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#i dunno you like. personally but you seem like a chad
jazzyoranges · 6 months
Text
Harleys in Hawaii
Tara Carpenter x fem!reader
Summary: you’re Tara’s older girlfriend
Words: 4.5k
A/n: listen to harleys in hawaii
Warnings: i didn’t feel like editing or spell checking sorry bout that 💀, age gap (Tara is 22/23, you’re 27), drinking, kissing, fade to black sex, R is implied to dress more masculine, also Scream 6 doesn’t exist cause Anika is alive 😇
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Tara has gone through 3 girlfriends and 5 boyfriends in the span of 5 months. Currently, she’s having an intervention on how and why. Well, the core four’s version of an intervention at least
“Dude, you have to teach me how to get a girlfriend” Chad begs, and Mindy laughs
“Why am I even here? You guys suck at interventions. If anything, this is the opposite of one”
This time, her sister chimes in. “We’re here because you’ve been going through partners like pairs of clothes. Why are you dating all these people?”
“I don’t know!” Tara groans “In the beginning it’s to be fun dating someone, but after a week it feels like a chore”
“Wow, never knew you of all people would have the same mindset of a frat boy” This earns Mindy a slap on her shoulder from Anika, who was cuddled into her
“Shut up Mindy.” the younger Carpenter spits out
“So you date people and drop them ‘cause they don’t give you the thrill of being in a relationship?” Chad says and everyone in the room goes silent. Momentarily, he stops throwing his tennis ball up in the air
“…Did I say something wrong?”
“Never knew you could be smart, Chad”
“Sometimes I wish we weren’t related.”
“Is that it, Tara?” Sam asks “You just want the thrill of dating?”
“When you put it that way, I guess? I dunno, I haven’t really met anyone exciting. You’d think there’d be fun people in New York”
“You just haven’t met the right person, Tara. I’m sure there’s someone for you, you just suck at looking”
“Oh, really? Where am I supposed to look, then?”
“I dunno, definitely not where you’re looking right now” Mindy shrugs, and Tara sighs at how helpful her friends are
You meet you coworker’s sister when her and her friends decide to have a study session at the small coffee shop you and Sam work at. You and the older Carpenter instantly clicked as friends. Sam knew you knew about the Woodsboro killings, but you knew not to trust the media entirely. After a few weeks of talking to her, you didn’t understand how Sam could be accused of such disgusting things
Your friendship solidified when you ‘accidentally’ spilled an ice cream sundae on some girl who was being mean to her. Of course you were fired the next day, but Sam left with you, opting to work at a smaller coffee shop run by a nice old man and his lovely wife
Sam considered you a good friend, and she trusted you with being around her sister. Luckily the old couple who ran the shop were kind and trusting, and let Sam’s sister and friends use the coffee shop after hours for late-night studying. It was maybe about 6:30pm when the shop officially closed, and the study session started. Sam insisted she stay by herself, but you didn’t want her to be lonely while watching her kids friends study
Personally, you thought it was far too late to study, but you also hadn’t been to school in 3 years. Soft music was playing while the group studied and you and Sam cleaned up the shop here and there
Tara tried to focus on her work, she really did. After a few glances in your direction and many “sorry, what did you say?”’s later, Mindy finally decided to comment on Tara’s behavior. I mean, could she really be mad? You were breathtaking. Your shirt hugged your arms and torso just the right way, you hand a very pretty face, most of all, you were-
“Alright, what’s up with you? You’ve been distracted this entire time”
“I’m not distracted, I’m listening” Tara lied straight through her teeth, and Mindy just looked at her in suspicion
“You’ve seemed out of it this entire study session, you okay?” Anika reached to rub Tara’s shoulder
“Uh, y-yeah” Tara turned around in her seat looking for you. When she saw you were either in the break room or the bathroom, Tara leaned in closer to the group and so did her friends
“Sam’s friend is really hot.”
“Understandable” Chad nods
“Definitely ask her out”
“Like hell I am, Mindy!” Tara whisper-shouts
You’re about to leave for the night. Gathering your jacket, helmet, and keys from your locker, you barely make it out of the break room before one of Sam’s friends calls you over
“Hey, Sam’s coworker! Are you good at algebra?
“A little above average, why do you ask? You walk over to the booth they’re studying at. You miss the glare the brunette gives to her friend
Mindy motions to Tara “My friend over here is having a little trouble, and we’re all not really good at explaining. Could you help her?”
“Also,” the twin points at each of her friends “Anika, Chad, Tara, and I’m Mindy”
You pull up a chair to sit next to Tara “Y/N, nice to meet all of you. Sam says lots of good things”
“Likewise, Sam told us about what you did for her. We all appreciate it” Anika smiles
“Those girls were assholes,” you shrug “they deserved it.” Now focusing on Tara, you met her eyes while the rest of the group fell into discussion
“So, what exactly do you need help with?”
Tara tries to listen to what you’re saying, but everything is going in one ear and out the other with your proximity to her. You make simple small talk with Tara, and she notes how the corners of your eyes crinkle when you laugh. The brunette learns you’re about the same age as her sister, you have a second job as a mechanic, and you owned a motorcycle (in which her interest was immediately peaked).
A few hours of conversation and studying later, the group decides they’re finished. They pile into Sam’s car to be dropped off at their respective apartments. Unfortunately due to a little clutter, there isn’t enough room for Tara in the car (which is surprising since she’s incredibly small, but you decide to hold your tongue this time)
“Cmon, guys, can’t you make some room?” the brunette groans
“You could ride with Y/n,” Sam suggests “I trust her to get you home”
“Yeah, I got an extra helmet in my locker, I’ll go get it” You jog back to the shop, and you’re back a minute later with a helmet in one hand, and a hoodie in the other. Your hoodie, Tara thinks
“Here, it gets cold. Is this your first time?”
“Yeah, I’ve never been on a motorcycle before…” Tara says nervously, and she has to stop herself from taking a big whiff of your hoodie around her
“No worries! If you get scared just squeeze my thigh and I’ll pull over, okay? Also, make sure to hold on tight” You put the helmet on Tara, inspecting her to make sure it’s on correctly
“Geez, it feels like I’m an astronaut” Tara laughs, flipping up the visor
“Doesn’t it? I always feel like a bobble head or something when I’m in it” You teach Tara how to get on, and soon enough you’re on the road following Sam’s car
Tara’s arms were snugly wrapped around your torso, and she was absolutely having the time of her life. The helmet she was wearing smelled like you and it was absolutely intoxicating. Not to mention how your hoodie sat comfortably on her body — almost like it was meant for her to wear. Deciding to be bold, Tara decides to hug you tighter
When you two eventually stop at a stoplight, you hold out a thumbs up, questioning if Tara is comfortable. The brunette responds with a thumbs up of her own, and the slow circles she’s making with her thumb under your shirt that leave a trail of goosebumps behind
First Sam stops at Mindy and Anika’s, then Chads. Since there’s more room in the car Tara doesn’t actually need to stay with you, but she’s practically glued to your back. The brunette decides to be greedy and hold on
A few minutes later, you two reach Tara and Sam’s apartment complex. When you come to a stop the younger Carpenter gets off first, and you follow after
“So, how was your first time on a motorcycle? Scary?”
“Honestly? Not really. I trust you won’t crash, or else Sam’ll get real mad at you” Taking off her helmet, you get the pleasure of seeing Tara smile again. She starts to take off your hoodie, but you stop her before she does
“Keep it, I already have a bunch of other hoodies and jackets at my place”
“Are you sure?”
“I wouldn’t be saying it if I wasn’t sure, Carpenter”
“You’re an ass” Tara rolls her eyes and playfully hits your arm
“Nice meeting you and your friends, by the way. I’ll see you guys around” After you wave bye and hop back on your motorcycle Tara watches you leave, pulling your hoodie closer to her body
Study sessions at the coffee shop after closing time became more and more regular. Sometimes it’s just Sam closing up, and other times it’s just you. Tara still regrets telling the group about her very tiny minuscule crush on you, since you’re now used as blackmail to get Tara to go anywhere
“Wanna go to the movies?”
“Sorry, I have to finish an essay”
“Y/n’s gonna be there” Mindy says in a sing-song tone
“Fuck you.” Tara groans before grabbing her jacket, fully expecting to be invited for a motorcycle ride from you
At first Tara only saw you during study sessions at the coffee shop. It was the same story almost every time. There wouldn’t be enough room in Sam’s car, you’d drive Tara home, and if she was lucky you’d stop at a 7 Eleven for slushees and a snack
When Sam invites you to a game night with the group, you happily accept the invitation. With a bottle of wine in your left hand, you make some final adjustments to your outfit before knocking. Smoothing out your shirt, you hear a familiar voice behind the door
“So, are you gonna stand there or are you going to knock?” The younger Carpenter teases, and she can practically hear you roll your eyes when you scoff
“I was making myself presentable” You shrug, hearing the click of the door as Tara opens it
“Whatever,” The shorter girl laughs “You’re kinda early so you can wait on the couch or something” She takes the bottle of wine from your hands, setting down on a table
“Geez, don’t people have manners nowadays? I thought it was a given to arrive early”
“I think that’s just you being old”
“You’re mean.” Tara’s face collides with a pillow as she turns around and the brunette can faintly hear you say ‘headshot!’ in an excited voice
“Me? Mean? You just assaulted me!”
“You’ll live. Mario Kart?” You wave a second controller in her direction with the game already booted up, and Tara takes her seat next to you on the floor
The next few minutes are spent casually trash-talking each other. When you get particularly close to winning Tara shoves you to the floor, causing you to lose. A smug grin adorns her face when you throw another pillow at her
“Stop throwing pillows at me!” Tara laughs
“You quite literally shoved me to the floor ‘cause you’re not as good as me”
“Shut up, you’ve have more experience”
“Are you calling me old again?” You say in a dramatic tone, and the door rings a whole 20 minutes after the rest of the group is supposed to show up. Sam lets them in, and you wave hello. Mindy gives Tara a look you don’t recognize, but Chad quickly challenges you to another game of Mario Kart
The twin tried his best, he really did. He took the shortcuts, chose the best character, and even optimized his power-ups. But alas, his efforts were rendered useless as you casually mopped the floor with his ass. The scoreboard with your name at the top is enough for Chad to groan in defeat
“Dude, how are you so good?”
“I guess I just have more experience”
“So you can say it but I can’t?” You end up sticking your tongue out at Tara like a child
“Whatever. You guys got any other games?”
“We have Uno” Sam suggests
Oh how foolish she was.
Arguing, wine, and lots of popcorn later, you’re currently in a battle for 4th place with Tara. Fifteen minutes after Chad won 3rd, both of you insisted a 4th place winner. When you put down a plus four twice in a row, the group only groans
“Please are you two almost done?”
“It’s Uno. How about we play another game?” Chad pleads
“Absolutely not. I refuse to lose to a girl that’s basically half my height.”
“Half your height!? You’ll probably be balding by 30!”
“You take that back!” You slam a hand against the table, and your friends can’t tell if they should intervene or watch the argument play out. They choose the latter
Shallow insults are exchanged between you two and the rest of the group finally understands both of you aren’t serious. They decide to leave you two to pick up some pizza, and you’re far too busy arguing how you’re not going to go bald at 30. Really, whose idea was it to give the most competitive people copious amounts of wine?
Eventually your arguing dies down, leaving you both giggling like middle school kids when they see their crush. The absurdity of the situation paired with the wine you both drank made a very fun combo
“Sorry I said you’d bald by 30” Tara leans onto your shoulder and you lay your head atop hers
“It’s okay. Sorry I said you were half my height… even if it’s true” You smile and Tara hits your arm while suppressing a grin
“You mind if I sleep here tonight? Pretty sure I can’t drive my baby in this state”
“Your baby?”
“My motorcycle. Her name is Elizabeth” You nudge her shoulder
“You named your motorcycle?
“It’s how you create attachment, Tara. You name everything so you care more about it”
“God, you’re a weirdo.” The younger Carpenter leans into you even further
“You never answered my question”
“Hmm… I think Sam wouldn’t mind”
“But would you mind?”
“No, you’re my friend”
A comfortable silence passes between you two. Tara, half asleep on your shoulder; and you, trying to formulate a plan to get Tara in her bed. The only good idea you’ve thought of is carrying her, so that’s what you decide to do
Tara makes a sound then holds onto your shirt as you scoop her up from the couch. There’s a feeling in her stomach she can’t quite place when your arms wrap around her. You’re warm, and Tara only wants to get closer to your body heat
“Tara, honey, where’s your room?” You whisper. The pet name accidentally slips, and you hope the younger girl doesn’t notice.
Oh but she does
Tara notices and opts to bury her head in you chest, pointing in the direction of her room. She can feel her face warm up immediately
You open up the door all the way with your foot, and lay Tara down in her bed. You’re about to leave to probably sleep on the couch, but you feel a hand around your wrist and Tara mumble something sleepily
“You alright, Tar?” You bend down
“Please stay… don’t go.” The younger Carpenter whispers, and you wouldn’t be able to hear her if not your close proximity
“I’ll be in the living room, don’t worry. I don’t drink and drive”
“No, I mean stay here.”
“You… You want me to stay in your room?”
Tara nods.
“I- I don’t know, Tara.” You were hesitant to accept her invitation.
“I won’t be far, I promise”
“I don’t care you’re older than me.”
“W-What?”
“Please, you make me so happy. People my age are so dull…” Tara takes your hand in her own, playing with your fingers
“You don’t mean that, Tar. You’re drunk and tired. How about you get some sleep, hm?” You say in the softest voice you can manage, pushing away the thoughts of how badly you just want to hold Tara in your arms again
“Y/n…” Something in you shifts when the brunette says your name in her sleep-drunk state. You notice the pleading look in her eyes, and it’s difficult to imagine saying no to her
“I can’t say no to you.” You sigh, taking off your jacket before getting in bed. Tara immediately curls up against your chest like it’s the most natural thing ever and you wrap your arms around her waist like it’s second nature
“Thank you. I really like you, Y/n”
“If you end up regretting this I’ll pretend like nothing’s happened if you want”
“No!” Both you and Tara are surprised by her tone
“I- I mean no. I promise I won’t regret this. Regret… you.” She says in a smaller voice
“Do you like me too?” Tara looks up at you with hope in her eyes and your heart melts at the sight
“I don’t know, Tara. Part of me thinks this is wrong, and the other part just wants to spend time with you.”
“Ever since… Amber, you’ve helped me move on” This was the most Tara has opened up about her late girlfriend. Of course the group told you a few tiny things about her here and there, but you hadn’t heard from Tara straight up. You knew this was a very hard and difficult subject even as time continued to pas
“You don’t need to feel like you have to tell me about her, Tara. How about we sleep? You’ll have a clearer mind tomorrow” Pressing a kiss against her forehead, your girlfriend(?) smiles
“…can I wear your shirt?”
“I’m right here, you know”
“I wanna be closer to you”
“Go actually get ready for bed, Tara. I know you don’t wanna sleep with makeup on” The brunette gets up to leave but decides to double back and give you a kiss on the cheek, leaving you a subtle lipstick mark
You hate how she makes you all giddy like a teenager in love.
Getting up to ask Tara if she has an oversized hoodie you could sleep in, you’re caught in the hallway by Sam. You only notice how bad it looks you’re walking out Tara’s room with messy hair, ruffled clothes, and a noticeable kiss on your cheek. You’re quick to wipe it off and smooth out your hair a second later
“Sam, it’s not what it looks like.” You say quickly
“I dunno, it really looks like you’re fucking my sister”
“I-It’s not like that! She- I uh-“
“Listen, I don’t mind you’re dating my sister. Would’ve wished you told me, though”
“That’s the thing! I have no idea what we are” You look behind to look for Tara before turning back to Sam
“She said she really liked me, but then she’s also drunk, but then she also kissed me. What if she doesn’t actually mean it? What if she regrets this? What if-” You’re talking quickly and about to start pacing around before Sam grounds you by holding onto your shoulders
“I trust you, Y/n. You’re my friend. I trust you’ll take good care of my sister”
The older Carpenter gives you a quick hug before leaving to her own room, leaving you staring at nothing as the door to the bathroom clicks open
“Y/n? You alright?” Tara pulls you into a hug, shoving her face in your neck
“Y-Yeah, do you have a hoodie I could sleep in?”
“Mmm… I think I have one in your size” The shorter girl leads you to her closet. A few seconds of searching lands you a hoodie with an album cover you don’t recognize. Tara notices your confusion
“Tyler the creator”
“Is he any good?”
“Well duh, I wouldn’t have him on a hoodie if he wasn’t”
“Okay smart ass, no need to be mean” You feign annoyance and the brunette can only roll her eyes and drag you into bed for the second time this night
Both of you get into position again. Tara’s arms securely wrapped around your torso, and your arms that bring her closer to your neck. You decide it isn’t so bad you’re in love with Tara Carpenter
You and Sam meet the rest of the group at their college. The lovely older couple that ran the coffee shop insisted you two spent time with Tara. They may as well be your parents with how much they treat you and Sam like their own kin. With the rest of the day to spoil Tara, you happily jump onto her with open arms while spewing a slew of praises and compliments
Your girlfriend should probably be embarrassed at how loud your affection is, but it’s New York. Who really cares? When you’re done being yourself, Sam also gives Tara a bear hug
“So, what’re the plans, birthday girl?” Mindy asks
“Honestly? I just wanna spend time with you guys”
“How disgustingly cute. I think that’s a great idea, babe”
“Are you kidding?” Chad speaks up “The last time we all spent time together, you two were fighting for 4th place in Uno. Fourth place!”
“I think you’re being over dramatic, bud”
“You looked like you were about to flip the fucking table when Tara made you draw 12 cards”
“Like I said, stacking is a curse that makes me angry”
“I gotta agree with Chad, here” Sam chimes in “You almost killed Tara because of Jenga”
“It’s not my fault your little sister is a pathological liar and a gaslighter!” The younger Carpenter rolls her eyes
“You’re awfully childish for someone that’s so old” Your girlfriend laughs, making you look away, embarrassed
“It’s not my fault I’m competitive!”
“So, where do you wanna eat out, Tara?” Anika asks “I’ve been starving practically all day”
“Hooters.” The brunette answers almost immediately
“So, birthday girl, what’s it like being 23?”
“A lot like being 22”
“Noting different?”
“Well, this is the first year you’re here to celebrate with me” Tara turns on her side to face you “I guess that’s pretty special”
You copy her actions, now looking at your girlfriend
“Oh yeah? What’s so special about me being here?”
“Please, you really don’t need a bigger ego”
“Aw you’re no fun”
“I’m plenty fun, babe” Tara reaches down to the hem of your shirt, feeling the skin right above your pants
“Mhm, and what type of fun?”
“You’re such a tease.” Your girlfriend rolls her eyes. Both of you are inching closer to each other to close the gap. You blink for half a second, and Tara straddles your lap with a hungry look in her eyes and a smile that highlights her cute dimples
Diving into you, Tara kisses you with fervor and lust. Her kisses are sloppy, but you don’t really care. Currently, the only thing in your mind is Tara’s name on repeat. Both of your clothes are off in only a matter of seconds due to the brunette’s growing eagerness of wanting your fingers inside of her
“A-Are you sure about this?” You mumble in between kisses and pecks
“Absolutely positive, baby.” Your girlfriend’s ever growing wetness smears on the skin of your exposed thigh, making you sigh in delight
“If you don’t want to keep going, just tell me and I’ll-“
“Y/n.” Your head snaps up at the brunette saying your name
“I want this. I want all of you. Drill it into your pretty brain, yeah?” Tara makes an act of lightly drilling her finger into the side of your head, making you laugh
When you kiss Tara for a second time it feels different. Her lips taste sweeter and all you want to do is give her the entire world. Unfortunately you’re only mortal, so you opt to give her a few lot of mind blowing orgasms instead
“So, what’re your plans for the break?”
“We were actually planning a road trip to the beach this weekend to celebrate, and you’re coming”
“No room for debate, huh?” You laugh, swinging an arm over her shoulders “I’ll have to bring my truck, though. Elizabeth is 100% going”
“Sometimes I think you like her more than me”
“You may be my girlfriend, but Elizabeth is my first love” This earns you a punch to the arm via Tara. Although it doesn’t hurt much, you feign a wounded expression and place the back of your hand to your forehead
“Woe is I, for my girlfriend no longer loves me…”
“You’ll be okay” Tara rolls her eyes
“Kiss it better?”
“Please can we have a ride without our helmets?”
“Sam wouldn’t forgive me if we crashed and you weren’t wearing a helmet”
“Please, baby?” Tara uses her best puppy eyes, and she knows they’re working when you look away to resist her charm
“The sunset is beautiful, the back roads are empty, and I want to spend our last moments here on the beach. Don’t you want to see the view, baby?”
You sigh, looking away. This girl was going to be the death of you.
“Well after such a confession, I don’t think I’m able to say anything other than yes” Tara kisses you on the tip of your nose, making it scrunch up just how she liked it
“This is gonna be so aesthetic, babe”
“…Aesthetic?”
“You’re not that old, love”
Before getting on, you take two spare sunglasses from your leather jacket pocket and hold them out for Tara
“Aviator or round?”
“You take the Aviators, I want you to look like one of those guys from Top Gun” Tara takes the sunglasses out of your hand to place them on your face
“Geez, I look more like a biker than a motorcyclist now”
“There’s a difference?”
