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#katie i partly blame you
dwtdog · 9 days
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Since her job is to make me get my shit together she didn't let me bring up irrelevant topics until the very end so it was just a brief discussion
She really didn't say anything new I outlined the situation and she said it's clearly not a black and white situation and everyone was partly at fault. initially when I said 18 and 26 she made a face but later she said that the added context was really important (they were both drunk, he had reasons to not ask her age (USA) and so on). She also said I need to make up my own mind 😔
but like I said I was rushing to get the story out in time so I left out things like her getting up and then returning and I also didn't mention the power dynamic debate cause I didn't want her to guess I was talking about youtubers so she is missing a lot of context and I also forgot to mention we're only hearing about this like a year later anyway
I said from the information available to us (I kept telling her we don't actually know everything) I don't believe he had malicious intent and he backed off when told (elevator? If I'm remembering correctly) and she said the only way to learn is by being told (I phrased that bad idk like he can't know her boundaries unless she expresses them yk) and that fact that he backed off proves that. But doesn't change the fact that she was uncomfortable even if it's not completely his fault. She also said he needs to be more aware of how he's coming off to others (which Ik he said or whatever in the vid).
She also said the girl wasn't completely without blame for how this situation was presented to the internet and then blown out of proportion which lead to the next point
I told her she was there with friends and they left without her and she said it's possibly she felt betrayed that her friends left her a situation she was uncomfortable in and is taking out on the best target (for her brain) (as Georg was the one that made her uncomfortable even if he didn't do anything wrong).
But obviously none of us know these people personally and we weren't there and my therapist is missing a lot of information so no one take her word as fact just cause she's a therapist. Honestly I could've spent an entire session debating this but we didn't have time sorry Katie you can pay for your own therapy I'm not attending therapy in your place. I'm sorry this is so messy I'm not good at writing
There you go Jesus fuck that was exhausting
-sea
really interesting actually :o
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thecharizard · 2 years
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11/04/2021 12:40am
I remember when I could speak fondly
Of you hugging me in the kitchen 
In front of everyone 
I remember you talked to me about having a sister who’s adopted
Even if I felt pity when your eyes looked at me
You looked just as lost 
Taking every suggestion in stride
Is it terrifying you pointed out how alone I felt
I didn’t say much and I heard it from you clear 
Asking Callie to be my friend
I can’t say if we are anymore 
Asking Katie if she cared about me 
I can’t remember the other suggestion 
When Rachel gave me a Plymouth sweatshirt 
Why is it when I think about that
I feel naive and I find no compassion for my younger self
Time and truth has changed those memories
Am I just scared of feeling vulnerable, still 
I just wanted you, and you, to really love me
To care 
Yet I don’t know what it means anymore 
Questioning how vulnerable I was 
How others were 
It’d be a lie to say I didn’t idolize 
I wanted to feel a part of a family 
I wanted to help people
I wanted to feel ok in my skin 
I wanted to not be alone 
I wanted to not feel scared 
Not feel ashamed 
Now I have those things sometimes and yet
I still feel sore knowing what I know now
I feel partly selfish to want to push them away
To not pay it forward 
I don’t know where I stand 
I can’t tell if Kerry cared, if she cared past her own ideas 
Is this dwelling on the past or processing 
I still want to love
How can I not have compassion
For someone so lonely and desperate to feel loved 
I fear not of harming others but of being unaware of when
When I went to the shelter I felt motivated 
I felt I had no other option
It felt like survival mode
Which is how I’ve always felt 
When I think of home 
Family, of expectations, of perfection
That in an instant I’ll need to fight to be loved
To not be alone
When I made that call to my family
You looked like you were gonna cry too
And i felt so alone
Is that growing up and taking responsibility 
Did I learn my lesson or am I still stuck 
And yet as much as I want to throw blame in specifics
I know it’s not right
My heart keeps breaking
When I feel distant 
When there is loss
48 hours of summer and now I’m cold again
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quillquiver · 5 years
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okay i’m clearly on a music/songfic kick so please excuse me but also just consider the fact that dean really like listening to music when he and cas fuck. and like, most of this is just habit: you live in such close quarters with your brother, you learn to always leave a sock on the door, or play loud music, or jerk off real quiet in the shower. 
but some of it is also the fact that cas likes music---listens to it all the time since falling for good, and well, dean loves cas. a lot.
please consider that one particular night, dean and cas are making out pretty heavily when ‘paradise by the dashboard light’ by meat loaf comes on. and dean pauses because he’s listened to this song five billion times, but cas doesn’t seem bothered (why would he? he doesn’t know the song) so they keep on keepin’ on... but by the time meatloaf sings: though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night/i can see paradise by the dashboard light, cas can barely kiss for how hard he’s trying not to laugh. it’s a little infectious, but he’s not stopping, and god does dean ever want him.
and maybe dean starts paying more attention to the lyrics. ain't no doubt about it we were doubly blessed/’cause we were barely seventeen and we were barely dressed, maybe he rucks up cas’s shirt and uses his heel to push down the elastic of cas’s boxers.
baby don't you hear my heart/you got it drowning out the radio/i've been waiting so long for you to come along and have some fun, maybe he’s a total sap and arches up so their chests are pressing together.
and maybe, when they reach the bridge, cas actually pulls away to snort:
we're gonna go all the way tonight/we're gonna go all the way and tonight's the night...
he’s on dean with ten times more enthusiasm, pushing off his two shirts and pulling down his pants until they’re totally naked and a tangle of limbs and no, wait, safe-safe at second base/this kid really makes things happen out there/batter steps up to the plate, here's the pitch-he's going/and what a jump he's got, he's trying for third, dean cops a feel while cas reaches for the nightstand, here's the throw, it's in the dirt-safe at third/holy cow, stolen base, he's taking a pretty big lead out there...
cas is a fucking animal, lubing up his fingers and teasing dean’s hole and dean whimpers and bites his lip and he is so weak for him it’s a little embarrassing. cas gets him ready and dean is pawing at him, murmuring things like “yeah yeah c’mon sweetheart” and he can barely hear the song over his own heartbeat but it’s in the background, somehow making everything like ten times hotter. the only thing that could top it is if they were actually parked and doing this in baby’s back seat.
bunted down the third base line, the suicide squeeze is on/here he comes, squeeze play, it's gonna be close, here's the throw, here's the play at the---/holy cow, i think he's gonna make it---
cas slides home---
STOP RIGHT THERE/I GOTTA KNOW RIGHT NOW
---and still buried inside dean, pulls away to laugh in total fucking delight. dean, who hasn’t been paying attention for the past while, wraps his legs around cas’s waist and grins crookedly, singing along as he pulls cas in for a messy, smiley kiss:
do you love me?/will you love me forever?/do you need me?/will you never leave me?/will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?/will you take me away and will you make me your wife?
cas drives into him as a steady pace, dean’s singing is abruptly cut off by the toe-curling sensation of his prostate being nailed. he feels cas smirk into his neck.
i gotta know right now, before we go any further/do you love me?/and will you love me forever?
it’s never been like this between them: intense and sloppy and carefree and fun. hell, dean doesn’t think he’s ever really fucked like this before. he can’t stop smiling. his chest is gonna burst with how weirdly light he feels. cas grins crookedly at him and sends a full body shiver up his spine and dean fucking loves him. 
despite the fact that meat loaf is singing, let me sleep on it/baby, baby let me sleep on it, dean jumps ahead: do you love me?---Cas!---will you love me forever?/do you need me?---fuck!---will you never leave me?
cas, bless him, seems to understand dean’s weird roundabout confession and stops, totally shocked, before throwing himself into fucking dean totally senseless. dean is 100% on board with this. he wraps himself around cas as much as he can, and he’s never really cried during sex but he’s getting a little misty-eyed because cas is nodding and repeating the word yes like it’s a fucking prayer. 
dean whites out like that, cas following not long after.
so now i'm praying for the end of time/to hurry up and arrive/’cause if i gotta spend another minute with you/i don't think that i can really survive
dean turns to look at cas, totally dazed and blushing to high heaven. he snorts at the lyrics and cas grabs his hand, pressing a kiss to his palm through a sweet, satisfied smile. “dean,” he says, half question, half unsure statement. 
dean frowns, propping himself up on a shaky arm. “yeah, what’s up?” he’s not freaking out. he’s not. 
it was long ago and it was far away/and it was so much better that it is today...
“i’m in love with you.”
dean can’t stop the grin from taking over his entire fucking face. cas’s eyes are wide and blue and dean shrugs bashfully because he is a child. “kinda got that.” he leans in, presses a chaste kiss to cas’s mouth. “i love you, too.” he nudges their noses. “in case you were wonderin’.”
cas’s grin is a thing of pure joy.
it was long ago and it was far away (it never felt so good, it never felt so right)/ and it was so much better that it is today (and we were glowing like, a metal on the edge of a knife)...
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scrapyardboyfriends · 3 years
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Couldn't agree more re friendships. That was one of the strengths of Emmerdale in the old days. Aaron/Adam or Nicola/Laurel were really well built consistently shown friends. None of that is there anymore - Liv and Gabby - no interaction since a huge event in Gabbys life. You would hardly know Vic and Amy live together. Even romantic relationships like Vic and Luke are so thinly drawn that there is nothing to them. I like the idea of Billy and Aaron becoming friends, that would be believable in a way that Aaron and Luke or Ethan becoming friends wouldnt. But where is Billy? He has only been in one episode since before Christmas.
We really have lost most of the friendships these days. Obviously Adam left which ruined that friendship. Nicola and Laurel still occasionally have good scenes but nowhere near as much as they used to. I suppose you could partly blame Covid for that. Marlon and Paddy are still around and like I’m glad they don’t show them together that much cause I hate Paddy these days but even that friendship has suffered a lot. 
I really hate that they just gave up on Gabby and Liv’s friendship. The rare occasion they actually do have scenes is always welcome. But now it’s like we don’t even know what Liv thinks about Gabby being pregnant or if she even knows. Gabby hasn’t been there for Liv during any of this ordeal with Vinny and Paul. She was in a barn explosion and you wouldn’t think Gabby had even heard about it. I just feel like there’s nothing wrong with characters having their own plots but still interacting to offer new insights to those stories by getting a friend perspective. I mean one of my favorite scenes with Adam and Aaron is that one at the cricket pavilion where Aaron is dealing with all of the Jackson stuff and Adam tells him about having the affair with Ella while being Mia and it actually makes Aaron smile for the first time in a while. It’s such a great little scene. 
As for Vic and Amy, I mean they’d both have to actually be on screen more to be able to develop that friendship again but you’re right, I often forget they both live there. 
I feel like if they interspersed a bit more every day life and friendships into the show, it would be a lot stronger. And it would allow for some lighter moments that people have been craving. I mean that one episode where Vic/Amy/Matty/Luke/Ethan all hung out at the Hide to get Matty and Amy together was such a welcome change from the usual. They need to do more of that. 
Or like, what happened to Priya and Leyla’s friendship. We got one little scene of them talking about Ellis but give me more. And let Tracy back into the friend group so she can do more than whine about the baby and Nate. 
Back in the day when Chas, Katie, Charity and Gennie used to all interact and be friendly with each other? That stuff was great. And there can be smaller bits of drama between friends that can make for shorter stories to break up some of the big stuff. 
As for Billy, yes, he really has disappeared. I wish they’d give him something to do. I’m still mad that they gave him and Aaron that backstory since it’s not like we even saw Billy in those scenes since he didn’t exist yet. And Aaron was never really even that clear about what he did or didn’t do as a part of it all. Especially since they never did anything worthwhile with that rivalry or animosity, it just feels like a pointless reason why they can’t be friends now. I wish they’d just had them know each other from prison without having this whole big thing and then they could have bonded over it instead. It all just feels like one of the many missed opportunities. 
This is all over the place but...GIVE PEOPLE FRIENDS AGAIN! 
(Also friendships could help the romantic relationships because friends can talk about each others relationships and give more insight into them)
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onceuponastory · 3 years
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Coming Back Home Chapter Four: Open Heart (Nick x Y/N)
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“Now you're sitting there so broken-hearted Face buried in a screen, watching other people's dreams But just remember all the fires you started Cuz when you love again, I know you'll turn it up to 10” - open heart: adrian chalifour 
Plot: Six years ago, Y/N left her hometown and all its bad memories behind, and never looked back. But now, she’s come back to be the maid of honour in her sister’s wedding. Returning ‘home’ means she has to confront her past, the last thing she wants to do. When she meets the handsome best man Nick, she feels more comfortable…until her sister asks her to show Nick around town…a town that Y/N fell out of love with a long time ago.
Can Y/N fall back in love with the town she left behind, and maybe find love of her own along the way? (based on prompt by @orphicodysseywrites​)
Tag List: @shinydixon​, @baker151910​ and @thesundrop​. Let me know if you want to be added!
Warnings: Some mentions of anxiety, abandonment and death
Note: I originally wanted this chapter to just be a filler before the next few chapters get more exciting with maybe some drama, but then this ended up being about 3k words. So...enjoy!
Read the other parts / Read this story on Wattpad!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Nick or his character! I just used Nick bc he’s the only character of Dacre’s that fits this prompt. Aside from Nick being in this, this fic has NOTHING to do with The Broken Hearts Gallery. But you should all go see the movie if you can, because it’s adorable!
That Night
“Goodnight Y/N.” Katie smiles, giving me another hug. “Love you.” 
“Love you too.” I smile. She leaves the room, and I let out the shaky breath I was holding. Even though Katie said she had forgiven me, I knew I had messed up. Nick would never want to speak to me again, and part of me still didn’t believe Katie had forgiven me. I mean, she had to, she’s my sister, and I’m the maid of honour....but what if she actually wanted me to leave? What if she never wanted to speak to me again after this? What if Nick felt the same? I wouldn’t blame him, after the way I spoke to him earlier today. Katie said he was worried about me, but when she brought me back, he was nowhere to be seen. My eyes sting again. I like Nick...a lot, and I want him to know I didn’t mean to unleash on him like I did. And I want to talk to him about it and clear it up...But I can’t, because if I did, there was a possibility that my anxieties would come true, and that I’d be abandoned and alone again, just like when my Dad left us. Maybe he was right. Maybe nobody wanted me. It wasn’t Katie’s fault, she was only a child when my Dad abandoned us. She just got stuck with me. It must’ve been something I did that caused this. It’s always my fault. Shivering, I climb into my bed. My bed is cold, causing me to shiver even more. 
Feeling even more alone, I silently cry myself to sleep.
A Few Days Later - Nine Days Until the Wedding
Walking out of my bedroom, I look up to see Nick leaving his room. I gasp slightly. “Uh...Hi Y/N.” He gives me a smile. 
“Hey.” I reply, giving a small wave. Things still felt awkward between us both, and we hadn’t really had the chance to talk to each other properly after my little....outburst. It wasn’t like we were avoiding each other...even if I was. I still wanted to make things right, but I was still unwilling to confront what would happen if Nick never wanted to see me again. And besides, we just didn’t have the time to speak to each other for more than a few minutes, because we were so busy with our separate maid of honour and best man duties. It also didn’t help that Katie was slowly becoming a bridezilla. I didn’t blame her, because the wedding was fast approaching. She just wanted everything to be okay, especially after what I did...but god, if I had to have one more talk about the correct way to position the centrepieces by millimetre, I would lose my mind. But, I wanted Katie to know that I’d stand by her and help her, regardless of the circumstances. Partly because that was my literally my job as the maid of honour, but also because I’m still terrified she’d stop talking to me after the wedding.
“Can I talk to you? I-” Nick begins, before he is cut off by: 
“For FUCK’S SAKE!” Katie yells from downstairs. See what I mean? Nick and I quickly head downstairs to see what was wrong.
“Um...sis? Are you okay?” I ask, seeing her pacing across the kitchen and biting the skin around her thumbnail. She snaps her head over to me. Anger is written across her face. 
“No Y/N. No, I am not okay. That was the person handling the napkins. They’ve just called to cancel. It’s almost a WEEK before my wedding, and we’re gonna have no fucking napkins! I mean, what are we supposed to give our guests? They can’t eat our meals without napkins! And how the hell are we going to get another vendor in time?! Stupid fucking vendors.” She hisses and almost launches her phone across the room, but I quickly take her hands in mine before she can.
“Hey, hey, hey. It’s alright.” I soothe her, running my fingers over her knuckles. “We’ll get it sorted.”
“And it’s not that big a deal in the long run.” Nick tells her. The two of us look back over at him. With my eyes wide, I quickly shake my head, warning him not to poke the bear even further. “I mean-”
“Yes, Nick. I know what you meant. I’m sorry that you don’t understand how important these kinds of things are to the smooth running of a wedding. That’s so.......man of you.” Katie rolls her eyes.
“Nick’s just trying to calm you down...right, Nick?” I ask, giving him a look. Nick nods, looking slightly confused. “Tell you what.” I offer. “How about I go to the store and see if I can pick up some napkins? It’ll give you some time to cool off?” I suggest. Katie’s head snaps back to me. 
“Did you just suggest buying our napkins from TARGET?!” She exclaims angrily, squeezing my hands tightly. I have to stop myself from letting out a yelp of pain. “Everyone’s going to notice! We’ll...be a laughing stock!” 
“Katie, I really don’t think anyone’s going to notice, and besides...you don’t really have a choice. Now...can you let go of my hands? Please?” I say slowly, trying not to incur her wrath even more.
“Y/N’s just trying to help, right?” Nick says, coming to stand closer to me. “I’ll even go with her to make sure she picks the best ones.” Katie is silent for a few moments and she also lessens her grip on my hands. I quickly shoot Nick a grateful look.
“....You’re right.” She nods. “I knew I could trust you, Nick. And besides. It’s a perfect bonding opportunity for you two.” She turns away. My stomach twists. Bringing Nick means he’s going to bring up what happened between us, and my worst fears might be proven right. Katie takes out a piece of fabric from her bag and shoves it at me. “This is the colour of the bridesmaid dresses. I expect you to remember this colour Y/N, given that you helped me pick them out. The napkins must match this colour.” She insists. “But be quick. I need you two back here soon. I’m going upstairs, and if any more vendors cause trouble, I’m going to stab them with a fucking fork.” She threatens, walking out of the room. 
“Jesus Christ, her grip is like a fucking vice.” I hiss when I’m sure Katie is out of earshot, holding my hands.
“Does she need us back to help her with more wedding stuff or to stop her stabbing the vendors? I’m not sure which it is.” Nick jokes, making me laugh. Maybe things were better between us both about what happened a few days ago. 
“Well, guess we better go before we have to find out.” I sigh, picking up the car keys. Nick follows me outside to the car, and we both get in. 
“Oh, by the way, can we...uh, talk later on?” He asks. My heart sinks. And there it is.
~~~
“How am I supposed to know what colour matches our dresses?!” I exclaim, grabbing a pile of napkins and holding them against the fabric Katie gave me. “Nick.” I sigh. “Which napkin colour best matches this?” I ask, thrusting about five similarly coloured napkins at him. Nick looks startled, and honestly, I don’t blame him. 
“I guess....this one?” He points at one. 
“That’ll do. Thanks.” I toss all of the similarly coloured napkins into the cart. “Well, that’s us. Anything you and the groomsmen need whilst we’re here?” I ask. Nick shakes his head.
“Nope, we’re all good.” Dammit. I was hoping he’d say they still needed to buy everything, so we could postpone our talk. Nick and I pay for the napkins and head out towards the car. “So...” Nick begins, getting in next to me and buckling his seatbelt. I look over at him, bracing myself for what I know is coming next. “Are you hungry? Cause I’m starving, how about we grab some lunch? I think there’s a McDonald’s back there.” He asks quickly. Before I can even reply, or ask him about the talk he wanted us to have, he holds out his wallet. “I’ll pay!”
“Um....” I begin, frowning slightly. “Sure? But if Katie gets mad at us for being late back, I’ll blame you.” Nick agrees, and I drive out of the parking lot. As Nick points me in the direction of McDonald’s, only one thought is in my mind. “Is he avoiding this talk too?”
~~~
“So.” Nick begins, pausing only to take a bite of his burger. Freddie Mercury’s vocals play faintly in the background from the car radio. “I think Queen is infinitely better than The Beatles.” He states.
“Nick, you don’t have to worry about offending me or anything. I absolutely agree. To be honest, I think most people would agree too.” I grin. “Want a french fry?” I offer, holding out my container. He shakes his head. “Good. Was hoping you’d say no.” I tell him, munching on my remaining fries. Nick laughs. “Oh! By the way, Nick....” I begin, licking ketchup off of my fingers. “Thanks for coming to help me with this...and for dealing with our family drama. I promise Katie’s not usually this bad. Wedding nerves must be getting the best of her.” Nick chuckles.
