#implied christine/hope

[livwritesstuff]

So Steve obviously loves Valentine’s Day.

This didn’t ever come as a surprise to Eddie, and in the years between when they started dating and when their kids were born, it was something that never changed.

When Steve walked in the door fresh off the afternoon carpool route with their three daughters in tow and said, “Dude – I swear to god this has gotta be the best Valentine’s Day ever,” Eddie wasn’t exactly taken aback, more just unsure what could have happened so early in the day that had him this confident that V-Day of 2012 would be the best one ever.

“Why?” Eddie asked suspiciously.

“When I dropped off Ava, David invited me over to watch the basketball game,” he replies, still with a massive grin on his face even as their daughters dump their backpacks and jackets and shoes all over the ground instead of hanging them up like they should be doing.

Eddie made a face – David, one of their neighbors and an unfortunate addition to the elementary school carpool circuit, is notably a total fucking loser. 

He’s also obsessed with Steve (and not even in a gay way, which Eddie could at least understand – no, it’s in this weird, loser, ex-jock who peaked in high school kind of way).

“I know, right? I’m pretty sure he’s that fucking desperate for something to do tonight that isn’t his wife,” Steve continued.

“What’s wrong with his wife?”

“Ed, believe it or not, it gets even better.”

“Tell me,” Eddie demanded, finally getting that Steve’s got a whole-ass story for him.

“I’m going to, man, holy shit,” Steve shook his head as he stepped over the mess their kids left behind (because one of them would be corralling them all back downstairs to deal with their shit like they’re supposed to)

So Eddie listens as Steve launches into a retelling of the conversation he apparently had with David, who, predictably, acted like a total fucking loser about how Steve actually wanted to spend time with his family on Valentine’s Day.

“What does this have to do with his wife?” Eddie asked when Steve reached a stopping point, “Other than how incredibly sad it is for her.”

“Right – so get this. David ended up telling me that his wife is going out tonight with Chris, and I figured he meant Chris, like Christine, Liam’s mom, because I know they’re friends, but it’s not. It’s Chris, the divorced dad on the PTA, and apparently they hang out all the time.”

Eddie’s eyes widened as he pieced together what Steve was implying.

“No fucking way.”

“Right?!? And, look, you know I think cheating is wrong, but…I dunno, I really hope she has a fantastic Valentine’s Day.”

#idk idk something about middle-aged Steve knowing all the hot goss in their suburban town #this doesn’t really count as a valentine’s day post lol maybe i’ll fathom something else up later #steddie #liv’s steddie dads verse #steddie dads #steve harrington #eddie munson #also this is inspired by a tiktok - will link if i can track it down #rereading this there are a *lot* of F-Bombs srry if that’s not your vibe #i feel like they’re at that stage in parenthood where they know their kids know the words #so what’s the point in hiding it anymore? #judgy-steve my beloved

[merrysithmas]

re: nursing & Nurse Chapel in SNW @ Paramount/the fandom

new trekkies have begun to notice that Nurse Chapel eventually becomes a doctor in TOS canon. i'd like to challenge the stale (and rife with outdated sexism) misconception of that event with a more modern lens that hopefully SNW can retcon...

Christine does not stop becoming a nurse to become a doctor. She can be a doctor AND a nurse.

A DNP (clincial doctor of nursing practice) or nurse phd (researcher) or nurse educator/researcher (phd). One of my main issues with TOS canon is how they made Chapel "upgrade" from a nurse to a doctor which is extremely outdated and inherently insults the field of nursing (implying medicine is a hierarchy which it isnt - and SNW does a good job showing the partnership btwn mbenga &her). Most nurses never venture into physicianship but instead pursue doctorates in their chosen field: nursing. Because they want to be nurses.

I hope this is one thing they retcon and make clear she is a clinical doc of nursing (who have all the same diagnostic/prescriptionist responsibilites as a doctor of medicine) or some other variant of doctor of nursing.

Christine likely became a nurse because nurses have diff freedoms (and a closer patient relationship) and can expand to work in innumerable specialities - as nurses are trained as multi-specialty healthcare providers - whereas doctors are more limited and stick to their specialty. She chose to be a nurse because she wanted to be a nurse.

People choose nursing over becoming a physician for MANY reasons - and let me tell you, it's absolutely 100% not because the doctors are more intelligent lol. Nursing is a multifaceted field which consists of myriad opportunities, learning experiences, specialities, 1:1 patient connections, and freedoms that a physician will never have. Nurses can work in an ER, OR, Labor and Delivery, community health center, an herbalist shop, someone's home at their bedside, and research lab all in the same week. Physicians cannot do that - they have various legal and technical limitations (still a great field, but different).

Nurses are a medical jack of all trades - that is what Christine is.

An accurate portrayal of nursing is hardly ever shown in modern media which either erases nurses entirely (see House or ER or any other medical show), or sexistly mischaracterizes the field and ignores that nurses are hard scientists who partake in research, war, and can attend up to 10 yrs of schooling in their specialities (more than an MD). Not to mention that it is nurses who train in and learn the practical knowledge of medicine (injections, sterilization, IV admin, patient positioning for expelling mucuous, suctioning sputum, etc - doctors do not train in practical medicine and if they do they do not practice it).

If you are at the hospital and you have a head nurse and a physician resident making a call - guess who is going to have the last word. It isn't the doctor. And that is a respected norm.

It is thrilling to watch as Christine participated in research, engages in community outreach, joins fellowships, continues her education, assists surgery, diagnoses patients, engages in war and Starfleet, and cares at the bedside.

The old fashioned notion of "just a nurse for now" is about as stale as some of the sexist/misogynist concepts in TOS - and Christine is a GREAT example of a modern nurse character, highly accurate, and SNW would do well to correct further misconceptions of the field by making her an example of a Doctor of Nursing.

As far as I know, being a trekkie forever, they never stated what kind of doctor Chapel was - perfect opportunity.

#christine chapel #strange new worlds #star trek #jess bush #they have a great opportunitiy #quite literally many ppl choose to become nurses for the Adventure and that is Christine to a T #spapel #tagging the ship for exposure

[strange-dreams-are-made-of-these]

Why Don’t You Run From Me

F!READER X STEPHEN STRANGE, VARIANTF!READERXSINISTER!STRANGE

Word Count: 2,702

Disclaimer: I do not own the gif that is used, i found it on google. I do not own any of the Marvel characters mentioned or their plots.

Warnings: Death (falling from height), Stockholm syndrome (?), DSMOM Spoilers, Fluff, Implied Smut

Summery: Stephen was searching for help from one of his other self's in the multiverse, but seeing a variant of you makes him realize how bad he has been to you

A/N: Hello everybody! Consider this a 20 followers gift! I have been wanting to try to write something with Sinister Strange, so i hope you like this.

Stephen had landed in a new world, a different universe. He lost count of how many he had traveled through with America. He had lost her on his way to this universe, having Christine from 838 as his only companion now. They landed in the same alley as he did in Christine's universe, wondering if that was a common occurrence when it came to universe jumping. Stephen had turned around, making sure Christine had been fine, seeing her emptying her stomach in a trash can she had found. Once finished, they both rushed through the alleyway, seeing their surroundings. The buildings were crumbling and disappearing, cars were seen floating in the air towards a light blue cloud swirling in the distance. Stephen and Christine did not see anybody in the cars or on the sidewalks of New York City.

There had been one building in the distance standing still, though the edges of it were slowly deteriorating. Stephen stood at the gates, looking up to the large window. It was the Sanctum Santorum, and whatever was responsible for this crumbling world was going to be inside. Stephen made eye contact with the man standing at the window, his arms were clasped behind him as he paced from the window to the side, right out of his view. "You should stay here." He wasn't asking Christine to stay out of the building, he was telling her.

There wasn't much of a fight on her end, she easily agreed. She didn't feel the best in this world, it was dying. "Get what you need and get out. This universe is on the brink of an Incursion."

"Yeah, I got the feeling."

Stephen walked towards the doors. They opened up on their own, revealing an unusual sight. The stairs he once knew were incredibly long, reaching up to the sky. The floor was a beach, waves hitting the sand surrounding the stairs. The sounds of the crashing waves were the last thing Christine heard before the doors closed. Stephen didn't bother to turn around, only walking up the stairs. He knew that if whoever was in this building wanted to kill him, they would have already by now. All he could do was look forward, inwardly fighting his nerves that screamed at him to run. He couldn't run now, he needed to find the Darkhold in this universe, it was his only hope to save America and get home.

Stephen had made it up the stairs, entering a very large room. One side of the room was open and exposed to the blue, swirling mass that was consuming everything in the world. The room had a large collection of musical instruments, books, tables, and candles. Lots of candles.

A pair of footsteps could be heard walking down a staircase, a hand gripping the railing. Stephen turned around, seeing a man walking down the stairs. The other man had looked at the newcomer, wondering exactly how he entered his universe. He did not detect magic entering the atmosphere, so he could not have crashed and landed in the streets below them. "How the tables have turned." he mocked. Stephen looked at the man, seeing it was another version of himself. He looked different, not appearing like Stephen himself. His eyes were like coal, cool and dark. His beard was slightly disheveled, sporting a slightly grown-out goatee. His face was wrinkled around his eyes and forehead. "Tell me something that only I- well... we would know. Just so I know it's not a trick or somebody deceiving me."

Stephen paused for a few moments, wondering what type of trick would be so sadistic to make the other man think he was there to screw with him. His vocal tone changed, feeling somber on the memory he was going to tell his other-self. "Donna. She was our sister." he started.

The other man nodded, leaving the landing of the stairs, his hands resting behind his back. "Go on."

Stephen knew he could not waste any time, but this was how he earned his trust here. "We were out on some ice, the pond near our house froze over when we were kids. She had walked around on it, before.." Stephen took in a breath, recounting one of his most dark memories. There was a reason he didn't tell anybody about her. "She fell through the ice and was trapped. I-We. We couldn't save her, and she drowned."

The other Stephen had been walking around the room, touching the items on the desks, then walking over to the Window of the Worlds. He brought his hand up, stretching his fingers out before bringing them together at the tip of his thumb, twisting his wrist before turning around to face his other-self. "So, tell me, what has brought you here. You have come to my universe, and it looks as though you are in desperate need of my help."

Stephen couldn't believe how cold his other self had been. It had been years since he spoke about his sister, and not even Wong knew about her. Though he was sure that if he wasted any more time, Wanda would get what she wanted from America and Stephen would be doomed to be away from his home forever. "What do you know about the Darkhold?"

The other Stephen grinned, his eyes were menacing. He knew that the two of them were not alone. A lone silhouette of a woman came walking up behind Stephen. She brushed her shoulder past him, walking up to the sinister man standing at the window. "Stephen, why did you leave me? I thought we were going to be taking our time." She asked him, walking behind her Stephen. She draped one arm over his shoulder, her hand on his chest, the other under his arm, holding him near to her. That was when her eyes caught the cool irises of the man who looked just like her man. A sly smirk spread on her face, her head tilting to the side. "Had I known we had decent company coming over, I would have cleaned up a little. I know we have a leak downstairs."

Stephen looked at the woman. It was Y/n, well, a different version. Your hair was longer, your skin being a shade or two paler. Maybe that was due to the lack of sun, or how the world felt as if it was caught in an almost grey filter. You were not like this in his world, not hanging off of him like this.

"It won't be for long, my dear. It seems our guest has lost the ability to speak." Sinister spoke, his arm wrapping behind the woman standing next to him. "You will have my attention soon."

The woman had pouted her lip looking at Stephen, her face leaning against Sinister's arm. "Tell me, who is the other me in your Universe?" She asked him. This brought a dark rumble from Sinister's diaphragm.

Stephen looked at you, almost in disbelief of who he was looking at. "Well, you are mad at me. We haven't spoken in weeks."

"Does it have to do with that pretty little redhead outside?" You had seen her and watched as they approached the Sanctum, your safe haven with Sinister. Stephen nodded, not wanting to elaborate on the details. "In another universe, I'm still the second choice." You whispered before pressing your lips to the sleeve of your lover's shirt.

Sinister tightened his hold around you, looking down and over at you. "In my universe, you are my first choice."

You looked up at him, venom in your eyes. "After how many attempts to bring her back?"

He narrowed his eyes at you before looking over to his other self. "You can give them the world, gift them everything they could ask for, shower them with love and affection; and they can still be selfish."

You let go of Sinister, his hold loosening around you. You pulled the black silk robe around you tighter, your bare feet colliding with the ground below you as you walked towards a seat. "Tell me, Stephen. Has your precious Christine Palmer sacrificed her life for you? Has she given everything up in her life for your benefit? Did she change her entire lifestyle to fit with yours, just so you could recognize her?"

Stephen looked from his sinister counterpart to you. With every question, he shook his head. "I have noticed you. My you. My Y/n wouldn't change herself for me-"

You laughed, picking up a knick-knack from the table, your legs were crossed as they rested on the arm of the chair. "Are you sure about that?" There were things you knew about him, and about yourself. "I'm willing to bet she has. You are too full of yourself to notice it. You all have been, always will be."

"Us all?" Stephen asked.

Sinister took a few steps forward, a hand over the Darkhold that was chained to his belt. "You think that you were the only one or ruin your chance with Christine? Y/n?" he asked, grinning now as he took a step forward. "You look like most of them. You are just here to play your part, save the girl, be praised for your work as The Doctor Strange."

"You see Stephen," You stook up, setting the item back down on the desk. "My you went crazy after losing the redheaded princess forever. It was his fault that she died here. It was his fault that she lost her life, and he could not live with that on his conscious."

"Then, it came to me," Sinister spoke, taking another step forward. "If I couldn't bring her back or rewind time to save her, then why should I be the only one who suffers from this pain?" His hand rested on the book again. "It was so easy to kill you, over and over again!" He seemed to be thrilled about this confession, having admitted to Stephen he would go around and kill the Stephen Strange's from different universes. "Why should they live happy lives with Christine, if I couldn't."

You waltz back over to your Sinister, your hand reaching out to touch his shoulder. You walked behind him, then appeared on his other side. "He grew bored of the cat and mouse games. You see what he has created outside the window there. I was the only one who didn't disappear. I made him stop going to other universes. Why suffer in silence, when we can suffer together?"

Stephen looked between the two of you. He knew that you were both evil. He needed the Darkhold, he had wasted enough time. "I need to use the Darkhold. I need to save my universe before a rogue soccer mom of a witch destroys it."

Sinister's hold on the book grew tighter, his feet firmly planted on the floor below him. "Things just got out of hand" he grinned, cold and malice seeping through his pores.

You felt the tension growing between the two. You stepped to the side right before they began to fight. Your Strange's purple magic was stronger than the other's magic. You thought the fight would be easy, as they all had been in the past. This thinking was deadly. Doing your best to stay away from the fighting, you slipped up, getting caught between the piano and a window. Your Stephen had used his magic to try and bind the other Stephen. The other Stephen deflected it, his orange magic bursting around him. It caused a blast of wind to move the piano, sending you and the piano flying out of the window. You watched in horror as the piano was falling above you, falling from the top floor of the Sanctum. You closed your eyes, using the last split second you had to accept your fate.

--

You woke up, breathing heavily as you sat up in your bed. You turned to the clock next to your bed, it was three in the morning. You could not understand your dream, but it felt so real. Stephen was there, but so was his evil twin. At least that was what you thought of him. It was so realistic to you, it was almost scary.

You reached over to your bedside, grabbing your phone from the charger. You needed to speak to him. Neither of you had spoken in the past couple of weeks. You had some unread text messages from Stephen, something you wished you had been better about. You pulled up the text messages, your breathing finally slowing down. Message after message asking to meet you for coffee, inviting you as a plus one for Doctor Palmer's wedding. You felt bad for not responding to him, but you had felt that your emotions were not valid to him, almost feeling invisible.

You didn't want to go back to sleep, you were too scared to. You sent him a text message, asking him to meet with him. Maybe you had taken this too far. You set your phone down next to you in the bed, looking up at the ceiling. All you could picture was the piano coming towards your face.

Later that morning as you were sitting on the couch in your studio apartment, your phone rang the notification ringtone. You picked it up, seeing Stephen return your text. He asked if he could come over, using the Vulcan salute emoji. When he used this emoji, he knew he was asking if he could make a portal. You stood up, making sure everything was clear before sending him a thumbs-up emoji. A minute passed before the sound of the portal was heard. You watched as he walked through, looking beat up around the edges.

You were still mad, though you were mad at yourself the most. After the portal closed, you walked up to him, reaching your arms out before wrapping them around his shoulders, hugging him. "I had this awful dream. You were there, and this evil you were there. And I was there. Something happened, and I fell out of the window and..." You took in a breath, the smell of his cologne filling your nostrils. "It felt so real."

Stephen held you in his arms, feeling tired from all the fighting he had done. He wasn't even sure what day it was, or how much time had passed between jumping between universes. He could sense that you were scared, and he didn't want to scare you anymore right now. "It's alright," he whispered to you. "I need to apologize to you."

This brought confusion to you, making you pull away from him a little, still holding his frame between your arms. "What happened to you?" You asked him.

he shook his head. "Y/n, I haven't been that fair to you recently. I need you to know how much you mean to me." He may not have liked how you looked in the other universe, but he knew that the two of you were very similar. If the other you felt unappreciated in her universe, he had a feeling you did too.

You shook your head, standing up on your tip toes. "Do you want to lay down? You look tired." Stephen nodded, slowly letting go of you with one of his arms. The other was draped over your shoulder, your arms shifted from being wrapped around his shoulders to being around his waist.

The two of you walked over to your bed just a few feet away from where you stood. You both climbed into your bed, though you grew concerned for him. Your fingertips threatened to touch the wound on his cheek, but his hand grabbed yours. "Can you lay here with me?" He wanted to be near you, wanting to recover in your company.