“I’ll teach you one day. Cmon, the sun’s setting already”
Tara truly believes she’s made it to heaven while you drive. Arms around your waist, the salty breeze, and not to mention the beautiful setting sun. This is what she’s always been craving
Exhilarated is how she’d describe being around you. The simplest touches sent shivers down her spine. The tiniest glances made Tara’s heart giddy with joy. How couldn’t she fall for you? Picture-perfect is what you were. Not boring, not simple, not easy. You were… you
With sand in you hair from previous beach endeavors and a smile wide enough your girlfriend can see just from looking at the back of your head, Tara can’t image herself anywhere but with you
1K notes · View notes
cosmicpearlz · 1 year
Text
aching bones
summary: exes are supposed to be okay with each other having feelings for another person. but not when it’s your best friend. maybe things aren’t what they seem.
pairing: chad meeks martin x fem!reader, some tara carpenter x chad meeks martin
a/n: this is kinda long and it goes through different povs but i hope you enjoy! <3
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chad was the love of your life in a distant time. he had been your first everything. at some point, you guys decided it would be best to let the relationship go. mutually agreeing that the arguments and fighting were tiresome. that didn’t stop you guys from being friends and still hanging out with each other.
tara, your best friend, had helped you all throughout the break up. seeing you at you worse but being there to pick up all the pieces and mend the brokenness. you didn’t know what’d you do without her.
“tara! what are you wearing to the party?” you hollered at her from down the hallway, as you made your way to her room. you opened the door to find the girl with three different hangers in her hands.
“i’m thinking about doing a dress but then there’s these cute pants. but then y/n, there’s the cute mini skirt,” she turns to you with a pout on her face.
“help me!”
“babes, i dunno how to help you,” it was hard to contain your laughter. tara frowned even harder, causing her eyebrows to turn downward too.
“y/n!”
“okay okay,” you grabbed the hangers out of her hands and inspected each item carefully. you hand her the purple mini skirt, hanging the other two pieces back into her closet. you go into her dresser and grab a white halter top to throw at her.
“hey! i said help not be aggressive.”
“there. now, shower and get dressed. i’m ready to dance the night away. does sam know you’re going?” she rolled her hands at your teasing smirk.
“yes asshole. now get out of my room! by the way, your outfit is too cute!” she gestures to your sheer black rhinestone dress that you paired with black spandex underneath and some black chunky heels.
“you can never go wrong with a little black dress,” you winked at her and closed her room door.
walking back to the living room, you didn’t notice everyone else was already there. ethan, chad, mindy, anika, and quinn sat waiting for tara to finish.
“woah look at this hot mama!” quinn whistles at you, you smiled and do a turn.
“hehe thanks quinny!” you blew a kiss to her and sat next to anika on the couch, laying your head on her shoulder.
chad was blown away by you once again. the dress fitting your body in just the right places. showing off your gorgeous legs. the way your heels made you slightly taller. just as he was thinking about you, tara walks out to the living room. it made him want to confess to tara that he had feelings for her.
it felt wrong having feelings for two girls that happened to be friends. best friends at that. chad knew he’d always love you but to him, he thought there was no chance to be with you again. even though the breakup was mutual, he had missed you just as much as you missed him. at that time tara had caught his eye.
“who's ready to party?”
-
chad doesn’t know how he got here. one minute he’s taking shots with ethan and the next he’s in a quiet room, sitting with tara. shoulder to shoulder and feeling a little tipsy, chad feels like this is the perfect time to tell tara.
“tara i have to te-“
“chad i have something to-“ they both share a laugh before chad nudged the girl to start first.
“i was just gonna say that i think i like you. as in more than a friend,” chad freezes for a moment, not expecting tara to say what was on his mind. he leans in a bit closer to the girl, while she did the same.
“i was just going to tell you that-“
“hey tar, are you in here?” you opened the door and paused upon seeing your ex and best friend sitting too close. almost as if they were gonna kiss.
“what the fuck?” blinking back the fast tears that threaten to fall down your face, you backed up out the doorway.
“wait y/n, it’s not-“
“stay.. the hell away from me,” your voice cracked with every word. you shook your head and turned to walk away. tara is quick to follow you and grabs your arm. you shook your arm from her hold and turned to face her.
“how could you?”
“y/n.”
“seriously fuck off tara,” ignoring the pleads from tara and chad, you hastily walked out to get fresh air.
-
never did you expect your best friend to betray you like she did. tara had known that you still had feelings for the stupidly handsome boy, how could you not? he was everything you could ever want and more.
you drowned yourself into your blankets and the comfor of your own bed. too afraid of running into either of them. you couldn’t bear the sight of seeing them be together, not when you still loved him.
“y/n, you have to leave the bed at some point.”
“the bed would never hurt me.”
“my brother is a major asshole. i know he still loves you. maybe there’s a good explanation for this,” mindy continues rubbing your back, while you rolled your eyes.
“yeah right. if he loved me, he wouldn’t try to get with my best friend.”
mindy didn’t know how to fix the problem. she just knew that chad and tara had to figure out how to make the situation better before it got worse.
-
chad paces back and forth throughout the dorm room, making ethan slightly concerned for the boy. he had never seen chad so distressed. usually, he was the up beat one in the group, always smiling.
“i ruined everything eth. she will never talk to me again.”
“what did you do?”
“i almost kissed tara because i thought i had feelings for her. well i do have feelings for her but they’re not as strong as the feelings i have for y/n. we’ve been broken up for some months now and i thought that would help me get over her but it didn’t. ethan i dunno-“
“chad chad, i need you to breathe. have you talked to tara about any of this?”
“no! because losing y/n for the second time, made me realize i could never be without her. i should have fought-,” chad took an audible glup to compose his many thoughts. “i should have fought for her, it was stupid to break up.”
“man, you need to tell her. and you need to talk to tara, letting her know you still love y/n,” chad chuckled dryly at ethan’s words.
“kinda ironic that i used to help you with girl problems and now you’re helping me,” ethan walks up to chad to place a hand on his shoulder.
“this is what friends are for. mainly, i’m just tired of your pacing.”
“i hate you ethan landry,” the two boys shared a laugh, which made chad feel lighter about the situation at hand.
-
tara didn’t know what to do. how to make you forgive her. how to even make you look at her again. she had lost you for feelings that she wasn’t even sure of. sure, chad was cute but he was also your ex. one too many drinks and she did something that was practically unforgivable.
so the girl decided to have a quick conversation with chad. many thoughts ran through her head but the only one that matters was getting her best friend back.
“hey tara, you asked to meet?” tara looks up from her phone to meet chad’s brown eyes. she gives him a weak smile and motioned him to sit down across from her.
“whatever we thought was there isn’t there. chad, i can’t afford to lose you as my friend and especially not y/n. she’s my best friend and she won’t even talk to me,” tears well up in her eyes and she bites on the corner of her bottom lip. chad sighs and patted tara’s hand.
“i agree with everything you said. i’m truly still in love with her and i think losing her completely made me realize that.”
“has she talked to you yet? she won’t answer any of my calls or text messages.”
“same here tar. every single piece of contact gone unanswered and ignored.”
“there has to be something we could do to get our happy girl back.”
-
if there was a word to describe chad’s sour mood, it’d be jealousy. maybe a little bit of anger. he watched as you were pressed up against one of the frat brothers, who happened to be his friend. dylan didn’t deserve to touch you. didn’t deserve to be close to you.
“you know chad, maybe if you didn’t royally fuck up that’d be you with her right now.”
“fuck you mindy,” chad threw his shot back aggressively, hoping to shake the feelings away. although, it did nothing to help. irrationally, he decided he would pull you away to talk to you. he wanted his girl back.
“y/n can i talk to you,” you stopped dancing to stare at him with disgust.
“no.”
“but i need-“
“chad, the lady said no.”
“dylan, you’re my friend bro but mind your fucking business. y/n.”
“i have nothing to say to you chad.”
“i have something to say to you, so let’s go,” chad pulls your arm to lead you both outside. you were supposed to be mad at him but in a way his actions were hot.
once you were outside away from watchful eyes and listening ears, you pull your arm out of his grasp. you crossed your arms around your chest and waited for him to start speaking. the boy was nervous under your gaze.
“i’m sorry. baby, you don’t know how-“
“don’t call me that. you lost that right when you decided my best friend was your new companion.”
“y/n listen to me, i don’t want her. i want you, i will always want you.”
“if you wanted me so bad, you wouldn’t have tried to kiss my best fucking friend! the both of you are backstabbing assholes,” you yelled at him while loose tears fell down.
“i fucking love y/n! i will always be in love with you. i see your smile when you go to pick out new books to read. i see the way you light up when someone in our friend group gets a good grade. the way you’d excitedly show me a new ring you wanted to add to your collection.
you are my sunshine and the reason i look forward to waking up. when we broke up because of our ridiculously petty fights, i should’ve never let you walk out those doors. i should’ve pulled you closer to me but instead i let you go. i hurt you and i don’t know if i’ll ever forgive myself for doing so. i’m so fucking sorry.”
you were speechless after chad’s confession. even though you weren’t sure if you fully trusted him fully again, you ran into his arms. you cried as he held you into his warm embrace. rocking you back and forth.
“i’m so sorry. please forgive me.”
after a few minutes of crying into the boy's arms, you removed yourself and wiped your face. sighing, you bit the inside of your cheek.
“i dunno if i could trust you fully. let me have time to myself before i try to be anything with you again. i need time to heal and if you can’t respect that, then we definitely need to stay away from each other.”
“i support whatever decision you make,” you put your head down looking at the rocks. chad closes the distance between you two and grabs your hands.
“hey look at me,” you set your gaze back to his eyes watching him softly smile at you.
“it’s your decision. take all the time you need. i will be right here waiting for you,” he squeezed your hands once more before letting go and stepping back. the boy had tears that fell down his face unwillingly.
chad wasn’t sure if you’d ever come back to him but he sure hoped so. the only he’d know is if he let you go again. it killed him to do so but the last thing he wanted to do was force you into something.
if you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. if they don’t, they never were.
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thetimelordbatgirl · 2 years
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Do you have any hope in the spin-off? The pocketwatch I mean.
I mean....ehhhhh? I really don't know. A new director and new writers could mean hopefully we get actually good writing and good characterizations instead of the mess we got in the last three films, but at the same time, the plot so far seems to go with Uma having unfinished business and...yeah, its on sight with Disney if Uma's the villain.
And I am a firm believer in if you can't write it well, please for the love of all things holy never use time travel in your story, and from the first announcement we got told that they for some reason made the white rabbits pocket watch capable of time travel (makes zero sense when you consider that the white rabbit's whole thing is being late to stuff), so like....really wary, given last time Descendants used time travel, it was Mal and time magic and it...wasn't that great and just used as a cheat against Uma when she actually got the trident.
And I am really hoping that the royal baby doesn't happen because like, Ben and Mal are not only a toxic couple due to how Mal acts, but on top of that, they 18 in D3 so a time skip would be needed fully but Descendants has literally never been good mentioning time skips, leaving it to the viewers to guess. And if the royal baby happens, then you know in this Mal worshiping franchise, that kid won't be allowed to have anything from Ben cause takes away from being like Mal then.
And like, the two new characters we got so far...I do think they got good actresses for the roles at least, I remember watching Kylie Cantrall in Gabby Duran And The Unsittables and she was pretty good there, and I haven't seen HSMTMTS, but Dara Renee seems to be a good actress from clips and such. But not gonna lie, do wonder how the Charming family now works with Dara being casted as Chloe Charming, since that implies either Cindy or the prince or both are now POC, which would be cool...if Chad whose white, hadn't been introduced prior, so dunno if that implies Chad is either white-passing or just adopted. Would depend on if we see Cindy or the prince really in Pocketwatch, but Descendants never really showed the parents beyond backgrounders at the coronation so... And also still with Chloe, I really don't get how it's gonna work with her being athletic when Chad basically hated the idea of girls in sports in D2. Like, did he just not say that shit around her or again, if this is a time skip, was she in a younger school and therefore never aware of her brothers opinions there? Plus don't get how Chad got away with being a bitch to girls like Evie with a sister around but again, if a time skip happens, that could maybe explain stuff if Chloe was simply in younger school at the time and is now starting Auradon Prep or something and Chad's already graduated so....
I really have nothing to say on Red beyond....why the name Red??? Did they really not find any heart themed names or any queen themed names or whatever??? I know the villains were as lazy as the heroes with their naming of their kids, but RED?!
So like, I'm very mixed on this??? Again, I do personally think Descendants should just end, but its Disney- they gonna milk the shit out of it until it just runs its course. So we can only hope really that it's you know, actually good in comparison to the past three films and that they can handle everything well, especially cause I have a feeling a-lot of prior characters will be absent due to their actors not returning. Oh, and if they can avoid a main romance without love spells, that would be a win really.
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campbluelake · 11 months
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There’s No “Demon” in Team | Eri | MM.2 | Re: Tommy, Malyce, Max
If you had asked Eri a few months ago if she’d ever find Tommy cool, she would’ve replied with something along the lines of a resolute, “Hell no.” Which isn’t because she’s lacking in merits, so much as those merits have never seemed particularly impressive to her.
But here she is now, jaw slightly agape as she listens to her theorizing. Clearly she’s in her element, and she has to admit she now understands why Jo finds her so attractive. It’s much like how Audie lights up when talking about horror movies (which isn’t exactly dissimilar from their situation, really).
And as the trial continues, Eri can’t help but regard everyone here with a sense of warm admiration. The way they can piece together all the evidence they found, making sense of the numerous capitalist Hell-related documents and eerie logs they stumbled upon… She’s grateful for their help and expertise.
“Man, we all make a really good team, don’t we?”
She says this aloud instead of in her head, much to her chagrin. Immediately she winces, cheeks turning red. Whoops! They weren’t supposed to know she’s impressed right now!
And so she shakes her head, embarrassed pout giving way to a more pointed glare. If she made the mistake of speaking up, might as well give her own two cents, right?
“‘Cept for this dumbass Contractor and Vual’s demon buddy, yeah? They ain’t ever invited to me and Sporto’s beach vacation home, got it?”
She glances over at Kyousuke, whom she’s presumably to one side of. She gives him a thumbs-up, accompanied by a grin.
“By the way, I figured that’d be a good alternative to living with you and Nikonyan, y'know? Gettin’ a vacation home we can stay at sometimes! You can call me a genius for it later, okay?”
And with that, she turns back to the group as a whole, the glower returning as she does so.
“Anyway, as I said earlier, I think Vual’s usin’ this dweeb… Like, why else would he give the Contractor the book via Chad’s List, if not to use them later? Not that they’re special or anything. I bet Vual would’ve used anyone who managed to crack the code of the demon book, y’know? It just happened to be this Contractor person.”
She shrugs. She means Craigslist, by the way.
“And speakin’ of Chad’s List, wasn't the seller in Salt Lake City? I got no clue where that is, but maybe we can narrow it down by sayin’ the Contractor had to be able to get there easily— like, within drivin’ distance? Either that or have the money to drop on a plane ticket there for somethin’ that might be worthless.”
She glances to Malyce, then to Max, then back to Malyce again.
“And no offense, Mal, but I think Max is righter with his theory the Contractor ain’t an expert at magic. ‘Cause like, we dunno how long this person was at it, yeah? Like they said weeks in the third video, and seemed like they were goin’ at it nonstop. So maybe they ain’t magic so much as they’ve got a lotta time on their hands, y’know?”
She shrugs, the iciness in her gaze fading.
“Plus them doing the fire shit… I mean, who knows if that was their own doing? Could've just been Vual giving them a taste of what they could get if they kept going. They were bein’ led along, and they didn’t care ‘cause they were so hyped to see the hard work they were putting into something finally pay off, y’know?”
A part of her wants to say she feels bad for this Contractor person, but she knows better than to do so in front of Kyousuke and the others. After all, this is a trial to figure out who’s responsible for this awful situation. Having pity — no, sympathy — for the people behind it would only make her friends more frustrated with her.
And so she falls quiet, wondering if even demons are beyond redemption.
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messylustt · 1 year
Text
you deserve better — ethan landry + reader ( scream ) : another guy had stood you up, and when you went to ethan to rant, your surprised by intentions you didn’t think he had.
contents : possessive ethan. pretty close to yandere. ethan being a little manipulative. vague mention of a dead body. wc 1.4k.
pt one pt two
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“i mean god, why are guys such dicks?” you rant, pacing by the couch ethan sat on.
“all he had to say was ‘hey, your not really my type’, and not just stand me up!”
ethan watches you with a slight scowl on his face. all you had been talking about was this guy who didn’t one bit deserve you.
i mean of course as morals go, ethan isn’t really earning any brownie points. sure, the guy had stood you up, but the only reason he didn’t meet you was because he was…preoccupied.
you had come into his and chad’s dorm room annoyed and slightly upset. you had apparently really liked this guy, and ethan couldn’t fathom why.
he was a whiny brat who only cared about his frat brothers.
ethan tilts his head as he continues to listen to that guys name fall from your lips. too many times for his liking.
“yeah, guys are assholes. come on y/n he didn’t deserve you.” ethan says leaning back on his elbows.
you shake your head. “but he seemed really sweet.” you sounded defeated.
ethan swiftly stood up. ‘sweet’?! hell no. you eye ethan, confused as he stepped forward. “sweet? you think he was sweet?” he held back from spitting the words.
you shrug. and ethan shook his head. “seriously y/n. thank god he did stand you up. wouldn’t it have sucked if you got with him, then found out what a flippant guy he was?”
you sigh. “i mean, sure.” but you still sounded sad. ethan began to grind his teeth. he then grabbed your shoulders, earning your full attention.
“don’t say it like that. you have to realise that every guy you’ve almost gotten with has been a poor excuse of a man.”
you lick your lips, hating that he sounded right. “but—”
“no. it’s a fact y/n” ethan cuts in. “and i personally think you deserve better.”
you spare him a smile. “well, i appreciate that.”
ethan narrowed his eyes slightly. all you ever did was ‘appreciate’ the things he did or said. ethan slides his hands from your upper arm to around the back of neck, before tilting your head up to meet his gaze by your chin.
“maybe you should take a break from guys like that.” ethan says gently.
you break away from him. “every guy is like that though.”
ethan raised his brows. “really? and how do you know that. you could just pick dicks.”
“that’s true, i could. but all guys just seem…i dunno.”
“your talking like you’ve tried with every guy.”
you shrugged. ethan stepped forward again. “have you tried with chad?” ethan paused. “no.”
he stepped forward again. “have you tried with me?” he pauses keeping your gaze. “no.”
ethan reaches his hand out to brush a strand of hair from your cheek. “don’t say that, until you’ve actually tried with everyone.”
you step away again, pacing slightly. why do you keep moving away from him? ethan turns, watching you. a slight scowl forms on his face.
“your not gonna date another asshole, okay?” ethan says pointedly.
“i appreciate you looking out for me—”
ethan cuts in. “no i don’t think you do.” he walks closer to you.
“what?”
ethan leans toward your face, as you slightly shuffle back. “you don’t appreciate what i say, because then you go off and date another dick.”
you huff, crossing your arms. “look, ethan, i have hope when i try with guys, so i’m sorry if it’s sometimes misplaced.”
“after i’ve warned you.”
you narrow your eyes. “yeah, but you warn me before you even know if their dicks.”
“it’s because every guy is a dick!” ethan exclaimed.
“does that include you?” you exclaim back.
“every guy is dick besides me.” he says, stepping closer to you.
“oh no, there are plenty of guys out there who are a good.”
“are there? well you suck at finding them.” ethan clenched his jaw.
you open your mouth in disbelief. “oh, and you have excellent experience with girls.” you bite back, becoming defensive.
“that’s because i don’t want to choose just some girl on the street.” he hisses.
“i see, so what about a cafe, or college or a fucking party?” you ask stepping closer as well. “there are plenty of girls, you’re just a pussy.”
“or i just know how to pick the good ones.” he replies.
“so are you implying that i can only pick the bad?” you ask.
“now your getting it.” ethan mockingly nods.
you scoff. “your acting as though you don’t make mistakes.”
“and your acting as though you deserve some low life shit.” ethan takes a large step toward you, as you shuffle slightly back again.
“god, ethan. why are we even fighting about this?” you mutter, running your hand through your hair.
“because i’m done seeing you with guys who don’t deserve to be near you.” his statement comes off a lot darker than his usual almost dorky attitude.
your eyes narrow in slight confusion as you eye him. “ethan—”
“no, i’m not done.” ethan begins, continuing to step closer. your back suddenly hits the wall as you jolt. ethan rests his hands by your head, and your practically gaping at him in a mix of confusion and shock. “i’m not gonna let you get with another guy—another asshole.”
“ethan, you can’t—” you try.
“can’t what?” he prys, his breath fanning over your face.
you gulp. you’ve never seen him so mad before. “you can’t dictate who I go out with.”
“yes i can.” he says it as if it’s obvious.
your brows furrow. “no, you can’t—”
ethan nods. “i can and i will. you deserve someone who will take care of you, and be there whenever you need or want.” he sounds almost caring. his tone switches are giving you whiplash.
“ethan—” you say, placing your hands against his chest, meaning to create some distance.
“mm?” he hums, his eyes darting across your face, probably realising exactly how close you are.
“i’m thankful that I have a friend who cares enough to not want me to date an asshole.” you say softly. “i am.”
ethan watches you closely as he tilts his head.
“but, you know that you can’t…control who I get with, right?”
ethan clenched his jaw.
“i’ll definitely ask your opinion though, because you do seem to be correct about all those guys.” you somewhat chuckle. all the previous guys had stood you up in some way or another, just ghosted you for a reason your unaware of.
ethan gulps. “but what if i don’t want that?”
