#haven writes

[the-and-sign-anon]

Loose Captain Protocol

ISWM Captain! Reader x Gunther Gunnerson (can be read as platonic or romantic)

Word count: 1,636

Masterlist

Most of the crew didn’t remember a thing about the wormhole and the alternate universes. Mark knew quite a bit, but even the other crew leads could think of little more than vague snippets of arguments and explosions. You figured it was better that way, so you kept all the gory details to yourself and for the most part, that worked for you. 

One glaring problem with your plan to bury it all deep in your mind forever was a new habit of yours. You had begun to sleepwalk. Most nights it was just a few minutes spent wandering the halls or even just pacing your personal quarters. Unfortunately, your luck was bound to run out eventually. 

Gunther was dragged from his sleep one night by an alarm. At first, he thought it might have been ship wide, calling for a fight of some kind. It took a few seconds to realize that wasn’t the case. 

“Computer, what’s goin’ on?”

“The Captain requires your assistance in ADS.”

“What for?” 

Gunther stuffed his feet into his boots and shrugged on a jacket. The ship had been colder the last few weeks, which he supposed was at your request. It prevented him from sticking to his sleeveless hoodie, but it wasn’t too much of a bother. 

“The Captain requires your assistance in ADS.”

The trigger happy crew lead rolled his eyes and slapped his hand over the scanner to leave his quarters. It was a short trip to the main ADS control room past dim halls and quiet doors. When Gunther pressed the scanner there to enter, he immediately caught the sound of mumbling. 

You stood at the control panel with one of the droids stationed beside you. Your helmet, which you almost never left behind, was nowhere in sight. Your sleeping coveralls were rumpled and your hair was a mess. He could see the way your shoulders tensed as you pressed different buttons and scanned through all the security protocols. 

“Cap’n?”

You made no move to acknowledge him. He came up to your side and finally caught what you were saying. 

“...fix the ADS… then cryo gets a leak… fix the reactor… Event Horizon…”

He slowly raised a hand to rest it on your shoulder, but the Computer spoke up over the intercom again. 

“I was instructed to keep this quiet, but there’s little I can do to prevent the Captain from changing or activating protocols manually.”

“Computer, what’s happenin’ to the Captain?”

“They are sleepwalking, Mr. Gunnerson.”

“Does this happen often?”

“...”

“Computer?”

He glared up at the ceiling as you continued pressing keys on the display.

“Semi-regularly. As I said, I was directed to keep it quiet. But I felt this presented some risk and it is within my protocols to alert crew to danger that could fall under their responsibilities.”

Gunther rolled his eyes at the AI’s reasoning and let his hand fall to your shoulder. He’d heard once that it could be a bad idea to wake up someone when they were sleepwalking, but maybe it wouldn’t have to come to that. 

“Cap’n.”

You let out a tiny little hum of acknowledgement, though he was sure you didn’t actually know he was there. 

“It’s late. There aren’t any asteroids to shoot down. You should get some sleep.”

You didn’t respond, so he reached out with his other hand and turned you around by the shoulders. You barely fought to turn back before letting him take the lead. 

“I’ve got an eye on the ADS and all the other leads are watching everything else. Let's just get to your quarters.”

Gunther moved carefully, keeping a slow pace as you stared blankly ahead. He glanced down and noticed your fuzzy socks, hoping you wouldn’t end up stepping on anything that could hurt you. 

It took a few minutes to wander back to your room since Gunther was in no mood to follow the Computer’s directions, then he tried to open your door.

“Access denied.”

He put his hand on the scanner again and received the same response.

“Access denied.”

“Computer, cut it out and just-”

“Only the Captain has access to their personal quarters.”

He sighed in irritation and gently took your hand. You kept curling it into a loose fist, so he had to use both hands to straighten it out and press it to the scanner. Once the door slid open with a soft whoosh he gestured for you to go in. You just started to turn back to go down the hall again and he wrapped an arm around your waist. 

“C’mon, Cap. It’s time to get some rest.”

Gunther had to admit, he felt a tiny bit awkward going into your personal quarters. He’d never been in anyone’s but his own and you hadn’t exactly given him permission to be here.

Despite his better judgment, he allowed his eyes to scan over the space. Somewhat surprisingly, your room wasn’t much bigger than his. In his time in space, he’d known leaders to give themselves a luxurious room while lower ranked individuals were practically packed in like sardines. But you weren’t just any leader. 

You had a few art pieces hung up on the walls; actual physical art, not just digital images. You had a pair of slippers at the foot of your bed while your heavy boots were resting in front of your small closet. There was a desk with both a computer and a tablet, which you had a bad habit of leaving places. 

Your bed looked practically unused. The pillows were as plush as if they’d never been touched and the blankets were wrinkled, pulling toward the side of the bed as if you only ever settled on the edge to sit for a moment. Your helmet was resting on the bed just in front of the pillows on the same side. 

“Cap, how often do you actually sleep?”

You were still staring ahead, but your eyes seemed drawn to a small reinforced window beside your desk. Mark had learned his lesson when it came to windows on a spaceship, but he took great care to give you a safe view of the stars you so loved. 

“Captain. I know I should probably leave ya alone, but I can’t.”

He sat you down on the bed and gently ran his hands down your arms until your hands rested in his. He was kneeling in front of you on the cold steel floor as your eyes slowly closed. 

“...fix ADS… fix cryo… fix the reactor…”

“Captain.”

“I can fix it from the outside…”

His brow furrowed in thought. As far as he knew, there wasn’t a cable in the airlock to allow for outside repairs. If you tried to fix anything from outside, if you opened the airlock…

Before he had a moment to consider that it might be a bad idea, Gunther was pulling you into his arms and holding you tight. Your shoulders tensed at first, then relaxed into him as you started to shake slightly. Your mumbling grew more frantic and he just held tighter. 

“Cap, it’s alright. Nothin’s broken. Everyone’s safe.”

Gunther tentatively rested one hand on your back and ran the other over the back of your head. It took a few minutes, but eventually your breathing evened out and the mumbling stopped. Gunther stayed there for a while longer, just holding you tight and listening to you breath deeply. 

“Mr. Gunnerson…”

Gunther tensed up and closed his eyes tight. 

“Yeah, Computer?”

He kept his voice low and hoped you wouldn’t hear. 

“The Captain’s condition is now stable. It is suggested that you return to your quarters.”

Gunther slowly shuffled into a standing position and slid your legs up onto the bed. You wiggled around a bit and he quickly snatched your helmet out of the way so your head could reach the pillows. He awkwardly reached for the other side of your blankets and simply folded them over you like a lazy burrito. You nestled into it and he fought the urge to smile at the pleasant expression on your face. 

You looked more peaceful than he’d ever seen you. Every day you were carrying the weight of your world on your shoulders; the 100,000 souls in cryo, the entire crew, and the fate of the new planet you were trying to find. For once, none of that seemed to matter. Your forehead smoothed out, your mouth opened just a tiny bit as you breathed, and your body stretched out as if to relieve every bit of tension you’d ever held. 

Gunther slowly backed out of the room and the Computer shut the door in front of him. He stood there deep in thought for a moment before starting back towards his own room. 

“Computer.”

“Yes, Mr. Gunnerson?”

“Can I install a protocol about the Captain?”

“Your authority allows you to install security protocols that do not interfere with the Captain.”

Gunther pressed his hand to the security pad and stepped into his dimly lit room. 

“I need you to alert me whenever the Captain sleepwalks out of their quarters. But don’t tell ‘em.”

“Mr. Gunnerson?”

“I don’t think they’d wanna know. Just let me know when this kinda stuff happens so I can help.”

“Protocol added, Mr. Gunnerson. Would you like to name it?”

Gunther couldn’t help but roll his eyes one more time as he dropped into bed and rolled back up into his blankets. 

“Loose Captain Protocol. Now leave me alone.”

Gunther was dead asleep by the time the protocol was filed away and the Computer was left to shut off all the lights and seal your door tight so you wouldn’t try to leave again. Strangely enough, for the first time in weeks, you managed nearly a whole night’s sleep.

#haven writes #gunther x reader #gunther gunnerson x reader #iswm gunther x reader #iswm x reader #captain! reader #iswm x captain! reader #gn! reader #sleepwalking reader

[havens-writing]

Two New Fics

So, back in January I was watching the new PJO show and got bitten by two very rabid plot bunnies. I wrote and posted both of these, each within 48 hours at the most, and they came out about a week apart. While in grad school. It was maybe a mistake, but it felt great.

#pjo tv show #percy jackson #haven writes #amythestusmoon #i wrote something #writblr #i should be studying #but here we are #rabid plot bunnies

[possibly-not-a-ghost]

Fake Cryptids, Real Ghosts

Ok, so dp x dc/batfam because this AU has me by the throat but what if it's the fake cryptid batfamily AU who never joined the JL.

Just...imagine it. The Batfamily has been protecting Gotham quietly but fiercely by scaring the daylights out of criminals as creatures that go bump in the night. A bit of stage magic, frightening method acting, contortion, a whole language comprised of chirps, growls, and body language, and the best tech possible and you've got a recipe for striking fear into the hearts of everyone.

They've got shrines on the rooftops, vaguely on the JL radar (Cause really, who's gonna believe that Gotham, one of the worst cities has a demon problem? Constantine? Homeboy took one look at Gotham and went Nope.) and they're protected cause any self respecting Gothamite wouldn't go spilling the beans to Outsiders. The Bats keep them safe. Who would believe them anyways?

Enter half dead, half alive Danny Fenton.

Danny Fenton who has a best friend's named Tucker and Sam who find out about the Gotham Cryptids, and go absolutely ham on research because here lies something,a bunch of someone's who are Other. Maybe they're creepy but they're cool and they're Heroes and they help people.

Sure, at first it was an attempt from Sam and Tucker to help their best friend feel less alone in the face of other, more 'normal' heroes and people out there in the world. Maybe they try to further bury the Bats online cause if anyone understands keeping on the down low, it would be Amity Parker's. For awhile, Danny Fenton, sometimes Phantom is simply happy to know he's not alone.

