happened with Justin. In my opinion, I don’t think Joe has the right to say who you’re friends with, who you’re not friends with and who you’re talking to. By all means, it’s not like you’re one of those crazy girls who constantly ask their boyfriends who they’re talking too and trying to read all their messages. He should pay you the same respect that you give him T. I mean if he asked you to not be friends with me, would you?”

Taylor remains silent.

“I think you have your answer babe.”

*insert line break*

Joe goes away for a week to promote his latest movie when Taylor has time to truly think.

She knows she shouldn’t throw away the wonderful thing she has with him over a friendship. A friendship with her ex. The one who inspired a whole album. The ex who she always felt like would be the one to run in and stop her wedding, whoever was up with the alter with her. Screaming out her name and asking to give him another chance. The guy who after all this time was still writing songs about her.

It was during her week alone that Taylor came to the realisation why Joe’s response hurt her so much. She loved Harry. Having him as a friend instead of a lover made it easier for her. No reason to get angry at him or no reason to doubt him. There were no obstacles in progressing their relationship further as there was nowhere to go. Taylor didn’t have to risk her heart being broken by the same hand twice by just being friends with Harry.

The real question was, was he worth taking the risk of having her heart shattered into a million pieces again?

*insert line break*

“We need to talk,” was how the message began that he received from Taylor at 2 am.

“I don’t know when I don’t know where but we need to talk. I’d rather do it face to face.”

He responded, “I’m in LA at the moment. I’ll be in New York next week.”

Harry figured she’d prefer to let him down and break their friendship in a more personal and polite way than just ghosting him altogether.

“Are you decent?” she sent back. Before he could respond he saw the white cloud of bubbles appear at the bottom of the screen. “‘Cause if you are, I’ll come over right now.”

Harry responded with a simple “ok” before getting up to grab a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

Before he knew it, there was a knock at his door.

He turned on the lights on his way down the stairs, greeting her and letting Taylor enter.

She was the only person he knew who still managed to look presentable at 2 am in a Law and Order t-shirt and cat pajama pants.

“I’m sorry for kinda springing this on you.”

Harry shrugged, “It’s ok. If I recall, our favourite time to do stuff is either 2 am or midnight.”

Taylor laughed and smiled wide at him. Her smile causing a chain reaction on Harry’s face.

“You wanted to talk?”

“Yeah, um….”

She stood there awkwardly, not knowing where to start. She had it all planned out mentally but as she was standing in Harry’s living room, all words escaped her. “So first off, I’m sorry that I haven’t been speaking to you as much.”

Harry nodded, sensing the slight nervousness in her tone. “It’s ok.” He wanted to tell her he knew but didn’t want to rat out Ed or Selena.

“No, it’s not ok Harry.” Taylor took a seat on his couch while Harry decided to sit on the armrest.

“Joe asked me to kinda stop speaking to you. I guess he was worried about what might happen between us. He knew how much you meant to me and how our relationship was a big part of my life and help me define who I am today.” Harry stays silent while Taylor looks at the ground.

“I was honestly really hurt. I already kinda started to speak to you less when I started going out with him so he had nothing to feel insecure about, but I guess it didn’t really help.”

“So is this your way of apologising and telling me our friendship is over at the same time?” He asks, a little bitter. He honestly would’ve preferred a text.

She shakes her head, “Quite the opposite actually.” Taylor removes her eyes from the floor to Harry’s face.

“When Joe implied that I break our friendship, I didn’t understand why I was so hurt. I mean yeah ok I found it a little controlling. I never asked him to stop talking to people or checking his messages to see if he was talking to other girls. I realised that he shouldn’t really have much of a say on who I can and who I can’t talk to.”

“Well, I’m glad you came to that conclusion. For both our sakes. I’d miss my facetime chats with Olivia.”

Taylor smiles at him, “I also realised why it hurt so much.” She stands up from the couch and makes her way closer to where Harry is sitting.

“I realised that letting our friendship go meant a big part of who I am would disappear. Our relationship may have not worked out the first time but it made us into better people and I’m thankful for that.” She was in front of Harry, placing her hands around his neck she continued, “Having you as a friend was the next best thing to being in a relationship with you. We got everything apart from you know, the intimate parts, without having to worry about screwing up, what the media or fans thought or risk getting our hearts broken again.”