“It’s alright. I don’t mind, honestly. I know part of my best man job is to make sure everything runs smoothly...but I really enjoy spending time with you.” He smiles. Butterflies start fluttering around in my stomach. He...actually likes spending time with me? Maybe I was wrong. Perhaps I haven’t ruined everything.
“You-You do?” I stammer. “Even after what happened?” Nick’s face falls slightly, and the butterflies in my stomach turn into lead, dropping further into the pit of my stomach. Here it comes. 
“Yeah...we were supposed to talk about it, right?” I nod. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be-”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to-” Nick and I speak at the same time. The two of us laugh. “You first.” 
“Well.” I take a breath. “I’m sorry for being rude that day and kind of...unleashing my built-up familial issues onto you without warning. I was acting weird, and you had every right to ask me if you were the reason. I was really horrible to you, and kind of embarrassing, so I totally understand if you hate me and never want to speak to me again. Just tell me, it’s okay. I mean, to be honest, I’d-”
“No.” Nick says, cutting me off. I look at him, confused. Does he...does he want to stop talking to me? I was right, I- “No.” He repeats, as if reading my thoughts. “You’re wrong. I was a dick, and you had every right to call me out on it.” 
“No, you weren’t, I was-” Nick raises a finger, which shushes me. “Sorry.” I mumble.
“Anyway. I was out of line with what I said. I overreacted because I thought you didn’t like me, and so I took my worries out on you. I had no idea you were struggling so much with being back here, and with showing me around, especially after you and Katie’s past...which I also knew nothing about. I’m so sorry if I made those feelings worse. And you don’t have to worry about me not wanting to hang out with you anymore, I told you that I love it.” He leans in closer, staring at me intently. “If you feel upset by anything I do, please don’t be afraid to talk to me, alright?” He asks. I nod. Well, that...went differently than expected. “Can I ask you something, though? That night, when you found me in the kitchen at like 2am, and you fell asleep on the table...did you have a nightmare that night? Is that why you were up so late?” Part of me wants to lie to him, tell him that I just heard a bump in the night and that nothing was wrong...but no. Nick’s been so lovely to me and dealt with all my issues, so he deserves the truth.
“Yes. I did. To be honest, Nick, I’ve had a nightmare every night since I’ve been back here. But it’s nothing new. They’ve been a normal part of my life for a good ten years now, and I don’t see them letting up any time soon. It’s...okay.” I shrug. “I used to see a therapist back in New York, and she told me nightmares are a normal response to what happened to us. Turns out having your Mom die and your Dad abandoning you because he doesn’t love you anymore in the space of a few weeks causes a lot of trauma. Who knew!” I joke. Nick frowns. “Sorry...” I wince. “I like making jokes about it sometimes. It helps me heal in a way.”
“No, I didn’t mean you.” He replies. “Listen. If you have another nightmare and get upset, or need someone to calm you down, just come across the hall and speak to me, okay?”
“Nick, I can’t do that, you-”
“It’s fine. Honestly, I want to make sure you know that you’ll always have someone there for you whilst you’re here. I want to be that person.” I try to say something in response to that, but my mind goes blank. Outside of my family and therapist, nobody was that nice to me...so willing to deal with me and my issues. I lean forward and hug Nick. 
“Thank you.” I whisper, tears filling my eyes. “It means a lot.” Quickly, I pull away from him. “S-Sorry, I don’t know if you’re okay with hugs, or...” I stammer, completely avoiding how we almost kissed a few days ago.
“No...It’s okay.” He says, his voice breathless and husky. It sends shivers up my spine. Nick keeps staring at me, his blue eyes intently focused on me. It’s like it was a few days ago...when we almost kissed. It feels different, though, in some way. It feels...right. Like how this was meant to be. Before I could even do anything, however, my phone rings. Katie’s name flashes on the screen. Typical. Interrupted by my sister again. Guess some things never change. Leaning back into my seat, I answer the call, shooting Nick an apologetic look. “Heyyyy sis....Yes I know, we’ve been gone a while. Sorry, we got napkins then some lunch. Yes, yes, I know you need us back. Still, we got hungry, and-” I hold the phone away from my ear as Katie launches into a tirade about how important it is for us to be on time to help her and Adam with things. 
“Tell her it was my idea.” Nick whispers, shooting me a thumbs up.
“It was Nick’s idea...yes, I’ll tell him. Okay, see you soon. Love you too. Bye.” I hang up. “She told you if that was your idea, then you’re the one dealing with the kids at the wedding.”
~~~
The Next Day
“No, Caroline...it’s not a country estate, there’s not big grounds or anything. It’s just a hotel in the centre of town...Yes, it’s charming. No, there’s no damp, I promise.” I roll my eyes. Caroline was Adam’s older sister, and she was the closest thing to a Karen I have ever seen in my life. She liked everything to be just so, which is fine. Still, with the number of waitresses she had berated and probably caused long term scarring to probably bordering on the hundreds, she was definitely a Karen in my books. Nick walks into the room as I’m on the phone. “Look, I just called to double-check that you’re going to be here on time for the bachelorette party this Friday.” I sigh. “No, I don’t know if they have that bottle of champagne here...The local store is quite limited in its selection, yes. I will check. Maybe bring a bottle just in case....Okay. See you Friday.” Hanging up, I roll my eyes and check her name off on the list. 
“Do you know you bite your tongue when you focus? It’s quite cute.” Nick asks, placing a mug of tea beside me.
“Is there alcohol in this?” I ask. Nick frowns for a second, then realisation dawns on his face. “Was that Caroline on the phone?” I nod. “Oh.”
“God, she’s insufferable. I don’t even know why Katie has her in the bridal party.” I groan, taking a sip of my tea. “I guess since she’s going to be her sister-in-law, she feels like she has to, but fuck me, if I have to hear about this particular bottle of champagne from France in the 1700s one more time, I will lose my mind.” 
“Yeah I’ve met her too, I know exactly what you mean.” Nick responds. “With me, it was talking about how she has to have the most perfect thoroughbred horses for her dearest children Timothy and Petunia to have riding lessons on.” Nick puts on a ridiculous posh accent as he speaks, making us both laugh.
“Oh? Pay my servers a tip so they could actually....live? Oh darling, I absolutely couldn’t! How on earth will I pay for all my darling Timothy’s piano lessons?!” I copy his posh accent, and Nick laughs even more. “God, we’re terrible.” I say through my laughter. “Better not say that during our speeches.” 
“Are you joking about my children and I? Let me talk to your manager immediately. I will sue you into next year!” Nick orders, putting on his posh accent again. I start laughing. “Oh, you’re laughing now? How rude.” He teases, making me laugh even harder.
"God, Nick, you’re going to be the death of me, or my sides, at some point.” I giggle, trying to catch my breath. 
“Anyway, no, we’re not terrible. Caroline is.” Nick corrects me. “Sooo, whatcha up to?”
“Just phoning the bachelorettes to see if they’re still okay for Friday’s party.”
“Oh, we’re all sorted for that on our side. Cannot wait.” Nick grins. 
“Oh, we’re sorted for that on our side. All of us are well put together, and have no issues like bitchy bridesmaids on the bachelor side.” I jokingly mock him. Nick fakes being offended. "Since you guys are sorted on your side, you can sit here while I finish up if you want. I just have these girls left...aaaand my phone’s about to die. Give me five, I’ll go grab my charger.” I tell him, quickly heading upstairs. When I reach the top, Katie is standing there. “Oh! Sorry, didn’t realise you were there. Did you...did you hear us making fun of your new sister in law? I’m sorry, we-” She holds up her hand to stop me.
“Yes, I heard. But don’t worry, it’s fine. You guys are right, she’s a bitch.” She giggles, causing me to laugh too. I walk past her to get my charger, but she stops me. “Actually...what I wanted to say was that I heard you and Nick laughing...and it made me smile.” I frown. “Well, for as long as I can remember, you were always really sad as a kid, and a teen....and an adult.”
“Wow, thanks sis.” 
“As I was saying, given what happened to us both, that’s understandable. But god Y/N, hearing you and Nick laughing...that’s the happiest I’ve ever heard you sound. And the hardest I’ve heard you laugh...in a long time. I know you guys just met a week or so ago, but he really seems to bring out the best in you.” I’m speechless again for a while, and all I can reply with is:
“I guess you’re right.”
“That’s why I’m expecting a credit for introducing you both when it’s your turn to get married.” She winks. I gasp, and quickly shush her.
“Shh! He might hear you! And we’re not getting married!” Katie sighs.
“Look Y/N, I don’t mean to push you, it’s just... after what happened with our Dad, and then Nana dying, I thought we’d never be happy again, but then I met Adam, and he supports and uplifts me everyday. I’m finally happy.” I smile softly.
“I know Katie, and-”
“No, no. Listen, please.” I stop talking, and she continues. “I remember that feeling of happiness, and what it looks like...and god Y/N, I see it whenever Nick looks at you, or when you talk about each other. Your faces just light up. I know it’s not my place to force you to be with him, but just...just keep it in mind okay?” I nod.
“Thanks sis.” I pull her into a tight hug. As I watch her disappear into her and Adam’s bedroom, her words play in my mind. Realising Nick is still waiting for me, I quickly grab my charger and go back downstairs.
“Hey.” Nick looks up as I sit back beside him. “Everything alright?” 
“He really seems to bring out the best in you.” Echoes in my head. Maybe Katie was right. Everytime I was with Nick, I felt...good. Maybe it was because he did make me happy. I smile.
“Yeah Nick, everything’s great.”
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tvcoroner · 4 years
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Hi, I just found your account. I'm so glad there are still sane people in such a crazy fandom. So, what are your thoughts on the theory about CW writers purposely trying to make the SCs leave the fandom? Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if it was true...
This is something I’ve started to believe more and more over time. For a while now it just seems like the writers are making decisions to specifically piss off the Supercorp fandom.
I don’t blame them for this. Years of dealing with their psychotic bullying while they treat actors like garbage over and over again is the most understandable reason for them to start telling them to fuck off through the writing instead of telling them directly.
The SC fandom has this double standard, where they can say some of the vilest, most hateful things imaginable to an actor but if an actor responds to them then they act like they’re the victims of harsh bullying from the actor. They do it consistently every single time an actor responds to their hate. No one wins that, so I’m sure the actors have been told to largely ignore them.
How the showrunners get back at them is through the writing. The SC fandom would inevitably DESPISE any love interest for Kara and Lena, everyone knows this, so what do they do? They give Kara a new love interest in William. And what’s more, they have him stick around. If they happen to give Lena a new love interest as well next season the SC fandom will implode.
A while back the SC fandom concocted this theory that Melissa and Katie would push for Supercorp to happen if they had any say in their character development, but then it’s revealed that they DO have a say in that but SC still isn’t canon.
Then Melissa comes out in support of Kara and William’s relationship, which sets them off yet.
Multiple actors have left this show, and while none have admitted they left because of the SC fandom harassing them over social media, the ones who left are male and a frequent target of their bullying. A LARGE part of the fandom believes that they’re the reason behind why those actors left and they’re really proud of it.
“We really are that powerful” Is a favorite line of theirs. I heard it when both Jeremy and Mehcad left. They like the idea that they’re the reason both of those actors left the show, and it’s disgusting.
Unfortunately, that has given so many of them the impression that if they keep screaming and treating people like shit whenever they’re unhappy then they’ll get what they want. So they keep doing.
But the writers and most of the actors are ignoring them constantly now. Most of them barely interact with the fandom anymore, the writers pretend like they don’t exist.
They’ll accuse the writers of queerbaiting if Kara and Lena share so much as eye contact, but then get pissed if Lena isn’t in an episode. And this season proved that their claims of focusing on Lena and Kara’s relationship would improve the ratings is complete bullshit. It’s the worst-rated season so far.
If the writers are trolling them, I can’t say I blame them. At the same time, what exactly are they supposed to do? If they make SC canon at this point then they will be justifying the literal YEARS of psychotic bullying that has happened to cast members.
I’ve said it a million times, but you don’t reward a bully by giving them what they want, because they will just keep bullying.
And I’ll admit, it sucks that the non-psychotic people in the SC fandom are being lumped in with the others, but this isn’t a vocal minority situation, this is a substantial part of the fandom losing their minds and bullying people. Sometimes there isn’t a scenario where everyone gets to be happy.
If the SC fandom hadn’t spent the last few seasons getting progressively more toxic, I genuinely do believe that Supercorp would be canon by now. But they did. They’ll blame everyone except themselves, but SC isn’t canon at least partly because of how they’ve treated people connected to the show.
You don’t punch someone in the face and then expect them to do you a favor, or in this case, punch them in the face, ask them for a favor, and then when they don’t respond favorably to your attack you punch them over and over and over again asking for the favor between every blow.
Once Upon a Time didn’t reward that bullshit, and neither should Supergirl.
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ingek73 · 3 years
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Miscarriage is still taboo – which is why Meghan's words are so powerful
Zeynep Gurtin
The mixed reaction to her speaking up proves that there’s a long way to go before women feel comfortable sharing their pain
Published: 15:44 Thursday, 26 November 2020
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The Duchess of Sussex pictured at Westminster Abbey in March 2018.
Yesterday, the Duchess of Sussex became the latest public figure to reveal her membership of a secret club that no one wants to join. In a piece that was rapidly read around the world, Meghan described the July morning on which she suffered the miscarriage of her second pregnancy and the “almost unbearable grief” she and her husband have experienced. “I knew,” she writes, “as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.” It is an arresting image, unusual in its representation of the two opposing truths about reproduction – nurturing new life on the one hand, loss and death on the other – in such close proximity to each other.
Although miscarriages are surprisingly common – experienced by approximately one in four women – there continue to be pervasive taboos around the subject. This is partly because around 85% of miscarriages occur within the first trimester, before most women publicly announce their pregnancies. This leaves many, like Meghan, mourning the loss of a much-wanted baby that no one even knew about. The infertility activist Katy Lindemann has called the early months “a sort of Schrödinger’s pregnancy”, when women are expected to hedge their bets and accept miscarriages without a fuss. She points out that the 12-week rule imposes an unnecessary and harmful secrecy around pregnancy loss, leaving women to cope alone just when they most need support and community.
Over the past 15 years, as part of my research into different experiences of reproduction, I have interviewed countless women who endured their miscarriages in silence, forced to negotiate the chasm between their devastating emotional experience and the social expectation to carry on as normal. Some recounted attending work meetings on autopilot even as they were still bleeding; some celebrated friends’ baby showers while masking their own heartache; and some described tentatively opening up to friends, only to then discover how many others had already been through the same thing.
Of course, the loss of any wanted baby is a profoundly personal tragedy that is mostly played out in private, but our deep cultural aversion to grief and loss creates additional layers of guilt, shame and stigma for those whose pain might be somewhat eased by its sharing. Even if we no longer measure women’s worth simply by their ability to reproduce, our dominant ideologies of progress, control and productivity mean that reproductive losses are seen as transgressive and threatening.
Some women never speak of their miscarriages to family or friends because they fear making them uncomfortable. Others blame themselves for having “failed” at pregnancy, and feel like something is wrong with them. This is why the personal accounts of women such as Michelle Obama, Chrissy Teigen and now Meghan matter so much. By speaking up about their loss and heartache, they help “normal” women feel less alone and give them a reference point for new conversations. The personal is not only political, but deeply powerful as well.
Dr Susie Kilshaw, a medical anthropologist whose work focuses on miscarriage, says she welcomes this growing public recognition of reproductive loss and the greater sensitivity in how it is managed medically. But she also points out that individuals’ responses can be vastly different. For example, while some of the women she has interviewed took comfort in memorialising their lost babies with personalised jewellery or symbolic tattoos, others approach the experience more pragmatically, and don’t even think of their losses as “babies”. Neither approach is better than the other, of course, and women should be able to respond in whatever way feels right to them. Kilshaw says: “More open discussions will allow for a wider diversity of voices to be heard, so that we can acknowledge other people’s suffering and empathise with them, even if we would have framed it quite differently ourselves.”
Although most of us won’t talk about it, at any given moment there is probably at least one woman in your friendship group, office or Facebook feed who is dealing with a recent miscarriage and the gamut of emotions that accompany it. Sophie King, a midwife who works for the charity Tommy’s, told me that Meghan’s honesty and openness sends a powerful message to these women: “You may feel incredibly lonely, but you are not alone.” Normalising conversations around miscarriage not only enables more of us to access help and information when we need it, but might just also create a more compassionate society that everyone benefits from.
Reading Meghan’s words, I felt sympathy for a couple who had not only lost a baby but presumably had done so while negotiating the kind of intense public scrutiny most of us can’t even imagine. I admire the courage it must have taken for Meghan to share her experience, knowing the mixed reaction it would inevitably elicit. Indeed, alongside the outpouring of support and praise, there has also been brutal judgment and criticism from those who’ve accused her of oversharing and attention-seeking. But, as the psychotherapist Jody Day points out: “This is precisely how taboos are broken – when people choose to speak out despite knowing they will be criticised, attacked and shamed fodoing it.”
If you have been affected by pregnancy loss, information, help and support are available through Tommy’s and the Miscarriage Association
• Zeynep Gurtin is a lecturer in women’s health at UCL
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procancelled · 4 years
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So...Regarding the Kati play and why she "pulled back on her accusations and saying they are exaggerated now". Let's just say that there were a lot of death threats sent her way. Then legal threats/guilt tripping as well from a certain someone. But you didn't hear that from me...
I'm not surprised she got death threats, Dan has some really obsessive fans, well everyone famous does it guess.
I started looking into the Dan stuff again after I got this ask which is why I took a little time before answering. I obviously don't agree with what he did, it's not okay to take advantage of anyone, especially using your fame to your advantage. The fact that he made people think they were special or whatever, fucking gross.
I mainly just wish he would talk about it, apologise, try to show he's changed and that he doesn't agree with how he acted in the past. No bullshit excuses, maybe an explanation but not trying to dig himself out of it. Just actually taking accountability for what he did instead of just being like 'here's a picture of me and my girlfriend I've been with for a long time because I'm not a hoe anymore' like that means anything.
Obviously it's not my place to forgive him, he never did anything to me but I just want him to give some kind of reaction.
And if anyone tries to give me shit because Jared made an apology, his apology was bullshit and the way he has acted after the fact shows he hasn't changed. If I could see a change and if he hadn't lied and tried to shift blame in his apology (and broken up with Holly because she's clearly toxic) I would have just been like, yeah okay, I'm not going to watch your content anymore, but I wouldn't still be talking about him. This blog would no longer exist.
Do I think Dan has changed? I don't know because he's dating a girl like 15 years younger than him and is ignoring the issue of his past. And if he's the one threading legal action and guilt-tripping Kati then... well it doesn't show him in a good light. Then again I wouldn't be surprised if Brent was partly involved in that part.
Do I think Kati could have done a better job with her play? Yes. If she's worried about Dan taking advantage of women then she should have spoken out more directly, but I understand being afraid, especially if just that play has led to legal being involved. And it did lead to women coming out with their stories.
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toocool2btrue · 4 years
Text
Distance 1/2
This story is specially dedicated to @4evertiredpigeon. A very late birthday present. thank you for waiting so much, also special thanks to @artemisarya for making that much needed drawing for inspiration.
So I’ll make sure to keep my distance. Say “I love you” when you are not listening.
Lance stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, his skin had considerably darkened over his few years worth of farming experience, his features had matured over the following time period as well and that famous look of the teenage boy which once graced the heroic posters and countless magazines had long disappeared.
Instead there stood a man in his twenties, a man who had lost himself to his past while the rest of his comrades had decided to move forward. He lightly touched one of the bright blue Altean marks which scarred either side of his cheeks, there was a time when he considered them the greatest honor the universe could ever bestow on him.
After all he was the reminder of the universe’s savior, people would look at him and be reminded of Princess Allura and the epic sacrifices she had made for them. Eventually that was all he was worth and known for Allura’s shadow and nothing more unless being an Human Altean hybrid counted as something.
His glare narrowed from his tired face to the blue marks. He immediately looks away from his own reflection, he couldn’t even recognize himself anymore. It felt like looking at a completely different person and now he understands why his friends hesitated to meet his eyes.
