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kpopfanfictrash · 3 years

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Raise the Barre (Ch. 8)

Author: kpopfanfictrash

Pairing: Jimin / Reader

Rating: 18+ (Eventual Smut)

Genre: Enemies to Lovers / Dance Academy!AU

Warnings: underage drinking, angst, hoseok’s bare abs

Word Count: 10,705

Summary: You and Park Jimin have been rivals for as long as you’ve known one another; ever since he tripped you in the front row of your first dance convention. When you graduate from high school and enter Russet Ballet Academy, you tell yourself you’re leaving all past quarrels behind. The main problem with this though, is that your past seems determined not to leave you alone.

Worse still, the obstacles you face while out in the real world might prove more challenging than anything your enemy has to offer.

“Okay, even you have to admit this is too soon.” Finn stared, appalled at the chalkboard. “It’s not even Halloween!”

Laughing a little, you looped your arm around his to drag him towards the back. Plopping down in a chair, you placed your order number in the center of the table. Seating himself across the table from you, Finn began to undo his coat.

“Come on.” He grinned, brown hair flopping when he leaned forward. “Admit it – this is too early for holiday drinks.”

“Okay, maybe it’s a little early,” you acquiesced. “But Halloween is tomorrow! They probably just put up the holiday drinks so they don’t have to do it on Sunday.”

“Laziness!” he cried, jabbing a finger in the air.

Shaking your head, you smiled when Namjoon, the barista, placed a pumpkin soy latte before you.

“Thanks!” you said, pulling this towards you.

“No problem,” he said, flashing his dimples before he turned to leave.

Taking a long, slow sip of your drink, you groaned. “Oh my god. This is it. This is heaven.”

Finn laughed. “Is that seriously your first pumpkin drink of the season?” Sadly, he shook his head. “I remember our senior year, you dragged me out of bed at 7:00 AM on a Saturday just to get the first pumpkin drink of the year.”

“I know,” you sighed. “But I’ve needed the extra caffeine jolt each morning. Sweet drinks just don’t cut it anymore.”

“Ah, the first step in addiction.” Finn nodded sagely.

Smiling, you settled back in your seat as he took the first sip of his black coffee. It had been two weeks since your fight at the club and since then, Finn had been on his best behavior. For about a week, things between you had been awkward but slowly, your relationship was returning to normal.

Seated in the corner of your favorite coffee shop, you drank from your cup and glanced around the room. This was what you’d pictured when you imagined you and Finn living in the city together. Coffee dates, going on new adventures and continuing your relationship where it had left off.

Of course, this morning was only possible because Miss Britt’s ballet class had been cancelled. A contemporary master class had been scheduled for the afternoon, but your day before then was free – something you’d immediately taken advantage of by calling Finn. It was becoming easier to fit each other into your schedules, more like second nature, but things were still tense whenever things didn’t line up.

None of this was eased by the burgeoning whatever-it-was you’d shoved to the back of your mind regarding Jimin. Since the day of Mr. Vlad’s ballet class, you’d managed to keep your emotions in check, but were constantly on the lookout for dangerous situations. You and Jimin were professionals, obviously, but you were also only human. It was reasonable to have subconscious wants and desires, but these weren’t important unless you chose to act upon them.

You didn’t tell Finn about it because honestly, there was nothing to tell. Okay, so you’d felt an errant spark one day during a lift. Big deal. Finn had been your boyfriend for over two years – it would take more than that to threaten your relationship. A relationship which, frankly, had been getting stronger as of late. Telling him something as inconsequential as a spark you had with Jimin would only take you further down the wrong path.

“Are you sure you’re okay with us doing separate things tomorrow?” Finn interrupted your thoughts. His brow furrowed. “It is Halloween, after all.”

“Ah, yes.” You nodded. “Halloween, the internationally known couple’s holiday.”

He laughed. “Okay, point made – but still.”

“It’s fine,” you assured him. This was something you’d already been over. “It just makes sense like this! Your friends are going to that off-campus party and I promised Noelle I’d go to this club thing with her.”

“Right, of course.” Finn grinned. “I’m bummed I’ll miss seeing you as the Powerpuff girls, though. Who’s going to be the third one, again?”

“Well, I’m Blossom – obviously.”

“Of course.” He nodded. “Miss Responsibility.”

A twinge of annoyance went through you, but you pushed it aside. You didn’t think you were always the responsible one but admittedly, you’d been more on edge than usual lately.

“Anyways,” you continued with a roll of your eyes. “I’m Blossom, Noelle is Buttercup and Irene is going as Bubbles. It’ll be fun! Aside from the whole club part, of course.”

“It does sound fun,” Finn admitted, a tad mournful. “Meanwhile, I’ve been roped into the classic college bro costume of Ghostbusters.”

“Oh, come on! That is classic! You’ll be super cute in your… suit? Cargo pants? What do Ghostbusters wear again?”

“Knowing Ben, something tragic from Party City. Pray for me.”

“I’ll light candles.”

Finn grinned, sipping his coffee again and your conversation slipped naturally to other topics.

Halloween fell on a Saturday this year, which meant every college campus was gearing up for some epic parties. Noelle had managed to snag tickets to a club fancy enough to require an RSVP. Apparently, said brother she missed was a DJ and could get tickets to a lot of things if Noelle bothered to ask.

A bunch of people from Russet were going, which made you excited. There hadn’t been many parties with your classmates so far this semester. Despite technically being in college, your classmates were all under the same intense pressure, only made worse by constant early morning ballet.

This week though, even your teachers seemed to have decided you needed a break. Aside from the master class you had this afternoon, there were zero Russet classes until Monday morning. The break in schedule meant you could actually go out – and drink – if you so decided. You and Noelle were planning on attending a ballet class tomorrow, but your entire day after would be free.

You’d originally planned on seeing Finn during the day, but then he’d been invited to a Halloween darty (day party) starting at noon. Despite not seeing Finn on Halloween, you weren’t feeling stressed. It was only one holiday and not even a couple’s one, as you’d said.

After coffee, you kissed Finn goodbye and headed to class at Danley Hall. The atmosphere was different as soon as you entered the classroom – all of the students were buzzing, excited by the prospect of the weekend ahead. The excitement only grew when coupled with the fact that today’s class was contemporary.

For nearly two months, your training had been mostly ballet. This was the foundation of all western dance, and where most dance students were expected to start. Finally though, you were being given a chance to show off. Today’s teacher, Luna Jordan, was a well-known contemporary choreographer across the globe.

You’d done a master class with her once back in high school and honestly couldn’t wait to learn from her again. She wasn’t alone, though, you noticed as you walked in – an unfamiliar, dark-haired guy stood beside her, stretching lithely before the room’s mirror.

“Holy shit,” Noelle whispered as she came to a stop. “That’s Jeon Jungkook.”

Startled, you looked twice and saw she was right. You hadn’t recognized him without his bevy of followers, but Jeon Jungkook was known in the dance world. A child prodigy, he’d been on America’s Got Talent at age eleven and finished in second place. Following this, his family had moved to LA and he’d been in high demand for movies, music videos and performances ever since.

You remembered hearing he worked with Luna Jordan, but the thought hadn’t crossed your mind before now that he might be here.

Noelle cocked her head to one side. “He’s hot.”

“Noelle,” you hissed, trying to shush her.

“What!” A devious grin spread across her face. “Am I supposed to be blind, as well as mute?”

“Well, no, but –”

“Alright, everyone!” Miss Luna clapped her hands together. “I know everyone is excited for the weekend, but we unfortunately have an hour and a half together before then. Everyone spread out for warm-ups!”

A few people laughed, spreading out on the floor as class began. Noelle wriggled her eyebrows, pulling you towards the front in order to get the best spot. Hiding a smile, you ducked your head and settled beside her into a stretch.

Noelle was nearly as excited as you were for the opportunity to dance contemporary. Most of your classmates knew this to be your forte – you caught glances from the corner of your eye while you warmed up, trying not to let their attention get to your head.

Jimin was also near the front, although on the opposite side. You suspected your class was equally excited to see him perform – as talented as Jimin was at ballet, there was a reason you hadn’t thought he’d be at Russet this fall. Jimin’s strength in jazz and contemporary was unparalleled. You would’ve thought he’d gone to LA to become a dancer like Jungkook.

Speaking of whom – Jungkook really was attractive; that much couldn’t be denied. He had dark, wavy hair pulled into a bun and cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass. When he glanced up from his stretch, his gaze somehow found yours and he smiled.

Eyes widening, you stared until you caught sight of Jimin behind him. Glancing between the two of you, Jimin’s expression soured before he looked away. Lips parting, you felt the sudden urge to say something, but there was too much distance between you.

“You ready?” Miss Luna called, an upbeat pop song blasting from the stereo. “Let’s go!”

She launched into isolations, leaving the rest of the class to follow. Warm-ups passed quickly and before you knew it, you were gathered at center to learn the combination. Miss Luna’s style was right up your alley. The steps came easily and, once you’d learned the whole chorus, she left you alone to practice.

You were helping Ari with a difficult move when you caught sight of Sabrina as you turned. She’d positioned herself near the back, which had to be a first. Usually, Sabrina was front and center to allow for maximum receipt of teacher praise.

The decision to stand near the back could’ve been strategy – sometimes, dancers did that at conventions. Conventions were giant weekends of competition with teachers from all over the globe who taught master classes to hundreds of dancers in hotel ballrooms and convention centers. Space at the front tended to be limited, so some stayed at the back, where there was more room to dance and be seen. You had a greater likelihood to capture the teacher’s attention when you had the room to do incredible leaps.

Sabrina’s decision didn’t seem strategic, though. While you watched, Sabrina stumbled transitioning from one move to the next. A brief twinge of pity went through you.

It was easy enough to spot ballerinas dancing anything but ballet. Although ballet was the root of modern westernized dance, it could be hard to translate into other styles. Ballet was more rigid than contemporary, jazz or hip-hop. In ballet, each position was defined, individual style was limited, and dancers were expected to all look the same. Standing out in the corps de ballet was equally frowned upon as missing an entrance.

Not that ballet wasn’t important to all dance styles, mind you. Even hip-hop dancers took ballet to improve their balance, core strength and general understanding of the body. There was an element of individuality in other dance styles, though, which lacked in ballet. Contemporary and hip-hop dancers were expected to have relentless technique all while creating their own, unique flair.

Just looking at Sabrina you could clearly see the holes. She was trying so hard to emulate the moves of Miss Luna, she was kind of missing the point. When Miss Luna did a certain flick of the wrist, it wasn’t a defined part of the choreography, but rather an individual choice.

Without thinking, you took a step forward – only to stop. Sabrina wouldn’t want your help; she’d already made that abundantly clear. Besides, you knew her friend Katie to be a contemporary dancer. She could help Sabrina and yet, when you looked, you saw Katie practicing near the front with Jungkook.

Jungkook obviously knew the steps, since this was probably the tenth time he’d learned the combination. Dance teachers often did that – selected a dancer to attend classes with them, traveling to different cities to demonstrate the combination and help when they weren’t free.

Before you could decide whether to help Sabrina, Miss Luna clapped her hands again.

“Let’s do groups!” she declared. “I’ll count you off into groups of four, and each group will showcase. Sound good?”

It wasn’t really a question so much as an announcement. The rest of the class nodded, waiting while Miss Luna counted you off. You ended up in the same group as Irene, Paulo and a few others. Jimin and Noelle were in the group two, while Sabrina was in the group after theirs.

Jogging off to the side, you waited while the first group took center. You were part of group four, which meant you’d be amongst the last to dance on the floor. When the music began, you closed your eyes and began to mark the combination. You tried not to focus on what anyone else was doing, but this became difficult once Noelle’s group stepped up.

Noelle had trained in jazz and contemporary, although she’d stopped in high school to focus mainly on ballet. Still, her artistry shone in her movement. She could definitely stand to loosen up a bit but was still one of the best in the bunch. You found yourself smiling when she landed a turn, silently cheering her on from the side.

While you were watching, Jimin cut across your vision.

Dropping to the ground, he rolled and arched as his forehead brushed wood. His quality of movement was breathtaking and for a moment, you felt like you were back in high school.

Suddenly returned to those dimmed auditoriums, you watched Jimin take the stage like an otherworldly being. His body seemed to move before your mind could comprehend. Barely did he finish one move before he was starting another, the steps flowing endlessly together like unhindered water. Although you knew the combination and knew how you would dance it, watching Jimin perform was a different experience entirely.

Ballet required dancers to stay on the beat but in contemporary, they were expected to lag. Extensions were all the more breathtaking when they clung to the last second, seeming as though the dancer might not make it before they caught up. Jimin was an expert in this, knowing exactly when to hang precariously over the edge and when to pull back.

Watching him dance, that pesky, strange something bloomed in your chest again.

Squashing this quickly, you looked away and resumed marking the combo. The end of the song was improvisation though and, unable to stop yourself, you found your attention drifting to Jimin again. He was ridiculously beautiful – you nearly didn’t hear when Miss Luna called for them to stop. As she turned off the music, she applauded the group while they walked from the floor.

Breathing heavily, Noelle came to a stop alongside you and – somewhat guiltily, since you hadn’t been watching – you gave her a high-five.

“That was awesome!” you said with a grin. “You definitely stood out in the group.”

Noelle snort-laughed. “Not with Jimin up there, but that’s okay. This is his specialty – and yours,” she added with a wink. “I’m psyched for group four.”

“Ah,” you groaned, rubbing your neck. “Too much pressure.”

Noelle laughed, shaking her head as group three took the floor. Both of you fell silent to watch, your curious gaze finding Sabrina in the back. Sabrina looked almost nervous; an emotion which seemed out of place on her features. It made her look almost human.

As soon as the music began, you stifled a wince. Sabrina stood out from the group, and not in a good way. She had the combination down but moved with a woodenness you would’ve expected from someone half her age. It was enough for you to glance at Miss Luna, wondering if she had noticed.

“Wow,” Noelle whispered, looking almost gleeful. “Sabrina is terrible.”

“Noelle!” you whisper-laughed.

“What? After everything she’s done? After everything she’s said?” Noelle’s gaze narrowed. “Sabrina deserves this.”

Despite privately agreeing, you couldn’t help but feel bad as Sabrina continued. Not wanting to watch any longer, you turned towards the front and resumed marking the combo. As soon as Miss Luna cut the music and polite clapping ensued, you turned back around.

It was time for group four. A shaky, sick feeling entered your stomach as you walked to center. So many eyes were on you, but it had been so long since you danced contemporary. You couldn’t help but wonder if you were as good as people seemed to imagine. Surrounded by so many dancers at Russet, surely your own talent would pale in comparison.

As soon as the music began though, everything faded. Insecurities slipping away, a lightness entered your chest as, eyes falling shut, you slowly inhaled.

Taking a step forward, you opened your eyes and began.

To you, dance had several phases. The first was learning, where you memorized each step and put them in order. The second was understanding, where your muscle memory began to take over and the combination felt smoother. The final phase, performance, was when you thought not of the steps, and were free to just dance.

This was your favorite phrase. In this phase, your mind separated from your body, leaving you only with sweat and emotion. Dance was the only art form composed solely of the body. An odd combination of physical strength and artistic beauty, it was both a testament to human capability and human emotion.

Losing yourself in the music, you ebbed and flowed through the combination until the choreography ended and improvisation began. Finally, you let go and held nothing back. Raw, unbridled passion poured out as you lost sight of yourself, so consumed by the movement.

When the song finally finished and you came to a stop, you were panting for breath. Glancing up, the first person you saw was Jimin.

He stood off to one side, leaning casually against the rungs of the barre, but his expression was anything but. Focused on you, his gaze had turned dark in a way which made you catch your breath.

Miss Luna clapped both hands once again, returning your attention to her. Blinking, Jimin shook his head and in your peripheral, you saw him straighten.

“Very good!” Miss Luna scanned the group. “I know our time is nearly at and end, but why don’t we have a few students come out and demonstrate?”

Again, this was fairly common in master classes. After learning the combination, teachers would often single out students to perform as examples. It wasn’t always the students with the best technique who got chosen. Oftentimes, it was as much for passion and performance quality.

Taking a step forward, Miss Luna began to call out names. You were one of the first – setting your water down, you jogged back to center. Jimin was the next person called, then Noelle, much to your excitement. Jungkook was also instructed to join on the floor.

Turning the lights halfway down, Miss Luna pressed play and let you improvise until the combination began. Jungkook started dancing and honestly, he was beautiful, but you couldn’t linger on him for long.

Catching sight of Jimin again, you were once more transported to earlier times. This wasn’t the first time you’d been called out together. Oftentimes, this had happened at conventions but back then, your mind had been too clouded to see him for who he was.

You’d always wanted to beat him in high school, but now, you were consumed by the oddest desire to see him do well.

Glancing up, Jimin caught your gaze and he smiled – but then, the combination began.

By the time you were finished, you could hardly catch your breath but somehow, you felt the most alive you’d been in ages. Back in your own element, surrounded by some of the most amazing dancers in the world – this was what you’d imagined when you came to Russet.

