#it was another big set but these are the better looking ones 😬

[tigertales9]

Good Clean Fun

Pairing: Joe Burrow x Reader

Warnings: 18+ / Smut

Description: You accompany Joe to the Hamptons for the white party

Time/Place: July 3, 2023 - the Hamptons, NY

A/N: I wrote this just after the white party pics dropped, but I'm still not sure about it. 😬 I've tweaked it to pieces and finally decided to just offer it up. Hope y'all like it.

Inspo pic: (one of many)

Pic source = white party hotness

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You jolt awake at the sound of your phone ringing, fumbling to grab it off the bedside table. "Hey," you whisper.

"Hey," Joe says. "What are you doing?"

"Just laying in bed … thinking about you," you answer nonchalantly, not wanting to admit you were asleep. "How's the party going?"

"It's … fine," he mutters. "I wish I was there with you."

"Me too, babe."

"I'm thinking about leaving early."

You check the clock on the bedside table. "Better stick it out for at least another hour," you advise, smiling when he heaves a sigh. "I know it's not your scene, but you need to do this, okay?"

"Are you gonna be awake when I get back?" he asks, the pouty tone in his voice causing you to smile even bigger.

"Of course. Shoot me a text when you leave and I'll be waiting for you at the front door."

"Promise?"

"I promise," you chuckle. "Now get back out there and mingle," you order, laughing at his dramatic groan.

"Yes, ma'am," he grumbles. "Love you."

"Love you, too," you echo.

You set your phone down and look around the elegant but unfamiliar bedroom. Joe had begged you to come with him to the Hamptons even though you weren't invited to the white party. Y'all had flown up the day before on a private jet, quickly settling into your Airbnb before ordering a dinner delivery of salmon piccata pasta, caesar salad and garlic bread. Joe had uncorked a bottle of crisp sauvignon blanc, and y'all had enjoyed your meal while watching an amazing sunset from your upstairs balcony.

You smile to yourself thinking about what happened after dinner; you and Joe tangled together on the plush bed, him getting you off twice with his fingers and tongue before putting your legs over his shoulders and fucking you slow and deep, his big hands teasing your breasts and clit in a way that had you writhing beneath him, your third climax of the night hitting so hard you actually saw stars.

You bite your lip at the intense memory as you flop back against a pile of fluffy pillows, heaving a sigh as you look around the tastefully decorated bedroom. The Airbnb is a few miles away from Billionaire Lane where the white party is taking place, but even though it's more modest than those monuments to conspicuous consumption, it still has amazing views, a super comfy king-sized bed, and a huge shower with a built-in bench and several different water features.

You giggle when you think about the shower; you had a little solo fun in there earlier after a couple glasses of wine and a couple pics of your man at the white party looking like a walking orgasm got you worked up. "Sexy motherfucker," you mutter to yourself, still smiling at the naughty memory when your phone chimes; you read the text from Joe before sending a quick reply.

"Thirty minutes is not exactly an hour, Joseph Lee," you giggle to yourself, "but okay." You place your phone on the bedside table before easing off the bed and walking into the en suite bathroom to check your reflection in the mirror. You're wearing a short silk robe the color of pale seafoam green and a lace thong to match. Your face is devoid of makeup and your long wavy hair is in a messy bun on top of your head; you briefly consider fixing it before giving a shrug. "Fuck it," you mutter, walking downstairs just in time to see a car pull into the driveway. You watch through a front window as Joe climbs out of the backseat of the car and ambles up the sidewalk, his slightly unsteady, long-legged stride making you smile as you swing the front door open.

"Hey," you purr, staying mostly hidden behind the door as the car reverses out of the driveway and drives off into the warm, humid night.

"Hey," he mutters, giving you a lopsided smile as you close the door behind him. "You look gorgeous," he says, reaching a hand out to finger your slinky robe as you raise an eyebrow in response. "And you look drunk as fuck," you chuckle, pulling him into a tight hug. "Did you have a good time?" you ask, inhaling his pungent aroma of sweat, vodka and a hint of weed.

"Not really," he pouts, "and I'm not drunk. I'm just a little buzzed," he argues. "Just a little crossfaded," you retort. "Maybe a little," he admits, giving you a sheepish smile when you pull back and look up at him. "But I'm mostly just tired as hell," he continues. "I couldn't relax the entire time I was there because I felt like an animal on display at the zoo. I mean, it was fun to catch up with the guys, but then there were these random peeps who kept staring at me, taking pics and vids." He makes a stank face before continuing. "Some of them even tried to talk to me," he shudders. "Weird as fuck."

"Awww, you must be so exhausted," you murmur sympathetically, pulling him into another tight hug. "I am," he sighs, burying his face in your neck as you reach under his shirt and scratch his back through his thin tank top. "Poor baby," you coo. "It's a lot of work dodging all that pussy being thrown at you. No wonder you're tired."

He leans back and looks down at you, narrowing his eyes at the bratty look on your face. "For a second I actually thought you felt sorry for me," he grumbles, trying hard not to smile when you roll your eyes. You stick your tongue out at him just as his stomach gives a loud growl. "Did you eat anything at the party?" you ask, shaking your head when he lists a few appetizers. "That's not nearly enough," you state, grabbing his hand and leading him into the kitchen. "Good thing I got you a lobster roll when I ordered mine earlier."

"Oh yum!" he chirps, placing his phone and sunglasses on the kitchen island before shrugging his "crochet" shirt off and tossing it over a barstool; he hurries to the kitchen sink and washes his hands, giving you an almost giddy smile as he plops down in another barstool, his entire demeanor perking up at the thought of delicious food.

You preheat the toaster oven before pulling a fluffy split-top roll out of a paper bag; you quickly slather butter on the roll before popping it into the oven to crisp up, throwing him a smile over your shoulder while opening the fridge. "I got it deconstructed so it wouldn't get soggy," you say, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge and sliding it across the counter to him. "It'll be ready in just a few minutes."

"Thanks, babe," he sighs, twisting the cap off and guzzling most of the bottle in about five seconds, a tiny drop of water escaping one corner of his mouth to casually slide down the long, sexy column of his throat. You watch the downward progress of the runaway water droplet like your life depends on it, biting your lip when he finally wipes it away just before it reaches his collarbone. Your gaze lingers on his broad shoulders, muscular chest and sculpted arms, the skimpy tank top and smiley face necklace he's wearing showcasing those impressive attributes in a way that makes your mouth water.

"What are you thinking?" he asks, giving you a loaded look when you meet his gaze.

~ DING ~

You jump as the timer on the oven goes off, shaking your head as you place the warm roll on a plate before grabbing the container of lobster salad out of the fridge. "I'm thinking I need to get this food in your belly," you mutter, smiling when Joe groans as he watches you pile an obscene amount of lobster onto the crispy roll before setting the plate in front of him.

"You're so good to me," he mutters, taking a huge bite of the roll as you hand him a bag of kettle chips and another bottle of water. "SO good," he repeats, his eyes rolling back in his head as he devours another bite. "I didn't realize I was so hungry," he mumbles, holding a big hand in front of his mouth as he speaks so as not to show you his half-chewed food.

You walk behind him and scratch his back as he continues to scarf his food, grinning when he pulls his tank top off to give you better access. You continue to scratch his bare back just the way he likes, your pulse reacting to the sex-type noises spilling from his pretty lips. "Feel good?" you ask, sliding one hand up the nape of his neck into his sweaty curls, his low-throated moan making you want to pull his hair and have your way with him. You ponder that naughty thought for a second until your pragmatic inner voice reminds you he needs food and sleep more than sex since y'all have a fairly early flight out tomorrow morning.

"Feels amazing," he groans after swallowing his last bite of lobster roll.

You give his back a final scratch before grabbing his empty plate and walking to the sink. "I got you some dessert, too," you say, quickly rinsing the plate and washing your hands before reaching into the delivery bag to pull out a small package. "I hope that's a euphemism for sex," he purrs, giving you a dirty wink when you cut your eyes at him. "These are better than sex" you state, placing a napkin in front of him before setting two peanut butter chocolate chip cookies on it.

He raises one eyebrow before taking a huge bite of cookie. After chewing and swallowing he narrows his eyes at you. "These are delicious, but they're not better than sex. Not even close."

"I was just teasing," you chuckle, watching in amusement as he crams the rest of the first cookie in his mouth before reaching for the second. "If you think these are better than sex then I really need to up my game," he grumbles, polishing off the final cookie while giving you a pouty grimace.

"I said I was teasing, grumpy cat," you giggle, reaching forward to wipe cookie crumbs off of his lips while he continues to faux-glower at you. "If you upped your game you'd give me a stroke." You flick his pouty bottom lip a couple times until he smiles. "Anyway," you continue, "quit thinking about sex. You need a shower and sleep since we have an early-ish flight tomorrow."

He makes a face before speaking. "I'm almost too tired to take a shower, but I know I need one since I feel grimy." He lifts an arm and gives his armpit a hearty sniff. "I smell like b.o. and vodka."

"And weed," you interject, chuckling when he wrinkles his pert nose at you. "C'mon," you urge. "I'll help you shower since you're so wrung out."

He follows you upstairs into the en suite bathroom, leaning against the wall as you turn the shower on to heat up. You squeeze toothpaste onto both of your toothbrushes before handing him his, keeping a close eye on him while you brush to make sure he doesn't fall asleep on his feet.

When you finish brushing you strip naked before helping him do the same, ushering him into the steamy shower and immediately ordering him to sit on the built-in bench while you angle all of the water jets to your liking. You grab the handheld shower head, quickly switching the setting from pulsate to rainfall before wetting him down head to toe, stepping in between his spread thighs as he slumps back against the tile wall and groans at the feel of the warm water cascading over him.

"Let's wash your hair first," you murmur, placing the shower head back in its holder before squeezing some shampoo in your palm. You rub your hands together before sliding them into his wet hair, thoroughly lathering the drenched strands while he ogles your bare chest.

"Close your eyes and keep 'em closed, please," you state.

"How am I supposed to keep my eyes closed when your tits are jiggling in my face?"

"You wanna get shampoo in your eyes?"

"No."

"Then keep 'em closed."

"Yes, ma'am," he grumbles, squeezing his eyes closed as you step a little closer, dropping a quick kiss on his wet forehead before massaging his scalp. "Feels good," he groans, sucking his plump bottom lip into his mouth as you grind the pads of your fingers against his temples, slowly working your way down the nape of his neck before reversing course. You smile at the look on his face as you grab the shower head. "I'm about to rinse so keep your eyes closed tight."

"Okay."

You thoroughly rinse his hair then grab his tube of face cleanser. "Hold a hand out for some face cleanser," you order, squeezing some gel onto his palm and waiting for him to lather up his face before rinsing again. He wipes the water off of his face and slicks his hair back as you reach for his shower pouf and wet it down, squeezing a generous dollop of his fav body wash on it before getting down to business.

You get him to lean forward so you can reach his back then move to his shoulders, working the foamy lather down each muscular arm all the way to his fingertips, pushing his wristbands up to clean underneath before moving to his chest; you grin when he squirms a bit as you tease his nipples with the frilly sponge, urging him to lift both arms so you can scrub his pits before continuing down his torso.

You bypass his crotch, ignoring the fact that he's semi-erect as you lather up his long legs, upper thigh to ankle. "You better do your feet," you giggle, knowing you could easily catch a foot upside the head if you accidentally tickle him. "Got it," he mumbles, quickly scrubbing his feet before handing the sponge back to you.

You rinse the pouf and apply more body wash, dropping to your knees between his spread legs before matter-of-factly soaping up his dick, still ignoring the fact that it's getting stiffer by the second as you slide the mesh sponge down over his balls and between his cheeks. He scoots a bit lower on the bench to give you better access and you slide two soapy fingers just behind his balls, biting your lip when he moans low in his throat as you massage the sensitive skin, reaching farther back to ghost your slick fingers over his hole a few times before grabbing the shower head to rinse him off. You give him a thorough rinse starting at his shoulders and working your way down, your mouth watering at the sight of his fully-erect cock laying against his glistening abs.

You eventually place the shower head back in its holder and position yourself on your knees between Joe's legs, dropping open-mouthed kisses from knee to groin, leaving love bites where his ample ass meets the top of his muscular thighs. He gives a grunt of approval and cups one big hand behind the nape of your neck as you lightly suck his balls while ghosting your fingertips over his impressive erection, teasing him for a few minutes before sliding your tongue farther back, tickling his hole with your tongue while slowly pumping his cock.

"Woman, if you keep that up I'm gonna cum in ten seconds," he grits out.

"Is that good or bad?"

"I wanna cum," he gives you a naughty smile, "but not in ten seconds."

"Okay, I'll ease up," you chuckle, his well-defined abs tensing under your fingers as you slide your hands up his torso, teasing his nipples while sucking your plump bottom lip into your mouth, giving him a filthy grin before lowering your head.

You hold eye contact with him as you flatten your tongue against the base of his cock and slowly drag it up, tracing a prominent vein all the way up before lapping at the precum on his tip; you feel his hand tighten on the back of your neck as you take him deep s-l-o-w-l-y, feeling every vein on his cock as you start to bob your head; you go deep enough to choke on him a few times, knowing he loves it even if he's too much of a gentleman to push your head down himself.

"Yeah, baby, just like that," he groans, squirming underneath you as you continue your sensual onslaught, dropping a hand down to play with his balls before sliding it farther back to tease his hole. "Don't stop!" he grits out, his throaty groans magnified by the acoustics of the shower enclosure as you follow orders, tears streaming down your cheeks as you continue to deep throat him.

When you feel the first spurt of his climax hit the back of your throat you quickly pull off and take the rest of his load on your face, using your free hand to milk every last drop out of him. "Fuck!" he grunts, his head dropping back against the tile with a thud as he watches you slide your tongue out to lick his creamy essence off of your lips. "So fuckin' hot," he mutters, panting hard as he continues to watch you through half-mast eyelids.

You wait a few minutes before speaking. "Did you like that?" you ask, playing with his slowy-softening erection as he catches his breath.

"I loved it." He gives you a blissed-out grin as you reach for the shower head, quickly rinsing your face and hands before turning it on him to give him a final rinse.

"Good. Let's get you dried off and tucked into bed."

"Lemme get you off first."

"You can return the favor tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." You step out of the shower and grab a fluffy towel, handing it to him as he steps out behind you. "You want some undies?" you ask while drying yourself off, stepping into a pair of panties as he half-ass dries himself. "Gimme that," you chuckle, taking the towel from him and vigorously finishing the job. "No undies," he mumbles, walking into the bedroom and faceplanting onto the bed. You laugh to yourself as you crawl into bed beside him. "Goodnight," you whisper. "Night," he croaks, his voice muffled by the pillow.

After several minutes of silence, he speaks up again. "You still awake?"

"Yeah."

He turns to face you. "I feel like I left you hanging," he says, punctuating this statement with a huge yawn. "Lemme get you off."

"I'm good, babe, seriously. I'm kinda tired, plus I had a little solo fun earlier with that handheld shower head."

He perks up at the mention of you pleasuring yourself. "Tell me more," he orders while scooting closer, his expression a little hard to read in the dim lighting.

"You know how our handheld shower head at home only has two settings?"

"Yeah."

"Well this one has a few extra settings." You give him a naughty smile before continuing. "One of them is pulsate."

"Ohhh, sounds interesting. So you got yourself off with it?"

"Mmm-hmm. I got worked up looking at pics of you so I decided to relieve the pressure."

"That's hot," he purrs. "Why didn't you do a repeat performance just now when we were in the shower together?"

"Because you were half asleep," you state, smiling when he tries to stifle another huge yawn.

"I would've instantly been wide awake if you started going at it with the pulsating shower head," he grumbles.

"Exactly. That's why I didn't do it." You give him a quick kiss before rolling onto your side, facing away from him. "Go to sleep, horndog. Our car will be here to pick us up at 10:00 am."

"Did you set an alarm?"

"Yeah. We'll have just enough time to get dressed and pack our shit before the car gets here."

"Can you set it for forty minutes earlier? Pretty sure we're gonna need a looong shower before we leave for the airport."

"Are you serious?" you ask, rolling back over to try and read his expression.

"I'm dead serious," he mutters, giving you a sleepy smile when you grab your phone off the bedside table to reset your alarm.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You do a final walk-thru of the bedroom and bathroom, making sure y'all haven't left anything before heading downstairs. You check your watch as you walk into the kitchen -- 9:49 am -- giving Joe a smile as he places your bags by the front door.

"Good thing we're in an Airbnb and not a hotel," he states, winking at you when you raise an inquisitive eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because that loud ass scream you let out in the shower would have folks calling 911 if they heard it," he teases, pulling you into a hug when you roll your eyes at him. "Did you scream that loud when you went solo with the pulsating shower head?" he whispers against your ear.

"I didn't scream at all when I went solo."

"So it was better with me?"

"Of course it was better with you," you scoff, leaning back to give him a 'boy please' look. "Your fingers, tongue and this," you give his cock a gentle squeeze through his slinky shorts, "were the stars of the show. The shower head was fun, but you're always the main event."

"Glad to hear it," he gloats, giving you a smug smile while reaching into a pocket to grab his phone. He quickly pulls something up before showing you his screen. "I ordered a pulsating shower head for you," he grins, giving a dirty chuckle when your eyes go wide. "You didn't have to do that," you demur, secretly thrilled that he did. "You know I'm always looking for new ways to make you scream," he purrs, sliding his tongue into your mouth when you pull him down for a kiss.

Several heartbeats later a car horn honks in the driveway, signaling the arrival of your ride to the airport. "I'll thank you later, daddy," you whisper against his slick lips, giggling when he playfully swats your ass.

#joe burrow #joe burrow fan fic #joe burrow fanfic #joe burrow x reader #joe burrow imagine

[wisteriagoesvroom]

schools of thought

A landoscar college AU, told through social media

oscar, a quiet english major, and lando, chaotic maths boy, are paired together in a philosophy module at Federation U.

author's notes:

we're being a bit fluid with grid ages, but oscar and lando are sophomores/year 2 of college here

ignore the timestamps, they don't really matter

if you enjoy it, please consider liking / reblogging / commenting! 💙

part 1 🍊 (of 4?)

——————————introducing our protagonists——————————————

INSTAGRAM

@landoooonorriz

📍fed U more like fed UP

liked by charliesangles, carloswithone_S, wochi_jianbing and 158 others

landoooonorriz get in my dump truckkk

view 23 replies

charliesangles photos taken moments before disaster 🕷️😬

maxisnot_here: batman isn't part of the MCU ⤷carloswithone_S: buzzkill

wochi_jianbing nice pic bro ⤷landoooonorriz: ty GY, enjoy shanghaiiii. haha that rhymed comment liked by wochi_jianbing carloswithone_S: on the decks next week let's gooo

GOODREADS

@oz-peartree

oscar spent most of his summer (or australian winter) hanging out in cafés and reading. he once wrote a 2,000 words review on the merits of good omens on goodreads, but then got embarrassed and also thought it would interfere with his deliberate choice to not leave any reviews besides stars. so he deleted the whole thing and saves it in a folder for himself instead. one of his sisters once stumbled on his goodreads page by accident. he has tried to block her IP across multiple devices but has largely been unsuccessful.

