#i've been falling for middle aged characters and it kinda makes me feel old

[dreamhot]

Signed up for wattpad in 2014 flash forward to last year and their data breach put my email on the dark web and someone tried to scam me lol

oh we love ourselves a good data breach ... i've found my old passwords on sites that track that sort of shit but luckily i've never gotten into any sort of trouble (save for my first neopets account getting shut down but that was my own dumbass fault for falling for a scammer loool)

gonna answer the other fanfic asks under a cut

Anonymous asked: I remember reading Hermione x Ron fanfics on deviant art when I was like 12 :/ also used to read Percy Jackson fics on Wattpad but we don’t talk about that 🤡

re: the last point - you and dream both, pal

Anonymous asked: its kinda funny for me to think about, i got into fanfic by reading mcyter fics (shout out team crafted). they were reader insert and not shipping but i really have come full circle

when i was into rtah, there was def some fic centred around let's play minecraft, but . i was reading the shipping stuff Oops

Anonymous asked: my first fanfiction experience was in 2014? In YOUTUBE. there were channels that made videos reading fanfictions they've got god knows where and if they were multichapter they would usually upload twice a week or something. Now that I think about it it was weird af cause istg the voices reading couldn't have had more than 15/16 years old and they read some filthy stuff sometimes. I can't even imagine reading shut outloud, let alone RECORD MYSELF DOING IT

yeah like i was def too young to be writing some of the fic i did at like, 16/7, but . that was also an era in which people weren't really disclosing their ages anyway lol BUT PUTTING YOUR VOICE TO IT ...? that's a level of bravery i can't even fathom

Anonymous asked: possibly my first fanfiction experience that i can remember was discovering that the avatar the last airbender wiki had a closely linked sister wiki for fanfic content and i dived into that. it must have been like… 2010/11? I knew about ffnet around the same time thanks to my brother but i’m not sure which actually was in my life first. anyway shoutout to avatar fanon wiki

fanon wikis are so fascinating like either they're enormously helpful and point out a lot of cool content Or they're just ill-kept messes of drama. always seems to be one or the other lmao

Anonymous asked: if we're sharing our fanfic experiences, i will say i used fanfic.net, ao3, wattpad, devientart, and quotev, and fanfiction.net has a special place in my heart. its where ot3s, brotps, lemons, using hate comments as fuel to bake cookies, disclaimers about not owning characters, a/n: breaks in the middle of the story, and songfics with the lyrics taking up half the word count really thrived. times were simpler back then

STOPPP NOT THE A/N BREAKS ... you'd be reading a fic and then it suddenly breaks into a fuckin roleplay dialogue between the author and the characters like WHAT'S GOING ON HERE !! i remember when ff.net purged all the songfic etc and how fucking mad ppl were cos they literally just . deleted shit without warning. they were truly merciless back then

Anonymous asked: my experience with fic platforms is kinda weird because i'm definitely in the "too young to have used ffn regularly" demographic but because english is not my first language and my first fandom was full of people who in general were 10+ years older than me (because after my brother taught me how to pirate stuff i ended up getting into 90s anime), the first fic i ever encountered was in ffn and wattpad became popular and easily accessible to me not long after, so for a while those were my two sites until i became fluent enough in english to engage fandom and moved from there to ao3 without struggling with the lack of content in a language i could read. it's funny because whenever older people talk about the youth (tm) not knowing how things were before ao3 it makes me feel old lmao

that's interesting tho :0 see, the thing is that wattpad and ff.net are still in USE, so it's completely possible that ppl were (or are?) using them while others used ao3 - though it blows my mind why anyone would CHOOSE to use ff.net in the year of our lord 2022

#smile.ask #beedreamss #anon #long post #<- under tha cut

[hugispuso-archive]

Since your submission box specifies gifts. I've broken in to announce I have a gift for you from (looks at smudged handwriting on wrist) Teriyaki. 😊

☆☆☆

┈┈┈┈┈

SJSHSIJANAKAJSKSKSJDNFNNFCCMCMCKCOFOGKGNWIWNDJFNFNNXNNNWNWNWNSDNFNSBSJJSSNSNBNFNCNCNNVNVNSJDNCNVAIWIWHDHFJFJFKJSHDFIFHFKFKKDJJFNFKCLFKFJFJFDOEJK