People around the room clapped, some of them begrudgingly. You got the impression many of your classmates weren’t used to not being chosen. As you walked from the floor, you saw surprisingly, Sabrina wasn’t amongst them.

Instead, Sabrina simply looked tired – as though she’d tried her best and it hadn’t been enough. You knew that look. You sympathized with that look.

The look lingered in the back of your mind while you packed up your things and listened to Noelle discuss Halloween tomorrow. When she mentioned Ari had decided to visit her family this weekend, an idea began to form in your mind.

“Wait,” you interrupted, looking up. “Ari can’t come tomorrow?”

Noelle shook her head. “Her brother just turned eighteen, so her whole family is having a party or something.”

“So… her ticket is free, then?”

“Yes…” Noelle paused. “Why? Y/N, what are you planning?”

“Okay. Hear me out,” you said as you shrugged on your coat. It was cold enough now for the coat to be necessary.

Noelle sighed, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Alright, I’m listening.”

Glancing away, you saw Sabrina packing her things on the other side of the room. Before you could talk yourself out of it, you returned to Noelle.

“What if we invited Sabrina?”

Noelle snorted. “Pass.”

“Noelle,” you laughed, reaching out for her arm. “Come on! Do you really think she’s doing anything for Halloween?”

“Probably not. And that’s her own fault.”

“Maybe,” you said, glancing at Sabrina once more. “But how could it hurt? We have an extra ticket, there’ll be tons of people tomorrow night. She’ll probably say no – at least this way, you can claim a write-off on your way into heaven!”

Noelle upper lip twitched. “Oh, is that how write-offs work?”

“Well, I can only assume.”

Finally, she laughed. “Ugh, fine. You can invite her – but only because it’s Halloween, and Halloween is a time for peace. And slutty costumes.”

“Thanks, babe,” you said, squeezing her waist in a one-armed hug.

Sighing exaggeratedly, Noelle waved aside your thanks. Hiking your bag higher, you began to make your way across the room. As you closed in on Sabrina, you began to rethink your choice. It had been nearly a month since anything bad had happened between you but still, you found yourself feeling wary. As tough as you pretended to be, rejection hurt you just as much as the next person.

Still, dancing with Jimin had been a reminder of just how bitter your relationship used to be. If that relationship could change, you had to imagine things with Sabrina could, too.

Coming to a stop at her bag, you waited for her to look up. When she finally did, her brow wrinkled in confusion.

“What?” Sabrina asked, sounding defensive. “What do you want, Y/N?”

You couldn’t really blame her for her suspicion. Had your situations been reversed, you would’ve been equally distrustful. It was likely Sabrina thought you were coming over to gloat, or say something to do with class today. Another twinge of pity went through you as Sabrina zipped her bag shut to stand.

“I just wanted to know what you were doing tomorrow,” you said, trying to smile. “Noelle has an extra ticket to a Halloween party, and we thought you might like to come.”

Sabrina stared. “What?”

“Tomorrow is Halloween,” you said, a bit slower. “You know – when we were kids, it was all about costumes and candy. Now, it’s about costumes and booze?”

Sabrina failed to crack a smile. “And you want… me to come to this party?”

Something about the way she said this made you sad, as though she genuinely thought this might be a joke. As though at any moment, someone might jump out and yell SIKE.

“Yeah,” you said, softening a little. “Look – it’s not a big deal if you can’t make it. A bunch of our class is going though, so we thought of you.”

Sabrina hesitated, then glanced at the door. “Okay,” she said, looking back. “Okay, yeah. I’ll come.”

Stifling your surprise, you nodded. “Great. I’ll text you where to meet us tomorrow before the club. Wear a costume,” you added before walking away. “Noelle said it’s required.”

“Alright,” Sabrina said, so quiet you almost missed it.

Walking away, you were nearly at the door when Jungkook popped up before you. Flashing a smile, he fixed a loose strand of hair away from his face. Feet fumbling to a stop, you could only stare.

“Y/N, right?” he said, sounding shy.

Unable to find the words, you blinked in response. The way Jungkook danced had been so confident, you’d only assumed this to be his off-floor persona, as well. Hearing him sound shy was unexpected.

Also – you hadn’t expected him to know your name.

“I… yeah, that’s me.” Shaking your head, you smiled. “Jungkook, right?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I just wanted to say I’m such a big fan of your dancing. It was great to take class with you today.”

Without meaning to, a laugh escaped your lips. Jungkook stared at you, baffled until you quickly waved him off.

“Oh, no – no! Sorry,” you said. “I’m not laughing at you! I’m just laughing at the ridiculousness of you saying you’re a fan of me.”

Some of Jungkook’s wariness disappeared, and a small smile played across his lips.

“Well, I am.” His grin widened. “I used to assist on the convention circuit, too and I remember you being called out all the time. You and Jimin,” he added, glancing across the room.

You looked, too and saw Jimin still packing his things. His back was stiff, pointedly not looking in your direction. Lingering on him a moment, you returned to Jungkook.

“Still,” you said with a laugh. “It’s a bit of a stretch to say we took class together when you’re the teacher’s assistant.”

“True.” Jungkook paused. “Well, next time you’re in LA, let’s fix that. Let me know if you’re ever in town and we can take a class together.”

Despite yourself, your brows raised. It was harmless, but Jungkook was definitely flirting with you. He was attractive, sure and seemed nice, but he lived in LA and you had a boyfriend. You should probably leave before things had the chance to go any further. The last thing you needed was another complication. Adjusting your bag, you gave Jungkook a small smile.

“Sounds like a plan,” you said before turning away.

Jungkook chuckled from behind. “Bye, Y/N.”

As you joined Noelle at the door, she stared over your shoulder.

“What?” you said, coming to a stop.

Noelle’s gaze moved to yours in disbelief. “How?” she demanded as you exited class. “How do you have all these men just… tripping over themselves for you?”

Heat rising to your face, you shook your head. “That’s – I,” you sputtered. “You’re being ridiculous!”

“Am I?” Noelle grinned. “First Jimin, now Jungkook… and all this while having a boyfriend.”

“I… you... Jimin is not tripping over himself for me!”

Both her brows shot way, way up. “Is that the only part of the sentence you took objection to?”

“Shut up,” you groaned and shoved her in the side.

Noelle laughed but nodded. “Alright, fine! I’ll stop. Did Sabrina say she’ll come?”

“She did.”

“Great. I still don’t like her,” Noelle said, pushing open the door. “But I guess you’re right, I have an extra ticket. It’s nice to be nice.”

You laughed, pulling your coat tighter as you walked outside. “You’re a saint.”

While you walked, your phone dinged and pulling this from your pocket, you saw a notification on Instagram. Jeon_Jungkook97 has followed you.

Shaking your head, you returned this to your jacket as you continued. While it was nice of Jungkook to compliment your dancing, his approval didn’t mean as much as certain other peoples had. This realization stuck in your mind, making you wonder about Noelle’s teasing jibe.

She had said Jimin flirted with you, but that wasn’t true – was it? You would have known if Jimin were flirting. It was hard to pick out though, since Jimin was friendly with everyone. That was just who he was; as he’d said earlier, he liked to be liked. A note of uncertainty entered your thoughts though, recalling the ballet class with your chest pressed to his. Shoving this away, you forced yourself to focus on the upcoming weekend.

Halloween was a night for fun, for letting loose and enjoying yourself with your friends. You refused to let the night be spoiled by any lingering feelings – either from you, or towards you.

The next night was perfect Halloween weather.

Chilly, but not cold enough to risk snow falling. There were several Halloweens from childhood you could recall trick-or-treating with a winter coat flung over your costume because the temperature had dropped below freezing.

You, Noelle and Irene showed up to Paulo’s house around 8:00 PM, shivering a little while you stood on his doorstep. Paulo was one of the few freshmen who lived off-campus, having known several upperclassmen before he came to Russet. The brownstone he lived in was cute, with window boxes you imagined hosted flowers in the summer.

Tugging your pink and black minidress down, you adjusted your bow as Paulo opened the door.

Blinking, he took in your costumes. “The Powerpuff girls!” He cheered, raising an arm overhead. “Try not to take down any of the villains upstairs, yeah?”

“No promises,” said Irene, flicking hair over her shoulder.

Entering the house, you heard thumping bass from an apartment upstairs. Paulo lived on the third floor and as you climbed the steps, the music grew louder. It took Paulo two tries to shove open the door – “warped wood,” he explained – but once you were inside, you saw familiar faces.

“The Powerpuff girls!” Jasmine cried, jumping up from the couch. “Finally! Thank god – can you take down Eamon? He came here dressed as a potato, or something.”

“It’s an avocado!” Eamon shouted from the kitchen. He was dressed in a round, green costume with a halo overhead. “I’m ‘holy guacamole’ – get it?” he said, pointing at the halo.

Jasmine stared at him a moment. “That’s terrible. Worse than mine,” she said with a wave down her body. “I’ve been Princess Jasmine for the past five Halloweens. It’s easy to remember and I already have the outfit.”

Laughing, you shrugged off your coat and added this to a pile on the couch. “It’s a classic,” you agreed as you turned.

Noelle had managed to procure at least twenty tickets to the party tonight, so a lot of your freshman Russet class was in attendance. Including Sabrina, who stood in the corner, talking to Louis over cups of red punch. She looked up when you entered, pausing before she gave a small wave. Surprised by the gesture, you did the same.

“No.” Noelle groaned, coming to a stop alongside you. When you looked, you saw she’d already removed her coat. “Tell me Sabrina didn’t come to this party dressed as a ballerina.”

“We did invite her at the last minute,” you laughed. “Hard to find a good Halloween costume in a day.”

“Hey,” Noelle argued. “There’s no we here. You were the one who invited her, and you’ll be the one to accept the consequences should your social experiment fail.”

“Done,” you agreed. “Speaking of social experiments though, I’m ready to get drunk tonight. Where’s the alcohol?”

“Kitchen!” Irene called, brushing past. “Or – that’s where Brian disappeared to when we entered, so I can only assume.”

Telling Noelle you’d be back with drinks, you wound through the room towards where Irene had pointed. The kitchen was tiny, on par with most city apartments. There was only room enough for one or two people, so you were lucky it was deserted when you entered.

Surveying the counter, you found the usual party staples. A bowl of red punch, a bunch of beer and various liquor bottles with chasers. Skipping over the communal punch bowl, you reached for a bottle of diet coke and coconut rum.

“Oh,” a voice said as they entered the kitchen. “Sorry – I didn’t know you were in here.”

Glancing up, you saw Jimin and froze.

He’d dyed his hair black – that was the first thing you noticed. Jimin’s hair was no longer blonde, but completely dark. His outfit confused you at first – a frilly, white blouse with slicked-back hair and dark trousers – until you saw his bright red contacts and the dribble of blood at his mouth.

“A vampire,” you said, finally recovering your voice. Scanning his body, you frowned. “Where are the teeth, though?”

Jimin blinked, his gaze jerking up from your waist.

“Huh?” he said, sounding a bit strangled.

Cheeks heating a little – your dress was pretty short – you repeated yourself. “The teeth,” you said, pointing at your own lips. “Don’t vampires have fangs?”

“Oh, right.” Jimin dug around in his pocket – fuck, were his trousers tight – to produce twin fangs. “I took them off when I got here. They’re really hard to talk in.”

“Go on then, Park,” you said with a grin. “Put them in.”

“One second.” Twisting to face the wall, Jimin popped them in his mouth. Turning around, he bared his teeth. “Sexy?”

With the teeth in though, the word came out more like shex-shie and you burst into laughter. “So sexy,” you agreed, reaching past him for a cup.

Jimin stiffened when your arm brushed his front. Unbidden, you thought about what Noelle had said – Jimin had been flirting with you. Pulling away, you resumed making your drinks and tried not to look in his direction.

Even so, you remained aware of his presence. Jimin inched his way behind you, reaching for the whiskey on the other side. His arm brushed your elbow as he went, right knee nudging yours in an intimate gesture.

Glancing up from the counter, you accidentally caught his gaze. Despite your earlier joking, he did look sexy. Devastatingly so. Even the blood-red contacts weren’t enough to deter the shiver which ran down your spine.

Shaking yourself free from your trance, you grabbed both cups and pulled back.

“So, what’re you drinking?” you asked.

You decided it was best to steer the conversation away from how sexy Park Jimin was or was not.

Seemingly oblivious to your inner turmoil, Jimin poured whiskey into his cup. “Whiskey and coke. Can you pass me that bottle?”

“Sure,” you said, leaping at the chance to prevent him from walking past you again. “Here you go.”

Pushing this forward, you watched Jimin pour both drinks all the way to the brim. He paused near the end, staring into the depths before he looked up. He seemed to be warring with something, debating whether or not to speak whatever was on his mind.

“So…” He paused. “Do you know Jungkook, or something?”

You blinked. “Jungkook…?”

“You know, Miss Luna’s assistant. Jeon Jungkook.”

“Oh! Jungkook. No, I don’t really know him.”

“You were talking to him at the end of class, though?”

Hearing the curiosity in his voice, both your brows raised. “And?”

“And nothing,” Jimin said, sounding uncomfortable. “I just… I didn’t know you knew him, that’s all.”

“I mean, I don’t.” You paused. “But even if I did, what does it matter?”

“It doesn’t.” His cheeks began to redden. “It’s just – ah, never mind. We don’t have that great a history, that’s all. He’s kind of the reason I’m at Russet this year.”

You stared at Jimin a moment. “Wow, what a tragedy,” you said, stifling a laugh. “To have been forced to attend one of the most prestigious dance institutions in the world.”

His upper lip twitched. “It’s not that. I was deciding between attending Russet and accepting a job offer out west. I was asked to join this pop star on tour… anyways, Jungkook’s never liked me much. It’s a long story.” Jimin’s brow furrowed. “My offer was rescinded at the last minute. The artist never said why, but I always got the feeling he had something to do with it.”

You stared at Jimin a moment, unsure how to respond. Jungkook hadn’t seemed like that kind of person, but you supposed you’d only talked to him for a few minutes. If that was true, what happened to Jimin sucked and yet, the next words from your mouth nearly had you face-palming.

“And here I thought I was your biggest rival, Park,” you said.

Jimin’s eyes widened. “Are you… jealous, Y/N?”

He sounded almost pleased by the notion, which sent a different kind of shiver down your spine.

“Not at all,” you said quickly, turning back to your drinks.

Jimin made a soft tsk-ing sound, as though he didn’t believe you.

“That sucks,” you continued, determined to change the subject. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

“Yeah. Maybe it was all for the best, though. Things happen for a reason, right?”

Looking up, you caught Jimin’s stare. He didn’t look immediately away and you got the oddest sensation he meant more than what he said. Hastily, you pushed this feeling aside, clutching your drinks as you entered the main room. Jimin followed close behind, two cups in his hands.

“When did you get here?” you asked. “Been here long?”

Jimin shook his head. “Nah. Hoseok and I got here like, ten minutes ago. He should be around here somewhere, he –”

“Y/N!”

You looked up just in time to see Hoseok, Jimin’s roommate, barreling towards you.

“It’s been so long!” Crushing you to his chest, Hoseok wrapped you in a hug. “Hope Jimin isn’t boring you to death,” he stage-whispered before he pulled away.

“Just for that.” Jimin arched a brow. “Both these drinks are for me.”

“No – wait, wait. I’m sorry!” Hoseok pouted. “Hand over the drink, Park. It’s been the longest fucking week.”

Jimin grinned and relented, handing Hoseok his cup as you laughed. Hoseok was a newer friend, but he was close to Jimin, so he’d gradually bled into your latest gatherings. Despite not being on the ballet track, most of the dancers at Russet knew of him. Hoseok had that way about him.

Glancing down at your outfit, Hoseok held up a finger. “Let me guess – Blossom,” he said, turning to scan the room. “Which means… aha! Irene is Bubbles and Noelle is Buttercup. Makes sense.”

“And you are…” Pausing, you squinted at his outfit. “Someone at the spa?”

“Sure.” Hoseok shrugged. “Honestly, I just wanted to wear a bathrobe.”

Said bathrobe was paired with only boxers, the front of the robe open to display his toned abs. The costume didn’t surprise you, based on past interactions with Hoseok.

Casually, he twirled the robe tie in a circle. “Impressive, no?” Hoseok glanced away. “Whoa, wait – they have beer pong? See you all later!”

Hurrying off, he left you alone with Jimin. Shaking your head, you glanced in his direction and saw Jimin down his whole drink. Arching a brow, you were about to ask why when Irene called your names from across the room.

“Y/N!” She waved her hands. “Jimin! Get over here, you two – we need more for flip cup!”

You found yourself pulled in this direction despite your insistence you didn’t do well under pressure. Jimin ended up at the other end of the table and you lost sight of him when you started to play, paired with Jasmine for a partner.

By the end of the first round, you discovered you weren’t as horrible a player as you’d imagined. Then someone suggested mixed drinks for the second round, and things became fuzzier. There were more people present than just current students of Russet. One of Paulo’s roommates knew Seokjin, so you saw him in the room, along with Sana.