Harry looked up at her, “So what are you going to tell Joe?”

She stared into his green eyes, a small smile on her face. “I don’t have to tell Joe anything.”

Harry shook his head.

“Some people are worth the risk of having your heart broken for a second time.”

Harry stood, Taylor’s arms remained in place while he wrapped his around her middle.

“Do you mean?” he asked quietly, his forehead resting against hers.

Her blue eyes closed before nodding her head. “I love you Harry Styles. Always have, and always probably will.”

Harry smiled wide before leaning in to kiss her. His arms tightened around her waist while Taylor’s hands made their way into her hair. Pulling away, Harry finally responded, “I love you too Tay. After all, we come back every time.”

#Haylor #haylor fanfiction #Haylor fic #harry styles #Harry Styles fanfiction #Taylor swift #Taylor swift fanfiction #Taylor swift fan fic #harry styles fan fic #my babies #OTP #longest thing I've written yo #across the eras #my writing #haylor swyles #swyles

[falseroar]

Anniversaries Part 4: A Different Kind of Birthday

((Before we start, here’s a link to Part 3: “Just Like My Japanese Animes!” Did you know that while Can You Wake Up? may have started a year ago yesterday, parts 1-4 take place over so many hours, while parts 5-10 all take place in story on the next day? Which technically means it all happened on the 8th? Did I use that to fudge the anniversaries mentioned here a little?

Yes, I did.))

You woke up slowly the next morning, staring at the wall on the far side of the room for a full minute before you made sense of the unfamiliar bed, the sheets that you didn’t recognize, the decorations that were not your own.

Right, the beach house.

The blanket thrown over you sometime in the night slid off to the floor when you finally made the effort to sit up and yawn, catching as you did so an unfamiliar smell, even for this other house. It took a moment to track it to the clear vase sitting on the nightstand near your bed, and to the single rose it held.

At first glance, it appeared to be almost black, but the bright sunlight streaming in through the window caught the flower’s petals and revealed them to be a dark blue in the center before merging into a deep crimson on the outer layers. Its smell was just as rich and sweet as any other rose and filled your nose as you checked the vase and the nightstand, but there was no note to accompany it.

There were, however, several messages from one Doctor Schneeplestein on your phone, most of them accompanied by videos or photos taken yesterday while you could not see. You smiled and let the videos play in between darting into the bathroom (thankful that there was no waiting or awkward bumping into the others who shared this one with you) and making a somewhat decent effort to look human again after sleeping so hard last night. You laughed out loud more than once as you watched Wilford drag Dark into the ocean or the dancing that went on at Jack’s party the night before, but after a while you noticed just how quiet it was on this floor.

You could barely believe the time when you looked at the clock on your phone, and wondered how you managed to sleep this late in a house with this many loud personalities. After taking one last sniff of the rose and pocketing your phone, you left your room and made for the stairs, sure that the others would give you a hard time for sleeping in.

Except, as you walked down the hall, past silent bedrooms and bathrooms, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. Your steps seemed louder than normal on the stairs, and you already knew that the house was empty even before you reached the bottom.

Not this again, was your first thought. It was bad enough in Mark or the egos’ houses, but being alone in this place that still felt strange and unfamiliar after going on four days set all of your senses on edge.

And you couldn’t shake the feeling that you weren’t alone, despite the silence.

But then it hit you that today was the last day at the beach house. Of course, everyone would be outside, making the most of it.

You were so sure of the idea that you made straight for the back door, but had to pause in the main area of the house. Someone had rearranged the furniture after last night’s party, but what drew your attention was the single balloon in the center of the room. A card at the bottom of its string kept it from floating up to the ceiling, so it just bobbed in place.

Waiting.

From here, you could see your name on the card in bold letters, but you had to move closer and pick it up to read what was written just underneath it:

Surprise.

The moment you read the word, the room erupted into noise as a crowd of people definitely not there a second ago appeared in a burst of magic. Confetti fell from somewhere, and more balloons rained down around the room

“Surprise!”

Followed by first Mark, then Abe and Wilford, then pretty much everyone else pulling you into a hug, all trying to speak at once while three dogs added to the noise and excitement.

“What’s going on?” you asked, once you were finally given the chance to catch your breath and speak.