——————————— the seminar —————————————

we zoom in on Federation Internationale University (FIU), a sunny campus nestled up in the hills of monaco. two students, lando norris and oscar piastri, have made it into their sophomore year.

prof vettel's philosophy 204 module is notoriously hard. both of them have to take it as part of their degree requirements (but for lando, maybe also because he enjoys a challenge).

assignment pairs are set by prof seb early in the semester. lando already knows of oscar, and vice versa, but nothing substantial beyond passing each other in the hallway or the occasional library run-in in freshman year. lando's made quite an impression because he once spent half the seminar chatting about how "young stalin was kinda cute" despite stalin not being related to the philosophy syllabus, and it being totally tangential to the topic at hand. half the class agrees with lando, the other half is too overwhelmed by his energy to argue.

oscar just wants to get on with the work already. he was the best kid at his prep school, the prep school that he moved halfway across the world for at 14 and worked hard at, and doesn't like being distracted from his very important goal of being class valedictorian at FIU eventually.

lando gets oscar's number after class, before they both skirt off in different directions. oscar wants to talk to lando about the assignment, but when lando exits the room he's already off talking to another bunch of friends, and oscar's too awkward to jump in.

lando texts first.

iMessage

oscar rolls his eyes and gets back to writing his eighteenth century literature class notes.

meanwhile, lando texts max, his roommate and padel bud, about it. max is at a campus hackathon. (max is a junior who has been scouted by at least three big tech firms already, and is on track for early graduation. but lando thinks max has other reasons for wanting to stick around...)

the other thing lando is sure of is that oscar is not in fact better than him at padel. but he is not going to worry about that. or think about how oscar might look, red-faced and flustered and sweaty...

lando's phone pings with social notifications, and the thought disappears.

————meanwhile, the boys do some research——————

lando:

oscar:

and contrary to popular belief, oscar does have some feelings on the matter. he makes these feelings known to his friend logan, one of the few non-europeans on campus who also knows distinctly what it's like when people make fun of his accent. nevermind that everybody has an accent, oscar thinks. the idea of a neutral accent is an arbitrary invention. he'd just rather not expend the energy fighting people about it.

if oscar has any thoughts about how he would feel should lando choose to turn his flirty energy towards oscar himself, well... that is besides the point. because that would never happen. oscar is not interesting, oscar is not noticable. oscar is here to get his grades and move on.

oscar can think of three things that he hates, which he is in the process of overcoming. flight delays, going to the dentist, and now: working in group projects.

but, oscar tells himself, he is a grown man. he's moved halfway across the world to pursue his dream of getting his degree, and then heading on to work in publishing. he tells himself he'll stay focused on this, and nothing else. because pursuing his goals requires singleminded determination. or like the great poet pitbull once said: for anybody going through tough times, been there, done that. every day above ground is a great day, remember that.

so oscar puts his phone face-down on the table. he tries very hard not to think about bee statues or lando for the rest of the day.

(he fails.)

——————————— What happens next, you ask? Stay tuned for Part 2 to find out —————————————

📚 part 2 now live!

more author's notes:

eyy it's my first multimedia(?) fic for f1blr!

this was inspired by an ask. i took some key elements from this (lovely!) prompt and remixed. i meant it to be just one post but i think it's now gonna be four parts, oops.

i love chatting so if you have thoughts or even remotely enjoyed this story, let me know what you think :) or lmk if you want to be tagged on the next updates!

bye!

#landoscar #mctwinks #twinklaren #oscar piastri #lando norris #f1 rpf #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #op81 #ln4 #814 #481 #schools of thought f1blr fic #formula 1 fanfic #f1 fanfiction #f1 smau #social media au #814m #lestappen (background) #f1 rpf fic #text fic #landoscar au #wisteriawritesstuff

[runespoor7]

I mean obviously I’m am going to ask you about chengxian, for the ask meme

What made you ship it?

It was the most interesting relationship in the book. I'm a sucker for childhood friends with broken promises, for grief, for misunderstandings over loyalty and love, and for relationships whose resolution in canon is bittersweet.

It still took some time and effort before I started really shipping it. I was theoretically open to shipping it but I hadn't yet read fics that really sold me on it (this was in 2019, I think). Then as an experiment I put a WWX-inspired character in the setting I was GMing for the JC and JYL NPC stand-ins to have him to play off of. Turned out I did ship them.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

😬

*wide, helpless, expansive gesture*

It's never simple with them. It's always fraught. They love one another but they also resent one another. Hunting demonic cultivators is about WWX still maybe being alive. Maybe JC can bring himself to kill WWX this time, or maybe he can find a way to bring WWX back home and forgive him. WWX promises to be with JC but he ends up promising that he won't stay ("like my father served your father") but he didn't mean it with an end. the mess that is the fraughtness of WWX's liminal space when it comes to his social rank.

love hurts, what hurts is love.

the fact that the one 'leading' is WWX, not JC, going against the accepted social order. (tbh, if that wasn't the case, I probably wouldn't be into the ship.) it paints such a picture of WWX being so charismatic, and JC being so taken with him, that JC falls into being WWX's sidekick. no wonder YZY was awful about it.

JC keeping Chenqing like a mad dog and keeping Lotus Pier WWX-safe. I. god. JC rating WWX's attention >>>>>>>>>>>>> JC's self-respect every time, in every way. Amazing.

it's incredible to me how WWX asks JYL about love in a scene framed in a manner to make it subtextually point in the direction of LWJ (it's mdzs; the canon pair in mdzs is wgxn; there are no - explicit - love triangles in mdzs; and yet even WWX's original crush on LWJ is, uh. informed by JC and how WWX is with JC and the fact that LWJ is New and Not The Son of WWX's Benefactor. this is normal.), where it's apparent that WWX is scared of being in love because it changes how you act, it's a limit, it's a cage, you're limiting yourself for someone else - and then WWX does something for JC that is everything he was scared of.

and it does ruin him! it's terrible! so his romance with LWJ is everything his feelings for JC weren't. He's not the one doing the protecting. LWJ doesn't question him. There are no expectations of anything, no discussions of the future, no thoughts of society. LWJ is just such a comfort, just a good thing WWX gets because he wants it. Also LWJ isn't emotionally taxing af (this is a big one). (WWX kinda ends up YZY-ing himself at the end of the book but I'm not thinking about that.)

WWX's utter toxicity toward JC. not a iota of respect for either JC or JC's boundaries to be found, except when convenient for WWX.

they both really, really believe that WWX is better than JC in every way. it's very cool

look. i'm a simple person. arrogant genius jerk/grumpy dutiful tsundere otp.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I love the joke that chengxian isn't incest but both of them wish it were, but I think the only time one of them wished they were brothers was JC when he decided to sacrifice himself for WWX and he was lying in bed making morbid jokes. At least sacrificing yourself for your brother who is the better cultivator and can lead the sect would be simple. Forgivable. Good.

I also think they might grow to think of one another as brothers at some point post-canon, that's a sort of reconciliation that might happen, but to me it's key that during canon they don't know what they are to one another, they just know they're scarily, terrifyingly important, and there's no word for what they are to one another.

JC refused shixiong-shidi (in a shocking reversal of their normal dynamic, I think he forgot he did that and spent roughly two decades feeling insecure and weird that WWX doesn't call him shidi) and they can be nothing else, socially speaking. The love that dare not speak its name, if you would. And at that same time post-canon they could also decide that what they're to each other is that WWX used to be in love with JC, and maybe JC still is, and they're not brothers. Or maybe both! The point is, the definition of their relationship is uncharted waters and they never thought of each other as 'brothers' (much less called each other that).

2) WWX is incredibly bitter and resentful of giving his core to JC and that colors everything he thinks and says about JC afterwards, including after he's returned to life. Basically, he gave, and gave, and gave, and felt there was no gratitude, and he's unable to live the life he wanted, unable to reap the promises life made him, and JC isn't any more agreeable or tractable than before (less so, in fact!). It's not fair.

#chengxian #ask meme

[morallyinept]

It's the end of another week, so you know what that means, right?

Self-Care with Dieter and Jett! 

Hang on, wait-wait a minute. Frankie?? What are you doing here, where's Dieter? 

Ah. Don't tell me; he's in rehab again. Yes? Well good for him. So you're here to what? I see. You're filling in for him this week. My, what a chivalrous man you are. And so handsome too.

Stop blushing. You know you're hot.

Well, I suppose we'd better get on with it, hadn't we?

It's the end of another week, so you know what that means, right?

Feel Good Friday with Dieter Frankie and Jett! 

Happy Frankie Friday, everyone! 💚

So, it's Friday. You made it through another week. You're doing amazing! Look at you go! Now's the time to kick back, relax and enjoy that Friday feeling, eh Frankie? 

That's the spirit. Wait, how many of those have you had?

As we enter the weekend, what are you doing to recharge your batteries? And, if you happen to be working because you don't get weekends off, that's okay. You can always save this for your day(s) off. When it comes to feeling good, there are no set days. No set routine. No rules. 

Frankie, do you have some ideas to share about what you do to feel good? 

Come on, don't be shy...

Great! Let's hear them, bud. 

Get out & go for a walk. 

Getting out in nature is a great way to unwind and destress from a hard week of labour, both physical and mental. Surround yourself in the beauty of nature. Visit your local beauty spot; this could be a lake, a park, the beach. Go for a hike in the woods.

Sweat it out stalking through the Colombian jungle… 

Either way, get out and inhale that fresh air deep into your lungs. Be brave and travel somewhere you've never been to before, especially if you have the means to. You might just find something wonderful.

☝🏻And can I just plant the seed for some solo travel? You don't need to go far, especially if you're anxious about being on your own, but it's definitely something I recommend, and often do myself. The feeling of being self-reliant and discovering somewhere new by yourself, is incredible. 

Catch up with friends.

Grab a beer (or several) with your buddies at the bar. Have a movie night together. Cook a meal for your chums; homemade tacos anyone? Have a go at making some fun, themed cocktails at home. Go dancing. Grab a speedboat and traverse the choppy waters after a high speed beach chase...

When you surround yourself with the people you love most and who have your back, you always feel good. And you can always count on them to make sure you make it down the Andes mountains in one piece. 

Unless your name is Tom... Then, you know, you won't. 😬

Engage in a hobby you love - or try a new one.

Woah! Is that a… oh right, sorry. You were in the forces. Silly me.

My, that's a pretty big gun you're packing there, Frankie. Mind if I, uh, hold it…? Wow, it's so big. So heavy. So... hard. Damn. 

Can I watch you, uh, shoot it? 

No? Ooookay, moving on. (I'm missing Dieter already. Sheesh. 🙄)

Your time off is a great time to indulge in your hobbies. Practise your craft. Or try a new one out. You might find a new passion in something you least expected. And that's always so fun. 

Helicopter lessons anyone? 

Uh, Frankie? Is it always supposed to shake like this? Oh shit, I'm gonna puke! 🤢

Laugh. Yes, even snort laughing counts.

Laughter releases feel good endorphins, and after a hard week, sometimes it's hard to find a reason to giggle, right? But did you know that laughter is actually really good for your health?

No? Well Frankie, take a look at this, my good man:

Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease and illness.

Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Laughter burns calories. Okay, so it's no replacement for going to the gym, but one study has found that laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn approximately 40 calories - which could be enough to lose three or four pounds over the course of a year.

Laughter lightens anger's heavy load. Nothing diffuses anger and conflict faster than a shared laugh. Looking at the funny side can put problems into perspective and enable you to move on from confrontations without holding onto bitterness or resentment.

Laughter may even help you to live longer. A study in Norway found that people with a strong sense of humour outlived those who don't laugh as much.

So, find something to laugh about today. Just like Frankie here. 

Hug it out.

When people hug for 20 seconds or more, the feel-good hormone oxytocin is released which creates a stronger bond and connection between the huggers. Oxytocin has been shown to boost the immune system and reduce stress.

Aww… Frankie. That's so cute of you.

Oof, you're kinda squeezing me a little tight there. No, I didn't say stop! Ooh, you smell good. Mmm…

Hug it out with your besties. Your significant other. Your family. Your pet. Even yourself.

Yes! Hug yourself. A self-hug is a beautiful way to show yourself some compassion and kindness. As you wrap your arms around yourself, you send a powerful message of love and support to your inner self. Feel that zen!

Phew! Are you all hugged out now Frankie? No? Okay. We can do it some more… We'll just stay like this for a bit. Nice.

What's that pressing into my thigh? Oh. Oh.

So, there we have it, lovelies. Frankie's Feel Good Friday. I hope Frankie and I were able to put a smile on your face and make you feel good today. Friday's are all about feeling good, but no matter the day of the week, I hope nothing but good vibes surround you.

☝🏻Don't worry, Dieter isn't going anywhere. He'll be back next time - as soon as his sixteenth stint in rehab is over... 😐

Hold strong, D. We love you.

YOU. ARE. STRONGER. THAN. YOU. THINK. 💚🖤

Do you. Then do Dieter. Frankie.

🖤

More Dieter & Jett here

GIFS of Frankie used by @palioom @bruhlpng @perotovar Also found via Google/Pinterest. If I've used one of yours & not credited you, it's because they've been saved to my phone & I've forgotten since who created it. Let me know so I can add the appropriate credit. 🖤

#self care with dieter & jett #frankie morales #self care with frankie & jett #frankie friday #feel good friday with frankie #francisco catfish morales #francisco morales #frankie catfish morales #triple frontier #dieter bravo #dieter bravo the bubble #pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #jett's pedro boys #jett has spoken

[qedart]

Time Warp AU - #14 Well this update just didn't want to come together. But finally it's done (all 8K+ of it 😬) and I'm actually rather happy with how it turned out. So I hope you all enjoy this offering of Pete emotional H/C with a side of parental Icemav.

Honestly, Pete had never really got the big deal about birthdays. Sure, when he was little they seemed important. They’re supposed to, when you’re young. But he wasn’t a child anymore. 

He’d learned a long time ago that simply managing to make it through the year wasn’t exactly cause for celebration. A few rounds of people forgetting, ignoring, or scoffing at him for waiting for some kind of acknowledgment of the date had made it all very clear to him - nobody gives a damn about stuff like that, and you look pathetic if anybody catches on that you might. 

So he didn’t. Doesn’t. 

For the longest time now, the only real significance that that day held for him was as a marker of his being one year closer to independence. Living with Mav and Ice, even that didn’t provide the same spiteful satisfaction that it once had. 

These days, he didn’t count down the months until he was free of the people he found himself in the midst of. Quite the opposite really. Ice, Maverick, Tom, the Daggers, the uncles… they were good people. Good, kind, safe people - and they actually seemed to like Pete being around. 

Nothing lasts forever though, of course. He knew that. He was well aware that he was one big screw up away from blemishing whatever image they all had of him, one proper misstep from sending the whole house of cards he’d built around himself from falling to the ground in one way or another. And he was well overdue for one of those mistakes. Unfortunately, it was an inevitability. The sky is blue. Water is wet. Pete Mitchell messes up nice things. 

He tried not to let it bother him too much. 

It was better to just live in the moment, and at this particular moment he had far bigger concerns than inevitabilities or the fact that he was turning 17 in a week. The chief among them - Maverick was turning 60. 

Unlike Pete’s birthday, that was something significant. That was important. That was worthy of celebration. 

Up until this whole time-warp fiasco went down, Pete would have put money on him (any version of him) not making it past 30. 60 was double that! It demanded celebration, even if Mav himself had developed a habit of referring to the subject of his age merely as ‘the situation’.

So when Ice suggested a little lunchtime get-together by the Hard Deck the coming Saturday ‘for the birthday we’ve got coming up’, he agreed that it was a fantastic idea. 

“Penny’s got a barbecue there that we could use I’m pretty sure,” Tom chipped in over his cereal. 

“Nice. I’ll be there if there’s food,” Pete grinned as he made a bowl for himself. 

Tom rolled his eyes. 

“You were going to be there anyway, numb-skull.”

“Boys, please,” Ice sighed, before Pete could return fire. “I’ve not had my coffee yet, let’s just hold off on the bickering for a little while longer.”

Pete sniffed when Tom promptly shot him an exceedingly smug smirk. 

“I’d get drinking if I were you.”

“Pete.”

“Fine,” Pete huffed, before turning back to Ice. “The beach sounds great though. Want us to bring anything?”

“Just yourselves,” Ice replied, shaking his head. “Mav and I will sort out the logistics.”

And that was that. Party at the beach to celebrate Mav’s 60th, be there at 12. Sorted. 

The rest of the week went by like normal, for the most part. He was asked if he was excited about the party a bit more often than he expected he would be, but he figured it was just people making conversation. He and Tom spent most of Thursday trying to find the old man a fitting birthday present. 

“You’ve seen the hanger! How are we supposed to top that?!”

“I think we should probably start by setting our sights a little lower.”

In the end they decided to both go in on a new camera, figuring it was the most affordable of Mav’s hobbies to tap into. 

When the day itself eventually did roll around, Pete was up and out of bed by dawn. Not due to excitement, and not due to any additional birthday gestures like he’d been contemplating (a fry up was always a good start to the day, after all), no - due to Tom. 

“We’re going for a ride and you’re going to enjoy it,” he announced the second Pete woke (with a start, thanks to the other boy dropping his riding jacket and boots on top of him). “Up and at ‘em.” 

“But what about Mav’s-?”

“We’ll see him at the party, I’ve left a note,” Tom announced, grabbing the end of Pete’s quilt and dragging it out of the room with him. “Mush.”

“I hate you!”

“Hate me on the move. There is breakfast with our name on it somewhere.” 

“Ugh!” 

The ride, annoyingly, was fantastic. The roads were mostly clear, and riding with Tom was always a blast. Tom even bought him breakfast and a couple of pastries for after (“It’s your birthday, idiot. Of course I’m shouting”). It was… well, nice. Pete didn’t care about birthdays, he really didn’t, but even still… it was just nice. Sitting at the look out, munching on the food his best friend had bought for him, he found himself feeling genuinely content with life and how it was turning out. A year ago, he wouldn’t have been able to bring himself to even imagine that. It was a moment he resolved to savour. 

“You feel any different?” Tom asked, smirking as he dusted the icing sugar from his Pączki off his fingers. 

Pete scoffed at the question, rolling his eyes. 

“Oh yeah,” he replied, nodding seriously. “I feel like I’ve levelled up, you know? Way more mature now. I feel like I’ve really grown as a person.”