You chatted with both over the course of the evening, in addition to a guy who’d recently debuted on Broadway, Kim Taehyung. Apparently, there was already buzz around him for a Tony. Taehyung was nice, but it was sometime during this conversation you realized how tipsy you were. Apparently, not drinking for several months and then going ham made for very low tolerance.

Collapsing onto the couch, you joined Irene and Brian’s conversation. In the corner of your eye, you caught sight of Noelle – a terrible flip cup player, she’d roped Hoseok into giving her private lessons, but these seemed to be going terribly. Or perhaps very well, given how much the two of them were laughing.

You completely forgot about Jimin until you spotted him across the room talking to Sabrina. Seeing them together, you straightened. Both seemed fairly comfortable, which struck you as odd. Since that morning in Jimin’s dorm, you hadn’t really seen them hang out together.

Despite this, Jimin was laughing at something Sabrina had said. Tearing your gaze away, you forced yourself to focus on the conversation at hand. It didn’t matter who Jimin spoke to, or even who he decided to go home with tonight. He was your dance partner and friend, nothing more and besides – you had a boyfriend.

Blinking, you reached into your clutch and pulled out your phone. To your disappointment, you’d gotten no texts from Finn since this morning. You assumed he was still at his party but didn’t know for sure. Shooting him a text, hey, you waited for a response and when you got none, returned your phone to your purse.

Across the room, you heard Noelle yell your name. “Y/N!” She cupped her mouth with both hands. “We need another person for flip cup!”

Laughing, you pushed yourself from the couch and were immediately roped into your fourth game of the night. The night blurred again after that, turning into a pleasant hum of conversation and booze. At some point, Ubers were called to bring you to the club. As you rushed downstairs, you realized you forgot your coat as soon as you stepped outside.

Shivering violently, you rubbed your arms and cursed yourself for poor foresight.

“Y/N?” Jimin came to a stop alongside you. “Hey, where’s your coat?”

“Inside,” you said through chattering teeth. “I-it’s fine, though. I’m fine!”

Jimin gave you a look. “Where’s Paulo?” he said, glancing around. “I’ll grab him, we can get your coat before we go –”

“The Uber’s already here, though,” you argued, grabbing his sleeve to drag him towards the curb. “I’ll be fine from here to the club!”

Jimin sighed but gave in, following when you rushed to the grey SUV. Irene had claimed the front seat, so you and Jimin pulled open the middle door – Noelle and Hoseok were crowding behind you, so you and Jimin ended up together in the backseat.

Collapsed in a heap, you giggled as Jimin tried to squish himself in a corner. “Sorry,” he said, trying – and failing – to keep his knees separate.

“Jimin.” You snorted. “Are we going to go through this again? Your hands have been in way more inappropriate places than that this semester.”

Jimin’s lips parted, shocked, but you were already hoisting yourself over the middle seat. Draping your arms next to Noelle, you begged her to play your favorite song on the radio. Had you been more sober, you might’ve recognized your position to be precarious – perched on the edge of your seat, your ass hovered inches away from Jimin’s face.

Plopping back down, you glanced sideways at Jimin and found him frozen. Suddenly, you realized the visual he’d had.

“Um, so what happened to the teeth?” you blurted, determined to change the subject.

Jimin blinked and managed to meet your gaze. “Casualty of flip cup,” he said. “One of them fell out during the game and I couldn’t find where it rolled.”

“Well, that’s okay. You can just be one of those vampires who blend in with normal humans. You know, the kind whose fangs only come out when they want to bite someone.”

“That’s true.” Jimin arched a brow. “Lucky for you, I’m not hungry.”

“Lucky for me? Lucky for you,” you retorted. “My blood is about half alcohol right now. If you drank my blood, you’d be a very silly vampire.”

The idea of a silly vampire made you laugh – even more so when you pictured said vampire as Jimin. He seemed much too coherent for your liking right now.

“A silly vampire, huh?” Jimin looked on, amused. “Damn, Y/N – when was the last time you went out? Your tolerance is shit.”

“I know,” you sighed. “I haven’t drunk much this semester. Too much dance, too little time. I think the last time I went out was –”

“We’re here!” squealed Noelle, throwing open the door.

A blast of cold air hit you and you shivered, wishing you’d worn your coat. Jimin’s gaze remained steady on yours.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he said lowly. “I can give you, uh…”

“Your shirt?” you said dryly, lifting a brow as you brushed past. “Then you’d be shirtless, Park. Let’s think this through.”

Jimin chuckled before he followed suit, although you cursed as soon as you left the car. He was correct. It was freezing, even with your alcohol-induced blanket.

“Come on!” you yelped, following Noelle towards the entrance.

Bypassing the line, Noelle walked straight towards the bouncer and showed him her phone. He nodded and waved her past, counting your friend group who followed. Not everyone from Paulo’s place had gone to the club, but enough for you to make quite the entrance.

“Y/N!” Noelle doubled back to link arms with you. “Come on – this way! That guy’s going to show us to our table.”

“Table?” you asked her, wide-eyed.

Tables in a club on Halloween night were ridiculously expensive, but it seemed Noelle had downplayed her brother’s connections. Your group was led right to the front of the upper balcony, getting a coveted spot overlooking the dance floor below.

This was undeniably the coolest club you’d been in. Not that you’d been in many, mind you, but this one had to take the cake. A half-circle of tables took up the top floor, with twin staircases descending to the main room below. Most of the lower floor was for dancing, although you saw additional tables pushed to the sides. Fluorescent bars and dance platforms were dotted throughout and above all was the DJ booth, blasting the latest songs.

“Whoa,” you breathed.

Noelle grinned, squeezing your arm to pull you into the booth. As soon as you settled in, Jasmine leapt up and clapped her hands.

“I want to be in one of those!” she said, pointing to a glowing cage at the center of the dance floor.

“Oo, me too!” Irene leapt up to join her.

“Me, three!” said Paulo, clambering out of the booth.

“Awesome.” Irene beamed and glanced your way. “What about you, Y/N? You in?”

The idea was tempting for a moment, but then Finn flashed through your mind. You highly doubted he’d be on board with you gyrating for a room full of strangers without him. Somewhat dejectedly, you plopped back on the bench.

“That’s okay,” you sighed. “I think I’m going to stay here for a while. I’ll join you later!”

Irene frowned but nodded, following the rest when they left for the stairs. About half the group went, clearing out the table while you stared at the dance floor.

Jimin slid into the bench alongside you. “You don’t want to dance?”

Startled, you glanced in his direction. While you watched, Jimin began to undo his cuffs, casually rolling the sleeves of his shirt. His hair, which had been slicked back at the start of the night, was starting to fall. Several dark strands hung over his forehead, although this only seemed to make the look more appealing.

“No,” you said, crossing your legs. “I just… don’t really feel like it.”

“Is this the whole hating clubs thing again?”

“Kind of.” You laughed. “I don’t know. Club dancing isn’t like normal dancing, you know?”

“It is when you’re at the club with all dancers,” Jimin pointed out, nodding towards the floor.

Following his gaze, you saw Jasmine dancing full-out in a lit-up cage. She wasn’t so much gyrating as she was creating choreography on the fly. The mere mortals around her looked on in awe. Fighting a smile, you returned to Jimin.

“Okay, that does look like fun,” you admitted. “The last time I was at a club was with Finn.”

Jimin blinked. “Sorry – what?”

“In the cab,” you said, leaning closer in order to be heard. “You asked me when I last went out. It was that night… um, the night you came and picked me up.”

Jimin stared at you a moment, as though contemplating something important. Abruptly, he stood and held out a hand. You blinked at this like he’d offered a football.

“What are you doing?” you said, glancing up.

“Taking you down to the dance floor.” Jimin retracted said hand. “Come on, Y/N! You don’t have to give out dry lap dances, or whatever.”

“Hey!” In disbelief, your mouth fell open. “You said you’d forget all about that!”

His smile turned impish. “Seriously, we can just do the sprinkler, or something. It’ll be fun!”

“The sprinkler?” Starting to laugh, you stood. “Was that really the first move you thought of?”

“Nah. My go-to move is the criss-cross, but I figured this was more your speed.”

Snorting, you shoved him in the arm before following Jimin to the dance floor. It didn’t take you long to spot your other friends, clustered near the front and around the DJ booth.

“Y/N!” Noelle cheered, breaking off from the pack. “You made it!”

She nearly spilled her drink while she danced, catching herself just in time as she spun around. You grinned, entering the circle with Jimin by your side. He did, in fact, pull out the criss-cross – Hoseok joined in and soon, there was a Fortnite dance battle between them. You truly haven’t lived until you’ve seen a TikTok dance-off between two semi-professional dancers.

This ended with both declaring mutual defeat, and Hoseok disappearing to buy the next round. Noelle shimmied her way over to Jasmine, accepting the hand given to stand on the platform.

You laughed at their ridiculous dance moves, choosing instead to stay on the ground. The crowd around you had thinned since you’d joined. Eamon disappeared a few minutes later, saying something about needing a drink upstairs. Before long, Irene had joined Jasmine and Noelle on the platform, leaving you alone with Jimin on the floor.

Under other circumstances, you might have felt uncomfortable, but Jimin was so good at putting you at ease. Determined to keep you in the present, he came up with more and more complicated dance moves which had you snorting with laughter.

On a particularly flamboyant spin, Jimin accidentally smacked the drink from someone’s grasp. Blue vodka splattered everywhere, drenching its owner – a burly man in leather who snarled in frustration.

Looking up, he met your gaze and his eyes narrowed.

“Shit. Run!” you blurted out.

Grabbing Jimin by the arm, you dragged him into the crowd.

“No, wait – let me apologize!” Jimin tried to twist around. “I can pay for his drink! I can –”

Once there was suitable distance between you and the guy, you came to a stop. Laughing so hard you nearly fell over, you turned sideways to face him.

Bodies pressed against you from every side but rather than feel claustrophobic, all you could think about was Jimin before you. His hair had become thoroughly mussed during the night and you fought the sudden desire to smooth it down.

Although your breath came hard, the club around you seemed to slow. The music somehow had narrowed to pinpricks, a heady thump of bass while everything dulled.

What you should’ve done was taken a step back – but you didn’t.

Instead, your gaze drifted across his face. Jimin stared back, something intense to his gaze you couldn’t quite name. Breath caught in your throat, his eyes dropped to your lips.

Before you could react, someone bumped into you from behind, sending you careening forward. Jimin caught you easily, one arm around your waist and your chest pressed to his. You could feel every hard line of his body, his thigh wedged between your legs while you grasped at his arms. Heart thudding traitorously against your ribcage, you tried to ignore the emotions which followed.

It was impossible.

The song playing was slower, sexier than the one which had inspired the dance-off. Without meaning to, your weight subtly shifted. This caused your hips to move against his as Jimin quietly sucked in a breath. The effect this had on him was instantaneous. His grip on you tightened, gaze heady with desire and something more. Before you could second-guess what you were doing, you moved your hips again – this time, on purpose.

Jimin’s eyes darkened. Without looking away, his grip on you tightened as he slowly dragged you up his thigh. Suddenly breathless, your hands gripped him tighter while your eyes fluttered shut. The heat of his body on yours, the faint smell of cologne and sweat, the tension in his limbs and the knowledge of what he could do to you – it all left your head spinning.

“Y/N,” Jimin murmured, low in your ear.

You weren’t used to him saying your name like that.

You were used to him saying your name in every other way, but not that. Sharp with dancer’s critique, brusque with instruction, light with teasing – but not like something heavy was lodged in his throat. Maybe his heart.

Panicked, your eyes flew open.

What were you doing? This wasn’t some random stranger and this sure as hell wasn’t your boyfriend. This was Jimin. Stumbling backwards, you broke from his hold. Jimin seemed equally stunned, staring at you on the dance floor.

“I have to go,” you blurted and whirled around.

Shoving into the crowd, you heard Jimin emit a soft groan. Despite this, he didn’t immediately pursue, for which you were grateful. Stumbling through strangers, strobe lights flashed brightly overhead. You squeezed between someone dressed as a go-go and another person dressed as a werewolf. Skidding to a stop on the edge of the floor, you scanned the room and saw no one from Russet.

When you glanced over your shoulder, you saw Jimin now followed. Panicking again, you began to move. Beside one of the bars, you spotted a hallway labeled restrooms. Heading in this direction, you quickly disappeared inside the door marked women.

Once inside, you locked yourself in a stall, lowered the lid and sat down. Head in hands, you slowly exhaled. You were a coward; that much was clear. Jimin was probably out there looking for you right now, but you’d rather hide in a bathroom than face him.

The fluorescent lighting overhead was too bright – it made you feel overexposed. After a long moment, you fished around in your purse and pulled out your phone. Flipping to your thread with Finn, you saw he’d sent no response since your text. Complete and utter silence.

Heart cracking a little, you slid this in your bag and stared at the door. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. When you imagined you and Finn at college, you’d always pictured you together, attending the same parties and sharing the same adventures. Tonight though, had proven to be anything but that. Finn hadn’t once glanced at his phone judging by the unread mark next to your text.

Dimly, you wondered why you weren’t more upset about this. It should bother you that Finn hadn’t called or even texted throughout the day. Sure, he was out with friends, but so were you and you’d reached out – as soon as you thought this, your heart sank.

You weren’t sure you could call Jimin a friend after what had just happened.

Sure, you’d only danced, and it had only been for a second but still, guilt bloomed behind your ribcage. The idea of Finn doing the same thing with anyone else made your heart twist. You wouldn’t feel that way if what you’d done wasn’t wrong.

Groaning out loud, you lowered your head to your hands. After several minutes, you felt calm enough to stand and pretend-flush the toilet. As you exited the stall, you walked to the sink and began washing your hands. Staring at yourself in the mirror, a million things ran through your mind.

Clearly, the situation with Jimin was worse than you’d thought. The spark you’d felt kept returning, no matter how much you tried to ignore it. Maybe the only solution was to find a new partner. The very idea made your heart sink, but you couldn’t deny things had gotten out of hand.

Before you could seriously consider the option, the door to the bathroom flung open and banged against the wall. Sabrina stormed in, wiping both eyes with the heel of her hand. You froze, staring at her in the mirror but she didn’t seem to notice your presence.

When she finally lowered her hands and took a deep breath, she saw you and froze.

For a moment, you both only stared at each other and then – you coughed. Awkwardly, you began to dry your hands.

“Are you okay?” you asked, tentative.

Sabrina stiffened. “I’m fine,” she muttered, walking to the sink.

You watched her wash her hands, struggling and failing to control her expression. Sabrina’s hair was a mess and you stared, wondering where she’d been. You hadn’t seen her since you’d entered the club, but had assumed she’d stayed on the second floor.

“Are you sure?” you pressed, remembering your night at the other club. “You know, you can –”

“Will you… just stop.” Sabrina closed her eyes. “Will you … stop pretending like we’re friends, or something?”

Struck with disbelief, you could only stare. “I… are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.” You shook your head. “Just wow.”

Her lips tightened and finally, she whirled around. “What?” Sabrina demanded. “What is it?”

The look in her eyes was familiar. Her frustrated, angry look was mirrored in your expression, but you found you didn’t care. Sabrina was clearly going through something, but her rudeness to you was the final straw. Tired from Finn, Jimin and the constant pressure you were both under, something about Sabrina’s words made you break.

“Why are you always such a… such a bitch,” you blurted, hurling the word like a knife. “What did I ever do to you? Why do you always act like you hate me so much?”

Sabrina’s upper lip curled. “Why do you always think this is about you, Y/N? Maybe I just wanted one second of peace and instead, here you are. Like always.”

“Here I am, in the public restroom of a club we’re all at?”

“No. Here you are in my life,” she snapped, pushing herself from the sink. “People won’t talk to me? It’s because you’ve run your mouth about things you think I’ve done. I’m falling in the class ranks? It’s because you’re after my spot. Jimin doesn’t want to be my partner? It’s because of his feelings for you. I’m sick of turning around and always seeing you there!”

“Okay, but none of those things – I, Jimin doesn’t have feelings for me,” you sputtered.

Sabrina gave you a look. “Oh, please, Y/N.” Her laughter was harsh. “Why else would he turn me down?”

“Um, maybe because he’s a decent human being? Unlike yourself.”

“Great, yeah.” Sabrina glared. “Make me the bad guy again.”

“I’m not the one doing that,” you huffed. “You are. You want to blame me because no one wants to be your friend? Maybe try reaching out first. Maybe don’t talk shit about people behind their backs. And I’m improving because I’m taking extra lessons. No thanks to you, of course.”

“Don’t try and make me feel bad because I didn’t have time to give you lessons.”

“I’m not trying to make you feel bad. I’m trying to explain why I’m improving and you’re not.”

Sabrina bristled. “Are you saying I don’t work hard, too?”

“No.” Mirthless, you laughed. “I know you work hard – maybe even as hard as I do. But you know what the big difference is between you and me?” you said, drawing yourself to your full height.

