#hats off to keefe

[artnerdsrule]

Keefe and mommy dearest.

#it astounds me how kind keefe is #knowing how #and who he grew up having to deal with #hats off to keefe #i could never #i just love the guy #kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #sokeefe #keefe sencen #kotlc fanart #keeper of the lost cites fanart #kotlc keefe #artists on tumblr #keeper of the lost cities keefe #keefe angst #lady gisela #gisela sencen #kotlc gisela

[hauntedmoundgaysex]

babayaga | sematary/chief keef

pairing: chief keef/sematary

warning/notes: bxb, rimming, oral sex

summary: starting with a birthday, keith and sem reconnect

word count: 5,839

Sem's phone vibrated, alerting him that someone had sent him a message. His heart fluttered when he realized it was from Keith.

Keith

Happy birthday Sem, enjoy your day big boy :)

He smiled back at his phone, although a red blush filled his face with the last part. It wasn't the first message he'd gotten; obviously his family and closer friends had sent him wishing texts, not to mention he hadn't even opened Twitter or Instagram yet. It wasn't usual for him, but he hadn't responded to any of them except for the one his mother had sent him.

But he decided to answer Keith right away.

Sem

thanks :-) means a lot <3

Keith

What are you gonna do today ?? any plans??

Sem

i got nothin. Probably will just smoke away when the sun goes down

Keith

seriously ?? i luv you but that's so sad i gotta get something more for you

Sem

Hey, don't worry hahah i can just order chinese or pizza or sushi you don't have to do that

Keith

duuuude thats so sad i'm booking u a nice dinner bbg

Sem

really?? ty

Keith

happy birthday buddy :-)

Sem blushed from the nickname Keith had given him. He felt powerless; he didn't even want such an expensive dinner, but he still was Keith's baby girl, wrapped around his finger and willing to go along with anything he'd want to do. This time, it worked out in his favor and Sem was admittedly more than excited for dinner.

His friends had finished their show, and Sem met up with the two at the door out, fans stopping them the minute they stepped out. Sem stopped to talk with some of the overjoyed fans and was subsequently showered with gifts, including a baseball hat and a bottle of watermelon flavored lube; a group of girls sang Happy Birthday to him as well. He appreciated the fans, although they could be weird at times.

After the three went back to the motel, Sem groaned and sprawled himself across the bed, barely even taking off his clothes. His phone alarm rang hours later and woke him from his nap.

As he awoke, he found his way to the shower groggily despite already taking one in the morning. If Keith really did want to splurge on him with such a nice dinner, he figured he should at least look like he put some effort into his look. He picked out some nice clothes and changed into them before his phone rang again; this time it wasn't Keith but rather an unidentified number. A car horn sounded from outside of the room as well, nice and loud to let the whole world know that it was here.

"Keith?"

He opened the door and headed out, stashing his phone in his pocket. The car housed a man with brown hair and light skin. Typical NPC, Sem thought.

"Huh?"

The man looked at his phone. "Headed to that new fancy restaurant, Sem?"

"Yes? I think so?" he replied, still confused as hell.

"Kay. I'm your lift, by the way."

"I didn't order an Uber." Sem said, before interrupting himself with "Wait,"

Sem

You sent an Uber for me??

Keith

Duh.

Sem

Hey, that's fine, I could have just taken the bus or asked for a ride!

Keith

I refuse to let you come into the restaurant smelling like herbs or whatever the fuck is in Hackle's car nowadays

Sem

:-(

He clicked off his phone and shoved it into his jacket pocket. The outside gleamed with the sun, which had not quite set yet, and the busy streets which were full of bright lights and people who were too close to the Uber. Everyday it was a new sight for him, despite the fact that he'd been touring for years at this point. Here it was busier though, and he just hadn't gotten used to it.

As the car pulled up in front of the fancy restaurant, Sem smiled and slipped the driver a couple of dollar bills as he opened the door of the car, stepping out into the city.

LA felt so much bigger than Atlanta or Chicago or even any other place he'd been. He had to crane his neck just to look at the shortest buildings, and the fear of being crushed by construction stayed in his mind.

Somebody even opened the door for him as he walked in, and Sem told the person at the front his name

"We have someone waiting for you," he said, quite annoyed. He wondered if Keith had already pissed this guy off, and as he and the host walked into the special, closed off dining section. Keith had probably persuaded and put up a good fight with him to guarantee the nice seating. The room was large and neat; the ceilings and windows were tall, and the space was quiet which Sem appreciated compared to the hustle outside. He knew why Keith had chosen it, it was just so Sem.

The thought of Keith browsing restaurants and thinking of him made him smile.

The host kept walking though, moving past the fancy business area to lead him to an almost closed off section.

Keith sat at the quietest table there was, hands crossed and his face in a goofy smile.

"Keith? W-What?" was all he could squeeze out as his mouth was open from shock. Keith stood up and wrapped him in a tight hug. Once he pulled back, Sem questioned, "What are you doing? At a place like this?"

"Happy birthday, honey," Keith smiled again, ignoring Sem's question only to wrap him in a squeeze.

He held onto Sem for what seemed like an hour, exhaling a deep breath onto his chest. Sem feared of other people judging him but since he had Keith by his side he didn't care.

They tore apart once Keith couldn't breath from how he had nestled himself inside of Sem's shirt. They both shared a quick laugh.

"Anyways, I ordered us the best champagne they have here. I have to make such a big and important birthday as special as I can." Keith explained as he flipped through the menu with his spare hand.

"Huh? Like my age is a big milestone?" Sem questioned. Sem's breath hitched. Keith was just his friend, but with all of his words and special gifts he could realize the feelings in his stomach bubble over.

"Ah, you're right though. I guess it is pretty special, baby," Sem tried out a new name and Keith smiled in response.

They both looked at the menu, which was expectantly expensive; Sem sipped his champagne and attempted to reciprocate the near flirty words that were spilling out of Keith's mouth by the minute. He wasn't even sure how it happened, but their legs were pressed against each other, and Sem felt his right hand creep up against Keith's thigh; he was able to feel the heat of his skin.

The desperation in his bones was unfathomable, and all he wanted was more and more.

"Want dessert? They have some good stuff here," Keith asked.

Sem didn't take his eyes off of him. "Nope. I'll pass this time,"

"No? Huh, was I this bad this entire time to the point where you actually want to leave me?"

Sem could just hear the teasing in Keith's voice. "No. I want this night to keep going. Where are you staying?"

"Some decent hotel. Not that far away."

Sem had known Keith long enough to realize that "not that far away" really just meant across the city, so he shoved his phone and wallet into his pocket and stood up from his chair, and he heard Keith growl into his ear,

"Princess, I'm ready to ride, we need a car."

-

Sem couldn't remember anything about the ride to the hotel besides the fact that all he wanted was for his hands to be on Keith's, and to exchange only the sweetest of kisses with him. They walked into the hotel as one, and Sem couldn't take any notice of his surroundings as he buried his face into Keith's shirt, the scent so familiar to him, providing the source of comfort he needed. The elevator couldn't seem to move any slower and it killed Sem each time the floor stopped to let more people in. If the room was any farther away, Sem felt like he might have passed out from the lack of his love for him.

Keith barely had time to shut the door before he finally gave Sem what he had wanted for so long, the thing that he was yearning for at the restaurant. Keith kissed him desperately, first on his soft face, where his perfect mustache itched at his lips as he pressed kisses to Sem's own. Sem's shoulders collided with the door when Keith moved down to his neck, and as he continued to suck all Sem could do was moan out his love's name. Beneath him, Sem melted and moaned into the kiss that Keith had him in.

Pulling him tighter, Keith suddenly had Sem in a tight embrace, their pants clashed against each other and Sem blushed as Keith grinded himself onto his dick. Keith kissed down his face again, pressing kisses to his jawline and neck, finally finding his favorite spot of Sem where he started to suck at him. A deep red mark soon formed on Sem's throat and Keith pulled back with his saliva still connected to him. Pulling at his tie, Keith whispers into Sem's ear with a smooth whisper, "Mind if I do this?"

Sem was quick to respond with, "Not at all, baby,". It took Sem back to their days in the studio, where he would carelessly ride Keith without a care if anyone found them. It wasn't just sex they had, more just ultimate love that they shared in private. There was a time where Sem didn't know if Keith was his friend or lover, but he loved what they had now, especially since they were loving as one soul, their love more than anything than Sem had ever experienced before. Keith takes Sem's hand and chases him playfully to the bed where he pins him below him.

"I needed you so bad today," Sem moaned, tipping Keith's head up so he could plant his own small kiss on his neck.

"I missed you, baby, fuck, you're so pretty when you're about to cum," Keith teased, licking Sem's lips so he can finally taste Sem in his favorite way.

Sem's knees shake; whenever Keith teases him he can't help but feel so weak and ready for anything he's trying to do. His breath hitches as Keith pulls the tie a little tighter and tongue kisses him, obviously gaining control over Sem's tongue easily. Keith raised his knee to find Sem's crotch again, grinding against him.

Keith's hands find their way to the front of Sem's pants quickly and Sem can feel himself melt and his breath hitch. Giving him a lewd smile, Keith pulls down his pants with his teeth and immediately starts to palm at Sem's erection, silencing his whines with just his soft whispers. He kisses at his clothed cock, pressing his face closer if only to just hear Sem's desperation.

"I missed it so bad, how your dick felt in my mouth, baby," Keith smiles and kisses his briefs a few times before gripping the waistband of them and pulling them down slowly, letting his cock bump him on the nose as he freed it. With a chuckle, he starts to run his hand on Sem's cock, already slick with pre-come that collects on his hand.

"Think it missed you too, Keith," Sem jokes, but he's still surprised at how fast he had gotten hard just from being kissed by Keith. His fingers dug into his thighs and Sem responded by placing his hand in Keith's hair, causing him to smile cheesily and press a kiss to the head of his cock, quickly tipping his head up before he decides to start sucking at him.

"You're the most beautiful boy I've met, Keith. I'm so glad I have you," Sem exhaled, the endearing words almost slipping through his lips with the pleasure he was feeling. A light blush covered Keith's cheeks, because he's honestly never thought of himself in that way, never has he thought that Sem saw him as such; regardless he smiled as the words echoed in his head.

Keith finally runs his hand along Sem's cock, causing him to moan out. "Oh, god," he whined, after so long without Keith being on him. "Fuck, Keith, I need you this minute."

Keith knew exactly how defenseless yet adorable Sem would get when he sucked him off, and he lived for the feeling. He softly licked him from the base of his cock to the very tip; he took the head into his mouth and flicked his tongue around it. Keith doesn't care if he looks or sounds stupid, because the noises Sem is letting out already drove him insane. Circling the shaft again, Keith continues to nearly taunt Sem with how slow he makes his pace, lapping at him at such a grudgingly slow speed that Sem can't help but beg for his tongue and more.

The wet heat of Keith's mouth drove Sem insane; all he wanted was to thrust his hips in between his warm lips, but he still wanted to let Keith take his time with him exactly how he pleased. How he felt with Keith, his Keith, could ever be replicated for him. His thighs begin to shake, and Sem can feel his orgasm building while soft little sighs escape his lips.

Sem pulled at his hair with a small hint of encouragement towards his shy lover. Looking down, he sees Keith in the process of throating his cock and it's enough to make him come alone. His hands join him to assist Keith in bringing Sem to his orgasm. His stomach uncoils and Keith bobs his head off so Sem's sticky come now covers his face. He chuckles at the thought of it before getting up to kiss Sem.

"Keith! No offense, but I really don't want to taste my own nut right now!" Sem scolded, placing his hands on his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to buy you a present so I hope I can do." Keith chuckles, holding Sem close.

Sem opens the bathroom door and emerges back into the living room, nearly tripping over a random trash can in the middle of the hallway. He curses, muttering out, "Couldn't someone just clean up around here?" Keith chuckles in response and lays back on the fold out couch. "Not unless you would want to see me in a maid costume," he jokes.

Keith watches and giggles as Sem tries to find his way to the couch, bumping into every chair and table and apologizing to them hastily. By the time Sem finally makes it, Keith was laughing so hard at how much of an idiot Sem could be. Regardless, he was Keith's idiot, and they both loved it. Maybe they didn't like any terms to describe what their relationship was, but it didn't matter to Keith nor Sem. He flings his bag down on the couch with a sigh.

Keith nods and kisses Sem's cheek. "Welcome to the big world. The kitchen is that way," he gestures, pointing across the spacious suite. Moving to the kitchen, he wipes down the counter before rummaging in the fridge for a bottle of wine. "Do you want any?" He asks, noticing that Sem had followed him.

"Yeah. Wanna watch something?"

Sem's face lights up and he smiles and nods. If he was told at the start of the day that he'd be drinking expensive wine out of paper coffee cups and crushing Keith on the sofa of a random hotel suite, he'd think it was too insane to be true. He couldn't be more happy that it was happening now, since this was already shaping up to be his best birthday. Keith interrupts his thoughts with his question.

"Hmm. What do you even watch? Paint drying?"

"Keith!" Sem scolds. "Hey, I like a fair amount of things. Like, uhm, Criminal Minds and Dateline!"

"Hell no, I'm not watching that and driving home when I know there's some weirdo next to me on the street carrying someone in their trunk." Sem can't argue with that.

"You seem like a Toy Story kinda guy, Sem."

Sem can't even protest, because he knows its true. "Fine, I also like Spirited Away a lot," he spits out, hiding his face.

"Don't be ashamed, that's an amazing movie. I'll try and find it in the directory." Keith took a sip and fiddled with the remote for a couple of minutes before the all too familiar music that Sem had loved hit his ears. A smile crept onto his face from the wine and just from being next to Keith.

"You think they'll let us smoke here?"

"Probably not. But I don't think they can stop us."

Keith nodded in agreement and dug into his own bag, returning with a bag of kush and papers.

"Keith, are you sure this won't make this entire place smell like weed?"

Sem usually didn't smoke weed but for Keith he was willing to.

"Nah, but I don't think they can really call the cops on us if we're already long gone."

Sem chuckled; he couldn't even argue with that logic. He pulls his own weed and a lighter out of his bag.

"Hey, don't trust weed you get from fans! What if they put a love potion in it?"

"Come on, you idiot! I'll only love you," Sem teased, lighting the joint with his pink lighter.

Keith grinned and took the blunt from his fingers, sneaking it between his own lips.

Keith dug around in his bag for a bit until he returned with his beatpad, which was covered with stickers of bands he liked and cartoon characters he found cute. Smiling, Sem leans on his shoulder as Keith turns it on.

The look Keith gave him back was whole and honest, which was something Sem often saw in himself. He smiled when he realized that Keith had picked up on his cheeky mannerisms. Sighing, he smiles sweetly and turns to kiss Keith. His hands drift to his face to cup it and bring it closer to him

It felt like forever since their last kiss, and as a result they both were hungry for more and more. Desperate love filled the air, and both Sem and Keith were ready to swallow it whole. Fast hands and tongues overwhelmed the both of them with premature pleasure.

The kiss was the life that fueled both of them, unlike many others they'd had to this point. It made fireworks and thunder appear into Sem's mind, planting the image that he was the firework that exploded into Keith's storm and started this all.

Sem made the first move this time, nearly tearing the buttons off of Keith's expensive shirt, to which he responded to with a gentle tsk. Keith's hands untucked Sem's shirt and exposed his already hardening dick, unsettled with only one blowjob. They moaned against each other's lips and sighed once they pulled apart.

"Now baby, get onto that bed before I throw you out the damn window," Keith teases and Sem complies almost immediately. He takes Keith's hand in his and lets him drag him along anywhere he desires. Each time Sem blinked, an article of clothing disappeared from either his or Keith's body, until they both were in their boxers. Sem pressed his body into Keith's, but he flipped him over and crashed against his chest.

"Oh, look at my baby. So perfect for me." Keith teased, taking a hand to clench around Sem's chest.

"Don't make me embarrassed before you're inside of me," Sem fired back.

"Baby, I can do anything I want to you and you know that," Keith chuckled halfheartedly, taking his chest and squeezing down on a nipple.

Sem didn't have time to tease Keith back since he had grabbed his hips and pulled them both together. Being aware of how hard he was, Sem moaned for his sweet release that hopefully wouldn't be delayed by Keith's playfulness. He could tell that Keith was in a similar state as well, and as their cocks brushed against each other, both erupted into choruses of sweet moans.

Keith was more desperate than him, if even possible. His hand dipped into Sem's shorts and brought out Sem's cock. A perfect–yet long–handful of pink filled his hand, and it came to Keith in surprise each time that he was uncut. Against Sem's wishes, he'd been sure to mention how perfect his cock was.

"Fuckfuckfuck yes, please, Keith," Sem rambled, hands drifting so they reached Keith's shoulders. Keith took mercy on him before he spit on his hand and started to jerk him off, smirking about how his skin felt in his hands.

Sem was quick to follow, nearly tearing Keith's shorts in an attempt to get him off. Cut flesh lined his cock, and although it wasn't as long as Sem's, it was painfully thick, something that Sem had always been sure to report. Reaching into the drawers, Keith returns with lube. He notes the large sex toys in the drawer.

"You– carry those around in your suitcase?" Keith chuckles, seeing things that he feels like he shouldn't have. "I respect it!"

"Hey, don't be like that, you know how lonely I get when I think of you," Sem sighs, knowing that there's no excuse to carry around goddamned sex toys in his luggage.

"It's okay, princess. Just show me what you do when you think of me."

The smile on his face was unmatched, and Keith responded by wrapping his slick-with-lube hand around his cock, and in response Sem runs his lips around the base.

"I always think of you sucking me off," he sighs. "I also think of when I suck you off too, and how you always grab my hair. Keith's more than happy to comply, and he places his hand on the back of Sem's head. But he pulls off, all too sudden, and Keith moans in the loss of friction. Sem sits between his thighs and takes Keith's cock in his hands.