His heart races at the prospect of finally moving forward, it felt terrifying yet exciting. Nervousness override him at the thought of working back in the Garrison, In his early years of self isolation the Garrison had offered him the post of pilot many times but despite the constant encouragement by his friends and family he refused to accept it.
Eventually everyone gave up on him, some people even choose to leave and he couldn’t blame them. Lance had no one but himself to blame for this current state…
A sharp knock on the bathroom door broke his train of thoughts. “Lance come down when you are done. Breakfast is ready” called out the familiar yet stiff voice.
He froze hearing her voice which was pretty stupid considering that he was living in her house. Accepting the Holt’s generous offer had not been a easy task for Lance. After all the person who connected him to this family, had long dissolved what remained of their frayed relationship. Ironically, that person was the same reason he had decided to accept the offer because if Lance was ready to turn his life around, mending his friendship with that specific person was a part of it.
“Uh..coming!” he yelled back, splashing his face with cold water and quickly grabbing his toothbrush.
It would be the utmost lie to say that he wasn’t disappointed, when he finally reached the kitchen to see the owner of the voice not present. Instead Colleen Holt gave him a sympathetic smile and gestured to the plate of pancakes on the table.
“Katie told me you have a big appetite. Feel free to ask for more” she kindly offered and Lance in turn only mumbled a shy thank you before taking the seat opposite to Colleen.
He quietly chewed on his pancake, which were delicious by the way trying to douse his unhappiness with breakfast. He could feel Colleen’s eyes on him and it took another moment before she finally spoke again.
“I am sorry that you haven’t got the chance to meet Katie yet. She’s just been very busy with work” she apologized. Lance gave her a small smile in return.
“It’s alright. I understand” he mumbled, truth was that he did understand. He couldn’t count the times his mother made similar excuses for him to sometimes turn down his friends. Lance inhaled softly, it was all his self created mess and he prayed that he gets a chance to fix it.
_______________________
Katie sighed in exhaustion as she opened the front door. The house was filled with a peaceful quietness and Katie wanted to do nothing more than collapse in her comfy bed and never wake up.
Unfortunately fate or more specifically her mother had different ideas. Colleen Holt slowly walked into the living room with a stern look in her eyes and her arms crossed against her chest.
“Katrina Holt, look at the time!” She demanded. “Mom I messaged you I would be late today but I still manage to have dinner” she added, hoping it would ease her case.
Unfortunately it didn’t and it was clear that her fate was sealed for the night, her mother momentarily flashed her concerned look before reverting back to the stern one.
“Katie, Lance has been here since last night and yet you haven’t spend even five minutes with the boy. What has gotten into you?”
“Mom the Garrison-” she started to protest.
“Can live without you for a few days. Katie, work is important but there is nothing more important than family and friends. Especially if your friend needs you” she mumbled the last part.
Katie’s eyes mildly widened in concern as Colleen continued, “I talked to his Sara (Lance’s mom) earlier. She told me that he has been very anxious for the exam. He really needs your support right now”
Guilt clawed at Katie’s heart, she admits that over the years due to her own personal reasons she had decided to keep her distance from Lance but at the end of the day they were all the soldiers of the same war. When one solider falls the other helps him up.
“Where is he right now?” Katie asked, feeling the rise of nervous butterflies in her stomach. Colleen motioned to the stairway, “In his room, he told me that he was going to be studying”
Katie nodded, slowly climbing the stairs to her brother’s old room which was now occupied by the ex-red paladin. Light spilled out from the partly opened door into the dark hallway.
Although it was awfully quiet, “Lance?” she whispered opening the door a little wider to see a figure slumped on the desk in the corner of the room. She tiptoed into the room to see her friend fast asleep, the desk was piled with open books and scribbled notes.
Lance was out cold snoring softly, his head resting on the table using one of the books as a makeshift pillow. It had been a longtime, since she had seen him that close, his past flawless skin looked beaten and tired. There were dark bags under his eyes and just as she was about to look away, there they were the Altean marks.
You would think that one would after all these years grow accustomed to them but still they always managed to uncomfortably twist her stomach with dread. Ever since Lance had gotten them, he was no longer Lance….
Katie shook her head, shaking away all the thoughts of the past that she preferred to stay away from. Instead she decided to focus back on her friend, it was obvious that he was exhausted and Katie didn’t want to disturb his slumber.
Instead she gently lifted his head to remove the book underneath it and replaced it with a pillow and covered the sleeping figure with a blanket. All these actions hardly stirred him, she adjusted the blanket properly where it slid from one of his shoulders and then closed the lights.
In the darkness she glanced one last time at silhouette before finally leaving.
______________
Next morning Lance slowly made his way downstairs, rubbing his head. He had slept in later than he usually would and as he made his way to the kitchen. The lack of noise made him suspect whether anyone was even at home
To his utter surprise, it was Katie who he ran into. In his sleepy haze it took him a minute to actually realize that it in fact his ‘Pidge’ standing in front of him. Katie was a no stranger to change herself, she had miraculously actually grown taller, her hair was now longer and tied back into a pony. Even the childhood chubbiness from her cheeks had disappeared and instead her face held more of a mature charm.
“You’re here. I was about to go wake you up” she greeted, setting down two coffee mugs on the table and he simply nodded taking a seat. Lance felt partly relieved knowing they were still up for casual conversations.
“How come you’re home at this time?” He questioned curiously trying to continue the conversation. Katie took a grateful sip of her coffee before replying.
“I was working late yesterday, couldn’t wake up on time. How is your studying going?” she asked in return, placing a pile of toast on the table.
Lance rubbed his eyes, "I feel like 17 again but not in a good way. I had forgotten how anxious exam time used to make me, couldn’t sleep properly for the past few days and now when I finally got the peace and tranquility that I needed to concentrate I passed out”
Katie giggled handing him the jar of strawberry jam, Lance gratefully took it and started spreading it his toast as he continued talking, bringing back old frankness in the conversation.
“I love my big family and all but Katie, I gotta say your house feels like a haven to me. I swear, I don’t know how I ever managed to study there. There are always like five people shouting in the background”. Katie snorted, taking a bite of her peanut butter sandwich. “Probably that’s why our moms considered it would be a better idea if you came here a week earlier to the pilot exams”
“I am really grateful for all of this” Lance offered sincerely.
Katie shook her head,”I can’t take any credit for this.This is all our moms planning after all”
 It was really ironic that overtime their mothers had become better friends than them due to the fact Colleen provided Lance’s family with various fertilizers which improved their crops and they in turn supported some of her experiments that needed more of a natural environment though as time went by Sara and Colleens conversations turned from plants to their children and they bonded to become close friends after all hardly a handful of people understood what these mothers had gone through. 
“I didn’t even know that you were coming prior to two days” she replied honestly.  “What?” Lance questioned in disbelief.
“Well Mom has a tendency to forget things and it’s not like you and I..” Katie froze, realizing they were treading to dangerous territory.
“Anyway..” she cleared her throat, “Dad is finally coming home this evening from his international seminar and I am sure he can give you some useful pointers for the exam”
“That would be great, if its not to much trouble for him” he mumbled shyly in response. “Don’t be silly. Dad would love to help you out, he would have become a teacher if he didn’t love building rockets so much” she assured, getting up and grabbing her garrison jacket.
“Well I am off to work” she announced, pausing to grimace at her phone which had been constantly beeping with messages. “There is already a problem waiting for me.”
Lance nodded understandingly, “Good luck” 
“Good luck to you too. I’ll see you at dinner” she waved off and disappeared out of the door. It took him another minute to actually register the last sentence. Warmth bloomed in his heart and Lance tried to bite back his smile as he took another sip of his coffee. It such small thing but he knew Katie well enough to know it was a step towards progress. 
____________________
“Then I got up from the coma and shot Sendak’s arm!” Lance narrated to the amused Colleen as they prepared dinner together. “Keith also said that we had bonding moment but I don’t remember anything like that” he claimed to which Colleen giggled.
“Hunk once told me that you tried to attack Ezor and Zethrid when they singled out Katie even though your own hands were tied as well. That was very brave of you” she complimented to which Lance smiled bashfully. “Of course I would. i can’t count the times, she has done the same for me”
“Wait! I didn't tell you about the time we went to an alternate universe. We got into a fight and my head was probably about to be cut off if Kat-” his story was cut short as his phone suddenly started ringing. He immediately smiled seeing it was his mother.
Colleen smiled knowingly, “Go talk to her, I’ll take care of the rest. We are almost done anyway” 
Lance nodded gratefully and headed out to the front porch, “Hello Mami, I hope you haven't been missing me too much?” he teased . “My dear son, of course i miss you but the people who miss you the most, are Nadia and Slyvio .They were very upset that you left again but when I told them you are to become a pilot-”
The rest of his mother’s words zoned out as Lance saw unfamiliar car park itself near the Holt’s house. Katie came out of the car and Lance was about to wave to her when he realized her attention was already occupied. She was talking to the person in the driving seat and soon enough the mystery figure also came out of the car.
He was a man of tall build and had light colored hair, the two figures unknown to their spectator stood too close for it to be considered platonic. The man dipped his head towards her but was playfully pushed away till Katie finally complied for a quick kiss on the cheek.
Although it was a simple act of affection, one he had witnessed a hundred times there was something to it that made his face grow hot and his heart skipped uncomfortably.
“Lance?!” his mother called out to him from the other line and it was enough to bring him back to reality. “Yes Mom?” he nervously laughed, letting his eyes fall to the ground.
“Where did you disappear?” She questioned, quizzically and Lance cleared his throat trying to ignore the weird twist in his stomach meanwhile maintaining his eye contact with the ground.
“There must be some problem with the reception” he mumbled half heartily, “Mami, It’s time for dinner. I will call you later, Goodbye” he hastily ended the call. He gave a quick glance to the still occupied couple and then headed inside.
_______________________
Later that night, they sat in Katie’s room flight manuals, textbooks and notebooks sprawled on her bed. Lance felt ready to drop dead in any minute but for the sake of his friend who was also sacrificing her night to help him, he kept his eyes pried open.
“So did the conversation with Dad help you?” she asked, taking a sip of her late night coffee. Lance felt rise of guilt, Katie must be mentally cursing him with every passing minute.
“Yeah.. yeah it did” he mumbled half asleep, rubbing his eyes. Sam Holt truly had made his life easier by providing him with all the necessary tips but unfortunately there was still the part of actually implementing on those tips.
The quiet night, his comfortable pajamas and the warm soft bed were doing a successful job in luring him to sleep. He glanced at Bae Bae who was sound asleep, her head resting on Katie’s lap, in his sleepy haze he started considering how much easier life would have been if he was a dog.
Katie on the other hand looked focused as always, her eyes had a glassy look of exhaustion he was familiar with but they still determinedly scanned from one paragraph to another. After while Lance couldn’t take it anymore, as much as he appreciated his friend’s help knowing she was a certified genius but the truth was he would much prefer to just have a normal conversation with her.
“Katie. Can we please stop? You are exhausted” he requested, reaching out to pry the manual from her hands. Katie momentarily looked at him as if she wanted to protest but then silently nodded letting Lance collect the rest of his clutter.
She leaned against the headboard, closing her eyes for a second. She was surprised to see Lance still sitting at the edge of her bed, he had cleared the books to one side and instead looked at her expectantly. She hated it when people looked at her expectantly at 11:30 pm but this wasn’t just anybody. He was Lance afterall. Brown eyes, Blue eyes and of course those Altean marks but they weren’t there when she had fallen for him all those years back.
That still didn’t stop her from feeling guilty, even without those Altean marks. It was always that clear Lance’s heart belonged to Allura and she had certified herself an idiot for ever thinking otherwise.
“Katie can we just..you know talk?” Lance mumbled hopefully, her eyes widened. Although it seemed like a simple request, the two people in question knew better. They hadn’t just talked in a longtime, todays breakfast didn’t count. It was something she had more or else rehearsed over last night.
She had this plan constructed and this was most definitely not part of the plan. In their paladin days, Lance and her had shared many late night talks while playing video games and her younger self had always been thrilled to share those intimate moments with him but now…things were different.
She glanced at the man, who still hopefully looked for her response. “Lance, I had a long day…” she mumbled, trying to kindly reject the offer.
She could practically see the light in his eyes dim and his face fell. Katie looked away, reconsidering her decision. Despite the fact she wasn’t in love with him anymore, she still had that damn soft spot for the ex-red paladin.
“But I am really curious on what happened with Keith on the planet of Gustav. I heard some major trouble arised when he visited it for a mission?” she questioned with a mischievous smile.
Lance nodded enthusiastically, leaning a bit more forward to tell the tale. “Three princesses of different countries of Gustav, fell in love with him and then they started fighting on who actually gets to marry Keith. Which almost led to a World War in the planet. Keith had to go into hiding because there was a high chance he was going to get kidnapped by one of the countries”
“What?!” Katie snorted, she knew it was plain evil to laugh on her friends misfortune but it couldn’t be helped.
Lance joined in laughter at the same time trying to catch his breath to tell the rest of the story. Thus it was the beginning for a very long night.
______________________
A few days later, Lance found himself in the Garrison to submit his application and get his physical examination. Although the need for more pilots had increased over the recent years there were still a high competition for the post.
Most of the applicants already knew each other well enough and chatted among themselves excitedly. Lance on the other hand, wanted to throw up. He was having second thoughts about giving the exam, doubts and insecurities plagued him, what if he fails? His family and friends would be so disappointed in him.
His attention however got slightly diverted as one of the candidates mentioned the Red lion.
“Dude I am telling you. That’s the pilot of Red lion” One of the applicants furiously whispered to his friend.
The friend not so discreetly glanced at Lance and then muttered , “You’re right but what is he doing here? Doesn’t he live on the farm or something”
Lance sighed taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, it wasn’t the first time he heard it. On his way he had been met with a lot of surprised and even some judgmental stares, that is the downside of being a public figure your decisions aren’t yours anymore. Thankfully Katie had already sensed his nervousness and insisted on walking with him the entire way.
The first one shrugged, “I don’t know but it would be pretty cool to have him around” he grinned and his friend nodded enthusiastically.
“I heard that he was the first person chosen by the Blue lion even though Takashi Shirogane was also present” the second candidate informed.
“He must be an amazing pilot then. It’s a good thing he decided to come back” he awed and his friend nodded.
The indirect praise slightly subsided his nervousness, Lance nodded determinedly. He could do this, they quiznacking saved the universe. Of course he can pass the pilot exam, he had people who believed in him and he couldn’t let them down.
_____________
As Lance got out of his physical exam, he was pleasantly surprised to find Katie waiting for him, She gave him a small smile which he responded with a bright grin.
“I can’t believe infamous Katie Holt is waiting for me?” he questioned teasingly to which Katie rolled her eyes, “Veronica wanted to check up on you but she was pulled into this last minute meeting so she send me instead”
“I am hurt, Pidge. I thought you actually came here to see me” he sighed dramatically. Katie tried her best to fight back the smile at her friend’s theatrics but failed miserably.
“Lance, you goof. I already see you everyday, few hours of not seeing each other won’t kill us” she stated, with a hint of fondness in her tone.
It brought back the warm fuzzy feeling in his chest. Although their current situation was temporary, he liked the idea of seeing Katie everyday and his friends more often. Despite the anxiety and feeling out of place, Lance felt sure he was making the right decision.
Lance grinned as the perfect response came into his mind, “Well technically speaking-”
“Katie!!” a man’s voice called out from across the hallway. Startling the two friends, Lance immediately recognized the tall blond from the few days back.
The blond finally reached the pair, he had a excited grin on his face as he thrust out his right hand for Lance to shake.
“You must be Lance McClain. It’s nice to finally meet you” he greeted enthusiastically, Lance returned the handshake while unsurely glancing back at his friend.
“Lance, this is Eric” she finally introduced.
“Nice to meet you as well, Eric” he replied with a small smile.
“Katie told me you are trying out to be the pilot. Best of luck” Eric encouraged and Lance nodded gratefully. “Although if you want..” he added cheekily “My father is onthe board. I could give a good name for you”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Lance is a great pilot. He doesn’t need anything like that” Katie immediately intervened much to Lance’s relief.
“And you” she stated, lightly smacking Eric’s shoulder. “Shouldn’t be offering such things”
Eric chuckled, rubbing his shoulder. “Relax. I was just joking”
Lance chuckled weakly to support Eric’s remark, the conversation was yet again interrupted when Katie received a phone call and she stepped a bit aside to talk.
Lance and Eric meanwhile awkwardly stood with one another, not knowing how to continue the conversation. Till Lance noticed that Eric was still rubbing her arm. Maybe that wasn’t a light smack as it looked.
“Still hurts huh?” he questioned, gesturing to his arm and Eric nodded, “I think sometimes Katie underestimates her own strength ” he affectionately laughed.
“I should have gotten used to it by now. You see, that’s just how she shows affection” Eric informed, the lighthearted comment unfortunately struck the wrong cord with Lance.
“I know” he replied in a humorless manner, of course he knew that’s how Pidge showed her affection. Heck he had been in the receiving end of those affections long before this dude even existed in her life.
The look of surprise on Eric’s face gave Lance a nice reality check that he might be getting too flustered over nothing. As much as he hoped, he didn’t think adding Lool to the conversation was going to be very helpful. Thankfully his savior arrived yet again.
“Eric, I have to go now. I’ll see you at lunch” she informed her boyfriend. Who nodded and lightly squeezed her hand in response, she then turned to Lance “You are coming with me. Veronica said she will pick you up from my lab for lunch”
“Let’s get going” she ushered, grabbing Lance’s wrist and gently tugging him to start moving while she furiously typed on her phone with her other hand. Lance made a mental note, to never cross paths with Pidge during work hours.
“Why am I under constant surveillance by you two?” he mumbled, feeling slightly annoyed as he followed Pidge to her lab.
“Well considering the fact you looked like you were ready to bolt any minute this morning. We considered this would be much more safer option” she replied snarkily, still occupied with her phone.
“By the way. Try to come back home till dinner, I wasn’t supposed to tell you this but Mom is making garlic knots for you” she informed with a small smile, finally looking him in the eyes.
Lance felt a rush of gratitude, a part of him felt as if he didn’t deserve the love and support his friends and especially Katie and her family was giving him but another part him advised that he should try to cherish it and in given time return it if he could.
“And before you start thinking again that we are doing too much. You should know, that Mom and Dad really like having you around and that’s why mom interrogated me to know what was your favorite food. You don’t how scary that was” Katie laughed and Lance joined in.
It took him a moment to realize that Katie hadn’t mentioned that she was glad to have him too. He regretted, that after so much effort he had done in their earlier years of friendship for her to open up. He let those walls grow back for him. It was bound to happen for he had never taken in account other people’s feelings during his period of self isolation and this was his price to pay.
They finally reached the lab to see Veronica already waiting for them at the door. She immediately engulfed Lance into a hug throwing her strict professionalism to the side.
“Sorry I couldn’t meet up with you earlier” she apologized, pulling away to which Lance simply nodded, accepting the apology. Lance from the corner of his eye spotted Katie looked a bit teary eyed witnessing the scene, most likely she was thinking about her own brother who was currently galaxies away.
Seeing a sudden vulnerable side to her, made his heart ache and Lance really wanted to hug and comfort her. Although they had shared a lot of half hearted group hugs after the war, Lance felt like it had been centuries since he had held Katie.
Katie was a master of concealing her emotions, a moment later the teary look was gone and instead a big smile radiated on her. “I have to get going now. Have fun you guys” she waved off before disappearing behind the closed doors of her lab.
Lance didn’t know he had been holding his breath till Veronica lightly shook him to get back his attention. “I have found this great place with the best milkshakes” she informed and Lance nodded excitedly trying to keep up with his sister. He gently touching his chest, inside of which his heart beat wildly. He didn’t know the exact reason but most likely just of the exciting day he just had…..
______________________
Later that night at the Holt’s home, Colleen looked up from her book as her daughter entered the kitchen.
“Sam must be telling stories of his youth again?” she questioned her daughter, who just had come back from the living room. Sam Holt aside from being a researcher loved to tell stories in his free time and now after a long search he had found his perfect audience in Lance who in turn loved to listen to tales.
Katie grinned mischievously, taking a seat next to her mother. “He is telling the story of how you two met”
“He’s probably told it a hundred times by now.” Colleen replied, pretending to be annoyed but there was this obvious glow of happiness radiating from her demeanor. Katie had no one but her own parents to blame for her high expectation for love.
“I talked to Sara earlier today. She was really hoping after he settles down that he would give love another chance. Start dating again” Colleen informed, casually flipping through her book.