“It’s been one year, you silly goose!” Wilford said. “That means it’s your birthday!”

“What he means is,” Mark said, “One year ago from yesterday was the first day you left the mirror for good.”

“And one year ago today is when you met most of us egos,” Dr. Iplier added.

Jackieboy Man cleared his throat and gestured to himself and the other Septic egos.

“The important ones, anyways,” Ed Edgar said, ignoring the glares.

“It’s the day I found out my partner was still alive,” Abe said.

“And it’s the first time we ever even heard you talk,” Wade said, gesturing to himself and the rest of Mark’s friends.

“Yeah, and you probably still don’t remember the first time we met you, but we took a vote not to hold it against you,” Bob added.

“The Host reminds Y/N that, for the egos, their ��birthday’ is the anniversary of their first video. When they are first introduced, and when the fans begin to get to know them. And when they first become a part of our family.”

“One highly dysfunctional, possibly emotionally scarring family,” Mark added before Tyler elbowed him in the ribs. “Ow.”

“It’s only fair to celebrate the day you joined us too,” Bim Trimmer said.

“And has nothing to do with, um, with forgetting your other birthdays at all.” Eric twisted his handkerchief. “Um. Since apparently you have more than one a year and we still missed both, no one’s really explained that…”

Dark decided now was a good time to distract Eric by pushing Henry toward him with his foot, at which point Eric promptly melted and forgot what he was talking about.

You blinked back tears as their words sank in, and nearly lost it when Wilford pulled you in for a side hug and declared, “We wouldn’t want you anywhere else. Happy birthday, Y/N!”

---

The day was far too short, and passed by far too fast.

Still, there was something soothing about returning to your room at the Iplier egos’ house and unpacking your bag in the quiet after everything was over. There were your own clothes of course, but there were also the gifts.

You smiled as you held a Cloak hoodie up.

“Dude! We’ve been over this,” Bob said when you opened Mark’s gift and found the Cloak clothing inside.

“Yeah, giving your own merch as a gift seems a little crappy,” Wade added.

“What? It’s really comfy!” Mark protested.

“Come on, man,” Jack chimed in, even as he slid his present for you underneath the table until later.

You laid out the PMA scarf on the dresser, thinking that while you might not ever need to wear it much around here, it would be nice to have the next time you went to Brighton. Beside it you put out the more normal gifts from the others, such as a video game or two, an enamel pin you had been looking at the other day, and a cap Chase had given you that looked very much like his own but with a loaf of bread in place of the usual logo. There was a page of sheet music from Jameson, with old-timey looking cartoons drawn in the margins and along the staves.

Like a magician pulling out colored scarves, you pulled out one, two, three, four Google shirts from your bag, all paler or darker variations on the usual colors. One of them was bright pink, just like the one you got a year ago.

“We have been told that slightly different variations on a familiar object can come across as comforting,” the blue Google said as you pulled them out of the box. “Otherwise known as the nostalgia factor.”

“What, does this make you an honorary Google now?” Ed Edgar asked, tilting his cowboy hat back as he looked into the box.

Google scowled. “Incorrect on every level as always, Edgar.”

You paused when you pulled the stuffed animal out of your bag. At least, you thought it was some kind of animal, but no one seemed to be able to agree on which one. Guesses so far had ranged from bear, dog, fox, to kangaroo, raven, and the default option for anything strange, platypus.

After time together in the house, several of you had taken the celebration into town, first finding some food and then walking around the streets until you wound up at an arcade where everyone had split up to try and win tickets.

At first, you thought the stuffed creature was an arcade prize when Wilford showed it to you, but there was nothing like it behind the counter. You seriously doubted there was anything like it anywhere.

“This little monster has a special secret just for you,” Wilford said, winking as he handed you the animal of indeterminate species. He grinned as you examined it and found the zipper on the back.

“…Wilford, this is a knife.”

“Because you never know when you’re going to need to administer a good stabbing.” He gave you a reassuring thump on the back and walked away, whistling.

You decided that secret could stay between you, Wilford, and “the little monster” and put the stuffed creature up on your dresser, where it could keep an eye on your entire room. You could only pity the fool who crossed the path of Sir or Lady Yet-to-be-Named.