“And yet not an inch vertically? Life’s not fair, is it-?”

“Fuck you!”

Tom snickered, ducking out of the way of the hand Pete swung at the back of his head, before holding his own up in surrender. 

“Seriously though, happy birthday,” he said, shooting Pete a warm smile that made his stomach do that fluttering thing he’d noticed it doing more and more often lately. 

Smiling himself and ducking his head, Pete shrugged. 

“Thanks,” he said. “It’s not really a big deal.”

“Well as somebody with a vested interest in your being born, I reckon it is,” Tom retorted, rolling his eyes. 

Pete scoffed, a teasing grin tugging at his lips as he folded his arms over his knees. 

“A vested interest, huh?”

“Don’t let it get to your head.”

“Nawww, you do like me,” Pete snickered. 

“You’re letting it get to your head.” 

“Is that why you brought me out here, to confess your undying love?” 

“In. your. dreams,” Tom scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Bringing you out here was my present to both you and Mav.” 

“How is me going to go for a ride and being bought breakfast a present for Maverick? 

“You going for a ride and being bought breakfast means both you and I are here, not at home. Which means Mav and Ice have the whole place to themselves, all morning. And there’s no chance of either of us overhearing anything and being scarred for life.” 

Pete blinked at that, before pulling a face at the thought of Mav’s birthday ride and announcing, utterly serious, “You’re the best friend a guy could ever ask for.”

“I know,” Tom drawled, before shrugging as he tucked the rubbish from his breakfast into his backpack. “And maybe I wanted to get in first with the birthday wishes.” 

“Always a competition with you, isn’t it?” Pete scoffed, ignoring the other boy’s derisive snort as he jumped back to his feet. “Race you back to the Hard Deck!” 

“Absolutely not!” Tom snapped, hurrying to his feet all the same as Pete bounded over to the bikes. “That flies entirely in the face of the contract!” 

“I laugh in the face of the contract!”

“Yes! That’s why it took so long to draft! Pete!” 

They didn’t end up racing back, much to Tom’s relief. As a result, by the time they pulled up, pretty much everybody had arrived at the beach. Bradely, Hangman, and Phoenix were still by the Bronco though, pulling the last of their stuff out the back.

“Ah, the birthday boy has arrived,” Hangman cried as they wandered over.

“Ha ha,” Pete scoffed, rolling his eyes before turning to Rooster. “Hey, can we dump our helmets and stuff in your car?”

“Sure, the back seat should be free,” he replied as he hefted the cooler from the trunk. “But really, happy birthday, Pete.”

“Ah, thanks?” Pete replied, a confused smile tugging at his lips as he stepped out of the way for Tom to stow his stuff away as well. That’s two times today. Weird. 

“What’s with the face?” Phoenix asked, laughing. “17 is a big deal.”

Pete laughed. 

“Yeah right,” he replied, stooping to grab one of the bags from their pile. “16’s supposed to be a big deal, and 18 definitely is. 17’s just there.”

“Agree to disagree. But, that raises a good question,” replied Jake, a mischievous grin spread across his face. “What sort of Sweet 16 fiasco are we competing with today?” 

Pete arched a brow at the question, but figured it made sense. Out of all the milestone birthdays, 16 was the only relevant one he and Mav had an overlap on. Though he wasn’t sure how much “I spent most of it in the ER with a broken arm’ would help with gauging the temperature for how this one was going.

Instead he just shrugged. 

“Nothing really special. I’m sure this’ll be way better.”

“That’s what we’re aiming for,” Jake replied with a grin, ruffling Pete’s hair (and then, far more amusingly, Tom’s), before leading the way over to the sand. 

Pete blinked as they drew closer. A lot of people had turned up. All of the daggers were here, pitching up chairs and umbrellas or tossing a football (actually, two footballs) around while almost all the uncles and even Viper milled about among them. Mav, Ice, Slider, and Penny were getting the barbecue started, chatting with Warlock and Cyclone (which was weird, but probably Ice’s doing). He even spotted Amelia and Theo slip out of the Hard Deck, deep in conversation with Hondo (about something nerdy and interesting no doubt) to join the group. 

“Damn, Mav sure invited a lot of people for someone who pulls faces whenever anybody utters the number 60 around him,” he laughed as he hefted the bag further up his shoulder. “Or are you all gatecrashing just to torment him?”

Jake snorted at that, rolling his eyes. 

“Nah. Though he is being a baby about it, so if we did it would be his own fault,” he replied. 

“He actually ordered us not to mention ‘the situation’ the other day,” Bradley scoffed, shaking his head.

“In fairness, Roo - you and Bagman were having a lot of fun at his expense,” said Phoenix as they all dropped their bags on the sand and set about making camp. She grinned at Pete and Tom. “There have been lots of fossil jokes. These two even smuggled a walker on base and swapped it with his lectern before debrief. He had to walk it to the side of the classroom.”

“Cruel,” Tom snickered from beside him. “Funny, but cruel.”

“You know it,” Jake cackled, dropping his bags down on the sand before stretching his arms over his head. “But nah, he’s opted out of a group celebration. Don’t know why. But I’m afraid that means you’re flying solo today, baby bro.”

Pete blinked again. 

“...I’m what?”

“You’ve got the spotlight pretty much to yourself today,” Bradley replied, shrugging like it was the simplest thing. “Apparently he’s got some day-trip planned with Ice tomorrow, so he’s sorted. That just leaves you with all of the attention. Reckon you can handle that?”

…Shit. 

Shit, shit shit - he had not prepared for this. He’d not expected this. What the hell even was this?! He’s turning 17. Who gives a shit?! Why the hell would all of these people come out here, some of them a hell of a long way, just for him?! They wouldn’t. Had they not been told it was just for him? Did Mav wriggle out of this at the last second and now he had 20+ people who’d pretty much written off half their weekend for no reason on his hands? 

“Pete, you alright?” Tom asked, shaking his shoulder, a worried expression on his face. 

Pete grimaced, before glancing around at the others and finding them all looking at him with concern. 

He pulled on a wide grin and laughed. 

“Me? Yeah, of course!” he replied cheerily, mind racing all the while. He needed a minute to himself. To come up with a plan. To fix this. 

Quickly turning back to the others, slapping his forehead as he did, he said, “You know what? I think I left my phone on my bike. Just gonna go grab that, can’t lose another one. Are you guys good here for a sec?”

“I mean, yeah,” Tom said slowly, frowning. 

“Great!” Pete cheered (perhaps a bit too overzealously, but whatever) before spinning around and, with a quick “Back in a moment!” taking off back up the beach. 

Right, step one, calm the hell down. He had to get a hold of himself and he had to do it now. 

Alright, it was a surprise. Alright, there were probably going to be some irritated people down there. So what? He could deal with irritated people. He could deal with people that actively wanted to kick his ass, irritated is nothing. Why the hell was he freaking out so much? Less than a year of being treated nicely and he’d gone completely soft, seriously?

He shook his head roughly. 

He was fine. This was fine. He’d make it work somehow. He just needed to stop acting like a baby and come up with a plan of action. 

He could direct attention back to Maverick. The old man can try and wriggle out of it all he likes but two can play this game. He’ll stick around for an hour, direct as much attention to Mav as possible, whip Jake and Bradely up into enough of a frenzy to keep the momentum going and then make a classy exit. Nobody will even remember he was here and they’ll forget all about this misunderstanding. That’s good. That’ll work. 

…Unless Mav launches a counter-attack. Which he would. 

Shit!

“Pete?” 

Pete whirled around and found Mav and Ice approaching, both looking concerned and not all that surprised to see him up here. Goddamnit, Tom, the snitch!!

“What’s going on, kiddo?” Mav asked, cocking his head to the side. 

“I mean, that’s a pretty good question man,” Pete replied, running a hand through his hair anxiously as he glanced down at the beach once more before turning his attention (and frustration) back to the older man. “I get that you’ve got some sort of three quarter life crisis going on about turning 60, but seriously, throwing me under the bus so you can avoid that is a dick move.” 

Mav, the bastard, looked more confused than chastened at the rebuke, exchanging a bemused glance with Ice. 

“You’re going to have to spell this one out for us, buddy.”

Pete groaned, folding his hands on top of his head. 

“First, explain it to me, guys,” he replied. “What was the plan? Trick everyone here by saying it’s a party for Mav and then hope people aren’t too put out when it turns out it was for the other Mitchell? Jeez guys, I mean, what the hell? Why the hell?! Nobody gives a damn it’s my birthday. I don’t give a damn it’s my birthday. Now it looks like I do, and now I get to look like the stupid little moron who needed people tricked here to pad things out!”

“Pete,” Ice said slowly, holding his hands out like he was trying to calm down some wounded animal. Like Pete was being irrational about this. “You do know this party is for you, right?”

“Yes,” Pete replied with every ounce of patience he possessed. “I’m aware of that. That’s exactly my point”

“No. He means it was always intended to be just for you,” Mav weighed in. 

Pete sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried his very best to channel Ice and remain as diplomatic as he possibly could (it did not help, mind you, that Ice was joining in on this nonsense. But he tried nevertheless). 

“Look,” he said with forced calm, “I see what you’re trying to do, and it’s a nice thought. I appreciate that you guys care and want to make a fuss, I do. But you can’t just expect to trick people into writing off half their weekend for one thing, and then bait and switch with a discount offer at the last second. Wood and Wolf flew in from Texas for this, guys. Please. I’ll see if I can get the Daggers to lay off the fossil jokes, but- …what’s this?”

“Read it,” Ice replied, holding his phone out to Pete until he took it and did as he was told. 

Jake has named the group chat: Big Effing Deal Jake: First of all, how. dare. you? Nat: Seconded! Both for leaving us out and forcing me to agree with Bagman. Jake: Look what you’ve brought us too!!!  Nat: I feel physically sick.  Jake: Ditto. Bradley: Wow, you guys really are in sync today.  Nat: You take that back!!! Ice: Could somebody please explain what we’re being accused of here.  Jake: Betrayal!!!  Coyote: Dude - you’ve been hitting the expresso machine again, haven’t you? Mav: Guys. BOB: Rooster mentioned you are having a get together for Pete’s birthday on Saturday and we’re all handling the rejection differently. Fanboy: How could you, Mav? Mav: Well first, there’s no rejection for anybody to handle. We floated the idea of a beach party this morning and he seemed alright with it. So if you guys are free and want to come along, you’re more than welcome to.  Jake: Was that so hard?!!!! Mav: If you’d waited a few more hours I’d have invited you in person at work tomorrow. Jake: But Roo gets his invite right away??? :(  Ice: Rooster was over during the day, so yes, he heard first. Rooster: Remember how you were supposed to help me fix their gate today?  Jake: Nope. Poorly communicated on your part.  Jake: Moving swiftly on - we need times. And gift ideas. Nat: What a crappy brother. I got my present for him weeks ago.  Payback: Burn.  Payback: Also, same. Jake: You’re a pair of goody-goodies, I’m not surprised in the slightest.  Jake: Besides it doesn’t matter how early you got it. It’s how good it is. Nat: Got you beat there too Bagman.  Jake: Bullshit. Pete and I have a connection.  Payback: Is that what we’re calling you being a terrible influence now? Coyote: Just before these three properly kick off - is this a joint birthday bash? Or Pete-specific? Mav: Pete specific.  Mav: I’ve already got plans for mine.  Ice: And by that he means I have already made plans for him.  Ice: They’re on Sunday though, so we’ll be there regardless.  Mav: And people think I’m the competitive one. My point is, I’m covered, so don’t go worrying about that. Coyote: Roger that!  Fanboy: This is going to be great!! I can bake a cake if you like!!! Lil bro likes chocolate, right? Payback: Guys - take him up on the offer!  Phoenix: This! ^^^^^ Ice: That would be lovely, Fanboy, thank you. And yes, chocolate would be well received I expect.  Fanboy: Yeeeeeesssss!!  Mav: Right, we’re just going to leave you guys to this.  Rooster: Oh, actually, just before you go… Bradley’s added Sly-Guy, Chip_P, E!News, Full_M00ning…  Mav: Oh you little shit stirrer.  Sli-Guy: First of all, how dare you?! 

Pete blinked, utterly mystified, as he scrolled through the group chat (which seemed to go on for quite a bit) before eventually turning back to Ice and Mav. 

“I… I don’t understand,” he uttered. 

“Join the club, kiddo,” Mav replied, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“You helped plan this,” Ice pointed out, a baffled expression on his ordinarily nonplussed face. “I specifically asked you if you would like a party at the Hard Deck?” 

“I thought you were asking for my input for Mav’s party,” Pete muttered, his cheeks blazing with embarrassment as he realised just how stupid he apparently was. 

“The daggers have been talking to you about it all week?” Mav pointed out, equally confused. “Bob asked you what snacks you’d like him to bring.” 

“I thought they were coming to me because they couldn’t get anything out of you!” Pete snapped back hotly. 

Ice held up a hand, cutting that line of conversation off before it could get too heated. Taking a deep, exceedingly put upon breath, he sighed “Once again, it appears that this family’s outstanding communication skills have come back to bite us all in the ass.”

He turned back to Pete.  

“If it’s any consolation, it wasn’t meant to be a surprise party,” he said.

Pete scoffed softly, in spite of himself, but soon enough the begrudging amusement gave way to confusion once more. 

“I still don’t understand,” he said. “Why would all of them come out if they knew it was just for me?” 

“How’s it any different from them coming out for me?” Maverick asked with a frown.

Pete shrugged. 

“They’re your family,” he replied simply. “They’re supposed to show up for you.” 

“They’re your family too,” Maverick argued, his frown deepening. 

“You do know that, don’t you?” Ice said slowly, eyes narrowed suspiciously. 

“Yeah. Course,” Pete muttered, cutting a quick glance to the group in question. Nobody seemed to have noticed they were gone yet, thank goodness. Somehow Pete felt like he’d find himself even more outnumbered if they did. He had to bury this quick though, if he wanted to avoid that fate. 

Unfortunately, when he turned back to the oldtimers, Ice had his signature ‘so you’re just going to lie to my face now?’ expression in place. Never a good sign. Also almost never directed at Pete he realised with a dull pain. 

“You know, you pull that face every time this topic of conversation comes up.”

“What face?” 

“The ‘well if it makes them happy’ face,” Ice replied, folding his arms over his chest. “Be honest with us, Pete. What’s going on here?”

Pete shrunk back a little at that, feeling very much under a spotlight all of a sudden and not entirely sure why. 

“N-nothing. Nothing’s going on.”

“Well clearly something is. And just to be clear, do you honestly believe that we’d have all been fine throwing a party for Maverick and doing absolutely nothing for you?” the older man asked, arching a brow pointedly. 

“I… I mean… I… I’d get it,” Pete stuttered, heart pounding in his chest. What the hell was going on? What did he even do? He took a step back, giving into the instinct to at least be out of arm's length, only to knock into the back of Ice’s Jeep when he tried. Crap. He was trapped. And he was in trouble. And he didn’t know why. 

His alarm must have shown on his face too, because soon enough Ice was taking a step back himself, hands held up disarmingly. 

“Pete, I’m not angry with you,” he said, calmly and far gentler than before. “I’m sorry.”

Pete swallowed thickly, but nodded all the same as he tried to rein himself in, to calm down for goodness sake. He was being so damn stupid!!

“I just don’t understand,” Ice continued. “You know everybody here loves you, don’t you? We haven’t dropped the ball that much I hope.” 

Embarrassment and shame twisted sickeningly in the pit of Pete’s belly. Because he did know that. He knew how hard everybody had tried to make him and Tom feel welcome. And not just as novelty extensions of Mav and Ice either, but as their own, separate people. They’d all tried so hard to bring them into the family and make them feel like they belonged in it, Pete knew it. He saw it each day. For the most time, he felt it too, but there was just this part of him that wouldn’t allow him to accept it fully. Wouldn’t allow him to trust it. To trust them. 

“I’m sorry,” he uttered weakly, staring down at the tips of his boots. “I… I know it doesn’t make sense. It’s not anything you guys have done, or haven’t done. I know how much you’ve all tried to be welcoming. And you have, truly. I love it here… so much. But… but every time I try to… it’s just in the back of my mind I’m always… I…” 

He flinched sharply when something touched his arm, but it was just Ice reaching out to him. All of a sudden, that contact, that offer of reassurance was all he wanted. Sighing heavily he stepped forward and leaned against the old man’s chest, dragging in a deep, calming breath as Ice’s arms wrapped around him, squeezed him in a tight. 

“I love it here,” he uttered. “And everybody here… and I know they- you all care - about me and Tom. But I just know…” 

He sighed deeply. 

“It’s just… self-preservation, I guess. I know it’s going to really hurt, so much, when I mess up.  I didn’t care, when it was just some other home I was stuck in longer than usual, but now… now it’s probably too late already. When I mess up and have to go-”

“Hey, who said anything about you going anywhere,” Ice said with a frown, holding him closer. “We told you, you have a place in this family for life. Nothing will change that.”

Pete sighed sadly, shaking his head where it was pressed to Ice’s sternum. They didn’t get it. They felt that way now, but it wouldn’t last. 

“No matter how hard you try, you’re going to end up alone.” 

Both Pete and Ice froze at that, before turning to face Maverick, who looked all the world like he’d just commented on the weather rather than putting one of Pete’s deepest, most painful fears to words. And he wasn’t done. 

“We’re going realise just how messed up you really are. How much damage has been done. How much of it can’t be undone. And, most importantly, how much of it you probably deserved. And sooner or later we’ll change our mind about you. It’s all well and good to say we’ll always want you in the family if we haven’t seen the full picture yet, because let’s face it, you’re on the good behaviour streak of a lifetime right now. But sooner or later, you’re going to mess up, because that’s what you do. And then we’ll see the real you. The screw up. The waste of space. The guy everybody else can see clearly. Eventually the rose-coloured glasses will come off and  we’ll really see you for what you are. We’ll get tired of trying to bring somebody into a family who doesn’t deserve to be in it and clearly is meant to be on their own. It’ll be better for everyone to just stop trying. We probably won’t kick you out, to be fair - but when you head off to college or the academy… the calls and emails will peter out. Tom will probably find his own people too, when he’s got other options. He’ll stop spending time with you too. It’ll probably be pretty amicable really. But everybody will just go on with their life and there will be no room for you in them. That will be that. Better to just accept it now, try not to get too attached to how things are, so when it happens, at least you won’t look like you were blindsided by it all. It’s a bit less pathetic if you at least saw it coming.” 

Pete’s stomach sunk so fast through the blacktop it felt like he was pulling negative G’s. Mav knew. Mav saw how this was going to play out just as clearly as he did. The first card in his little house was beginning to wobble. 