“that’s fine. you don’t have to give your opinion—” ethan cuts you off.
“no, i mean what if i don’t you to try with another guy?” he sounds too earnest, too innocent.
“well—” you cut yourself off, pausing for a moment. “that’s not really up to you.”
ethan’s eyes narrow, his lips curving in a slight scowl. your shocked by his silent response. his hand has slipped from the wall to your shoulder, edging closer and closer to your neck.
“ethan, are you okay?” you ask, watching him closely. he seemed…different.
“i will be.” his answer has your face contorting in more confusion.
“your kinda freaking me out here—” you try to joke.
“don’t look for another guy.”
you sigh. “ethan—”
“only look at me.”
you pause. “what?”
ethan almost smiles. “i like you looking at me.” his hand has slipped to the back of your neck.
“what are you—”
“i’ll take care of you. call me whenever, i’ll pick up.” ethan shakes his head. “you don’t need another guy.”
he suddenly pulls you to him, his warm breath fanning over your lips as you gasp. “i can be so much better than all those guys.”
“ethan, your my friend—”
“who’d love to do this.” you don’t get a moment to answer before he’s smashing his lips to yours. you gasp into the kiss as he smiles. your back hits the wall, as his hand slides to your waist.
he’s biting and sucking your tongue as he pushes himself more into you. as he presses himself practically flush with your body, you hear him groan into your mouth, his hand around your waist tightening.
“you’ll never need another guy to kiss you, touch you, taste you…you’ll only need me.” he speaks to your lips as you both pant. “i’ll be so…good to you, y/n. so, so good.”
as your gaze was so absorbed by him, through your shock and stuttering breath, you don’t notice the slight open crack of the closet door, the red that stains the carpet inside, and the figure lying still and unmoving. if you had glanced that way, looked closer you might have been able to spot the frat house label embedded in the figures jersey.
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© messylustt.tumblr please don’t steal, copy or translate my work onto other platforms.
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glowstickk · 4 years
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i wish to know... about your zimverse ocs... they seem pretty neat...
anon u GOT IT i’ve been wanting to talk abt the gang for so long!!!!! when i saw this ask i lost my marbles!!! knowin that someone is actually interested in these guys makes me so happy!!! so!! here they are!!!  also!! apologies that it took me so long to actually answer, i wanted to be able to say all of the lore for lizzie (who hadn’t had her chara arc in rp at the time) and by the time i got her arc done i ran flat outta spoons nbfkgb,, but i got my spoons back and whipped up a few lil pictures to go with this so hopefully that makes up for it!!! oki here we go!! under a cut because talking about five separate charas is gonna get long ndfjkv
ZAPPELINE VOLTAIRE
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she/he/they | genderfluid | somewhere between 25-37 y/o zap is basically my main character! she used to be a scientist who worked on interdimensional research, more specifically what the theoretical effects of interdimensional travel/portals would be on the human body and the safety of all of that. at one point the lab she worked at lost funding, but she decided to fuck around there before it got demolished because why not! she did a few experiments on herself, including changing her natural hair color and making it so that she could see an extra color. the latter of which did not work out entirely as planned, because the rods in her eyes didn’t grow in quite right. so! now she has red-green colorblindness in her right eye, and something similar to tritanomaly in her left, which is why she wears those funky glasses!
gonna be honest, i’m still working on a way to properly explain the next bit without it getting super boring or incomprehensible, but tdlr the new colors corresponds to a wavelengths that interdimensional rifts emit, so now she can see interdimensional rifts! she noodles out a way to build an interdimensional portal using some leftover notes from one of her co-workers, and jumps through! she ended up getting too excited about the portal and forgets to make sure it’s stable, and it ends up collapsing the second she gets through. so now she’s stuck in the multiverse! fun! after a bit of dimension-hopping, mad science, and the entire plot of polychrome (a game concept im workin on!!), she lands herself in zimcon!
SPARKPLUG VOLTAIRE
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he/they | nonbinary | 5 y/o
sparkplug was originally built by zap to be her impulse control! this did not work! for context, zap used to be a really shitty supervillain before zimcon, so i kinda made sparkplug to be her sidekick/henchman? but in the way that’s like, supervillain is really nice and respectful to their “underlings” and basically treats them as equals and as friends, because i love that trope so fucking much. the original joke was “haha the supervillain has pack-bonded with the box!” but then the box turned into a kid and well! here we are. eventually after just. existing for a while they developed their own personality, and pretty much just became a regular kid! they arrived at zimcon as a box, but later on they end up asking zap for an astroboy-style body! as of writing this they haven’t gotten it yet, but that’s just because the rp’s kinda on pause right now. i do wanna say tho i have a special lil bit of art for it ready that hopefully yall will enjoy!!
ELIZABETH VOLTAIRE
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she/her | cis (ew) | 4 years younger than zap
god just. i hate elizabeth! i really do. she’s another version of zap who is basically just an evil boomer who can’t even be fun or dramatic about it. in polychrome, she takes over as the big bad of the game. i feel like she works a lot better in polychrome just because that’s what she was made for, tbh. she and zap used to work together at one point, but due to a lot of arguing, many disagreements and some other Events(tm), started hating each other. she’s literally no fun at all and i can’t really expand upon her all that much without going into spoilers territory so that’s about it for her.
LIZZIE VOLTAIRE
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she/they | trans gal | 745-748 y/o
lizzie is a ghost! she’s an alternate version of zap that died before she could ever leave her home dimension. after she died, she was quite literally chained to her death spot for over 700 years. when she died though, she was given a contract that said she could be freed if she got someone to sign it, the person signing it would be able to have her do whatever they want, but once she finished the task she could be free. if the person signing felt that she wasn’t doing a good enough job, they could rip up the contract and she’d be sent back to her death spot. it sounds bad, but it was all she had so she tried her best to get someone to sign! unfortunately though, in the few months where there were still people around, she hadn’t been able to figure out how to get herself to be visible again. just before she figured that out, the world underwent some kind of apocalypse, and all the people were wiped out. so she had no choice but to just kinda sit there and vibe for 700 years.
that is until elizabeth came along! liz signs her contract, and lizzie starts working as a henchman for her. the elizabeth arc happens (which is basically elizabeth helps lizzie possess zap and tells her to erase the con members’ memories, she does this, people are pissed, lizzie gets knocked out of zap’s body, zap dies, comes back, and beats the shit out of elizabeth and later sacrifices her to a crab) and liz decides to send her back for not doing a good enough job. so she goes back to her death spot, and after a night’s stay makes a deal with an eldritch blonde twink to gain her freedom.
REGINALD SPECTER
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he/him | agender | a few thousand years probably (boomer)
bastard!! bastard man!! reggie is the one responsible for lizzie’s (and a few other peoples’) death(s). he has a job in the underworld which is basically just “take care of this huge monster that eats parts of people’s identity.” he found that feeding it souls worked best, so instead of finding lost souls he just decided it’d be easier to get some new ones. in order to kill people without getting caught, he disguises all his murders as accidents. lizzie’s happened to be a falling stage light that hit her on the head real hard. it’s not a cool or fun death and it makes her real mad ndjvkdf
lizzie was left there for so long because reggie pretty much just forgot about her. he left her the contract to give her some form of hope, which would keep her from fading away completely, but she was chained there so he could come back when he remembered. when liz signed her contract he got some sort of notice about it, and decided to come back to lizzie later for some shits and giggles. when they met up, he told her if she could find a soul to trade he’d give her her freedom. she accepts, and picks zap to trade, hoping that getting rid of her would help her earn liz’s approval (it didn’t). zap gets sent to this weird hell maze, and when a few others get in the way they get sent there too. lizzie eventually gets talked down from sending more and more people to the hell maze, and she lets them out. she’s tired of hurting people, and wants to give helping others a try! at the moment, reggie isn’t aware that lizzie let them out of the maze (and thus, isn’t gonna give him a soul to trade). if he finds out it’ll be bad, but for now she’s just vibing and trying her best to be nice!
reggie’s very much inspired by hate and dial from tpoh, and a lot of lizzie’s story is inspired by my personal theories on blondie/rgb’s death!! its basically “how many tpoh references can i cram into this: the arc.” it’s unbelievable the amount of shit i was allowed to get away with with nobody calling me out nfjdkvsf
aaaand that’s kinda it!!! i tried my best to make this short and readable, i wrote up something else earlier that was a LOT longer and im much more happy with this version. and if something i said doesn’t make sense or anyone wants to ask anything about these guys or polychrome id be more than happy to answer!!!! thank you so much for reading!!!! <3!!
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sweetpxxches · 3 years
Text
The little things in Nevada matter most. (Ch. 1)
Hank/Sanford/Deimos/Reader Fic, baby.
This fic has chapters, so this is the first one! I will link the new chapters as ones go by.
Warnings will be listed here as chapters are made, as of now, Chapter 1 contains:
- Alcohol 
- Mild mentions of gore
- Fluff
This chapter’s just the beginning of finding each other out. This is a lot so heck yeah!
Reader is AFAB and uses gender neutral pronouns. (they/them) ^-^
Chapter list: 1 - ?
It was an early evening in Nevada, you missed the sounds of crickets chirping in the night. But due to the events that happened in this place, there is lack of life that surrounds it. All that is left are demons, clowns, sheriffs, and all that utter nonsense that you question how badly this had to be for a state to become it's new circle of Hell. But at that point, it wasn't really worth thinking too hard on. You instead just think about how at least thankful life was to you to give you friends so your life isn't too lonely. Without Hank, Deimos, Sanford, and 2BDamned, life would of been miserable. Despite what they're here for, the red and black tints of the skies seem blue to you. You were sitting on the edge of a bridge, kicking your legs as you took a sip out of soda can, letting the wind blow passed your hair. But you felt the ground rumble and you swiftly got up to face where it was coming from, and you saw the three familiar figures in a truck. With a sigh of relief, you waved at them and they drove by to you. Sanford poked out at the back of the truck, waving. "Hey, Mercenary! We're heading out to look for some bars around here, you up for that?" You shrugged it off, chugging down the rest of your drink and tossing the can over the bridge. "Sure, why not? Not like I got much better to do. Place has been extra quiet since we've bombed one of those factories earlier." You saw Deimos reached out to you, and you grabbed his arm as he tugged you up between you and Sanford. "Welcome aboard, then!" Deimos laughed, patting your shoulder. You smiled at the two, getting yourself comfortable. You turned your head over to Hank, who looked back and nodded. "Glad to see you in one piece, Merc." He said as he started the engine and began driving off. "Good to see you didn't die again either, Hank." You joked, leaning back. It was almost like things were back to normal, the aura of happiness and the cheerful conversations filled your heart with a sense of serenity. It is a rare occasion just to feel the serenity of friendship. Then again, if you could even consider this as friendship. These three made your heart confused, and so your mind. The more you thought about it, the more it felt like you had decisions to make on the long end. Sanford was the gentle yet mature one in the bunch, his body may be brawns but he was also brains. He didn't take jokes a lot, but sometimes he does choose to have fun with others whenever he can, as well as how caring he is for the group. Sometimes you wonder if he's secretly a major softie who would own rabbits for a living. Then there was Deimos, a cunning and suave guy who most would consider a 'bastard' for how he behaves. Always has a cigarette between his teeth as well as a smug demeanor. You couldn't help but smirk at the times of Deimos trying to show off to you a few times when you first joined the crew, and Hank always telling him to keep his pants on. The one time Deimos even attempted went to failure due to him flexing while trying to shoot with one hand, but his hand got blasted off from a heavy bullet blow, making him shriek and fall over. Although cruel, you laughed at his awful attempt at playing Chad. But despite it all, you still care for the goof. Then there was Hank. Quiet, down to business, but has a rather sadistic side of him. You could say he comes off cold, but there are moments in time where he shows a glint of emotion, most of the time when his bloodlust meets a 'sugar high' to the point he can't control it anymore and lets loose his inner need of murder. You find it intimidating, but also fascinating to see how far he can go. Of course most of the time it leads to him getting brutally killed, but somehow a few days later he always ends up coming back... You remember the first time you saw him get destroyed, a large MAG Agent managed to grab him by the head and ripped him apart, and it made you shriek out to him before Sanford dragged you out the room. But it was days later, you saw him come back as if none of that happened, and you just assumed that's how it will always be when Hank dies. And to no one's surprise, you were right. At that point, you began to care less about him getting killed, sometimes you use his body as a shield whenever he's fallen. Makes you wonder if Hank is even human at all, and is linked to some weird spiritual thing. But those were thoughts to keep to yourself, otherwise it'd make the room awkward, especially to Hank.
Despite it all, these three had their own stories and personalities to show, and you love all three of them.
You dazed off from the conversation between Sanford and Deimos, until you heard Deimos say your name. You blinked awake, looking over. "Huh?" "Hey, the ride's over, we found a place to hang out." Deimos got up and bounced off the truck, reaching over to you. You smiled down at him and jumped right into his arms, leading him to twirl you around and settle you down, making you chuckle. Sanford followed along, stretching his arms out. "Seems like this place is a ghost town right now, wonder why." "We're why, Sanford." Hank retorted, stepping out the truck as he placed two guns in his pocket, in case of anything. "Grunts and agents won't fuck with us, now imagine them fucking with us drunk." He scoffed, walking passed the three of you. You placed your hands behind you back, shrugging. "Oh well, let's hope there's drinks at least." The four of you made way into the bar, a bartender was cleaning an empty glass only to spot the four of you, immediately freezing up in fear. "S-Shit! It's you guys again!" The bartender stood back, keeping a tight grip on the glass in hand, but Hank slammed a hand down on the bar table. "Give us drinks, old man. Or it'll be big time for you." Hank ordered, and without hesitation from the man behind the bar, he simply did as he was told, although shaking in fear from the fact all for of you were present. You eyed him carefully, but sat on a stool twirling around it. "I swear, it gets too boring too quick whenever we have days off." Deimos sighed, sitting on a stool next to you. "You're telling me, this place tends to get quiet quick whenever it doesn't get busy. You think those AAHW Agents are planning something big?" Sanford asked, and saw Hank lean against the table, shrugging. "Hope so. If they're just gonna throw more grunts at our way, I'll consider that a big fuck you from them." He huffed, rolling his shoulder. You leaned on the table. "I dunno, if they retreated this long, it's gotta be something good!" Sanford chuckled, nodding off the statement. "Maybe, maybe... hey, I got an idea, let's all drink 'til something happens!" "Like alcohol poisoning?" You raised a brow at Sanford, and Deimos chuckled under his breath. "Right, right, I'm just saying it's our night, so let's make it worth while." The bartender slid down a few shots for the crew, Sanford took one shot with a quick swig, and raised the empty glass. "Come on, now! Let's do it!" Deimos looked at you and Hank, and the three of you shrugged it off and raised a glass to join with Sanford.
What felt like hours that were only minutes, Hank, Sanford, Deimos, and yourself decided to be reckless. Sanford was a strong one, taking the shots like they were water, while Deimos was making his way to getting on Sanford's level, as for Hank, it was hard to tell if the alcohol hit him at all. But unfortunately, out of this bunch, you were the weakest to alcohol, your mind was buzzing on your eighth shot, seeing the three mercenaries become six, or is it seven? You couldn't tell. But you snapped away when you felt Deimos tugging you over for some kind of sluggish dance. "C'mon, Mercenary! Let's fuck around for a while, will ya?!" He chirped, and you made a groggy 'wait no' as he pulled you around all playful, laughing his ass off. Deep down, you can't wait to kick this guy's ass once things die low. But as of now, everyone was getting tipsy, and who knows what nonsense they'll pull. The only thing you're hoping is Hank won't pull out a gun and shoot around like an idiot. Deep down, you feel like he'll do that. "Deimos, let go of me you idiot!" You shouted over his goofy laughter, but he ended up slipping off and having you two fall on the ground. Hank shook his head, sighing at the sight. "You two shouldn't have alcohol." He snorted, looking over to Sanford who was growing just as buzzed as the other two. It felt like he had to babysit you three, but Hank was personally enjoying the sight of his mercenaries being themselves with no consequences. After a few hours, the rest of the group was smashed. You couldn't tell who you were clinging on, but they were struggling to keep you in their arms. "Shit, what time is it? Is there a place to even hide?" Deimos slurred, wiping alcohol off his mouth. It seems the bartender made his way out before they could even ask for more, which made Deimos growl in frustration. "Dammit! That asshole ditched us!" He raised a fist, but Sanford held his shoulder. "Relax, soldier. We're done for the night. I'm fucking wasted!" He snorted, keeping a firm hold onto you. You looked up at Sanford, noticing you were facing his bare chest, making your eyes widen and have your cheeks flare up.
“Uh...” You blinked.
“Yeah, Merc?” Sanford looked down, noticing your expression. “Shit- you good? You look sick.” He stumbled up and settled you on the table, but you just seem dazed at how nice his body is. Or maybe that’s the alcohol speaking. Unfocused, you grabbed Sanford and Deimos by the shoulders for support. “Maybe we should head back to the hideout we had last time, hardly anyone... goes there.” You paused and blinked at the floor, seeing your feet stumbling. Hank seemed to be the only one capable of keeping his composure, though not really attempting to give anyone a hand at all. “You know what, since I’m not the one who’s fucked up here, I’ll drive everyone back. I figured you three wouldn’t control yourselves, not like I’d be surprised about it.” Hank left out the door, leaving the rest of you to struggle along the way. It was like a difficult obstacle in stepping from point A to point B, Deimos and Sanford pulling you around for support as you all waddled your way to the truck. It was a blur the moment you slumped into the back of the truck, the only thing you could feel was your brain growing an immense fatigue as well as someone keeping your body up. The moment you passed out, you could only feel the nausea upcoming. 
When you woke up, you were welcomed to a face between the bare chest of Sanford, which made you immediately bounce off. But the moment you did, your head pulsed in a sense of pain and confusion, making you hiss under your breath, gripping your forehead. “Son of a bitch...” You muttered, but you saw that Sanford and Deimos were still asleep. Despite them being out cold, you really didn’t expect to have Sanford allowing you to get that handsy with him. Or maybe he wanted you to be comfortable... then again, those were comfortable. But the thoughts went away quick when you felt your head spin, stomach ready to hurl. You went over the edge of the truck, throwing up the excess of what was left in your stomach, the hangover lighting up slightly from the release. You looked over to the edge ahead, seeing a familiar building. It seems that Hank managed to drive everyone home. You really couldn’t help but be thankful that Hank was at least caring enough to drag everyone back. Where Hank was is nowhere to be found, but you can assume he must of went inside without you and the other two. You looked over at Sanford and Deimos, you’re sure they’ll be fine on their own, no one comes here nor interferes in this area. Sluggishly, you rolled out over the edge of the truck, hopping off with a simple thud to the ground. As you dusted off and made way inside, you saw Hank just hanging out on the couch, head held back with a cigarette in his mouth. 
You always found it adorable how he is in his most calm state, you sometimes wish he was like this more often. Though unfortunately, he’s the least likely to contain himself. You could tell he’s still awake, because the moment you shut the door, he spoke. “You’ve finally managed to get up. Head still hurtin’?” You turned over to him, seeing he’s still lazy about. “Yeah, but I’ll get over it. Sanford and Deimos haven’t gotten up yet, but hey, I’m here.” You walked over and sat on a seat beside him, patting his head which only made him grunt at your brave actions. “Remind me to tell you guys when you have one too many, you guys were drinking for hours.” Hank sighed, pulling the cigarette out his mouth, letting the smoke pass his nostrils. “Sorry, I didn’t even catch the time when we even started. Sanford shouldn’t of challenged us... then again, you won anyway.” 
“That’s because I didn’t overdo it. Sanford tends to have too much fun on his free time.” Hank shrugged, “Besides, if I joined in the nonsense no one would be able to take anyone back home. I ain’t risking to crash into a building drunk, won’t be too fun missing my shots.” You could only chuckle, watching him wave his hands about. He wasn’t expressive in face, but his hands were. You wondered if it was a good idea to kill time with him if you would just...
“Hey, Mercenary.” Hank spoke up. “Oh! Yeah?” You blinked back out of thought, looking at him. “I was wondering... couldn’t help but notice how it was kind of cute to see you try and cling onto me earlier when you were drunk.” Your eyes widened in embarrassment, looking away immediately. “G-God! Are you serious?! Fuck I’m sorry, Hank- I really didn’t mean to-” “It’s fine, dear.” Hank waved it off, you can tell there’s a smirk under there. “In fact I didn’t mind you getting handsy.” You puffed your cheeks at him, then giving him a hit in the head, making his shoot up immediately. “Ow- hey!” Hank huffed, rubbing his head. “Bad enough I got my head kicked in everywhere!” You crossed your arms, feeling your cheeks warm from the flustered reaction. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I just don’t like it when you make a fool out of me, you always do that with everyone.” He looked at you, tilting his head lightly. “Now you know it’s not me trying to be a dick to you, Mercenary. I just do it because I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind me teasing you.” It took a moment, then you realized the way he worded it. You said he does it to everyone in the group, so does that mean he does it to ease everyone because he likes them? You blinked, looking at Hank. “Wait, you mean just me, or?”
“I mean everyone, you think I don’t bother Deimos and Sanford?” Hank continued for you, crossing his arms. It seems like dots are being made here, and you weren’t sure how to feel about it. Does he like the three of you the way you like them in return? It made you wonder. But you didn’t want to invade Hank’s personal stuff, you felt like he wasn’t aware of his own emotions. “Huh... Well, I guess I feel a little better about it now. Don’t know what you get out of it, though.” Hank looked over to you when you spoken that, and he looked back at the window, putting his cigarette out on his arm. “Honestly? Don’t know myself either, but it makes me feel a little better knowing it makes you guys get a kick out of my words, hahah.” 
