#show us them returning to the club after hanging out with alex and not being able to stop smiling

[danielfuckingricciardo]

Let’s go with 99 and Lando 💜

Hi bestie!!! Thank you so much for the request! 💚

Song 99 - Sweet Child O Mine // Guns N Roses

I’ve never written Lando before, so I hope I do him justice and you enjoy this little fic written from his POV featuring a goth reader!

Lando didn’t realise he had dragged his mates into a rock club until it was too late. He suggested that they leave, go find somewhere a little more mainstream, but George, as always, thought it’d be a laugh to do something different for once.

And so, he found himself stood on the edge of the dance floor, a half-empty pint of watered-down lager in hand, as he watched George and Alex successfully chatting up some emo girls.

“This isn’t really your scene, is it?” He hears a voice say, and he turns to face you for the first time, a chuckle escaping his lips.

“How could you tell?” He asks, and you laugh, shaking your head at him.

“You stick out like a sore thumb in that shirt and those awful shorts,” You chuckle, and Lando looks down at his outfit, jokingly outraged.

“What do you mean awful? I just bought these!” He says with a laugh as he places his hands in the pockets.

“Well, I hope you kept the receipt,” You laugh, and Lando can’t help but laugh along with you.

“You always this mean to guys you just met?” He asks, and you bite your lip to suppress a smile.

“Usually, yeah, I am,” you reply, and it’s Lando’s turn to laugh.

It was refreshing to talk to someone like you. To have a conversation with a girl who isn’t worried about what he thinks of her. He liked it.

“I’m guessing the two guys who look like they just strolled out of the country club are your mates then, yeah?” You ask, pointing to Alex and George who were really getting into the metal song playing that Lando was sure he’d never heard before.

Lando laughs, “Yeah. They’re idiots.”

“They look like they’re having fun! Unlike you!” You say with a smile as you jab him playfully in the shoulder.

“I guess I’m not used to being this far out of my comfort zone,” Lando says, before taking another sip of his disgusting lager.

“Let me help you have some fun then, yeah?” You say as you grab his hand and pull him onto the dance floor.

Lando didn’t even have time to protest as you dragged him towards the centre of the dancefloor. He could feel the bass from the music vibrating through the ground and up into his body.

His eyes return to you once again, and he watches as you dance along to the beat, shaking your hair back and forth to the sound of guitars and drumming.

Lando wonders exactly how he was meant to dance to this kind of music, and, almost as if you could hear his thoughts, you take his hands in your own and begin to guide him.

You can’t help but giggle as you gaze upon his slightly shocked expression, and just like that, he throws his hang ups out of the window, and just goes for it.

———

For the rest of the evening, you spend your time with Lando, George and Alex, teaching them your best gothic dance moves and showing them how to pogo to pop-punk tunes like a pro. When you were finally kicked out at 4am, you felt sad to see your new friends go.

“So, will I see you here again sometime?” You ask as the four of you emerge into the cold morning air.

“Maybe. I think George especially has got a taste for it now,” Lando laughs as he looks over at George who was still humming the tune of some song you told him was by Guns N Roses.

“Well, it’d be cool to see you again. Just… don’t wear those awful shorts next time.” You tease, and Lando smiles.

“Yeah, don’t want to cramp your style again,” he chuckles, as he watches you scrunch your nose as you smile. It was cute.

“Well, I gotta go. It’s been super sick! See ya!” You say as you turn on your heels to walk away.

Lando takes a deep breath, before doing something he never expected to be doing after wandering into a rock club.

“Wait!” He calls out, and you turn again.

He takes a few hurried steps towards you, takes another breath, before kissing you.

It only lasts a moment, but for Lando, it was like eternity. He’d never felt so much in something as simple as a quick kiss.

As he pulls away, you chuckle slightly, and your cheeks burn red in the cold of the morning air.

“Whooo! Lando pulled!” You hear a drunken George exclaim from behind Lando, and you watch as Alex slaps him on the arm, clearly not wanting him to ruin the moment for the two of you.

Lando whips around and flips the bird at George as you chuckle at them. He then turns back to face you with a small smile on his lips.

“Hey, you got a little… uh…” you say as you reach out to gently touch his lips, wiping away the remnants of black lipstick you had marked him with when he had kissed you.

“Thanks,” he says, and it’s Lando’s turn to blush.

“Let me give you my number, no pressure or anything, just… I’d love to hear from you, and maybe party with you and your crazy country club friends again?” You say as you take Lando’s phone from his hand and add yourself as a contact.

“Yeah, sounds good. Maybe I can take you to one of my favourite clubs sometime?” He says, and you laugh.

“Maybe I’d subject myself to that for you. Maybe,” you say, and Lando laughs.

“Okay, I really gotta go now,” you say, before kissing his cheek and running for the one taxi remaining in the taxi rank.

———

When Lando finally returns to the hotel, he steps into his bathroom to do the bare minimum of self care before collapsing into bed.

It was almost 6am, practically time to get up anyway, but his energy was still high after his encounter with you.

He rests his hands on the sink and looks up at himself in the mirror. The room seemed to spin, and yet one feature of his face was unmistakeable.

His left hand raises to touch his cheek gently, running his fingers over the black lipstick mark you had left behind before running away like some kind of gothic Cinderella.

He laughs to himself as he trudges over to his bed, sliding in between the sheets, and making a mental note to text you in the morning when he could once again see clearly.

#lando norris x reader #lando norris x you #f1 x reader #f1 x you

[class-of-86]

dating mike wheeler headcanons <3

• you two met halfway through your sophomore year

• you’ve moved from california, he was very excited when he found out!! he automatically asked if you knew will (you were really confused)

• he hangs out with dustin and lucas a lot, he eventually roped you into joining the D&D club.

• you didn’t know how to play at first, it took you a minute to learn.

• and by a minute i mean a couple of weeks. he came to your house to teach you how to play, but after a few studying sessions..it wasn’t studying anymore.

• they mostly consisted of you two making out until he missed curfew.

• dustin and lucas were the first to notice something was up with you two, anytime they asked mike got defensive and would get into a sour mood.

• until one time they sat you both down and interrogated you two until you guys would admit that something. was. up.

• you don’t do well under pressure so you cracked first.

• dustin raises his voice “KNEW IT! and you owe me five bucks” he said while pointing to lucas

• after that, there wasn’t much of a need for hiding though. mike did dread el finding out, despite the two being broken up for a year. he still cared about her and stuff!

• you rubbed off on mike. like..a lot.

• he asked you to paint his nails black.

• the nail polish was chipped to hell by the third day though, since he couldn’t stop picking at it.

• his first time smoking weed was with you, he was a giggly mess and it absolutely melted you. his big grin made you want to scream from how cute he was. he even showed you his entire solo of “the never ending story”

• so eventually after spending so much time with you..mike smelt like cheap vanilla perfume, weed, and incense.

• not to mention the constant hickeys you two had on each other all the time.

• his mullet grew out quite a bit, not as long as eddies but it definitely went way past his shoulders. maybe collarbone length.

• you always gave him your hair ties, he’d wear them on his wrist 24/7. they helped with his hair sure (you showed him how to put his hair in a ponytail. his mind was blown.) but he also saw it as your way of claiming him as yours.

• and he returned the favor by giving you his favorite hoodie, it smelt just like him.

• mike wheeler is a tall motherfucker, alright? this hoodie swallowed you whole.

• and he thought it was the cutest thing ever.

• meeting his parents and nancy was scary.

• they invited you over for dinner.

• mrs. wheeler was very sweet but you could tell she was analyzing you. trying to get your vibe, i guess.

• nancy was quiet throughout dinner, you could tell she was studying you. once dinner was over you could tell she liked you though.

• ted was indifferent. mostly asked about your parents, what they did for a living, their political views, and occasionally cracked a dry joke.

• mike walked you home after that, it was cold so he let you wear his jacket and held your hand to keep it warm.

•his hands are so big in yours, his fingers are boney and you can feel the veins in his hands.

• his nails still had chipped black nail polish on them.

• when you got to your house, he walked you to the door.

• in the cold air, anytime he talked it looked like he was smoking.

• he lifted your face up to meet his, one of his big hands cupped your face and the other was still holding your hand.

• he kissed you for a long time. you could taste the cheap cherry chapstick on his lips, but despite how much chapstick he used..his lips were still always slightly chapped.

• eventually he kissed you one last time and then he walked back home.

• when you went inside to your room, you put on his hoodie and just inhaled his scent. you fell asleep to your guys’s song playing on the radio.

• you were in love with mike wheeler.

#mike wheeler #mike wheeler x y/n #stranger things #stranger things pov #mike wheeler headcanons #dating mike wheeler #slight mention of byler #also slight mention of mileven #pls dont let this flop #Spotify

[honeymoononvenus]

WHO THE F*** ARE THE ARCTIC MONKEYS? // BRISBANE TOUR

Sheffield export Arctic Monkeys have returned to Australia for the eighth time, set to perform a string of shows across the country as a part of a tour celebrating their seventh studio album, ‘The Car’. Next to 10,000 young and old piled into Brisbane's Riverstage on Wednesday night to battle for the best spot to get a glimpse of the ever alluring Alex Turner, along with his musical Droogs Nick O’Malley, Jaime Cook and Matthew Helders. 

Alluding to the lead single from The Car, a giant mirror ball hung front and center of a stage draped with large velvet curtains, the perfect backdrop to compliment the deliciously kitsch 70’s flavor the band has been rolling with for the last few years. The mosh ran thick and feisty, further endorsing the fan allegiance that was already proven by the quick sell out of the tour, paired with an overwhelming lock horns for any second hand tickets available. 

The Queensland crowd grew increasingly impatient with every roadie that walked onto stage, beginning to chant for the members by name. Once the crew had decided the mob were riled up &  randy enough, the slightly uncanny 1960’s Batman theme came to an abrupt halt as the lights cut off. Shadows began to emerge from the darkness, and not from the roadies this time! Seemingly playing into the ironic sex appeal of 70s’s tack, Barry Whites ‘Im Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More Baby" soundtracked Alex’s hip swinging stride to centrestage, and continued playing as the band settled themselves in, raising instruments to their bodies and smirking to each other as the audience roared even louder at the ooze of sarcastic sexiness. 

In a complete 180 flip from what anyone expected them to do, suddenly red and white lights began flashing erratically as “The View From The Afternoon” belted the masses into action. And the fan favorite throwbacks didn't stop there, as they continued with ‘Brianstorm’, ‘Snap Out Of It’, ‘Crying Lightning’ & ‘Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I Moved Your Chair”.

Ok ok, so a band is playing a few of their deeper cut songs, not exactly revolutionary is it? But ernestly,  I’d come along expecting a few of the hits weaved between the new album in its entirety, an album that I self admittedly have not yet given the time of day. Typically when a band that’s been releasing music for nearly 20 years comes out with new material, that's the type of set list that you get. And fans make peace with it and still pay the big bucks to come check it anyway. But boy was I wrong. I, along with many other members of the audience, were treated to a sentimental revisit of our younger years, a youth that was soundtracked by these very songs.

Unpretentiously, the Arctic Monkeys seem to have this understanding of the importance their music plays on a person's youth, particularly those of us a little outcast from popular society. For whatever reason, they’ve always served as some kind of quintessential starter pack for alternative kids. Ya know, the kids who were on tumblr in 2012, who smoked cigarettes in the park after school that one of their friends stole from an older sibling, kids who wore doc martens and knee socks and have either A. Had their style massively influenced by Turner's most infamous ex Girlfriend, Alexa Chung or B. Had their taste in women was massively influenced by Turner's most infamous ex girlfriend, Alexa Chung. 

Every alternative kid has a core memory attached to an Arctic Monkeys song, even if you’re not particularly a fan. It could be belting along to ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’ during indie nights at your local club, or sending your grade 10 crush their cover of "Baby I’m Yours” and being swiftly rejected for the naive crassness. Whatever it is, they’re right there holding your hand like the older brother of music, just waiting to whisk you into a world where there is more than what's played on the charts, a discovery that in turn teaches you about a whole new way of dressing, talking, acting and what posters will get the glory of hanging on your bedroom wall. 

So, here we have three generations of misfits who have begged their parents for enough money to go and see their idols in person, and this is a tradition that clearly is still continuing. As I looked around the grassed amphitheater, you could tell the ages of people based on how hard they cheered for which song, and I couldn’t help but wonder  why we all linked together. I saw 17 year olds eager to be in their first ever mosh, mingling with 35 year olds who woke up with a stiff neck from all the thrashing that ensued.  Clearly, the Arctic Monkeys still have a firm grip on these various generations. Generations that are so vastly different from each other, intricately entwined with their own subcultures and niche customs; all stood there united over the same band… but how?

Well, with a band that's been releasing music for nearly 16 years, you’d hope their music to grow and mature as they do. Never once has Alex Turner let them pool stagnant, riding off of their early success, unwilling to change their sound out of fear of losing that said success. The Arctic Monkeys sound as well as their members have metamorphosed so many times since 2007 that there really is a version of them for everyone, for every cohort. 

We’ve seen just about every era of Alex Turner that all coincide with their albums, as if he reinvents himself every time he steps into the recording booth. We have English Lad era with WPSIATWIN where he looked more like an Inbetweeners character than a rockstar, the fan Favorite Humbug era, the infamous slicked quiff and leather jacket era that coincided with the release of AM, to a now tamer version of this old school rockstar ( who stayed in character the entire time by refusing to ever take off his sunglasses. ) But really the thing that keeps Arctic Monkeys relevant, is that over the evolution they never seem to have lost the charm and musical talent that secured their place in the music scene to begin with. 

Maybe you found the band when they were playing in Northern English pubs singing songs about fighting bouncers and snorting packets, or maybe you only jumped on in the last year after Tik Tok made parallels between Alex and the rat from flushed away. Regardless of where along their journey you found them, I have to give my hat off to the Arctic Monkeys for providing a delicately fabricated set list that every fan, no matter what age, no matter what album was their favorite, was gassed with. 

Thank-you to the band for the endless ingenuity, and for uniting music fans from every age and walk of life all over the world. 

[withpeopleinperson]

give us more stripper addie headcanons BLEASE

OH YES OF COURSE

Fair warning some of these have some tiny off kilter silly headcanons that make an appearance in the story eventually, but you’re gonna have to squint to find them ;) (psst one is crocs!Addie idk why but she has my heart)

- Meredith smokes cheap cigarettes. She sits on a curb outside the club after Addison is done dancing for the night and lets herself savor the last moments of being blissfully alone and unneeded before she has to turn her phone back on and return to real life. Addison joins her sometimes, always wordlessly and dressed in the craziest mix of clothing Meredith has ever seen — Yale sweatpants, a coat that’s hanging open and revealing the lace bodice of one of her stage outfits, and Crocs (yes, crocs, because Addie is That Bitch) — and it always makes Meredith smile.

- After a few weeks, Addison starts holding her hand out expectantly. Meredith chuckles the first time and hands a lighter and the pack over to her, smiles to herself when Addison nods a small, barely audible thanks and they smoke in silence until their cigarettes are gone and they have to leave.

- Meredith isn’t superstitious about anything, but after a while she always saves her lucky cigarette for Addison. At the end of the night — after she tries to tip Addison and she refuses, a ritual at this point — they go sit on the cold concrete curb and Meredith hands her the near-empty pack, lucky cigarette upturned, offers Addison a lopsided smile.

- That’s the moment Addison thinks she might like Meredith as more than a casually flirtatious friend, keeps it to herself because she’s ruined every fucking thing in her life and she’s determined not to ruin this one good thing that brings her a bubbly joy.

- Derek finds out that Addison is a stripper a few months after Addison and Meredith realize that they work at the same hospital. They refer to each other by name when they’re outside, but in the club it’s still the charade of Death and Red and it’s so light and fun that it makes them both smile giddily. He shows up to the club fuming and drunk, waiting in the parking lot when they go outside, yells in Addison’s face and says something like “how could you know and not tell me?” to Meredith.

- She finds, for the first time in her adult life, that she doesn’t quite mind yelling at older authority figures, juts her hand into his chest and pushes him away from Addison and fucking growls at him. She lets loose months of pent up resentment for this piece of shit she stupidly dated, months of hearing how broken and sad Addison sounded at the fact that he didn’t fucking care. When she’s finally done yelling she’s shaking from the adrenaline and Joe and Jackson are running over to them and fuck, she’s never going to be able to show her face in public again.

- That’s how Addison finds out that Meredith and Derek dated for a few months and shockingly she isn’t mad. There’s this look of hurt mixed with sadness in her eyes when she tries to match the jealousy that bubbles up in her chest, but she pushes it away because fuck, Meredith is asking her to go home with her and this woman just defended her.

- Addison moves into a hotel room when her issues with Derek come to a head and Meredith spends quite a few nights there because they aren’t dating but they aren’t not dating either and god if Meredith doesn’t need a break from Izzie and Alex and George. She’s surprised when she lets herself in after work one day to find Addison manically cleaning her disaster of a hotel room, clothes strewn about and shoes littering the small hallway. For someone that looks so put together all the time, it makes Meredith realize just how human and fragile Addison truly is.

#asks? answered #headcanons #stripper!addie #addison montgomery #meddison #Meredith Grey #greys anatomy

[jounetsunosymphonia]

Alex in Wonderland (Mankai Stage Spring 2019 translation)

translation for the stage version of spring’s second play! song can be found in full here

i’m including a little bit of spoken lines before the song starts because...yeah. it’s technically still part of the thing. but u just won’t get to hear it and i’m sorry for that.

cast list Usui Masumi (Makishima Hikaru) as Alex Chigasaki Itaru (Tateishi Toshiki) as Mad Hatter, Professor Minagi Tsuzuru (Maekawa Yuuki) as White Rabbit, Usaka Sakuma Sakuya (Yokota Ryugi) as Cheshire Cat, Nekota Citron (Furuya Yamato) as King of Hearts, Shintani (i’m not sure this is actually his name i can’t hear very well and i don’t have the script sdjfndjsh if anyone knows lmk!!)

[bell chimes]

Shintani: A~h. They’re late.

Nekota: Hey!

Usaka: Sorry to keep you waiting!

(all three of them like, fist bumping and going EYYYY at each other. yeah)

Usaka: So something really funny happened at my club today--

Nekota: Oh, if it isn’t Alex! Good morning--

Alex: (walks past them)

Nekota: Eh, he’s totally ignoring us? Don’t you recognise us? It’s Nekota, Usaka, and Shintani!

Shintani: We’re in the same class so...let’s be friends! (holds out his hand for a fist bump c’mon alex don’t leave him hanging like that)

Alex: No thanks, I’m not interested. (sits down to read his book)

Usaka: Man, he’s sour. What’s he even coming to school for?

Shintani: (puts his hand down with the most hurt look on his face i’m so sad)

Nekota: Nah, it’s fine, right? Everyone’s different! But anyway-- (nekota and usaka exit)

Shintani: (running after them) What is it~?

Professor: Now, are you sitting here reading on your own again? Why don’t you act a little more like a college student and go have fun with your friends?

Alex: That would be a waste of my time. Books give me knowledge, meanwhile all they can give me are pointless conversations and boredom.

Professor: Though you might hate humans, you like animals, do you not?

Alex: For the most part, yes, but...that’s because they’re fluffy. Fluffiness can heal people, it’s not pointless at all.

Professor: Do you really hate useless things so much?

Alex: Of course. I didn’t come to university to waste time being unproductive.

Professor: Hmm. Productivity, you say. ...Alex, say there is a treasure of gold that only your friends can see, but is invisible to you. What could it be?

Alex: If we think about it logically, Professor, a situation like that could never exist in reality. Therefore, the only conclusion is that it is a dream. Please stop with the pointless questions.

Professor: Alex, what you have in intelligence, you lack in imagination. Here, try drinking this. (SIR DON’T OFFER YOUR STUDENT ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES. SIR.)

Alex: And this is?

Professor: Plain black tea. Perhaps it’ll help loosen up your rigid way of thinking.

Alex: I doubt it, but I’ll take your word for it. I know you won’t let me leave til I drink it, anyway...

Professor: You’re a tough one, as usual.

(alex drinks the tea and stuff starts to get funky! from this point onward is the actual song)

White Rabbit: Oh dear, I’m late! You, get out of my way!

Alex: What’s with the ears? You’re in college, but you’re still dressing up like that?

White Rabbit: Enough of that, just let me through. It’ll all be over for me if I’m late!

(commotion ensues as white rabbit tries to carry alex out of the way, and throws him down to wonderland)

Alex: Ah---!

White Rabbit: I’m going to be terribly late!

Professor: Now, Alex. It’s time to search for that golden treasure!

(i’m not typing this all out it’s the same lalala as in wonderland a go go dnfjsdhsd)

Cheshire Cat That’s my favourite napping spot Get out of the way! Go away!

Alex: What are you--?! Where am I...

Cheshire Cat I’m Cheshire and this is Wonderland!

Alex: Wonderland, you say? That’s absurd! Even making me put on this kind of costume...

Alex I need to return to my own world Have you seen someone with white rabbit ears?

Cheshire Cat If you mean White Rabbit, he’s seeing the King

Alex Take me there, he’s the one who brought me here

Cheshire Cat You’re one to demand something of me! Well, it’s fine~! This fellow and the King should be fun to see

[spring telepathy time part 1] Sakuya: (Isn’t this amazing, Masumi-kun? It’s only the first show, but we’ve already settled down like this!)

Masumi: (You seem like you’re enjoying yourself, as usual.)

Sakuya: (Yeah! Maybe it isn’t enough for me to just be doing that, but...this really is fun!)

(more funny stuff where they’re thinking while still acting as the character bc...sakuya is talking as himself here, but    walking on all fours as cheshire. and masumi is responding to him perfectly normally. it’s hilarious.)

Cheshire Cat: Follow me.

Masumi: (That’s fine...I think you’re fine that way.)

-

King of Hearts: The court has decided, the White Rabbit will be put to death.

White Rabbit: Please wait. I was only late by three seconds!

King of Hearts: For the crime of stealing away my time, White Rabbit is sentenced to death. Off with his head!

Alex: Wait. Don’t just murder that rabbit!

King of Hearts: What is it to you? Are you a friend of his?

Alex: No. But I need him around.

King of Hearts: Then you can take his place.

Alex: Eh?

King of Hearts: We’ll have another trial by croquet just for this. Now, the preparations for the trial!

-

Alex: Hold on. This is a flamingo and a hedgehog.

King of Hearts: And what of it?

Alex: I can’t do this...not to these cute little babies...

King of Hearts: Then you have chosen death. Off with his head!

[spring telepathy time part 2] Citron: (I’m saying the lines properly. I’m getting better at Japanese!)

Masumi: (If you’re going to act onstage, that’s only to be expected.)

Citron: (I hate kings, but I like this role. I’ll move upstage more like you said, Masumi!)

Masumi: (Good. We’ll get along better if you’re not forcing it.) (you all need to know that this entire time he’s just holding the flamingo and hedgehog plushies to his chest like little baby. son.)

-

White Rabbit: Ah--! I guess I don’t have a choice, do I?

King of Hearts(??? i think): What are you--

White Rabbit: Take that! (he smacks the cards. it’s cute.) Let’s go. This is thanks for you saving me. That way, I don’t owe you anything!

King of Hearts: What do you think you’re doing! Seize them!

-

White Rabbit: Whew, we finally shook them off...

Alex: Tell me how to get back to the surface.

White Rabbit: No idea.

Alex: Huh?

Cheshire Cat: My, my, looks like you finally found White Rabbit~

Alex: And yet I haven’t achieved my goal. I want to return to the surface.

Cheshire Cat: Then you should go ask the Hatter.

-

Alex: Professor?!

White Rabbit: This guy wants to go back to...his own world, he says.

Alex: If I drink that tea again, I should be able to return home! Mad Hatter: Now, I’ve never heard of anything like that. Isn’t that right? (directed at the audience) What do you all think we should do with this young man? Hmm, I see! Alex: ...who have you been talking to. Mad Hatter: Reality is not limited to what you can see. There are those in this world who sink a lot of money into things that cannot be seen. Like, say, items in a game.

Alex: I’m getting a headache...

[spring telepathy time part 3] Masumi: Don’t do weird adlibs like that.

Itaru: I told you, let’s just do things our own way. Besides, you look like you’re having fun too. Is that for the director?

Masumi: Of course. But today, it’s not just that. Acting...is fun.

Itaru: Hmm~? What was that?

Masumi: Shut up!

-

Mad Hatter Then I shall tell you! The world is always the world that you are in!

Alex: Huh?

Mad Hatter You are me, and he is you, and I am he

Alex: Enough of the Zen questions and answers! Just send me back to the world I came from!

Mad Hatter The only one who can rescue you from what you’re telling me is yourself.

-

King of Hearts: Found you!

Alex: What are you doing here?!

Mad Hatter: You ask why, well, that’s the King’s seat.

King of Hearts: Off with his head!

Alex: Wait! I don’t want to die here!

King of Hearts: Then you should ask one of your friends. If the White Rabbit will take his place, then Alex will live.

White Rabbit: I don’t owe him anything anymore. In the first place, we aren’t even friends.

King of Hearts: And you?

Mad Hatter: You must be joking. I have no need for friends.

King of Hearts: And you?

Cheshire Cat: Isn’t having friends pointless?

Alex: Haha...we’d get along. I feel the same way.

Alex: ...get along...? You are me...he is you...I am he...could it be that this world is my subconscious? How absurd!

King of Hearts: For the crime of having no friends, you are sentenced to death!

Alex: You’re only being so aggressive because you do want friends, don’t you?

King of Hearts: Huh? Just who do you think you’re talking to?!

Alex: You’re lonely. So you push everyone away to protect yourself.

King of Hearts: How do you know that?

Alex: ...because I’m the same.

King of Hearts: What...?

Alex: So...if you’ll have me...can we be friends?

King of Hearts: Friends...with me?!

Alex: I don’t know what it’s like to have friends, so I was afraid of having anything to do with anyone. You’re the same, aren’t you? But since we’re each other’s first friends, even if we’re both awkward, we’ll be able to forgive each other.

[spring telepathy part 4] Masumi: Tsuzuru, this is just what’s in the script and not my own words.

Tsuzuru: But you’re acting it out even better than I expected!

Masumi: Of course I am. For Director’s sake...and because I’m an actor.

Tsuzuru: They’re lines I don’t think you’d be able to say if you didn’t really think them, Masumi.

-

King of Hearts: Let’s...let’s be friends!

Alex: I also want you to stop doing terrible things to animals.

King of Hearts: I will. An official decree! Free all the animals, and all of the prisoners. Ten days of consecutive holidays for all the land!

White Rabbit: My dream vacation?!

Alex: He’s way too happy about this...

King of Hearts: Now, everyone! A party for the whole country, and a toast to my friend, Alex!

Everyone: Yay!!

the lalalas from wonderland a-go go

King of Hearts: Let’s carry Alex into the air!

Everyone: Yay! Heave-ho!

-

this is like, the part where it’s just alex and hatter for a bit and everyone goes away. like a dream. woooo.

Professor: Good morning. How are you feeling?

Alex: Awful. Like I just wasted a bunch of time.

Professor: That’s the answer to my earlier question. That which only you cannot see, is the treasure of spare time.