Sabrina’s eyes glimmered while she stared you down. Still, she retained her aloofness when she said, “What? What’s the big secret?”

“You think everyone’s out to get you,” you said, stepping closer. “You think not asking for help makes you stronger, but it’s the exact opposite. At least I’ve improved since the start of the year. What have you done?”

Not waiting for an answer, you pushed past Sabrina and walked out the door.

Shoving it wide, you entered the hallway. Dance music flooded your senses and you winced, remembering where you were and what you’d been doing. Luckily, Jimin was nowhere in sight. He must not have seen where you’d disappeared to.

Shoulders slumping, you pulled out your phone and dialed a number. Walking to the front, you concentrated on breathing while you waited for them to pick up. Coming to a stop beside coat check, you didn’t leave the club – a lesson you’d learned the hard way.

Noelle answered on the third ring. “Babe?” she yelled, barely audible over the din. “What’s going on? Where are you?”

“Are you…” Closing your eyes, you paused. “Can we leave?”

Noelle paused, then muffled her phone with one hand. “Irene!” you heard her yell. “You good to get a ride home for these people? Okay, cool. Bye!” Her phone became un-muffled. “Where are you, babe?”

After explaining your location, you hung up and hugged yourself with both arms. Noelle burst into view a few moments later, scanning the crowd like a mom on a mission. When she saw you, she rushed over – and you promptly burst into tears.

“Oh, no!” Pulling you into a hug, Noelle began to rub your back. “No, no, babe! Don’t cry! What’s going on? Do I need to kick someone’s ass?”

Hearing Jimin’s words said by Noelle only made you cry harder. Wisely sensing this to be a problem not easily solved, Noelle continued rubbing your back while walking towards the exit.

The two of you went outside and, as luck would have it, saw a group of people arriving at the club. Noelle snagged their taxi, helping you in the backseat and giving the driver your address. As you settled against her, your head on her shoulder, Noelle kept rubbing your arm and waited for the tears to stop.

You weren’t really sure why you were crying.

Of course, Sabrina was terrible, as was the situation with Jimin, but it was more than that. Dancing with Jimin hadn’t caused problems in your relationship with Finn. There had been problems in your relationship Finn and so, feelings had crept in which led you to dance with Jimin.

More than that though, you couldn’t help but notice Noelle had come to your aid much faster than Finn ever had. Even Jimin had dropped everything when you asked, and he was someone you’d once called your enemy. Noelle had been having fun, but she’d cut her night short because you were upset. This knowledge crushed you and for the very first time, you realized your relationship with Finn might be unfixable.

Curled up on the backseat, you let yourself cry a bit more. You could be calm and rational in the morning, you decided but for now, you just felt defeated.

When you finally climbed into bed at your dorm at night, you looked at your phone and saw Finn still hadn’t texted.

Author’s Note: Thank you for reading! 😊 New chapters of Raise the Barre are posted weekly; dates are listed on the series Master List. Requests for updates will be deleted.

RAISE THE BARRE MASTERLIST

#bangtanarmynet #btsbookclub #jimin fanfic #bts fanfic #jimin au #bts au #jimin writing #bts writing #jimin series #jimin e2l #bts series #bts e2l #jimin dance au #bts dance au

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romeulusroy · 3 years

Text

Being The Smartest Shelby Would Include:

Polly knew you were smart from the start

She said so when you were a baby, but of course no one believed her

Everyone thought their kids were special, but you really were

Born just a few years before Finn, you weren't the baby, but you definitely weren't the oldest, so it was hard to be taken seriously

It started with your homework

You spent a lot of nights trying to tell your siblings it was just too easy

You weren't just getting every answer right, you were finishing pages of work in minutes, faster than anyone in your class

Eventually, you moved on to your brothers work

Finding it discarded on the table, you recognized Johns scraggly handwriting

He'd only made it halfway through, so you decided to finish it, even fixing some of his mistakes along the way

You wanted to show them what you'd done, but of course no one listened

At least, not until you stood on your chair and demanded that someone look over your work

It was a bit dramatic, and made for an embarassing story later, but you wanted to be heard

They did, finally, and they were shocked

Tommy handed it to John, who passed to Ada, skipping over Arthur, who eventually got it to Polly

"Well?"

"It's right, all of it. . . ."

"Fuck."

It wasn't just math though. You were reading every book you could find, even the ones your siblings struggled to get through

You had a knack for puzzles, for figuring things out no one else could, able to pull things apart and put them together just in your head

Polly knew, and she was going to do something about it

Anything she could find to keep you entertained, occupied, your mind at work, she'd bring it home

You had an incredible memory too, remembering everything from the contents on the back of bottles you brothers drank from to entire speeches Polly gave when all of you were misbehaving

It was amazing, to say the least

You were a kid when your brothers went off to war, so it was mostly Ada and Polly who spent long nights with you at the table over homework

You didn't think it was fair, that you were forced to stay in school when none of your siblings were

Polly called it a gift, said you shouldn't take it for granted

She had big plans for you, the kind of career kids like you could only dream of

Finn grows up with you reading to him every night

Even helping him with schoolwork, though that didn't last very long

It still irks you Polly let's Finn drop school, not even getting past reading himself, but you know better than to push the subject

By the time your brothers come back, thankfully all in one piece, you've become a bit of a myth or legend around the Small Heath

Not only are you taller and with more acne, a young teenager, you've made a name for yourself, and a business

After school you could be found with a hat on the ground, getting pocket change for your "abilities"

Showing off and splitting the money with friends, you put on shows

Memorizing the faces of strangers, drawing them almost perfectly by hand, reciting lines of poetry from class all from memory, etc.

Sometimes you bring Finn along, promising candy for his silence, making him part of the act

Your favorite is showing off the languages you've lesrned, switching between Romani, French, Italian, and German (to name a few) without a second thought, so effortlessly

Arthur caught you once, but instead of saying anything, he simply cheered you on, laughing at the fact that your business was doing better than the familys

You spent a lot of time in the shop like Finn, growing up there, but never really allowed in on business, not even to listen

Instead you were ordered to be quiet and focus on your studies

And you did, for a few years, slipping notes to John about what you thought would improve business, pressing your ear to the door to listen, putting up with being categorized as "one of the kids" with Finn

And then you made an announcement, one that almost killed Polly

You weren't going to university, and instead you'd be joining the family business

Your aunt put up a good fight, but your brothers were more than happy to welcome you, with rules of course

Ada wasn't too thrilled either, knowing how smart you were, and how special it was, but she wasn't going to stop you

Pol was, or at least she was going to try

"You could be anything you want y/n."

"And I choose this."

"You're-"

"Wasting my potential? So you've said."

You'd be more behind the scenes, working on the business side rather than the side with razors and guns

Your brothers were more than happy to hear that, though you'd gotten more than a few comments muttered by Pol

If you really wanted to, you could always be a doctor or a lawyer later in life, for now this is what you wanted most

You were finally part of your family

Within the first week, you have a full list of what could be improved and you're center stage in the family meeting

To say that was nerve wrecking was an understatement

Tommy had his doubts, of course, but John knew you'd been keeping their heads above water for a long time

"Go on then, you've got our attention."

You were the one they went to check over the books, the numbers, catching mistakes no one else did

It wasn't just spelling mistakes or addition issues, you were taking stock in inventory, in all the bullets that were wasted, the little things that went missing that no one seemed to notice

It didn't take long for you to work your way up, prove yourself not only to Tommy, but Pol too, showing her this wasn't a waste of your time

She's still not thrilled, but you're as stubborn as the rest, and she knows it's a losing battle

At least you're being smart with your work

Tommy made you check over every contract and agreement he made, making sure he didn't miss a single detail that would screw them over

He brought you to the races too, working out probability, though your math was shaky at best under that kind of pressure and uncertainty

You were the one counting the profits and losses too, weighing the options of whether or not to invest

You're really the only one who knows just how much the family makes

That is a dangerous thing in itself

You make friends quite easily

Not only can you speak an array of languages, bonding with everyone, but you've got that Shelby charm and good looks, too

You're quite popular, though your brothers constantly get in the way of any potential relationship

You're smart though, and not just for their gain, but yours too

If and when you're ready to date, you'll find a way

Alfie adores you

Tommy drives him mad, but he'd have you over any day

Not only does he love the fact that you can keep up with him, witty beyond belief, but your Hebrew is perfect

"So, you're the brains behind the whole operation?"

"Something like that."

You're brought along to a lot of in person deals

You pick up on things no one else does, remembering the littlest of things that can and will be weaponized if need be

Their kids and spouses names, the way they look at you, how they speak and carry themselves

It doesn't take long for you to know exactly who they are

"They're lying Tom. I know they are."

"How can you tell?"

"They look away when they answer, their eye twitches, and they always lean forward when they're saying something true."

"You got all that from a five minute conversation?"

You're not only their beloved little sibling, but the perfect weapon

They don't teach you how to use a gun, but you've been watching for years, making note of every tiny detail

When you do use a gun, which is inevitable, it's a perfect shot

Arthur and Tom insist you carry something with you, but you're fine sticking with a simple razor

The guns can stay with them. . . .

Not only does it come in handy with work, but your family, too

You pick up on the way Arthur escalates, talking him down before there's a full outburst

You know the nights Tommy does and doesn't sleep just by the sound of his voice, the way he signs his name

You know when to check up on Ada if she's not doing well after Freddies gone, even if no one else can see the hurt in her eyes

That's the thing everyone seems to forget, is that you're not only book smart, but people smart, too

Constantly making fun of your siblings right in front of them

"Pol, y/n's making fun of me!"

"I am not! You don't even speak Russian."

"No, but I can guess."

He'd never admit it to you, but Finn really is amazed by you

Ever since he was a kid he always looked up to you

School and homework and all that never came easy to him, and it lead to him giving up, so the fact that all of this comes so easy makes him proud to be your brother

"Y/n, curse in a language we all know or don't say it all."

Along with learning weapons along the way, you pick up on how to be a nurse, tending to whatever it needed

From your nieces and nephews scraped knees to bullet wounds

"Do not get blood on my new shirt!"

No one really suspects you to be listening or watching the way you do, so when they need it, you go "undercover"

Gaining the trust of the enemy, pretending to be a stranger that just so happens to get their attention as if you hadn't been figuring out what makes them tick, distracting them with drinks and small talk

If anything goes wrong, you picked up on how to get away, how to fight without getting too much attention, and not just by watching

With a memory like yours, there are some things you'd like to forget and can't

A lot of things do leave you with nightmares, with flashes of panic, with this dreadful feeling in your gut like you'd seen it all before

At one point or another you've called your siblings and aunt in the middle of the night, just to check up on them, see if they're okay

Begging your brothers to be more careful

They rarely ever listen though

"Is there anything you can't do?"

"I can't go on a date."

"Nope, not until you're forty."

"Come on Arthur, you can't scare them all away."

Despite all this, you're still treated like a child

Your siblings still see you as that smart little kid correcting their work and growing bored of even the most complicated things

No matter what you do or say, you'll always be small in their eyes

#i got a lil carried away :P #headcanon #peaky blinders #peaky blinders headcanon #thomas shelby #arthur shelby #john shelby #ada shelby #finn shelby #polly gray #ennasfavorites

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userpoe · 3 years

Note

for the characters ask game: each of jedistormpilot? 🥺

You coming in with all three of my babes, bless

Rey:

First impression: I thought she was incredible, relatable, and a complete sweetheart.

Impression now: can you please be a little less relatable hon??? can you bls do that? I love her lots and I love the emphasis she has on found family because that's everything to me

Favorite moment: mhm that's a toughie. She's got a lot of great scenes! But I think it's actually the sequence when they meet Zorii, cos that scene just...showcases all the reasons I love Rey? She hangs back, observant and inquisitive at first (ignoring Zorii and instead asking Poe for more information), then immediately leaping into action once her friends are put into danger, and once the threat is dealt with, offering her hand to Zorii and showing her compassion and gentleness. It's just 😘👌 fantastic

Idea for a story: I'm not sure tbh! I'd really like to see her struggles with connecting to the spiritual side of the Force explored though.

Unpopular opinion: I like her arc in TROS, but I especially love that Leia trained her...I also like her dynamic with Kylo because *munches popcorn* villain/heroes having complex dynamics and having to work together is my bread and butter even if I do spend an inordinate amount of time watching the sequels cheering "WRECK EM BB" when they fight

Favorite relationship: jedistormpilot babey

Favorite headcanon: I like to think that Rey's mom was a pilot in the original Rebellion, who knew Dosmit Raeh - the pilot Rey's helmet once belonged to - and Rey was actually named after her.

Finn:

First impression: I loved Finn so goddamned much you guys. I thought he was incredible and sweet and so fucking funny, he was one of my favorite parts of the Force Awakens.

Impression now: MY BOY. MY GENERAL. I still love him so fucking much??? He's literally the best okay.

Favorite moment: when he fights Phasma, because "rebel scum" has lived rent free in my head since 2017.

Idea for a story: canonically Finn goes undercover aboard the Finalizer (which. Damn. The big dick energy), and I like the idea of him nearly getting caught but a handful of stormtroopers help him and then in return, Finn breaks them out and brings them to the Resistance. Cos you know... rescuing people aboard the Finalizer's kinda his thing.

Unpopular opinion: I have no idea if this is unpopular or not but watching Pacific Rim Uprising last night really made me wish John got to keep his English accent for Finn instead of them going for an American one.

Favorite relationship: again I'm saying jedistormpilot because I literally cannot and will not choose between his dynamics with Poe or Rey because they're both seratonin rushes.

Favorite headcanon: I really really love the thought that Finn might be from Corellia. Don't ask me why, but I just think it'd be so fucking good.

Poe:

First impression: In the theaters it was a very eloquently thought "oh no, he's hot" followed by a "I'm in love" about five minutes later. I really liked that he was sarcastic but wasn't an asshole, because I honestly just....from what we knew about Poe before the film dropped, I was expecting that? So Poe being this very confident, sarcastic, gentle and encouraging man was a big surprise and an even bigger reason I fell as hard as I did.

Impression now: this character...means so damn much to me. The only other character that ever really meant this much to me was the Doctor when I was a kid (I say that like he still doesn't). Poe is a huge, huge comfort character for me and I just. Love him a lot. In ways my neurodivergent ass can't fucking put into words.

Favorite moment: *wants to cheat and include the ending of issue 13* okay from the movies? Probably the TIE Fighter escape or the rooftop scene in TROS with Zorii. I love the escape sequence just cos of how Star Warsy and fun it is - and it's a great example of Poe's personality? The rooftop scene I love because it's just...a really great moment of vulnerability from him. OH GOD AND THE HANDTOUCH? When he's trying to decide what to do with Finn and Rose's plan and goes to Leia to gather his courage and resolve and he puts his hand on hers I just. gOD.

Idea for a story: I really want to write a fic based off a dream I had last November where I was on a mission with him, Finn, Rey, Kaydel, Rose and Beaumont...but I don't know if I'd want to write it as a reader fic or damerey fic (I think it'd be appropriate for a reader fic, since it prompted me into getting back into reader fic).

Unpopular opinion: I don't! Think! He's arrogant!! This comes up a lot in some canon novels and it drives me batty everytime because like... he's confident yes he can be smug sometimes yes, but he doesn't try to be impressive (most of the time) he just says the truth that he has the experience to back him on. The fact that "vainglorious" "self-involved" and "narcissistic" are all terms that have been canonically used abt him annoys me to no end. He's cocksure, yes, but for every positive thing he has to say about himself, he's got even more praise and encouragement for the people around him.

Favorite relationship: Poe and Leia. Like. God. They're everything to me.

Favorite headcanon: I like the idea that when he was seventeen after he left Zorii (and toppled a criminal empire good for him), he stayed with Yegar on the Colossus for some time before he got the courage to see Kes again. I also headcanon that Poe is kind of....an amplifier for the Force.

send me a character!

#michaelperry #ask box

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fruitless-nonsense · 3 years

Text

Hello again! A bit of a delay I know, had some personal life stuff, but I’m back babey!

Firstly, I want to say Happy Pride Month! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 I myself have only recently come out, but to all my peeps in the lgbtq+ community I wish you a month of celebration.

For the topic, I chose one that has been circling in my brain since some asks last week gave me a revelation: I will be discussing kolvina, and more specifically the direction the writers chose for a one Davina Claire.

This ship has always been an anomaly to me, like when it was happening on my screen I was in denial that it was happening at all, and the perceptions on this site have only fueled that feeling. I’ve been watching these communities for a few years now, and the general consensus is people both love and hate this ship, and both sides seem to be equal in numbers. So what is my opinion on kolvina? Well after much deliberation I have decided that.... I don’t like it, and here’s why!