TERUKI BABY BDNDJJDJFNJF I LVOE YOU TOO 💗💖💖💘💘💕💕💗💖💘💖💕💗💞💗💗💖 YOU'RE THE BEST I'VE HAD IN AWHILE AND I'M SO GLAD YOU EXIST!!!!!! IDC WHAT THE OTHERS THINK OF YOU, YOU ARE PERFECT TO ME AND NOTHING WILL TOP THAT HNGHHHGNNGG 💞💞💘💘💗💓💓💝💝💗💘💖💞💞💞

#IDK IF THE TERIYAKI WAS INTENTIONAL BUT THAT IS SUCH A CUTE NICKNAME PLS SNSJDJSJSJDJDBJDJF 😭😭😭😭😭💓💓💕💖💓💓 #I'M SOBBING THIS IS THE FIRST THING I SEE IN THE MORNING #TERUKI I LOVE YOU SM SJSJSJSHDJ #AND YOU REALLY HAD TO USE MY FAV COLOR OH MY GOD THIS IS BLISS #AAJAAKSNSND TYSM OMEN *KISSES YOUR FOREHEAD* /PPPP #THIS MEANS SO MUCH TO ME 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭💗💗💗 #AAAAHHHSHHHDHSHDBBDNF #let me just *lays down on the floor and cries* #*SCREAMS* #HUHUHUHUHDHBB 😭😭😭😭😭😭 #I KEEP REREADING THE LETTER IT'S SO FUCKING 💗💞💗💞💞💞💘💘💘💘💗💕💝💝💘💗💞💗💞💕💗💕💕💕💓💕💕 #GODDDDDDDDFF #teru i hope you last long #as an f/o i mean #i've been falling for middle aged characters and it kinda makes me feel old #but teru you- YOU MAKE ME FEEL YOUNG AGAIN AND I WILL TREASURE THIS FEELING ILY MUAH #f/o letter 💌 ; teruki #friendos ; omen !! ✰ #ult fav #caps tw #keysmash tw #spam tw #thank god i still have the memory to add blacklist tags sjdjdjdbjdj #submission

[starlit-serenade]

Just Flirting

🧡 Summary: You've had a bit of a crush on Son Dongju, one of your younger friends, who has been flirting with you for the past few years. And during a busy day of practice and hanging out with the other members of ONEUS, you discover that you and him aren't as good at being subtle as you think.

🧡 Word Count: 2,604 words

🧡 Pairing: Reader x Son Dongju (Xion) / Characters: GenderNeutral!Reader; Son Dongju (Xion); Yeo Hwanwoong (Hwanwoong); Kim Youngjo (Ravn);

🧡 Rated: E? / Warnings: Food Mention / Genre: Fluff

🧡 A/N: this took forever, my bad 😔 ily, 📷 anon! It's kinda messily written but I hope you like it 💗

You always watch fondly when Dongju's members treat him like a kid. You know he isn't one anymore, but it is sometimes extremely hard for you not to see him as the young and charming nineteen year old you met two years ago.

That doesn't mean anything to the excited, happy feelings, the bubbly feelings that bubble in your heart every time he gives you his charming smile, one you've spent almost two years trying not to fall for.

You worked with ONEUS ages ago as a backup dancer, and during that time, you grew close to and befriended them. Despite the fact that you usually don't perform with the boys anymore, you do still work at RBW as both a backup dancer for other groups as well as a trainee, which gives you lots of time to hang out with ONEUS.

In your nearly two years of being friends with ONEUS, you've watched the members grow as idols, as performers, and as friends. You have especially grown close to the maknae line. Very close. They often consider you one of them, despite the fact that you're older than all three of them. Perhaps it's because you've spent the most time with them, what with practicing dance with Hwanwoong and Dongju in your free time.

You have no idea when you started feeling a not-just-platonic attraction toward Dongju. It may have been during ONEUS's Twilight promotions, when you started helping Dongju with memorizing and cleaning up his choreographies, that you started feeling a pull in your heart, but you had tried to ignore it. Being a couple years older than him, you felt awkward about those feelings. It was just a couple years, but it still felt awkward.

But as you two grew together as friends, these past few years, and spent more time together, it became harder to pretend like you didn't have feelings for him. You're almost positive that Dongju has feelings for you as well--you've seen the way he stares at you from across the room, and often flirts with you and teases you--but you tend to try to brush it off or pretend it's just flirting without feelings.

You watch across the practice room, extremely amused as Dongju scolds Hwanwoong for treating him like a baby.