-

[i’ve lost count of the spring telepathy times] Itaru: So, do you get it? What it means to be an adult.

Masumi: Yes, with you as a cautionary tale.

-

Professor: Was it a bad dream?

Alex: I didn’t...hate it.

Professor: My! How honest.

Alex: I just don’t want any more of that tea.

-

Masumi: I won’t grow up to be like you.

Itaru: Well, if you’ve ever got any worries, you can come talk to me.

Masumi: No thanks. I’ve had enough of arcades.

Itaru: Come on, it’s the last scene.

Masumi: Don’t you tell me what to do. Let’s go.

-

Alex We are alone, but

Hatter We are not alone

Alex and Hatter If you close your eyes, Everyone will always be there smiling in your heart

Alex There, in Wonderland

Hatter (in Wonderland)

Alex I found

Alex and Hatter An important key

All Now unlock your dreams and your heart It’s a fantasy!

(and as always, they go into the actual song here. tl from the wiki, as usual.)

Alex Since I've fallen into this Wonderland, Why don't you and I go on a journey together?

Hatter Although this world is filled with uncertainty, As long as

Alex I'm with you

Alex and Hatter It seems like we'll be just fine.

Alex and Hatter Since we've fallen into this Wonderland, Why don't you and I go on a journey together? Although this world is filled with uncertainty, As long as I'm with you It seems like we'll be just fine As long as I'm with with you, it seems like we'll be just fine

#spring 2019 #mankai stage #usui masumi #chigasaki itaru #minagi tsuzuru #sakuma sakuya #citron #makishima hikaru #Tateishi Toshiki #maekawa yuuki #yokota ryugi #Furuya Yamato #a3 #november translations

[chickwiththepurpleguitar]

Hey! I don't know what kind of prompts you write but as I'm now officially a grumpy old woman, please could you write something about a grumpy Bobby? Thank you! x

Happy birthday friend!!! Have some grumpy Bobby, featuring Luke is an Insensitive Dumbass Sometimes, @latinposeidon ‘s JatP timeline that makes Luke a Pisces, and some angst you didn’t necessarily ask for. I hope you like it! This technically takes place in my All Too Well verse cause it vaguely references my Bobby tragic backstory, but you don’t have to have read that to understand this.

--

It takes Luke longer than he’s proud of to realize something’s up with Bobby.

In his defense, Luke’s been a little distracted lately. Tomorrow’s his seventeenth birthday—his first birthday since he left home—and it’s all he’s been able to talk about for weeks now: what he’s gonna do and what he’s gonna eat and (perhaps most importantly) what he’s gonna play (because Bobby is actually the coolest friend and rhythm guitarist ever and somehow managed to get Sunset Curve a gig at this awesome club down by the beach on Luke’s birthday and Luke almost kissed him he was so excited).

Luke’s pretty sure his friends are a little sick of him by now, or at the very least sick of how much he’s been talking about his birthday, but he just can’t stop, for all the same reasons why none of his bandmates verbally call him out on it: it’s his first birthday since he left home, his first birthday without his mom to make his favorite chocolate cake or his dad to gift him cassette tapes he thought Luke might like (meaning they’re terribly out of style), and if Luke doesn’t force himself to be excited about it every minute of every day until it’s over, he’s going to have a complete and total breakdown, so yeah, he’s not gonna shut up until the day after tomorrow, but he’s also not gonna cry, so his friends are just gonna have to deal with it.

(And actually, now that Luke thinks about it, that might be why Bobby got them this gig in the first place. Nothing can distract Luke from his problems like music can. So, yeah, reiterating: best friend and bandmate ever.)

But for now, Luke’s birthday and their next epic gig are still a day away, and Sunset Curve is supposed to be rehearsing, but mostly they’ve just been playing the same song on repeat for an hour because something isn’t working, and it takes Luke way too long to realize it’s Bobby.

“Bro, are you sure you’re tuned right? Something’s off.”

Bobby takes a little too long to react to Luke’s words, his fingers continuing to fumble on his guitar strings after the rest of them have all stopped playing. Finally, he looks up, and Luke is taken aback by how lifeless Bobby’s eyes look, bereft of any of their usual spark.

“Bobby?” Luke prompts when all Bobby does is blink at him. “Focus, dude. Rehearsal? Gig tomorrow? Any of this ringing a bell?”

Bobby scowls—that’s more like it—and tugs forcibly at the tuning pegs of his guitar, grumbling under his breath.

“Thank you,” Luke sighs, shooting Reggie and Alex an exasperated look. Neither of them return it, too busy frowning worriedly at Bobby, but Luke ignores that in favor of lifting his guitar again. “Come on, guys, once more from the top. Count us in, Alex.”

They barely make it through half the song, though, before Luke’s stopping them again, waving a hand and huffing in frustration.

“It’s not the music,” Reggie pipes up before Luke can say anything. “It’s the energy.”

Luke snaps his fingers. “Yes, thank you, Reg. That’s exactly what it is. Bobby! Where’s the energy, man? Wake up! What, do you need some coffee or something?”

“Yeah, or some new friends,” Bobby snaps, and before Luke has been sufficiently slapped in the face by that, Bobby’s got his guitar off and in its stand and he stomps out of the studio, slamming the door behind him with a resounding thud.

Luke, Alex, and Reggie all collectively flinch.

There are a few moments of awkward silence, and then Luke says, “I realize I may have been a bit mean there…”

“Yeah, man, you think?” Reggie says.

“Okay,” Alex sighs. “Go talk to him!”

“Yep, right, on it.” Luke abandons his own guitar and hurries out of the studio.

He doesn’t have to go far. Bobby’s sitting on the little rocky wall next to the driveway, legs hanging down, head in his hands. Luke thinks he might be crying. Or shaking. Luke pauses a few feet away, trying not to show how uncomfortable he feels, and says gently, “Bobby?”

Bobby slowly raises his head, regarding Luke with a dark but hard to read expression. Not crying, Luke’s relieved to see, but the hand that reaches up to shove Bobby’s hair out of his eyes is trembling just enough to be noticeable. Luke frowns, his stomach twisting in concern. He slowly approaches and hops up to sit on the wall next to him.

“Hey, Luke,” Bobby grunts, looking down at his shoes. “Sorry—for sucking today, and for snapping at you. I didn’t—” He shakes his head, frustrated. “I’m just having a weird day, man, I’m—”

“Grumpy?” Luke supplies.

Bobby glares at him, but there’s no heat to it, and a hint of a smirk tugs at his lips. “Tired,” he corrects, rubbing at his forehead with that same shaky hand.

Luke’s concern only grows. He scoots a little closer so that his hip just presses against Bobby’s. “Are you okay? Did you not sleep well last night?”

Bobby lets out a bitter chuckle. “Last night, the night before, have I ever slept well? All good questions. Answer’s always no.”

“Bobby,” Luke murmurs sympathetically. “I’m sorry, man.” He doesn’t know how he’s never noticed, in all his days spent hanging off of Bobby like an extra limb, or all his nights spent climbing through Bobby’s window when he can’t sleep (and really, how did Luke never wonder why Bobby always seemed so ready to meet him at the window, no matter what time it was, always looked so tired and yet wide awake whenever Luke needed him?). Luke feels stupid all of a sudden—stupid and selfish. He nudges his shoulder against Bobby’s, says, “And, hey, man, I’m sorry for being an asshole in there, I was just excited. But it was selfish, and I shouldn’t have been so hard on you.”

Bobby shakes his head, won’t look at him. “Not your fault. Gig tomorrow’s important, I know that.”

“Yeah, but it’s just a gig. There’ll be others. And I know we’re gonna rock it no matter what, so I really need to chill out. I just—you know how it is, man. Tomorrow’s my birthday and—”

“And today’s mine.”

Luke freezes, choking on whatever he’d been about to say next. He stares at Bobby, thinking maybe he misheard him, but Bobby’s got his head ducked toward his lap, and the tips of his ears are turning pink, and he doesn’t correct himself, just lets the words hang there in the air between them until Luke catches up enough to process them.

“Today is your—?” Luke finally sputters, but even just that one question he can’t complete.

“Yeah,” Bobby rasps. “I was held back a year? In middle school. So I’m eighteen. My eighteenth birthday… First one without—”

“Right,” Luke huffs, so that Bobby doesn’t have to say it. “Man, why didn’t you say anything? We could’ve—”

“What?” Bobby cuts him off, finally meeting Luke’s gaze. “We could’ve what, Luke? Celebrated? My parents aren’t even here to celebrate, man. They went to Maui for the weekend. On my eighteenth birthday. Without me.”

Luke winces. “Bobby, I’m—”

“Don’t apologize.” Bobby shakes his head, looks up at the sky for a moment and then back at Luke. “I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to take the attention off of you when you so clearly needed it.”

It takes Luke a second to realize Bobby’s messing with him. When it hits, he laughs, and bumps his shoulder against Bobby’s again, and then hops off the wall. “Come on, birthday boy! Let’s play through the song one more time, and then the guys and I will let you take a nap while we go pick up some cake!”

Bobby’s smile is fondly exasperated, and barely there, as he rolls his eyes and takes Luke’s proffered hand to help him off the wall, but at least it stays painted lightly on his face the whole rest of the day.

--

Taglist: @whenweremarried @sunsethimb0s @pink-flame @penguin0613 @fighttoshine @sunsetcurvecuddles @nickalicious @reggiescrookedteeth @brightattheorpheum @queenmolina @spidergirl0325 @jandthephantoms @lexilucacia @sapphossidechick @acnhaddict @cest-la-vie-de-la-lee @sunset-bobby @lenacarstairspotterstewart @moreflowersthanweeds @conversationaltreestump @burntchromas @shellydominique 

#jatp #julie and the phantoms #fanfiction #jatp fanfiction #luke patterson #bobby wilson #lukebobby #lobby #alex mercer #reggie peters #my fics #all too well verse technically #prompt fills

[flyingstar360]

What You’ll Gain

Julie wakes up missing her mom. And Luke does not do well with crying girls. But he knows who does.

~

              When someone you love passes away, there’s a horrible kind of pain that happens somedays. In the morning, you wake up, and in that second before you open your eyes, you can half hear them. Faintly, distantly, the sound they used to make echo in the space between sleep and waking. Breathing in bed next to you. Laughing in the kitchen. Talking in the living room.  

Just before Julie opened her eyes, her mom was in the studio, singing.

              Julie could hear her. Muffled through the walls of the house, the soft rise and fall of a song Julie couldn’t quite make out. And Julie snuggled into her pillow, stretching, smiling, knowing that when she opened her eyes, she could go down and join her mom. And they’d sit and write for a bit before Julie had to go to school, and maybe her mom would drive her and-

              By then, Julie opened her eyes, and the music was gone again. She could hear Carlos and her dad in the kitchen, but no music from the studio. She closed her eyes tight, trying to bring it back, but instead a few tears dripped out onto her pillow.

              Once the silence settles in, it sinks into your stomach. The pain radiates from your chest down, and everything hurts. Sometimes, a few deep breaths settle it. Other days, it stays. An ache that nothing can help. Just emptiness and echoing silence.

              Julie burrowed deeper under her blankets, trying and failing not to cry more. She huddled there, still wrapped in a blanket cocoon when her dad knocked on the door.

              “Mija?” Ray stuck his head in Julie’s room and saw her still in bed. “Oh, Julie.”  He treaded carefully to her, slowly sinking down next to her bed so he could see her face. He brushed some of the curls out of her red eyes.

              “I don’t feel good, Papi.” Julie said, her voice barely a whisper. “Please, can I- Can I stay home?” Her voice trembled and his heart broke. He knew Dr. Turner had told him that there’d be bad days, and it was important to acknowledge the kids’ grief, but also the importance of normal routines. Letting Julie stay home would be a setback in Dr. Turner’s eyes, but she was doing so much better. Julie had just played The Orpheum less than two weeks ago, just a few weeks after not having touched a piano or sung a note for almost a year.

              “I don’t know Mija,” He sighed. “You have no fever and Dr. Turner says….” Julie squeezed her eyes closed even tighter, her lip trembling, as she gave a tiny nod and tried to take a shaky breath. Ray stopped, took a deep breath himself. Dr. Turner was great with Julie and Carlos, but Dr. Turner wasn’t here. Not seeing the girl Ray’d been so proud of up on that stage again with her hologram band, singing her heart out, now trembling in her bed. “Do you want me to stay home with you?”

              Julie looked up at him in surprise as her father stroked her hair away from her face. “Really?” She whispered, her voice cracking. He nodded. She tried to smile shakily. “No, I’ll be okay, I just… I can’t go today.”

              “Just do me a favor- don’t stay in here all day. Try and shower and eat something, okay? Maybe study a bit since I’m not making you go to school. And do not tell your aunt.” Ray smiled as Julie let out a damp choking giggle. He held out his finger for her, and she reached out and locked her finger in his. He kissed her forehead and pulled the covers back around her shoulders before leaving the room. Julie closed her eyes again, but only heard the sound of her brother complaining about how unfair it was that Julie got to skip school as her father pushed him out the door. She laid there and she missed her mom.

~~

              Out in the studio, Reggie was standing by the door, looking out of the windows. “Guys? Hey guys? Ray and Carlos just left, and Julie wasn’t with them.”

              Alex looked up from the couch where he’d been laying, staring at the ceiling, and fiddling with his drumsticks while Luke was working on some new material for the band. “She hasn’t been here yet this morning either. She normally stops in to at least say hi before school.”

              Reggie chewed on his bottom lip. “Do you think she’s sick?”

              “We could go check.” Luke said, shrugging. He was worried, but he was trying not to show it. Reggie and Alex exchanged a look. “It’s not like that!” Luke grumbled. “She’s our friend.”

              “Mmmhmm.” Alex hummed. “Sure. Friendship is your sole motivation in this situation.”

              Luke glared at his bandmate. “Oh, shut up.” He grumbled as the three ghosts poofed into the hallway outside Julie’s door.

              “Julie?” Reggie knocked on the door to Julie’s room. “It’s us. Are you- are you okay?”

              “Yeah, we’re a little worried.” Alex chimed in, leaning against the door. He pushed his blonde hair out of his eyes, sighing a little. “Can we come in?”

              Luke opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. Luckily, Julie’s quiet voice broke the silence.

              “Yeah. It’s okay. Come in.”

              As the boys entered Julie’s room, they knew something was really wrong. Maybe it’s from being a ghost, but the sadness in the air was almost overwhelming. Reggie’s eyes almost immediately filled with tears.

              “Julie,” he said, sitting next to the lump of blankets she was huddled in. “What’s going on?”

              Alex perched on the other side of the Julie-bump and rested his hand on her back. He had become the best at focusing his energy to be able to physically interact with the world. He could take Julie’s mic from her in rehearsal, take the remote to change the show when Reggie started hate-watching the Star Wars Prequels again, and even touched Flynn’s shoulder in rehearsal the other day. She’d screamed and tripped over a chair, yelling “Air can’t touch me!” Luke was a little jealous it came so easily to Alex, but he also had to remember that Alex had Willie to teach him in the beginning. And being able to physically interact with the world would probably help Alex get Willie away from Caleb and the Hollywood Ghost Club.

              Luke sat down on the ground next to Julie’s bed. He could see a tiny piece of her face peeking out. She made eye contact with him, and when he saw her red-rimmed eyes, he looked at the ground, avoiding her.

              “I’m okay.” Julie lied.

              “Yeah, okay.” Alex huffed, his thumb rubbing little circles on Julie’s back.

              Reggie scooted closer to her. “You don’t have to pretend with us, Julie. We’re your friends.” She didn’t say anything, but Luke could tell she was crying again.

              “Do you want us to go?” Luke leaned closer to the bed and asked her quietly. She shook her head. They sat with her a while longer, as she cried herself back to sleep.

              As her breathing evened out, punctuated only by the occasional hiccup the boys poofed into the hallway. The three huddled together and tried to figure out what to do.

              “I promised Willie we’d hang out today while Julie was at school.” Alex said. “Reggie and I were supposed to meet him at the museum.” They had decided to pair off whenever Alex and Willie hung out. That way, Luke or Reggie could keep an eye out if Caleb came around so they could try to get out before having to deal with that pyscho.

              Luke nodded. “You guys go. I’ll stay here with Julie.” Alex and Reggie looked at each other, eyebrows raised as Luke waved them off. “Seriously guys, I can handle a girl crying, okay? Just go see Willie. Julie’d be upset if she found out you blew him off because she’s having a bad day.”

              Luke was right, Julie would be upset. But could he actually handle a crying girl? Especially a crying girl he liked? “Okay.” Alex said. “But come get us if she needs us.”

              After the others poofed out, Luke returned to his spot on the floor by Julie’s bed and thought about how much she’d lost. Which made no sense, because, I mean, Luke was dead. He’d died and left his parents on bad terms, and here was this girl who had given him a second chance and it made no sense. Why had they been brought to Julie? Frustrated, he buried his head in his hands. He didn’t notice her wake up until she whispered his name.

              “Hey. How’re you feeling? Any better?” He shifted to kneel next to her, propping his elbows on her bedside.

              “I just miss her, Luke. So much. Hurts to breathe.” Julie whimpered. Luke wished he could hold her. Ever since that night after the Orpheum, when he’d been able to feel her hands on his face and wrap his arms around her, Luke couldn’t get it out of his mind. Not that he’d minded the group hug with the whole band, but that moment of just the two of them- he’d finally felt alive. He reached out to touch her shoulder, but his hand passed right through again. The guys were right. He was awful at dealing with crying girls. And sitting next to Julie on her bed as she hurt, being unable to do anything to make it better- it was just as bad as eating a tainted hot dog, or watching his mom cry over his birthday cake.

And just like that Luke had an idea.

              “Hey.” He whispered to Julie. “I have an idea.  Maybe something that might make you feel better. If you’re up to getting out of bed?”

              “I don’t think I can write, Luke, I’m sorry.” She shook her head.

              “No, no.” Luke said. “Not that. Let’s go for walk. I know somewhere we can go, something we can do, that might make you feel better.” Julie nodded. She had promised her dad she’d get out of bed. And Luke did know all the best music spots in the city. It might help, she thought.

~~

              “Why are we at your parents’ house, Luke?” Julie asked, fiddling with the sleeve of her oversized sweatshirt as they stood at the end of his driveway. Dark clouds had rolled in, and thunder was rumbling in the distance. “Did you need to tell them something else? And can’t it wait until later?”

              Luke turned so he was standing right in front of her. He reached for her hand, but hesitated. Every time they couldn’t touch again broke his heart a little, and he already felt a little like it was breaking watching her in pain.

              “Look.” He said, shoving his hands back into his pockets and shifting his weight from side to side. “I’m not good at this. At comforting people. It’s not something I was ever good at. And it kills me to not be able to know what to say. And I know about dying so...” Julie smiled a little watery smile at him, and his heart melted. He took a deep breath. “I was just thinking. You’re hurting because you miss your mom. And my mom’s hurting because she misses her kid.”

              Julie looked up, surprised. “What?”

              “My dad’s at work. She’s home alone right now. Crocheting or knitting or whatever. But sometimes she sits and cries too.” He turned to his childhood home and caught a glimpse of his mother in the chair in front of the window. The same place she sat when the police came to tell her he was gone. Julie stepped a little closer to him and they stood there for a minute, before Julie teared up and looked down at her hands, twisting the cuffs of her shirt.  

              “Luke, I-“Just then, the skies opened up, and a downpour of rain started.

              “Julie?” Julie and Luke both looked up to see his mother standing on the porch, opening an umbrella. “It’s Julie, right? You brought the song Luke wrote. Honey, what are you doing out in this storm? Are you okay?”

              Julie tried to nod but burst into tears. Big tears. The kind that really made Luke want to run away, but his mother came right down the path to Julie.

              “What’s wrong? Is there something I can do to help?” Emily hurried down the path, and quickly tried to cover Julie under the umbrella. She wrapped her arms around Julie’s shaking shoulders

              Julie shook her head, embarrassed. She tried to speak but the sobs just kept coming.

              “Come sit down inside honey. It’s not safe to be out here. Come inside, have some water.” Luke nodded and gestured to get Julie to agree. She turned and let Emily lead her into the Patterson’s’ house.

              “I’m sorry.” Julie managed to gasp out as Emily brought the sobbing girl into their foyer.

              Emily shook her head and rubbed Julie’s back comfortingly. She’d lived through enough grief-based panic attacks to recognize one. “You’ve got nothing to apologize for, sweetheart. Just breathe.”

              As Julie tried to calm down and breathe again, Luke stood awkwardly next to the stairs in his former house. He fidgeted, unsure of what to say. But it seemed like his mom was helping Julie, so he just echoed her. “It’s fine, Julie. You’re fine. Breathe.”

              After a few minutes standing with to Luke’s mother, Julie could feel the weight that had been sinking into her chest all morning start to dissolve. She took a few breaths, sighing deeply.

              “Better?” Emily asked. Julie nodded. “Good. Now, you’re absolutely soaked. Why don’t I find something for you to put on and throw this in the dryer, okay? Then maybe we can have some hot chocolate and you can tell me what’s going on.” Julie peeled off her soaked sweatshirt. Luckily, her tee shirt underneath wasn’t too bad, but combined with the chill in the air, she could feel the goosebumps pricking on her arms. She rubbed them as she took a seat on the couch, while Emily ran downstairs to the laundry room. Staring at the framed photos on the mantel, Julie zoned out, exhausted. And when Emily returned, Luke was right behind her, smiling.

              “My mom makes really good hot chocolate. Julie. Get ready.”

              Emily set two steaming mugs of hot chocolate on the coffee table and pulled out the bundle of fabric draped over her arm. Emily handed it to Julie, who recognized it instantly. An old orange flannel, well-worn and washed until it was soft. It was almost identical to the one Luke was wearing.

              “This was Luke’s. He must have had a dozen, all almost identical. I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of them.” Emily looked fondly at it. “I’m not sure why, but it felt like the right thing. It was on top of the clean laundry pile. I’m not sure how it got there, but it felt like a sign.”

              Julie smiled as she slipped her arms into it. “Yeah, those signs. Who knows where they come from?”

              Luke plopped himself down on the arm of the sofa. “Yeah, who knows?”

              Emily settled herself in the chair next to the sofa and grabbed one of the mugs. “What’s going on, Julie?”

              Julie did the same, wrapping her hands around the mug for warmth. “My mom. She- she passed away, just about a year ago.”

              “Oh, Julie, I’m so sorry.” Emily leaned forward, rested her hand on Julie’s arm comfortingly.

              “I had found Luke’s song while I was going through the old things in her studio. But today I woke up and…”. Julie felt her throat close off as she tried to swallow down another round of tears.

              “You woke up and forgot she was gone?” Emily guessed. Julie nodded. “I still do that all the time. I hear him, strumming away on his guitar in his room.” She stopped for a moment, choking back her own wave of grief. Julie looked over at Luke, who was looking sheepish. He refused to meet Julie’s eyes as he rubbed the back of his head, and she realized that sometimes, when she would come to the studio in the mornings and he wasn’t there, he was here. Playing for his mother. “I used to go in and scold him for making so much noise so early, but now I’d give anything to hear it again.”

              Julie smiled. “He sounds like he was trouble.”

              “I am not trouble.” Luke groused, pouting. Julie ignored him.

              “Oh, he was.” Emily smiled sadly. “He was always making noise, always making music. From the moment he could focus his eyes, you could see the gears turning whenever he heard music.”

              “My mom was the same way.”

              “Something tells me you are too.” Emily smiled. The two sat in silence for a moment, sipping their hot chocolates.

              “Would you tell me more about him?” Julie asked, wrapping her hands around the warm mug.

              Emily smiled, got up and went to the cabinet. She opened the doors and pulled out a large photo album. Sitting down next to Julie, she opened it to a photo of baby Luke in the hospital.

              “I started this when he was born. I always wished I could have shown it to the girl he brought home. I wanted to embarrass him a little.” Emily said. “Although, I think in a way, he did bring you home to meet us.”

              “You have no idea.” Julie said under her breath.

              “And I am absolutely embarrassed.” Luke grumbled.

              Julie whispered to him as Emily handed her the book and settled in next to Julie. “No messing this up.”

              “What, dear?”

              Julie thought quickly. “I was just reminding myself to be careful with it. It’s important, and really nice of you to let me see it.”

              Emily smiled as Julie opened the book to a picture of a tiny toddler Luke wearing cowboy boots, a cowboy hat, and a diaper. Luke buried his face in his hands as Julie burst out laughing.

              “This was a mistake” he groaned.

~

              “…And then he would refuse to go to bed unless we tucked his little guitar into bed next to him!”

              “Julie, I swear if you mention any of this to Reggie and Alex- Stop laughing! I was five, Julie!”

~

              “…Standing in front of the whole church, leading his first communion class in singing a song he’d made up… I was so proud of him that day.” Emily said, as she ran a finger over the photo of Luke in his little first communion suit, standing outside their house next to her and Mitch.

              “It was a terrible song.” Luke said quietly. “I had no idea what I was doing.”

              “My mom wrote me a song for my first communion too. She’d written others for me, but that was the first one that other people heard that she written for me.” Julie smiled at the memory. “She made my dress too. Then she started a food fight with my cake at the party. It was everywhere, my aunt got so mad. My little brother had smashed handfuls of it into her purse and she didn’t realize it until the next day.”

              “Yeah, that sound like Carlos.” Luke shook his head as Emily and Julie laughed and chatted about First Communions that happened nearly twenty years apart.

~

              Emily turned the page to a photo of Sunset Curve, playing in the Patterson’s backyard. “This was right after he started his band. They played my book club meeting.”

              Julie smiled, recognizing a slightly younger version of her band and Carrie’s dad. Emily was standing to the side of the photo, blurred as she was turning away. Julie could tell there wasn’t a smile on her face. Emily noticed too. She sighed.

              “We had a huge fight right after everyone left. I was worried his bandmates were a bad influence. We’d just found out that one of them, the drummer, was-“

              Emily was interrupted by the window swinging open. Both she and Julie looked up startled. They’d been so engrossed in stories of Luke’s childhood, neither had noticed that the rain had stopped. It was still pretty windy, but the sun was beginning to peek through the clouds.

              “I keep telling Mitch he needs to fix these latches!” Emily said as she stood to close them. Luke stepped to the side so she wouldn’t pass through him. He looked at Julie, a serious expression on his face, cheeks slightly red.

              “That part’s not her story to tell.” He said quietly. Julie already had a pretty good inkling what Alex’s secret was- after all, helping hijack a tour bus isn’t something you just do for a friend. But Luke was right. Julie nodded, and checked her phone.

              Almost three hours had passed, and she had six text messages she’d missed.  Three were from Flynn. One from Nick. And two from her father.

Almost done with my shoot. He’d written. I’ll be home soon.

He’d sent the last one fifteen minutes ago. Which meant…

              “Oh no.” Julie said, as her phone started ringing.

              “What’s wrong?” Emily asked.

              “It’s my dad. I forgot to leave a note.” Julie took a deep breath and answered. “Hi, Papi. I’m okay. No, I’m at a friend’s house. A new friend, actually.” Emily smiled at her.