Then he's outed and his sister who's long since been ecto-contaiminated is put at risk there's nowhere that seems safer. Gotham is a chaotic city, even without the Bats factoring in. After all Gotham has (Demons-Spirits-Creatures?) The Bats already. Who would care if a halfa and his sister hide out there? As long as they're respectful of their territory, it'll be fine right? Besides, they've got to warn the Bats anyways about the GIW and government. They're coming after ghosts, who knows if they'll be next? Spooky things have to look out for each other after all.

Cue shenanigans as Phantom who stops hiding all of his creepier traits as a ghost walks up to the Totally Human but Faking it Batman with really thoughtful gifts for all of their shrines (And one fruitcake), no heartbeat and an earnest plea for a safe haven in their Haunt because the Ancients taught him manners and the importance of respecting another entities territory.

#dp x dc #dc #batman #danny fenton #danny phantom #fake cryptid batfam #This has been living rent free in my head for the last week just picture how hysterical it would be #The Batfam in this AU who go about like normal people during the day but are Dramatic Nightmares come nighttime #rook posts stuff #rook writes stuff #kinda #Danny and Jazz being SO RESPECTFUL of the Bats #and while Danny knows they aren't ghosts he never tries to pry because they deserve their secrets #meanwhile in the Batcave Bruce and fam are going nuts because here's a literal dead child asking for a safe haven in Gotham and HOW DOES HE #FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK FOR A DEAD CHILD ALFRED HELP #and when they finally meet Jazz while still being unaware of Danny's Halfa status (He forgot okay? He's used to the ghosts who already Know #cause his sister is alive but we found ancient art depicting Phantom and ok family of choice is a Thing we respect but also what #OR Danny and Jazz try to hide in this AU even from the Bats but honestly all the ideas in my head keep making me snort #fake cryptids real ghosts au

[writeouswriter]

I love how ominous such basic names like "The Organization" or "The Institute" or "The Initiative" or "The Facility" or etc. are when placed in like a shady sci-fi context, like there's no reason for them to sound that suspicious, but without elaboration, it's like here is a place where they are doing things™ and I am like ooohh, because the blank state, the refusal to give you any more detail makes you think they're hiding something on purpose and leaves the darkest corner of the imagination left to fill in the rest.

#writing #writeblr #names #i want to give my shady research facilities in my stories actual names but some part of me is like #you'll never get the level of unease you get from just naming it the institute rather than the x institute or something #sci-fi #other genres i guess too but usually sci-fi #the barn in haven why is that the scariest sounding thing ever like? #you just know that thing ain't a barn #it is a barn physically outside but oh the creep factor that name gives i can't explain #the shop in firestarter? like f*ck it conjures up images of a workshop and saws building and tearing apart people for some reason #the initiative in buffy it's so nondescript and unassuming just like its soldiers living among the campus and the military power they hold #etc etc etc you know #mayhaps i am not creative enough to come up with better names also mayhaps

[joelsgreys]

Is there anything that Ellie might have seen that made her suspicious of Peach and Joel hooking up? Maybe Joel returning home SUPER early one morning with a giant smile on his face?

Hi my love, thank you for sending this in! I got the best idea while wolfing down my dinner. I did tweak it just a tad 🤍

Warnings/Tags: Ellie being a lil shit, hickeys, and Joel doesn’t get to have his morning coffee.

Word Count: 445

Joel walked into the kitchen. “Mornin’ kiddo.”

“It’s about fucking time,” Ellie rolled her eyes. She stood in front of the gas powered stove doing her best to keep her eggs from sticking to the frying pan with a spatula. “I thought I was going to have to go find a fucking prince to kiss your ass awake, dude. Don’t you have to head out for patrol in like five minutes?”

“More like ten. I still got a little time.” He stifled a yawn and walked over to get his pot of coffee going. “You cookin’? Since when the hell do you cook?”

She scoffed. “Since you’ve been sleeping in late every morning for the past two and a half weeks,” she remarked, shaking her head. “If I wait around for you to wake up and make me breakfast, I’ll fucking starve.”

“Quit bein’ so dramatic.” Joel glanced into the frying pan. “There’s a shit ton of shell in there, kiddo.”

“What can I say, I like a little extra crunch,” Ellie deadpanned. She turned to him, watching as he opened the cabinets to grab a mug. Just like every morning for the past two and a half weeks, he was smiling from ear to ear. “What the hell are you so damn happy about, Joel?”

“Can’t I just be in a good mood?”

“No, because then that would mean hell’s frozen over.” As he turned around to lean against the kitchen counter, her eyes widened in shock. “Whoa! What the fuck is that thing on your neck?”

“Huh?” Joel’s smile faded as he reached up and touched the spot she was staring at. “What the hell are you talkin’ ‘bout?” Whirling around, he picked up the stainless steel toaster on the counter and glanced at his reflection. His eyebrows shot up in surprise to see a bruise the size of a silver dollar on his neck, right above his collarbone. 

Shit. 

You’d left him with a love bite.

Ellie’s mouth fell open. “Is that a—?”

He was quick to shut her down. “No.”

“It sure as hell looks like one, Joel.”

Joel set the toaster down, shaking his head. “Well it ain’t,” he said. “Somethin’ must have bit me.” He winced, realized he’d open the door nice and wide for the little shithead.

“Something or someone?” Ellie smirked. 

“Ellie,” he warned her.

“Could it be the same someone who’s had you walking around every morning with a big stupid fucking on smile on your face?” she continued to tease him.

“That’s it, I’m fuckin’ outta here.” Joel spun around on the heel of his boot and stalked out of the kitchen—without his morning coffee.

#fic writing exercise #fic: a safe haven

[hyunpic]

HYUNJIN: stay, just do as you are doing now, you're doing well [lovestay piano credit]

#hyunjin #skz #video #my haven 🩷 #two years ago he was saying how he wants to give back all of his love to us when play with fire was released #and i just think i want to give that love he gives us 1839384 times more back #playing tug of war with i love yous with him in my mind.. #tbh to me your existence itself is more than love to me. it transcends beyond that #i write your name to the sand in front of the sea so the waves can wipe it away and carry the message me of caring about you to you… #i feel like without u i would be like the black screen of a movie ending without the credits #and like a song without lyrics.. hmm

[sylvich]

The couch, the couch, the couch is on fire

Burn, motherf*cker, burn

#trigun #vash the stampede #trigun vash #trigun 98 #trigun fanart #trigun stampede #nicholas d. wolfwood #trigun nicholas #vashwood #vash x wolfwood #trigun maximum #wolfwood #get out guys its alright ive burned the couch #art for my fic #except i haven`t write it yet #wolfwood lives au

[teeth-draws]

He’s trying to be cool about it but he shouldn’t have opened that and you should probably get out of there…

#shepherds of haven #red antiqua #like everyone else I’ve been playing bg3 and every time I talk to Gale I want to talk to red instead #also Anders but like out of all of them red is the standout favourite #less… explosive……. yanno #I just threw shoujo flowers and a bunch of textures on this I’m rly happy with his hair and skin #I’m not sure on the composition but I guess it’s a learning curve #this was originally part of a bunch of sketches I did of red and I took it and made it it’s own picture #I just love him ok #the writing in the book says something about how these demons can only be banished with a filthy pash so he has his work cut out for him #and he doesn’t want you to see #impulsivity got the best of him again #mc…… uh. I’m so happy to see you but uh. don’t watch this I’m begging you #guess he’s wearing normal people clothes and I don’t have a reason for why except that I think red wears big jumpers when he’s not in #slutty mage gear #fanart #fantasy #if games #shoh

[shepherds-of-haven]

hi!! So. i like writing for Trouble and my MC but i spend so much time clowning on him and making up silly scenarios that now i have no idea how to write him actually catching on to one of the moves she makes and what kinds of moves he cant explain away. Please do you have any tips or crumbs to throw my way to help? I need to write him making out sloppy style w my girl PLEASE!!

Anyway I really love shoh and I think about Trouble and my MC almost every day so tysm for the lovely gift of him <3 i also wrote this ask intending to be silly but if it sounds demanding or rude i am SO sorry I would never demand anything of u and will love anything you may kr may not respond with whether that be in 17 minutes or 17 years 🩵

Aw, thank you so much for this sweet message, it made me so happy to receive! 💖 Please don't worry about sounding rude at all, your words were so kind and made me grin ear-to-ear, so thank you!

To answer your question, I like this excerpt from the old novels to explain how I think Trouble can be in a romance: I usually envision him being casual or friendly and light-hearted, and then catching onto something--some shift in the mood or a lingering glance--and then kind of abruptly shifting into a more intense version of himself. It's not a side of himself he shows very often--we're mostly exposed to the goofy, jocular Trouble, but that 'intense' dominant Trouble is there, lurking underneath it all, and that's kind of the part that he struggles with because it's also tied up in his ferocious past and his temper. It's the same Trouble who can go from smiling and laughing with his friends in a bar to completely unsmiling and intimidating when he overhears some guy being a dickhead to a server nearby, except obviously in these scenarios it's sexual/romantic tension he's responding to (even if he doesn't fully know it's that) rather than regular like situational tension. I don't know if you have access to the alpha build, but the scene in the cave in Chapter 7 when he's warming up MC's hands or the abrupt change from "yay we're having fun" to "something just happened" in his latest day off (when Cordy flirts with you) are good examples of this, too! This sort of stilted "everything is great 95% of the time and then 5% of the time something happens and he can't control it" that's impeding him and MC's easy friendship is what's really throwing Trouble for a loop; he starts to feel guilty and confused and tormented about it because he thinks he's the only one feeling these things and getting in the way of what should be a smooth companionship, so he's just... feeling a lot of things and not knowing what to do with them, lol.

So I imagine 'heated makeout' tends to happen during one of these sudden changes to 'intense Trouble,' when he catches on to something he can't ignore--but I generally don't think it happens because of an outright flirtation or hint of MC's, because he can usually just laugh those off as them just joking around, so he doesn't really respond to those like one might expect? He's dazzlingly good at not catching on to things like that (short of an outright serious confession), so maybe that's why you're having trouble imagining it! I tend to imagine it happening entirely randomly, during some moment of unthinking intimacy, like in the cave in Chapter 7 or during a mission when emotions are high or something like that. Here's another example of what I'm thinking of!