"Baby Dongju-ya," Hwanwoong teases, arm raised to poke and pinch at Dongju's cheeks. You can't help but smile as you watch, laughing with the older members. "Baby Dongju-ya!"

"I'm not a baby!" Dongju scolds, pouting. "Y/N, tell him I'm not a baby!"

You grin, tilting your head as if to think for a second. "I mean . . . I'm older than both of you. So technically, if anything, you're both babies to me."

Dongju rolls his eyes teasingly, but you can't help but smile at him. His smile really does brighten up your day, huh? You smile softly, looking over at the mirror wall of the practice room, and you catch Dongju's eye in the mirror. He blinks, shoots you a wink, and you quickly look away. If you're visibly flustered, Dongju can definitely see it in the mirror.

"Alright, kids," Youngjo says. "Back to practice. We have promotions to prepare for and a video to film next week. Throw out your garbage and let's get back to it."

Everyone moves to their feet, including you. After dusting off your pants, you place your water bottle against the wall with the boys' and stretch your arms across your body.

"Gosh, my shoulder," you grumble. "I think I slept on it wrong."

"Would our Y/Nie like a massage?" Dongju asks from the middle of the room, prepared to start practicing the routine. You wrinkle your nose at him, and he winks teasingly.

"Thank you for the offer, Dongju, but no thank you."

"Are you sure?" he asks, shrugging when you nod. "Your loss."

The seven of you have been practicing (all day, and since the members are getting ready to promote again with this choreography, you offered to help them practice--despite the fact that you all know that your presence doesn't always help with keeping everyone on track. You aren't sure when everyone's heading back to the dorm. There isn't a plan for when everyone will be heading back to their dorm, but you know it'll be late, which is why Youngjo ordered some more takeout. 

"Okay, since I ordered, who's gonna pick up the food?" Youngjo asks from where he's sitting on a foldable chair in the corner of the room.

"I can go," you say, standing from your spot on the floor. "You six need to practice for your performance. I can go."

"I can come with you, Y/N," Dongju says, also getting up. You frown, and he shakes his head. "Don't worry, I'll be staying here late tonight practicing extra, either way. I'll be fine with missing a bit of practice."

You shrug, but you're secretly happy that he's missing about half an hour of practice to accompany you in getting take-out for the group. Makes you feel . . . you can't explain it. You're grateful to spend the extra time with him.

You, looking at Dongju, nod toward the door. He smiles his annoyingly charming smile and follows you out, grabbing something and waving goodbye to the members before following after you quickly.

You and Dongju walk outside the building. It's late, but not too late. You can't see the sun at the moment, but you can tell from the color of the sky that the sun must be just above the horizon from behind the city buildings. It isn't super busy, so there aren't a lot of cars out. You can hear Dongju's footsteps behind you. The weather is a little chilly, the cool air biting at your nose and cheeks. You realize you forgot your coat in the practice room.

Ah, I'm not gonna drag Dongju all the way back upstairs, you think. It'll be fine. It isn't that cold. I'll be fine.

Dongju catches up to you so that he's walking right next to you.

"You aren't cold, are you?" Dongju asks. You blink and frown.

"Oh, me?"

He laughs a bit. "Yes you, silly," he teases, poking your cheek. "Your cheeks are all rosy and cold."

"Oh, are they?" You put your hand on your cheek, where he poked. Your cheeks are a little cold. "I mean, I am a little chilly. But it's okay." He snickers a bit, and you frown. "Ya, Dongju-ya, what are you laughing about?"

"Nothing, nothing. Here." He holds up something he's been holding this entire time. You blink, and realize it's your jacket that you thought you forgot at the practice room.

"Oh, thanks," you say, your face heating up for no reason at all. You take the jacket and pull it on over your shoulders.

"Of course, pretty Y/Nie."

The two of you walk to the take-out place. It isn't too far, and you both have made this walk before--just not alone together.

You two continue to walk together, talking and laughing together about plans for the coming week. The boys will be filming a choreography cover video soon, and have been preparing and practicing to film it. Dongju mentioned he's been feeling a little less nervous about being center, which you celebrate.

Eventually, you and Dongju arrive at the restaurant. You pick up the two bags of food from the takeout table, and as you head out, Dongju takes one of the bags from you.

"Oh, you don't have to."

"No no, I want to," Dongju says.

You grin. "Your loss."