Katie stared at her mother in bewilderment, “But Mom what about the whole Allura-”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Katie. I know Allura meant a lot to all of you but don’t forget he was just a boy of 17 when he lost her. He is only 23 now and has his whole life ahead of him, the only logical thing for him would be to move on” her mother stated sternly.
Colleen’s expression slightly softened and she lowered her voice, “Honey, you kids need to realize that life isn’t meant to be lived for someone else much less someone who isn’t there anymore. As his friend, you shouldn’t support this decision instead try encourage him to move forward. It’s the best for him” she whispered encouragingly and Katie nodded thoughtfully.
For a split second an old thought entered her mind, the very thought she had buried deep years ago. She shook her head, letting it disappear again and instead decided to ponder on her mother’s words.
“And now here we are with two kids and almost three decades of marriage between us. Time does fly fast” Sam chuckled, ending the story but Lance wasn’t done, there was a question that was bothering and he wanted to know the answer.
“How did you know Colleen was the one instead of other girl. Were you in love with her since middle school?” Lance questioned.
Sam looked surprised by the interest, his children had always been too busy pretending to gag to actually hear the story.
Sam ran his hand through his graying hair and then mumbled thoughtfully, “No I don’t think I was in love with her since middle school. We really didn’t get along back then, she used to tease me a lot especially about me being shorter than her and I vowed to get revenge with her one day” he smiled fondly.
“Still even as a kid. I never really imagined my life without her and it really bugged me back then but then she changed schools and we didn’t meet for a longtime”
“When we met again as adults, you know Colleen was already engaged to her then boyfriend and I was dating as well so I didn’t really ever consider it then too but slowly as time went by and we worked together. I had these moments, where I would imagine us together many years in the future doing the most mundane things and it made my heart race” Sam whispered wistfully.
“From my experience, love isn’t always a obvious feeling. Sometimes it’s slowly growing inside of you without you ever noticing it but then there will come a moment when you look at that person and you’d realize that nothing makes sense without them anymore. That’s when you know” Sam advised, the words gave Lance goosebumps. He slowly reached to touch his Altean marks, they hadn’t glowed, they had never glown after the Lions left.
For some reason he felt relieved that they didn’t, was it some kind of sign from Allura?Truth to be told, Katie’s parents story made him wistful. It reminded him of something he had yearned for since his youth but given up a longtime ago.
“I still can’t believe Colleen followed you all the way to America” Lance chuckled. “Well she found me and then she punched me, saying things like how dare you confess your love and then leave me in Italy. Rest is all fuzzy, she punched me pretty hard after all” Sam recalled.
“Well you deserved it” Colleen intervened, as the mother daughter duo entered the room.
Katie shot Lance a stern look that made him want to dig his own grave, “Lance you said you would start studying again half an hour ago” she reminded.
Colleen rubbed her temples in a exhausted manner, “Sam, Honey you have a early meeting tomorrow. You should go to bed now”
“But-” they tried to protest in unison but one more look from the Holt women had the two of them on their feet.
Sam and Lance shared one last defeated look before heading to their respective rooms.
________________
Later that night, Lance nervously stood outside Pidge’s door. He didn’t know if Pidge had fallen asleep or not but really needed help with this question.
His ears pricked when he heard a mumbled shout from the other side of the door, slightly worried Lance immediately knocked. Five seconds later, a confused Katie opened the door. Her hair was piled into a messy bun and she was wearing a white tank with green pajama pants.
“Lance?” she questioned. Lance blinked back in response, he had no idea why he had become suddenly transfixed instead he just simply raised his notebook to show Katie the question.
“Oh” she simply whispered, inviting him inside. The first thing he noticed that the room was pitch black till Pidge opened her lights again, the second thing he noticed was the game system set up. He had noticed the game system earlier, tucked cosily in the corner of her room but never had the courage to ask her to play with him. He had lost the right to that after all.
Pidge hummed to herself as she read the question again, “Sorry Lance but can we do this tomorrow? I don’t have the brain power for this question” she mumbled apologetically.
Lance nodded taking back his notebook, “That’s alright. Goodnight ” he wished and started heading out again.
“Wait! Do you want to play?” Katie asked, suddenly without thinking. She mentally scolded herself, apparently her brain had also lost the power to make logical decisions.
Lance stood unsurely stood next to the door, “Really?” he asked in a excited yet somewhat cautious tone. Katie considered her decision yet again, she knew she wouldn’t be going to bed unless she passed this level. She had been stuck on it for two days now, Lance on the other hand was the only capable player she knew other than her brother and herself.
She nodded beckoning him over to the floor where cushions were already spread out. Without another moment of hesitation, Lance joined in and Pidge explained her problem to him.
It took them another half an hour to pass the level, Lance claimed he could have done it faster if he wasn’t so rusty. Pidge simply chose to ignore the comment with an eye roll. Another 30 minutes passed as the pair got invested to pass the next level as well but their quest didn’t last long because by then their fingers were sore.
They sat on the floor in amiable silence, till Lance finally asked the question that had been pestering him the whole day. “So how did your lunch date go?” he wondered.
Katie looked at him in a bemused manner, “I was waiting for you to crack. You passed my expectations. Also, the Date went well”
“Katie, why didn’t you tell me about your boyfriend. I felt so clueless meeting him today. I understand why you didn’t tell me before but I have been literally living in your house for a whole week now. A little heads-up would have been nice” he stated, sternly.
“Fine” Katie mumbled. She took a deep breath before finally continuing, “Lance, I am seeing someone” she uttered trying her best to keep a straight face.
The look of incredulity on his face was enough to set her in a fit of giggles. “Katie!” Lance called out annoyed, causing the laughter to increase.
It her another minute for her to compose herself, “Fine, the reason I didn’t want to tell you is because I knew you would pester me with a thousand questions” Katie supplied.
“I don’t do that” he tried to defend himself, Katie eyed him in an unimpressed manner “Fine. Then I don’t think you will mind if we end this conversation right here” she teased.
“Well I wouldn’t mind but if you really want to tell. I suppose that I can listen” He in turn replied smugly.
“Goodnight Lance” she replied, not budging either so then he finally admitted his defeat. “Fine you win. Now will you please tell me” he begged.
Katie smirked in satisfaction, “Well there isn’t much to say. You already know his name, he is one of the engineers for the Defenders Project. I have known him for a year but we only been seeing each other for a few months-”
“Are you in love with him?” he questioned suddenly, Katie momentarily looked at him surprised before shaking her head, “What? no. I am not in love with him”
Lance studied her face, her response looked genuine enough. He felt somewhat relieved but didn’t ponder too much on it in the favor of asking another question. “Wait you are telling me that you guys have been dating for a few months and you aren’t in love with him. Then why are you still dating?”
“Because news for you. Not everyone is looking for commitments, I may not be in love with him but I still find him attractive and we have good time together” Katie reasoned.
“He does know that right?” Lance questioned and Katie nodded. “I told him from the beginning that I wasn’t looking for a serious relationship and he said he wasn’t either”
Lance begged to differ for Eric, from what he had noticed earlier. Eric was clearly smitten for Katie. He also felt surprised seeing the new side to his friend, Katie had never looked interested at the idea of romance during Voltron days and clearly he missed a lot from that point on.
“Lance? Why are you creepily staring at me like that?” Pidge wondered breaking his chain of thoughts.
“Sorry” he mumbled, “It’s just that I always thought you would want a relationship. Only if you were very serious about someone” Lance shared and Katie smiled sadly, hugging herself.
She was convinced that the universe held a personal grudge against her when Lance uttered those lines, “I thought I was like that too” she mumbled.
As she looked up to meet his ocean gaze, for a second it felt like her past feelings had resurfaced “But I guess things change…”
________________________
“Katie, did I ever tell you how amazing you are?” Lance breathed in joy as the familiar building came into view. “Well you have a few times but it never gets old so you can say it again” she cheekily smiled.
Lance took a hesitant towards her, he was dying to engulf her in a tight bear hug. One of the things, he learned about his friend in the last few days was how much Katie cared in the name of not caring. He never realized how well she knew him, sometimes better than even himself.
As much he wanted to, Lance let his arms fall to his sides and instead gazed at the building that made his stomach turn with nostalgia. “Lance are you gonna stare at it all day or actually intend to go inside?” she remarked sarcastically.
“Sorry. I can’t just believe it’s still here” he marveled. “I didn’t believe it either at first but I have known about it for a while now. Just didn’t want to come alone” she mumbled the last part.
Lance smiled softly at her, “To think there was a time we actually had to drag you here”
Katie glanced back at the brightly colored ice-cream shop. It was an old tradition for Lance, Hunk and a reluctant Pidge to come here after a stressful week of exams or whenever one of them got a good grade. Basically any good news was an excuse for them to visit Mr Willows old ice-cream shop.
“I am glad you did” she finally admitted, “I just really wish Hunk and Keith were here too. It’s not everyday when Lancey Lance does well at the stimulator exam” she teased.
“Oh like you are the one to talk. You were with me everytime we failed. We failed together” Lance reminded, despite the playful remark. Lance’s smile fell as he realized, how true the statement was. They had been together, through all of it. From worrying about their next exam to worrying about the Galra to now this…
Yes they had almost two years of estrangement between them but that time made him realize something important. He needed her. He needed Pidge. He needed Katie. More than he ever tried to realize before and this time he will try to be better person, the friend she actually deserved.
“Katie. Veronica is taking me tonight to celebrate the end of exams, can you please come too?” Lance asked hopefully.
Katie’s face fell, “I would love to but I already have a date with Eric tonight. Sorry” she apologized. Lance shook his head, “Hey no need to apologize. He asked you first”
Katie nodded gratefully and headed first into the shop, he watched her go inside with a distant look in his eyes. Maybe Katie didn’t need him anymore…
__________________
“Uh.. Mom why are there two suitcases in the hallway?” Katie questioned, as a frantic Colleen appeared.
“Katie. I forgot about the wedding!!” Colleen exclaimed, Katie’s nose scrunched up trying to remember what wedding was her mother talking about.
“Your Aunt called me today asking about at what time should she come to pick us up from the airport and then I remembered it was Isabel’s wedding in two days” Colleen explained before disappearing upstairs again.
Oh that wedding, Katie was really hoping that they had forgotten about that one. She really wasn’t in the mood to be bridesmaid for her cousin’s wedding, one of the few things she and her cousin actually might agree on.
“So all of us are going?” she asked, glancing back at a very confused Lance. Colleen appeared again, holding a smaller bag this time.
“It’s just your Father and I. Someone needs to be here with Lance. I will tell your Aunt that you have gone for a intergalactic meeting” she replied, Katie immediately grinned this might be the best news her mother ever told her.
Lance on the other hand, looked guilty. “You shouldn’t ruin your plans because of me. Katie should go to her cousin’s wedding, I can crash on Veronica’s couc-OW!” he yelped as Katie pinched his side.
“Shut up” she mouthed furiously to the Cuban boy, thankfully Colleen was yet again distracted with her suitcases to notice the silent exchange.
Sam was next to appear, he didn’t look particularly excited for the wedding either. Katie felt sorry for her father but currently it was every man for himself. “I finally got our tickets booked. Our flight is in three hours” he informed.
“Good good” she muttered, absentmindedly taking a seat on the couch. “I just can’t believe that I forgot. I am the worst sister ever” she whispered tiredly. Sam shared a startled look with Katie and Lance, before going over to his wife.
“Honey. It’s not your fault, she will understand” he comforted hugging his wife. Katie nudged Lance to follow her into the kitchen to give her parents a moment.
“Katie, your parents are the ultimate couple goals” Lance stated to which she laughed.
“Believe me I know. They were separated so many times but still manage to find each other no matter whether the distance is countries or galaxies” she added.
“I would love to have something like that” Katie whispered wistfully, surprising Lance by the sudden confession. “I have all these examples of true love around me and sometimes I just wish there was someone like that for me too”
The look in Katie’s eyes gave him goosebumps, it was a completely unguarded look. Suddenly she seized him with a more determined look, “You have experienced true love, right?” she asked suddenly.
“I guess?” he blurted out despite being the one asking the question she didn’t much heed to his response for she already looked she looked long lost in her own world. “Eric is a great boyfriend” she sighed. “We always have a good time together but I never feel this rush of electricity when he holds me” she explained, frustratedly.
As to emphasize her point, she gripped Lance’s right hand between her two pale ones. “You have surely felt it right? That spark? She questioned. Her intense gaze held him hostage and demanded an answer but for the first time, the talkative boy truly found what it meant to be tongue tied as goosebumps ran down his spine.
He prayed that his mind was playing tricks on him for he felt not just a jolt of electricity but as he if had been electrocuted again but it made him crave it more at the same time for it felt nerve wrecking yet addicting at the same time.
His gaze hadn’t broken hers and he watched as Katie’s expression slowly relaxed to a more softer look and her face slightly inched closer to his. His heart started beating wildly, feeling her softer hands around his calloused one, a crazy idea formed in his mind. He wondered what it would feel like to actually kiss her.
BAM!!
"Stupid suitcase!” Sam Holt’s distant cry made them snap out of their trance.
Katie was first one to pull away, her cheeks were lightly dusted with red and Lance was sure that his cheeks didn’t look much different. The two of them spared each other the embarrassment by not making eye contact with one another and made their way back to the living room where Lance started helping Sam with the suitcases while Katie listened to her mother’s last minute instructions.
Not long after Katie waved off her parents as they got into the taxi, Lance stood at the doorway watching the scene. He had a peaceful look on his face but the truth was that his mind was buzzing with crazy possibilities and questions.
As Katie made her way back to the house. Their eyes met and they were forced to finally acknowledged each other again. Her eyes looked guarded behind a thousand walls and she hugged herself before saying. “Uh..sorry for you know earlier. I got a bit carried away with my rambles, didn’t I?” she laughed weakly and Lance could only manage a small smile in response.
“Anyway I better go. Start getting ready. Eric will be here soon after all” She mumbled tiredly and Lance nodded, ignoring the deep seated disappointment in his heart.
Katie sighed sharply observing her friend, “You should probably take shower too before Veronica arrives” she suggested and then slowly walked away.
___________________
“So that’s why I didn’t want to go to the wedding. I am so glad I managed to get out of it. Dad didn’t want to go either but Mom really wasn’t ready to go alone” Katie informed. “I see” Eric replied, absentmindedly.
“You aren’t listening” Katie pouted, Eric chuckled in response as he wrapped one arm around her frame. “I was listening. Your Mom and Dad are gone to your cousin’s wedding and since you two never got along you are glad that you didn’t have to go because Lance is staying with you” He summarised easily to which Katie nodded proudly.
“But wait..” he suddenly stopped walking and faced her again. “Does that mean it’s just you two in the house?” He questioned seriously. “No we have Bae Bae too” she joked but Eric didn’t laugh.
“What is it?” she questioned yet again not understanding the implication. After a moment Eric’s face relaxed and he brushed off the earlier conversation, “Nothing.. although I gotta ask you. Is there a chance you might be forgetting something too?”
“The Garrison formal ball is this weekend!” She remembered. “How could I forget about this. I sure I am turning into my mother as well, I haven’t even decided what would I wear…” Katie rambled.
“Katie I am sure whatever you wear. You’ll look beautiful” He assured, lifting her chin and pulling her in a deep kiss.
It surely looked like one of the most romantic sight ever as pale moonlight fell on them and faint scent of roses from the park filled the air.
But as they pulled apart, Katie only weakly smiled at him before tucking herself underneath his arm like before. Disappointed was a small word for what she felt, she had really hoped that this one would be different. Things would be so much easier, if she truly was in love with him. Eric was everything she could ever ask for, it would have been so perfect if she had actually fallen for him.
It’s not like she didn’t try to during the last few months but despite how great he was and how many times he showed that he genuinely cared for. Katie felt like she was only settling and that wasn’t fair to either of them. Katie glanced at him, his dark brown radiated with happiness as he narrated an old childhood story.
He deserved better, someone who mutually adores him. She breathed in his familiar cologne and felt the arm that protectively rested on her. It wasn’t easy to let go of someone who adores you and dotes on you. Someone who gave you what you wanted for a longtime but it was the right thing to do.
After earlier today, the bitter truth was that her heart was still set on the Cuban. She couldn’t even deny it if she tried and although she was well aware that she didn’t have any chance with him. Staying with Eric would still be unfair, due to her selfishness he might miss a chance to meet his true love.
“Katie, do you wanna try the new ice-cream shop?” Eric asked innocently, unknown to her inner turmoil. She simply nodded in reply, as they started walking to his car.
Soon, she decided. She will end things soon. A part of her knew she might regret it but she simply couldn’t make him expect more from her. Her heart raced remembering those ocean eyes. Damn you Lance. You never gave me back my heart.
The second part is out as well! I hope you enjoyed the first part. Please reblog and tell me about your favorite part 
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jordm · 4 years
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Heartland 13x09 - Fight or Flight review
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So, the episode starts with a wholesome scene of Amy, Ty, Luke & Lyndy playing in the blow up pool with water guns. It’s so wholesome and looks so ideal, yet I know it’s setting up whatever is to come for Luke in this episode.
Oh and hey, we hear that Ty is still helping out with Scott at the clinic, but do we know if he’s still partner since he cut down his hours? Or did he perhaps pass the torch to Cassandra whose there full time?
Also fun fact, I wrote the word major instead of mayor a billion times in this review. But a mayor of a town is kind of like major of a band or army or something? So, apologies if you see the word major a few times haha.
Amy & Spartan
Spartan is still recovering and showing signs of Arthritis. Georgie wants to play horse matchmaker with Amy since Spartan is getting younger, and i’m just glad that it isn’t human matchmaker. Georgie, with Lisa’s permission wants to bring Atlas to Heartland for Amy, but Lisa wisely remembers how Jack reacted with Paint and cautions Georgie to tread lightly. I think it’d be nice to see Jack help/talk to Amy about how she’s feeling seeing as he went through it himself, or even her father Tim since he may have gone through the same thing with his own horse as well.
Amy eventually gives in and tells Georgie she’s not ready but wants her to continue pushing her to get a new horse, which is partly due to her needing a distracting and partly due to her wanting to help. That is, until she notices the wild animal coming up and bonding with Spartan and decides she doesn’t want the perfect horse - just a horse she has a connection or the feeling with like she did with Spartan. It does not go unnoticed that she might’ve been getting flashbacks of taming Spartan when she saw the wild horse approach her. Amy likes a challenge with her horses as opposed to having the perfect horse. 
If the seasons ends with Amy taming this new horse with Spartan watching, ‘passing of the torch’ why don’t you - I won’t be mad.
Oh and hey, we also learn that their house has WALLS and a first photo courtesy of Luke for the wall!! Progress y’all and they still have 2 months to winter!
Georgie
Oh and hey Georgie is surprisingly still not over Quinn and she’s off to BC to meet him! From the promo I saw, it shows her telling Quinn that she loves him so... that’s gonna happen. I’m glad that Lou let her go and trusted her to go on her own, plus if there ever is an emergency, her father, Peter is in Vancouver and seemingly a short drive away if she needs a place to stay. Had Georgie asked to go anywhere else, perhaps she might’ve been more hesitant but knowing that she’s going to a province where her father lives might’ve provided a little comfort. Or perhaps she just has so much on her mind she’s didn’t want to fight her on this and knows she needs to trust her since she’s going away to University next year.
Plus... Western Canada isn’t Ontario. You can drive 10 hours and still be in Ontario, but you can drive 10 hours and drive two provinces in the west. I drove 3 provinces in less than 10 hours on East Coast Canada and did a road trip in the West and there is a lot less driving required to go province to province in those areas since you don’t need go to around Lake Ontario :) And there’s your unasked for geography lesson.
Luke
Amy and Ty have a meeting with Clint, having to do with Andrea being on the mend and making tremendous progress, to the point where she can go back to parenting full time. This is great news for Luke - and great news for Andrea, and even for Katie I suppose who might get her own room back even if she’s finally warming up to him.
Speaking of Clint, he’s one of the few non-main character who has been guest-ing since season 1 eh?! Ever since he brought Ty to Heartland in the early days of the show. He did right with Ty and he always has the best intentions (he has too) when it comes to foster kids.
“I’m totally moving up to the loft when you leave, but i’m going to miss you” - Katie for the win
Gifting him the chess set and everyone telling Luke the kind words (ie. you’ll always have a home, come visit anytime, you’ll always have us in our heart) and they complete the chess set showed how much Luke became apart of the family. I have no doubt that everyone was sad to see Luke go - Amy and Ty especially but it was nice to see everyone in the family support him as he goes back home to his mother full time. I was glad that nobody tried to stop him or delay him going back to his family but rather supported him - this is the storyline I wanted to see.