To his horror he felt his face beginning to heat up and his eyes beginning to sting. He dragged in a deep, shuddering breath, squeezing them shut tight. He wasn’t a baby. This wasn’t a surprise. He wasn’t going to start crying in the middle of the car park where everybody could see him like some child. 

He jumped as an arm wrapped around his shoulders and looked up to find Ice, holding him close again, and leading them to the space between his jeep and Bradley’s Bronco - more or less out of sight from the rest of the group.

“Sit down and take a few deep breaths for me, kiddo,” he murmured, manoeuvring Pete until he was sitting down on the gravel, back pressed against the rubber of the Bronco’s tyre. Biting his lip, he folded his arms tight over his chest, knees drawing up as Ice kneeled down beside him and wrapped an arm back around his shoulders, rubbing up and down his arm soothingly all the while.. “In and out. Just like that. What the hell, Mav?” 

“Just trying to work out what we’re dealing with here,” Maverick replied, sounding tired and sad now. “Pete, can you look at me?”

Pete really didn’t want to. This was all humiliating and painful enough without risking bursting into tears the second he made eye contact with the old man as well. But, at the same time, this was the reality of the situation, and closing his eyes and hiding from it wasn’t going to change anything either, except to make him look even more childish. So whether he wanted to or not, he didn’t have much of a choice. 

Clenching his jaw tight and breathing in deeply through his nose, he (as resolutely as he could manage) lifted his head and met Mav’s eye. He wasn’t expecting to be met with a sympathetic expression. How could Mav see him so clearly, and still look at him like that. 

“Does that about sum it up?” the old man asked, cocking his head to the side. “What’s going on in that head of yours.”

Scrubbing roughly at his face, Pete nodded his head. 

“M-more or less.” 

Mav hummed thoughtfully, pausing a moment, before smiling and sitting down properly across from them. 

“You know,” he said, leaning back on his hands. “The first time I met Carole, she scared that absolute crap out of me.” 

Pete blinked, confused at the strange turn their conversation had taken, but interested all the same. Mav wasn’t shy with talking about Goose or Carole, but he’d never heard that. 

A fond smile tugged at the edges of the old man’s mouth as he looked up wistfully at the sky. 

“People underestimated her. She was so loud and joyous all the time, most people figured she was probably a bit dim. But they had no idea. Sure she was smart enough, but her real strength was with people. She had this way of looking at a person, just looking at them, and seeing past all the bullshit.”

He shook his head. 

“The first shore leave after Goose and I became a team, Goose insisted that I come home with him. He hadn’t realised until we were literally docking that I didn’t have anywhere to go, so the second he put the pieces together it was, ‘Come on, you have to, Mav! It’ll be great. You can meet Carole. You guys will get on like a house on fire, I know it’. And I, for the life of me, couldn’t come up with a good enough excuse to convince him otherwise. I think I was a bit blindsided that he was offering to spend more time together at all.” 

He scoffed. 

“Either way, the pressure was dialled up to 11,” he drawled. “Not only would I have to stay on my best behaviour for even longer, to keep Goose on side - and I’d been on a 6 month streak at that point and felt the end looming. But I also had to become best friends with his wife, immediately. Otherwise he’d wonder how he got that one so wrong. Then he’d look closer, and he’d see everything he’d somehow missed about me before. See exactly where I was lacking. Me getting to keep the one person in the navy, hell, the one person in the world that gave a damn about me - depended on this month going well.”

Rubbing at his scratchy eyes, Pete leaned a little more into Ice’s side, before asking. “You managed to pull that off?”

“Hell no, I lasted less than a week,” Mav scoffed, shaking his head. “And it only lasted that long because Goose and Carole had the patience of saints.”

Pete frowned. That didn’t make sense. He might not know this story but he knew a hell of a lot of the others that came later. He knew Mav stayed friends with Goose, and Carole as well, for years after when this would have happened. How could it not have worked? How did he screw up that badly and still manage to keep them around? 

He shot Ice a confused glance, receiving a ‘just roll with it’ shrug in response. 

“Carole was living in this tiny town in the middle of nowhere Texas at the time. Her aunt needed help moving or something. Unfortunately that meant I had had about six hours of travelling to work myself up and come up with a game plan for how I was going to make it all work. Going in with a charm offensive wouldn’t have done it, Goose would feel like making moves on his wife, Carole would feel like I was a creep, and I’d be stuck with both of them feeling like that for a month. I couldn’t risk being myself, for reasons already discussed. So I decided on the red carpet treatment. From the second I got out of Goose’s truck to the second we got back in it to head back to the airport, Carole Bradshaw would be shown a level of respect and deference that no admiral had or has ever received from me. The queen of England could have come around and found it excessive. But it was the best I had.

“I addressed her as ma’am, I stood when she walked into the room or got up from the table, I tried to help out around the house as much as I possibly could. A big part of the plan was also trying to give her and Goose as much space and time to themselves as possible. I wasn’t supposed to be there, and the absolute last thing I wanted is for them to miss out on time together because Goose felt obliged to bring me along with him. On paper, I thought it worked. Be respectful and stay out of the way. Unfortunately, in practice it went more along the lines of me actively avoiding everybody like it was my job and, whenever I couldn’t, making the situation so awkward it was uncomfortable for everybody. And it was uncomfortable. My god. Goose and Carole, they tried so hard to get me to relax, come out of my shell, do the exact opposite of what I was trying to do essentially. It was not going well,” Mav laughed, rubbing the back of his neck and shaking his head at the memory. 

“Goose knew I was acting off, which was putting me even more on edge. And I knew I was quickly moving past that ‘meeting new people is awkward sometimes’ grace period straight into ‘this little twerp I’ve known for a few months has got a problem with the love of my life’ territory. So not ideal. And Carol… Carol knew from the beginning that I was putting up a front, which made settling around her pretty much impossible.”

Pete grimaced sympathetically at the thought of it all. 

“At least you stuck it out,” he muttered. “I would have just left at that point.”

“Oh, I did,” Mav replied without missing a beat. “About five days in everything finally bubbled over. Goose tried to coax me into telling him what was wrong for about the millionth time and… well, after days of constantly being on red alert, barely sleeping from the stress, just second guessing every single move or sound I made while knowing, in spite of trying my best, it was all going to hell - I sort of lost it on him. Told him he could take whatever friendship he thought we had and shove it where the sun don’t shine because I sure as hell didn’t need it or him. That I'd been on my own for over half my life and I didn’t need anybody, thank you very much, least of all some hapless, sheltered country-boy who clearly didn’t know what was good for him if it smacked him in the face. Then I grabbed my bag and went straight to the train station.”

Pete blinked owlishly at that, confused to say the least. 

“But I thought Goose was your best friend,” he said. 

“He was,” Mav replied. 

“Even after that?!” 

“I know, I was surprised too.” 

Pete frowned, puzzling it over as Mav laughed softly and shook his head.. 

“This being the tiny town it was, the train didn’t run very often, and I’d missed the one for that day - which was just the cherry on the top really. I figured I’d just spend the night on the platform. Didn’t want to risk missing the next one, and I was feeling pretty sorry for myself at the time so it seemed fitting. Which was exactly where Carole found me three hours later.”

Ice scoffed softly beside Pete, shaking his head with a fond smile of his own. 

“Mother Goose sent in the big guns then,” he drawled. 

“I honestly have no idea if Goose even knew,” Mav replied, smiling reminiscently himself. “I think she just figured she’d given us both enough time to sulk and decided enough was enough.” 

He chuckled, tilting his head back as he recalled the encounter. 

“She came over and sat down on the ground beside me,” he said, looking around them, the corner of his lips twitching a fraction higher. “Sorta like we are right now.”

Pete smiled weakly at that. 

“She sat with me for the longest time, didn’t say a word, just waited me out, until she could tell I was ready to actually listen to her. Then she took my hand and said, “You know what, honey? If you were half as rotten as you’re afraid you are, you wouldn’t care nearly as much as you do”.”

Pete ducked his head as, all at once, tears started welling up once again. God he wanted that to be true. With every fibre of his being he did. He bit his lip as he felt Ice pull him a little tighter against his side, and heard Mav scoot closer himself, reaching out and rubbing his arm himself. 

“Do you think she was right about that,” he uttered, voice crackling with the strain of keeping himself together. 

Mav smiled, squeezing Pete’s arm gently as he inclined his head. 

“Honestly, I always had my doubts,” he confessed. “But these days… I think she probably was.” 

Before he could stop them, a couple of the tears Pete had been battling against broke free and rolled down his cheeks. 

“Oh, buddy,” Mav sighed, reaching up to rub the moisture away. “I’m so sorry. Sometimes I forget how much all of that stuff hurt.” 

Pete leaned into the contact, the corner of his mouth twitching a little as he did so.

“Actually pretty good to hear that from my perspective,” he murmured, drawing soft scoffs from the oldtimers. 

Shaking his head fondly, Mav patted Pete’s arm one last time before folding them over his crossed legs. 

“I’m telling you this for two reasons,” he said, ducking his head to meet Pete’s eye once again. “First, and I really am sorry for this but, unfortunately, this is just one of those cards that you and I got dealt. This is something that you were always going to have to work through. Being on your own for so long, and getting told so many times and in so many ways that nobody wants you, and nobody will ever want you - it leaves a mark. That doesn’t mean you’re broken. It's just a hurdle that we get that some people don’t. Everyone’s got their own set. For us - it’s being very, very aware of just how much other people can hurt you, while at the same time knowing how much the alternative hurts too.”

Pete sighed softly, but nodded all the same. That point wasn’t exactly news to him, but it still sucked hearing it all the same. 

“And second,” Mav said, reaching out and brushing Pete’s hair back from his face with a small, reassuring smile. “Even though it doesn’t always feel like it, and that feeling will flare up from time to time unfortunately, some people really do stay.”

Pete lifted his head to look at the old man properly, something like hope fluttering weakly in the pit of his belly. 

“They stick by you as long as they possibly can, through more crap than you could possibly imagine. I know it’s hard to really let yourself believe that right now. I know it feels like the second you do it’ll all fall apart around you, like a house of cards. But that will fade with time and with evidence. You’re just going to have to trust me until then. You’re not meant to be alone. There’s nothing fundamentally wrong or bad about you. The people who are worth a damn, they stay - you just have to let them in in the first place.”

The older man leaned closer, whispering conspiratorially, “Just be careful, because once you do, it’s all bets off. I had one moment of weakness around Slider 36 years ago and now I’m stuck with him.” 

Pete laughed wetly at that, smiling back as Mav practically beamed at him. 

“I hope you’re right,” he uttered, rubbing again at his face. 

“I am,” Mav replied, nodding firmly. “And look, I’m not going to lie to you and promise forever. Nobody knows what’s around the corner. Hell, a tsunami could take us all out right now.” 

Pete scoffed softly, rolling his eyes as Maverick ruffled his hair teasingly. 

“But the stuff you’re worried about, the mistakes you’re worried about making, I’m sorry but they’re just not gonna cut it.” 

Ice nodded at that. 

“Unfortunately, to shake us at this point you’d have to do things that you’re simply not capable of. And they certainly wouldn’t be accidental.” 

Pete frowned slightly, glancing between the two of them. 

“...Could you give me a clue?” he asked. “You know, to be safe.”

Ice scoffed softly, before cocking his head to the side thoughtfully.

“Alright. We’re talking about doing things that would deliberately traumatise others. Not accidents, like a car crash or getting in a really bad fight, though we’d all rather you avoided that too. Stuff that’s just evil. Things specifically done to make somebody else feel afraid or humiliated or less than” Ice replied calmly, brow rising pointedly. “Do you feel that avoiding that sort of behaviour would be a struggle for you?”

“Fuck, no,” Pete replied, nose wrinkling at the thought of doing anything along those lines.

Ice  nodded. 

“There you go. There’s the bar,” he replied simply. “Anything above that? Worst case scenario, you’re the pain in the ass of the week. And that’s a title we’ve all held at one point or another.”

“Even you?”

“Unjustly,” he sniffed. 

“Ask Uncle Sli about it some time,” Mav replied without missing a beat, before turning back to Pete before Ice could retort. “Honestly kiddo, do you really think Bradely was an angel growing up?” 

“Well… yeah?”

“Think again,” Ice drawled. 

Mav hummed, nodding seriously. 

“Off the top of my head, there was that time he threw a party with his baseball team while we were out of town and trashed the house.”

“The bike he borrowed without asking, rode unlicensed, and totalled - on a dare.” 

“The kitchen he nearly burned down because ‘guys - you can’t pause online games, how many times do I have to tell you?’ and ‘I want bacon’ turned out to be a bad mix.”

“The spy-phase that ended with him trying to sneak onto a military base, ours that is, and then refusing to answer any questions or co-operate after getting caught.” 

“I maintain that that was mostly Hollywood’s fault for taking him to watch True Lies.” 

Pete blinked, stunned by the antics of, by far, one of the more mature ‘big brothers’ he had. 

Ice scoffed, rolling his eyes with a fond smile. 

“And we still love the kid. Did back then when it happened and through much less amusing run-ins too,” he said, before squeezing Pete a little tighter to his side. “So try not to worry so much. You’re a kid, you’re supposed to do stupid things. Mav does stupid things every other day and we still keep him around. And that’s these days. He was an absolute menace when I first met him. And six years older than you are now. You’re a dream in comparison.”

Mav huffed. 

“You are a delight,” he said, patting Pete on the shoulder, before shooting his husband a pointed look. “But I think some people are forgetting which one of us introduced himself by immediately talking shit.”

“We were competing and the fact that you still bring it up almost 40 years later just further emphasises what a sound psychological victory that introduction was for me.”

“I mean I wanted to kick your ass all the more afterwards, so I’m not sure how much of a victory it was.”

“Well you never did, so a big one I would say.”

“Bullshit I never did-!”

“Go-ddddddd,” Pete groaned, though he couldn’t help but grin at the bickering, which, in the span of 10 months, had somehow become the comforting soundtrack of home for him (which probably said a lot about Ice and Maverick, but who cares). “Wher’es Tom when you need him?”

“Our point,” Ice said pointedly, shooting Mav a look that said quite clearly ‘we’re supposed to be a united front, genius (also, you know I’m right), “Is that you’re going to make mistakes. Everybody does. You’re going to do stupid things, things that we don’t approve of. And, because we’re here to help you become the best person you can be, we’ll call you out on it. At one point or another, we’ll disagree, we’ll argue, feelings will probably get hurt, egos will get bruised. And then, we’re going to be here anyway. Because you’re a member of this family and that’s not going to change.” 

“And we’ll remind you of that however many times you need,” Mav replied, smiling warmly at him, before slapping his own knees and leaning back. “Now, how would you like to proceed from here? Are you alright breaking the Birthday Drought today or would you like to go home and we can just have a nice family dinner tonight. Which would you rather?”

Pete bit his lip, fiddling with a loose thread on the hem of his t-shirt. 

“I guess I… I wouldn’t mind staying,” he replied, his heart and stomach fluttering again at the thought of all these people, his family, turning up just for him. But this time, he found his emotions leaning more on the side of nervous excitement rather than all-consuming dread. “I mean, It’s been a minute.” 

“You’re sure?” Ice asked seriously, rubbing Pete’s back reassuringly. “Don’t feel like you have to if you don’t want to.” 

Pete ducked his head, a small smile spreading across his face as, for the first time since this whole miscommunication came to light, and before that really, something seemed to settle inside of him. Some knot of tension that had been there for so long that he’d just learned to live with it, seemed to ease just the littlest bit. He did not doubt, for a second, that if he decided to leave now, Ice and Mav (and Tom) would cover for him, would back him up and stand in his corner. Whether they needed to or not, and Pete suspected things would probably topple in the direction of ‘not’ because the others would understand.

Drawing in a deep, calming breath (like Ice had been teaching him) he lifted his head a smiled a little wide. 

“I want to,” he said. “Seriously, if I ever say no to chocolate cake I want you to assume that somebody’s stolen my face and is impersonating me.” 

“Mark that down for both of us,” Mav replied, nodding empathetically. 

“Noted,” Ice scoffed, smiling as the three of them got back to their feet. “In that case, we should probably get back. Tom said he’d try to keep them all in one place to give us a moment alone but the fact that he seems to have managed it is making me nervous.” 

Pete snickered as Mav shot him an amused grin, before they both followed Ice back to the beach. It turned out the old man may have been right to worry. 

“In my defence,” Tom drawled as he jogged over to meet them. “I didn’t expect them all to lose their minds.” 

Pete felt like that was a pretty accurate description for the mayhem they’d just walked into. Almost all the daggers and a few of the flyboys were shouting, waving their arms about, jabbing fingers in faces or, in Fanboy’s case, cackling rather manically. And those that weren’t seemed content to either enjoy the show or stoke the fires all the more. It was pandemonium. 

“What did you do?” Ice sighed as they drew closer. 

Tom shrugged. 

“I casually mentioned that Pete and I watched Die Hard for the first time, and asked what other Christmas movies we should watch. And, well...” 

“IT’S SET ON CHRISTMAS EVE, BAGMAN!!! HOW MUCH MORE OBVIOUS DO YOU NEED IT?!” 

“THAT’S ALL YOU’VE GOT! IT’S AN ACTION MOVIE-”

“ON CHRISTMAS EVE!” 

“OH MY GOD! SO WHAT?! SO WHAT?!!” 

“Well, it did distract them,” Ice replied, arching a brow as he took it all in. “They’re going to go full Lord of the Flies any moment now, but it worked.” 

Tom grinned, before slinging an arm around Pete’s shoulders and drawling, “Wanna make it worse?”

“You’ve been a terrible influence on him,” Ice sighed, shooting Mav a despairing glance as Pete laughed softly and shrugged. 

“Sure.”

Tom winked before calling over the noise, “Alright, maybe Die Hard can go one way or the other-”

“NO IT CAN’T,” Jake and Nat hollered in unison, before immediately shooting each other disgusted glares. 

“But surely we can all agree that Nightmare before Christmas-” 

And they were off again, with renewed vigour and with previous alliances suddenly shattered. 

Pete laughed as he took it all in. Tom’s arm around his shoulders; Mav and Ice squeezing his arm and ruffling his hair respectively as they walked by to try and reign in the chaos; Rooster and Hangman each elbowing their way through the crowd, hollering for him to back them up. 

The fears were still there, bubbling away beneath the surface. Pete felt that they probably always would. Allowing himself to stay this attached, to actually believe that maybe this time, just this once, things truly would turn out different… it was risky. Frankly it was downright dangerous. 

“Right, enough of this!!” Rooster hollered over the noise. “Let’s settle this properly.” 

“Agreed,” Jake replied, nodding firmly. “Dogfight football. I bags the babies.” 

“What?!” 

“You can’t take both of them!”

“Can. Did. Pete, Tom, come on.” 

Sometimes, the risks were worth taking. And, well, he’d always liked to think he was a little dangerous.