              “I’ll go get your sweatshirt, honey. Tell him you’ll head home in a minute.” She left Julie alone in the living room.

              “No, Dad, I’m okay. Yeah. I’ll leave here in just a minute. It’s not a long walk. I’ll be home soon. Okay. Okay, Love you too. Bye.”

              As Emily returned, Julie started to shrug off Luke’s flannel shirt.

              “Oh, no, Honey. Keep it. Something just feels right about sending it with you. Kinda like you’re keeping Luke alive, in a way.” Emily smiled as she smoothed the fabric over Julie’s shoulders. “Thank you for visiting today. I know it was a rough day for you, but you turned it into a wonderful one for me.”

              Julie put her hand over Emily’s. “No, thank you. I really needed this.”

              “Well, anytime you need some hot chocolate talk, you know where to find me, okay?” Emily pulled Julie into a hug. “I think we help each other.”

              Julie wrapped her arms around Emily in return. Luke stood off to the side, watching Julie and his mom embrace, his heart full. Emily had her eyes closed, resting on top of Julie’s head. Julie was tucked safely under his mom’s chin. He couldn’t fix everything with his mom. And he couldn’t bring back Julie’s. But he could do this. And maybe…

              He walked over and carefully put his arms around the two. At first it felt like nothing. Like he was going to pass right through again. But suddenly, he felt them.

              Julie smiled as she felt Luke joining the hug. Warmth and peace rushed over her.

              “Thanks, Mom.” She heard him whisper, just before he poofed outside to wait for her.

              Emily’s eyes flew open and she looked around for a moment. Then, a little flustered, she walked Julie to the door and said goodbye.

              As Julie walked away from the house, sweatshirt over her arm, she spotted Luke waiting for her at the end of the driveway, hands in his pockets.

              “You’re smiling, Molina.” He teased. “Feel better?” Julie nodded.

              “Yeah. A lot better actually. This was a really good idea, Luke. Thanks.” She smiled at him. He held out his hand to her. She reached out and took it. She could feel the roughness of calluses from his guitar as he rubbed his thumb against the top of her hand, the pressure as he squeezed her hand gently.

              “Let’s go home.” He said.

The two turned, hand in hand, and started the walk back to Julie’s, both not noticing that the dahlias’ Emily had planted in the garden in front of the Patterson’s house had begun to bloom.

#julie and the phantoms #Jatp #jatp fanfic #juke #julie molina #luke patterson #I love my emotional support ghost band #I've hardly written in seven years guys so be gentle okay?

[ikleesfiction]

Will you follow through if I fall for you?

Fandom : One Chicago Word count : 2,276 words Author Notes : Rated M Disclaimer

Previously on this fic : Part 1 🞂 Part 2 🞂 Part 3 🞂 Part 4

Part 5

Jay didn’t text or call you further until the next day. You feel your phone vibrating on the desk as you are working with your headphones on. You see Jay’s name on the display before you pick it up, “Hello?”

“Hey, Y/N! I’m downstairs. Let's do the dinner date now. You haven’t had dinner yet, have you?” Jay spontaneously announces.

It was just past 7 PM. You have been working since 1 PM and didn’t notice the time goes. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Couldn’t you give me more time to prepare?”, you sound annoyed but he can hear the smile in your tone.

“Don't want you to accuse me of bailing again. So I have to be sure I can make it”, Jay says grinningly.

“Why don’t you come up and wait in my living room?”, you let Jay know your apartment number and buzz him up before you disconnect the call. Soon you hear knocks on your door.

“Hi, come on in”, you usher Jay into your place. “Sit wherever you like, make yourself at home. If you’d like to drink, feel free to take it from the fridge. I’m gonna go get ready”, you tell him.

As you turn your back to leave, Jay grabs your wrist gently and turns you around. His hand then cups your face tenderly and he leans to kiss your lips. You freeze up for a tick before melt into it. Your hand moves to his chest, palm over his denim jacket.

Jay pulls away after a while, “Hi. I miss you”, he murmurs. You just blink owlishly and stay speechless.

“Now you can go get ready”, he commands you with a smile. You voluntarily follow his order. Jay shakes his head, amused. He was being honest when he said he misses you. For the whole day, he was hoping the unit wouldn’t get any urgent cases. Once it’s time to clock out, Jay quickly moved out of the district. The kiss though been something that he wanted to do since he met you at Will’s place. When Jay saw you opened the door before, he thought you’re cute with faded pink shorts that were drowned by an oversized white t-shirt. He just felt like it was the right time to properly kiss you.

As he waits for you to get ready, Jay looks around at your place. It’s an open-plan apartment. He can see almost every corner of it from the living room. A flat tv was hanging on the wall, in front of a cozy couch and a simple coffee table. On one corner, there is a small desk table with a mismatched but comfy looking chair. A laptop, headphones, and a microphone are sitting on the table. Next to it, there are an electric keyboard and a guitar. Cables plug and scatter around messily. He figures that’s where you do your work.

Jay walks to the kitchen to take a bottle of water from the fridge. You don’t have a dining table. Only a kitchen island with chairs on its outer side. On the fridge door, he can see a training schedule and some recipe cards. There are no pictures or drawings. Actually, he cannot find any family photos or even band posters around the place. The place looks kind of bare without any personal decoration. Jay wonders how long you’ve been living in this place.

Fifteen minutes later, you come out of your room in a cream-colored blouse and skinny blue jeans. Because Chicago weather always feels chilly to you, you put on a black light-jacket that fell slightly above your wrists. “Okay, I’m ready”, you fluff your hair a bit. You don’t have time to style it the way you like. So brush and fingers should do.

“You clean up nice”, Jay compliments you. He offers his hand for you to take.

“Well, thanks for the heads-up”, you respond jokingly as both of you step out of your place after you lock it down.

You and Jay casually chat while he drives. “How was your day?”, you genuinely want to know.

“It’s good. Any day without getting shot at is actually good. The gang told me to say hi to you, by the way”, he informs you.

“Really? How many people are there in your team? I was lowballing for breakfast the other day. I hope it’s enough”, you tilt your head curiously.

“No, you were great. No one was left hungry. Let’s see, there is my partner, Hailey Upton. We got Ruzek, Olinsky, and Dawson. Hank Voight is our boss. Who else did I miss? Hmm…Oh, Burgess and Atwater! So there’s eight of us”, Jay counts.

“And Sergeant Platt at the desk”, you remind him.

Jay lets out a laugh, “Right, that’s sweet of you to remember her”

“Well, no one can go in 21st District without her permission. So I have to take good care of her”, you humorously explain your reason.

Soon Jay parks his car. “The restaurant is just around the corner”, he shows you as you step out of his car. You walk side by side to the restaurant.

“Dawson told me this place is good but I’ve never been here before”, Jay informs you when he opens the restaurant door for you.

“Great, I like unknown places”, you cheerfully comment.

There is a friendly-looking older guy greets them at the door. “Hola! Welcome! My name is Carlos. Are you looking for a table for two?”

Jay gives him an affirmative nod, “Yes, please”

Carlos then guides both of you to a table. He lets you settle down and gives menu cards to review. A few minutes later, he comes back, “Ready to order?”

Jay looks at you questioningly. “Ah, can you tell me more about this one?”, you ask Carlos, pointing out an appetizing picture of a dish on the menu. The discussion is certainly longer than normal, but Carlos happily explains it to you. Finally, you pick your choice and so does Jay.

“I’m sorry. It must’ve been annoying to listen to”, you apologize to Jay once Carlos left.

“Not at all", Jay brushes it off. "It is actually interesting to see. The guy was ready to narrate all the tales about each dish when you ask”

“Yeah, thankfully he’s patient about it. Other places might have kicked me out before I can decide”, you snort a laugh. “That happened before. We were in New York. My best friend, Alex is a DJ. He was scheduled to play a gig at a club there. We planned to have an early dinner before going to the club. It was a fairly fancy restaurant. I remembered asking at least three questions for each dish before the waitress lost her patience, accused me of pranking her, and kicked us out. We were too shocked to say anything”, you giggle through your story. “Whenever we try new places now, I’m not allowed to order anymore”

"You're not just being polite when you mentioned you like unknown places", Jay remarks after laughing at your story.

"No, I truly like it. When we travel for work, we like to try places recommended by locals. Sometimes they do well, sometimes they don't. That's the fun in that", you justify.

"Is that why your place is rather bare? Because you travel all the time?", he pries.

"Ah no, not really. I.. I haven't been staying there long. Two months now", you hesitantly unfold.

"Oh, where do you live before?", he continues to probe.

"Amsterdam", you quickly respond, wishing he doesn't ask more about it.

"That's far. What made you move here?", Jay intrigues, unaware of your discomfort.

Before you can reply, a waiter comes with an appetizer and wine. He pours the wine into both of yours and Jay's glass, then leaves the bottle on the table. You softly exhale your relief, grateful for the distraction.

“Hmm, this is good”, you say after sipping your wine and tasting the food. “This place is very nice", as you look around the restaurant. "A good recommendation you received here, Jay”

"Yeah, Antonio rarely stirs us wrong", Jay agrees with you.

"Antonio is Gabby's brother, right?", you ask him.

"Yeah, you know her?", Jay returns with a tad surprised.

"Uhuh, Met her at Molly's", you answer shortly. It is not exactly a lie, but it is not the whole truth either. You did come to Molly's the night before the incident where Firehouse 51 saved you.

"Seriously? I can't believe we never met before. Our unit is a regular there! Even Will also frequently goes there", Jay baffles. You just giggle in response.

Easy conversation flows during dinner. Both of you certainly enjoy it. Soon the meal is finished and dessert is polished. While Jay settles the bill, you compliment the staff for the nice meal. Carlos bids farewell at the door with a small package of dulce de leche cookies. "Hope you enjoy the rest of your night!", he wishes you and Jay goodbye.

“What if we take a walk for a while, sober up from the wine?”, Jay suggests to you after leaving the restaurant. “Okay”, you readily agree.

Jay holds your hand when you both stroll along the sidewalk. The sky is quite clear. Even though you cannot see a lot of stars, the moon shines prettily. Both of you glance at each other a few times. Until you lock eyes with him, Jay stops his walk and turns to look at you. “Gosh, you’re gorgeous”, he states before kissing you tenderly on your lips.

One kiss turns two and another and another. It got more intense for each kiss. You’re not sure how long until you have to take a breather.

“Might be better if we go back now?” you sigh to his lips. He steals another kiss before replying, “Okay, we’re going now.”

◢◤

Your hand is shaking when you try to open your apartment door with Jay’s hands wrap around your waist. His body presses on your back while his lips nibble on your neck. Once you get in, you lead him to your bedroom. Jay sheds his and your clothes one by one in between kisses along the way. Both of you are topless when you reach your bedroom. You push him lightly to your bed and straddle him on his lap. The make-out session keeps going for a while. His hands then move from your ass to take off your jeans. He rolls on top of you and starts to peel your jeans from your legs.

You suddenly realize that he’s going to see the scar on your left leg, a souvenir from the incident. Jay can feel you stiffen when his knuckles graze your scar. “You okay?”, he tentatively asks you.

“Ah, yeah. I don’t know how I could forget about it. I’m sorry. I could cover it so you...”, you falter.

“What? What are you talking about?”, Jay confusedly interrupts.

You sit up and pointedly look at your left leg. There’s a long jagged line that goes along your left hamstring. Jay delicately touches it, but you jerk your leg away in reflex, “Sorry! Am I hurting you?”, Jay sounds worried.

“No, you’re not”, you fall back to your pillow and avoid looking at Jay. He moves to your right side and leans on his left elbow, facing you as he waits for you to speak.

“There’s was an incident, a couple months ago”, you begin to fill him in. “Alex was playing a gig at a nightclub on Fulton River District. I assisted him behind the stage”, you shudder as you recount the nightmare.

“One moment everything went alright, but then I saw the stage started to wobble. It collapsed quickly. I pulled Alex out of the way but I moved too slow...” Jay stays silent but holds your right hand and kisses the back of it.

“I was trapped under the rubble. My leg got pinned. Until Firehouse 51 pulled me out of there”. Jay instinctively squeezes your hand. “Torn the ligaments, got some nerve damage too. Been working on it ever since”, you unreliably conclude your story.

Jay is quiet for a while, but his hand moves to caress your face. “I’m gonna buy drinks for the whole 51 next time I see them at Molly’s”, he declares and then closes the gap to your lips. “For them to save you, so I can have you here, with me, right now”

He continues to kiss your neck, down to your shoulder, on top of your breast, your ribs. His lips keep moving south until he gets to your thigh. You try to pull your left leg away, but he is just not having it. He peppers your thigh and knee with soft kisses. “You don’t have to do that”, you whisper. “I know it’s off-putting”

“That’s where you are wrong. I see this as a beautiful sign that you survive” Jay fiercely says. “I got scars too, Y/N. Some even invisible. Are you appalled about my scars?”, he questions you.

“Of course not!” you exclaim.

“So you understand that I am not revolted by it”, his eyes look at you sincerely, before he puts your left leg on his right shoulder to kiss your scar.

Soon, he takes off his trousers and underwear, follows by pulling yours off. When he crawls back on top of you, you circle your hands around his neck and pull him down to kiss his lips passionately.

"I'm so glad I got a chance to meet you", Jay says before continues the night to make love to you.

Next on this fic : Part 6

+x Taglist +x

@shipshipshipau @itsdesiree86 @thevelvetseries @annaallicce

#fanfiction #jay halstead x reader #original work #one chicago #one chicago fic #chicago pd tv #chicago pd fic #jay halstead fic #jay halstead imagine #wyftiiffy

[feverinfeveroutfic]

chapter ten: dave, frank, and cliff

Cliff guided her by the hand into the tiny club: once again, it was early enough that they had plenty of time to congregate on the side of the room, alone, and out of earshot of the others. Sam held onto the yellow tulip he had given her with two fingers and she brought the petals to her nose for a whiff of that fresh smell.

“I didn't know if you wanted a bouquet again,” he confessed with a shrug.

“It's okay,” she told him as she held the flower close to her chest. “Sometimes one is good.” She took another whiff from those smooth yellow petals, as smooth as a tapestry of silk.

“Do you wanna dance again later tonight?” she asked him.

“Yes, please,” he replied; he took his hat off and ran his fingers through his smooth dark hair. “We did a square dance last time—let's do a little bit of slow ballroom dancing, too.”

He then wagged his finger at her.

“I have something else to give you,” he said, and he ducked past her to the bar at the far side of the room. She watched him with her hands still up to her chest so she could smell the tulip some more. He strode around Lars, who had taken his seat at the bar with a shot of vodka, and he ducked out of sight for a moment. She could only see part of his back; he rose up and stuck his hand behind his back before he returned to her.

“What'chu got for me?” she asked him once he came within earshot.

“Close your eyes and stick out your arm,” he told her. She did just that with her left arm and she felt something brush against her skin.

“Okay,” he said. She opened her eyes and she spotted a bracelet on her wrist made of braided strips of black leather and silver rings: she took a second look to find small sparkling rhinestones embedded within the braids. It was fastened together with a big round fancy silver button about the size of a nickel.

“This is something I found in the book shop,” he explained, “it was tucked between that copy of Siddhartha we found as well as a copy of Frankenstein. I just thought it was something you'd like.”

“I do!” she declared as she put one arm around him and held him close to her. She rested the side of her head against his chest. She closed her eyes and took in the soft sound of his heartbeat underneath his denim button up shirt. Sam kept the tulip near to her nose still.

Something fell over on the other side of the room and then a bunch of paper fell onto the floor. Sam opened her eyes but she kept her head pressed to his chest.

Dan shuffled through a bunch of paper on the floor: he had already slung his guitar over his shoulder, and he swung it upon his back so he could look for something. Sam lifted her gaze to the other side of the stage, where someone had moved the couch from backstage and put it up against the wall.

Dan picked up some paper and took something off the floor. He stood back up and strode over to the couch: he almost tripped over the cables on the side of the stage but he caught himself, albeit without unplugging anything. Scott skidded into the room right then.

“Hey!” he declared. Dan staggered forward and plopped down on the couch: the whole entire time, he never let go of his guitar. Indeed, once he took his seat on the cushions, he brought it forward and rested it upon his lap. He looked up at Scott as if nothing happened.

“What's all the hubbub, bub?” Scott asked him.

“Couldn't find my tuner,” he quipped as he picked up a little black box from the cushion next to him.

“Sure that's yours and not Alex and Eric's?”

“It's all of ours,” Dan pointed out, “yours, too.”

Sam looked up at Cliff, who gazed down at her: the light over their heads shone down on him so it looked as though a halo surrounded his head.

“Wanna take a walk?” he suggested. “It's going to be a long time before Legacy take to the stage again.”

“Yeah, let's,” she said. He doubled back to the bar to fetch his hat and to tell Lars where they were going. Once Cliff ran his finger across the wide brim of his hat, Sam put her sunglasses back on before they headed back outside. He held the door open for her and she slung the strap of her purse over her shoulder.

He hurried up next to her so they walked side by side on the narrow sidewalk.

The sun hung strong and high over the city in the vast clear blue sky. Up ahead of them, the street bustled with life, and yet they rounded the corner towards where Joey's car was parked. Joey himself had gone in through the back door; the two of them strode at a brisk pace past the puddle of barf in the storm drain. Sam thought about Alex, who had ducked out of there and into the shadows around the club, and she wondered if he was alright somewhere in there.

She turned her attention to the block ahead of them once they had cleared the piece of sidewalk and slowed to a stroll. A patch of green grass and a line of trees stood across the corner up ahead. The very sight of the green was enough for Sam to bring the tulip up to her nose again. She looked down at the bracelet Cliff had given her and a part of her felt as though he was spoiling her. Spoiling her even with what he had.

“Is that who I think it is?” he said out of the blue.

“Who?” she asked him. Cliff pointed up ahead and there was a man seated on the curb in front of the grass. He looked back at her with a twinkle in his eye.

“Come along,” he coaxed her. His long legs stretched enough that Sam fell behind him to the end of the sidewalk; however, he awaited her at the corner, and they crossed the little side street together. Once they came closer to him, Sam made out the sight of the helmet of bright orange curls upon his head: they sprawled down over his shoulders and halfway down his back. Despite it being a nice day, he wore a faded black leather jacket over ragged faded denim jeans with large gaping holes in the knees. A pair of ragged gloves hung out of his pocket.

“Dave!” Cliff called out once they reached the corner. The man lifted his head and frowned at first, but then he showed them a smile once they came closer to him. He was a skinny, scrawny man who looked as though he was awaiting a ride somewhere.

“Hey, Cliff,” he replied back to him in a broken voice; Sam picked up the smell of cigarettes on him as well as fried beans. “Wasn't expecting to see you here.”

“I'm seein' Anthrax and Legacy tonight with her,” Cliff explained. “This is my date, Samantha.”

“Or Sam as I go by,” she said as she lifted her sunglasses off of her face for a better look at him.

“Sam, this is my friend Dave Mustaine,” Cliff introduced her. He gazed up at her from the gutter: the sunlight shone about his crown of bright orange.

“You're from California,” he remarked at a fast clip.

“Yeah.” She paused for a few seconds. “How'd you know?”

“You're too friendly,” he said as he brought a hand over his brow to protect his eyes from the sun. “You're also lacking that high New York energy, too.”

“Everything is just a hustle and bustle around here,” she added.

“Right! And you're too laid back, too.” He gestured up at Cliff. “He and I used to be in Metallica together.”

She then gasped.

“Oh, so you're Dave!” she declared.

“The infamous Dave,” he corrected her.

“Well, what're you doin' here?” Cliff asked him.

“I'm homeless now, dude,” Dave replied, even with the nonchalant look on his face. “Been homeless, too, even after Megadeth doing a bit of touring for our first record. Right now, I'm just hanging out here in the Big Apple because of the whole thing with studio time. It's the whole waiting game and everything.”

“Oh, man, I'm really sorry to hear that,” Cliff confessed.

“Yeah, I hope I can get back to L.A to do the new album by the year's end. Even thought I've been sleeping on a girl's old couch, and biding my time, being here in New York has kind of given me a different perspective of everything.”

“That's—kind of why I moved out here,” Sam told him at a deliberate pace.

“Oh, yeah?” Dave showed her a little smile.

“Yeah. I came here because I just wanted to be here as a change of pace. I haven't had as many problems, though.”

“That's smart,” he declared. He then cleared his throat and stood to his feet. Much like Cliff, he towered over her, this long and lanky redheaded man wrapped in rags that barely clung onto his emaciated body.

“You know I only started Megadeth just to spite James and Lars, right?”

“He really did, too,” Cliff filled in for him. “I had nothing to do with it so—if you wanna know more about that.”

“But Cliff and I are still good friends, though,” Dave continued.

“Don't get mad, get even, I guess?” Sam chuckled.

“Yes, YES!” Dave shot out a hand to her for a high five, and she did it with her pinky finger given her hands were full with the tulip and her sunglasses.

“Well, at least you've got a couch to sleep on,” Cliff pointed out.

“Yeah, but I think she might kill me, though,” Dave confessed.

“Why?” Sam chuckled at that.

“I like another girl,” he said, still nonchalant. “I might have to break up with Ellen so I can go with Corinne.”

“Do what you gotta do, that's what I say, man,” Cliff encouraged him.

“I hope she can get me out to California because I wrote a couple of songs already for the new album. I need to be back out West soon here because—you know—”

“It'll save you,” Sam finished for him.

“It'll save me and also my bassist,” he pointed out. “He and I are both struggling right now.” Dave nodded at the flower and the bracelet.

“Did he give you those?” he asked her.

“Yes, he did.”

“I found the bracelet,” Cliff explained, “the tulip I picked on my way over here. Even with our doing better than—we were—I still think less is more.”

“One of you kids have the time right now?” Dave asked them.

“It's around lunchtime,” Sam replied. “That's all we know at the moment.”

“I might poke my head into the show tonight,” he told her with a raise of his eyebrow. “I also ask 'cause I haven't eaten all day, either. I'm also dying of thirst right now.”

“We can go back and get you a drink of water,” Sam suggested.

“As long as James and Lars don't see me,” he told her with a wave of his hand.

“Yeah, he's, uh—” Cliff cleared his throat. “—kind of a loaded subject with the two of them especially. At least, that's all I know. That's as far as I know.”

“Cliff only has hearsay,” Dave pointed out.

“Well, let's—get you something, though,” Sam insisted as she put her sunglasses back on, and Dave followed suit with his own. She started back down the sidewalk and even over the noise of the street, she could hear him tell Cliff, “I like this girl.”

She brought the tulip up to her nose once she reached the corner once again. The two young men stood on either side of her for a moment, and she led the way across the pavement, back to L'Amour.

“She came here with Joey,” Cliff told Dave at one point.

“Joey from Anthrax?” he said.

“Yeah. He's another one who's been sleeping on her couch, too, oddly enough.”

“We're just friends, though,” Sam pointed out with a quick turn around to face them. “I promise.”

“I hope you stay just friends,” Dave stifled a laugh.

“I'm not gonna kill him,” she scoffed. “If he finds someone at some point, I'll be happy for him.”

She returned to a straight position and continued on to the corner of the club. Frank and Scott congregated outside of the side door: the sun shone down upon the dark crowns of their heads such that it looked as though they wore little golden crowns.

“Oh, hey, Dave,” Scott greeted him, to which Dave brought a finger to his lips. “Oh, right, James and Lars,” he followed along. “And yeah, they're here right now.”

“Anyway, what brings you here?” Frank asked him as he shielded his eyes from the bright sun.

“I'm just dyin' of thirst right now,” Dave told him.

“Well, what brings you to New York?” Frank clarified.

“I'm staying with a girl until I can get my ass out to California to record a record,” Dave briskly said, the first time he showed any bit of emotion right in front of Sam. “I just want a drink of water for the time being, though.”

“Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah,” Frank replied with a nervous nod of his head. He ducked back inside of the club; meanwhile, Scott remained there on the sidewalk with his hands tucked into his jeans pockets.

“Quite the interesting little amalgamation we got here,” Dave remarked.

“Yeah, I'll say,” Scott added as he raised his thick dark eyebrows. “Buncha starving artists here.”

“In Sam's case, quite literally,” Cliff chimed in.

“I like artists,” Dave stated as he stuffed the gloves further into his jacket pocket. “You guys work harder than we do. At least, that's what I think, anyway.”

“Yeah, but you guys make inanimate objects make noises, though,” Sam pointed out.

“You make stuff out of nothing,” he insisted. A gust of wind made its way through the skyscrapers and his bright orange curls billowed over his head and shoulders.

Frank almost stumbled out of the club right then with a small clean glass of water in one hand. He gave it to Dave, who pushed his hair back with his free hand and looked on at him with a blank look on his face.

“Thank you—and don't sweat it, Frank,” he declared. Cliff then turned to Sam, again with a twinkle in his eye.

“Do you want anything?” he offered her.

“Not really, no,” she said as she adjusted the bracelet and shifted her weight right in her spot on the sidewalk. Dave meanwhile, had downed the whole drink of water in four large gulps.

“Want some more?” Frank offered him.

“Please. And I hope I can hang out around here without James and Lars seeing me.”

“We'll sneak you into the shadows if we've gotta,” Scott promised him.

Cliff then gestured for Sam to follow him away from there.

“Where you guys going?” Dave called after them.

“We're gonna take a walk,” Cliff replied. “Won't be long.”

He was quick to walk away from the spot on the sidewalk and he rested a single hand on Sam's shoulder as well. They strode away from the doorway and made their way towards the alleyway up ahead.

“I needed to get you away from there,” Cliff explained to her once they were far out of earshot. “Like I said, it's only hearsay to me. So I don't like how my brothers are fighting with each other.”

“That's—completely understandable,” Sam replied, slightly out of breath. “It's only hearsay with you? Really?”

“Yeah, I had no say in firing Dave,” he told her once they reached the street corner. “I'm still very good friends with him but it feels like I have to walk on eggshells most of the time when it comes to him, though. I can't really talk to anyone about it.”

“Have you tried to?” she asked him as they came to a stop. “The whole thing made me nervous.”

“Yeah, but every time I do, something always intervenes, though.”

“I kinda feel bad for Dave, too,” she confessed. “But he seems a little bit blunt, though.”

“That's just how he is,” Cliff explained. “And I would be, too, if I was thrown out like that and not given another chance to change my ways.”

“Was he really that bad when he got drunk?”

“Oh, yeah. It got fucking crazy at times. He got violent after he kicked back a few bottles. I remember one time he got drunk and he punched a big hole in the wall of the studio. The three of us get giggly and goofy when we've had a few. It was like oil and water. I wanted to give him another chance, and I still do, too, as much as I like Kirk and everything.”

“But you had no say in it, though,” she said.

“None at all. James just told me one morning, 'we made Dave go back home to L.A. and we're getting a new guitarist.'” She thought about Joey and the fact that he let himself drink a supple amount. She hoped that nothing would happen between him and Anthrax.

She peered around the block before them.

“By the way, did you see where Joey went off to?” she asked him.

“I didn't, no,” he confessed. “Why's that?”

“Well, 'cause he threw up when he and I got here,” she answered with a shrug of her shoulders.

“I hope they don't go through what happened to us,” Cliff confessed.

“I hope they don't, either,” she echoed.