As you rummaged through the pockets of your bag, you thought you had come across some unspent arcade tickets until you pulled out the stack of laminated cards. Each of them had the image of an Iplier ego just above a block of text.

“IOUs? Really?” Mark asked when he had first spotted them. “Did all of you do this?”

All four Google units shook their head, their expressions showing exactly what they thought of the idea, but the other Iplier egos grinned.

“One card equals unlimited time with the matching ego, no questions asked,” Bim Trimmer said, his tone suggesting that he was announcing a prize of some kind. “Because what better gift is there than quality time with us?”

Mark started to answer, but Bing spoke over him. “Suh, and check out the flip side! You can also use your card to get us to leave you alone for the day!”

Bing paused and, looking at the other egos, asked, “Your guys’ said that too, right? It wasn’t just mine?”

“…What’s it take to get one of these?” Mark muttered as he flipped the card over and read the back.

You straightened the stack of ego cards and found one among them that didn’t match. It was a small, dark card with bright silver writing that caught the light and seemed to glow as you read it.

One (1) get out of Little Y/N for a Day free card. Can be used at any time before or during the spell’s effect.

“This is a joke, right?” you had asked Marvin suspiciously after he handed you the card when the others weren’t paying attention.

“What? Of course, I would never abuse a spell I recently learned for my own amusement or as a gift for someone else,” the magician said, laughing at the idea. His eyes glinted behind his mask as he added in a lower voice, “You might want to keep that on you though, just in case.”

You considered the card for a moment before pulling the wallet out of your pocket and sliding it into an open space. The wallet was another gift, of course, as was the photograph inside.

Abe had waited until after the day in town, after everyone had returned to the house, until the one last trip to the beach. Out on the sand, where for once in his life his so-called undercover Hawaiian shirt almost blended in, Abe pulled you aside and said, “Here, Partner. From me.”

“Your wallet?” you asked.

“What? No! I’m never giving that up,” Abe said, offended at the very idea. “No, this is your wallet. There’s no badge, of course, but they’re still useful for keeping the important things around.”

You took the leather wallet and opened it to find a picture already inside. It was one of you and Abe, taken during a “case” that mainly seemed to involve staking out an ice cream parlor for reasons the detective had no time to explain then or ever since.

You smiled at it now as you had then, just before you had looked up at Abe and said, “I’ll take good care of it, partner.”

There were more photographs in the bag, which had been tucked away in their own pocket so as not to bend. You took your time going through them, picking which ones to add to the cork board on your wall here and which to take to your room at Mark’s house.

A picture of Mark, side eyeing a mannequin in one of the store windows. Jack with Ethan on his shoulders, both together still not tall enough to match the imposing statue in the center of town. The Host, splashing in the water with the other egos. Amy and Kathryn standing proud beside the clear winner of a sand castle building competition. You in one of your new Google shirts, a rare smile on the androids’ faces as they leaned into the shot. A surprise encounter with the Chef at the place where you stopped for lunch (seriously, did he work everywhere? But at least you got a free dessert, so that was nice), giving the camera a crooked smile as he leaned over Mark’s chair while Mark’s face was locked into more of a grimace, his eyes trying not to look at the dripping knife next to his shoulder

And then there were pictures you hadn’t personally taken. There was a wonderful picture of Wilford dragging Dark out into the ocean, which you knew you would cherish forever. You’d found a selfie on your phone taken by the Host, his eyes glowing gold as he tilted the camera to catch you sipping coffee in the background. The Septic egos lined up and dancing together like a boy band. Mark, Wade, Bob, Tyler, and Ethan apparently in a dance-off with said egos, with Jack as a heavily biased referee. A photo mixed in from Jack’s camera of Chase looking up at the tiny version of you perched on the brim of his cap (“Photoshop”, you and Jack had said to Mark before hastily hiding the rest of those pictures).

There was also a picture of you from last night, asleep on the couch with Chica, Henry, and Spencer all joining you for a nice nap.

The Host had asked at one point how Jack’s party went. The egos were more than happy to tell him plenty of stories (and while you hadn’t been able to see at the time, you were fairly sure more than a few of them were made up). Mark and Jackieboy took the opportunity to roast each other’s dance moves while Jack just said again how grateful he was for everything.