#icemav #pete maverick mitchell #tom iceman kazansky #time warp au #art

[weshallc]

HAPPY 75th BIRTHDAY NHS

Call the Midwife Special AU FIC

HAPPYBIRTHDAY @ilovemushystuff I know you aren't 75! but I hope you enjoy this. Like the NHS you are so loved, appreciated, valued and vital to this community. But in a much better state than the NHS. ❤💌🎈🎁🎂

Thank you @fourteen-teacups for being the most patient person in the world. It felt like 75years since we started writing this. 🥰@roguesnitch yes you can adopt a donkey.

Disclaimer: Any resemblance to TV presenters living or dead are completely coincidental. Absoloutley. 😬

July 5th 2023, Aylward Care Home, Poplar.

“Come on Jack, do you want to have a wee sit in the garden? It's a lovely morning. Let’s fetch your cardi.” 

The tall man is stooped, no longer able to carry his previous imposing six foot stature. Bent by age and years of working his failing muscles and bones are always tired. He turns his head to look at the young fresh faced girl at his side. He likes this one. They are all nice, pleasant, some a little kinder than others. But they are busy, they have mouths to feed, medicines to dispense and bums to wash. This one she seems to have more time than others. Maybe it is because she has the gift of youth. She has time to play with. Jack’s time is running out. Time has started to tease him. Started to play cruel games. Time does not play fair. Time plays by its own rules.

A loud noise alerts Jack and he clings to the girl. She doesn't panic but steadies her friend. For a split second he is back in Derry, but only for a second.

“It’s only the telly Jack. In the day room, don’t worry. Someone’s put the sound up.”

An older woman appears in the corridor, older, but not as old as Jack. He thinks she has a  beautiful smile and a hint of a foreign accent. This one always makes him laugh. He asked her where she was from once and she said Hackney and then she roared with laughter. Jack laughed too; he didn't know why, it just feels good to laugh. But he never asked again.

“Who’s in the day room?”

“I’m not sure, I thought there was just one lady, but it can’t be. You take our Jack the Lad, here, into the garden while I go check it out, Amy.”

Amy. That's her name, sweet Amy. They wear name badges but the writing is too small.

“Thanks Flora.”

Ah yes, Flirty Flora. Now he remembers.

Amy returns to the day room, the telly is still too loud for her own comfort, but bearable. Flora is fiddling with the hearing aids in the ears of the only other occupant. She is being brushed away. Flora doesn't notice or if she does it doesn’t bother her,

“You want to hear, don't you? I’m too big to be a fly, you know. Can’t swat me away so easily.”

Amy smiles and sees what she thinks is a hint of what might be one in the resident resisting Flora’s ministrations.

“Who turned the sound up?” Amy asks as she looks around the otherwise empty room.

“No idea, I don’t think, my lady here, could reach the remote or figure out which button to press. It took me five minutes to guess how to turn it down again."

“Maybe Dangerous Dave is playing pranks again.”

“That’s what I thought but his daughter has taken him out today. It's Wednesday. If you ask me, that TV set is spooked. It’s always doing it.”

Flora completed her challenge of securing and tuning in the hearing aids, She gently takes hold of the arm that was flying into her face and asks if all is now comfortable and clear. She receives a slight nod in response, perceivable only because Flora knows what to look out for.

“Is this the right channel?” asks Amy.

“Yes, It’s 9 o'clock time for Lorraine.”

“I hope it isn’t that footballer’s missus again, right annoying she is.”

“You’re just jealous.”

“What give up this life of luxury for some sweaty millionaire, as if? The residents would miss me. You’d miss me.”

Flora smiles at Amy's protestations and thinks she may have detected another slight nod elsewhere.

A squeaky non descriptive tune pours out of the television and the screen is a vibrant mix of pink and white.

Three people sigh as Lorraine appears before them on screen.

Lorraine, a jolly looking white woman with dark shoulder length hair, who looks to be in her late fifties, fills the screen. She begins to talk to the camera. A Scottish lilt in her voice.

 “Good Morning everyone, how are you today? I hope you are all well. And if you are feeling well this morning, it might be in part to do with the focus of our show. That’s right we moved out of our cosy wee West London studio to venture east into Tower Hamlets.”

It becomes clear Lorraine is standing in front of an old building probably dated back to the late 1800s.

“The reason we find ourselves in Poplar this morning is to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the birth of the National Health Service. And what better way to do that, than in the Patrick Turner Health Hub that has provided primary care predating the formation of the NHS. In all that time it has been the working home of one family.”

The camera now pans out to reveal a Victorian building that has been extended and modernised over the centuries. Some additions are more historically sympathetic than others. Lorraine continues.

“There has been a Turner working here since the end of the Second World War. Including our very own medical expert and friend of the show, Dr Teddy Turner.”

A man of similar age to the presenter pops into view. He is tall, but doesn’t overshadow our host. His hair is dark but the light grey that highlights his unruly tresses may once have been blonde. He is smartly dressed in a dark tailored three piece suit, pink shirt and tie haphazardly adorned in medical equipment such as thermometers, stethoscopes and those things for looking in your eyes and ear.

 “Good Morning, Dr Turner.” 

“Good morning, Lorraine and welcome to Poplar.”

They chat in the tone of two old friends surprised to have bumped into each other at the doctor’s that morning.

“Well, it’s lovely to be here and the staff have made us very welcome. I’m sure the last thing they wanted on a busy Wednesday morning is a TV crew to contend with, but they've been really lovely.” 

“I think like everybody else involved in patient care we are only too glad to have the opportunity to celebrate 75 years of the National Health Service. And share a little bit of our part in that incredible history.”

“Well, shall we do just that very thing? After the break we will be venturing inside the Patrick Turner Health Hub. Where we will be meeting more Turners talking about the last 75 years of working within the NHS. We’ll be looking at some of the most significant changes over that time, with a family that has always been at the cutting edge, if you will please pardon my pun.”

Those who went to brew a cup of YorkshireTea during the intermission miss the NHS75 anniversary retro adverts for Radio Rentals, pink wafers and playtex girdles.

“Welcome back. As you can see we’ve moved into a sort of conference room. Is that right, Dr Teddy?”

“Yes, it's where we hold training days for our staff and the wider district. We also run information sessions for newly diagnosed diabetics, dementia support, mental health, stopping smoking, drug and alcohol advice. And of course women’s health, which here at Patrick Turner’s we specialise in.”

“Well, we are going to come on to that, but I see over here some lovely people. I would like you very much to introduce us to.”

The camera moves towards a group of people sat around a functional table with mugs in front of them of various sizes and designs.

“This is my big sister, Angela. She was a full time GP here for over thirty years and now runs a lot of our education programmes and Well Woman clinics. Her daughter Jools has taken over her mantle and also her office and is currently one of our full time GPs.”

A slim blonde woman who appears to be in her late 50s or early 60s becomes the camera operator's focus. Her hair is tied back from her face, which is thin and angular, but her blue eyes have a gleam and her lips are failing to hide a smirk. She carefully clutches a blue mug and seems to be holding it quite tensely at a deliberate angle. A few letters are revealed between her fingers UK, THE, IES.

“So she’s your niece. We might be able to catch a word with Dr Jools later, but she’s busy seeing patients right now. Is that right, Dr Teddy?”

“Yes, she is my niece. No-one does nepotism quite like the Turners.”

“Moving on.” Lorraine is starting to sound as if she is wondering who is running this show? “And who is this distinguished looking gentleman next to your lovely sister?”

“This gentleman also celebrates his 75th birthday this year. He's actually slightly older than the NHS. This is Sir Timothy Turner, Lorraine. Or as I refer to him Lord Buggerlugs.”

“That seems very unkind, but having a sibling myself it's relatable. I must also apologise to anyone offended by any inappropriate use of language so early in the morning. Regular viewers will know this is to be expected when Dr Teddy is my special guest.”

“I’m seeing a disapproving glance from the lady next to Sir Timothy and the main reason we are here today. Dr Teddy’s, Sir Timothy’s and Dr Angela’s mum is also here. Dr Teddy, please introduce us to this remarkable lady.”

“Lorraine and viewers this is Sister Shelagh Turner, my, sorry, our mum. She came to Poplar in July 1948. It was the inception of the National Health Service. She arrived as a nurse and newly qualified midwife to work on the district with the nuns at Nonnatus House.” 

“I wonder if I could ask Sir Timothy to explain a wee bit of the history of Nonnatus House and its relevance in the East End of London.”

The camera focuses on a tall gentleman looking a good ten years older than his siblings. (They definitely appear to have been a good ten years). He is also dressed as smartly as his younger brother, but minus the novelty tie. Anyone who studied medicine in Edinburgh would recognise this tie’s pattern. He clears his throat and looks directly into the camera.

“Only if you cease referring to me as Sir Timothy. I accepted my knighthood from the late Queen in recognition of my rewarding career as a GP and as an advocate of the NHS and Public Health. I am now retired from medicine. I do continue to campaign for justice for those who through negligence contracted Hepatitis C and the HIV virus as a result of blood transfusions. Compensation has still not been fully distributed and no UK public body has ever admitted responsibility. Therefore, my job is not yet done. So therefore, I’m just Tim.”

“That’s so well said, Sir Tim. And that seems to be a thread that runs through the Turner family. Generation after generation. Your father, the late Dr Patrick Turner who this medical practice is named in memory of, was an early advocate for the families affected by Thalidomide. As you have so rightly reminded us, you have spoken up for all those affected by the 20th century Factor 8 scandal. Your sister, Dr Angela Turner is a voice many will be familiar with on Women’s Hour on Radio 4 sharing her wealth of knowledge on the menopause and postnatal trauma. And of course our own Dr Teddy brought clarity and evidence based truths to our viewers during the recent Covid pandemic.”

For the first time they all look less assured, even Dr Teddy is lost for words. He and Angela both look towards their older brother.

“We’ve all been inspired by our parents. Dad was a great believer in medicine's ability to heal after witnessing the return of the injured as a child in Liverpool from 1914. He was able to compare those times to the wider use of antibiotics which he witnessed as an army medic during WWII. As a GP working through the 60s he saw, thanks to vaccination, the demise of TB and Polio both of which had previously left their scars on our family. The Thalidomide scandal was a heavy blow to recover from, for a GP who only wanted to prevent and ease suffering. Fortunately he  married Shelagh, who loved and believed in him completely." He nods towards the lady sat next to him.

"Through her religious background she understood the way ahead isn’t always clear or certain, She always used to quote St. Julian of Norwich to us as children, ‘He did not say you would not be assailed, you will not be laboured, you will not be disquieted, but he did say you will not be overcome.’ My father was not a religious man, but I believe he drew strength through my mothers steadfast faith in God, and even more so from her faith in him.”

“Thank you Sir...Tim. Well, I think that’s given us all a lot to think about as we go to another wee break.” 

Viewers who want to adopt a donkey are infuriated by adverts for Babysham, tinned spam and a Tiny Tears doll. 

 “Welcome back to Lorraine in Poplar.”    

“So here I am, sitting next to the mother of these fine boys and the gorgeous Dr Angela, Sister Shelagh Turner.”

 “Greetings”

A small woman with steel grey hair pulled into a tidy bun sits between Tim and Angela. She wears a tailored navy jacket with a delicate gold pearl and ruby brooch on the lapel. She holds her mug less furtively than her daughter and viewers can clearly read the words If In Doubt Just Ask Mum.

“From what I’ve been told by your son you qualified as a midwife in 1948.”

 “I did.”

“Dr Teddy, your mother is Scottish!” Lorraine cries in surprise, because obviously she hadn’t introduced herself to her guest before the show. “I can see we are going to get along quite famously. Can you tell me the changes you have seen over the last 75 years?”

“Oh my dear, you may have to cancel one of those shows that follows this one, about relocating abroad or selling something you found in an attic, for me to tell my story.”

Viewers are frantically trying to work out how old Shelagh Turner is as this indomitable lady cooly answers every question. She brings a sense of calm to the temporary studio, in a building she has been familiar with most of her life. If at that moment anyone asked Alexa or Siri to show them the meaning of professional they would instantly produce a picture of Shelagh Turner. 

“My mother died when I was young. I nursed her through her affliction, as I would my father too. I didn’t want to be a greengrocer, like my family before me. All I had ever done since being a small child was nurse. I knew no other life. So after my father died at the end of the war I headed to London. They were crying out for nurses and that is who I am.”

“The greatest change I’ve seen besides the obvious advances in technology, is the reliance on single use plastic. Nothing was disposable in my day, including syringes and enema tubes. Everything had to be autoclaved and reused. But technology has to be the most significant advancement in the day-to-day practice of nursing care. We didn't have machines to do the work for us. If someone was receiving blood or intravenous fluids, through a drip you understand, we had to calculate the drip-rate in our heads or on paper. Then we had to count the drips in the reservoir every 15 minutes to ensure it wasn’t going too fast or too slow. There weren't any machines beeping to alert us to problems.”

Angela, who had been quiet up until this point,just watching the whole shebang with the same amusement of someone not at the top table observing a bridesmaid with a nosebleed, chose this moment to interject.

“I think a lot of current nurses would be happy to get rid of those infernal bleeps.”

“I’m sure you are right, dearest. When I first qualified, the only machinery I was familiar with was the iron lung used to treat Polio patients..."

Below the lens two hands brush against each other.

“I remember it well.....” He says.

“Too true, dearest. It may now be antiquated and look barbaric but we were glad of it during the Christmas of 1958.”

“Did you have Polio as a child, S...Tim?” 

“I did, Lorraine. As Mum said, I ended up in hospital over Christmas when I was ten-years-old. My parents had to cancel their wedding.”

“Oh no! Deary me.”

The presenter appears to be lost for words. This part was obviously not rehearsed. Guest co-presenter Dr Teddy is of no help as he has the countenance of the youngest child, who is always in bother, becoming aware that his big brother is finally going to get it.

“I suppose that wouldn’t be considered very shocking or unusual these days. But just for the sake of propriety, Timothy’s father, Patrick, was a widower. Timothy sadly lost his mother to cancer a couple of years earlier. Another dreadful disease we have made great strides in treating in the last 75 years.”

“You and Dr Turner worked with the Nonnatus nuns, I'm led to believe. They may not be known to our wider audience, but are still very much remembered with affection and gratitude in Poplar, am I right?”

“I hope so, I would like to believe so. The Order of St Raymond Nonnatus trained as nurses and midwives in Euston, arriving in Poplar in 1899. Once the NHS formed, the nuns worked alongside state trained nurses and pupil midwives, most of whom lived in the convent originally based in Leyland Street. They moved to Wick Street in 1959, where they stayed until the late 70s. The Turner practice was always closely linked to Nonnatus. Patrick, my husband, unusually for the time, had a special interest in women’s health. It wasn’t like today, women were just expected ‘to shut up and put up’ as Sister Evangelina used to say. She was a rather bold nun who was always a little ahead of her time and not afraid of telling it like it is, or was.” 

Shelagh pauses for a moment as if she is recalling something she chooses not to share. Angela, sensing her mother’s brief loss in concentration, picks up the thread.

“There were more home births in those days. Mum and Dad ran what we would now call a mother and baby unit, but they were known as maternity homes. We are actually sitting in what was once a four bedded ward. The rest of the rooms were divided up to house our phlebotomy service and provide extra clinic space. One of the labour rooms we still use for minor surgery. Most health centres provide a particular service these days so there isn’t a doubling up of specialities. Patients will know they may be sent to a different centre than their own GPs surgery for let’s say, diabetic advice, heart monitoring, eye checks and podiatry. At Patrick Turner’s Health Hub we have continued my parents’ work. Focusing primarily on women’s health, neonatal care and respiratory conditions, something my parents as ex-smokers were very keen to learn more about and educate their patients.” 

“Sister Shelagh, you were a smoker? I am shocked to hear this.” Lorraine looks horrified, she appears so wholesome.

“Oh, everyone smoked during the war years and into the 60s. It was even thought to be good for you at one time, or so the tobacco companies wanted us to believe.”

Dr Teddy suddenly realises he hasn’t spoken in over ten minutes and is getting paid for this.

“You didn’t smoke when you were a nun though, did you Mum? I blame Dad, he was a bad influence. Tim told me he remembers him smoking in clinic." Before his mother's glare alone ruins his blossoming media career, Lorraine interupts.

“A nun!? You were one of the sisters, Shelagh?”

“Yes, I was, when I first arrived at Nonnatus in 1948, but not when I left in 1958. Obviously.”

“Obviously.” Lorraine is looking at all Shelagh's children seated around her. “Your children are giving all your secrets away today, Shelagh. I think Dr Teddy might end up on the naughty step when he gets home.”

“It was a long time ago and I learned everything I know working with the Order, especially from my dearest friend, Sister Julienne. But the last sixty years have been the happiest and most fulfilling of my life. And the majority of  them have been spent working within and for the NHS. And that’s why I’m here with you today.”

“Nice deflection back to our main topic today, Shelagh. Are you after my job? The producer in my ear has just asked me to not let you leave before I book you in for another show... on your own without your lovely family. Oh! I see.. before the Daily Mail gets to you first for your story, he‘s added. Don’t think that will be happening anytime soon, looking at the expression on Shelagh’s face.”

“We are off for another break now, viewers.”

Viewers wanting to take out an over 55s life insurance policy securing themselves a free pen are now on the phone to the TV regulator Ofcom in protest to advertisements for Brylcreem, old Spice and the Dandy and Beano.

“Welcome back. So, we are going to end today’s NHS75 special with a lovely gift for the Turner family. It’s the least we can do after all this family has done for us over the last 75 years. This is a complete surprise for the Turners. Not all of the Turner children are here today. Tim, Anglela and Teddy’s sister, May, is also in the family firm. She chose to follow in her mother’s footsteps. No! She is not a nun. But the Chief Nursing Officer in a hospital based in Hong Kong. When did you last see May, Shelagh?”

“Oh, it was before Covid, she was due to come home Christmas 2020 and couldn’t and she's been so busy she hasn’t been able to reschedule. She’s so dedicated.”

“Wonder where she gets that from?” Tim and Ted say in unison.

“I don’t like flying now at my age. Angela went out there last year, didn’t you, dear? They’ve always been very close.”

“Look up at the big screen on the wall, Shelagh.You won’t see a video about vaccination or what to do if you are having a stroke. But, who is this?”

The numbers for the surgery disappear from the screen and are replaced by the bright smile of a Chinese woman wearing a white silk blouse, giggling and shouting “now” repeatedly.

“Hello Mum, Hello Fam! How are you all? And how is dear old Poplar?”

The East London room is full of forcefully expired air and cries of “May”.

“I'm going to leave you all to chat privately, in a moment. But can I just ask, May? You grew up in Poplar, do you have good memories?”