First thing’s first, I want to say I understand this ship better than any other ship in both shows, honestly if the characters acted differently it would’ve been a lot better. The dynamic is there (and I know how important that is to people), not just a trope, but between both characters it works! Let me explain, starting with Kol. Season two goes into depth on his insecurities with his family and how lonely it made him feel over the years. I mean, the show always potrayed the big three: Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah with the strongest bonds and while Finn chooses to exclude himself (for valid reasons tbh) Kol even in the vampire diaries wanted to be a part of that. The problem is (for some reason that is never explained) his siblings don’t care about him. The easiest example is how they reacted to his death, Rebekah was upset for a minute and Elijah didn’t even seem affected at all, the closest I can say is Klaus was angered and didn’t forget for a while, but as soon as the originals started nothing. Then we have his second death where Klaus takes the only opportunity to bring him back off the table and the only one who seeks to try is Rebekah, meanwhile Elijah is nowhere to be found in this department. This finally brings us to Davina. As much of an issue as this is (and we’ll talk about it later), Davina seems to be the first person to ever put Kol first. When he dies a second time, Davina’s number one priority is his resurrection and goes to incredible lengths to do so. I know people say it’s unrealistic for Kol to take interest in a mortal, but it makes sense to me, she’s a witch. From what we learn, Kol has a soft spot for witches cause he yearns for the power that was taken from him by his mother, which doesn’t even go into Davina herself being a rebel like him who paved her own way. Onto Davina’s feelings towards him, Kol’s the only person in her life that is there unconditionally. I know Marcel loves her, but his loyalty to his family clearly comes into conflict with his loyalty to his other family, including her. Klaus either ruins her life or demands things from her. Cami was there for her, but they scrapped that relationship after season one. When Kol is by her side, it’s not cause he needs things from her, nor is he there as some kind of protection. In season two, Davina had a plan and Kol’s response was “okay, I can assist you with that.” Side note, I really liked their friendship in season two before they of course made it something more. Regardless of the past, all of this material would’ve made for a pretty great relationship, but it fell flat, why did that happen?

I have two reasons for why I could never get on board with them. The first is the most obvious: it’s the age difference for me. I know we had Damon and Elena and Klaus and Caroline, but for kolvina the vibe was weirder. Perhaps because Davina acts more childish than them in season one, or because our image of her was young and sweet. It might also have to do with Kol referring to being Kaleb as the body of a teenager making him seem way older than he probably is. I know by season three Davina is 18, but that feeling never goes away for me. This was my hesitance in season two, but as a friendship those two were pretty fun together (might be an unpopular opinion). The problems start in season three.

The second reason is something that the community has kind of dipped into, but not enough. I don’t know if I’m not looking hard enough, but every complaint for kolvina in season three talk only about how insufferable Kol was, which yeah definitely, but honeys he’s only half the problem. Not even halfway through season two Davina stopped being a character. Remember her in season one? A bright spitfire who wasn’t afraid to speak up at the injustice of the Mikaelson’s even if it put her at risk? The girl who showed up Klaus on multiple occasions? Who stood for Josh, Marcel, Cami, and anyone else being pushed around by Klaus? The girl who was powerful, yet kind? A powerhouse set up on a warpath against the Mikaelson’s for season two? I remember her! She was one of my favorite characters because of how badass she was while still keeping her agency. I don’t blame you if you forgot she’s never talked about, and that’s because of what follows. Season two starts off well, with Davina standing her ground against the wolves and keeping Mikael under control showed she wasn’t completely in over her head. Her plan is to find a way to de-sire Klaus’ sireline so she doesn’t kill Marcel and Josh which shows she’s smart and thinking ahead. Then she meets Kaleb, and it goes downhill from there. I get that Davina is supposed to be a naive teenage girl, but that doesn’t excuse after she finds out Kaleb is really Kol. After her Mikael plan fell through her backup plan is to just sit around until Kol shows her the room and tells her about the dagger. With what she’s trying to accomplish it’s a smart plan, but that doesn’t mean her sudden trust in Kol is any less stupid. Her first thought when he’s gone with the stake is to assume he took it and left, so if she thought he was capable of that, why did she drop her guard in the first place? Gets me frustrated. When Kol dies Davina also completes the dagger and for the rest of the season does nothing with it, she does nothing period but whine about Kol with everyone she interacts with which is annoying considering how much she was a part of in season one. That was bad, but the worst is yet to come. Season three gives her a storyline as a ruler of the witches before immediately ending it, and when you look at what they threw away it’s even worse. So Davina gets Hayley to kill one of her detesters and it ends in a bloodbath and the son vows justice for his mom (which is completely valid), and Marcel hints at her turning into Klaus. This is promising, in this scenario Davina is Klaus holding power over the powerless, and Van Nguyen is Davina taking a stand. Very interesting, until she gets shunned in the seventh episode. What was the point? The next time we see her she is distraught at her current predicament, but not because she’s cut off from her people and her ancestors because now she doesn’t have the power to bring Kol back (of course it’s for no other reason). I just don’t understand why Davina was relegated to a side character in the later seasons after all she did in season one. They couldn’t have cut anything else from 3a (Tristan and Aurora perhaps, they were so boring)? Finally, we have her characterization after she resurrected Kol, nothing. She does nothing but wait in the wings for Kol to finish helping his family, a family she hated and had every right to. She either does nothing, or is only around to help with Kol’s sudden curse, and yet Kol is supposed to be worse. I know, I know, the big bad Kol Mikaelson became a lost puppy chasing after Davina, but so was she. They were just as bad as each other, two puppies chasing the tail of the other. Then she died, to push forward the plot around her. If you think that’s treating her like a plot device, let’s fast forward to season four. Davina Claire, harvest girl, rebellious teen, former queen regent of New Orlean witches, is a piece of leverage to control Kol. I’m done. There’s not much to say about season five, she only shows up to spout information and that’s about it.

It’s a sad end that Davina doesn’t even get an epilogue in the finale (I mean I have many problems with the finale regardless but I digress). Our only conclusion is that she lives happily ever after with her immortal boyfriend. Oh yeah! They never explain that caveat. She’s a mortal witch who will eventually die of old age, and he’s an original. I’m either supposed to assume Davina becomes a vampire (which would be the most out of character thing for her to do considering she hates vampires and loves her magic), which would mean women making personal sacrifices while the man doesn’t have to give up a thing (such a wonderful lesson we keep telling young women), or Kol became mortal by maybe also taking the cure with Rebekah (which makes a bit more sense since we know Kol misses doing magic). The point is, we don’t know, cause they don’t explain anything.

Look Davina wasn’t the perfect character, but she deserved so much better than what she became, and the worst part is this is barely talked about. Like I said, when people hate on kolvina, they approach it from “they ruined Kol!” And not really mentioning Davina. You’ll notice I mention Kol’s characterization, but I’m not going in depth. That’s cause you can easily find a more articulated response on how they did Kol dirty without having to look too hard, but Davina? She needs all the shoutouts she can get. Cami is overhated, and Davina is ignored. That’s two female regulars in the cast being treated terribly by the community and I will not stand for it! I wanna see Davina Claire deserves better cause she did.

To wrap up a very long post, we need to talk about Davina more, when I said season three was better than tvd I wasn’t referring to 3a, justice for the women of the originals, happy pride month, I’ll try to post more frequently.

#davina claire #anti kolvina #kol mikaelson #the originals #season 3a is wasted opportunity period #Davina Claire deserves better #she really does #women of the originals #klaus mikaelson #elijah mikaelson #rebekah mikaelson #finn mikaelson #the mikaelsons #marcel gerard #wasted female friendships

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nowplayingblog · 3 years

Text

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT:

Sweater Weather, by @lumosinlove

... and other related works.

SPOILER FREE

Short(er) Remus Rights. One of the big things I dislike about a lot of people within any fandom is how much they can sometimes gatekeep different interpretations of characters. Remus and Sirius get a lot of this - there are interpretations of their characters that the majority of the fandom has decided to agree on, and anything outside of that is somehow wrong. For me, Remus is the hardest, because my interpretation is at times the exact opposite of what the fandom seems to have agreed on. I won't go into too much detail here, but one of my points is that I imagine Remus as shorter and smaller than Sirius. A lot of people will come for your next if you don't think that Remus is like seven feet tall or something ridiculous. Overall, Hazel's Remus has always lined up a lot with my interpretation of him. It's just nice to see Remus written and described in a way that I also imagine him in my head. (I may make another post explaining myself more in depth on this one...)

Use of French, and Hockey Accuracy. When reading Sweater Weather, I would be constantly translating the French that is used by multiple characters in the story, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the use of the language seemed to be a lot more accurate and genuine than a simple google translate plug (which... No hate, I've been there.) It made me wonder if Hazel actually knows French? At least a little? Also the descriptions of Hockey both on and off the ice feel really real and accurate, especially after I finished the story and started to look more into Hockey (because I'm probably on my way to becoming a Hockey fan now) and was ecstatic to find a lot of the things being discussed in the story also being discussed in real hockey clips and videos. This is most likely due to Hazel being a Hockey fan and actually understanding the sport instead of just fudging it. (Which again, I would be guilty of.)

Healthy Polyamorous Relationship(s). I have very rarely read anything with a polyamorous relationship. Period. But when I do I have that awful monogomous-normative voice in the back of my head that tells me which two are "actually in love" and which one is "the third wheel" and I definitely don't have that awful voice regarding the real life polyamorous relationships I've seen. Hazel does a wonderful job at developing every interpersonal relationship with O'Knutzy as well as how they all work together. (And O'Darwin is new to me, but I already love it so, so much)

Varying Relationship Lengths. There are relationships of varying shapes and sizes. Some take years to say "I love you" while others are engaged less than two years after getting together. I think it's easy to forget nowadays that you don't need to be dating for years before getting married and starting a family - and it doesn't need to be in that order.

That Hurt/Comfort tho. Hurt/Comfort is may favorite genre perhaps ever. And in Hockey there is a lot of hurt, so it makes sense to be followed up by a lot of comfort. It's perfect. *chef's kiss*

Feeling Things With The Characters. In almost every scene I could feel how each character felt and kind of get a sense of what's going on in their heads. There were times in these works where I could really feel that longing or loneliness or pain or sadness. I don't get to feel that intensely that often when reading fanfiction, and these fics make me feel all the things.

These are just a few of the broader themes I enjoyed while reading Sweater Weather.

SPOILERS AHEAD

TOP FIVE FAVORITE SCENES:

The All Stars Game (AKA all of Chapter 15) I loved this chapter, because it captures the entire arc of the pain Remus and Sirius feel after being outed, the steps they take to actually talk about it and talk to eachother again and get through it together, to once again being on the same page, and rooting for and protecting eachother more fiercely than ever. I loved the team members coming over to be with Remus and watch the game, I loved Remus's past coming to light, I loved Sirius punching Greyback in the face, Regulus being rescued. I even loved hearing the terrible things the press had to say, because I love that kind of drama it gets me so worked up (... In works of fiction. In real life that stuff would make me very, very angry.)

Remus Talking to Logan (Chapter 13) I love this scene because it really shows basically every side of the O'Knutzy drama, and because I could really feel Logan's pain and panic in this scene. I loved how soft and kind Remus was in trying to talk to Logan about it, at the same time trying to keep him calm. I loved Finn walking in and seeing that Logan was hurting and immediately wanting to fix it, nearly ready to fight Remus, who was getting in his way. And I love the final part, where Remus suggests Logan tell 'them' he loves them, all the while promising himself he would tell Sirius the same thing. I think this scene is the perfect crossover point between Coast to Coast and Sweater Weather, and progresses both storylines flawlessly.

Family Skate (Chapter 12) I think it's hat I liked most about this scene was the Team learning not only that Remus used to play, but just how good he was, and still is. I loved how shocked they are, and the foreshadowing when Arthur asks Remus if he has any tapes. I really like the somber tone around Remus's injury, and how tragic it is, and the team can really understand that. It also sets the time for just how much this injury is affecting Remus even to this day. Aside from all that serious stuff, seeing the Team with little kids is also super cute. And James finding out about the necklace.

The Game Against Vegas (Chapter 16) I liked this scene a lot because you can really feel how much the team wants to avenge Remus. I liked the tense interactions between Remus and Greyback, especially the part where Remus said "you're not my teammate". One of my favorite moments is at the end of this chapter when Remus is spiraling in a gas station parking lot, and all of his old superstitions are coming back to him. The Angst Levels are astronomical.

Leo and Finn Like Eachother (Coast to Coast, Chapter 4) I honestly loved this scene so much, the emotional roller coaster Leo went through, the hesitance surrounding the whole "all three of us" question. The pain Leo feels when he thinks the kiss was only out of confusion, and that Finn only loved Logan. The relief he feels when Finn says he likes him. It's just a master piece. (Honorable mention for when all three of them get together in the next chapter: it was such a close tie.)

All in all, Sweater Weather is such a good read, and I love that I'm still immersed even after I've read the fic so many times. I'm going to keep following Vaincre, and I have a lot of ficlets planned out for this universe, coming soon.

Lots of love and praise to Hazel, who wrote not only such a good story, but wonderful characters (both Harry Potter, and original) as well.

#sweater weather: lumosinlove #sweather weather by lumosinlove #sweater weather #sirius black #remus lupin #leo knut #finn o'hara #logan tremblay #o'knutzy #coops #wolfstar #james potter #lily evans #harry potter #now playing: sweater weather

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billyspotato · 4 years

Text

Stopping You - Michael Gray [Prologue]

I know I have requests to do but I hope you all understand. The idea of this story as been marinating in my mind for over 2 months, and I actually started writing it today.

If you’re still waiting for me to do your request, I’m done with my exams on my 21st, so until then... I probably won’t post anything.

Words: 1.558 words

Type: Mostly Angst

Warnings: Swearing. Probable misspelling. Some big hatred towards the characters Michael and Gina. There will be scenes of the show in here, but also some made up (this applies to all parts of this future story). No race of the reader is mentioned (therefore, anyone can read this as themselves). Female Reader. (Season 5 Spoilers)

[Prologue] [Part 1] [Part 2]

A/N: Gif’s not mine :)

Michael.

Michael was the name that would make you smile just by hearing it. Make you happy just by thinking about it. Make you feel those butterflies just by remembering who it belonged to.

Michael Gray was once the man that you promised to love unconditionally for the rest of your life. No matter what would happen, your heart would belong to him and him only. And so, did his. You two belonged to each other, and no one would even try to separate the two of you.

But that all ended one day. The day before Michael had to leave to go to the United States. Miles and miles away from you. And for God knows how long.

You two decided to continue your lives without being in a relationship with each other, and just like Michael said: “It’s just in case anyone wants to hurt you because of me. I don’t want you to be dragged into all this”. You agreed. It made sense. But it hurt.

You made Michael promise to never stop answering your calls or even making them. You even made a joke about you going to America just to teach him a lesson if he didn’t. You remember that Michael laughed at that with you. Showing his pearly white teeth with his perfect smile. Eyes full of love.

And everything went well after that.

Well, except for all the nights you cried yourself to sleep just by thinking of all the dangers Michael would face when he would set foot on the American soil.

And… Everything else after that.

Everything went downhill. The sweet Michael that always answered the phone at any time of day turned into the cold man that would continuously sigh over the phone when hearing your words to then just say “Honey, I’m working right now” or “I’m actually busy” or “I can’t talk today, I’ll call you when I can”.

At first those words made complete sense to you, he is only away from you because he is working for his family, his work must be pilling up after all these months of doing business. You understood it completely. And with that, you stopped calling.

The only objective into doing this was to not make Michael upset or even frustrated with your calls. You want him to be the member of the family that he aspired to be, and you refused to be the one to stop him.

By the time you completely stopped calling, calls would be more and more rare. It started with one call at the end of his day, which always woke you up, to one in two days, to one in a week, to one a month, and then… It stopped.

Once it reached the third month, you still didn’t call. You went to talk to Tommy, because maybe he could tell you something about Michael’s well being or even if he is alive. And Tommy confirmed it to you that he was more than fine, just working at his office.

Your last call was on the fifth month of silence. The first time you attempted to do the call, he didn’t pick up. Nor on the second, third, or fourth. But on the seventh and he did not sound happy.

Your tone started off sweet, as always, while his was filled with a slight arrogance and annoyance. As you tried to make conversation, Michael would give you short and direct answers.

It took some good minutes for you to stop your nice attitude and confront him about his absence, “Why didn’t you call me?”. “Because I have been working, you know that” He answered before letting out one of his notorious sighs at you. “All day? Did you ever leave the office?” You would ask him; concern came back to your voice as soon as that. And the conversation from then on was a complete and utter mess. Michael quickly became extremely annoyed and specifically told you about his frustration towards your constant concern.

And it all ended with “Well if I’m such a burden to you then maybe it’s better if we stop talking to each other”. Michael stayed silent after you said that, but he did answer. He answered an “Okay”.

That was when you finished that call. Tears already falling down your cheeks and sobs building up in your chest so rapidly that it felt that they were trying to rip through your chest and make you let it all out. Which you did. And it didn’t stop for days.

The first person to check on you was Polly. She found your lack of calls and lack of visits to her home, strange. She automatically felt that something was extremely wrong once she stepped foot at your front door. And when she welcomed herself in with Michael’s keys, she heard pure silence. No signs of life in that house.