But you had to admit to the Host that you had fallen asleep early and missed some of it. “Someone even had to carry me up to my room after it was over. I wish I knew who it was so I could thank them.”

Because so far no one had admitted to being the one to carry you upstairs, and you certainly hadn’t mentioned the kiss to anyone. The closest you got was when Marvin said the idea had been thrown around to let you sleep on the couch all night and surprise you in the morning, which explained why no one else seemed to be around when you were taken to your room.

The Host was well aware that more than one person was suddenly listening, and there might be repercussions depending on what he said. He was also well aware of the standard response to give in situations like this, so he answered without hesitation:

“Kinkiplier.”

There was only one other gift, one that you had carried in rather than put in your bag. Dark hadn’t spoken to you once today, but you had no doubt in your mind who had given you the rose which now sat on your nightstand beneath the mirror on the wall.

A pretty flower didn’t even begin to make up for everything he had put you and everyone else through over the past year, but you’d kept it anyways. A more cynical part of you wondered how anything could possibly have survived under his care as you studied the way the colors mixed and blended together, until you paused, your thumb gently pressed against one of the petals. At the base of it, almost hidden among the deep reds and blues, was a shot of green. Examining the rose closer, you found more than one of the petals had traces of green in their folds, hiding from sight.

Strange. If you had to guess, you would have thought this was a red rose that had blue dye added to it at some point, or a white rose with both colors added. So how did that get there?

You inhaled, taking in the sweet scent of the rose one last time before replacing the vase on your nightstand. As you straightened up you caught sight of your reflection in the mirror and hesitated. It was the same mirror that always turned up in your room again and again no matter how many times you tried to get rid of it. By this point you had just taken to covering it up with a sheet or something whenever it bothered you.

One year. One year and a day ago you fell through a mirror and into this place, back into a life that still felt like it wasn’t completely your own. You thought of the District Attorney as you stared at your own reflection and managed a smile for them.

“Happy Birthday. Here’s to another year, together.”

You thought you saw a flicker of movement, something slightly off around the eyes, but when you blinked it was just your own reflection staring back at you. You sighed and, feeling a little silly, walked away to take care of one last thing before getting ready for bed. You failed to notice the swiftly fading imprint on the mirror’s surface.

The mark left by a hand, pressed against the other side of the glass.

That one last thing was a photograph, the only one that you had chosen to frame. You smiled at the image as you hung the frame on your wall and stepped back to make sure it was level.

It was a wide, panorama shot of everyone. You, Mark, Jack, Abe, all of the egos, all of your friends, even Dark being held in place by a borderline choke hold from Wilford, all gathered together on the beach and smiling at the camera. A rare picture of your family all in one place.

Your admittedly weird, dysfunctional, possibly emotionally scarring family, which you wouldn’t give up for the world.

((And that’s the end of Anniversaries! Thank you for reading, but also thank you all so much for the encouragement over the past year. I had absolutely no idea how this would go over when I first started, and I definitely hadn’t planned for it to go as long as it has.

I do have more than a couple of ideas floating around for where this goes from here. Got to counterbalance all of this fluff, right? Kidding, sort of, but it’s going to be a while before I can even start on that, so until then they can enjoy the moment.

Tagging: @silver-owl413  @skyewardlight @cherrybomb-jaguar @blackaquokat  @catgirlwarrior  @neverisadork @luna1350  @oh-so-creepy @purpstraw  @weirdfoxalley  @95fangirl  @lilalovesinternet-l @thepoolofthedead  @a-bit-dapper @randomartdudette  @geekymushroom @cactipresident  @hotcocoachia @purple-anxiety-blog @shyinspiredartist ))

#markiplier #jacksepticeye #fanfic #wkm y/n #wkm district attorney #darkiplier #Wilford Warfstache #iplier egos #septic egos #wkm detective #disconnect #beach episode #y/n literally holds all the cards

[prompt-master]

Kitty Bug

Inspired by @themasquedfox ’s post:

https://prompt-master.tumblr.com/post/164482858244/themasquedfox-a-stream-request-of-mari-with

(Let me know if you want to be unmentioned)

“Marinette, are you sure this is a good idea?”

Marinette smiled down at the back of the magazine she was holding where there was a cosplay competition for ladybug and chat noir. Who ever could create the most look alike costume would win, but more importantly the whole thing was being hosted by Adrien.