“Oh, yes. I came from Hong Kong in 1963 and couldn’t speak a word of English. Patrick and Shelagh fostered me and eventually my birth mum gave permission for them to adopt me. Mother Mildred brought me and some other children, who were orphaned or estranged from their parents, to start new lives. But I remember Poplar with so much love; the sisters, Fred, Vi and Reggie who ran the corner shop. Darling Aunt Trixie and Jonty, my friend Colette and her mother, Nancy. Then there was Pastor Robinson. Too many to name.. Nurse Crane and Miss Higgins mustn't forget them. And lots of girls called Alison. I actually thought all English girls were called Alison for a while. I even thought about changing my name to Alison. Everyone was so welcoming and helped me feel right at home. It was just a shame about Teddy really.”

“Oh! That Turner sense of humour. I see it is intact over the miles. Angela is nodding her head in agreement with your remarks about your younger brother. I need to maybe have a few minutes chat with her in the Green Room after the show. You returned to Hong Kong, May, as a nurse. Can you tell us a wee bit about that?”

“Of course. As much as London will always be my home. I wanted to give something back to my place of birth. The reason Mother Mildred brought me to England was because there wasn’t provision for someone in my situation over here in the 1960s. I wanted to return and see what changes had been made and if I could contribute in any way. It also gave me a chance to meet my Chinese mother again and thank her for giving me the opportunities I had because of her sacrifices.”

“Did you get to spend much time with her, May?”

“Yes, I did. She passed away a few years ago. I got a chance to say goodbye and to be with her at the end of her life as she was at the beginning of mine.”

“That’s lovely May. I’m going to let you catch up with your family now. I’m sure your mum has a lot of questions for you to answer. Probably starting with when are you coming home? Thank you, May Turner.”

“And thank you to all my guests on this NHS 75th anniversary special. Thanks to all the Turners: Shelagh, Tim, Angela, May and our own Dr Teddy. I will be back tomorrow with more inane guests to chat with. Won’t be anywhere near as much fun as this, I promise you.”

The camera focuses on Dr Teddy Turner who is rubbing his right forefinger against his thumb.

"We will leave you with the words of the Health Secretary in 1948, Mr Nye Bevan."

"No society can call itself civilised if a sick person is denied medical aid because of lack of means."

As the credits roll the camera moves to on an outside wall. It focuses a well polished brass plaque on which three lines are written.

KENILWORTH ROW MATERNITY HOME AND SURGERY DR. P. TURNER

"Here, here!" Is followed by cheers and clapping.

“Well that was the best episode of Lorraine I've ever skived off to, with a cuppa, in all my working days.”

“Flora, we are not skiving, we are socialising with the residents and attending to their recreational and creative needs.”

“You do have a way with words, our Ames. You applied to tech to do those exams you need, yet? You know the ones to get into Uni to do your nursing.”

“No, I haven’t. Stop nagging me. I’m not good with exams, Flo, you know that.”

“You’re very good with people though, Amy. More than good. And the kindest person I’ve ever met.”

“Counts for nothing Flora, you have to be one of those clever buggers to be a nurse these days. I’m happy here with my Grans until Aldi or some other supermarket makes me a better offer I can’t refuse.”

“Well. I’m going to keep nagging. But in the meantime, I Wouldn’t say no to Dr Teddy checking out my auld ticker with his stethoscope, one day.”

“Oh Flora, you are crude. His niece is my doctor. She’s brilliant, she really helped me out with that little problem I had.”

“Well, I could have helped you out with that, Amy. Change your washing powder or tell that man of yours to dip it in Domestos bleach before he comes near you next time.”

“Flora, you're shocking......are you alright, love?”

Amy notices tears streaming down their companion’s face, but her eyes remain bright and clear.

The young carer dabs those tears, “Magic hankie cures all. As my gran used to say.”

“Poor old love, probably brought back memories. Talking about them Nonnatuns,” Flora added. “You alright Sister? I know where there is a nice piece of Victoria Sponge with your name on it. Amy here will put the kettle on.”

“How old do you think she is?”

“Dunno. No one seems to know. No one knows how long she’s been here. Dangerous Dave says she made a deal with God to look after the people of Poplar for all eternity.

“You know Dangerous Dave talks bollocks, right?”

“I’m just saying what I heard. So about Dr Teddy, do you think he's on Tinder?”

“He’s sixty-years-old, Flora. Get a grip.”

As they leave to put the kettle on and cut the cake. The sound coming from the televison set suddenly increases.

#call the midwife #nhs75 #ctm fanfic #turners at 75

[emkay512]

Show You Off

Set at Liam and Riley’s first wedding anniversary, and they are trying to come up with ideas to celebrate each other. - Another OUAT one shot

Song inspiration: Show You Off by Dan + Shay

A/N 1: This is participating in @choicesflashfics week 8 and I’m using prompt 3: “I’ve never done something like this before.”

A/N 2: I’m grateful for this prompt cause it got me to actually want to finish this by the end of the prompt week. And I want to thank @queenrileyrose for pre-reading this, just earlier today!

I’m also including the designs that I also created, just cause… I had fun making them and wanted to include a visual, as basic as it may be 😅 I hope it’s not too off putting!

Warnings: Tiny bit of language and just a mention of 🍋

Word Count: 2,445 (my longest yet! 😬)

Tags: Sorry if I missed anyone, let me know if you want to be added or removed @queenrileyrose @burnsoslow @bbrandy2002 @ao719 @kat-tia801 @sincerelyella @charlotteg234 @neotericthemis @kingliam2019 @iaminlovewithtrr @amandablink @iluaaa @jared2612 @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @tessa-liam @secretaryunpaid @ladyangel70 @gkittylove99 @texaskitten30 @shanzay44 @ofpixelsandscribbles @sarcastic01lily

The king and queen of Cordonia were enjoying a peaceful breakfast together in their personal quarters at the palace. Their first wedding anniversary was fast approaching, and they hadn’t discussed any plans. Riley was a ball of excitement for their upcoming milestone, but to her surprise, Liam hadn’t brought it up at all. She knew there was no way he’d forgotten, but she couldn’t hold in her excitement a minute longer.

“So..” Riley, broke their comfortable silence, “A pretty big day is coming up for us..”

Liam looked up at her with a smirk on his face, “I must say, I’m very impressed with you.” Riley had a very quizzical look on her face with his response. “I’ve been waiting for you to bring it up, here I thought you would have been talking of nothing but our wedding anniversary for the last month.” Liam smiled very brightly at the topic. Riley hurled a piece of toast at him for picking on her.

“Well excuse me for not interrupting the king’s schedule.” She laughed, completely relieved for his playful response. “So, tell me, what should we do? I’ve been dying for you to tell me there’s some great Cordonian tradition that we mustn’t be the first ones to break.”

“Heh, you always have been one to catch on quick, haven’t you, Love?” He reached over to grab her hand and peck it with a quick kiss. “Well there is one tradition, but it’s not centuries old or anything, and most certainly not something we have to do.”

“Please tell me.” Riley replied with wide excited eyes.

“It’s simple. It’s the idea that we exchange a sort of gesture rather than a gift. Like planting a tree or something of the sort for your partner.”

Riley instinctively scoffed, “I think I can do better than planting a tree for you!” Liam laughed at her instinct to declare she could do better than a tree for him.

“I take it you like the idea?”

“I love it, let’s do it.”

Liam stood from his chair and leaned down to Riley to seal the idea with a deep kiss. “Yes, let’s.”

The next day, Liam found himself in his study, wracked with thoughts about how to fulfill his end on this grand gesture tradition. He had a specific idea in mind. Something very un-Liam and the more he researched, the more he liked it. He knew his wife would be filled with shock and delight over it. He was quickly becoming more convinced on it, but he just needed to find the right design.

Suddenly, there was a quick knock on his door, and Liam called for them to enter. Drake walked into Liam’s study to catch up and check in on his best friend. Upon his entrance, he noticed Liam had laser focus on his computer screen. Liam glanced up, and once he recognized Drake, he adjusted his attention back to his desk. “Oh, hey Drake. Come on in, make yourself comfortable. What can I do for you?”

Drake did just that, but he couldn’t ignore his instinct to inquire on Liam’s current fixation. “Uh, well, you can catch me up for starters.” Drake had no idea what had him looking so serious. Liam didn’t respond assuming Drake would have no trouble helping himself to whatever he needed. “Dude! What’d you got porn on there or something? I’ve never seen a man stare at a screen so hard.”

“What? No!” Liam snapped his head up at Drake with the slightest and feigned look of offense at the comical suggestion. Drake had poured himself a finger of scotch from Liam’s bar cart and motioned, asking Liam if he’d like to join, which he did. Drake handed Liam his drink and sat down opposite him willing Liam to explain. “Well, Riley and I have our first wedding anniversary approaching, and I’m trying to figure out what to do.”

“Uh, huh. And so you’re.. online shopping? Doesn’t seem like you to simply buy something.”

“Astute as ever, Drake. I’m not online shopping. Riley has decided she wants to keep with tradition and exchange gestures instead of gifts.” Drake was interested and still curious where this was going. “I have an idea in mind, but.. it’s very permanent and I’m struggling to find the just right design.”

“Ok, so just exactly what is this very permanent gesture you are so unsure about?”

“Oh, I’m sure about it. I just want it to be right... Let me just say this, what is the one dare Leo gave me that I could never actually do?”

Drake shot straight up in his seat with immediate understanding and total shock. “No way! You want to get a tattoo!?”

True to form, Riley had enlisted Maxwell to help her plan this gesture gift exchange that she and Liam had agreed to. When they came up with the idea, she thought it was the brightest and best idea ever, but now here, in her own private study, she was struggling to come up with an idea. Even Maxwell had completely gushed over the tradition when she told him, but now even his over the top brain was drawing a blank. “And you’re sure you’re totally against the crotch-less panties idea?” He asked very seriously.

Riley side eyed him hard, but after a minute long stare, she shrugged and replied with a sigh, “I’ll call it plan B.” Maxwell nodded at her with pride that she put the idea on the table. “I just.. want to do a huge gesture, but also subtle.. something eternal.”

Maxwell slapped his hand and arm down on the table in a stroke of genius. “I got it!” Riley looked up at him with intrigued eyes. “You should tattoo his name on you!” Her eyes fell immediately with disappointment.

“Maxwell, I’m not even allowed to wear colorful nail polish. There’s no way I could get a tattoo.”

“Well then, get the tattoo on your ass.”

“Honestly, what am I going to do with you?” Riley said although she was secretly letting her mind wander. It’d be kinda perfect. The ass placement would be a little less than romantic as she wanted. But, his name permanently inked on her, she actually liked it. “So… just exactly where would we get all the bodily image regulations, anyway?”

Maxwell clapped his hands in excitement, “I sure as shit don’t know the official rules, but I can bet we know who does!” The next thing they knew, Riley and Maxwell found themselves in front of Bertrand.

“My dearest brother, I don’t know why, but I have always dreaded this day. Somehow, I just knew you’d lure our queen Riley into some drastic shenanigans. Little did I know you’d encourage her into a tattoo!”

“But it’s a gesture of love! And a Cordonian tradition! It’s their first wedding anniversary. And our queen wants to permanently honor our king. Hello, it’s true love!”

With Maxwell’s over excited attitude, Bertrand could only concede. “Lady Riley, if you wish to proceed, I must tell you, there are actually no restrictions on Royal bodily tattoos. You are permitted to a subtle ink job.” Riley couldn’t stop from withholding her excitement. She’d get Liam’s name tattoed on her as soon as possible, she loved the idea. She just needed to put a plan in motion.

For Liam, his plan fell into place quite easily. With Drake’s help, they found a tattoo artist that was more than willing to discreetly meet the king at the palace to get the job done. The timing worked out perfectly, three days before their anniversary date, Riley was due in Valtoria for a ribbon cutting ceremony. A usually quick appearance, but she very conveniently announced she’d stay overnight to prevent exhaustion from the quick travels.

She even assured him she’d take her time in Valtoria, and include time to make casual appearances around the area to visit the residents. It gave Liam more than enough time, it was perfect.

For Riley, she quickly finagled a side quest into her already existing planned visit to Valtoria. Maxwell was already scheduled to attend the event with her to continue with House Beaumont’s standing alliance and connection to the crown. He would help find a local shop for Riley to discreetly dip into.

Liam had already agreed to her extended stay under her guise of visiting the residents. Sure she would, including a visit to a well kept tattoo parlor. It gave her more than enough time, it was perfect.

On the day of Riley’s trip, she hastily began her travels after exchanging her affectionate goodbyes with Liam. Once Liam felt like a comfortable amount of time had passed since Riley’s departure, he had Bastien contact Mara to confirm their safe and steady passage. All seeming to be part of normal security protocol, which was of course part of Liam’s intention, but he also wanted to get started on his appointment.

Liam had decided to use his office for his in-home tattoo parlor. Drake was there to offer his moral support, and to actually see this take place.

“Are you nervous?” Drake asked, he was still in disbelief this was happening. Any time Leo wanted to win a good ‘dare-off’ with Liam, he’d end it by daring Liam to get a tattoo. Any tattoo. But Liam would never take that dare. To him it was too reckless to permanently modify his body on the whim of a dare.

“Not at all,” Liam answered with a smile.

They were cut off with a knock at the door, and Bastien entered with the tattoo artist in tow. The man was covered head to toe in ink and was extremely professional while he set up his designated station and sanitized his tools. After a while, Liam provided the design he created and showed where he wanted it placed. Liam positioned himself in the chair and the artist began his work.

Riley had finished her appearance, and she and Maxwell started to wander down the beaten path in Valtoria. Riley was relying on Maxwell to lead the way as he assured he found an appropriate place and made arrangements with the owner to accommodate the queen.

“I have the address, but aren’t we supposed to find some bright neon sign that says tattoo? I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for it”

“I wouldn’t know, believe it or not Maxwell, I’ve never done something like this before.” Riley answered with no surprise that he would be looking for something as ridiculous as that. Once Riley stepped in with navigations, they quickly found the parlor that was eagerly awaiting her arrival. The staff greeted her and directed her to the booth and artist that would be working on her. She handed over the final draft of what she wanted and laid out where she wanted it and they got started.

Liam and Riley each woke up the next morning, missing each other, but grateful for the night apart to keep their tattoos under its covering without having to explain it. Liam went into the bathroom to clean his hands and carefully uncover his tattoo with plenty of ointment available to keep the area from getting too dry. He was ecstatic with the finished work and now just had to think of how to conceal it when his wife returned home.

Riley couldn’t wait to uncover her fresh ink. She sat up in her bed in Valtoria and quickly peeled off the covering. She loved it and gently touched it to make sure it was real. In the thrill and excitement of getting the tattoo, she had momentarily forgotten what to do next with it and surprisingly, it was Maxwell that reminded her of the needed new tattoo care.

To both Liam and Riley’s surprise, it was fairly easy to conceal the gestures they created for one another. The two were usually unable to keep off each other and they both worried that their singular desire for a little more distance would raise an immediate red flag. But neither said a thing, not wanting to encourage an annoying line of questioning.

The night of their anniversary date had arrived and they enjoyed a very romantic and intimate dinner out in the capital. They were both eager to finally reveal their gestures, and Riley insisted she go first. For some reason, she was a little nervous.

“Ok, I wanted to do something to show you how proud I am of you, to be your wife, your family, your queen. I want to be with you for forever, and I want to show you that you’ll always be with me.” She raised her left hand with curled fingers up to cover her mouth. “Ready?” She asked, and then she slowly twisted her wrist outward to display the fresh ink in the form of a beautifully scripted and ornate “L.R.” on her wrist.

Liam’s eyes went wide with utter shock and delight, the very reaction he expected out of her. He was already moved with her touching declaration and his heart was bursting with affection at his initials adorned on her body. “Do.. do you like it?”

“Like it!?” His eyes darted from her wrist to her eyes, “I absolutely love it, Riley, I never imagined someone doing something like this for me. I am in awe of you.”

Riley was thrilled with his elation, but now it was her turn. “What.. do you have for me?”

“Heh, well considering what you did for me, I think you’re gonna like what I did for you.” He removed the oversized watch he had been wearing on this left hand, and set his elbow upright on the table, displaying the fresh tattoo on his wrist that read “Riley” with a gold crown just above the name on the end.

“Oh my…. Oh my God, Liam! You didn’t!” Riley couldn’t stop from covering her mouth with her hands in complete and total shock. She grabbed his wrist and pulled it to her face. “How did you…. How did you know!? Was it Maxwell, did he spill my surprise? Liam how did you possibly know? This is amazing, look at us! We match! I love it!” She was squealing with joy and excitement.

Liam laughed heartily, “I promise I did not know, it seems we share more than just a heart, we share a mind as well.” Liam got up from his seat and pulled a hefty load of cash from his wallet to drop on the table to tip the staff, and he reached and pulled Riley from her chair. “Now, we are getting out of here, and I am putting a baby in you tonight.” He said with the most devilish grin Riley had ever seen.

#choices trr #king liam #choices #the royal romance #trr #liam x riley #choices trh #choices flash fic #liam rys #cordonia

[thedreadvampy]

watching Sam play Screed: Viking Time and I have. Questions. about Asgard. to whit:

why must people always paint Loki as a generic villain? he's not a generic villain! he's a trickster! he's an Anansi kinda guy! he talks his way into trouble and then talks his way out! he's not even a villain he's just not always on the Asgardian side and he often Causes Problems On Purpose but he also...fixes them. for Asgard. idk it annoys me it's like always putting Hades as a villain in Greek stories it's like nah he's just a Different Kind of Guy

minor gripe but at one point Thor yells 'Jotunheim scum!' and can I just say that's like me running into battle against these guys yelling 'NORWAY SCUM! DENMARK BASTARDS!' like. I know you know the adjective is Jotun because you keep saying it.

Speaking of Greek stories I see we ran out of time on the design side and had to dip back to some Odyssey stuff because BOY HOWDY is this a Mediterranean looking Asgard. where exactly the fuck did all these fluted stone columns with Tuscan capitals come from? what's with the big courtyard with a geometric pool? why are there what appear to be sheets of lapis lazuli in the walls? why is there literally a Greek ruin in part of Asgard? there's these statues along the Bifrost and not only are they mounted on Doric columns and in classical contraposto they are literally wearing chitons and Corinthian helmets.

there's no longhouses! there's no wooden buildings! there is one (1) stave church style building and as Sam says it looks like it was made in the Sims, like someone had a sense of what they wanted it to look like but all the wrong building blocks. it's all stone columns with, at best, some knotwork patterning slapped on (over fluting, which is wild, even in architecture where Greek style columns are appropriate you usually pick BETWEEN fluting and pattern work, and I would be much more up for giving them a pass if they used a Tuscan pillar shape but put knotwork on. like really for a Norse style stone columns would be better squared off (or, mostly, not there) but if they needed stone columns and arches I could close my eyes and pretend if they used like. Romanesque pillars and rounded arches like 11th and 12th century cathedrals (even though the game is set in the 830s). but they're doing this very kind of High Classical thing with a very thin and half-assed Medieval Norse skin slapped over bits of it in a way that didn't really get popular in Northern Europe for like another 600 years and idk if it ever really took off in Norway (idk much about Norwegian architecture tbf). which makes me think they literally just retextured and rearranged a bunch of assets from Odyssey which is a shame because designing an Asgard setting is such a fun design project where you could really explore some unrealistic extremes with wooden-style structures. but no. it's Greek.

and the thing is, ok. with the Greek theming in Asgard. I know it's only happened because the game was rushed out, but like the conflation of Norse and Greek has some very 😬 unintended implications wrt how much a lot of the people who are Very Into The Surface Level Aesthetic of both cultures are. how to say. fashy white supremacists peddling the myth of some unified White Western Culture where both Ancient Greek and Medieval Norse cultures feature heavily. and if I was. making a game about Norse history and mythology. I would personally be being Very Wary of feeding the fash bc white supremacists looooooove their imagined version of Manly Viking Alphas.