Did the scene of Amy Ty and Lyndy waving goodbye to Luke as he drove away (how cute was Lyndy patting Luke’s hair?) remind you of when it was just Amy standing there when Ty drove away to Mongolia?
THE ELECTION
JD Worth running for election seems to have an impact on everyone in the Heartland family.
Lisa
Oh ayeee, these “cash flow issues” come back up again. Apparently, Lisa tried to solve the issue from last season by having investors bridge the gap... and one of them is... Worth Investments (or something like that), by the one and only JD Worth, Lou’s opponent and now they want Lisa to repay the entire loan immediately. Yikes. This has nothing to do with the election and that her grand daughter is running against him... right? Yeah, likely false. Lisa manages to pay him out and i’m just glad this doesn’t end badly.
Bob/Ty
Bob (via Ty) has a theory about why there has been so much wildlife in the area. Mountain View resorts, who, oh yeah JD IS BEHIND. Due to development, wildlife have fled which is why residents have had cougars/wolves in their backyards and an increase in animal attacks the last couple of days. Yikes, this is a big no and honestly likely the issue to get everyone riled up since everyone loves their animals. 
Lou
First of all, it’s kind of hilarious that Tim is seemingly Lou’s new campaign manager, handling her schedule.
Now, I never liked JD but I also didn’t blame him for wanting to modernize and keep Hudson up with the upcoming changes, but him telling Lou what she probably already knows - being mayor requires sacrifice is running thin and that nothings worse than “children with no mother” and berating him for her divorce and that her children have no mother doesn’t look well. I know some of us were on his side of this debate last week but it’s hard to still be on his side after this week.
It also appears that JD is lightly treading the line of threatening, which hey, its probably the reason why all his opponents dropped out. Coincidence that JD happens to threaten to “recommend” to Garland some new pea feed beef (or something), he “pulled out” of a bad investment (Fairfield) and sent a notice to Tim that he couldn’t live in an RV for more than 6 months even on private property (since when is this a law?!). Something tells me that there is a reason why all his opponents dropped out...
Lou initially coups and drops out but after hearing about the wildlife theory below, Lisa, Tim and the “private residence” was caused a health inspection, with Mitch’s encouragement, encourages her to get back into the race. And with one cleverly timed article about how JD Worth’s mountain development has caused the wildlife (MVP FOR BOB!!) seems to tip the scale in Lou’s direction. 
And thank god because JD is seen BRIBING some guy to deal with the wild life problem (by killing Wildlife? because that solves everything) so he’s definitely done it for every other thing that miraculously “got solved.” Lou may not be the ideal mayor but also, she is definitely better than him. With him as mayor, nothing is safe.
Does anyone else have the feeling that bribe guy might tell all to the press based on the look on his face when he saw JD didn’t pay him the full amount? Maybe he’s secretly a wildlife lover and doesn’t want to kill them? I mean, there’s no way the season ends with JD winning (think: poacher) so the question is how they make him lose/reveal the bribing.
Oh and...
Mitch
Mitch is mad that Lou didn’t tell him about running for mayor but Mitch didn’t also run turning their vacation property into a business (and seemingly moving away full time). And hey Mitch? Lou literally didn’t tell anyone she was thinking of running for mayor. Literally no one. She just stood up in the stands and announced it so it’s not just you. Don’t feel left out. No one was part of her decision really, except her.
PLUS, where the heck are Lou’s face all over these posters because so far all I’ve seen are JD’s! Lou, you need to step up your poster game. How is she allowing JD’s face to be across the diner & no posters of her?!
Songs in this Episode @heartlandians​
The One I Need - Amy Stroup
Another Lie - Jacob John
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“A long thread about my personal experiences during this election dealing with my Labour voting family deciding to out themselves as casual racists by voting Tory / Brexit Party in traditional Labour "Red Wall" heartlands
I come from a genuine working class family .
Grandparents were miners and domestic cleaning staff
Dad was butcher , mum was a cleaner and when she remarried after their divorce she married a miner .
I grew up in a two up two down terrace house that my parents rented from the local Co-op society and then moved into a council house in Kendray (Barnsley) when my mum remarried .
One grandad was a NUM union rep ( at Woolley Colliery alongside Scargill )
Other grandad was a NUPE union rep .
Mum and her sister were both UNISON union reps .
I guess what I'm trying to get across is that we were a proper Labour supporting family , cut us in half and we would have Labour running through us like a stick of Blackpool rock .
And yet in this election I was the only one still voting Labour, in traditional "Red Wall" Lab areas.
I'm in Sheffield but my family is split across the Barnsley area, some in Dan Jarvis' constituency, some in Steph Peacocks and some in the Penistone area that's just turned Tory.
How the hell did this happen ?
Why did my mum and step-dad and my Dad and step-mum all vote Brexit Party ?
Why did my brother and his wife and my aunt and uncle both vote Tory ?
They're not stupid people , my step-mum is a nurse and educated to degree level , my brother an accountant and educated to degree level and my sister-in-law a teacher educated to degree level .
We all lived through Thatchers annihilation of our communities when she went after the unions and destroyed Barnsley after and during the Miners strike .
My step-dad lost his job when Woolley Colliery was closed and never worked again .
So how the hell did they all come to abandon Labour and vote for parties whose policies are the complete antithesis of their own needs and aspirations ??
To answer that you've got to look further back than just this last few weeks or months or the last couple of years .
You've got to look a lot further back .
Before the Miners strike everyone I knew lived and worked in Barnsley , my grandparents jobs were in Barnsley , my parents jobs were in Barnsley , my aunt's and uncle's all worked in Barnsley as it seemed did all my friends families.
The aftermath of the strike changed that .
Most people were employed at the Pits or in industry connected to the Pits or in the service industries like retail , pubs etc where the Miners spent their wages.
When those wages went then so did the local economy.
New Labour in 1997 gave people hope of a change but all they brought to the area were low paid minimum wage jobs to replace high paid skilled industrial jobs .
People thought that New Labour when they got in would regenerate and revitalize these traditional working class Lab heartlands.
They didn't.
Yes we got a far better funded NHS and Sure Start etc.
But areas like Barnsley just got left behind , their Labour votes taken for granted.
Life had changed .
Only my mum still worked in Barnsley .
I moved to Sheffield because of work . My dad ended up in Stoke were he met my step-mum before they returned to Barnsley .
My brother , his wife and most other family members worked in other nearby towns and cities , even though they still lived in Barnsley .
Some like my Step-dad and aunt and uncle relied on the benefits system to see them through to retirement age .
Then along came the banking crisis , followed by the high street crisis that saw the likes of Woolworths bite the dust .
Quickly followed by a Tory & Lib Dem government pushing their disastrous Austerity policies.
Areas like Barnsley took another hammering .
Jobs lost in the local economy which had never recovered from Thatcher thanks to New Labours indifference.
Cuts to essential council services and cuts to the NHS locally meaning longer waiting lists and crowded doctors waiting rooms .
And in amongst all this comes Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson .
The poisonous bastards gave everyone in areas like Barnsley exactly what the needed , exactly what they wanted .......
Someone to blame.
Immigrants .
Immigrants let into this country by the EU.
Immigrants taking our jobs .
Immigrants using our NHS
Immigrants taking our council houses
Immigrants filling up our doctors waiting rooms
You see it couldn't just be the Tory's fault that things were rough because it hadn't gotten any better whilst Labour was in power.
So it has to be someone else's fault .
So Farage and Johnson must be correct when they blame immigrants and tells us all politicians are the same
Both narratives that have been pushed relentlessly by Farage , Vote Leave and Johnson
Farage and Johnson must be correct if the news on the telly says the same thing and asks them to come on all the time to talk about it .
Farage and Johnson must be correct if the newspapers all print the same stories blaming immigrants for taking our jobs and our houses and clogging up our NHS .
And Farage and Johnson must be correct if everyone on Facebook is posting the same Memes especially if greasy Brenda from the local chippy is posting it cos she obviously knows here stuff !!!!
Under Thatcher we knew who to blame , the Tory's.
But under Blair who did you blame for life getting no better because of New Labours indifference ??
The politicians , both sides because they are all the same , none of them give a stuff about us .
Under austerity who do we blame ?
Not the Tory's cos they've told us that we are all in this together and there is no other way , we have to all make sacrifices .
So we blame the immigrants , the ones that the EU are forcing us to take .
And by default because we tend to class anyone who's different to us as a potential immigrant then we blame any and all ethnic minorities
All of this whipped up to a frenzy since 2016 by the likes of Farage , Vote Leave , Tommy Robinson , Katie Hopkins , Hartley-Brewer , Rod Liddle and Boris Johnson and his Tory cohorts.
Aided and abetted by the usual cast of idiots at the BBC , ITV and Sky .
Sadly I watched this unfold with my own family over the last 3-4 years and didn't do anything like enough to try and counter it
I ignored the initial flurry of anti EU comments and social media posts partly because I was voting leave too, albeit for completely different reasons
I spent far too long just telling them to stop spouting racist bollocks when they moaned about immigrants instead of actually sitting down and explaining why the stuff they were reading , watching and sharing was wrong and factually false .
I ignored the anti Corbyn comments because I just assumed that when it came around to election time they would just hold their noses and vote Labour as we had all done for years before regardless of the leaders popularity , just as they all had in 2017
I finally realised I hadn't done enough when the election campaign kicked in .
I only work part time now and that's from home so I'd decided to get fully involved in the campaign both on the ground locally and on social media .
Boy did I get the shock of my life when I started posting stuff about Labours plans and manifesto on Facebook .
I got absolutely frigging mullered ...........
by my own family members and friends.
My posts were full of comments from them with arguments and rhetoric that had been drummed into them by Farage and Johnson over the last few years .
My timeline was full of anti Labour Memes .
It got that bad that I ended up deleting my Facebook account .
Most of the family aren't speaking to me and Boxing day this year when we traditionally all meet up at my mum's is going to be an absolute nightmare .
Then you realise it's not just yourself and your own family thats experiencing this .
You speak to a friend in Rotherham and find they've had the exact same experiences.
You get a call from your oldest son in the armed forces to tell you that he's up on a charge after getting into a scuffle with some of his colleagues after being called a muslim loving terrorist supporting traitor just for sharing some Labour stuff on social media
Living in Sheffield possibly led to me being a little insulated from Labours problems .
It's a multi cultural city and apart from the usual quota of nobheads and Tommy Robinson types we all live side by side with few serious problems.
Brexit didn't seem to be as big an issue inside the city as it did in the out-laying towns .
But in fairness things never got as desperate or demoralizing in the cities as they did in the town's and old industrial area's
We weren't looking quite as hard for someone to blame
Corbyn had a definite image problem on the doorsteps .
He had a massive target on his back and there's no denying that the media were able to hit it's bullseye with alarming regularity
But this hadn't been insurmountable during the 2017 election even in areas like Barnsley and Rotherham.
And I genuinely believe that had Jeremy Corbyn been just as intolerant towards immigrants and ethnic minorities as the Tory's were we would have had a very different result.
After all the country happily elected an absolute racist bigot instead of Corbyn
That's an absolutely disgraceful situation to find ourselves in especially when you also come to the realisation that members of your own family voted this way .
How do Labour get voters like my family back ???
More to the point do we actually want them back ???
I'm not sure I want to be related to my own family members at the moment because of their willingness to blame immigration and ethnic minorities for all our ills .
And yes we may have had the policies that would have addressed the problems that led to them voting for the Tory's / Brexit Party but you can't enact those policies if you don't get into government in the first place .
Would a different leader have made a difference to these voters ??
Yes to some of them .
Would a different Brexit policy have made a difference .
Definitely , to most of them
Did they vote this way because they're racist ???
Who genuinely can say ???
I hope that for the ones related to myself that it isn't a deep seated racism , rather just a reaction to a constant and unrelenting malign influence of the mainstream media , targeted Facebook memes and snake oil salesmen like Farage , Johnson and Cummings .
But I guess we won't know that until 2024 when we go to the polls once more , with a different leader , with Brexit no longer an issue and with the realisation that even outside of the EU nothing has changed in Barnsley and similar towns under this bastard of a Tory government”
Link below:
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kpopfanfictrash · 6 years
Text
No Strings (XI)
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Author: kpopfanfictrash
Pairing: You / Jimin
Rating:  18+ (explicit sex)
Word Count: 7,086
Summary: It started off as such a simple question. How to know if you’re bad in bed? Of course when you asked, you didn’t imagine Jimin would actually answer. (This is an additional part to my series, No Strings, as requested in the poll for my follower milestone)
“I’m just saying,” Minsun says, spinning around on her stool. Taking a sip of her drink, she squints at the room. “If Namjoon were any klutzier, he would literally die.”
Fighting a smile, you tap your hand to the counter. “Oh?” you say, accepting the drink pushed your way. “You know what I think? I think you’re exaggerating.”
“I’m not, though.” Shaking her head, Minsun points a finger at the dance floor. “Look at him right now. He looks like a twelve-legged octopus taking a beginner’s tap class.”
“If he has twelve legs, he’s not an octopus.”
“Shut up, you get my point.”
Hiding a smile, you nod because she is right – Namjoon truly does have dismal coordination. Right now, he is semi-drunk, waving both hands like one of those blow-up dolls at a car dealer. He slinks towards the center, fruity drink in one hand and hair pushed back from his forehead. Namjoon is a good-looking dude, intelligent and a catch for anyone to date – he also tends to be the most ridiculous human on the planet, without quite meaning to be.
Trying not to laugh, you return to Minsun. This week has been long, to say the least. You have been working on this giant presentation at work for a month now, one which went over well this morning – and prompted Namjoon and you to force your friends out in celebration. You have been at the bar drinking since 5:00 pm, although more of your friends have trickled in along the way, joining the revelry.
Seokjin arrived a half-hour ago; he is now seated beside you, two shots deep at the bar. He is partly to blame for Namjoon’s current state of inebriation, having convinced him that being drunk makes him a better dancer, not worse. Hoseok is also here, but Hoseok – you roll your eyes at the sight – is a stupendous dancer and seems completely at ease out on the dance floor. His girlfriend, Vikki, must be around here somewhere. Normally, you would say she is with Katie but Namjoon and Katie broke up two months ago, a messy split which involved your co-worker’s ex-boyfriend.
Wincing, you return the drink to your lips. Namjoon was devastated after, although it seems as though he is finally back in the swing of things. At least, he is trying – judging from the wavy sprinkler move he is attempting out on the dance floor.
Minsun snorts, draining the rest of her glass. “Okay,” she says, hopping down from the counter. Adjusting her skirt, she winces at the motion – the fabric is bright magenta, shorter than yours. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom. Wait here, hold my purse.”
Minsun disappears, flouncing away and you swivel your hips at the bar, returning to nursing your drink. Music thumps through the air, raucous and loud enough to drown out the voices around you – or, almost loud enough.
“Hey there,” a guy says, sliding onto Minsun’s vacated stool.
You glance up from your drink. A new wave of people has entered and it is a struggle to remain on your chair with everyone crowding so close. The stranger is cute, speaking mathematically. He has full lips, a broad forehead and the type of hair which seems perpetually stuck-up in the back. Beyond that though, your generosity ends.
The way he stares at you is calculated, as though he has a dating playbook and is eighty percent sure – if he says and does the right thing – you will be fucking him by morning. There is something to his gaze, his smile; this man thinks he damn well owns this room and you would be lucky to have him.
It is hard for you not to roll your eyes, taking a sip of your drink.
The guy leans forward. “I’m sorry,” he says, placing a hand on your arm. His touch is light, not overly forceful – he has done this before, and often.
“Are you?” you say.
A flash of confusion crosses his face. “I – what?”
“You said sorry,” you say, arching a brow. “I asked you if you are.”
The guy stares, taken aback before he smiles. “Oh, I get it,” he laughs, leg brushing yours. “No, that was just an expression of speech. I think you’re beautiful and wanted to say hi.”
Your smile turns brittle, grip on your drink tightening. Your remark was facetious – it takes a special kind of oblivious to ignore the fact that you are unwanted. Leaning away, you glance again at the bar. Seokjin, Namjoon and Hoseok are out on the dance floor, Minsun has not reemerged from the bathroom – fuck women’s restrooms and their lines – but once she does, you know she will kick this guy to the curb.
“Anyways,” he announces – louder, as the next song begins. “I was wondering if there’s a mirror in your pants?”
You nearly choke on your drink. “I’m not wearing pants.” 
This is true, you are wearing a dress – albeit, not one as tight and short as Minsun, but a dress nonetheless.
Ignoring the warning in your eyes, the guy leans in to continue. “Well.” The guy has the audacity to wink. “I think you must have a mirror in your pants, since I can definitely see myself in them.”
A long moment passes while you attempt to regather your jaw from the ground. The pickup line is horrible, borderline offensive in its awfulness and you are about to go off when an arm settles over your shoulder.
“Thank the fucking lord that I found you.” Jimin exhales, pushing a hand through his hair. His hair returned to black sometime last summer, which was a welcome surprise. “I’ve been searching for you everywhere – and Y/N, listen. We really need to talk.”
The guy looks at Jimin, then you. “I’m sorry,” he says – although this time, the apology really does not sound genuine. “Who are you?”
“I’m sorry.” The corner of Jimin’s mouth lifts. “I’m Jimin. And you are?”
The man frowns. “Clint.”
“Well, Clint.” When Jimin smiles, his gaze remains cold. “To answer your question – I’m the dude who slept with Y/N two weeks ago. I’m also the dude who needs to tell her something important.” 
Closing his eyes, Jimin steels himself.  “Y/N.” Seriously, he reaches out for your knee.
“Yes?” you say, trying hard not to laugh.
“Okay.” Jimin opens his eyes. “So, it’s like this. About a month ago, I noticed my spunk had this weird smell. I kinda brushed it off, thought was nothing. I don’t know,” Jimin sighs, looking up at the ceiling. “I decided I needed to eat more pineapple, or something.”
You somehow manage to turn your laugh into a cough. “What are you trying to tell me?” you demand, mock-horrified. “Did you come all the way to this bar, just to say that –”
“Yes.” Dramatically, Jimin looks you in the eyes. “I have the clap,” he announces, loud enough for Clint to overhear. “Possibly several of them. And I probably gave them all to you – through my penis.”
“Alright. I’m out.” Clint nearly falls off the stool in his haste to escape.
Trying not to laugh, you take a sip your drink. Jimin grins, wriggling to fill the space in between you. “Hi, baby,” he greets you, kissing your gently. “How was work?”
Smiling back at him, you wrap both arms around his neck. “It was awful,” you say in between kisses. Moving closer, your hips brush his on the stool. “Better, now that you’re here.”
Jimin cannot help but smile. “Your flattery does wonders to my ego, babe. Have I ever said that, before?”
“No.” Sighing, you wrap your legs around his. “I’m sure it got lost in between all the compliments you say to yourself.”
“Hey!”
Laughing, you pull away long enough to boop Jimin on the nose. “You’re so cute,” you coo, stretching his cheeks. “When did you get so cute?”
Jimin growls. “Cute is for children,” he says. “Mostly, those between the ages of zero and five.”
“What happens after five?”
“They get precocious. There’s nothing worse than a precocious child, Y/N.”
Biting down on your lip, you try not to laugh. “Okay, grandpa,” you say, patting his cheek as you hop down from the stool. “Go grab a double shot to catch up to me. I hear Namjoon is already tearing it up the dance floor and I’ve been remiss, keeping away for so long.”
Jimin turns around to order and you rise on tip-toe, peering into the crowd. Minsun has not returned yet, which is strange. She left her purse behind and if she does not come back soon, you will need to drag it out on the dance floor with you. Namjoon’s flailing is awkward enough without multiple straps on your body for him to get stuck in.
“OH MY GOD!”
The voice is Minsun’s, shrieking over the sounds of the bar. Your head jerks sideways, nearly slipping in your haste to retrieve her. “Jimin!” you yelp, delving in between patrons. “Grab Minsun’s purse for me, okay?”
“GOT IT, HONEY!”
Minsun remains audible, yelling somewhere in the background. She must be yelling, to be heard over the music and as you shove through the crowd, you imagine the worst. Seokjin should be here too, chasing after his girlfriend because she is clearly either A) under attack, or B) drunk and yelling at a stranger and honestly, with Minsun, the latter is more probable. Then you skid around a tall, gangly someone and come face-to-face with your roommate.