You couldn’t help but smile at him, maybe he is feeling for certain things he wasn’t aware yet. And honestly, you want to help connect these dots for not only himself, but for everyone else. Maybe there is a spark that needs to be set alight, just unsure where to start. But as of now, you just want to enjoy the silence that remains in the room, closing your eyes as you smelled the remaining smoke in the room from Hank’s cigarette.
Maybe this little break for the group isn’t so bad.
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emsemotional · 3 years
Text
out of line
Okay so this is a little baby one shot  based on my mental health advocate!mickey headcanon that I posted a little while back. I used to write a lot for various fandoms back in high school, but it’s been a while since I’ve written anything, and even longer since I’ve shared anything I’ve written with anyone other than @lewslew, so please be nice- I definitely have some room to grow with characterization and timing. 
This is taking place post-finale, so I’ve taken some liberties regarding what everyone ends up doing after the series. In my mind, Mickey and Ian buy the Gallagher house themselves, because they’re Southside boys at heart and they need a backyard for their dog (duh). But they’re waiting on their Westside lease to end, so Lip, Tami and Liam are staying in the house while Lip and Debbie fix it up and renovate a little (you can find my whole hc on what everyone’s up to post-series here). I was talking to @iansfreckles a while back about a possible Gallagher/Tamietti family dinner- I’m so interested in how this would go and how the families’ dynamics would interact. SO, this takes place at said Gallagher/Tamietti family cookout, right as Lip and Tami are moving out of the house, and Ian and Mickey are moving in. Cami and Brad’s kids are with Aunt Oopie, I dunno I didn’t want to write them haha. 
Content warning: ignorant/rude comments about individuals with mental illnesses and language akin to that of the show
-
Tami had almost said no when Cory asked to bring her new boyfriend to the Gallagher house. Between the Gallagher and Tamietti families, there were going to be plenty of big personalities under one roof, as is. But Cory had actually asked this time, and she had just babysat Fred during a last minute highlight appointment. Tami had reluctantly agreed and her sister had seemed so happy that she almost forgot her hesitation. 
Looking back, Tami’s decision was questionable. Lip had been able to prepare his family for the rest of the Tamietti’s, explaining the family dynamics and topics to avoid. Chad was a wildcard.
He had burst through the front door laughing loudly beside Brad and Cami, who didn’t seem to think the joke was as funny as Chad did. Cory and Bob followed them in, annoyance clear on Bob’s face. Tami and Lip moved to the door to greet their visitors, Tami depositing Fred in Carl’s lap, where he was sitting on the couch. Carl immediately grabbed the toddler under his arms, grinning at him and lifting him up above his head, making propellor noises on his way down. 
This, this is what Tami had wanted her family to see. The Tamiettis had made it clear that while they tolerated Lip, they thought Tami could do better. They thought he was ill equipped to help raise a family, constantly doubting his ability to provide, and his dedication to his family. Tami had tried to explain Lip’s role in his own family- the patriarch of the Gallagher home, a man who had been taking care of people for his entire life. Perhaps the only way for the other Tamiettis to see the value in the Gallagher side of Fred’s family, was to observe it first hand.
Lip made it to the Tamiettis first, shaking Bob’s hand and taking the handful of bags and jackets that were thrust into his arms. 
“No show Brad!” Tami cheered, hugging her sisters, “You made it!” 
Brad rolled his eyes, lightly clapping Tami on the shoulder, “Yeah, yeah, I’m here.”
Cory turned towards her sister, a wide smile on her face, “Tam, this is Chad, the guy I was telling you about?” 
Tami turned to shake his hand, finally giving him a good look. Truth be told, he looked like every other guy Cory had seriously dated- some tall, brunette, conventionally attractive, straight laced kind of guy. He didn’t seem any different from the other business majors, fraternity boys and bar bouncers that Cory had intruded her to. 
“Tami right? So great to meet you, thanks for inviting me!” 
“Of course, nice to meet you too! Come on in, you guys!” 
The Tamiettis settled into the living room, Cami choosing the seat next to Carl, cooing down to Fred, “There’s my favorite nephew! How are you sweet boy?” 
She ran a gentle hand across Fred’s head before introducing herself to Carl, “I’m Cami, Tami’s sister.” Carl swallowed a smirk at the rhyming names, nodding, “Carl, Lip’s brother.”
“Ah, the one buying the house?” 
“Nah, that’s Ian and Mickey, they’re upstairs somewhere. I’m the cop,” Carl stated proudly.
“Fuck the police!” Mickey’s voice called into the living room in response, as a flash of red and black hair came tumbling down the stairs. All the Tamiettis turned to watch Mickey jog through the living room with Franny on his shoulders, Ian chasing after them. 
“Get him Uncle Mickey!” Franny squealed, “He’s gonna catch us!”
“I’m a little busy running, kid. Hit ‘em or somethin’,” Mickey grunted, scrambling to hand his niece a rubber ball previously balanced on the back of the couch. 
Franny wound up her arm, tossing the ball at Ian’s head with all her six year old might, “Take that, Uncle Ian! You’re dead!”
Ian groaned dramatically, clutching his face and sliding onto the ground. He let out a theatrical sign and closed his eyes, finally defeated. 
Franny cheered as Mickey lifted her off his shoulders, “We did it! We killed him!” Franny dropped down to the ground to check that Ian had accepted his defeat, poking him in the back with the toe of her shoe.
Mickey gave her a crinkly grin, the kind he reserved for Franny and Ian alone- unguarded and childlike. “Sure did! Pretty badass if you ask me.” 
Ian got to his feet, tickling Franny’s stomach as he addressed the room, “Hey, sorry we were in the middle of… a game.” 
“Liquor store robbery!” Franny cheerfully announced. 
 Franny began introducing herself to the unfamiliar faces, sharing that she was in the first grade, enjoyed playing with guns, and wanted to be a welder like her mommy when she grew up. As Liam and Debbie descended the stairs, and the rest of the Gallaghers and Tamiettis introduced themselves, Tami marveled at how smoothly things seemed to be going. No one was yelling, or aggressively drunk, or making a thinly veiled classist comment- yet. 
The two families quickly settled into a comfortable chatter of introductions and the conversation, surprisingly, continued to flow without a hitch. They soon made their way outside, where Debbie and Bob chatted while manning the grill. The other family members scattered across the yard- Liam sat in a lawn chair typing on a laptop, occasionally asking Lip for grammar advice. Ian, in the middle of telling some wild story from his EMT days, was fully emerged in conversation with the rest of the Tamietti family while Mickey and Carl considered how many crimes Carl could theoretically arrest him for, arguing over how many years Mickey would have to serve. 
Everything was great- until Chad decided to open his mouth. They had finished dinner and were crammed into the living room, escaping the Chicago windchill. Chad was sharing one of his own work stories from the construction site he worked on, describing a man who had wandered onto the site and started yelling at Chad and some of his coworkers that week.
“Totally off his rocker,” Chad commented, “He kept telling us about how we were tearing down his house, and that he didn’t give us permission to do this. Just screaming at us, swearing, and he wouldn’t listen when we kept telling him that he trespassing, y’know? Just super crazy- needed a fucking Xanax or something.” 
Ian tensed, fiddling with the ring on his left hand while the other Gallaghers exchanged pointed glances. Tami began to interrupt, clearly in attempt to change the subject, but Chad continued. 
“The next day,” he explained, “the very next day, he came up to us and was asking to bum a smoke, like he didn’t fucking flip his crazy ass on us yesterday, I swear he must’ve been like bipolar or something, acting like we were old pals. Must’ve gotten carted off or killed or something, haven’t seen him since.” 
While the Tamiettis offered a polite chuckle, the Gallaghers remained silent. 
Mickey, who had been sitting on the couch next to Ian, looked up from his folded hands. “So you got something against bipolar people? It’s a fucking mental illness man.” 
Chad smiled, backtracking, “Hey, nah, calm down. He’s just some crazy homeless dude, who cares?” 
“He’s not just some crazy guy, he’s a person with a disease, the fuck’s wrong with you?” Mickey asked. 
Ian placed a hand on his husband’s shoulder shaking his head. “Mick, it’s fine. It doesn’t matter.”
Eyebrows raised comically high, Mickey stood and crossed his arms. “Um, fuck that, it does matter! You’re not a fucking punchline Ian. This is our house, yours and mine, and no one’s going to be talking like that in my house. Obviously no one else is going to say something, and you shouldn’t have to, so I will. I won’t stand for that shit.”
The Tamiettis exchanged horrified looks as the Gallaghers mostly just looked at the floor. Finally Lip spoke up from where he was standing by the TV, “Mental health is uh… a sensitive subject around here. We just… we take it seriously, y’know? First hand experiences and shit.” 
Cory opened her mouth to speak but she quickly stopped when she saw Tami swiftly shake her head in her direction, suggesting she stay out of it. 
Mickey lightly rubbed his eyebrow, “Yo, douchebag, apologize or get the hell out of my house.”
Chad raised his hands in surrender, “I didn’t realize it was such a big deal man, sorry.”
Mickey rolled his eyes with a huff, turning on his heel to walk towards the back of the house. Wordlessly, Ian followed him out the back door, leaving the living room in a heavy silence.
After a moment, Chad breaks the silence, “Look, I really didn’t mean to start something, I was just telling a story. Should I go out and apologize again, try to talk about it?”
“I wouldn’t do that,” Liam replied, “You should give Mickey some time to cool off.” 
“Yeah,” Lip agreed, “I wouldn’t follow them out. Mickey… he gets protective? Always has been, of Ian. Our mom was bipolar, and so’s Ian. He’s stable, doing great, but he’s, uh, he’s been through a lot. It’s just not good joke material around here.”
Chad nodded, silence overtaking the room again. Franny looked up from her coloring book, clearly bored with the turn the night had taken.
“I’m gonna go play with Uncle Mickey and cheer him up!” 
Debbie chuckled from her seat across the room, “Yeah, go bring them some beers Franny.” 
“Okay!” Franny chirped, hopping to her feet and skipping into the kitchen. Debbie gave a soft smile as she watched her daughter, on the way to hang out with her favorite uncles. 
-
From his seat on the back stairs, Ian watched Mickey pace through the yard, grumbling about “Fucking Northside yuppies… and their ignorant bigoted asses… what the fuck is wrong with people?” He glanced over at Ian, his expression softening when he noticed the defeated look on Ian’s face. Mickey paused his pacing, coming to sit next to Ian on the steps. 
“I’m sorry, I know I prolly embarrassed you. Was I out of line man? I just got so fucking mad,” Mickey quietly mumbled, looking down at his hands in his lap. 
Ian gently shook his head, “Don’t apologize. You weren’t out of line… I think I’m just disappointed, y’know? That comments like that still get to me? I should be over it by now, every reminder that I’m sick or different shouldn’t still sting like that. And why do I have to be the one that the conflict and the drama revolves around? Why not fucking Carl or Liam or god… anyone else just for once?
Mickey’s expression softened even further. He nudged his knee into Ian’s leg, “What’s that shit you told me when Terry died? Trauma doesn’t always make fucking sense and recovery isn’t… oh shit, what’s the word? Linear! Recovery isn’t linear. Doesn’t make you fucking weak, just means you’ve been through some shit.”
“Yeah. I guess it was easier to tell you that than it is to tell myself.” 
Mickey hummed in agreement and the two sat in silence for a moment before the back door creaked open. A tiny red head shoved her way through the doorway, arms wrapped tightly around two bottles, frosty with condensation. Franny sat down on the steps between them, silently handing her uncles their beers. Ian accepted his with a dry chuckle, thanking her. Mickey ruffled her hair, offering a small smile. The voices from inside had faded and the night was relatively calm, other than the occasional siren or dog barking. 
Franny, not looking particularly concerned, looked up at them to ask, “Uncle Mickey, why’d you get mad at that guy?”
Mickey rubbed at his eyebrow and let out a sigh. He looked towards Ian, a silent request for him to take the lead on this conversation. He was confident in his ability to discuss the stupidity of princesses or the importance of wearing gloves during a legitimate liquor store robbery with his niece. He knew how to play, and joke, and how to be there when she woke up from a bad dream, stumbling down the stairs with bedhead and snotty tears. Mickey had grown into his role as an uncle, but he still doubted his ability to talk about the tough stuff with anyone other than Ian. 
Ian cleared his throat, taking a second before asking, “Franny, do you know what it means to make a joke at someone else’s expense?” 
Franny’s eyebrows scrunched together and she shook her head. 
“It’s when you make a joke to kind of make fun of someone else. Like to tease them. Y’know how we make cop jokes around Uncle Carl because he’s a cop?”
She nodded, and Ian continued, “That guy… Aunt Tami’s sister’s boyfriend, was making a joke and it ended up being at my expense. That’s what made Uncle Mickey mad. He didn’t mean to make fun of me, but he kind of did. That’s all. Uncle Mickey was just sticking up for me.”
Franny sat for a moment, deep in thought. “I didn’t know he was talking about you.”
“No, he wasn’t. Not directly. He was telling a story about someone else. But he made a comment about him being bipolar. D’you remember when we talked about that? That I have bipolar disorder?” 
Franny nodded, “That’s why you take your special medicine.”
Ian continued, “A lot of people don’t really understand what that means, and sometimes they make jokes about it that aren’t really funny. They’re just kind of… mean. So that’s why we got upset.”
Franny considered this for a minute and asked, “Do you want me to go tell mommy? She says I should tell her if someone’s being mean. She can fix it.” 
Ian smiled a little, patting her little back and shaking his head, “Nah, mommy already knows, she heard. And I think Uncle Mickey did a pretty good job telling him that what he said was wrong.” 
Mickey let out a sarcastic laugh, “And I got more to say to that piece of shit if I ever see his Northside yuppy fucking face again.”
“I think he got the point Mick,” Ian sighed, “Don’t waste your time.” 
Franny shrugged “Mommy and Uncle Lip and Aunt Tami were all still talking in there when I left. Mommy told me it was a good idea for me to come out here.” 
Mickey grabbed Ian’s hand, bumping their shoulders together. “Whatcha wanna do, man? We can head back to the apartment, go to the Alibi and get tanked, I don’t care, it’s up to you.”
“Don’t know, I’m tired of running from things. And you were right Mick, it’s our fucking house. Could we just sit out here for a little while?” Mickey ran a thumb across Ian’s hand and mumbles so quietly, in that voice he only uses with Ian- “‘Course we can”
Having completed her task of delivering beers, Franny stood up and put her hands on her hips, “I’m going to go inside, I won’t let anyone be mean to you Uncle Ian.”
Ian looked up to lock eyes with his niece, “I appreciate it Fran, thanks.” 
She stood up and gave Ian a kiss on the top of his head, no doubt a gesture she’d picked up from some other family member, likely Mickey or Fiona. Ian smiled as she turned away to walk back into the kitchen.
After a few minutes Ian jerked his head towards the door, “Y’ready?” 
Mickey hummed in agreement, standing and offering back his hand to help Ian up. They walked over the threshold of the kitchen into a conversation clearly about Mickey’s exchange with Chad. The Tamiettis were all sitting down in the living room, with the Gallaghers mostly standing, leaning against the various remaining surfaces. Lip’s hands were in his hair, a plain indication of his frustration and exhaustion. Tami abruptly stopped talking, in the middle of what seemed like an impassioned rant. She seemed unsure of how to continue now that Ian and Mickey had reentered the house. Debbie, sat on the couch with Franny in her lap, was scowling, while Liam absently stared at the wall, clearly wishing he were anywhere else. Carl quickly walked into the kitchen from where he had been leaning up against the living room door frame, clapping Ian on the shoulder.
“Hey, why don’t you guys go take a walk or something for a sec- I think Lip and Tami have it handled.”
Lip spoke up from the living room, “Yeah, it’s okay.”
Mickey tensed, bracing himself. “No, it’s not fucking okay Phillip-“
Lip grumbled something about that not being what he meant, shaking his head, while Ian quietly interrupted his husband, forcing him to make eye contact. 
“No, it’s not, but I don’t want to just keep going over it, Mick. I’m not in the mood to educate him. I’m not saying it’s okay, but I want to move on. Lip can handle it.”
Carl nodded and repeated himself, “Go take a walk, come back in ten. Lip and Tami got it.” 
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a joint and pressing it into Ian’s palm with a smirk. 
“Rolled this for later, you guys take it.”
Ian raised an eyebrow at Mickey, who let out a sigh with a slouch, “Fine. Be back in ten.”
-
The two of them return to the backyard, Tami’s yelling resumed, her voice carrying all the way outside. 
 “M’sorry, I know I keep talkin’ when you just want it to be over with,” Mickey mumbled, looking down at the dead grass in the vacant lot beside the house.
 Ian grabbed him by the back of his neck, fingers brushing through Mickey’s short hair, “Hey, no. I… I appreciate you sticking up for me- seriously. I’m just tired… tonight’s not supposed to be about me y’know? It’s supposed to be about Lip and Tami, and Fred, not me. I just wanted to be Lip’s brother tonight, not the crazy brother, the sick brother. I just don’t wanna be the one that causes the issues anymore.” 
“You didn’t cause this Ian. You being bipolar didn’t fucking cause this- that asshole, opening his mouth and not knowing when to shut it- that’s what caused it. I get that you just wanna let it go, and I will, but if he say’s something else-“
“If he says something else you can beat the shit out of him.”
Mickey grinned, looking up to meet Ian’s gaze. “Fucking fantastic. You wanna smoke this bitch?” 
He grabbed the joint out of Ian’s hand and pulled a lighter from his flannel’s front pocket.
Ian finally cracked a smile, one that actually reaches his eyes, “Free weed? Fuck yeah.”
Mickey tossed the lighter to Ian, who caught it and lit the joint with a practiced flick. He took a couple hits and closed his eyes, smiling again as he exhaled the smoke. He handed the lit joint over to Mickey, along with his lighter and jerked his head in the direction of the van in the backyard, “Wanna go sit?” 
Mickey nodded and breathed in a sharp inhale, heading in the direction of the passenger seat door. 
Ian climbed up into the drivers seat, letting out a deep sigh, “Feel like I’m in high school again- sneaking around with you, trying to find somewhere to be alone.” Mickey chuckled and passed the joint back over.
 They smoked in silence for a while, Ian nudging Mickey with his elbow as the ember approaches the filter, “You want the last hit?” 
“Nah man, that’s yours,” Mickey shakes his head.
Ian took it, stubbing out the butt on the van’s dashboard and tossing it onto the floor. 
“Still wanna kick his ass?” He asked, lazily turning his head towards Mickey with a grin.
Mickey rolled his eyes, “I think I can contain myself.”
“Yeah?” Ian breathed, inching his face closer to his husband’s. The moon, freshly risen, highlighted Ian’s face, illuminating the dash of freckles across his nose.
Mickey didn’t answer, opting to close the distance between them, pressing a soft kiss to Ian’s lips. Ian’s hand came up to cradle Mickey’s face, thumb gently brushing his cheek.
And if they didn’t make it back inside for a while, so be it. 
63 notes · View notes
kissinginkitchens · 3 years
Text
You Bring Me Home—Chapter Ten: When it Rains
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a/n: hi besties!! This one is... tough I’m ngl to y’all. It is the second to the last chapter which is so wild to think about, but alas all good things must come to an end. Hopefully you don’t hate me too much by the end of it but feel free to vent in my inbox :))) much love, Mel <3
Pairing: Hawai’i!Harry x Original Character (Halani <3)
Warnings: swearing, some suggestive humor, ANGST (!!)
Word Count: 7.4 k
catch up on parts one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine
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“Is that my shirt?”
“No,”
Alani squints at the cartoon bee printed on Harry’s white t-shirt and crosses her arms in disbelief. 
“Yes it is! I’ve been looking for it everywhere,”
“Don’t worry, you can have it back soon,” he admits, crawling back into his bed with an apologetic kiss to her pouting lips. “Doesn’t smell like you anymore,”
“Thief,”
Harry scoffs and props himself up on an elbow. “Don’t act like my Spice World jumper isn’t hanging at the foot of your bed right now,”
“You left it there,” Alani defends. “I was merely being kind and looking after said hoodie because it was abandoned by its owner,”
“Oh yeah and you’ve fought real hard to reunite us,”
“Can we get back to the main issue at hand? Which is that I’m kinda pissed off that you look better in that shirt than I do.”
Harry chuckles to himself and presses an affectionate kiss to her temple. “You’re too kind.”
Alani rests her cheek against his chest and listens to the rain pattering harshly against the window, admiring the flashes of lightning that illuminate the dimly lit room. Harry had convinced her to stay the night, worried about her driving home alone in the storm, and he was met with very little resistance. Secretly, he thanks the rain gods for allowing him another night to hold her close. 
********
“H, you gotta tell her,” Jeff had warned the previous night. “I already pushed the flight back a week—”
“I know,” Harry huffed. “I just need a little more time.”
Jeff sighed, rubbing his tired eyes with the heels of his hands. “You have until this weekend when we go away with the girls. One week in Maui, and then it’s back home. I’m sorry.”
********
Harry’s stomach turns remembering the conversation, but he decides to push all the nagging thoughts to the back of his mind and focus on the present. 
“You all packed?” he asks, trailing his fingers up and down her arm. 
Alani drapes her leg over his hip and nods. “Been packed since last week.”