“I'll be pissed if they do,” he added.

“I can see Joey and Dave getting together in a single act together,” she suggested. “That is, if it happens and Megadeth lose their hold.”

“They can call it 'Fired',” he laughed, and they crossed the street side by side to the opposite corner. Up ahead stood a stretch of more buildings as well as an entrance to the subway. He then turned his head to her.

“I have an idea,” he told her, and he took her by the hand. They hurried to the staircase in between the wrought iron fence. Unlike the other subway stations, this one smelled as though it had just been cleaned.

They reached the bottom of the staircase and the train stood at the platform.

“You wanna get on the train?” she laughed at him.

“No,” he said, and he guided her to a short corridor off to the right. On the right side of the hallway stood a broom closet.

“Right in here,” he coaxed her with a gesture to the door.

“What's in here?” she asked him.

“I wanna get close to you,” he said as he turned around to face her. “Like—much closer to you. Every kiss to you is one step closer to peeling it back.”

“You,” she sputtered, “wanna do that. In broad daylight.”

“We're not exactly in broad daylight,” he pointed out, “we'll be in a shadow. We'll be in a closet.”

“We're still in broad daylight!” she insisted. “Out in public!”

“Tell you what—I'll only let you touch me,” he said as he opened the closet door: there was barely room for the two of them in there. A metal rack filled up the entire back of the closet and a large yellow bucket and a mop took up an entire corner of the spot.

“I dunno, Cliff,” she admitted with a shrug and a little twirl of the tulip; and she thought about what she had told Joey before with her wishing to draw him.

“I just wanna be closer to you,” he confessed in a near whisper. “I don't wanna be like—weird or anything.”

“Oh, no, it's just—it's not very romantic.”

“We can make it romantic,” he pointed out. He reached for the tulip in her hands and he nestled it on the shelf of the rack, to which she chuckled at that.

“What do you have in your purse?”

“Uh, let's see...” She opened her purse and she spotted that photo of Frank and Charlie as children nestled on the side, right next to her wallet. Next to that was a little packet of spearmint gum.

“Here's something to make it smell better,” she said as she handed him the pack. He took a whiff and nodded.

“Oh, yeah.” He set it on the shelf and then returned to her. She looked past him and spotted a tall box that held an air conditioner in it at one point. He took his seat there and she squeezed in after him.

“Tight fit,” he said as she shut the door behind her: a small crack in between the door and the frame gave her just enough light to see what she was doing.

“Come closer to me,” she whispered.

“Only if you come closer to me,” he begged her. He kept himself seated on the box and she leaned in to him.

“So, do you want it below the belt, or—”

“Yeah, please,” he whispered to her as he opened his legs for her. “Nothin' fancy. But something to start us off with.”

In the dim light, she unfastened the button on his jeans and she reached down the front. The size of it. Even when inside of his jeans, her finger tips caressed over his silken skin. It felt like a big serpent, right inside of his pants.

“Wow,” she breathed.

“Yeah—I guess you could say I'm hung,” he said to her in a near whisper. “It does feel good, I'll say that. Those little fingers on me.”

“How 'bout my thumb?” she asked him as she stroked him with the pad of her thumb. He gasped at the feeling.

“Yes,” his voice broke. “God, Sam—you're a natural. With one hand no less!”

She knelt closer to him: the smell of the mint gum was faint and distant in comparison to the smell of his denim and his soft cologne, but she wanted to do it.

“I think I could do it with two,” she declared as she kept her voice down. In the dim light, she could see his Cheshire cat grin and the twinkle in his eye.

“If we were—in a bigger room,” he grunted, “like—your place.”

“Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't ya?” she teased him.

“I could give you sump'n to return the favor, too,” he retorted. He bowed his head and shuffled his feet at the feeling of her thumb and her two fingers on him. He then gaped at her.

“You okay?” she asked him, and he let out a soft groan.

“That's the spot,” he declared. “That's—the spot—and the best feeling.”

Sam was quick to take her hand out and he giggled at her.

“What?” she asked him with a smile on her face.

“I'm gonna have to change my panties now,” he said, and he couldn't resist the laughter.

“Your big boy panties,” she teased him. She stood to her feet and picked the gum and the tulip from the shelf. She put the gum back into her purse and she reached for Cliff's hand. He stood to his feet and adjusted the brim of his hat. Her breasts brushed against his stomach and he even had to bow his head from the ceiling.

“How do we get outta here?” he asked her as he held onto the brim of his hat with two fingers.

“You go first,” she told him.

“Oh, no, ladies first,” he insisted. She let out a sigh, rolled her eyes, and then giggled at him. She opened the closet door with her free hand and she stumbled out of there; he followed her and he almost dropped his hat on the clean tile floor. He caught it and put it back onto his head as the door swung closed behind him in one fell swoop. He then crossed his legs.

“Tell you what,” he started with a raise of his finger. “I'll run to the men's room and wash up—you go back to L'Amour and wait for me.”

“You sure?” she asked him as she twirled the tulip in her fingers: her hand was dry as a bone even though she made him come in his jeans.

“Positive. Go hang out with the gang and I'll catch up with you.” Cliff leaned into her neck and gave her a little kiss. The bristle over his lip brushed against her skin such that it tickled, and it brought a giggle out of her. He kept his legs together as he passed her and headed over to the men's room. Sam watched him go and then, once he was out of sight, she fetched up a dreamy sigh. But without another moment's hesitation, she surfaced from the subway and made her way back to the club.

Aurora, Zelda, and Marla showed up within the next hour, but she had no idea where Dave had disappeared to; Marla had put on a knit cap over her hair to hide it all away from onlookers. She also noticed that Cliff still hadn't showed up by the time the audience began gathering in front of them. A much bigger crowd that time.

The four girls stood at the back of the room and they watched Alex solo once again on that song “Alone in the Dark”. He stood still and kept the guitar pressed to his little tummy the whole entire time. Marla and Aurora both had stars in their eyes at the sight of him, but even though Sam kept her eye on him, she couldn't stop thinking about Cliff and Dave. Neither of them had arrived at the club still; she couldn't stop thinking about James and Lars, and the fact Scott and Frank felt like a pair of lynchpins. So much had happened without her looking, and there was so much that she still needed to know.

Meanwhile, Zetro did more straight up singing rather than that usual high shriek that caught everyone's attention. Legacy were tight and powerful on that second night, and Sam had hope for them. When Anthrax showed to the stage, she recalled what Charlie had said about Legacy and that there was another band called that. She wondered how that would work out as Joey stood in the middle of the stage with his head bowed over the head of the microphone.

His voice was more broken and he had a difficult time catching his breath. Indeed, they cut their set short by two songs because he couldn't hardly keep up with the other four guys behind him. Such a big crowd in front of them and yet he couldn't do it; everyone filed out of there as disappointed as Sam expected them to be.

“He didn't look too good,” she overheard Zelda say to Marla, who shook her head.

“I'm gonna go see if he's okay,” Sam told them as she adjusted the strap of her purse and tucked Cliff's tulip into her purse for safe keeping. “I did ride with him down here after all.”

“Okay—I will, too,” Marla said as she tugged down on her cap, and Sam strode across the floor to the backstage area.

“You wanna get something to eat?” Aurora offered Zelda as they fell out of earshot. Sam stepped over the cables on the floor and she leaned into the backstage area. No one there, and in fact the back door shut as soon as she knew what was happening there. She doubled back to the side doors and made her way to the street.

If nothing, she could take the subway back up to the Bronx, but it was getting late, and she knew she wouldn't return home until well into the night. The very thought of it exhausted her. She turned her head and she recognized Frank's car at the corner: he had rolled down the windows to take in the warm nigth air.

“Frankie!” she shouted as she sprinted down the sidewalk. In the darkness, she saw his silhouette turn in her direction. “Frankie!” He hesitated there to await her.

“Hey!” he called out to her. He leaned over the passenger seat: the orange glow of the street light washed over his handsome face.

“Do you know where Joey went?” she asked him, out of breath.

“Charlie and Marla just took him home,” he replied. “Poor guy had such a bad night.”

“Was he okay?”

“You know, he barfed this morning when you guys got here and then he knocked back another few drinks.”

“Oh, Jesus Christ,” she groaned and she bowed her head. She lifted her gaze and stared on at Frank in the dim light. “Well—I don't really feel like taking the subway, though.” She adjusted the strap of her purse yet again.

“That's right, you and him rode together here,” he recalled.

“Did they take his car?”

“Yeah, they did.”

“It's getting late, too. You could do it but it kinda sucks, though—it's been a long day, too. Yeah, hop on in. Besides, you and I live in the same building.”

Sam slid into the passenger seat next to him, and she placed her purse on the floor next to her ankle. They made their way up the street and caught the light green.

“It wasn't just Joey who had a bad night, though,” he started. “I don't know what was going on with the amps tonight.”

“You guys sounded good, though,” she pointed out. “Legacy sounded extra strong tonight.”

“Zetro's last night, you know. He told me he wanted to sing tonight, too, which was real cool, if you ask me! But I felt so naked up there. Myself, Scott, and also Danny, plus Eric, Alex, and Greg. Charlie couldn't hardly get the mic on his snare to work. Louie just went 'fuck it' and took it off, but it seemed to work for him, though. We all struggled tonight.”

They fell silent for a long time, that is until they reached the freeway entrance.

“So Cliff kissed you,” he muttered over the roar of the tires on the pavement. Sam gaped at him.

“Wait a minute, how'd you find that out?” she demanded.

“The last time I saw him, he had this twinkle in his eye and he smelled like fresh coffee,” he explained. “So I asked him about it.”

Sam shook her head. And she had been keeping it a secret this whole entire time!

She squinted her eyes and gaped at him. Frank looked back at her with a concerned look on his face.

“What's wrong?” he asked her.

“He told me to keep it a secret,” she explained. “I—I don't even know what to say right now.”

“Wow, what the fuck,” he muttered as he returned his attention to the parkway in front of them. “You should bring it up to him once you get home.”

“Yeah, I'll talk to him tonight,” she vowed to him.

“You should,” Frank replied, “Cliff is my friend but he needs to know that he went behind your back like that. I wouldn't really be okay with that if it were me. Heck, I'm not okay with it not being me. I'll give you the number to Jon and Marsha's house, too. They're staying with them.”

Within thirty minutes, they returned home to their building. Frank bode her good night with a hug and then she made her way back upstairs to her room. She set her purse down on the couch and she took out the tulip. Cliff never showed again and the secret was out. She didn't want to get mad at him, but she couldn't help it.

She darted into the kitchen and set the tulip down on the counter so she could dial the Zazulas' number. It was almost midnight and thus, as she brought the phone to her ear, she wondered if she would wake them.

“Hello?” She recognized his voice.

“Hi, Cliff,” she said in a flat tone.

“Oh, hi.” He hesitated.

“You told Frankie you kissed me?” she blurted out. Silence on his end.

“Uh—”

“Why'd you do that, Cliff?” she demanded and she folded a single arm across her chest.

“Because,” he started.

“Because why?” She could feel her face growing hot from frustration.

“Because I needed to tell someone,” he said. “I needed to tell someone close to me. I was gonna lose it otherwise if I didn't tell someone about it.”

“But you told me to keep it under the wraps, though!” she pointed out.

“Well, yeah.” He never raised his voice. “But I didn't know how I was gonna react to it, though. Believe me, Sam, if I would've, I could've. Both my hands on my brother's ashes.” Sam fumed as she kept the phone up to her ear. He also left her hanging in the club as well. The second night in a row, and he failed to be her date to the shows.

“I'm also sorry for not showing up, either,” he added when she didn't reply to him. “Dave needed a ride back to where he was staying and I needed to change my underwear, too. We had to make some calls and I finally got back to the Zazulas' house for a change, and at that point, the shows had already started...” As he spoke, she eased the expression on her face. Even though she kept her arm crossed over her chest, there was no way she could stay mad at him for this.

“I'm just... I'm sorry, Sam,” he pleaded. “I'm sorry for everything. You can break up with me and tell me to go fuck myself, I'd understand.”

She swallowed, and she kept her gaze fixated on the tulip on the counter next to her. There was also that bouquet on the coffee table in the next room. Those soft smooth bright yellow petals that beckoned a smile out of her.

“No, no,” she told him in a low voice. “It's okay. Things just—happened.”

“That's just all there is to it,” he replied in a near whisper. “Things just happen, and sometimes you need to tell people about it. Otherwise you get what's going on between James, Lars, and Dave at the moment.”

“You were really cute when we got to the closet, too,” she said, and she couldn't resist the smile on her face. “Dolling that little space up.”

“Well, you wanted it to be romantic,” he pointed out with a little chuckle to his voice.

“True. But it was just—it was cute to me.” She snickered at the thought.

“When do Stormtroopers go on tour?”

“About a month. It's only gonna be a handful of dates, but Frankie told me it'll be my first taste of the road life. And it's money for me and Marla especially.”

“Take all your clothes,” he suggested. “All of them. You never know what the place will be like. Also, be prepared to not sleep, either.”

“I'll keep that in mind,” she vowed, and she yawned.

“It's late,” he stated.

“Yeah, it is.”

“Enjoy your sleep while you can, too. Just every minute of it. So—don't stay up another minute later. Also, Sam?”

“Yeah?”

There was silence on his end.

“I love you,” he whispered, and she never moved. Her chest ached a bit: it took her a minute to realize she had been holding her breath that whole time.

“You there?” he asked her.

“Yeah.”

“You alright?” “Yeah.”

He snickered at her.

“I love you, too,” she whispered back at him as she picked up the tulip from the counter. She brought those yellow petals up to her nose: still smelled fresh.

“You have a good night,” he told her in a soft voice.

“Kiss the Zazulas good night for me,” she said, and that brought a laugh out of him, and they hung up at the same time.

#chapter 10 #fanfic #fanfiction #anthrax fanfic #metallica fanfic #anthrax #metallica #legacy #cliff burton #dave mustaine #megadeth #frank bello #scott ian #mild smut #long reads #also on ao3 #m/f romance #young romance #writing #text #fever in fever out #fever in fever out fanfic #deadly nightshade #book two

[seriestrash]

The Summer of ‘95 - Part Four

|| PART ONE || PART TWO || PART THREE ||

Summary: In the summer of 1995, Sunset Curve were trying to make a name for themselves. The band was always close but that summer they forged an unbreakable bond. Whilst the whole band strengthened their existing connection, Alex and Luke find themselves lighting a different spark.

A little love life before the afterlife.

Part Four: Something Special

Word Count: 7023 (long, loops)

- read on ao3 -

☀ ☀ ☀

Luke and Alex parted ways in the early hours of the morning. Now late in the afternoon Luke sits quietly on the couch in Bobby’s garage. Reggie and Bobby were hanging around too, both bored from waiting for Alex. 

“Are you sure he isn’t mad at me?” Reggie questions. 

“For the tenth time, yes, I’m sure.” Luke groans before telling a little white lie, “I told you I spoke to Alex last night on the phone and he’s been too sick to get out of bed.” 

“We’re losing precious days of summer here.” Bobby highlights, “We haven’t performed since the party and we all know how that went.” 

“Disaster.” Reggie frowns. “And my parents totally don’t buy my excuse about spilling a drink.” 

“I already said I’m sorry.” Luke snaps, he had been sure Alex was going to show up today but the longer they waited around the more concerned he got about ruining one of the best friendships he’s ever had. 

Reggie shakes off Luke’s aggression and walks over to Alex’s drums, “I’ll be our new drummer. It can’t be that hard,” Reggie spins one of the symbols. 

“Stop,” Luke says, “You know Alex hates when someone else touches his drums.” 

“Just about as cranky as you get when someone touches your song book without your permission.” Bobby smirks. 

“I’ll show you a song when I’m ready.” Luke says dramatically, “Is it too much to ask for a little patience?” 

Bobby and Reggie are chuckling at a worked up Luke when Alex appears out of nowhere. 

“I’m gone a few days and you’re already replacing me?” Alex appears nervous although he tries to hide it. 

Luke’s head quickly turns in the direction of his friend, trying to read his expression or his body language, anything that might tell Luke if their kiss that morning ruined things or started something new. Alex was avoiding eye contact with Luke and only looked over at Reggie invading his drums space. 

“Finally.” Reggie says throwing a drum stick at Alex and the blonde fumbles it slightly but still caught it. 

“Sorry I’ve been MIA.” Alex laughs. “I was sick.” 

“Sick with the love bug?” Reggie jokes and both Alex and Luke’s eyes go wide. 

“What?” Alex forces out a laugh riddled with nerves. 

“I saw you at the party with that guy.” Reggie explains. 

“Oh,” Alex lets out a sigh of relief, “Right.” 

“Are we going to chit chat all day or can we rehearse?” Luke changes the subject. 

“I’ve been playing around with some of the chords in Long Weekend.” Bobby jumps straight into it enthusiastically.

“That’s one of my favourites.” Alex nods, “Let’s hear it.” 

Luke’s eyes had been solely focused on Alex since he entered the garage so once the blonde finally meets his gaze Luke smiles hopefully.

Alex approaches the couch where Luke sits and quietly asks, “Room for one more?” 

Luke’s smile grows as he thinks of his parting comment to Alex earlier that morning. Luke coaxes his head ever so slightly as if to ask Alex if this meant what he thought it did. The drummer picked up on Luke’s silent question and wore a sweet grin as he nods gently. 

“Always,” Luke smiles through a nod as Alex takes the space on the couch beside him. Luke quickly tries to contain himself and turns his attention to Bobby. 

Luke had never wished for band practice to be over before but that day he couldn’t wait for it to end so he could to try get a moment alone with Alex. The moment didn’t come until after dark. Bobby offers for everyone to crash in the garage that night, Reggie accepts but Luke turns to Alex for a single second before turning down the offer. 

“I told my mom I’d be home tonight.” Luke shrugs a shoulder quietly holding his breath for Alex to also come up with an excuse. 

“Not tonight, I’m still feeling a little off.” Alex says, “But tomorrow, the pier? Maybe a club?”

“Club adjacent.” Reggie throws his head from side to side. 

“You know what I mean.” Alex chuckles. 

Luke laughs too, more than warranted but he was just excited that Alex found an excuse for them to leave together. 

The two exit Reggie’s garage and don’t say a word until they’re at the end of the driveway. 

“So I know-“ Alex starts.

“About this- Luke says at the same time and the pair laugh it off. Luke pauses and motions for Alex to speak first, part of him feared if Alex didn’t say what he wanted to now he might talk himself out it all. 

“I was going to say if we are really going to see whatever this is, I need to set a few rules.” Alex waves his hand assertively, like he had to push that statement out.

“Come on, Alex, no rules in the bubble.” Luke pouts. 

“If I’m going to adopt fifty percent of your optimism, you have to take on at least twenty-five percent of my anxiety.” Alex says completely seriously. 

Luke wears a soft smile, “Alex, I would take one hundred percent of that away for you if I could.”

Alex smiles too as they walk and he believes Luke’s comment to be genuine. Still he continues, “We keep this private, for now at least.” 

“Done.” Luke agrees. 

“We promise to not let this jeopardise the band.” Alex adds. 

“Agreed.” Luke nods sincerely, he definitely didn’t want that either.

“And if at anytime, one of us freaks out, likely me-“ Alex begins but Luke throws out his arms to stop the blonde from walking. 

Luke forces Alex’s stare as he stresses, “If at any point this hurts you more than helps you, I’ll pull the plug myself.” 

Something about Luke’s choice of words was very calming for Alex, maybe this thing between them actually could help, maybe it would help Alex accept himself more or take away some of his anxieties. 

“Okay now that that’s all out of the way.” Alex lets out a loud exhale and is ready to move forward, “Will you go to the museum with me? It’s open late all summer.” 

“Are you asking me on a date?” Luke coaxes his head with a smile. 

“I think I am.” Alex’s own smile creeps wider. 

Luke happily agrees and the two make their way over to the museum. It was closing in an hour but without either of them having to say it out loud, they both knew exactly where they were headed when they arrived. 

With it being just before closing, the room of the exhibit is completely empty except for the two of them. They stand in front of a glass cabinet that’s two feet wide and eight feet tall, full of preserved butterflies all pinned with no rhyme or reason, just a colourful display of beauty. The teens are shoulder to shoulder, Luke’s looking at the butterflies but he can feel Alex’s gaze pointed right at him. 

“I’m not going to cry.” Luke says quietly with his smile still pointed to the display. 

“I didn’t think you would.” Alex matches Luke’s soft tone and still looks directly at the brown haired boy. 

Alex shyly lets his fingers brush against Luke’s. Luke looks to Alex now but he had pointed his shy smile at the butterflies. Again the blonde gently brushes his fingers against Luke’s and now the shorter boy knows it wasn’t an accident the first time. Like when Alex hesitated to kiss Luke that morning, Luke wanted to be the one to decisively hold Alex’s hand but he doesn’t as he wanted to let Alex slowly work himself up to it. The blonde does eventually find the courage to take Luke’s hand in his own but he doesn’t dare take his gaze off the display, even though he can feel Luke’s stare burning into the side of him. Luke returns his attention to the butterflies in front of them as well and the pair stand there in silence with fingers laced together and a smile plastered wide on each of their faces as they admire the display until someone announces over the intercom that the museum was closing in five minutes. 

It was easier than Alex anticipated to surrendered to Luke’s optimistic dream bubble where the pair lived comfortably for the remainder of summer. Although still nervous about what this meant for their friendship, Alex found himself enjoying his quiet moments with Luke. The blonde still had the occasional freak out when they kissed sometimes or when Luke would hold his hand under a table in a public setting and sometimes he worried that Luke’s playful side would be seen as flirty when they’re around their other bandmates but more often than not, Alex was craving the moments that scared him the most. 

Luke makes a conscious effort not to push Alex’s boundaries and he was always patient and understanding when Alex pulls away from a kiss or tenses up over an innocent touch in public. Luke constantly reassures Alex that he doesn’t need to apologise for feeling overwhelmed or anxious about their relationship and stresses he’d never push Alex to do anything he wasn’t ready for. Eventually almost all of Alex’s anxieties towards his and Luke’s relationship wash away. 

Whilst Sunset Curve’s notoriety began to grow around town so did the feelings these two shared for each other. Alex and Luke get caught up in their feelings, consumed by them and a sweet innocence encapsulates almost every moment shared. 

They’d go on late night rendezvous in the park, take turns pushing each other on the swings and sit on the roundabout and talk until the sun came up. They’d share secret kisses during band practice when they found a moment alone and anytime they weren’t together the other would creep into each of their minds. 

Alex started spending less of his time at home again. Being with Luke - although they kept it secret - reminded Alex what it was like to be accepted without question and not have to hide who he really is. Being at home where his parents couldn’t look him in the eye tainted the good vibes he was cruising through summer with. 

Between the band really taking off and the romance blossoming between the two friends, this summer was shaping up as one for the history books. Although things were going fantastically for the band, with them getting some serious traction and things truly were all sunshiney in the romance department, Luke’s home life started to tip the scales the other way. With summer ending soon, Luke’s parents were starting to put pressure on him again about school. They kept suggesting he should stop spending all day with the band and put some of his enthusiasm into his studies. They were constantly on him about choosing his classes for his senior year and getting everything in line to help get him into a good college. 

Luke felt like it was getting to the point where it was make or break for the band. If something big didn’t happen soon he was going to follow the path his parents were trying to lay out for him. Sure, it would have been an honest living, probably one he’d end up enjoying eventually but he couldn’t truly be happy if he didn’t follow his passion in life or at the very least try to. 

All this was weighing on Luke ’s mind during the last week of summer but he tries to push that to the side as the band was planning their biggest impromptu show yet. 

Sunset Curve make their way to the summer carnival. The were planning something big for later in the evening but first they take a moment to goof off. They play carnival games and complain that they’re rigged every time they lose. Reggie uses all of his tokens trying to win a goldfish but he has no such luck. They all eat enough junk food to give them stomach aches and laugh so much their faces hurt. 

A few hours pass in what felt like the blink of an eye. Reggie announces that he wants to see the fortune teller before they perform. 

“I don’t need a crystal ball to know where we’re headed boys.” Luke smiles. “Straight to top.” 

“I want to do the funhouse.” Alex says sending a subtle glance Luke’s way. 

“Too many clowns.” Reggie shakes his head. 

“Nobody asked you to come.” Alex quips and Reggie exaggerates the offence he took. 

“I have to see my connection at the ferris wheel.” Bobby announces, “Meet me there 8:45 sharp. We have to time this perfectly.” 

The other three nod their understanding. Reggie takes some of Bobby’s spare tickets and heads towards the fortune teller. Alex gives Luke a playful shove and the pair end up racing towards the funhouse but instead of joining the end of line Alex pulls at Luke’s jacket and leads him elsewhere. 

“I thought you wanted to do the funhouse?” Luke knits his brows. 

“Change of plans.” Alex wears a cute smile and Luke would have followed him anywhere in that moment. 

Alex takes Luke around the rear side of the funhouse which is at the edge of the carnival so there’s nothing there but some litter and the fence that borders the land. Not the most romantic setting but it was private. Still giddy regardless, the pair giggle though a kiss that tasted of cotton candy. They were enjoying themselves in another stolen moment but Luke’s family drama creeps into the forefront of his mind and he breaks the kiss. 

“Did I do something wrong?” Alex asks in a panic. 

“No, it’s not you.” Luke shakes his head. “I’m thinking about my mom.” 

Alex’s eyes widen,”Do you normally think about her when we kiss?”

 Luke gives Alex a gentle shove and mumbles disgust.

“I’m sorry,” Alex apologises, “What’s wrong, did you have another fight?” 

“Only everyday lately.” Luke sighs and he sits on the grass with his back pressed up against the funhouse. 

Alex sits to the right of Luke, “Do you want to talk about it?” 

“What’s there to talk about?” Luke huffs, “It’s the same old story; my parents want me to put down my guitar and pick up college brochures.” 

“Maybe you could go yo a music school?” Alex was trying to be positive. 

“Yeah right.” Luke scoffs, “If we’ve not made it big by the time we graduate then what’s the point?” 

Alex frowns, “Is fame all we’re really chasing?” 

“No,” Luke shakes his head, “But I know in my soul that our music is meant to be heard.” 

“I know that too,” Alex agrees, “And your parents will see that too.” 

“I don’t know if they will.” Luke looks at his hands in his lap.

“If we don’t get our big break by the end of summer, we’ll keep screaming our songs through the school year,” Alex is encouraging, “At least we’ll have each other to suffer through senior year with.” 

“There’s only a week of summer left but I can’t help but feel like we’re close to something special.” Luke states.

Alex links his arm with Luke’s and rests his head on Luke’s shoulder, “I’ve kind of felt like that all summer.” 

Luke rests his own head against Alex’s and the two sit quietly all huddled together. Alex could have almost fallen asleep he was that comfortable. The blonde is playing with Luke’s hand when he catches sight of the time on Luke’s watch. 

“Oh crap, we’re late.” Alex springs up. 

Luke checks his watch and jumps to his feet too, “8:51, the fireworks start in nine minutes!” 

“We have to hurry.” Alex grabs Luke’s hand and drags him back into the thick of the carnival. The blonde even forgot to let go of Luke’s hand as they ran towards the ferris wheel together, weaving through carnival goers.