You nodded, agreeing to join him. The two of you laid in your bed, his arms instinctively wrapping around you. Your face was almost pressed right against his chest as the two of you settled into each other's arms. Maybe what you needed most was to reconnect with him, bringing everything back to the basics.

#dsmom #dsmom spoilers #stephen strange #doctor strange #sinister strange #sinster!strange #sinister strange x reader #sinister strange x y/n #sinister!strange x reader #sinister!strange x y/n #Stephen strange x reader #stephen strange x y/n #doctor strange x reader #doctor strange x y/n #marvel

[dross-the-fish]

How do you think Erik tried to get women to marry before Christine? I saw your theory on Erik where he most likely had tried to be with other women before Christine.

my guess is that if there were other women his MO has been fairly consistent given that he makes clear his dislike for "curious women." Try to get them to fall in love without while he keeps his face hidden in hopes that someday they'll be so in love with him that they won't care about his deformity

Then when they peek or his face is revealed they freak out. If we're taking what he says into account he frames it as "When a woman sees my face she loves me for ever, I am a don Juan, you know," this to me implies that he either keeps them prisoner or kills them. This would also explain why he's so fixated on having a "living" bride because all of his other brides are dead. There is a lot of disturbing subtext you can read into Erik if you're so inclined and it's really down to how you want to interpret his words, whether you feel they are purely metaphorical or if there's a literal element to them.

[pinkthick]

Hi :)

Let's just say the reader is starting to have some wet dreams about Doctor Strange 616 and she starts to avoid him but because America is now learning at Kamar-Taj, she can't avoid him anymore because the doctor is more often there.

Then Stephen is asking the reader to help him with something and when she agrees he finally makes the reader admit the dreams she's having with him, because the sorcerer is having them too,

Then both of them finally sleep together and their relationship changes from there.

Thank you <3

I hope you like it :)

18+ MINORS DNI!!

Help me?

Pairing: Doctor Strange x Fem!Reader

Doctor Strange & America Chavez

Summary: When the doctor asks for your help you gladly go to the Sanctum. The only problem is that he has other things in mind.

You'd been avoiding Stephen at all costs for the past week. You decided to put some distance between the two of you after having some dreams with him. Mostly because the incident with Wanda implied that you were sleeping with him somewhere in the Multiverse.

It didn't help you at all, especially since you'd been having feelings for him for a while. You had no idea when they changed; you just woke up one day and your heart decided you were in love with him.

The only problem was that Strange wasn't over Christine yet, and you didn't want to push his buttons. After all, you'd be better off just being friends with him.

Also because of America, Stephen was spending more time at Kamar-Taj, avoiding the sorcerer wasn't working so well anymore. Especially since you were currently working in the library.

You could almost swear he was aware of what was going on in your mind. You just hoped he didn't because you'd die of embarrassment.

You smiled as soon as America walked into the bibliotheca, but when you saw who was behind her, you felt your heart drop.

“Hi Y/N!” She shone like a ray of sunshine. "We came to return these books."

"Already? Didn't you start the Key of Solomon last week?" you asked softly

"Yea, well. You know my teacher quite well." she added as she rolled her eyes

"The grimoire with the raising of spirits is one of the most important books for the novice, America." Stephen immediately added

"I know, I know. I believe you've mentioned it at least 50 times" she laughs

"It's for your own good," he said softly, ruffling her hair.

"All I know is that I'm done with reading until next month." she smiled fondly at him "You will keep your promise, right?"

"Of course, kiddo." Then Stephen lifted his arms and quickly created a portal. "I just need to talk to Y/N about something. Choose a film to watch; it won't take long."

"Just so you know, the popcorn is all mine." America said as she walked through it.

"All right," he chuckled slightly before closing the portal.

Being alone with him made you feel like you were going to explode. Your mind was racing from one idea to another, and you weren't really paying attention to what he was saying. Nobody could blame you. That baritone voice was a distraction and it was really difficult for you to concentrate.

"Earth to Y/N?" He waved his hand in your direction.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" Your voice had a slight tremor.

"Could you please assist me with Maxim's Primer? I really need a second opinion because I'm having trouble with it."

"It was never your strong suit, was it?" you laugh

"As if plants were that significant." His lips curved into a small smile.

"Magical plants, Stephen," you said emphasizing the word "magical."

"They remain plants. So, can you help me or not?" He drew closer to you.

"Sure," you began to feel as if you couldn't breathe anymore, but thankfully he took a step back.

"Thanks." The sorcerer then constructed a portal. "See you at the Sanctum tomorrow." He winked as he left the library.

You were dumbfounded by what had just occurred. What exactly does he mean at the Sanctum Sanctorum?

You made a portal to the Sanctum and took a deep breath before entering it. Come on, you've got this; all he needs is a second opinion.

Your heart begins to race, just at the thought of Stephen. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all.

Looking nervously at the back of the door, you want nothing more than to return to the safety of your room from Kamar-Taj. It was too much to face him alone after those dreams. Quickly turning on your heels, you turn to leave.

“Y/N?” You come to a complete halt. As you slowly turn towards the door, you notice Stephen, looking as pristine as ever.

"Doc," you murmur, your eyes meeting his, noticing a subtle glint behind them.

"Where are you going?" he asks confused

“Sorry” you say softly, trying to conceal the nervousness in your chest “I’m not feeling very well, so I thought it would be better if I..”

“Didn’t your mother teach you not to lie?” He smirked as your heart skipped a beat

“Doc,I—“

“You ought to know better than to lie to me” he says smoothly, making you tense.

You observe him as he circles the desk between the two of you. His hands were folded behind his back, and his face was expressionless.

Oh my goodness, he knew.

Even tough you were dying on the inside, you tried to keep a neutral expression on your face. Stephen then chuckles softly, making you jump slightly. Then he pulls you in closer, wrapping an arm around your waist and placing a finger under your chin to bring your gaze back to his.

“Why are you so tense, Y/N? You know I don’t bite” He inhaled deeply before looking you in the eyes.

“It’s nothing.”

“Are you certain it’s nothing?” you avert your gaze

“I just didn’get enough sleep. Some books from the library have gone missing and I need to take care of them.”

“Ah.. What did I say about lying?” Your face suddenly turned pale

"Are you certain your current state of uneasiness isn't the result of some dreams you're having?" You found yourself pressed into the wall behind his desk, with him pressing into you, before you could even register what was happening.

As you feel the distinct out line of his erection pushing into your clothed center, your eyes widen.

"What have you dreamed about me?"

"Stephen, please—"

"Don't try to lie to me. I know what they are about. I simply want you to say it."

You turn around, and he quickly grabs your wrists. "Hands must remain on the wall."

You do as he says after he releases your wrists, earning a compliment from him “Atta girl,now, tell me about your dreams."

"We were in one of the Sanctums." Stephen's trembling hands clutch your sides, causing you to bite your lips as you feel yourself start to ache.

“Go on”

"And you were watching me..." As Stephen begins to remove your robes, you struggle to find your words. When he's finished with the top, which reveals your black bra, you make sure your hands are back in their original position. "W—watching me.."

"Masturbate," he simply finishes as your eyes widen once more. How did he—

"Then we do share the same dreams." He laughs.

Your cheeks flush as a result of his confession. "I can't wait to dominate you. To punish you. I want to bring you the same state of euphoria as I did in our dreams."

Stephen smiles as he notices your body trembling in response to his words. His hand reaches around and unbuckles your belt.

"Stephen," you say as you feel him pull your robes down.

"Doctor," he corrects you as he steps around and brings your gaze back to him. "What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"

"What about America?" He returns to his position behind you, pulling your robes all the way down as he runs his hand over your smooth ass. "Don't be so concerned. She is having a sleepover with Lisa, a friend from school. I promised she could go if she finished The Key of Solomon this week."

Stephen pulls your panties aside, taking in the sight of your gleaming core before slowly inserting two fingers into your waiting cunt, causing you to gasp.

"Such a responsive girl." you bit your lower lip as his fingers slowly thrust into you. "Now, tell me Y/N. Are you familiar with the term safe word?"

"Yes," he laughs at your quick response.

"And what would you like to be your safe word, dear?"

“Pearl”

“Excellent” Stephen takes his robes off as well, exposing his hard cock, and his blunt head teases your wet slit before probing slightly into you.

The former doctor slightly thrusts his hips, causing the tip of his cock to go inside. You squirm at the forgotten sensation of being stretched. From what you could tell, he was bigger than any of your previous lovers.

Stephen watches as his cock slowly disappears into your waiting cunt. You both groan as he pushes himself to the limit.

"Oh God." You made a choked remark. It had been a long time for both of you.

"Not exactly." He laughs. Stephen's hand grips your hip firmly enough to bruise it, while the other tightly grips your hair. Soon, he quickens his pace, and with each thrust, his grip on your hair tightens, causing you to bite your lip even harder. "No,no. Sweetheart, don't silence yourself." the sorcerer pulls you back by your hair, your arms now fully extended. "I want to hear you."

“But—" Stephen slams himself into you even harder, eliciting even more whimpers from you.

"Come on, there's nobody in the Sanctum." As he twists your nipple through the thin layer of lace, he moans. His other hand gently presses against your throat.

"Yes, doctor," you say with ragged breaths as Stephen's grip and thrusts tighten.

"You have no idea how long I've been thinking about this. Y/N, you're so fucking tight. My little minx, you were made for me."

"I—I need to cu..." Stephen cuts you off by biting your earlobe slightly.

"Yes, cum for me." You take a deep breath as the hand on your throat disappears. You're pushed back to your original position, the cold wall providing some relief from the rising heat. His hand moves to your clit, roughly rubbing it.

Your moans grow louder, and you're suddenly relieved that America isn't here. Stephen observes your body stiffening as a result of the rising fever within you.

Before falling over the edge, he feels your wall clench around him. Stephen quickens his pace because of that feeling. He observes your body bouncing and pushing back with each thrust, sending him over the edge.

He pulls away from you, eliciting a gasp from you, as his cum goes all over your back, creating a pornographic image for Stephen that he'll never forget thanks to his photographic memory.

As he strokes his cock, the neurosorgeon catches his breath and lets the last steams of liquid come out. He wipes himself clean with tissues from his desk before tucking himself back into his pants, righting himself, and gently cleaning you.

As he watches you struggle to find your balance, Stephen casts a simple spell that puts all of your clothes back on. Then he takes your hand in his and pulls you into an embrace, lightly kissing your forhead. "You're so fucking stunning."

As Stephen gently placed you on top of the table, you noticed yourself blushing slightly. He kisses the corner of your mouth, making you even more flustered.

"Just a question," he says softly, gently pressing his forehead against yours. "Were you avoiding me this week?"

"I believe you know." you chuckle a little "However, I'm not sure I know the answer to what I'm about to ask."

Stephen puts some space between you two so that he can look you in the eyes. "What we've just done... What does it mean for us?" you pause a little.

"I believe I should ask you on a proper date so we can clear this up," he says softly.

"A date you say?" you laugh out of breath

"If you want to," Stephen frowns slightly

"We just fucked, and you don't think I'd like to go on a date with you?" Before stealing a kiss from the all-powerful sorcerer, you look amused at him. "You can be a complete idiot at times, Stephen Strange."

"So, 8 p.m. tomorrow sounds good?" He leans in again to capture your lips.

You hum in agreement as the kiss resumes its passionate nature.

#doctor stephen strange #stephen strange #stephen strange x reader #doctor strange #doctor strange fanfiction #doctor strange in the multiverse of madness #doctor strange x you #doctor strange x reader #doctor strange smut #stephen strange smut

[ctrlsht]

Through the Stars | idol!jungkook one-shot au

→ pairing: idol!jungkook x idol!reader  → genre: idol au → warnings: reader is always nervous when jk is around → word count: 15.1k

summary:  Every fan’s dream is for their idol to notice them therefore you had a sole reason when you entered the music industry. For Jeongguk to hear your music.

Disclaimer: I do not have enough knowledge in the music industry so if I made a mistake, I’m vv sorry!

“Oh my god, y/n! You won’t believe the news I’ve got!” You stop scrolling through your phone to take a glance at Christine who just entered your room.

“What?” You bluntly asked. Your manager immediately walked towards you revealing her wide smile.

“You wouldn’t believe it!” She squeals in her excitement. “You’re nominated in BBMA for a top streaming song!” 

Your jaw suddenly dropped along with the phone you’re holding. You immediately stand up to hug Christine before jumping in excitement.

“Oh my god! Is that for real?!” You screamed.

“Of course! But here’s the twist!” She paused and held both of your upper arms. “Jeongguk is also nominated! Male artist of the year!”

And there’s where you lose it. 

Having an interaction with Jeongguk is your most favorite part of your career. In fact, it is the sole reason why you take this path. You’ve strived until you reach your goal. It may sound crazy, but your goal is for him to notice you. Not just as his fan but someone who shares the same talent as him.

Before you even get to know him, music is already your passion. You wrote thousands of songs and recorded tons of song covers but the only difference between the both of you is everything you’re passionate about is only for yourself. Whenever you compose a poem that turns into a song lyric, you do it under the tree. Whenever you make a song cover, you do it in the corner of your room. And whenever you play a guitar, you play it while sitting on your bed. 

You’re already satisfied even though the only person who hears and reads your music is yourself. But when you meet Jeongguk, you suddenly want the opposite for yourself. 

“There’s no guarantee that you will win the award since there are albums who have numerous streams. Regardless, we want you to attend the award show.” Mr. Kim Seokjin, the CEO of your company, discussed. You nod as you look at your manager hoping that she understands your eyes.

She clears her throat to get the attention on Mr. Kim. “Y/N is looking forward to attending the award show. Is she going by herself along with the team orrr… Is she going with… Others?” 

“She’s going with the team but who are you implying as ‘others?” Mr. Kim tilts his head.

“Perhaps… Jeon Jeongguk from bighit entertainment?” You suddenly want to pull the hair of your manager for telling an embarrassing answer. You looked down as you felt humiliated.

“No, he’s not going with y/n. I doubt if he’ll attend.” 

“Nonetheless, they are the only Korean artists who get to be nominated in BBMA and I hope they both win the nomination.” 

Mr. Kim hummed in agreement. “Hopefully. It will be an honor. Korea’s music will keep on sailing if there’s another artist to win the America’s award.”

Entering the music industry is the hardest thing you’ve ever done in your 25 years of life. When you decide to enter it, you’ve expected the worst, however, the worse you’ve thought is not even the worst. It’s more than that. You had to go through the eye of the needle before you even became a music artist. 

But you really want to achieve your goal. You want him to get to know you and your music. It may sound stupid, but you want him to know the story behind every song you’ve written and share your understanding in music. You want him to know you not just as his fan but someone he can explore the art of music. 

Jeongguk’s music is playing in the background while you’ve been having deep thoughts. You swing your swivel chair towards Christine who’s having her coffee on the sofa of the studio and before you even bump her, she kicks you away.

“What the hell?” You frown.

“Y/n, I know I’m more than your manager and as your friend, I’ll advise you to lessen your obsession with Jeongguk.” She sips her coffee after.

“I’m not obsessed! I’m just being a fan, unnie.” You answered as you rolled your eyes.

“You telling me that your reason why you wasted your time on becoming an artist is because of Jeongguk and that is the most ‘fan’ thing to do.” She said sarcastically.

You’re in the passenger seat while your mom drives you home when Jeongguk’s song plays on the radio. It was the first time you’ve heard his music. when you needed it the most. His calm and soft voice comforts your broken heart. It was the day your father died from lung cancer.

His music became your blanket that comforts you every night as you remember your deceased father. His music was your motivation to face another day. And his music is the reason why you became alive. 

His meet and greet is the most exciting part of being his fan. You’ve got to meet him personally and have a quick conversation. You’ve also had a chance to meet other people. That meet and greet event is where you’ve got the idea of becoming someone like him for you to reach him. It was only wishful thinking, and you don’t really have the plans to take it seriously until you do. 

You wanted him to hear your music, for him to see your talent and share the art you had. It was the craziest thing you’ve ever thought of but where does it get you right now? You’re nominated in Billboard music awards along with him. 

The room is filled with staff and stylists rushing in preparing with you. There are numerous hands that touch your face, hands that style your hair and hands that help you wear your outfit. 

“1 minute, Y/N!” The stage director shouted.

You’re about to perform the last part of your performance in a korean award show. You’ve heard the screams of the crowd that boost your confidence more. After preparing, you now went to the gates where it will lead you to the stage. You don’t forget to put on your biggest smile before facing the crowd. 

When you debuted as a solo artist, it was where the serious business started. You thought that your training days were the hardest part however, you’ve thought wrong. 

It takes you 2 years after your debut before you actually meet Jeongguk in the same place. You’ve imagined countless scenarios where you meet him. It was well organized in your head. But they say to expect the unexpected. 

“I have to use the bathroom.”

Christine stands up upon your statement.

“The commercial is about to end, y/n. Can’t you hold your piss until later?” You instantly shook your head. You’ve been drinking a lot of water to help you ease your anxiety and you’ve been in the music show for hours already. It wasn’t your first time attending a music show, but this is your first time to be nominated in a category. You felt anxious about the possible result because you wanted to have your first win. You’re already being in this industry for 2 years, yet you haven’t won even for once. 

“I’ll be quick.” You didn’t wait for Christine to allow you and you already proceeded on walking backstage. Leaving the crowd helps you to loosen up a bit. 

You immediately left the bathroom after you heard the voices of the host signaling that the commercial is over. You’ll be going up on the stage any time soon for the result of the votes. It makes your heartbeat increase rapidly. 

You were half running going back to your seat but before you got the chance to leave backstage, you didn’t notice the person in front of you. You bumped in his hard chest, and you immediately take a step backward.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” You apologized as you picked up the three pieces of paper, he’s holding that’s now scattered on the floor. He also helped you and when you made eye contact with him, you dropped your jaw and you felt that your heart suddenly jumped out of your chest. You instantly stand up forgetting the papers you suppose to pick up.