"This is my favorite way to please you," Sem muses, making his hand run down his length faster. He'd been just as surprised when he learned that Keith was cut, but it didn't change or falter any of his feelings, and totally not his erection. "Do you want to see my favorite way to please you, Sem?" Keith teases.

Sem didn't need someone to tell him twice. He lets Keith run his finger across his slick hole, causing him to shudder immediately. Keith does it against, except a tad slower but harder. Sem whines and flinches in Keith's arms, where he holds im with one. Next, he rubs a gentle rhythm over Sem's hole.

"Nobody's like you, Keith. Nobody does this like you do, baby, please, I just need more," Sem stumbles; words flood out of his mouth.

Keith pressed a finger into him, slightly spreading him. Sem moans, clenching his fists in pleasure, knowing that Keith is taking his sweet time. A second finger from Keith slides its way in, and soon after a third. He works his hands in a small circle before adding his last finger. By this point, Sem's quivering like a poor leaf.

Keith kisses him, deep and sweetly, before he moves his fingers. Tiredly, Sem melts into his mouth, and as Keith removes his fingers he whines. Keith takes mercy on him again and turns him over while he slides a condom on his dick before adding some more lube to Sem's entrance.

"Fuck, please, Keith," he smirks. "Fuck me right now."

Keith gives him exactly what he wants.

He puts one hand on Sem's hip, and one on his cock before he pumps it around Sem's hole, all while he's moaning and begging for Keith.

"Is this–?"

He couldn't ask whatever he was about to say because Keith was now inside of him, deep into him. Sem's dick throbbed from only the first time he pushes in.

"Fuck!" he yells out, just as Keith's pulling back, only to enter him deeper than before. Their breaths are synched and their hearts both pulse.

Once he settles himself in Sem's heat, he nearly comes just from how perfect he is. However, he decides to lean forward and cover Sem's bare body with his own. He feels his chest blow up each time he breathes so close to Sem and his warm body.

"Fuck, princess, you feel good," Keith rasps, gripping his thigh. Sem can only moan and beg for him to move his own hips so he can feel stimulated.

Keith nods and gives Sem what he wants again, unable to deny his love at anything. He thrusts his hips out and into him at a speed which picks up by the second.

Keith holds Sem's hips straight as he thrusts into them hard. Sweat beads at his forehead and the only sound that either of them can hear are pleasured whispers and moans.

"I'm so close, please, just need you, right now, god,"

"Baby boy, I got you. I'm gonna cum inside your ass and make you come too," As proof, he runs his hand along his cock.

Unable to delay his orgasm, Keith thrusts harder into Sem as he comes into Sem, filling him with his heat while he moans out. They both pant after coming down from the intense orgasm, and Keith pulls out with a shaky shudder while Sem flops down on the bed. Keith's the first to speak, with a whimper of

"Fuck, Sem, that was–fuck, it was so..."

"I know what you're gonna say, and I agree."

—

They cleaned up–together, of course–in the roomy hotel shower while still chuckling like little kids at every small inconvenience. Keith stepped out in cotton pajamas that just looked so expensive to Sem, considering that he just slept in boxers. The contrast didn't matter to him; he just wanted to share his bed with Keith, no matter how he was dressed. Wondering a bit about his pajamas, Sem finds himself lost again. Did he know the person who made them? Or did he just pick them up himself from a store? The thoughts were stupid but he loved to have them.

"How long can you stay with me, baby?" Keith whispered into his ear endearingly.

"Someone is calling me over at LAX tomorrow," Sem flinched, not wanting to share the news. Keith stayed quiet, possibly out of disappointment. "Baby, is that okay?"

Smiling, Keith cuddles into Sem's chest. "It's okay. It's just been so long since I've let myself be like this, all of this time, I was an idiot," he breathes out. "I can't remember the last time I've shared so much love with you, maybe since,"

Sem finished, like he knew what Keith was about to say.

"It's been too long, I don't know what we were thinking before this. Before that, it was too long too. You won't make me wait again, right baby?"

—

Keith and Sem awoke after what only seemed like five minutes, although all of them were shared together with utmost care and love. Keith blinks his eyes open and feels Sem's strong arms around his shoulders. Playfully, Keith shakes him awake and presses a kiss to his face.

"I'm hard," Keith smirks as he leans against him.

"Well, morning to you too, baby," Sem sighs, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"How did you sleep?"

"I did so good, baby. So well. Only with you," Sem yawned. "We should go out to eat somewhere, I'm so damn hungry, Keith,"

"I'm happy to hear that," Keith smiled. His hand reaches the top of the covers and pulls them off to expose his erection.

"Can't you wait until we get back from brunch?" Sem shakes his head.

"Better not keep me waiting," Keith teases, bringing Sem to the closet so they can get dressed.

–

LA was louder in the morning; the skies were filled with flags and yelling and music and commotion, and they weren't even in the heart of the city.

Keith insisted on paying for everything Sem wanted, and although Sem didn't like to spend too much money, he was ravenous. Bagels and butter and smoked salmon headlined the one shop Keith and Sem had decided to check out.

After a light breakfast, Keith wiped his mouth and whispered to Sem.

"What do you want to do today? We gotta make the most of this," Keith asked.

"I don't feel like doing anything like that, maybe we can just go back to the room and—"

"Snacks?"

"—take care of this for you," Sem teases, stroking the front of Keith's pants.

Sem decided they should stop at a gas station for snacks before they headed back to the room. He picked out Diet Coke cans and bags of Doritos and Sour Patch Kids, not caring about a thing because he knows Keith will eat along with him. The two raced like kids back to the apartment with huge smiles on their faces, finally reaching their door with small little sighs leaving both of their mouths.

They turned the TV on again and Sem smiled as an old season of SpongeBob was playing. Keith took his hand in his and squeezed it gently. He picked up a Dorito and bit into it, letting the chip fall around his body. Just the look Keith gave him back made him fall into a fit of laughter and crush the remainder of the bag with his thigh.

"Hey! I wanted some of those, you idiot!" Keith growled and tackled him back, pinning him down for what seemed like the millionth time in the past couple days.

"When we're like this, baby," Keith asks. "What do you think of me?" He nips down on Sem's neck as a way to tease him.

"How sexy you are baby, and how bad I want you inside of me." Sem grinned. "Would you? Would you fuck me again?"

"Yeah. Of course, baby. I wanna do something else to you today," he exhaled.

Sem nodded hurriedly. "Yes, please, Keith."

When they fucked yesterday, it was different. Although they arguably had less time, their kisses were already softer and it was clear that Keith wanted to take his time with his love.

Sem was like a present to him, something small and perfect that was for his eyes only. Nobody else could see him so disheveled and ready to be fucked. That was only for Keith. He was the only one who'd seen Sem's other sides and how he was when he was alone. The connection they had ran in their bones and blood deep.

Keith spread his legs and fastened himself between them. He started to cover Sem in kisses, starting at his soft chest and down his stomach and stopping at his cock. He winks and kisses the base, the tip, and finally he runs his tongue across the shaft, around and up. Keith slides his teeth in to tease at his tip once again.

Sem turned to bury his face in the pillow with a sigh as he felt Keith move down, over the hump of his ass and between his cheeks. Keith's stubble made him flinch from the new feeling it gave him, but his wet tongue around his hole distracted him, bringing him away from any doubts he might have had at any point. His tongue worked wonders, licking soft rhythms over his entrance. Occasionally he reaches his hands to grip at Sem's quivering thighs and hold them down. His hunger doesn't falter and he impatiently starts to fuck his ass with his mouth.

Sem moans out with his full heart as Keith continues to eat his ass, and he tries to move in hopes of at least getting a little more stimulation from what he's doing. Keith moves to spit on his fingers, immediately pressing one into him much like he had done with his tongue before. Softly, Keith continues to fuck him open with just his fingers and tongue. His slow pace made him shiver. Eventually, he backs away just as Sem feels he's about to come.

"You better turn around," he demands in a soft tone.

Sem nodded, already so stimulated.

"Did you like me when I did that, baby? Do you like it when I eat you out so good?" Keith smirked as he put a condom on his dick again.

"Yes, yes, yes. It felt so good, baby." Keith kisses his thigh and Sem moans.

Keith finally got the guts to push into his Sem for what could be the last time in a while. He was certain it wouldn't be their last time. Sem felt himself tighten almost immediately, his prior stimulation coming back to double with Keith's cock in his ass. He was there for Sem, and he made it known with the way he lowered around his body and pressed kisses to his shoulder. Keith finally decided to thrust into him faster, although differently from what he had done the previous night.

Sem moaned as Keith kept slamming his hips into him as deep as he could. His body shook as his orgasm built, and Keith took it as a hint to go faster. Keith moaned rawly, letting his breath get warm on Sem's chest. In response, he wraps his legs around Keith's and muffles his moans with his hands. He came with a groan and let the come cover his lower body. Only a couple moments passed before Keith came inside of him.

Keith panted and wiped the sweat off of his forehead before he pulled out of Sem. He got up to throw the condom away in the bathroom. Once he comes back, he's right on Sem again.

"We need to do this more," Keith pants. "Why don't we do this more? I genuinely don't know at this point?"

"I feel the exact same way," Sem sighs, still coming down from his orgasm.

After Sem finishes cleaning up, he flops back down on the bed and starts to fiddle with his phone. The light glows up his face and Keith smiles. "I have to go, baby, I'm sorry. I only have an hour."

"Maybe you should be packing up? What are you doing?"

"I gotta talk to him, that guy," Sem sighed. "He's the one who's booking the damn flight."

—

The next time they joined him after their show, all Sem could think about was how much he missed Keith. How much he wanted him by his side.

#Fanfic #slash #rpf #Haunted mound rpf #Music rpf #Hip hop rpf #Rap rpf #real people fanfiction #ChiefSem #Sematary x Chief Keef

[acewithapen]

I've got this new tattoo, it reminds me of you- Chapter 2

HI HELLO WELCOME BACK. i totally did not forget to finish this chapter, no siree

anyway @when-wax-wings-melt and @skylilac, thanks for hosting the event!

read on ao3 here

(fic under the cut!)

The rest of the week rushes by until he’s throwing stuff in a beach bag, grabbing his hat, and hurrying after Fitz to Delilah, also known as Biana’s pride and joy.

Delilah is a cheerful, sunny yellow van. She had gotten it in high school at a junkyard and spent most of her sophomore year fixing it up and making it as good as new. Biana had spent her junior and senior years transporting the instruments for his band—Havenfield. Technically it was Sophie’s band, but.

He yelled for shotgun, sprinting to beat Fitz. He rolled his eyes and climbed into the backseat, ignoring Keefe’s playful taunting. Biana laughed from next to him, wearing a teal and gold romper. “Right. Dex and Tam should be here soon, and then we’ll get Sophie, and Marella from their apartment. Linh is meeting us there.”

“Are Maruca and Stina not coming?”

Biana shakes her head. “They had an assignment to do. Some sort of video…?”

“Mm.” The other two arrive soon, Dex in bright blue and orange, and as always, Tam in black. They go and pick up Sophie and Marella, the latter saying that Linh will drive on her own, since she had to open for the coffee shop today

It isn’t a super long drive, so soon enough, Biana is finding a parking spot and they begin to unload. The beach was surprisingly empty. Granted, school had started for most people in the area, but it was a warm, sunny Saturday. There were a few people down at the far end, by the docks, but otherwise, they had the beach to themselves.

Sophie stood next to him, assessing him. She didn’t say anything though, just leaning against him.

Biana had run down, her laugh clear above the waves. Dex and Tam followed, talking quietly. His arm tingled, the mark humming softly. They needed him again. He brushed his fingers over it, the small sun warm against his fingertips.

“Want to head down?”

Sophie glanced up at him. “I’m going to talk to Fitz. Can you ask Marella when she’s off? I want to get back to rehearsing.”

“Sure.” He wandered off, grabbing a bottle of water from the cooler. Marella was sitting on her towel, reading something on her phone. “Hey. Soph wants to know when you’re off work.”

“For the band?”

“Yea.”

“Mm. Alright. I’ll check.”

He sits down next to her, crossing his legs and resting his chin on his hands. If he looks to the left, he can see Fitz and Sophie talking. They’re…it’s always been complicated for them. She had transferred to their boarding school in sixth grade, an outsider among people who had known each other for years.

Fitz had confessed once, quiet in the dark of his bedroom, that he hadn’t really wanted to date her. That it felt like what he was supposed to do so he had. Keefe had felt the weight of those dark eyes on him in the dark of their room, and had mumbled something, and then claimed that he was tired.

Maybe that was why Fitz had stopped confiding in him. Maybe that was why they’d gotten into that screaming match after Alvar had sold out part of the Vackers’ company secrets. Fitz had been so angry, so hurt. But Keefe had, mistakenly, defended Alvar. Saying that maybe it was a mistake, or he had been tricked.

And then after, they’d barely spoken.

“I’m off on Tuesdays. And you don’t work them either, right? So we could do Tuesdays. Especially since Tam can ask for an ensemble practice room for us to use.”

“Wh-Yeah. That sounds good. I guess just put it in the chat?”

“You got it.” She typed something out and seconds later, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He went back to watching Fitz, only to realize he had moved.

“Why do you look so mopey? We’re at the beach, you love it here.”

He leaned back to stare up at Fitz, shading his eyes. “Tired.”

“Sucks to suck. Do you wanna go down to the pier? I…I want to talk.”

Keefe blinked and snapped into action. “Yeah, of course, just let me—” He pushes himself up, and follows Fitz down the beach. Salty burns in his nose and he breathes in the brine.

They walk slowly, Fitz wringing his hands. “I…I’m sorry. For what happened. It wasn’t fair for me to just cut you off completely.”

He blinked hard. “Thank you. But, I should apologize too. I shouldn’t have defended Alvar like that. I didn’t know, so I said the wrong thing.”

Fitz’s mouth twitches up on one side. “Well. I guess we both messed up huh?”

He can’t help the smile that’s slowly spreading over his face. “Yeah. I guess we did.” They keep walking, tension slowly draining. He’s glad they’ve finally cleared the air. Spending more time with that awkward air would not have been fun. He bumps his shoulder against Fitz’s, and the little sun on his arm warms. “Hey. Race you.”

Keefe sprints off, laughing at his outraged cry. He hurdles a rock and flings himself onto the dock, sticking his tongue out. Fitz is slower, but it doesn’t mean anything when he barrels into Keefe, knocking them both into the water.

They bob back up, spluttering with laughter. He shakes his hair, splattering both of them with water. “Dude!”

“What? I thought you wanted to win the race?”

He grumbles. “I didn’t want to get water in my hair! It’s gonna get crunchy! Just because you don’t care about your appearance doesn’t mean that I can’t!”

“It’s just some water!”

He gapes in mock offense and shoves Fitz under, holding for a few seconds. He lets him back up, yelping as Fitz splashes him. “Okay, okay! Come on, let’s go back.”

They pull themselves back onto the dock and make their way back, messing around.

Something in his heart clicks back into its proper place, a settling of frayed nerves. He smiles at Fitz, an old feeling slowly uncurling. Biana beams at them when they get back. Her eyes sparkle in the sun and she’s sitting with her legs thrown over Sophie’s lap. Marella is sitting next to them, tapping a rhythm out on Sophie’s arm.

Dex is fiddling with his phone, no doubt adding something. Tam casts a bored look over them and nods once. “Glad you finally sorted it out. Took you long enough.”

Linh must have come on her own, as she swats Tam’s arm. “Be nice!”

“I am!” The two bicker good naturedly, and he smiles. It’s relieving to not have to worry about it. His chest feels so much lighter now.

“Okay!” Biana claps her hands together. “I was thinking we could go to Lindy’s, to get a late lunch.”

He agrees, and so does everyone else.

Keefe ends up sitting next to Fitz, squished between him and the wall. Lindy’s is a fairly popular restaurant, and it’s about halfway full now. He slumps against the wall, glancing at the menu. God, he wants mac and cheese, but the portion is massive.

“Hey.” Fitz nudges him. “Do you want to split the mac and cheese?”

“Yes.”

Fitz gives him that moviestar smile, all white teeth and warm eyes. He kind of hated that smile for a while, back when they were kids. Fitz Vacker, in middle school, had everything. A loving family, a big house, great friends. By contrast, Keefe just had a big, empty house. And he had seen the shining, perfect Fitz Vacker and hated him.

They had become friends shortly after, Cassius closing a deal with Alden. And Keefe had learned that that moviestar grin was…just how he smiled. (Keefe couldn’t help but love it, a little bit. Something he could cling to, that hadn’t changed.)

“Okay, let me get this right. We’re going to start rehearsals again?”

Sophie, on Fitz’s other side, agreed. “I was talking to Jensi, remember his cousin has that coffee shop and stage, and he said that we could use it, just as long as we pay the entry fee.”

“How much?” Keefe ran numbers through his head, calculating tuition fees versus how much he made at work.

“20 for each of us. For an entire act, too.”

He blinked. That was…shockingly cheap. “Seriously?”

Tam grinned. “No way.”

“I know! I was thinking…October 3rd? It’s a Saturday, and his cousin, uh Rowland I think, mentioned that they have mic night on Saturdays, so if we can promote it enough, we’re golden.”

He nodded slowly, running through it in his head. He had Tuesdays off, so they’d go back to that. And maybe Sunday afternoons?

Dex chimed in, asking about what they were thinking about playing. Marella jumped into the conversation, feet first, and Biana joined soon. Sophie and Tam began to talk between themselves, and so Keefe turned to Fitz.

“It’ll be nice to see you play again.”

“Yeah, it’ll be fun. It’s been weird, not having that many rehearsals or even talking about it over the summer. I mean, we went from practicing so often to just. Not.”