“There’s the guys,” Luke spots Reggie and Bobby waiting by the ferris wheel looking annoyed. 

“Sorry we’re late,” Alex pants and he lets go of Luke’s hand when the pull up to their bandmates. 

“The funhouse line took longer than we thought.” Luke catches his breath. 

“We still have enough time but we have to hurry.” Bobby ushers the boys over to his friend working the ferris wheel. 

“I could get fired for this.” The worker says. 

“Or you could be apart of history, Max.” Bobby pats him on the shoulder before reaching behind his stand and collecting two guitars, “Plus, the carnival is over in a week and you’re out of a job anyway.” He says light heartedly. 

Bobby keeps one guitar and hands another to Luke. Reggie grabs their Sunset Curve banner that was also stashed away at Max’s station. 

Bobby’s friend lets the band to the front of the line where people sported confused looks at the instrument wielding teens. Alex and Luke get in one seat together followed by Bobby and Reggie in another. 

Max returns to his station and turns off the speaker for the ride. More confusion sparks from people on and around the ferris wheel. Max waits until the band is at the top of the ride and stops it completely. 

Reggie drops their band banner and holds it in place. Alex pulls his drumsticks from his bag and uses the seat they’re in as his drum kit, tapping on the side and the safety bar. Luke and Bobby play the opening chords to ‘Now Or Never’. 

People start gathering around the ferris wheel to watch the scene unfold, quickly a crowd forms. The band finish their song just as the fireworks go off and although Alex and Luke almost didn’t make it in time, the band pull off their perfectly time stunt. 

“We’re Sunset Curve, tell your friends!” Reggie shouts loudly and the other band members cheer along as the crowd applauds their efforts. 

The teens were then escorted out of the carnival by security but it was truly legendary. This epic display of their talent caught the attention of a local club owner that caught up with the band out in the parking lot. He invited them to come play the following night as the live talent cancelled last minute. The venue was small and not well known by any means but it was still the most incredible thing to happen to the band up until that point. They booked a club, no more playing outside of them. 

Luke returns home that night and falls asleep in high spirits. Unfortunately his good vibes are quickly crushed the next morning when he’s met by his mom in the kitchen and she didn’t appear happy. It turns out that one of their neighbours witnessed Sunset Curve headline the ferris wheel the night before and told Emily about it. 

The two got in a fight about it, Luke was trying to explain that the stunt was worth it because they booked a gig at a local club that night but Emily shut him down by saying he’s not even old enough to play in clubs. The argument gets heated and Luke storms out of the house. 

Luke was worked up all day and some of that intensity transferring into their set that night in the club. Luckily it didn’t ruin their performance and it was another successful show of the bands talent. 

The club owner was that impressed with the band that he offered for them to come back the next week and play again and of course the band accepted, anything to get their name out there. 

When Emily caught wind of Luke booking gigs when school is supposed to start back up another big argument ensues. Their fights were starting to get more heated and not just louder. It felt like the cracks in their relationship were getting too big to patch up. 

Although he didn’t want to, Luke goes to school the first week to get his parents off his back. The three seniors skipped the last two periods on the Friday to get ready for their second gig at the club. Bobby - whom was already graduated - was waiting out the front with the getaway car, one his dad was letting him use to drive to job interviews. Bobby hadn’t applied for any jobs but he was lying to have a car to drive the band around in. 

Their second gig at the club was even better than the first. Luke quietly returned home knowing his dad would be working late and he hoped to sneak in without alerting his mom, that way the lecture could wait until morning but Emily was there waiting for him. Luke had been told he wasn’t allowed to do the show that night but he did it anyway and his mom found out about him cutting class so she were extra furious. Luke and his mom fought yet again, she kept going on about school coming first and Luke kept yelling about how he only went to school to please her and music was what he wanted to do full time and since there seemed to be no pleasing her anyway he might as well stop going to school all together. 

Unkind words were shared in the heat of the moment and Luke shoves a handful of his things in a backpack, grabs his guitar case and jumps on his bike and leaves his distraught mother in the driveway. Luke pedals his way to Alex’s house and sneaks around the back, stashing his bike where the drummers parents wouldn’t see it. Luke taps on Alex’s window, alerting the blonde who just changed into something comfortable. Alex spots Luke and is instantly concerned, they’d only parted ways an hour before and whilst they had coaxed one another out of their window multiple times this summer, this didn’t feel like a spontaneous rendezvous. 

“What’s wrong?” Alex whispers as he opens the window. 

“Can I stay here tonight?” Luke says on the verge of tears. 

Alex looks back at his door in a panic, fearing that his parents might walk in at any moment but he still sees the desperation on Luke’s face and helps him climb through the window. 

“I know you don’t like me coming round incase your parents found out about us,” Luke says quietly, “But I didn’t know where else to go.” 

“It’s okay,” Alex soothes as he gets Luke to sit down on the bed in an attempt to calm him. “I know you weren’t supposed to go out tonight, did you get in trouble?” 

“Worse than trouble,” Luke’s voice cracks, “Alex, I’m done. I can’t go back there.” 

“Come on, Luke,” Alex sits beside him and rests his hand on Luke’s knee, “You don’t mean that.” 

“No, I really do.” Luke insists, “My mom is trying to take Sunset Curve away from me. She says I can’t be in the band as long as I live under their roof. So I’m not going to live there anymore.” 

Alex’s expression falls, he was at a loss for words and Luke continues, “I know I can’t stay here forever, I wouldn’t do that to you but can I please just stay tonight?” 

“Of course,” Alex smiles weakly as his heart hurt for Luke. 

Luke quietly vents some more about the argument and when he finally settles, Alex pulls back the covers for them to get into bed. The two boys face each there and whisper their goodnights. By the morning the pair were cuddled together, peacefully sleeping. 

Later that day, the two make their way to Bobby’s garage and Luke tells Reggie and Bobby that he’s left home for good. Bobby was reluctant - only out of fear of his dad finding out - but he sets Luke up in the loft space of the garage, tucked away out of sight but somewhere safe for him to crash. 

On the Monday, Reggie and Alex return to school like everything was normal. They had been telling their parents and Luke’s parents when they stopped by, that they had no idea where he was. Bobby kept Luke company most of the time but he did go to a few job interviews his dad lined up for him. 

Luke was worried that everyone was moving on with their lives but truthfully the other band members saw sense in Luke leaving school to pursue the band full time. School had only been back a week and a half but they could all feel Sunset Curve losing the momentum it built up over summer. 

A week after Luke run away he was starting to feel lonely in the loft at night and during the days when everyone was busy with school or interviews. Although he was still angry with his parents, Luke couldn’t help but miss them. 

One afternoon Luke sits alone in Bobby’s garage and he writes ‘Unsaid Emily’ in his song book, dripping stray tears onto the pages as he does. When everyone came over that evening for rehearsal, Luke wasn’t sure if he was going to share the song with them but he compelled to. The band helped put music to the sad song and playing it with his closest friends was therapeutic for Luke. Although it made him feel better overall it did make him upset that his mom couldn’t see that this is the exact reason why he loves music, it helps him through the tough times. 

A few days later a surprising phone call makes it’s way to Reggie’s house. They booked the Orpheum. It turns out one of the venue representatives heard about the carnival spectacle and had been trying to track the band down since. 

They had a week to prepare for their biggest break yet. 

Alex and Reggie agreed, there was no point in going to school anymore, it was only getting in the way of their big break but they were going to go right up until the showcase so they could use the success they hoped the show would bring as leverage with their parents. Incase their parents were still not supportive though, both Reggie and Luke stashed a bag of their belongings in the loft of Bobby’s garage. 

Alex leaves school early one day to hang out with Luke. The two of them sneak into Luke’s house while his parents were at work so he could gather a few more of his things. Alex could tell that being there upset Luke so he tries to comfort him. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to come back home?” Alex asks. 

“There’s no point.” Luke shakes his head with a solemn expression, “If I come home there’s no way they’ll let me out again and I wont be able to play the showcase and there is no way in hell I’m missing that show.” 

“Maybe they’ll change their minds after the show.” Alex tries to be optimistic. 

“Maybe.” Luke’s smile is weak. 

Alex didn’t know what to say to make Luke feel better so he tries to lift his spirits by changing the subject. 

“I want to play the song you wrote at the beginning of summer during our showcase.” Alex announces. 

Luke looks confused for a second, “Alex’s Song?” 

“Yeah, but we should probably rename it first,” Alex chuckles softly, “ ‘Bright’ works nice, I think.” 

“I went to bring up the song to the guys at the start of summer but you seemed a little weird when I did so I dropped it,” Luke shares, “I figured you weren’t comfortable sharing.” 

“I know,” Alex lets out a breath, “I thought it was so special I wanted to keep it to myself.” 

“Now you want to share it?” Luke questions. 

“When you sung ‘Unsaid Emily’ with us, I saw how much that helped you.” Alex explains, “And when you shared ‘Bright’ with me- I don’t think I can express how much I needed that song, how much you helped me. You said you wrote that song to let me know I always have you in my corner, I want other people to feel like we’re in their corner too.” 

“It’s your song.” Luke smiles, “I’ll play it if that’s what you want.” 

Alex picks up Luke’s old guitar that’s missing a few strings and pretends like he knows what he’s doing. Sure, he knew a few chords but he was by no means an expert. Alex plays what he can and fakes the rest, sining ‘Bright’ softly to Luke making for a sweet moment as Luke watches on with such love and warmth in his eyes. 

Alex finishes and sits down the old guitar, “I just have one tiny request.” Alex melts under Luke’s adoring stare.

“Anything.” Luke says softly. 

“Can I keep the original paper and we all work on the music with a duplicate copy?” Alex asks. “I want to share but I still kind of want it to be mine.” 

Luke rolls his head forward with a soft laugh and if he had his song book on him he would have torn the page out and handed it straight over. 

They leave Luke’s house with a backpack full of his belongings. 

“Do you want to do something fun?” Luke asks as they walk. 

“What did you have in mind?” Alex questions. 

Luke takes Alex to the aquarium and they sit in dark room with a blue glow of the water being the main source of light. There was only a few other people around and at one point a class on a field trip all pile through. Luke and Alex sit there quietly and watch the people come and go. Eventually it winds up being just the two of them, they approach the big glass wall that gave them a glimpse of what lay below the water. They quietly hold hands and watch the aquatic life float by. Luke turns his gaze towards Alex and can see blue glow reflect in Alex’s eyes and how it paints his skin. The drummer also peels his gaze from the sea life and meets Luke’s smile with a grin of his own, just for a second before turning back towards the glass. In that moment Luke had the urge to tell Alex he loved him but for whatever reason he keeps quiet. 

The pair lost track of time and turn up to Bobby’s two hours late for rehearsal. They are met with a very annoyed Bobby and a disappointed looking Reggie. 

“So you two are alive.” Bobby quips when the pair finally turn up. 

“Sorry, we lost track of time.” Alex frowns. 

“I got a call from the venue rep at the Orpheum today, they wanted us to come by to work out the layout for our gear.” Bobby has his arms folded tightly against his chest. 

“I thought we were supposed to do that Friday.” Luke mumbles. 

“They needed us to come in early.” Bobby says. 

“Can we go now?” Alex asks. 

“Reggie and I already went.” Bobby snaps, “I came and picked him up after school and we waited around for you for half an hour.” 

“Sorry, I skipped last period.” Alex shrinks feeling guilty. 

“We came back here thinking we’d find you both ready for rehearsal at least,” Bobby scoffs. “We were an hour late to our meeting at the Orpheum. Do you know how unprofessional we looked showing up an hour late with half the band?” 

“This is my fault.” Luke jumps in, “I’ve been bored here by myself most days and I made Alex ditch so I had someone to hang out with. I lost track of time.” 

“We’re days away from a career defining moment and you two are ditching band practice to do what?” Bobby asks. 

“Does it even matter? We’ve said we’re sorry.” Luke gets defensive, “It was just one practice, we didn’t know about the meeting.” 

“It hasn’t just been one practice,” Reggie finally speaks up. “You two have been late a lot recently.” 

“The ferris wheel.” Bobby back up Reggie’s statement. 

“We still timed it perfectly,” Luke rolls his eyes. 

“It feels like you’re distracted lately.” Bobby states. “Do you even care about the band anymore?” 

“I ran away from home for this band.” Luke is wildly offended. 

“We wrote a song today,” Alex tries to defuse the tension, “To play during our showcase. It’s called ‘Bright’.” 

“You want us to learn a new song before the show?” Bobby questions. 

“It’s worth it.” Alex insists, “It’s kind of a friendship anthem.” 

Bobby let’s out a frustrated breath, he was still too annoyed to forgive them right away, even if it did look like they were thinking of the band when they were goofing off. 

“Can you just let me know if you’re ditching early next time?” Reggie is quicker to forgive, “I’ll come with you.” 

“Deal.” Alex nods. 

Bobby sulks inside his house and before Reggie leaves he expresses his interest in hearing the song tomorrow. 

Once they’re alone again Luke turns to Alex expecting he would share his frustration for being read the riot act from their friends but instead he’s met with a defeated expression. 

“This is what I was afraid of,” Alex sighs, “Rule number two, don’t let this jeopardise the band.” 

“Alex, what are you saying?” Luke frowns. 

“I don’t know.” Alex shakes his head. 

“Can we talk?” Luke pleas. 

“I have to go.” Alex is already making his way towards the exit. “Family dinner.” 

“That’s tomorrow night-“ Luke says but Alex disappears in a hurry anyway.

Luke is left standing there alone wondering how everything fell apart so quickly. 

The following morning Bobby comes out into the garage with some breakfast for the missing person camped out in the loft. The older boy was still annoyed but Luke gives him a wet willy and it was all water under the bridge. 

That afternoon Luke and Alex show ‘Bright’ to the band and they worked out all the kinks with the music. Luke couldn’t help but notice that Alex felt off the entire rehearsal. 

Just as they finish tweaking ‘Bright’, Bobby runs inside because the phone was ringing. It was the venue rep letting them know their showcase had sold out. This seemed to pick up Alex’s spirits and further erase some of the previous days tension among the band. 

That night Alex pretended to leave rehearsal but snuck back into the garage when he knew it was just Luke. The pair hide away in the loft together. Alex sits with crossed legs and Luke hugs his knees against his chest, the two face towards each other. 

“They all loved ‘Bright’,” Alex tries to fill the silence, “I mean I didn’t doubt they would.” 

Luke just nods. 

“I’m sorry I left the way I did yesterday,” Alex apologises, “I had a mini freak out but that’s not news for you. But don’t worry, I’m over it.” He laughs but Luke didn’t appear to find the humour. 

“Rule number two, Alex.” Luke mumbles and he can’t even look at Alex. 

“We were late, we won’t let that happen again.” Alex has a sad smile as he didn’t like where this was going. “It was an honest mistake.” 

“It wasn’t a mistake,” Luke explains, “I knew we were running late but I didn’t care, I just wanted to spend time with you.” 

“We can still prioritise the band and spend time with each other.” Alex smiles softly, “This isn’t something we have to get worked up over. 

Luke finally meets Alex’s gaze and there is intense sadness behind his eyes, “Alex, I’m at the point where I would leave the band for you.” 

“What?” Alex crinkles his brows in confusion. 

“If I had to choose what I want more; for the band to make it or to be with you,” Luke pauses, “I’d choose you, Alex.” 

Alex’s expression falls, he hadn’t thought about it before but if he was being honest he felt the same as Luke. 

“That might be what you want,” Alex says quietly, “But anytime I watch you play it’s clear that music is what you need.” 

“I’m afraid if we don’t work out I’m going to lose you and the band and then I’m left with nothing.” Luke is honest. 

“That would never happen,” Alex insists, “No matter what happens between us, we will always have each others back.” 

“I know but what if the break up is messy?” Luke panics, “And when do we tell Bobby and Reggie?” 

“You really took that twenty-five percent of my anxiety thing quite literal,” Alex tries to be lighthearted but it wasn’t working. 

Silence becomes them, both teens sport sad expressions they point at the ground. They knew what was coming. 

Finally Alex speaks up with a shaky voice, “We have to break up don’t we?” 

“I don’t want to.” Luke buries his head in his lap. 

Alex scoots forward and reaches for Luke’s arms that are still linked around his knees. Alex gives him a soothing stroke. “Hey, it makes sense, it’s okay.” 

“I wish it didn’t.” Luke is muffled as he talks into his lap and there’s lump forming in his throat. 

Alex tugs at the other boys arm asking for him to look up again. Luke listens and raises his head again, tears soaking his cheeks.

“I never understood in movies why people broke up when they still cared about each other,” Alex’s says fighting his own tears, “I finally get it.” 

“I know in my bones that Sunset Curve and our music is something special,” Luke wipes at his damp cheeks. “But this feels like something special too.” 

“It is.” Alex nods, “It always has been, long before you kissed me, Luke and long after. That I’m sure of.” 

“Why aren’t you more scared about all of this?” Luke questions like Alex had that first night in the park. 

“Maybe the ‘everything’s going to be okay’ dream bubble rubbed off on me.” Alex curls the corner of his mouth into a slight smile, “Thank you for that.” 

“Well reality is a real ass kicker so thanks,” Luke says sarcastically and they both manage a weak chuckle which was a little croaky as they both were crying at this point. 

“Promise you’re not breaking up with me because you only dated me to prove you were okay with me being gay?” Alex asks seriously and Luke was bewildered, “Kidding,” Alex breaks with a smile and Luke manages a soft laugh too. 

“We’ll always have this summer, right?” Alex smiles weakly. 

“We’ll always have each other.” Luke says with such a raw sincerity in his voice and Alex truly believed his statement to be true. 

“I’m going to miss holding your uniquely slimy palms.” Alex jokes. 

“Just take me to another scary movie and I’m your man.” Luke smiles and he was starting to feel better about things. “If I tell you something, do you promise not to freak out?” 

Alex felt like he knew exactly what Luke was going to say and he wanted to also but he didn’t want to make things harder. “Some things can’t be unheard.” 

“I know.” Luke nods and he knew if he told Alex that he loved him it might undo the breakup they only just managed to get through so he decides to keep it to himself instead he holds Alex’s stare and says, “You’re my best friend, Alex.” 

Alex smiles softly and he knew what Luke really meant and when he says, “You’re my best friend too,” Luke knew what Alex truly meant. 

The break up wasn’t easy by any means but the two of them both knew in their hearts it was the right thing to do and they found comfort in knowing that their friendship was only stronger because of the summer romance they shared. 

25 year later 

After their gig at the Orpheum with Julie, where she might have saved their spirits, things were still so uncertain with what this all meant. 

Luke asks Alex to go to the park with him. They both poof their way over and sit on the roundabout. The park had changed a lot in 25 years but their trusty roundabout remained. 

Alex is rambling about how crazy it is that they hugged Julie and Luke listens with a smile. 

“Julie can feel us!” Alex finally slows down, “This is good news for you right?”

“I don’t know.” Luke gets shy. 

“Hey, I’m happy for you too, you know?” Alex wears a sweet smile. 

“It seems like we only broke up a couple of months ago.” Luke says. 

“I know.” Alex nods, “But weirdly I feel like I have 25 years worth of closure.”

“I know exactly what you mean.” Luke agrees. Their breakup really did feel completely resolved. 

“Want to see who can last the longest?” Alex challenges, “I don’t think ghosts can throw up because I’ve been trying to stress heave since we left that dark room and nothing.” 

Luke laughs at his friend and for the first time since dying he let himself reflect on his past relationship with Alex and he appreciated how normal their friendship is. 

“Hey Alex, if I tell you something, do you promise not to freak out?” Luke questions and Alex had heard this once before and stoped Luke from going any further but tonight was different. 

“Yeah, I promise.” Alex was still wondering where this was going. 

“You know now since we’re dead you were technically the love of my life.” Luke kicks Alex’s foot with his own. 

Alex’s smile is soft and genuine, but still he jokes, “Technically? How romantic.” Luke laughs and Alex adds more seriously “Of all the things in my life, being the love of yours was my favourite.” 

“Thanks for not freaking out.” Luke grins. 

Alex shrugs a single shoulder, “Maybe if I didn’t feel the same way it would have been a lot scarier.” 

Two smiley ghosts sit in a park happy to have shared the summer of 95. 

THE END. 

☀ ☀ ☀

End Notes: This be the end my friends! Thanks so much for making it to the end of my story! If you’ve stuck with me since part one or you’re finding this later and read the whole thing - I appreciate you!!!! 

I was going to split this into two chapters because it's long but I though nahhhh screw it! Hahaha hope that's okay. 

Just an added not about Bright and how I made it Alex's song. I like to think that in episode 2 after Alex asks Julie about the music program he tells Luke he should give her the song because it helped him when he needed it most and he wanted that for Julie :))))))))))))))

Thanks so much for taking the time out of your life to read my work! Leave me a comment if you wish, I appreciate any feedback :) Xxx

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #alex x luke #alex x luke as exes #sunset curve #lalex

[welcometoels]

Session Thirteen - Zanthia

After a decidedly mixed few hours in the unfriendly city of Monthend, the party has found themselves in the much more agreeable company of Zanthia, a perky Halfling who works as a waitress-cum-entertainer at The Wayward Alchemist.

It is under her guidance that the team now finds themselves upstairs at the Alchemist, as she leads them past the rooms where the staff entertain their more discerning clientele in private.  She also tells them of the tradition wherein particularly satisfied customers purchase lanterns to be hung on the walls next to the rooms of their favourite workers.

Zanthia’s room is the last, the largest, and the most abundantly illuminated.  Inside, the floors and walls are bedecked with expensive and peculiar gifts from all over Toltirgis.

Also present in the room are three Elves, whom Zanthia introduces; admiring himself in the mirror is the High Elf, Jof Suffers; trying their best to be unnoticed is the Wood Elf, Anemia Rixme; and perched on the edge of the four-poster bed is the Drow, Cailynn Coldcloud, with her clockwork wyvern Moo.

While the first two show little interest in the party, Cailynn takes a moment to introduce herself - perhaps because she sees in them a common yearning to solve the mysteries that have plagued them in life, but more likely because she is played by an actual human person (welcome to the game, Alex!)

Cailynn is an artificer, specialising in alchemy.  Purple of eye and skin, she cuts a dashing figure in black studded leather armour and candyfloss pink hair - though, due to certain magical causes, this changes on a day-by-day basis.

As the team settles in on a plushly cushioned corner of Zanthia’s room, she fills them in on why she has brought them all upstairs.  It transpires that a close friend of hers has been taken hostage by a dangerous group of people - of whom dragon hunter Herrington is a member.  She needs a group of seasoned adventurers to assist in setting them free.

To help pique their interest, Zanthia suggests to Talion that he may well find useful information pertaining to the people who may be tracking him down.  Talion is surprised by how much she knows, but, with a coy smile, she points out that she makes it her business to know as much as she can about new arrivals in the city, and he and his party are the most interesting people to have arrived in a long time.

At this juncture, Jof drops off a hastily scrawled map of the building where Zanthia’s friend is being held, and leaves cautiously.  Zanthia explains that he used to be a member of this dastardly group of kidnappers and dragon killers, and has provided a layout of the building at great personal risk.

There is more to the plan too.  Downstairs, in the back room of the Wayward Alchemist, the guards who form tomorrow night’s shift are playing a friendly game of cards.  Zanthia feel confident that she can get one more player into the game, potentially allowing them to incapacitate the guards somehow, thereby allowing the party to take their places.

Cailynn has just the thing.  Rummaging through her alchemist’s kit, she quickly concocts a mild poison - not enough to kill a person, but certainly sufficient to cause them great intestinal discomfort the next day.

And so, a plan is formed:  Kadis will pose as the player, whilst Oddsock sneaks around dog-style, checking out the other players’ cards and mentally transmitting them using his eldritch powers.  Talion will offer musical distraction, Cailynn will stand ready with the poison, and Julius will be an adorable otter.

In order to help them prepare for this ruse, Zanthia opens up her various closets, with an instruction to take anything they need, but to stay out of the bottom drawer.

Talion is in first, tarting himself up with various ruffs and powders, and perhaps taking it too far.  Oddsock keeps it simpler, with just a top hat, bow tie and monocle.  Julius dons a jaunty poncho, and Cailynn takes feather boas for herself and Moo.  Kadis changes into so smart but comfortable red gear, better matching his new eyewear.

Before they head down, Zanthia bestows a quick blessing upon them, making them all harder to spot when sneaking.  You never know when it might come in handy.

Downstairs, Zanthia has a quick word with the Tiefling bar manager Tabitha - firstly about the game, and secondly about the sleeping man she left at one of her tables.  Tabitha nods, and mutters the words “clean-up on table twelve” into her necklace.

At this, the hulking Golem doorman Stopdick folds himself in through the door.  A path is quickly cleared before him, and he picks up the slumbering lecher and carries him out of the door.  There is a soft clattering of a rubbish bin, and nothing further is seen of heard of either of them.

Inside the back room, the team finds six High Elves around a table, with a jug of booze and a deck of cards.  Kadis strides up to them with unusual brazenness, inviting them all to find out how it feels to be beaten by a blind man.

Amused by his chutzpah, they allow him to join the game.  Kadis sits himself down - successfully feigning blindness, despite his beholder companion being secreted in his eyescarf - and is dealt in.

The game is Raktika Hold’em - a simple poker variant involving two cards per player, five in the river, four rounds of betting and a buy-in of a single copper coin.

The dealer hands out the cards to the players.  Around the table sit Melch, Punsie, Rimothy, Elbothan, Gunnannonnimon and Talion’s nemesis Herrington - a fact that does not go unnoticed by the bard.

Kadis’ hand is promising:

Jammy git.

He throws in his copper, and matches a raise from Herrington - as do the other players.  The river is dealt, revealing an all-important King. Off to a strong start.

Oddsock does a good sneak and ogles the cards of Melch and Punsie - nothing much going on, though the presence of some diamonds in their hands could be an issue.

A round of betting follows, while Talion begins performing a rousing (and hopefully distracting) song for the players.  As he does so, he can’t help put spread a little magic, conjuring up an unpleasant smell from Herrington’s direction.  Gunnannonnimon wrinkles his nose and shifts a little further away.

The fourth card is dealt into the river - a Two of Clubs.  Oddsock can see that this offers nothing to help either Rimothy or Elbothan, both of whom are holding absolute rubbish - not that one would be able to tell based on their bets.

The players go in bold for the next round, and even Kadis allows himself to put in a raise now that four of his six competitors’ cards are in his mind.

The final flop seals the deal - it’s only the bloody King of Spades.  Though he is now sitting on a Three Of A Kind, Kadis does not let this break his poker face, even after Oddsock confirmed that Herrington and Gunnannonnimon have nothing to threaten him.  Delivering a new magical smell into Herrington’s lap, Oddsock returns to Kadis’ side for well-earned scritches.

Emboldened by his sneaky knowledge, Kadis puts in a large raise.  Several players bow out, but Herrington holds fast in the mistaken belief that his pair of fives will bring him anything but embarrassment.  Already troubled by the looks he is receiving for his odour, he puts in a raise of his own, which Kadis matches and raises further with a handful of gold.