She had been ecstatic the day after Mila and Chad’s wedding when Harry invited her to tag along on the couple’s trip with Jeff, Tom, and their significant others. His eagerness to include her in his friend group was not only reassuring, but exciting. It felt like their lives were coming together, even more so after she had introduced him to her parents. They, of course, had adored him and quickly given their seal of approval. While Alani knew that it was ultimately her choice, it still felt good to have support from the most important people in her life, and she hoped to win his friends over just as easily. Harry, on the other hand, had no doubts that she would fit right into his chosen family. Her name had been cautiously dropped during a weekly FaceTime call with his mother and sister, and he was overjoyed when they enthusiastically grilled him for details. 
What Harry was less sure of, however, was how Alani would react upon hearing that his vacation was up and that he would be headed back to L.A. in a week’s time. It was still early in their relationship and an indeterminate break seemed less than ideal. He had tried to convince both Jeff and the label that he could finish the album in Hawaii, but the same couldn’t be said for Jeff Bhasker, Mitch, Tom, and his new bassist, Adam, who all had families waiting for them back on the mainland. It was too risky personally and financially, so Harry reluctantly negotiated one last week to persuade Alani that a long-distance relationship wouldn’t be a death sentence. 
“What d’you wanna watch?” he asks, sitting up against the headboard to turn on the T.V. 
Alani sighs and settles deeper into his side. “When Harry Met Sally,”
“But it’s not Christmas or New Year’s,”
“So?”
“So,” Harry explains. “We have to wait ‘til the holidays, wouldn’t be right otherwise,”
Alani scoffs and peers up at him with a judgemental look. “So I guess Serendipity is also out of the question?”
“We’ll have all Christmas to get through that list, darlin’,”
Her stomach flips at his suggestion of their future holiday plans. Privately, she had wondered about such things, as well, including what gifts she might get him or where they would spend the holidays. Though still months away, it suddenly felt within reach. 
“Fine,” Alani softens. “The Notebook,”
“And let you drool over what’s-his-face?” Harry pokes. “No fuckin’ way,”
Alani pinches his side and sits up. “Would you stop being insecure about that? I’ve already told you I was just kidding that time,”
“Yeah well, it still stings,”
“Why don’t you tell me your celebrity crush? You know, so I can be totally fine about it because it doesn’t mean anything,”
Harry shrugs, the corners of his lips turning into a playful smirk. “Don’t have one,”
“Liar,”
“M’serious,”
“Why, because you’ve already dated them?”
“Hey,” Harry pouts. “That was a bit snippy,”
Alani’s muscles tighten. She hadn’t realized that his dating history was a sore spot, but she takes a deep breath and plants a sweet kiss to his jaw as an offering of peace. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,”
“S’alright. Truce?”
“Deal,”
“Jennifer Aniston,”
“Huh?”
“My celebrity crush,” Harry explains shyly. “When I was younger,”
Alani giggles lightly. “I see. Good taste, she’s hot,”
“Don’t tell me you’re gonna leave me for her too,”
“I just might,”
“Can’t say that I blame you,”
“Look I know this is a cute little bit we do,” Alani sits up, her gaze dead-set on Harry’s to communicate the seriousness behind her words. “But I just want you to know that I feel so lucky to be with you. I’m not going anywhere any time soon,”
Harry swallows harshly. It was everything he’d ever wanted to hear and it kills him that he can’t return the sentiment with full honesty. A little less than a week is all he has to prove that even though he physically has to go, his heart will remain wherever Alani is. “Me either,”
Another round of thunder booms outside and the lights fizzle out, leaving the room completely dark save for the intermittent flashes of lightning that gently illuminate the room. 
“So much for watching a movie, huh?” Alani sighs. 
“I think I know some other ways we can keep ourselves entertained.”
********
Harry sets a steaming cup of tea down onto the table in front of Alani and she looks up from her tube of nail polish curiously. Harry flashes a dimpled grin in her direction and whistles a familiar tune, one that she had heard in the studio when he was busy doing his Bob Dylan impression. 
“What’re you singing?”
“Hm?”
“The song,” she clarifies. “You were singing it the other day, what is it?”
Harry serves her plate of hash browns and shrugs. “Dunno, just a little tune ‘ve been workin’ on,”
“It’s nice,”
“Thanks, sweets,” he offers, setting her food down and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. 
“Hey Alani,” Jeff interrupts, stepping into the kitchen with his cellphone pressed to his shoulder.
“Glenne wants to know if you’re okay with her setting up a spa thing for you guys,”
"Yeah, definitely,” Alani perks up. 
“Cool, thanks.”
“Look at you,” Harry teases, taking a bite of his toast coated in strawberry jam. “Minglin’ with the girls,”
“They’re not even here yet,” 
He scans over her appearance and his brows furrow, hit with the sudden realization that she’s dressed in formal attire. 
“What’s with the fancy outfit”
“I have a meeting, remember?”
“With?”
Alani blows on her freshly painted nails and holds up her other hand for Harry to do the same. 
“My senior advisor. We’re going over my research project,”
Harry’s brows raise. “Smarty-pants,”
Alani had scheduled her meeting with Dr. Hudson months ago and had, truthfully, forgotten all about it until she had received a courtesy email the day prior. She had been working on her proposal in the spare minutes she had away from Harry, which were few and far between, but she knew the initial meeting would be much more casual. Alani checks the time on her phone and stands quickly when she realizes that she is supposed to meet Dr. Hudson in  less than thirty-minutes. 
“Gotta go,” she offers, shoveling potatoes into her mouth and grabbing her bag. 
Harry ceases blowing on her nails and kisses the back of her hand before sticking out his lips for a kiss of his own. “Good luck, darlin’. Meet me at the studio after?”
“Sure thing, sunshine. See you later.”
********
“How did the Joni Mitchell piece go? You never told me,” Dr. Hudson questions, taking a sip of her coffee. 
Alani offers a shy smile and toys with the hem of her skirt. “A flop,”
“Just one more closer to the winner,”
“Yeah,” Alani sighs, stirring her smoothie. “Maybe it’s time to move on from that,”
The professor shoots her a disapproving look and sets her drink down. “Alani—”
“I just think maybe there’s more realistic—”
“You are not giving up,” Dr. Hudson reassures her. “You’ve come too far and you’re a terrific writer. One of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of teaching. These things take time,”
Alani nods gently, her lips pursed in a tight smile. “Thank you, that really means a lot,”
“What are you working on right now?”
Absolutely nothing, Alani thinks, but then she remembers the half-written article about Harry sitting in her files. 
“A short piece about… a local musician,”
Dr. Hudson’s brows raise, intrigued, and she nods. “That sounds interesting. Definitely more personal,”
You have no idea. “Thanks. I mean, it’s not really anything—”
“I’d love to read it when you’re finished,” the professor continues. “What’s the scope?”
Alani thinks, trying not to give too much incriminating detail about her subject or their relationship. 
“Well,” she starts, hesitant. “He’s writing new music and working on his first album. I guess I kind of want to follow his journey and redefinition of success in the music industry,”
Dr. Hudson hums. “I love it. Send me a draft.”
Alani swallows and takes a minute to consider the offer. Surely there couldn’t be anything wrong about sharing her work privately with her advisor. She had been so excited about the potential of the article when it was first started, but it had since been neglected like so many of her other rejected pieces. Starting again seemed exciting, and she knew that Harry would be pleased to play such an important role in making her dreams come true. That had, after all, been the initial terms of their agreement. 
“Okay,” Alani accepts. “I will.”
********
Harry draws out the last note and Mitch lets the chord ring between them for a moment. 
“I think that’s the one,”
“Yeah, I liked that progression better,”
“Hope you got that, Bhasker,” Mitch calls to Jeff in the sound booth, who gives a thumbs up in response. 
Harry continues humming, his head still bobbing to the tune, when he hears the studio door creak unpleasantly. His eyes shoot up to find Alani wincing and timidly stepping into the room. 
“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt,”
He softens and beckons her over. “Never an interruption, sweets,”
Alani slots herself between his legs and wraps her arms around his neck, giving a gentle peck to the tip of his nose before pressing their lips together.
“How’s the weather?”
“Just got a lot sunnier,”
“Meeting go well?”
She nods and twists a lock of his chestnut hair between her fingers. “Yeah, actually,”
“Then we should celebrate!” Harry perks up, peppering a kiss to her cheek. “Dinner, wine, movie, the whole shebang,”
Alani frowns, thinking back to the article she promised Dr. Hudson. “Hmmm, raincheck?”
Her boyfriend deflates. “You’re ditching me?”
“Just for one night,” she explains, pulling him closer. “I wanna finish up some school stuff before our trip. Otherwise I won’t be able to give you my full attention,”
Harry pouts, but he nods understandingly. “‘Kay,”
“I’m sorry, sunshine. I’ll miss you tons,”
“Ditto, sweets,”
Alani presses her forehead against his and her fingertips wander through the growing curls at the nape of his neck. “Please don’t be upset,”
Harry smiles warmly and smoothes his hands up and down her back. “Never, m’love. Could never be upset with you,”
“Promise?”
“Promise,” he nods, planting a sweet kiss to her lips. “Hey, I wanna play you somethin’,” 
Alani grins and pulls back a bit to read his expression. “Let’s hear it,”
Harry grabs the guitar next to him and slings it over his shoulder before adjusting the capo. The song starts sweet and gentle, his voice light to match the tune. 
And oh we started 
Two hearts in one home 
It’s hard when we argue 
We’re both stubborn I know, but oh
Sweet creature, sweet creature
Wherever I go, you bring me home 
Sweet creature, sweet creature
When I run out of road, you bring me home 
Alani watches in awe as he pours so much emotion behind every word, his vocals effortlessly powerful and rich. She claps when the song finishes and leans in for a kiss. 
“I love it,”
“S’not finished yet,” Harry shrugs, still fiddling with the strings. “Just the chorus right now,”
“Will you teach it to me?”
His brows raise in surprise. “You play?”
“No,” Alani admits. “But I have a feeling you’re a good teacher,”
“Well, let’s see what you got,”
Alani turns and Harry props the guitar in her lap, his arms wrapping around her as he guides her into the right position. His left hand demonstrates the beginning chord and she replaces his fingers on the fretboard to try for herself. She strums and the beginning note resonates in near-perfect pitch. 
“Hey,” Harry beams. “You’re a regular Hendrix,”
He continues positioning her fingers over the right spaces and letting her strum, humming the lyrics softly into the shell of her ear. 
“We don’t argue that much,” Alani defends playfully. 
Harry chuckles and kisses her temple. “Maybe not, but we’re really good at makin’ up.”
“Easy, Styles.”
********
Harry: Hungry?
Alani peels her eyes away from the computer screen and reads the message lighting up her phone. 
Alani: Not really
Harry: …
Harry: oh 
She laughs and pads over to the window. Sure enough, Harry holds up two bags and flashes a cheesy grin down below. 
“Need a study break?”
“I’ll meet you at the door.”
Harry makes himself comfortable in the middle of her bed and unpacks the bags. 
“I’ve got a California and a spicy tuna for my favorite girl,” he announces. “With a side of eel sauce,”
“And the world's best boyfriend goes to Mr. Harry Styles,” Alani grins, taking a seat next to him. 
He smirks and pulls out his own order of miso soup and sushi. “How’s the homework comin’ along?”
“Not too shabby,”
“Glad to hear it,”
“Hey, what time do I meet you at the airport tomorrow?” she asks, dipping her roll in the sauce. 
Harry freezes and turns to her with confusion written all over his face. “I’m sorry, did my girlfriend just insinuate that we’re not leaving for the airport together?”
“I really need to finish this,” Alani explains. “It’s almost there,” 
“Two nights?” he complains. 
Alani nudges him with her shoulder and shakes her head. “We’re gonna be spending an entire week together, non-stop. You’re gonna get sick of me,”
“Never,” Harry rebuts. “Not possible,”
“Just one more night,” Alani bargains. “Then I’m all yours, no interruptions.”
He nods and takes a sip of his soup. “Alright, deal.”
You have to tell her, Jeff’s voice rings in his mind. 
********
The airline stewardess ushers Harry and Alani to their seats while Scott and Miles settle down a few rows behind. She didn’t know exactly what to expect from first-class, but suddenly the perks of having a famous boyfriend increased tenfold by the sight of their luxurious accommodations.
“Wait, what are you doing?” Alani asks while Harry hovers over his chair. 
“Sitting, or I was about to,”
“And you’re not even gonna offer rock-paper-scissors for the window seat?”
Harry shakes his head with an amused chuckle. “No because I already know that you’re gonna get up to pee every five minutes,”
“Not true,”
“It is too true and it’s exactly why we can’t cuddle while we fall asleep,”
“Or maybe the reason is because I’m claustrophobic and I just don’t wanna hurt your feelings,”
Harry frowns. “Really?”
“No,” Alani admits, taking the aisle seat. “I just said that so you’d give me the window,”
“Get up, we’re switching,”
“Thank you, sunshine! You’re the best,”
Harry slumps into his new chair and crosses his arms. “Forty-five minutes and we’re already fighting like an old married couple,”
“Oh really?” Alani smirks. “Is that what old married couples argue about? Who gets the window seat?”
“And leaving the toilet seat up, going antique shopping—” 
“—What old married couples have you been hanging out with—?”
“—Picking up the kids from school,”
Alani presses a kiss to his shoulder and rests her head in the crook of his neck. Her eyelids are still heavy from staying up the night before, but her article was completely finished and sent off to Dr. Hudson just like she’d promised. Now, she could enjoy her vacation free of any worry or obligation, completely focused on the perfect boy still rambling next to her. 
“But, obviously I mean that doesn’t count, right?” Harry asks, craning his neck and smiling softly when he sees that his girlfriend has already dozed off. He kisses the top of her head gently and lets his own eyes flutter close with a deep, contented breath. 
********
“And then I’ll have to repaint it, but I haven’t decided on a color yet,” Glenne explains to Alani as they stroll through the airport. 
Alani hums. “It was your grandmother’s?” 
“Well, it was somebody’s grandmother’s. We picked it up at this little antique shop in Santa Monica.”
Jeff escorts Glenne into the shuttle car while Harry and Alani share a knowing look and stifle their laughter. They shuffle into the back seats as Tom and his wife, Jenny, claim the middle row. 
“So you’re a journalist?” Jenny asks, turning in her seat eagerly to face Alani. 
“Not quite,” she explains with a polite smile. “Still a student, but hopefully someday,”
Jenny nods and twirls the ring around her finger. “Sounds exciting. Maybe you can hitch a ride on tour with this one and do some writing there.”
“Yeah,” Alani smiles, settling further into Harry’s side. “Maybe.”
The idea of traveling the world with Harry and being a part of the excitement of touring the album was something she had considered briefly, but hadn’t allowed herself to fully indulge until this moment. It was already thrilling to see him polish the songs he had begun during his trip, but she could only imagine how much more special it would be to see him perform them for the rest of the world. A twinge of jealousy sparks at the thought of having to share any part of him with the public, but Alani knows that his gifts are much too special to keep all for herself. Harry was golden and he deserved to shine in all of his radiant glory. That was exactly what she had penned in her article, and she said it not because he was her boyfriend and there were clear personal investments, but because she knew it was true even before he had shown any romantic interest in her. 
“What’s tour like?” Alani pipes up as Harry watches the landscape out his window. 
He considers it for a moment and clears his throat. “Fun, mostly. Can be tiring,”
“Lots of partying and adoring fans?”
“No,” he chuckles to himself. “Not so much the partying. Enthusiastic fans, sure,”
Alani narrows her eyes. “No partying?”
“Nope,” Harry reiterates. “Don’t really like to do all that stuff when I’m working. Also just didn’t wanna…”
He trails off and Alani waits a beat to see if he’ll continue. “Didn’t wanna?”
“Fuck it up,” he finishes. “You know, like, be the one who ruined a good thing for a little bit of fun.”
She lets his words settle in, rubbing a reassuring circle on the back of his hand. “Makes sense. Sounds really responsible of you to do that.”
Harry presses a soft kiss to her temple and resumes his study of the scenery. They chat amongst their friends for the remainder of the drive and Alani immediately presses Glenne and Jenny for information about her boyfriend in his younger years. They indulge her inquiries and ask their own questions, deciding privately after a few minutes that her and Harry are a good fit. 
When the group arrives at the resort, Glenne takes charge and instructs them all to meet at the lobby for lunch in twenty minutes. They collect their keys and head up to their respective rooms, which are all located on the very top floor. 
“What a view,” Alani muses as she takes in the sight from their private balcony. 
Harry admires the wonder on her face and nods, his eyes not leaving her side profile. “You’re tellin’ me,”
“Let’s never go home,” she poses, arms snaking around his torso. “Let’s stay here forever, just me and you,”
His throat tightens as he thinks back to the inevitable conversation waiting for them. Harry didn’t know why it was so hard to think about leaving because he had every intention of keeping touch and making their relationship work at all costs. But there was a part of him, a very tiny recess in the back of his mind, that feared the possibility of Alani not feeling the same. 
“Yeah,” he agrees with a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose. “Whatever you want, sweets,”
Alani senses a shift in his demeanor, but she can’t read it. “You okay?”
“Never better,” Harry swallows, mustering up a small smile. “But I am hungry,”
She isn’t entirely convinced that there isn’t something bothering him, but she decides not to push it and tightens her grip around his waist, instead. 
“Race you to the lobby.”
“You’re on.”
********
“You’ve never seen Finding Nemo?”
“Was I s’posed to?”
“My god,” Alani marvels. “You know, I’m starting to believe those rumors that you were grown in a lab,”
Harry’s brow raises and he blinks. “That I was what?”
The restaurant that Glenne and Jeff chose features an aquarium tunnel at the entrance, much to both Harry and Alani’s excitement. Fish, large and small, swim around them and the pair take turns pointing out their favorite colorful species. The Hull’s snap photos for their four year-old daughter, but Jenny also secretly captures one of Harry and Alani with their hands clasped under the mesmerizing blue lighting as a keepsake for her friend. 
“Add Finding Nemo to our movie list,” Alani says, admiring a clownfish that swims close to the glass. 
“S’it  gonna make me cry?”
“Probably,”
“Goddamnit,” 
Alani giggles softly and turns her head away from the glass to silently observe Harry under the lighting of the rippling water. The combination of his serene features and the sound of Billie Holiday’s I’ll Be Seeing You over the sound system creates a perfect image in her mind, one that makes her afraid to blink, lest it be gone forever. Harry glances over at her through the corner of his eye and his lips curl. 
“Checkin’ me out?”
“Always,”
“Like whatcha see?”
“Love it.”
His heart nearly stops at her words, but before he has a chance to process their implication, the hostess calls on their group. 
“And I’ll have the piña colada,” Harry orders once they're seated. 
“Oh my god, H,” Glenne laughs from across the table. “That reminds me, remember your birthday last year when James got trashed and hoarded the karaoke machine for, like, two hours?”
“Ruined that song forever,” Jeff quips, reliving the memory of the Late-Late host drunkenly serenading the entire party with the same song on repeat. 
Harry cringes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I try not to,”
Alani watches as they reminisce on the event, adding their own details and pieces to the puzzle. It’s amusing to watch, but a small part of her also has to fight the pang of exclusion settling into the pit of her stomach. She feels guilty for being affected by it knowing, logically, that it isn’t intentional or malicious in any way. Still, Alani is painfully reminded of the vast differences between their worlds. Harry had gotten to know practically every part of her life, including her family, but there was still so much that she didn’t know about his. It was something she worked hard not to dwell on, given the novelty of their relationship, but she also worried that fear and insecurity would prevent her from investing what little of her heart Harry hadn’t claimed yet. 
“Who was it that started dancing on a table and almost broke a chandelier?” Tom asks, wracking his brain. 
“I think it was Ken—” Jeff hesitates, clearing his throat. “Actually, I don’t remember,”
Harry shifts in his seat beside Alani and reads over the menu, quickly changing the subject. “What’re you gonna get?”
“I don’t know,” Alani admits. “Everything looks so good,”
“Oh look,” Jenny pipes up across from Harry. “They’ve got your fav, the mango sorbet. I wonder if it’s as good as the one in Italy,”
Harry beams and reads over the item. “Oh yeah, that was amazin’,” 
Alani files the detail to the back of her mind. She hadn’t known mango was his favorite flavor of anything, and while it was a trivial detail, she realized that there were so still many little details about him that she wanted to know. Harry had made such an effort to remember everything about her, like her go-to sushi order and the fact that she always saved the kiwis for last in her fruit salad, so it made her feel a touch guilty that she hadn’t made the same effort. 
“Wanna share the coconut shrimp?” Alani asks with a gentle nudge to his shoulder. 
“Oh, uh—”
“He’s allergic,” Glenne says offhandedly, not cold or condescending, but more in the same way that an older sister would. 
“Oh my god,” Alani’s eyes widen. “I’m so sorry,”
Harry laughs lightly and shrugs. “S’okay, I’d let you poison me,”
“I didn’t mean to be rude,” Glenne apologizes, reaching her hand out to Alani. “I thought you knew.”
Alani accepts the hand and waves away her concern. “No, don’t worry about it. I didn’t know, actually.”
“We can stop talking about my defects now,” Harry teases. “‘M not dyin’,”
He leans in closer to Alani and presses a kiss to her temple. “But if I was, it’d be an honor to have my last meal with you.”