Fitz nods, giving an absent minded smile and thanks to the waitress who drops off their food. They split it, born of years of practice. He slumps down again, talking softly. It feels like they’re in a bubble, even with their friends surrounding them.

Keefe leans back against the wall, watching his friends fondly. Marella is leaning forward, gesturing wildly. Sophie’s laughing, playfully flicking Tam. It’s so…it’s so peaceful. Fitz nudges him.

“Are you okay?”

“Mhm. Just taking it in. I missed this.”

“Yeah. Me too.” They finish off the food, and soon Fitz and Tam are arguing over who gets to pay. (It really helps that five out of the group have stupid rich asshole dads.)

Keefe volunteers to drive back to campus, seeing as Biana is half asleep. Fitz is calling shotgun by the time he’s closing his mouth, and Marella jokingly heckles him about it.

Fitz shoves her off playfully, leading to her full on leaping onto his back. He starts the ignition, adjusts the mirrors, and waits for everyone to get settled. After that, it’s only about forty-five minutes of driving.

It’s quiet, most of them absorbed in their own tasks. Fitz snores softly next to him, eyes closed. He turns the radio down, some bubbly pop station that Biana loves. It’s not super great for napping college students, so…

Keefe parks in the lot of Sophie and Marella’s apartment, and lets them out. After that, it’s only five minutes to Ruby Hall, and Biana takes the van back. She hugs Fitz, whispering something in his ear that makes him smile. Keefe heads back up to the dorm.

He sets his bag down and starts to unpack it. Keefe is about halfway through (even if he did get distracted earlier from the small seashells someone slipped into his bag) when Fitz steps inside.

Keefe can’t help the smile that spreads across his face, or the (slightly frantic) breath of relief he heaves when Fitz doesn’t ignore him. Instead, he wanders over to peer over Keefe’s shoulder.

“Having fun?”

“Mhm. Do you want this one?”

“Yeah.” Fitz takes the small seashell, smiling at it. It’s rosy tinted white, and Keefe would be lying if he said he didn’t smile harder at that. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, of course. Also. Do you know how to do calculus? Because I think I’m going to lose my mind.”

“Hopeless.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

Keefe pouts, but doesn’t push Fitz away as he drags his chair across the room.

“Okay, so you’re gonna start like this…”

----

Thanks for reading!! chap 3 has not been started yet, so i'm going to get started on that soon!

#keefitz week 2023 #keefitz #beach day who...? #ft. keefe being gay!! #also. i was planning a slowburn but. theyre so dumb. they wanted to make up it just happened

[you-have-been-frizzled]

I share your hate of Forkle, but was wondering your specific reasons or an analysiss?

What ending do you think Shannon will do for him??

Sorry this is very Forkle-based...

*bops you with wrapping paper tube* no apologizing! especially if it gives me a chance to rant about fork man

i have a few lists that i will compile here, i also think that in a darker version of kotlc he could easily have been a grommer that i go into more detail here

he broke into her room while she was sleeping who knows how many times when she was a little girl

he asked Sophie to meet him (a grown man) on a island alone and when she took Keefe with her he told her she had to come in the cave with him alone

he just about left Dex for dead in the Neverseen hideout and only brought him because Sophie refused to go without him. Dex was a innocent child and wasn’t just anyones child he was a member of the collective’s child, someone who he worked with side by side for years, and he was still willing to leave him behind

Dex ended up with scars because he didn’t bring enough elixirs for him.

he thinks of Sophie as an accomplishment and doesn’t expect her to want him to think of her as anything more (Everblaze, Page 447.)

he will act very cryptic and only give out bits of information, just enough that she will look into what he was talking about then act proud and flatter her, saying things like “i underestimated you kids”when she and her friends figure out the thing he wanted her to know.

he will tell her about problems in the world making it sound horrible and hopeless, then saying this is the thing we made you to fix, but that’s your choice

he’s constantly dehumanizing her because she is the Moonlark and it’s her job to change things and this is what she was created for. going from treater like his child to a weapon at the drop of a hat

he doesn’t see her as a person he sees her as the moonlark his creation. he doesn’t see her as a child he sees her as his tool and he does care about her but in the wrong way

excludes her parents from the conversations and tells her she has control over her life, not them, like she isn’t a young teen

he told a fourteen year old that if he and the rest of collective died Sophie and her friends would take their place, not caring about what kind of pressure that would put on her. then admits to grooming Sophie and her friends to lead the Black Swan one day

he is constantly reading her mind and never lets her have her thoughts to herself, giving her no sense of privacy to the point that’s she’s close to desensitized to it at this point.but he expects her to not read other peoples minds

he put all this importance on Prentice and told a child that they where going to use her to brake into prison and almost got a child killed (they could have done that without her they have dwarves)

finds it funny to exclude Sandor from conversations that could potentially put her in danger

he calls her his moonlark. which sounds sweet until you realize that’s her project code name he’s literally calling her “my creation” aka “my weapon”

now that that’s over with on to what i think Shannon will do with him.

his brothers wanderling was mentioned to be bending over as if it was waiting for someone, i do think he’s going to get killed off.

probably in the final battle Sophie hopefully doesn’t trust him as much by then (but that’s a bit unlikely) and he sacrifices himself for her. as he’s dying he makes her promise to not let her mind break and to keep being his moonlark. her anger at his death makes her win the battle then she breaks down. his plating would probably a line something like “and he where finally where he belonged, where he wanted to be, back together with his brother” (it had be better than that im writing this at one am)

what I want to happen is

for him to slowly lose his mind over his brothers death. now he’s depressed, but that doesn’t make a lot of sense. frokle and his brother where close as any two people could possibly be without being in the same body. it make’s very little sense for him to be as sane as he is when he literally lost a part of him.

i want him to make little commets here and there that make you go “uhh that didn’t sound like a sane person” but then brush it off. as time goes on his behavior becomes erratic and unpredictable and even Sophie starts to feel uncomfortable around him at times, but she brushes it off because he just misses his brother. then i want him to have a mental breakdown in front of Oralie Sophie and Keefe. where he reveals that Oralie is her bio mom, and ends up hurting Sophie by grabbing her. when they get out of the situation Sophie is shaken and when they go back to look for him he’s gone.

#sophie foster #kotlc #kotlc forkle #mr forkle #project moonlark #thanks for the ask! #forkle hate o’clock #masked messengers #keepblr #the keeper of the lost cities #keeper of the lost cities #forkle neg

[reverieflowers]

This is the best thing Incorrect Quotes has ever done for me. Seriously.

Sophie : I like to think of myself as a semi responsible adult here. Fitz: Keefe is 70% of your impulse control and you know this Sophie . Keefe: I feel like Sophie is the more responsible one of us two though. Sophie : We are both 70% of each others' impulse control. Keefe: Just two lil beasts in pinwheel hats spinning on the merry-go-round at dangerous velocities, holding each other’s hands so the other doesn’t fall off.

#kotlc #kotlc fandom #sophie foster #kotlc keefe #kotlc sophie #keefe sencen #kotlc memes

[winterfireice]

Sokeefitz pumpkin picking

“Wait, are you telling me that I have lived here for five years and neither of you told me elves have PUMPKINS!! I yelled at my boyfriends as they nodded sheepishly. “How could you not tell me?” I'm mostly joking about being mad but there's some serious annoyance about multiple years missed out on awesome autumn things. “We thought you knew.” Fitz says putting a hand on his neck and looking down like he always does when he's embarrassed. “Sweetheart, I love you both so much but it took me two years to fully even realize that one, I liked you guys and two, that you also liked me. I am not very observant of stuff that doesn't involve me almost dying. So how the heck was I supposed to notice pumpkins.” Keefe and Fitz look at eachother and an agreement seems to pass over their faces “You know shes right, especially after all the autumn stuff she talked about and missing it.” Keefe says “Yeah that was a mistake on our part.” Fitz replies, “How about this we go pumpkin picking in two hours and make it a special date.” i stare into his very teal eyes and and ask “Why two hours?” “Well that's a surprise.” Keefe says tackling me onto the bed and give me a hug. “Ok, ok two hours I can wait but you two better being wearing something orange.” “Perfect we will pick you up at,” Fitz checks his watch that his partners gave him for one of his birthday gifts, “noon for our fun october date.”

A few hours and an outfit change later I was ready. I decided on a simple multicolor autumn colored sweatshirt, frayed jeans and some boots with a rusty colored beanie that she had in the back of her closet, last year she was feeling nostalgic and convinced her friends to come with her to the forbidden cities and buy some fall outfits well actually the plan was to get an outfit but she went with Biana so they ended up with way to many clothes most of them not fit for autumn but it was a lot of fun and a great stress reliever. “Hello, there are two very attractive guys standing outside your door with treats.” I hear Keefe’s voice coming through the door, opening it I see him with flowers in his hand and Fitz holding a red box, “Aww, guys you didn't have to do this, I was just being dramatic when I said I was mad at you.” I say looking at my amazing boyfriends. “Oh we know but we wanted to make up for the lost time so we have flowers in a big pretty bow and if you open that box you will find, duh dun dun dun” Keefe signs pointing to the box that has been handed to me and I open it seeing caramel bursts and “Are these mini pumpkin pies?” Fitz nods, “I love you two so much.” I put the food down onto my bed and pull them into a hug “Ok but I can't hold this off,” I step back looking at Keefes head “What is that hat” “You said wear orange!” Keefe says smuggly “Sweetheart, it's a bright orange cowboy hat.” Fitz's crisp accent mentions reaching up to straighten the hat. “Oh like you weren't blushing when you first saw me.” Keefe smirks at Fitz “You were wearing a scarf! You know I'm weak for you guys in scarves!” Fitz says. I chuckle leaning in to give him a kiss of affection “Ok should be heading out now?” I ask while grabbing the baked goods.

A light leap and a few minutes later were at a pumpkin patch and I see an apple cider stand or at least something that looks like an apple cider stand. “It's so adorable!” I'm still holding Fitz, and Keefe’s hands so I shake them a little, rattling their arms in a swaying motion. “I think you're more adorable.” Keefe is looking at me and I can feel my face blushing, “Agreed, where should we start?” Fitz turns so he's standing in front of us and I voice my wonders about the drink stand and it turns out that it's pumpkin juice with some elf ingredients that I don't know, not apple cider but it tastes good and that's all that matters.

“Now the question is, how many do we need?” Fitz asks in a light tone while we stand in what is the biggest pumpkin patch I've ever seen and the most pumpkins I've seen. There is such a variety of sizes and colors including pinks and blues. “I have no idea, I say we just keep going until we have too many.” Keefe responds “I don't think you can ever have too many pumpkins.” I joke, “We may need a cart or something to make this easier.” We end up with twelve, a small orange one for Keefe’s nightstand table, two for Fitz’s house, three for carving and three for painting which apparently elves don't carve pumpkins and only paint them so we decided to do both, and then three for different recipes Fitz wants to try.

“That was amazing, thank you guys. I think that may have to become a yearly tradition for us.” I say lying on my bed. “I'm down with that.” Keefe is lying on the other side of my bed with his pumpkin on his lap that he named George. “What if we add on to that by tomorrow coming over to my place and making some pumpkin treats?” Fitz asks, he's sitting by my desk writing down ideas. “That sounds perfect. I think I may have a recipe book around here somewhere from my human parents and there is this great pie recipes we can try.” “Ooo that sounds amazing, I love pie!” Keefe sits up excitedly “Ok perfect well make some pie.” Fitz laughs. “I'm excited best date ever expanded.” I say meaning every word.

#I know it’s late sorry I meant to post it earlier #winterfireice writes sometimes #kotlc fic #Kotlc #sokeefitz #also yes I suck at naming things

[fearsmagazine]

WITCHES!? IN SALEM?! - Review

DATES: March 16th to 30th, 2024 THEATER: HERE 145 Sixth Ave, New York, NY 10013 ACTORS: Jessie Cannizarro, Nick Carrillo, AJ Ditty, Carolina Đỗ, Aaron Parker Fouhey, James Fouhey, Jake Keefe, Andy Miller, Jessica Mosher, and Jordan Sison CREW: Director - Rachel Dart; Writer - Matt Cox; Producers - Jonathan Cottle and Matt Cox; Scenic, Costume & Puppet Design - K.C. McGeorge and Noah Ruff; Original Music - Brian Metolius; Stage Manager - Vanessa Rebeil.

SYNOPSIS: Salem Village, 1692, where wealthy landowners covet their neighbor’s land, local magistrates extract confessions, unpopular reverends want respect but more importantly firewood, and everyone is looking for someone to be punished for something. Meanwhile, several local children, led by the 12 year-old Abigail Williams try to make sense of the hysteria they find themselves at the center of. Meanwhile, the newest villagers, the Bloodkravens, are confused about it all.

REVIEW: In his play "Witches!? In Salem!?" playwright Matt Cox presents Satan's perspective on the 1962 events in Salem, Massachusetts, and the subsequent trials, arguing that this was one historical event in which he had no involvement or even presence. Cox, the writer behind the long-running Off-Broadway comedy "Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic," brings his irreverent and sharp wit to the Salem Witch Trials for an evening of theater that is both hilarious and thought-provoking.

Cox's play features eleven main characters, with the cast serving in supplementary roles for specific scenes. He constructs the satire from a cacophony of selfish motivations and desires exhibited by the characters. Among them is a contemporary character introduced by Satan- an eighth-grade student named Jenny Ann Bishop. A straight-A student, Jenny Ann boldly declares to the audience, "I'd sell my soul if I could lecture a captive audience on my favorite school subject: U.S. HISTORY." Throughout the play, she appears, providing commentary on the unfolding events.

The satire and irony are perfectly paced, while the character motivations and arcs are reminiscent of a less vulgar "South Park" story. The characters stand out as caricatures, offering a refreshing and engaging experience that avoids clichés.

In the play, there's a compelling scene where Bridgert Bishop travels through time, reflecting on past and present events. As she enters a Walgreens, she remarks on the irony of being murdered for something that is now celebrated everywhere she goes. She expresses a sense that her words are part of a comedy about her tragedy and expresses hope that the real world has progressed since the events of 1692. This scene highlights the enduring relevance of historical events and raises questions about how far society has truly come.

As the story reaches its climax, a chilling twist unfolds. Satan emerges, presenting his alternate version of events, creating a hauntingly captivating conclusion. The play leaves a resonant impact, adding a lingering crescendo, leaving the audience in awe of the unexpected turn of events.

The production values of the play were impressive, especially considering its modest budget and off-off-Broadway status. The puritan costumes were simple, enhanced by well-designed cardboard pilgrim hats. The Bloodkraven costumes were ironically fashionable, off-the-rack iconic pieces that added a touch of color to the otherwise puritan garb.

Most of the set and props were cleverly designed using cardboard, except for a few key elements such as the history book, gavel, church benches, and cauldron. Even the stage design, except for the quilt-like curtain, had a DIY feel that was both fun and effective, allowing for quick scene changes.

The lighting design, music, and sound effects were also impressive and added to the overall atmosphere of the play.

"Witches!? In Salem?!" features a truly brilliant cast, including playwright Matt Cox himself. The production boasts a talented ensemble of actors, many of whom are alumni of Cox's off-Broadway hit "Puffs." It would be unfair to single out individual performances, as the entire cast is outstanding. However, Aaron Parker Fouhey, Jessica Mosher, Andy Miller, Jessie Cannizzaro, and A.J. Ditty deserves special mention for their hilarious portrayals and their ability to navigate the show's demanding physical comedy and set changes. The ten-minute intermission is well-deserved, as the cast puts in a lot of effort during the show's two acts. Having seen "Puffs," I believe that Cox has assembled his dream cast for "Witches!? In Salem?!" These actors were undoubtedly aware of the show's demands and were up to the challenge.

In Matt Cox's uproarious comedy titled "Witches!? In Salem?!", the infamous events of the Salem Witch trials are hilariously reimagined. The talented cast, like a well-oiled Swiss watch, delivers a marvelously synchronized and dynamic performance, creating a madcap comedy brimming with laughter and satire, and a couple of introspective moments. A memorable theatrical experience not to be missed.

Witches!? In Salem?! will be presented at 8:30pm on Sat 3/16, Tues 3/19, Fri 3/22, Sat 3/23, Tues 3/26, Thurs 3/28, Fri 3/29 and Sat 3/30 with 4:00 pm matinees on Sun 3/17 and Sat 3/23 at HERE, 145 Sixth Ave, New York, NY 10013. Tickets are available at www.witchesinsalem.com.