A disturbance ensues, with much grumbling about “limits” and “poor manners”.  Between this, the stench and the increasingly raucous music, the stage is set for a sneaky poisoner.  Cailynn sets Moo into flight with a tiny vial, the contents of which he successfully deposits into the jug unseen.

After Moo has returned to his partner, the fracas begins to die down, and somebody proposes a toast to help clear the air.  Drinks are poured from the jug for each of the players - including Kadis.

Ruh-roh.

Seeing this happen, Julius beckons Oddsock over and asks him to connect with him mentally.  Minds linked, the otter tells the dog that he has a certain spell that can remove the effects of poison.  Oddsock passes this intel across to Kadis, who raises his glass and sups with confidence.

Now that the mood is once again convivial, the group excuses themselves to return to Zanthia’s room, wherein Julius lays on his paws and removes the poison from Kadis, thereby avoiding a day of severe intestinal distress.

Settling back into the room, the gang tries to relax - which is easier for some than others.  Julius is uncomfortable with all the skullduggery, and takes a quiet moment in a corner to contemplate the blue pebble that used to be a glowing gem, but which now hangs from his necklace.

He runs his paws over its surface, and tries to recall the intense feeling he got when first he held it, but the emotion of that moment evades him.  Drawing the pebble close to his mouth, he whispers to it:

“Pa...?”

At that moment, each of the former gems and lanterns - even the one in Kadis’ pocket - emits the same sound:

“Pa...?”

Everyone looks at Julius, who looks back with confusion.  A further mystery - albeit a useful one - has now come to light.

With his mind on the gems, Kadis dips his hand into his pocket and withdraws the golden gear.  Taking a bit of a punt while riding high on his modest poker win, he hands it over to Cailynn.  As her fingers meet it, she

Hears the voices of her family for the first time in many years

Hears them pleading with their pursuers

Hears them no longer

She sinks to the ground as the golden gear affixes itself to her silver skull necklace, and becomes very quiet.

After some tentative support from the team, she tells them about the murder of her parents and her 50-year-old sister - still just a child by Elven lifespans - at the hands of a violent group who had been blackmailing them.  Still being young herself, her magic was not enough to save any lives but her own, and she has lived with the guilt ever since.

Talion sympathises and shares his own story of familial woe, as do the others, all of whom have lost family in one way or another.  The mood becomes bleak, so  Zanthia opens up a Dragonborn statue, withdraws a very expensive brandy with several crystal glasses, and proposes a toast to them all, to their friendship, and to the success of their future endeavours.

And with that, to bed.  Most of the group settles right down onto the cushions, though Oddsock has a quick, very educational snuffle around the forbidden drawer, while Julius fidgets nervously, unable to catch sleep.

Zanthia takes to her four poster bed, leaving space for company, and tipping a wink to Talion.  Never one to turn down an opportunity, he joins her as she draws the bed's curtains.  There follows an experimentation with bardic inspiration that shall never be explicitly discussed.

The dreams that follow reflect the day that they’ve all had: Themes of familial loss and gambling abound, but at least there aren’t any tentacles.

In the morning, breakfast is brought up - sausages and regular, non-mimic eggs.  Zanthia asks the group all to be here in her room in the afternoon, but otherwise they have the morning to themselves.

Talion immediately tries to pursue a monetary reward to help refill their dwindling stocks, and speak to Tabitha about a slot performing in the Alchemist.  She requests a sample of his music, and his performance is sufficiently good to earn him a spot onstage during happy hour.  Satisfied, he settles in to hone his art.

Oddsock heads out a-sniffing, to see if he can find any trace of his homeland.  A familiar scent is on the breeze, so he follows it, passing by some priests desperately scrubbing their steps, and finds a barrel storehouse.  Further in, two men are operating brewing equipment, and the scent of hops and malt fills he air.

Oddsock approaches them, and the nearest - a simple fellow named Brando - approaches.  After a deployment of the canine charms, he becomes besotted with Oddsock, and asks his companion Kevinge if he can keep him.

Kevinge is less impressed, so Oddsock delves into his mind and tells him that belly rubs are his only road to salvation - or, at least, that’s what he means to say.  Oddsock is not so good with the long words.

Mistaking the voice in his head for god, Kevinge begins rubbing his own belly and muttering the word ‘salamander’ to himself.  Pleased with his morning’s work, Oddsock trots away.

Also out on the town is Julius.  In an attempt to reconnect with nature, he goes out looking for foliage.  Though the city is very built up, there are a couple of trees here and there, and it is towards one of these that he strays.

Resting a paw upon it, he channels his druidic magic and begins to speak to it.  The spell works, though the tree does not have much wisdom to offer.  It has stood for long and seen much, but its only concerns are the soil, the water and the sun.

It turns out that this is just what Julius needed - a few calm, relaxing words from nature to soothe his anxious soul.  He meanders in the sunshine, a much happier otter.

Cailynn is on a natural quest of her own, but for nothing quite as pure as Julius.  The poison she made last night depleted her mushroom stocks, so she is hunting around for something unpleasant for future efforts.

Though mushrooms and toadstools are nowhere to be found, she does finds a promisingly thick collection of mould behind some bins.  Scraping it into a little container, she adds it to her alchemy kit for later perusal.

In a nearby library, Kadis is sat with a stack of books on the topic of local history.  He is trying to read up on his old home town of Amberstall, and anything that may have happened to it after the event that robbed him of his sight and his family.

Unfortunately, the only books he can find are too old, and the entries only refer to Amberstall as the modest farming town he remembers from his youth.  He does also find an entry about Thornhelm, the town he helped defend against bandits, though again, there is no mention of that event.

Mostly, he is just happy to be reading again, and takes his time leafing through a few tomes in peace.

As the team members begin to return to the Wayward Alchemist, Talion starts playing.  Though his audition was just adequate, his afternoon performance is exquisite.  Even the taciturn Tabitha pauses her work to watch him, and once he is finished, she hands him a purse of gold and a little bottle of good brandy as a tip.

All together again, the group heads upstairs, where a strange woman awaits.  Long of ear and sharp of uniform - just like the guards of last night - she stand just shy of five feet tall in her stacked but professional boots.

The adventurers are cautious, but Oddsock catches a familiar whiff of perfume.

This is Zanthia.  And she’s ready to get to work.

#dnd #dnd homebrew #5e

[tirednotflirting]

so alone in love like the world had disappeared

this is probably???? baby’s last fic of the year. i already went off a lil bit on ao3 but just another thank you to anybody that sat down and read my fluffy lil stories this year. it’s been a lot of fun writing and working to get better at it in this space. 

extra love and thanks to the club for keeping me going and being the most supportive lil place in the world this year. you are all the kindest souls and our community is a really special one. this year was a lot of crazy and unknown but i always knew i could count on you guys to be there even on the darker days.

this is inspired a lil bit from ed sheeran’s new tune, afterglow. something about it just feels like pure love and warmth and good stuff and so this lil idea popped into my mind after hearing it around thirty times in 24 hours i think.

here it is on ao3 :)

much love and happy rest of the holiday season to you all <3

It’s moments like this that make Jack want to be a better songwriter.

They’re not allowed moments of peace like this too often. Always people to see, things to do, songs to sing. Every quiet morning was bound to be interrupted by something or someone. It’s something Jack had noticed his boy getting just the slightest bit frustrated by as it kept happening. Alex’s brain never stopped once it started for the day so it made sense how it all got a little draining eventually without some quiet every so often. 

Hiding away for a bit during a break from tour had been Jack’s idea. He had presented the possibility on the bus one night after finding Alex awake far too late again. Jack found him with another mug of tea pressed between his palms in the back lounge and pulled him into his lap to show him pictures of the Airbnb he had found somewhere in upstate New York. Alex had only sighed and tucked himself further into Jack’s hold, mumbling something between thank you and god, I love you.

It had been a good little vacation away from the rest of the world. The snow covering the ground surrounding the little house provided an almost deafening silence but from the first day Alex had breathed it all in like he was discovering cold air for the first time in his life. The scenery and quiet seemed to be doing Alex well, his shoulders sitting back further like a weight had physically been lifted off of them and an easy smile rested around his eyes from the very first night. The plan had given Jack a similar sense of serenity though his was from a view different than the one Alex spent most of his days gazing out at through the big window in the living room.

The picture of Alex enjoying his view is the one that Jack is taking dozens of mental snapshots of right now. He’s only just woken up, and while normally he would get pouty and dramatic enough to make Alex laugh at his antics over waking up alone, he knows exactly how and where he’ll find him. He knows these mornings have been particularly healing to Alex’s stressed mind.

Jack leans against the doorframe that leads into the living room in the sweats he slept in and one of his hoodies that Alex had stolen enough times on this trip that his cologne lingers on the collar. He catches his bottom lip between his teeth as his smile gently grows across his face and his eyes strain against the light coming in from the window as well as the glow of Alex in the morning. 

He’s facing out toward what’s beyond the window, the trees and snow and probably the rabbit family they noticed the first morning. He sits with his legs crossed, a mug of coffee or tea between his palms and close to his face. Alex’s hair is still all mussed up from the night before, from the way Jack always falls asleep with his fingers carding through the ends of it. It works out well that Alex is so fond of the action and that it knocks Jack out better than any mumbled lullaby Alex will try on the nights Jack can’t seem to make his mind settle. He can’t see it now but Jack figures the front of Alex’s hair is falling over his eyes. It’s gotten a bit long during tour as it tends to do.

Time feels slower in the moments like this. Maybe it’s the quiet bubble they’re existing inside of on this little trip or maybe it’s how Jack wants every moment he sees Alex at peace to last a lifetime. Jack had always thought there were never enough hours in the day to see and do everything he wanted but then a minute lasts an eternity with Alex and suddenly he doesn’t even want to check his watch. Love is funny like that, he supposes.

Alex turns then, likely sensing his presence in the way they tend to do (soulmate shit, Zack would say). The glow surrounding him grows as a soft smile pulls at his lips and the crinkles around his eyes appear. Alex in the morning has always been a sight for sore eyes, Jack thinks. But then again, he’s obviously a little biased. 

He feels himself melting as their eyes stay locked until Alex winks at him from across the room. “Come join, my love.” he says to Jack, his voice still rough from sleep. Jack has spent nearly half his life listening to Alex sing beautiful notes and words to thousands of people and yet, nothing even comes close to the sound of his voice calling him across the room or into the kitchen for a coffee every morning. He feels spoiled by how often it’s reserved solely for him.

“What’s in the mug?” Jack asks as he ruffles up Alex’s hair further before climbing over the back of the couch. He leaves his hand resting against the leather and smiles when Alex turns to let his legs unfold and drape over Jack’s lap, his head leaning to rest against Jack’s shoulder.

“Mmm, it’s the coffee we picked up on the drive from the airport,” Alex takes another sip before holding it out between their faces. “Here, try it, it’s good.”

Jack notes the light color of the brew from the cream Alex always insists on only for morning coffee (I don’t want to be assaulted by my first cup of the day, Jack). He takes a long sip and he’s right, it’s a damn good cup of coffee. 

“Oh, I think I need some of that,” Jack says, his hands gently patting against Alex’s legs where they rest in his lap. “Join me in the kitchen?”

“You always let me get cozy and then make me move,” Alex grumbles dramatically. But then he turns his head to press a kiss against Jack’s shoulder before moving his legs. “But yes, I will.”

They shuffle into the kitchen and Alex immediately pushes himself up onto the counter. He opens a cabinet and studies the mugs inside for a moment before pulling out a blue one with a painted picture of a horse across the side. He hands the mug over to Jack after he returns from the fridge with the carton of half-and-half. 

“Looks a little bit like Theo.” Jack observes as he lifts the pot from the coffee maker.

“I know,” Alex sighs, his legs swinging a bit and tapping out a steady beat that matches whatever song is softly playing from the radio in the corner against the cabinets with his heels. “It’s why I like that one. I miss my boy.” 

Jack smiles as he drops a hand on Alex’s thigh closest to him while he stirs a spoonful of sugar into his coffee. Alex’s hand moves to rest over Jack’s and he can’t help but wonder how even when there’s still snow falling just beyond the window over the sink Alex is still so warm. It’s like the sun is somehow always shining down onto him.

“We’ll be back at the farm in a couple days and you can love him up for a little bit before we gotta get back out there,” Jack says before taking a sip from his mug. He hums at the taste and the perfect temperature of the brew. Perfect cup of coffee for a perfect morning, he figures.

He moves then to stand between Alex’s legs, the hand not holding the handle of the mug reaching up to wrap around his waist. Alex responds by letting his arms hang over Jack’s shoulders, one of his hands tapping out a rhythm against the back of his neck. They’re quiet for a bit, just smiling like fools at each other and Jack isn’t sure if it’s been ten seconds or ten hours when Alex sighs again before speaking. 

“God, I love you,” he shakes his head just slightly as though in disbelief of something. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

Jack pulls his hand up to cup Alex’s cheek, his smile pulling further across his face when he watches a light blush paint across his boy’s nose. “And I love you,” he says while tracing his thumb over Alex’s cheek. “Thank you for joining me out here. It’s a nice spot.”

“We’ll have to come back here again. I think this could be a special place for us.” Alex says in his most casual voice, the weight of his words on Jack’s love-drunk mind likely not obvious from the look he returns the words with.

But in his mind images swirl all around like the way the dusty snow dances in the wind just beyond the walls of the little house. He sees them in pajamas, him on one knee, tears in both their eyes when he finally gives up on waiting for another picture-perfect moment and just asks. He sees rows of chairs in a fresh snow in the spot behind the house begging to be used for such an event and their friends and family crying along with them this time. He sees the two of them, years from now, sitting on the old leather couch in the living room, watching the first snow of the season with coffee from the shop they’ll keep stopping at on their way out, talking about what it felt like to first fall in love.

And then Jack blinks and all he can see is the warm tone of Alex’s eyes accompanying a curious smile as his fingers tangle around the hair at the back of Jack’s neck. Jack turns from his gaze and lets his lips press against the warm skin on the inside of Alex’s wrist before returning to the eyes he can’t wait to spend the rest of his life continuing to get lost in.

“I think so, too.”

*

#jalex #jalex fic #we love winter fluff FOLKS #i really really like this one not gonna lie #esp the ending #i love a hilariously dramatic ending when writing these two #i think i've married them off like 3 or 4 times now

[catalinaroleplay]

Gender & Pronouns: Cis man, he/him

Date of Birth: April 8th, 1990 (31)

Place of Birth: Catalina Island, California

Neighborhood: Avalon

Length of Residency: Native — Returned December 2020

Occupation: DJ and Former Reality TV Star

Face Claim: Alex Landi

BIOGRAPHY

TRIGGERS: Infidelity, Alcohol.

For Luca Choi, the price of love had always been conditional, too many ifs for one boy to count on both hands. If his biological father hadn’t had another family, if his mother had not cheated on her first husband, if she’d been more vigilant about her cycle — would Luca have been loved the same? 

It hadn’t been his choice. It is never the child’s choice to emerge into the world, though not much more responsibility could be ascribed onto his parents. Of course, it’d been his mother’s decision to abandon her first family to engage in an affair with another man, and his father’s to do the same, but Luca was an accidental product, the physical manifestation of their sins. A happy accident, his mother liked to repeat, but what of the burden of circumstance? 

Luca is six when he learns the association of accidents between colliding cars and burning planes. Spilt milk and shattered plates, dropped in the midst of a memory he cannot even remember, the memory of the day his father left their home. How disaster could be synonymous with the revelation that his father had led a life outside of them — and to a young Luca, the concept of a world outside of his own had been unfathomable. 

June becomes a sore spot, with Father’s Day and the anniversary of the loss of theirs rolled into one. He tries his best not to think about it, and his mother does hers to provide a nice, normal life for her two children, and one day, Luca cannot imagine anything else. The loss of a father is not so much a hole in the picture as much as it becomes an accessory to the norm. What use did he have for a father, when he had a doting mother and a darling little sister to spend every day? 

It’s why, ultimately, the merger of the two families was a shock to his senses. Yuna had been speaking to her ex-husband in secret, and had made the decision to reunite. In a blink of an eye, Luca had gained three family members. Three people with whom he’d shared genetic code and a mother, but little else. Perhaps he could see the curve of his eyes and the color of his hair in their appearances, but the warmth he’d felt with three had all but disappeared with six. 

It would have been easy to rebel. Luca knew how to do it; the last time he’d run away he’d only been six and only packed a toy truck and a bag of M&M’s for sustenance. Now, he was ten, almost eleven with a big kid backpack and an arsenal of books and TV shows rattling around in his head. He’d need clothes, for example. A flashlight in the dark. Food easy to eat on the go, and a water bottle to refill whenever he could. Luca thinks he can do it. When he was six, he’d only gone to the park three streets over, but there was one thing he was certain of: he would never look back. 

He plans. He fills countless spiral notebooks with his scheme, but he never seems to get around to it. And one day, six becomes the norm, and the notebooks are forgotten, replaced with a fixation for his mind. 

The rest, Luca knows, is unremarkable. His life is chock-full of the daily monotony of normal, pre-teen life, pockmarked by homework and soccer practice, piano lessons and birthday parties. Friends over his house, him over theirs; first dances, first kisses. By the time Luca is in high school, he is well-liked by his peers and on a track to success, much to his parents’ delight. He is a varsity athlete, a capable musician, and has a girlfriend to boot — what more could Luca want from his life? 

Still, he dreams about the freedom he’d felt at six, camping out underneath the slide, the sliver of stars lulling him to sleep. 

He breaks up with his girlfriend. He turns down an athletic scholarship at Stanford for NYU, desperate to trade in idyllic beaches and sickly-sweet creamsicle sunsets for the concrete jungle of New York. When the casting flyer for a new reality television show gets passed around at school, Luca laughs before dragging his best friend Nash along for the ride. What could be, he thought, the worst that could happen? 

Apparently, they cast him. Luca is almost in disbelief, even if he is secretly excited about the prospect. However, he quickly learns that Nash had not been cast — and selfish and desperate for a familiar face on set, he maneuvers his way into letting him onto the show. He expects it to be something fun for the summer before he leaves Catalina Island behind for good. He expects it to be a funny little anecdote — fun fact, I used to be on a reality TV show! — what he doesn’t expect it to be is what it becomes. 

Cleo Halliwell is an unexpected force of nature, an electric shock to his life that makes Luca believe in home. An anchor he’d never had, the storm he’d walk into every single time. They become friends first, but by the second season, they’d been inseparable and a bona fide item, no matter how much the viewers claimed it was a sham cooked up by MTV executives. 

After that, it’s just dominoes and gravity. 

At NYU, Luca had become increasingly jaded with his chosen path (no, it’d been his parents who’d handpicked doctorlawyerengineer for him, as if he’d cared about any of those things), preferring to spend most of his nights hanging out, drinking, and hitting up the clubs in New York. The DJing had been a simple extension of his interest in the music he was into. Much to his surprise, posting his music online had gotten him a decent amount of streams. Playing in apartments and rooftops of apartments quickly made way for legitimate venues and clubs. 

Meanwhile, the show only helped his budding fame, and Luca continued to date Cleo for the remainder of the series. The show received considerable media coverage, at least through tabloids, who seemed adamant on associating his penchant for clubs as signs of cheating, though he did nothing of the sort. And yet, like everything else, Luca had slowly begun to feel the cage enclose around him. The mild name recognition, the lies being printed online and elsewhere… where did his life and Saint Catalina’s Luca Choi begin and end? 

In the end, their breakup is mutual, marking the end of a large chapter in his life. He moves to New York full-time, occasionally traveling around to play at whatever venues and parties he could get. The island is a far-flung memory, forcibly forgotten if only because the memory of his relationship Cleo had soured. What if he had made the wrong decision? What if the island was truly home? 

For the first time in Luca’s life, he missed the small spaces, the semblance of home. 

But if there is one other person that reminded him of home, it is his sister. Growing up in their strangely disjointed home, they’d grown even closer over their twenties. All it takes is one call asking him to return home and he immediately buys a ticket to LAX before boarding the ever-familiar ferry back onto the island. 

PERSONALITY

Positive: Amiable | Easygoing | Creative

Negative: Avoidant | Insensitive | Irresponsible

Luca Choi is portrayed by Say.

#all #cis #man #avalon #alex landi #infidelity tw #alcohol tw

[stardew-imagines-me]

Hi!!!! Uhm, can I ask a short story, where the farmer (in your Highschool AU) was looked down on when they first arrived at the school, but soon climbed up the ranks with their academic ability and skills in other fields, which impressed the students and caught the attention of the Top 12?

I, uh... I got carried away ;”-) I just love the high school au so much

The first days of school were hell. They were always hell regardless if you were returning or transferring, but to transfer in the middle of the year? That's basically a death wish. You knew that, but what other choice did you really have? You had no home back in the city, your mother made that clear through tear filled apologizes and painfully tight hugs goodbye. You didn't have a home in Stardew Valley, this was just some place your grandfather gave to you in case you ran into trouble - it makes you suspicious sometimes about how good he prepared everything.

You can't blame either one of them though, it just had to be this way until it was safe enough to go back. But when that would be? You weren't quite sure, mom made it clear to not wait up though. Your new years would start here.

Start here... in the personal bathrooms once again. Another lunch spent hiding away from people who would only whisper to each other about your sudden appearance, your clothes, your family. The hot topic of the school for being the city kid outsider.

The rude remarks about your intelligence or  simple existence didn't bother you. Neither did the rough pushing in the halls, or the pitiful looks you'd receive. Even having no friends made a difference. You stayed quiet and calm despite the undeserved harassment, always focusing on your school work or eating your food with your head down. What would be the point in showing a reaction when you didn't feel anything?

There was only 5 things you liked since moving to Stardew Valley. The first was shopping; you could spend your whole day in the florists shop looking at all the different types of home grown flowers, or picking out new vegetable seeds to grow inside during the winter. You visited so often you were practically best friend's with the owner; an elderly man without a wife or kids. He soon became someone to vent to when a letter from your mom arrived.

The second would be the silence of the semi medium town. You could walk for hours in the woods and find that it was nearly silent always. Sometimes living on the outskirts of town was beneficial for your mental health.

The third had to have been sleeping. Now with no running children in the apartment above you, or your mom passed out on the only bed available, you were able to sleep for as long as you wanted without disturbance. That's practically your whole weekend, just sleeping the hours away until your body refused anymore.

The fourth, surprisingly, was the students. Not the normal ones, or the ones who pushed your head into the lockers whenever they felt like it, the ones who you had to observe from far away with everyone else because they were practically the royalty of your school.

Every single one of them had a different personality, had some sort of contribution to either a large organization, or came with talent unmatched by anyone. They were all so interesting, but one thing was you had never seen them all together.

You'd think, being some of the most exceptional students, they'd be together all the time - that wasn't the case though. You'd be lucky if you even saw three of them hanging out.

They were all so busy, so the possibility of them sparing a glance at someone the likes of you was.. small.

The last thing was the garden at school. That was something you would always admit you were a little too fond of.

Gardening was the only thing you had back in the city; your cups of bamboos and pots of orchids, the baby blooming orange tree that had finally grown it's first blossom since being potted or the mint you'd talk to whenever your mother was too busy at work.. she was always busy. To have the blank, nearly dead slate of the school garden was a gift from the cruel gods who put you in this situation to begin with.

Nevertheless, you signed up for the gardening club after your 2nd month at Stardew Dew High.

You understood when the three other gardening students were distraught by the death of their beautiful green sanctuary, you would've been too. You took it upon yourself to arrive at school extra early in order to turn the compost beds, pluck the monstrous amount of weeds from the dry soil and gather what seed was left in storage.

Late afternoons when you'd spend time talking to the acting president, Sei, she would share stories about the past gardening president and how he made Star Dew high into what attracted so much attention in the first place; private school gardeners were put to shame with his natural green thumb.

"It's kind of crazy, to think that we just started out in classroom with a few tiny pots of tulips. Without Boari, we wouldn't be here now," She smiled painfully towards the dug up flowerbeds, tapping her nails against the dirt path and resting against the greenhouse.

"Well, without the sponsorship from a few of the top 12, we wouldn't have any of this," she motioned to the large expansion of land the gardening club owned, "Bless Boari's soul for being so caring, he's the only person I've seen the top 12 so fascinated with,"

You nodded, arms propped up on your knees as you glanced at Sei every now and then.

"Amy and Kai? Bless those girls souls for trying so hard to keep everything running after Boari left. We all tried out best, but in the end it wasn't enough,"

That small conversation shouldn't have meant so much, but Sei had looked so sad, Kai and Amy always worked so hard. You knew they sacrificed a lot for this club, and even despite your sad reputation in the school, they never once put you down for just existing. They always offered their table when it was open, or encouraged you during classes you had with them - the least you could do was try to bring back whatever they had before.

And that's what you did.

Since that day, you spent your lunch time in the library studying for tests that were months away and finishing packets of homework that counted for the rest of the year. You spent every morning and afternoon planting, growing, watering, turning. You trimmed the mazes', you fixed the broken shelves in the shed and even took money from you own pocket to decorate the greenhouse.

You saw less of your garden mates, you hadn't been pushed in a good few weeks and your teachers praised you every chance they could when you turned in finished packet after packet. You had secluded yourself with good reason, and the lack of attention, negative or not, wasn't unwelcomed.

But there was one thing that left you scratching your head; the amount of letters, small gifts, sticky notes and even a pack of strawberry seeds had all fallen from your locker when you opened it one morning. To be fair though, you never used the damn thing, the lock was sticky.

As you watched the garden bloom almost impossibly fast, you noticed that no one touched you anymore, in fact, everyone offered bright smiles and shameful expressions. Odd.

-

"I want you to be the gardening president," Sei held out the green leaf hairpin towards you, proud grin stretching across her face while Amy and Kai stood to the side, clapping their hands and shouting excitedly.

"What..? Why?" Club hairpins were sacred, those were the absolute deciding factor on your reputation as a student. To be the president of an important club was to join the class royalty in some way.

But to you, it was just a leaf hairpin.

"You're like the plant whisperer! What do you mean why? You've literally regrown the garden single handedly, thrown yourself into being one of the top academic students in our school, and somehow stayed modest the whole time,"

"You mean oblivious, Sei," Kai teased, snickering behind her hand while Amy smacked her arm.

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to impose anything," Sei shook her head so hard you were scared she would knock herself unconscious.

"Without you, our dream wouldn't have stayed. Please, take the pin before my arms break off,"

-

And with the official announcement of the garden president change, and the garden fairy's arrival, you were classified as one of the elite.

Now students asked to sit with you at lunch, or begged to be in project groups with you - you even found yourself cornered by a few students who admitted they had always loved you and want to take you out on the weekend. That was a little extreme.

You couldn't care any less about the title though, sticking with eating lunch in the green house or staying silent during class. You had to be one of the most antisocial elites so far, and with Penny or Sebastian? That's kinda saying a lot.

"Hey, you're the garden fairy, right?" You recognized that voice anywhere, if it wasn't the one and only Alexander, football prodigy.

"Huh, you are cute aren't you? Should've found you sooner," Haley too?

You turned around, empty pot clutched in gloved hands and dirt smudged across your cheeks. Dear lord, it wasn't just Alex and Haley.