He keeps saying that it’s okay as he continues to pick up the papers before he stands up. He looked at you as he smiled and there you were, standing in front of him looking so stupid. You were looking up because you’re so small compared to his height and his perfume slowly filled your noise. 

You haven’t seen him this close after 5 years. The last time you saw him is in his meet and greet where you got to face him to have a quick conversation as he signed your album. In those 5 years, you can identify how he physically changed. He’s a lot bigger and bolder now. You can also notice the muscles underneath those sleeves. He matured a lot, yet he still looked eternal.  

“Uh, y/n?” 

He knows my name. You thought. 

You’re now shaking, and you take a deep breath to calm yourself. 

“Y-you… Remember me?” You can’t help but to stutter. 

“Yeah, you’re y/n. From Bangtan Ent?” His voice sounded confused, and it hit you. 

Oh great. I’m now an artist. How can he remember me as his fan? Duh.

“O-oh… Yeah. I’m sorry for… bumping you. I was actually heading back.” You tried your best to speak properly but you can’t stop stuttering. You’re in fact blocked out. 

“It’s okay, I understand.” He smiles before he glances at the hallway. “You should go back. They might call you on stage anytime soon.” His voice is literally music to your ears as it also gives you butterflies. 

That day is the most memorable day for you, and you’ve memorized every moment that happened. You bumped into Jeongguk and you’ve also finally won first place at a music showcase. Although you regret your action in front of him by looking so stupid, you eventually recover and couldn’t care less. 

It’s exactly two weeks before the Billboard music awards happens and you’re at the comfort of your bed while scrolling on your twitter account to see what’s happening. 

“Mass voting at 10PM KST for Y/N! We have to widen the gap of the votes! We shouldn’t be chilling because it’s easy for the other artists to catch up!”

“ISTG, if Y/N win this category and mfck be celebrating with us without voting at least once, y'all should just return to your momma’s stomach.”

“Idek how many accounts I've created so I can vote multiple times for Y/N. This is her first western nomination, and I don’t want her to be disappointed.”

You can help but smile as you read those tweets. Except for Jeongguk, your fans are the reason why you keep going with your career. They are the reason why you survive despite all the hardship you’ve encountered. You’ve endured everything for them, and you will always have no regrets when it comes to them. You’ve never experienced receiving so much love from the people who don't know you personally so you will do everything for them. 

Before you entered this industry, you thought that people should listen to your music for Jeongguk to listen to you. However, as you've entered, you never imagined how much happiness you will feel when people start to love your music. Except for music and Jeongguk, your fans are your world.

You suddenly remember yourself 5 years ago when you could show your love for Jeongguk and his music freely and when you can show up in his events where people do not know who you are. You missed the feeling of being a regular fan of his. But since you’re no longer a regular citizen, your actions as his fan are also limited. The only people who know that you’re a Jeongguk fan are your family and your manager, Christine. Before you even debuted as a solo artist, Christine strictly reminds you that people shouldn’t know that you’re a big fan of Jeongguk as it will result in unwanted issues. 

Being a silent fan is harder than you thought, however, there are still advantages since you’re now in the industry that he’s in. You can admire him personally as you’ve seen him occasionally. It’s your favorite perks of being an artist and also his fan at the same time. 

You switch from your main account to your stan account on twitter. Of course, you also have a stan account for Jeongguk and you've been using it ever since you’ve started stanning him. Christine ordered you to get rid of your stan account, but you didn’t do it. If you ever got to choose between your main account as an artist and your stan account, you’d choose the latter without hesitation. Your stan account is the only way you can be yourself without any judgment. It’s your safe space.

“Why am I not surprised that JK owns the majority of the votes in his category that he’s nominated at?” You tweeted before you closed your phone. 

—

You grabbed Christine’s wrist and raised it before you faced her aggressively. Your wide eyes kind of freak Christine the hell out of her. 

“Why didn’t you tell me that we’re flying with Jeongguk?” You scream silently.

“I also have no idea! As if I owned the airline for me to know who the other passengers are!” She immediately removed her wrist from you as she rolled her eyes. 

You are breathing heavily as you bite your lower lips. You closed your eyes as you decided to secretly peek behind you where Jeongguk is seated. He’s reclining on his seat, eyes closed. He looks so peaceful and you in fact want to capture him at this moment, but you wouldn’t do that as it felt like you’re invading his privacy. 

You don’t even know how long you’re staring at him when he slowly opens his eyes as he catches you staring. You immediately looked away and held Christine’s shoulder before you screamed silently. 

“He caught me looking at him!” You buried your face in her shoulder as you felt so embarrassed. You remind yourself not to stare at him too much. God knows how many times he caught you staring. Whenever you’re at the same place, you’d stare at him and sometimes, you’re not aware that you’re staring so much until he caught you multiple times.

“Y/N, I’d literally throw you outside if you wouldn’t stop!”

You’re on your way in Las Vegas for the Billboard Music Awards that will happen in two days. You weren’t expecting that you’ll have the same flight as Jeongguk because Mr. Kim stated that you’re only going with the team, and he never mentioned that there are possibilities where you’ll be flying with Jeongguk. 

Oh, as if you’re flying in a private plane.

You figured out that you’ll be flying with him for more than 11hrs which means, you’re with him in those hours. That thought alone already drives you crazy. 3 hrs is the longest time that you’re at the same place with him and those hours are already too much to handle. You don’t know if you can survive this flight without combusting your heart and without being so stupid.

The whole flight was too quiet and the only thing you can hear is the engine of the plane and the voice of the pilot whenever they have to announce something. The business class seats are taken by people in your team and people you’re unfamiliar with, which you might guess they are with Jeongguk. 

Your dinner is served by the cabin crew. However, you haven’t eaten half of your meal because your mind is filled with the whole situation, you’re in. Your heart won’t stop beating rapidly and ever since you found out that Jeongguk is around, it drives you nuts. You’ve been having difficulty sitting still and you can’t stop looking around. 

Even Christine noticed how you behave which she found annoying. Hence, you try your best to loosen up. You distracted yourself by using your phone but unfortunately, Jeongguk won’t just leave you. As you open your social media, your mind suddenly blows as you see your newsfeed bombarded with photos of you walking inside the airport along with Jeongguk. Your eyes are moving quickly as you keep scrolling on your social media. You immediately check out the trends and you are flabbergasted as you read your name and Jeongguk’s name under the trend. 

You were about to explode but you remember that Jeongguk is behind you. As you check out the photos from your social media, you were actually relieved that you didn’t notice him since there is a large amount of security and staff around the both of you. If ever you saw him that time, you’re probably doomed as you might suddenly burst out. 

When you finally arrived in Las Vegas, you felt like you’re about to fall all of a sudden. You’ve realized that you haven’t had the chance to sleep or to even relax from the flight. You want to arrive at the hotel as soon as possible.

“What happened to you?” Christine asked as she noticed your appearance. 

“Tired.” You responded while walking towards the exit.

“Next time, I’ll try to find out if you have the same flight as Jeongguk so I can reschedule. You look like a mess. Seriously speaking.” 

As the limousine you’re riding arrives at the venue, your body starts to shake, and you are able to hear the loud sound of your heartbeat. Seeing the number of famous celebrities outside made you more anxious. It wasn’t your first time attending an award show, but this is different since you’re not in your country. This is America. Far from your hometown. You’re different from them. 

Then you remember that this is a music award show where there is no language barrier when it comes to music. 

You’ve passed the red carpet and interviews and so far, everything is smooth. It was only nervous at first but when you’re there already, you learned that it wasn’t bad after all. In fact, you hadn’t noticed that you’re already enjoying it.

Before you finally went to the main venue, you subconsciously looked around hoping to see the person you wanted to see but unfortunately, he’s not yet around. 

You already expect to have some fun this evening, but you didn’t imagine that it was this fun. You’re vibing in the music and every performance of a different artist is phenomenal. You’ve met a lot of famous musicians and artists and they were friendly as if you’ve known them ever since. 

Winning the “Top Streaming Song” of the year highlighted your night. You didn’t anticipate winning since it was your first nomination and there are a lot of great artists but here you are on stage, facing millions of people as you receive your award and deliver a speech. You can’t help but to shed a tear. 

Of course, this night won’t end not until Jeongguk wins. Even though you expected him to win the Male Artist of the year, it was still different when the announcer called his name. You instantly stand up and applaud. You were smiling from ear to ear as he delivered his speech, and you can’t hide how much you’re so proud of him. 

But when you saw your face in the giant LED screen after his speech, your jaw dropped. And to make it worse, you covered your mouth when you saw your horrible reaction on the screen. 

You suddenly want the floor to eat you alive.

After the show, you’re invited to the after party. You don’t really have the plans to join but then you found out that your idol is coming. As his fan, you’d love to also celebrate his victory even though you’re fully aware that you’re not close to anyone. As much as you want to drag Christine into the party, she’s not allowed. Maybe being lonely at a party won’t be that bad as long as Jeongguk is present. 

And if you were thinking that there is nothing more surprising than receiving an award, well you’ve thought wrong because right now, you can see that Jeongguk is walking towards you. And when he’s now finally in front of you, you were too stunned to speak. You weren’t prepared for this. You’re suddenly out of breath and you might faint any moment now. 

“Your reaction a while ago was hilarious.” He speaks as he smiles. You didn’t respond right away as you were fascinated by his present in front of you. 

You immediately recover when you realize that you’re making a fool out of yourself in front of him, again.

“I-it was embarrassing.” You mentally slap yourself for stuttering and you remind yourself to act normal. 

“Maybe for you, but I find it adorable.” He sips at his champagne, and you can absolutely confirm that you’re turning red. But thanks to the dim light, your tomato cheeks aren’t visible. 

You awkwardly smiled and you were trying to think of something to talk about but before you even came up with an idea, he spoke.

“Congratulations for winning the top streaming song.” He’s looking directly into your eyes as he smiles genuinely. 

“Thank you. Congratulations to you as well. You deserve it.” And finally, you learned how to smile properly without looking like an idiot.

“You also deserve it.” 

It was when you realized that this was your first time having a casual conversation with him. This is different from the quick conversation you had during his meet and greet 6 years ago and most definitely different from the unexpected interaction in a music show back then. 

You remember the sole reason why you entered this industry and now that you're in front of him, you should grab the opportunity to make him know who you really are.

“How are you feeling right now?” You asked. 

“I feel so grateful for everything. This is my second western nomination, but this is the first time I actually won and the first time I performed in a western award show.” He takes a deep breath before he smiles. 

Him talking about his thoughts and achievements made your heart warm. 

“You’ve captured a lot of hearts as they find comfort from your music. People are also grateful to have you in their lives, Jeongguk." You smile before you take a sip of your champagne. 

You watched the other artists as they enjoyed the night while having a drink conversing with each other. You were at the corner of the room away from the crowd and you prefer it this way. You don’t really know how to start a meaningful conversation with others. Besides, the only reason why you join this party is because of the person in front of you.

You didn’t notice that Jeongguk was gazing so when you looked at him, you were taken aback.

"You know what, you remind me of someone familiar." He tilted his head while smiling. "But I don’t actually remember that person, yet it felt like I sensed familiarity with you."

You don’t know how or what to respond. You’ve lost your words. Even though his words were vague, it touches your heart. You don’t want to assume things, but your heart says that he somehow remembers you. Not as the person who just won the top streaming song but as someone who's always present in his events 6 years ago.

“I really like ‘eternal’,” He says, referring to your song entitled ‘eternal’ that received an award as a top streaming song. “It’s beautiful.” He continues.

You bite the inside of your cheeks to prevent yourself from smiling so wide. Your heart is jumping in happiness because the song eternal is inspired from how you see him. 

When you were writing that song, you weren’t actually aware that he’s the person you’re describing, the person that fills your heart. Then as you wrote the bridge, you finally realized that the song is all about him. 

“I’m glad that you like it. Thank you.” 

Eternal came from you. You wanted to add. 

“But my favorite album of yours is ‘as the flower blooms.’ It made me realize that I’m more than who I am.” 

You were dazed by what he said. He never fails to surprise you.

“Are you going to believe that I wrote some of the songs in that album when I was in middle school?” You can’t help but to smile. 

He stood looking at you with his mouth agape.

“No way. I didn’t know about that.” You chuckled at his surprise reaction.

You started writing that album when you were 11 years old. It was the time when you found out that you were into composing a song. You were just filling up your diary and you ended up creating a tone out of it. 

‘As the Flower Bloom’ is composed of songs about you. How you see yourself when you were young and how you see yourself right now. You included the songs you’ve written when you were 11 years old to the album because you want to tell a story that every person has an ability to find happiness in their own way. 

“I’ve listened to every single song you had.” You admitted. “But my favorite is ‘seesaw’.” He shows a bashful smile before he looked down at his champagne.

“You listen to my song.” He said, fascinated by the fact that you listen to his song. 

“Of course, I do! Who wouldn’t.” 

“Seesaw is an old song. Why is it your favorite?” You wanted to say that it’s the first song you’ve listened to and the song that made you a fan but of course, you cannot say that.

“I know it's a love song, but I’ve interpreted it in another way. Just like a seesaw, our life can go from up to down. But it will eventually rise again.” 

The song ‘seesaw’ is all about two people in a relationship where it’s not all about happiness and butterflies. Relationships are more than that. You will eventually face a lot of problems and misunderstandings and that is also how life works. 

“I also love how you perform it. You looked so in love.” You added. It was actually true. Although he doesn't perform it anymore, you can still remember how he sang it with all his heart. 

You were about to say one more thing when you saw him staring in fascination. You looked away as you took a sip of your champagne. 

“Uh sorry.” You smile awkwardly. 

“Why are you apologizing?” He asked in his confusion.

“For saying a lot. Sorry.” You answered as you grimace.

“No, you don’t have to apologize.” 

You stood there with an awkward silence because you didn't know what to say and he was staring. You were starting to overthink as he might find you weird or what. But before you lose your mind, he spoke again.

“Thank you for looking beyond my song. It meant a lot to me.” He said as you had crimson cheeks. 

That night, you ended up sleeping with a smile on your face. It is so perfect that you can’t believe all of it happens in one night. You didn’t forget to live stream for you to show your appreciation to your fans as you love to celebrate your success with them. You almost tell them everything that happened but of course, you leave the part with your conversation with Jeongguk. 

You left LA after three days because you still have a lot of work to do. As for Jeongguk, he’s staying for a week because he got invited in multiple interviews and talk shows. Of course, you’d know his activities since you’re always on your stan account. 

You also got invited to a talk show and you’ve already shoot it yesterday and the other day therefore, your business here is done. 

As you landed back in Seoul, you’ve received multiple invites from a talk show as their guest. You were overwhelmed with the recognition and invites you had but Christine managed to organize everything. 

You were beyond happy and grateful for everything; however, you aren’t used to drastic changes in your schedule. Before you even went to LA, Christine had already prepared your upcoming events and schedule once you returned but because of all the invites, it had a major change of plans. 

You haven’t had a proper sleep and you’ve been exhausted. Christine felt guilty for not thinking that there’s a chance for you to have an overloaded schedule, but you cannot blame her because even you didn’t anticipate it. 

The last interview of the day ended, and you were at the backseat of your car leaning in the window as you looked outside. 

You’re about to go home and you haven’t eaten your dinner. It’s already past 11.

“What do you want to eat?” Christine asked beside you.

“Something that can fill up my stomach.” You answer as you look outside the window.

“Pork belly? Kimchi fried rice?” She suggested and you just agreed because you don’t have the energy to think. 

Before you went straight home, you stopped by at a restaurant for Christine to buy you a takeout. 

You were too busy eating your dinner while Christine is sitting at the sofa of your apartment. She’s also busy with reading her emails. She decided to stay for the night since it’s already late. 

You instantly looked at Christine when she suddenly gasped. You were waiting for her to speak but she’s too stunned to speak.

“What is it?” You asked even though your mouth is full because you’re too curious about what she just found out. 

“You wouldn’t believe this!” She said as she slowly looked at you.

“Whaaaat?” You already sound irritated since she doesn’t want to tell you right away. 

“Jung Hoseok from Good evening, Korea invited you to be his guest,” she started. “And guess what?”

“What?” 

“Jeongguk is invited along with you!” You suddenly choked from the food you’re eating as she dropped the bomb. You were out of breath, so you immediately drank a glass of water. 

“Oh my god!” The first thing you said. You stand up as you teleport beside her to read what’s in her email. 

Your heartbeat increased rapidly as you read the email that Christine received. Jeongguk already confirmed that he’s going, and they are just waiting for your response. You were suddenly filled with enthusiasm and can’t help but to jump as you feel the excitement all over you.

The talk show will happen next week and you're sure that you won't be having a proper sleep. Although you haven't had a proper sleep ever since you arrived, you'd properly won't stop thinking about the things that can happen during the show.

It's been two weeks since the BBMA happened and since the last time you saw Jeongguk. You haven't recovered from it and now, you'll have to see him again. You will be on the same screen as the two of you talking about the things that happened during the event. This is your first ever interview with him!

And then suddenly, it hit you. They will actually interview you along with Jeongguk yet you find it hard to act normal in front of him alone but then, millions of people will watch you interact with him.

The enthusiasm you have immediately disappeared. You're doomed.

—

You're on your way to the studio and you're having trouble behaving yourself. You've been shaking and drinking your bottled water and you occasionally curse. 

"What if I fucked up?" You spoke.

"You'll be fine." Christine answered bluntly. 

"Maybe I should just back out? I'll just say that I had a serious injury? Or something came up for the people not to worry?"

You were saying a lot of things and it felt like your brain was literally damaged. You can't control yourself and you were seriously thinking of backing out.

"For fuck's sake, y/n! Can you please calm the fuck down?!" You are suddenly stunned as your manager lash out. 