Polly first thought that you weren’t even home at some point but that’s when something made her go into your bedroom, where she found you, awake and staring at the ceiling with no readable expression in your face.

You had no strength to get yourself up from bed, your eyes were red, face slightly swollen and your skin didn’t glow as it usually did. All of it caused by lack of sleep, food, water. Three things you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. You were, even though completely silent, fighting a mental battle at every second of the day. And all of it was about whether or not it was your fault Michael had become the arrogant man he did.

Polly quickly ran over to you, cupping your face, letting her colds hands hit your warm cheeks and as your eyes met, Polly just asked “What did he do?”.

After Polly’s appearance, everything started to get better for you. She made sure you had company all the time. When she couldn’t be there because of meetings, she would call over Finn, since he was the only Shelby that wasn’t occupied. Making you and Finn start an amazing friendship (and no, there is absolutely no attraction between the two of you) in which you supported each other at all costs with everything.

The other Shelby brothers (and sister) started showing their concern towards you as soon as Polly started to seem worried in meetings, in which she had to leave you all alone at her house.

She knows what’s like to be in your all-time-low, and so does Arthur and Tom, and they do not want to see such a sweet and happy young woman experience such dark times, especially alone.

No one deserves it.

As you started to become healthier and healthier, Michael still didn’t call once. He did talk to Tommy and sometimes his mom on the phone, but they never told him about what he never asked: you.

Arthur then offered to bring you over to the Shelby’s meetings, even if you weren’t apart of the family, you and your parents, which are somewhere you don’t know, have been loyal to the Shelby’s, always. And maybe, meetings could have the same impact in you as they do on everyone: keep your mind occupied with business and almost never think about your personal life.

You accepted it, you came to the meetings but sat in silence, only listened. It did help. Michael stopped being on your mind on a daily basis, and when he did, you pushed him away.

One day, you gave your first observation in a meeting, which was welcomed by the Shelby’s with smiles or smirks, all of it because the meetings indeed worked, and also… You give really fucking good strategies and advice for the business.

After that, Tommy made you learn how to shoot a gun, which took some time, but once you got the hang of it… Good lord. Nobody wanted to challenge you into any shooting ‘contest’.

As you warmed up to the idea of being a part of the Shelby’s and the peaky Blinders, you definitely became one of their favorites. Some even called you the Peaky Blinders’ princess, which you believe it’s awfully cliché and over the top.

You did become one of the members that should always be present in any killing, meeting, dinner, etc.

You grew from this sweet and loving girl, who got destroyed over her first boyfriend, in which she trusted with her life; into this woman who learned how to use her beauty against others and then rapidly attack, making her one of the, if not, the most dangerous woman in Birmingham, a gangster who’s protect by the family of gypsies the world learned to fear and the assassin she learned to be.

People fear you. People fear your name. People fear the idea of you. And there’s no man who’s going to hurt you once more without experiencing the lethal consequences you swear to do.

But who’s going to stop you when Michael steps foot into that ship with his future American wife, ready to come back home after the incident that he caused? Who’s going to stop you when you’ll have to look at the blue eyes of the man that broke you? Who’s going to stop you?

Easy, just two options. Everyone or no one.

But who’s going to stop him?

- - - - -

If you’re interested in being a part of my tag list, please comment or dm me?

- - - -

🌸✨Sorry, but I’m not writing in this account anymore. Go check out my new one @twinklelilstarkey✨🌸

#michael gray x reader #michael gray #peaky blinders #the peaky blinders #finnn cole #finn cole x reader #michael shelby #michael shelby x reader #tommy shelby #arthur shelby #polly shelby #ada shelby

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a-libra-writes · 4 years

Text

SFW Alphabet - Arthur Shelby

Hey yall! Im gettin into the swing of writing for Peaky Blinders. If you have any requests for preferences, imagines, alphabets, fics - please send them my way!

(Psst Arthur is my fav, best boi no one can convince me otherwise. Ok alfie is a close second but we arthur squad on this blog)

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

He's less "affectionate" and more "lovingly clingy". Arthur adores your attention and wants it all the time. He's holding your waist while you cook, having you sit in his lap at the bar or pulling you into his embrace on the couch … and of course kisses are a part of this package. He just feels off when he doesn't get his daily dose of affection from you. While Arthur would understand if you weren't in the mood or busy, he'd (im)patiently wait for you to be available.

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

As loyal and protective as he is, Arthur isn't always the best influence as a friend. He'll be a bit gentler and try to censor himself with a woman, but once you really get to know him, he's comfortable being himself. While he's initially on guard with strangers, it's easy for him to appreciate someone who is kind and understanding.

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

It's pretty obvious that he's the bigger cuddler between the two of you. He can't get enough of the safe and comfortable feeling of your embrace. When he's feeling tired, he'll rest his head in the crook of your neck, and when he's particularly upset he'll want to rest on your chest. The bed is probably the most comfortable place to cuddle, but a settee in front of a warm fire suits you both well, too. His hold is loose unless he's upset - then you might need to ask him to be a little gentler.

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

He tries not to dwell on it, but Arthur has wanted a family for some time. It's hard to keep those domestic thoughts from knocking when he's spending time with you. As for cooking and cleaning, he's … pretty shit at both. He'll try, but don't expect much. He still likes to hang around the kitchen when you cook to talk with you and hand you things.

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

He’d try to be quick and blunt about it, detached - like Tommy always is - but Arthur would struggle to look you in the eye and string the right words together. Afterward he’d have to hit the drink and coke hard to get the awful, swirling emotions out of his gut, and to drown out the way your face fell.

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

He got attached to you quickly, so it’s not a surprise that he’d start thinking about marrying you just as swiftly - not helped by Tommy and Finn encouraging him to do it already. He knew it was too soon to ask such a thing of you, and the two things urging him toward this decision were complete opposites: On one hand, he loved you already, on the other hand, there was a twisted desire to “keep” you before you could “get away”. The possessive thoughts made him feel guilty, but not enough to try and feel out what you thought of marriage. Of course, he’d always have a voice telling him he didn’t deserve such a thing with you to begin with, but that was often pushed aside by his affection and jealousy.

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

Arthur tries, he really does. Sometimes he touches you so lightly, it’s like he thinks you’ll break, other times he holds far too tightly and kisses too roughly. There are happy middles, of course, but a lot of it just depends on his state of mind at the time. Sometimes he gets carried away with a positive or negative mood and you have to remind him to not hold so tight.

Emotionally, Arthur tries just as hard to speak to you with nothing but affection, but on days when his head is swarming with awful thoughts, he’ll end up raising his voice or breaking things around the house. You don’t stand for it, of course, and he does eventually come down and apologize. He normally speaks to you like you’re the only, loveliest girl in the world, since that isn’t far from the truth for him.

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

He loves it when you initiate hugs, and not just when he’s spiraling - just whenever you feel like it, because you love him. The unconditional affection just immediately distracts him from whatever he was doing, and he wants to cling to you and keep you there for longer. Getting a hug from behind or the side is fine, but he’s going to turn around and pull you into a proper one.

He likes totally wrapping you up in his wiry arms, keeping you firmly in place by holding your waist or your back. His body will lean into you, and when you’re alone, he’s probably the one who will start the swaying. When his mood is more turbulent, he pulls you roughly to him and squeezes you tightly, like you’ll float away if he doesn’t keep you here.

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

Arthur tells himself to hold off on saying such a thing even if he feels it early into your relationship. He doesn’t want to scare you off, because let’s be honest, he’s still surprised you want to see him after every day. But being the emotional man he is, he can’t stop it from tumbling out. It’d probably happen when you two were just spending time together, the sun hit your hair just right, you looked up at him with a sweet smile, touched his arm and … said something totally innocuous, only for him to blurt out those three words over you.

A fun fact he doesn’t remember - one time he was nearly black-out drunk, and while you helped him stumble home, he “confessed” to you several times with varying degrees of success. It was almost cute, although you were positive he wouldn’t remember. You had an idea of his feelings, anyway, it’s not like he’s subtle.

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

Oh boy.

It’s not that he doesn’t trust you, it’s nothing against you. He’s just a jealous man, and there is zero logic to it. It’s a pure emotional reaction and he feels it hard. More than once you’ve pulled Arthur away for getting aggressive with a man who was simply making smalltalk. It doesn’t matter how many times you scold him (you’re so beyond comforting this insecurity), it’s like a knee-jerk reaction with him. Much of it comes from his fears of losing you, which you understand … But it doesn’t mean you have to tolerate and allow it. If he even tries to scowl while you’re just chatting with a man, you firmly tell him to knock it off.

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

His kisses are often quick and messy; he likes giving several at once instead of one, long one. If he does it to your neck, you can get quite breathless, especially when he’s holding you and saying something sweet. Arthur likes your lips a lot, he thinks they’re just so soft and even lovelier with your favorite shade of lipstick. Your neck is a close second, but even if you’re bare before him, he’ll keep getting distracted by that smile.

Any kiss you give is a good one, but for the longest time it was the kisses you’d give to his cheek and jaw that would take him off guard and fluster him the most. It was such a basic gesture, but one he hadn’t experienced in … Well, he can’t recall. You’d be stopping by the shop to say hello, or on your way to leave the house, and you never forgot to kiss him hello and goodbye. The gesture was nothing short of intimate to him.

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

Arthur is initially awkward with kids, but he does what he can. He’s hopeless if you hand him a baby, even if he likes it when they look at him, and he isn’t always sure how to talk to them. He’ll end up talking like he normally does, just a little more censored. If the kids are older, he falls into a natural older brother and even fatherly roll, teaching them things they prooobably shouldn’t know at their age.

With his own children, he’d be far too indulgent, something you tease him about several times. Lord forbid if he has any girls because they will be both spoiled rotten and absolutely overprotected. He’d want to be a much better father than his own was, and would look forward to teaching his son all sorts of things, … and his daughter, if she asked, because he can’t say no to her. Yes, both he and the kids were in for an earful once you found out he was teaching them how to fight and defend themselves.

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

He’s not a morning person, period, end of sentence. Good luck getting his ass up anytime before ten, and if he’s been drinking or out doing god knows what, make that before noon. Even when he’s up, he’s grumbling and stumbling here and there as he gets ready. You’ll probably have to make sure his tie is straight and he doesn’t forget anything (his sleepy, appreciative smile is very cute).

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

More often than not, he’s coming home drunk off his ass or reeling from something he had to take care of. He gets home at ridiculous hours, and you aren’t about to stay up all night. You wake up briefly when you feel his arm wrap around your waist and pull you close, mumbling sleepily and smelling of alcohol and streets the whole time. If you’re actually up when he’s back, you make a point to point him to the shower, and then it’s nothing but snuggles and maybe something more. Arthur does prefer to get home early, and he really tries, but … well, business is business. He also prefers being sober when you welcome him back and curl up with him.

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

Once you have his trust and he feels comfortable speaking with you, there’s really nothing stopping Arthur’s floodgates. When you’re curled up on the couch and he’s resting his head against your warm chest, taking in your scent and your heartbeat while you run your fingers down his back, he’ll literally tell you anything. When his dark moods are taking over and you calmly hold him and talk him through it, it’s easy for him to be more honest with you than anyone else in his life. This is doubly so when he’s drunk; although much of that is rambling and saying how much he loves you.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Well, you can probably guess how easy it is to set off his temper - the exception is you can’t say and do far more than anyone else can, because he just can’t imagine being legitimately upset with you. This is why you’re the go-to person when he gets set off, even before you two were a couple. The Shelbys dubbed you as their “Arthur handler” before you knew it. The thing is, you could probably “get away” with a lot when it comes to Arthur; he adores you and thinks the best of your intentions.

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

Arthur is a bit of a mixed bag on this. He’s not great with specific preferences of your’s, like what you prefer for dinner and your taste in books, but he has good intuition for situations that make you upset or happy. As an example, Arthur would be very aware of any phobias you have or trauma you’ve suffered and would make a point to avoid triggering it. If flowers will put you in a better mood, you’ll sure as hell have them in your house when you come home. If Tommy decides something he knows you won’t like, he’ll try to talk to you first and ease you into the idea.

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

It’s hard for him to pick just one, but a serious moment to consider was also a turning point in your relationship. You’d known the Shelbys for some time and were on well enough terms with them, but you were still surprised when Tommy called for you to look after Arthur for a few days. He’d had a terrible episode - you weren’t given the details - and you spent hours gently soothing and talking to him. He actually opened up to you far more than he had anyone at that point, and it didn’t hit him until later how unafraid and non-judgmental you were. It was in your living room, you had gotten him some tea and were speaking softly while rubbing his back. You didn’t make him feel weak or blamed him for anything. You just listened, and he couldn’t help but compare you to an angel in that moment. He wanted to see you the next day, even if he still wasn’t in a great headspace, just to talk to you and make sure it really happened. You really did comfort and hold a sorry bastard like him.

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

He was always protective when you were friends, and once you’re together, it’s even moreso. Arthur wouldn’t bring up you learning to use a gun, but if you expressed even a little interest he’d offer to teach you, at least the basics. He’d feel comforted just with a knife strapped somewhere to your leg, anything worked, even if he kept assuring you that you’d never have to use either weapon. You don’t doubt for a second that he’d throw himself in front of a gun for you, and in uncertain times he’s had men posted outside your home.

Arthur wouldn’t expect the same level of protectiveness at all from you. It’s his job to keep you safe, and truthfully, putting yourself in danger for his sake would only make him feel panic and guilt. But you emotionally protecting him, and sticking up for him around others, that would just get him flustered and grateful. He’ll never get tired of hearing you talk about how much you trust and love him.

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

Well, honestly, sometimes he forgets things you were supposed to do together because Tommy kept him out all night, or he got too drunk and passed out at the bar … …. And he knows your anger is justified when that happens. When he actually does remember, he tries to plan things out for your birthday, somewhere nice you two can drive to and really enjoy yourselves.

He actually doesn’t need a reason to buy you things. If it’s pretty and shiny, and something about it just reminds him of you, he’ll buy it without thinking. He likes spoiling you, even if you’re the sort of girl who doesn’t really wear jewelry or fancy clothes, he can’t help it. Flowers and sweets will also be given to you in equal measure, just because.

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

You both know he has plenty of them, you don’t even need to ask him if something’s gone wrong because the look of guilt on his face tells you enough. Arthur really does try to be better with you, and he’s leagues better than he was - as Tommy will often tell you - but the pain he picked up from war and his upbringing are just etched too deep, at least, he thinks so. He at least tries to keep you from seeing his worst side, but that just makes him all the more grateful when he comes home a complete mess and you’re there to comfort him.

The drinking is a problem, the cocaine - ooh, you’ve have words about that with John and Michael - the slips of control and anger … It’s a lot, and no one blames you for being tired, least of all Arthur. So when his mind is clear, he tries to be his best for you and show you how much he loves and appreciates you.

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

There’s always been other things on his mind other than his appearance; he looks after his personal grooming and wears the same nice clothes as his brothers, but he also tends to get absolutely filthy and bloody from his brawls. At least he knows to wash up before beelining to see you. Arthur does like it when you compliment him, though, and he makes a point to buy any ties and coats you’ve bought him.

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

He’d absolutely be lost without you, and he knows it. In his darker moods he thinks that the only thing keeping him alive is you. If you left him, or worse - something had happened to you - he’d be in such a dangerous state that Tommy would be seriously worried and would try to intervene. If that means dragging you back and trying to calmly ask you to reconsider being with Arthur, so be it.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

You don’t remember how or when you two picked up this habit, but you began to enjoy mindlessly driving around. You’d chat while meandering around Small Heath, and if you saw something interesting, Arthur would pull over and you both would take a look. You’d end up finding interesting parks or tucked away cafes; one time ended up in a bizarre art gallery that the two of you tried very hard not to laugh at. This became a little tradition whenever you’d visit a new place: Drive around and just see what you stumble upon. A silly side effect of this is anytime Polly and Tommy would bring up a restaurant or store on the other side of town, they’d be dumbfounded as to how the hell Arthur knew about it first.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He sleeps like a total log, especially when he’s drunk. He’ll still be holding onto you, since that’s probably how he fell asleep, but his grip is fairly loose and it’s easy for you to wiggle out of it if you’re cramped or too hot. Without you, he doesn’t sleep nearly as well, often waking up in the night and tossing and turning. He forgets how much he likes your comforting presence until he has to sleep without it.

#arthur shelby #arthur shelby x reader #peaky blinders #peaky blinders x reader #sfw alphabet

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tthankstoyou · 3 years

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Bestie, from one hevans shipper to another, what is it about Hevans that does it for you? Why are you a shipper? What was the moment that made you realise you felt this way? What are your favourite cannon moments? What are your favourite headcannons? Tell me EVERYTHING teehee uwu

ASJHF THANK YOU FOR THIS ASK ILY!! This got long so everything is under the cut...... sometimes I just can't shut up about them. I love these boys so much <3

OKAY SO I actually made a masterpost type thing of reasons that I ship hevans, which you can find here

BUT I WILL ADD TO THAT LIST OF THINGS! I also love how the au's aren't that far removed from canon. Like. A secret relationship when they're living together in s3? Yes please! It's not too crazy to think about model!sam x vogue!kurt, swimmer!sam x kurt , & jock!sam x cheerio!kurt. These tropes all take from things that are canon, which is something that I love. You don't have to change a whole character and their interests to write stuff.