Minsun seems livid. She is standing with Seokjin, arguing fiercely while he holds both hands before him; a metaphorical shield in their battle.
“Why!” she blurts, poking him hard in the chest. “Why won’t you let me buy fro-yo!”
Seokjin sputters, grabbing both her wrists with his hands. “Minsun,” he hisses, glancing around. “Babe, just a little bit quieter, okay? I want to talk about this!”
“No,” she yelps, wrenching free from his grasp. “I will not be quiet when my very freedom is being oppressed!” Minsun huffs, waving a hand and nearly knocking over Hoseok’s drink.
“Hey!” he yelps, jumping out of her reach.
“Sorry, Hobi!” Minsun returns to scowling at Seokjin. “My boyfriend is compromising my freedom, so I’m a LITTLE preoccupied!”
“Babe.” Seokjin exhales, rubbing his face with both hands.
Minsun inhales deeply, seeming ready to explode as you dart your way forward. “O-kay,” you say, sliding both arms around her waist. Minsun frowns at this, although she lets you pull her back. “What’s going on?” you say. “What’s, uh – what did Seokjin do?”
Seokjin rolls his eyes. "Why,” he demands. “Do you all assume I did something wrong?”
“Because it’s you,” you say, glancing at Minsun. “You said something to get Minsun pissed off, clearly. Something about… fro-yo?” you offer, remembering what Minsun was yelling.
Seokjin grits his teeth. Whatever he was about to say is interrupted by Jimin sidling up beside you. “Here, Minsun.” He bows, handing over her purse. “Your affects.”
Accepting this, Minsun tries not to scowl. “Thanks,” she tells Jimin, still seeming miffed in the process.
Her gaze moves to Seokjin, hurt and confused – this is enough that you frown, glancing between them. This seems like more than Minsun being drunk and hot-tempered. 
“Seriously,” you ask, glancing between them. “What the hell is going on?”
“Seokjin is an ass.” Minsun pouts. “That’s the short story.”
Jimin turns his laugh hastily into a cough. “Sorry, man,” he shrugs. “That was funny.”
Seokjin stares blankly at him. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
Minsun’s lips tug down at the corners. “I was coming out of the bathroom earlier and decided I wanted to get fro-yo. So, I reach into Seokjin’s pocket for his wallet –”
“Which I objected to,” Seokjin says.
“– I reach into Seokjin’s pocket for his wallet and he slaps my hand away!“ Minsun nearly knocks Hoseok’s drink over for a second time with her gesticulation. "And then,” she says, lower lip trembling, “he said to me… that if I wanted frozen food, I needed to buy it myself!“
You and Jimin both gasp in tandem.
"You…” Jimin stares. “You really said that to her, man?”
Seokjin glances around the circle, finding no comfort. “I...” He hesitates, shaking his head. “No, no – it wasn’t like that. I just… I don’t want Minsun going into my pants. That’s all.”
Now, you are the one staring. “Uh…” You wrinkle your brow. “Then, what were you two doing on the couch the other day? Did she drop a peanut in your crotch or something?”
“I just wanna eat drunk fro-yo,” Minsun huffs. “But my boyfriend is out here, calling me fat.”
Seokjin’s eyes bug out. “I – what?!” he yelps. “No! I never said that!”
Minsun swallows. “Just...” She exhales, burying her face in her hands. “Leave it. I don’t want to talk to you right now.”
“No, no, no.” Seokjin groans, moving quickly to wrap both arms around her. “You’ve got it all wrong, baby,” he sighs.
It is like watching a train wreck. You know you should look away, but find you cannot. When Jimin holds out your drink, you take a long sip.
"Ten bucks,” he whispers. Jimin’s arms slides around your waist, his lips brushing your ear. “Ten bucks Seokjin has a present for her in his back pocket, or something.”
Stifling a grin, you nod. Seokjin would never be rude to Minsun without good reason. You know this about him, even if you give Seokjin shit for it occasionally. He is whipped as hell for your roommate.
As though to prove this point, Seokjin squeezes Minsun tighter. “That’s not – I mean, well,” he exhales, closing his eyes. “Fuck.”
Minsun pulls back to look at him. “Well, what?” she demands. “What is it?”
“I think you’re perfect!” Seokjin winces at Minsun’s clear look of outrage. “ You can be big, small, whatever you want – you know, so long as you’re comfortable with your body and not unhealthy, or whatever, you can do whatever you want and I –”
“Dude.” Jimin coughs, drawing a finger across his throat.
"What are you even talking about?” Minsun gapes.
“You can’t go into my pocket!” Seokjin blurts.
Minsun blinks in surprise. “I don’t… I don’t even know how to respond to that.”
Seokjin’s cheeks flush, biting down on his lip. “Shit.” Groaning, he presses both hands to his face. “Fine! You want to know why you can’t go into my pocket?“
"Yes.” Minsun folds both arms over her chest. “Let me just prep myself before my boyfriend says that he doesn’t want me touching his dick anymore.”
“Because!” Seokjin huffs, reaching into his pocket. “Because of this, okay?” Yanking out a box, he forces Minsun’s eyes to widen. “I want to fucking marry you! Which you’re ruining, by the way, by making me propose to you in a bar!“
Somewhere in the background, In My Feelings by Drake plays while oblivious, drunk patrons grind out on the dance floor. They seem unconcerned with the fact that history is being made right in front of you – history, witnessed by only yourself, Jimin, Seokjin and Minsun. Hoseok disappeared sometime around the second time Minsun tried to knock over his drink.
Minsun blinks, taking an uncertain step backwards. "You… what?”
“I want to marry you!” Seokjin yells, stepping closer. “I want to marry you,” he says, softer this time. His hands find her elbows, tracing circles over her skin.
Minsun stares back at him, lips parted in shock. “I...” She falters, suddenly at a loss.
Seokjin smiles. “What,” he murmurs, pushing a hand through her hair. He is still holding onto the small, blue box with the other. “No smart answer, for me?”
Minsun inhales, as though she might yell at him – before she lifts on her toes and kisses him smack on the lips. Seokjin laughs, words muffled when he pulls her closer and sinks into the gesture.
“You jerk,” Minsun exclaims, pulling back. She scowls, starting to laugh but refusing to move. “How dare you propose to me like this – in a bar, no less!”
He huffs, yanking her closer. “I wasn’t going to,” Seokjin says. “I was going to propose to you tomorrow morning in bed and then you ruined it by stealing my wallet!”
Minsun grins. “When we’re married,“ she says, looping both arms around his neck. "I’ll have half of your wallet by law.”
“You’re such a gold-digger,” he teases, kissing her again.
“Your gold-digger.”
“So, is that a yes?”
“That’s a fuck yes,” Minsun says, grabbing his face and pulling him in for another kiss.
Seokjin responds eagerly, body moving against hers and you blink, suitably awkward when you realize where this is headed. 
Jimin reaches down, tugging on your shirt. “Uh… let’s go,” he says, grabbing your hand.
Tugging you behind him, he pulls you onto the dance floor and leaves your overly-fond-of-PDA best friends behind. The song has changed, rap belting over the speakers but in the corner by the bathroom, Minsun and Seokjin do not seem to care. They are still kissing when you leave, one hand tangled in Jimin’s. You keep glancing at him, since it has not escaped your notice that Jimin has not said anything since the proposal.
He smiled, sure. He laughed – but there is something to his gaze which is giving you pause. Jimin whirls suddenly around, pulling your body to his. “Let’s celebrate,” he half-yells, to be heard over the music.
“Celebrate what?” Your hands slide around his neck. “Minsun and Seokjin?”
“Yeah, sure.” Jimin bends, nuzzling the exposed lines of your throat. “But also, life. Being together. Freedom. Whatever you want.”
You nod, letting your hips sway with the music. The word freedom sticks in your mind; a double-edged sword in comparison to the others. As you dance, you chance another look to where Seokjin and Minsun were standing. They no longer are, having disappeared along with the change of music. You presume they are on their way to properly celebrate. It is not difficult to be happy for them. You have been there since the beginning, after all. You have seen their relationship blossom since college and you know this is the next logical step.
Still, something nags in the back of your mind. Jimin said freedom.
Pressing closer, you try to ignore this. Jimin is not always good with his words – hell, it took him long enough to admit he liked you. It has been on more than one occasion he has said the wrong thing, but his intentions are always good and he learns from his mistakes. Deep down, you know Jimin is happy. It is only – your arms tighten, fingers running through the fringe of his hair – sometimes, you wonder if he regrets this.
Perhaps regret is too strong a word. You are Jimin’s first relationship in nearly five years, after all. Not only that, you two are a relationship, in all italic sense of the word. You began dating by saying I love you and that is a lot of pressure for anyone, let alone a reformed playboy. Thinking this, you wince and turn your face into his shoulder.
This might be unfair, since Jimin says he loves you. You know this, and you know it is not okay to hold his lack of girlfriends against him. It is only that word – freedom ­– which worries you, because it makes you afraid Jimin thinks this is lacking. The belief is unfounded, to be sure. Jimin has never once mentioned as much to you. It is only occasionally, at times like tonight, or at family gatherings – when the subject of marriage or kids is brought up, Jimin goes unnaturally silent.
It is hard for you not to notice. Jimin tries his best to hide his discomfort but to you, it is obvious – of course it is. There is no one who knows Jimin better than you, no one who can read his small ticks and tells like you can. You know that talk makes him uncomfortable and honestly, you do not blame him. It must be difficult to go from absolute freedom to someone always knowing what he is doing. To go from not having to answer to anyone to always thinking about someone else. Being in a relationship is work and occasionally, it crosses your mind if Jimin thinks it is worth it.
Refusing to entertain such thoughts any longer, you burrow deeper into his embrace. Jimin loves you, you remind yourself. This is just your insecurities rearing their ugly head and you should not let them win when there is nothing to back them up. Jimin pulls you closer, bending his body as you soften.
“Jimin,” you say. 
Lowering your hands, you graze the soft threads of his t-shirt. It is hot outside, equally so on the dance floor because the AC can only compete with sweaty bodies for so long.
“Yes?” Jimin moves your hips with his own. 
In the corner of one eye, you see the rest of your friends convene on the edge of the dance floor. They have that look in their eyes – the tipsy, where-should-we-go-next kind of look which you have no desire to follow.
“Take me home?” you ask, propping your chin on Jimin’s chest.
He smiles, grabbing your hand as he nods in response. Some Reggaeton beat follows you outside the bar – the same, distant beat which seems to accompany every Reggaeton song – and Jimin interlaces his fingers with yours, pulling his phone from his pants. The night air is chillier, breeze whipping your hair while you take a step closer and drape Jimin’s arm around you.
Jimin squeezes you softly, ordering an Uber. When it arrives and you pile into the backseat, Jimin is silent as he stares out at the window. You end up offering your apartment address, remembering Seokjin said he wanted to propose to Minsun in bed. On the off-chance he still has something he planned about that, you certainly do not want to be around for the moment. Resting your head on the window, you stare at the night until Jimin shifts on the backseat beside you.
“You know that I love you, right?” he asks suddenly, breaking the quiet.
There are a million things which run through your mind. The scratchy cough of the car driver, the feel of your butt on the fabric and the steady itch of your seatbelt. Jimin’s hand closes over yours, warm on the leather. 
“Yeah,” you say, looking at him. “I know. You know I love you too, right?”
Jimin smiles, not quite reaching his eyes. “I know.”
When he does not add anything more, you nod. The backseat falls quiet again, you lower your head to the seat and Jimin moves nearer. “Okay,” he sighs. 
You smile, resting your eyes the entire way back to your place.
When the car door opens, cold air blows on your face and you protest, burying your face in his shoulder. Jimin chuckles, pushing the door open to drag you outside. 
“Come on,” Jimin says, wrapping his arm over your shoulders.
Grumbling under your breath, you let yourself be led up the walk. Before you know it, you are blinking outside the door to your apartment. Mutely, you hand over the key and Jimin lets you both in, stepping past the threshold to turn on your lights. You were right, it seems. Seokjin and Minsun went back to his place.
Yawning, you strip off your purse and fling this over a counter. Jimin has disappeared into the bathroom, leaving you alone in the front hall. After locking the door, you trudge to the couch and lower yourself to its cushions. You were so sleepy in the cab, as though you will fall right asleep – but now, you find yourself staring at the wildly printed fabric (chosen by Minsun), and feeling wide awake.
As soon you think this, Jimin jogs into the hall. “Righ’,” he demands, toothbrush half-hanging from his mouth. He pushes hair back from his forehead, continuing to brush. “Ai thou chu sh’d kno’ at –”
“Park,” you say, arching a brow. One by one, you kick off your heels to the floor. “I can’t understand a word you’re saying, which somewhat lessens the impact.”
Jimin pauses, nodding and disappearing again down the hall. “’ANG ON,” he yells, followed by the sounds of spitting and running water.
You kick your feet up behind you, lying like a lump on the sofa – your skirt is probably hiked up in the back, but you cannot bring yourself to care. It is too late and you are too tired. Jimin jogs again into the room.
“Okay,” he declares, sticking out his tongue to display newly minted freshness. “What I was trying to say –”
“Through a toothbrush.”
“– albeit, not in the most romantic of fashions, but what I was trying to say is that I love you, okay?”
Slowly, you sit up on the sofa. “Jimin,” you say gently. “I know this. Why do you keep repeating that?”
“Because.” He exhales, pushing both hands through his hair. It makes his t-shirt ride up, exposing a flat strip of stomach. You try not to overly ogle; no one likes being ogled when they are attempting to be serious.
“I’m really excited for Seokjin and Minsun – really, I am!” Jimin says. “They deserve happiness, but...” Walking closer, Jimin kneels at the end of the couch. He drapes both arms over the armrest, peering at you. “I don’t want you to feel as though I love you any less because I’m not proposing right now.”
Your eyes widen. “I – Jimin, I never thought that.”
“I know,” he says. You wrinkle your nose, making him smile. “You’re too good and too perfect to ever pressure me, I know.”
“Jimin, that’s not –”
“I know.” This last part is quieter, eyes shut so that the dark of his lashes brush cheekbones. “It’s just... something I think about every day, you know?”
His fingers trace over the couch, absent-minded. Swirl, angle, circle and line. “Jimin,” you whisper, gaze moving from his hand to his face. “What do you think about every day?”
His expression stills. “You. Me. The future. I think...” He inhales, a quick sound. “I think about it all the time. What it will be like to marry you. To wake up next you. To have kids with you. I want all that, Y/N. I don’t want you to think that I don’t.”
Instead of answering, you swallow. It does not seem as though he is finished yet, and you do not yet know what to say. This is the first time Jimin has confessed something like this to you.
He opens his eyes. “I have every intention of marrying you, Y/N. It’s just, for the first time in my life, I want to do things right. I want to plan, be ready for marriage because once I do – there’s no going back.” He scoots closer, tiny movements until his nose brushes yours. “I want to propose in a way you can’t say no to. Not in some dingy bar, where an overplayed Drake song is playing.”
“I don’t know,” you say, needlessly tormenting. “I kind of like that song.”
Jimin growls. “Fine, I’ll have that playing in the background.” He pauses, adjusting closer. “I just wanted to tell you, because – well, why shouldn’t I tell you what I’m thinking?”
Unable to stop yourself, you smile. “No,” you say, pressing a kiss to his lips. “I’m glad you did. I think about that stuff too, you know.”
“You do?” Jimin’s eyes crinkle. “What do you think about?”
Now you are realizing the balls it took Jimin to tell you all this because, while you daydream about the future quite frequently, it is another thing entirely to lay it all on the line. 
“Um,” you mumble, burying your head in the crook of the couch. “I think about what kind of place we’d get together.”
“Oh?” Jimin stands up from the floor. “What kind of place?”
You inhale when he kneels behind you on the couch, hands sliding smoothly up the backs of your legs. “I – I,” you whisper, trying not to move. “A cute apartment, at first. One where we didn’t have to worry about Minsun taking too long in the morning to shower – or Seokjin, for that matter. Where,” your breath hitches when Jimin’s hands slide a bit too far, “we could get ready in the morning together.”
“Mm?” Jimin’s crotch grazes your hips, letting you feel his hardening length through his jeans. He pushes your dress upwards until cold air hits your ass. “What else?”
“I...” You inhale when his thumbs hook the sides of your panties. Jimin’s weight rests on your legs, holding you firmly as you squirm underneath him. “I think it might be nice to live together for a bit, before we get… married.”
Jimin inhales at the word. Bending, he supports himself with both arms to brush a kiss to your neck. “You want to marry me?” he asks quietly, hips molding to yours. “Are you sure?”
Gently, you nod. “Pretty sure. I mean, Daniel Henney is kind of out of the question, so –” You laugh when Jimin huffs, and then make a much different noise when he smacks your ass with one hand.
“Oh, you like that, do you?” he says, massaging the same cheek with his palm. You nod again, curling your arms underneath you to face into the couch. “You like being a little brat,” Jimin growls, shifting his weight. “You like being spanked, hm?”
You try to move, try to turn over but Jimin just chuckles, grabbing hold of your waist. “No,” he exhales, keeping you there. With one finger, he gently trails the damp center of your panties. “Not yet. I want to see how wet I can make you like this.”
You are not sure what he means until Jimin grips the couch on either side of your head. Your dress remains bunched at your waist, his jeans still firmly buckled, but his cock is now obvious, pushing into your ass. It makes you squirm, hot and bothered beneath him.
“Jimin,” you moan, rutting your hips against cushions.
Chuckling, Jimin lowers his lips to your skin. “What, baby?” he asks, dragging the strap of your dress down your arm. “Do you want more?”
“Yes,” you whimper. Jimin presses gentle kisses to your ear, massaging the delicate skin with his tongue. Your thighs clench underneath him, hating how wet he can get you. All without touching, all without even eating you out. He can do this just by straddling you, by dry humping and kissing – you do not hate this fact about him. You only wish you could slam him into the couch and return the favor.
Jimin’s mouth curves into a smile. “Is my baby getting anxious?” he whispers, one hand sneaking beneath your dress. You gasp when he flicks over a nipple, playing with the bud until it hardens into his palm. Then, Jimin moves to the next, still kissing your neck and keeping you grinding into the couch.
You groan, arching your back and pressing your breasts into his hands. Jimin has wonderful, skilled fingers – something you have never failed before to appreciate. You cannot help but squirm underneath him, hips grappling for friction, your barely clothed crotch humping the fabric below. It is barely anything, but still, it is better than lying here drenched in your own arousal.
Jimin gently tugs your nipples before he retreats, rocking backwards as he sits on his heels. “Y/N,” he coos. When you glance over your shoulder, you see him remove his shirt. Jimin flexes before tossing this on the ground – always a show-off, even now. He grins at your expression. “What about a game?” Jimin suggests, seeing the drenched core of your panties.
Fuck, anything for him to touch you again. You narrow your eyes, attempting to appear in control. “What type of game?” you counter – as loftily as you can with your dress bunched around your waist. Jimin slides his hands to your ass, pushing your cheeks apart and massaging them gently. You nearly combust on the spot.
“I’ll ask you questions,” he says, arching a brow. 
His cheeks are flushed, chest rising and falling and you realize he is more turned on than he lets on. Gaze darting down, you see Jimin’s cock strain against the tight fabric of his jeans. Judging by that, he will not keep you waiting for long.
Seeing where you look, Jimin frowns. “I’ll ask the questions,” he repeats, lightly smacking your ass. “When you answer, I’ll reward you.”
“Sounds… fun,” you say with zero conviction.
Jimin grins. “Alright, first question.” Adjusting himself, he unbuckles his belt and pulls the leather through loops. “Should we have two sinks in our bathroom, or one?”
Rolling your eyes, you attempt to shift underneath him. “Two, duh.”
The corners of his mouth drop. “You don’t want to share?” Jimin whines.
“I think there will be enough sharing without us fighting over toothpaste stains, thanks.”
“Hm.” Jimin considers for a moment, then shrugs. “Good enough, here’s your reward.”
Dropping his belt on the ground, Jimin pulls your dress overhead. You let him, wriggling until the fabric joins his t-shirt and belt on the floor. You are left naked except for your panties, breasts pressed into the fabric of the couch in twin, hardened peaks.
“Is that it?” You rub your butt against his crotch. Jimin’s gaze darkens. “You’re not even going to touch me?”
“Not so fast,” he says, spreading your legs and dragging two fingers up the folds of your slit. Groaning, you press yourself into the palm of his hand. He keeps your panties on, although the material is flimsy, drenching his digits as they slip to either side.