"Or maybe, it's better for you to back out. We've been talking about this every day, yet you don't even consider calming down!" She then glared at you. She's seriously mad right now.

"I know you're a huge fan of Jeongguk and it's natural to be excited and anxious at the same time but also think about the career you have! You're also an artist just like him! Try to be professional for once!"

Silence filled the car after she bawled. You suddenly fear Christine and it shut you out. 

Her sudden madness made you stop with your nervousness. You started to calm down as you are afraid of Christine to blow up once again.

You were quiet the whole ride and when you arrived, your heart started to throb once again. 

Gather yourself, y/n!

You haven't seen Jeongguk since you arrived, which is a good idea, you believe. The team didn't waste any time as they started to prepare you for the show. You were reviewing the possible question that they can ask you so you gather the answer that you can say. 

You were on your phone when Jung Hoseok, the host of the show, entered the dressing room.

"You look so lovely, y/n!" He starts. You immediately stand up from your seat to bow and shake his hand. You were smiling from ear to ear as you greeted him but then you got taken aback when you saw the person behind him.

"Hello y/n!" Jeongguk greets with a smile on his face as he bows his head. You then caught the glaring eyes of your manager which terrifies you, so you immediately bowed.

"I-it's good to see you." You stuttered. 

The space of your dressing room is in fact large enough for several people to fit in. You weren’t aware that Hoseok will brief you in here as you weren't prepared. 

While Hoseok is briefing you and Jeongguk for what's going to happen in the show, you were trying to avoid glancing at Jeongguk and keeping your composure. You can see in your peripheral vision that Christine is staring at you. You were more than terrified at Christine rather than anxious in front of Jeongguk and Hoseok. You don't want to mess around.

After the briefing, Hoseok tells you to proceed on the stage but before you walk out of the room, Christine calls you.

"I apologize for lashing out a while ago. I just want you to gather yourself." She then held both of your hands. "You can do it. You can slay this interview. Forget the y/n who's so head over heels with Jeongguk for the meantime. You’re only y/n at this moment. The y/n who just received a trophy in a Billboard music awards." She caressed both of your cheeks before she hugged you.

You're steps ahead of your main goal, for Jeongguk to get to know you and your music. You've worked so hard for it to finally happen, and you don't want to mess up. You've entered this industry with a goal but as you keep going, there's more important things you have to deal with. And delivering yourself properly in front of a million viewers as you conduct an interview with him is one of the things you must handle. 

"What exactly do you feel that the two of you are the only korean artists who got nominated in Billboard Music Awards? The whole Korea is celebrating your success!" The crowd applauded what Hoseok said.  You also applaud along with them. Jeongguk looked at you signaling that you can answer first.

"I'm beyond happy. I still can't believe it. I know it's been a week since it happened, but it hasn't been processed yet. I'm so grateful to my fans as they were the reason for my success.” You looked at the audiences with a smile on your face and they clapped once again. 

“I also feel grateful for winning the nomination for the first time. I got nominated last year but unfortunately, I didn’t win. I don’t actually expect to be nominated for the second time and I definitely didn’t expect to win. To all the people who believe in me, thank you so much.” Jeongguk answered. He put his palms together and he slightly bowed.

“What can you say that y/n is also nominated? And she also won the award! Did you guys see each other at the event?” You were surprised at the following questions of Hoseok. Jeongguk gave you a glance and you suddenly felt the tightness of your heart. He smiled slightly before he spoke. 

“I’m so proud of her.” He started while he’s looking at you. “In fact, I wasn’t surprised when she got nominated because her music is something else. They can take you anywhere and you can experience a lot of emotion by just listening to it.” He didn’t look away as he grins. “And yes, we talked about a lot of good stuff during the after party.” 

You were astonished by what he said, and you immediately pressed down your lips to prevent yourself from smiling. However, you cannot control the sudden heat you feel on your face. Hopefully, they didn’t notice it.

“Wow, that was deep.” Hoseok commented as he looked preoccupied by what Jeongguk said.

The interview lasted for about an hour, and you tried your best to focus until the end since Jeongguk’s compliments clouded your mind. 

The episode for today will be aired next week and you seriously want to check the video to see how it turned out. You tried your best to act naturally in front of the camera, but you were not sure if it turned out that way. 

Can you review the whole video? Can you request to cut clips where it’s obvious that you’re literally smitten by Jeongguk? You were overthinking again. 

“Y/N.” You were startled when Jeongguk called you. You’re still on the side of the stage contemplating whether you can actually review the interview. It’s probably a dumb idea. 

“Jeongguk.” You tried your best not to look so tense.

“You did a great job there.” He complimented. 

“You also did. I appreciate what you said about my music.” You gave a genuine smile. Jeongguk was about to say something when Christine appeared at your side. She grinned at Jeongguk before she shot you a concerned look. 

“We have a problem.” 

“What is it?”

She looked at Jeongguk before she spoke. 

“I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation but I need to talk to her.” She then pulled you in the corner.

“What happened?” You can’t help but to worry. 

“The battery of the car died!” She then massages her temple. 

“The one we have right now?”

“Yes! It won’t start! I just found it out when I was about to get something in the car. The driver forgot to turn off the taillight and the battery broke.”

“Where’s the driver?” You suddenly asked.

“I sent him home. I was planning to drive you home since it’s too late already.” She already sounds so frustrated. “I tried to call the company but there’s no driver on duty.” She added. 

You take a deep breath as you look at the time. It’s freaking past midnight. Who can you call at this hour? 

“I’ll go get change. We’ll figure it out.” 

While you are changing your clothes and thinking of someone you can call, Christine is also trying to contact someone. Your mom is probably asleep, and you are not sure if the only friend you have is available. 

Even though you’re not sure if your mom is still awake, you tried to call her but as expected, she didn’t answer the call. You tried to call your friend Miya and after a few rings, she answered. 

“Miya!” You called her.

“Y/n! What’s up?” 

“Can you fetch me right now cause the battery of the car I'm using just died.” You bit your nails.

“Oh my god, y/n! Where the hell are you?! I’m in Jeju and I won’t be home till next week!” You sighed in disappointment as you took a seat. 

You’ve told Miya about the situation you’re in and she cannot do anything since she’s away. Although she suggested calling an uber which you immediately suggested to Christine.

“You’re not allowed to call an uber! Are you nuts?!” She outbursts. 

“We don’t have a choice! Besides, it’s midnight—

“Oh y/n, you’ve been in this industry for 6 years! You should already know how the paparazzi works! Besides, uber is not safe for you!” She walked back and forth as she held her phone. 

You were about to say something when someone suddenly knocked on the open door. Jeongguk is standing outside as he looks worried. You immediately looked away because you were not yet used to his presence. You cannot admire him in this situation because Christine will kill you.

“I thought you already went home, but I heard you guys.” He spoke. “You seem to have a problem.” He continued. 

“The car’s battery died." Christine bluntly responds as she’s busy trying to find help on her phone. 

“What happened?” He asked as he walked in. 

“Christine sent home the driver, but he forgot to turn off the taillight, which is the cause of a dead battery.” You explained.

“Oh no. The car won’t start unless you replace the battery.” 

You sigh not knowing what to do. You scroll on your phone to see if there is someone who you can call but unfortunately, the company staff are the majority of your contacts. 

“I can give you a ride if you’re okay with that.” You instantly turned your head to his offer. “I’m on my way home. I can drop you off.” 

Before it even sinks into you, Christine immediately came to him. 

“Oh, thank god! Would it be okay with you? Wouldn’t you mind?” You immediately pulled Christine’s arm and you glared at her, but she didn’t mind you as she removed your hands in her arm.

“I don’t mind. If you really have no one to call, I can give you a lift.” 

“Oh my god, thank you so much! We owe you one! We already called several people, but no one was available!” Christine rubbed both of her hands and she bowed multiple times. While you’re there, who wants to suddenly disappear because of embarrassment. 

You were trembling while you're walking towards the parking lot. You still can't believe that Jeongguk offered you a ride home! You will be riding his car and he's going to find out where you live! You seriously wanted to faint. You swear that you won't survive this ride!

When Christine said that she's taking the backseat, you already know that you must take the passenger's seat. You wouldn’t want Jeongguk to look like a driver if you're going to sit in the back as well. 

Before you even have the chance to open the car door, Jeongguk already did it for you and you were actually praying for your life because he's inches away from you. When you see him smile, you immediately enter the car before you even combust.

"Shit, unnie! I'm seriously going to die right now!" You said in panic after Jeongguk closed your door.

"I can see that, but you seriously need to hold it if you still want to live!"

You take a deep breath before he enters the car. You saw him looking at you, so you glanced at him. He's smiling. 

"Are you okay? You look so tense." You wanted to kill yourself when he asked you that. 

"She's probably tired. Don’t worry." Christine immediately answers for you.

"Yeah." You said, almost whispering before he drove away.

"Well, it's past midnight. Have you already taken your dinner?" 

"We did." You answer right away because you know that Christine will probably say no. You really haven't taken your dinner, but you don't want him to think that you want to stop over to grab food. Giving you a ride is already enough. 

You didn't think that his house is in the opposite direction from yours. You feel bad that he has to drive you home when it's far away from where he lives. Even though he assured you that he didn't mind, you were still embarrassed. 

The whole ride feels like you're holding your breath. You want to stay comfortable, but you just can't. It's Jeongguk who's beside you. You want to turn off the air conditioner of the car because it only makes you tremble more. The music is playing which is better to lessen the awkwardness. Christine attempts to build a conversation and the two of them are the only one conversing. Jeongguk always tries to join you in the conversation however, you only end up answering a word or two. Which is actually fucked up. Christine even messages you that you have to collect yourself and she even reminds you that this is a onetime opportunity.

You tried your best to pour everything you've got just to have a proper conversation with him. You were listening properly so you can also answer properly.

It's so stupid that this is what you wanted to happen yet you're wasting your time. You’ve realized that it's harder than you thought because it's hard for you to control yourself and your emotions. You probably look so pathetic. 

"Yoongi was supposed to be in bangtan ent. But then bighit called him first so he ended up there." He's talking about the producer Min Yoongi in his company because you've mentioned that he's one of your favourite music producers who's not working under the same company as you.

"Oh, that's too unfortunate. We can be a great team." You said as you grinned.

"Too bad, we're already the best team." He joked.

You already forgot the presence of your manager in the back because she's not speaking anymore and when you look back, she's already sleeping her ass off. You won't blame her since she has so much stress.

After a 20-minute ride, you've already arrived at your home. You even had a hard time waking up Christine. You were astonished once again when Jeongguk got out of his car to open your door. Christine already left the car first and entered your house leaving you alone with him.

"Thank you for the ride, gguk. We really owe you one." You said as you stepped out of the car. 

"You're very much welcome." He responded as he put on a smile. "You kinda remind me of my fans when you call me 'gguk'." 

You were taken aback by what he said. You were getting comfortable, and you totally forgot that the majority of his fans call him, gguk or ggukie. Even you, yourself call him that except when you’re in front of him. You should be extra careful when you're with him because he doesn't even know that the person in front of him is a huge fan of his. You're doomed when he finds out.

"Oh yeah. Sorry, I kinda used hearing people calling you that." You responded, embarrassed. 

"You don't have to apologize." He said as he grins. "I don't mind you calling me gguk or whatever you're comfortable with."

You've lost your thought as you stare at him. You can't stop admiring his beauty. With his doe eyes that you will probably drown yourself if you stare at them, his soft, thin lips, rosy cheeks and delicate skin. How can this perfect man exist?

"Okay then, gguk." He chuckled at your smirk.

"I uh... have to go." He pointed out his car with his thumb and you remember that he’s still going home. 

"Oh, yeah. It's too late already. Thank you so much, once again." You said as he got in his car. 

"You're welcome once again, y/n. Goodnight." 

 "Goodnight." You finally said before he closed his door and drove away. You watched him drive until his car disappeared and you immediately ran inside your house.

You saw Christine lying down on your couch and you jumped at her. 

"Oh my fucking god!" You were constantly shaking Christine as you screamed after a second, she threw a pillow straight to your face.

"Shut the fuck up and let me sleep for once."

You ordered food for yourself and for Christine but she didn’t want to wake up so you just let her be. Just like you, she’s been exhausted and stressed for weeks. If there is an opportunity to sleep, you must grab it. You were supposed to sleep right now from an exhausting day yet you’re on your phone, scrolling through your stan account while you recall everything that happens today. You’re on the urge to tweet everything but of course, you can’t just do that.

You were biting your pizza when a notification popped up on your phone. Your eyes instantly turn wide, and you suddenly drop your phone. When you picked it up, you immediately covered your mouth in shock. 

Jeongguk followed you on instagram.

You visited his account to make sure that you weren’t hallucinating but it’s real. He actually followed you. 

You haven't recovered, yet you receive another message notification in your instagram coming from him. 

“Hello, y/n. I’m sorry to bother you at this hour but there’s a purse I saw on the ground of my car, and I believe that it’s yours.” 

He also sends a picture, but you haven’t opened the message, so it wasn’t visible in your notification center. 

You don’t know how long you’ve been standing while you stare at your phone. Your hands are still over your mouth and the whole thing hasn’t sunk in. 

“Holy shit!” You immediately throw your phone on the couch of your living room as you walk back and forth.

Christine suddenly wakes up and she looks so irritated. She stands up and glares at you.

“I should’ve stayed in your guest room if I only knew how loud you can be at this hour.” She rolled her eyes before she walked out to enter in a room. 

You didn’t have the chance to apologize because you were still in a state of shock.

After a few moments, you decide to open his message and there, you see a picture of your purse where you put your cords, powerbank and airpods.

You try to recall how your purse ended up in the ground. You didn’t use them during the whole ride. You didn’t even open your bag. 

And then realization came. You don’t usually zip your bag and maybe when you get out of his car, it fell. 

You’ve left him on read for a couple of minutes now and you don’t know how to respond. Should you go and get it from him? How are you going to get it from him? You don’t know!

You don’t really need that purse for now because you’ve got extra cords and airpods here at your home. You can also buy a new one if you’d like. 

Are you just going to say that he can get rid of it? 

Freaking no! Even though it was okay to get rid of it, you have to get it from him. 

You never know when you will be able to see him again. And now, there’s another opportunity to meet him again. 

Even though your schedule is packed, and you can just send someone to get it for you, you still want to personally claim it from him. 

“Hi! It must’ve fallen. Sorry! I don’t actually need it right now. Is it okay if you keep it for the meantime? I’ll get it one of these days.” 

It took you forever to finally send it. You bite your nails as you wait for his reply. 

When he finally reads it, you start to panic again. It only took him a few seconds before he sent a response. 

“It’s okay! :) Yes, I can keep it for the meantime.” he said. 

You were about to say, ‘thank you’, when he sent another message. 

“You’re not sleeping yet? It’s almost 3 o’clock XD”

He’s starting a conversation! You can’t get rid of your smile as you type. You’re being extra careful as you compose a message to avoid doing something stupid. 

“I’m about to. Haha how ‘bout you? Why are you still up?” 

You’re actually having your mental block and you’ve been overthinking if your answers were okay. Then you realized that you should respond naturally.

“I’m actually on my bed rn. But I remember your purse so before I totally forget about it, I message you already haha” 

You were thinking if you’re going to ask further questions, but you ended up saying your goodnight since you figured that he’s about to sleep. 

You’ve been reading the messages you share with him over and over again and you can’t help but to scream from time to time. You’re now convinced that you went insane.

Before your transfer to your bedroom, you checked his profile for the last time. There’s a ‘follow back’ button that indicates you don’t follow him. When you create your official instagram account, the company says that the only accounts you can follow are the same artists in the organization. You’ve been following their rules until now, but you decided to disobey them for once as you hit the ‘follow back’ button. 

Adding 1 account on your following won’t hurt, right? Especially when it’s Jeon Jeongguk.

—

“Your popularity has increased a lot since the BBMA, y/n. 34% in specific.” Mr. Kim Seokjin discussed as he looked at the chart presented in front of the conference room. 

“Yes, Sir. In fact, that 34% was only from BBMA but after the episode from ‘Good Morning, Korea’ aired, she’s been trending for 5 consecutive days. She was with Jeongguk in that episode, Sir.” You looked at Christine as she’s discussing everything with Mr. Kim Seokjin. He nodded before he spoke.

“I was wondering if it’s a good decision if you collaborate with him on your next album. Have you ever considered that, y/n?” You were startled when he called you. You were looking around thinking of a proper answer to say. 

“Yes.” The only thing you can say.

“Of course, I also consider both of your genres and if your voices are matched with one another and I personally think that it’s a good idea.” 

As they just said, your name is the talk on social media. More people start to stream your music and you’ve received a lot of partnerships ever since BBMA happened. Apart from that, the interview with Jeongguk is a trending topic on social media. You’d lie if you say that you didn’t receive hate comments because of the interview but the majority of the feedback from netizens are good. 

The truth is, you’ve been anxious about everything that’s happening. Ever since the episode aired, you try your best to stay away from social media especially from twitter. Honestly, if this isn’t Jeongguk, you wouldn’t be this anxious from the whole situation. In fact, you’d address everything in a positive way. However, Jeongguk is involved. 

From the first time, you were involved with Jeongguk and people talked about your music. You’ve hit two birds with one stone. Your dream is about to come true. But there is one thing you’d love to do. The thing that will complete your dream as his fan and as a music artist. 

To have a collaboration with him. 

Of course, you’ve dreamed about that, but you weren’t expecting it to happen any time soon. You were actually satisfied with having a conversation with him about your music. About how you love his music and how you were actually inspired with his music. 

But then the CEO himself already suggested it so who are you to refuse? 

After the meeting, you stayed at the conference room to discuss your further schedule with Christine. You’re glad when you found out that your schedule for the following week won’t involve interviews or reality shows because to be honest, it drains you. 