#red said #Sam says the 'roman' ruins in the English bits of the plot also look. suspiciously Greek. #which like hey guys. a bunch of those ruins are STILL THERE you can just GO LOOK. #there's WAY more lasting Roman buildings in Britain than Danish or Norse because GUESS WHAT THOSE GUYS BUILT THINGS OUT OF #oh yeah it's WOOD #(also in fairness there was that whole 11th century genocide thing where William the Bastard burnt down #a bunch of Danish and Norse and Saxon buildings and replaced them with Norman buildings to put Norman lords in)

[randomvarious]

Today’s mix:

SWIRL | Deep Progressive Mix 01 2000 Progressive House / Trance

Today I learned a little bit about this yearly event called Swirl that used to take place up in Montréal in the early-to-mid-2000s. It was a big rave that attracted thousands to enjoy not only dance music, but hip hop as well. And maybe that attempt to blend those two different types of music under one roof is what gave this event its name 🤔.

Now, you'd think an event that garnered that many people to attend would leave some kind of easily traceable digital footprint, but I really can't find much of anything about Swirl, especially the one from 2000, which today's mix was officially made for.

However, I did find an archived version of Swirl's website for their 2001 event, which was apparently shut down before it even started (and according to a forum post I found, refunds were also never issued 😬).

But look at this list of heavy-hitting DJs, man!: Laurent Garnier, Richie Hawtin, Tall Paul, and Frankie Bones in the main dance room and then Tony Touch, DJ Revolution, Phife Dawg, and Peanut Butter Wolf in the hip hop room! And at a giant venue like Olympic Stadium where the Expos played too?! What could have been! 🤯😔

But if Swirl 2001's lineup is any indication of what Swirl 2000's lineup was like, then this uncredited DJ mix was really an awful way to market that event, because honestly, outside of the final two tracks on here—which both have awesome keys in common, by the way—this thing is basically just a largely boring progressive house mix with tunes that don't really go anywhere or do anything interesting. Besides those two songs, the only other good thing I can say about it is that its transitions are pretty nice and seamless, at least for the most part.

And there's also no hip hop on here at all either, which is disappointing, considering the fact that Swirl was featuring hip hop music at their events. And I think the same company that was behind Swirl also did another Canadian event called Cream. And I also have a CD from one of those Cream events too. And guess what? If I recall correctly, It's mostly filled with dance tunes, but it also has Noreaga aka N.O.R.E. aka P.A.P.I. on it as well (Remember “Superthug” or “Nothin’” or “T.O.N.Y.” with Capone?). Like, I get that this is a mix and you can't really mix uptempo dance music with hip hop, but you should at least try to do something on your CD to show the different kinds of music that are going to be played at your event, like my Cream CD does. Maybe shorten the boring mix a bit and throw a few hip hop tracks in at the end or something? I don't know 🤷‍♂️.

Anyway, again, if the bill for Swirl 2000 was anything like the bill for the one that succeeded it, then you can pretty much guarantee that its DJ sets were magnitudes better than what ended up being placed on this CD to promote it. Pas bon!

Highlights:

Dan Maxam - "Energizer (Ian Wilkie Dub)" Blair Bitch - "Blair Bitch"

#progressive house #house #house music #trance #dance #dance music #electronic #electronic music #music #2000s #2000s music #2000's #2000's music #00s #00s music #00's #00's music

[ethereousdelirious]

I caught a cold 🤧 now it really is Sicktember

Sicktember 2023 Day 29

Prompt: Side Effects/Adverse Reaction

Fandom: Po.kémon

Characters: V.olkner, Fli.nt

Notes: The medication referenced is pseudoephedrine. Turns out there's a reason they make m.eth out of that stuff 😬

Also this is a totally random little detail but I had Vo.lkner and Fl.int swap O.ctillery and Lo.punny for literally no reason at all. I got their teams mixed up and was like "eh, fuck it. tradesies"

Volkner better not have been dead. That would have been a real bummer.  Not to mention inconvenient, because Flint had been talking a big game in the Fight Area and he couldn't kick as much Ace Trainer butt without his trusty partner in crime.

Sighing, he tossed Infernape's Pokéball from hand to hand a few times. If the ferry had gotten a late start and Volkner was only just now out on the water, he wouldn't have any cell service.

But still...

Flint whipped his phone out and flipped it open, staring at the keypad. Maybe he should…

His phone buzzed and Volkner's face popped up on the screen accompanied by his custom ringtone. Flint hit the button to answer. "Yo, Shotgun! I was just about to call you. What's up?"

Volkner's tinny, congested voice cut through the static. "I overslept and missed the ferry. Next one's not for another half— h-half— its'SKH!"

"You okay, dude?" Volkner had mentioned earlier that he was getting over a cold, but he sure didn't sound like he was over anything.

Volkner gave a congested sigh that crackled over the cell connection. "Guh. Yeah. Sorry. Ih'SCHK!"

"I thought you said your doctor prescribed you something."

"He did, but it's, uh. Uhh, it's a whole thing, you know? Anyway. I'm— Hm, I'll see you soon. Don't battle anyone without me."

"Okay, man." Flint made no effort at keeping the concern out of his voice. Volkner was acting weird. Since when did he talk so much?

Flint flipped his phone shut and tucked it back in his pocket. "Don't battle anyone, huh?" he said to Infernape's Pokéball.

Great, that only left him with 40 minutes to kill and nothing to do. It was an awkward amount of time to try to get over to the Resort Area and back in time to meet Volkner at the docks and he couldn't go exploring without risking a battle with someone. And Volkner would know if he battled anyone and never let him hear the end of it.

With a sigh, Flint set off to find a café.

While the Battle Zone was short of amenities, there were a few restaurants and cafés sprinkled throughout, albeit with an obvious bias for the Resort Area.

For lack of options, Flint found himself in a dingy café that looked more like a dive bar, with salt-blurred windows and a deck that overlooked the sea. After a few minutes spent contemplating the menu, Flint ordered a milk tea with tapioca pearls and went outside to lean against the railing and watch the waves.

By the time the ferry reached the dock, Flint had migrated down to the water and started launching tapioca pearls from his straw for Octillery to catch. A few Magikarp came up to nibble at the pearls Octillery dropped, but they scattered when the ferry's wake began to churn the water.

Flint got to his feet and stretched, recalling Octillery with a smile and a wink.

Volkner was one of the first passengers to disembark the ferry, which was weird. He even waved at Flint instead of rolling his eyes.

"Hey, shotgun!" Flint pulled him in for a side hug. "How's Lopunny treating you?"

Volkner cracked his neck and shook himself. "I'm still trying to figure out how to make the most of her," he said, and every word buzzed with impenetrable congestion. His hands roamed as he talked, rubbing the bridge of his nose, running through his hair, fidgeting with his clothing.

Flint looked him over properly, long and slow. Volkner was acting jumpier than a Spoink (heh, that was a good one). Despite the sunlight, his dilated pupils reduced the brilliant blue of his irises to a mere sliver. He had said something about a prescription, hadn't he?

"IH'schuh!"

"Volkner. Are you okay?"

Volkner rolled his eyes, scrubbing at his nose with his fingertips. "So you know how I caught that cold last week? Well, I went to the doctor because I couldn't hear anything and he said it was my..." Volkner screwed up his face. "I don't know, something with my ears, so he prescribed me this medication that was supposed to help, and it kind of does, but the trade off is this." He gestured to himself and the jittery ball of nerves he'd become. "And on top of all that, I'm still... s-still— ih'SKXT! Unh. Sneezing."

Well. That explained a lot. "Man, I don't think I've ever heard you talk this much before," Flint said, smiling.

"Don't get used to it." Volkner sniffed and blinked hard. "Are we doing this or— or, uhh… hhhIH'TSCHK!"

"No, buddy," Flint said, catching Volkner by the shoulder to keep him from stumbling. "I think we're not doing this."

"Flint…"

"And I think you need to talk to your doctor about those meds. Have you been taking challengers like this?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." Volkner glared, but in his usual, 'not actually irritated' way. "Since somebody took away my toolbox and told me I'm not allowed to remodel my Gym for another year."

"Hey, man, it was that or an official reprimand from the Board."

"Oh, please— IH'SXT! They can't fire me."

Flint stuck his hands in his pockets and bounced on the balls of his feet. It was good to see that Volkner's confidence hasn't wavered, but he was clearly in no shape to battle. He needed to rest, something his medication obviously made it impossible to do. No wonder he hadn't gotten any better. Was he even sleeping?

"...Can they?" Volkner's voice cut through the smoke in Flint's head.

"Huh?"

"You got all quiet."

"Oh!" Flint bounced on his toes again and smiled. "I'm just worried about you, shotgun."

"Well, how about stop worrying about me and start worrying about battling? I didn't come here just to be fussed over."

"Aw." Flint forced his smile to widen into a shit-eating grin and took Volkner by the wrist. "It's cute that you think you can control that, hotshot."

Volkner let himself be manhandled back up to the café, though the lines of tension in his body suggested that he was more than ready to tear his arm out of Flint's grip and sprint away into the wilds. He really must have been feeling bad, or at least pretty disoriented.

"Why don't you get yourself a tea or something?" Flint said, passing over a laminated menu. He'd sat Volkner down by a table with a view of Stark Mountain and now they both stared at it, entranced by a plume of smoke emanating from one of the vents in the rocks.

Volkner looked down at the menu. "Bubble tea?"

"I was thinking more like something to help with that congestion," Flint, sitting down next to Volkner. "You sound really stuffed up."

"Impossible," Volkner said flatly, "I'm on medication for that."

"You're funny when you're like this," Flint said, reaching over to stop Volkner from compulsively scratching at his neck.

"Well, I hate it." Unable to fidget, Volkner squirmed in his seat. "I talk too much and I can't  stop chewing my nails and everything keeps startling me."

"You need to rest," Flint said, tilting his chair back on two legs and resting his hands on the back of his head. "Get some tea and let's sit for a while and watch Stark Mountain decide if it wants to kill us all."

Volkner sighed and rolled his eyes, but divested his hands from Flint's grip so he could pick up the menu. "Fine."

#ethereous writes #sicktember 2023

[mlobsters]

supernatural s13e10 wayward sisters (w. robert berens, andrew dabb)

is this a spinoff setup attempt? not sure i have the... whatever. to watch it. another longer than necessary recap but at least the music is mixed better than 13x09. but this is made more like a music video (or fanvid), can't say i'm feelin the music they picked but whatever. usually their pre-ep recaps are (sometimes too) snappy. is this the same editor as 09 i wonder. they had the same DP forever basically. so yes, it is the same editor and he only did 27 episodes in the series, definitely gonna keep that in mind as i slog my way through the end of the series. see if i can pick up the tells like i was doing and not realizing with the composers 🤪

generally down for claire being a badass and all, but like. being outnumbered with monsters that have physical advantages and her not having been doing it very long, is a little hard to swallow. generally the show presents hunting as something that should be done not-alone? and if she's gonna get into a wrestling match with a werewolf instead of just shooting it... whatever. whatever whatever

well, at least jody is freaking out/yelling at her about it. but like, jody can't be her hunting partner fulltime, so maybe she needs to get set up with one of the other hunters they know.

another scar comparison for bonding moment (11x15 which was more a direct jaws scar comparison reference)

SAM No no no, don’t tell me it tastes like chicken. DEAN No, Sam it’s a lizard. It tastes like a lizard.

all right that got a chuckle out of me

cute cute

CLAIRE Yeah. Jody always said I’d get myself killed, hunting, and I’d be like, good. If I’m going to go out then that’s how I want to do it, doing something great

yeah need a smidge more self-preservation skills i think before doing this alone

these uh, bad place monster guys are. something. very predator movie monster vibes with the jaw situation, stringy bits and clicky noises

that big skull is so goofy looking.

is there some reason they just didn't run straight into the nexus no stopping. wtf. kaia had to die first for no reason

JODY No, this isn’t on you, not all of it, I told you to go. CLAIRE No. I didn’t even think, I just raced in, no plan. I said I’d protect her. I get it now, why you are the way you are, with me. Because of the… this feeling…

all righty. kaia had to die for claire to learn a lesson.

CLAIRE I came back to Sioux Falls to save Sam and Dean Winchester and I did. No, we did, we saved Sam and Dean. All of these amazing women, my family. They don’t know it yet, they think I’m staying because I’m broken but I’m staying because I need them, my family, my army. The thing that killed Kaia is still out there and I don’t care if I have to tear another hole in the universe, we’re going to find it. And I’m going to kill it.

LOL omg the diary and voiceover. how very vampire diaries

i mean, it's sweet

uh huh 🥴

(wiki)

On May 11, 2018 it was announced that Wayward Sisters would not go to series, with network president Mark Pedowitz citing on May 17th: “We are big fans of the characters and the women who played those characters… We hope they continue on as guest stars on Supernatural… But we did not feel creatively that the show was where we wanted it to be. And we felt we had a better shot with [Originals spin-off] Legacies.”

isn't the originals a spinoff of the vampire diaries? lol spinoff of a spinoff had better potential 😬made it 4 seasons!

#supernatural #spnwatch #spn 13x10 #robert berens #andrew dabb #wayward sisters

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here friend and I'm looking forward to your thoughts on the RNM premiere soon!! My spoiler free review is 🙄😒🙄😒. For fun, thought I'd share something from one of Hollier's many interviews about this season. When talking about exploring the Isobel/Kyle vs. the Isobel/Anatsa dynamic, he specifically mentioned looking at "What happens when you have two great choices?",which is the closest we'll get them acknowledging that the S2 "triangle" involved one not great choice. Happy viewing!

Given what we got for the season 3 premier (that 🤢🤮 “dream girl” line denying Alex any agency to be angry and setting up the character assassination of Soft Elementary School Greg, m*ria lashing out at Michael and being purposefully mean about his relationship with Alex, knowing they weren’t together, the cringy “men have needs” line and f*rlex sex, etc), this episode was SO much better. Yeah, I’ve got issues with some things but this episode is the first one I had a mostly good time watching in quite a while, so I’m taking the win because I doubt the rest of the season will be the same.

I am planning on doing my sparks/did not spark joy posts this season but I’m behind this week and will be out of town the start of next week but after that I should hopefully be getting them done by mid-week, so stay tuned for that! I'll have gathered more of my salty thoughts by then, I'm sure! (WHERE is the mention of my girl Rosa? How is she doing? Who knows! Not fucking us, that's for sure. Is Sanders okay or is he still laid out in the junkyard where they left him in the finale and then never spoke about him again? Let me see my grouchy old man-dad! I want to hear what he has to say about Malex moving in together! ANYWAY)

I am cackling at that quote because it’s definitely got some shade! I mean, we all been knew, but it's nice to hear all the same. BUT, I am soooooo tired of this show that in the very first episode set the alien soulmate premise when Isobel told Max that it had been 10 years (of no contact mind you) and he needed to move on and he said “if I could have, I would have”, and then spent the rest of the show trying to pair these people up with others! Stop it! Now, I’m fairly ambivalent about Anatsa, but I am clocking that “reporter doesn’t care who could be in danger as long as they can break the Big Story” thing that is surely coming and I JUST got rid of one soulless reporter on 911, I don’t need to deal with another. Also, she slept with Max which is STILL WEIRD and her showing up to Max and Liz’s house is 😬😬😬 especially because they just, refuse to address these things on the show. That said, I have always enjoyed the scenes Anatsa is in as their own things and I don’t dislike her, I think the show made some poor choices but I’m not going to skip her scenes or anything. But love triangles are played out and my soooo little sense in destined soulmates stories unless the story wants to focus on fighting destiny but RNM is flaky about that at best. Also, while I think flustered Isobel is cute, after spending so much of her life being in relationships with lies and being uncomfortable, she deserves a relationship she can relax in. Also also, this is the last season and I want cute moments with her and Kyle and instead we are getting another love triangle and Sad Kyle for likely most of the season. But at least her and Anatsa’s scenes are watchable and cute!

Thanks for the ask and I know you’re busy moving and stuff and I’m going on vacation vacation on Friday (not just to see family but going to an ocean-side condo in TX) so if you don’t have time to send a song this week that’s fine! I am unsure how much I will be online, it depends on how early my mom goes to bed because I am a Night Owl when I’m allowed to be, but if you DO have something, I’ll do my best to get to it before Monday! Always good to hear from you bestie!

#my sweet nonnie friends #sleeping at last anon #roswell nm #roswell spoilers #roswell nm my behated #i am a little tipsy so if this doesn't all make sense yes it does!

[pensat-i-fet]

A writing update where I actually update you about writing? Crazy times! But yes, let's talk.

So, of course, we got 3 new chapters of Not Enough to mention. And here's the broken record telling you the reception for the series remains the best I've had for one from so early on. And it's just lovely. I don't obsess about numbers but try being as tired and emotional as I am at the moment and...seeing the love for something I created is definitely helping make the days better so thank you for that ❤️

As for my writing...I've actually been writing! I've made some progress on my Micky story but also on another one I haven't given you much info about so far. My problem is that I know starting with chapter 1 is better and makes sense but tell that to my brain. I always start with the middle chapters, which helps me understand the characters better but still. Bit messy. So that's what's happening with Micky's series but guys... I'm obsessed with it! I'm loving how it's developing. How it's light-hearted but has a lot of heart too. It's what I personally want to read when I pick up a contemporary romance. And I'm trying to make a playlist for it. I want to do something fun with the songs too so fingers crossed that works. I often have big ideas that I then can't execute 😬 but this is going well so far.

And the other series is different because I wrote little bits for further into the series but yesterday I wrote chapters 1 and 2 (look at her doing something right) and...can I say I'm obsessed too? That first chapter I feel is one of the best first chapters I've written. It sets the story so well and foreshadows many things, as all chapters ones should. It's also completely different to my Micky series and that's something I love. Working on very similar projects can get confusing, while being able to jump from one project to a very different one is a lot better for me.