“Next question,” he pants, tugging your panties sideways. “Do you want a cat or a dog?”
“Um...” You inhale, wriggling your hips – only to be rewarded with a sharp slap on your ass.
“Not until you answer!” Jimin sounds like he is grinning.
“Fine,” you huff, flopping still. “I want a cat. They’re fluffy and independent and just think how cute you’ll look when it deigns to sit on your lap.”
“Hm.” Jimin slips his thumb between your folds, rubbing a slow circle over your clit. You are so wet, you swear, grinding your hips against him in the hope of more friction. “Good.”
Abruptly, he removes his thumb from your clit – you do not protest for long, since he hooks both index fingers under your panties and tugs them down to your ankles. Jimin lifts himself up, removing them gently to toss to one side.
“Fuck,” he groans, when you are naked beneath him. “Turn over, baby, I want to see you.”
You oblige, shifting to press your butt to the couch. Keeping your gaze fixed on Jimin, you drop your legs to either side.
He swallows, hard. “Shit.”
You smile. “What are you waiting for?”
“Next question.” Jimin lowers himself to his stomach. His hands slide up your legs, pressing your knees to the couch. “Do you,” he pauses, blinking uncertainly. “Would you want… kids?”
You stop, staring at him with a lump in your throat. Jimin turns his head, pressing a gentle kiss to your knee. Feeling the sudden urge to see him when you say this, you grab his face and lift his lips to yours. 
“Yes,” you whisper, kissing him.
Jimin opens his mouth, one hand fisting into your hair. He groans, your chests pressing together, hips grinding against him. When Jimin reaches downto frantically unzip his jeans, you are already there. Slapping his fingers aside, you yank his pants past his ass.
“Y/N!” Jimin laughs when you push these down with your feet.
“Shut up,” you say, kissing him again. “I want your pants off.”
“Which you can do,” he informs, helping you out, “through less creative maneuvers.”
“That’s not why you love me, though.”
“I love you because you can take my pants off with your feet?”
“Yep, that’s it.” You laugh when Jimin sloppily kisses your collarbone. Your fingers scramble for his boxers, removing the last article of clothing. “Ah,” you sigh when his cock springs free. His hard length slaps the skin of his stomach. “There it is.”
Jimin smirks, lowering himself to your body. “Where do you want me?” he murmurs, dragging his cock up your slit. “Like this? Fucked into the couch?”
You whimper when he removes himself from your folds, sinking his index finger into the warmth of your cunt. “Ah,” you groan, pushing up while he slides slowly in and out. Jimin’s thumb rubs your clit, smirking above you.
“Or, you can flip over,” he murmurs, opening your lips in a kiss. “And be fucked from behind. Or...” His breath hitches when you start to mouth down his jaw. “Against the wall? Or, spooning – just slip between your legs and fuck you like that?”
“Ah,” you groan. Your hands fumble with his waist, stroking his cock in your hands. “Maybe tomorrow morning, baby. I want to see you.”
Jimin nods into the crook of your neck, letting you guide him to your opening. Wrapping both legs around his waist, you nudge up against him. Jimin’s cock brushes your folds, teasing while you dig your hands into his hair.
“Jimin,” you groan. “Just put it in me, already, I wanna come on your dick.”
Jimin’s gaze darkens and he reaches between your legs. “Fuck,” he hisses, positioning himself to thrust quickly inside. You gasp, jolted into the couch by the force . Jimin pauses, brushing a kiss to your forehead and letting you adjust. “Is that – are you…?”
“Yes,” you groan, tipping your head back to the arm rest. “Fuck, yes, right there, Jimin.”
He smirks, pulling himself higher to re-position himself on his knees. Jimin’s hands find your ankles, lifting your legs to drape over his shoulders. “Is that good,” he murmurs, bending to push himself deeper inside.
“Mmph,” you say, the new angle allowing him further. “Yeah, Jimin, just like that.”
Jimin’s hips roll, letting you feel him in his entirety. He withdraws, hovering a moment before pushing into you slowly. You bite on his shoulder, letting him fill you – sometimes, there are no words which capture the feel of Jimin like this. It takes everything you have not to combust simultaneously, breaking apart to let him in at the seams.
You concentrate on the feeling him fill you and try your best to remain sane. Jimin grabs your ankle, turning his head to kiss skin before gently pushing inside you again and loosening a groan from your lips.
“Oh,” you moan, both arms clasped around his neck.
Jimin thrusts harder, kissing you roughly. His tongue finds yours, hips rutting against you while your hands pull his hair. Each thrust brings him deeper, closer as you bite down on your lip.
“Jimin,” you whimper. “Oh, ah, Jimin!”
He chuckles, pressing you harder into the couch. “Fuck,” he breathes, gathering you closer and fucking you faster, hitting that spot deep inside you. “Y/N, fuck.”
Hair falls into his gaze, dark and sweaty while his muscles bunch, keeping himself up. Jimin falls onto one elbow, other hand slipping between your legs to ease over your clit.
“Shit, Jimin,” you gasp, clutching him harder. His fingers are quick, bringing you close to the edge while he continues to fill you. It is difficult to keep still; you arch against him, urging him closer, deeper while grinding yourself on his cock.
Jimin reaches down, adjusting your hips and suddenly – fuck – he is everywhere. Deep inside you, on top of you, his lips mouthing up the edge of your jaw to whisper words in your ear. How he loves you, how he needs you, how he wants you. How you complete him, how you are him and you are saying it back, tugging strands of his hair with your fingers. When you come, shattering apart, it is Jimin’s name on your lips.
“Jimin,” you groan, collapsing back on the couch. He continues a few, frantic thrusts before coming inside – you feel him shudder, gasping your name when he half-collapses above you. Smiling, you press a kiss to his shoulder, rubbing his back before he manages to pull out. Grabbing a tissue from the end table, Jimin cleans you up before collapsing back down.
He sighs, turning his head to lazily connect your lips to his. “You want all that?” he asks softly, returning your earlier conversation. Looping your ankles over his ass, you let him pancake on top of you.
“Yeah,” you whisper, nearly bursting with happiness. “Yeah, I do.”
“Good.” Jimin smiles, interlocking your fingers with his. “Because it’s all coming. Just not in a bar.”
[ No Strings Master List ]
© kpopfanfictrash, 2018. Do not copy or repost without permission.
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soylaprincessa · 5 years
Text
ANCHOR DOWN (Pedro Pascal x OC) Chapter Two
With all these Pedro pictures getting ready to go on stage my mind is running wild with ideas for this story! Hnnghhhhnnnn!!!
Here you go...
Chapter One Masterlist
C H A P T E R   T W O
Warnings: swearing
After nine hours full of hard work and another nerve-racking conversation with Grace concerning her work moral, Katie finally found herself in the bar just around the corner with Melissa. She sighed in relief when the bartender placed her favourite drink in front of her- Moscow Mule. Melissa was sticking with Champagne.
They were chatting away animatedly and Katie was able to tell Melissa all about her holiday and how good it felt to be away from everything- the old flat, the coffee shop around the corner where Aidan and her used to have breakfast, theit favourite movie theater... Melissa herself was in a stable relationship and craved for her boyfriend to eventually propose to her, so she was only a partly good companion when it came to bitching about men.
After two drinks, the bar gradually became more crowded and at some point Katie spotted Grace, who she assumed needed to have a couple of drinks as well. She wasn’t alone, though, she entered the bar accompanied by some other young girls from the theatre Katie wasn’t too fond of either. What nearly made her drop her drink to the floor was Pedro Pascal coming in, all smiley and flirtatious like he had been before. He obviously liked being in the company of so many pretty women and Katie couldn’t despise him more.
“Katie,” Melissa’s warning voice managed to soften up the frown on her face, “give him a chance. I heard he’s really nice!”
Katie turned to Melissa and chuckled, “y’know, I bet he’s just like any other guy. Careless and narcissistic.”
Sometimes Katie wondered if her ex-boyfriend had brainwashed her so much she would now hate any male individual on this planet. But then again, men were bastards. It would take a lot to convince her otherwise. The only two men Katie adored would always be her dad and granddad, who were genuinely good persons full stop.
Katie tried her best not to look over at the group too often, but somehow she had to. Her head was magically being turned into their direction. At one point, probably because she had been staring right at him with a furious facial expression, Pedro’s eyes met hers. He smiled at her.
Quickly and embarrassed, Katie looked away, feeling her face burn up instantly. A cold shudder ran down her spine and the goosebumps covering her skin seemed to be very persistent.
“Are you ok?” Melissa inquired when she noticed a change in Katie’s behaviour.
“Yeah, I’m good. I need the loo.”
Not deigning to look at Pedro once more, Katie disappeared in the ladies’ bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, she washed her hands and studied her face. She thought she looked alright, but weirdly enough her hands were shaking. Katie blamed in on the alcohol- during her vacation she’d developed what others might call a habit- killing a bottle of red wine each night until the pain was gone.
Now, after two drinks, Katie felt she’d had enough, though. Tipsily, she returned to the main room and nearly bumped into someone, who she sooner than later identified as Pedro.
“Hi again,” he smirked, and Katie swore she could’ve hit him with her handbag for being so fucking charming.
“Hi,” she grumbled, avoiding to look him in the eye. Where was her professionality when she needed it the most? Katie cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders to look more imposing.
“Why don’t you come over and have a drink with us? To forget this morning’s dissension?” The cheeky smile on his lips was all Katie needed to turn him down and prove to her he wasn’t being sincere.
“No, thank you. We don’t want to be a part of your harem.” Katie replied, feeling incredible for being so quick-witted.
“I have the feeling you like to judge people,” Pedro crossed his arms in front of his chest and rose one eyebrow.
“Look, we work together, we don’t have to buddy up. So how about each of us simply returns to their friends?” Katie rose her hands in defence, intending to avoid starting a discussion.
“Fine,” Pedro sighed, “you have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.” His hand was quick to brush her shoulder as he turned away. Katie needed a second or two to process what had just happened. She snapped back to the moment and sat back down opposite of Melissa.
“What did he want?” She instantly blurted out through the music.
Katie took a big sip of her drink, “he invited us over for a drink.”
“And you denied because…?”
“Because he’s a dickhead who treats women disrespectful!”
“You don’t know that! Leave him be!”
Somehow, Katie couldn’t. At the same time as feeling a deep repulsion towards Pedro, she was also intrigued. That was why she caught herself looking over at time several times during their stay at the bar, and she would’ve guessed that in 90% her eyes were lingering on her as well.
But that might’ve been the alcohol.
The bloody fucking alcohol that once more made Katie’s head spin and guts turn when she was laying in bed an hour later. She cursed her weak mind for drinking so much on a week night, already knowing what she would feel- and look- like the next morning. Melissa had showed her some random Instagram pictures of Pedro to convince her that he was actually a nice person, so Katie spent the time waiting for the walls to stop spinning with scrolling through his feed. Her drunken brain didn’t absorb any analyse it all very well, but at first glance he seemed a very open-minded, social guy with a healthy self-confidence and even a similar opinions about politics and feminism as herself. Katie decided to give him a chance after all. Maybe she had him wrong. Maybe Melissa was right. Katie promised herself to be her most unbiased, friendly self when she met him at work the next day. Good plan.
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rexinferorum · 5 years
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Glee AU
this went from an “lol imagine” to an entire world building experiment. i’m not sure who i have to blame for it but alas, here we are.  click below for the first installment of the glee au saga. 
“ vuras. get over here. “ 
v scowls.  there are few things he hates more than his given name being used, a fact which their faculty adviser is aware of.  all the same, he forces a smile and crosses the room;  resists the urge to remove the dalton pin from his blazer and use the sharp end to poke out their eyes.  he resists.   “ yes? we’re in the middle of rehearsal. “  this had better be important.  the threat doesn’t need to be spoken.  
the faculty adviser sighs.  grabs a scrawny kid by the shoulders, puts him in between the two of them. “ we’ve got a new kid.  he’s a transfer from carmel. “    this peaks v’s interest.  carmel high school is their toughest competition;  in sports, neither are much of a spectacle, but the last three national show choir competitions had seen both schools in deep competition.  carmel have won the last two years but this,  v will proudly declare to anyone who listens, is their year. 
“ you sing? “  it’s a question, but it’s also an inquisition.  his gaze narrows on the kid;  he looks partly terrified, partly intrigued.  “ i’m vuras, but you can call me v. “   he holds out his hand, waits expectantly for the quiet boy to shake it.  “ i’m the captain of the dalton academy warblers.  i’m assuming if they’re shoving you. “  quite literally, “…at me you must have been in vocal adrenaline?”    vocal adrenaline, aka carmel’s national ranking show choir.   they’re known for their intense choreography sessions,  complicated routines, and overall dedication to the craft.  he’d heard rumors once that they all took performance enhancing drugs, but they’d been disproved after he’d reported them to the show choir board.   hey,  a disqualification leading to a warbler win still counted as a success in his books. he wants to win at all costs but won’t tolerate even the idea of someone else doing the same.  
“ uh, i - yea, i do. “  the boy stutters, like he’s caught off guard.  maybe he is;  presumably this is his first day and he’s already being thrust into the fire.  “ i mean, i did. i was.  i transferred. “  the boy doesn’t say why, doesn’t offer any explanations, but he doesn’t need to.  by the end of the day,  v will have accessed his school file and figured out all the sordid details. 
aster silvermist, son of baird and daphne silvermist. his parents were big donors and supporters of carmel high, up until a month ago when their son was mysteriously withdrawn from classes. according to reports from their guidance counselor, aster was experiencing serious anxiety stemming from pressures put on him from the glee club.  supposedly mr. mikaelson, henrik - not the other two, heavily involved in vocal adrenaline - had med with the parents and the decision had been made to transfer him.  to say that v was intrigued would have been an understatement.  this boy, he had vocal adrenaline’s secrets… and v would find them out, one way or another. 
* * * *
“ here, let me carry those for you. “   seemingly out of nowhere, the dark haired boy with the eyeliner framing his eyes had scooped the books out of his hands.  aster wracked his brain, trying to remember the name.  he’s met so many new faces since arriving at dalton, it’s hard to keep anything straight.  “v. “  the stranger supplies, as if he senses the mild panic flooding the boy.  “ we met yesterday in the auditorium. “
“ right. y-yea, we did.  sorry, it’s - all of this is still pretty overwhelming. “  it is, but that isn’t why he’s stumbling over his words, fidgeting with his hands as the other boy stares at him.  it’s because he’s staring at him… like he’s an all you can eat buffet, and the boy’s starving.  it makes him feel … confused, mostly.  scared, a little.   turned on?  well, yes.  a little.   he flushes,  wishes his face wasn’t as expressive as it is.  he feels exposed, like the boy can practically hear his thoughts.  judging by the smirk on the boy’s face, maybe he can.  “…but i thought about your offer.  i don’t think i should.  not right now. “   he’d just gotten out of one glee club.  jumping into another felt – well, it felt anxiety inducing.   he still has nightmares about klaus mikaelson screaming, telling him he’s three paces behind and letting the whole group down.  no, no he doesn’t think he can do it again.  not right now.  “ i’m sorry. “ 
but the boy is sweet.  that smirk turns soft,  his hand curving against aster’s shoulder.  he sounds so genuine,  twisting aster’s stomach into knots.  boy, is he cute.  “ i know you’ve probably been through a lot. “  the boy says, eyes focused on aster.  or rather,  on his lips.  “ i’ve heard horror stories about how they treat people.  it’s awful.  but we’re not like that here.  we’re – i’m tough on everyone,  i am,  but it’s because i know we’re good.  we don’t have to rely on showy gimmicks,  or scare tactics,  to be great. “      he shrugs,  halting when they arrive at aster’s next class.   “ come by practice later today.  i’ll show you. “  
he knows he should say no, that he should hold his ground and just focus on school… but the boy looks so earnest, looks like he really wants him  to say yes,  so what other choice does he have?  he’s doomed.   “ okay. “   he says instead,  smile on his face.  “ i’ll come. “
* * *
   after his last class of the day,  v makes sure aster keeps his word.   he meets him outside the door,  takes him by the hand as they laugh and sprint to the music room.   when the warblers launch into an acapella version of katy perry’s  ‘ teenage dream ‘ ( not his choice, but effective all the same )   he watches the boy’s gaze melt every time they lock eyes.   it’s almost too easy,  drawing him in,  but he takes satisfaction as he watches the boy scribble his name down on the members sheet.   he’s in,  he’s one of them.
now,  if it takes all semester to charm VA’s secrets out of the boy,  it will have been worth it.   ( if his own heart skips a beat that first time their hands grazed,  or during a moment they lock eyes in the song … well,  he’s choosing to overlook that.  it’s probably nothing.  he’s fine.   )
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some-cookie-crumbz · 5 years
Note
Lesbian!Kidge would be a blessing from above, but I understand that you're busy and since you asked for opinion I came to deliever❤❤❤
Hope you were all ready for some more Lesbian!Kidge; and this time there’s also bonus Lesbian!Allurance because I felt like it and have no self-control~! :3c
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She jumped about a half a foot in the air when the dorm toher small apartment was thrown open and her friend shouted, “Katie, get in theshower! I got you a date!”
“Lexi!” She snapped, narrowly managing to catch her laptopbefore it could topple to the floor, pinning to other woman with a glare. Whenshe spotted the small silver case in her hands, however, her eyes widenedbefore shifting to look up at the cheeky grin staring down at her. “Ugh, Lex, seriously? I had plans for tonight!”
Lexi quirked one well-plucked eyebrow at her and clicked hertongue. “Sitting around and moping because the girl you had a crush on turnedout to have a boyfriend does notconstitute as plans. Besides, you promised you’d go with me to Allura’s nextshow. Now go get in the shower; I’ll raid your wardrobe and see if I can findsomething presentable for you to wear,” She mused lightly, walking over andcarefully plucking the computer from the smaller girl’s lap.
“I wasn’t moping,” She grumbled, but still moved to get up,“and I do have plans. I was going tostart a new game plus on Tales of Graces.”
“Oh, no, I’m taking some time away from your video games! The horror!” Lex harrumped dramatically.Once Katie was off the couch, she settled one hand on her shoulder as sheguided her towards the restroom. “And besides, wouldn’t it be nice to go out?You can meet a girl you think is cute, maybe bring her home, get some of thatfrustration worked out?” She mused, her tone becoming playful as they movedalong. She skid to a stop and turned, red-faced and sputtering, but Lex’expression continued to remain that of amused. “So, you know, take your time inthere. Make sure you’re all set before we get a move on~!”
And with that, she was unceremoniously shoved into herbathroom with the door shut behind her.
She let out a resigned sigh and headed over to get the waterstarted. She knew better than to argue with Lex when she was on the warpathafter the several years they’d been friends. As she stepped under the warmspray she let her head tip back and smack against the tiled wall lightly. Shemust have been off her game in the last few days if her friend was going tosuch an extreme to get her out and about. It wasn’t normal that Katie Holt felldown into slumps like she had, but when she did, she was usually able to fakeit a little better.
While letting herself into Katie’s apartment with no warningwasn’t necessarily uncommon for Lex,the bombastic way she’d done it screamed of something more.
Clearly, Katie hadn’t hidden her anguish over her long-termcrush, Nadia Rizavi, revealing she had a boyfriend. Nadia and Katie had beenassigned as lab partners in their shared chemistry class in the previoussemester of college and hit it off right away. They were both wildly passionateabout science and technology, with a keen interest in video games; both classicand modern. They moved from simply being lab partners to being friends pretty quickly.Over the weeks, Katie’s feelings had moved from friendship to something more, adesire to be with Nadia in a more intimate way.
And then, while they’d been having lunch between classes,that Nadia had pulled up some pictures from a trip she’d taken over theprevious vacation week. “Oh, who’s that?” Pidge had asked, pointing to the tallmale with an arm tossed over Nadia’s shoulder, expression completelyunreadable.
“Oh, that’s Ryan, my boyfriend. He looks like a total grumpin every picture I took, but I promise he’s actually a big sweetheart once youget to know him,” She laughed.
And, though she’d played it off well, Katie was pretty sureshe’d felt her heart crack.
It was her own fault, though, she had to admit. She’dassumed that Nadia’s casual comments about actresses or singers that she foundattractive had been enough to imply that there was a sexual attraction to thesame sex there. And, certainly, there was still the chance that the other womanwas still attracted to the same sex, but she’d never thought to ask Nadiaoutright. She knew how uncomfortable it could be when someone pestered youabout your sexuality and hadn’t wanted to put the other in that position.