Bestie, on the moment that made me realize I ship them... I'm sorry to say this but I used to... really not like Hevans. Like before I came onto Glee Tumblr, I used to lurk on Glee Instagram and whenever ppl posted about Hevans on there, I was like "Okay... and... what's even the point" (but then again I didn't ship any crackship/non-canon ship at the time). BUT OH GOSH then I joined the Glee fandom on here... and I remember searching through the Hevans tag bc #yolo & after scrolling past the third gifset, I was like "Fuck, I think I ship them now."

On top of that, I think what really got me hooked wasn't the canon scenes (although I do love those so much), but it was the thought of how much they would help each other grow as people. Like if you look at Kurt and Sam, they are both rocks for people in there life and are always there for them... but they don't get much of that reciprocated. Like we don't see Kurt asking for help with things he's struggling with past s2x06. AND! That's especially seen with his father's health problems. Sam has been through family troubles too, he knows how hard it is to ask for help and I think he would encourage Kurt to open up to people and not internalize all of the pain he's going through. And okay this part is canon, but Kurt helped Sam so much when he was homeless. Like Kurt was selfless enough to go out of his way and help out Sam when he was at his lowest, that shit gets me right in the heart. I just think they would be great for each other and encourage each other to be the best versions of themselves.

My favorite canon moments would probably have to be when Sam fought Karofsky for Kurt and deadass everything in season 6. On fighting Karofsky, I know that Kurt doesn't need anyone to defend his honor, but try to look me in the eyes and tell me it isn't fruity to get into a fistfight for a guy that you've just met. Like Sam barely knows Kurt, but here he us throwing punches in the locker room. It's just all in how much Sam must have cared about Kurt to do that for him.

And on the s6 scenes..... OH BOY.... Hevans should have dated in s6. Like okay okay 1) that scene where they're talking to everyone about a plan to bring Rachel back to New York. How Sam keeps on looking at Kurt.... and they way they turn to look at each other.... wow I love them. Oh and dear God, I die a little bit every time when I see that shot where Sam brushes his hand across Kurt's arm... please kiss already. And idk man just the thought of Sam and Kurt hanging out after work (maybe at the Lima Bean) and coming up with a plan to help out one of their friends get her life back on track. They're both such caring people and work so hard to make those that they love happy.

I made posts for Hevans headcanons, which you can find part 1 here and part 2 here.... maybe one day I'll make a part three... hmm just maybe. BUT UNTIL THEN!!! I will give you some little headcanons hehehe

- Kurt babysat Stevie and Stacy alongside Quinn.

- The reason why Kurt wasn't in that video about how great Sam is, is because Kurt put together something special for him that was super personal. It's a list of reasons why Kurt loves Sam... they're broken up at the time so Sam seeing how Kurt wrote "loves" instead of "loved" makes him fight to get back together with Kurt. So not only does this list of things give Sam motivation to not give up in life, but he also gets a boyfriend out of it.

- Kurt helped Sam touch up his roots and trimmed his hair.

- Branching off of what I said earlier about Sam and Kurt meeting at the Lima Bean to conspire about how to help Rachel, they played footsie underneath the table. And it took all of their strength to not reach over and hold each other's hands on top of the table... bc they didn't know if their relationship was at the point yet of holding hands so casually.

- Kurt bought Sam those soda and candy flavored chapsticks from Claires. Kurt ended up loving the scents of some of them and stole them for himself... but Sam could tell right away that Kurt stole them based off of the flavor of his lips.

- They're both huge Taylor fans and made sure to go to every show together, even when if they were on a break. (This is based off of Kurt's love for female artists & Sam's love for country).

- Carole knew they were dating before they told anyone about their relationship. Burt sensed there was a new boy in Kurt's life, based off of how he was acting, but didn't know who. Carole could tell it was Sam because of how Kurt always suddenly wanted to hang out with Finn when Sam came over to play video games.

- Kurt helped Sam get some modeling jobs through his Vogue connections before he quit modeling... Isabelle absolutely adored Sam and wanted to hire him on as a full time model.

#they own my heart #asks #nonny #hevans

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sushiburritonoms · 3 years

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Ooh, #13 for Sacred Texts, because that's one of my favorite questions on these types of lists. And if you'd like (I know they could involve spoilers, etc), 2, 4, and 5, as well. Because I'm absolutely loving that fic and am very curious. :D

Hi Anon!

13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

So normally I don't listen to music at all when writing, I'm one of those 'need a quiet space of her own' puritans. I was never able to listen to music while studying either, I think it's some focusing problem but I'm not about to self diagnose.

BUT for Sacred Texts I had a section in Chapter 3 where the teens listen to music in the car and for that I had to listen to top 50 hits in the US for this year to get a sense of what is popular right now. This fic is set in an alt universe 2021. No pandemic and the election in 2020 was Palpatine vs Mon Mothma (don't ask me who Sheev's Vice President is, I just know its not Dooku as I have plans for him later. In this universe nearly all the old Jedi are librarians). So some real life events like the postal service in the US being taken over by right ring sycophants happens in this universe. Some of the music I picked in chapter three was because it was a meme and it was funny (Toxic because of this video of Luke's entrance in the Mandalorian). I wanted to show that Poe was bilingual and to show that Luke's community is diverse so I picked Todo de Ti. I liked it because in English the chorus is "It's because I like everything about you" and I thought that was rather sweet and fitting for a Din/Luke story. But nothing deeper than that, I just liked the beat. I picked Doja Cat Kiss Me on advice from the Boba/Din/Luke server. Again I liked the beat there's nothing deep there except its probably something Luke doesn't like. So I guess if you want to get into the mindset for that chapter, try listening to whatever is on the radio at the moment and that's the world of the teens.

2: What scene did you first put down?

Actually this story is based off a short Tumblr fic I wrote for @darkisrising. Its my most popular post! You can see I took some of the dialogue from that short fic and used it in Sacred Text. At first this was going to be a one shot, I was like 'piffth why would Luke Skywalker, dreamer, ace pilot and the most eager boy in the universe become a librarian of all things.' But then I realized that is kinda what ends up happening in the movies, he goes from this eager hopeful farmer to this wise powerful Jedi. I was kinda interested in what happens in that in-between phase of life when someone is not quite middle aged but is starting to realize that the adult life they are living isn't exactly the life they expected to live when they were a kid. That's why I decided to redo the short story into a longer fic because I wanted to know why a modern AU Luke would want to work with children in a library without it being a crack story of 'we made him a librarian because librarians are hot, teeeheee'.

I also saw a lot of Jedi values reflected in public librarianship. Public librarians are dedicated to serving the intellectual and social needs of a community. It is a very hard service orientated profession because you deal with the public all the time, you deal with censorship, homelessness, poverty and (if you're in the USA) the drug epidemic. I think of public library staff as Jedi honestly, they are my heroes, they are so much more than book shelvers and women with cat eye glasses and cardigans (but seriously cardigans are the best item of clothing ever, I can't dis). I called the story "Scared Texts" in honor of the tiny tree library Luke keeps in The Last Jedi, but also because of the democratic/civic values of the library as an institution of knowledge all around the world.

4: What’s your favorite line of dialogue?

I liked the DILF line in chapter 2 because the thought of Obi-Wan saying that out loud cracks me up. But so far, I really like these two lines from chapter 3:

In Jedha it often felt like he was flying solo; crippled even, in a plane that was broken and past prime, jittering a path forward that had no real destination. The days blurred together and the only way Luke was even able to tell the passage of time was by the inches that Finn and the other kids gained in height.

I like that it fits how Luke sees himself right now but also gives you a clue into his life before librarianship. It tells you how fond he is of the teens and yet how unbearable it is to see them grow up and get ready to leave you. Since I also worked with kids I constantly had these cohorts of children that I would bond with, develop relationships with and then see them off into the real world. Its really quite a complicated emotion and for Luke who wants companionship and a family, but can't get his act together to date, its doubly hard.

5: What part was hardest to write?

Up to this point, Chapter 3 was the hardest. Ask @bronze-lorica or Dark, I deleted whole sections and started again. I rewrote sections of the Luke and Leia phone call because I wasn't getting their relationship right. I always struggle with pacing, either I go too slow or too fast and so of course this story is no exception. I like how chapter 3 came out now, its made chapter 4 much easier (which will be out sometime this week I hope).

I'm sorry this was probably way too long and beyond what you wanted to know. I love to ramble about my thought process. Thank you for asking anon! I really enjoyed answering these.

ALSO Thank you for saying you're loving the fic, that means so much! aksldfjasd sorry I forgot to say that earlier!

#ask game #Sacred Texts #sb rants

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bethanyeliseart · 4 years

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Rise of Skywalker, a movie I genuinely loved!

Ok so I've had almost a full day to think about my thoughts on Rise of Skywalker. Right from leaving the cinema, I knew that I loved this movie! Sure it had it's flaws but every single Star Wars movie does and I like to think the positives outweigh them. It had amazing cinematography, the adventure was there, and all the emotions that come with Star Wars.

SPOILERS AHEAD

I think first I'll talk about the flaws because I love ending things on a cheery note. First, Rose Tico was pushed to the sidelines and I wish we got to see more of her character arc. I think after seeing the backlash some fans had for Rose, JJ was afraid to have her in the spotlight. She could've done more. I would've liked to see her interact more with Finn even platonically. And interact with Rey.

Second, I'm a huge Anakin Skywalker fan so part of me feels like they disrespected his arc in this movie with Palpatine being back. I kinda felt like it was all for nothing. But then I did see some other reviews that said he brought balance for a long time, but balance isn't permanent. So that post brought me some peace on that, thanks to who wrote it (I can't remember who, sorry!).

Third, Ben Solo's death. So I'm not sure if I just hate it because I loved his character or if it really wasn't a good decision. Star Wars stuck to their algorithm of redeeming the villain but to only kill him seconds later. We already saw this with Anakin. Did we have to see it again? Then again it was really meaningful that he sacrificed himself for Rey. Maybe he's still alive somewhere, idk I'm in denial still.

Ok so now onto things I liked/loved which is a lot, but I'm not good with reviews so I might not name all!

First I must say that I loved Rey and Ben's relationship and chemistry. There isn't too much dialogue, but you can see how much they care for one another through expressions. Props to Adam Driver for conveying so much in just looks and actions. The way he looked when he found Rey's dead body was so heartbreaking. He looked so vulnerable.

Also the way Rey was so relieved to see Ben after he brought her back. She smiled like he was this bright light. And oh my, my heart fluttered when they kissed. It's probably just me being the huge romantic that I am, but that was one of my favorite parts. From the beginning they had a strong emotional connection. In TLJ we can see how strongly they feel for one another. Ben wants her to be by his side constantly and really opens up to her. Rey does the same. She let's her self open up about her past and desire to belong somewhere/someone to Ben. In my mind, the buildup was there. It saddens me that it had to be a tragic romance, but Star Wars always has that tragedy. Ben also showed that hope leads somewhere. Rey held onto hope that he would return to the light and he did. He was at peace when he died.

Second thing I loved was the trio of Rey, Finn, and Poe in this movie! We have been waiting to see them all in action together since TFA. And JJ did not disappoint. The banter between the three flowed nicely and was comedic. It felt like a family. It was also so nice to see Rey interacting with Poe! You can tell they have spent a lot of time with each other. For those who think Rey is alone, she has these two guys for her family.💛

The scene where all the ships showed up last minute gave me Endgame vibes and I loved it. Especially when the main theme started.

The entire be with me scene in the throne room was chilling and awestrucking! (wow that first part of that sentence just threw back to GoT😨) When Rey looks up into the sky and the lightning fades to the calm and serene stars I too felt so relaxed. The soft music was so lovely, John Williams never fails. Hearing the jedi voices was what had me smiling like an idiot, especially hearing Anakin's voice saying "Bring balance as I once did". (I guess that's proving that his arc wasn't completely ruined). I would've loved to see Hayden Christensen, but I appreciate that we got to hear his voice.

Was anyone else so surprised to see Han even as a memory? It's not even that I was surprised because of how it goes into the plot, because it makes perfect sense for Ben to look back and remember his last interaction with his father. His father would be the key in him returning to the light. It just surprised me because I did not expect Harrison Ford to show up on set of Star Wars ever again😂. It was a very nice and welcome surprise though. From the moment he killed Han, you could tell Ben felt regret and remorse. I also loved that Leia reached out to her son one last time, showing Ben that his family has not given up on him.

LEIA! It was so awesome to see her training as a jedi with a lightsaber! That flashback gave me so many chills. I loved how Leia continued to train Rey even though she knew she was related to Palpatine. It shows that Leia doesn't judge someone based off blood. Leia loved Rey and had faith in her. People can't help where they came from.

It was so sad to see Leia die but we all know it was going to happen. Chewie's reaction was so emotional and made me shed a tear. The galaxy will remember Princess Leia and Carrie Fisher forever.❤

The Ending

Overall, I loved the ending. Sure I'm still devastated that Ben is dead, but looking at the big picture it was good/satisfying.

People are saying that Rey didn't grieve Ben and she moved on too quick. I think she knows that he will always be with her because no one's ever really gone. He is one with the force. (Ngl, part of me likes to believe he is alive out there somewhere or waiting to come back).

Also as I said before Rey still has people she loves! Finn and Poe are still alive and there for her.

This is just the way I saw it, but I don't think Rey plans to stay on Tatooine very long/permanently. Rey didn't start and end the same way. She has a family now (Poe and Finn) and knows who she is. I think she went there to pay respect to the Skywalker family, it is where it all started with Shmi and her son, Anakin. She buried the lightsabers because they are no longer needed (her new lightsaber is beautiful btw) And don't hate me, but I don't mind her calling herself Rey Skywalker. She felt a deep connection to the family and both Luke and Leia took her under their wing. She doesn't care for/need the name Palpatine. It's not who she is. Which brings me to people being mad that Rey wasn't a nobody. I respect their reasons and everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but I don't think it hurt her character arc. Rey being related to the worst Star Wars villain and still not falling to his dark ways shows how strong she is! She defeated him and brought balance once again to the galaxy despite being his blood.

The ending shot was beautiful and was a perfect way to end the Skywalker saga. The binary sunset and theme was ethereal. It's how the movies started and it's how it ended.

Star Wars is tragic, romantic, and hopeful. This movie showed all of those things. We lost Ben but he felt love again with Rey. Hope was restored with him turning back to the light and Rey defying expectations of a Palpatine. Personally, I loved this movie so much and it did not let me down.

Feel free to add anything you liked about the movie!

#rise of skywalker spoilers #tros spoilers #star wars #rise of skywalker #rey #reylo #ben solo #anakin skywalker #also would've loved to hear padmé's name mentioned #the galaxy forgot her #the rise of skywalker #rise of skywalker review

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calpalirwin · 3 years

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Christmas Firsts

Summary: A tale of Christmas first with our favorite blended family. Merry fuckin’ Christmas, folks!

Word Count: 3.5 k

And away, and away we go!

~2018~

“How do we want to spend Christmas this year?” Finn asked one night in early December after Mason had been put to bed.

She shrugged. “Same way we always have? Quiet morning here, then spend the day with Mom.”

“Okay. If that’s what you want to do, we can do that. Do you want me to get us a small tree to put up and decorate?”

“Yeah, that’d be great,” she smiled over at him, then frowned. “Wait… Why are you asking me what we want to do?”

“It’s Mase’s first Christmas. I know things are the way they are with your family. But if you wanted to see them, or for them to see Mase, then I’ll support that. You know I will, Ness. But I figured we should talk about it, rather than just assume that we would do what we’ve done the last few years.”

“You,” she said, her smile back in full force as she kissed him, “are fuckin’ amazing. And I guess we should probably try Christmas Eve dinner with my family at least. Not actual Christmas though. I like what we have already.”

“Okay, babe. We’ll do that then.”

“Oh! Do you think on Christmas Eve after dinner we can drive around and see the lights? Oh, Mase would love that!”

“Of course, baby.”

So the next weekend, they helped Carol pick a tree, and picked a small one out for themselves. Christmas had always been the couple’s favorite holiday, and getting to watch their son’s eyes light up with excitement at all the colors decorating the trees only added to their joy.

On Christmas Eve, they made the trek over to Vanessa’s parents, Vanessa’s leg bouncing the entire time. “If you’re this stressed, I can just keep driving. We can show Mase the lights, and then we can go home.”

“No…. No… I told them we would come. No… I’m fine, love.”

His hand reached across the seats to rest flatly on her thigh, doing very little to keep her still. “We don’t owe them anything, Ness.”

“No, I know that. But I-”

“I know,” he nodded sadly. He knew Vanessa would keep trying to fix her relationship with her family until the world stopped turning. And he would help pick up the pieces every time they failed her.