"We're back!" you yell as you and Dongju enter the practice room, bags of food in hand. The members burst into applause, celebrating either you and Dongju's return, or the arrival of food. Probably the latter.

You set the food down on the table against the wall and stretch your arms in the air, yawning a bit. You and Dongju set up the food for easy distribution among the members, opening the boxes and setting out the utensils to use.

By the time you two are both done, your hands are both a bit sticky from whatever spilled or leaked from the food boxes, so you both dismiss yourselves to go wash your hands in the restrooms down the hall.

When you return to the practice room, the boys are already sitting on the floor, plates filled with food, except for Youngjo, who is still serving himself. It appears that Dongju hasn't returned from washing up himself. You join Hwanwoong at the table, filling your own plate with food.

"How was you guys' walk?" Hwanwoong asks, adding some more noodles to his plate. "Not too cold, was it? When I checked the weather, it said it'd be a little bit chilly."

"It was fine," you say. "Not too cold."

"No? I could have sworn someone left their jacket at home," Hwanwoong teases, bumping your shoulder a little bit.

"I did, but Dongju brought it out for me," you say.

"Oh, little Dongju did? Cute. I'm not surprised," he says, stepping back to let you get some noodles.

"Not surprised? What do you mean?"

"His feelings for you, of course. And yours for him," Hwanwoong says.

Keonhee snorts from the center of the room, and you turn to face him. "Y/Nie, do you think none of us have noticed?" he asks.

"Noticed . . . ?"

Keonhee rolls his eyes. "You and Dongju have been flirting for the past year or more. You might both be oblivious to each other's feelings, but you're so obvious to the rest of us."

You blink. "Excuse me?"

"You and Dongju's flirting is so obvious!" Hwanwoong says. He sits down, food in hand, and Youngjo gives him a scolding look.

"Hwanwoong. Keonhee. Stop teasing," Youngjo scolds. "Sorry, Y/N."

"No no. Please, tell me," you say, setting your plate aside to cross your arms over your chest. "So you've all noticed something. Some flirting. But feelings? Him for me?"

"Of course," Hwanwoong says. "Did you think you were both flirting without any feelings?"

You blink. "Well I didn't . . . Maybe I've felt . . ."

Hwanwoong raises his eyebrow at you. "Come on, Y/N. Maybe? Be honest, at least with yourself. Maybe it's more than just flirting without feelings. It is for Dongju, I know that." You pause, and nod at Hwanwoong, considering, for a second, your own feelings.

Suddenly, the door opens and Dongju enters. You quickly turn back to the food, pretending like nothing was being talked about. Nope. You and Hwanwoong and Keonhee were absolutely not talking about your not-so-secret feelings for Dongju.

"Dongju!" Hwanwoong says. "The food is ready. You should grab some before we continue practice."

"Okay?" Dongju says. You can feel his eyes on you for a second, before he walks over and grabs a plate.

The members have all filtered out of the practice room at this point to go their separate ways, either to the dorm or the recording studio or elsewhere, all but you and Dongju.

"Bend your knees a bit more, it'll let you spring off better to cover more distance next step," you advise. Dongju bends his knees more. "There you go! Now, run it through one more time and we'll be done, okay?"

Dongju goes through the choreography again, bending his knees more at the specific parts you said to, or angling himself one way a bit extra. Afterward, as you're both packing your things, Dongju offers to walk you home. At first you decline, but you can't resist his puppy-dog eyes.

You let Dongju walk you home. The walk, for the most part, is quiet. It's much darker than the walk to get food was, and a little bit chillier on your face. Thankfully, you remembered your jacket. On your own, too.

"Thanks for walking me home, Dongju," you say, nudging Dongju's shoulder. You're only a few minutes away from home now. "Ya. Next time, I'm walking you home, deal?"

He snorts. "Sure. If you remember."

"I will."

You two continue walking in almost silence for a couple minutes longer. You glance over a few times at him, and a couple times, you meet his eyes and it gives you those funny, butterflies-in-the-stomach feelings.

You think of what Hwanwoong and Keonhee had said earlier today. Consider your feelings, your flirting with Dongju. What Hwanwoong had said.

"Maybe it's more than just flirting without feelings. It is for Dongju, I know that."

"Hey Dongju?" you ask, stopping on the sidewalk.

"Hmm?" He stops, a few feet ahead of you, and turns to look at you, eyebrow raised, and for a second, you consider not asking. But you already got his attention. Might as well.