Marinette sighed happily, holding the magazine to her chest with a love struck smile, “of course Tikki! This is my chance to really impress Adrien without embarrassing myself!”

“You sure you won’t melt away the second you see him?”

“Oh come on! I do not melt away!”

Tikki hummed, raising an eyebrow “sure Marinette.”

Marinette rolled her eyes and read over the details of the competition one more time, only to get distracted by the photo of Adrien.

Tikki hovered over her shoulder, “isn’t it kind of cheating to go if you’re already Ladybug? And people could realize it’s you! Think about it Marinette”

Marinette smiled and pet Tikki on the head “thats why I’m not going as Ladybug!”

Honestly there were so many things to win from this competition, even if she lost. There was getting a chance to confront Adrien, showing off in front of Chloe, having a good time with her best friend. But most important she got to test out her love and passion for creating costumes, when she was sitting with piles of fabric, pins, and string she completely forgot about winning or losing. She’d be proud of what she did no matter what, especially with Tikki and Alya there to push her forward.

Adrien also liked competitions like this. He wasn’t a big fan of the whole model business sometimes, but days like this made it worth the trouble. And maybe it more or less boosted his ego to see all these kids excited to dress up as him, super cool pawsome hero Chat Noir. Who better to judge the Ladybug and Chat Noir costume competition than one of the heroes themselves? Of course no one knew it was him, or at least he hoped not, and Ladybug wasn’t there, that he really hoped for, but he let himself be a little selfindulgent just this once. Adrien tapped his fingers down against the judging table, trying to suppress a laugh as Plagg moved from inside his jacket and tickling him. Plagg’s head stopped near his collarbone but didn’t pop out for fear of getting caught.

He whispered “hey lover boy, maybe ladybug will show up”

Adrien rolled his eyes and lifted his phone to ear so he could at least not look crazy, “oh come on, don’t try to get me all excited for nothing”

“You’re right, you’re right. But you sure you can handle seeing a bunch of cute girls in her outfit?”

“I only have eyes for one lady, Plagg. Now hush” he poked at the kwami, “Chloe is coming, don’t let her see you.”

He cringed when Chloe spotted him and smiled widely, she threw her hand up into the air, jutted her hip out and yelled “OH adrikins!!!”

“Haha…hey Chloe, so you’re entering the competition right?”

“Uh, of course I am.” She put her hand to her chest, as if trying not to be offended, “daddy helped me get the best of the best to make my costume”

Adrien leaned back against his chair, today might actually end up to be a long day. He raised an eyebrow “that’s nice.. Did you uh, make it yourself?”

“Well- no but! Only because Ladybug deserves the best of the best!” Adrien could agree with her there. She sighed happily and hugged her bag, “if only she could see it, then the two most beautiful people” she paused to wink at Adrien “would see me in my costume”

He nodded “well you should start getting change, any minute now the contest is gonna start”

She smiled, “you’re the best Adrien, see you on stage love! And remember to vote for me!”

As she walked away he was tempted to mention that it wasn’t a voting system, but Chloe will be Chloe. He stood up, deciding to buy himself another coffee before the contest started. On the way there he studied some of the contestants who were already dressed off stage, and honestly? He felt incredibly underwhelmed and disappointed. Sure it was really rude of him to think like that but ..he was really excited to see some really nice costumes! He knows these fans put effort into them but…it felt like everyone was wearing pajamas. He was a teenager who really dreamed up this contest, leave him alone! He fumbled through his wallet as he walked to the nearest concession stand, flicking through empty gift cards and receipts for his credit card when something ran into him hard and threw him to the ground. He landed hard on his back and groaned, opening his eyes only when he heard a meek but familiar apology.

Adrien grabbed his wallet and sat up, rubbing the back of his head as he began an apology, “hey it’s not a big deal, I wasn’t watching where I was…”

He trailed off when his eyes caught who he ran into. The first thing he saw were her stunning blue eyes that were darting left and right as she frantically picked up all her stuff from her purse. Her eyes were behind a black mask, in shock he looked up at the little black ears on her head that looked exactly like his own. He felt his face grow red, looking back down to her face and the little bell around her neck.

“-am so so sorry- geez I was just in such a rush because I was late and-”

“Marinette?”