Overall, I'm really happy with the writing I've done lately, you know? ☺️ And that feels good so, hopefully, I can share it with you too soon to see if you enjoy it as much!! Also, thank you to everyone sending me inspo and encouraging me to write more ❤️ I appreciate you a lot!

#writing updates

[thepercy6andtheradicalsabbatical]

Cinque Terre hike part 2 - Our bellies full, we set out for the next leg of the trail from Vernazza to Corniglia. We did not see our Canadian friends, but did have another great time hiking and the kids did great, with even Oli hiking 99.4% of it (0.6% he was carried by Becca after having a trip and fall and crying briefly). It remains unclear to Matt why Oli can hike for 4+ hours of significant up and down without complaint, but demands to be carried on shoulders after about 3 minutes of flat walking in big cities. In Corniglia (the only town that does not have direct see access as it’s up on a hill a bit), Matt waited in a 6 person line to try what Lonely Planet had said was the best gelato in Cinque Terre at Alberto Gelateria, but the kiddos we less patient and opted for the next store, unrated place, which they claim was maybe better (due to having fancy dipped cones...Matt may not agree). We then trekked down a big flight of stairs to the train station and caught a train back to Monterosso. The total hiking for the day was 6+ miles and over 1500 feet of vertical which the kids did surprisingly well at. We then hit the beach/sea again and Matt opted to have us set up camp a little further down the beach along the cliffs. The swimming was cut a little short when Emily got stung by (we think) a jellyfish so we headed back to our place and freshened up for dinner. We let the kids play at the playground again before dinner (they still somehow had energy to burn 😬), then wandered around in search of a dinner spot. After being turned away form one and not being able to find another we were looking for, Becca was able to find us a table at a place that was not on Matt’s list of recommended places, but still had good food choices for the kiddos. Matt only sulked a little and we ended up with lots of leftover noodles for future kid meals. We then headed home to bed after another big day!

[churippu]

Jukebox Jury Appearance [x]

#heres some salvaged (???) gifs from the gif set I was talking about the other week #also please CW/TW for Jimmy Savile in the original vid 💀🤮 #the original video isn’t great quality so if anyone has another version lemme know! #it was another big set but these are the better looking ones 😬 #sparks #ron mael #russell mael #sparks gifs #gif #gifs #sparks (band) #sparks band #original post

[buckymylove]

Believe Me - B.B.

Bucky x fem!reader

Summary: You not feeling great about yourself when you and the team take a day trip to the beach but Buckys there to help.

Warnings: swearing, insecurities, body image, sweet Bucky, avengers being chaotic, lots of fluff

Word count : 4,000 (i got carried away 😬)

A/n: look I lowkey hate this just in terms of writing quality or ~complete lack of~ but i wrote this to feel better about myself so I hope it helps someone else who might need to hear this! PLEASE be kind to yourselves! Im always here to talk. Enjoy! :) xx

Please do not translate on steal any of my works! Reblogs and likes are welcome and much appreciated if you would like! X

Tony had suggested a beach day one day when everyone was free, so the whole crew piled into the team bus with mixed emotions minus Thor who was currently attending to business in Asgard and Bruce who insisted he had work to do in the lab and that the beach wasn't really his thing anyway.

Tony of course spent the whole ride droning on to anyone that would listen about how amazing his idea was (no one was listening but no one dared to tell him as they didn't want to suffer through another one of his child like tantrums and have him grumbling for the rest of the trip), Sam and Clint were bickering about something as usual, another thing no one bothered to interfere with since it hadn't got physical. Yet. Steve was reading an article on his phone about the dangers of excessive sun exposure. Apparently he thinks it's ok to dive head first into war but too much sun is just to risky.

Bucky was reading the hobbit. Again. Vision and Wanda were playing a game of uno and Nat, well she was being Nat, didn't care either way if they ended up at the beach or not, though secretly she was looking forward to sunbathing.

You were staring out the window, earphones in and music playing. In all honesty you weren't all that excited about going to the beach so you were trying to distract yourself. You liked the beach, you just weren't a fan of the running around in only a swim suit part. It was especially difficult when you lived with the avengers, standing next to Nat and Wanda you just felt really bad about yourself. Of course you never brought this up, you'd learnt to accept it for the most part, but some days just felt harder than others, and today was one of those days seeing as you were going to be around the whole team in just a swimsuit for the first time. No one else seemed to have any insecurities when it came to the swim suit thing so you just kept it in, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.

Thats what lead you to sitting on your beach towel, sundress still overtop of your swim suit, curled into yourself a little. Everyone else had started having there fun, minus Steve who was going round the team with a bottle of sunscreen. Wanda and Sam were throwing around a beach ball, while Bucky and Clint made there way to the ocean and Vision was taking pictures of anything and everything.

"Who wants drinks!" Tony yelled holding out plastic glasses in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.

Nat cheered and made her way over to where Tony was standing. So she was awake. Sneaky little bitch.

You huffed but followed behind her deciding a little liquid courage is exactly what you needed right now.

Once everyone had grabbed their drinks along with some snacks tony had packed they headed back to whatever they were doing. Sam and Clint got all competitive again and you heard them yelling something about a sandcastle competition, sure enough three minutes later they had buckets of water and were working on their creations, jabbing at each other every chance they got.

"Hey y/n, imma head into the water for a bit, you coming?" Nat asked as she set her drink down and started walking towards the sea, that you had to admit looked beautiful.

"I'm good Nat, maybe later" you called back with a smile. She nodded and ran off.

You just sat and watched for a while, it was peaceful, but you noticed everyone slowly making there way to the water and knew that soon it would get much harder to avoid.

A few minutes later Tony wandered over to you. "Hey kid, even i'm getting in now, Steve said the waters nice, you should join us"

You looked up at him with your arms still wrapped around your knees, sitting on your towel. "Uh yeah maybe in a minute, I'm really enjoying just relaxing over here right now" you half lied. You were enjoying it but you also really wanted to get in the water, especially since the team were all together having a good time, you just really didn't feel like taking your dress off.

"You sure? You all good?" He asked with a hint of concern in his features.

You were quick to wave him off. "Yeah, yeah i'm fine just relaxing over here"

"Yeah you already said that..." he said suspiciously.

"Well yeah, thats.. what im doin' i guess" you replied awkwardly.

He gave you a weird look but eventually left to join the team. You breathed a sigh of relief as you watched him run off but you knew you weren't going to be able to put it off much longer.

You felt kind of left out watching the team having a great time, but you knew it was no ones fault but your own.

You got away with it for another 20 minutes or so, which was honestly longer than you expected but the inevitable happened as you watched Bucky emerge from the water.

The worry of removing your dress subsided for a second when you took in the sight of the gorgeous Bucky Barnes. You could've sworn he was moving in slow motion as he made his way over to you. Water droplets running down his sun kissed skin, his hand running through his newly-cut, wet hair, which showed off the bulging muscles in his arms and the perfect set of abs that came towards you. You were broken out of your daze when Bucky called your name. It was then that the panic returned, except this time it was ten times worse and hit you like a truck. How in the hell, were you meant to walk past this perfectly built man in your swim suit that showed off basically everything you were insecure about; battle scars, stretch marks, blobs of fat that shouldn't be there. You were on the edge of tears as you realised how disgusting you felt right now.

Bucky noticed your mind was else where as he approached you, determined to bring you to the rest of the team and join in on the fun. "Y/n" he said again, quieter this time as he stood in front of you.

You looked up at him trying to will your tears away. "Oh hey Buck, whats up"

He took a seat next to you on Nat's towel. He looked at you with concern as he noticed the glassy, grey look in your eyes but decided to brush past it for a second, not wanting to overstep.

"Why don't you come join us, it doesn't feel right without you there for all the fun" he said with a smile nudging your shoulder with his.

You forced out a chuckle and looked to him. "I like it here, just not really in the mood for the water right now" you were going to say more but decided not to, not wanting Bucky to sense your fear. But no such luck because of course Bucky was an ex world class assassin, so noticing fear was kinda a specialty of his, but he still had no idea why.

"Aw come on we all miss you over there"

"I said no Bucky" you didn't mean for it to sound so snappy and immediately felt bad.

Bucky looked a bit taken aback since he'd literally never seen you be anything but nice to your family and friends. But quickly got over it realising there was obviously something bothering you.

"I-i'm sorry B-Bucky" you stuttered. "I didn't mean that, I know you were just being nice I'm sor-"

"Hey it's ok I shouldn't have pushed you" there was a moment of awkward silence.

"Uh may I ask why you really don't want to go in the water? You know I wouldn't judge you for whatever you say right?" He really wanted to help but was nervous, as he desperately didn't want to make you mad at him.

You looked up at him no longer able to hold back the tears. Bucky's eyes widened in fear as he realised that he did this to you.

"Y/n im really sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, do you want me to go?"

"No no it's ok, i swear it's nothing you did Bucky I'm just scared to go over there" you admitted through your light sobs. You were scared you'd already said to much, but this only confused Bucky more.

"You're scared of the water?" He asked gently, there was no kind of malice or judgement behind his words, just a sort of curiosity, which did make you feel more comfortable.

"No, nothing like that" you said shyly, knowing that eventually you would probably end up admitting your reasoning to Bucky, but trying to hold it back as long as you can.

"Then what is it doll? Is someone on the team being a dick? Do you need me to kill anyone?" He said the last part with a more playful tone but something about his told you he wasn't kidding. You let yourself chuckle a little at that, as the tears continued to run.

"God no, no I love that bunch of idiots" you chuckled before you sniffled again.

"It's just..." you shrugged.

How do you tell someone the reason your sitting alone whilst your entire family is having fun without you is all because your insecure about the way you look? People make it seem like it should be easy to talk about, but no matter how much support you get, it's still hard, because there's very little other people can say to change your mind. Although being reassured by other people can be helpful, at the end of the day, your the only one that can change your opinion of yourself. And it's really fucking hard to do.

"It's stupid don't worry about it, you're missing all the fun" you said, wiping away your tears and forcing out a smile, using all your might to not burst into tears in front of Bucky.

"It's not stupid if it's upsetting you babydoll"

You looked into his eyes and all you saw was a gentle, kind soul, who wanted nothing more in this moment than to make you feel better. That's what made you lose it. You broke down into sobs that tugged at Bucky heart, he felt awful. He pulled you into is arms so that you were situated on his lap, and held you, he let you cry as much as you needed to. After a while your cries started to die down. He took this chance to gently lift your chin and look at you.

"Please tell me whats wrong sweets, I promise I'll do whatever I can to fix it"

This was it. He was being so kind that you almost felt like you owed him the truth, which of course you didn't and Bucky would never imply anything of the sort but the care he showed towards you made you think, that maybe, you could trust Bucky enough to let him in.

You looked down to your lap. "I hate the way my body looks" you whispered it so quietly he almost missed it. Bucky had to ask again because he had not expected that response at all, then again he really didn't know what to expect. "What was that doll?"

"My body Bucky, it's not like Nat or Wanda's, I'm not perfect like them, like the rest of the team. I have fat in places it shouldn't be and I have more curves than either of them, and I know curves are beautiful, but not on me. They don't look right on me. I'm all wrong." You'd mostly stopped crying but Bucky wished you would start again because the look he saw in your eyes now was much more unsettling. They were empty, grey, they looked completely defeated and he couldn't stand seeing you like that or knowing that you thought that about yourself.

He couldn't quite understand what you were going through, why on earth would it matter to have extra skin in certain places? Why are you supposed to think that it's wrong to not be shaped a certain way? Who decided that you were supposed to be skinny? Seriously, who came up with that idea? In Bucky's day it was seen as beautiful for a woman to have extra curves, but no more beautiful than a woman without them. There were a lot of morals that weren't right in those days but at least people weren't judged for the size of their body's.

In that moment all Bucky could feel was anger. Not at you but at the people that made you feel this way. At anyone who had ever said it was wrong to look a certain way, because why should a person be judged by how they look?

He tightened his embrace and tried to stop his own tears from falling before he started talking. "Babydoll" he started shakily. "What god damn idiot put all that in your head? You have every right to feel the way you feel but not if your going to be horrible to yourself. Hey, look at me" he gently held your face in his hand. "You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen, now hear me out. I know that sounds generic, or like I'm only saying it to make you feel better, but that's my fault. Now is not the first time I should be telling you how absolutely gorgeous you are, I should've told you everyday since the minute we met, because if I had known that this is what you'd been thinking about yourself? I would've started reminding you a lot sooner. You body is just as beautiful as Nat and Wandas, you don't have to be the same to be beautiful. Look at them doll" you looked over to where nat and Wanda were splashing about. "Do they look exactly the same?" He asked, you sheepishly shook your head no. "And are they exactly the same shape?" You shook your head again "but you still think they're beautiful right?" He asked looking at you expectantly. "Of course I do Bucky, who would think otherwise."

"Ok so what makes you any different? Why, just because you're not the same as them, are you not beautiful? Because believe me doll, you are gorgeous. And all this 'extra' fat your talking about is nonsense, it's not extra and it's not out of place it's a part of you that's just as important as the rest of you. Doll, no one is perfect and I promise you faithfully that every. single. person over there has something they're insecure about, it's completely normal. You think I like people seeing the awful red and white lines that are scribbled all over my shoulder? I hate it, and for so long I thought it was ugly and out of place, and I still don't like them, but I've learned to be ok with them and accept that they're a part of me. They represent a part of my story and that's what makes it important. Because at the end of the day what really matters is what's on the inside, and trust me I know how that sounds, but it's true. I would rather marry a woman that looked identical to a tree that has a good sense of humour and kind, caring heart that makes me happy than a woman that ticks the boxes from some magazine article but has no personality and no good nature.

The only people you need to think about are those who love you for you, and I know that me and the rest of the team all love you unconditionally, especially me doll, why can't you see how incredibly happy you make me and how much of a better person you make me." He wiped a tear from your face.

"Now please do me a favour and learn to be kind to yourself, I know it's easier said than done, but once you learn to love yourself, i Promise it's so worth it and so rewarding and I also promise that I'll be there every step of the way. Its also important to remember that no matter how much you love yourself you can still have bad days. I mean look at Tony" you chuckled at that. "I can't make you believe the truth, the truth being that you are beautiful inside and out, but I sure as hell, can and will help you learn to believe it yourself."

You stared at him, wide eyed, with a mix of pure shock and awe. You couldn't even put what you were feeling into words, but besides the way it made your heart soar and the butterflies in your stomach go wild, you couldn't ignore how proud you felt. Proud that after 2 years of knowing him, he'd gone from being this empty shell of a man who's soul was torn away from him and destroyed over and over again, to a man that's created a new soul for his new self, a strong, kind, wonderful man who'd learn to accept who he is and push past his demons, of course you still saw when he had bad days but he always bounced back. You were completely in awe of this man. And thats when it all made sense.

Everything Bucky had just said to you was poured directly from his heart, all from personal experience. He'd shown you a part of him that not even Steve has seen. Knowing this made you feel a surge of confidence, a feeling of power, that if Bucky could do it after everything those monsters put him through, then you could too. It was going to be pretty rough, but you felt truly confident that Bucky would keep to his word and be there every step of the way.

You felt tears rolling down your cheeks again but they were for a whole other reason now. Of course you didn't suddenly fall completely in love with your self and the way you looked, but you felt for the first time ever, that you could at least try taking the first step.

So that's exactly what you did.

You took a deep breath and stood up. Bucky panicked for a split second thinking you were mad and about to run away, but that fear left him as you reached your hand down to him. He took it and smiled. He stood up and you let go of his hand for a second to take off your dress. Your hands paused and you too another deep breath.

"You got this babydoll" he winked at you as you swallowed down the nerves and threw off the dress in one quick motion and dropped it to the floor. You suddenly regretted wearing that new two piece, to be honest you thought you would manage to get away with not taking the dress off, but you decided now was a better time then any to try something new.

You felt your hands instinctively move to cover yourself but Bucky stopped you, with a kiss pressed lightly to your forehead, "your absolutely stunning" he whispered against your skin, then took your hand in his and started walking to join the rest of the team. You didn't quite believe it yet but you truly believed that Bucky thought it was true, and that helped just a little.

The team cheered when you finally joined them and you smiled but found yourself hiding slightly behind Bucky. So he turned around, scooped you up bridal style, and before you could protest, started running straight into the water. When he was about knee deep in water, you screamed as he - gently - threw you in the water. The team laughed and ended up in a full on splash war. Although you still didn't love your appearance you found yourself forgetting about it while you splashed around with your friends and make shift family, like you were all 5 years old again. You hadn't had this much fun in a long, long time, and you had Bucky to thank for that, except you didn't know how to put into words how grateful you were for him, so, while the team was distracted with the splash war you and him drifted away from the group slightly and you took your chance to show him how thankful you were.

Without saying a word, you moved your hands to gently cup his face while he moved his hands to rest on your waist. You smiled up at him, unshed tears in your eyes, before leaning up and pressing your lips to his. You poured every ounce of love and appreciation into that kiss and Bucky returned it just as passionately. His lips moulded perfectly to yours and his arms wrapped around you, holding you closer as he deepened this kiss. You felt his tongue brush your bottom lip and opened your mouth to grant him access. You were so lost in the kiss you didn't notice the noise from the rest of the team die down, and eventually stop completely. You pulled away from Bucky, completely breathless, but Bucky wasn't to pleased at the loss of contact, and leaned down to capture your lips once more before pulling away to let you breathe and press a soft kiss to your cheek.

It was only then that you noticed the silence from the team. Well, truly it was the absence of bickering from Sam and Clint that caught your attention, because you know it would take something seriously intriguing to shut those two up.

You slowly turned your heads in unison to met with a mix of expressions. Although you were surprised to see that the majority of faces wore a completely smug look or a shit eating grin like they all knew something you didn't. In a second, the silence was gone and replaced by an uproar of cheering and whooping and wolf whistles along with a "old man still got game" from a much too overexcited looking Sam. You blushed while Bucky just rolled his eyes at their antics. You once again didn't have time to process when Bucky picked you up and you instinctively wrapped your legs around him. He brought your lips back to his in a much softer kiss but filled with just as much love. "Alright alright" Steve said with a happy smirk. "GET A ROOM GUYS!" Clint yelled and you pulled away to giggle.

You looked at Bucky, still being held securely in his arms. "Thank you" you whispered, "I love you" you said nervously. Bucky smiled, you'd said it as friend's before but he could tell it had a deeper meaning now.

"I love you too, my beautiful babydoll"

You blushed and moved to press a sweet, chaste kiss to his lips.

And he kept to his word. Bucky spent everyday making sure you knew just how beautiful you were, and it took a while, and a lot of hard work, but eventually, you learned to believe it too.

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