"There's something between the two of us . . . I don't know what it is, exactly, but I know you know what I mean," you say.

"What, this playful flirting thing, darling?" Dongju asks. You feel your face heat up, and almost stop breathing.

"Yes, this playful flirting thing." You inhale. "What does this . . . mean for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, are you just flirting for fun? Or are there feelings behind it?" you ask. "I just want to be on the same page here."

He stops on his tracks, and you have to turn to look at him standing in the middle of the street.

"I mean . . ." He chews on his lip a bit. "I'm not gonna say there aren't any feelings. Because that would be a lie. But . . . are there feelings for you?"

You inhale sharply, and you can't help but break into a laugh. "Perhaps. You?"

He chuckles. "Perhaps," he says, shrugging his shoulders and moving the same way you did. He's teasing you, and you know it, mimicking you as he usually does.

You wrinkle your nose at him playfully. "Perhaps. Perhaps you'd like to . . ."

Dongju raises his eyebrow. "Like to . . . ?"

"I don't know, take a step beyond just. Playful flirting? Start dating or something?"

Dongju grins a bit, and winks playfully. "I'd like that."

Your face heats up even hotter than it already is. You're sure your face must be burning by now.

He continues walking, and you follow, reminded that he's walking you home.

When you reach the doorstep of your home, you turn to say goodbye to Dongju. When you open your mouth to say something, he stops you.

"By the way, Y/Nie," Dongju says. "I did hear your conversation with Hwanwoong earlier."

You blink, face getting all hot. You're flustered. "My . . . about our flirting?"

He grins. "Yep. You two need to be less loud when talking about things like that."

"Wait, so you knew I liked you back for the whole last part of practice, plus this entire walk home, and you didn't tell me?"

He shrugs, grinning his little, mischievous smile. "I wanted to wait until you told me yourself when you were comfortable enough, silly." He leans over and plants a quick kiss on your cheek. "Good night, Y/N-ya! Sleep well!"

You blink, almost speechless, and watch as he starts to walk away. "Ya, you brat! You can't speak informally like that, Dongju-ya! I'm older than you!" you call out.

"Sorry Y/N," he says, grinning widely as he bows. You can tell he isn't sorry, but in all honesty, you're too whipped to be annoyed.

You wave goodbye, and you can't stop smiling even when he's disappeared from your sight. You're just so happy as you open the door and make your way inside into the warmer building. You're smiling so dumbly but you can't help it. You're just so happy.

#kdiarynet #oneus #xion #son dongju #oneus fanfic #oneus fanfiction #xion fanfic #xion fanfiction #son dongju fanfic #son dongju fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #myfic

[lilolilyr]

WIP tag

@banashee tagged me to post another work in progress, so I will post, un-edited, whatever bullshit I came up with last night when I was already half asleep after watching an ep of Suits and then reading an old Hanni&Nanni (St. Clare's) book. I think what my brain came up with is a crossover between those and also my ever growing fanfic multiverse so there's timetravel and dimensions and shit... oh, and naturally it's gay.

Wip lverse

Central arrives at Lindenhof

R/T (teaches) just been outed or sth, girls behind them but school threatened with being closed- dance, with boys from other school, H idea: dance ww mm, boys? Jenny's brother -> have an in, & if not all boys join doesn't matter as long as no Lindenhof girls dance with them. T/R gerührt but also hope won't nach draussen dringen)

Light off

Ugh wheretf are we, middle ages? Fuckinf castle and it isn't even hogwarts. Light...

Edits lumos maxima to fit kronleuchter

War nich lang dunkel also gleich wieder ans helle gewöhbt

Year? Oh lemme guess... Uniforms, awkward dance, electronic light but no smart tech in sight,... Must be xx... Hate that. Already bad capitalism of after & still shitty institurionalised homophobia & racism & misogyny of before.

Eyeroll

Well source isn't here, all muggles

???

Explanation:

Muggle= nonmagical

^or>: sacrilege!

Why?? Why does religion fit better or worse to nonmagical world? If anything magic is sth u can't explain fitting to religion, and as I have magic and you don't, if God exists likes me better than u

Pls no existential discussions before 3am after I had 3 vodka

Gross

Anyways

Looking for source: different universes, if timetravel splits, no-good bc vicious cycle, looking for source

Not here

U sure?