...Or something like that, idk lol! Obviously take all of this with a huge grain of salt and don't let me influence you; however you write Trouble and MC's romance is fantastic! Hopefully some of these tips help you in some way!

#Shepherds of Haven #Trouble #Trouble Alder #fluff #novels #original novels #novel #original novel #writing

[greensaplinggrace]

"You can say 'all are welcome' but if wolves and sheep are both welcome you're only going to get wolves" is a quote that I think maybe end of season two alina needs to hear at some point tbh

#shadow and bone #grishaverse #sab salt #sab critical #there is so much wrong with this story in both the books and the show #but the fact that alina herself (by virtue of the authors not understanding) lacks such a fundamental understanding of oppression #and basic power structures #is uhhhh disorienting and more than a little disconcerting #'i want the lp to be a safe haven for everyone!' #girl... #it all sounds so perfect on the surface level the way centrist politics sounds pretty and perfect #but it's ridiculous lmfao #alina starkov critical #not really #i mean ill blame the writing till the cows come home #myramblings

[the-and-sign-anon]

Take A Chance On Me

Pairing: Gareth Emerson x reader

Word count: 11,431

Masterlist

A/N: This really got away from me. It’s one of my favorite things I’ve written so far though. Sorry for the delay, I wrote this between shifts at work and my weekend got a little busy with some major updates I can get into later. 

You lived your whole life in Hawkins with your older brother, younger brother, and three younger sisters. Your parents worked hard to provide for you all, but didn’t spend much time with any of you after you reached sixteen. With a driver’s license in one hand and a set of keys to your own car in the other, you practically had free reign of the town. Unlike many other teens in your position might have done, you dedicated your time to your younger siblings and your role as a student body officer, keeping your social circle confined to one person and your acquaintances to the others on the student council.

Elliot Reacher had been a good friend to you since elementary school and took it upon himself to look out for you in school. Whenever you wandered down the halls with your nose in a book, he slung an arm around your shoulders and guided you through the crowds. During lunch each day, he brought an extra sandwich for you and when Eddie Munson used your table for his dramatics, he’d sweep your books into his arms and patiently wait for the repeat senior to move on so you could keep working. 

With the way rumors flew in small towns like Hawkins, everyone assumed you and Elliot were an item. He rarely spoke to other girls and no one else even seemed to be on your radar. This was an unfortunate conclusion for Gareth to come to, seeing as he’d been crushing on you since freshman year when you broke up a fight between him and a basketball player. You hadn’t taken the popular kid’s side, but you didn’t cut Gareth any slack either. Getting caught by you actually felt more serious than seeing the principal, which you assured both boys they’d do if you saw them in each other’s space again. 

He would swear up and down that it wasn’t in his nature, but Gareth felt jealous of Elliot. He found himself wishing he could be the one to carry your posters and help hang them up, or corral your siblings into a diner on a hot summer afternoon for lemonade and ice cream, or offer you his jacket after getting caught in the rain. He couldn’t help imagining you in one of his flannels or the soft gray jacket he cherished as you sat down to lunch with him and his friends. 

For the last year and a half, Gareth had been smitten with you. He watched you bury yourself in work and run through the hallways just after classes ended most Fridays to hang up posters and hand out flyers for school events. After club meetings, he’d let his eyes scan the parking lot for your beat up brown Caprice Wagon as you peeled out, no doubt on your way to get your siblings from friends’ houses. 

Despite his desperate pining and hopeless interest in you, he just couldn’t seem to approach you. Gareth sat at his usual table with his usual lunch and a lovestruck look on his face when he saw you and Elliot stroll into the cafeteria. You paid him no mind as you saved a seat for your friend and watched him head for the band kids’ table. Gareth couldn’t help the relief he felt as Elliot wrapped an arm around a girl with barely tamed red hair and a brightly colored sweater, who smiled brightly and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek in greeting. 

“What are you staring at now, lover boy?”

Gareth shook his head and looked at Eddie. 

“Huh?”

“Are you planning on talking to that poor girl, or just keep staring at her and hoping she’ll magically become aware of how hopelessly in love with her you are?”

“I am not-” Gareth took a deep breath and lowered his voice when he realized how loud he was being. “I am not in love with anyone. What’s the harm in… observing our fellow classmates?”

“Is that what you’re doing? Observing?”

Gareth spared Mike an irritated glare. 

“Yes. And now I’m eating.”

He pointedly shoved a bite of his burger into his mouth and stared down at the table. 

“No need to get fussy, Gareth the Great. You should just talk to her. You’ve spent so much time ‘observing’ her, you must have something you could talk about.”

Gareth wasn’t about to give his friends the satisfaction of knowing, but he had already talked with you before. Not extensively of course, but you had done peer reviews together for English class a few times. He’d asked last week about the upcoming blood drive and, in a brief moment of panic, proudly stated he was planning on giving blood, momentarily forgetting his intense distaste for needles. But something like a date had never entered the equation. 

When Eddie looked at him expectantly, Gareth forced himself to swallow, took a swig of his soda, and shoved another bite into his mouth. His friend simply rolled his eyes and not so discreetly looked at Dustin with a conspiratorial look in his eye. Jeff patted his back comfortingly and shook his head at the others. 

“Come on, guys. Leave him be. We’ve all had hopeless crushes that never pan out. Just because Gareth is a little more obvious about it, that doesn’t mean he can’t eat his lunch in peace.”

Gareth nodded in agreement before Jeff’s words really sank in, prompting an indignant look. 

“I am not obvious! It’s not like I doodle hearts around her name in my notebook like some middle schooler.”

Jeff, Mike, and Eddie all opened their mouths to respond, causing the entire table to devolve into wild laughter and teasing comments. Three tables away, you, Elliot, and Miranda sat together discussing the upcoming blood drive. As much as you cared about the event, you couldn’t help letting your eyes drift over to Gareth, laughing with his friends and throwing balled up napkins at them. 

“So you said that at least thirty kids have already signed up and five teachers. That’s not bad, but do you want to make some extra flyers, maybe hand them out at the…” Elliot shared a look with his girlfriend and sighed softly. “Told you this would happen, it was only a matter of time. Y/N!” 

He waved a hand in front of your face and you snapped back to attention. 

“Huh?”

“The blood drive? Flyers? Were you even listening?”

“Of course I was.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” You tried to casually take a sip of your Dr. Pepper, your favorite soda.

“You weren’t staring at that fluffy haired kid again?” 

Miranda stifled a snicker as you choked on your drink and tried to catch your breath without coughing. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Y/N, you’ve gotta talk to him eventually. It’s getting sad.”

“I have talked to him.”

“About something other than English papers and blood drives?”

You hung your head and looked down at the table. 

“...no…”

“Exactly. Miranda, tell me I’m not crazy.”

You liked Miranda. She was good for Elliot, and they always treated each other right. Few things made you happier than seeing your best friend so happy, and it didn’t hurt that the clarinetist was sweet to you too. She simply shook her head and tucked a red curl behind her ear. 

“I definitely think you should talk to him. I sit two rows behind him in biology and every time we’ve talked he’s seemed sweet. I think you two would make a cute couple.”

“Well thank you both for your votes of confidence, but it’s not happening. I have too much to do and I’m not taking a shot at something that probably wouldn’t work out anyway.”

Your older brother had had his heart broken too many times and you’d watched as he struggled to pull himself together afterward each time, trying to focus on other things while he built walls around himself higher and higher. One night, just before the start of your sophomore year, he rambled to you tiredly about how love wasn’t worth the trouble it brought; that you were better off leading a good example for your younger siblings and focusing on your academic career. So that was exactly what you did. 

The lunch bell rang shortly after you finished your food, so you threw your trash away and waved to your best friend before hurrying down the hall to English class. Only two more hours and you’d be free to go driving through the back roads of town, blasting ABBA on your radio and watching the slowly changing leaves flutter to the ground. All you had to do was make it through two more hours. 

You made a beeline out of class as soon as the last bell rang. Gareth watched you go, throwing your bag over your shoulder and nearly running right into the doorway in your rush. His eyes drifted back to your desk for a moment and he realized there was a cassette tape sitting just below your chair. He quickly snatched it up and looked closer.

It was a mixtape with a neat, albeit worn label. There were tiny little doodles around the edges, carefully placed around the neatly printed song titles. He didn’t recognize a few songs, but he knew from his little sister that many of the titles belonged to ABBA. One in particular caught his eye. It was underlined and highlighted with orange ink. 

“ABBA, huh? I can work with that.”

The room had cleared out by the time Gareth looked back up and he scrambled to follow the dispersing crowd of students. Your car was already gone by the time he reached the parking lot. He hoped you wouldn’t miss the tape too much before he could get it back to you tomorrow. Out of curiosity, Gareth popped the tape into his car radio as he drove home and let his mind drift as the lyrics of all your favorite songs surrounded him. 

You were panicked all evening searching for your mixtape. It had taken you hours to put it together and it was one of your most prized possessions. Your sisters tried to help you search the house while your brothers made dinner and put on a movie, insisting that it would turn up eventually and that you’d survive one day without it. You begged to differ, but were persuaded to sit down and brush through your sisters’ hair before bed. 

The next day, you dropped your siblings off at school and hurried to your locker early to look for the tape there. Elliot came by ten minutes before classes started, as per usual, and found you piling your books on the floor beside you as you looked through a few spare cassette cases you knew couldn’t be hiding your coveted mixtape. 

“What’s going on here?”

“Tape’s missing. Have to find it.”

Elliot tried to help you search, but when time ran short, he shoved all your books and cases back into your locker and marched you to your first period. You had perfect attendance and he wasn’t about to let you ruin it searching for a tape. You were fidgety and nervous all day, desperately trying to think of where it could have ended up. 

Gareth noticed you didn’t show up to lunch, but Elliot and Miranda had. It was the first opportunity he’d have to give your tape back, so he excused himself from his table and approached your best friend. 

“Hey, Elliot. Where’s Y/N?”

Elliot shared a glance with Miranda and answered. 

“I think she went to the parking lot. She’s been nervous all day, I figured she wouldn’t be eating today.”

“Can I ask what she’s nervous about?”

“Lost her mixtape. It’s her favorite and she hasn’t been able to focus on anything else without it.”

Gareth felt the weight of the mixtape in his pocket and nodded slightly. 