Her head snapped up and he thought she was going to completely melt away right then and there. She got that familiar expression when she usually froze up around him, her face showing nothing but pure embarrassment as she scrambled backwards and away from him, heart racing.

“A-a-a-adrien!”

“Wow Marinette you…look amazing” Adrien rose to his feet and extended his hand out to her, after scanning him with his eyes she put a gloved hand in his. She was so thankful for that, now Adrien would only feel how much she was shaking and not how much she was sweating. She almost directly touched hands with Adrien Agreste. And he didn’t look disgusted or embarassed or disappointed or-

“Marinette? You ok?” He tilted his head, green eyes looking at her in concern and awe.

She laughed awkwardly, her hand still in his even after she stood. She should really pull her hand away but. Just a few more seconds. “Y-yeah! Sorry i-…i was just ..yknow!”

“Going to the competition?” He smiled, pulling his hand away. Dammit she must have made him uncomfortable. That thought was instantly replaced by embarrassment when Adrien did a quick circle around her, taking in her costume.

“Wow, Marinette it looks like the real deal…! Seriously this is so cool.”

She gave a cute dorky smile, rubbing the back of her neck “oh it’s nothing, I just wanted to make sure it’d be something the old pussy cat would like”

He took in each detail, she had it outstandingly good, even down to his ring. How did she even do that from all the blurry reference photos online? Marinette was just amazing.

She gasped when she saw the clock, “oh no! I’m gonna be late- sorry Adrien I gotta go!” She ran off before he could even wave goodbye, only to trip over a garbage can a little bit later.

He chuckled, dreamily thinking about how adorable she looked in the costume. It was super cute seeing Marinette dressed like him. He already knew who’d be winning the contest.

#miraculous ladybug #ml #mlacn #adrienette #fanfic

[freedom-shamrock]

Subtitled Subtext

Also on AO3 . This is a direct sequel to a Light in Dark Places, and is the @miraculousfluffmonth  Aug 1 prompt, blush.

Marinette felt the heat in her cheeks as she sat next to Adrien with her cupcake.  Stupid supermodel had licked frosting off her cheek.  Frosting he'd put there.  She couldn't be mad, and she wasn't really embarrassed, but the action had ambushed her with feelings she wasn't quite prepared for.  On one hand, she was pretty sure he knew full well what he'd done, and that it had been fully thought through.  Adrien Agreste wasn't allowed to be impulsive.  On the other, he'd been home-schooled until nearly three years ago, and there were times that rules of social engagement failed him.

"So what was the news' impression on the weather?" Adrien asked.  "Akuma or freak act of nature?"  He ran his tongue around the outer edge of his cupcake, licking off some of the absurd quantity of frosting he'd applied to it.  Marinette looked away and swallowed hard, her face going hotter.  

Alya grumbled.  "Just weather.  They even had all sorts of good sciencey explanations for it."

Nino laughed.  "She was so disappointed.  Me, I'm all for not running around out in that."  He gestured to a window looking out on the dark street.  Streetlights were on, and visibility was severely impaired by the heavy rainfall.

"Yeah," Adrien agreed.  "Please don't go out in that.  I like you guys."

"You want to watch a movie or play a game or something?" Marinette suggested.

"No games," Alya said firmly.  "You two are too good; it's no fun."

"I vote movie, too," Nino said.

"Are any of you watching Ice Fantasy?" Adrien asked eagerly.

"Is it anime?" Alya asked.  Though she was a huge fan of comics, she'd proven very selective of her Japanese animation.  "I've never heard of it."

"Not anime," Adrien assured her.

"Is this that Chinese show you've been squealing over lately?" Nino asked.

"There are subtitles!" Adrien insisted before launching into his justifications.  "It's got strong female characters."  He glanced at Alya and Marinette, smiling and raising his eyebrows.  "It's got amazing fight sequences.  The music is this really neat mix of traditional Chinese and C-pop..  And…"  He beamed at Marinette.  "The costumes, Mari.  You'd love them.  They're so gorgeous."

Marinette couldn't help but laugh.  "I'm game, if it's okay with everyone else.  Going to need those subtitles, though."

While Adrien and Nino pulled the show up on the television's computer, Alya helped Marinette get popcorn and juice.  They'd been hanging around Adrien long enough to know he'd feel guilty later about all the snacks, so they had switched to something healthier than soda a few months back.