She responds with a soft smile before returning her attention back to the menu. His sentiments, however sweet, unfortunately did very little to soothe the embarrassment of her mini faux pas. It was irrational, Alani knew this, but it made her wonder what else she didn’t know and what bigger secrets he was potentially keeping. Whose name had Jeff meant to say earlier to identify the mystery dancer at Harry’s party, and why had it created an awkward shift in the air? She decides not to let the spiraling questions spoil her fun and takes a generous sip of her cocktail to avoid them for the time being. 
********
Harry sets the room key on the nightstand next to their king sized bed and lets himself sink down into the soft mattress. The group had spent the entire day sightseeing, from botanical gardens to scenic beaches, but he was really itching for some quality time alone with Alani. Lately, their time together had been cut frustratingly short by work, school, and life in general. Even when they were seated right next to each other with arms linked or fingers interlocked, she felt far away and he didn’t know why. He hoped that this trip would allow them time to reconnect and solidify their relationship before he had to return to California. 
“Mini bar,” Alani comments, kicking her shoes off and wandering over to the small refrigerator in their suite. “Who’s paying again?”
“The label,”
“Thank you Columbia Records,”
She swipes a few bottles of tequila before climbing into the bed next to Harry. 
“Wanna play a game?”
Harry props himself up on his elbow and nods. “What kinda game?”
“Never have I ever,” Alani explains. “But instead of putting your finger down, you take a shot,”
“Sounds dangerous,”
“It’ll be fun. You can go first if you want,”
He hums and nods in agreement before sitting up to face her. “‘Kay. Never have I ever...named my car after a musician,”
“Cheap shot,” Alani narrows her eyes, taking a sip from the bottle of Jose Cuervo. 
“Your turn,”
She fiddles with the bottle cap, a question already in mind, though she isn’t sure if she should ask it. 
“Never have I ever… dated a model,”
Harry’s brow furrows, but he opens his own bottle slowly and takes a sip. “So it’s that kind of never have I ever,”
“Just trying to keep it interesting,” Alani shrugs innocently. 
“Right. Never have I ever slept with a guy named David,”
Her eyes widen, but she laughs half-heartedly and takes a sip. “Jeez, okay. Never have I ever—”
“Wait, so you two actually…” Harry interrupts, trailing off at the end. 
“I mean,” Alani starts, her eyes wandering to the ceiling. “Yeah, a long time ago,”
“How long ago?”
“Okay, maybe this was a mistake—”
Harry shakes his head. “No, I’m sorry. I’ll play nice,”
“Alright,” Alani accepts. She knows that she should probably steer the game back onto safer territory, but the wound has been re-opened and she can’t resist the urge to keep picking at it. “Never have I ever slept with a fan,”
Harry takes a slow sip. “Never have I ever cheated on my partner,”
The bottle stays put in Alani’s hand. “Never had I ever gone on a vacation with my partner before this trip,”
The tequila washes over his tongue bitterly like the faint memories that it symbolizes. “Never have I ever dated someone just for the publicity,”
The bottle in Alani’s hand doesn’t move, much to Harry’s relief, but her mind is not as tranquil. 
“Never have I ever told someone I loved them when I didn’t,” she says slowly.  
Harry takes another shot and it burns all the way down. “Why are we doin’ this?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t wanna play anymore,”
“Alani,” he starts, springing to his feet when she leaves the bed. “Hey, look at me, please,”
She blinks back the tears that threaten to spill over her lower lashes before turning to him. “I’m sorry, that was a stupid game,”
“S’just all out of context,” Harry offers, reaching for her hands. “Wasn’t the right way to have all of those conversations,”
Alani takes a deep breath and nods. “Yeah, you’re right,”
“What’s really botherin’ you, hm sweets?” He coos, bringing her cold knuckles to his warm lips. “Tell me, please?”
She releases a shaky breath and tries to sift through the fog in her brain for the right answer.
 “I don’t know, really, I just,” Alani hesitates. “Am I a bad girlfriend?”
“No,” Harry says quickly, his hands lifting to cup her face. “God no, you’re the best,”
“Then why didn’t I know that your favorite ice cream flavor was mango? And why didn’t I know that you were allergic to coconut, and why—”
“Hang on, is that what this is all about?” he questions. “Cause I’ll go eat an entire coconut right now,”
Alani laughs lightly and pinches her eyes shut. “No, it’s not about that. I just feel like you’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met and you make me feel so fucking special and, God, I just wanna be good enough for you because—”
Harry holds his breath and watches as her eyes gloss over. 
“Because I love you,” she finishes, voice small. “More than I ever thought possible,”
His own eyes sting, but he doesn’t fight the tears that fall as he presses his lips to hers firmly. 
“I love you, too,” Harry murmurs. “I love you so fuckin’ much it drives me crazy,”
Alani chuckles softly. “Ditto,”
“I’ve been wanting to say it for ages, can’t believe you beat me to it.”
“Guess you’re not the only one full of surprises.”
********
The early morning sunlight creeps gently into Harry and Alani’s room, casting a soft, golden glow onto the bare skin that peeks through the white duvet. Harry stirs first, a strand of Alani’s hair tickling his nose and making him smile. He prys his heavy eyelids open and winces at the dull aching of his head aggravated by the light. Alani hears his muffled groan and sighs, willing the sun to go back down and let her sleep a few more hours. 
“Mornin’ sweets,” he rasps with a warm kiss to her bare shoulder. 
She peels her own tired eyes open and flashes a sleepy grin. “Good morning, sunshine,”
“How’d you sleep?”
“Super. You?”
Harry props himself up on his elbow and rests his chin in his palm as he admires the traces of sleep still on her face.
“Just swell.”
Alani chuckles lightly and reaches a hand up to comb through his unruly bedhead. His skin is warm to the touch, and the light from the window casts a heavenly glow around his visage. She pokes her finger into his dimple, which elicits a soft laugh and makes his smile grow wider. They stay intertwined under the sheets as the sun fully rises and soak up their own details to keep as souvenirs from this moment. Alani takes in the scent of vanilla and the juxtaposition of Harry’s inked bicep against the plain, white sheets. He stores away the image of her sleepy, mocha eyes and the pink, manicured fingernails that trail up and down his arm. Neither of them are sure exactly how long they remain in this moment, for all they know it could be hours or days. But whatever the duration, it doesn’t seem to be enough. I need more time, Harry had told Jeff, but there was no more left to give. He had to tell her, and it was now or never. 
“Hey,” he begins carefully. “I need to tell you something,”
Alani sits up to be eye level with him and nods. “Anything,”
Harry waits a beat, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and pressing his lips to her bare shoulder before letting the confession spill out. 
“I have to go back to L.A.,”
 “I kinda figured,”
He draws in a deep sigh of relief. “You did?”
“Yeah,” Alani shrugs. “Hilo isn’t exactly Hollywood,”
“I asked for more time, but the label—”
“No, I get it. So… when? Next month?”
“Friday,”
Alani’s brows furrow. “This Friday?”
“Yeah,” Harry admits with a gulp. 
“The last day of our trip?”
“Yes,”
Her heart drops into her stomach and she feels sick. It all made sense now why Harry’s mood had shifted when she jokingly asked him not to leave, and why he had been so insistent on spending as much time together as possible this week. Their game of never have I ever turned instantly defensive when asked about his dating history. Never had I ever gone on vacation with my partner before this trip. Never have I ever told someone I loved them when I didn’t. He had whisked her away on a farewell trip and God knows who else had been in her place before, or worse, who would be in it next. Harry was saying good-bye. 
“Wait,” Alani says finally, mind still racing too fast to process. “How long have you known?”
“Alani—”
“How long?”
Harry swallows. “Couple of weeks,”
“You knew for weeks and you didn’t tell me?” she questions incredulously.
“I tried—”
“You know that I hate surprises, you know how I feel about plans—”
“I’m sorry,” Harry insists, sitting up straighter. “I wanted to tell you so many times, but it just never felt right,”
Alani rolls her eyes. “So what, you were just gonna leave a fucking sticky note on my pillow and hope for the best?”
“Don’t say that—”
“Is that why you brought me here?” she asks, voice hoarse. “Is that why you gave me this necklace? A souvenir of our little summer fling so you could leave with a clear conscience?”
Harry’s jaw tightens. “How could you even think that?”
“Because maybe it’s true. Why else would you wait until the very last minute to tell me about this?”
“Maybe we should take a minute,” he suggests, the whites of his eyes now bloodshot. “Before we say something we’ll regret,”
“I think I already did.” Alani admits. Never have I ever told someone I loved them when I didn’t. 
Harry’s head pounds and he feels like he’s drowning, treading water in every direction only to be dragged further into the current. He quickly pulls on his clothes from the night before and tries to steady his breathing. 
“M’gonna go wait in the hall,” he offers. “Give you some space to think and then we’ll talk, yeah?”
Alani doesn’t respond or even meet his pleading eyes. She simply tightens the duvet around her body and turns her head to the window, letting a single, bitter tear roll down her cheek. The door closes softly and she is immediately filled with regret and guilt. Had she truly meant all of the things she said? Or was it fear and the instinct to flee taking over her mouth? Alani wanted to believe that she was wrong and that Harry hadn’t intentionally kept her in the dark, but from where she stood, the sun had long disappeared behind the clouds and all that was left was the storm. 
Harry trudges down the hallway and the walls spin, closing in on him slowly. If he had just told Alani sooner, everything would be different. He had avoided doing so for this exact reason and out of fear that their relationship wouldn’t be worth the risk in her mind. It was selfish—he was selfish—to try to make the decision for her, and now the woman he loved was getting ready to walk away because he had broken her trust. What else was there to do? His back meets the wall and he sinks to the floor. 
“Hey H,” Jeff clears his throat from above. “We should talk,”
“She knows. Didn’t go well,”
“So she did approve the article?” 
Harry lifts his head and his brows furrow. “What?”
There’s a harsh knock at the door and Alani jumps. In Harry’s absence, she had managed to cool off and sift through her frantic thoughts. She had been wrong to think that he used her, all it took was a quick stroll down memory lane to prove otherwise. He had never given her any true reason not to trust him, so there had to be some other reason why he hadn’t told her about his plans to leave so soon. Alani pads over to the door and unlocks it gently. 
“Harry, I’m sor—”
“Wanna talk about surprises?” he seethes. “What the fuck is this?”
She squints at the phone screen that he holds up to her face and the title of her unpublished article stares back at her. 
“I don’t know—”
“Well it has your goddamn name on it,” Harry shoots back. 
Alani steps aside and lets him into the room before she closes the door behind her. “I can explain—”
“Did you write it or not?”
“Yes, but—”
He shuts the phone off and slams it face down onto the night stand. “How fucking dare you call me a liar and then pull this shit behind my back,”
“I didn’t lie,” Alani defends, voice weak. “I had no idea it was going to be published, please just listen—”
“A class project,” he interrupts with his back still turned. “That’s what you said,”
“It was never meant to be released,”
“How do I know that? How do I know you’re not just trying to cover your ass?”
“Please,” Alani begs as her vision begins to blur. “I was wrong, I shouldn’t have said all those things,”
Harry runs a hand through his hair and casts his eyes to the ceiling in an attempt to quell the emotion that pools behind his eyes. 
“So why did you?”
“I was scared,”
“Of?”
Alani takes a deep breath. “Of losing you for good. Of falling in l—”
“Don’t,” he interrupts. “Don’t finish that sentence,”
“I don’t know how,” she tries again. “And I don’t know who released it, but I swear—”
“You really expect me to trust a word you say after you accused me of lying about this whole thing, about us?”
Harry’s  gaze lowers back to hers and the bright, green eyes that she has come to love are replaced with a blood-shot, stormy sea that makes her stomach drop. The words get caught in her throat. 
“I fucked up,” he continues. “I know that I should’ve told you. But I’m having a hard time believing that this wasn’t planned, that this random website would just accidentally publish your work without your consent,”
Alani can’t explain it either, she truly had no idea how her writing had ended up in the wrong hands. There was only one other person she had entrusted it with, but surely Dr. Hudson hadn’t betrayed her, had she? Alani didn’t know who to believe anymore. 
“Harry, I’m so sorry,” she tries. “I didn’t mean what I said, and I know I can’t take it back, but you have to at least believe that I never wanted to hurt you,”
Harry is silent for a moment, and Alani decides that it’s her turn to tell the truth. There was nothing left to lose. 
“At first, I did want to publish it,” she explains. “But I changed my mind and I scrapped the whole thing. In the end, the only person I intended to show it to was you,”
“So how did it get onto the internet for the whole fucking world to see?” he presses. 
Alani sighs. “My advisor wanted to know what I was working on, so I sent it to her, but she never had my permission to publish it. Now I realize how stupid it sounds, but it’s the truth,”
“If you had come to me, I would have given you permission,”
“I’m so sorry,”
Harry’s shoulders tense. Every fiber of his being  wants to believe her, but how could he? She had told him herself that things would be messy and warned him that he didn’t know what he was asking by pursuing a relationship with her. Maybe it really was all his fault for not seeing the signs, but that still didn’t change the fact that he couldn’t trust her anymore. And based on her reaction to the news of his departure, it seemed as though Alani didn’t trust him either. 
“Even if you’re telling the truth,” Harry begins, slow and deliberate. “You still thought, after everything, that I would abandon you. And if that’s the kind of person you think I am, if that’s the person you wrote about—”
“Harry—”
“Then I hope you got all the material you wanted.”
“Please, don’t go.” Alani cries but it’s too late. The door slams and her heart falls. 
After a beat, she races to the door and into the hallway but there’s no sign of Harry. As quickly as he had appeared into her life, he had vanished. Gone without a trace.
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yesterdayiwrote · 2 years
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oh bestie. Smash or pass, WHOLE 2022 grid + jamie chadwick + JEV and andre :* sorry for the massive ask hahah but im v interested in your opinion
Holy shit this will be a long one 😂
Lewis: I mean Smash? Obviously? Anyone that says they wouldn’t is absolutely lying to themselves.
George: This one is a harder one. I love George as a person. He’s my favourite bitchy little git. As boyfriend material, I think he’d be a fucking nightmare. I think he’s cute though, and his body slams in a ‘naturally fit’ kind of way. Like he’s ripped but it’s not overdone which I’m down with. But he is like a giraffe. I’m a sucker for sarcastic little shits, but also I feel like he’s probably very vanilla but maybe has a deeply devilish side? Ultimately I would smash just to confirm or disprove my suspicions?
Max: Hard pass. I just… couldn’t. Not my type, don’t really vibe with him. Sometimes comes out with some sarcasm but ultimately gets outweighed by the other stuff.
Checo: Again pass. Just looks eternally bewildered. The personification of the 😳 emoji. Just doesn’t do it for me.
Charles: so is Charles attractive? Yes. Is Charles anything special? No. Instagram is now home to a gazillion guys all with the Charles Leclerc look so to me his stock has plummeted. If he’s offering, I’d smash but I’m not putting in the effort to chase him down.
Carlos: I feel like this will fall in the ‘Unpopular Opinion’ category, but Carlos’ hair is a turn off. I’m sorry. I’m probably now on some kind of list. I’m insecure about my own hair, I have no interest in smashing a guy with locks more luscious than mine. Pass.
Lando: Lando’s sense of humour strays too far into Chad territory for me. Instant turn off. Also looks like he’s about to sit his GCSE’s. Pass.
Daniel: Chad sense of humour again but has a slightly better grip on it. Slightly more witty. Tattoos are a turn on, General ignorance about world issues is a turn off. Would smash, but the inability to have a serious conversation with him means it would just be a smash and go.
Pierre: Pierre is a difficult one. I know everyone swooned over his tits last week, but when he’s clothed I sway back and forth on him. Idk if I actually find him cute facially or not because his facial hair is doing ALOT of heavy lifting. Kinda falls into the same category as Charles. Probably would smash but I’m not chasing him for it.
Yuki: Pass, he is a child. Killer fashion sense lately, feels too much like jailbait.
Fernando: You know what, I think I probably would? Dunno if it’s some older guy thing I’ve stumbled into, but I’m struggling to think of a reason not to? 100% do not agree with most of his past exploits, Being involved in one “gate” is careless, being involved in two is quite frankly suspicious, but I get witty evil genius vibes from him and so in that sense I’d smash.
Esteban: He reminds me of George but less bratty and so less intrigue. Would be a pass because I’m just not inclined to find out?
Seb: Chad Seb of old would have been a hard pass. New, socially aware, socially responsible Seb is a straight up smash. We Stan personal growth, but ultimately I don’t think he’d be interested cos he wouldn’t cheat on his wife.
Lance: Pass. Far too aloof, and just exudes rich privileged brat vibes, but the bad type of bratty. Would probably get confused that he couldn’t buy you into orgasm. Just looks eternally bored as well.
Alex: Alex is a smash. The cringe dad jokes, the willingness to make himself look stupid to benefit others. Alex seems awkward but there’s a definite quiet, secure confidence there that is just ultimately smashable. I’d be a bit worried a cat would appear out of nowhere though
Nicky: I think Nicky is a nice guy. I think he’s aware of his privilege and doesn’t seem like an asshole with it. I think he means well but it’s be a pass… but I’d feel bad about it and it would end up in a pity smash?
Valtteri: Look, coffee has laxative qualities and I have concerns about anyone who gets as excited about it as he does. It’d be a pass, mainly because I think he’s secretly into kinky shit because it’s always the quiet ones, and I’d be scared I couldn’t keep up with him.
Guanyu: I honestly don’t know enough about him. He seems nice enough, good fashion sense but I’ve barely heard him say two words. I’d literally leave it up to him. I wouldn’t say no but again, I’m not chasing it?
Mick: he’s just so soft. It’d be a smash but it’d be the slowest, softest, vanilla fairy tale smash. Actual Disney Prince shit. Shooting stars, rainbows and unicorns in the background probably.
Kevin: Smash. He’s got that rugged scandi look going on. Kind of quiet and brooding. Bit of an arsehole but not overly so.
Jamie: Jamie’s not my type. Just a bit too bland and vanilla with her personality. She’s pretty but it’d be a pass
JEV: I’m happy to smash anyone secure enough in their sexuality to actively use their own ship portmanteau unironically.
Andre: Same as above. Also a bit of a Silver Fox. Daddy. Smash.
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Sweet Pea//i have called you darlin' and i'll say it again
Request: Can I request a super fluffy Sweet Pea/Reader, the song Make you Mine by Public is kinda song I'd recommend listening to for it, not necessarily a song fic but just like Sweet Pea flirting/crushing on reader sort of thing
hey! so i had an idea for this and i really hope you like it! its a bit different to how i usually write and maybe a little different to what you were expecting. but i dunno, i just really liked the idea. i hope you do too! (if you don’t just tell me and i’ll write something else because this is a little different to the request) also, ‘lips’ is an inside joke between me and my girlfriend, and this is going to look really weird here but if you read on you’ll get what I mean. 
From the moment Sweet Pea saw you, he knew you were the one. 
He’d finally made it to the end of the first week of college, and with the help of his roommates he’d been invited to the first party of the school year. 
If you’d asked him a year ago where he would be in 12 very long months, he definitely would not have said stood in a frat house, playing beer pong a bunch of Chad’s and Jason’s. But here he is, and to his surprise he’s actually enjoying it. A lot more than he thought he would. 
He knows he probably should be back in his dorm, studying or sleeping or whatever freshman are supposed to be doing. But after the first week he’s still feeling a little lost. He doesn’t have any of his friends as Toni and Fangs both went to different college’s in different parts of the country. Classes are long, homework’s confusing and teachers are rude. 
He’s surrounded by people that are so different from the ones back home, and so he can’t help feeling that he sticks out just a little bit. He’s unsure about the world of college, and so maybe going to a party will help him understand everything a little better.  
But then he see’s you and everything falls into place. 
You’re stood on the other side of the crowded room, a small red cup in your hand that matches those of the people around him and he looks down at his own drink, realizing that maybe he should have poured the bottle into the plastic cups everybody seems to have, even if they are ridiculously small and make him look like a giant. 
You’re laughing, your head tilted back, your nose scrunched up, your eyes closed as the people around you join in. Your little group seemingly in their own world. Complexity unaffected by the loud music and even louder people. 
He realizes he probably looks at least a little weird just staring at some stranger, but he can’t take his eyes away from you. He’s being pulled towards you, he has a need to talk to you, like his entire future balances on you. 
It takes a while, but he eventually talks to you. And after some awkward moments, the two of you are stood in the kitchen. He’s happy for the first time since he left Riverdale. You laugh at something he said that wasn’t meant to be funny and he feels the entire world fall away around him. It’s just you and him. Him trying desperately to make you laugh, and you doing it probably out of pity. 
You suggest a walk after a few minutes of shouting ‘what’ at each other trying to be heard over the music. And when he raises an eyebrow in surprise, you notice and make sure to to tell him it’s nothing funny, it’s just to talk. He agrees and you grab his hand, pulling him through the living room. 
You ask him if he knows what a french exit is and he shakes his head. You smile at him, its small but no less breathtaking and full of questions he wants answers to. ‘I’ll show you’ you say and for a second he’s worried that he’s got himself involved in something sketchy, something that Fangs told him he would have to be prepared for, something of which he told him to ‘fuck off’ for. 
But then you grab his hand and pull him towards the back door. It slams shut behind you and you’re both left standing in the back garden. It’s cold, an autumn breeze hanging around but it’s a welcome on your warm skin and you hope in the darkness that he can’t see the soft blush that dusts your cheeks.  
He watches you look around, a confused expression on your face before you look back at him, a slightly embarrassed smile settling on your lips. ‘I thought we could get out this way’. He laughs, making your smile brighten and even though you still feel embarrassed it’s not so bad anymore. 