Review By: Joseph B Mauceri

#theater news #off off broadway #Matt Cox #Witches!? In Salem?! #HERE theater #salem witch trials #satan #dark comedy #satire #puffs

[bookclub4m]

Episode 165 - Favourite Reads of 2022

This episode we’re talking about our Favourite Reads of 2022! (Some of them were even published in 2022!) We discuss our favourite things we read for the podcast and our favourite things we read not for the podcast. Plus: Many more things we enjoyed this year, including video games, manga, graphic novels, food, and more!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards

Favourite Fiction

For the podcast

Anna

Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez, translated by Megan McDowell, narrated by Tanya Eby

Episode 158 - Audiobook Fiction

Jam

Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg

Episode 160: Biographical Fiction & Fictional Biographies

Matthew

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori, narrated by Nancy Wu

Episode 158 - Audiobook Fiction

Meghan

Stalingrad by Vasily Grossman, translated by Robert Chandler and Elizabeth Chandler

Episode 164 - Military Fiction

Not for the podcast

Jam

Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh

Episode 147 - Contemporary Fantasy

Matthew

Semiosis by Sue Burke

Meghan

Black Helicopters by Caitlín R. Kiernan

Anna

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa, translated by Philip Gabriel

Favourite Non-Fiction

For the podcast

Matthew

Soviet Metro Stations by Christopher Herwig and Owen Hatherley

Episode 141 - Architecture Non-Fiction

Meghan

The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy's Vanishing Explorers by Emily Levesque

Episode 149 - Astronomy & Space

Anna

Unholy: How White Christian Nationalists Powered the Trump Presidency, and the Devastating Legacy They Left Behind by Sarah Posner

Episode 162 - Investigative Journalism

Jam

Gods of the Upper Air: How a Circle of Renegade Anthropologists Reinvented Race, Sex, and Gender in the Twentieth Century by Charles King

Episode 145 - Anthropology Non-Fiction

Not for the podcast

Meghan

Fashion Is Spinach: How to Beat the Fashion Racket by Elizabeth Hawes

Anna

Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories that Make Us by Rachel Aviv

Jam

Into the Minds of Babes: How Screen Time Affects Children From Birth to Age Five by Lisa Guernsey

Matthew

X-Gender, vol. 1 by Asuka Miyazaki, translated by Kathryn Henzler, adapted by Cae Hawksmoor

Other Favourite Things of 2022

Anna

Tasting History with Max Miller

Debunking the Myths of Leonardo da Vinci

Jam

Dirty Laundry/“Garbage Tuesday”

French tacos (Wikipedia)

Matthew

Unpacking

Meghan

Favourite manga: Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, vol. 1 by Sumito Oowara, translated by Kumar Sivasubramanian

Runner-Ups

Anna

Video Games

Crashlands

Wobbledogs

YouTube:

Ryan Hollinger (horror movie reviews)

Podcasts

American Hysteria

Maintenance Phase

You Are Good

Other (Audio)Books:

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach

Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age by Annalee Newitz

Orlando: A Biography by Virginia Woolf (Wikipedia)

Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America's Heartland by Jonathan M. Metzl

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty

The Invisible Kingdom by Patrick Radden Keefe

Off the Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture, and Why People Will Believe Anything by Kelly Weill

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

Jam

Favourite classic:

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Episode 151 - Classics

Favourite manga:

Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama, translated by Stephen Kohler (Wikipedia)

Favourite Album:

Laurel Hell by Mitski (Wikipedia)

Working for the Knife (YouTube)

Favourite AAA video game:

Pokemon Legends: Arceus (Wikipedia)

Favourite indie video game:

Wytchwood

Favourite Wordle spin-off:

Worldle

Matthew

Video game

Hyper Light Drifter

Manga

Dai Dark by Q Hayashida, translated by Daniel Komen

My Dress Up Darling by Shinichi Fukuda, translated by  Taylor Enge

lMonthly Girls' Nozaki-kun by Izumi Tsubaki, translated by Leighann Harvey

Descending Stories by Haruko Kumota, translated by Matt Treyvaud

Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma, translated by Amy Forsyth

Biomega, vol. 1 (just the first volume really, it does not stick the landing) by Tsutomu Nihei, translated by John Werry

Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service by Eiji Otsuka and Housui Yamazaki, translated by Toshifumi Yoshida

Disappearance Diary by Hideo Azuma, translated by Kumar Sivasubramanian and Elizabeth Tiernan

Graphic novels

Beetle and Hollowbones by Aliza Layne

A Gift for a Ghost by Borja González, translated by Lee Douglas

Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels by Scott McCloud

Books

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

Meghan

Favourite new-to-me author:

Zviane

Favourite work of translation:

The Route of Ice and Salt by José Luis Zárate, translated by David Bowles

Podcast non-fiction runner up: 

Raw Concrete: The Beauty of Brutalism by Barnabas Calder

Podcast fiction runner up:

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

Non-fiction

The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute by Zac Bissonnette

Sum It Up: 1,098 Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant Losses, and a Life in Perspective by Pat Summitt and Sally Jenkins

Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash by Eka Kurniawan, translated by Annie Tucker

Runner up graphic novels:

Himawari House by Harmony Becker

Taproot by Keezy Young

Shadow Life by Hiromi Goto and Ann Xu

Sunny Sunny Ann! by Miki Yamamoto, translated by Aurélien Estager (French)

L'homme qui marche by Jirō Taniguchi, translated by Martine Segard (French, available in English as The Walking Man)

Something Is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera 

Le petit astronaute by Jean-Paul Eid (French)

Tony Chu détective cannibale by John Layman with Rob Guillory (French, available in English as Chew)

Radium Girls by Cy. (French)

Queen en BD by Emmanuel Marie and Sophie Blitman (French)

Memento mori by Tiitu Takalo (French)

Enferme-moi si tu peux by Anne-Caroline Pandolfo and Terkel Risbjerg (French)

Links, Articles, Media, and Things

Episode 140 - Favourite Reads of 2021

Episode 142 - Sequels and 2022: The Year of Book Two

ChatGPT (Wikipedia)

There no longer appears to be an easy way to find images sent through Google Chat anymore, so no screenshots of fake podcast co-hosts discussing reptile fiction. Sorry!

I Am a Cat by Natsume Sōseki (Wikipedia)

Brian David Gilbert - The Perfect PokéRap

24 Travel Non-Fiction Books by BIPOC Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

America in an Arab Mirror: Images of America in Arabic Travel Literature by Kamal Abdel-Malek

Meeting Faith: The Forest Journals of a Black Buddhist Nun by Faith Adiele

Due North: A Collection of Travel Observations, Reflections, And Snapshots Across Colors, Cultures and Continents by Lola Akinmade Åkerström

All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes by Maya Angelou

The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches by Matsuo Bashō, translated by Nobuyuki Yuasa

The Travels of Ibn Battutah by Ibn Battuta

Around the Bloc: My Life in Moscow, Beijing, and Havana by Stephanie Elizondo Griest

A Stranger in the Village: Two Centuries of African-American Travel Writing edited by Farah Jasmine Griffin & Cheryl J. Fish

I Wonder as I Wander: An Autobiographical Journey by Langston Hughes

Red Dust: A Path Through China by Ma Jian, translated by Flora Drew

A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid

An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie

Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon

Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine by Edward Lee

The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors by James Edward Mills

The Middle Passage by V.S. Naipaul

Travelling While Black: Essays Inspired by a Life on the Move by Nanjala Nyabola

Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam by Andrew X. Pham

An Indian Among los Indígenas: A Native Travel Memoir by Ursula Pike

Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria by Noo Saro-Wiwa

From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet by Vikram Seth

Ten Thousand Miles Without a Cloud by Sun Shuyun

Richard Wright's Travel Writings: New Reflections by Virginia Whatley Smith

Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love & Spain by Lori L. Tharps

Give us feedback!

Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read!

Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!

Join us again on Tuesday, January 3rd we’ll be talking about Sports non-fiction!

Then on Tuesday, January 17rd we’ll be discussing our 2023 Reading Resolutions!

#episodes #2022 #best of

[crymeariveronceagain]

How about Keefe Secen in heels

*tilts head to the side* i have a "can do" attitude about this but we're gonna do it in a very specific way because I always think these things tend to be done lack-lusterly.

Keefe has an impeccable sense of balance. All those years of detention with Lady Cadence paid off. He can dance really, really well. And he has an unshakeable, unflappable balance. He could honestly probably walk a tightrope at any given moment, that's the level of balance we're talking, here.

He can walk around on his tip toes, could probably dance pointe ballet at the drop of a hat. He rarely wobbles, is nearly always centered. It's great on the battlefield, and he's an amazing dance partner. Every girl used to hope they'd get stuck with him because he's just... really freaking good at dancing.

So, y'know, he and Sophie hang out a lot, right? Well they don't always do fun things. A lot of the time, they do stupid, boring things. For instance, they go grocery shopping together. They go to the park. They go to the post office. To the council. They clean house. They cook dinner. They fold laundry. They seal invitations. They study. They do really mundane things with each other. Primarily because there's a romanticism to doing stupid, boring things with someone who you find anything but stupid and boring, but also because there's a peace to it. There's a safety in normalcy. Both of them like simple things, simply because they're normal things.

But anyway, one day, the two of them are shoe shopping. Sophie needs new shoes. And so, Keefe is sitting, bored out of his mind, watching Sophie try on pair after pair of shoes, and he gets up and goes over to the shoe rack, and pulls out a pair of high heels. Not even, like, sensible heels, that only are an inch or two. Or even Wedges, which are far more sensible for anyone trying to walk normal ever. Stilettos.

"Try these," he says, and Sophie looks at what he's holding.

Just one look. Because then, she snorts in laughter. "Yeah, sorry, Sencen. No one can walk in those. Least of all me."

"What are they for, then? They're cute. You should at least try them They can't be that hard to walk in."

Sophie rolls her eyes. "Mhm," she said. "Fine."

She manages to put them on, after a moment, and stands up, carefully.

She stays up straight for a good ten seconds. Then she tries to take a step and wobbles so hard she almost sprains her ankle. Keefe's at her side, in an instant. "Oh, come on, Foster."

She scowls at him. "They're four inch heels! They're made for inhuman monsters and fashion models! Not for me!"

Keefe rolls his eyes. "I bet they're not as bad as you think."

She scoffs. "Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try and walk in them."

"Is that a challenge, Foster?"

She raises her chin, trying to look intimidating while in a puddle of shoes and straps on the floor. "Yes," she said. "It is. I bet you seven lusters that you can't take a single step in four inch heels."

"I bet you twelve lusters that I can," Keefe answers, and walks back over to the shoe shelf. He scans the stacks, and finds a four inch stilletto in a large enough size, without any straps. And then, he puts them on.

Sophie's already giggling.

Keefe maintains deadpan eye contact with her, because he has something to prove.

And then, without another word, he stands up, and walks straight down the aisle. Sophie's jaw is on the floor. Keefe is grinning. Victory, he thinks, you are a sweet, sweet thing.

Sophie gapes at him, as he stands in front of her, still in those heels. "You're insane," she said.

He shrugs. "Or you're just bad at this."

She swats at his arm. He doesn't stumble in the least. Her jaw drops open again. "Do a turn."

He does a pivot.

Sophie has never looked more disturbed and in awe at once. Keefe grins all the wider.

All those detentions were good for something, after all. Impressing his girlfriend.

"Dang," she says. "Now I owe you money."

#kotlc #kotlc sokeefe #kotlc keefe sencen #keefe sencen #kotlc keefe #kotlc sophie #kotlc sophie foster #sophie foster #kotlc headcanons #kotlc headcanon #fluff? #good times??? #in this economy? #good vibes?? on this blog? #thanks for the ask! #sokeefe

[octoberobserver]

Kelvin x Keefe Fic - The Righteous Gemstones

S2 Finale Coda - Read it on ao3

“You’re all wet.”

Kelvin blinked down at himself and the small droplets of water trailing in from behind him.

“Yes, Keefe. I am all wet.”

He watched as Keefe crossed their shared room, his dark eyes scanning every inch of him silently. He forced himself not to move a muscle as Keefe threw off his giant sun hat, and took several steps closer to him, close enough for his breath to tickle Kelvin’s cheek.

Their eyes met.

“Did you…go swimmin’ with your clothes on again? ‘Cause I heard that ain’t the safest and—”

“The Lissons held Daddy and the rest of us at gunpoint,” Kelvin blurted out, his breathing labored. “Made us walk into the sea ‘cause they’re snakes in the grass. Frauds, charlatans. They—they’re behind who shot at Jesse and Amber and nearly killed Daddy. Lyle did in that reporter guy too. They just wanted Gemstone money and didn’t care who they hurt to get it. They’re no-good, self-righteous—”

“You’re shakin’,” Keefe cut across Kelvin’s rant, darting into the adjoining bathroom and grabbing one of the large, fluffy white towels.

Before Kelvin could protest, he was wrapped up in it and the strong, firm grip of Keefe’s hands rubbing his shoulders, up and down, up and down.

“Are you okay?” Keefe asked in his usual gentle tone, but his eyes gave away his worry, his gaze lingering over Kelvin for any visible sign of injuries. “Are you hurt?”

Kelvin’s throat tightened. He blinked back the stinging sensation behind his eyes.

“I-I’m fine, Keefe. It…BJ got shot in the leg. Daddy’s gettin’ him and Judy airlifted to some hospital right now. Aunt Tiffany and Uncle Baby Billy are hitchin’ a ride with baby Lionel too. Joe Jonas is keepin’ the guests calm and distracted.”

Keefe nodded, taking his rasped explanation in his stride, carefully steering him backward until his knees hit the edge of one of the double beds. Slowly, he lowered him to sit, kneeling down in front of him and raising a smaller towel to his hair, running it over his soaked strands.

Kelvin sat motionless, eyes closing against the feel of his friend’s fingers detangling and drying his hair.

“They got away,” he admitted after a few beats of silence, his voice small, eyes still closed.

“They won’t get far,” Keefe assured him, still quiet but firm, “the Lord will deliver unto them their comeuppance for their wicked deeds and preying on your and your family’s kindness.”

Kelvin hoped, prayed that he was right.

“We should get you out of these wet clothes, into a hot shower, and find you something to eat. You’ve had a shock,” Keefe murmured, his breath brushing against the shell of Kevlin’s ear.

He suppressed a sudden shiver that he knew wasn’t only caused by the damp fabric sticking to his skin.

“Daddy says we should dine among the regular folk, keep smilin’, let them know everything is okay. Don’t want a panic or nothin’.”

He opened his eyes as Keefe’s hand stilled in his hair.

Their faces were a few inches apart.

Kelvin could count his eyelashes.

One. Two. Three. Four—

“I think…I think you should…dine with us back home too. Permanently.”

It was something he had been thinking about for longer than he’d ever admit. Even to himself. Just one of many other things he didn’t admit to himself.

He had first asked Keefe to accompany him to lunch the night of his successful bearing of the Cross but may have let him believe it was a special, every once in a while kinda thing. A treat to not overindulge in.

He still wasn’t sure why.

Keefe stared at him, his dark eyes warm but mouth downturned in confusion.

“You mean upstairs-church-lunch at Jason’s Steakhouse? But I thought that it was only family that—”

“You are family, Keefe,” Kelvin cut in before he could lose his nerve. “And I want—I’d like you to be by my side. Every time. If…if you’d like that too…as well.”

This was something he could admit to. Not the whole truth, but a part of it.

Their eyes locked, barely a second ticking by that somehow still felt like forever.

“I would be honored.”

Something shook loose in Kelvin’s chest at that, he letting out a relieved if a little uneven laugh.

“Okay, good. Great. I—I’ll just go take a shower and we can head down to dinner, then.”

Keefe’s lips upturned in a small but sincere smile as he nodded, beginning to stand. Kelvin’s hand shot out, fingers closing around his wrist and squeezing before he could stop himself.

He could feel Keefe’s heavy gave on him as he stared down at his newly-repaired hand, struggling to sort through his jumbled thoughts and form a coherent sentence.

He could have died today. Been shot and killed, along with his family, and Keefe would have been left behind. Safe, yes, but never knowing…never knowing how much Kelvin really—

“Save me some of that cornbread. Potato salad too. We’re not eatin’ light today.”

Fighting a wince at his cowardice, he slowly raised his gaze back up, unsurprised to see his friend, his best friend in the whole world (and something even more that he was afraid to examine too closely), already looking at him.

“Of course. I’ll grab a puddin’ cup too. Before all the chocolate ones are gone.”

Like always, Keefe seemed to know what Kelvin was saying even when he himself wasn’t completely sure.

With that, Kelvin let his wrist go and he rose slowly from his knees, pushing himself up with his palms braced against Kelvin’s thighs, their eyes never leaving one another’s.

Silence hung between them.

“Get…get some strawberry ones too. I-I know they’re your favourite,” Kelvin mumbled, feeling oddly breathless, forcing himself to stand too, his legs a little wobbly as he made his way over toward the bathroom.

“I will,” Keefe called after him. “Enjoy your shower. I’ll leave fresh clothes out on your bed.”

Kelvin nodded, keeping his back turned as he took a deep breath and stepped into the bathroom, closing the door with a snap and leaning back against it.

That warm twisting in his stomach made its familiar appearance, but like always, Kelvin shoved it down. Now was not the time. Just like all those other times weren’t either. Which, in recent months, seemed like every second of every day.

Because deep down, Kelvin knew what Keefe was to him. His number one disciple. The most impressive feather in his cap. His ultimate success story. His best friend. The man he wanted by his side at upstairs church lunch and pretty much everywhere else. His…his new kinda family that made his abdomen hot and his heart hammer in his chest.

But those weren’t thoughts for now.

Now he had to get ready and get back to his duties as a Gemstone.

But someday, maybe, it would be time.

Time for Kelvin to sort through those thoughts, those unspoken truths that he had been denying himself for a while now.

Because what Jesus the Savior once said about the truth was, well, true.

It shall set you free.

#the righteous gemstones #kelvin gemstone #keefe chambers #kelvin x keefe #i don't know if they have a ship name lol #my fanfiction

[bookwyrminspiration]

What do you think Sophie's friends and herself are going to dress as for Halloween?

I'm answering this a little after Halloween but let's pretend that it's still spooky season just for the sake of this ask!

I was talking a little earlier about Linh dressing up as Fintan to make fun of him, but I have plenty of ideas for other costumes!

Linh: Seeing as I was just talking about her it seems fitting to kick things off with her. Pumpkin. I do not know why but she goes as a pumpkin. Not the form fitting ones but the flowy like...cape? Thing? And a hat with a little stem!! And she'd have the pumpkin trick-or-treat baskets to go with it.

Keefe and Dex: They go together as elves. But the human version of elves. They've got the pointed ears and all the foliage all over them. Shoes with little curls at the end--I can't help but feel like Keefe goes hobbit-elf. Like he specifically dresses up like an elf from The Lord of the Rings because he loves it. And Dex does it too because he's seen so many human movies. It just feels right!