She could, however, have asked her about her relationshipstatus once her crush started to develop. Nipped it in the bud before it couldupset her as badly as it did. But she hadn’t and, knowing she had no one elseto blame but herself, opted into keeping closed up about how she felt, and mopingabout it when she was alone.
And, for the most part, she was pretty much over it. She wasmostly just tired at this point from long hours at work and even longer hoursfocusing on school projects.
Then again, she couldn’t blame Lex for thinking that she wasstill feeling heartbroken from the pseudo-rejection. Plus, the fact that shewas here and dragging her out to a performance without any forewarning, was asign that she really did care about Katie. She sighed as she stepped out of thebathroom, carefully tucking one corner of her towel into the fabric coveringher torso. Even if it was last minute, perhaps she would have a good time thatnight.
And then she stepped out and saw goldenrod, tattered scrapsof fabric littering her floor.
"Did you take a pair of scissors to one of myshirts?" She asked, carefully stepping around the edge of her bed. Shefelt her stomach plummet at the extremely familiar logo on the now snipped upshirt laid across her bed. The shirt had been cut down either side along theirseams and then, using some of the remaining slivers of fabric snipped away,tied back together so there were little knotted up bows all along both sides.
Lex was rummaging through her dresser, tossing a dark greenbra and matching lacy panties over her shoulder on to the bed. "Don'tworry; I picked one you don't wear very often, so that way you wouldn't bebothered," She said happily before shutting the top drawer. She thenpulled open the lower drawer. “Do you still have that really tight skirt I gotyou for your birthday last year? That’ll look amazing if I pair it with sometights.”
"This is the Garrison shirt Matt got me once he gotaccepted into their engineering program! It was a limited print they only sold on campus for his first semester!" She wailed as she picked the shirt up off thebed.
"Well, not it's even more unique!" She answered happily, standing back up as shepulled out the skirt she’d been looking for. She watched as Pidge held theshirt up to herself, a small frown in place, fiddling with the little edges ofthe bows along the side. "Oh, lighten up Pidge! It'll be fine!"
"I liked this shirt for lounging around. And now you'veruined it," She said, her tone more like a petulant child than the pureheartache she’d wanted to infuse it with.
Lex snorted as she set the skirt down then returned to thedresser drawer she’d been in before and pulled out a pair of leggings. "Ididn't ruin anything. Now get dressed then sit down. We're gonna get you alldolled up," She sang, tossing the leggings down before tossing the pantiesat Katie. Katie’s eloquent response was to let out a small groan as Lex steppedaway, picking her make-up case back up and heading towards the bathroom."And before you whine about it; yes, I knowyou don't like make-up. All I’m going to do is a little bit of highlighting tomake your eyes pop and such. I promise it’ll be painfully modest.”
And with that last little note, Katie accepted her fate andgot ready. Ultimately, the outfit was fine but it screamed of a punk rockaesthetic that she never would have pegged herself with. The leggings were finebut typically more suited towards when she decided to go make use of the littlegym in her apartment complex to work out frustrations. The skirt was one thatshe’d only worn once simply because it was of a tight, leather-esque materialthat seemed a bit too enticing for her. Lex had gone so far as to curl her hairjust a bit and, true to her word, only used nude hues of eye shadow and used apale pink lipstick on her.
Upon taking a second glance at Lex, noting the tight bluedress and knee-high boots, that the other was also looking for a more punk-rockfeel to her attire.
While she was still uncertain about how she was feelingabout hooking up with anyone that night – mostly because she herself wasn’tkeen on casual hook-ups in the first place – the whole change in appearance hadher curious about meeting Lex’ latest girlfriend. Allura came off as some kingof ethereal being beyond the realm of existence, based upon how she wasdescribed to Katie by Lex. Up until this point, though, there simply hadn’tbeen a point in time for her to meet Allura proper in the last four months.Partly because, until a week ago, most of her free time had been spent hangingout with Nadia, and partly because Lex had been having a bit of difficulty withone of her classes. As Lex drove them down to Seventh Street, she wondered whatwould go down that night.
They parked in one of the local structures and then madetheir way down, falling in line with the rest of the crowds swarming towardsthe strip of clubs and bars. Seventh Street had developed a bit of a reputationas being called the “Gay Strip” because so many of the clubs and bars wereowned and operated by members of the LGBTA community. It was a bit comfortingto see that the establishments were popular with not only members of thespecific community, as well as by members outside of the community, and turnedthemselves a decent profit. She’d only been down there a few times, as she’donly turned 21 a little bit ago, but she’d always liked how the place was solively and thriving.
As they walked into the doors of Kral Zera, shedouble-checked to make sure she still had the small purse Lex had shoved herthings into for her.
“Oh, man, wait until you hear Allura! Her skills areunparalleled! She basically has to carry the band, though, since one member oftheir group has been really so-so lately,” She mused, pushing the door open andleading her in. Once they were both inside, Lex offered a coquettish wave tothe tall, stocky male bouncer at the door. “Hey, Antok! How’s Regris doing?”
“Oh, hey, Lex. And Reg’s doing well; ankle’s healing upnicely,” He said, offering her a small smile and salute.
“Awesome! Let him know I’ll buy him a drink once he’s up andabout again,” She said before leading Katie along over to the bar.
“You come here often enough to be on first name basis withthe staff around here?” She asked in slightly surprise.
“Oh, totally. Allura’s band plays here all the time and I cometo the audio tests and shows. I may not know a lot but I like to help out.Allura’s suggested I apply as a server here for some extra scratch but whoknows,” She laughed as they headed over and settled in at the bar. “Antok’s oneof the cooler bouncers around here, one you get to know him. Regris is hisfiancé; twisted his ankle playing basketball a couple days ago.”
“Huh,” She mused as the bar tender approached them. Sheturned in her seat to watch the stage, where four figures were setting up theirequipment.
The women on stage were all wildly different yet somehowcohesive. The one setting up what Katie was pretty certain was a bass guitarhad a tall, platinum blonde dyed ponytail, wearing a hot pink tube-style dressand so many bright bracelets along her arms, she was surprised the microphonewasn’t picking up on the clicking of her jangles against one another. The onesetting up the drums was harder to see, as she was adjusting her stool, but shewas of a sturdy build wearing a tank top for some band that showed off hertoned upper arms. Her hair was cut to just above her jawline and had also beendied two-tones; pink on the bottom half and navy blue on the top, the colorspopping in contrast to the light brown hue of her skin. The bass player saidsomething to her, twirling briefly and fluttering luminous blue eyes at her.The drummer’s near-golden eyes widened a bit before she threw her head back andlaughed, motioning the other woman over with one of her drumsticks. The bassplayer waltzed over for a moment, the two exchanging a quick peck, beforehappily bouncing back over to her post.
Neither of them could be Allura, she surmised, since Lexhadn’t said they were in a polyamorous relationship. She let her eyes swivelover to the other two on stage instead.
Her eyes turned to the guitar player next, a tall woman thatscreamed to Katie of living proof of an elf. Her hair was a bright silver, butshe couldn’t see any sign of it being a dye job, but albino also didn’t makesense given her darker skin and bright blue eyes. Katie perked up when shenoticed the other woman using an incredibly familiar powder blue and whitecheckered headband to keep her hair pressed back on her head. It lookedsurprisingly good with the pastel pink tank top and ruffled black skirt with aspiked belt. She stole a small glance over at Lex and watched how she leanedone elbow on the bar, taking a sip of her drink with a contented, dreamy littlesigh. Katie could almost see her pupils turning into little hearts as shewatched the guitarist move to her own post.
And then her eyes fell on the lead singer, carefullyreadjusting her mic stand, and she felt her stomach flip a bit.
Lex wasn’t necessarily wrong in asserting that hergirlfriend had an ethereal creature, but to Katie that seemed like a betterexplanation of the front runner on stage. The girl wasn’t the tallest figure onstage, but she was certainly taller than herself. She was wearing a blackt-shirt with the silhouette of a lioness in a bright red color which, sherealized, was also painted onto the front of the bass drum. With that she waswearing a pair of black and grey camo pants and military-style boots. Her hairwas pitch black but there was a bright red streak dyed down the center, and itwas tucked back with a few clips.
But what really caught Katie were the bright indigo eyesscanning the crowd and scowling lips coated in a blood red color.
Back when she’d realized she was interested in girls, thefirst person she told was her older brother, Matt. She hadn’t been worried herparents would react poorly, but more just wanted to talk with someone closer toher age. Her brother had leaned back in his desk chair and, with a look thatwas unusually sagely, told her, “Allows be careful around women who can wearred lipstick and own it. Those are the kinds of women that will either blowyour mind, break your heart, or some awful combination of both.”
As she sat there watching the other take a breath in slowly,she could only think on how the other was making the red lipstick her bitch.She resigned herself to being completely doomed.
“Hello, everyone,” She said, pausing briefly as the crowderupted into thunderous, excited cheers. Katie took the chance to swipe thedrink that Lex had ordered for her. It was way too fruity with not near enoughliquor in it for her in that moment. “We’re Roar,Lioness, as most of you know. Tonight’s set is filled with requests fromout twitter page, so hopefully you all enjoy.” She said before stepping backfor a second as the drummer started counting them in.
The set started out with a mix of different songs, jumpingfrom Three Days Grace to Nirvana and then, surprisingly, actuallywent and did a few songs by Journey. Theband sounded amazing, as far as she could tell, and she couldn’t help but admittheir front runner had been gifted with a killer set of pipes. Her movements asshe sang shifted depending on the song and type of energy the song carried;shifting between upbeat, sultry and morose from track to track. It was a bitenthralling, really, given how flat and bland her tone was as she introducedeach song they performed. It was clear, however, that she clearly loved whatshe did, by how her eyes shined with a fire being reignited with each word. Katienursed her drink throughout the performance, watching how the lead singer movedlike a hawk, vaguely aware of how Lex was eagerly shouting her undying loveafter every song and cheering enthusiastically after every guitar solo.
The second the set ended, Lex was tugging on her arm whileslapping a few bills down on the bar top. “Come on! I’ll introduce you toeveryone!”
Katie carefully hopped down from her seat, nearly stumblingin her ankle boots with how much she was getting yanked on. She carefullyjogged so that she was level with Lex’ steps, not wanting to get dragged alongthe whole way, and slunk closer to her friend as she waved at the bouncerwatching the curtain leading behind the stage. They could hear quiet chatter asthey headed back, watching as the lead singer and guitarist spoke quietly.
“I told you I wasn’t interested in this, Allura,” The singersaid, scowling something fierce.
Allura rolled her eyes a bit. “Look, it’s been two months.It’s about time you start looking around and figuring out what it is you’relooking for going forward. What’s one date going to hurt?” She insisted, Katiecatching the slightest hint of a British accent.
“I told you; I’m doing fineby myself right now. I need to stay focused on things with the band. You know,writing and composing original songs and stuff?”
“One night isn’t going to sabotage anything. Besides, Lexpromised me that the girl she’s bringing it super sweet and cute. You couldcertainly use a girl like that after what happened between you and Acxa,”
“Um, excuse me, but what?”Lex sputtered indignantly as she and Katie reached them.
“Lex, darling! How did you like the show?” Allura askedhappily as she turned around, approaching and pressing a quick peck on theother girl’s lips.
Lex leaned in and kissed her happily, looping her armsaround the other’s neck and leaning into her. Allura snaked one arm around herwaist and pulled her in as close as she could, a sly grin on her lips when theypulled apart. “Oh, the show was amazing. But you already knew that,” Shegiggled, her previous irritation forgotten. She glanced over at the darkerhaired woman, however, when she let out an annoyed groan, and then sheremembered what was going on. “Now, what was that all about? You didn’t seriously invite Keira to be Katie’sdate tonight, did you?”
“Lex,” Allura said with a small sigh, tipping her head backas she spoke.
“Oh, don’t you ‘Lex’ me! Keira is the last person I’d want one of my friends to date!”
“You aren’t in much room to talk. I mean,” Keira drawled,glaring at Lex, “you’re part of the reason I’m even on the market.”
“What? How is your sorrytail getting dumped my fault?” Lex snappedback.
“Lex, Keira, please,” Allura sighed, holding her free handup in between the two women.
“No, Allura, I think I have every right to be upset! It’snot my fault she was a shitty girlfriend and got dumped!” She sneered at the other.
Keira shifted slightly, her shoulders squaring and handsclenching into fists. For a minute, Katie thought she was going to deck Lex forher words, but instead she abruptly turned and shoved past her. “I’m getting adrink,” She ground out through clenched teeth.
“Lex, that was uncalled for,” Allura said, pinning hergirlfriend with a firm look.
“What? I’ve told you before that I don’t like Keira! She’ssuch a snob!”
“You don’t know her that well, love, and what little you doknow comes for a skewed place,”
Katie watched them for only a second before turning andheading after Keira. She thought back to the situation with Nadia, how she had hesitatedand bided her time too long and not asked the significant questions early on.She was interested in at least getting to know this Keira girl better. She knewKeira was single. She knew that Keira was interested in girls. She wasn’t goingto miss out on a potential chance again.
She approached the bar just as Keira flagged the tenderdown. “Rax, hook me up with a Whiskey Sour,” She said.
“I’ll take one of those, too,” Katie said, causing both toturn and look to her. She didn’t shy away as she slipped into the empty seatnext to the other woman. “I’ve never had one of those before. It any good?”
Keira stared hard at her for a moment before snorting. “Dependson your tastes,” She huffed.
“I’m still kind of new to the whole thing and haven’t triedanything with whiskey before,” She elaborated.
“Good for you,” She grumbled, rapping her fingers along thebar top impatiently. It didn’t take very long before Rax returned with bothdrinks, setting one in front of them each.
“Sorry about Lex, by the way,” She offered, picking up thedrink and turning the stool to watch as the next band began to set up. This oneseemed to be all male. “She can be a bitch and hold grudges, but she’s actuallya pretty cool chick once you get past all the bravado and whatnot.”
Keira made a small choked noise. “Isn’t talking shit abouteach other in public the opposite ofwhat girls like you do?”
Katie took a small sip of her drink and wrinkled her nose abit. Not entirely unpleasant, but certainly not her first choice. “What type ofgirl do you think I am?”
“Uh, the same type as her. Caddy, superficial, obnoxious…They type of girls that have a clique of other vapid girls that are all usingeach other for the status and then talk shit behind closed doors? Spreadingrumors and stealing boyfriends or girlfriends and what not?”
“Well, if I was, I wouldn’t be doing a very good job at it. Imean, I doubt girls like that would talk shit about their Queen Bee as close byas Lex is. And, additionally, this just highlights that you don’t know Lex thatwell. She comes off like that because she knows that it keeps the actualbitches from picking a fight with her or hers. She looks after everyone in ourgroup pretty tightly, though,” She hummed with a small shrug. She thenindicated the Garrison logo on the front of her shirt. “Oh, and, sinceapparently I need to outright say it… I’m more of the astronomy androbot-building type of girl.”
“Seriously?” Keira asked, sounding a bit dubious.
“Mmhmm,” Katie mused lightly, taking another sip of herdrink.
Keira stared at her for a moment in silence, seeming to bethinking, before chugging down her drink and ordering another one. “What’s yourname?” She asked.
“Katie, but most people just call me Pidge. Whichever youprefer to choose, really,” She hummed, stirring her drink a bit. She thenturned and leaned on the bar, smiling a bit at the other girl. “So what got youinto music?”
“Oh, uh, a whole bunch of stuff, really,” She said with asmall laugh, pausing as Rax sent another drink in front of her before beginningon a long, involved story about how she got stuck doing community service forbreaking into her high school after hours.
And Katie smiled and listened, genuinely intrigued as towhat was on the other’s mind.
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dancekickboxcardio · 5 years
Text
I checked my email 📧 before I went to bed and found great content. I think 💭 the messages are helpful because they are useful for those especially looking to make healthy life changes.
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I am so happy 😃 that I am seeing changes in my body shape. It’s making me a confident and I try to channel the person the I came in. It’s good to feel good about yourself. But I don’t want to have a false sense of invincibility. I am psyched because I am moving towards the direction I want to be. I am still far from my desired physicality. But I am doing great work. I am big in progress. Recording my STATs📊📈 are pretty helpful because it tells me how much I am gaining even if they are small. It gives me the stepping stones to work from. It motivates me and gives me useful information ℹ️ on how I want to approach my training. I am not sad 😢 that I am not skinny anymore. In fact, I like that I don’t have to eat 🍽 as much to gain muscles 💪🏾. I want healthy not attractive. In fact, for me, I find a great asset in strength, endurance, agility, speed and a body with rock like tissues. Is that power 💥? Not necessarily although it’s true. It’s effective, having the ability to perform mundane tasks 📋🖊✔️ with great ease. I have told my friends that partly, I have worked so much and really did not have time to maintain an exercise routine. Working night shift altered my metabolism for sure. Also, kosher food 🥘 makes you a rich man in the Jewish culture. Basically, you blow up in a balloon 🎈. The life style is pretty sedentary. Even if I had my yoga 🧘🏼‍♀️ mat, the routine was hit and miss because you pull in long days to earn that 1k at the end of the week. Was it all worth it? For me, it allowed me to discover myself and know where I am going. I am able to meet good people and appreciate their way of life. My life has never been happier. This morning ☀️ I woke up a little uneasy that I feel I didn’t sleep 💤 well. Like my rest was interrupted or that it was not quality. You have those days. But having that attitude that what you are doing is not a quick fix but a long term behavioral change, well that’s a world 🌍 of a difference. I am a psychology graduate 👩🏼‍🎓. I am lucky not only because I have a bunch of tricks to work with I also have this ability to institute an effective alteration in routine esp because something in my brain 🧠 clicks that this is an issue, you do this, this is the result. I am not stuck in mental limbo where I am so in my head that I forget to actually see how things are. Honesty particularly to yourself is pretty tough to look 👀 straight in the eye. I have the courage to check myself in the mirror and be like, “My form is not perfect. I am working on it. What are exactly the things I have to work on?” Tons of stuff going on in there and not just psycho babble because I have underlying issues I refuse to admit to myself worse put the blame on another person who’s doing fairly better than me. Yeah, opportunistic. It’s also called reaction formation. Deal with your probs if it’s lack of stellar 🌟 good education, prestige or money 💵. It’s on you.
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I spend time in the pool 🏊🏻‍♀️ yesterday.
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I was not completely prepared. I didn’t have my straw hat to provide head cover. In fact, I was worried 😦 that my face had this shade that was brought by my lack of head gear ⚙️ laying down by the sun. I checked out the area looking for shower 🚿, towels. I failed to notice if there is a place to soak and leisure swim without lanes. Like if you get too hot 🥵, can you dip for a bit? I mean it’s a gym 🏃🏼‍♀️ 💪🏾, of course they are going to promote health and wellness more than leisure. I chose this article because I put getting the tumbler to my list of expense. I wonder the calories that’ll add to my diet 🍴. I have to figure that out in my tally. I also saw myself having lunch 🥗 outside. Outdoor it out since the weather is so nice.
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I know I practically have been introduced to almost all the trainers 👟 . I am happy 😃 I know the top dogs. It’s pretty competitive. I was surprised 😮 to see that amongst them. However, they are good, approachable and helpful people for all starters. They know their stuff. Uhm, that’s what they went to school 🏫 for. I still have not taken an Equipment Orientation because Katie helped me out. I didn’t find the need to explore further. Although I was being a nerd 🤓 and inspecting the equipments for design 🤦🏼‍♀️ between reps. Desperate times requires desperate measures. Right, my numbskull moment. I signed up for this free orientation to give me more choices. Between GTX classes in 60 Day Challenge and personal training sessions, I have what I need to function and do stuff. I am starved 😋. I need breakfast 🍳. I am going to fast even if I feel that my metabolic assessment is a no go 🙅🏼‍♀️. I should keep in mind, no cold brew Americano with protein powder and chocolate 🍫.
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I am looking forward to hiking 🥾 . I know I told Laura I want something beachy 🏝 👙 for vacay. Yet, I feel being out in nature 🌳 🐦 is something I am going to enjoy. My swim 🏊🏻‍♀️ stuff are not the highlight of my trip ✈️. However, think 🤔 of swimming in a mountain 🏔 top, white water 💦 rafting. Big, oh, yeahs. I am being more carefree. I was so happy 😃 having had a good day all because I stayed out in the sun ☀️. I forgot I can’t work out in my usual. It was a perfect time to be and soak in.
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