“Excuse me.”

The Hellfire club watched Gareth bolt out of the lunchroom and run for the parking lot. Your car was in the corner of the lot with the doors thrown open as you dug around in the seats. He could hear your frustrated rambling growing louder as he approached and narrowly dodged the paper bag you threw behind you. 

“Uh… Y/N?”

You jolted back and stumbled out onto the pavement. He was tempted to offer you a hand, but you just leaned back and looked up at him from your place on the ground.

“Gareth?”

“Hey. I… uh… you left this in-”

You leapt to your feet and snatched the cassette from his hand. 

“You found it! I’ve been looking for this everywhere!” Without sparing the gesture a thought, you threw an arm around him and hugged him tight for just a second. “You’re a lifesaver Gareth! Where’d you find it?”

“Um- I, uh-” His brain was short circuiting as he tried to get past the realization that you’d hugged him. “It was- it was at your desk… in English. I was going to… I wanted to give it back to you yesterday, but you were gone by the time I got out here.”

“Thank you for bringing it back to me, Gareth. I know it’s dumb, but this thing is my life. It’s the best mixtape I’ve made yet and I don’t know what I’d do without it.”

“It’s not dumb at all. I get it.”

You hesitated for just a second, then wrapped him in a hug once more. Gareth was slightly more prepared the second time and gingerly wrapped his arms around you in return. 

“Thank you so so much.”

You pulled back again and set the tape on your dashboard before throwing everything back in your car and closing the doors once the tape was securely in your sweatshirt pocket. Gareth noticed how you kept one hand in the pocket, clutching the tape like a lifeline as you both started walking back toward the lunchroom. 

------

You were proud of the turnout you had for the blood drive. Miranda was there with Robin, who she’d convinced to help hand out cookies and thank people for coming. The student body president was impressed and joined the nurses you’d organized the event with when they thanked you for all your help. Elliot was checking each attendee, making sure they’d eaten before and warning them about the needles so no one would pass out. 

You were a little surprised when you were making the rounds and spotted not only Gareth, but the entire Hellfire club. Dustin, who you’d met briefly through one of your sisters, was looking around like he was searching for someone. Eddie and Mike didn’t look particularly happy to be there, but Lucas, Jeff, and Kevin were psyching themselves up to be stuck with needles. You figured it was only right for the organizer of the event to greet the volunteers giving blood and strolled over to the group with your clipboard in hand. 

“Why did we all need to come?”

“Moral support. Gareth isn’t gonna look cool if he sees the needle and passes out in front-”

“Hey Y/N!” Dustin shouted excitedly, covering Kevin’s teasing remark before you could tell what he was saying. 

“Hi, Dustin. I didn’t know you were coming, I never saw your name on the signup sheet.”

“Oh, it was a last minute thing. Gareth said he was coming down and we all thought it would be a good idea. He’s really sweet like that.”

You let your eyes flicker over to Gareth for half a second, who was covering his face in embarrassment at the freshman’s attempt to talk him up. You just smiled kindly and nodded in agreement. 

“He sure is. He even found my favorite mixtape when I lost it last week.”

“Oh did he?”

Gareth felt his face flush and he scrambled to change the subject. 

“So there’s a pretty good turnout, huh?”

He knew his voice was a little louder than necessary, but he couldn’t help it. 

“Yeah, I’m pretty impressed actually. I guess word got around more than I expected. I only managed to get posters put up around school and at the community center.”

Eddie gave Gareth a pointed look that he ignored. The dungeon master had seen his friend running around town to a handful of cafes and stores, tacking up extra copies of your flyers on cork boards and running out before an employee could berate him for not asking permission. 

You could only spare a few minutes with the boys, but made sure to check in on them again when they reached the front of the line and were led to chairs by the nurses. Most of them were just fine. Kevin was a little nervous until the young woman got him talking, while Eddie cracked jokes and finished quickly. Mike looked like he was about to be sick and Gareth was visibly shaking as he sat down. 

“Are you alright? You’ll need to hold still while I get the needle in, okay?”

Gareth nodded with his eyes closed. Why couldn’t he just ask you out? Why did he resort to bleeding into a bag just to chat with you in passing for two minutes? 

“I’ll be fine, sorry. Just need a second.”

He was trying to take deep breaths when you came by and stopped right beside him. 

“Gareth, are you nervous?”

His eyes shot open and he stared up at you. 

“Of course not. Why would I be nervous about being stabbed with a needle?”

You pulled up a chair and sat down with a comforting smile. 

“It’s okay to be nervous. I was the same way the first few times I gave blood. But I’ve gotten used to it. It can help to have something else to focus on so you aren’t thinking about the needle.” 

You tried to get him talking, but it didn’t seem to help, so you grabbed your walkman and headphones, apologized for any music he didn’t enjoy, and slipped them over his ears. It took a few minutes for him to really focus, but he stopped shaking. When the nurse put the needle in, he flinched and grabbed your hand on instinct. You didn’t want to make a big deal of it and risk embarrassing him, so you just squeezed lightly and felt his hand relax in yours. The process didn’t take long after that and before you knew it, you were helping him to his feet and repeating the information the nurses had briefed you with about being careful. 

Elliot handed him a cookie on the way out and you had him sit down in a cushioned chair in the hallway. He slipped your headphones down around his neck and watched you with a soft expression. You stepped over to your bag, where you had a bottle of juice you’d forgotten to drink and offered it to him. 

“Make sure you feel okay before you try to stand up again. Even I could feel your knees start to buckle back there. Did you drive over with your friends or on your own?”

“I gave Jeff and Kevin a ride, the freshman rode with Eddie.”

“Do either of them drive?”

He nodded a little and you patted his hand. 

“Okay, I’ll go find them. You eat and drink, try to take it easy for the rest of the day. I’d hate to have you pass out.”

Gareth watched you walk away as he took a bite of his cookie. He was so focused on remembering the feeling of your hand that he didn’t notice Elliot approaching him. 

“Glad you’re still conscious Gareth, you looked ready to faint back there.”

His eyes flicked up to meet Elliot’s. Your friend wore a serious expression Gareth wasn’t used to seeing. 

“Hey man.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“...Eating a cookie?”

“With Y/N. She values her time very highly, so talking to you and sitting with you means something to her. But she doesn’t like wasting her time, so you better do something before she decides to move on.”

Gareth choked as he tried to take a sip of the juice you gave him. He stared up at your best friend with wide eyes. 

“Are you saying-?”

“I’m not saying anything. Because even though she’s my best friend, she doesn’t want me getting involved, so I promised I wouldn’t.”

Elliot patted Gareth’s shoulder and went back to the snack table without another word. Gareth’s attention was caught by his friends coming over, Kevin and Jeff each offering him a hand. His knees felt weak, but he was pretty sure it wasn’t from the needle or the loss of blood. 

------

“Dude, tell me you don’t own an ABBA tape.”

Gareth, without missing a beat, swiped the tape from Mike’s hand and threw it into the back seat. He’d aimed for the trunk, but it landed right next to Dustin, who inspected it closer. 

“Did your sister make you listen to this? It’s a little different from your usual listening.”

“Put it down, Dustin. If any of you say a word about this to Eddie or anyone else, I’m running you over with this car.”

“Why do you have this one circled?”

“I said drop it!”

Lucas looked up from his book and decided to jump on the bandwagon. 

“Are you picking out songs for a mixtape or something? Maybe for a certain student body officer you’re always staring at?”

“You don’t even sit with us every week! Dustin, did you tell him about that?”

The two boys burst into laughter and Gareth felt ready to make them walk the rest of the way home. 

“No, you’re just that obvious.”

“I can make you walk, you know.”

“Yeah, but you won’t. Because you’re a great guy like that.” Dustin batted his eyes at their older friend and pretended to swoon in the backseat. He was lucky Gareth liked him well enough or he’d have been right out on the pavement. 

Gareth was so busy yelling at the freshmen that he almost missed the figure on the side of the road. He slowed to a stop and the boys groaned. 

“Come on, Gareth. You’re not actually making us walk home in the rain, right?”

“Shh.” He rolled down his window a few inches and called out to the girl. “Hey, are you okay?”

Though Gareth had only seen your siblings once at a school carnival, he could have recognized this girl anywhere. She looked just like you, down to the same sparkling eyes that now looked dim and sad. Your sister darted across the road and leaned close to the window. 

“What are you doing out in this weather?”

“I had a fight.”

“With who?”

“Jenny.”

Gareth looked around the road and unlocked his doors, gesturing for Dustin to move over. The curly haired boy obliged and looked expectantly at Gareth. 

“You shouldn’t be outside like this. Do you want a ride home?”

“Theo said not to get in stranger’s cars.”

“Does a friend of your sister's count? Y/N and I go to school together. My name is Gareth.”

Your sister’s expression lit up like a Christmas tree. 

“You’re Gareth?”

He nodded and she pulled open the back door.

“You’re Meg, right? She’s mentioned you before.”

“Yep. She’s mentioned you too.”

Meg made an effort not to get the seat or her companions wet. She tucked her soaked jacket close around her and swept back some of her wet hair from her face. Once the door was closed and Gareth remembered to breathe, the drive continued. 

“We’re closest to Lucas’s house, so we’ll drop him off first, then you can tell me where you live, Meg. Does that work?”

“Yep.”

Dustin, seeing an opportunity for mischief, tried to get Meg talking. 

“You know, I’ve met your sister too.”

“What’s your name?”

“Dustin.”

“Y/N hasn’t really mentioned you. Casey says you’re nice though.”

“But she has talked about Gareth?”

“All the time. She likes his fluffy hair, and she says he’s really nice to her, even though she thinks she looks like an idiot in front of him.”

It took a few seconds for it to sink in, but Meg’s eyes went wide as Gareth stopped the car to let Lucas out. She leaned forward and tapped him on the shoulder. 

“Please don’t tell her I told you. I don’t think she would want me to.”

“Your secret is safe with us, Meg. Don’t worry.”

The ride was fairly uneventful. Each of the boys thanked Gareth for the ride and jogged through the rain to their front doors. Once Meg offered some directions, they headed for her house. Meg picked up the ABBA tape Dustin had left on the seat and studied it closely. 

“You circled Y/N’s favorite song on here.”