In the middle of your discussion with Christine alone, you suddenly received a message notification from instagram and you weren’t planning to check it out until you saw Jeongguk’s name. You immediately picked up your phone from the table to read his message. 

“Hey! I’m actually around your company building. I can drop off your purse if you want :) are you perhaps in the company?” 

“For fuck's sake, drop your phone and listen to me!” You got startled as Christine called you out. You immediately let go of your phone to look at her and you apologized. 

She continues her discussion and you lowkey peek at your phone to compose a reply for him. 

“Yes, I’m in the company. You can stop by :)”

As you hit the send button, you again put down your phone to listen to Christine. Smile lingers in your face but as Christine raises her eyebrow, you immediately press your lips. 

The last time you saw him was 1 week ago when he drove you home. That’s also the last conversation you had on instagram and there’s nothing more so you were surprised when he suddenly messaged you right now. 

As the discussion ends, Jeongguk sends a message that he’s in the lobby and you immediately call the front desk to let him enter. You were looking at the mirror for the last time while waiting for his arrival. You instructed the front desk to accompany him up until the conference room where you’re at the moment. You were pretending to read the files in front of you to look like you’re busy and as he entered, you closed the files and stood up before you gave him a smile. You didn’t let Christine know that Jeongguk is coming and obviously, she looked like she saw a famous celebrity. Well, she in fact saw a famous celebrity. 

“Hi.” Jeongguk greeted you while wearing a smile. You looked down at your purse he’s holding. 

“Hello…” You tried not to smile widely but you know you failed.

“I didn’t know you’re busy. I’m so—

“No, I was just checking something. Sorry.” You immediately cut him off. He looked around as he walked towards you. “Uh, do you want anything? Juice, coffee?” You offered. You glance at Christine who’s still stunned to speak, and you just awkwardly smile at her.

“I’d like some juice, if you don’t mind.” 

“Of course, I don’t. You take your time going here.” You looked at Christine hoping she’d get what you wanted, and she rolled her eyes before she went out. 

“It’s actually my first time going in here,” he said as he looked around. “It’s fascinating.”

“I’m sure your company is much more fascinating.” You chuckled. 

You have a feeling that it’ll be awkward at any moment, so you try to think of anything to talk about. 

“Please sit.” You offered him to sit in front of you and he did. “What are you doing around here, by the way?” You tried to hit a conversation. 

“I was shooting a reality show nearby, so I was thinking that maybe you’re also around.” He then reached out the purse to you. “I didn’t take it out of the car.” 

You take the purse from him as you put it inside your bag. 

“Thank you for stopping by. Don’t you have another schedule for today?” You asked. 

The double door opened, and two assistants entered as they were holding a glass of juice and pastries. They all put it in front of you as they immediately leave the room. 

“It was actually my last schedule of the day. How ‘bout you? You must be busy.” You immediately shook your head.

“No. My meeting just ended. That’s also my last schedule of the day.” 

He picked up his glass of orange juice as he took a sip. You were staring and you found him mesmerizing. You even want to wipe away the small amount of juice in the side of his lips.

You’ve seen him multiple times this month, but you were still astonished by his beauty. He doesn’t look intimidating however, he can shake your whole system by just sitting in front of him. You cannot be used to his presence and that’s for sure. 

“Uh, y/n, I would like to thank your fans for the positive feedback I’ve received during the ‘good morning, Korea’ show.” You don’t know that you’re already staring at him this long. You were just back in your thoughts when he spoke. 

“Oh, no! I should be the one thanking you and your fans. I received so much recognition because of them. And of course, because of you.”

Even though there is negative feedback, the majority of the people are fond in your interview with Jeongguk because people got to see the stories behind both of your music. 

You heard an unexpected knock and both of you looked at the door. You were about the get up to open it but before it even happens, the door opens, and you saw Mr. Kim Seokjin as he enters. 

“I heard that Jeongguk is around. You didn’t tell me, y/n.” He started. Jeongguk stand up as he bowed and as well as Mr. Seokjin. 

“Oh, I just stopped by to give y/n her purse.” Jeongguk answered. “It’s an honor to meet you, Sir.” He added as he shakes Mr. Seokjin’s hand. 

“It’s also a pleasure to meet you, Jeongguk.” 

Mr. Seokjin sits next to you as he and Jeongguk continue to greet each other. When they got to sit comfortably, Mr. Seokjin created a conversation with Jeongguk and you were just looking at them as they talked. You actually want to leave the room already, but you don’t know how, and you don’t want to be rude. 

“Y/n was also having a hard time shooting in a reality show especially when she’s still a rookie but eventually, she learned.” 

They were talking about the reality show where Jeongguk is invited and also how you had a hard time with it back then. You didn’t even bother to didn't intervene in the conversation.

When they are already talking about music, Mr. Seokjin mentioned to Jeongguk the thing that he asked you a while ago which you immediately looked at him. 

“Actually, y/n is planning to have a collaboration on her next album, and she wanted to have a collaboration with you.” Mr. Seokjin looked at you as he spoke. 

Your eyes widen with his statement, and you know that Jeongguk is also looking at you. 

“y/n?” Mr. Seokjin calls you out to speak but there are no words coming out from your mouth as you feel embarrassed. 

You were really planning to invite Jeongguk for a collaboration, but you didn’t expect for Mr. Seokjin to do it for you. And especially not on random days like this. 

“U-uhm…” You slowly looked at Jeongguk. “Y-yes, I am planning to have a collaboration in my next album.” You started. You’re playing with your fingers to avoid stuttering and nervousness. “And I was thinking of inviting you… for s collaboration.” You looked down as you finished your sentence. 

There’s a long pause before he finally responds. 

“Of course.” You immediately looked at him and you saw him smile. “I would love to.” 

You never did any collaboration in your 5 years in the industry. Mr. Seokjin hasn't asked you to collaborate with anyone yet, not until now. You don’t have any experience in collaborating with someone, but you know it’s exciting. 

The only person you ever want to collaborate with is Jeongguk and no one else. Of course, there are other artists you might want to work with however you haven’t really thought of it. 

And now Jeongguk just agreed to collaborate with you. A thing you never know will happen so soon. You then go back to your main goal when you entered the music industry. You just wanted your music to be heard by Jeongguk. For Jeongguk to see deep through your music because he was the reason why you choose this path. The reason why you choose to be a music artist.  You wanted to be heard. 

You never felt so confident, motivated and happiest because he agreed to collaborate with you. Jeon Jeongguk. One of the most famous and biggest male artists in Korea agreed to collaborate with you. 

“Did you seriously buy a cake in celebration of your soon to have a collab with your idol?” Christine looked so done with you as you sliced the cake you bought. 

You’re at your apartment with Christine and you called her to let her celebrate with you. You also bought food for the two of you and of course, a chocolate cake. 

“Cake is something we buy for celebrating. We’re celebrating now!” You replied. 

“I know. But I didn’t know you’re this extra.” 

As soon as you saw Christine that day, you were jumping so hard. You even hold both of her hands as you jump. Of course, you let Jeongguk leave the building before you jump in excitement, but Christine is still clueless about what is happening because all you did was scream and jump. 

It’s been days since Jeongguk agreed to collaborate with you and you weren’t over it. You even message him on instagram to apologize because Mr. Seokjin suddenly mentioned it out of the blue. Jeongguk is fine with it. You were enthusiastic for days and you didn’t stress out during your work which is something your team finds unusual. As much as you wanted to tell why, you just can’t. 

Months have passed and you are now working on your next album. You work on the company as you conceptualize your next album. For you, this is the most difficult part when starting a new album because you cannot just compose music and drop it. You have to conceptualize the whole album before working on the music itself.

Christine formally sent an invite to Jeongguk for a music collaboration, and he acknowledged it immediately. You were nervous about everything since this is your first time working with an idol– not only an idol, but your idol and you don’t want to fuck it up. You’ve been ready to write music with him for the rest of your life but when you’re in that moment, it feels like you do not have some knowledge regarding this field. 

“I was actually planning to write a never-ending love for my fans, but I still want for people to relate in that song.” You explained. “A-and I also want to dedicate this song to your fans.” You’re at your studio with Jeongguk as you work with your collaboration. It's your first day working with him and you were trying your best to stay focused especially when he’s next to you.

He didn’t move his eyes away from you as he looked at you with adoration. You were looking at the pieces of paper in front of you and you weren’t aware of his stare. When you looked at him, you were taken aback by his stare. He smiled genuinely before he spoke.

“I love that.”

Working with Jeongguk for a new song was something you didn’t expect. You expect to experience mental block and you definitely expect to be nervous while working with him. However, the things you expect didn’t come through. 

As you share your writings with him, he loves it. You don’t know if he really likes it but every time you let him review your works, the only thing that’s going out of his mouth is full of compliments. Sometimes, he adds something, but he loves your overall work which you cannot actually believe. 

You also learned to be comfortable around him. You learned to stay calm whenever he’s near and honestly, he doesn’t even make you feel uncomfortable in general. You enjoy telling stories and you can also punch a joke. The trust is, what he shows in front of the camera and his fans are what he really is in reality. Nothing even changed. 

“That faint voice of yours that grazed me

Please call my name one more time

I’m standing still under the frozen light, but

I will walk towards you, step by step

Still with you”

As you opened your eyes after you sang, you saw him staring at you. He’s there sitting in front of you, and he didn’t bother breaking his eye contact. He looked like he’s lost in his thoughts, so you called his name. 

“What do you think?” You asked, a hopeful smile lingers in your face.

“I-it’s perfect.” 

“Are you sure? You looked like you wanted to say something.” You chuckled.

“No, you’re amazing, y/n. You’re always amazing.” Genuine smile flashed on his face as your cheeks turned crimson. You immediately looked away before he saw your reaction. 

“I think we’re ready to record this.” He said and you immediately shook your head. 

“Wait! My notes aren’t perfect yet. I need a little more practice, honestly.” You proceed to read the lyrics in the paper you’re holding. You’ve been practicing with him for a week, and you feel like you haven’t mastered the song while Jeongguk did it perfectly during practice. 

“Y/n, do you know how amazing of an artist you are?” You were taken aback by what he just said. “Ever since I’ve heard your music for the first time, I know in myself that you’ll eventually shine with the talent you have.” Jeongguk stood up from his seat and you were just staring at him. He came to you and took the paper you’re holding. “You can record this song on the spot, and I know that it will be a hit. That’s how amazing you are.” Heat suddenly fills your body, and you start to sweat in your forehead for how near Jeongguk is in front of you while holding the paper. 

Being complimented by your idol is a big thing for you. From the moment you first had a proper conversation in the BBMA after party until now, he never stopped praising you. Every praise that comes out of his mouth makes your heart combust. And even though you’ve received multiple compliments from him, you still have the same reaction. 

Despite Jeongguk saying that you don’t have to practice, he still let you take your time. When the recording day comes, you are sweating buckets and you try your best to calm down. Before the recording starts, you were surprised when Jeongguk suddenly caressed your right hand. 

“You can do this. We can do this.” He smiled.

When the recording ended successfully, you immediately felt relief. You never felt so happy finishing a recording before. You just finish recording a song with the person you admire the most. 

“You did a great job, y/n.” Jeongguk compliments as he smiles at you. 

“You also did. Thank you for accepting this collaboration.” 

“It’s my pleasure to be working with you.” 

You weren’t planning on celebrating the success of the recording. At Least not with Jeongguk because you only celebrate things that are related to him with Christine. And yet he invited you for dinner along with the team. You felt bad because you were the one who was supposed to invite him but he’s the one who did it. 

It would be perfect if you had a chance to eat outside the company but unfortunately, it’s too late already and dine-in are close so the only option is to have a delivery. 

You expect it to be a quick dinner since it is late already, but Christine also ordered a can of beer. You thought that Jeongguk won’t drink but surprisingly, he did. They also encouraged you to drink since you don’t have a tight schedule. 

You’re not a person who likes to drink but tonight, beer tastes so good. You thought that instead of buying cake in celebration of something, it’ll be much better to buy a can of beer to celebrate things. 

Everyone was having so much fun and you were so focused on listening to their funny stories that you didn’t notice you were starting to get drunk. You don’t really remember the last time you drank, and you also don’t remember the last time you got drunk. It felt like you were experiencing it for the first time. 

“Y/n, are you okay?” Christine asked beside you and you nod before smiling at her.

But honestly, you started to feel dizzy. The funny thing is, you suddenly felt so confident about everything. 

“How about you, y/n? Who's the singer you looked up to when you were a kid?” You looked at Jay, one of the music producers of the company as he asked you. They were talking about music, and you didn’t notice that because you suddenly lost your thoughts. 

You think of the singer you listened to when you were young. There are a lot, honestly. 

“Adele and Mariah Carey. I love their songs and performances.” You answered while looking at the can of beer you’re holding. You then looked at Jeongguk sitting in front of you with a slight smile on his face. 

“But do you know who I really looked up to?” You chug the can of beer before you speak again. “Jeon Jeongguk.”

Everyone suddenly looked at you and you startled when Christine pinched your side. When you look at her, she’s glaring at you. You’ve heard comments like ‘wow’ ‘ohh’ and such which tempts you to tell more. 

“Do y’all want to know a secret?” Your voice becomes louder, and everyone is cheering at you while Christine is trying to stop you. “That I am the biggest fan of Jeon Jeongguk.” You pointed at the person in front of you. As they scream and cheer, Christine is fuming mad beside you, but you don’t care. Your eyes seem to look sleepy but you’re alive and enthusiastic. 

“When did you start to become a fan?” Sungdeuk, the company choreographer asked. 

“Seven years ago? He’s only in the music industry for a year at that time.” Sungdeuk shakes you because of his excitement. “Do y’all believe that I’ve been into his meet and greet events multiple times?!” As everyone’s shouting, you looked at Jeongguk in front of you. “I’m a full-time fan of yours before I became a full-time music artist.” You chuckled and Christine immediately pulled you out of your seat. 

“Ouch!” You pulled your arm from Christine. 

“Don’t be a killjoy! Let her enjoy, Christine!” Yohan, one of the music producers said. 

“Yeah, let her enjoy. She isn’t so drunk.” Jay added. 

“What?! Are you going to wait for her until she gets wasted?! Y’all stupid.” She shouts before she walks out with you. 

You left the room minutes ago, but You didn’t leave Jeongguk’s mind even though the night was over. 

Jeongguk is in the comfort of his bed as he recalls the things you’ve said a while ago and until now, he didn’t know if what you said earlier were true or not. But one thing for sure, he remembers you. Not the person he knows right now but the person he used to see before. 

Jeongguk sense familiarity to you when you met him in BBMA. He felt like he had already met you before. Yes, he knows you and he has seen you numerous times but during the BBMA is the only time he had a chance to build a conversation with you. It turns out, he’s wrong. It wasn’t the first time he had a conversation with you. 

He suddenly got up and went to his working desk and he immediately opened his laptop. As he opened his laptop, he immediately went to an old folder. He wasn’t sure if it was still there but fortunately, he found the folder he’s looking up. 

‘1st year anniversary meets and greet’

He instantly clicked the file and tons of pictures were gathered in the folder. It was a picture of him celebrating his first-year anniversary with his fans and as he was browsing the photos for a while now, he hadn't seen the person who he wanted to see. 

Maybe I was wrong. He thought. 

But when he saw a certain image, he was stunned. 

It was a stolen shot of you talking to him and when he clicked the next photo, it was a photo of the both of you smiling in the camera. 

He’s been in front of his laptop as he browses more of the folders of his events from the same year. Fansigns, comeback stage, birthday, he saw you. 

But when he checked the folders of the following year, you weren’t there anymore. He figured that you’re on your training that time. 

“You’ve captured a lot of hearts as they find comfort from your music.”

He remembers you saying that to him during a fansign and you repeat the exact same words during BBMA. 

—

“Unnie, what am I going to do! Oh my god I want to die!” You were at your bed crumbling in your comforter as you buried your face in the pillow. 

“I was stopping you for god’s sake, but you don’t want to stop! If I only knew that’s how you’ll act, I won’t let you drink.”

“If you didn’t order tons of beer, it won’t turn out that way.” You cried. 

“So, you’re blaming me now?!” You immediately shake your head when she raises her voice. 

“I’m so doomed.” 

“Don’t worry. They only think you’re joking around since you’re drunk.” Christine gets up from the couch and walks towards the bedside table to give you the glass of water. “Drink your water to stay hydrated.” 

“I have to apologize to him or guilt’s going to eat me up alive.” You said as you take the glass and drink from it. 

“Embarrassment already eats you alive, darling.” 

When you heard your phone chimes on the top of your bedside table, you lazily reached it. But when you see who’s on your notification, your eyes immediately go wide. 

You got a message from Jeongguk. 

“Hey. How are you feeling? Hope you didn’t get a hangover haha” 

“Oh my god.” You dropped your phone to the bed as you covered your whole face in embarrassment. 

“You’re right. Embarrassment already eats me alive.” 

Instead of being productive today, you stayed at your bed sulking in your situation. You exchanged a couple of conversations with Jeongguk and you already apologized for your actions last night. You were supposed to be happy because you’re now texting with him, yet you can’t help but to feel so embarrassed. The secret you’ve been hiding for years is now revealed and the worst thing is, you revealed it in front of him. Although you kinda guess that he doesn’t believe in your shits, there’s a probability that he’ll find you weird. 

The following weeks, you’ve been working in preparation of your comeback album. You’ve already recorded the new song that’ll be included in the album and you’re now working in the music video. The title track in this album is entitled ‘under the blue sky’. You were looking forward to this music video because it was your second favorite song you’ve composed for this album. Of course, the first one will be the song you’ve collaborated with Jeongguk. 

“And, cut! Okay, let’s have a break before we proceed to the next scene.” The director said. 