Biana: Fairy. She does the stereotypical thing where she puts on a corset and fishnets and calls herself a fairy but for some reason it really works for her and she stands out. Dex helps her make these incredibly detailed wings that actually move (unfortunately they cannot fly and are purely for aesthetics). Unsure what specific genre of fairy she would be though!

Sophie: I think she'd cosplay as a character from a book she enjoyed when she was younger. She's read The Lord of the Rings, so maybe she'd dress up as Frodo, which would also motivate Keefe and Dex to match her. I don't know what character she would be, but I think she'd go back to her human roots and pick a fictional character!

Fitz: oh this one's hard. For some reason my mind is saying a gladiator but I don't know why. Maybe the chance to show off his physique or something. Maybe the strength that's associated with them. Maybe he just likes to take his clothes off. Who knows! I am also open to any other suggestions because I'm very unsure about Fitz.

Tam: I can't decide if he'd refuse to participate or go all out just to spite Keefe. If he refuses, then I think Linh would dress him up like a cat and give him the ears and draw on whiskers for a really simple costume. If he does it himself and goes all out...I'm feeling vampire/general undead vibes. Really leaning into the aesthetic and picking something he can use his ability to enhance. Maybe like a Dark Lord and wearing royal regalia and a crown and all that.

Marella: Pirate! Boisterous, social personality that's actually deeply involved in politics feels great for her! And then there's the strength and cunning associated with them. Pirates know so much of what's going on and are really team people. Also maybe I want to see her in a pirate's outfit. The quiet intelligence of pirates...so good. Also I'm basing all of this on Black Sails, not the more common idea of pirates.

These are just a few of my personal ideas, but they could be anything! I think Sandor should also bring back that grandma costume from the earlier books. They suited him so well <33

And I think they'd all enjoy the chance to partake in a human holiday as Sophie reminisced about her past, which is a cute way to support her.

#maybe tam could be a witch #I can imagine so many possibilities for him #but Fitz really stumped me #so if anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them! #gladiator doesn't feel right but I couldn't think of anything else that was even remotely better #kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #kotlc headcanon #kotlc halloween #quil's queries #bluecookiesarebetter #kotlcrew

[gay-otlc]

Elwin likes knitting. It was a huge hobby of his, and it helps take his mind off things. He would knit himself scarves and socks and hats and sweaters, all patterned with little animals. He also dabbles in crochet, and made little stuffed animals that he would give to his friends or place in random locations all around the Healing Centre and his house. It took him some time to get good at it, but now he's absolutely fantastic. He loves it, too, crocheting and knitting are some of his favourite things to do.

He doesn't have any time for any of that anymore.

*sigh* I will be ignoring that last sentence

He's one of those parents that's like "iT'S COLD OUT YOU'RE GONNA FREEZE" and he knits Keefe a billion hats and scarves and everything. He also tries teaching Keefe to knit. It goes badly, but he still treasures the "scarf," if it can even be called that, Keefe gave him.

#dadwin

[cadence-talle]

looking for the golden light

Pairing: Dex Dizznee/Tam Song

Wordcount: 1,186

Summary: Tam slams into the shop wearing a large straw hat, face stormy. The door he’s shoved open hits the magazine stand and almost knocks it over. Dex winces.

His hat has flowers on it. Uh oh.

Other notes: written around a prompt by the wonderful @i-love-side-characters!! my line was “Seriously? I can’t believe you’d think that.” which i... followed. mostly. 

anyway please don’t ask me what this is, i Do Not know. it’s set in the 1950s? maybe? Dex works at a drugstore with a soda fountain :/

Taglist: @everyonehasthoughts, @catboyruy, @loverofallthingssmart, @a-lonely-tatertot, @enbies-and-felonies, @lemontarto, @sofia-not-sophie, @ruewen-and-rising, @silver-snow, @keefeinnit, @hyperlollypop, @thesandsofdawn, @my-swan-song, @impostertamsong, @yeetersofthelostcities, @diamond-dreamerr, @we-have-no-bananas-today, @an-absolute-travesty, @callas-starkflower-stew, @jadenightthewriter, @keefes-hairgel, @kirisong, @fire-sapphics, @alabestrine, @brilliantblindinglights, @isapizzas, @mistythegenderqueermess, @imaramennoodle, @queersofthelostcities, @b-blurryyfacee, @bianavacker-is-bi-as-hell, @silver-war, @real-smooth

“Where is he.” 

Tam slams into the shop wearing a large straw hat, face stormy. The door he’s shoved open hits the magazine stand and almost knocks it over. Dex winces. 

His hat has flowers on it. Uh oh. 

“Where. Is. Keefe.” Tam repeats. Dex raises an eyebrow, drying off another glass and putting it on the shelf. He’s lucky the drugstore’s empty right now- when Tam’s in a mood like this, it tends to scare off customers. 

“He’s not on shift today. Why, what happened?”

Tam huffs. “Remember when I came here last week? Because I needed more silver dye for my hair and I was out? And Keefe gave me that bottle?”

“You used it? Seriously? I can’t believe you’d think that thing was legit.”

“Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting it to turn my head green!” Tam whips the hat off his head and Dex hides a laugh behind his hand. 

Sure enough, Tam’s hair is green. Neon green, in fact, a color Dex would be astonished at if he hadn’t made that particular dye himself. It almost seems to glow in the sunlight coming through the front windows. 

“Looks good,” Dex says, trying to keep the giggle out of his voice. From the glower Tam gives him, it doesn’t work. 

“Can you fix it or not?”

“Yeah, I can. Gimme a second.” Dex turns to the soda fountain and fills up a cup, sliding it over the counter to Tam. “Drink this. Maybe it’ll make you less homicidal.” 

Tam slides onto one of the stools and sighs, taking a sip. “Thanks,” he mutters, which is about as close an apology as Dex is going to get. Dex hums and rummages around in the medicine cabinet. 

“Here,” he says after a second. “This’ll turn your hair back. I think you have to bleach it first, though. It’s not as strong as the green one was.”

“Ugh.” Tam puts his head on the counter. “It’s Sunday.”

“Oh.” Sunday means the barber- the only place Tam can get his hair bleached- is closed. Which means... 

“I’m going to be like this for at least another day, aren’t I.” Tam’s tone is defeated. Dex stares at him for a moment, watches his fingers tap against the side of his stool in some sort of confusing rhythm. 

Fine. Okay. 

He crosses the shop and turns the OPEN sign on the front to CLOSED. It’s only four and he’s probably going to get chewed out for this, but it’s fine. Livvy loves him anyway. 

“I can bleach your hair here,” Dex says. “If you have an hour or two.” 

Tam lifts his head up. “You can?” 

“Yeah. Grab that towel unless you want to ruin your shirt and come into the back room.” 

“Okay,” Tam says. When Dex glances back, he could swear Tam’s smiling. 

The bleaching itself doesn’t take long. Dex brushes it on, folds Tam’s hair up into a cap, and settles down to wait. In the meantime, he switches the radio on. 

It starts up on a bright song, crackling halfway through to a news report as Dex adjusts the antenna. Tam leans over to listen. 

“Your new project?” he asks. Dex nods. 

“I’ve rewired it to pick up long-distance signals. It’s not super useful to know what the weather in Seattle is, I guess, but it’s cool.” 

“Yeah.” Tam reaches out and presses a button. They connect to another music station. “It’s cool that you can do stuff like that, though. You think you’ll go to college for mechanics or something?” 

“I want to.” Dex shrugs. “Depends, I guess. If I get a scholarship.”

“Right,” Tam says. There’s an awkward pause and Dex searches frantically for something to fill the silence. 

“What about you? Do you want to study anything?” 

Tam huffs a little laugh, glancing down at the countertop. “Probably,” he says. “Maybe. Yes.” 

Dex looks at him, at the way his shoulders hunch in just a little bit and his eyes are firmly fixed on the marble. It’s weird, to see Tam so unsure of himself. To see Tam without the tough pretense. 

“It’s still a year till graduation,” Dex says. “You have time to figure it out.” 

“Yeah.” Tam smiles a little and goes to tug at his hair, realizing halfway through that it’s still covered. Dex snorts. 

“The bleach will be set soon. I think we have more silver in the cabinets, actually, if you want to do your bangs while you’re here.” 

“Oh.” Tam nods and doesn’t say anything else. Dex tilts his head at him. 

“Do you want to dye your bangs while you’re here?”

Tam shrugs. “I don’t know. I’ve had the silver bangs forever. I can’t tell if I want to keep them or- not.”

“They were, like, a rebellion thing, right?” 

“Yeah. Which was great, when I lived with my parents and it’d make my dad pissed, but now we’re staying with Wylie and Tiergan and it’s just like.” Tam waves a hand. “I don’t know.”

The song on the radio changes into something fast and upbeat. Dex lowers the volume. 

“It’s up to you,” he says. “Right? Your hair.” 

“Right.” 

“Speaking of which. The bleach is probably done by now.” Dex stifles another laugh as Tam uncovers his hair, which is now a bright blond. “You look fantastic.” 

Without saying anything, Tam reaches for his hat. He stares at Dex, face expressionless. 

“Time to hit the beach, I guess.” Dex says, and watches as Tam’s poker face breaks. 

Applying the dye takes an annoyingly long time. Dex is careful to get every strand of hair, leaving the bangs for last. When he’s almost done, he steps back and looks at Tam.

“Do it,” Tam says. “I don’t have anything to prove anymore.”

Dex smiles and finishes the bottle. 

“Thanks you,” Tam murmurs later, when his hair is tucked up again and almost done. “You didn’t have to do all of this.” 

“I wanted to, though,” Dex points out. “Couldn’t just let you run around looking like a paintbrush.”

Tam laughs. He reaches out and takes Dex’s hand, examining the black blotches on his fingertips where the dye seeped through his gloves. Dex pretends his heart isn’t beating a mile a minute. 

“Still,” Tam says. “Thank you.”

-/-

“Good morning.”

The radio’s playing again when Tam walks into the shop the next day. He’s still wearing the straw hat. Dex can see his bangs under it, though, and they’re a perfect natural color. He raises an eyebrow at Tam. 

“Nice hat. Keefe’s in the back, by the way, if you still want to yell at him.”

“Thank you.” Tam slides onto his stool again. “And no, actually. I just came here so I could talk to you.” 

“Oh.” Dex blinks. “What about?”

Tam looks at him. Looks down at the ground. Looks into his eyes again.

“They’re playing a movie musical at the theater next weekend,” he says, voice level. “Would you like to go with me?”

He’s so calm and perfectly awkward that Dex cracks a smile. 

“I’d like that,” he says. The radio keeps singing. 

#this fic is brought to you by the fact i just dyed my hair blue and also the dream i had last night that everyone in kotlc wore straw hats #lynn rambles #my writing #kotlc #dam #dex dizznee #tam song

[spine-buster]

The President Wears Prada (William Nylander) | Chapter 16

A/N: Y’all this chapter is TEN THOUSAND WORDS DON’T EVEN @ ME YOU’RE WELCOME AND *STANLEY TUCCI VOICE* GIRD YOUR LOINS

January 9th, 2020

Aberdeen Bloom was going to go insane.  

This was, perhaps, going to be the busiest day of her life thus far.  This morning was the outdoor practice in Nathan Phillips Square.  She and Peter were responsible for co-ordinating the photographers, videographers, and the team to get down to Nathan Phillips Square.  Once there, Aberdeen was responsible for helping to manage every single every single member of the media who were attending and covering the event, as well as Mayor John Tory and all the wives and girlfriends in attendance.  And though she had the afternoon off to get ready, tonight was the Night With the Blue and White, the organization’s biggest and most important event of the season.  She’d been studying the guest list for weeks, making sure Brendan would know – or at least pretend to know, thanks to her – every guest in attendance, and Peter was doing the same thing for Kyle.  She’d even bought a new dress and shoes for the occasion – fancier than anything she’d ever bought.  She knew that a lot of important and influential people would be there donating their money to the MLSE Launchpad initiatives around the city.  They were even hosting a grade three class of one of the schools who benefitted from the programs.  It was going to be busy, but hopefully fun.

There were cameras everywhere.  Aberdeen knew she’d probably get caught on a few of them, news ones or otherwise, but today, she didn’t care.  There were more important things on her mind.  Brendan was expecting a lot from her, and she knew she had to deliver.  She knew she could deliver.

When she had everything she needed from the office, she made her way down to the locker room.  She entered quietly as she saw all the guys in their long johns and extra base layers, listening to Keefe and Hakstol as they explained how the outdoor practice was going to be organized into teams and tournaments and points.  The energy from the guys was palpable and she could feel it within herself, too.  Cameras were already filming.  She saw William, already with his balaclava on, flash a peace sign to the camera pointed at him.  

When the guys began to put on their gear, she watched Brendan make his way across the room.  He was already wearing his peacoat and scarf.  “You ready?” he asked.

“As ready as I can be,” she smiled.

“Here, wear this,” he said, handing her a knit Leafs toque, the same one all the guys were wearing as well.  “You’re gonna need it.  It’s freezing out there.”

Aberdeen put the hat on as Brendan held her clipboard for her.  After adjusting it, she looked up at him.  “How do I look?”

If this was William asking the question to her, she would have come up with some smart aleck remark – a Costco hot dog or a bottle of Tums in assorted berries flavour.  But because it was Brendan, he said something much nicer.  “Like you’re a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs,” he smiled.  It almost made her swoon.  “Now let’s get this party started, shall we?”

***

“Devon!  Devon!  Your slot is up to interview John as he’s walking.  You cameraman is ready to go live in ten.”

“Carrie, stick with Travis for now.  Goat?  Where’s Goat?  We need him for the French interview.”

“Gerry, you can interview Kyle now, but you only have two minutes.”

Aberdeen was practically skipping to keep up with all the players and media walking through the Toronto streets as they made their way to a full Nathan Phillips Square.  She didn’t have long strides like these hockey boys did with her short little legs.  She noticed all the interviewers being where they needed to be to go live and let out a sigh of relief.  Walking through the streets of Toronto, going on the subway, and having fans, constructions workers, commuters, and more stop the guys left, right and centre for autographs and pictures and selfies was one thing, but once they got to the actual square, with all the media, it was going to be mayhem.  

And she needed to make sure they had Tim Horton’s cups around.

All the guys filed into the square, high fiving the waiting fans who were now screaming at their arrival before they went to the bench and started to put on their skates.  Once they were all there and accounted for (Aberdeen honestly felt like she was on a school trip; she didn’t know how her mother did this with six year olds when she could barely corral a bunch of grown men), she made her way towards where the media was waiting.  Peter was already there.

“Okay everyone!” he screamed out.  Nobody heard him.  “Everyone!” he screamed out again, louder this time, but still nobody heard him.  “Journalists!” he tried one more time.

“HEY!!!!!” Aberdeen screamed at the top of her lungs.  Every journalist and cameraperson there turned silent and looked her way.  Peter looked at her in shock, not knowing she was capable of such a volume.  “Alright!  Listen up!  You each have a designated station to place your cameras.  You are to stay in your station throughout the practice and not encroach on the space of the others!  Journalists and videographers, you’re following Peter who will lead you to your stations, where you are to remain until practice is finished, where you will then go into the media scrum!  Photographers, you are going to follow me and I will lead you to your stations.  Is everybody clear?!”

Everyone nodded their heads and divided themselves easily, with Aberdeen leading the photographers one way and Peter leading the journalists and videographers another.  When she got back to her original spot, that’s when she saw John Tory.  “Mr. Mayor!  Hello!  I’m Aberdeen Bloom, Brendan Shanahan’s executive assistant,” she smiled and shook his hand.  She noticed he was wearing a Leafs varsity jacket.  “Follow me, sir.  You get the sweet spot behind the bench.”

“You know, I look forward to this event every year,” he made small talk with her as they began walking.  “Did you say you were Brendan’s personal assistant?”

“Yes sir.  Although after getting the team on the subway and over here, I feel like I’m herding cats,” she joked.

John Tory laughed.  He’d laughed at a dumb joke she made.  Her dad would be so proud of her.  He’d probably brag at the next dinner party he and Orla had.  “You’re very lucky, Aberdeen.  I bet a million people would kill for your job.”

“I agree, sir.” Aberdeen tapped Brendan’s shoulder to get him to turn around.  “Mr. Mayor, Mr. Shanahan, I’m sure you’re well acquainted.”

The two men shook hands.  Brendan focused his attention quickly on Aberdeen.  “Would you mind meeting Jennifer Spezza and waiting for the others?”

Aberdeen nodded, leaving the mayor with him as she went back to the entrance, near the stairs to the subway.  Once there, she saw Jennifer waiting patiently.  Jennifer smiled once she saw Aberdeen, and extended her arms to hug her.  “It’s always nice to see you, Aberdeen,” she smiled.

“You too, Jen.”

“A bunch of the girls are coming together – Emma, Kat, Steph, Audrey, Saylor, and Alexis are coming together and should be here any second.  Aryne, Bee, and Alannah are running a bit late because of Jace, but only by like five minutes,” Jennifer informed her.  

“Okay, great.  We’ll wait till everyone gets here and then I’ll bring everyone over,” Aberdeen nodded her head.  

“How’s the day been so far?”

Aberdeen shrugged.  “Hectic, but fine.”

“Have you breathed?” Jen joked.

Aberdeen giggled.  “Barely.”

Only moments later, Kat was running up the stairs with Niylah on a harness and leash, and Emma carried Ralph in her arms.  Aberdeen pet the dogs until Aryne, Bee, and Alannah showed up.  Aberdeen led them all to their designated area, and stayed with them as the practice happened.  She liked them – they were a nice group of women, and although Aberdeen was never inserted into any supposed drama she may have heard rumblings about, she was sure they were all good people.  Once they were all there, Aberdeen knew her jobs for the day were done, and that she could breathe again.  Unless Brendan called her to do anything else, she was free.  