“Did I? Huh. What a coincidence.”

Meg locked eyes with him in the rearview mirror and gave him a pointed look. 

“I’m eleven, not stupid. She talked for three days about how you found her mixtape and got it back to her. You listened to it, didn’t you?”

“Uh… wouldn’t that be, like, an invasion of privacy?”

“I would have listened to my crush’s mixtape if I found it.”

“Who said I have a crush on your sister?”

“Why wouldn’t you? I think crushes are dumb, but anyone would be lucky to be with my sister. She always looks out for people and she plays my favorite songs in the car, even when I don’t ask her to.”

Gareth pulled up to your house and saw your silhouette through the illuminated window. You were pacing with a phone to your ear. Your car was gone from the driveway and the window above you showed three little figures looking out. 

“Crap. I never told her I was walking home.”

Gareth whirled around to look at Meg with panic in his eyes. 

“What?! Why didn’t you tell anyone you were walking?”

“I was mad at Jenny and just walked out! I didn’t think about it at the time!”

Gareth turned the car off and snagged a spare jacket from the passenger seat. He jumped out, beckoned Meg to follow, and wrapped the jacket around her as they hurried up the lawn to the front door. You turned to pace in the other direction as they came into the light from the porch and you dropped the phone to run toward the door and meet them there. 

“Meg, are you insane?! I was worried sick about you! Where have you been?”

“Jenny and I had a fight.”

You dropped to one knee and wrapped her in a crushing hug. Your little brother and other two sisters came to join you, each sparing Gareth a glance before ushering Meg into the house to dry off and warm up. Once she was in and Casey grabbed the phone, you looked at Gareth. 

Despite having moved fast, he was half soaked from the rain. Some of his hair was falling in his face, weighed down by the water. He was practically shivering, but tried not to show it. 

“You found her?”

“Yeah. I was taking the freshmen home and we saw her on the side of the road. It would have taken her a long time to get home from there, so I figured I’d get her out of the rain.”

“Well, thank you. Really. Elliot took my car, so he and Theo split up and have been looking for her for an hour. My parents even talked about calling the police if we didn’t find her soon. You’re a lifesaver.”

“So I’ve been told.”

Gareth couldn’t help feeling his cheeks flush at your praise. He tried to shrug it off, but shivered instead and tucked his hands in his pockets. 

“Do you want to come in for a minute? It’s pretty cold out here.” He hesitated for a moment and you tried to brush it off. “If you don’t have anywhere to be, you know. I don’t know if you need to get home or whatever…”

“I could spare a few minutes…”

You led the way into the house and took the phone back from Casey for a moment. Gareth guessed you were talking to your parents and Casey beckoned him to follow her to the dining room. 

Your house was comfortable, but not in the way he expected. Everything had its proper place, like it was staged for a photo intended to look cozy and natural. There were family photos on the cream colored walls and trophies on the fireplace mantle. Meg’s wet shoes were shoved onto a shoe rack by the door and her jacket was hung up on a line of labeled hooks. Meg herself was settled at the dining table with his jacket around her shoulders and a mug of hot chocolate in front of her. 

“She invited you in to thank you, right?” Gareth nodded and she smiled. “That means she likes you.”

You joined them a few seconds later and grabbed two mugs from a cabinet. Casey had made a pot of hot chocolate for everyone, so you filled the mugs, dropped a handful of marshmallows in yours, and brought them over. You set the bag of marshmallows next to Gareth, but gave Meg a pointed look. She raised her hands in defense and sipped at her drink. 

“So, Meg, what did you and Jenny fight about this time?”

“She said I leveled up my character wrong. But I looked at the rule book for like two hours and I know I did it right. She called me stupid and I called her a-”

“Don’t repeat it if it’s bad.”

“-I called her a mean name and she told me I should leave. I was so mad, I forgot about calling home.”

Gareth furrowed his brow in thought.

“Your character?”

“Lady Everbright. Level nine cleric.”

Meg looked immensely proud of herself. She’d spent hours making the character and months playing her with Jenny and a handful of their other friends. 

“Impressive. You made her yourself?”

“Mostly. I had to ask Y/N for some help.”

For what felt like the hundredth time in the last two hours, Gareth’s brain short circuited. 

“You play D&D?”

You blushed and looked down at your drink. 

“Not extensively. It’s just a hobby. Nothing I can make a lot of time for.”

“She has a whole folder of character ideas and campaign notes in her room.”

“Which I’ve told you not to touch! What if I made a campaign for you and used some of those notes? Then the story would be ruined and you’d have an unfair advantage.”

“I don’t read all of them, just the short ones. And besides, it’s not like you’re close to being ready for a campaign. You’re always busy with school and fawning over-” Meg cut herself off and you stared her down from across the table.  “-your poster designs. Yeah. Posters are your one true love, Y/N.”

“Finish your drink and go straight to bed. We’re talking about safety tomorrow.”

Meg groaned, chugged the rest of her drink, and stood up. She moved to slip the jacket off her shoulders, but Gareth waved her off. 

“Keep it for now. Maybe it’ll keep you warm under the cold glare Y/N’s giving you.”

You looked down until Meg scurried off. You opened your mouth like you were ready to say something else, but the front door opened and your parents, Theo, and Elliot came crashing into the house. They were all shaking off their coats and slipping off shoes, so you jumped up to fill them in completely while Gareth offered a small wave goodbye and ran back out to his car. 

------

You couldn’t remember how your brother managed to convince you to come to The Hideout on a Tuesday night, but there you were. He was two drinks in already while you sipped at your water and tried to sketch out some potential posters that fit the themes the council was voting on for prom. You wanted something unique, but there was something to be said for Enchantment Under The Sea or Dance The Night Away. The only one you refused to budge on was A Night To Remember. Really? That was the best the council could come up with?

You sighed to yourself as the lighting in the dingy bar changed again, which you could not be convinced was intentional. You were just starting to sketch out a whale with a wide ribbon in front of it when the name of the next band was announced. 

“Alright, everybody. Next up is Coral Coffin.”

Your head shot up so fast you were sure you’d get whiplash. Theo was far less interested. 

“Corroded!” An irate voice called out from backstage.

“Whatever.” The announcer lazily (drunkenly) waved them off and stepped away to make room for the band. 

Eddie led the way, smiling brightly despite the dismal turnout. Jeff and Kevin whispered something to each other while Gareth settled on his stool with his drumsticks in hand. You felt your cheeks flush at the confident look on his face. You hadn’t seen him at a drum set since Corroded Coffin was formed for the middle school talent show. He looked perfectly at ease, like he was born to be there. He’d never looked that way talking to you. 

While you wished you could say their music carried you away to a different land and made you forget all about the sticky floors, stench of beer and cigarettes, and the crappy lighting, it didn’t. Gareth did that all on his own. The steady beat he kept thrummed in your ears and blocked out everything else. Your pencil dropped from your hand and rolled a few feet away, but you paid it no mind. Until the last note of their final song faded, you were practically entranced. 

When the spell wore off and you glanced down to continue your sketch, you noticed your absent pencil. You gingerly closed and set down your sketchbook, then stood up to find it. Unfortunately for you, a drunken patron was passing by and stumbled, spilling his beer all down your shirt. You yelped in surprise and backed away on instinct. 

“Oh… sorry miss.”

You held the front of your shirt away from you a bit to keep from letting the beer soak through to your skin. 

“Just keep walking please. Thanks.”

You waved Theo off when he stood and simply asked him to watch your book and maybe grab your pencil. Though you weren’t entirely sure where it was, you went looking for a bathroom. On the way, you saw Eddie leading his group to the bar for a drink as they all tried to catch their breaths. Gareth smiled when he saw you, but his expression dropped immediately as he took in your appearance. 

“Hey Y/N, what happened?”

“Drunk idiot. Do you know where the bathroom is?”

Gareth pouted slightly at the sad tone in your voice. Eddie nudged him, gave an encouraging thumbs up, then walked off with Jeff and Kevin. Gareth showed you the way to a bathroom and soaked paper towels in water for you to dab at your shirt. 

“This is pointless. I’m never gonna get this stupid beer out.”

“Will your parents believe you weren’t drinking?”

“Yeah, but they wouldn’t care anyway. I’m the one who’s upset, this was one of my favorite shirts and now I’m stuck driving home in a beer soaked t-shirt.”

Gareth thought for a moment and snapped his fingers. 

“No you’re not.”

You furrowed your brow at him and he quickly slipped off his flannel. He offered it to you, but you still looked confused. 

“You can wear this.”

“But isn’t this your favorite thing? You wear it all the time.”

“I can survive one night without it.”

“Are you sure about this? I’ll give it back tomorrow.”

“No worries. I wouldn’t want to drive home in a beer soaked t-shirt either.”

You gently took the flannel and Gareth waited outside the door while you changed. He hadn’t quite prepared himself for the sight of you when the door opened and you came out in your jeans and his sleeveless red flannel. It had been his favorite for three years, but it was never moving from that position now. You wadded up the ruined shirt and threw it in the trash. 

“Thank you, Gareth. I’d love to stick around, but Theo and I need to get home. I’d bet good money that Meg and Evan are up past their bedtime and I need to sleep too; I’ve got a council meeting tomorrow that I know will give me a headache.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N. If all else fails, tell Meg I’ll have to take my jacket back if she won’t sleep.”

You snickered at the thought. 

“She’ll hate that. She wears that thing almost every day now.”

You waved one last goodbye and went to get Theo. He was tired and tipsy enough to simply carry your sketchbook to the car and quietly sit in the passenger seat while you drove home. He didn’t question where your shirt had gone or where you got the flannel. Meg tried to ask, but you threatened her with the jacket and she ran to turn out the lights and dive under the blankets. 

The next morning, you got up bright and early, threw Gareth’s flannel in with the laundry, and brought it along in the top of your bag to school. The meeting dragged on as you expected, your sketches were argued over extensively, and you left for first period with a slowly growing headache. In second period study hall, you nearly fell asleep and Miranda, trying to be a good friend, snatched the flannel from your bag and tucked it under your head. You dozed for half of the hour and when you were forced to stand up, you slipped the flannel on over your black sweater without a second thought. 