Knocks on Wall

Opens

Body in wall

O.o

Dude dead

Windstoss, zeefällt fast

Shield

Ugh now can't check for..

Well otherwise body!

...

Call the cops- poliicee! Just tell them sb hit a spec spot of the wall & it opened to a body. S the truth. & don't worry bout everyone being shocked, s a body in the wall, u gotta be shocked.

Girls notice T R stressed & not as close as want - H N Hilda J B C go 'need to talk to both' -> form wall so they can hold hands. Before leave turn around, T quickly presses kiss to Rs hand

Central thanks for assistance, & as thanks help against homophobia: a little confoundus maybe? Yeah, everyone in Castle who is homophobic & wants to act on it in some way is gonna forget homophobia exists. Forever? Hm naaah just until goes to sleep, but if next day same, same. Maybe enough to realise world doesn't end...

Isnt confoundus illegal?

Not if administered in a way xxxx by xxxx intentions and duration blah

???

Yeah lawyertalk u wouldn't understand

Oh shut up Harvard

Harvard? Yeah-

Already exists?

Founded in xxxx! Bitch. Bet already prestigious

...

Marianne near freak-out

Never allowed herself to think about it

Not since kissed Carla that day

Knows Carla just thinks about it and doesn't act on it, but she needed pretend wasn't a thing

Punches stuff in sportraum

H:??

Explains

So?? Not a problem for T R

Well they're not students!

?? Difference

Changing rooms! Schlafsaal!

So? I mean if makes u feel better guess can just turn around? But like eh. Hey actually... Ur into girls... So u know what looks good...

???

Would u be willing to check me out & tell me..... Bc want to impress some guy... U get to look without having to feel bad & I get info!

Not sure same (wlw mlw attraction)

Eh whatever best I've got. So?

Shrug sure whatever

In underwear when rest comes

???

Look

M shrugs like go for it

H explains happily

Rest also wants opinion

Petra eg afraid doesnt look good because Figur- M says pretty face way more important. Hilda says plus character more important anyway! M kinda almost laughs which makes Hanni laugh out loud.

Mamsell? Or sb comes around corner, Hanni (still in underwear) tries to hide, falls over tangled in skirt.

Who didn't ask M? Carla... What's with her anyway?

///before mamsell//Who's the prettiest?

Flickers to C. C blushes

Aww

Another pair of birdies?

Shut up!

Not since...

Omg so there is a since!

M heftig Yes but never again bc knew couldbt be!

Well now could...

C still won't tell mom- not cause she wouldn't approve but she'd worry about me and can't put her under strain bc health

M course

Just kiss already!

Oy!

Well?

Laugh and then they do bc wtf might as well happen this day already is so goddamn weird

Meanwhile J/B like when are they finally gonna figure it out lol

& Elli slowly realising that maybe those obsessions with Sadie and MrsQ etc were actually crushes xD

Hanni- heteroflexible

Nanni- ace

Jenny- bi/pan

Bobby- genderfluid, pan

Marianne- butch lesbian

Carla- femme lesbian

Elli- bicurious/bi

Doris- nonbinary/transmasc and still figuring out his sexuality

Hilda- lesbian

Carlotta- bi

Petra- straight

Jürgen straight

Peter x Wolfgang

Claudine trans girl

Sadie??

Yeah ok imma not explain but I might post a proper (ish) version on ao3 or my draft blog @thelucyverse some time :)

Tagging whoever sees this and wants to share!

#lilo writes #tagged #tagging meme #draft #wip #wip tag #lilo writes fanfic #hanni&nanni #st claires #suits #crossover #apr'20 #17.04.20 #banashee #answered #personal #x #personal 2020 #my post #mine

[screamingintosilence]

You Were the Greatest Thing (That Ever Happened to Me)

Songfic Writing Challenge Day 10

Terrible Things - Mayday Parade

Warning: Major Character Death

Jughead Jones watched in amusement from across the yard as his 16 year old son brushed a hand through his own dark locks, looking nervous and slightly sweaty as he stuttered over his words while talking to the beautiful red headed 15 year old daughter of Archie Andrews and Veronica Lodge.

To his chagrin, Betty had put her foot down during pregnancy and that's how their sweet, beautiful baby boy ended up being named Forsythe Pendelton Jones the Fourth. FP had laughed heartily when they told him, he knew it was definitely Betty's choice. But when their little guy came into the world, screaming, pink, and a head full of downy black hair, Betty had looked at him with a smile that said, “See? He's your son and I was right.”