Your assistant immediately came to you to give you your bottled water and napkin to wipe your sweats. You were taken aback while you were walking when you saw Jeongguk standing beside Christine. He’s wearing casual clothes while holding a paper bag while showing his perfect smile. You are suddenly stunned from where you are and can’t help but to stare. He’s standing tall and he looks so dreamy. 

“Hello, y/n.” He greeted and even though he walked towards you, you were still preoccupied with his beauty. “I had nothing to do so I’ve thought of visiting you here today.” He handed you the paper bag he’s holding. You slowly take it and you glance inside of it. It's food. 

Whispers and murmurs suddenly fill the place, and you know for sure that people are concluding something.

“T-thank you.” You stuttered. “You shouldn’t bother.” Your voice is soft and it’s almost a whisper, but he heard it. 

“It’s okay. Besides, I insist. Wanted to check up on you.” He smiled and made your knees melt. 

Having Jeongguk in the shoot is something you didn’t expect. You were extremely surprised when he visited you and to be honest, it affects your performance. You were tense the whole time he’s watching, and you wanted the grounds to eat you when the director called out your performance. You were delighted when Jeongguk visited you here but watching you do the shoot is different. 90% of the time that you’re with him, you’re always nervous and what more that he’s watching you? You weren’t prepared for this. 

Before you shoot your next scene, Jeongguk informs you that he had to leave. You had a quick conversation before he finally left. You suddenly feel bad because you didn’t have the chance to talk more, and he even went here to visit you. But you’re at work and you can’t control your time right now. 

For months, you’ve been so busy in preparation of your comeback album. It was exhausting yet fun. For months, the longest time you can sleep is 4 hours and you have to wake up early in the morning the next day. That’s who your routine happens to and honestly, this is your routine every comeback, so you weren’t surprised. As your comeback approaches, you start to feel anxious, yet you look forward to it. 

This is the first time you’ll have someone in your album. Someone who works on a song with you. Someone you enjoyed composing and recording music with and someone who’s been special since day one. The thing that makes this album special is the fact that Jeongguk is in it. You were beyond grateful that you worked with the biggest male artist and the person who inspires you to choose this industry. You’ve been so grateful because Jeongguk made you do things you never know that’s possible. You were so grateful for Jeongguk and yet, you haven’t had a chance to say it to him. 

A day before the release of your album, you were thinking of inviting Jeongguk for a dinner, but you were hesitant as he might be busy, or he simply declined. You wanted to show your genuine appreciation for him, however, you don’t really know how and the only thing you can think of is to invite him for something. 

But you ended up messaging him. You decided to set aside the irrelevant things that’s running in your mind, and you just want to let your artist self to show your appreciation. Your dreams did come true, and it was indeed because of him. 

You’ve been expecting two things when you invited him. It’s either he’ll decline, or he’ll accept but you never thought that he’ll say yes and he’s expecting it to happen now. 

“I am actually near your apartment. I can come by if you want.” 

You panicked at his message because you weren’t planning it to happen now and most definitely not in your chaotic apartment! You were walking back and forth, and you massage your temple as you think of what you’re going to reply. You expect him to at least tell you when he’s available so you both can adjust. 

But he mentioned that he’s available right now.

Damn it. 

“I was planning it for another day actually haha but if you want it now, I don’t mind :)” 

You covered your face as you sent your response. 

“Oh no I thought it was for today. I’m sorry haha” 

You were staring at his response as your mind went blank. You have no idea what you’re going to say. Should you still invite him? 

“But you can come over if you want.” 

The next thing you know, you’re now cleaning your apartment as fast as possible. Your apartment is really messy because you didn’t get the chance to clean up since you’ve been so busy and now, you’re panicking that you forgot to order food. You were about to reach for your phone to order some food when you heard the bell ring. 

Holy shit. 

When the bell rang for the second time, you immediately went to open the door and there you see Jeongguk standing in front of you while holding a two paper bag. 

“You’re so fast! I haven’t ordered anything yet!” He chuckled at what you said.

“You don’t have to. I already got takeouts.” He responded as he raised the paper bags he’s holding. 

You suddenly felt conscious as he entered your apartment. He left his shoes beside the door and he’s looking around to check your home. You want to say something, but you don’t know what to say and your consciousness is killing you. 

“I invite you so I should be the one buying food for us.” You said when he put down the paperbag on the table. 

“You said, you haven’t ordered.” He smirked. 

“Yes, but I can do it—

“This is enough for us, y/n. Unless you invite other people?” You immediately shook your head. “Then it’s enough.” He smiles at you. 

He takes out the food inside the paper bag. They were different dishes. It has chicken, pork and soup. You walk towards him as you take away the container he’s holding. 

“I can do this.” You spoke. “I’m sorry for inviting you at this hour. I even forgot to order food.” 

“Y/n, it’s okay! I don’t mind.” You were stunned when he held your shoulder as he looked at you. You were suddenly out of air, so you instantly walked backward. 

Having Jeon Jeongguk in your apartment is on a different level. He got to see part of you. What’s inside your apartment, things you displayed and see where you rest most of your time. It was an impulsive move to invite him in here, but you somehow enjoy his presence in your home. 

Your dinner with him is wonderful. You do expect it to be uncomfortable, but it turns out so well. You had a wonderful conversation with him, and you were glad that he somehow shared things with you. Even though it’s personal. You had talked about music, a thing you love the most and you do take this opportunity to share what music is meant for you. You’ve been wanting to let him know this ever since. It was actually your goal. For you to share the same interests. 

“It really hits you differently when you do the things you love. Even though you got tired, you still want to do it over and over again.” You take a sip of your wine as you speak. “That’s why I’m really thankful that I got to know you.” You smile genuinely. 

Jeongguk can’t take his eyes off you as you were speaking. He was staring a lot yet you weren’t aware. There is something in you that he really likes but he can’t identify what it is. Maybe your personality, your beliefs and dedication or your beauty. You somehow can’t leave his mind and the longer he stares, the deeper he thinks he’ll fall. 

“Were you really a fan of mine?” He asks softly. He already knows the answer, but he wanted it to come from you. 

You were taken aback from his question, and you take a moment to pause. You looked away thinking of an answer. Should you just tell the truth? Should you just be honest? 

You looked at him and you smiled awkwardly. “W-why did you ask?” 

“When we were drinking with the team. You said you’re a big fan.” He smiles playfully and your whole face turns red. 

“Honestly, yeah. I’m a big fan.” You tell the truth. 

“Since when?” 

“When I first heard you singing seesaw on the radio in our car.” You end up telling him how you became a fan of his. You were extremely embarrassed by admitting to him, but he won’t stop smiling as you speak. 

You’ve told him your story of idolizing him. You’ve told him the ups and downs, you’ve told him the things you’ve experienced, you’ve told him how he inspires you; you’ve told him how his music heals you and you’ve told him that he was the person who influenced you on being someone you are right now. You don’t know how you got the courage to tell everything, but you speak as the person who adores him the most. You really wanted to make him feel how he makes you feel. You wanted to let him know that I am just one of the people who became his biggest inspiration. 

You were crying. You can’t believe that you are crying by just expressing how you feel. You were crying because you got the chance to express yourself towards him in your own home. You were crying because he’s in front of you listening to the things you said. You were crying because your dream came true. Jeon Jeongguk finally listens to you. He finally knows your music. He finally knows who you are. Not just as a music artist, but someone who loves him the most. 

#jungkook au #jungkook oneshot #jungkook x reader #jeongguk #jeonjk #bts #bts au #bts scenarios #jungkook scenarios #jungkook idol au #fluff #bts oneshot #through the stars

[2xplusungood]

Ulysses is an absolutely underrated character and I will die on this hill

First off, I absolutely love the way that the game slowly drip feeds you information about him. Your first hint something happened BEFORE Benny shooting you in the head is Jonathan Nash telling you the original courier saw your name on the delivery and backed out which not only implies they knew something was going on with the platinum chip but also has something against you. Then in Dead Money, you get a few more hints from Christine and then more in Old World Blues and the game has set up as a sort of mirror of you.

You walk the lonesome road, slowly prodding him for information and finding discarded journal entries that reveal his trauma at the hands of the Legion. You, for once, get to SEE the horrible impact the Legion has, completely eradicating tribal culture to form a "Pax Romana." He was completely uprooted from his home and his tribe, The Twisted Hairs, are gone.

Working as a Frumentari, he began work with The White Legs, teaching them how to use weapondry and tactics. They began to revere him so much that they began wearing their hair in dreads like him. This disgusted him, the dreads had very profound cultural meaning to The Twisted Hairs, the knots telling a story and now here was another tribe appropriating its look without knowing its significance, a hollow disrespectful imitation.

Disillusioned with the Legion, he began to walk, eventually finding Hopetown. A settlement free of both NCR and Legion, a completely new community free from the corruption of the old world. It wasn't long until the BEAR AND THE BULL found it however, and they began to both move in. This culminated with the NCR sending a courier to deliver a strange device bearing similar to the markings found in Hopeville, resulting in the detonation of the underground warheads destroying hopeville and creating the divide.

The most common complaint I hear about him is "why is he mad at me for delivering a package?" but take a moment to really think about your role in the game. The choices you make have consequences, for better or for worse, knowing or unknowing. THE COURIER decided to assist the NCR in making a trek they likely wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. THE COURIER made the decision to help with meddling in things that should be left alone.

And in doing so, the courier not only acted as an agent of one of the poisons plaguing the mojave, but destroyed what was, in Ulysses's eyes, the last hope of freedom from both The NCR and The Legion, and for the second time, a place that he called home was taken from him.

Now think about the gameplay of Lonesome Road. Unlike the other DLCs you are not stuck in it. You are allowed to turn around and leave at any moment. YOU decide to follow the invitation. YOU decide to walk the Lonesome Road. YOU, once again, mess with extremely dangerous old world tech. YOU pull the lever that ends up launching a nuke and creating The Couriers Mile. That may not have been your intention, but once again, YOU did actions that have consequences.

Then once you meet him, YOU are left to decide how you deal with him. Through diplomacy or brute strength. Either way, you close the book on a long story of trauma and are handed the fate of his plan to do with as you please.

In a way, I think of him as a sort of mirror to the player character. He's walked many of the same roads you have, seen the same sights you have. For someone playing blind, they might start following the "Good option" of the NCR but quickly get disillusioned with it after seeing its many failings and decide to strike out your own path, much like he did with The Legion. His quest for revenge sets him on a path that would shape the mojave to his choosing, just like yours did. He is your shadow.

#fallout new vegas #ulysses

[marjanefan]

Why I believe Reece and Steve (and Inside No.9) are  NOT homophobic  (spoilers)

OK I am just going to look at the accusation that 'Inside No.9 is homophobic. I will address particular concerns and try and look at particular characters in more depth. I hope I can make a good case it is far from homophobic.

Please note I will be discussing characters who are openly LGBT or who are shown to be LGBT. I will not be discussing characters whose sexual orientation is not indicated or discussed. It is actually interesting to note how many characters sexual orientation or marital status is not indicated. This shows how these play little part in the characters motivations and actions.

We should ask 1. are the characters made ridculous because of their sexual orientation 2. punished because of their orientaton. 3.Motivated to do bad things because of their orientation.

Please note many spoilers below

Wholesome LGBT Characters- that survive!

Stevie (Tom and Gerri), Bobby (12 days of Christine), and Robert (Zanzibar) may be somewhat camp but they are all deeply caring and considerate characters - and they all survive

And lets not forget Mark Gatiss got to play Callum, a happily married, professionally successful openly gay man, just as he is himself.(and yes Callum does survive the events of 'Merrily Merrily'). Callum is or was part of the gang just like Laurence and Darren and his sexual orientation is by the by. And the friendship between Callum, Darren and Laurence reflects the even greater frienship and brotherhood between Mark, Steve and Reece.

Martin (The referee's a wxxxer)

There is a gay character who does not die or who kills who does something questionable. Martin in 'The referee's a wxxxer' sets up his lover Calvin to ensure the success of his true love- the football team he supports. But the episode asks questions of the ongoing homophobia in UK league football and the alliegance fans at all levels have to their teams.

Episodes where LGBT characters die

Inside No.9 does not kill off LGBT characters more than heterosexual characters

In 'Sardines' it is implied Stu and Carl may die but this is alongside THREE heterosexual couples

In 'Wuthering Heist' Mario (Dino Kelly) dies in the final shootout but so do several other heterosexual characters.

In 'A Quiet night in' Sabrina is killed by Gerald- and the killing is shown in all its horror. But Gerald is also killed as are Ray and Eddie.

In 'Private view' Patricia (Felicity Kendall) is killed- as are several other characters.

I will come back to Simon Smethurst in 'Simon Says'

Episodes where LGBT characters are killers

Inside No.9 includes many many killers - but only two are (possibly) LGBT.

In 'How do you plead?' Urban is revealed to have killed a classmate as a young teenager. But it is clear he is deeply haunted by this and he actually owns up to it and accepts that he will face serious punishment eventually for this. He is trying to make amends by being a patient and caring person and it could be said that his outwardly camp persona is a way for him to defuse the darker side of his character and turn it into something better (see how he drops this persona when he goes to sort the fuse).

Brian in 'The Last Night of the Proms'joins in the killing of Yusef. But this is shown to be part of his latent xenophobia and of his failure to accept and be open about his true sexual orientation and desires.If he had been more self accepting he probably would not have participated. And part of the point of Brian's story is that Reece and Steve show that remainers are capable of being as racist and intolerant as Brexit supporters.

A few more thoughts on Carl and Stu

I wrote a whole blog about 'Sardines' but just want to say a bit here about Carl and Stu and their relationship. When we met them they are mid argument and it is clear that there are underlying tensions between them about Carl's fear of intimacy, because of the abuse he endured at Andrew's hands. But it is also evident that there is affection and in a moment that was cut from the episode as aired but in the script they reconcile.

The case of Simon Smethurst

In 'Simon Says' Spencer kills Simon during what appear to be an attempt by Simon to seduce him. But this is after Spencer has seen Simon apparently kill Gavin. He could well believe he is about to get violated and possibly killed. (Also worth noting there was a cut scene from earlier in the episode when Spencer considers smothering Simon as he has had enough of his blackmail).

What Simon's actual intentions are in this particular scene are debated by fans. There are signs he may have a romantic/sexual obsession with Spencer but he was performing a script (I may come back to this). But the point is that Spencer doesn't kill him because he may be gay but because he is afraid in that moment for his life.

Personally I could also discuss the portrayal of lesbian characters such as Felicity (The Understudy), June (And the winner is) and Patricia (Private View) - it seems no one cares very much about the L part of LGBT (I say this as someone with many Lesbian friends). But I don't hold this against Reece and Steve (too much!)

And arguably why can't LGBT character be as flawed and complicated as a heterosexual character

The vast majority of killers and indeed victims in the show are heterosexuals or do not have their sexual orientation indicated (like Maxwell, Dennis Fulcher, Viktor).

I previously wrote a blog about 'The Stakeout' which looks at amongst other things whether Varney being a vampire is code for homosexuality.

The Question of 'The Last Weekend'

This particular issue is being raised because of the forthcoming episode 'The Last Weekend' where Steve and Reece play a couple Joe and Chas. I am going to reserve my thoughts on the episode until I have actually seen it and had a chance to think about it.

Perhaps we need to examine our own feelings about what we expect from this episode and why we want the episode to play out a particular way.

Final thoughts

Reece and Steve have many close friendships with members of the LGBT commmunity (not just Mark Gatiss but people like Matt Lucas, Derren Brown and many others). Russell T. Davies has praised the show.

Inside no.9 explores the human condition and human fralities often in quite a profound manner. I am proud to be a fan.

#inside no 9 #reece shearsmith #steve pemberton

[donnetellotheturtle]

You! I want you to rant to me about your favorite bmc song >:)

Oh no problem!

I really like the play. I like how it starts out with mostly talking and slowly ramps up into singing I love when musicals do that shit as well as the fact that it starts out with normal instruments like guitar and keyboard and then as soon as Jeremy realizes what’s going on the synthesizer takes over it’s a really good way to convey what’s going on just through the music not to mention the fact that it calls back to the opening theme of the musical.

Also I like how interesting it is that the squips had the Mountain Dew red, implying they’ve been around since before the 1990s which brings up a lot of questions but I digress I also love how when Jeremy realizes that’s exactly why the squip had him cut Michael off. It’s super subtle in the music but the way he starts panicking to call Michael is fantastic acting by both will Roland and will Connolly both versions are fantastic for different reasons. Personally I prefer the will Connolly version but both are really good.

Not to mention the fact that they used Michael in the bathroom but this time in a triumphant tone instead of the sad one for Michael makes an entrance. Mwah. Fantastic. Also it’s super cute how Jeremy is touched by Michael coming to see him in the play. The conversation that Jeremy and Michael have while fighting just feels super good cause it feels like something both boys needed to get off their chests. Its also super funny how Jake is chill with holding down Jeremy with no explanation. Honestly it sounds like a teenage boy. Not to mention the callback to upgrade, do you want a ride/do you want to hang. I like how creepy the actresses made it. Twins in the shining vibe. Not to mention both boys cringing when the two made up.

Then the callback to two player game is fantastic. And then the fact that Jenna is considered the final boss. Then the callback to the guy I’d kinda be into.

I also love the fact that Jeremy gives the drink to Christine and isn’t even sure it’ll shut down his own but wants to fix it for her since he brought her into this mess.

And my favorite part is probably Michael screaming with everyone else because who the hell wouldn’t? XD

The fact that the soundtrack also sounds a lot of synthesizer sounds when the squip is being shut down as well as adding the glitching and different sounds of it is amazing and really sells it for me.

Yeah that’s my rant hope you enjoyed XD

#be more chill #bmc #be more chill musical #bmc musical #bmc rant

[hostess-of-horror]

@minnesotamedic186 @mimizzin @darkmedolie @randomrabbidramblings @deezeyrabbidy @pastelprince18 @salamifuposey @bramble-scramble @sneklover

Okay, I need to get this on a full post because I've been completely baffled ever since The Last Spark Hunter DLC came out.