By the time lunch rolled around, you’d forgotten you had it on at all. The Hellfire Club noticed immediately when you stepped into the lunch room and got in line for the sad excuse for a burger the school was offering. 

“So that’s where your flannel went.”

Gareth froze. If seeing you in his clothes in the dingy bar made his heart skip a beat, seeing you now, in the cafeteria where anyone could see you and know you were wearing his flannel had his heart at a standstill. Jeff waved a hand in front of his face, but his eyes were trained on you. 

Elliot nudged you in the line and kept you moving, clearly waiting for the chance to tease you. To his credit, he waited until you were both seated at your usual table and he could really get on your nerves. 

“Cute shirt, where’d you get it?”

You paused at his tone, looked down, then felt your face start to burn. 

“...I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve had this sweater for months; you were even there when I bought it.”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“What did you think of the quiz in chemistry? I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open and-”

“Y/N. Talk to me. What happened?”

You sighed and resigned yourself to his teasing completely. 

“Theo talked me into going to The Hideout last night. Some drunk guy spilled his drink all over me and… and Gareth was there to help. I guess his band plays there sometimes.”

“His band? Like the one that performed in the middle school talent show?”

“The very same.”

“Wow. They can’t be very good, right?”

“Honestly, I don’t know how much I even heard. All I really paid attention to was the drums.”

“Gee, I wonder why.”

You rolled your eyes at his smirk and threw a stale tater tot at him. 

“Shut up. I’m giving it back today, I brought it in my bag so I wouldn’t forget.”

“Oh yeah? Then how’d you end up wearing it?”

Miranda chose that moment to drop down beside her boyfriend and answer for you. 

“She was falling asleep in study hall, so I put it under her head. When the bell rang, she just slipped it on and left.” You could tell she was trying to fight it, but she was grinning at the sight. “It looks good on you, by the way.”

“That’s it.”

You jumped up and pulled off the flannel. Your friends teasingly asked you to come back, but you made a beeline for Gareth, who was frantically trying to shush his own friends. You couldn’t seem to look at him, so you simply thrust the flannel toward him with your eyes on the floor. 

“Thank you for letting me borrow this Gareth.”

Before he could say anything in response, you hurried back to your table and dropped your head to the surface, narrowly avoiding hitting your lunch tray as Elliot moved it out of the way. Kevin gave his friend a hard stare as he settled the cutoff over his shoulders. 

“You won’t let any of us touch that thing.”

“Shut up, Kevin.”

------

You hated bullies. When you were a kid, you often got in trouble for picking fights with the kids who pulled girls’ pigtails or pushed littler kids off the playground. As you grew up, you sought out other solutions; you joined student government, got on teachers’ good sides to earn their trust, and silenced loudmouthed kids who refused to behave themselves. You hadn’t started a fight in years, but for Gareth’s sake, you were ready to break that streak.

Jason and the basketball kids were giving Gareth a hard time near Lover’s Lake one Fall day. It was hardly an irregular occurrence, but this time they took it a bit too far. One of the things Gareth treasured most were his drumsticks. They had been a gift from his dad before he passed away, with his initials intricately carved into them. He never lost track of them, never risked breaking or damaging them, and they never left his possession. 

The boys had taken off after throwing his drumsticks into the lake as far as they could, forcing him to wade out in the freezing cold water to retrieve them. You had been out for a walk to clear your mind when you saw a head bobbing in the water and went to investigate. 

“Hey! What are you doing?”

When you recognized Gareth, you hurried to the water’s edge and waved at him. 

“Gareth, get out of the water! You’ll freeze!”

“Not yet!”

Gareth pushed a little further and snatched the second stick before turning back and trying to reach the shore. You slipped off your shoes and socks, then waded out a few feet and helped him up when he was close enough. He was shivering and breathing hard, nearly feeling his knees buckle as you got him to dry ground. 

“Gareth, what were you thinking? The water is way too cold to swim in at this time of year.”

“I n-needed to get my- my drumsticks.”

He feebly showed you the sticks and you gently took them, wiping off the water on the bottom of your sweater. You kept them in one hand, wrapping your arm around Gareth and ushering him toward your car. 

“W-where are we go-ing?”

“I have a blanket in my car. Then I’m driving you home and getting you out of those clothes.”

You helped him out of his stiff, cold jacket and flannel, then had him pull off his shoes and socks once he was sitting in your passenger seat. When he was bundled up to the best of your ability, you jumped in the driver’s seat and took off down the dirt road. You left the volume low, but Gareth could tell you had ABBA playing on the radio, which you let your fingers tap along to on the steering wheel. 

No words were exchanged during the drive, but you kept a gentle grip on one of his shaking hands. When you made it home, it was drizzling, so you pulled into the garage and led Gareth inside. 

“You can go take a warm shower while I grab you some clothes. You can leave yours by the door and I’ll throw them in the dryer.”

Though the thought of showering at your house made him a little nervous, Gareth was too cold to care much. He followed your directions to the bathroom and quickly undressed while the water warmed up. It felt like only seconds had passed before you knocked softly on the door and, announcing that your eyes were covered, set a fresh stack of clothes on the counter for him. 

The dryer was rumbling down the hall when Gareth stepped out in a pair of loose sweatpants, a black t-shirt, and a thick maroon sweatshirt. His damp hair hung around his face and his shaking had stopped, which allowed him to feel more at ease. He found you in the kitchen making hot chocolate and gave himself a moment to take you in. 

You wore a cozy sweater with a subtle leaf pattern sewn into it with your favorite jeans, the ones with stars and phases of the moon drawn near the cuffs. Your boots were tucked away by the door and your scarf was thrown over a kitchen chair. You were humming softly along with the radio and glancing up every so often at the rain out the window. 

“Thanks for the clothes. Are they your brother’s?”

You turned slowly to face him with two full mugs in your hands. 

“Elliot’s, actually. He stays over sometimes when we study too late or he falls asleep during movie marathons. He won’t admit it, but he’s a total lightweight. The sweatshirt’s mine though.”

Three months ago, Gareth would have assumed that meant Elliot slept over with you. He would have thought that you would have a set of clothes at his place for the same reason. That you were a couple who would go the distance and stick together after high school. He knew the gesture now for what it was. A sign of lifelong friendship and endless comfort. 

“I hope he doesn’t mind.”

“He wouldn’t. He’s always been nice like that.”

You sat down at the table and Gareth did the same. 

“So… where’s your family?”

“Day trip to Indianapolis.”

“Why didn’t you go with them?”

“I needed a little time alone to clear my head. Prom’s starting to get close and a lot of things need to be finalized. I want it to be as close to perfect as I can get it, so I’m stressing myself out a bit. I figured going for a walk around the lake would relax me, but then I nearly had a heart attack thinking you were drowning or something. What were you doing out there anyway?”

Gareth studied the marshmallows in his mug. He wasn’t proud of what Jason and his goons did, or how often they gave him a hard time. At least they didn’t rough him up this time. 

“A… a few guys came by when I was going for a walk and threw my drum sticks into the lake.”

Gareth had never seen you look genuinely angry before. He’d seen you playfully glare at Elliot or Miranda, he saw how you could bicker with your siblings, but you were never really upset. Not like you were then, with your brows furrowing and your gentle expression souring into a scowl. 

“Who did that?”

“Jason-”

“Carver?”

“Yeah. And some of his basketball buddies.”

Your grip on your mug tightened and Gareth was almost worried you might break it in your hand. 

“I’m gonna have to have a word with them.”

“It’s not a big deal, Y/N. It’s not like I’m a new target for them. It happens.”

“No. It’s not okay, Gareth. They can’t just do stuff like that with no consequences. You could have gotten hypothermia or something.”

In an attempt to calm you down, Gareth reached for one of your hands. You didn’t pull away, instead simply gripping his hand tight and letting him run his thumb over your knuckles.

“I’m fine now. I’ve got my drum sticks, some warm clothes, and you. As far as I’m concerned, it all worked out okay.”

Gareth felt a little part of his soul die when his own words sunk in. He was sure it would make you pull away and tell him to leave, but you just nodded a little and took another sip of your drink. Before either of you could find any other words, the dryer beeped and you slowly got up to grab his clothes. You seemed to linger at the edge of his grasp, as if trying to savor his touch for one more second before you were too far away. When your fingers slipped from his and you disappeared around the corner, Gareth forced himself to take a deep breath and cradled his hand like something precious. 

------

“Prom is in three weeks, man! How have you not asked her yet?”

“She wouldn’t go with me, Dustin. And why do you care so much anyway?”

Mike piped up from beside him with an exhausted tone. 

“Because if you don’t make a move soon, we’re all just telling her how you feel. We can’t keep sitting through your desperate staring and hearing you moan about not having a date to prom.”

Gareth dropped his head to the table and groaned. 

“I can’t ask her. She’s planning the dance, she’s not going to feel like she has time to attend it too.”

Dustin let out a quiet sigh when Eddie gave him a signal, but he stood up anyway and made his way over to your table. You were making plans with Miranda to go dress shopping, promising Elliot you’d help him find a matching tie afterward, when Dustin came to stand next to you. 

“Uh… Hey, Dustin. Did you need something?”

“Elliot, do you have a minute? I need to talk to you.”

Elliot furrowed his brow in confusion, but followed him out to the hall. 

“You care about Y/N’s happiness, right?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“Great. Then you’ll help me help Gareth ask her to the prom, right?”

“Huh?”

Dustin rolled his eyes at the junior’s confusion and explained further. 

“Gareth wants to take Y/N to prom, but he doesn’t know how to ask her and he thinks she’ll be so busy planning the dance that she won’t want a date to go with.”

“He’s right. Y/N doesn’t go to dances. And she doesn’t really date either. Take my advice kid, and stay out of it.”

“I can’t do that.” Dustin jumped in front of Elliot as he tried to return to the lunchroom. “I can’t keep listening to him pine. Something needs to happen.”

“Don’t get involved. It’s none of your business or mine.”

Elliot pushed past him and returned to his table. He didn’t want to crush Dustin’s hopes or keep you and Gareth from getting together, but he wasn’t about to explain it all to Dustin. 