"I've seen you around!" Sam said loudly, his smile really was brighter than the sun. You looked to his side where Abigail hushed him and Sebastian waved, arms crossed over his chest.Elliott pushed the glasses that were drooping down his nose up as you caught your glance, and Leah smiled next to him.

"Did we catch you at a bad time?" Penny asked quietly, tucked behind a blue haired Emily, and a frantic Harvey. You were about to shake your head when Shane injected.

"Of course we did," Maru patted his shoulder, and gestured to you again, "You shouldn't talk for other people, Shane,"

Every single one of the 12 stood in front of you, watching as you stared at them, wide eyed and clutching harder onto your pot. Out of every moment they could've found you, it had to have been when dirt was smudged across your face and your gloves soaked and muddy.

"Uhm.." You started, everyone lighting up as you finally found your voice. For some reason, all the attention shook you, and all you wanted to do was retreat to the green house and contemplate your life.

"You probably don't know why we're here, sorry," Leah said, ducking her head quickly in a tiny bow.

"We came here to see who the person was that brought back the garden," Harvey seemed all too enchanted by the very mention of the garden.

"Yes, we also wanted to see who it was that our peers were regarding as the 13th addition," Elliott's voice was comforting in the overwhelming aura each one of them produced. You nodded again, slowly and trailed Haley's hands as they reached out to touch your hair.

Emily quickly snatched her sisters hand away, giving a frowning Haley to Alex, "Manners, Haley,"

They stood there, expecting for you to say something, anything at all, but all you did was stare at them. That was until your brain completely shut down.

"Uhm.. yeah," And with that, you shuffled quickly out of the empty classroom and all but bolted down the corridor into one of the main halls and down the stairs to the gardens.

You knew as you threw off your gloves, set down the pot and grabbed your backpack in a rush, your life wouldn't be the same from then on. Still, you would go home and spend one last night alone until you walked back into school the next day a completely different person.

#sdv #sdv au #sdv highschool au #sdv imagines #sdv alex #sdv elliot #sdv elliott #sdv oc #sdv sebastian #sdv shane #sdv sam #sdv harvey #sdv haley #sdv maru #sdv emily #sdv abigail #sdv penny #sdv leah

[cuthian]

A Song Only You Can Hear Chapter Two

Hi guys!

Second chapter ☺️ Also... I'm sorry? *hides*

Love Annaelle

PS Unbeta'd, so any and all mistakes are mine.

TWO

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” – Harriet Tubman

16 DECEMBER 2020 MAGGIE

“You know, someone told me once that a watched phone never rings, sugar plum.”

Maggie looked up from where she’d been engaged in a fierce staring contest with her infuriatingly silent phone, finding Ende, T’Nia’s sister leaning against the kitchen island. She hadn’t even heard her come into the kitchen. Maggie hung her head a little before she smiled up at Ende ruefully.

They’d been friends since college—had bonded over being L.A. girls in New York—and while Ende hadn’t been a massive fan of her best friend and her sister falling head over heels in love with each other at first, she’d come around quickly. Maggie was still relieved that she had, because the last thing she’d wanted was to lose her best friend over a girl.

“You’ve been a little preoccupied,” Ende observed, crossing her arms over her chest. “T’Nia mentioned you took on a new band recently, but I thought everything was going pretty well on that front?”

Maggie sighed and nodded, taking her eyes off her phone to look at Ende.

“It is,” she nodded. “They’re just…” she shook her head and heaved another sigh. Much as she wanted to tell Ende everything, she knew her friend wouldn’t believe her, and… and who would, honestly? She was still relatively sure T’Nia had only believed her because she knew Maggie well enough to know she’d never lie about something like this, and because she’d been able to prove what she was saying.

“They remind me of my brother,” she finally said, settling on something as close to the truth as she could manage. “Him and the other boys. They’re just… they’re so young, but they’re so passionate and so incredibly fucking talented, it’s…” she exhaled and shook her head. “It’s a little insane. And I guess I just… worry. They’re kids, you know?”

She leaned forward to rest her elbows on the kitchen island and shot a smile towards Ende. “I guess I’m a little prone to taking my work home with me.”

Ende nodded slowly, uncrossing her arms from her chest as she leaned on the counter too.

“After everything you went through with your family and your brother, I can see why that’d be hard to let go,” she conceded. “Just… promise me you won’t obsess, okay?”

“No,” Maggie denied immediately, maybe a little too readily. Ende raised an eyebrow at her and Maggie winced, hanging her head again before she admitted, “I’m trying not to let myself slip into that mindset again. And T’Nia knows, she… she helps. And I have Regina to focus on too.”

Ende hummed sympathetically and then pulled out one of the barstools to sit at the island across from Maggie. “When I met you,” she began slowly, “you were in a tailspin, Mags. Figuring out what happened to your brother and his friends was driving you crazy, was ruining your life one day at a time and you were letting it.”

Maggie looked down and swallowed thickly.

There was no use denying it.

She’d been desperate to know why her brother had been taken from her, why someone had looked at him and Luke and Alex and decided to kill them, and when there weren’t answers forthcoming, she’d… she’d lost it, a little.

Ende, and later T’Nia, had dragged her out of that deep, dark hole kicking and screaming and had helped her see that her brother had loved her and would never have wanted her to live the way she was living back then. They’d convinced her to go to therapy, to go back to school and to stop running away from everything that music meant to her—

They’d saved her life.

“I’m not going to let it get that far again,” Maggie said firmly. “It’s different.”

Ende looked down and sighed. “And I believe you when you say that, I really do. But as much as you’re worrying about those kids, I worry about you.”

Maggie was struck silent by the intensity of Ende’s gaze when her friend looked up again.

“I love you, Mags,” Ende continued. “You’re my sister and my best friend and I want you to be okay.” She fell silent for a moment and then added, thoughtfully, “And also I think T’Nia would cry for weeks if you lost your mind again and no one wants to see that.”

Maggie snorted a laugh and shook her head, and Ende dissolved into giggles.

“What’re you two giggling about?” T’Nia chuckled from the doorway, and Maggie jumped a little, because her situational awareness seemed to have stayed behind in L.A.

Jesus.

“Nothing important,” she said lightly, although she had to admit T’Nia could probably see right through her anyway. She kept her eye on her wife as she moved into the kitchen, eyebrow raised at her and Ende.

“Fine,” T’Nia chuckled, leaning in to press a quick kiss to Maggie’s cheek before she turned to open the fridge. “Keep your secrets then. I’ll be out in the living room, feeding our daughter.”

“We were just talking about this new band she’s signing,” Ende said calmly, rolling her eyes a little.

“Oh, Julie and the Phantoms?” T’Nia asked, pausing on her way back to the living room, resting her hand on the small of Maggie’s back. “They’re very good. Nice kids too.”

“I told her,” Maggie said slowly, “that they remind me of Reggie and the boys.”

“Ah,” T’Nia nodded, and God, Maggie was so glad she’d married a smart woman. “There’s similarities, definitely, even appearance-wise. They’re very talented too. Julie actually found us; her parents own the house Reggie’s band used to rehearse at. Some of their things were still there, and she came to return them to Maggie. It was very kind of her.”

Maggie swallowed. “It was,” she agreed, before holding out her wrist, “She found my bracelet.”

Ende bent forward and cooed at the cheap, brightly colored plastic beads, and T’Nia shot a smile towards Maggie, pecking her on the cheek before she left the kitchen again.

She’d need to talk to the boys and Julie when they returned to L.A., she thought idly. They needed to be prepared in case Alex’s parents or Luke’s parents recognized them if they were on stage. They shouldn’t—couldn’t—take the risk of being caught unawares again, like Julie had been when Maggie recognized Reggie in their Youtube video.

They needed to be prepared.

Luke’s parents were older, and Maggie knew they tended to avoid music because it broke their hearts still, knew that Luke’s room was exactly how he had left it, but she knew that if they ever caught a glimpse of Julie and her little ghost band, they’d recognize their son as easily and as quickly as she had recognized Reggie.

She hadn’t heard from Alex’s parents in years, but she imagined his mother, at least, would know her son if she saw him. Bobby, too, remained an unknown factor, and if Maggie had any idea how to get in touch with him without arousing his suspicions, she would.

The last time she’d spoken to him was when she’d been twenty-one and had tracked him down after a concert, threatening to sue him now that she was an adult, begging him to tell her why, how—how he could’ve betrayed Reggie and Luke and Alex the way he had, how could stand himself—

He’d let her yell and then had security escort her out.

She didn’t know how he’d respond to seeing the boys again—and of every family member out there, Bobby was the most likely to find out about the boys. His daughter, apparently, was in the same school as Julie, in the same class.

It was only a matter of time before Bobby found out and Maggie wanted to be ready when he did.

Bobby had taken enough from the boys already.

She wasn’t going to let him take another thing.  

-------------

18 DECEMBER 2020 (2:17 p.m.) WILLIE

The Hollywood Ghost Club had been a remarkably pleasant place to live in recent months, more so than it had been in years, and Willie didn’t trust it one bit. Caleb hadn’t always struck him as a power-hungry tyrant, and Willie was actually pretty sure he hadn’t been one, initially.

Willie hadn’t been dead for nearly as long as Caleb had been, of course, and he didn’t know the specifics of how Caleb had died or how he’d ended up running the Ghost Club, but he knew the man that had taken in a terrified, nineteen-year-old ghost and showed him there was more to the afterlife than pain and fear.

He knew the man that had, in the early years of Willie’s own afterlife, sought to protect the deceased community of Los Angeles and had used his stamp only to control ghosts that had long since lost their humanity, that posed a threat to lifers and ghosts alike.

He knew the man that had tried so hard, in the beginning, to help Willie figure out his unfinished business, and that had comforted him when Willie came to terms with his unfinished business remaining undiscovered. Willie wasn’t sure when that had changed, when Caleb had started using his power and influence to gain more power, to gain more influence, when he had gone from caring and empathetic to manipulative.

He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t noticed before the other ghost had tried to force Alex and his friends into joining the Club, before Caleb had actively threatened him and the boy Willie really, really cared about, but now that he had, he couldn’t stop himself from noticing everything about Caleb. In the wake of the boys breaking free of the stamp—and Willie wasn’t ever going to forget the all-encompassing relief he’d felt when Alex had poofed into the skatepark after the show—Caleb had thrown an unholy tantrum that had wrecked the entire Club and had sent all of the ghosts cowering in their personal chambers.

The next day, he’d acted like nothing was wrong, and he’d made Willie promise to tell the boys that Caleb wanted to call a truce. That, as long as they left Caleb alone, he would leave them alone and, as an added benefit, he even allowed Willie to spend as much time with Alex as he wanted.

Willie was a little suspicious of it, but it did mean he got to spend time with his drummer boy, so… maybe he didn’t look into as hard as he could’ve.

In hindsight, that was probably a mistake.

He hid just out of sight, listening to Caleb talk to someone Willie couldn’t quite make out from this distance, his stomach turning at the casual tone of the conversation when the subject was so abhorrent that he could barely stomach it at all.

“And you’re sure they’ve got the potential we’ve been seeking?” Caleb demanded.

“Absolutely,” a female voice Willie didn’t recognize replied. It was a high, shrill voice, with a thick accent Willie couldn’t place, and he frowned, trying to figure out why Caleb would be meeting with a stranger to talk… whatever they were talking about.

“We don’t want a repeat of the last time,” Caleb replied smoothly, but Willie could hear the threatening undertone in his voice and shivered a little.

“How was I supposed to know they’d disappear for twenty-five years?” The woman exclaimed. “They were popular, people were supposed to talk about them constantly. Their ties to the world should’ve been far stronger than it turned out, you know that as well as I do.”

Caleb harrumphed, but didn’t offer a rebuttal.

“This man radiates power,” the woman continued. “It’s almost odd. He’s like a beacon. I saw many other ghosts being drawn towards him too. He’s alive, and very much so, but he has such delicious potential it’s impossible to ignore. If we want him, we can’t wait to act, Caleb.”

Caleb hummed thoughtfully. “I’m sure you have thoughts towards ensuring he has unfinished business and will return to Earth?”

Their voices faded and Willie leaned back against the wall, feeling nauseated. They were… they were talking about killing someone, about taking their life to make them a ghost so Caleb could use him and his powers—whatever they may be, whatever they meant with potential—and…

And… and the things they’d mentioned. ‘We don’t want a repeat of last time.’

‘…disappear for twenty-five years…’

Oh God, he had to tell Alex.

He had to find Alex right now and tell him what he’d overheard.

---------------

18 DECEMBER 2020 (2:23 p.m.) ALEX

Alex never meant to spy on any of his bandmates, Reggie least of all.

In his own defense, Reggie rarely played music outside of the studio—mostly because all of the instruments were in there—and when there was music playing in the main house, it was usually Julie playing something with Carlos or Flynn, and now that everyone knew about the boys’ existence, Julie had told them they were welcome in the entire house any time.

Ray, too, had extended the same invitation and had even designated the guest bedroom for them.

Why Luke and Reggie never thought of using that bed and room—with a door that actually locked—when they tried to take their relationship further was beyond him.

So when Alex returned from his daily walk around the neighborhoods they used to live in, to see the things that’d changed, and had heard music drifting from Julie’s room, he hadn’t thought twice about poofing up there to see how she was doing and what song she was playing.

He hadn’t expected to find Reggie, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of Julie’s bed with Luke’s acoustic guitar in his lap, songbook open on the floor in front of him.

He was singing.

Alex… Alex couldn’t remember the last time he had Reggie sing something more than a single line or a short verse by himself. His eye strayed back towards the songbook and he found, similarly, that he couldn’t remember the last time Reggie had let him see the pages of the songbook.

Of course, Reggie always shared his country songs, let him and Luke make fun of them good-naturedly.

Alex had known, though, that Reggie wrote actual, serious songs too, that the songbook was filled with songs about his parents and Alex himself, and Luke and Bobby and everything Reggie had ever had to deal with in his entire life.  

Reggie had always been a lot less… open about those songs.

Maybe, Alex mused as he listened to Reggie sing, with good reason. Emotion oozed from every word he sang, and Alex could honestly say he’d never heard Reggie sound like this.

Like… like his every emotion was laid bare for everyone to see and hear.

“…tired of all the will they, won’t they romance,” Reggie sang softly, quietly, voice thick with emotion, like he was on the verge of tears, “When you hold my hand, is it just by chance?”

There was a melancholy to the words… an unbearable sadness that Alex could barely stomach from anyone, but even less so from Reggie. He loved Reggie, in a different way than he had almost a year—or twenty-six—ago, when they’d still been together, when he’d still been hopeful that their connection was strong enough to last.

Before he’d realized Luke was in love with Reggie too and he didn’t stand a chance.

“Maybe this love is mad,” Reggie continued, still oblivious to Alex’s presence. “You’re filling every thought I have.”

Those words hit Alex harder, knocking the breath from his lungs. Reggie hadn’t ever been in love with anyone but Luke, not even Alex, and while he’d known that, it was still confronting to hear. He hadn’t known, even back then, that Reggie was suffering this much from his—then—unrequited crush on Luke and he hated that he hadn’t seen it.

They’d spent years together, spent months actually dating, actually giving their feelings for one another a real chance, and Alex had missed this.

How had he missed this?

“You’ll never know what you mean to me, ‘cause I won’t say,” Reggie very nearly whispered, “and you won’t ask me.”

And… and Alex should say something, should do something to let Reggie know he was there.

This was so incredibly private, and Reggie hadn’t chosen to share this with Alex, hadn’t consented to this—this was Reggie’s soul, his heart, laid bare in a way he’d never allowed Alex to see before, not even when they had been at their most intimate.

Before he could say anything, do anything, though, Reggie continued singing.

“Yeah, will we, or won't we?” Reggie’s voice was so soft, it was nearly inaudible now, and he really was very nearly crying. Alex itched to hold him, to hug him until Reggie would smile again, but he was frozen where he stood. “He said, "I don't love you, I'm sorry. I just didn’t want to be lonely”.”

Reggie’s voice broke on the last word, and Alex acted on instinct, dropping to his knees beside Reggie. “Reg,” he choked, reaching out for his best friend, who jumped at the sound of his voice, dropping the guitar with a clang, kicking the songbook halfway across the room in surprise.

“Alex,” Reggie exclaimed, eyes wide with shock and a tinge of apprehension. “What the hell! How—how long—when—when did you come in?”

“A minute or so ago,” Alex admitted, ducking his head down and rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. “I think I just caught that last verse.” He swallowed thickly, uncomfortably and said, “It was beautiful, Reg.” He then forced a smile and added, “Besides, don’t worry. I knew you were probably writing Luke soppy love songs back when we were dating.”

Reggie blinked at him. “You—I didn’t—I didn’t write that for Luke, Alex.”

Alex… felt instantly wrongfooted.

Reggie hadn’t… he hadn’t been in love with anyone but Luke. He’d dated Ella for a couple of months and while he’d been pretty upset when they’d broken up, Reggie had later told Alex it’d been more about being afraid no one would like him than being sad about losing her.

So… so if it wasn’t Ella, and it wasn’t Luke, then… then…

He pretended his voice wasn’t shaking as he asked, “Who else would you have been writing sad, soppy love songs for, Reggie?”

Reggie gaped at him. “Alex. Alex, you—tell me you’re kidding.”

“Reg,” Alex whispered, reaching out towards his friend, but Reggie shook his head, backing away and getting to his feet. Alex inhaled sharply and got to his feet again too. “Reg, please, I—”

“You! Alex, I wrote the song for you,” Reggie interrupted in a rush of words, cheeks flushed and his eyes downcast. “Back when we were… when we were together. I was gonna play it for you on your birthday, but then you… you said it wasn’t working, and we broke up, and I never showed you.”

“Oh,” Alex choked, stumbling back a step.

He hadn’t… he hadn’t really expected that, even though he probably should have.

It didn’t make sense though, because he’d been so sure that Reggie’s feelings for him weren’t like that, that Reggie loved Luke the entire time he’d been with Alex that—that he couldn’t—he couldn’t process this, couldn’t make it fit with what he’d known to be true since the day he said yes to dating a boy who was already in love with someone else.

“I—Reg—I didn’t—why didn’t—” Alex stuttered, trying hard to make the words come out right, but his lips and tongue and mouth were working against him, and he couldn’t—

“Because!” Reggie exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “Because you asked me to let it go. Because you told me that you were done, that it wasn’t working anymore. I know where I’m not wanted, ‘lex—I wasn’t going to push for something you didn’t want.”

Alex felt like Reggie had punched him in the solar plexus, knocking the air from his lungs. “Reg,” he breathed, shaken. “Reg, that wasn’t—you were—of course, I wanted you.” He stepped forward and caught Reggie by the shoulders, keeping one hand on Reggie’s shoulder and the other on his cheek. “Reg, it was never about whether I wanted you.”

Reggie looked at him with confused, wide green eyes, lips parted a little, raising his own hands to curl around Alex’s wrists and Alex realized, suddenly, abruptly, that he hadn’t been this physically close to Reggie since… since the last night they’d spent together after they’d broken up.

“What does that mean?” Reggie demanded quietly, insistently.

Alex exhaled shakily and dropped his hands from Reggie’s cheek and shoulder, turning to sit on the edge of Julie’s bed. Reggie stayed on his feet for a moment longer, staring at Alex with an indecipherable expression before he sat down next to Alex. “Reg, I wanted you so much,” Alex admitted, reaching out to take one of Reggie’s hands between both of his. He’d never really put this into words before, hadn’t ever even considered putting it into words and telling Reggie, but… But Reggie did deserve to know why Alex had chosen to break up with him.

“But—” he tried, “but… you were still in love with Luke, even after… after we’d been really together for almost a year, and then I figured out Luke was in love with you too, and—God, Reg, I never wanted to be in the way of that.”

“Luke didn’t tell you how he felt about me until after we broke up,” Reggie interjected quietly, and when Alex managed to look up at him, Reggie mostly looked confused. “He told me.”

Alex nodded shakily. “I know. I knew, though,” he whispered. “I saw the way he looked at you, the way he couldn’t keep his eyes off you, the way he’d look away when he thought you would see, the way he’d blush when you hugged him.” He sighed, swallowing thickly, and looked down at their hands. “And I saw the way you looked back—even if you didn’t mean to.”

He looked up at Reggie again, at green, watery and wide with surprise. “You never looked at me the way you looked at him and I wanted that. I wanted someone who’d look at me the way you looked at him. I wanted someone who’d pick me, and Reg—”

“Who said I wouldn’t have picked you?” Reggie interrupted quietly, shakily, and when Alex looked up at him, Reggie was looking at him like… like…

“Reg,” he said desperately. “Come on. Don’t be… don’t be cruel, okay, I can handle—”

“I was in love with you,” Reggie blurted, a blush high on his cheeks, the corners of his mouth turned down just a little and a frown on his forehead. “I’m not gonna say that I wasn’t still in love with Luke too, but Alex, I—I loved you. And I thought—I thought that you just didn’t feel that way, so I got over it because you ended it, and now… now you’re telling me that you broke up with me because youdecided I wouldn’t have picked you if I knew Luke was an option?”

---------

18 DECEMBER 2020 (3:46 p.m.) LUKE

Luke poofed onto the pier a little before he and Reggie had arranged to meet, rubbing his hands over his thighs nervously. He and Reggie had agreed they could use some time away from the others, time spent with just the two of them—and since they’d never gone on dates while they were alive…

Reggie had suggested the beach and the pier because they’d walked it hundreds of times before and there were always people around, so they’d be able to hold hands and talk and watch other street artists play music and pretend they were a normal couple going on their first actual date.

Luke was looking forward to it, but he had to admit he was a little nervous too, which was…

Ridiculous.

“It’s just Reggie,” he told himself sternly. He’d known Reggie since they were kids, had hung out with him by themselves on countless occasions, had been dating him for months at this point and had been in love with him for ages.

It shouldn’t be this daunting.

Before he could work himself into a tiff, Reggie poofed onto the pier just a few paces from him and Luke’s corny little heart did a little flip in his chest at the sight of him.

“Hey,” he exclaimed happily, bounding towards Reggie and slinging his arms around him as soon as he was within reach. “It looks like there’s a good crowd, and I saw a couple of artists already, so—” He cut himself off when Reggie turned to look at him, green eyes bloodshot and filled with tears, cheeks pale and his lower lip red and swollen, like he’d been chewing on it all day.

“Reg,” Luke breathed, shocked, raising a hand to touch his boyfriend’s cheek lightly. “What’s going on, baby, you look—”

Reggie blinked, like he hadn’t really registered Luke was even there before he’d said something.

Then, “I… I kissed Alex.” 

------

(Please blame my roommate for the cliffhanger, she said it's where I should end when I let her read it)

------

READ IT HERE:

Start from the beginning:

Unfinished Business:

(1) (2) (3)

Becoming a Memory, Becoming a Treasure:

(1)  (2)  (3)  (4)  (5)  (6)

A Song Only You Can Hear 

(1) (2) (3) 

Or read it HERE (BaMBaT), HERE (UB) OR HERE (ASoYCH) on AO3 :D

#A Song Only You Can Hear #ASOYCH #Bambat #BamBat sequel #ruke #peterpatter #willex #Luke/reggie #Alex/Willie #Alex/reggie (past) #julie and the himbos #julie and the phantoms #jatp fanfic #my writing #Lisa writes

[danwhobrowses]

AEW Full Gear 2020: Review

Didn’t watch it live but I still have the time to review the next day, after the problems All Out faced Full Gear was definitely something fans were hoping won’t repeat the same mistakes, so it’s time to see if it delivered Spoilers for Full Gear of course

The Buy-In Most of the Buy-In was just the video packages save for a MJF and Kingston Family promo (though props to Alex for interviewing the Lucha Bros in Spanish, that was a nice touch), which I feel was a bad move. The promos were of course fantastic but my qualm was the video packages: the packages are on the countdown show anyway, there could’ve been 2 matches at least and a few segments that could’ve set up the TV feuds considering that it was over an hour. NWA Women’s Championship: Serena Deeb (c) def Allysin Kay (Submission via Serenity Lock) A solid pre-show match, Deeb and Kay are crisp given their veteran history. Kay worked on her height and strength while Deeb worked on her yoga-based flexibility. There was a lot of good chain wrestling as you’d expect from the NWA alums, a shift to an Octopus Stretch, Deeb working the Leg with a Dragon Screw and Kay still managing to muscle out of Deeb’s offence. After a Kay salvaged herself from what looked a bit like an elevated Styles Clash with a leg on the rope, Deeb forced her to tap with a Serenity Lock on the worked leg. While the match was fine the intrigue came after when Thunder Rosa wearing all the tassels she could to make Shawn Michaels blush came to the ring to challenge Deeb for a rematch. With Rosa gesturing the AEW ring it is clear that the AEW/NWA partnership and Thunder Rosa’s time with the Elite is far from over.

Main Card Of course with JR coming to commentary the main card is scheduled to begin. Unfortunately, I had been spoiled some results in advance (no thanks to Youtube or the 2 hour PC update that allowed the youtubers to reveal this while I was waiting to update) but a handful were in line to how I predicted them, so it didn’t fully harm the outcome. Don Callis though came out as well, they’ve hinted at it with Kenny but to actually see Don on commentary was definitely a surprise. AEW World Title Contendership Tournament Final Kenny Omega def. ‘Hangman’ Adam Page (Pinfall via One Winged Angel) Omega came out first the same way he’s done all the tournament, the cleaner dancers and the very long-winded braggadocios introduction. Pyro but no cosplay, Omega oozed confidence as proven by his plate as the leader in most victories in AEW. Page however paced towards the ring with nervous energy with the hilarious plate of ‘Focused Yeehaw Man’, less show but still drive, which really perfectly divulges the styles of both men as wrestlers. A snubbed handshake by Page did lead to back and forth, chops and counters as both men anticipated the stylist moves of the other. Hangman took over the early offence with strong moves, big boots, fallaway slams and a superplex did hint at some potential for the Hangman to gain the advantage. But then Omega with a moonsault from a railing put Kenny in control, Kotaro Crusher at 2 and a belated You Can’t Escape (he slipped after the first part but landed the sault after a pause) for 2 as well, then into the usual repertoire, the tope con hilo, the Back Head Missile Dropkick. Both men almost set up a One Winged Angel but then a V Trigger shut down a Buckshot but got bombed on the ramp after a series of counters, another pop-up bomb at 2 for Hangman.  Trading blows, a Rolling Elbow was broken even by a V Trigger and then a Tiger Driver at 2 for Kenny. Back and forth as both escaped Suplexes, both hit Rolling Elbows but Hangman then got the clothesline, he lands the deadeye...but does not get the 3. Buckshot reversed to a crucifix but Hangman sits the pin for another 2, Dragon Screw and V-Trigger on the ropes for Kenny gives him the energy to roar back, ducks the vicious swing of the Buckshot and hits 2 V-Triggers, Hangman tries to fight out of the One Winged Angel but the move hits and that’s 3.

Destiny comes true for Omega, he had to fight for it though. Definitely a physical match, the emotional layer didn’t all reflect on the match but Hangman definitely reels in disappointment afterwards, more isolated, more alone, and set to descend to new lows as Omega returns to the main event picture.