[Spoilers Below, just in case]

I made a couple reblogs about this, but I really wanted to express what I think is going to happen in the upcoming Rayman DLC, specifically with Phantom.

As of recently, Phantom has made somewhat of an appearance in The Last Spark Hunter as a giant plushie/inflatable object(?) with Beep-O emphasizing on how the Heroes will never, ever, ever see him again. Ever.

And, of course, a good majority of us believe that this is a BIG case of suspicious foreshadowing.

While I am on the side of "OMG PHANTOM'S COMING BACK!!!", that's not the only thing why I'm making this post. I'm making a post because Ubisoft has been making Phantom... weirdly similar to how I make Phantom to be. I'm not saying that Ubisoft is spying on me, but it is a very startling coincidence.

First, it was Madame Bwahstrella's mention of Phantom's infidelity in The Tower of Doooom DLC:

"You didn't need to be a psychic to predict the Phantom dumping Bea for one of her backup dancers, but would she listen?"

The above text is from the Super Mario Wiki and is available under a Creative Commons license. Attribution must be provided through a list of authors or a link back to the original article. Source: https://www.mariowiki.com/List_of_Mario_%2B_Rabbids_Sparks_of_Hope_quotes

---

Although my depiction of Phantom is far less adulterous, it still creates an undeniable similarity between the fanon and canon lore. Both Phantoms are devilish heartthrobs, delving deep into a romance the moment the opportunity has presented itself. I believe this also implies that canon Phantom has or had plenty of flings and relationships (all of which were not so great). When the Rayman DLC comes out later this year, I genuinely hope we get to see even a glimpse of Phantom being flirty or even "easter eggs" of previous love affairs and crushes.

Now, with The Last Spark Hunter out, it is revealed that Phantom wears eye makeup. While this may be a design choice for the Phantom Plushie, again it's another similarity. I chose to draw Phantom with eye makeup because I felt it was appropriate for an opera singer and overall thespian. Plus, I was heavily inspired by 80's traditional Goth makeup, specifically Siouxsie Sioux, as well as German Expressionist films like "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and "Metropolis".

While we wait for the final DLC for Sparks of Hope, allow me to make even more predictions for Phantom's supposed arrival with my headcanons. Because I apparently have the power of Future Vision and I want to manifest some really cool shit. /j

Phantom lives underneath the theatre in Spooky Trails. This, obviously, is a reference to the original Phantom of the Opera. Considering that the Rayman DLC appears to be located within a hotel, perhaps Phantom will have some secret lair underneath for our Heroes to discover. As @minnesotamedic186 described it, maybe Phantom will "pull a Helen Gravely" and reveal himself as the host/owner of the hotel.

This one is very evident in my headcanons, but Phantom has a major crush on Princess Peach. Again, like the underground lair, it's another POTO reference and... honestly, how could I not ship these two? If there's going to be a moment within the DLC that confirms this, I like to think it would be like an unfinished song, a sketch, or maybe a small shrine dedicated to her. But it would be even better if Phantom has a mannequin dressed up as her (similarly to how the OG Phantom had one of Christine Daae). However, if it's revealed that Peach is not Phantom's crush, it better be Rabbid Peach or maybe a brand new character within the DLC.

Phantom studies magic in his spare time and, through his abilities, can (and has) created servants/assistants/company with it. Now, this headcanon is more in-depth, as it applies to his fused DNA as well as his emotional state. Since he's part Boo, powers such as invisibility and hypnosis come naturally to him. On top of that, the ability to possess objects into helpers plays into the idea that Phantom doesn't have much in terms of friends. The concept of him conjuring magic may be a far stretch in terms of canon lore, but maybe the DLC will present a scenario where Phantom gains or plans to gain a very strong source of power.

This one applies to the previous headcanon: Phantom has multiple powers, including hypnosis, invisibility, illusions, and fog transformation. His wide variety of powers references how the OG Phantom was a Renaissance man with a ton of skills under his belt, ranging from ventriloquist to composer. If Phantom makes his debut in the Rayman DLC, he needs to be cunning as well as almost invulnerable. He would make quite the formidable main villain, just like how Rabbid Kong was the main villain in the Donkey Kong DLC.

Another headcanon I have is that Phantom loves to dress up in costumes! I'm putting this out there because my man definitely deserves some drip - be it a brand-new suit, an opera cloak, or an elaborate costume for an upcoming performance. It would be so cool if Phantom has a Red Death costume for his final battle or even a picture of him wearing it.

#phantom of the bwahpera #phantom #rabbid phantom #tom phan #rayman dlc #sparks of hope dlc #mario rabbids sparks of hope #mario + rabbids sparks of hope #mario rabbids #mario + rabbids #sparks of hope #dlc predictions #headcanons

[glassprism]

You have used the term "intelligent christine" many times, but what do you mean by that? I haven't seen any dumb. I love the original blockings and it annoys me when they tried to be "realistic" because the show is an operatic musical and the acting is inspired by legit operas, that was the magic of it. Realism just makes the story absurd.

Well, it's not meant to imply that the rest of the Christines are "dumb", that's for sure. To me, most Christines are "average intelligence" (however you measure intelligence, since it can be a whole bunch of factors and a whole bunch of skills and talents - for example, I have no idea how good Christine is at math and science, subjects that rely on logic and pattern analysis, but I'm sure she'd score high on creativity and, especially, emotional intelligence).

An "intelligent Christine", to me, generally means someone who seems more reactive to things going on around her and who wants to... I think, figure out what's happening to her.

Within the show, they can be the Christine who, in 'Music of the Night', seems very aware of the Phantom, where he is in relation to her, and that he is trying to entrance her and pushes back against it (Rachel Barrell); a Christine who wakes up during 'I Remember', quickly puzzles out the events of the night, and realizes the Phantom is not only a man and that he tricked her and she's kind of mad about that (Jennifer Hope Wills); a Christine who, in the rooftop, is terribly frightened but is struggling to keep herself calm and explain things to Raoul (Alison Kelly); or even a Christine who, during 'Point of No Return', feels something is up with the guy playing Don Juan and tries to figure it out within the scope of her having to keep performing (Anna O'Byrne, Sofia Escobar).

So that's kind of how I think of them. IMO I don't think it goes against the original blocking at all or that it makes it more "realistic" which somehow equals "bad". (Don't let your hatred of the restaged tour and their take on gritty realism turn you off any and all performances that take that route - that's, what, throwing the baby out with the bathwater). All the Christines I mentioned above did this within the confines of the original blocking but offered a new and interesting and nuanced take on the character, and I don't see that as a bad thing. Why constantly stick to the old? Why not explore actors that offer a different take?

And finally, if you really want to go original, Christine figuring out what was happening to her is very much in line with the book's Christine, who rapidly realized upon reaching Erik's lair that he is not an angel, the implications of that deception and what it meant for her, how to act around him in a way that benefits her, putting that all together to explain it coherently to Raoul, and in the end, exactly what she needed to do to save Erik, Raoul, the Persian, the entire opera house, and herself. I think that's pretty intelligent of her!

#GP gets asks #anonymous

[ratgirlcopia]

waking up and backreading trying to understand if the grinch rbs are copia related or just here. truly the paper to me.

fundamentally i think that when copia watched how the grinch stole christmas (2000) at the tender age of Thirty, it knocked on the door of a series of repressed memories that he had not touched since his ballet boarding school's 1981 student production of swan lake. he was immediately captured by and empathized with the outcast nature of the grinch, of course, but it would be a mistake to stop there. no, because what copia finds more compelling in this film is martha may whovier's tragic relationship with both herself and the grinch.

martha defaults to social expectations and denies to herself and to others that she ever truly loved the grinch when they were children. and this parallels copia's repression of the truer, more vulnerable parts of his own nature that paralyze him with the fear of rejection from what little familial and social support he has. much like how it's implied martha may whovier only wins the lights decorating contest due to mayor augustus maywho's attraction to her, copia only has the success he does thanks to the influence of sister imperator. martha and copia are both fundamentally unhappy about the positions of relative privilege they find themselves in.

thus, when copia watches this film and sees martha's life and overall happiness IMPROVE when she accepts her long-buried feelings for the grinch, it evokes something in him that he has not felt in a long time: hope.

of course, it's only a movie. a passing fantasy. but perhaps that spark of hope remains...somewhere.

the grinch of course is purely metaphorical to copia. i mean, is he attracted to the grinch? of course. but it's more about being transgender.

also christine baranski serves absolute cunt in that movie and i think those are the aesthetics copia aspires to.

#ask #lesbiansecondo #copiaposting #Or Something Like That.

[foundtherightwords]

Sunlight Through the Mist - Chapter 3

Pairing: Hellcheer (Eddie Munson x Chrissy Cunningham) Regency AU

Summary: Having witnessed the broken marriage of his parents, Edward Munson, Baron Hurstfield, always regards love with a cynical eye. When circumstances compel him to marry and produce an heir, he quickly proposes to Christine Conyngham, a debutante whose reputation is hanging by a threat after an ill-fated affair. All Edward wants is to save his family estate, but as beautiful, fragile Christine finds her way into his wary heart, their marriage of convenience may become something neither of them ever expects - a union of love.

Warnings: angst, past domestic violence, suicide attempt, smut (non-explicit)

Chapter warnings: awkward attempts at sex (slight dub con?)

Chapter word count: 3.9k

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Christine. Her name was Christine.

A rather unusual, French-sounding name for an English lady. Perhaps one of her parents had been a Francophile, before the war with France had broken out and anti-French sentiment had permeated every aspect of life in England. Edward wondered if he could ask Miss Conyngham—Christine—about that, without sounding impertinent.

He had learned her name from Lady Harrington. He'd written to that lady under the guise of thanking her for inviting him to her ball, and, only at the very end, almost as an afterthought, he'd dropped a line about how much he'd enjoyed making Miss Conyngham's acquaintance. Lady Harrington's reply had been full of praises for Christine's beauty and virtues and sweet nature, as well as laments for her lack of fortune. It was from her letter that Edward learned Mrs. Conyngham was the second wife of Colonel Phillip Conyngham, and since the Colonel's estate was entailed to his sons, his death had left Christine with no fortune to speak of.

Nothing he'd learned about Christine made Edward regret his proposal to her, but his fear of her rejection only increased. What did he have to offer her, save for an empty title and an empty, drafty house in the middle of nowhere? She had said it was of no importance to her, but that was then. And even if it was of no importance to her, it may be of great importance to her snob of a mother.

Edward spent the two days waiting for a message from Christine expressing her regret. When it didn't come, he breathed a sigh of relief and steeled himself for an interview with Mrs. Conyngham.

He arrived at the Conyngham's townhouse a little after 12 o'clock—too early for a visit, perhaps but he could not abide the Londoners' habit of making calls so late in the afternoon. He knocked, was met by a maid, and, after presenting his card, inquired after Mrs. and Miss Conyngham. The maid disappeared into the house for a minute, before returning and bidding him inside.

"Miss Conyngham will receive you in the garden, sir," she said hesitantly, making no mention of Mrs. Conyngham.

Edward frowned slightly. He may not be well-versed in the intricate etiquettes and rituals of polite society, but receiving a man alone in the garden sounded quite unusual, even if that man had recently proposed. Did she mean to reject him after all? His frown deepened when he found his way barred by Mrs. Conyngham herself, looking rather vexed.

"Lord Hurstfield," she said, in response to his bow. "To what do we owe the honor?" Her tone implied that this was no honor at all; rather the opposite.

"Mrs. Conyngham." Edward tried to look past her into the parlor, hoping to get a glimpse of Christine and see what this was all about, but she was nowhere in sight. He turned back to her indignant mother. "Ma'am, Miss Conyngham will doubtless explain everything to your satisfaction. But for now, if you'll excuse me, I have important matters to discuss with her. In private, please," he added, when Mrs. Conyngham made to follow him. He nodded to the maid to lead him to the garden, leaving Mrs. Conyngham spluttering in his wake.

In the pocket-sized yard behind the house, he found Christine in a morning dress of blue serge, attacking some pitiful-looking rosebushes with a pair of pruning shears. He bowed to her, but she didn't seem to see him.

"Your mother has no idea why I'm here," he said, as soon as the maid was gone. "I thought you had spoken with her?"

Snip, snip, snip, went the shears, while Christine bent her head over them with rather too much concentration.

"My rosebushes are hopeless," she said. "I prune and water and cover them in the winter, but nothing works. There is no light, no room for them to breathe. It's so frustrating, trying to grow a garden in London, don't you agree?"

She kept glancing at him while she rambled on, looking both afraid and eager. Edward went to her and put a hand on the shears.

"If you keep pruning them like that, there would be nothing left to grow," he said.

Finally, she lifted her eyes to him, and he saw at once the fear and nervousness in them. He could only hope that he was not the cause. "What is it?" he asked, as one might speak to a child.

Again, there was that hint of steel in her eyes, in her posture. "You have asked for my honesty, Lord Hurstfield," she began.

"Please, call me Edward," he said, but she went on as though he hadn't spoken at all.

"I'm going to be honest with you now. And if you want to retract your proposal afterward, I would understand. That's why I haven't spoken to my mother." She was speaking rapidly, apparently afraid that if she paused, she would lose the courage to continue. Edward braced himself for the rejection. "When I said I've... put my trust in the other man, I mean..." A flush was creeping over her forehead and cheeks, extending all the way to her ears and down her neck, and she kept squeezing the shears until her knuckles turned white. "I've trusted him completely. With... with..."

It took him a moment to grasp her meaning. He was struck with a sense of anti-climax and almost blurted out "Is that all?" but checked himself in time, when he realized she must have put a great deal of trust in him to reveal this.

"Miss Conyngham," he said. Then, in a softer voice, "Christine." She turned her beseeching, teary eyes to him. Perhaps he should have asked for permission to address her so familiarly, but this was no time for formality. "I understand. And it is of no importance to me." It was true. Other men may set great store by the virginity of their brides, but not he. Nobody demands that the groom be a virgin, do they? And if he could be a virgin by choice, why should she not be a virgin by choice as well?

Christine visibly sagged with relief. Her lips quivered, and the tears threatened to spill, but she held them off. That show of strength tugged at Edward's heart, making him long to gather her into his arms and tell her that she had nothing to worry about, that she was safe with him, but he didn't want to be presumptuous. Instead, he gave her a smile, a rather inadequate reciprocation of what had just transpired between them. She had not rejected him. She had trusted him with her deepest, most humiliating secret. The least he could do was to reassure her of his intention.

Then he remembered. Reaching into the inner pocket of his waistcoat, he withdrew the one thing that was almost as precious to him as Hurstfield Hall itself—his mother's ring. It was made in the shape and colors of her favorite flower, the humble love-in-a-mist, set with five small diamonds surrounding a sapphire. He had never seen his mother's hand without it. After the funeral, it was Mrs. Wayne who had handed it to him. "Keep it safe, Master Edward," the housekeeper had said, tears streaming down her face. "It won't fetch much, but God forbid, one day His Lordship may be desperate enough to sell it."

From that moment on, Edward had taken the ring with him wherever he went. Still, he'd never dreamed one day he would use it to propose.

"This was my mother's," he said, suddenly feeling shy. "May I?"

Christine gave him her hand, and he slid the ring onto her slim finger. It was a perfect fit. He let out a breath. It would have been quite embarrassing if the ring hadn't fitted, but now, he felt as though their union had received his mother's blessing.

"It's beautiful," Christine said, sounding like she meant it. "When may I meet her, your mother?"

There was a twinge in Edward's heart when he realized Christine didn't know. "She is dead," he said shortly.

"Oh." A moment, then she laid a gentle hand on his sleeve. "I am so sorry."

Her touch brought Edward out of the dark thoughts he was always in danger of sinking into whenever his mother was mentioned. This was no time to dwell in the tragedy of the past. It should be a happy occasion, and he was determined to make it so. He put on a smile and offered Christine his arm.

"Shall we announce the happy news to your mother?"

***

Within a single night, Edward had gotten engaged, and within three weeks, he had become a married man. The news of his wedding had caught everyone by surprise, even his Oxford friends who knew of his plan but didn't expect him to carry it out with such expedition.

Even Edward himself was surprised at how fast things had proceeded. Mrs. Conyngham had been understandably shocked and tried to raise the usual protests, but Christine had managed to calm her somehow. He left most of the planning of the wedding to them, as he was too busy settling his father's debts and putting the accounts in order. He hardly even had time to think about his betrothed, or, rather, his thoughts for her were all practical ones, such as sending instructions for Mrs. Wayne to prepare Hurstfield Hall and Wheeler to hire some horses and bring the carriage to London. For Christine's feelings, he paid no attention.

But now, after the ceremony had been performed and the vows exchanged, after the wedding breakfast had been eaten and all the guests had gone home, after even the packing had been done, ready for their trip back to Yorkshire early the next morning, there was nothing else for him to think about but her and what it meant to be married.

He would have to perform his marital duties, he knew. In her will, Great Aunt Munson had put emphasis on the production of an heir. But how could he manage it, when he felt very little attachment and attraction to his wife? Even those two words, his wife, sounded strange to him. Oh, he didn't deny that there had been something there when they'd first met, and it had played a part in his decision to propose, but that tiny spark was gone now, forgotten in the three weeks of anxious preparations and hectic arrangements. If they had some time together, perhaps he could rediscover some of that warmth...

Well, they were going to have the rest of their lives together, were they not? Would that not be enough time to know someone? And in this, they were not an exceptional case. Many couples hardly knew each other at all before they were married, and it bore no ill effect on their marriage. Intimacy would come in time, and if not that, then at least they would have some form of connection and understanding.

Walton had had the right of it when he said Edward was prone to overthinking. All this pondering got him nowhere. He would simply have to go through with it and take things as they come.