In eighth grade, you’d asked a boy to a dance and it hadn’t gone well. You didn’t make a big public display, opting instead to go to his doorstep with a handmade poster and a hopeful smile. He responded with an awkward comment that dances weren’t his thing and he wasn’t interested in going. Elliot, being the best friend he was, took you instead, insisting on making sure you had a nice time. It killed him inside to see the light fade from your eyes as the boy who’d rejected you walked in with the most popular girl in your grade. 

You swore off dating that night and had kept to it. There had been a handful of boys who tried asking you out or made terrible attempts at flirting, but you had buried yourself in schoolwork and never gave them so much as a sideways glance. Gareth was the first guy you’d paid any real attention to in three years. 

Maybe it was worth mentioning the possibility to you.

Two days later, on your way out of school, Elliot broached the subject. 

“So, prom’s coming along nicely?”

“You know it is, I spent half of lunch boring you with the details.” You glanced at him for a second as you walked past a set of doors. “Why are you asking now?”

“I wasn’t bored. I love hearing about color schemes and streamer debates.”

You paused just past the doors and leaned against the brick wall to fix him with an inquisitive look. 

“What are you really getting at, Reacher?”

He sighed and looked down for a second before meeting your eyes. 

“What would you think about going to prom? You know, find a date, join me and Miranda; it could be fun. You remember what fun is, don’t you?”

“Elliot, you know how I feel about that. I’m not taking chances and I’m so swamped with planning anyways…”

“You know you deserve to be happy, right? That there’s someone out there waiting to be there for you when you need them?”

“I thought that’s what I have a best friend for.” You raised your eyebrows at him and tilted your head, which he knew meant you were joking. “I like the idea of prom, you know that. But I really think my only place there is in the background, making sure things run smoothly so our classmates can ‘dance the night away.’” You gave a goofy little twirl with your hands clasped together at your chest, batting your eyes at him like a lovestruck kid.

“I don’t mean to pressure you. I just want you to be sure of what you want. I’d hate to see you miss out on something great because you can’t get out of your own head.”

“I happen to like it in here just fine, thank you.” You tapped your head for emphasis and gave him a soft look. “I get your point. Thank you for looking out for me, Elliot. You’re a really great friend.”

------

“She said she doesn’t want to go, Dustin. Now drop it.”

“But what’s the harm in asking her? Girls lie about what they really want all the time.”

Gareth ran a hand down his face and glared a little at the freshman. 

“I heard her myself yesterday. She’s not going to prom whether she has a date or not. I’m not about to embarrass myself trying to ask her out just to get shot down and still see her there.”

“Fine. But it’s so obvious she likes you. If you won’t ask her to prom, you’ve gotta ask her out soon.”

“Stay out of it, Henderson.”

Two and a half weeks later, prom arrived. Juniors and seniors were spread all over town, going bowling or mini golfing or planning movie parties. Most of the student council had dates and large friend groups, all of them having finalized plans the night before. The only person not on a date or getting ready with friends, it seemed, was you. Elliot and Miranda tried one more time to invite you to the movies with them, but you politely declined, insistent on making sure every detail of the gym was perfect before any students arrived. 

You allowed your siblings to join you that afternoon, racing each other through the halls and dutifully carrying boxes wherever you needed them. A few tables needed to be moved, which your brothers teamed up to do. Your sisters would scramble to grab the chairs and rearrange them around their proper table and look to you for approval. When you were certain everything was just right, you went home for dinner. 

“Did Gareth ask you to prom?”

Casey quickly made a cutting motion across her neck to stop Meg. As the oldest of your little siblings, she knew your aversion to dating and dances. 

“Uh… no. He didn’t.”

“Why not? I thought he liked you?”

You felt the tips of your ears burn as you poked at your food with your fork. 

“I don’t know if he does, Meg. But I don’t need a date anyway. I’m just going tonight to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

Casey and Evan tried to redirect the conversation, though it was clear Meg wanted to say more. Ella helped in her own way by trying to steal a bite of Meg’s food, which immediately devolved into a fight between the sisters that Theo had to break up. When you finished eating, you got ready and drove over to the high school again. 

You and the council had done a nice job with the place. Every streamer was in place, the dessert table and punch bowl were well organized, and the mass of teens settling in all looked happy. You kept to the sidelines, watching out for anyone trying to spike the punch or cause a scene. You caught sight of Elliot and Miranda sat close together chatting with a few other kids from band and their dates. 

Eventually, your eyes drifted over a group that really caught your attention. Eddie was at the front as always, cleaned up better than usual with an uncharacteristic smile on his face compared to the usual mischievous grin. Kevin and Jeff wore nice suits and looked only mildly uncomfortable with their surroundings. But Gareth was something else. 

You’d always been a bit nervous with the drummer. You adored his thick, fluffy hair and the red flannel he always wore. His smile and his laugh were infectious and you could watch him play the drums for hours if he let you. Tonight, he wore a long sleeve, deep red plaid shirt tucked into black slacks. His mother had helped wrestle him into a black tie and tried to tame his hair a bit. He looked, as far as you were concerned, stunning. 

When you remembered to take a breath, you slipped back behind a thin curtain of streamers and closed your eyes. How did you let yourself get so lost in him? Hadn’t you spent the last three years dedicated to nothing but schoolwork and helping your siblings through the absent parents you’d resented growing up? And now look at you, practically swooning over a boy you refused to hope felt the same way. 

Across the gym, Gareth was sure he was sweating through his shirt. He’d spent nearly two hours debating his clothing and refusing to let his mom help. It took a twenty minute pep talk in the mirror to even get in Eddie’s van, the dungeon master having offered to drive the group together to the dance. Now that he was here, admiring your hard work and planning, he was practically shaking with nerves. 

“She’s around here somewhere.”

“There’s a lot of people here, Eddie. Maybe I won’t see her.”

“What do you think will be worse? Seeing her or not seeing her?”

“Both.”

Eddie led the way over to the punch bowl, glancing around for a second before slipping a flash from his suit jacket. Gareth grabbed his wrist before he could open it and gave him a scathing look. 

“Don’t even think about it. Y/N would be furious if everyone ended up drunk tonight.”

“Gareth, a lot of people are going to end up drunk by the end of the night. I’m just… hurrying it along.”

“Not on my watch.”

You snatched the flask from his hand and held it close, planning on hiding it from him if necessary. 

“Munson, I’ve spent the last four months working on this dance. If you mess it up, I’m setting your van on fire with your guitar inside.”

Eddie stepped back with his hands raised and made a quick escape with Jeff and Kevin. Gareth allowed himself a moment to study you. Theo had helped you style your hair, keeping it back from your face and seeming to make your eyes all the more captivating. You had foregone a dress in favor of black slacks, a pristine white button up, and a tie that matched his shirt perfectly. The same exact pattern, same shade of red, everything. 

“Hey, Gareth.”

“Hi- Hey… You, um-” He cleared his throat and tried again. “You look good.”

“Thank you. You look great too.”

Your mind was completely blank. You almost never had trouble holding conversations with classmates, but that’s not all Gareth was now. 

“The… the gym looks amazing.”

“Thanks. It took some doing, but I think it turned out pretty much how I imagined it.”

You let your eyes wander over all your hard work again. Then you stepped back from the punch bowl and tucked the flask in a box beneath the table, checking quickly to be sure no one else saw. You were spared from further awkward attempts at chatting with Gareth by the sounds of a fight breaking out between a pair of girls. You offered a quick apology and ran off to break it up. 

Teenage girls would baffle you your whole life. The pair you pulled apart were bickering over having worn the same dress in different colors. They were friends apparently, who’d gone shopping together but decided to buy their dresses alone to surprise their group. Both girls had promised not to buy the dress they’d equally fallen in love with, but broke the promise (of course). It took ten minutes in the hallway to talk them down and convince them to be civil for the night, but you finally managed to return to the gym. 

Gareth was sitting at a table in the corner watching the couples dancing and smiling across the gym. Unbeknownst to him, you stood near the bleachers doing the same thing, both of you wishing you could join them all. Then, in the middle of a slow song, the music cut out. There was a slight commotion by the stage, then you saw Elliot put a record on and start playing. 

“If you change your mind, I’m the first in line.”

You wanted to be upset at the disruption, but your favorite song had you smiling and bouncing slightly without even thinking about it. Gareth stared at Elliot from his seat, who gave him an encouraging motion toward you. His head whipped around to see you bouncing on the balls of your feet, bobbing your head slightly as the sweet sounds of ABBA filled the gym and all the other teens began dancing to the new tune. 

With a deep, steadying breath, Gareth made his way through the tables and to your side. The chorus was just beginning as you turned to see his outstretched hand and nervous smile. 

“May I have this dance?”

He could see the weight that lifted from your shoulders as you took his hand and joined him near the edge of the dance floor. You melted into the crowd easily, many of them calling out the lyrics in unison as the song progressed. You’d never looked so carefree and Gareth was pretty sure he’d listen to hundreds of hours of ABBA if it meant seeing you like this again. 

He decided to take the plunge and started singing along, causing you to whirl around and stare wide eyed for a moment before giving him a smile that shone brighter than the sun as you continued belting out the lyrics with everyone else. Partway through, Gareth gently took your hand and raised his voice over the music just enough for you to hear. 

“I don’t know exactly why, but I know you don’t date. Whatever the reason, if you change your mind… I’d like to be the first in line.”

“I could take my time?”

“All the time you need, I’m in no hurry. Whenever you’re ready to take a chance, I’ll do my very best to prove it’s worth it.”

You pulled him into a tight hug as the song neared its end. No one else in the world existed in that moment. It was just you, Gareth, and the slowly fading sounds of ABBA. For a few precious seconds, you weren’t worried about all the reasons you had to not believe in love. You didn’t care that your parents never seemed to be in love, that your brother shared with you plenty of cautionary tales, or that you’d built your life on the idea that you would never date. Your only concern was keeping Gareth close. 

When the next song began, you forced yourself to pull away. You reached a hand out and Gareth gladly took it in his. With your fingers intertwined, you made your way over to the stage, where Elliot had just hopped down and was handing some money to the dj. You fixed him with a questioning look and waited for him to come to you. 

“Reacher, I didn’t expect my best friend of all people to be the one to disrupt the biggest event I’ve planned yet.”

“I wouldn’t call it a disruption. More of a… pleasant surprise.”