‘We could climb over the fence.’ He suggests, you follow his gaze until the two of you are staring at a large wooden fence.
“Are you being serious?’ You ask, blinking at him. 
“It’s not that high.” 
“Maybe not for you, big foot.” 
“Wow, like I haven’t heard that one before.” He says eventually. 
“You know what they say, college is about new experiences.” You send him a sarcastic smile, to which he just laughs and shakes his head at. “Speaking of, if you want to climb over that, you’re going to have to help.” 
“Or we could just go back in and go through the front door.” He says, looking back at the house but you’re already stood by the fence, waiting with your arms crossed. 
“Nope.” You shake your head. “Once you’ve french exited, you can’t go back.” 
“French exited? Is that a word?” He asks, getting on one knee so he can help you over the fence. You smile at him before throwing your bag over the fence and grab his shoulder, ready for him to push you up. 
“Yep.” You reply, pushing yourself up and over the fence. 
“In what language?” He asks, following you shortly after. Both of you land with a thud, thankfully on your feet but Sweet Pea still gets a glare after narrowly missing your bag. 
“Mine.” 
“How did you get into college?” He asks sarcastically. 
You start to wander down the street, not waiting for him and it takes him a few seconds before he notices you’ve gone. The moon hides behind the clouds and you sigh, disappointed that there’s no stars out tonight. He watches you look up at the sky and follows your gaze. 
“Wouldn’t you like to know.” You reply, looking back at him with a soft smile. 
“I would actually.”
He hears you sigh, deciding that tonight just a glimpse of the moon will have to be good enough, before footsteps start again. 
But he continues to look up at the sky, watching a future he so desperately wants paint itself on the cloudy canvas. 
A shy friendship that slowly evolves the more you get to know each other. With flirty conversations that always border on something else, both of you terrified to step a toe over the line. It’s filled with innuendos that neither of you pick up on until it’s too late or that make the other blush like mad.
Longing looks when the other isn’t looking that keep you up half the night. And awkward eye contact followed by weird smiles on the rare occasion that you’re caught.  
Brushing of fingers when you reach for the same thing...
“I’ve told you before, and I’ll tell you again. Stop putting the snacks on the top shelf.” 
“This is my house?!” 
“And?” 
And nudging of elbows when one of your other friends says something stupid. Both of you sharing a look because you know for a fact when you’re alone you’re going to laugh about whatever’s been said. 
Looking forward to the next day just because you get to see them and constantly checking your phone as you wait for text. Spending hours thinking of different excuses to hang out with another and even more hours afterwards thinking about the time spent together. 
Inside jokes that confuse others around you but make you both laugh louder than anybody else. 
“Hey. Hey. Hey. Sweet Pea?” 
“Yeah?” 
“Lips.”
“Okay, what the fuck does that even mean? Why are you both laughing so hard? What is so funny about lips!?!!” 
Tight chests when you see them laughing loudly with someone else. Wanting to be with each other all the time, just by their side. You don’t even have to do anything, you just want to spend time with each other. Checking to see if they’re laughing at something you’ve just said and feeling an indescribable heartache when they’re not paying any attention. 
Watching for the other to walk into a room, and when they finally arrive and smile at you, its like your whole body smiles back at them. It doesn’t matter if its at a party, a class or if they’re just visiting your dorm. 
Wanting to be the only thing they see, wanting their heart and soul. 
And when your other friends question or tease you about it, you always deny it, even if the redness of your cheeks say otherwise. And always having each others backs despite how much it might hurt. 
“Darlin-I mean Y/n.” 
“Did you just call her darling?” 
“Wha-no. I didn’t!” 
“Oh my god! Yes you did. You just called Y/n darling.” 
“I didn-” 
“Y/n, you heard that right?” 
“Nope, I dunno what you guys are talking about.” 
“thank you.” 
Thinking about what it would be like to kiss them, what their lips would feel like against yours. How they would kiss you. Would it be soft and gentle or rushed? How their hands would feel on your skin or in your hair. 
Awkward first dates turn into weekly movie dates as a couple, filled with making out more than watching the actual film and more pizza than you can both handle. Its spent laughing at cheesy rom-coms and Sweet Pea’s aversion to horror films. 
You sneaking out the next morning, trying hard not to wake his roommate, despite him knowing you’re there. And Sweet Pea always asks the same question. 
“Are you french exiting me?” 
To which you always reply, “No, and I thought that wasn’t a word.”
“To you it is so I suppose I’ll let it go.” 
You meeting his friends during the holidays, and them loving you. You and Toni talking about how hard college is, and Fangs telling you every single embarrassing Sweet Pea story, his favourite being the almost threesome with Toni and somebody else. Both Sweet Pea and Toni hate it when he tells that story, especially because he tells literally every single person he meets. Thankfully though, you find it funny but promise to not talk about it ever again. 
He meets your family and friends the next holiday and it’s your tun to be embarrassed, although none of your stories can beat his though so you don’t feel so bad. You spend the week stealing kisses when no one’s around and making sly remarks about your aunt, uncle and their snotty kid, who’s older than you but acts like a spoilt 8 year old. It’s Sweet Pea that suggests the french exit one night after dinner and thats when you realize you love him. 
He looks after you when you’re sick, and you do the same. You watch your favourite movies, cuddled up together under a mountain of blankets and tissues, despite protests of the other one getting sick. And when they inevitably do, the favour is returned. You don’t how you’re both not just constantly sick. 
There’s arguments that feel like they won’t end and days that you just don’t want to end. 
Shouting and crying and slamming of doors that always ends in long hugs and whispered apologies. 
You graduate together, one straight after the other and the two of you are smiling the entire day. Toni, Fangs and your family have flown over to see you both graduate, and they’re equally proud of you both. 
You get ready together but Sweet Pea still feels breathless when he see’s you. A small ‘wow’ escaping his lips as he watches you twirl around your room. He grabs your arm and spins you around, earning a surprised squeal from you. 
You’re never far apart from each other the whole day, wanting to be next to each other at all times. And it comes in handy when Fangs gets drunk and you have to stop him telling the threesome story to your parents. 
You made it! You did college! Well done! Now what though?
It’s time to go out into the real world and Sweet Pea feels like he did all those years ago at that party. Lost. He doesn’t know what he wants to do, where he’s going to live. 
But he watches you sleeping peacefully beside him and he knows whatever he chooses it’ll be okay, because you’re there with him. 
You figure your lives out together, making sure that the other is always a part of it. And after a while of working in some slightly stressful jobs, that aren’t really what you want to do but something you need to do to live, you save enough money to rent an apartment. It’s small, but it’ll do for now. And the two of you have fun searching for cheap furniture to fill it with. Nothing matches but its perfect and you don’t want it anyway else. 
He cooks, you do the dishes and you dance in the kitchen when certain songs come on. 
The song that were played at the party when you met and Sweet Pea can never remember the name of it so you always have to remind him. 
“Darlin’, whats that song called again? You know which one I’m on about. La, la, la, la.” 
“Make You Mine, Sweet Pea. And it’s 3am, go to sleep.” 
“Yeah! Thats the one...hey Y/n. Whats it called again?” 
“Make You Mine.” 
“Already am baby.” 
“You’re an idiot.”
The song you sang as you walked down the street together later that night, because he said something that reminded you of it. 
“Take me to your best friends, I love you then, I’ll love you now!” 
“What?” 
“You were talking about your friend Fangs.” You say, now very embarrassed at your sudden outburst. 
“His house is a bit far away but we can go if you want.” He replies making you laugh loudly.
When he gets back to his dorm the next morning, he makes a playlist, the first song in it being that one. He calls it ‘for y/n’, and he continues to add to it constantly. 
It’s got the one that reminds him of you, and to this day he still tries to fit your name into and fails miserably but it still makes you laugh and thats why he continues does it. 
That one song that played in the car on the way to getting groceries that he shout-sang for some reason and you both ended up sat in the parking lot for an extra ten minutes just singing. 
It has your go-to karaoke song that you have a little dance routine made up for, that you occasionally still practice in the kitchen, just so your moves are the best they can be for karaoke. 
He plays Make You Mine while proposing. What started as doing the dishes after dinner, ending in both of you crying while lying in a heap on the floor after you jumped on him. 
And its played again as your first dance at your wedding, but again, what starts as a very sweet and serious dance ends in you doing the routine from your karaoke song. 
He grabs your hand when everyone is too drunk to notice you’re both missing, pulling you through the endless corridors of the hotel you’re in. 
“What are we doing?” You ask as you clutch your dress with the other hand. 
“Do you know what a french exit is?” He replies, making you roll your eyes. 
“I do yes. How do you know what one is?” 
“Oh, a pretty girl showed me once.” 
“And where’s this pretty girl now?” 
“She’s married to some loser.” He shrugs making you glare at him. 
“Hey, that ‘loser’ is my best friend. And I know for a fact that whoever is marrying him is the luckiest woman in the world.” You scold and he rolls his eyes. 
He pulls you through the back door and the two of you stare the fence in front of you. 
“I thought we could get out this way.” He sighs. 
“We could always climb over it.” You say, squeezing his hand and sending him cheeky smile. “But you will have to help me.” 
“Always.”
“Sweet Pea? Are you even paying attention?” Kyle asks, hitting the serpents arm gently. Sweet Pea blinks, staring at the group of boys stood around the ping pong table. 
“Are you okay?” Another asks. “You kinda zoned out for a few minutes.” 
“I-er. Yeah.” He shakes his head. “I’m gonna go get some air.” He says dazed. He places the cup gently on the table before walking away, he feels dizzy and he has no idea whats just happened.
But then he see’s you and everything falls into place. 
Laughing with your friends, your head tilted, your nose scrunched up, your eyes screwed shut, and the whole world stops. 
An entire future between the two of you waiting to be lived. A whole life waiting to happen.
He just has to talk to you. 
So he takes a deep breath and slowly makes his way across the crowded room to where you’re stood. 
It feels like the whole world has stilled as he looks at you, waiting patiently for you to finish your conversation with a dark haired girl, it looks purple in the lighting but he’s can’t be sure, and then he realizes that the hair colour of a stranger isn’t exactly the most important thing right now. 
She’s the first to notice him, she glances between him and you before a small smile twitches at her lips, and within seconds she’s gone, taking the rest of the group with. You frown and watch as they leave, confused as to where they’re going. 
Sweet Pea coughs awkwardly making you jump and turn around. The room goes quiet, the noise from the music and shouting falls away as he looks at you, a confused expression pulling softly at your features, as your gaze makes its way up to his face. The confusion is quickly replaced with a smile. Its bright and warm and it makes Sweet Pea smile in return. 
“Hi.” You lean into him, trying to be heard over the music and Sweet Pea momentarily forgets how to breathe. 
“Hi.” He replies, also leaning in. He’s trying so hard to play it cool, and at first it works, that is until he leans in too far and smacks his head off yours. “Shit sorry.” He says quickly, clutching his head while you do the same to your own. 
He’s fucked it. He knows he has. He’s definitely fucked it. 
“Its fine.” You laugh. “Don’t worry about it. What’s your name?” 
“Sweet Pea.” 
“Y/n.” You reply. “Do you want to get a drink?” 
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harostar · 3 years
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I dunno dude, people seem mad about the AoT ending because Eren went from a dangerous, hateful child resentful at the world for existing, who commits horrible acts despite knowing how awful they are simply because he "keeps moving forward" to a Lelouch who didn't actually want to commit genocide, but did it anyways so his friends could kill him and prove to the world how great Eldians are. And that's not even mentioning the "thanks for the mass murder bro" scenes. How did you feel about the end?
I think other people have nailed it much better than I, in terms of discussing that it could have been better. (In terms of his friends anger towards him.) But that isn’t what I was mocking, nor the people that have expressed unhappiness and criticism for Historia’s final arc. (Or really, lack thereof.)
The issue I’m looking at is the people that expected Mastermind Epic Chad Eren who destroys the world and brings about paradise for his people. Or some other nonsense.
And instead got what people have been telling them for a while: That Eren was ultimately an immature, angry child that managed to get his hands on too much power. And used it to basically make everything 100% WORSE, like a child throwing a tantrum.
And not even having a reasonable or rational explanation for his actions. He contradicts himself several times, really making excuses for his actions more than anything else. He claims he did it so Armin and co could be the heroes, then IMMEDIATELY contradicts himself by admitting that he would have started the Rumbling whether they fought him or not. He just.....wanted to do it. Like an angry, petty child that realizes they can hurt something smaller and weaker than them.
Eren wanted “Freedom”, but his ideal of “Freedom” was simply being able to do whatever he wanted without consequences. He wanted to be the only one in the world, with his select few people there to keep him company BUT also to never have their own desires or inner lives. He wanted them to validate and keep him company, but he didn’t care for their wishes or desires. He simply did whatever he wanted, regardless of the consequences for his friends or how they felt about it.
That’s why we keep seeing him as a Child throughout the Rumbling. Because Eren was a boy that refused to grow up, and wanted to be the only person that mattered. He wanted the world to be his big empty playground where he could do whatever, not a complicated place filled with millions of other people with their own wishes and desires. 
Eren was like most real-world extremists and bullies. He was someone insecure and pathetic, who thought making others suffer would make him feel stronger and better about himself. But it didn’t fix anything. 
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Text
Looks Like Someone Picked a Whole Bushel of Oopsie Daisies
Chapter Ten: Shades of Blue
As always, thanks to @edward-or-ford and @pacific-ship!
How can you leave me on my own? Desperate and destitute, these seconds feel like lifetimes without you.- New Years Day, My Dear
Mabel marked off February 1st in her calendar with an X in her pink gel pen with sparkles (was it really even a gel pen if there were no sparkles? Mabel’s opinion was firmly on the side of ‘no, absolutely not’).
Just two hundred and twelve days to go. She was counting the days, the hours, the seconds (okay, maybe just the days, she wasn’t that good at math) till her parents could no longer keep her from her soulmate.
Because on August 31st, 2017, Mabel and her super awesome brother-boyfriend-soulmate combo would be turning eighteen, and there was nothing their parents could do to keep them apart once they turned eighteen.
Their parents had insisted they were monitoring their texts, and that they weren’t allowed to speak under any circumstances.
Of course, Dipper had called Mabel from Grunkle Stan’s phone (turns out their parents had been total liars about that, too, and neither Grunkle Stan nor Grunkle Ford was in any way opposed to the whole soulmate situation) as soon as she got home, and they had both downloaded an untraceable messaging app where they could text, make phone calls, and send pictures.
As one might imagine, they sent a great deal of pictures.
And also videos.
They had a lot of phone sex and sexy texting time, okay? They’d only gotten to have actual in-person sex twice (twice!), so they had to compensate somehow.
In any case, there was nothing they could do about it before they turned eighteen, so they had to come up with workarounds.
Not that it could prevent the withdrawals that were likely to hit if another month or two went by without them seeing each other, of course, but it sure made the days go by easier.
Mabel wasn’t sure what her parents were planning to do once they hit the three month mark and the first of the withdrawal symptoms started. It wouldn’t be so bad at first, according to what Dipper had told her regarding the massive amount of research he’d done. Probably just more of the usual depression she’d been having since she watched him disappear behind their car, and then sleepiness, then headaches and body aches, and then things would get progressively worse until eventually, they wouldn’t be able to function at all anymore.
She didn’t know what their plans were for anything, really. She hadn’t spoken to them since they’d left Gravity Falls. She hadn’t said a word to them on the drive home; just put her headphones in and tuned out. She hadn’t said anything to them since, either. Her parents would try to get her to talk sometimes. Her mom did it more often. She had headphones on most of the time. She wasn’t even home very much.
She didn’t tell her parents when she was going to a friend’s house the way she had before. The first few times, her parents had called the parents of various friends until they found her. After awhile, though, they stopped.
She didn’t care if they were worried. They clearly weren’t worried enough about her and Dipper to let them be together, so Mabel didn’t see any reason to notify them or her comings and goings, despite their protests. Just because they wanted to cherry pick their concerns for her well being didn’t mean she had to let them.
Besides, she came home every few days, anyway. It was usually only for a night, of course. Then she’d go back out again. And yeah, that meant she was out on school nights, but her grades were good, and she always made it to class on time.
She wanted Dipper. She wanted to be in his arms again. She slept in the shirt she’d taken from him every night, and she hadn’t even washed it. It smelled more like her by that point than it did him, and not in a good way, either, but it made her feel a little better.
Plus, whenever she sent him pictures of herself wearing it (sometimes leaving enough of the buttons undone to where her cleavage was visible, other times leaving all the buttons undone), he got all possessive and sexy, and the night usually ended with them panting each other’s names into the phone as quietly as they could.
Mabel stared at the cheery pink gel pen in her hand. She wasn’t feeling particularly pink. She hadn’t felt pink in just over a month, as it happened. Which was strange, because Mabel always felt some shade of pink or purple.
But she could hardly remember what Dipper smelled like. She could hardly remember what he tasted like. What he felt like. If she couldn’t remember those things, she couldn’t make herself feel anything that wasn’t some shade of blue or other.
She hung the gel pen back up on her calendar, grabbed her overnight bag, and opened her bedroom door.
She had her headphones in and was looking at her phone, pulling up a playlist, so she didn’t notice her mother there until she spoke.
“Honey, why don’t you spend the night here? I’ll make your favorite, if you want, and we can watch a movie, and…” tears welled up in her mother’s eyes. “Please, sweetheart, I can barely remember what your voice sounds like.”
Well, Mabel thought, maybe you shouldn’t have decided to separate me from my soulmate, then.
With that in mind, Mabel shot her mother a glare severe enough to make her flinch, and pushed past her, her overnight bag bumping against the hallway wall as she did.
Her friends were waiting for her in their car outside.
Mabel loaded her bag into the trunk and ignored her mother watching her behind the curtains in the living room.
Squeezing into the only empty seat in the car, she grinned at her friends.
Kristin, Eva, and Julie had been total lifesavers. They knew about Mabel’s soulbro situation, and they were, like, super supportive.
“Your ‘rents still giving you shit?” Julie asked over her shoulder as she pulled out of the driveway.
Mabel sighed heavily, her shoulders drooping. “It’s not shit, exactly, just…” she sighed again. “They just, y’know. They won’t let me see him.”
“Yeah, that still doesn’t make any sense to me at all,” Kristin said, adjusting her black lipstick in a compact mirror. “I get that having an incesty-soulmate isn’t, like, ‘socially acceptable’ or whatever,” she did air quotes with her fingers, the motion seeming a bit off due to the tube of eyeliner she had in between her pointer and index fingers that she was using in lieu of lipstick. “But if my parents can handle me being bi, yours should be able to handle your soulmate being your brother.”
“Okay, so here’s the thing,” Eva cut in, turning around to address Kristin and Mabel. “I feel like, if it were me, and they were my kids, at first I’d be all freaked out, y’know? Cause like, they’re your kids, and then it turns out they’re soulmates and have to bang a whole bunch or they’ll get all eeeeuuughh, right? That’d mess anybody up, I think,” she paused for a moment before continuing. “But the thing is, though, I feel like after that initial freak out, I’d be kinda relieved, honestly.”
“Relieved? Really?” Julie was so surprised she forgot to use her turn signal when changing lanes. “Oops, my b,” she said, half to herself and half to the driver who had honked at her. Not that he could hear her, of course.
“Why relieved?” Mabel wondered.
“Well, if you’ve got a kid, right, and your kid finds their soulmate and it’s some stranger you don’t know, how do you know your kid’s soulmate isn’t gonna hurt them, or be a terrible person or something?” Eva reasoned.
“That’s a good point,” Kristin agreed, shutting her compact mirror with a snap. “Soulmates aren’t exactly exempt from domestic abuse and shit.”
Eva nodded. “Exactly, so like, if it were me, I feel like I’d be cool with it once I got used to the idea, because I’d know my kids, right, so I’d know they’d never hurt each other.”
“That makes sense,” Julie said thoughtfully.
“Mmm,” Mabel hummed. “I guess. I dunno. They’re weird about it.”
“Wait a sec,” Kristin interjected. “Didn’t you say your parents mentioned something about their parents being, like, religious fundies or something?”
Mabel nodded. “I think my grandmother on my mom’s side might be. Which would make sense, honestly, since my mom has been so militant about keeping the Dipster and me apart.”
“Okay, first of all,” Eva had a haughty air to her voice, and Mabel raised an eyebrow at her. “First of all,” she said again. “It’s ‘the Dipster and I’.”
The other three girls groaned, and Julie took a hand off the wheel to swat at her half heartedly.
“Ommigod, shut up!” Mabel giggled.
“Whatever, you love me and you know it,” Eva said with a grin.
The others grumbled but did not object.
“FYI, Mabes,” Kristin put a hand on her arm. “You should send him a selfie real quick.”
“Oh?”
“Mhm,” her friend nodded sagely. “You look hot, and it’s a damn crime he doesn’t get to see it in person, so you gotta help a brotha out!”
Mabel smiled and snapped a few dozen pictures of herself.
“Okay, which one’s best?” she asked, handing her phone to Kristin, who scrolled through and inspected each one.
“No, no, no… meh, maybe… no, no… oooo, yes, love it, this one, totes send this one! Look at how much boobage you got in there, just fuckin’ go for it, man!”
Mabel grinned and sent the picture to Dipper, along with a short little miss you <3 text.
He responded with a miss you too and then, two seconds after, fuck you’re beautiful.
She giggled and showed Kristin his response. “Mhm, mhm, told ya.”
“Okay, so, confession time,” Julie said, pulling into her parents’ driveway.
“Spill it,” Eva immediately demanded.