And she was right, she was always right. The only concession she gave him when it came to their child's name was letting him pick out a nickname because “Betts, if that's going to be his name, we’re not actually calling him that.” And that is how Cooper Jones the Fourth made his entrance into their lives.

He watched as his son turned and ran towards him, smile splitting across his face and all Jughead could think was his much he looked like Betty in that moment. His eyes, his nose, his cheeks, they all came from his wife.

“Hey Dad!” Cooper was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Son,” Jughead smirked at the boy while raising the glass of sweet tea to his lips.

“Can I borrow your truck? I finally did it! I asked Jules to the movies and she said yes!” Both Joneses looked over to where the redhead girl was excitedly talking to her mother, the look on Cooper’s face one of adoration. Jughead smiled, it reminded him of how he must have looked when he first fell in love with Betty.

“Don’t stay out too late. You behave tonight, ok? And you treat her right Bud, got it?” The ring of keys rested on the older man's finger, waiting for his son to take it.

“He always does, Mr. Jones!” the young Juliet Andrews cut in, skipping over to them, not realizing how her words made Jughead's heart stutter and stop for a few moments before picking up again.

“Always! Thanks Dad!” Cooper grabbed the keys before interlocking his fingers with the petite girl next to him, both getting lost in each other as they walked to the front of the house where he had parked when they came over to the Andrews’. Neither teen noticing how tears brimmed in Jughead's eyes.

He felt a slim arm loop itself through his own at the same time as a heavy, familiar hand came to rest and squeeze his shoulder.

“B and I used to joke about this happening,” he heard Veronica softly say next to him as she too squeezed his arm, resting her head on his other shoulder. “We would talk about just how long it would take them, like how long it took for you two.”

The tears started to slowly fall. “He must take after me,” he let out a watery laugh. “I'm pretty sure he's been in love with her since I told him what love was. Probably took until reading his mom's words from when we were his age about how she wished I would just make a move for him to pluck up his own courage.”

The pressure from the hand his redhead best friend increased. “You were the very best thing to happen to her, Jug. Believe it. She glued us all together, figuring out in her Betty way just how this crazy jigsaw fit together.” He nodded, sniffling to keep from sobbing.

“She did,” he swiped at his eyes. “It's been nearly eleven years, but it still feels like yesterday, ya know?” He could see tears rimming Archie's eyes as Veronica let hers stream down her cheeks as they both nodded.

“Let's get you home, Jug,” Archie's arm wrapped securely around his friend’s shoulders as Veronica's hand dropped to his, holding it firmly. He might have always been friends with Archie, but it was Betty's doing that they had stuck together through even the toughest of times; and it was Betty who had brought the whirlwind that was Veronica Lodge into his life, even if it was begrudgingly at first.

--

It had been hours since the Andrewses had seen him safely home. He had pulled some of Betty's old journals from her last few days to read, a habit of his from the past ten years.

His was reading over her passage from the day she had told him the news, his heart breaking over every sentence.

I told Juggie the news today, it didn't go well. I had gotten the call this morning from the doctor that my results came in. It was devastating. Juggie and Cooper were out having a boys day with FP and I just didn't have the heart to interrupt to have him come with me.

Crying in the middle of a doctor's office without my husband definitely makes it on my top 5 most embarrassing moments... But I won't have many of those moments left to make, I guess.

I've been in tears all day, but there's nothing to be done about it. I was told that I can still give it a shot to fight this, but the cancer was progressing so rapidly that my chances are very slim. The oncologist said that my counts have jumped exponentially and that I'm already Stage 4. Stage 4 cancer at 33….

Cooper is only 5, what will Juggie do? He's the most amazing dad, I know he'll be ok, but God, I'm far from it. There won't be chances to see him grow from my tiny little squirt to being as tall as Jug. There won't be any Homecoming, Formal, or Prom pictures of me pinching his cheeks. I won't get to meet the person he'll fall irrevocably in love with and I won't get to tell him that that's how it was with his father.

I know Jug will do all of these things, and he'll be wonderful and amazing and everything or baby boy needs. It's just so hard to come to terms with one’s own demise.

And Jug, God, Jug. We won't have our 90 years together like we joke about. I don't know if we'll even have 1. God what I would give for the assurance of just one more year together.