“Go dance with Miranda before I decide to be mad at you, even though you did pick my favorite song.”

Elliot gave a joking salute and disappeared into the crowd to reunite with his girlfriend. You looked around at the gym one more time and let out a breath. Your eyes drifted down to your joined hands, then up to Gareth. 

“I could really go for a burger and a drive right now. What do you think?”

“But… this dance is like your baby. You don’t want to see it through all the way?”

“I’ve had my fill of babysitting all these teenagers. I should get to enjoy my night too. So are you coming with me or what?”

No one noticed as you and Gareth slipped through the doors and left the gym. Your car was the only one to leave the lot for two hours, pulling onto the road with your prized mixtape blasting through the speakers. When you dropped Gareth off at home, his mom was the only one still up. She took one look at his loosened tie and lovestruck smile and sent him to bed, knowing she’d hear all the details the next day.

Your sisters, despite Theo’s attempts to put them to bed, snuck out of their rooms and down the hall to yours when you returned home. There was no room for negotiation, so you sat on your bed with the three girls curled up around you listening intently as you told them all about your night. They swooned at your description of the dance and cheered quietly when you told them how you and Gareth drove all through town listening to every track on your tape and talking in between. 

You drifted off to sleep in the earliest hours of the morning, dreaming of more nights spent like this one and feeling the ghost of his hand in yours. After all this time, you found someone worth taking a chance on. And you were determined not to let it go to waste. 

------

“I knew it would work.”

“I didn’t say it wouldn’t, I just pointed out the flaws.”

“When are people going to start trusting me? I’m always right.”

“Shove it, Henderson.”

Dustin and Elliot watched from the lunch line as you and Gareth sat down, a can of Dr Pepper in front of each of you, his flannel cutoff settled over your shoulders. 

“She really never got upset about you hijacking the music? And she didn’t question the tie?”

“Nope. She loved the tie and was just glad she didn’t have to find one herself. She hasn’t told me much, but I didn’t see her the rest of the night.”

“Gross.”

Elliot smacked him upside the head and walked off to join you at your new usual table. Miranda was across from you with Lucas beside her, so Elliot settled on her other side. Jeff took his place on Gareth’s other side and Dustin joined Mike near the end of the table. Lunch was more engaging now, with your boyfriend and his friends always surrounding you. While no situation was perfect, you figured this was pretty close and you were satisfied with that.

#gareth emerson x reader #gareth x reader #reader insert #female reader #stranger things x reader #my writing #haven writes

[havens-writing]

I am back on my writing bullshit, so here is my next thing, inspired once again by @cheyla-v and @scioneeris, because their work rules my life. https://archiveofourown.org/works/44417317/chapters/111718312#workskin

#haven writes #tbdh #soulscream #fanfic #fanfic of a fanfic #what is originality #i should be studying #but here we are

[campbyler]

forever ago @wayward-sherlock asked suni for a sticker tour of her laptop — since we are together we wanted to show off both our laptops!! we think it is very easy to tell which laptop belongs to who 🤸

#suni wants it known that she got me the spotify sticker (it’s maroon) and the zelda sticker #and i gave her the pochacco one 🤎 #also featuring the space dinosaur stickers we stole from abby and my castle byers sticker is stolen from haven’s laptop #as is suni’s cat and books sticker #oh also also suni got me the cat magician and haven got me the raven . if anyone cares . #and i earned the bingo stickers by writing. i love her #suni is leaving so soon and i’m so SADDDDD #WAYLI WE LOVE YOOOOU HAVE FUN ON YOUR DATE

[vsyrworld]

get to know my favorite driver's ship

this was made by me and for me and i wrote fanfic about them!!!

(fyi; i started watching f1 in 2015 so ofc you guys KNOW what my FIRST and ULTIMATE ship)

(older f1 ships: )

Brocedes :D (childhood friends, teammates, rivals, anything but a lover - crofty 2021)

OH COME ON. I will write an essay about their history. BUT ANYWAY, despite their toxic year in 2015/2016, I still adore how young nico and lewis friendship or whatever they had in Greece back then and I still keep this ship alive until the 2021 season. Their battle on the track was BEYOND TOXIC, yet their battle off the track (media drama) is HILLAARIOUS. How come Lewis accidentally spills out, the name that shouldn't be spoken for Half of DECADE. God both of them are dramas king. NICO PODCAST omg the talk with Alain prost and they compared his vs Senna battle with HIS AND Lewis's battle PLUS when Nico's storytelling his "friendship" history in ITALY at the SPONSOR EVENTS *CRIED* and lewis always mentioned how he loves ice cream and do cheating day in imola and monza BECAUSE IT WAS NICO WHO INTRODUCE THE FOOD THERE. ugh I hate and love them at the same time. (I do include some Seb/NICO too because I like see Lewis getting rilled up)

2. Kimi and Seb (I ADORE THIS A LOT)

my calm and serenity wise iconic ferrari couple. I feel like Kimi was the rock ice and water for Seb to prevent him from burnout because of ferrari. during 2017-2018, Seb pushed hard (same like Charles) and yet the car reliability fuck his championship standing. and kimi (--kimi was the last ferrari champion hiks) kimi just so attentive to seb and I genuinely like both of them being rebels to whole ferrari tradition (like they don't do rollercoaster thingy, they DON'T master Italian, they just become their self and being so comfortable in their own bubble, fuck world). I had noticed also Seb (and Gio) is the only teammate that can make Kimi laugh. I just super super adore them!

3. Maxiel (TRADITIONALSHIP! I REFUSE OTHER SHIP FOR MAX BESIDE DANIEL. I REFUSE!)

ugh should I explain them? THE CHAOTIC GAYEST ENERGY IN WHOLEEE 2016 GRIDS COME ON. I love how Daniel basically took young rookie Max under his arm and just had fun on and off the track with It? The biggest flop was when Max was just so hotheaded and they crashed in Baku. I thought their relationship gonna be stranded but GUESS WHAT? MAXIEL IS STILL ALIVE UNTIL NOW HELLO? and their relationship is so real not only for the camera but also out the camera. The other highlight moment is when Max is already 'too big' daniel really steps down from RBR because he knows, Max will outshine him, and he knows (what he learned from brocedes too) that it's better to go the other way.

(newer)

4. Dando (COMFORT SHIIP Not romantically also)

I thought daniel was max soulmate but LANDO excuse me? They can share daniel If they want. i just love how lando becomes so silly and blushes like school teenager around Daniel. i love how they INFLUENCE each other. I think because I feel nostalgic with them because they really similar with Maxiel in 2017 era, just one season before Daniel goes to renault, Maxiel was strained on thin paper. Dando other hands, well Daniel mostly, struggled in McLaren (with the papaya fans also still adore Carlos that time and refuse to let go him) plus Lando was shining bright just like Max 2016. Again, daniel he stepped OUT (this time). I guess, that similarity made me miss maxiel too.

5. last one C2 (Charlos) gosh, please!! ultimate!!!

loving and adoring them was expected though. It wasn't because they're both handsome (I already know Carlos was goofy ever since his Renault era so I never consider him as a handsome man) BUT DANG BOY, RED ON CARLOS WAS SOMETHING ELSE? RED ON CARLOS, BLACK ON CARLOS WAS SAKDAJSKDFHLKJSAFHKJAF.

-- okay back to the c2. It was a slow build okay? I realized that they are special during Carlos's first podium, Monaco 2021. Charles WAS LIKE ME. Blushing giggling, shy gazes toward Carlos. they are so endearing. Both of them are the victims of the Ferrari team. But I think they both understand each burden (Charles being the predestinated one, and Carlos had to prove his talent bcs he is a two times world champion son) plus, the way Ferrari screwed Charles in 2019. The team was cracked but with Carlos, I didn't expect this cursed team is heal :"D (Crying) and Charles become more relaxed, more enjoyed, even his coping mechanism is with laughter and Carlos just matches his energy. Idk , they gave me... a relationship through ups and downs.

and I realized there are so many people trying to pit them against each other, their fans are constantly arguing about who is the best and better driver, always dragging one of them down, but guess what is Carlos and Charles's response? it's completely differs from real life. They knew and fucking see it their fans tension. Carlos's anger to the Spanish media has already proven enough he had enough of these things. Charles also said in an interview that "what he saw about him and Carlos is nowhere true". they are the best PR relationship couple out there, but I also can see a genuine, how they know each other so weell. How Charles kept the football game updated just because of Carlos, how Carlos knows his favorite food, how they had their own internal jokes,

they are both soo lowkey on the camera during and outside the race. and I think that Is why people never hype them like carlando or everyone's favorite childhood rival to lovers lesttapen. And I thought they didn't really hang out with each other that much but WHAT WAS THAT SUMMER BREAK? HUH? YOU IN MALORCA AND WENT TO SOUTHERN FRENCH? What were the matching Instagram feeds color and aesthetic at New York? WHAT WAS THE THING ABOUT PASTA CARBONARA UN LUNGA NON PENNE? WHAT WAS THAT THING CHARLES SLEPT ON THE FLOOR just to accompany Carlos watching World Cup? The dolomites? The Sardinia?

there are soo many thing that they keep it so low-profile and under camera, and yet their conversation is so domestic.

#f1 drver #ships #brocedes #maxiel #simi #charlos #dando #charles leclerc #carlos sainz jr #lewis hamilton #nico rosberg #max verstappen #daniel ricciardo #i haven mention the rest of 2019 rookie also but yeah I'm too tired to write maybe in pt2 #1655 #c2 #my rant

[writeouswriter]

Edit because alt ID doesn’t want to work on mobile anymore: [Photo ID: A meme of two sketchily drawn people hugging, one labelled "Me" and the other "Fictional mysterious small towns that are not what they seem.” End Photo ID]

#Mysterious small towns that are not what they seem my beloved #writing #writeblr #tropes #meme #reading #books #tv shows #gravity falls/Haven/Sunnydale/Cainsville/Strangetown/etc

[joelsgreys]

listen I know I need to get up ch9 before I let my mind wander too far but upon scrolling pinterest and avoiding writing my paper I found this lil gem

if Joel and Peach have a girl, tell me this wouldn’t be their kid 🥹

#fic: a safe haven #she would take right after her mama #okay i go write paper now