“Aberdeen, are we going to see you tonight?” Bee asked as the girls sipped on the complimentary hot chocolate provided for them.

“You bet,” she smiled.

“Oooooooh!” Jen smiled from beside Bee, hopping excitedly.  “What are you wearing?!”

“Oh, you’ll see,” Aberdeen winked.

“What colour is it?” Bee asked.

“Green.”

“Oooooooooooooh,” both women cooed as they made eyes with each other and then Aberdeen.  “You’re gonna knock all of us dead, Aberdeen.  You always look so stylish around the SBA.”

“I don’t think so,” she shook her head nervously.  “You guys are all way too glam for me.”

“Can I get a hot dog pleeeeease?” William’s loud, playful voice interrupted as he skated towards the entrance of the bench where all the girls were.  He shot the girls one of his signature smiles before one of the equipment guys laughed and shook his head as he called behind him for another hot dog.  He was handed one promptly, handing it to William who proceeded to stuff half of it into his mouth in one go.  

Aberdeen shook her head.  Now he was just being obnoxious.

***

“William’s jaw is going to hit the floor, Aberdeen,” Kasha mused as she took some last minute pictures of Aberdeen in her full look.  She’d been hyping Aberdeen up for the last ten minutes as she snapped pictures of her in their apartment – pictures that would no doubt be on Instagram later that evening, pending some light editing and filter choice – even though she should have left for Evan’s place five minutes ago, choosing to spend the night with him so she didn’t have to spend it alone.  

“Shut up.”

“The floooooooor!”

Okay, maybe Kasha was right.  Aberdeen looked good, and she knew she looked good.  She had on her new green chiffon dress, perfect for the occasion: ruched top, draped across her shoulders; triangle mesh cut-out on the bodice; pleated chiffon skirt dropping down to the floor.  Nude strappy hells.  Matching nude clutch.  The evil eye ring Willy got her was the only piece of jewelry she wore.  She gotten her hair professionally done at a salon: smooth and silky old Hollywood style waves with a centre part, held back by a fashionable and trendy velvet headband pinned in place so absolutely nothing would budge.  Even her makeup was flawless: dewy skin, a neutral eye with lashes and liner, and Charlotte Tilbury’s ‘Walk of Shame’ on her lips.  She was a vision.  She was owning every inch of her look.

Too bad she had to work tonight.

“Okay, I think my Uber is here,” Aberdeen said as she saw the notification on her phone screen.

“One more!  One more!” Kasha yelled before Aberdeen posed one last time and Kasha took a burst of photos.  “Okay, have a great night.  Knock Willy dead—”

“—This isn’t about Will—”

“—Knock Willy dead, be fun, and stay safe,” Kasha ended.  “You’re going to rock it, Aberdeen.  And don’t forget to network!”

The Uber dropped her off about six cars down from the entrance to the Royal York Hotel – it was already busy with a bunch of arrivals, but she knew Brendan wouldn’t be there for at least another ten or fifteen minutes.  Once she checked her coat in, she looked around, and Peter’s face was the first one she saw.

“Oh…oh my God, Aberdeen.  You look so chic,” Peter smiled, looking over her outfit.  

“Oh, thanks Peter,” she smiled back.  “You look quite dapper yourself.  We clean up pretty nice, don’t you think?”

“I’d say,” he quipped.  “Gotta make sure all these new suits fit before I go to the All-Star Game.”

Peter had been talking about the All-Star Game since at least Christmas.  It was the event he looked forward to the most all season, even more than this, because of all the people he was able to meet and network with.  This year, it was being hosted in St. Louis, and he, Brendan, and Kyle were going down together.  She’d have at least eight days off during that time period.  She was basically counting down the days.  “Well, wear this one.  You look good.”

“You want some champagne before our bosses get here?” he asked, already flagging down one of the waitresses.  He took two flutes off the tray and handed one to Aberdeen.  “To the dream job,” he said, raising the glass slightly.

Aberdeen smirked.  “To the dream job.”

They both drank the champagne all in one go.  Aberdeen loved champagne, and of course this was the good champagne – so she almost immediately wanted another.  When another waiter came by, they placed their empty glasses on his tray.  Peter left to go to the washroom quickly before Kyle got there.  Aberdeen was left alone.

That’s when she saw William.

He was in a suit, of course – a black, three-piece corduroy suit with a white shirt and black skinny tie – and his hair was tied back in a half ponytail like a European soccer player.  He’d trimmed his beard since that morning at the outdoor practice for a much more polished look – still stubbly and a bit scruffy (just how she liked him…fuck) but presentable and respectable.  Appropriate for a gala full of rich people.  He looked great.  The suit fit him perfectly.  His hair was shiny as hell – probably shinier than hers.  He stood confidently.

And then he saw her.  

His jaw dropped.  Literally dropped.  And when he finally realized it had dropped he brought his hand up to cover it, barely, his smile from ear to ear peeking through the weak attempt.  She hated to admit it, but she loved having that effect on him – she loved having that visible effect on him, one that made his jaw drop uncontrollably.  She mentally prepared herself as he began to walk over to her.  She knew she had to keep it cool.  If he made her weak at the knees barely five minutes into her attendance at the event, she’d be a goner.  

“Hey Will,” she smiled, a twinkle in her eye that dared him to give her another up-down.

“Aberdeen…I…” he paused, unable to find the words.  He even shook his head.  “You…I…wow!” he giggled out.  She really left him unable to form a cohesive sentence.  But she waited it out, not saying anything until he said something.  She wanted to make him suffer, if only a little bit.  “You look beautiful, minskatt,” he finally said, four cohesive words in a row that made sense.

“Thanks, Will.”

“I mean…you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen on any day, but this…” he said, licking his lips.  “I don’t know how I’ll be able to control myself all night.”

Aberdeen tried finding any hint of lie in what he was saying, but she couldn’t.  He was too bashful and it was all coming out so sincerely – he really didn’t have the words.  “I think it helps we’re seated at different tables.”

“Just means the desire will grow until the end of the night,” he said.  “So long as I get to look at you all night, I’ll consider myself a lucky guy.”

She was blushing at this point, and it wasn’t because of him blatant flirting – he was used to that.  She was blushing more about the fact that he meant every word, that every word was so sincere in his tone, that she could see how much she was really affecting him.  “You flatter me too much, Will.”

“You deserve it, minskatt.  You’re stunning.  The most beautiful girl in the room.  But how do I look?”

With nobody around, nobody to hear and nobody to record a witty remark, she smiled slightly.  “You’re the most handsome man in the room.”

Before she could say anything else, Peter came back.  And when Peter came back, William played it cool, and made some small talk before walking off, but as he walked off, he shot Aberdeen a look that followed her around the room.  Wherever he was standing, whoever he was talking to – William was always staring at her, giving her that look, and it sent shivers down her spine as she tried to keep up a conversation with Peter.

Brendan and Catherine finally arrived, along with Kyle and Shannon, and Peter and Aberdeen got to work.  Standing discreetly behind them at all times, they whispered the names of all the attendees who approached them throughout the party, starting in the foyer and moving into the Canadian room – the massive ballroom where everything would be taking place.  And there were a lot of guests.  With over 1000 people in attendance, Aberdeen and Peter needed to know…well, probably around three hundred of them.  She’d been studying for weeks.

“That’s Brian J. Porter, the President and CEO of Scotiabank.”

“Wendy Freeman, the president of CTV News.”

“That’s Gary Doncaster, of the law firm Doncaster, Perlman, and Dobbes.”

Brendan played it cool the entire time.  After Kyle and Peter had separated from them for a bit, they rejoined each other.  From practically across the room, she saw William sipping on a glass of water, watching her intently.  He set it down at what she presumed to be his table.  She tried to focus on the job at hand.  

“Peter?” she heard Kyle say suddenly, in a nervous voice.  Someone and his wife were waving at him and Brendan, slowly making their way towards them, and Kyle clearly needed to know who they were.  

“Oh!  Um…oh my God,” Peter began, panicking.  “I just – I can’t remember what his name is.  I—I just saw his name this morning on the list.”

Aberdeen began panicking too now.  She tried to urge Peter to figure it out, but he couldn’t get it.  “It’s…oh, I know this!  It’s something to do with…wait, he was…he was part of the…oh God!  I know this.  Um…”

The man and his wife were dangerously close.  Aberdeen swooped in behind Kyle.  “That’s Malcolm Mercer, the Chair of the Government and Public Affairs Committee of the Law Society of Ontario, and that’s the woman he left his wife for, Rebecca.”

Aberdeen even surprised herself with that.  She watched as Kyle politely greeted Rebecca first before shaking hands with Malcolm, starting some small talk with them.  She looked over at Peter, who was already looking at her.  “Thank you,” he said sincerely.

“I got you,” she nodded.

***

Brendan, Catherine, and Aberdeen were seated with Ron MacLean from Hockey Night in Canada, and an array of other guests who had paid top dollar to sit with the President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, one of whom was just a solidly rude aging man on his own personal power trip.  Thankfully, he wasn’t seated next to her, or Brendan for that matter, but she could still hear him: the stiff comments, the complaints.  Clearly, he only cared about sitting at this specific table.  Aberdeen would have to make sure that if he attended next year, he was nowhere near Brendan.

There was a traditional Indigenous land acknowledgement at the beginning – the rude man rolled his eyes, which made Aberdeen want to kill him right then and there – followed by a speech made by Brendan – the rude man was on his phone for half of it, not bothering to listen to Brendan’s words of inspiration and gratitude to everyone who donated for the cause.  When Brendan got back to the table, Christine Simpson came out, ushering in the grade three class onto the stage, the students all dressed up and walking in a straight line.  They waved at their parents who were at their own tables, jumping and jiggling excitedly as little kids did.  Aberdeen thought it was the cutest thing.  Christine interviewed some of the students, asking them about school, hockey, meeting the Leafs, and about the integrated classroom and nutrition program at their school – key parts of the MLSE Launchpad initiative.  The crowd was as enamoured with them as Aberdeen was.  A part of her wished it could just be the kids talking all night.  

When their interview was over, the kids waved goodbye to the crowd before the DJ began to play them off stage.  The opening notes of ‘Uptown Funk’ by Bruno Mars began playing, and the kids went crazy.  They stopped walking off stage.  They looked around to try to find where the music was coming from, but soon enough, a lot of the kids began to dance – shimmying from side to side, pumping their hands in the air, and twirling on one foot attempting pirouettes.  Christine was trying her best, but they weren’t moving.  

“Can someone get the kids off the stage so we can get a move on?” the rude man commented loudly, so loud Aberdeen could hear him above the music.  She was incensed by his comment, her blood boiling.  How dare he.  How dare he say something when this entire event was for charity – was for these kids on stage!  

So she took matters into her own hands.

She made a point to push her chair back as dramatically as possible, shaking the place settings on the table with the force of her hands.  Everybody at the table looked at her as she rose from her seat and began making her way towards the stage.  As she pulled the skirt of her dress up so she wouldn’t trip up the stairs, she made eye contact with one of the kids.  And instead of shuffling him towards the back, instead of helping Christine, who had hall but given up, she extended her arms and grabbed the little boy’s hands in hers and began dancing with him.  She was dancing on stage in front of over a thousand people with an eight year old.  And she wasn’t embarrassed one bit.  

As she danced, she watched as William began to make his way up to the stage from the opposite end, rushing up exactly like she had and extending his arms to begin dancing with another student, a girl, twirling her around.  Then she saw Bee McTavish, Morgan Rielly, and Jennifer and Jason Spezza, all at once, rush towards the stage too, laughing and dancing with the kids.  Before she knew it, the entire team was up there, as were their significant others, dancing with the kids and each other to Uptown Funk for the entire duration of the song.  Aryne and John, Saylor and Kasperi – they were all there.  As she danced, she made eye contact with William, who was already looking at her, a smile spread out on his face from ear to ear.  Jennifer gave her a double thumbs up.  Bee was laughing at Morgan’s horrible dancing, but the kid he was dancing with was absolutely loving it and mimicking every move.  

She barely noticed the crowd cheering and clapping along to the beat until the end of the song when there was a round of applause.  The kids finally got their cue and began heading offstage.  A few of them had to finish bowing before the audience, but once they were all gone, the team left the stage too, giant smiles on all their faces.  When Aberdeen returned to the table, she saw the rude man staring at her indignantly.  Meanwhile, Brendan was beaming.  

“Thank you for that,” he said as she took her seat beside him.  Even Catherine was smiling.  

“You’re not mad I did that?”

“Are you kidding?” he asked.  “That’s been the highlight of the night so far.  It’ll probably stay the highlight of the night.”

Aberdeen smiled.  “I had to do something to get that guy at the other end to shut up,” she whispered.

“Oh, I know, believe me.”

The night went on with its regularly scheduled events.  There was an interview portion with the big four European players – Andreas, Freddie, Will, and Kappy – in between the dinner courses.  There was a Q&A with Jason and Zach as well, and the highlight of the night, which was a game of Family Feud with the Leafs Legends – Darcy Tucker, Curtis Joseph, Daryl Sittler, Wendel Clark, and Doug Gilmour – and some of the current Leafs – John, Morgan, Auston, Mitch, and Tyson.  It was hilarious.  Aberdeen teared up at one point because she was laughing so hard.  

After dinner there was a lot of mingling – a lot of meeting new people and speaking about her position because everybody was just so interested about what Brendan Shanahan’s personal assistant did all day – and a lot of…well, staring.  William caught her eye around the room.  Wherever he was, wherever she was, whoever he was speaking to, whoever she was speaking to, whenever she even so much as just glanced his way, he was already looking, and whenever he so much as glanced her way, she was already looking.  He was true to his word in that he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her, that as long as he got to stare at her all night he’d consider himself a lucky man, because all he seemed to be doing was staring at her.  And as the night progressed, he got closer and closer, eventually ending up in her circle, and although the guests were delighted to see William Nylander, she was nervous but excited to see Will, Willy, the guy that so obviously couldn’t keep himself away from her.  

When the guests left, they were left alone.  Aberdeen gulped.  William looked pained.  “I can’t take it anymore,” he said, only loud enough for her to hear, despite there being no-one around them.  Brendan was on the other side of the room.

“Can’t take what?”

“You.  In that dress,” he clarified.  “You have no idea how good you look.  Every time I look at you, I just…you—you know how I feel about you, minskatt.”

When that nickname escaped her lips, tied together with the look on his face and the sparkle in his eye, Aberdeen almost melted right then and there.  “Will—”

“Can we get out of here?”

“No, Will,” she giggled.  Any other moment in time she would have scolded him for making the suggestion, but at this point she didn’t care.  “I’m technically still working.”

“Then let me get you a drink,” he offered.  “And let me take you home.  Please let me take you home after everything is done.  I’m desperate here.”

“Desperate?” she decided to play with him.  “Why?”

“Because of you.  Because you walk in here looking like that and you expect me to control myself?  All I’ve wanted to do all night is be next to you.  All I’ve wanted to do is be with you, be anywhere near you.  And it’s torture.  Torture that I can’t talk to you the way I want to talk to you.  Torture that I can’t touch you like I want to touch you.”

A shiver ran up her spine.  “You’re getting into inappropriate territory again, Will.”

“And I’ll say it again: can’t you tell by now that I don’t care that it’s inappropriate?”

The last time he’d said that to her, she replied with “And can’t you see that I do care?”  But she didn’t care anymore.  She honestly didn’t.  After what happened on Christmas (besides the fact that she was still wearing the ring – she hadn’t taken it off since) and on New Year’s, she knew that they had both ventured on to the inappropriate territory equally.  It was no longer just his fault, or the fault of his persistence.  They were equally to blame here.  She downed the last of her drink.  “I like it.”

He had a confused look on his face.  “You like what?”

“I like that you’re being inappropriate.”

Aberdeen couldn’t describe the smile that took over his face upon him hearing those words.  They were six words that told him everything he needed to know.  “Aberdeen, you can’t just say stuff like that and expect me to react normally,” he said, throwing her own words that she’d said to him so many times back at her.

“Maybe I don’t want you to react normally.”

“Aberdeen!  William!”

They looked to their side to see Bee McTavish approaching them.  Aberdeen could tell William hated the interruption, but because it was Bee, he softened.  “We’re gonna do some shots.  Want some shots?”

The first shot was tequila.  The second was a B-52, and Brendan even joined in.  Aberdeen could feel herself getting more giggly with each millilitre of alcohol that went into her system.  Giggly about the event.  Giggly that she was taking shots with the Toronto Maple Leafs.  

Giggly about William.

***

“Just one stop at Nelson Street, please,” William said to the Uber driver as he slipped into the car after Aberdeen.  Brendan, Catherine, Kyle, and Shannon had left the party early, so they weren’t able to see William confirming with Aberdeen that he could take her home, and they weren’t able to see him calling an Uber, and him grabbing their coats, and him leading Aberdeen to the much quieter side of the Fairmont Royal York for the Uber to pick them up so he could touch her waist and hold her hand and get close to her – closer than what was necessary – on a cold winter’s night while the rest of the guest list waited at the front of the hotel for cabs and Ubers.  “I know it’s a short ride, but I’ll give you a big tip.”

He was holding Aberdeen’s hand.

“Do you still have all those songs I downloaded for you?” Aberdeen asked as the driver started moving.

William thought it to be a random question.  “Of course I do.  Why would I delete them?”

“I have a new song you need to add,” she said.

He smiled.  “I added a song I heard on the radio that made me think of you,” he began to pull out his phone.

“Which one?”

He searched for the playlist in his Spotify, the former ‘Driving in Toronto at Night’ playlist he’d renamed to ‘Minskatt’.  He scrolled down to the bottom of the list before he found it.  He turned the volume on his phone all the way up before the opening notes of ‘Adore You’ by Harry Styles began playing.  He’d heard it all over the radio since December, and not only did the beat and rhythm reminds him of the type of music Aberdeen liked and put on the playlist, but when he actually listened to the lyrics, he knew he had to add it.