Orange Cassidy def. John ‘4′ Silver (Pinfall via Beach Break) Two cult heroes for AEW, Silver on BTE and Cassidy on Dynamite, fighting as a side story to the TNT title picture, JR gets props for calling Silver a “Human Bowling Ball” as both men enter with their respective faction members. Silver continues to play to OC’s jokes as he protests OC’s pockets, before being annoyed by OC’s counter wrestling - especially screaming ‘It doesn’t hurt!’ to OC’s monstrous kicks. Silver literally depockets OC for monster heat - no seriously he rips the pockets out of OC’s jeans! A lot of bravado follows from Silver’s power moves, throws and kicks to keep the heat going. Silver’s power also impressively suplexes out of OC’s swinging DDT attempt but the crowd chants definitely get to Silver as OC counters Silver’s irish whips with some turnbuckle shots, a crossbody and the swinging DDT, Silver though powers back, a one-handed Gorilla press into the ropes, a back head boot as he sets up the Spin Doctor, but then OC gets the headscissors, Michinoku Driver for 2 as the wrestlers at ringside argue the count of 2 or 3 (Heels and Faces kept either side). Silver rolls up OC trying the Orange Punch, counters again but gets hit with the stunner, counters again and lands the Spin Doctor but it’s another 2! Silver motions to homage Mr. Brodie Lee with a discus but it’s dodged into an Orange Punch and Beach Break for 3. Best Friends come to the ring to give the people what they want, the hug with the rainmaker zoom. A nice fun match, it really gave Silver some props to hang with OC as both characters shone through. I was surprised that Dark Order didn’t try to get involved and no post-match stuff.  TNT Championship: Darby Allin def Cody Rhodes (c) (via Pinfall) TITLE CHANGE! Allin rode in with a painted car and a half-painted driver before smashing his skateboard (with ‘The New Face of TNT’ emblazoned on it) into the windscreen. Sporting a veiny style of paint, no words are written on him like previous title matches, it’s all business. Cody (using his surname now) rolls in with his grandiose gates and pyro with Brandi beside him before being flanked by all the remaining members of the Nightmare Family - including Gunn Club and Lee Johnson. He’s also promoting a new shirt. Mike Chioda is announced as the Ref for this, giving a bigger fight feel to this title match.

Cody flaunts his strength advantage early on, knowing full well that Darby has never beaten him, but Darby is defiant to his insulting ‘politeness’ and cockiness - slapping Cody in the back of the head to wake the champion up. Encouraged to ‘muscle around’ Darby by Arn, he almost gets baited into a pin, he leaves the ring but gets suicide dived from his back (after a Ricochet-esque moonsault feint), in retaliation Cody just dumps Darby on back first on the ramp, harming Allin’s left elbow. Cody hones in on that injury with wrist locks and stomps, Darby also selling by being unable to use both his hands to pull the heavier opponent with an irish whip and being unable to lock the arm for a backslide - the latter getting him into another submission. Taunting the injury by exclaiming ‘that arm is trash’, Cody doubles down the arm, using it to ground any of Darby’s counter efforts. But every time Darby refuses, Cody grows more frustrated, an avalanche shoulderbreaker and a cross armbreaker attempt selling that Cody is using things outside of his usual moveset, but the missed moonsault gifts Allin a respite. Yoshi Tonic is Darby’s first signs of a rally but he’s shut down by a superkick, Darby pulls off the middle turnbuckle pad resisting Cody’s Cross Rhodes attempt and Cody is dazed by running into it but a rollup is at 2. Assured that he’s in control by Arn, Cody lands an Avalanche Cross Rhodes but Darby’s arm is under the rope, he counters a backpack sleeper by dropping from the turnbuckle which rolls Darby out the ring - Arn demands Darby stay down but he breaks the count. ‘Stay Down’ barks from Arn and Cody from continual powerslams but Darby refuses, even inviting Cody to continue. Frustrated, Cody brings that small white belt to the ring but is told by Chioda to not use it, dropping it behind him, Darby uses it to sweep Cody into a jacknife pin for 2, counters Disaster Kick with a Last Supper for 2, Flip Stunner and Coffin Drop follow, but also 2! Cody tries a Cross Rhodes but Darby counters with a Sunset Pin, Cody sits on him, 2, Darby rolls him, 2, Cody pulls back, 2, Darby rolls again, 3! Post-match, Cody hands Darby the title on one knee as Allin finally claims his first win over Cody and his main prize. Tazz however walks up to promo against the emotional moment as Cage and Starks blindside both men. However, dissension appear when both Starks and Cage both tussle for holding the TNT title, Tazz grabs it and gestures to Darby, with Cage carrying Darby outside of the ringside, Cody tries to fight back but fails, Darby thrown through a set piece and laid on the car he came in, they attempt to slam the door with Darby’s arm in between but Will Hobbs with a chair chases them down. It was a good title match, good narrative throughout. I think the finish could’ve been a bit more spectacular, Cody does seem to exude a Hogan-esque philosophy to losing at times, this one did feel like he wanted the loss to feel like a fluke. Darby’s win is deserved but the FTW shenanigans did dampen it, I expected Tazz and his crew to show during the match but in post-match it just kinda killed some of the wind in Darby’s sails. Interview Segment The Natural Nightmares - instead of backing up Cody - promo against Butcher, Blade and Bunny, specifically Allie for her using of QT to set up their Dynamite match, Dustin reveals that it’s gonna be a ‘Bunkhouse Match’. Dustin is a great promo but I have no idea what a Bunkhouse Match is, plus this is the segment you would see on the Pre Show. The Dynamite card is also revealed with Penta vs Fénix 2 as previously revealed and new match Conti vs Red Velvet. AEW Women’s Championship: Hikaru Shida (c) def. Nyla Rose w/ Vickie Guerrero (Pinfall via Knee Strike x4) Nyla rolls up with Vickie Bluetista style with a blue and cyan gear which really didn’t suit, Nyla’s gear has always been a mixed Bag The longest running Women’s Champion adds more colour to her Tifa Lockhart gear, her name plate finally on the belt (as detailed on her youtube channel, the name plate is more difficult to put on given its curved shape). Shida and Nyla are ready to go even before the bell as they trade blows, the Champion putting pressure on Rose with knee strikes and dropkicks but noticeably fails on the lift. Shida keeps her advantage of cutting Nyla down and landing the apron knee while Vickie screeches. The chair launch is cut off by a clothesline from Nyla but her attempts to pull a table is refused, giving Shida the chance to land the chair launch and sending her through the rail. Vickie though blindsides Shida’s knee with a kendo stick, giving the Native Beast the advantage she needs. Nyla uses the underneath frame of the ring to wrench Shida’s knee, then the ring post and a chop block to limit Shida’s use of the Tamashii (formerly called the Tamashii no 3 Count). Nyla continues to hone in on the leg, splashes and single leg crabs, even biting the knee to maintain her advantage. Shida rolls out of the senton and muscles a suplex for 2. The Tamashii is blocked by hitting the injured knee but Shida crossbodies, the knee continues to be the focus as Nyla keeps grasping and dropping Shida on it. My favourite Nyla Move, the Beast Knee is smashed into the injured knee for 2 as Nyla uses her weight against Shida’s injury. The champion pump kicks Nyla to the ramp after some turnbuckle shots for a corner dropkick, then a second in the ring at 2. The leg gives out on the Tamashii again so Nyla can powerbomb but foolishly pulls Shida out of the count, adding insult she lands the Tamashii, but only gets 1! A Back body press gives Shida the energy she needs, an Avalanche Falcon Arrow follows but Shida then breaks the pin, she tries the Tamashii but Vickie psyches her out (it was a botch but not a bad one), Vickie tries to kendo Shida while she’s hoisted and Shida just throws Nyla into Vickie. A half-hearted Falcon Arrow hits 2, Tamashii lands but another 2, second Tamashii and 4 Knee Strikes end the match. Being carried out of the ring by Aubrey, Vickie and Nyla are left in the ring as Guerrero screeches venom at Nyla, slapping the former Women’s Champion as she leaves.

In spite of it’s short build it was a good match, the final section was a little sloppy on the vicious vixens’ part but Shida sold her knee wonderfully. Expected Vickie to have more involvement and the post-match seemed to back out on Nyla turning on Vickie but maybe there’s more tale to tell. As a personal preference I hate when wrestlers willingly break their own pin, especially in a title match, it’s just a daft strategy but it was good to see that Shida’s stock has elevated to the point where she didn’t need the DQ stip to win like she did when she won the title, her early dominance would give her extra confidence and extra heat for who I think will be her usurper, Dr. Britt Baker DMD. Next time though, give Shida and her opponent Dynamite feud building. AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks def FTR (c) (Pinfall via Superkick, Matt to Cash) TITLE CHANGE! With Matt previously cleared to compete, the Bucks strolled up in Black, Yellow and Purple to their usual money rain, but the pomp and confidence is limited, Matt noticeably slower up the ropes as he nurses his ankle. The champions roll up in White jumpsuits with Tully - who the Bucks protest on since he’s banned from ringside due to his prior attacks, he does leave on his own accord. A nice touch from FTR are the star colours; red, blue, yellow and gold, aka tag champs in Raw, Smackdown, NXT and AEW. Mind games of ‘Greatest Tag Team of All Time’ as well also there to get into the Bucks’ heads. Matt was confident to show that his ankle was fine by going first, Cash going for the injury but being out-wrestled to his frustration. FTR’s quick tag action is halted by the Bucks rushing them to a stalemate in 2s. Nick and Dax trade some chain wrestling with again the Bucks frustrating them, the Bucks almost seem to be playing FTR at their own game plan, until Nick is punched in the face. Both teams take to the ring leading to the Bucks doing a Rana into a ground pound on the champs before sending them out of the ring with their patented tandem offence. Dax busts open his hand hitting the ring post after Matt dodged, reeling from the ankle attack, the Bucks relish the opening to equialize on Dax’s hand for catharsis. A bit of a miscommunicated spot followed where Matt’s moonsault was ‘dodged’ by Dax not paying attention, and his throwing Matt into the ropes looked ugly as fuck as Matt nurses his ankle and Dax tags out for Doc Sampson to dress his hand. When he returns he quickly goes for vengeance on the ankle in mostly a same manner as Nyla did to Shida prior. Cash jumps for Nick to pull him away from the Hot Tag which grants Dax the opening for a Superplex but Cash gets knees from the follow-up splash. The hot tag again thwarted after Cash hit the railing but Dax throws him in ring to tag in, the two men stand between the brothers as Cash flies over the ring post to the floor and Dax is baited into the DDT, Nick storms into the hot tag, wriggling out of FTR’s grapples with kicks and the dual clothesline/bulldog but is eventually caught by FTR who land the Hart Attack. Nick regains advantage with a Cheeky Nandos Kick when FTR were setting up the Powerplex, blind tags Matt who spears the baited Cash and gets a knee in the face, but it’s only 2. Matt’s involvement leads to the knee giving out on a lift, leading to an Electric Chair bulldog combo from FTR, they go for Goodnight Express but Matt superkicks Cash, then Dax, Cash rolls out of ring leaving Dax alone to the Bucks, 3-D! Twist of Fate! Swanton! 2! Lovely homage to the tag team greats. Superkick Party is called, but Cash sweeps Matt’s ankle and Nick gets a rebound powerbomb, but Matt is legal and get 2 on a sneaky pin. Dax gets overzealous with the Dusty Punches and uses his injured hand, but Matt also gets overzealous and uses his bad ankle, both men use their injured limbs for a punch/superkick trade-off, but Dax beheads Matt with a lariat. Homaging DIY they meet in the middle but only get 2, they try the Spike Piledriver but Nick throws Cash off, a tandem move and a swanton onto the ramp leaves Matt room to use a Sharpshooter on Dax, Dax gets to the rope but Nick superkicks the injured hand before Sharpshooter on Cash, FTR clutch each other’s hands but get pulled away but Matt’s ankle gives out to continue the hold. Matt pulls a finger break on Dax’s injured hand (an awkward spot given the scrutiny Marty Scurll is under right now with the SpeakingOut movement) leading to the BTE Trigger, but Cash cannons himself to break the pin. Matt brings out the chair but it’s not legal, Dax goads Matt to hit him but Nick tells him not to, Matt relents and sets up the Meltzer Driver but Cash grabs Nick for a Powerbomb through a ringside table, a very well done twist by Dax leads to the Spike Piledriver but the leg Cash hooks drops onto the rope. Furious, Cash takes Matt’s shoe off, leglock and stomp leads to an inverted Figure Four and ankle lock, but Nick is rising and Cash sees it! He tries the suicide dive but Nick ducks it, breaks the submission with a 450 but Matt only gets 2. Cash superkicks Nick out of the ring, gesturing Two Sweets to Matt before another superkick, but Cash keeps looking at the top rope, he misses the 450 and Matt hits the unbooted Superkick for 3. Kenny came to congratulate the Bucks afterwards as Hangman hovered by the tunnel - wanting to congratulate his friends but still feeling isolated. This is one where I would’ve benefitted not being spoiled, but thumbnails are a bitch. With the narrative that Bucks needed to win to keep on competing and were already at a disadvantage definitely sold the stage to be for Matt to shine. Personally I thought time would run out and there would be some semantic fenagling but it was clean as a whistle. A great match as well, definitely delivered on its build, FTR definitely lacked the presence of Tully to keep their heads in the game in a narrative sense, it’s a shame their tag reign was short but the story has always led to this moment, there was no way Cody AND the Bucks would not be able to challenge for their main titles. I would have one criticism though, the early stages of the match did feel like it was just 1v1s, the tag match needed more tag team offence. Elite Deletion: Matt Hardy def Sammy Guevara (DELETION via Pinfall) The cameras shift to North Carolina where Sammy rides ominously on a golf cart to the Hardy Compound, but Matt also seems to be sorting out business on the phone saying that Sammy’s on his way - fearing that he may need backup if the numbers go against him. Neo 1 confronts Sammy, providing a hologram of Matt welcoming him to the compound and disabling the golf cart. Having crushed a toy monster truck on the way in, Sammy’s face drops at the revving of a full sized monster truck next to him helmed by BROKEN Matt, who flattens the cart before exclaiming that the act was ‘orgasmic’ and ‘now that was a squash job’. Setting the zany tone, Sammy goes all around the truck and hits Matt with a trash can to begin the match. Moonsault off the Truck’s tire as he hammers Matt across the woods. Commentary kinda took you out of it as they tried to fill the silence with their ‘state the obvious’ as the fight sprawled to the front lawn. Sammy doing some great taunts such as saying ‘it’s my house now, daddy’s home!’ and trying to drown Matt in the fountain but Matt grabs the ‘Scepter of Mephistopheles’ to hit Sammy with, missing only the headshot as they go to a backyard ring. As Matt reminds Sammy that he asked for this, Sammy takes advantage with the ring work until a Side Effect is hit and a powerbomb through the table. The pin however is broken by Santana and Ortiz, who double on Matt. Through a walkie talkie though Private Party are called for support to negate the former LAX - though Matt gets hit by a Street Sweeper and a Twist of Fate in the meantime. ‘Roman Candles’ are next on Matt’s mind as he and Sammy both grab a few to fire at each other while PP and Santana & Ortiz tussle in the ring, PP using some of the patented offence of  the Hardy Boyz. The latest ‘Sammy Run Away’ meme appears as Sammy is chased by fireworks before slipping in some mud, flattened by a Twist of Fate. As Matt prepares to throw Sammy into the Lake of Reincarnation, a Gangrel (yes, Gangrel! From the Brood) threatens The Hurricane (yes, Shane Helms, the Hurricane) as a hostage, claiming that Matt never gave him any loyalty while in the Brood, PP arrive to help free the superhero, who asked why it took 2 years - leading to Hardy to funnily quip ‘I’m sorry, long-term storytelling, I had to go to AEW just to finish this’ leading to Hurricane’s famous catchphrase. Hurricane almost gets Sammy with a chokeslam but he throws him in the lake, saying ‘What’s a Hero to a God? A Spanish God’ before trying to throw Matt in. Shane Helms the reporter then comes in, asking if the feud is cursed, but he gets thrown in too (this one seen as he flails around the shallows). Hurricane reemerges to help PP fight Santana, Ortiz and Gangrel but Santana saves Sammy by hitting Hardy with a pipe as the two wander into the darkness of the woods, the heel allies in control as they follow.  Sammy stalks Hardy with a hammer with his friends also in view, but Hardy calls for Skarsgard, Sammy quickly rolling out of the way from the dilapidated boat’s all-or-nothing dive, Neo 1 is also in sight though, and Hardy commands him to lock Hardy and Sammy inside the ‘dome of deletion’, locking Sammy’s allies out. A ring, tables, ladders, chairs, mowers of lawns, wheels of chairs, a pram, a casket, the dome has it all, but Sammy instead unhooks the ropes to hit Hardy with the Turnbuckle bars, choking him with the middle rope. Sammy lays Matt on a Table near a ladder as high as the roof, landing the swanton but only gets 2. Hardy gets a Twist of Fate which seems to hurt his neck, Hardy then spears him into tables outside the ring, where we see Sammy with a small blood pool behind his head (a worked one, the camera angle on the dive ensured you didn’t see the concrete so it was definitely safe) Sammy struggles to stand as Hardy sets up a chair, hitting him on the head with the edge like his legit injury, telling Sammy ‘You made me what I am’ he cracks Sammy with a Con-Chair-To for the pin. After the match, Matt calls Private Party in to ‘take out the trash’, putting Sammy in a wheelie bin, a cut to the outside allows Sammy to be swapped out for kayfabe, as the bin’s loaded into the back of Senor Benjamin’s truck (Benjamin getting a huge pop) as Reby ends the match playing the piano to some highlights.Matt, PP, Skarsgard, Reby and Hurricane then celebrate to fireworks. As cinematic matches go it was good for ending the feud and continuing the Hardy Compound narrative, commentary did sometimes take you out of it and there were less supernatural stuff going on in this one, it was more found footage than the usual cinematic Deletion matches, but lots of quips, lots of fourth wall winks and both men did really well, can’t complain. Intermission Promo After the deletion match, commentary is told about Lance Archer being on a rampage backstage, which leads to a promo by Jake and Lance as he is wasting some jobber against the wall. Jake notes how they are tired of training and that they’re demanding that someone stand up to Archer, Archer waxes lyrical about his intent to break everyone in AEW because Everybody Dies. Archer’s promo game continues to be on the up, which will make you wonder about how long can the Snake coil around him? Right to Join Inner Circle: MJF def. Chris Jericho (Pinfall via Roll-Up) MJF claimed that he would do ANYTHING to beat Jericho, he began with the mind games by doing the Y2J pose in a fairy light robe, getting the fake pop from the fans who were expecting the Demo God. Jericho does get the pop by cutting MJF’s music short in a skull-themed spiked jacket as Diamante wins the ‘Incoherent Judasing’ moment of the night using Ivelisse’s hand as a mic. The chorus of Judas echoing as the limited crowd echo the arena to Jericho’s subdued delight. Sparing a thought for Aubrey though, who has to call this match despite both of them hating her XD MJF tries to start by feeding from the crowd, but the crowd only boo him and cheer Jericho, he gestures to a handshake amidst ‘You Suck’ chants but Jericho slaps him instead. Jericho held an early advantage but MJF got some advantage with a few clotheslines, but his adversity to the crowd once again gives away the advantage. Jericho pulls his camera middle finger spot after powerslamming him on the outside (shout out to KiLynn King as well for all her crowd enthusiasm). Dodging a Judas Effect leads to an injured arm to Jericho after his elbow hit the very busy today ring post, which he focuses on since it’s key for his Salt of the Earth, biting (which has also had a busy night) also ensues between both men but MJF capitalises on his counters and submissions. The heel nature comes out in Jericho with an eye poke, shoulder barges and a lionsault fire up the crowd and a Frankensteiner turning back the clock. MJF though returns to the arm with that double stomp while Jericho’s holding the rope, shoving the veteran as he spouts insults at him, a back and forth leads to MJF locking in the Salt of the Earth on the injured arm but Jericho shifts him into the Walls of Jericho as MJF chews the crawl to the rope. Aubrey’s enmity of both men comes into play when MJF uses her to shield him from Jericho’s kicks, a failed Heatseeker leads to a mid-rope Codebreaker instead from MJF, followed by a successful Heatseeker for 2. He tries the Lionsault but lands on his feet, and instead gets hit with Jericho’s Codebreaker for 2 as well. An Inside Cradle for 2 leads to Jericho trying the Judas Effect, but MJF catches it and cinches in the Salt of the Earth, but Jericho makes it to the ropes. Wardlow was noticeable absent from ringside at the start, having left after MJF’s entrance, but he was called to the ring by MJF to give him the Diamond Ring, his presence distracting Aubrey, MJF misses though and Jake Hager (who was also noticeably absent from the Elite Deletion) reveals himself on the other side throwing the Painmaker Bat to Jericho, Jericho winds up but MJF gives him the finger and drops Eddie Guerrero style. Aubrey turns to see the supposed outcome leading to Jericho turning his back, roll-up by MJF with a handful of tights gives him the win and membership.

Post-Match, Jericho cuts the music as MJF offers a handshake again, Jericho though this time takes it, hugs him and welcomes him and Wardlow to the Inner Circle. Wardlow holds the ropes for MJF, MJF holds the ropes for Jericho but nobody holds the ropes for Hager - who continues to stare off with Hager.

As a wrestling match it was good, for the situation I felt it was a little underwhelming. MJF said he’d do anything but we didn’t see anything outside of his usual tricks. Narratively it works to see MJF and Jericho stick together and we can only wait and see what stories will come out of it. AEW Revolution promo & Best Friends Interview The first PPV of next year is hyped for a February 27th showing. Dasha interviews Orange Cassidy asking his thoughts on his win, OC replies that he ‘has no thoughts’. Miro, Kip and Penelope however roll up as Kip demands an apology from OC for almost putting Penelope in harm’s way during a prior Dynamite. OC does apologise but Kip slaps him, saying that it wasn’t good enough, OC stops the Best Friends about to jump Miro and Kip and says ‘cool’ before walking away.

AEW World Championship ‘I Quit’ Match: Jon Moxley (c) def. Eddie Kingston (Kingston quits via Barbed Wire Bulldog Choke) Kingston rolled up in a shirt saying something that cameras failed to highlight despite his gesturing, (commentary later reveal that it was in homage to the late Tracey Smothers who recently passed away) his eyes like vengeance. Moxley struts in a Goldberg-esque entrance without the security, once again coming from the side of the stadium - this time no dumbass fan trying to charge him. Kingston stares daggers and shouts bloody murder at him during his entrance as Mox tries to get in his groove. Bryce Remsburg is also reffing this match, adding the personal level since Eddie revealed after his last Moxley match that the three go back.

Moxley got the first part of the venom, hammering punches until Kingston got to his knees, chops were traded as Moxley tried a takedown, only to get his ear bitten (biting man...) by Kingston. Slap trades follow as Kingston works on throws and cutting Moxley at the legs, Moxley hitting a tope when Kingston went to get a chair. Moxley then twists Kingston’s fingers key to his finisher, a suplex on concrete leads to the first ask but Kingston refuses, a Crossface/Bulldog Choke is countered by Kingston biting the arm. Throwing 2 chairs into the ring, a busted Moxley retaliates with the Barbed Wire Bat before kicking down the chair setup. Eddie also is busted in the mouth, then the forehead when the bat is pressed against his head - Moxley claiming that he ‘don’t wanna do this’. Kingston disarms Moxley with some Backdrops and throws a chair at Moxley, Moxley then gouges both eyes of Kingston but the Mad King throttles him. A small botch at Kingston was meant to drop Mox on the bat was rectified with more chair shots, Kingston hurts himself by wrapping barbed wire over his hand to pound into Moxley as he laughs maniacally, Uranken and a Kimura follows so Moxley has to break the hold the best way to hurt someone at Full Gear - Bite Him! Kingston restores the chair layout he had before, setting up for a suplex, Mox swaps though and lands Kingston on the flat of one chair. Kingston clotheslines Moxley to get time to get a black bag, which JR quips ‘well, it’s not a bag of chocolate’ - I mean you don’t know that JR! But alas, it wasn’t, it was your traditional thumbtacks, those silver hershey’s kisses (so hey it is a bag of chocolate), after trading suplexes Moxley snaps a vicious clothesline all away from the tacks, Moxley tries a Paradigm Shift on the tacks but Kingston does a twisting Urinage, planting him back first into the tacks - half on the elbow, half on the back. Kingston returns to the Rubbing Alcohol from Doc Sampson’s desk after learning that Moxley didn’t quit, low blows hurt Moxley but the champion only gives him the finger, Eddie then uses the alcohol on the punctured back (which I said at the same time as commentary). Kingston again hurts himself punching Mox with a handful of tacks, he goes for the barbed wire a second time but again changes his mind, going for the Bulldog Choke, Mox refuses still, with thumbtacks still in his head as Kingston lays in on the head shots, he dodges a knee and hooks in the Rear Naked Choke, turns him into the Suzuki Piledriver and then the Bulldog Choke, knowing that Kingston needs to be conscious Moxley changes to a Paridigm Shift, locating the Barbed Wire as he tells Kingston there’s ‘No Other Way Out’, asking him not to make him do this as he wraps his hand around the wire, Kingston only gives him the finger. Moxley considers turning away, but then launches into the barbed-wire enforced Bulldog Choke, Remsburg pleading with Eddie to quit as a vacant expression covers Moxley’s face, telling Kingston that ‘it’s done’, Eddie finally quits and Mox immediately lets go, a somber look on his face as his friend lays fallen.

Post-Match, Moxley tells the camera that ‘that’s what makes a champion: heart, blood and soul - Blood and Guts!’, whether that alludes to the special we were meant to have pre-COVID is yet to be seen. He then pulls Kingston up but Kingston sways away, leaving the ring on his own. Omega then comes out to the ramp to remind Moxley of his presence and their championship match in the due future.

A hard-hitting match, you knew that Kingston and Moxley would deliver on the hardcore level and a little on the emotive level. Sadly this match did suffer from WWE giving fans an inch-perfect I Quit Match in Hell in a Cell, so the bar was very high and it unfortunately could not reach that level. Again I’m surprised that factions didn’t get involved, Kingston’s family didn’t even go with Eddie to the ring, a surprise PAC appearance was hoped but we can’t be too torn up about that. Overall it was still a good title match, albeit an inevitable outcome given that Moxley and Omega have more history.

Conclusion Though there were a few small mistakes, there was not a weak spot in this PPV. On the other hand there wasn’t a match that blew me away, it was overall a well-done PPV: worth the money but there could’ve been more. There was meant to be a tease of a debut as well but I guess that was just rumor rather than an actual promise by the company. I will critique the Team Tazz stuff again because it really puts down Darby’s championship win, some matches could’ve ended more emphatically and the Buy-In needed more matches. Also just a personal thing but they overdid the biting spots, spots like those have a 2 match threshold at best on a card. But narratively we got a lot going on, a lot of consequences for the matches on the card including the Buy In and the Bucks did make good on their FTR promise by being Match of the Night. Elite Deletion and Silver/OC was a bit of light fun, the Women’s Match was strong, the opener hard hitting and we begin our build to Revolution.

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