So he bit his tongue, and smiled politely as he greeted her family. And he sat there with the same tight lipped smile as he listened to Vanessa try and catch her parents on the things she’d been up to since they last saw each other. And his hand squeezed Vanessa’s as her sister interrupted each tale with the same tale that was somehow better. And when Vanessa’s chair scraped back harshly, tears brimming in her eyes, he grabbed Mason, muttered a quick thanks, and quickly followed her out the front door. And he held her to him as her tears stained the collar of his shirt. “Shh,” he soothed, a hand running up and down her back. “C’mon, we’ll get some hot chocolate and we’ll go see the lights. And we’ll get our boy ready for bed, and we’ll wake up tomorrow, and it’ll be Christmas, and everything will be okay.”

“Why do I keep bothering, Finn? When will I finally learn?”

“Hey, look at me. None of this is your fault. Not one bit of it. You have such an incredible heart. And I am so fuckin’ proud of you for wanting to keep trying with them. And I’m not going to tell you what the right thing to do here is. If you want to keep trying with them, I will support you every time. And if you want to stop trying with them, I’ll support that too. But you have to decide that for yourself, Ness.”

“It’s not fair…”

“I know, baby, I know.”

The tears dried, and her smile returned slowly as they walked around their town, sipping their hot chocolates, and watching Mason’s wide eyes droop lower and lower until he finally dozed off on Finn’s shoulder. And Vanessa let the better part of Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day spent with her little family override a bad dinner.

~2020~

It was the Saturday before Christmas as they sat around the dinner table in the bigger apartment, trying to figure out just how they were going to spend the holiday. Things were tense as Finn and Vanessa were still at odds about what the living arrangements would look like once the baby was born, but they were tabling that argument for after the holidays had passed. “So, how do you want to do this, Finn?” Vanessa asked. “I know we usually go to my parents and try to stomach as much Christmas Eve as we can. But I’m not expecting you to suffer through that with me considering… So, do you just want to take Mason around to see the lights on your own? And then we can both be here in the morning, do our small thing, then go to Mom’s?”

“I’m not gonna take Mase to see the lights without you, Ness. I’m not gonna say no to skipping dinner with your parents. But take Mase with you. And we’ll meet up at like 7 to go around and see everything? Then I’ll help with bedtime and crash on the couch if that’s alright. So that way I’m here when he wakes up.”

“Yeah. Yeah, that works.”

“And Ash, you’re more than welcome to join whatever parts you want. My mom’s bugging to meet you actually.”

“Yeah, love, what are you doing for the holiday?”

Ashton shrugged. “Normally I’m finishing tour at this point, and then flying home. But because of covid and everything… I dunno. I guess I’m here this time. Um, so yeah. Love to meet your parents, baby.”

“No, you don’t,” both Finn and Vanessa told him.

Ashton looked at them in confusion. “Uh… is there something about your family I should know?”

“Finn and his mom are my family. They have been for a while. Because my actual family… well…”

“There’s a reason we try to limit contact with them, “ Finn said, giving the polite answer. “We try to give them the benefit of seeing them around the holidays. But, well… go to dinner and you’ll see what we mean.”

“Lovely…”

Ashton got an exclusive insider look to the Parker family’s… eccentric behavior as he accompanied Vanessa to Christmas Eve dinner with Mason. “You must be the new boyfriend,” Mr. Parker greeted.

“Yes, sir,” Ashton told him, shaking his hand. “I’m Ashton. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Finn won’t be joining us?” Mr. Parker asked his daughter.

“No, Dad. We’ve been over this, Finn and I aren’t together anymore.”

“Mmm, yes… and the new boyfriend is a drummer. How delightful.” He turned on his heel to walk to the dining room, leaving Ashton and Vanessa standing there in the entrance to the home.

Ashton’s jaw ticked slightly. “Wow.”

“I told you,” Vanessa warned him.

“And the rest of your family?”

“Just as bad if not worse.”

“Awesome… Let me know when you wanna bail.”

“Usually before dessert.”

“Awesome…”

Ashton and Vanessa endured the awkward dinner, of Vanessa’s sister, Erica, dominating the conversation about how well her and her husband were doing, with their young son only a few months younger than Mason talking up a small storm. But the breaking point was when Mason got Ashton’s attention to ask for another bread roll. “Papa,” Mason said, diverting all the attention to him as he pointed at the roll on Ashton’s plate.

“Oh, Nessie…” Mrs. Parker said mournfully.

Ashton’s jaw ticked again, but he kept quiet. Instead, he made a small show of tugging Mason into his lap, and letting the boy help put butter on the roll, which Mason then ate happily still in Ashton’s lap, much to the horror of the Parker family.

Vanessa however, wasn’t going to be as quiet. “I’m sorry?” she asked sweetly.

Mr. Parker just cleared his throat and shot Ashton and Mason a pointed glance while her mother hissed under her breath, “You really think that’s wise?”

“Mason chose that’s what he wants to call Ashton.”

“Yes, but Finn-”

“Is his dad, yes. Mason knows that. And he knows that Ashton is his papa. I’m failing to see what the problem here is, Mother.”

“You shouldn’t be encouraging Mason that way is all, Nessie,” Erica said sharply.

“In what way, Erica? Encouraging my son to speak? I thought you’d all be happy that Mason is talking now. You were all so terribly worried.”

“Yes, but we didn-” Erica sputtered.

“No, I’m fully aware of what you all mean,” Vanessa cut off. “And I’m sure if I had brought Finn along, you would have found a way to critique that as well. So, same time next year, yes?” Her chair scraped back, and Ashton wasted no time in following suit. “Merry Christmas, everyone,” Vanessa said with a bright smile before heading out of the dining room.

“I’d say it was nice to meet you all, but it really wasn’t. In fact, you’re kind of awful. But thank you for dinner,” Ashton told them before following Vanessa out. “You alright?” he asked her in a low whisper.

She sniffed back tears and cleared her throat. “I will be.”

“Is Finn’s mom nicer?”

“So much nicer. Love her. And she is really excited to meet you. Alright, Christmas Eve take 2! Lights!”

When they met up with Finn, he had a tray of hot chocolates in his hand. “How long did ya last?” he asked.

“Still can’t make it to dessert,” Vanessa reported, taking a deep drink from one of the cups. “Ah, that’s better. Ready?”

As Vanessa took Mason’s hand and they started walking up the street, Ashton hung back with Finn. “So we just let her family treat her like that?” Ashton asked.

Finn nodded sadly. “Yep. I fought for six years for her to cut ties. And we’ve made a lot of progress in my opinion. Most of her interactions with them are only through the phone. But yeah… for some reason she still can’t let Christmas Eve dinner go. And every year it ends the same.”

“And we just have to let her keep doing it, don’t we? Until she decides for herself enough is enough.”

“Yep.”

“Fuck…”

“Mhm,” Finn said. “But this is the cool part. You see her right now?”

Ashton’s gaze flickered ahead to where Vanessa was crouched next to Mason, her face lit up in the Christmas lights she was pointing out to her son. “15 minutes she was on the verge of tears. And now… wow,” Ashton breathed in amazement.

“Yeah. She’s badass that way. Give her a hot chocolate, show her some Christmas lights, and it’s nothing but a bad dinner.”

“Noted,” Ashton chuckled.

When Mason started to yawn, the family went home. And in the morning, Ashton and Vanessa were woken up by the boy crawling into bed with them. “Momma! Papa!”

“Morning, sweet boy,” Vanessa said sleepily. “Go check the living room for a surprise. Papa and I will be right there.”

And Mason rushed out of the room, Ashton chuckled. “Nice way to give us a few minutes.”

“Shh!” she said, pressing a finger to her lips. “Listen.”

“DADDY!” Mason squealed from the living room followed by Finn grunting for air.

Ashton laughed. “Good one.”

“Alright, Mase, where’s Momma and Papa?” Finn’s voice asked, growing louder as his footsteps sounded in the hallway.

“No!” Vanessa squealed, throwing the covers over her head. “You can’t use my trick on me, Finn! I already got the Mase alarm clock! I hit snooze! No!”

“Fair is fair!” Finn laughed before tossing Mason gently onto the bed. “Get ‘em Mase! Say ‘wake up, it’s Christmas!’”

“MOMMA! PAPA!”

It took a lot of laughter, and about an hour to get them all out the door and over to Carol’s for Christmas, where the woman already had breakfast ready. After greeting her son, grandson, and Vanessa, Carol turned to Ashton. “And you must be Ashton. Oh! It’s so nice to finally meet you!”

“Nice to meet you too, Carol.”

“Papa!” Mason told Carol, pointing up at Ashton.

“Oh, is this your papa, Mase?”

Mason nodded. “Papa.”

Carol somehow managed to smile even brighter. “That’s wonderful. Welcome to the family, Ashton. And Merry Christmas.”

~2021~

“Hey, Finn, can we talk about Christmas?” Vanessa asked.

Finn sighed, running his hands through his hair. “It’s Bailey’s first Christmas. So, no. I want to be there for it.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Ash is going to Australia, and you wanted to take the kids with you. That’s what you were gonna ask, isn’t it? I’m sorry, Ness, but no. And no, we can’t compromise by saying that me and Mom will come with. It’s my first Christmas with Mia, too. I wanna be here. I wanna be home.”

“I was actually going to ask if it’s okay we do Christmas at mine and Ash’s. Because his family agreed to fly out here for the holiday because me and you already have our tradition that works.”

“Oh… Well… shit, yeah. Yeah, we can do that. Fuck. Sorry.”

Vanessa chuckled. “You really thought I was gonna ask to take the kids to Australia for Christmas? Are you insane?”

Finn laughed a little with her. “Alright, I said I was sorry. I should know better than to jump to conclusions. Christmas Eve? Hot chocolate? Lights? 7?”

“Yep! We’re having dinner first, if you and Mia wanna come.”

Finn sighed again. “Ness… I thought we were like really done with your family after Mase’s birthday.”

“Jumping to conclusions again, Finn. No, we’re having the guys over for dinner as like a band family thing. You guys are welcome to join us. But if you and Mia have plans… No biggie.”

“Nah, she doesn’t… her family’s kinda like yours. We’ll be there.”

“Great! Dinner’s at 6.”

After a Christmas Eve where Vanessa finally made it to dessert without getting so angry she saw red, and trapezing around the neighborhood to see the lights, she crawled into bed with Ashton, her cheeks sore from smiling. “Good day?” he asked with his own smile.

“The fuckin’ best. And tomorrow is gonna be just as amazing. I can’t wait to meet your family.”

“They can’t wait to meet you guys either. Fuck, tomorrow’s gonna be great.”

They awoke in the morning to Mason pouncing on their bed with a yelled, “Momma! Papa!”

“Morning, sweet boy,” Vanessa smiled groggily at her son. “C’mon, let’s go get Bailey.”

“Daddy?”

“Yes, when Daddy gets here with Mimi and Nana, we’ll open presents.”

“Mimi, Nana?!”

“Yes, they’re coming too! C’mon!” she said, matching his excitement as she rolled out of bed.

“Papa!” Mason urged, tugging at Ashton’s hand.

“Hmm? Yeah? I’m up…” Ashton’s voice rasped, still heavy with sleep. “I’ll start breakfast,” he yawned.

Ashton was in the middle of doing just that, while Vanessa got Mason and Bailey set up at the table when the doorbell rang. “Daddy!” Mason screeched, climbing down from his chair and racing for the door. Only when Mason reached up to open the door, Finn wasn’t on the other side. “Momma!” he yelled for assistance.

“I’m right here, Ma- oh, hi!” Vanessa smiled, recognizing the two women and the young man on the porch as Ashton’s family. “I’m Vanessa. This is Mason. Please, come in. Ash, love!”

Ashton’s head peeked around from inside the kitchen, “I’m a little bu- MUM!” There was a clattering from inside the kitchen that could have been either Ashton turning off the stove, or Bailey knocking her bottle to the ground before Ashton was running through the house and crashing into his family. “You’re here!” he cried, his voice slightly muffled from the way he had buried his face in his mother’s shoulder. “God, wow…” he pulled back, a wide grin on his face, his eyes shining. “Uh… shit… Mum, Lauren, Harry, this is my girlfriend Nessa. Nessa, this is my family.”

“Hi, sweetheart,” Anne said, pulling Vanessa in for a hug. “We’ve heard so much about you.”

“I could say the same thing,” Vanessa laughed, giving Lauren and Harry a hug hello as well.

“Momma…” Mason whispered, his eyes wide as he peered up at all the adults around him.

“It’s okay, sweet boy,” Vanessa assured him. “This is Papa’s family.”

“Papa?” The single word held two very different questions when uttered by Anne and Mason.

“Yeah,” Ashton answered, picking up Mason and placing the boy on his hip. “That’s what he calls me. Mase, this is my Momma. And my brother and sister. Can you say hi?”

“Papa,” he said, shaking his head.

“Oh, that’s adorable!” Lauren cooed. “He’s three right?”

“Yep,” Vanessa told her. “Please, make yourselves at home. Ash was in the middle of making breakfast.”

“See, Mum? I told you,” Harry said. “Mum thought it was too early to be here, but I told her it’s Ash, so he was probably already up making breakfast. He always did wake up earlier than the rest of us.”

“Yeah, c’mon,” Ashton said, waving his hand over his head as he walked over to the kitchen. “I already got the coffee goin- Bailey! Why didn’t you say anything, silly girl?” he asked Bailey who was still in her high chair, munching happily on the Cheerios Vanessa had placed on the tray for her.

Bailey just offered up a giant grin, revealing a small smattering of baby teeth, that had Ashton’s family awwing. “So this must be Miss Bailey,” Anne smiled.

“That would be her,” Vanessa said proudly.

“And she’s also… Finn’s? His name is Finn, right?”

“Yes,” Vanessa nodded. “And he should be here soon, so you’ll get to meet him as well as his mom and girlfriend.”

“The whole family.”

“Exactly,” Ashton said, passing out steaming mugs of coffee before resuming cooking. “Sugar’s on the counter. Creamer’s in the fridge.”

Happy chatter and the smell of breakfast filled the kitchen as the adults made conversation of catching up, as Ashton had done a stellar job of filling in both his girlfriend and family on all the important details, so it felt more like a family reunion than meeting family for the first time. Harry was helping Ashton with getting plates of food for everyone when there was a sharp knock on the door before Finn’s voice filled the air with a loud, “Merry Christmas! We’re here!”

“Daddy!” Mason screeched, running for Finn. “Mimi, Nana!” they also heard the boy say, before. “Daddy… Papa.”

“Oh, is Papa’s family here already?” Finn asked, coming into the kitchen with Mason on his hip, Carol and Mia right behind him. “They are! Hi, I’m Finn. This is my mom Carol, and my girlfriend Mia. You must be Anne, Lauren and Harry.”

More hugs hello and murmurs of “nice to meet you”s sounded around, before Finn hugged Vanessa hello, pressing a swift kiss to the side of her head. “Merry Christmas, Ness.”

“Merry Christmas, Finn,” she returned the warmth.

~2024~

Bailey’s first Christmas set a new precedent for the family that carried through, so when it came time to decide what to do about the first Christmas with the twins, there was no discussion about what to do.

After a Christmas Eve spending touring the neighborhood to look at the lights, Finn took Bailey and Mason home, leaving Ashton and Vanessa to be woken up by the crackling of the bay monitor rather than Mason and Bailey jumping on top of them.

“Merry Christmas,” Ashton mumbled sleepily, a lazy grin on his face.

“Merry Christmas,” Vanessa answered with a kiss. “Ready for our babies to have their first Christmas?”

“Not even a little bit,” Ashton chuckled. “But Mum’s excited to finally meet them. So are Lauren and Harry. And I’m excited to see them again.”

“I know you miss them,” Vanessa said, acknowledging the part her husband was leaving out. “Maybe now that the twins are bigger we can take a family trip to Australia next summer. What do you think?”

“It’ll be winter there.”

“So we’ll have Christmas in June!”

That got another giggle from Ashton. “How about we have Christmas now. Because it’s actually Christmas. But, we’ll definitely talk about a family trip to Australia later cuz I really like the sound of that.”

“Deal! Now let’s go get those babies of ours before they really start screaming.”

~2026~

Breakfast dishes were stacked in the sink a mile high, wrapping paper was thrown all about the living room floor, and the house was alive with the shrieks of children laughing, and the adults chattering comfortably.

Vanessa sighed dreamily, hands wrapping around her second cup of coffee, leaning into Ashton’s side. “You alright, baby?” he murmured low in her ear, shifting slightly to pull her closer.

“I am… so fuckin’ happy,” she choked out, giving him a watery smile. “Like… I can’t put it into words how happy I am. How… I didn’t think this was possible for me. But… here I am. I woke up to four children screaming at the top of their lungs for their parents to wake up. And we were all here together already, under one roof. I am with the people I love most in the world. It’s fuckin’ Christmas. And it is utter chaos. But I’ve never been happier.”

“Merry Christmas, baby,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“Merry Christmas, love.”

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