Aberdeen’s jaw dropped and a smile overtook her face.  “This is it.”

“What’s it?”

“This was the song I was just going to add.”

William smiled.  “Does that mean I have superior music taste now?” he joked.

Aberdeen giggled.  “You’re working on it.”

She began to sing, and William had never heard anything sweeter.  She was louder than when she half-mumbled, half-sang ‘Style’ by Taylor Swift in the passenger’s seat of his car when they were driving on the Gardiner into the downtown core.  Perhaps the shots had gotten to her, but they were so long ago and he was unconvinced.  More than anything, he just hoped her walls had finally crumbled, that she felt like she could be uninhibited in front of him like he always wanted her to be.  No degree of formality of being a hockey player and a personal assistant for that hockey player’s boss – instead, being just two kids in their early 20s falling for each other like they had six months ago when she wouldn’t shut up about her graduation or her writing or her favourite books and he couldn’t stop listening to her.

William didn’t know the lyrics off by heart like she did, but he was able to contribute certain lines he remembered.  Certain lines that would hammer a message home.  

I get so lost inside your eyes Would you believe it?

He looked at her when he sang them out loud, and she looked at him when she sang them out too, albeit more emphatically and with more swaying and dramatic hand motions.  It was like they were admitting to each other what they were really thinking; what they couldn’t say to each other in the presence of other people, but what they could say to each other alone in hotel rooms in the middle of the night or in the backs of Ubers after parties.

Honey I’d walk through fire for you Just let me adore you Like it’s the only thing I’ll ever do

Aberdeen bit her lip after they sang the chorus to each other.  She couldn’t believe they were doing this.  She couldn’t believe how quickly her walls had fallen.  She’d spent two months trying to forget him and four months trying to keep him at bay, only for the last three weeks to make all of that obsolete.  “Willy?” she asked, her voice sweet as the second verse began to play.

“Minskatt?” he prepared himself.

“I can’t believe you added Harry Styles on your own free will.”

William snorted.  This was why he was so enamoured with her.  “I can’t believe you think I wouldn’t.”

They arrived at her building, getting out of the car and slipping through the front doors, nodding politely at the concierge before walking to the elevator.  As they waited for it to come down, Aberdeen lay her head on William’s shoulder.  “My feet are fucking killing me,” she whispered.

“Are they?”

“They’re, like, pounding,” she said.  “They’re pretty to look at but fuck they hurt.”

Before she could realize what was happening, William had scooped her up in his arms, shifting to carry her bridal style as the elevator pinged to signal its arrival.  “What are you doing?” she laughed out.

“Being a knight in shining armour, clearly,” he smiled.  He felt Aberdeen wrap her arm around the back of his shoulders as he stepped into the elevator.  Aberdeen pressed her phone number.  “Better?”

“Much.”

“Why do you girls even wear shoes like that if they hurt so much?”

She snorted.  “You tell me.  Men wore heels first,” she informed him.

“We did?!”

She nodded.  “Apparently you guys wanted to show off your wealth and calves more than we did at first.”

William laughed in his signature way.  “I do have some nice calves.”

When the elevator brought them up to Aberdeen’s floor, she rummaged through her clutch to find her keys, sticking them in the door to open in.  Luckily, they could be as loud as they wanted since Kasha was spending the night at Evan’s; it prompted Aberdeen to hook her finger into the strap at the heel and throw off her shoes.  William kicked off his shoes and walked through her apartment, carrying her to her bedroom.  It was maybe a bold move, to go straight there, but he didn’t care.

“Wanna see me rip my eyelashes off?” she giggled as he finally set her down on the floor of her bedroom.  

“Your eyelashes?!”

“The fake ones,” she mumbled, just going for it.  She saw a horrified look on William’s face, causing her to burst out into a fit of giggles.  She threw the first one in the garbage before taking off the second, William still watching with a horrified look on his face.  “What?” she smiled.

“That doesn’t hurt?” he asked.

“You get used to it,” she shrugged.  “You know what they say Will.  Beauty is pain.”

“My beauty doesn’t require pain.”

Aberdeen burst out laughing, William following with his signature giggle.  She couldn’t control her laughing as she leaned her head against his chest, shaking it slightly before bringing it back up to look at him.  “You’re literally the worst, Will.  No other guy on the team would say something like that.”

“No other guy on the team is as beautiful as I am.”

His tone made it come out like a joke, but Aberdeen couldn’t help but thinking he was right.  There wasn’t another guy on the team as good-looking as he was.  She huffed out a laugh, turning around so her back was towards him.  “Can you unzip me?”

It was a suggestive request, and she knew it.  He unzipped her dress slowly as she pulled her hair out of the way for him.  They were both still giggling as she felt the material of the dress become looser, and she was careful when he was finished to step out of it gently so she didn’t mess up the fabric or dirty it on the floor of her bedroom.  She immediately brought it towards the hanger she’d left on her dresser, making sure to hang it in her closet neatly before turning back towards Will.  It was only then that she realized she was in her underwear in front of him, the most exposed she’d ever been since…well…

She watched as he practically ripped off his tie; watched as he unbuttoned his shirt without a care in the world.  His suit was probably custom made and tailored and cost over a thousand dollars but he didn’t even care.  What was more alarming was that he was stripping and making himself comfortable in her bedroom.  “Will—”

“You can change.  I’ll look away,” he said, turning her back towards her automatically.  

That wasn’t even what she wanted, but damnit, he was good.  She unclasped her bra and threw on her top quickly before stepping into her pajama shorts.  “Um, I have to go wash my makeup off,” she whispered.

She didn’t wait for a reply as she stepped across the hallway into her bathroom.  As she washed all of her makeup off, the seriousness of the situation crept up on her.  William was in her apartment.  He was in her bedroom.  He was undressing.  She knew he’d been in there before, that if he stayed over it wouldn’t even be the first time he’d slept in her bed, but it was still a big deal.  It was still something that, really, truly, shouldn’t be happening in every sense of the word.  But it was.  And neither of them was going to put a stop to it.    

When she stepped back into her room, closing her door behind her, she saw William waiting for her to get into bed.  He had nothing on besides his boxer-briefs.  She knew that if they both got in there, there’d be no room.  They’d be squished against each other.  She knew this because it had happened before – the night they hooked up, and then the night after what Ethan did to her – it was the same situation.  Standing now, in her room, looking between the bed and William, things felt…different.  

She climbed into bed, liking to be on the side closest to the wall, anyway.  William followed her, even going so far as to start to pull the covers over their bodies as he snuggled in next to her.  “Will—”

“Shhhhhh,” he cooed.  “Aberdeen, stop freaking out.”

“But Willy—”

“I just want to lie down.  We’re just lying down,” he said, his voice sleepy.  He pulled her against him.  She let him.  He nestled his head onto her chest, under her chin and above her breasts.  She let him.  She could feel the contented sigh he let out as he settled into her, as her body relaxed into his, as she began running her fingers through his beautiful blonde hair.  He let her.

“Will?” her voice was soft.

“Mhm?”

“You – I – you—”

“Spit it out, Aberdeen.”

“You could have any girl in the city, Willy,” she blurted out.  She immediately regretted it.  “Any girl in the city.  W…Why do you keep – I mean, why are you here with m—”

“Because I only like you, Aberdeen,” his voice was so soft, sleepy, tender.  The most tender she’d ever heard it.  “You still don’t understand?”  

Aberdeen hesitated.  “I guess not.”

“Well…I like you,” he stressed his sentiment again.

“But why?”

“Because you make me nervous.  And nobody makes me nervous,” he said softly.  “And because I like talking to you.  And I don’t like talking to anyone.”

There was nothing more she could say; nothing more she could do.  He always answered her question and always answered her honestly; he had never lied to her.  He had laid it all out for her and she could either take it or leave it.  

Of course she was going to take it.  

***

Aberdeen woke up slowly the next morning early.  Stupidly early, because of her natural alarm clock.  In typical fashion, because William was in bed with her and there wasn’t enough room for the both of them, Aberdeen found herself semi-on top of him, her head on his chest and hair spread out everywhere; an arm draped across his torso.  As she began to come to her senses, she took a deep breath and could smell him.  He still smelled so good.  So manly.  And then, she realized his one arm was hugging her body against his, and his other lay directly on top of hers that was draped across his body, keeping it there.

She sighed contently.  

He was so big, so snuggly, so warm.  Of all the people she’d snuggled up against in her short lifetime, William was easily the best.  His body was like her own personal heater, and in the dead of winter, it was much appreciated.  She’d always known he was big – big and thick and strong – but feeling him under her now was so much different.  She’d almost forgotten what he felt like, but she could never truly forget something like that.  

When she moved slightly, mostly to stretch, she realized one of his thighs was between her legs.  God, they were so fucking thick.  Thick and strong, just like the rest of him.  She moaned slightly, the feeling of their bare legs together really waking her up now.  Before she knew what she was doing, before her brain could tell her body not to physically react to such a specimen of a body being in such close proximity to her, she moved again, rubbing her core against his thigh.  It felt good.  Of course it felt good.  She had been denying herself the pleasure she knew William Nylander could give her for six months now (besides their kisses), and if she wasn’t dangerously close to breaking every known rule, parameter, and boundary she gave herself when she got the job, then she was now.  So close.  Dangerously close.

She rubbed her core against his thigh again.

And again.

And again.

He began to wake up, shifting slightly at the feeling of the friction of her against him.  He moaned at the feeling and rubbed his eyes before opening them, and when he did their eyes met, drowsy and barely open but still looking at one another.  “Minskatt?”

Aberdeen looked into his blue eyes.  She couldn’t hold back anymore; couldn’t deny it anymore.  

She was going to do it.

She pushed herself up slightly, coming face to face with him, and began kissing him.  No hesitation.  No uncertainty.  She knew she wanted to do it.  That she had to do it.  That kissing William was as important to her right now as breathing.  That kissing William continuously – not just one little peck, not just a standard kiss – was what she needed.  That feeling the scruff on his face along her fingers was integral to her well-being.  That grinding against his thigh again, causing him to moan in her mouth before she got on top of him and straddled him, was what she needed to survive.  

She felt his hands squeezing her thighs, trying to feel every inch of exposed skin on her body as they wandered underneath her pajama shorts, then underneath her shirt, where he took sweet time inching higher and higher towards her breasts.  He squeezed them in his hands gently, massaging them and pinching her nipples, causing her to squirm.  She knew she didn’t have an ample set to worth with, but William didn’t seem to mind.  He didn’t seem to mind because when Aberdeen grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, he looked at her exposed chest like it was the first pair of boobs he’d seen in his life.  

Aberdeen hesitated only slightly after she saw the look on his face.  “Willy?” she breathed out.

“Fuck, Aberdeen,” he whispered in some sort of apparently disbelief – a disbelief that this was actually happening.  That she was the one to kiss him.  That she was the one to take off her top.  It wasn’t even the first time he’d seen her exposed chest, but it still felt like the first time to him.

Before she knew it, he’d wrapped his arms around her and flipped her onto her back, hovering over her with his big, thick body as he kissed and licked his way down her neck and towards her breasts.  He took a nipple in his mouth, flicking his tongue and making her arch her back.  She tried to catch her breath as she got used to feeling his mouth and tongue on her breasts.  He knew exactly what he was doing, and he knew exactly what to do to set her off, leaving her a writhing, moaning mess in her own bed.

Then she felt where his hand was.

She flinched at his touch on her hot core, but so desperately wanted more.  After that initial flinch, she practically grinded herself onto his hand.  “It’s so hot,” William mumbled before he kissed a trail to her other breast.  “So wet already.”

“Will—” Aberdeen could barely get out once she felt William’s tongue on her other breast.  “Will, please—”

“Is that okay?”

“Yes,” she nodded her head as he teased her some more.  “Ta—Take them off.”

He did as he was told, his mouth leaving her breast so he could sit back slightly on his knees, hook his fingers into the waistband of her shorts, and pull them off slooooowly, revealing every inch of exposed skin on her body.  He could see her chest rising and falling dramatically as he let the shorts drop on the floor.  “You okay, minskatt?”

Aberdeen nodded her head.  She leaned forward so she could kiss him again, their hands exploring each other’s bodies – William’s hands gripping her thighs or breasts or teasing her hot core some more; Aberdeen’s hands gliding along the muscles on his abs and chest and shoulders before scratching down his back to the waistband of his boxer briefs.  

She tugged on them.

“Aberdeen—”

“Condoms are in the same place,” she whispered quickly.

“Aberdeen, are you sure—”

“Yes.  Yes yes yes,” she repeated, nodding fervently.  

William opened the drawer on her bedside table, grabbing at a packet.  He ripped off the packaging and helped her push his boxers down before sitting back.  Aberdeen helped him slide it on, much like the first time.  When she lay back down, William moved to loom over her.  

William and Aberdeen looked each other in the eye as he guided himself near her entrance.  When Aberdeen could feel him, she let out a shaky, excited breath.  “Willy…”

“Yes, minskatt?”

“Go slow.”

William nodded.  He began to push himself into her, and as he did, he saw her eyes close to bask in the feeling of him filling her up.  He did the same, as it brought back all the memories from that fateful night six months ago, when they were in the exact same position as they were now.  He remembered everything so vividly, but somehow, this all felt brand new.  He remembered how good it felt, but simultaneously had never felt anything as amazing before.  

He went slow.

He could feel her nails dig into his shoulder blades and a small gasp of breath escape her as he bottomed out.  He kissed her lips and the tip of her nose and back to her lips.  “You okay?” he asked, his hair falling in between their faces.

Aberdeen nodded her head.  She bought one hand between them and pushed his hair back tenderly so she could see his face.  “Yeah,” she nodded.

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” she repeated, letting out another breath as she felt him pull out slightly before pushing back in.  “I’d almost forgotten how good you feel inside me.”

“You’re perfect, Aberdeen,” he responded immediately after.  He meant it in every sense of the word, because to him, she was.  Plus, if she thought he felt good, he has some news for her about what she felt like.  “God, you’re fucking perfect.”

He dipped down to kiss her again as he began moving in and out of her slowly.  Aberdeen moved her hips in tune with his, and soon, all she felt was pleasure.  Despite what was happening, they couldn’t keep their eyes off each other, looks mixed with lust, love, desire, adoration, longing, and of course, the pining they’d been doing since that day they reunited in the elevator being exchanged between them.  It had all led to this moment, this moment of pure, built up passion.

“Willy…f…fuck,” she whispered.  “You feel so good, Willy.”

She watched as some of his hair feel in between them again, blocking his eyes.  She brought a hand to push it back tenderly.  They looked at each other for a moment before William said the words.  “I love you, Aberdeen.”

She looked for a lie in his eyes.  Any hint of a lie.  A lie she found in Zane’s eyes.  A lie she found in Corey’s eyes.  A lie she found in any other boy’s eyes that she’d known.  But she couldn’t find it.  Not even the smallest hint.  Nothing.  And because of that, and because of the moment, she said the words too.  “I love you, William.”

He kissed her, big and wet and sloppy and full of desire and want, and she kissed him back with equal amounts of desire and want, and when he began to move in and out of her quicker, and when she arched her back into his body, she knew was close, that they were both close, and that they wouldn’t last much longer.  

“Willy—”

“Aberdeen—Aberdeen I—”

“Cum with me Willy.  Cum with me.”

And they did.  It hit them all at once, the wave of pleasure as Aberdeen’s walls tightened around William’s pulsating cock, and they rode it out for as long as they could before William collapsed on top of her, the both of them catching their breath and coming back down to reality.  As they lay in her bed together, with William still inside her, the gravity of the situation didn’t need to hit them – they knew what they’d just done.  They knew it broke every boundary and was against every rule in the book.  But they didn’t care.  William didn’t care.  Aberdeen didn’t care.  All that mattered was that they shared that moment of pure bliss together.  

William rolled onto his back and took off the condom, tying it before throwing it in the garbage near her bed.  When he finished, he turned towards Aberdeen and they intertwined their limbs and bodies, drifting off to sleep again in each other’s arms.

***

The next time Aberdeen woke up, it was because she’d heard the front door slam shut and the sound of footsteps throughout the apartment.  It meant Kasha was home, which also meant it was later in the morning than when she and William had first woken up and…well…

She shuddered.

As she did, she felt William’s body beside hers in her bed, spooning her from behind.  Still naked from their rendezvous earlier, she could feel his cock against her as the hand of the arm that draped over her body cupped one of her breasts.  His face was nestled into the crook of her neck.  She didn’t want to move – she would have been perfectly content to stay in bed with him all day – but she knew they’d have to get up eventually.  And more than that, they’d have to put on clothes before they went out there.  

“Willy?” she whispered softly, hoping he’d hear.

“Hmmm minskatt?” he mumbled against her skin.  “Was that Kasha?” he asked.

“Yeah.  And probably Evan,” she said.  “We should get up.”

He peeled himself away from her body slowly, and she rolled from her side to her back so she could look up at him.  He looked down at her, still naked for him.  She smiled up at him and caressed his cheek, his stubble scratching her skin.  A piece of hair fell in front of his face, and she pushed it back, making it a habit now.  “Willy?”

“Minskatt?”

“Do you regret what happened?” she asked.

“Absolutely not.  No,” he replied automatically, shaking his head.  “Do you?”

“No,” she responded automatically as well.  “I don’t regret any of it at all,” she ran her thumb along his lips.  “But nobody can know.  We can’t tell a soul.”

William nodded his head.  In any other circumstance, if he had landed a girl as amazing as Aberdeen, he would be practically bragging to everybody about how lucky he was.  But things didn’t work out that way, and everything was complicated.  “Nobody will know,” he said in agreement.  