I love him more than all the stars in all the galaxies. He was everything I ever needed, always there for me from the beginning. God, I don't know if he even knows how much I love him, how much he means to me.

I-

The front door opened as Jughead hastily wiped the tears from his cheeks and dabbed at the page of Betty's diary gently, careful to try and not smudge it even more from where his past years and even hers had fallen.

His 16 year old son, his and Betty's pride and joy, waltzed in with a look of having his head in the clouds. Jughead smiled, though some rouge tears still fell free.

“You guys have a good time?” His question came out a little choked, causing Cooper to come to, taking in the scene of his father on the couch, nose and eyes red, with his mother's journals in front of him.

“Yeah, the movie was good. Jules was just…” His eyes got a little dreamy at the mention of his best friend, now potentially girlfriend. “You ok, Dad?”

“Yeah, just…” Jughead trailed off.

Cooper sat next to him wrapping an arm around his shoulders, shoulders that used to carry his son on them for hours, but now felt like they carried the world, especially in moments like this. “Just missing Mom?”

Jughead tried swallowing past the lump in his throat, wiped his hands over his face, and nodded. “Yeah. She would have been so proud of you, Cooper. You were her baby boy, and now you're all grown up.”

Tears filled the young man's emerald green orbs (ones just like his mother's) as he ducked his head to gather his thoughts.

“You know, she was terrified of being a mother, scared after the way she was raised and seeing how crazy your Aunt Polly. But God, Cooper, you made her so happy. She took one look at you and it clicked. She looked at me and said, ‘This is it, Jug. This is how it was always meant to be. I was always meant to be his mommy and you his daddy.’ And like always, she was right. I was always meant to be your dad. You made it so easy, you were such a wonderful baby and child. You have me the strength and will to keep going, Buddy.”

Jug pulled Cooper into a tight embrace, kissing the top of his head. He could feel the tears staining his shirt from where his son's head rested.

After a few moments of silence, the younger man pulled back, wiping away the tears that lingered on his face.

“Dad?”

“Hmm?”

“Can you tell me about the time that you first kissed Mom again?”

Jughead laughed. “Sure, Bud. Well I had went over to her house one afternoon to see how she was. We had snuck into The Sisters of Quiet Mercy, where your grandparents had put Aunt Polly when she was pregnant with the twins, the day before.” Cooper was nodding along. Jughead had told him this story so many times now but it was one of his son's favorites.

“We got caught by your grandmother, and she was so furious that she kept your mom home from school without access to her phone. So naturally I grabbed the ladder from your Uncle Archie's dad's garage and scaled the side of the house to your mom's window.” He gave his son a stern look suddenly, “Don't even think about doing that with Jules, you hear me? Your aunt would kick my ass.”

Cooper snorted, “I won't, but Aunt Veronica wouldn't do that. She loves me too much to care,” he grinned mischievously.

Jughead jokingly cuffed his ear, “Let’s not test that theory, shall we?” The young man laughed, settling down one more.

“So, anyways. I could see your mom through the glass looking very serious and contemplative, kinda like how you get sometimes. She was still trying to solve everything in that beautiful blonde head of hers, and I just knew that that was my moment. I had loved her for years already, but seeing her be Nancy Drew,” he looked down at the floor, his mind conjuring up the image of his love. “She was something else, Coop.

“I knocked on her window to get her attention, thinking I was so clever and smooth. I remember the first thing I said was ‘Hey there Juliet, nurse off duty?’” Cooper snorted again. “Yeah, it was as cheesy as it sounds, but God, your mom? She just brought that mushy side out of me.” He grinned at the memories.

“You know, that's where Jules got her name.”

“Wait, what? You never told me this. How?” Cooper looked bewildered at the new information.

“Yeah. After the complications of your birth made it so we couldn't have any more kids, your aunt decided that she would use the name for us. She loved your mom so much and knew how much she wanted to name a little girl Juliet that Veronica said she'd name her daughter that to honor her. Jules was originally going to be named Elizabeth but your mom insisted that they go with Juliet once you were born.”

Cooper sat, stunned that the love of his life got her name from his parents love story.

“Betty desperately wished she could watch the man you would become, she's so proud of you, Bud. I just know it.” Cooper's and Jug’s eyes glistened.

“She's so proud of you too, Dad.”

“Thanks, Coop. Now, enough sad. Tell me about your date,” giving his son the biggest shit-eating grin.

“Daaaad-”