“So you guys know Chad, right?”
“Unfortunately,” Kristin said with a grimace. The guy in question was a bit of a fuckboi.
“No, don’t say that!” Julie whined, getting out of the car. “He’s really sweet!”
”Of course he is,” Eva deadpanned.
“He is!” Julie insisted. “Anyway, so he asked me out.”
Mabel groaned. “Jules, tell me you didn’t.”
“I might have, yeah.”
“Ugh, ew,” Kristin said.
“It’s not ew!”
“No, it’s totally ew,” Eva pointed out, and Mabel nodded her agreement.
“If it helps,” Julie was saying sheepishly as she unlocked her front door, “he’s really, really good.”
“Of course he’s really good, numbnuts,” Kristin said with an eye roll. “He’s slept with half the school.”
“So have you!” Julie said defensively.
“Oooo, gotta point there,” Mabel snickered, pointing a glittery blue nail at her friend.
“Yeah, but I’m, like, discreet about it,” Kristin pointed out. “And I’ve actually dated people seriously, too!”
“Anyway,” Julie cut in. “So the consensus is ew, then, huh?”
“Definitely ew,” Mabel agreed.
“Why are Chads always such Chads?” Kristin wondered aloud, opening the door to Julie’s bedroom.
“They really are,” Eva laughed, plopping down on the bed.
“Soooo…” Mabel trailed off. “Cards Against Humanity, anybody?”
———————————————————————Her friends always helped push the separation anxiety to the back of her mind, but with the other three girls asleep, there was nothing for Mabel to do but wallow.
Her phone lit up the dark room, illuminating the air mattress Mabel lay on.
Dipper had sent her a message.
I want you.
Mabel unplugged her phone and scrambled up as quietly as she could, crossing the hall into the guest bedroom and locking the door behind her and turning on the light, typing out a quick okay in response.
She knew from experience that as long as she was quiet, nobody would hear her.
Now? he asked.
Now.
And then he was calling her, and she was hastily stuffing her headphones in her ears and hitting the little phone icon on her screen.
“Hey,” he greeted, and she could hear the smile in his voice.
“Hey,” she said back. It was always such a relief to hear him. “I miss you.”
“We’ve been texting all day,” he laughed.
“I know, but…”
“It’s not the same,” he agreed with the words she hadn’t said.
“Yeah,” her voice was soft, and she heard him sigh on the other end of their call.
“Can I see you?” he asked after a moment.
“Y- yeah, one sec.” They’d done this more times than she could count, but somehow, she was always nervous.
She stripped out of her shorts and unbuttoned his shirt to let it reveal her breasts, pulled her panties down a bit with her thumb and smiled into the camera.
She only had to take six or seven pictures before she had one she was satisfied with. Sending it over and promptly deleting them from her phone, she waited for it to arrive.
She knew when he got it, because he said, “Fucking hell, Mabel,” with a groan, and she could almost picture him stroking himself.
She’d only seen him do that a handful of times, when they’d gotten the chance to do this on the rare occasion she was at their parents’ for the night. She could have watched it for hours.
“You’re so perfect,” he sighed in her ear, and if she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine he was there with her. He’d kiss her neck, maybe, and then squeeze her breasts and pinch her nipples. Mimicking the things he was doing to her in her mind’s eye, she trailed a hand down her body and stroked herself lightly through her panties, listening to the way his breath was quickening.
“I wanna see you, too, Dip,” she sighed into the phone.
A few seconds later, a picture came through of him holding himself, and when she saw him naked… well. She had seen him naked more times than she could count by that point, but it was always breathtaking each time.
“Are you wet for me, Mabes?” he murmured in her ear.
She nodded, pulling her drenched panties off and kicking them to the side, before remembering he couldn’t see her. “Yes.”
“Show me.”
She took another picture, this time of a part of herself she didn’t really understand why he wanted to see, but he liked it so she sent it to him anyway.
“I wish I had gotten to taste you,” he gasped. “I think about that a lot.”
“O- oh?” How embarrassing. She knew she was blushing. She could feel it.
“Are you blushing right now?” Dipper asked. “I bet you are. You’re so cute when you blush.” She giggled a little, and he went on. “Will you touch yourself for me?”
“Mhm.” She brushed her fingers over her slit, dipping one inside slightly, just for a second, and gasping as she did so.
“Pinch your nipples, too, okay? I know you like that.” He did know, didn’t he? He knew all the things she liked. He seemed to know them intuitively. To be fair, though, he’d said she knew all the things he liked, too.
Pinching her nipple and brushing a finger lightly over her clit, Mabel whimpered.
“Does that feel good?”
“Y- yes,” she gasped out.
“I wish… mmmf,” he cut himself off with a groan. “I wish this was your hand instead of mine.”
Mabel squeezed her breast roughly, rubbing a finger back and forth over her clit.
“Me too,” she whined. “God, Dip, I want… I want you inside me so bad, I-“
“I know, Mabes. I know. I’d give anything to be inside you right now.”
She rubbed herself a little faster, and her legs were going to give out, she could tell they were, so she allowed herself to collapse onto the cold of the hardwood floor.
“You okay?” Dipper asked when he heard her fall to the ground, concern evident in his voice.
“Yeah, I just had to… ah!” she gasped. “I had to sit down.”
“Oh, okay,” he murmured, and it sounded like he went back to stroking himself.
“I need you.” She’d resorted to begging. She always did that when she was getting close.
“I know,” he groaned. “I need you, too.”
“Dipper, I- please, I need…” she rubbed herself faster, and her hips lifted off the floor an inch or so.
“I know,” he said again.
“I need you.” She couldn’t stop. It felt too good. “I need it, I want you so bad, please,” she begged. “Please give it to me, please Dip, god, I can’t-“
“Are you gonna cum for me, Mabes?”
“Yes,” she gasped. “Yes, I’m gonna- fuck, I want your cum in me, yes-“ her wrist hurt, but she kept going. She was so close, so fucking close-
“Cum for me, I wanna hear you cum for me.”
“Dipper, ah, oh fuck, Dipper, I’m gonna-“ her body spasmed, and she fell limp.
A few seconds later, he followed her with a grunt.
It had felt so good, and Mabel felt so content for a split second, because she’d forgotten that Dipper wasn’t there with her.
The tears started to fall, and she began to sniffle. It usually ended that way. She couldn’t help it.
“Mabel,” he said with a sigh.
“I’m sorry,” she hiccuped.
“No, no,” he assured her. “I just… I wish I could be there with you.”
“I don’t care where we are as long as we’re together,” she cried softly.
“I know,” he sighed again. “But we’ll be together soon, okay? I’ve got an idea.”
“An idea?” What kind of idea, she wondered.
“Yeah, but it’s a surprise, so until I’ve got everything worked out, just be patient for me, okay?”
“Okay,” she sniffed.
“I love you,” he told her softly.
“I love you, too.”
After a few seconds, he said, “and on that note, I need to clean this jizz off my stomach before it drips all over my bed.”
She giggled. “Okay, I’ll talk to you later.”
“You’ll text me tomorrow, right?”
“Uh, doi, when don’t I?” She sniffed again. It was hard to force the silliness that usually felt natural when she felt so blargh.
“Good point,” he chuckled. “Night, then. Love you,” he said again.
“Love you, too.”
After they hung up, it took several minutes for Mabel’s body to stop tingling from her orgasm, and then several more minutes before she could stop the tears and go back to bed.
Being without him was tougher than she’d imagined.
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recurring-polynya · 4 years
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Not sure if you've answered this before, but, what do you think happens to Ichigo after his human self dies (e.g old age)? Does his shinigami soul automatically become part of the Gotei 13? How about the rest of the Karakura crew when they die?
So, to preface, I am absolutely the first person to admit that I did not understand most of what happened at the end of the TYBWA and I do not actually know what is the state of Ichigo’s powers at the end of Bleach (nor do I really care, please don’t anyone try to explain it to me). I don’t think that’s the spirit of this question, anyway, so I am just going to treat it as “how do various powers transfer after death?” and synthesize my way up to Ichigo.
Let’s start with the easiest ones, Fullbringers: We see, in the manga, that Ginjo and Tsukishima are dead and in Soul Society, and at least Tsukishima seems to have his Fullbringer powers, pretty much unchanged. The thing that’s weird to me about this is that Fullbringers need their focus object to get their powers to work, and I would think that would need it physically, but apparently not. The more I think about it, the more I think that Fullbringers are basically living Soul Reapers that have to go through some hoops to get their powers to work in the World of the Living. Perhaps, their focus objects are actually sort of proto-zanpakutou, and when they die, the object has enough of a “soul” that it can cross over as well.
To that end, I suspect that a) a Fullbringer that had never realized their powers while alive could probably become a Soul Reaper, no problem, and b) with enough effort, a Fullbringer could refocus their powers into a zanpakutou and become a Soul Reaper (or just keep them as is, if they prefer). This seems consistent with the fact that Ichigo’s Fullbring powers seemed like crummy workaround to accessing his shinigami powers. As I was writing this, I also realized I couldn’t remember if Ichigo still had his Fullbring powers, or if he just didn’t bother with them anymore. Do I even pay attention to the parts of Bleach that aren’t Rukia and Renji making eyes at each other? (no) Anyway, remember when Ichigo had a BreatheRight strip? I might be kind into that whole look.
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I can actually see Chad going to Shin’ou and learning all the theory because I think he would really be into meeting his zanpakutou spirit and visiting his inner world. I don’t think he would join the Gotei, though. I could definitely see him either opening up a burrito stand in the middle of the Seireitei and helping shinigami work through their personal problems and lowkey advocating for social justice reforms, or wandering the Rukon with his ex-parakeet pal, helping people. I can actually see Orihime becoming a shinigami, but only if she got in a squad where she could follow her own moral code and do what’s right. People get all hopped up on Ichigo being Rukia’s vice-captain, but can you imagine a Rukia - Orihime squad? They would be absolutely feral. I want this more than I can say. I can also definitely see Orihime flipping double birds at the Gotei, and wandering the Rukon with Chad.
The most interesting aspect of this question is Quincy. Quincy can’t possibly keep their powers when they die, can they? I feel like if they could, dead Quincy would have ripped the Seireitei apart, reishi brick by reishi brick, ages ago. Then, I got thinking-- are the Quincy in the Wandenreich alive or dead? I always thought they were alive, but... that doesn’t exactly make any sense? How do they live in Soul Society then, or the shadows of Soul Society, or whatever? How did they get there? The entire storyline makes a lot more sense if you assume that the Quincy keep their powers when they die, and they secretly banded together and escaped into this shadow dimension, waiting to get their revenge en masse. This didn’t feel right to me, there’s something about Quincy powers that feel fundamentally worldly to me, so I went digging into the Quincy Archer Hates You! chapters, and here’s a part I found where Urahara talks about it:
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Hrmmm. It sounds like Quincy powers are basically a different flavor of shinigami powers. The other thing I noticed is that multiple times in this chapter, there are references to the Quincy being “eradicated.” Obviously, I am working from a translation here, but that sounds stronger than just “killed,” and I feel like the shinigami may have double killed the Quincy-- killed their mortal bodies and then killed them again as souls, so they would be shunted back into the resurrection cycle. My impression has always been that when a human dies, they lose most of their memories, but they keep their form and their name. When a soul dies in Soul Society, they get mangled a little when they are reborn, possibly mixed up with some other souls, and get a new body and a new name and lose any powers they had as a soul. In other words, I’ve gone back and forth a bit, but I think Quincy powers stay. I think that when Uryuu dies, certain parties are going to want to kill or dissect him immediately, but he’s got friends in high places. I think, in theory, a Quincy could learn shinigami techiniques, but Uryuu would never. I’m not sure he’d even want to stay in Soul Society, I feel like he would wander around until he found someone to kill him so he could just get resurrected again. He might stay for Chad and Orihime, though. I would love to see Shutara adopt him as a special apprentice, though. Wow. Wow, that’s a good idea. Fashion design, check. Fucks around with Mayuri, check. Only has to interact with other people, like, once every 500 years, check. God, I can just see them sitting around drinking cab sav, listening to Radiohead and practicing their resting bitch face. Sometimes, I am a genius.
Now for the big one, Ichigo: When Ichigo dies, the Hollow stays, that’s how Ichigo got it from Masaki in the first place, no? So, it would presumably go into either Kazui or Karin. Or has his Hollow become more entwined with him, through his Vizard training. Geez, I dunno.
There’s still one part I haven’t addressed: Ichigo’s shinigami part. What even is Ichigo’s shinigami part? The thing is, when you’re reading the manga in order, he becomes a shinigami, you don’t know about his dad yet, you don’t know anything else, and it’s like, whoa, wild! But is it, though?
Imagine, if you will, Urahara goes back in time to say, 1920 or so, and locates Abarai Renji, Living Boy, Age 5. Since Urahara is from the future he knows Renji’s soul has the potential to be a shinigami. Urahara knocks Renji’s soul out of his body, hacks off his soul chain, and throws him in a pit until Renji generates a spontaneous zanpakutou. Would this work? I think it might, actually. Oetsu makes sort of a big deal about the fact that Ichigo is the only shinigami to use a zanpakutou that didn’t come from an asauchi, but is this because Ichigo is special or is it because Urahara’s technique is special? Or maybe a little of both-- that some weird cocktail of Ichigo’s other powers made it possible for him to produce a spontaneous zanpakutou, whereas our theoretical Renji would fail the trial of the shattered shaft and turn into a Hollow instead? For the purposes of this question, though, I think that Ichigo’s shinigami part is just shinigami potential, that if that is the only power he had, and he had died at age 10, he could have become a shinigami. Urahara only put him through that bullshit because, knowing Ichigo’s parentage, Urahara had a pretty high confidence that it would work.
Relatedly, I think the other Karakura kids with high spiritual energy (Tatsuki, Keigo, etc) have the potential to become shinigami when they die.
So, my answer is I think Ichigo still has all his Soul Reaper powers when he dies. I think he lost his Quincy powers at the end of the TYBWA, but if he didn’t (or if Ryuuken makes him run around an obstacle course and then nails him with a spirit arrow 19 mm to the right of his heart’s sinoatrial node) then he can take those with him, too. I don’t think he has to join the Gotei if he doesn’t want to, I suspect the Shiba would be happy to have him, or surely Rukia and Renji would let him crash on their couch indefinitely. I am sure he would be immediately labeled a major potential danger to Soul Society, and if Yamamoto were still in charge, he would probably either just have him killed or throw him in the Muken if he refused to join up. Kyouraku is subtler, though, and I think he would take care to make sure Ichigo stayed happy. Whether or not Ichigo joins the Gotei, you know he would turn up whenever there was a danger to the Soul Society, it’s How He Is.
If Ichigo wanted to join the Gotei, I think there are a number squads that would take him as-is (11 for sure), but it would definitely be in his best interests to go to the Academy. The hilarious thing about Ichigo is that he doesn’t know anything. Most obviously, kidou, but I don’t think he knows much hakuda either, and he only spent about 5 minutes learning beginner’s shunpo, I’m sure he’s capable of learning some of those Fancy Lad techniques Byakuya uses. I’m not sure my boy actually knows any actual sword technique, I feel like Renji would take him pieces if they had to stick to practice swords. Also, I feel like there is a some theoretical strategy to Hollow hunting, and maybe some metaphysics and like, the civics and history of Soul Society. Rukia never seems to know any of this stuff, probably because she dropped out after one semester.
I hope that answered your question! Thank you for having any faith at all in my knowledge of the subject, I did my best, but mostly I realized that I have no idea.
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baka-monarch · 4 years
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Hey, if you're taking requests, I think a Sanders sides fairy au would be cool. Like Roman as the human, Virgil as the fairy discovery fic would be *mwa* (chef's kiss) Love your work by the way! ❤️💜💙
(What's funny about this is I actually had a plan for a fic about this XD, that I wasn't going to write because I had so many other ones, but it looks like I'm actually gonna make the first chapter!)
Roman stared down at the circle of mushrooms hesitantly. Behind him was a group of guys he'd come with up to Fairy Mountain. It was rumored that actually fairies lived here and the mushroom circles were traps set by them for human intruders. That's was Roman was up here for, the guys behind him had dared him to step into one of the fairy circles.
"I dunno, maybe I shouldn't. We aren't even supposed to be up here." Roman stepped back.
"C'mon babes!" Remy exclaimed, the one who'd dared him. "You aren't scared are you?" He teased.
"What!? No! It's just a myth..." He mumbled.
"Then step in it!" Chad called out.
"I-I will!" Roman defended. He took a deep breath, and then finally did it. As soon as his foot touched down he gasped in fright as his body was surrounded by a mysterious purple mist.
Roman heard frightened screams and a "Let's get outta here!". As the mist left he started to not only hear but feel foot steps rushing away. When he could see again he saw his "freinds" running back to the truck they'd rode here in.
"Wait!" He called out as he tried to run after them, but didn't get far as he tripped over what he thought was a root. He groaned as he hit the ground, and as he was beginning to stand again he heard the truck drive away. "Shit..." He mumbled to himself. Once he was standing back to his full height he finally noticed what had happened. "Shit!" He exclaimed as he noticed the blades of grass that were now towering over him, looking down he discovered that he hadn't tripped over a root, instead it was a piece of grass that had been flattened with the rest of the grass closest to him in the shape of a foot... oh. This was where Roman had stepped down into the fairy circle. He looked up farther, his eyes widening as he saw one of the mushrooms that was now like a giant umbrella that he couldn't even touch the top of.
"Okay," Roman sighed as he started to process this. "so, the fae traps on Fairy Mountain are not a myth, I set one of them off, and now I'm what? No bigger than a thumb?" Roman paused. "Fuuuuck!" He groaned. How was he supposed to get off this mountain now? "They have to come back for me at some point, rigth?" Roman thought allowed. "Right. So I just need to make it until then! First step: find a water scorce!" And with that Roman set off on a quest, to survive the woods of Fairy Mountain.
●●●
About an hour later Roman finally found a little creek, and happily collapsed at it's bank. He used his hands to slurp down as much water as he could to quench the thirst he had left from his journey. Once he was satisfied, he stood back up and looked around to see how far he'd come, and was crestfallen to see he'd only gone about a few feet away from the fairy circle.
"This is hopeless!" He shouted to nothing. At least he thought he did, until the ground began to shake in the rythem of footsteps. Footsteps that were getting closer. "Shit shit shit shit shit-" Roman mumbled as he spotted the outline of something approaching, he didn't pay any attention to what it was as he searched for a place to hide. As the thing came closer Roman realized that it was coming to the creek, and in a moment of pure panic he dived under the water to hide.
Roman watched petrified as a giant shadow loomed over the water surrounding him. It was now that Roman realized that it was a person, it was also now that the person cupped their hands into the water. Roman tried to swim away but the small current thag was forming to fill the person's hand was too strong and pulled him in. Roman covered his mouth to stop himself from screaming and swallowing in any water as the person lifted their hands out of the creek. They didn't even notice Roman as they leaned down and drank the water in their hands, their lush lips coming very close to Roman's body. Whe. They finished swallowing Roman coughed and sputtered in their hand from holding his breath for so long.
Finally they noticed the tiny person in their hands. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry-" They rushed out as they moved their hands to get a better look at who was there. "...Roman?"
"Virgil..?" Roman looked up confused, and sure enough there was the secluded emo looking down at him in their cupped hands.
"What are you doing out here?" Virgil wondered, as he tried not to think about Roman being that close to his lips... he was definitely not blushing about that right now, nope!
"I was dared to stand in a fairy circle... " He trailed off. "I guess the myths are true." He shrugged sadly. "What about you? I never took you for the outdoorsy type, emo nightmare."
"I'm here visiting family." Virgil shrugged. It wasn't a lie, he really was. "Actually, maybe they could help you."
"How do you mean?" Roman asked curiously. What could Virgil's do about a problem with fairies?
"You've heard of changelings before, right?" Virgil asked.
"Of course, they're people that were swapped with fae at birth." Roman shrugged, he was well versed with this fairytale stuff. "What does that have to do with your family?"
"Well first, you should go ahead and pass the border, I'll be right behind you." Virgil said, and before Roman could say anything he was set on the other side of the creek. As soon as Virgil's hands were gone, everything around him changed, and suddenly he was surrounded by houses made of grass and leaves, people dressed in petals, and even people that were flying! In the distance he could see a castle that was made out of the side of a tree, and he couldn't tell where the tree ended and the castle began. What was even more anyways that, everyone was his size. Well, his new size. "It's a little different on this side, Princey." At Virgil's snarky voice Roman turned around to find the emo suddenly his height, and looking very different. Virgil now had a pair of large dragonfly wings that seemed to shimmer magically purple, sprouting from his hair was a pair of antenna that were fluffy on the ends like what would be on a moth, his eyes were black with purple catch lights, and when he smiled Roman could see that his teeth were now incredibly sharp.
"You're..?" Roman's voice caught in his throat as he was amazed. He'd been reading about fictional fairies for his whole life, and here was one that he sat next to in geometry!
"I'm a changeling." Virgil shrugged. He'd assumed it was fine that he showed Ro the fae realm since he was already affected by their magic. "Now, let's go get you fixed, that trap wasn't even supposed to be there anyways." Virgil grabbed Roman's hand and pulled him along.
"Wait, where are we going?" Roman asked in worry.
"To the castle to see my mom. She's the queen."
A.N: Okay, as I said this is an au idea I already had in mind, but if I were to actually get to writing this as an actual story, I would rewrite it completely and this entire thing would be different, but this is the basic concept
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