Once things were all set up, Marinette found herself sitting on one end of the couch, next to Adrien.  He smiled happily at her when she took her place, his cheeks looking just a touch pinker than normal.  Was that a blush?  No way.  Adrien did not blush.  She pushed the distraction aside as the first episode started.  Between ogling the costumes, which Adrien was totally right about, and keeping up on the subtitles, she was fully absorbed in the show.  She was vaguely aware of her parents coming upstairs, of her mother asking who was staying for dinner.  There were responses, but she didn't pay much attention to them.

When the second episode had ended, Adrien tapped the remote to stop the streaming.  It was only then that Marinette realized the rain had dropped to a sprinkle.  "So what did you think?" he asked, looking at his friends and Marinette's parents who had taken up residence on some stools from the kitchen.

"It's lovely, Adrien," her mother said.  "How did you come across it?"

"My Mandarin tutor recommended it," he explained.  "He said that watching Chinese TV is going to do more for my vocabulary at this point than just talking with him."

Marinette blinked a few times, her gaze pointed up at him.  "Wow.  That was really good.  Though, now I'm going to need to watch the rest."

"I hate to break up the party, but I have to head out," Alya said, getting up from the couch.  "I need to get dinner started for my mom."

"I'm on my way, too," Nino said quickly.  He gave Adrien a look that could only be described as significant.

Adrien was definitely blushing now.  "Yeah, yeah."  He made a shooing motion that didn't seem to have anything to do with Nino's statement.  "My ride should be here soon."  He held up his cell phone, indicating he'd been sent a text about it.  He pushed himself up.  "I'll walk down with you guys."

"You want company while you wait?" Marinette asked.  

"Yes," Alya answered for him.  "He does."

"It would be nice to talk to you a bit more," Adrien said, doing his best to ignore Alya, but his cheeks were somehow beyond pink now.  "Maybe we can figure out when we can watch some more of Ice Fantasy?"

"That'd be great."  Marinette nodded.  "I'll be back in a few minutes to help with dinner," she told her parents.

"No rush," her father said calmly.  "Be a good hostess for now."

Alya and Nino had raced down the stairs, and were shouting farewells over their shoulders by the time Marinette got there.  "Well they're not being weird or anything," she muttered.  "Do they have a date or something?"

Adrien shook his head and resettled his messenger bag on his shoulder.  "Umm… I think they're giving us space."  He fiddled with his ring.

Marinette caught his hand.  "Space?  Is everything okay?"  

His blush had started to fade, but her questions appeared to reignite it.  He nodded.

Was something wrong?  Did he have big news or, worse yet, bad news?  He sometimes had to travel for weeks at a time.  "Did you… is there something you want to tell me?"

God he was adorable with that much red in his cheeks.  And his ears!  He blushed to the tips of his ears.  "Yeah."  He squeezed her fingers, but didn't let go as she half expected.  "You… you're amazing, Mari.  You know that, right?"

Oh dear.  He was bringing her right into his festival of pink cheeks.  "Thanks."

"I mean it," he insisted.  "You're crazy talented, and you know how to do so much.  You're brave, and supportive, and you're super pretty."

"Oh!" she managed to gasp before her voice stopped working.  Was he doing what she thought he was?

"And… I really like you," he said with a nervous smile that never showed up in his modeling portfolio.

"I like you too," she managed to blurt out, though her voice sounded thin and reedy.

He shook his head a little.  "I… don't just mean as a friend."

"Me either… er… me too."  No no no.  She didn't want to return to the stuttering mess she used to be.

His smile was amazing, like a happy ray of sunshine.  "Really?"  He seemed genuinely surprised.  "Um… so, would you maybe want to go out with me sometime?  We could do dinner and a walk by the river… or... is that too cliche?  I have no idea what I'm doing."  He bit his lip and rolled his eyes.  

Marinette tightened her grip on his hand, not minding the tint in her cheeks anymore.  "No… I mean, it's not too cliche.  It would be wonderful.  I'd love to."

Next in series > Refreshing Reality 

30 minute speed write

#Miraculous Ladybug #fanfic #my writing #mlfluffmonth #Adrienette #A Little Light #ML Fluffgust 2017