“No Brendan,” she began.

“That’s a given.”

“No Kappy,” she continued.

“No Kappy,” he agreed.  Kasperi didn’t even know about the first time they’d slept together, so it would be no problem.  None of the guys did.  They all thought he just had a harmless crush.  “No Kasha.”

Aberdeen bit her lip.  “No Kasha,” she nodded her head.  She knew she’d be able to make up a good story when they met each other outside her door.  She knew what she had to do next.  It would have to hurt them both.  “No Alex.”

William nodded slightly.  It would be hard not to tell his brother, but he knew he couldn’t.  It was probably one of the few secrets he would keep from Alex.  He knew he had to say the same.  “No Siena.”

Aberdeen nodded.  It would be the hardest thing she’d have to do.  “Our secret only,” she whispered.

“Our secret only,” he repeated, leaning down to give her a quick kiss.  “We can do it, minskatt.”

“I know we can,” she said, kissing him again.  It went against everything she believed in, but she didn’t care anymore.  She only had so much willpower to reject him.  Now that they’d done what they’d done, and agreed to what they agreed to, there was no going back.  She’d have to lie to the people she loved and respected most in her life.  She’d have to lie to everyone she knew – her parents, her sister, her friends, her co-workers.  

She’d have to lie to Brendan.  

They got out of bed slowly, with William putting his boxers back on and Aberdeen throwing on her pajama shorts again and a crew neck sweater.  She looked over at William and saw him searching for his dress shirt, crinkled on the floor.  She threw one of her oversized University of Toronto hoodies at him.  He laughed when he realized what it was, pulling it over his head.  It fit a bit snug, but it worked.

The second Aberdeen opened her bedroom door, she heard the shower from Kasha’s ensuite turn on.  She was happy – it gave her time to get breakfast started, to spend a little bit more of alone time with William, and to think of an excuse as to why William slept over last night.  Not like this was the first time he slept over in the past four weeks.

She still couldn’t believe what this had become.

After washing her face quickly, she and William made their way into the kitchen, Aberdeen grabbing some pancake mix out of the cupboard.  She grabbed some blueberries from the fridge too, putting them near the sink to wash them.  As she began to pour the pancake mix into a bowl, she felt William come up behind her, pressing himself against her back as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Aberdeen?” his voice was soft, and suddenly sounded very nervous.  

“Willy?”

“I meant what I said earlier,” he said.

She was confused.  “About not telling anybody?”

“No.  Earlier,” he gave her another hint.  When she didn’t respond, he knew he’d have to say it again.  “That I love you, minskatt.”

Oh.  That.  It was said so passionately during them having sex that it felt like it was part of the experience.  That it was completely natural and easy for them to say to each other, despite not officially being together, despite not even dating, despite Aberdeen trying to convince herself for months that she didn’t like him, despite William trying everything to make her realize otherwise.  

“I know it was in the heat of the moment,” his words interrupted her thoughts.  They sounded so nervous and apprehensive.  “But I meant it.  I mean…I know.  And I know that you said it back, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.  Or if you’re not sure or whatever.  I just want you to know that.  I won’t care.  You can say it whenever you want.  I just know that I do.”

Aberdeen turned around.  She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, now wearing one of her hoodies, and stood on her tip-toes to kiss him.  She said the only words she could say to him.  The only words that, despite every boundary, despite every rule, despite every thought, despite everything she knew about herself, despite everything she thought she knew about herself, she knew were true.  

“I love you too, William.”

#william nylander #william nylander imagine #william nylander fic #william nylander fan fic #toronto maple leafs #toronto maple leafs imagine #toronto maple leafs fic #toronto maple leafs fan fic #william nylander blurb #toronto maple leafs blurb #nhl #nhl imagine #nhl fic #nhl fan fic #nhl blurb #hockey #hockey imagine #hockey fic #hockey fan fic #hockey blurb #the president wears prada series

[reincarnated70sbaby]

star crossed

-chapter four-

*disclaimer: this work is entirely fiction, all scenes with real life people presented in this work are entirely fictitious.*

word count : 2.4k

warnings : angst! (af!) swearing ?  charlie watts being unbothered as ever, did i mention angst?

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After a couple drinks in, the conversation of recording a track started up. Jimmy was actually quite excited, a Rolling Stones and Jimmy Page track was bound to happen sometime. Sure, Jimmy had played with them in his session days, but not anything to the extent of actually being featured and credited for the track. They decided to come back tomorrow to Bill’s home studio to record a track that might feature on the upcoming Goats Head Soup album. Two nights previous, he finished up the English leg of the 72/73 tour. In a couple weeks, Led Zeppelin would be embarking on their biggest tour yet - the 73 North American tour. There was plans to record a concert film and album, and Jimmy was really hopeful everything would work out.

“Lads I’m about to fucking pass out here, I’m out, see you all tomorrow yeah?”

“All right Jim, see y’a tomorrow, not to early mate right?”

After agreeing to come in the early afternoon with Bill , he bid goodnight to the rest of crew there, Charlie and the pianist for the album, Nicky. Sure, they weren’t as wild as the Toxic Twins, but they were still good company - better than getting drunk in his hotel room alone.

Walking back to his hotel room, the walk felt much longer than 10 minutes. Even though it was the beginning of February, and therefore the start of spring, he had to wrap his arms around himself to preserve body heat.

Reaching the hotel lobby, he was met with the warm air of the large room. Red carpets and gold accents adorned the room. It was quite late in the night - or early in the morning, so he decided to skip going to the bar in hopes of picking up a partner and instead, head straight to his room. On his way into the elevator, he passed two women, both wearing sunglasses. He thought that peculiar, and even more peculiar, he thought he recognised the woman with short brunette hair. After attempting to place the woman, he concluded he was in no state of mind to try.

Laying down on his bed, his thoughts wondered to Alice. He hadn’t heard anything about her since they were last together. He wasn’t even sure if she was still in the music business. He wondered would he ever see her again. He hoped he would, but a feeling in his gut told him it would happen eventually. Sooner, or later, he thought.

Waking up slightly hungover, he showered and prepared for the day of recording ahead. It wasn’t to be a serious session, more of a jam of sorts and hopefully produce a track in the process.

Strolling casually into Bill’s recording studio, he noticed that, as per usual, everybody was there expect Mick. On second look he noticed that Mick Taylor was not there either.

“Where are the Mick’s?”

“I think Jagger is just late, but oh, theres Taylor there now!”

Just as Keith finished speaking, Mick Taylor walked in, guitar case in hand. This would be the first time Jimmy and Mick played together, and he hoped they would get on well.

“Jimmy, great to see you again, ready to play?”

“Nice to see you too, lets get down to it shall we boys?”

Mick Jagger had finally arrived, so he and Keith were working on lyrics, while Charlie and Bill were working on rhythms and riffs, leaving Jimmy and Mick Taylor to work out the main guitar melody. They worked really well together, as they both had the same blues origins and both loved incorporating it into new material.

“So who's the sound tech here anyway” Jimmy asked, while in the process of tuning his guitar down.

“Allie, she's been with us for the album, she's great, have you met her before?”

“Hmm, the name doesn't sound familiar I don't think”

“Well she had an appointment, so she’ll probably be here within the next hour” Mick commented, a shy smile coming onto his face when mentioning her.

After around half an hour of messing around, the boys were finally ready to start the recording tapes. All that stopped then was the missing sound tech.

“Good afternoon boys, I, being your guardian angel have brought lunch for all of us” Alice said cheerily, bursting through the door with a bright smile.

Jimmy’s head shot up at the sound of her voice, suddenly connecting all the dots. The feeling in his gut about meeting her, the woman in the hotel, and the ‘Allie’ nickname.

“Oh thank you Alice, forgot to mention we invited a special guest to join our entourage, last night at Bill’s after you and Taylor left” spoke Mick Jagger with his usual eloquence.

“Alice!”

“Jimmy” Alice replied curtly, a hint of sourness in her blank expression. Jimmy was now in front of Alice, greeting her.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, its been what, nearly four years! I didn’t even know if you were still an audio tech” Jimmy said warmly, excited to see her again

“I would say it’s a pleasure to see you too, but its not, so I wont” Alice casually said, blanking him, and moving further into the room. She set the bags of fresh food on the table, in the back of the recording section of the large hall. Jimmy watched her walk away casually, totally taken off guard by her coldness. The rest of the Stones all caught this too, extremely confused, but a little entertained by their encounter.

“Wait, you guys know each other?” Keith asked, a small smirk on his lips, pointing between the two.

“I would say used to know, I was on of the engineers on Zeppelin II in 69”

“Hold on, I didn’t know you worked Zeppelin II? That means you must have been a teenager when you worked on it. Blimey” Mick, asked, all of this coming news to him, as well to the others. 

“I suppose you wouldn’t, after all I wasn’t even credited, nor my boss Tom” Alice said coolly, still not turning away from setting up the various soups and sandwiches. 

Obviously, the teenage Alice that Jimmy once knew was long gone. 

“God, Allie you look so old, what are you now? Twenty four, twenty five” Jimmy asked, sampling the new nickname, trying to break the stifling awkwardness that now infected the room.

“Still getting my age wrong I see, Jimmy. Im surprised you still know my name, after all the stunts you pulled over the last four years” Alice replied, walking directly towards Jimmy, accompanied with razor sharp glare. She now stood directly on front of him, slightly invading his personal space. She has grown taller and her face matured, loosing the slight roundness to her cheeks she once possessed. She apparently had cut off her long wavy crimson locks, in favour of a modern, dark brown bob.

“Uh, what’re you talking about?” Jimmy asked chuckling nervously as he scratched his head, hoping she wouldn’t notice his feigned innocence.

“Oh I’m sure you know, as does everyone else in this room. I don't really have the energy to continue this irrelevant conversation, or frankly, any conversation in general with you at this point. Also, it’s Alice to you” Alice stated sternly with a finger pointed to his chest. Jimmy could practically see the ice swirling in her cool blue eyes, the eyes he had come to miss over the years. He had never had encountered her true, red headed temperament. Now that he was on the receiving end, he desperately wanted to stay away from it.

“I’m not really hungry anyway, so I’ll be in the mod room if you guys need me” Alice said, directing her words to everyone but Jimmy, before leaving and entering the conjoining mod room. Mick Taylor quickly set his down his burnt orange Les Paul, then followed Alice out of the room.

“Woah, I haven’t seen drama like this since the last time Mick and Bowie had an arguement - which was last week, I think hmm” Keith remarked with a sarcastic finger on his chin, before moving to serve himself some soup.

“Actually Keef, I think this charade is a lot more entertaining than David’s and I’s little tiffs, as this is bit more of a lovers quarrel”

“Better not let Taylor hear that, or he’ll have to have a word with you Pagey” Bill commented, wide grin now on his face.

Jimmy was now the confused one. He turned to Charlie, silently asking him about Alice and Mick with the point of his finger. Charlie simply shrugged his shrugged his shoulders in response before going back to drumming a riff with the hi-hats and snare drums.

After everybody had ate or, cooled off, recording was finally underway. After a couple of takes, Alice interrupted to give some pointers.

“Look boys, I’m gonna be candid with you all. It sounds shit” Alice said into the mic. Ever since she had gotten more experience under belt, she became renowned for her no bullshit opinions. In turn, people valued her honestly and knew what she said was, more often than not, right.

“Yeah, boys let’s not sugarcoat it, we’re not exactly gelling as one” Keith commented, starting to become fed up with having to balance not only Mick Jaggers usual dramatics, but another egotistical lead guitarist in the mix.

“Okay, what do you think love?” Mick Taylor asked softly, trying to keep the peace before something erupted. He wasn’t wrong, the Stones, along with a quarter of Led Zeppelin, and a hot headed tech was a bit of a lethal cocktail. Fights often combusted quickly between the Stones and Alice, as all members were just as stubborn as each other.

“Well it sounds like there’s 5 Stones, and 25% Led Zeppelin playing. What I want, and what fans want to hear is The Stones featuring Jimmy Page. You five need to change your usual routine of recording for once and mix it up. And you” she looked to Jimmy “need to stop pretending you’re with the other boys. You both need to work with each others strengths and quit overcompensating. Stop pretending you’re something you’re not”

Everybody in the entire house probably could pick up that the last sentence was a direct jab to Jimmy. Another awkward silence passed, ultimately stemming from a staring contest between Alice and the famed guitarist.

“Oh my fucking god, kill me now” Mick muttered, pinching his nose, while Charlie just rolled his eyes and started drumming the start of the song. Eventually Keith started the riff with Mick Taylor,along with Bill and Charlie carrying the bass and percussion, and Mick Jagger singing the lyrics. Only when they reached the solo part, did Jimmy break eye contact with Alice and begin playing.

Finishing up recording, the boys all started to leave. Mick and Jimmy were the last to pack up their stuff, and an uncomfortable air fell over them. Obviously they both either had history, or were making history with Alice. Eventually Mick realised he should probably let the pair talk it out, so, as Jimmy toward the mod room door, Mick moved toward the hallway door.

“Alice, can we talk? Obviously things have become a bit strained between us, and I don’t want it to stay like this” Jimmy started softly. It was probably his choice of words that set Alice off, as immediately after his finished she whipped around from the sound board and kicked off.

“ 'Strained' Jimmy, are you serious?! Strained?! First of all, you didn’t even tell me you weren’t mixing the album with us, and then you just left after our night together. Then- don’t try to interrupt me James. Then, you barely even credit Tom for his songwriting tips on the album. You didn’t even mention me once, even whenever anyone brings up that Theremin part in ‘Whole Lotta Love’! You blush and go on to explain how it was your own fantastic brain that thought of it. The you had the audacity to diss Mystic studios in the papers! What was it you said again? Oh yeah, 'Mystic Studios was far from mystical and closer to meagre, and as a result, the workers were too.” Alice snarled, stream practically blowing out her ears.

“Okay, I agree that comment about Mystics’s capabilities was definitely wrong, I was extremely out of it in that interview- hell I even jibed Atlantic Records!” Jimmy was now getting frustrated too. Normally, no one put him in his place, or gave out to him.

“And then how cold you were about Tom!”

“Wait what happened with Tom?” Jimmy inquired, now serious.

“Oh my fucking god Jimmy” Alice shouted at him “you don’t even remember to you?” She said with a laugh. She searched his face, but all she saw was confusion in his light grey eyes.

“Tom had a fucking stroke last year. Peter told you, and don’t you dare deny it, as he told me he informed you all when I spoke to him on the phone. For Christ’s sake even Bonzo rang to see how he was doing! He didn’t even have my number, but he found it anyway! Robert and John joined the call after he finished speaking. When I asked for you, they said you were in a closet fucking a groupie!”

“Look Alice, I’m sorry, I don’t know what to sa-”

“I’m not surprised Jimmy, it’s a marvel you can play guitar at all, with having no fucking sense in your thick head”

“Stop being so fucking rude to me, you’re not perfect either! Don’t act so high and mighty! I know what went on in Geffen records! I’m mates with David Geffen” Jimmy was no shouting too. At the mention of David Geffen, Alice’s face immediately switched from red to a pale white.

“You do not know what happened between myself and David, if you did, you wouldn’t speak to him ever again” Alice spoke low and slowly, her face now white as a sheet.

Unbeknownst to the pair, all of the Stones were listening outside. When they heard Jimmy shouting about Geffen, Mick Taylor had enough and burst in. The rest of the boys tried to stop him, but he broke free.

“Jimmy, stop it. You don’t know anything about the Geffen incident. You don’t know Alice anymore. I suggest you leave her alone before I step in more. Al, let’s go, our driver is outside.” Mick stretched his hand out to Alice, her eyes now watery, trying to bite down her quivering lip.

Alice immediately joined Mick, and left without a second look to Jimmy.

Jimmy, now alone in the mod room, felt his gut twist with guilt. Had something bad happened with David Geffen and Alice? His mind wondered to Mick’s choice of words -‘incident’. He had heard rumours that were more damaging on David’s behalf, but being friendly with him, he thought he knew him better than all the tabloids and industry gossip.

Jimmy realised that both he and Alice had changed drastically in the last four years, how could he have expected everything to go back to how it was in the summer of ‘69? Now, they were even more distant than ever before.

Maybe they had missed their chance at eternity. Maybe the stars had uncrossed.

His heart nearly broke at the revelation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ok so chapter four !!!

I wanna write angst more often it’s my guilty pleasure

anyway, I think this is my favourite piece I’ve written 😌

navigation

star crossed masterlist

tag list : @rebel-without-a-zeppelin @princesspagey @dreamersdrowse

[my-swan-song]

Keeper Crew’s Politics

Sophie:

White feminist. Sorry.

But she’s trying her best okay?

Biana will radicalize her soon

In the meantime, she’s very active for women’s rights

Keefe:

Seems like he knows nothing about political theory

But he’ll go all anarchist at random points

“See? That’s why we need to guillotine Jeff Bezos!”

Biana:

She read Karl Marx’s writings to piss off Alden

She’s a communist now.

She educated Della on ✨wealth redistribution✨

Fitz:

Used to be part of the young republicans club

But then he realized he was gay

A couple mental breakdowns later, he realized: “huh, maybe the gays aren’t that bad”

Now he’s, like, Biden liberal

But hey, it’s still character growth

Dex:

Yang Gang, for sure

Will wear a hat that says “MATH” on it (Make America Think Harder)

Used to be an incel, but grew out of it

Linh:

Volunteered for Bernie’s campaign

She cried when he dropped out

She’s never done any formal reading on political theory, but she has a lot of empathy and hates seeing people suffer

Tam:

surprisingly leftist

blame Linh for this

he used to not be into politics, but Linh convinced him to volunteer for Bernie

he’s by no means a Keefe or a Biana, but he is anti-establishment

#keeper of the lost cities #kotlc #tw politics #tw bezos