With that thought, Edward left the dressing room where he'd been put up for the wedding, and knocked on Christine's door.

"Come in," came the quiet reply. He opened the door but didn't step inside. Christine was sitting at her dressing table, brushing out her long, blonde hair with short, jerky movements. Edward was reminded of Rapunzel imprisoned in her tower. He certainly hoped their fates would be a sight better than those of that maiden and her prince.

Seeing him, Christine slowly put her brush down, while her fingers gripped the edge of the table tightly, as though afraid she might float away if she let go. She was careful not to look at him, so all he saw was her pale cheek. That whole day, she had been the same. When she first entered the church, she had looked calm enough, but as the ceremony progressed, she had gone paler and stiller, until she resembled a marble statue. That impression was only heightened by her wedding gown, the same silver one she'd worn the night they met. At first, Edward had thought it was a sweet gesture from Christine, to deliberately choose that gown for the wedding as a reminder, but when he asked, she'd looked confused, making him feel rather foolish, so he hadn't pressed the matter.

He'd supposed her strange behavior was mere wedding nerves. But now here she was, looking like a prisoner about to face the gallows. And he was the hangman.

"Look here, Christine," he said, fumbling for words. "I can see that you're not... We don't have to do this. Not until... you feel ready."

She turned to him then, her eyes glittering strangely in the candlelight. "Doesn't your great aunt's will stipulate that we must produce an heir?" she asked.

He blushed. "Within five years. Or the inheritance goes to someone else." He didn't tell her about the orphanage, not wanting her to think they were taking money away from needy children.

"Then I'm ready."

In a calm, matter-of-fact manner, quite unlike her nervousness when he first entered the room, she got into bed and looked at him expectantly. Now it was his turn to feel apprehensive. He wished he hadn't eaten so much cheese at supper. He wished he'd drunk a bit more. Wine could have loosened his nerves. He wondered if he could have rung a servant up and asked for a glass now. But no, it would not do to keep his bride waiting. With a shrug, he slipped under the cover and lay down next to her, while she blew out the candle. They didn't touch, but he could feel her next to him and smell the scent of lavender from her hair, and nearly lost his courage again.

He glanced at Christine. She was lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

"Is this... your first time?" she asked, not looking at him.

Damnation. He hadn't thought about that. This was his first time, but not hers. What would she think? Would she find his inexperienced attempts clumsy and pathetic, or would she grit her teeth and bear it because it was her wifely duty? He didn't want her to be uncomfortable with him.

Without knowing why, he blurted out, "No."

He immediately regretted it. He had promised to be honest with her, and now, in this most intimate moment at the start of their life together, he couldn't even keep his words. But it was too late to go back on it now.

"You do know what to do, don't you?" She sounded a little exasperated, and he didn't blame her.

"... Yes." Just not with another person.

Christine turned to her side. Their eyes met, and her hard, businesslike look softened a little with... what? Pity? Sympathy? She leaned over, closing the gap between them, and brushed her lips over his, which had gone dry. He remembered wondering about kissing her. Whatever he'd conjured up in his imagination, fueled by scant experiences of the few kisses he'd stolen at childhood parties and from the ladies of Covent Garden, this wasn't it. This barely counted as a kiss, especially when she seemed to change her mind at the last moment and turned her head abruptly to the side, causing his mouth to land on her chin instead.

Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Perhaps it would ease them both, if he could touch her... He edged a little closer, fumbling through the layers of linen and cotton until his fingers found bare skin. The unfamiliar sensation of another person's flesh, a woman's, under his hand, was startling. She was soft but cold, as cold as her lips. Why was she so cold? The room was warm, almost stiflingly so. He was burning, with embarrassment more than anything. Yet she remained cold, unresponsive, aloof. He hardly knew what he was touching, her legs, her hips, or her waist, trying to find a place, a way to get her to look at him, to react to him, instead of turning away from him as far as she could, burying her face in the pillow as though he was hurting her.

His arms could no longer hold his body up from her. One slipped, causing his hips to dig painfully into hers. He could feel himself hardening just from the contact with her skin, but tried as he might, he couldn't feel anything from her. She was there in body only.

"Christine, look at me," he pleaded, his voice shaking. "Please." She didn't move, but he could see tears gleaming in the corners of her eyes, and under him, her chest shook with silent sobs. At the sight of those tears, the physical arousal he'd felt disappeared instantly, to be replaced by a sense of disgust and self-loathing. Christine didn't want this but couldn't say so. And here he was, pawing at her and forcing himself on her like those drunken brutes that frequented Covent Garden. No, even worse, because they knew they were drunken brutes and they were paying for a service, whereas he was doing this in the name of his husbandly rights. He was no better than his father.

"This isn't right," he mumbled. "I'm sorry."

He got out of bed and fled into the dressing room without looking back.

***

And so Edward spent his wedding night on a sofa in the dressing room, flagellating himself over the shambles he had made of the whole thing. Why oh why hadn't he married some simple peasant girl, or one of those vapid debutantes who didn't have much to say for themselves? With such a wife, married life may be dull, but it would be safe. But no, he had to fancy himself some knight in shining armor coming to the rescue of a fair maiden. Only she was no maid, and he was no knight either. Just an ungainly, untried boy who didn't even know his own mind.

But it was no use regretting it now. They were man and wife, and they had to act accordingly. Doubtless, other couples had disastrous wedding nights as well, only no one talked about it. He would tell her the truth in the morning and apologize and reassure her that he was willing to wait until she was comfortable with him.

However, the next morning, when Christine emerged from her room, pale and hollow-eyed, Edward's resolution failed him. In their rush to depart for Yorkshire, there was no time to bring up the matter. Christine said a quick goodbye to her mother, asked one of the maids to take care of her rosebushes, and entered the carriage. As soon as Edward followed her in, she settled down amongst the cushions and wraps and promptly closed her eyes, preventing any attempt at conversation. With a sigh, Edward pulled out a book—an English translation of Gargantua and Pantagruel—and endeavored to lose himself in the story. Perhaps he only needed to give her time.

Occasionally, he would look up from the book to study Christine. She wasn't really sleeping, he knew. She was too still, her eyes closed too tightly. What was she thinking? What did she feel about him? Repulsion, hate, or simply contempt? Did she regret marrying him? For the first time, Edward felt some curiosity about her unknown lover and why he had cast her aside. She couldn't love that man still, could she? Edward wondered why it should be of any importance to him.

They journeyed in silence for most of that day. After a brief stop at Biggleswade for some luncheon, Christine no longer pretended to sleep, but she spent the rest of the day staring out the window with such a melancholy look that Edward could hardly stand it.

The only thing that broke the monotony was the moment the carriage lurched over a pothole in the road and sent Christine into his lap. As they tried to disentangle themselves, Edward tried not to notice how her breasts were pressed against his chest or how her hands brushed across his thighs. He had to push her away, rather more roughly than he intended, before their proximity became too uncomfortable a reminder of their botched wedding night. Christine may find his brusqueness offensive, but he had no choice.

They stopped at Peterborough for the night. When the landlord asked how many rooms they required, Edward said firmly, "Two, please," and saw Christine visibly relax.

A good night's sleep must have calmed her somewhat, for the next morning, Christine seemed a little more alive, if not exactly cheery. She watched the landscape with a keener interest, and even asked him about his book and Hurstfield Hall. However, when Edward tried to breach the subject of their wedding night, her face turned to stone.

"We don't have to discuss it," she said rather sharply.

Edward clammed up. He'd wanted to tell her the truth to show that he trusted her, just as she had trusted him with the truth about her virginity, but it appeared she didn't welcome such trust. So he said lamely, "All right. But I meant what I said. We don't have to... Not until you're ready." Hopefully, that'll allow me time to be ready as well.

When the familiar shapes of the Pennines appeared on the horizon late that afternoon, Edward could feel strength returning to his mind and body. He glanced at Christine, who was watching the approaching mountains, looking more and more melancholy by the minute, and realized he had miscalculated in bringing her here at this time of day and this time of year. He had the advantage of a local, being able to see the beauty of Yorkshire even in the gathering gloom, under that gray March sky heavy with raincloud, but for her, it must be all wildness and desolation.

When the carriage stopped so the lamps could be lit, Edward saw Christine eyeing the footman tucking a pistol and a cudgel into his coat.

"There have been reports of highwaymen along these roads," he explained. "Better be safe than sorry." A look at Christine's face made him realize he'd made another blunder. Talk of highwaymen in this landscape would be the last thing to put her mind at ease.

Gradually, the lights of Hurstfield Hall appeared in the distance like a beacon. Edward bounced in his seat, eager to show off his ancestral home to his bride. As the carriage rolled to a stop on the gravel drive at the front, Christine got out first without waiting for his help. Following her, Edward saw her looking up at the house with an almost frightened expression. He took her limp, cold hand in his and walked with her toward the door, where Mrs. Wayne stood waiting, with all the maids and footmen lined up behind her, ready to welcome the new mistress of Hurstfield Hall.

After a brief introduction, Edward led Christine into the front hall. He could see that Mrs. Wayne and the staff had outdone themselves. All the windows, previously boarded up to avoid taxation, were now opened, their glass panes gleaming. The oak panels had been polished to a mirror shine, the tapestries showed off their rich colors, and a cheerful fire roared in the hearth.

"Welcome home," he said, beaming at Christine.

His smile disappeared when he saw her dull eyes. She is probably just tired, he told himself. But he couldn't shake the feeling that she had been considering him and the Hall, and had found both wanting. 

Chapter 4

#hellcheer #hellcheer fic #hellcheer au #eddissy #hellcheersource #eddie x chrissy #eddie munson #chrissy cunningham #joseph quinn #joseph quinn fic

[cptn-sulu]

Hi, Henry, my beloved, dearest, smartest friend Henry 💗💕💖💕♥️💗💖💞💓💖💖💗♥️💓💕 Can I get

3. Screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on Tumblr

6. Which ship fans are the most annoying?

12. The unpopular character you actually like and why more people should like them

16. You can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterisation, trope, headcanon, etc.)

19. You're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...

22. Your favourite part of canon that everyone else ignores.

for the hater ask for anything you want in the world, please? <3 I hope being a hater gives you a break from being sooooo smart and intelligent and insightful on your Masters degree (almost there!!!!!!) <333

hi freya <3333 ily little blorbo in my tumblr app <3333

3. i once saw a take (on tiktok, i KNOW i know okay) about the end of the first the last of us season/game. their argument was that if you agreed with joel's choice and/or didn't think the fireflies should've been able to go through with their plan. you were an misogynist who didn't respect ellie as an independent character. WILD take.

6. any of the ones that demonize/hate any woman/other character that could even potentially get in the way of their (usually white) m/m ship. you know the ones.

12. does sulu count as an unpopular character?? like people don't hate him, certainly, but he's always on the back burner as it were. like of the senior crew, he seems to be the least popular (unless we're including christine and rand re: tos, who also deserve better). and he's such a fun character! he's canonically queer! an icon!

16. kirk being a womanizer/player annoys the FUCK out of me. i'm fine with him being a little bit of whore as it were, that's fun, but like. he's nice about it! all the relationships end amicably! everyone knows what they're getting into! any time a big trauma happens and it's NEVER brought up again or has lasting effects? bothers the hell out of me. AND AND!!! anything that says/implies poor people are inherently less smart, can't have nice things, etc etc. like. the poor person in your media/fic can still be really intelligent and have like. a fucking smartphone and game consoles. it's fine.

19. i like au's. like too much. i need to stop and i hate that i love them so much. i just want my little guys in so many situations.

22. hikaru sulu is canonically queer!!! everyone in the AOS timeline is like. stupid young!!! there's definitely more but i can't think of them right now!!!

#long post #ugh i loved being a hater thank you freya ily

[sanctum-stinker]

How about MCU wongstrange? What was your first impression of them? Any headcanons?

I want to to know more, of what you see. Because for me personally, I think I ship them after mom. And I wonder if I missed more than two moments or scenes that flew over me

Hello Hi!

You came to the right place. Because I jumped on the WongStrange Bandwagon before No Way Home I’ve had plenty of time to analyse past content and also pick out bits from recent films which I thought were fruity!

I’ve just compiled the images in my camera roll because I can’t be bothered screenshotting and looking up all the scenes, I hope that’ll suffice!

Doctor Strange 2016

If I’m being completely honest, Mordo and Stephen have a better dynamic in this movie, but Wong still has his moments! Obviously the iconic Beyoncé scene, the weirdly tense library interactions, Stephen reviving Wong and Wong trusting him without hesitation etc etc. 

This deleted scene as well. Rolling on the floor crying. This also sort of confirms they’re living together in the sanctum now, so that’s also a thing.

Multiverse of Madness 2022 This movie was kinda shit, but we got some pretty decent bits all things aside. Their overall banter and dynamics are fantastic at times, and whoever made their outfit colors so fucking complimentary deserves a wet sloppy kiss.

Why are there so many shots of them looking at each other.

Honestly I can’t even describe this one. Why is he looking at him like that.

Christine tells him to face his fears so he immediately opens up a little to Wong and trusts him. Okay. Cool. Okay.

And of course the bow scene. Peak symbolism regarding his respect towards Wong and his growth as a man. His eyes remain fixed on Wong when he does this and I think they were insane for this. I fucking love this scene.

Infinity War

Not much content in this because Wong peaces out like two seconds into appearing, but we get some good shit in that time.

Matching battle stances are so romantic, boys.

That’s the only stuff I’ve got, but honorable mentions is that this further confirms Wong and Stephen now live together in the sanctum. The money and tuna melt banter at the start, Wong saying that the Hulk Ice cream is ‘our favorite’ implying ice cream nights and a conversation where they have confirmed to each other that that flavor is their favorites. Marvel I just want to talk, please, I just want to talk about Sanctum Sanctorum ice cream night please.

Endgame

I also don’t have any images for Endgame, but the fact that Wong likely organised the majority of the portal scene makes me yell. Due to Stephen reappearing on Titan (as seen in his entrance scene) it implies that he had to have had communications with Wong previous to dusting. Because of his lack of presence he wouldn’t have been able to have actually put anything into action, thus Wong has to be responsible for the most iconic scene in the MCU!!!

The fact that they’re such a power duo offscreen and unknowingly carry the whole battle is insane to me and no one talks about it.

No Way Home

Banger film. Great WongStrange moments.

Marvel tell us what happened at the full moon party IMPOSSIBLE edition.

Stephen using puppy eyes to fucking win Wong over to let him use a dangerous reality warping spell. You know, just a casual Tuesday. AHHHHHH AHHHHHHHH AHHHHHHHH.

Also introduces Sorcerer Supreme Wong which I shat my pants about. I adore that they let him be Sorcerer supreme but dearly wish they took him more seriously. But we’re not here to talk about that. Onto the next.

What If…? Doctor Strange lost his heart and not his hands.

God I remember the soul shattering experience this was when it came out. The WongStrange content was surprisingly nourishing though.

‘We’ve’ been through weirder.

Stephen putting aside his crippling heartache for Christine just to save Wong? Like not even considering the actual rest of the world that’s fading outside? Okay. Cool. Cool. Okay.

Wong also is the one to comfort Stephen about Christine and is a part of the pinnacle point in time determining wether Stephen uses the timestone and turns into Strange Supreme or not. 

Now the second two aren’t technically a part of the MCU, but they are related to it. I don’t know where they’re to be put in the MCU category but they exist so I’ll consider them canon.

This book is just silly and goofy. No comments just read it for yourself.

Infinity War Prelude 2

This comic is so overlooked, and I don’t know why. The Doctor Strange Prelude is as well. They kinda do Wong dirty with the art, but the content is pretty cool. Also gives us an insight into Ragnorok and just how the sorcerers operate.

Wong casually recounting Stephen’s whole journey for no reason.

I just like them in this panel tbh. Stephen is kinda scrumpled.

Stephen pulling a John Watson with the “stop being mysterious” thing. Implying Wong has been cryptic and mysterious enough for Stephen to recognize this as a character attribute.

That’s all I have, honestly I’m too tired to come up with a capping off statement, but I hope this pile of various moments is enough! The MCU is yet to really explore their dynamic, and let alone Wong as a character, so I’m excited (and a bit afraid after MoM) to see where it goes!

#WongStrange #Bird insanity

[ao3feed-stony]

One Step Closer

by scottxlogan

Tony Stark was pushed into popstar fame by his ambitious father early on, but over the span of more than two decades Tony has seen the highs and lows of stardom hitting rock bottom in more ways than one. Through it all there was always one person that Tony felt was his saving grace. Steve Rogers was always the one that got away and no matter how many times they tried to cross that line into love they couldn't quite get there. As Tony's once close friend and brief roommate, Steve turned Tony's world around in all the right ways until fate intervened and they were pulled in separate directions. Now fresh out of rehab on his 45th birthday and looking to keep from making the same mistakes, Tony reflects on his past and follows his heart to new beginnings hoping that it's not too late to find his way back to Steve in his hopes for a second chance.

Words: 17018, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Iron Man (Movies), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, Pepper Potts, Peggy Carter, Happy Hogan, Obadiah Stane, Christine Everhart, Matt Murdock

Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Forbidden Love, Heavy Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Not Peggy Carter Friendly, Past Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Past Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Past Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Minor Bucky Barnes/Sam Wilson, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Canon-Typical Violence, Drug Use, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Artist Steve Rogers, Alternate Universe - Popstar, Sex Drugs and Rock and Roll, rock star Tony Stark, Rancher Steve Rogers, Second Chances, Sexual Content, Time Skips, Slow Romance, Slow Build, Divorced Steve Rogers, Divorced Tony Stark, popstar Tony Stark, Rehabilitation, References to Depression, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drama & Romance, Angst and Romance, Not Howard Stark Friendly, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Drug Addiction, Swearing

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/48437332

#stony #steve rogers #tony stark #iron man #captain america #fan fiction #ao3 stony feed #stony fan